tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47657787683602099682024-03-19T03:06:19.854-07:00I Luv MoviesAnthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.comBlogger879125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-85768430227834736912024-03-12T19:52:00.000-07:002024-03-12T19:52:47.488-07:00THE 96TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6Pi2PHXxHWHosiIR7QNsg3wFS2dcRGyXHX8bs7SmrRypPCHlGpz9uUZ0LrTI21zBUIonM9TGgOUihkTyLrI3Wno75MbkFwRT6UEP1k4LzATENgt4i1cGURpeLtcE_lL0060xH54J5MgC5VrG9jVDaiEB6vR3-88sRpmzd5ynReabFfQkQVpk7mmKWlI/s525/GettyImages-2066798400.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="525" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6Pi2PHXxHWHosiIR7QNsg3wFS2dcRGyXHX8bs7SmrRypPCHlGpz9uUZ0LrTI21zBUIonM9TGgOUihkTyLrI3Wno75MbkFwRT6UEP1k4LzATENgt4i1cGURpeLtcE_lL0060xH54J5MgC5VrG9jVDaiEB6vR3-88sRpmzd5ynReabFfQkQVpk7mmKWlI/w640-h426/GettyImages-2066798400.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After two lengthy strikes last year that brought the movie business to a grinding halt, the industry is ready to get back to work and celebrate themselves. <i><b>The 96th annual Academy Awards</b></i> brings an official end to award season and honors the best in cinema from across the globe.<br /><br />
For his fourth time as host, Jimmy Kimmel seemed even more at ease, playfully joking with his irreverent humor about this year's movies and nominees. The host was in great form and offering nothing too mean spirited except a bit later in the show with him reading aloud a nasty comment about him made on social media by a former President with Kimmel delivering a well deserved, perfect comeback. Following his monologue, Kimmel paid tribute to the below-the-line crew (the folks who handle much of the technical work behind the camera and who are on the cusp of their own contract renegotiations with the studios) and brought out to the stage the show's own crew.<div><br /></div><div>It was fifteen years ago the first time when five previous <i>Oscar</i> winners came out together to present in each of the acting categories. It was thrilling and deeply moving at that time and the return of this remains highly effective. My favorite moment from this was when the amazing ninety-two year old, Rita Moreno was speaking about <i>Best Supporting Actress</i> nominee, America Ferrera and sang a few bars of "America" from the movie version of the musical, "West Side Story" which she won her <i>Oscar</i> for her performance. Now I'm not sure if I would really want to see this every year, for I do enjoy seeing clips from the nominated performances, but this is still a wonderful thrill to witness and honor <i>Oscar</i> winners from the past.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the most shocking moment of the evening, Emma Stone received <i>Best Actress</i> over the front-runner, Lily Gladstone for her performance in "Poor Things", making her become a two-time winner. It is certainly disappointing for Gladstone but I still strongly believe that she was in the wrong category as her role in "Killers of the Flower Moon" was much more supporting than lead. And if Gladstone had been competing for <i>Best Supporting Actress</i>, it would have been even more of tight race against Da'Vine Joy Randolph who won the award for her emotional performance in '"The Holdovers" and gave one of the most touching speeches of the night. <br /><div><br /></div><div>"Oppenheimer" had lead with the most nominations with thirteen and ended the evening with the most wins at seven which included <i>Best Picture</i>. Now this would not have been my pick for this award (that would have been "Killers of The Flower Moon") but it is a solid choice and certainly will not be looked back years later as an unfortunate <i>Best Picture</i> selection. Christopher Nolan finally received the <i>Best Director</i> award while his wife, Emma Thomas shared the win for producing the movie. Cillian Murphy won his first <i>Oscar</i> for <i>Best Actor</i> playing the real-life theoretical physicist while Robert Downey, Jr. received <i>Best Supporting Actor </i> for his performance as Lewis Strauss, a high-ranking member of the <i>US Atomic Energy Commission</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of the biggest hits of last year, "Barbie" managed to take home only one award for <i>Best Original Song</i> for Billie Eilish and her brother, Finneas O'Connell who also became two time winners this night. But another nominated song from "Barbie", "I'm Just Ken" was performed on the show with a very game, Ryan Gosling capturing the spirit of the film. In one of the most rousing performances of the nominated songs, Gosling sang and danced in an extravagant production number surrounded by co-stars, Simu Liu and Kingsley Ben-Adir, a large number of dancing men with even Slash, the guitarist of the band, <i>Guns N Roses</i>, making an appearance. Another moment on the program was when stand-up comedian, John Mulaney came out to present <i>Best Sound</i>. I was wondering why he was actually there (in fact, I don't he's even been in a movie) but Mulaney was hilarious with his bit on "Field of Dreams" that was a highlight of the show. Perhaps he was auditioning for a chance to host a future <i>Oscars</i>? If so, I say give him a shot.<br /><br />There were a few disappointments; The traditional <i>In Memoriam</i> was poorly conceived this year with the segment feeling extremely rushed with some <i>Oscar</i> winners and nominees omitted while other performer's names were regulated to small print on a screen blocked by the dancers on stage. And when Al Pacino arrived on stage to announce <i>Best Picture</i>, he simply opened the envelope without mentioning the nominees or any acknowledgment of the producers involved in each movie. What makes this even worse is that Pacino has later stated that the producers of the show instructed him to just say the winner.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKKP3osCHS9ynlz14YKU3UlBcqtzq8RaGTajS4pl8quGHAsYWG7b8KDeGZIZrn9Q1oPjVAwzv8jWhhSEa2G6fwIZLJnDB8TK7Myf1ElNuD437KxEMst-7do0uQObQIq9tMOloQXUsoqT2pE4OjghDoKytcMW_dbceCmkiXRXDp6a73hjhqRDkiVTfE50/s681/Winners.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKKP3osCHS9ynlz14YKU3UlBcqtzq8RaGTajS4pl8quGHAsYWG7b8KDeGZIZrn9Q1oPjVAwzv8jWhhSEa2G6fwIZLJnDB8TK7Myf1ElNuD437KxEMst-7do0uQObQIq9tMOloQXUsoqT2pE4OjghDoKytcMW_dbceCmkiXRXDp6a73hjhqRDkiVTfE50/w640-h360/Winners.webp" width="640" /></a></div><br />This year, the show began an hour earlier and ran about twenty-three minutes over the intended three hour runtime. Yet the ratings were up by 4% this year with 19 million viewers tuning in. This uptick of viewership might be the "<i>Barbenheimer</i>" effect but who can know for certain. During this ceremony, there was no slapping, no opening of the wrong envelopes, no overtly political speeches and no streaking (<i>boooo, John Cena</i>). What we had was a fairly standard, traditional<i> Oscars</i> telecast. Now this perfectly fine with me however as we closely approach the centennial of the <i>Academy Awards</i>, what will it take to keep viewers engaged with the <i>Oscars</i>? I do believe the concept of "<i>Barbenheimer</i>" with two original films in the marketplace at the same time is one answer but another bolder vision is what <i>Best Adapted Screenplay</i> winner, Cord Jefferson said in his acceptance speech which in essence is that studios might want to get back to investing less money on films and take a chance on a new filmmaker with a fresh, innovative script.<br /><br />
<i>Here is the complete list of the winners of the 2024 Academy Awards</i>:<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Picture</span></i></b>: "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Director</span></i></b>: Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>
Best Original Screenplay</b></span></i>: Arthur Harari and Justine Triet, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Adapted Screenplay</span></i></b>: Cord Jefferson, "American Fiction"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress in a Leading Role</span></i></b>: Emma Stone, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actor in a Leading Role</span></i></b>: Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress in a Supporting Role</span></i></b>: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actor in a Supporting Role</span></i></b>: Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"<br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Cinematography</span></b></i>: Hoyte van Hoytema, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Editing</span></i></b>: Jennifer Lame, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Production Design</span></i></b>: James Price and Shona Heath, Production Design; Zsuzsa Mihalek, Set Decoration, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best International Feature</span></i></b>: "The Zone of Interest" (<i>United Kingdom</i>)<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Animated Feature</span></i></b>: "The Boy and the Heron"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Animated Short</span></i></b>: "War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Documentary Feature</span></i></b>: "20 Days in Mariupol"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Documentary Short</span></i></b>: "The Last Repair Shop"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Live Action Short</span></i></b>: "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Original Score</span></i></b>: Ludwig Göransson, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Original Song</span></i></b>: "What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie" Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Sound</span></i></b>: Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Costume Design</span></i></b>: Holly Waddington, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Makeup and Hairstyling</span></i></b>: Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Visual Effects</span></i></b>: Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima, "Godzilla Minus One"<br /><br />
<b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>Academy Honorary Awards</i></span></b>: <div>Angela Bassett<br />
Mel Brooks<br />
Carol Littleton<br /><br />
<i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award</span></b></i>: Michelle Satter
</div></div></div>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-57018691453328991582024-03-10T11:53:00.000-07:002024-03-16T23:32:31.365-07:00COMING SOON<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLKarscDTnG7Rspb6qIbKUCtLZlFTiYezj3gEUuHMuSgNTFOg9uelyp2u2EC5axLYYvLPRSy9aQTL67pNa1UnGODOoQ3U8ztHP0_eE3IYDLNNAz81ESaiNcGyR3h8oMX3PeFvBNBvQ7y67XOBTez1hO0VnDxtio0_BkyP9ScZA-rkHKPzB0JUHR9EQDQ/s2114/Screen-Shot-2023-11-01-at-4.45.20-PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="2114" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLLKarscDTnG7Rspb6qIbKUCtLZlFTiYezj3gEUuHMuSgNTFOg9uelyp2u2EC5axLYYvLPRSy9aQTL67pNa1UnGODOoQ3U8ztHP0_eE3IYDLNNAz81ESaiNcGyR3h8oMX3PeFvBNBvQ7y67XOBTez1hO0VnDxtio0_BkyP9ScZA-rkHKPzB0JUHR9EQDQ/w640-h368/Screen-Shot-2023-11-01-at-4.45.20-PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />A new teaser trailer has just dropped for "<b>The Fall Guy</b>", an upcoming action-comedy that features two of this year's <i>Oscar</i> nominees, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. It's a modern revisit of the '80's television show starring Lee Majors about a Hollywood stunt man who moonlights as a bounty hunter. Gosling stars as Colt Seavers, a veteran action choreographer working on a film when the leading man, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, mysteriously disappears. Seavers begins to investigate to find him and save the film for the director (Blunt) who also happens to be former girlfriend of Seavers and the current girlfriend of missing actor. The director David Leitch is a former stunt man turned filmmaker (behind the first "John Wick", "Atomic Blonde, "Bullet Train") and "The Fall Guy" seems like the perfect fit. And Leitch looks like he's using the irresistible charm, comedic timing and sex appeal of Gosling to the full advantage of the film.<br /><br />
<i>"The Fall Guy" is due in US theaters on May 3, 2024</i><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4hpi2JXq1XY?si=yBrPtVRZtFbN8qZP" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-52618671099050158632024-03-08T11:48:00.000-08:002024-03-08T20:43:06.997-08:00OSCAR MADNESS<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVpsB4m9C_xOEmIrLTR1eeajP8YSF5-aA-aH3NnEsqaKr69FNu1hgUYtyW05o3ZXQhHup394PyrrEhJ5tIwS_J9Z2vwvricldHg1UO0J0yS94zf6xeD6EM2aRndnZnd8koHsBRTNXZSx4Kzzfe2z5vcga2kCP35GTBPMNLtRrNYRHedqUeMH1vs60EEE/s1200/1200x627-Q80_fa36c70d18fedd80ef94d58ea32fafc9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVpsB4m9C_xOEmIrLTR1eeajP8YSF5-aA-aH3NnEsqaKr69FNu1hgUYtyW05o3ZXQhHup394PyrrEhJ5tIwS_J9Z2vwvricldHg1UO0J0yS94zf6xeD6EM2aRndnZnd8koHsBRTNXZSx4Kzzfe2z5vcga2kCP35GTBPMNLtRrNYRHedqUeMH1vs60EEE/w640-h334/1200x627-Q80_fa36c70d18fedd80ef94d58ea32fafc9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />In a matter of days, we will finally know the winners of <b><i>The Oscars</i></b>. In the meantime, here's a bit of information regarding the film industry that I found interesting:<div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCxXcQYPvWnAuUPjVcBeOVaAUKxUfevGMsf9Haru2z4neLqcxf1StjTf7htlsj9xYVwKynhhSjqeRGjvCW52VOLE0mTePBWJlWpTTztdVHX2sh72HUXC1IhC4ZuP-eh454AXaOh7wUkdei_KlJXRssMO9vwZlIczgoDkUluJXzi_eeOYbxYPHj6fWEE0/s945/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20012919.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="945" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCxXcQYPvWnAuUPjVcBeOVaAUKxUfevGMsf9Haru2z4neLqcxf1StjTf7htlsj9xYVwKynhhSjqeRGjvCW52VOLE0mTePBWJlWpTTztdVHX2sh72HUXC1IhC4ZuP-eh454AXaOh7wUkdei_KlJXRssMO9vwZlIczgoDkUluJXzi_eeOYbxYPHj6fWEE0/w640-h574/Screenshot%202024-03-06%20012919.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i><b>The Criterion Collection</b></i> has long been considered the gold standard for films as they focus on recognizing and preserving classic and contemporary films from across the globe. With their collection of over 1200 thoughtfully curated movies on DVD, filmmakers long to be a part of their prestigious catalog while cinephiles covet to collect each of their selections. <i>Criterion</i> pioneered the <i>special features</i> found on DVDs that included the use of trailers, deleted scenes, alternate endings and, most importantly, commentary tracks. <i>The New York Times</i> has examined the company, founded in 1984, from when <i>Criterion </i>began with <i>laserdiscs</i>, the short lived, home video format and has grown to now having their own subscription streaming service.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Please click below to read</i>:<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/29/magazine/criterion-collection.html"><span style="color: yellow;">How the Criterion Collection became the film world’s arbiter of taste </span></a><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7de9TdJ0WhjO6DUlNky-F3LfwyZY_6UdnHIFGdeQubtEqJX-ibWP8E1LJv8KzuN22hn43o9R3iFK8lz6X5-X0t7qldXzyx3hGnCOIGxJtgbJhSBiF-MIFAhxA0x_YE1GtOe0tNc_U9S6t8R5JdyKKeUkx1RBDN3Yr_hoMvQ6MaYsEzjOM8o3DczBJ0wY/s3000/videoframe_569.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7de9TdJ0WhjO6DUlNky-F3LfwyZY_6UdnHIFGdeQubtEqJX-ibWP8E1LJv8KzuN22hn43o9R3iFK8lz6X5-X0t7qldXzyx3hGnCOIGxJtgbJhSBiF-MIFAhxA0x_YE1GtOe0tNc_U9S6t8R5JdyKKeUkx1RBDN3Yr_hoMvQ6MaYsEzjOM8o3DczBJ0wY/w640-h426/videoframe_569.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />After many years of campaigning for recognition by <i>the Oscars</i>, casting directors have finally succeeded and <i>the Academy</i> have created a new category (the first in twenty-four years) for <i>Best Casting</i> and will be presented during the 2026 ceremony. Another group that have also been vigorously fighting almost as long to have a category for themselves during the<i> Academy Awards</i> are the stunt people, the men and women who have risked their well-being to create realistic looking falls, fights and crashes. So far, they remain unsuccessful but with casting now being honored, hopefully stunt work will not be far behind and will soon have their moment. In the meantime, <i><b>Vulture</b></i> have created <i><b>the Stunt Awards</b></i> to make up for this oversight. This began last year and was such an astounding success that the awards has been expanded with more entries and a larger voting body.
<br /><br /><i>
Please click below to read</i>:<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/stunt-awards-2024.html"><span style="color: yellow;">And the Winners of the 2024 Vulture Stunt Awards Are … </span></a><br /><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xrv4O64AXTxmf-eTsYNdvobw5vuK5kfjJc5W3u7trskLMhUAYNY8ljNlqAeWfdKmcVsvjH4cITxmcIhO8tHIyboyXTMH9U7ThEGFQQ3ODdEzt9S0lqGINmozl6m0LyBYfoKXwHktnWUBZYy7V_FRCgE2bQ836Hh477z2swUy5jTjJmiI0vhndazMNmU/s1384/oscar-party-history-94-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1384" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xrv4O64AXTxmf-eTsYNdvobw5vuK5kfjJc5W3u7trskLMhUAYNY8ljNlqAeWfdKmcVsvjH4cITxmcIhO8tHIyboyXTMH9U7ThEGFQQ3ODdEzt9S0lqGINmozl6m0LyBYfoKXwHktnWUBZYy7V_FRCgE2bQ836Hh477z2swUy5jTjJmiI0vhndazMNmU/w640-h474/oscar-party-history-94-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Here's a photographic look back at the history of one of the most coveted afterparties on Hollywood's biggest nights; <i><b>Vanity Fair's Oscars party</b></i>. The magazine looks back at their first party in 1994 which came together not long after the passing of talent agent, Irving "<i>Swifty</i>" Lazar who had held an exclusive <i>Oscars</i> viewing and after party for many years. Graydon Carter, then the editor of <i>Vanity Fair</i>, and the producer Steve Tisch came together to fill the void and these parties have been going on, becoming bigger and more glamourous, ever since. They have put together an incredible collection of photos from these gatherings with all of the beautiful movies stars, athletes, musicians and celebrated figures of the day all having a grand, extravagant time. <br /><br /><i>
Please click below to read</i>:<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/30-years-of-vanity-fair-oscar-party-photos"><span style="color: yellow;">30 Years of Vanity Fair’s Oscar Parties </span></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQxrjwbuQ4vGOkJDivoFT99TrEfvGHFQ4IQ7K14d6nrYy-T4caULUr0Ghyphenhyphenp5tgDtk7C9UBnDzh_-ayPYACN_tAbRy7Mh19zs3uX5olrckj3005ZO21G7Owrhb0AXEqWkyraI6UopvHrL9WPnRUoe8FLaFQadzRQ3O7OzvGTymnJnMw_4fy1gQYQ1NErM/s3000/videoframe_2266.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGQxrjwbuQ4vGOkJDivoFT99TrEfvGHFQ4IQ7K14d6nrYy-T4caULUr0Ghyphenhyphenp5tgDtk7C9UBnDzh_-ayPYACN_tAbRy7Mh19zs3uX5olrckj3005ZO21G7Owrhb0AXEqWkyraI6UopvHrL9WPnRUoe8FLaFQadzRQ3O7OzvGTymnJnMw_4fy1gQYQ1NErM/w640-h426/videoframe_2266.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />And finally, <i><b>Vulture</b></i> has ranked fifty of the most memorable, crazy, thought-provoking and moving acceptance speeches from all of the many awards shows over the last fifty five years. Not surprising, <i>The Oscars</i> have a large number of entries here but all of them are wildly entertaining.<br /><i><br />
Please click below to read</i>:</div></div><br />
<a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/the-50-greatest-awards-show-speeches-of-the-last-55-years.html?_gl=1*9wtdpd*_ga*MTUxNjEzMDMwNC4xNzA5ODA3NzQ4*_ga_DNE38RK1HX*MTcwOTkyNTA0Ni4zLjEuMTcwOTkyNjA1MC40OS4wLjA.#_ga=2.214189719.1806570307.1709925966-1516130304.1709807748"><span style="color: yellow;">The 50 Greatest Awards-Show Speeches </span></a><br /><br />Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-72287590595079609702024-03-03T17:21:00.000-08:002024-03-06T11:39:57.112-08:00AWARDS NEWS: THE FINALSAs we are quickly approaching the final awards presentation which will bring an end to award season: <i>the Oscars</i>, here is a rundown of the many awards given out by guilds and film organizations over the past few weeks:<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqGoJM7oMgHIJmWYAd73rbEk_sNPXzpaRNYfSSGYb_hgvSYX2C-FQZq3Hk-T7katHduFM0uOEqPSaYNYn-HQKVGezA2hTlWI5o22RpVe1VtKw3ELyx3it2i9y2ur4ZEey7M-r7SbNkbZVHkAt783-DYOqIbNBD2Q9wdP54tkofW7alAcdsqICHuKF9Gw/s649/GettyImages-2036706554-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="649" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqGoJM7oMgHIJmWYAd73rbEk_sNPXzpaRNYfSSGYb_hgvSYX2C-FQZq3Hk-T7katHduFM0uOEqPSaYNYn-HQKVGezA2hTlWI5o22RpVe1VtKw3ELyx3it2i9y2ur4ZEey7M-r7SbNkbZVHkAt783-DYOqIbNBD2Q9wdP54tkofW7alAcdsqICHuKF9Gw/w640-h260/GettyImages-2036706554-copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The acting branch, which is represented by <i><b>the Screen Actors Guild</b></i>, handed out their awards on February 24th. The 30th annual event gave the actors in "Oppenheimer" the top prize of <i>Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture</i>. The rest of the acting awards in the film categories were given to the front runners throughout award season:
<br /><br /><i>
Here are the winners of the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards</i> (Film):<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture</span></b>: "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role</span></b>: Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role</span></b>: Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role</span></b>: Da'vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role</span></b>: Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture</span></b>: "Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning"<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdIpf18Q8GBUw97gBAp7EvGJYtioMrVSz4cWhSqazUVM6PhcLxVYLlzUjoRX-2mlLaWE3dXCP0gjHU-HEXxerYPxr3bh3KIIeBv8Whl5Sl0g3purnDxScPujb2Ox70TaIqjwOTH59Kv4m6xN36FH6rBhrsZKk4fIWYwT6IDkWScOXpZF53R5vI3YhX4E/s872/GettyImages-2038802803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="872" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdIpf18Q8GBUw97gBAp7EvGJYtioMrVSz4cWhSqazUVM6PhcLxVYLlzUjoRX-2mlLaWE3dXCP0gjHU-HEXxerYPxr3bh3KIIeBv8Whl5Sl0g3purnDxScPujb2Ox70TaIqjwOTH59Kv4m6xN36FH6rBhrsZKk4fIWYwT6IDkWScOXpZF53R5vI3YhX4E/w640-h306/GettyImages-2038802803.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Celine Song and her melancholy romantic drama, "Part Lives" took the top prizes of <i>Best Feature</i> and <i>Best Director</i> at <i><b>the 39th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards</b></i>, held on February 25th on the beach in Santa Monica, CA. with host, Aidy Bryant. A. V. Rockwell received <i>Best First Feature</i> for her moving drama, "A Thousand and One".<br /><br /><i>
Here are the winners of the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards </i>(Film):<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Feature</span></i>: "Past Lives"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Director</span></i>: Celine Song, "Past Lives"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Screenplay</span></i>: Cord Jefferson, "American Fiction"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best First Feature</span></i>: "A Thousand and One"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best First Screenplay</span></i>: Samy Burch, "May December"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Lead Performance</span></i>: Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Supporting Performance</span></i>: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Breakthrough Performance</span></i>: Dominic Sessa, "The Holdovers"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Cinematography</span></i>: Eigil Bryld, "The Holdovers"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Editing</span></i>: Daniel Garber, "How to Blow Up a Pipeline"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Documentary Feature</span></i>: "Four Daughters"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best International Feature</span></i>: "Anatomy of a Fall" (<i>France</i>)<div><i><br />
<i><b>The Producers Guild of America Awards</b></i> </i>were established to honor the visionaries who produce and execute motion picture and television production. Christopher Nolan, his wife, Emma Thomas and Charles Rovan received the top prize for Outstanding Producers of Theatrical Motion Pictures for their work on "Oppenhiemer.<br /><br /><i>
Here are the winners of the 35th annual PGA Awards</i> (Film):
<br /><br /><b><i>
Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures</i></b>: Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i>
Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures</i></b>: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and Christina Steinberg, "Spider-man: Across The Spider-Verse"<br /><i><b>
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures</b></i>: Lauren Domino, Matthew Heineman and Joedan Okun, "American Symphony"<br /><br />
<b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMH7Qmb9mdFFmrePrmVp2MojMl-lPy1TzvdWvnUfz-wOrsQ1DeifNR9SRKZmh23CkfPIVfpyGAXishG396IA1DtmDsXyzN9dfi-wdH3QDE-0FLmFbLfCT6U7sZBbB1UF2Bp8pxkfQvdbOZS5_wmH9x8fbMU49gsbBneZNFE9jFapWH2nbElPgesrLuF9g/s1280/BAFTA_2024-jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMH7Qmb9mdFFmrePrmVp2MojMl-lPy1TzvdWvnUfz-wOrsQ1DeifNR9SRKZmh23CkfPIVfpyGAXishG396IA1DtmDsXyzN9dfi-wdH3QDE-0FLmFbLfCT6U7sZBbB1UF2Bp8pxkfQvdbOZS5_wmH9x8fbMU49gsbBneZNFE9jFapWH2nbElPgesrLuF9g/w400-h400/BAFTA_2024-jpg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The 77th annual British Academy Film Awards</i> </b>were given out on February 18th which honors the best national and foreign films of the previous year. Christopher Nolan's biographical thriller, "Oppenheimer" began with the most nominations at thirteen and left the ceremony with the most wins with seven, including <i>Best Film</i>, <i>Best Director</i> and <i>Best Actor</i> for Cillian Murphy. The actress, Samantha Morton received this year's <i>BAFTA Fellowship</i> which is a lifetime achievement award.<br /><br /><i>
Here are the winners of the 2024 BAFTAs</i> (partial):<br /><br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Film</span></b></i>: "Oppenheimer"<br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Director</span></b></i>: Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding British Film</span></i></b>: "The Zone of Interest"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer</span></i></b>: Savanah Leaf, "Earth Mama"<br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Original Screenplay</span></b></i>: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Adapted Screenplay</span></i></b>: Cord Jefferson, "American Fiction"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress in a Leading Role</span></i></b>: Emma Stone, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actor in a Leading Role:</span></i></b> Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress in a Supporting Role</span></i></b>: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actor in a Supporting Role</span></b></i>: Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer "<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Film Not in the English Language</span></i></b>: "The Zone of Interest"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Documentary</span></i></b>: "20 Days in Mariupol"<br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Animated Film</span></b></i>: "The Boy and the Heron"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Casting</span></i></b>: Susan Shopmaker, "The Holdovers"<br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Cinematography</span></b></i>: Hoyte van Hoytema, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Editing</span></i></b>: Jennifer Lame, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Production Design</span></i></b>: Shona Heath, James Price and Zsuzsa Mihalek, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Original Score</span></i></b>: Ludwig Göransson, "Oppenheimer"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Sound:</span></i></b> Johnnie Burn and Tarn Willers, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Costume Design</span></i></b>: Holly Waddington, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Make Up & Hair</span></i></b>: Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston, "Poor Things"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Special Visual Effects</span></i></b>: Tim Barter, Simon Hughes, Dean Koonjul and Jane Paton, "Poor Things"<br /><br />
<i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIamkf7FVPBJwhE_BtdVioS0MznfpI0wKAfE_YMb2GRWC53brt8eQI47FmjNAgNQoXsZ-RGZ4NMLPRFJ4n8fdQIIi8qN2Qj3l2_IP5n6nZ0WoR9UNb698TqiFqiNoUqw-WDjgVuJ2vl6DPiEdCSzDnodg909AM21jJLcHcBjdSp29_b8UDkGsZOCR9-Y/s373/La_Belle_Fille_et_le_Sorcier_49th_C%C3%A9sar_Awards_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIamkf7FVPBJwhE_BtdVioS0MznfpI0wKAfE_YMb2GRWC53brt8eQI47FmjNAgNQoXsZ-RGZ4NMLPRFJ4n8fdQIIi8qN2Qj3l2_IP5n6nZ0WoR9UNb698TqiFqiNoUqw-WDjgVuJ2vl6DPiEdCSzDnodg909AM21jJLcHcBjdSp29_b8UDkGsZOCR9-Y/w283-h400/La_Belle_Fille_et_le_Sorcier_49th_C%C3%A9sar_Awards_poster.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><br />The César Awards</b></i> are the national film award of France and the 49th annual event was held on February 23rd. "Anatomy of a Fall", Justine Triet's riveting courtroom drama, swept the awards, winning six <i>Césars</i> including <i>Best Film</i> and <i>Best Director</i>, making Triet only the second female filmmaker to receive this award. French filmmaker, Agnès Jaoui and British filmmaker, Christopher Nolan both received <i>Honorary Césars</i>.<br /><br /><i>
Here are the winners of the 2024</i> <i>The César Awards</i> (<i>Partial</i>):<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Film</span></b>: "Anatomie d'une chute (Anatomy of a Fall)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Director</span></b>: Justine Triet, "Anatomie d'une chute (<i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Original Screenplay</span></b>: Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, "Anatomie d'une chute (<i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Adaptation</span></b>: Valérie Donzelli and Audrey Diwan, "L'Amour et les Forêts (<i>Just the Two of Us</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best First Feature Film</span></b>: "Chien de la casse (Junkyard Dog)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Actress</span></b>: Sandra Hüller, "Anatomie d'une chute (<i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Actor</span></b>: Arieh Worthalter, "Le Procès Goldman (<i>The Goldman Case</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Supporting Actress</span></b>: Adèle Exarchopoulos, "Je verrai toujours vos visages (<i>All Your Faces</i>)"<br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>
Best Supporting Actor</b></span>: Swann Arlaud, "Anatomie d'une chute (<i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Female Revelation</span></b>: Ella Rumpf, "Le Théorème de Marguerite (Marguerite's Theorem)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Male Revelation</span></b>: Raphaël Quenard, "Chien de la casse (Junkyard Dog)"<br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>
Best Cinematography</b></span>: David Cailley, "Le Règne animal (<i>The Animal Kingdom</i>)"<br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>
Best Editing</b></span>: Laurent Sénéchal, "Anatomie d'une chute (<i>Anatomy of a Fall</i>)"<br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>
Best Documentary Feature</b></span>: "Les Filles d'Olfa (<i>Four Daughters</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Foreign Film</span></b>: "The Nature of Love" (<i>Canada/France</i>)<br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Animated Feature Film</span></b>: "Linda veut du poulet! (<i>Chicken for Linda!</i>)"
</div>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-77815015075680270712024-02-26T10:00:00.000-08:002024-02-26T10:00:00.304-08:00WINNERS OF THE 2024 BERLIN FILM FESITIVAL <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14ThyphenhyphenJWQajKR4qPWjGueXoZ2nn4h31eHGBNTQE3eEj75XVkTJSQ-neH5CJNnJ_3_pLetxWBcYJYM-K4An8FnSb3WOyC_Oa_z62ssLsuirehBH4DB0yIuqX2apRa0QqaYIL-yW_4EICsFz8BPEPPV3wNqgMnI2AWVbcw3T2397fxNFGF00f1C4noLG3Wk/s962/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20125250.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="962" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14ThyphenhyphenJWQajKR4qPWjGueXoZ2nn4h31eHGBNTQE3eEj75XVkTJSQ-neH5CJNnJ_3_pLetxWBcYJYM-K4An8FnSb3WOyC_Oa_z62ssLsuirehBH4DB0yIuqX2apRa0QqaYIL-yW_4EICsFz8BPEPPV3wNqgMnI2AWVbcw3T2397fxNFGF00f1C4noLG3Wk/w640-h380/Screenshot%202024-02-25%20125250.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />"Dahomey", the documentary by French-Senegalese filmmaker, Mati Diop, received the top prize of the <i>Golden Bear</i> at the close of <i><b>the 74th Berlin Film Festival</b></i>. The film tells the story of the African artworks that were looted from Dahomey, an area that was the former West African kingdom located in the south of today’s Republic of Benin, brought to France and the journey of the art returned to Benin. <i>The Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize</i> went to Hong Sang-soo and his latest, "A Traveler's Needs". Isabelle Huppert stars as a French woman who ends up in Korea and with no previous experience, begins to teach French to the locals in order to make a living.<br /><br />
<i>Here is the list of winners from the 2024 Berlin Film Festival</i>:<br /><br />
<b><span style="color: #ffa400;">Golden Bear</span></b>: "Dahomey"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize:</span></b> "여행자의 필요 (<i>A Traveler's Needs</i>)"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Silver Bear</span></b>: "L'Empire (<i>The Empire</i>)"<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FF8_MiwAUVg?si=GX2KH1UXNrHbgWNE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Director</span></b>: Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias, "Pepe"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Silver Bear for Best Screenplay</span></b>: Matthias Glasner, "Sterben (<i>Dying</i>)"<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kagVqEfPxFw?si=wB_UbGPcO1qk0HzA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Leading Performance</span></b>: Sebastian Stan, "A Different Man"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Supporting Performance</span></b>: Emily Watson, "Small Things Like These"<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SGwCjJkaG50?si=lYzfuYQwDrtAFblI" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution</span></b>: Martin Gschlacht, cinematographer for "Des Teufels Bad (<i>The Devil's Bath</i>)"<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/172e9e6EsqU?si=CETfYZRMd2-dmkNZ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-55594691643810325912024-02-25T12:39:00.000-08:002024-02-25T12:39:35.356-08:00MY LEAST FAVORITE FILMS OF 2023<p>Cinema has always been subjective. For every movie that I love, there will be viewers of that same movie who will only not like it but could absolutely loathe the idea of it's very existence. And of course, the films that I was unable to find much pleasure, there are folks out there who love these movies. With that in mind, here is a list of my least favorite films I watched last year:</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7D5xZ0JMUNP0J8STBAVUxyUAHR9V46MsSmqLFFg5sr0XoBBeKbzZ9-Z1InEtN6XXsLqU9MD6dZ0zcE_1yxRIuGanRd9gz5BIYYofOQS5gdCzNf4rvp6T6gtEeOW5ZIj7qXx80Cn_boGHXPPwyOLH6MGiXugjSwkx1rO1DUv4692Vb4V6tvEjjmuYOFog/s387/Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp_Quantumania_poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7D5xZ0JMUNP0J8STBAVUxyUAHR9V46MsSmqLFFg5sr0XoBBeKbzZ9-Z1InEtN6XXsLqU9MD6dZ0zcE_1yxRIuGanRd9gz5BIYYofOQS5gdCzNf4rvp6T6gtEeOW5ZIj7qXx80Cn_boGHXPPwyOLH6MGiXugjSwkx1rO1DUv4692Vb4V6tvEjjmuYOFog/w269-h400/Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp_Quantumania_poster.jpg" width="269" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>"ANT MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA"</i></b></span><p></p><p>Last year was not so great for the super-hero franchises as most of them failed to generate much excitement or interest. But one of the least engaging (and biggest disappointment) that I saw was "<b>Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania</b>", the second sequel of the reluctant hero who can shrink to the size of the powerful, tiny insect. Paul Rudd returns as Scott Lang, the former thief who has become the crime-fighting, <i>Ant Man</i>. After his time fighting with<i> the Avengers</i> to defeat Thanos, he has gone on to living quietly and enjoying his life with girlfriend, Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and his teenage daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton). During a visit with Hope's parents, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who were the original<i> Ant-Man</i> and <i>the Wasp</i>, Cassie announces that she has a device that can make contact with <i>the Quantum Realm</i>, a universe that exists outside of space and time. Terrified after being trapped there for thirty years, Janet tries to shut it down but it's too late; the message was received and all five are forced through a portal to the realm. Once there, they must work together to stop the <i>Quantum Realm</i>'s new ruler, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). There's a lot more involved in this convoluted plot but the script by Jeff Loveness is confusing and monotonous. With the focus of the film on multiverses, alien beings (the less said about<i> M.O.D.O.K.</i>, the better) and a mystical, end-of-the-world crisis, director Peyton Reed struggles to find an engaging human element that made his previous "Ant Man" films so successful. But the real problem with "Quantumania" is that it lacks a genuine sense of spirited fun and inspired adventure.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZlNFpri-Y40?si=DbB9k1b0y_VyM80c" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiA1AeeZwcFyLFwgZ1hvZmWo9-709llCUBOUC54yG2EgJJaQFRS1nZvmr0yjvDYdzLFgJgHNAi0Mrjb1E21tbfsQ25IOGfE1g84uE22qB26y1MoCnHIDK0SBFTCoQM6KFqTFamoA4h6cnS8-Z8IkVsXTeNK6-rTXvE8tOYs8BbVfHPN976xjpcy7HmMOk/s326/Asteroidcity.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiA1AeeZwcFyLFwgZ1hvZmWo9-709llCUBOUC54yG2EgJJaQFRS1nZvmr0yjvDYdzLFgJgHNAi0Mrjb1E21tbfsQ25IOGfE1g84uE22qB26y1MoCnHIDK0SBFTCoQM6KFqTFamoA4h6cnS8-Z8IkVsXTeNK6-rTXvE8tOYs8BbVfHPN976xjpcy7HmMOk/w270-h400/Asteroidcity.jpg" width="270" /></a></i></b></span></div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>"ASTEROID CITY"</i></b></span><br /><br />I have a complicated relationship with the cinema of Wes Anderson. While I admire his whimsical style and the dry, offbeat humor, I have difficulty connecting to most of his films on an emotional level. Of Anderson's films, there is one that I absolutely love ("<i>The Royal Tenenbaums</i>"), a few that I really enjoyed ("<i>Rushmore</i>", "<i>The Grand Budapest Hotel</i>", "<i>Isle of Dogs</i>") but the rest I am left feeling indifferent towards. With Anderson's latest, the beautifully rendered, "<b>Asteroid City</b>", I really struggled to find a way into Anderson's singular world, but I just couldn't get past the artificial construct. Set in the 1950's, we are introduced to a television host (Bryan Cranston) who introduces a documentary about the making of a play by famed playwright, Conrad Earp (Edward Norton). The plot of the play involves a youth astronomy convention held in the desert town of Asteroid City with war photographer, Augie Steenbeck (Jason Schwartzman) heading there with his son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan) who won a <i>Junior Stargazer</i> prize. Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson), a famous yet weary actress arrives with her daughter, Dinah (Grace Edwards) who also won the award. A romance develops between these parents and their children then a UFO appears with an alien to reclaim a fallen meteorite. "Asteroid City" is another film with an overly complicated plot filled with random thoughts that ultimately doesn't add anything meaningful to the narrative. The film is bursting to the seams with a starry, celebrated cast (Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Steve Carell, Jeffrey Wright, Margot Robbie to name just a few) yet they all feel wasted with the actors forced to deliver their lines in the same deadpan, monotone style. I have to add that I far more enjoyed Anderson's short film collection, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar" also released last year and based on the work by Roald Dahl. But I do think it's largely because each film was not much more than twenty minutes long, making it the ideal length for me to appreciate Anderson's distinctive cinema.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEO2ZaipT5Z1H8ktRdJhaS7mN-vlbg5sUdf8hW-KrEfttcrNzGJm0gG2h5_v9_qLOpyBhxqyGKdQd9sNViToOptvx_8CkRkDPR97hSlTh48QSKCkVbLvcPLUxO4Fh3MKK9xIq5U4G-prLScD0EznXRMi0AaT_k_Y6z6TrXswG7jHvqXjBL-YwbNUv31k/s378/NoHardFeelingsPoster.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeEO2ZaipT5Z1H8ktRdJhaS7mN-vlbg5sUdf8hW-KrEfttcrNzGJm0gG2h5_v9_qLOpyBhxqyGKdQd9sNViToOptvx_8CkRkDPR97hSlTh48QSKCkVbLvcPLUxO4Fh3MKK9xIq5U4G-prLScD0EznXRMi0AaT_k_Y6z6TrXswG7jHvqXjBL-YwbNUv31k/w270-h400/NoHardFeelingsPoster.png" width="270" /></a></div>"NO HARD FEELINGS"</i></b></span><br /><br />I grew up during the time when teen sex comedies were all the rage in the 1970's and 1980's. These movies were filled with raunchy gags and almost always about horny teenage boys who were desperately trying to have sex or, at the very least, see a live naked woman. These films have largely fallen out of favor but "<b>No Hard Feelings</b>" has attempted to bring back the wild spirit of the classic sex comedy. But this movie fails to deliver the laughs, just coming across awkward and cringy, while the sex to be found is just sad. Jennifer Lawrence plays Maddie, a financially strapped young woman who had her car repossessed and on the verge of losing the house she inherited from her mother. Looking for some quick, extra cash, she answers an ad from concerned parents (Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti) seeking a woman to "<i>seduce</i>" their shy teenage son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) before he heads off to college. With the payment being a used car, Maddie accepts this offer and tries to sexually entice (and have sex with) the unwilling Percy. Even by teen comedy standards, this plot is completely bonkers and the script by director Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips is unable to make it remotely plausible or humorous. Lawrence gives it her all, displaying her expert timing and gift for physical comedy, yet there is only so much she can do to try and salvage this painfully odd comedy. While there may be a sweet center, with these characters trying to help each other make a true connection, "No Hard Feelings" is just too weird and muddled to work as a timeless coming-of-age comedy.
<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9LNeXDIaQueB9xFnhQDQFOtZKCVF8gg9rU13LAmLfFho4F4LXkhTi45rgdnupejmO1CSkM9fn7o5F1V62uvNOgvRs88PyyJuZKPwVYP5zO4nTaLgrtOiV7eRGWWibc57sCl8RRJX6zQqEOoz64KMnz3HMuS0I7ZmhmVihd9FPDD7JrdXhYz8Qy4mxak/s384/Wonka_2023_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9LNeXDIaQueB9xFnhQDQFOtZKCVF8gg9rU13LAmLfFho4F4LXkhTi45rgdnupejmO1CSkM9fn7o5F1V62uvNOgvRs88PyyJuZKPwVYP5zO4nTaLgrtOiV7eRGWWibc57sCl8RRJX6zQqEOoz64KMnz3HMuS0I7ZmhmVihd9FPDD7JrdXhYz8Qy4mxak/w270-h400/Wonka_2023_film_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"WONKA"</i></b></span><br /><br />
"<b>Wonka</b>" is the rare, original contemporary movie musical that became an unexpected worldwide box-office smash. But this origin story based on the classic character created by Roald Dahl never manages to feel necessary and the film's charms are minimal at best. Timothée Chalamet plays Willy Wonka who at this point of time is just a young, aspiring chocolatier who arrives to a nondescript European city to try his luck at opening a shop at the famed Galéries Gourmet. After his meager funds quickly run out, Wonka is misled into signing a contract to stay at the boarding house of Mrs. Scrubitt (Olivia Colman) despite a warning from Noodle (Calah Lane), the orphan who lives there. Now because of hidden fees, Wonka is forced to work in Scrubitt's launderette alongside other captives. His only hope to escape is to find success selling his chocolates but a trio of corrupt, rival chocolatiers (Matt Lucas, Paterson Joseph, Mathew Baynton) who work together to stop Wonka from opening a store. This version of "Wonka" is far removed from Dahl's eccentric tale with director Paul King delivering a safe, feel-good yet banal take of this character. The original songs by composer, Neil Hannon of the band, <i>the Divine Comedy</i> and written by King and co-writer of the screenplay, Simon Farnaby are serviceable yet unmemorable. As the third actor to play Wonka on the big screen, Chalamet presents him as innocent and sweet-natured, making him relatively bland compared to the kind yet eccentric interpretation played by Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp's darker, more oddball creation. And the actor is certainly able to carry a tune, but I wouldn't call him a "<i>singer</i>". "Wonka" is a CGI heavy fantasia that just doesn't have enough magic to make it a truly tasty treat.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/otNh9bTjXWg?si=AWy1ArRhhWRqLTPE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<p></p>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-87375104437662534782024-02-14T10:00:00.000-08:002024-02-14T10:00:00.148-08:002024 BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yAImauE4D4vJc-S5Rywy4Of5vWM7c_OtmxqBpBTq1GmG1eBs67p6hOFdDSpCu0k42wRxjEqVX8evUuKbCQPR_PBkLIfXuc4swF4gOVX9rxpM7w4Ncq6FfJA0e3DrMJ-3Qqh_P6oRl0BtZp5TLEl1X6T2XIAi-Twi5DaRm3K7-NKoEIpfQ11YG5-jQUQ/s1080/Berlin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yAImauE4D4vJc-S5Rywy4Of5vWM7c_OtmxqBpBTq1GmG1eBs67p6hOFdDSpCu0k42wRxjEqVX8evUuKbCQPR_PBkLIfXuc4swF4gOVX9rxpM7w4Ncq6FfJA0e3DrMJ-3Qqh_P6oRl0BtZp5TLEl1X6T2XIAi-Twi5DaRm3K7-NKoEIpfQ11YG5-jQUQ/w400-h400/Berlin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><i>The 2024 Berlin Film Festival</i> </b>is set to run from Feb 15th to Feb 25th. Now in its seventy-fourth edition, <i>the Berlinale</i> is a film festival that began during the post-war period as a platform for the cinematic exploration of social issues. This fest continues to have a diverse, independent and politically minded spirit to showcase thrilling new feature films, documentaries, shorts, experimental and restored classic cinema.<br /><br /> The <i>Opening Film</i> is the drama "Small Things Like These" from director, Tim Mielants.<i> Oscar</i>-nominee, Cillian Murphy stars as an Irish father in the 1980's who discovers startling secrets about one of the Magdalene asylums in his town. This was a horrific place from the past which were laundries run by the Roman Catholic church who claimed their intentions were to reform "<i>fallen</i>" young women but in reality, these girls were just abused and used as free labor. This world premiere is one of the selections in<i> the Main International Competition</i>.
<br /><br />
A total of twenty films have been selected in the international competition for <i>the Golden Bear </i>and includes new works from Mati Diop ("Dahomey"), Olivier Assayas ("Hors du temps (<i>Suspended Time</i>)"), Bruno Dumont ("L'Empire (<i>The Empire</i>)"), Piero Messina ("Another End"), Abderrahmane Sissako ("Black Tea"), Alonso Ruizpalacios ("La Cocina"), Claire Burger ("Langue étrangère"), Matthias Glasner ("Sterben (<i>Dying</i>)") and Hong Sangsoo ("Yeohaengjaui pilyo (<i>A Traveler’s Needs</i>)").<br /><br />
<i>Oscar</i>-winning actress, Lupita Nyong’o will preside as President of the jury for the <i>Main Competition</i>. The rest of the jury members who will decide which films will be awarded prizes are American actor and filmmaker, Brady Corbet; Hong Kong filmmaker, Ann Hui; German director, Christian Petzold; Spanish filmmaker, Albert Serra; Italian actress, Jasmine Trinca and Ukrainian novelist, Oksana Zabuzhko.<br /><br />
<i>The Berlinale Specials</i> highlights exciting new films not in competition and the line-up will include the world premiere of Johan Renck’s sci-fi feature, "Spaceman" which has Adam Sandler as an astronaut in space. However, this is not a comedy but a drama and features Carey Mulligan, Paul Dano and Isabella Rossellini. Following the premiere in Berlin, "Spaceman" will be released worldwide on <i>Netflix</i> on March 1st.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rNZ0xKaCdus?si=59BZI-rWKZadbjJw" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
"Sasquatch Sunset", a surreal comedy by the Zellner Brothers, stars Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg as the heads of a family of these mythical creatures. But what makes this film particularly intriguing is that the actors are completely concealed in full body hair and do not speak. <br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KgfkthLpeXw?si=MIie5EL2TXFZ00UW" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
Abel Ferrara is set to premiere his latest, a non-fiction feature, "Turn in the Wound" which documents the American filmmaker's travels to Kyiv and Ukraine to explore what remains of these countries after two years of Russia’s brutal invasion. The rock musician. Patti Smith also appears in the film. "Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger" is a feature documentary, making its debut in the Specials sidebar, about the influential British filmmakers, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, examining their significant works of cinema that includes "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp", "Black Narcissus" and "The Red Shoes". The doc is narrated by an impressive filmmaker in his own right, Martin Scorsese who has stated many times how much this team and their films have inspired his own work. And Scorsese will receive this year's honorary <i>Golden Bear Lifetime Achievement Award</i> and will be honored in the <i>Classics</i> program with a screening of a digital restoration of his 1985 feature, "After Hours".<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O8WyPK8FACs?si=czB48A6eVH1KSamA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-54593703465651575862024-02-13T15:42:00.000-08:002024-02-13T20:34:59.014-08:00MY FAVORITE FILMS OF 2023The cinematic year of 2023 was filled with highs and lows. With COVID largely in the past, audiences have returned to theaters in signifcant numbers with "Barbie", "Oppenheimer" and two pop music superstars (that would be <i>Taylor Swift</i> and <i>Beyoncé</i>) helping to draw them back. But then we had two industry strikes that lasted for months and caused a pretty major rupture in the pipeline last year (and most certainly will be even worse this year). Super-hero fatigue seems to have finally set in and the numbered sequels are no longer such a sure thing. But in between, we still had a great year with solid, masterful and diverse works of cinema. While it may be harder to find indies and adult dramas in theaters as they tend to be screened for an even, shorter period of time or they are largely made for streaming services with a brief theatrical run, there were some wonderful movies to be found. Here are my favorite films that I really enjoyed last year, listed in alphabetical order:
<br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vhBGsR0bAd06oVx8uGvsZ5kj6V5ruUHr3LN_yrjSkDSU_YJoYTj5eOK5kaQQ-hKETHGIlQ-7TRKCtag4_fwHTN3M-uI3Plc71gIYQs9Hi09zZuoF7QG8KVfhhbfGZp4q-DMoyAI_0l7ftIfkoCHtpFe9QBTvXf-fZmYHtZrYruXiuK1mjBhDxGkD8YU/s375/All_of_Us_Strangers_poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="253" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0vhBGsR0bAd06oVx8uGvsZ5kj6V5ruUHr3LN_yrjSkDSU_YJoYTj5eOK5kaQQ-hKETHGIlQ-7TRKCtag4_fwHTN3M-uI3Plc71gIYQs9Hi09zZuoF7QG8KVfhhbfGZp4q-DMoyAI_0l7ftIfkoCHtpFe9QBTvXf-fZmYHtZrYruXiuK1mjBhDxGkD8YU/w270-h400/All_of_Us_Strangers_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"ALL OF US STRANGERS"</i></b></span><br /><br />
With the intimate drama, "<b>All of Us Strangers</b>", writer/director Andrew Haigh has deftly captured a sense of loss and mourning in a way that's fantastical yet remains compassionate and deeply moving. Loosely based on the 1987 novel "Strangers" by Taichi Yamada, this story follows Adam (Andrew Scott), a lonely and isolated screenwriter trying to work in his apartment. An initial awkward encounter with a drunken neighbor, Harry (Paul Mescal) later leads to them connecting on a romantic level. Feeling wistful about his past, Adam ventures out to his childhood home and finding his parents (Claire Foy, Jamie Bell) still living there although they have been dead since he was twelve after a tragic car accident. While this plot might sound a bit too high concept to be effective, Haigh is in full command, guiding us through Adam's emotional journey as he <i>reconnects</i> with his parents by sharing with them his current life and past fears and desires. Anchored by an innovative screenplay and powerful performances, "All of Us Strangers" is a heartfelt rumination on love, grief, depression and ultimately, acceptance.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O97iSjvqBlY?si=hJPpFum3n9DUaRr1" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFRsf8l6aB0ywAa734rV5hfmeIBec2FvF2zXWrHlRLnEST6cyu1zp-kqhNrzd9gfWpaGc2ROLTTioUii6RbvpP5md7rVGX9LnEj5nvMl_6OyOHzEvYxMluqF3z0p7gnVwqmMNUTd8o0w_y_LEaeLT0JSrx-U2ZurNf8rpdrmfOiKnB5kJQW9-wyAZagE/s378/American_fiction_xxlg.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLFRsf8l6aB0ywAa734rV5hfmeIBec2FvF2zXWrHlRLnEST6cyu1zp-kqhNrzd9gfWpaGc2ROLTTioUii6RbvpP5md7rVGX9LnEj5nvMl_6OyOHzEvYxMluqF3z0p7gnVwqmMNUTd8o0w_y_LEaeLT0JSrx-U2ZurNf8rpdrmfOiKnB5kJQW9-wyAZagE/w270-h400/American_fiction_xxlg.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"AMERICAN FICTION"</i></b></span><br /><br />
At its core, "<b>American Fiction</b>" is essentially a wild, hilarious comedy yet Cord Jefferson's film debut as writer and director also captures moments that are profoundly moving and incredibly insightful. Thelonious "<i>Monk</i>" Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is an African American novelist and professor currently living in Los Angeles. While his work is acclaimed, his books don't sell well with them having little appeal to the Black community. During a seminar, he walks in on an interview with African American author, Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), the writer of a wildly popular novel filled with black stereotypes. Appalled by the idea of this book and its success, "<i>Monk</i>" decides to play the game and write his own version of this type of book under a pseudonym. But to his dismay, the book becomes a best-seller with an offer for a movie deal and high demand for a follow-up novel. In between all of this, "<i>Monk</i>" heads back to his hometown of Boston to help deal with his mother (Leslie Uggams) who is showing early signs of Alzheimer's with his sister (Tracee Ellis Ross) who is a medical doctor and estranged, recently divorced brother (Sterling K. Brown) that has recently come out as gay. And "<i>Monk</i>" begins a romance with Coraline (Erika Alexander), a neighbor who lives next door to his mother. There is a lot going on in this satire, yet Jefferson skillfully holds it all together, very impressive for a first-time filmmaker, keeping "American Fiction" enjoyable throughout and managing to draw exceptional performances from his wonderful cast. I can't wait to see what this exciting filmmaker will do next.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5_4RlHpqVWM?si=rFwibMGNGgq-1_-2" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><i><b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh7M6O08R_mfAD_-iAsd1i9VpHdStfpxNicA1zlEwXtjfZU-cIC8f1VqhNNhOiKXVqDsAy0Szv1hZ9_IWyqDWpvRx7CJQbvN9hFQzwOazz92Qtb7llkADxVnJq1Xp6l6teS2PqiQTHTD2Ok1BW7u2Kbb0A1ydUYXGSYWIaM4cTnhq0tbv_FI9MuH5VwY/s378/Holdovers_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh7M6O08R_mfAD_-iAsd1i9VpHdStfpxNicA1zlEwXtjfZU-cIC8f1VqhNNhOiKXVqDsAy0Szv1hZ9_IWyqDWpvRx7CJQbvN9hFQzwOazz92Qtb7llkADxVnJq1Xp6l6teS2PqiQTHTD2Ok1BW7u2Kbb0A1ydUYXGSYWIaM4cTnhq0tbv_FI9MuH5VwY/w270-h400/Holdovers_film_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"THE HOLDOVERS"</b></i></span><br /><br />
"<b>The Holdovers</b>" marks the reunion of the director, Alexander Payne and the actor, Paul Giamatti almost twenty years later following "Sideways" their previous outstanding film together. Set during near the end of 1970, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a professor at a New England prep school. Gruff, somber and rigid, Hunham is not a popular teacher amongst the students. Professor Hunham is assigned over the Christmas break to watch over the few students who are unable to return home, referred to as "<i>Holdovers</i>", along with the cafeteria manager, Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph). After a father flies in on a helicopter with an offer to take his son and the remaining boys on a ski trip, all are able to get permission by their parents except Angus (in an impressive acting debut by Dominic Sessa) who ends up stuck alone at the campus with Hunham and Mary. As these three isolated and emotionally broken people begrudgingly come together, they each find their own offbeat way to help each other and heal themselves. Payne intentionally made "The Holdovers" to evoke the spirit of a movie that could have been made in the 1970's with its distinctive cinematic rhythms and vintage formatted camerawork created by cinematographer, Eigil Bryld. Plus, there is a really great soundtrack that features music by composer Mark Orton and pop songs from the 60's and '70's. "The Holdovers" may be set in the fairly recent past yet feels perfectly timeless. <br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCBvGZN9dZYvUwSc7de9Apo-UmhPHCupmFvzHbkrhmhhweNJyiz8rNc5GibXTz3y6SqIGEriDNDs2mc6Pf_nMpkkV8xsTwDi6Mganw3IZuD0vjk0tprwfSHg3tg09q_WEHqwKAtR1ZgYTiWW9LyL5xYNPNeNmdxjEcM5YZUYwo6Cr1eSPL75OUYAnGoo/s387/Killers_of_the_Flower_Moon_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="258" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisCBvGZN9dZYvUwSc7de9Apo-UmhPHCupmFvzHbkrhmhhweNJyiz8rNc5GibXTz3y6SqIGEriDNDs2mc6Pf_nMpkkV8xsTwDi6Mganw3IZuD0vjk0tprwfSHg3tg09q_WEHqwKAtR1ZgYTiWW9LyL5xYNPNeNmdxjEcM5YZUYwo6Cr1eSPL75OUYAnGoo/w266-h400/Killers_of_the_Flower_Moon_film_poster.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>"KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON"</i></b></span><br /><br />Martin Scorsese has made several great films throughout his prestigious career and his latest, "<b>Killers of the Flower Moon</b>" ranks high on this impressive list of cinematic achievements. Leonardo DiCaprio, in their sixth feature film collaboration together, stars in this fact-based story as Ernest Burkhart, a WWI vet who goes to his uncle, William King Hale (Robert DeNiro) in Oklahoma to live. During his job as a cab driver, Ernest meets Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), a member of the Osage nation whose family owns oil on their land. Hale encourages a relationship between them, and they are soon wed. A series of murders of the Osage, including Mollie's family, begins by corrupt members of the community with the goal to steal the tribal members' wealth. Originally conceived with the emphasis on the FBI coming in to save the day and solve this crime yet this film avoids the pitfalls of a "<i>White savior</i>" plotline device (like the misguided "Mississippi Burning") with the persuasive screenplay by Eric Roth shifting focus more on the Osage, their customs and concerns. Quentin Tarantino is absolutely wrong regarding his statement about directors that stay too long in the game will ruin their reputations and their body of work. The eighty-one-year-old Scorsese shows here that he's still very much at the peak of his powers as a filmmaker. And the biggest compliment I can state about "Killers of the Flower Moon" is that I have sat through movies that were only ninety minutes long that felt much longer than the over three-hour runtime of this engaging film.<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD9pn6LW8DjrZEYkykQKiSskDXqtipd6aZHFom_n-MpPCGQIX4-wOI7cfNe80J1kRQKpE_ZT5qMo4rWCDGccy30iLlhuVERjicJAJPo_wg3mx6v3483odVgwQM-PaY4Q15shKPCOHCurevpeARzQI-RcJM59nczLfhFxMDmWQCsIM4pmIf0L2XlE5HpQ/s384/Maestro_poster.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWD9pn6LW8DjrZEYkykQKiSskDXqtipd6aZHFom_n-MpPCGQIX4-wOI7cfNe80J1kRQKpE_ZT5qMo4rWCDGccy30iLlhuVERjicJAJPo_wg3mx6v3483odVgwQM-PaY4Q15shKPCOHCurevpeARzQI-RcJM59nczLfhFxMDmWQCsIM4pmIf0L2XlE5HpQ/w270-h400/Maestro_poster.png" width="270" /></a></div>"MAESTRO"</i></b></span><br /><br />
For his second time behind the camera following his dazzling musical remake of "A Star is Born", Bradley Cooper takes on another musician in "<b>Maestro</b>" where he impressively plays the legendary composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein. While he was sexually fluid throughout his life, the film's focus is on Bernstein's complicated yet enduring marriage to actress, Felicia Montealegre played with warmth and burning intensity by Carey Mulligan who delivers another brilliant performance. "Maestro" begins with a somber Bernstein in his 70's being interviewed about his past while working on his latest opera before shifting to his first big break in 1943 when he was a last-minute replacement to conduct the New York Philharmonic. After meeting Montealegre at a party, Bernstein drifts away from his relationship with a male musician (Matt Bomer) to focus only on her where they have a glamourous life and start a family. But over time, Bernstein's eyes begin to wander, landing on a young musician (Gideon Glick) and Montealegre is left feeling resentful and frustrated. With the capable assistance of cinematographer, Matthew Libatique, Cooper has the camera in constant motion while utilizing crisp black & white for the early part of Bernstein's life before slowing down and shifting to saturated color once we reach the Bernsteins' life in the 1970's. There was a bit of chatter regarding Cooper's use of a prosthetic nose to play Bernstein but it's all an unnecessary distraction to the accomplished feat of the actor/filmmaker crafting a powerful and moving work with a Hollywood biopic that transcends the expected. <br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTvcRSMbRDuf8pwcIxdSKpTjw9KLqKAtzTEl3zTbdlyJvPxYQbpvu3dGSaIWUx92Y_vyZavq0qRPYJokRZHYW9TLcg-iyvcORsdwgI0xdbX3yyizZHJ4extOul5S4xSiDUFcgxKcjL4bUU5s26mbZjIM9ByrY9R5KIIrD0jFCX9VNRi0O9HC3Jv1Utvw/s384/Origin_2023_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTvcRSMbRDuf8pwcIxdSKpTjw9KLqKAtzTEl3zTbdlyJvPxYQbpvu3dGSaIWUx92Y_vyZavq0qRPYJokRZHYW9TLcg-iyvcORsdwgI0xdbX3yyizZHJ4extOul5S4xSiDUFcgxKcjL4bUU5s26mbZjIM9ByrY9R5KIIrD0jFCX9VNRi0O9HC3Jv1Utvw/w270-h400/Origin_2023_film_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"ORIGIN"</i></b></span><br /><br />
Based on Isabel Wilkerson's "<i>Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents</i>", "<b>Origin</b>" is Ava DuVernay's masterwork that explores the painful events that inspiried Wilkerson to begin this book and all of the extensive research and travel involved in order for the writer to complete her thesis. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Wilkerson who is consulted by her editor (Blair Underwood) to write a piece about the shooting of Trayvon Martin. Interested yet hesitant, Wilkerson decides to not pursue this assignment. But several personal tragedies pushes her to get back to work and explore expanding upon the ideas of bigotry. With the belief that race is not the only determining factor in prejudice, she begins examining the caste systems of India and the extermination of Jews in Nazi Germany, especially since the discrimination in both cases involves people of the same race, and how they are connected to the racism in America. The film is boldly rendered in an experimental cinematic style that combines elements of narrative and non-fiction storytelling; exquisitely performed by a stellar cast (that includes Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga and Audra McDonald) and presents Wilkerson's comprehensive investigation persuasively. "Origin" has helped me reconsider my views on racism and bigotry and how far-reaching it has been in our society. DuVernay has once again crafted a fascinating and astonishing work of cinema.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pAweg5PaMuw?si=Gj2cUI8ISKRjzN_k" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIBgFSX_LOjuL2CtXIgFzyNqOE4WD8abr28gqk2qNSC1UTitpAj6QeTFteTEfPw7jzOiKuWiXQH4zzdhVmbCfRdbh-KRSODYTVRUPSkO_NLOXzIOG4-QyIi8T8b4DEqXkJRxjAlSgK_9oTyZsdMAPvWQ-V5Vuwbc2WVL4pwadZ6Zv5ExMdrOCemEOm2A/s355/Passages_poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXIBgFSX_LOjuL2CtXIgFzyNqOE4WD8abr28gqk2qNSC1UTitpAj6QeTFteTEfPw7jzOiKuWiXQH4zzdhVmbCfRdbh-KRSODYTVRUPSkO_NLOXzIOG4-QyIi8T8b4DEqXkJRxjAlSgK_9oTyZsdMAPvWQ-V5Vuwbc2WVL4pwadZ6Zv5ExMdrOCemEOm2A/s320/Passages_poster.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>"PASSAGES"</span></i></b><br /><br />
Bold and provocative, <a href="https://iluvmovies62.blogspot.com/2023/08/passages-2023.html"><span style="color: yellow;">"<b>Passages</b>" </span></a> is a European set drama from American filmmaker, Ira Sachs which examines a love triangle that has rarely been explored in cinema involving two queer men and a woman. Tomas (a captivating Franz Rogowski) is a German filmmaker living in Paris with his English partner, Martin (Ben Whishaw). Unsatisfied in his relationship and looking for excitement, Tomas connects with Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) at a party which later begins an unlikely sexual affair. Tomas tries to make his romance with Agathe work yet still strongly desires Martin. An exceptional film for enlightened adults, "Passages" daringly attempts to tackle the complicated fluidity of sexual identity in a way that is titillating, introspective and considerate. <br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ21Xv34cc1uNcJSSKzlKydwu30mGb6hO-SjXhO0qPlwJ4yt5lcJWh1hH7Zl-xUP1lmzNqDIzsob4NQl3Y4hD8G17N77QrQ40C46WCNheio7dBflkNzup6ZCQ74xeHeoMYAa6CMXjk5ICTSodhXSOg6TPkrNISkBzw0An8GcjU1229CCZ3psOf-jPMacc/s378/Past_Lives_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ21Xv34cc1uNcJSSKzlKydwu30mGb6hO-SjXhO0qPlwJ4yt5lcJWh1hH7Zl-xUP1lmzNqDIzsob4NQl3Y4hD8G17N77QrQ40C46WCNheio7dBflkNzup6ZCQ74xeHeoMYAa6CMXjk5ICTSodhXSOg6TPkrNISkBzw0An8GcjU1229CCZ3psOf-jPMacc/w270-h400/Past_Lives_film_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"PAST LIVES"</i></b></span><br /><br />
"<b>Past Loves</b>" is the alluring debut by writer/director Celine Song that takes a graceful and poignant look at a relationship that evolves from childhood to adulthood as opportunity and continents keep them apart, yet a strong connection continues to burn between them. Our story begins in Seoul where Na Young and Hae Song are children attending the same school where they become close friends with a deeper yet reticent affection forming between them. But they are separated when Na Young's family immigrates to Canada. Twelve years later after searching for each other on <i>Facebook</i>, Hae Song (Teo Yoo) and Na Young, now going by Nora (Greta Lee) spend time over <i>Skype</i> reconnecting and stirring old feelings. But due to circumstances, it would not be until another twelve years before the two will finally meet in person with Hae Song coming from Korea to visit Nora who is now living in New York with her husband of seven years, Arthur (John Magaro). Sparked by her own personal experiences, Song has confidently made a film of profound beauty, looking at this couple trying to maneuver their friendship through suppressed desires and entangled heartbreak. And by the time we come to the conclusion, "Past Lives" unexpectedly delivers a powerful, emotional wallop.
<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><b><i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQVCz3T_25Lkp7RwFQlhrVcvTdA8ZrfbJJuIC_H7gfpf_WAlxOUo2kFKzQ1bRT6x3-GJa98R8s2qi4d-0T-iXB-zpFo1w6FzcocZgNoYZvUtgh0M05a2Gcpu6G-Nh5bjoZdcRThoAhPjfaBb_167BBISS7ME2HShKhjuUsXlPVHwYk7lfY088mdGtOPA/s384/Saltburn_Film_Poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQVCz3T_25Lkp7RwFQlhrVcvTdA8ZrfbJJuIC_H7gfpf_WAlxOUo2kFKzQ1bRT6x3-GJa98R8s2qi4d-0T-iXB-zpFo1w6FzcocZgNoYZvUtgh0M05a2Gcpu6G-Nh5bjoZdcRThoAhPjfaBb_167BBISS7ME2HShKhjuUsXlPVHwYk7lfY088mdGtOPA/w270-h400/Saltburn_Film_Poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>"SALTBURN"</i></b></span><br /><br />
A wickedly perverse, Gothic thriller on the British upper class, "<b>Saltburn</b>" cleverly dives deeply into the depths of obsession and depravity. Oliver Quick (a very game Barry Keoghan) has just entered Oxford on a scholarship and struggles to fit in. He becomes fixated on Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), a handsome, wealthy and popular student and they actually become friends. After Oliver reveals his family problems and the recent unexpected passing of his father, Felix, in order to help him out, invites him to spend the summer at his family's country house, <i>Saltburn</i>. Once at this lavish estate, Oliver meets Felix's parents (Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant), sister, Venetia (Alison Oliver) and an American cousin, Farleigh (Archie Madekwe) who also attends Oxford. As his obsession for Felix intensifies, a darker side of Oliver is revealed as he charms and seduces this eccentric family. Just as polarizing as her feature film debut, "Promising Young Woman" (which I was not a big fan) yet writer/director Emerald Fennell has managed to make "Saltburn" more appealing with a sharper script, crafting characters that are far more intriguing and going even further out there with shocking and outrageous moments. "Saltburn" is certainly not for the easily offended but if you like your cinema challenging, mind-boggling and demented, then this film should fit the bill.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lALMdJf6UUE?si=pRhJc58YibnsdSR4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<p><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"></span></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmgoqBC6mMpUfEAPDWIf5-RfEHTt80T3wrP2aIjezwRoKuV2yJ-DTi8JhXamsD8zVORW6q2uH-uWW2KGBS6-TMxlfzy8YAdV9VEXssZuKLLToAiCIAJap1y4f8N8r4T-Xpvm0iXzp79x7kIyrrzfrsRinnIWoDHiTFrdSkZogmfhyphenhyphenQEhm8DOvCX_q6Eo/s384/The_Zone_of_Interest_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmgoqBC6mMpUfEAPDWIf5-RfEHTt80T3wrP2aIjezwRoKuV2yJ-DTi8JhXamsD8zVORW6q2uH-uWW2KGBS6-TMxlfzy8YAdV9VEXssZuKLLToAiCIAJap1y4f8N8r4T-Xpvm0iXzp79x7kIyrrzfrsRinnIWoDHiTFrdSkZogmfhyphenhyphenQEhm8DOvCX_q6Eo/w270-h400/The_Zone_of_Interest_film_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></b></i></div><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400; font-size: large;">"THE ZONE OF INTEREST"</span></b></i><p></p><p>As only his fourth feature film over the last twenty-three years, filmmaker Jonathan Glazer has delivered another brilliantly conceived yet disquieting drama with "<b>The Zone of Interest</b>" which takes us to a place set during a disturbing time in history, creating an environment that is haunting and austere. Glazer uses the novel of the same name by Martin Amis as inspiration for his screenplay with the film detailing a fictional account on Rudolf Höss (played here by Christian Friedel), a real-life SS Nazi commandant who would later be executed for his war crimes. Living in a charming home behind a wall next to the Auschwitz concentration camp that he runs, Höss spends his day operating the camp, then later retiring for a quiet evening to his wife, Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and their five children. When Höss is offered a promotion that would require a move to a town near Berlin, Hedwig is distraught about leaving behind the beautiful home she has spent so much time creating, begging her husband to ask if she and their children can remain. While "The Zone of Interest" is yet another film that deals with the horrors of the second world war, Glazer has avoided the expected, inventively using a modern approach to tell this story with cinematographer Łukasz Żal using only natural lighting and shooting scenes with an infrared and surveillance camera. We never witness the atrocities that goes on behind the wall of the Höss home, but we hear the faint, ominous sounds of gunshots and screams along with the jarring score by Mica Levi which effectively adds to the uneasy atmosphere. "The Zone of Interest" is yet another compelling, singular work from Glazer and hopefully we will not have to wait so long for the next movie by this gifted filmmaker.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFNtVaAuVYY?si=09uxOMLR05VEDsN9" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
</p><p><i><b>Honorable Mention</b></i>: "Afire", "All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt", "Anatomy of a Fall", "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret", "Blackberry", "Blue Jean", "Dream Scenario", "Fair Play", "Full Time", "Me Captian (Io capitano)", "Rye Lane", "A Thousand and One", "The Teachers' Lounge (<i>Das Lehrerzimme</i>r)", "Theater Camp", "Tori & Lokita"<br /><br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cXL_HDzBQsM?si=6vh3Mjuy6EhJv7ct" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ig4pNINEsmc?si=F371eGSMTHPNmV30" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K9u9aqVgMvI?si=25EECxQhLj_M0eeL" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SqcF_GI3mOA?si=jw9Ua1Lra2di4x26" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kbUaACY8wRQ?si=iw-rUEPjsbvlzlpK" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-28310152238269338232024-01-26T20:02:00.000-08:002024-01-26T20:02:34.624-08:00NORMAN JEWISON (1926 - 2024)<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzR2VR1K9GHv-Oa6DPvEFkOU8buWhCZ9FPJO0ImMgFUy4-PUKoR6xoDPoJbwa-ufNCgONJTsLsPIPi26Iia9Jw-ID0EgLct4ggNEV0M5QCIE4CFjV6wtWihPe36X_lQcqsSRxzW6FL7VSQeQZzbIdH_gNtNkl2s8rOrGHIZ944yijcxg54jLH31Ys92w/s1661/Fiddler-1-1-e1621546271554.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="1661" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuzR2VR1K9GHv-Oa6DPvEFkOU8buWhCZ9FPJO0ImMgFUy4-PUKoR6xoDPoJbwa-ufNCgONJTsLsPIPi26Iia9Jw-ID0EgLct4ggNEV0M5QCIE4CFjV6wtWihPe36X_lQcqsSRxzW6FL7VSQeQZzbIdH_gNtNkl2s8rOrGHIZ944yijcxg54jLH31Ys92w/w400-h371/Fiddler-1-1-e1621546271554.jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><br />Norman Jewison</b>, the gifted filmmaker behind such cinematic classics as "In the Heat of The Night", "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Moonstruck", passed away on January 20th. The Canadian born director, who made his name by tackling social and political issues in his films while also managing to make them engaging and entertaining, was ninety-seven.<p></p><p>Born in Toronto, Jewison (who many assumed was Jewish but was actually of English descent) began his career working for the newly formed <i>CBC television</i> network as an assistant director in 1952. He worked on a wide spectrum of programming and six years later, was recruited by <i>NBC</i> and moved to New York. While working on a Judy Garland television special in 1961, Jewison met Tony Curtis who encouraged him to move into films and hired him to his production company with his then-wife, Janet Leigh. Here, he would direct his first feature film, "40 Pounds of Trouble", a comedy which starred Curtis and Suzanne Pleshette. Forming his own production company, Jewison went on to direct a couple of Doris Day comedies which included "Send Me No Flowers" from 1964 with Rock Hudson. <br /><br />
Trying to move away from comedies, Jewison's first opportunity came in 1965 when he was hired to direct Steve McQueen in the drama, "The Cincinnati Kid" about a poker player trying to be considered the best during the Depression. While the film received mixed reviews and decent box-office, the supporting performances of Joan Blondell and Edward G. Robinson received award recognition. This success would allow Jewison a chance to create works of cinema that were of considerable interest and importance to him. <br /><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKbVHf0Lj02c3y-NY4Zjv5zCrj-oZUK6RJd9rW6J8fm4R7kOPyN5ziKS7qHJ0WNfcsfWpGXGfhgeXBAVU_CGFeGlS_3KHG1M7gc14G0QgRSuG1Pqko0yuAf_NakJFxPTb4r2VUUTfY8V0kd9Jv-kfyQuGBP5iT6tMi8Em8YiG8ajXBxYcHcDdMSWe4Oc/s749/download.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="749" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKbVHf0Lj02c3y-NY4Zjv5zCrj-oZUK6RJd9rW6J8fm4R7kOPyN5ziKS7qHJ0WNfcsfWpGXGfhgeXBAVU_CGFeGlS_3KHG1M7gc14G0QgRSuG1Pqko0yuAf_NakJFxPTb4r2VUUTfY8V0kd9Jv-kfyQuGBP5iT6tMi8Em8YiG8ajXBxYcHcDdMSWe4Oc/s320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Some of the films he made that he directed and produced included the Cold-War satire, "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming"; the 1967 crime-thriller, "In the Heat of the Night (1967) set in a racially divided South that starred Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger, winning five <i>Academy Awards</i> including<i> Best Picture</i>; teaming with Steve McQueen again for the romantic-crime caper, "The Thomas Crown Affair" with Faye Dunaway; the film adaptations of the Broadway musicals, "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"; the courtroom comedy-drama, "...And Justice for All" with Al Pacino; one of my all-time favorite films, the 1987 romantic-comedy, "Moonstruck" which starred Cher, Nicolas Cage and Olympia Dukakis and "The Hurricane" the 1999 drama based on the boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter (played by Denzel Washington who was <i>Oscar-</i>nominated for his performance) who had been falsely convicted for a triple murder. After directing "The Statement" in 2003 with Michael Caine and Tilda Swinton, Jewison would retire as a filmmaker. Nominated three times for <i>Best Director Oscars</i>, he would go on to receive well deserved honors which included <i>the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award</i> from <i>the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences </i> and <i>Lifetime Achievement Award</i>s from the<i> Directors Guilds </i>of both Canada and America.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bIso4hSWNl8?si=ySfpm_B7HiNXGKjQ" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DA9AeDFv7-c?si=FUY83sZUYi26SzF6" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hIe8GA3VvYg?si=uZnFym1rEHmOYezu" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZQcqSr83EuU?si=KGEgIavhgjBJ91ZL" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WkoOgwFX-ho?si=ekBZ-9KJcLUMOOCi" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YTzvLMUfwB8?si=AGL8pD01hKO-7_6p" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-71904919199514149722024-01-25T13:44:00.000-08:002024-01-25T13:44:17.407-08:002024 OSCAR NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv36TUw8LZujTokbl83avv8dLI8OHe2Rhzghu6cNGyiPY4a6w9473FEvRcvSqblFQARFfY0s1qGVlelSh-lHhFKSfuMMSxhzMtACaZBZHBwWdpbLAAfPL0IZa34VRnPhZ5k-pWopZ4S8opVPoaZm8Q6bnj4okGya0TDCKdbdq9HIWREIkldup8Hd773js/s2048/960_TimeAnnounce_Aframe_2048x1152_DB_R2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="2048" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv36TUw8LZujTokbl83avv8dLI8OHe2Rhzghu6cNGyiPY4a6w9473FEvRcvSqblFQARFfY0s1qGVlelSh-lHhFKSfuMMSxhzMtACaZBZHBwWdpbLAAfPL0IZa34VRnPhZ5k-pWopZ4S8opVPoaZm8Q6bnj4okGya0TDCKdbdq9HIWREIkldup8Hd773js/w640-h356/960_TimeAnnounce_Aframe_2048x1152_DB_R2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />I managed to get up on time this year to hear <b style="font-style: italic;">the 2024 Oscar nominations </b>during the live presentation. With Zazie Beets and Jack Quaid on board to make the announcement (great chemistry,<i> get them a rom-com ASAP</i>), "Oppenheimer" leads the pack with an impressive thirteen nominations, making this the eleventh film to receive this number. "Poor Things" was next with a total of eleven, followed by "Killers of a Flower Moon" with ten nominations while "American Fiction", "Anatomy of a Fall", "The Holdovers" and "The Zone of Interest" received five each. <div><br /></div><div>There were no real surprises of the "<i>Andrea Risenborough</i>" nature with most of the nominations largely followed course throughout this award season. The only real surprises to be had were the large number of films and performances that were overlooked, most notworthy were "May December" and the musical version of "The Color Purple" manageing to receive only one nomination each despite the immense attention both films received prior. </div><div><br /></div><div>For the first time in <i>Oscar </i>history, all five of the <i>Documentary Feature Film</i> nominees are international based and focused works.With her film, "Anatony of a Fall", Justine Triet becomes only the eighth female nominated for <i>Best Director </i>and the first from France. Lily Gladstone is the first Native American woman to receive an acting nomination for "Killer of a Flower Moon". And Diane Warren has gotten her fifteenth <i>Best Original Song</i> nomination for her contribution to the film, "Flamin' Hot" (and still without a competitive win) while the ninety-one year old composer, John Williams has earned his <i>fifty-fourth </i>nomination for <i>Best Original Score</i> for his work on the fourth Indiana Jones film. </div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, this has shaped up to be a very diverse<i> Oscars</i> in regard to race and gender which is how it should be and represents true progress.<br /><div><br /></div><div><i>The 96th annual Academy Awards </i>will be held on March 10, 2024 at the <i>Dolby Theatre </i>in Hollywood. Jimmy Kimmel will return as host for the fourth time.<br /><br />
<i>Here is the complete list of the 2024 Oscar Nominations</i>:<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i><b>
Best Picture</b></i></span>:<br /><br />
"American Fiction"<br />
"Anatomy of a Fall"<br />
"Barbie"<br />
"The Holdovers"<br />
"Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
"Maestro"<br />
"Oppenheimer"<br />
"Past Lives"<br />
"Poor Things"<br />
"The Zone of Interest"<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Director</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
Justine Triet, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br />
Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things"<br />
Jonathan Glazer, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br />
Best Original Screenplay</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Arthur Harari and Justine Triet, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br />
David Hemingson, "The Holdovers"<br />
Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer, "Maestro"<br />
Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik, "May December"<br />
Celine Song, "Past Lives"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br />
Best Adapted Screenplay</span></i>:<br /><br />
Cord Jefferson, "American Fiction"<br />
Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, "Barbie"<br />
Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Tony McNamara, "Poor Things"<br />
Jonathan Glazer, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress in a Leading Role</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Annette Bening, "Nyad"<br />
Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Sandra Hüller, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br />
Carey Mulligan, "Maestro"<br />
Emma Stone, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actor in a Leading Role</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"<br />
Colman Domingo, "Rustin"<br />
Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers"<br />
Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>
Best Actress in a Supporting Role</b></span></i>:<br /><br />
Emily Blunt, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Danielle Brooks, "The Color Purple"<br />
America Ferrera, "Barbie"<br />
Jodie Foster, "Nyad"<br />
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>
Best Actor in a Supporting Role</b></span></i>:<br /><br />
Sterling K. Brown, "American Fiction"<br />
Robert De Niro, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"<br />
Ryan Gosling, "Barbie"<br />
Mark Ruffalo, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>
Best Cinematography</b></span></i>:<br /><br />
Edward Lachman, "El Conde"<br />
Rodrigo Prieto, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Matthew Libatique, "Maestro"<br />
Hoyte van Hoytema, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Robbie Ryan, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Editing</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Laurent Sénéchal, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br />
Kevin Tent, "The Holdovers"<br />
Thelma Schoonmaker, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Jennifer Lame, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Yorgos Mavropsaridis, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Production Design</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"Barbie"
Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer<br />
"Killers of the Flower Moon"
Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis<br />
"Napoleon"
Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff<br />
"Oppenheimer"
Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman<br />
"Poor Things"
Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>
Best International Feature</b></span></i>:<br /><br />
"Io Capitano (<i>Italy</i>)<br />
"Perfect Days" (<i>Japan</i>)<br />
"Society of the Snow" (<i>Spain</i>)<br />
"The Teacher’s Lounge" (<i>Germany</i>)<br />
"The Zone of Interest" (<i>United Kingdom</i>)<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Animated Feature</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"The Boy and the Heron"<br />
"Elemental"<br />
"Nimona"<br />
"Robot Dreams"<br />
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"<br /><br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Animated Short</span></b></i>:<br /><br />
"Letter to a Pig"<br />
"Ninety-Five Senses"<br />
"Our Uniform"<br />
"Pachyderme"<br />
"War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Documentary Feature</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"Bobi Wine: The People’s President"<br />
"The Eternal Memory"<br />
"Four Daughters"<br />
"To Kill a Tiger"<br />
"20 Days in Mariupol"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Documentary Short</span></b>:<br /><br />
"The ABCs of Book Banning"<br />
"The Barber of Little Rock"<br />
"Island in Between"<br />
"The Last Repair Shop"<br />
"Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Live-Action Short</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"The After"<br />
"Invincible"<br />
"Night of Fortune"<br />
"Red, White and Blue"<br />
"The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Original Score</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Laura Karpman, "American Fiction"<br />
John Williams, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"<br />
Robbie Robertson, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Ludwig Göransson, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Jerskin Fendrix, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Original Song</span></b></i>:<br /><br />
"The Fire Inside" from "Flamin' Hot"
Music and Lyric by Diane Warren<br />
"I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie"
Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt<br />
"It Never Went Away" from "American Symphony"
Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson<br />
"Wahzhazhe (<i>A Song For My People</i>)" from "Killers of the Flower Moon"
Music and Lyric by Scott George<br />
"What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie"
Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell<br /><br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Sound</span></b></i>:<br /><br />
Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic, "The Creator"<br />
Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic, "Maestro"<br />
Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor, "Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One"<br />
Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O'Connell, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Costume Design</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Jacqueline Durran, "Barbie"<br />
Jacqueline West, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
David Crossman and Janty Yates, "Napoleon"<br />
Ellen Mirojnick, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Holly Waddington, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Makeup and Hairstyling</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue, "Golda"<br />
Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell, "Maestro"<br />
Luisa Abel, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston, "Poor Things"<br />
Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé, "Society of the Snow"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Visual Effects</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould, "The Creator"<br />
Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima, "Godzilla Minus One"<br />
Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek, "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"<br />
Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould, "Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One"<br />
Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould, "Napoleon"</div></div>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-83731374488113491342024-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:002024-01-11T10:00:00.144-08:00MORE AWARD SEASON NEWSAs award season begins to kick into high gear, <i><b>the Screen Actors Guild </b></i>and <i><b>the Directors Guild of America</b> </i>have announced their nominations for awards. <div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpUIZDjOAoq2P3Ryo8w47llvrzmJK7FyL_s6KmNrJiIqsXEdIHnqvIkhwDVUBaMLArxXcVzBY21nNFZh-c7DgKlM4W2awb3HpkINWUX9fCzU376Unu7fde0B46H7L8IVn1zwT5Q8Wxa2NaJOOAMA05LhjPSxh1D-1uN8ILzYqCv9BXeqrZvgUeAXHj50/s681/Screen-Actors-Guild-SAG-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="681" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpUIZDjOAoq2P3Ryo8w47llvrzmJK7FyL_s6KmNrJiIqsXEdIHnqvIkhwDVUBaMLArxXcVzBY21nNFZh-c7DgKlM4W2awb3HpkINWUX9fCzU376Unu7fde0B46H7L8IVn1zwT5Q8Wxa2NaJOOAMA05LhjPSxh1D-1uN8ILzYqCv9BXeqrZvgUeAXHj50/w640-h266/Screen-Actors-Guild-SAG-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The nominations for <i>the SAG Awards</i> is always filled with the unexpected nods (Sterling K. Brown for "American Fiction"; Penélope Cruz in "Ferrari") and surprising snubs (the lead cast of "May December"; Fantasia Barrino for "The Color Purple"; Sandra Hüller for "Anatomy of a Fall"; Greta Lee in "Past Lives") but most of them are for the actors who have received plenty of award recognition since the start of the season. <i>The 30th Annual SAG Awards</i> will be presented on Saturday, February 24 at the <i>Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall </i>in Los Angeles with the ceremony streaming live for the first time on <i>Netflix</i>. And the legendary performer, Barbra Streisand will receive this year's <i>SAG Life Achievement Award</i>. <div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>Here is the list of nominations for the 2024 SAG Awards (theatrical motion picture):</i><br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Outstanding Cast</span></i></b>:
<br /><br />
"American Fiction"<br />
"Barbie"<br />
"The Color Purple"<br />
"Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
"Oppenheimer"<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>
Best Actor in a Lead Role</b></span></i>:<br /><br />
Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"<br />
Colman Domingo, "Rustin"
<br />
Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers"<br />
Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"
<br /><br /><i><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress in a Lead Role</span></b></i>:
<br /><br />
Annette Bening, "Nyad"<br />
Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Carey Mulligan, "Maestro"<br />
Margot Robbie, "Barbie"<br />
Emma Stone, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actor in a Supporting Role</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Sterling K. Brown, "American Fiction"<br />
Willem Dafoe, "Poor Things"<br />
Robert De Niro, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"<br />
Ryan Gosling, "Barbie"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress in a Supporting Role</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Emily Blunt, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Danielle Brooks, "The Color Purple"<br />
Penélope Cruz, "Ferrari"<br />
Jodie Foster, "Nyad"<br />
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Stunt Ensemble in a Movie</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"Barbie"<br />
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"<br />
"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"<br />
"John Wick: Chapter 4"<br />
"Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTnIa-IGPPtYzeNPVVE71vaWPG9JrmQgD3ZCZrZpKsQf-G2-aEHg56t_roXO4-EjBa_FmeKsMM4CUqjC3aQK2ekQfH3E7ux2IsCsz-Ei_9HH9l5IO7908-edTeMHz8-5boz0meyVN97GOUCr3ESALnZUEHuJQJVV5Nle44oVOyrn3lFAnJsKkeLxfJNQ/s800/13b58f917c5bb34ae89b6dcadf5c9888.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMTnIa-IGPPtYzeNPVVE71vaWPG9JrmQgD3ZCZrZpKsQf-G2-aEHg56t_roXO4-EjBa_FmeKsMM4CUqjC3aQK2ekQfH3E7ux2IsCsz-Ei_9HH9l5IO7908-edTeMHz8-5boz0meyVN97GOUCr3ESALnZUEHuJQJVV5Nle44oVOyrn3lFAnJsKkeLxfJNQ/w640-h360/13b58f917c5bb34ae89b6dcadf5c9888.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />After no women shockingly made the cut last year, Greta Gerwig received a nomination by the <i>DGA</i> for her work on the biggest box-office hit of 2023, "Barbie". And while this is only a minor improvement it's still welcomed but in the <i>First-Time Theatrical Feature Film </i>category, it is the exact opposite with four female directors impressively filling the five spots with Manuella Martelli ("<i>Chile ’76</i>"), Noora Niasari ("Shayda"), A.V. Rockwell ("<i>A Thousand and One</i>") and Celine Song ("<i>Past Lives</i>"). <i>The 76th Annual DGA Awards</i> will be handed out Saturday, February 10, at the <i>Beverly Hilton</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Here is the list of 2024 DGA nominees for motion pictures</i>: </div><div><br /></div><div><b><i>Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film</i>:</b><br /><br />
Greta Gerwig, "Barbie"<br />
Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things"<br />
Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Alexander Payne, "The Holdovers"<br />
Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><br /><b style="font-style: italic;">
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary Feature Film:</b><br /><br />
Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp, "Bobi Wine: The People's President"<br />
Mstyslav Chernov, "20 Days in Mariupol"<br />
Madeleine Gavin, "Beyond Utopia"<br />
Davis Guggenheim, "Still: A Michael J Fox Movie"<br />
D Smith, "Kokomo City"<br /><br /><b style="font-style: italic;">
Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film</b>:<br /><br />
Cord Jefferson, "American Fiction"<br />
Manuela Martelli, Chile ‘76"<br />
Noora Niasari, "Shayda"<br />
A.V. Rockwell, "A Thousand and One"<br />
Celine Song, "Past Lives"
<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistBy9d3YSh-JobvwITnUSp3d3z17g7Z4f3zyJeQPwu4tpWH9LD6vbHNSyEzlFILHgpUPvyvf4hTLQMP9K_LKsu4Eu4VQW7b8oLhp8cQTwlWDs2F7ktMAlPqVO_TOCWFet4OZURLXceuyxsFoHtT-8w5XROir_w5JLTRfSXsRVbEKI6Gk68OTFUniS7zo/s1077/Golden-Globes-2024-Nominations-List.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1077" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistBy9d3YSh-JobvwITnUSp3d3z17g7Z4f3zyJeQPwu4tpWH9LD6vbHNSyEzlFILHgpUPvyvf4hTLQMP9K_LKsu4Eu4VQW7b8oLhp8cQTwlWDs2F7ktMAlPqVO_TOCWFet4OZURLXceuyxsFoHtT-8w5XROir_w5JLTRfSXsRVbEKI6Gk68OTFUniS7zo/w640-h358/Golden-Globes-2024-Nominations-List.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />After the problematic couple of years behind the scenes of <i><b>the Golden Globes</b></i> involving a lack of diversity in the membership of the <i>Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.</i> and the group's ethics practices, it seemed like this long-time award show event might be over. But after the disbandment of the <i>HFPA</i> and turning the group into a for-profit organization, <i>the Globes</i> are back like nothing ever happened. With a new home on <i>CBS</i> and a slightly redesigned trophy, <i>the Golden Globes</i> returned on January 7th to give out awards and the stars came out in all their glittering finery to accept them. The show started off a bit wobbly with first time host, Jo Koy who really struggled to get laughs with painfully awkward jokes. I have to admit that I'm not familiar with Koy's work so he could actually be funny in a less stressful environment. But in all my years of watching various award shows, this comedian's set was truly one of the worst I've ever had to endure. Once the actors came on to hand out awards, it was slightly better although we still had to squirm through badly written chatter between the presenters (leave it to master comedians, Ray Romano, Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig to come in with some actual funny bits). Overall, it was business as usual with <i>the Globes</i> being the first of the televised award shows and helping to create buzz around certain films and performances.<br /><br /><i>
Here is the list of nominations for the 2024 Golden Globes (Motion Picture) with the winners highlighted</i>:<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Film (Drama)</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
"Anatomy of a Fall"<br />
"Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
"Maestro"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
"Oppenheimer"</span><br />
"Past Lives"<br />
"The Zone of Interest"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><br /><b><i>
Best Film (Musical or Comedy)</i></b></span>:
<br /><br />
"Air"<br />
"American Fiction"<br />
"Barbie"<br />
The Holdovers"<br />
"May December"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
"Poor Things"</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Director</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"<br />
Greta Gerwig, "Barbie"<br />
Yorgos Lanthimos, "Poor Things"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"</span><br />
Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Celine Song, "Past Lives"
<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Screenplay</i></span></b>:<br /><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Justine Triet and Arthur Harari, "Anatomy of a Fall"</span><br />
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, "Barbie"<br />
Tony McNamara, "Poor Things"<br />
Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer"<br />
Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Celine Song, "Past Lives"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Actress (Drama)</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
Annette Bening, "Nyad"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"</span><br />
Sandra Hüller, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br />
Greta Lee, "Past Lives"<br />
Carey Mulligan, "Maestro"<br />
Cailee Spaeny, "Priscilla"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Actress (Musical or Comedy)</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
Fantasia Barrino, "The Color Purple"<br />
Jennifer Lawrence, "No Hard Feelings"<br />
Natalie Portman, "May December"<br />
Alma Pöysti, "Fallen Leaves"<br />
Margot Robbie, "Barbie"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Emma Stone, "Poor Things"</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Actor (Drama)</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
Bradley Cooper, "Maestro"<br />
Leonardo Dicaprio, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br />
Colman Domingo, "Rustin"<br />
Barry Keoghan, "Saltburn"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Cillian Murphy, "Oppenheimer"</span><br />
Andrew Scott, "All of Us Strangers"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Actor (Musical or Comedy)</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
Nicolas Cage, "Dream Scenario"<br />
Timothée Chalamet, "Wonka"<br />
Matt Damon, "Air"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers"</span><br />
Joaquin Phoenix, "Beau Is Afraid"<br />
Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Supporting Actress</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
Emily Blunt, "Oppenheimer"<br />
Danielle Brooks, "The Color Purple"<br />
Jodie Foster, "Nyad"<br />
Julianne Moore, "May December"<br />
Rosamund Pike, "Saltburn"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"
</span><br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Supporting Actor</i>:</span></b><br /><br />
Willem Dafoe, "Poor Things"<br />
Robert De Niro, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Robert Downey Jr., "Oppenheimer"</span><br />
Ryan Gosling, "Barbie"<br />
Charles Melton, "May December"<br />
Mark Ruffalo, "Poor Things"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Animated Film</i></span></b>:<br /><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
"The Boy and the Heron"</span><br />
"Elemental"<br />
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"<br />
"The Super Mario Bros. Movie"<br />
"Suzume"<br />
"Wish"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Foreign-Language Film</i></span></b>:<br /><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
"Anatomy of a Fall" </span><br />
"Fallen Leaves"<br />
"Io Capitano"<br />
"Past Lives"<br />
"Society of the Snow"<br />
"The Zone of Interest"<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b><i>
Best Original Score</i></b></span>:<br /><br />
Jerskin Fendrix, "Poor Things"<br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
Ludwig Göransson, "Oppenheimer"</span><br />
Joe Hisaishi, "The Boy and the Heron"<br />
Mica Levi, "The Zone of Interest"<br />
Daniel Pemberton, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"<br />Robbie Robertson, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>
Best Original Song</i></span></b>:<br /><br />Bruce Springsteen, "Addicted to Romance" from "She Came to Me" <br />Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Dua Lipa and Caroline Ailin, "Dance the Night" from "Barbie" <br />Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt, "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie" <br />Jack Black, Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond and John Spiker, "Peaches" from "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" <br />Lenny Kravitz, "Road to Freedom" from "Rustin" <br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">Billie Eilish O'Connell and Finneas O'Connell</span> , <span style="color: #fcff01;">"What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie"</span><div><span style="color: #fcff01;"><br /></span><div><b><span style="color: #ffa400;"><i>Best Cinematic and Box Office Achievement</i></span></b>:<br /><br /><span style="color: #fcff01;">
"Barbie"</span><br />
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"<br />
"John Wick: Chapter 4"<br />
"Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1"<br />
"Oppenheimer"<br />
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"<br />
"The Super Mario Bros. Movie"<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExod8oOiixD9KKVBc2_Ued2AjIMb6YEOP43SvFoDESvwHEHiCnyYF4mj1W_qdQQIXWBNF16hlEVsgZJfHq5zA_vqEajBvJe8P0z_jYN1i3XnQvfkSI9VX4cfZ3opTXMTjxtJKQj7SZzAR54HnfXHEX3_xkDGCY_LAk6U7IsLGGPdfbhI5MhApPJY4YNU/s474/OIF.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="474" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExod8oOiixD9KKVBc2_Ued2AjIMb6YEOP43SvFoDESvwHEHiCnyYF4mj1W_qdQQIXWBNF16hlEVsgZJfHq5zA_vqEajBvJe8P0z_jYN1i3XnQvfkSI9VX4cfZ3opTXMTjxtJKQj7SZzAR54HnfXHEX3_xkDGCY_LAk6U7IsLGGPdfbhI5MhApPJY4YNU/w640-h360/OIF.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Celine Song's romantic drama, "Past Lives" received the top prize from the <b><i>National Society of Film Critics</i> </b>on January 6th. One of the most prestigious of the US film critics groups, which is now in their 58th year, began when several New York critics (which included well-known film reviewers for magazines, Pauline Kael, Joe Morgenstern and Richard Schickel) were refused memberships to the <i>New York Film Critics Circle</i> which preferred writers for mainstream newspapers. The <i>NSFC </i>is known for their judicious selections, usually favoring foreign-language and indie films and that is on display here with Jonathan Glazer receiving <i>Best Director</i> for his first film in ten years, "The Zone of Interest". Andrew Scott won <i>Best Actor</i> for his outstanding turn in Andrew Haigh's emotional, romantic fantasia, "All of Us Strangers". And German actress, Sandra Hüller winning for her stunning work in two films; as a defendant against the suspicious death of her husband in Justine Triet's courtroom drama, "Anatomy of a Fall" and as a SS officer's wife trying to maintain her dream home next to a concentration camp in "Zone of Interest".
<br /><br />
<i>Here is the complete of winners of the 2023 National Society of Film Critics:</i><br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Picture</span></i>: "Past Lives"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Director</span></i>: Jonathan Glazer, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Screenplay</span></i>: Samy Burch, "May December"<br /><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Actress</span>: Sandra Hüller, "Anatomy of a Fall" and "The Zone of Interest"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Actor</span></i>: Andrew Scott, "All of Us Strangers"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Supporting Actress</span></i>: Da’Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Supporting Actor</span></i>: Charles Melton, "May December"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Nonfiction Film</span></i>: "Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Film Not in the English Language</span></i>: "Fallen Leaves" (<i>Finland</i>)<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Cinematography</span></i>: Rodrigo Prieto, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Experimental Film</span>: Jean Luc-Godard’s "Trailer of a Film That Will Never Exist: Phony Wars"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Film Heritage Award</span></i>: Criterion Channel<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Film Heritage Award</span></i>: Facets, Kim’s Video, Scarecrow Video and Vidiots<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Special Citation for a film awaiting U.S. distribution</span></i>: Víctor Erice’s "Close Your Eyes"
</div></div></div></div>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-7866136621440985952024-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:002024-01-26T20:44:56.439-08:00COLUMBIA STUDIOS @ 100<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpPuLHQflCEOa1SkiLRFxxkE5zQNNQrJYcAW8LIg35vSQqMyA4cjRtTW6P8tJLp8zPWAUvK9w22427dYNgEq7Q3h-MRp4qpVDdeU81FXNztf9X6eomKqhc3jUCgRvL3QcMBvcN5d0l3k2UPxNruBB9e9-gLPpuaP2dlt1GUSDevbvQ2KKDTSKHjQQeqA/s900/Sony.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="900" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpPuLHQflCEOa1SkiLRFxxkE5zQNNQrJYcAW8LIg35vSQqMyA4cjRtTW6P8tJLp8zPWAUvK9w22427dYNgEq7Q3h-MRp4qpVDdeU81FXNztf9X6eomKqhc3jUCgRvL3QcMBvcN5d0l3k2UPxNruBB9e9-gLPpuaP2dlt1GUSDevbvQ2KKDTSKHjQQeqA/w640-h426/Sony.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Today marks the centennial of <i><b>Columbia Studios</b></i> who went from a scrappy indie to one of the major players in Hollywood. The studio began as a small production and distribution company run by brothers, Harry and Jack Cohn and their friend, Joe Brandt in 1918. They first called their studio <i>CBC Film Sales Corporation</i> but seven year later changed the name to <i>Columbia Pictures</i>.<br /><br /> They never had their own lot until a year later, purchasing two sound stages near the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Gower. The studio couldn't really afford contract players, usually borrowing actors from other studios, but they did sign on a few and creating stars in the process. This included Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Ann Sothern, Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth. And in order to save more money, <i>Columbia </i>did not operate their own theater chain, unlike most of the other studios at the time. However, this would later prove to be an even greater financial benefit for <i>Columbia</i> after the government cracked down on monopolies and forced the studios to sell off their theaters.
<br /><br />
Brandt soon grew tired of dealing with the mercurial Cohn brothers and sold his shares of the company to them in 1932. <i>Columbia Pictures</i> would remain a minor player in Hollywood for a while until Frank Capra entered as a director. Arriving in 1927, he came in and pushed the Cohns to spend more money on scripts and budgets. This would eventually pay off in 1934 when Capra's romantic comedy, "It Happened One Night" became a box-office smash and swept <i>the Oscars</i>, winning all of the top five major awards (<i>Best Picture</i>, <i>Best Director</i>, <i>Best Actor</i>, <i>Best Actress</i> and <i>Best Adapted Screenplay</i>) for the first time. Other hits by Capra for the studio included "Lost Horizon", "You Can't Take It with You", "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". <i>Columbia</i> would produce or distribute other popular movies like "His Girl Friday", "From Here to Eternity", "On the Waterfront", "Born Yesterday", "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "A Man for All Seasons", "Funny Girl" and "Oliver!".<br /><br /> Jack Cohn died in 1956 and his brother, Harry passed away two years later. Without clear leadership, <i>Columbia Studios</i> struggled with their movies throughout the 1960's with the studio going through a severe creative and financial downturn. They were able to hold on barely with the assistance of their successful <i>Screen Gems</i> divisions of television and music. But by the 1970's, <i>Columbia</i> was nearly bankrupt, forced to sell some of their studio property and formed a partnership with <i>Warner Bros</i>. to utilize that studio's lot in Burbank.<br /><br />
After a series of owners and numerous studio heads, <i>Columbia Pictures</i> was acquired by electronics giant, <i>Sony</i> in 1989. This was a merger that would prove to be very successful and make <i>Columbia </i> a lucrative movie studio for the new owners. Some of the noteworthy films released through the studio include "Philadelphia", "Men in Black", "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Boyz n the Hood", "The Fifth Element" "The Social Network" and "Spider-Man".
<br /><br />
<i>Turner Classic Movies </i> will honor the legacy of <i>Columbia Pictures</i> on the channel by screening twenty-six of the studio's most popular and influential films throughout the month of January. The 1933 pre-code rom-com, "Man's Castle" with Spencer Tracy and Loretta Young; "The Awful Truth", a Cary Grant and Irene Dunne comedy classic; the movie that made Rita Hayworth a star, "Gilda"; the <i>Best Picture Oscar</i> winner by David Lean, "Lawrence of Arabia" which introduced to the world, Peter O'Toole; Martin Scorsese's controversial thriller, "Taxi Driver"; One of Steven Spielberg's early hits, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"; two bio-pics that are <i>Best Picture</i> winners, "Gandhi" from 1982 and "The Last Emperor" from 1987; Sofia Coppola's second feature as a director, "Marie Antoinette" and Nancy Meyers' romantic-comedy for adults, "Something's Gotta Give" with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton are just some of the films that will be featured on <i>TCM</i>.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UEm94AAsI_8?si=uXKolV2pPgNa3Lcn" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-67110712045150536592024-01-04T22:26:00.000-08:002024-01-10T21:52:59.265-08:00THE POWER OF FILM<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgS9U0-f0SPmDsEtt41pb-Z7oS_P9CcPqN3aJzz6_m_Kpp1fjmm2RSgXKmJGvpW4c3wn2GF2CKFRlipBMVSo79_nV5wnhdbAoo9rAI4_oJbPTJJ_XeF_LY8_ehSuCMzIsrkBWob5_wkhUY0z_cPbcKVTevrulXIj_lxD1MZZg-6HkaF0PC7-X63MsEgQ/s1648/SpecialTheme_HPT.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1648" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgS9U0-f0SPmDsEtt41pb-Z7oS_P9CcPqN3aJzz6_m_Kpp1fjmm2RSgXKmJGvpW4c3wn2GF2CKFRlipBMVSo79_nV5wnhdbAoo9rAI4_oJbPTJJ_XeF_LY8_ehSuCMzIsrkBWob5_wkhUY0z_cPbcKVTevrulXIj_lxD1MZZg-6HkaF0PC7-X63MsEgQ/w640-h360/SpecialTheme_HPT.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />For those fans of cinema who are interested in understanding how and why we respond to certain films, <i>Turner Classic Movies</i> is presenting a new 6-part series, "<b>The Power of Film</b>", beginning on January 4th and continuing through the next five Thursdays. <p></p><p>Based on the book by Howard Suber, a <i>UCLA</i> film professor and created by documentary filmmakers, Doug Pray and Laura Gabbert, "The Power of Film" explores the cultural and emotional impact film provides for audiences, utilizing footage from acclaimed and beloved movies to illustrate examples of the extraordinary power of cinema. Professor Suber, who co-wrote the series, will share his thoughts throughout the series, discussing film as an art form from a historical and critical aspect and pointing out filmmakers, since the very beginning of the motion picture industry, who have used their skills at storytelling to share their own personal and political viewpoints to the world in order to possibly influence a cultural shift in our society.</p><p>Dave Karger will host the series, joined by Pray and Gabbert, and after each new episode,<i> TCM </i>will program some of the memorable films discussed in the series in order to perhaps look at them in a new way and to better understand why they have continued to endure.</p>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-61825243400873750962024-01-02T23:31:00.000-08:002024-01-02T23:31:16.338-08:00MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES TO SEE IN 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HC0btuAKJcuFSJpNUfR9ACErMxoLDf0rvel4KQ93VcohL9bpr4LyLU-hGEVcR5YuPTowHna-3_k5F24ughpVOYmGRwYDNn5_OAsZeAoXU8shG_41QS97g4udkGoDie_IeKf_n-PiFep2Nm_Pizs7D86igrNYVdEsVphp3LrLyD4MGnUVhFsRAU0oCaY/s1100/21463fc8e119e1e411a06177c7050114e7-most-anticipated-movies-2023.rhorizontal.w1100.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1100" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HC0btuAKJcuFSJpNUfR9ACErMxoLDf0rvel4KQ93VcohL9bpr4LyLU-hGEVcR5YuPTowHna-3_k5F24ughpVOYmGRwYDNn5_OAsZeAoXU8shG_41QS97g4udkGoDie_IeKf_n-PiFep2Nm_Pizs7D86igrNYVdEsVphp3LrLyD4MGnUVhFsRAU0oCaY/w640-h426/21463fc8e119e1e411a06177c7050114e7-most-anticipated-movies-2023.rhorizontal.w1100.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />As we bid 2023 a fond farewell, we have much to look forward to in regard to new cinema in 2024. <i><b>Vulture</b> </i>has done us a solid by providing a rundown of many of the upcoming films we should be seeing in theaters throughout the year while offering highlights of thirty-two of them. This listing features the musical version of "Mean Girls"; the highly anticipated continuation of "Dune"; "Furiosa", George Miller’s prequel to his "Mad Max: Fury Road"; "Twisters" which is a not a sequel to the 1996 film but a "<i>new chapter</i>"; Joaquin Phoenix returns as the criminally insane title character in "Joker: Folie à Deux" with Lady Gaga also on board; and the first part of the Broadway musical that fans have been long awaiting to see on the big screen, "Wicked".<br /><br /> Some of these features had been delayed from last year due to the strikes and because of these labor disputes, there will unavoidably be fewer films released over this year. And this slate also appears to be even more sequel heavy than the previous year with follow-ups that include "Deadpool", "Venom", "Inside Out", "Sonic the Hedgehog", "Despicable Me", "Ghostbusters", "Kung Fu Panda", "Bad Boys", "Planet of the Apes", "Gladiator" and after thirty-six years, "Beetlejuice".
<br /><br /><i>Please click below to read</i>:<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/new-movies-coming-out-2024-release-dates-preview.html"><span style="color: yellow;">32 Movies We Can’t Wait to See in 2024</span></a><br /><br />Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-63007285726756000302023-12-31T01:38:00.000-08:002024-03-17T00:22:52.046-07:00COMING SOONEarly next year, there will be not one but<i> two</i> thrillers involving lesbians on-the-run: one dark and treacherous and the other dark and wacky.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqouB-ikJOozHE_J1Old47n-teEMkCTpf3aL8v_h_K-yY-W_OSU85bWmy9-X7nJSmHTwITfHU_EPk-ole_ZmlP7rSy60cRhZd_8tAJ6_cMzc2M36yAWH_pxvmdNnPcBSbpw95GXNw45w6ss5by7IBn9VWAKSpEm5GCtLpaOcAeTUOLvIpVB0EwtHt3zT4/s2036/FzUCqGmWAAIh_7n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="2036" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqouB-ikJOozHE_J1Old47n-teEMkCTpf3aL8v_h_K-yY-W_OSU85bWmy9-X7nJSmHTwITfHU_EPk-ole_ZmlP7rSy60cRhZd_8tAJ6_cMzc2M36yAWH_pxvmdNnPcBSbpw95GXNw45w6ss5by7IBn9VWAKSpEm5GCtLpaOcAeTUOLvIpVB0EwtHt3zT4/w640-h344/FzUCqGmWAAIh_7n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Ethan Coen, one half of the filmmaking team, <i>the Coen Brothers</i>, is about to release his first narrative feature film without his brother, Joel who made his own solo directorial debut with "The Tragedy of Macbeth" in 2021. "<b>Drive-Away Dolls</b>", co-written with his wife, Tricia Cooke, is a comedic road-trip caper. Margaret Qualley plays a young free spirit that has just ended a relationship with a girlfriend and looking for adventure. Geraldine Viswanathan is her more uptight friend who is ready to let loose. They get their wish when they take off on the road to Tallahassee. But their trip is interrupted when they end up getting mixed in with a group of menacing yet inept gangsters. Bill Camp, Beanie Feldstein, Colman Domingo, Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon also star. "Drive-Away Dolls" (which had the more interesting working title, "<i>Drive-Away Dykes</i>") was supposed to have been released last fall but was delayed due to the <i>SAG-AFTRA</i> strike.<div><br /></div><div><i>"Drive-Away Dolls" is due in US theaters on February 23, 2024</i></div><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oy0RYiQRWUk?si=Y1XCVt4-CDd94o6T" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<br /><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnccd3ZDarPQW4jgF2LknpP4_FMmGZjm4TtCn3A-q2VuB1GbZmvDXXNlvfq-I3p8kQPwiKlPLoajFOknlGnmBHQjMCwzhrqOqj7Qvw8Rxf3fOEH36k7yzyulBxxDgzXOBIW_0mbR2dqad0WF8UKLvqoAiYoRp3rxwI2ZjgASM4MfIEhRBl01T1NlrKus/s1496/MV5BYmYxMWRlYzEtZmZkMy00MzQ1LWI2YjktZmExMTliM2RjZTAzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODIyOTEyMzY@._V1_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1496" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnccd3ZDarPQW4jgF2LknpP4_FMmGZjm4TtCn3A-q2VuB1GbZmvDXXNlvfq-I3p8kQPwiKlPLoajFOknlGnmBHQjMCwzhrqOqj7Qvw8Rxf3fOEH36k7yzyulBxxDgzXOBIW_0mbR2dqad0WF8UKLvqoAiYoRp3rxwI2ZjgASM4MfIEhRBl01T1NlrKus/w640-h360/MV5BYmYxMWRlYzEtZmZkMy00MzQ1LWI2YjktZmExMTliM2RjZTAzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODIyOTEyMzY@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />For the follow-up to her acclaimed horror-drama, "Saint Maud", the filmmaker Rose Glass returns with "<b>Love Lies Bleeding</b>", a gritty thriller with a touch of sweet romance. Kristen Stewart stars as Lou, a manager at a gym who becomes infatuated with a female bodybuilder (Katy O'Brian). But their love affair leads them into the crosshairs of Lou's criminal family lead by her father, played by Ed Harris. The film will make its world premiere at the <i>Sundance Film Fest</i> in January before reaching theaters in March.</div><div><br />
<i>"Love Lies Bleeding" is due in US theaters on March 8, 2024</i>
<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BF_J3-DmiS0?si=yjAvmD10vCsbgLcW" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-76060049583570825902023-12-25T11:56:00.000-08:002023-12-25T23:38:06.009-08:00MAY DECEMBER (2023)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX4qJnuRbZogsnBGvk5W7Sj__VmaOVOxjFqSASQ0y_KaRhoeLzVfD3jBDnkdUeoksV93L1Rz37bzLWf7T2hPlzZZIeQh0W_WCH0sxpolM7TchwrZMpyThGVRI8-8dWNnSg6bBu3QA050R3k6kWWdPfcFeO7XXmjhtQKyuIYIA5Oo3EJ8UDPZgNN0Pwk4/s326/May_December_poster.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX4qJnuRbZogsnBGvk5W7Sj__VmaOVOxjFqSASQ0y_KaRhoeLzVfD3jBDnkdUeoksV93L1Rz37bzLWf7T2hPlzZZIeQh0W_WCH0sxpolM7TchwrZMpyThGVRI8-8dWNnSg6bBu3QA050R3k6kWWdPfcFeO7XXmjhtQKyuIYIA5Oo3EJ8UDPZgNN0Pwk4/w270-h400/May_December_poster.jpeg" width="270" /></a></div>Written by Samy Burch<br /><br /><br /><br />
Directed by Todd Haynes<br /><br /><br /><br />
Where & When: Los Feliz 3 Theatres, Los Angeles, CA. November 20, 2023 1:30 PM<br /><br /><br /><br /><i>
Available to stream now on Netflix</i><br /><br /><br /><br />
"May December", the latest fascinating, transgressive work from filmmaker, Todd Haynes, looks at a relationship, deemed by many as highly inappropriate and disturbing due to the extreme age difference between the couple, years after their affair was revealed to the world in a shocking scandal. Yet the film becomes cleverly very meta as an actress arrives to study the participants in order to play the woman involved in this infamous case for an upcoming movie. <br /><br />
Arriving in Savannah, the actress, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) attends a festive gathering at the home of Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) and her husband, Joe (Charles Melton). The couple's history goes back twenty-three years ago when a thirteen-year-old, Joe was hired to work part-time at a pet shop where Gracie, the thirty-six-year-old married mother of three children, also worked. They were caught having sex in the back of the store, leading to her arrest and Gracie having their first child while in prison.<br /><br /> Gracie and Joe seemed to have weathered the scandal, now living largely out of the public glare although they still occasionally receive packages filled with feces to their home. They are the parents to three children with their eldest, Honor (Piper Curda) attending college while the twins, Charlie (Gabriel Chung) and Mary (Elizabeth Yu) are preparing to graduate from high school.<br /><br />With seemingly unlimited access and not wanting to waste any time, Elizabeth quickly begins her research, interviewing anybody willing to talk who are in the couple's orbit. And that seems to be everyone from Gracie's ex-husband (D. W. Moffett) to the son of the owner of the pet store and with Georgie (Cory Michael Smith), one of Gracie's older children who clearly is more troubled than his parents will acknowledge. But her real focus is on Joe, trying to connect with him through gentle persuasion and coy seduction.<br /><br />
Since his audacious debut with the queer-themed "Poison" over thirty years ago, Haynes has been a filmmaker who created works of cinema that were provocative and challenging. And while he has continued to make films with unconventional themes, audiences began to embrace his movies on a wider scale and even when he ventured into more commercial fare (the legal thriller, "Dark Waters", the <i>HBO</i> miniseries, "Mildred Pierce"), Haynes found a way to add his own distinctive style to the material. "May December" certainly is a subversive subject filled with his sense of wit and playfulness. And if this story sounds familiar, it should. Inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau case, which involved this middle school teacher who began an intimate relationship with one of her students, Haynes has crafted his take as a cross between a Douglas Sirk styled melodrama and a modern "<i>ripped-from-the headlines</i>" tabloid exploitation. The film's score, adapted by Marcelo Zarvos from Michel Legrand's music for the 1971 British drama, "The Go-Between", is dramatic and jarring, intended to add even more offbeat tension to the story.
<br /><br />
As an actress on a mission to learn all she can in order to perfectly inhabit this role, Portman's Elizabeth may appear laid-back and unassuming on the surface, yet she is alarmingly ruthless, unconcerned with the fallout from her reopening of old wounds or the potential damage that could come from her relentless pursuit. And while Gracie may come across as serene nurturer, offering warm smiles and a welcoming disposition, and defers to her husband to discipline the children, she keeps her family firmly under her control. The always reliable Moore skillfully plays her as unsteady with a complicated mixture of child-like impulsiveness and calculated manipulation. But the real revelation here is Melton who first received attention playing Reggie on the television series, "Riverdale". Struggling against spending most of his young life as a parent (coming across more like his children's brother than father) and unsure how to move forward as he approaches having an empty nest, the actor expertly captures the devastation this man-child goes through as he reflects on what he has missed out on and tries to have an honest discussion with his wife about their relationship. And while Elizabeth might be the most obvious in this triangle, all of them are delivering a performance, saying what they think people want to hear and, most telling, fearful that they might be caught publicly delivering a false line.
<br /><br />
I went to see "May December" twice; the first time in a theater and the other on <i>Netflix</i> a few weeks later. The main reason for the repeat screening was largely because of all the recent chatter about the film being viewed as a comedy including the submission of "May December" into the musical/comedy categories for <i>the Golden Globes</i>. It didn't come across to me as a comedy after my first viewing and despite a few quirky moments and odd bits of offhand dialogue ("<i>I don't think we have enough hot dogs</i>") the film still never registered to me as much of an actual comedy, more of a drama with some comedic elements. The second viewing only reinforced my opinion that "May December" is a disquieting examination of a couple that has their long unresolved trauma and emotional conflicts together forced to the surface, after years of successfully keeping them buried, by the welcomed dramatic recreation of the problematic beginning of their relationship. Thoughtfully executed, expertly performed and yes, with moments of dark humor, Haynes has made "May December" into a mesmerizing film that has you riveted to the screen as unsettling secrets and confessions are gradually revealed yet also leaves you feeling extremely uncomfortable afterwards from this knowledge. Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-77841073610921316382023-12-16T00:39:00.000-08:002023-12-16T10:58:02.583-08:002023 NATIONAL FILM REGISTRYSome of the twenty-five films selected for this year's <i><b>National Film Registry</b></i> includes the Disney animated classic, "Lady and the Tramp" about the romance between two dogs; Ang Lee's charming, queer-centered rom-com, "The Wedding Banquet"; "Desperately Seeking Susan", Susan Seidelman's edgy NYC romantic-comedy that introduced Madonna, a rising pop star at the time, in her first major film role; George Cukor's all-star, pre-code comedy, "Dinner at Eight", based on the popular play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Farber, about a wealthy family preparing a society dinner; "Apollo 13" which recounts the disastrous space mission on the fifth US trip to the moon from Ron Howard; the beloved holiday classic, "Home Alone" with Macaulay Culkin as a young boy who is accidently left behind on a family vacation; "Bamboozled", Spike Lee's controversial satire on the creation of a modern television minstrel show; the musical-drama, "Fame" which focuses on the students that attend the high school of performing arts in Manhattan (and one of my all-time favorite movies); "Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision" is a documentary on the artist behind the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC; and the <i>Best Picture Oscar</i> winner, "12 Years a Slave", Steve McQueen's harrowing yet deeply moving drama about a free African-American sold into slavery.
<br /><br />
<i>The Library of Congress</i> has added these movies this year to <i>the National Film Registry</i> which recognizes their artistic significance while helping to ensure their preservation for generations to come. These films, which must be at least ten years old, have been named because of their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance and with these selections brings the number of films in the registry to 875.<br /><br />
<i>Here is the complete list of the films selected to the 2023 National Film Registry</i>:<br /><br />"A Movie Trip Through Filmland" (1921)<br />"Dinner at Eight" (1933)<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vDP8jh1JRhw?si=8Golzyug3YbsVMT3" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />"Bohulano Family Film Collection"(1950s-1970s)<br />"Helen Keller: In Her Story" (1954)<br />"Lady and the Tramp" (1955)<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oVG-vQNbiJQ?si=rGCC-Bsi7mT_Scn5" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />"Edge of the City" (1957)<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/miyoUySph7g?si=RwRAs42aCLLSQdY7" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />"We’re Alive" (1974)<br />"Cruisin’ J-Town" (1975)<br />"¡Alambrista!" (1977)<br />"Passing Through"(1977)<br />"Fame"(1980)<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p8m-vpZ8rGw?si=accU_u0EH9fZmeYU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
"Desperately Seeking Susan"(1985)<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ngAdpRVhHzY?si=b7Mmx1DGiFup6e6K" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />"The Lighted Field" (1987)<br />"Matewan" (1987)<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cjh29QNKLCc?si=NZ-yKRqZngDrJRS7" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />"Home Alone" (1990)<br />"Queen of Diamonds" (1991)<br />"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991)<br />"The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993)<br />"The Wedding Banquet" (1993)<br />"Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision" (1994)<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yGxtGxVZiAM?si=X31BVPkNpMcgeG3D" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />"Apollo 13" (1995)<br />"Bamboozled" (2000)<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u_6_c2wY_Hs?si=YLaCugu3Cnd-Z85z" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />"Love & Basketball" (2000)<br /><a href="https://iluvmovies62.blogspot.com/2013/11/12-years-slave-2013.html"><span style="color: yellow;">"12 Years a Slave" (2013)</span></a><br />
"20 Feet From Stardom" (2013)Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-59246332764791054402023-12-11T22:49:00.000-08:002023-12-11T22:51:04.384-08:002023 AWARD SEASON BEGINS<div><i>The 2023 award season</i> has finally begun with several critics groups weighing on what each considers the best of the year. As always, this can vary wildly yet there are a few select films and performances that tends to appear somewhere in each group's list. But they also tend to find room to recognize films under the radar that will greatly benefit from the attention.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk_GVmcmlEOWBZw7tXt2_dmNBqEkM4jF_wqq2AA7KNImAcOQt2OHkblddf1qVCi7O-oSxFUxDA6GAcd663ea0qEdNhbSIBm2WeeKXr8NB_rL1tc2W7bpjJR1vaUa_XwQ7ItMHnfOozIIeumI3SScYQ8cg4C6ebg413mhJM5_DFq56msIEydjku1wkHis/s620/Los-Angeles-Film-Critics-Association-Logo.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="620" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxk_GVmcmlEOWBZw7tXt2_dmNBqEkM4jF_wqq2AA7KNImAcOQt2OHkblddf1qVCi7O-oSxFUxDA6GAcd663ea0qEdNhbSIBm2WeeKXr8NB_rL1tc2W7bpjJR1vaUa_XwQ7ItMHnfOozIIeumI3SScYQ8cg4C6ebg413mhJM5_DFq56msIEydjku1wkHis/w400-h233/Los-Angeles-Film-Critics-Association-Logo.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br />Since 1975, <b><i>the Los Angeles Film Critics Association</i>,</b> comprised of L.A.-based professional film critics, honor screen excellence on both sides of the camera. This year, "The Zone of Interest" took the top prize from the <i>LAFCA</i>. This intense drama about an Auschwitz commandant and his family trying to live a comfortable life in their home next to a concentration camp also marked the return of the British filmmaker, Jonathan Glazer after a ten year absence, who received the <i>Best Director</i> award. This group does reveal the runners-up in each category and the acting categories are genderless but two winners are selected in each of them.
<br /><br /><i>
Here are the winners of the 2023 Los Angeles Film Critics Association</i>:<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Picture</span>: "The Zone of Interest"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Director</span>: Jonathan Glazer, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Screenplay</span>: Andrew Haigh, "All of Us Strangers"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Lead Performance</span>: Sandra Hüller, "Anatomy of a Fall" and "The Zone of Interest" and Emma Stone, "Poor Things"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Supporting Performance</span>: Rachel McAdams, "Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret" and Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Documentary/Nonfiction</span>: "Menus-Paisirs – Les Troisgros"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Animation</span>: "The Boy and the Heron"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Cinematography</span>: Robbie Ryan, "Poor Things"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Editing</span>: Laurent Sénéchal, "Anatomy of a Fall"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Production Design</span>: Sarah Greenwood, "Barbie"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Music/Score</span>: Mica Levi, "The Zone of Interest"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Career Achievement Award</span>: Agnieszka Holland<br />
<br />
<i><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uxz0MQVjkPlxrFfIU4Igq0CtlyWZakSbuzRdUuoCiTyjwhWpoe1AeR6NqaHLb9lUR5KGK5NmtM0491luMivWlTqUTA8NibPsDRNoyFdIDB7ozdkg6r2IQU3Fo6_zw1ci5rbETDt9Akeg2lqiV3KbLh2UjVHG-QBKD9bv6W2VY8j6sz-Kf01n5-hVnP0/s1920/NYFCC.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1920" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0uxz0MQVjkPlxrFfIU4Igq0CtlyWZakSbuzRdUuoCiTyjwhWpoe1AeR6NqaHLb9lUR5KGK5NmtM0491luMivWlTqUTA8NibPsDRNoyFdIDB7ozdkg6r2IQU3Fo6_zw1ci5rbETDt9Akeg2lqiV3KbLh2UjVHG-QBKD9bv6W2VY8j6sz-Kf01n5-hVnP0/w400-h265/NYFCC.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />The New York Film Critics Circle Awards</b></i> annually make their selections to honor excellence in cinema worldwide. While the group chose "Killers of the Flower Moon", Scorsese's lengthy period drama, as their <i>Best Film</i>, the members of <i>NYFCC</i> spread the other awards around to honor "Oppenheimer", "The Holdovers", "May December" and an inspired<i> Best Actor</i> choice with Franz Rogowski for his amazing work in "Passages"
<br /><br />
<i>Here are the winners of the 2023 The New York Film Critics Circle:</i>
<br /><br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Film</span></i>: "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Director</span></i>: Christopher Nolan, "Oppenheimer"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Screenplay</span></i>: Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik, "May December"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Actress</span></i>: Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Actor</span></i>: Franz Rogowski, "Passages"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Supporting Actress</span></i>: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Supporting Actor</span></i>: Charles Melton, "May December"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Cinematography</span></i>: Hoyte Van Hoytema, "Oppenheimer"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best International Film</span></i>: "Anatomy of a Fall"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Non-Fiction Film</span></i>: "Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Animated Feature Film</span></i>: "The Boy and the Heron"<br /><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best First Film</span></i>: "Past Lives"<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVUvn1F5HxIwsuE1ielIzwLzy-mTKI-9uMDFT95HfwClTpIXxTagSWXB1LdyW0giIEKgrMeFnFwpDsXZd0GepBQ-jmlr1UWj6K4zrVc3uK9O5Ywm0fkEN8D-r5A3ItZpHBpb7K4e9QFjW0yAOxAoAGzPDR7m1X2irKUmlgTaAW22Pu-J75hhEni1ugTM/s631/national-board-of-review-logo-2.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="631" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDVUvn1F5HxIwsuE1ielIzwLzy-mTKI-9uMDFT95HfwClTpIXxTagSWXB1LdyW0giIEKgrMeFnFwpDsXZd0GepBQ-jmlr1UWj6K4zrVc3uK9O5Ywm0fkEN8D-r5A3ItZpHBpb7K4e9QFjW0yAOxAoAGzPDR7m1X2irKUmlgTaAW22Pu-J75hhEni1ugTM/w400-h269/national-board-of-review-logo-2.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br />For over a hundred years <b><i>the National Board of Review</i> </b>has been dedicated in its efforts to support cinema as both art and entertainment. This private organization of film enthusiasts, largely New York based, has been offering their selections for the best in cinema each Year. Usually the first of the critics groups to announce their picks but recently others have jumped ahead to try and be the first out the gate. This year, the <i>NBR</i> has selected Martin Scorsese's recent "Killers of the Flower Moon" as the big winner with <i>Best Film</i>, <i>Best Director</i>, Lily Gladstone as <i>Best Actress</i> and Rodrigo Prieto for his camerwork for this film and "Barbie". "The Holdovers" follows with three awards for <i>Best Original Screenplay </i>and Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph for <i>Best Actor</i> and <i>Best Supporting Actress</i> respectively.
<br /><br /><i>
Here are the winners of the 2023 National Board of Review</i>:<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Film</span></b>: "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Director</span></b>: Martin Scorsese, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Original Screenplay</span></b>: David Hemingson, "The Holdovers"<br /><span style="color: #ffa400;"><b>
Best Adapted Screenplay</b></span>: Tony McNamara, "Poor Things"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actress</span></b>: Lily Gladstone, "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Actor</span></b>: Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Supporting Actress</span></b>: Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Supporting Actor</span></b>: Mark Ruffalo, "Poor Things"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Ensemble</span></b>: "The Iron Claw"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Documentary</span></b>: "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best International Film</span></b>: "Anatomy of a Fall" (<i>France</i>)<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Animated Feature</span></b>: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography</span></b>: Rodrigo Prieto, "Barbie" and "Killers of the Flower Moon"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Outstanding Achievement in Stunt Artistry</span></b>: Chad Stahelski, Director and Stephen Dunlevy & Scott Rogers, Stunt Coordinators, "John Wick: Chapter 4"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Best Directorial Debut</span></b>: Celine Song, "Past Lives"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
Breakthrough Performance</span></b>: Teyana Taylor, "A Thousand and One"<br /><b><span style="color: #ffa400;">
NBR Icon Award</span></b>: Bradley Cooper<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGHFhsK10j9mVBgOvrN2c2wYGlV6GOelj4LfovkMaJi7PeZ-FhzvRS9vq9q8YbKynZLjv4bMElNEXz5SBmbv3S5kYO7tnrthyphenhyphenFzr32NZj_m80GvZmC6jMAQgB206_y0mgYaaaMb0HhkeQae-jo7TntpyzAa6pLRxbAyY8iRjj3FOr5CcBe-T1YdIrr50/s1000/indie-spirit-awards-logo.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGHFhsK10j9mVBgOvrN2c2wYGlV6GOelj4LfovkMaJi7PeZ-FhzvRS9vq9q8YbKynZLjv4bMElNEXz5SBmbv3S5kYO7tnrthyphenhyphenFzr32NZj_m80GvZmC6jMAQgB206_y0mgYaaaMb0HhkeQae-jo7TntpyzAa6pLRxbAyY8iRjj3FOr5CcBe-T1YdIrr50/w400-h225/indie-spirit-awards-logo.webp" width="400" /></a></div><br />And the nominations of <i><b>the Film Independent Spirit Awards</b></i> were announced with "Past Lives", "May December" and "American Fiction" each receiving five noms apiece. To be eligble for a <i>Spirit Award</i>, films must have a budget below $30 million, making many of the most buzzed about movies of this season unable to be recognized by this non-profit arts organization. <i>The 39th Spirit Awards </i>will be held on February 25, 2024 on the beach in Santa Monica, CA. hosted by Aidy Bryant. The awards will be streamed live on the <i>IMDb</i> and <i>Film Independent</i> YouTube channels.
<br /><br /><i>
Here are the nominations of the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards (Film)</i>:<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Feature</span></i></b>:
<br /><br />
"All of Us Strangers"<br />
"American Fiction"<br />
"May December"<br />
"Passages"<br />
"Past Lives"<br />
"We Grown Now"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Director</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Andrew Haigh, "All of Us Strangers"<br />
Todd Haynes, "May December"<br />
William Oldroyd, "Eileen"<br />
Ira Sachs, "Passages"<br />
Celine Song, "Past Lives"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Screenplay</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
David Hemingson, "The Holdovers"<br />
Cord Jefferson, "American Fiction"<br />
Laura Moss and Brendan J. O’Brien, "Birth/Rebirth"<br />
Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott, "Bottoms"<br />
Celine Song, "Past Lives"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Lead Performance</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Jessica Chastain, "Memory"<br />
Greta Lee, "Past Lives"<br />
Trace Lysette, "Monica"<br />
Natalie Portman, "May December"<br />
Judy Reyes, "Birth/Rebirth"<br />
Franz Rogowski, "Passages"<br />
Andrew Scott, "All of Us Strangers"<br />
Teyana Taylor, "A Thousand and One"<br />
Jeffrey Wright, "American Fiction"<br />
Teo Yoo, "Past Lives"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Supporting Performance</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Erika Alexander, "American Fiction"<br />
Sterling K. Brown, "American Fiction"<br />
Noah Galvin, "Theater Camp"<br />
Anne Hathaway, "Eileen"<br />
Glenn Howerton, "BlackBerry"<br />
Marin Ireland, "Eileen"<br />
Charles Melton, "May December"<br />
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, "The Holdovers"<br />
Catalina Saavedra, "Rotting in the Sun"<br />
Ben Whishaw, "Passages"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Cinematography</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Katelin Arizmendi, "Monica"<br />
Eigil Bryld, "The Holdovers"<br />
Jomo Fray, "All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt"<br />
Pablo Lozano, "Chronicles of a Wandering Saint"<br />
Pat Scola, "We Grown Now"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Editing</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Santiago Cendejas, Gabriel Díaz and Sofía Subercaseaux, "Rotting in the Sun"<br />
Stephanie Filo, "We Grown Now"<br />
Daniel Garber, "How to Blow Up a Pipeline"<br />
Jon Philpot, "Theater Camp"<br />
Emanuele Tiziani, "Upon Entry"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Documentary</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"Bye Bye Tiberias"<br />
"Four Daughters"<br />
"Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project"<br />
"Kokomo City"<br />
"The Mother of All Lies"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best International Film</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"Anatomy of a Fall" (<i>France</i>)<br />
"Godland" (<i>Denmark/Iceland</i>)<br />
"Mami Wata" (<i>Nigeria</i>)<br />
"Tótem" (<i>Mexico</i>)<br />
"The Zone of Interest" (<i>United Kingdom, Poland</i>)<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best First Feature</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
"All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt"<br />
"Chronicles of a Wandering Saint"<br />
"Earth Mama"<br />
"A Thousand and One"<br />
"Upon Entry"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best First Screenplay</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch, Alex Mechanik, "May December"<br />
Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman and Ben Platt, "Theater Camp"<br />
Tomás Gómez Bustillo, "Chronicles of a Wandering Saint"<br />
Laurel Parmet, "The Starling Girl"<br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #ffd966;">
Best Breakthrough Performance</span></i></b>:<br /><br />
Marshawn Lynch, "Bottoms"<br />
Atibon Nazaire, "Mountains"<br />
Tia Nomore, "Earth Mama"<br />
Dominic Sessa, "The Holdovers"<br />
Anaita Wali Zada, "Fremont"<br />
Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastián Vásquez, "Upon Entry"<br /><br /><b><span style="color: #ffd966;">
John Cassavetes Award <i>(Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000)</i></span></b>:<br /><br />
"The Artifice Girl"<br />
"Cadejo Blanco"<br />
"Fremont"<br />
"Rotting in the Sun"
"The Unknown Country"<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>
Someone To Watch</b> <i>(Recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition)</i></span>:<br /><br />
Joanna Arnow, "The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed"<br />
Laura Moss, "Birth/Rebirth"<br />
Monica Sorelle, "Mountains"<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>
Truer Than Fiction Award</b> <i>(Presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition</i>)</span>:
<br /><br />
Set Hernandez, "unseen"<br />
Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli, "Lakota Nation vs. United States"<br />
Sierra Urich, "Joonam"<br /><br /><span style="color: #ffd966;"><b>
Robert Altman Award</b> <i>(Given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast)</i></span>:<br /><br />
"Showing Up"<br />Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-29658279609382804652023-12-09T23:38:00.000-08:002023-12-10T15:43:21.457-08:00RYAN O'NEAL (1941 - 2023)<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7khl0sWDDiiLf8gP36Di0F-ZGUqAS6dNkSjY0_dSOH00k1RrAlaF5LXBHbywAar7O54WU7cLEU6wDk7wO_ObroVea5CL0I-Q-b_Um0zuHh78QgQnSlV2r0GSfSiXGouoAjhK2GjBwg2Fo7mzcokmG4Uw3HiaFblyaQx0bu0j9yvFvZ7PjGp-NqCKLVw/s2000/Blank%204%20Grids%20Collage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7khl0sWDDiiLf8gP36Di0F-ZGUqAS6dNkSjY0_dSOH00k1RrAlaF5LXBHbywAar7O54WU7cLEU6wDk7wO_ObroVea5CL0I-Q-b_Um0zuHh78QgQnSlV2r0GSfSiXGouoAjhK2GjBwg2Fo7mzcokmG4Uw3HiaFblyaQx0bu0j9yvFvZ7PjGp-NqCKLVw/w400-h400/Blank%204%20Grids%20Collage.png" width="400" /></a></b></div><b><br />Ryan O'Neal,</b> the handsome, charming yet troubled actor, has sadly passed away on December 8th. One of the biggest names in cinema throughout the 1970's, the actor had been suffering from some serious health issues over the last few years which included leukemia and prostate cancer although no exact cause of death has been revealed to date. O'Neal was eighty-two.<br /><br />
Born and raised in Los Angeles, O'Neal was part of a show business family with his mother, Patricia O'Callaghan an actress and his father, Charles O'Neal was a novelist and screenwriter. The oldest of their two sons, O'Neal had first trained to be a Golden Gloves boxer. But the lure of the business proved unavoidable and with some assistance from his mother, he began to get work guest starring in episodes of several popular television series in the 1960's. O'Neal's first major breakout was when he was cast in the nightime soap opera, "Peyton Place" in 1964. The show was a huge hit and made stars out of the young cast which included Mia Farrow, Barbara Perkins and Leigh Taylor-Young, who joined in the third season and later became O'Neal's second wife.<br /><br />
O'Neal's co-stars were making the transition into the movies yet he struggled to find significant roles. But in 1970, O'Neal won a part that would change the course of his career when he was selected to be in the film, "Love Story". Based on a wildly popular novel by Erich Segal, O'Neal, who got the role after several actors turned it down which included Jeff Bridges, Jon Voight and Michael York, was paired with former fashion model, Ali McGraw (who was married to <i>Paramount</i>'s studio head, Robert Evans) and this tragic romantic drama went on to become one of the highest-grossing films in U.S. history. Both actors would receive their only <i>Academy Award</i> nominations for their work in "Love Story".<br /><br />
O'Neal's career in the movies took off and he went on to star in Peter Bogdanovich's screwball comedy, "What's Up, Doc?" with Barbra Streisand; "Paper Moon" (which co-starred his daughter, Tatum who won the <i>Oscar</i> for <i>Best Supporting Actress</i> in 1973); Stanley Kubrick's now-acclaimed period drama, "Barry Lyndon"; the all-star war film, "A Bridge Too Far"; Walter Hill's cult thriller, "The Driver" and the comedy, "The Main Event" which re-teamed him with Streisand.<br /><br />
But by the 1980's, O'Neal's red-hot film career had cooled considerably. Some of the films he appeared in like the underrated 1984 comedy, "Irreconcilable Differences' (with Shelley Long and Drew Barrymore), "Fever Pitch" and "Tough Guys Don't Dance" which was written and directed by novelist, Norman Mailer were intriguing yet they all disapointed at the box-office. O'Neal returned to television with some movies (including one "The Man Upstairs" with Katharine Hepburn in 1992) and a short-lived sitcom, "Good Sports" in 1991 which co-starred his long-time partner, Farrah Fawcett.<br /><br />
O'Neal was the father of four children; Tatum and Griffin with his first wife, actress, Joanna Moore, Patrick with Taylor-Young and Redmond with Fawcett. He had difficult and volatile relationships with all of them, estranged at various times throughout his life. O'Neal was arrested in 2007 for shooting at Griffin, claiming it was in self-defense but the charges were later dropped. But in later years, his relationships with them had improved with efforts of reconciliation.
<br /><br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eprwTDVTEb8?si=2WEMsgKBG-GW9pPg" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xpThOyG1EVI?si=0pqFRaQhDrIZeXcW" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K9HIFF8_26M?si=GMre2sVvvxQvDU0T" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Fruwz-waPU?si=P4JYfFnWDSqRpIdV" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-20321966673571943002023-11-20T22:57:00.000-08:002023-12-25T12:06:16.398-08:00PRISCILLA (2023)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrT-whQq0m1oMAogpal1PgkxbDc-F62JoH4j1ydrMqRXDdV0xfY6SX9cisYXC5PoOC_VQFVwjNC9Fkc_htU4pp7OCFKCcQYqdOxJGwZtIaL7tK_hOn_finW5TGnrI_ji1zQqpqZzv8NXOYrUvbGuKwrs4km6Wneszv0huEfkx2fEhbYAChNwVM4MB26P4/s700/OIP%20(7).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="474" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrT-whQq0m1oMAogpal1PgkxbDc-F62JoH4j1ydrMqRXDdV0xfY6SX9cisYXC5PoOC_VQFVwjNC9Fkc_htU4pp7OCFKCcQYqdOxJGwZtIaL7tK_hOn_finW5TGnrI_ji1zQqpqZzv8NXOYrUvbGuKwrs4km6Wneszv0huEfkx2fEhbYAChNwVM4MB26P4/w271-h400/OIP%20(7).jpg" width="271" /></a></div>Written & Directed by Sofia Coppola<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
Where & Where: TCL Chinese Theatres, Hollywood, CA. November 7, 2023 4:20 PM<br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Last year, Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" brought the <i>King of Rock & Roll</i>'s story to life in a kinetic, colorfully bombastic drama which went on to earn big box-office, eight <i>Oscar</i> nominations and made a star out of Austin Butler who delivered a dazzling performance as Presley. Priscilla Beaulieu, Presley's wife of six years, mother of his only child and longtime love since she was a teenager, appears in "Elvis" yet their romance is regulated into a minor subplot while the film largely focuses on the fraught relationship between Presley and his controlling manager, Colonel Tom Parker.<br /><br />
With "Priscilla", Sofia Coppola's captivating adaptation of Presley's 1985 memoir, "Elvis & Me", explores her version of events, capturing the loving, bewildering and dark, traumatizing moments of her life living with the "<i>King</i>". In 1959, a fourteen year old Priscilla (Cailee Spaeny) was living with her parents (Ari Cohen, Dagmara Domińczyk) in West Germany while her father was stationed there for the US Air Force. This was when she would meet Presley (Jacob Elordi) who is also stationed in Germany while serving in the army. Forced to put his blazing hot career on hold after being drafted, the twenty-four year old musician becomes infatuated with the young girl, leaving her parents unclear (and Priscilla herself) on what Presley really wants from their daughter. After convincing them that his intentions were purely honorable, Elvis began to see Priscilla, surprisingly unchaperoned. And Presley kept his word, stealing a few kisses and putting the brakes on when it began to get too heavy, and the relationship remained chaste.<br /><br />
Presley is soon discharged and returns to his career, promising to keep in touch with Priscilla. They would initially exchange letters but as time went on, his correspondence would become less frequent and soon stopped altogether. It would be two years later before Presley would contact Priscilla again, requesting her parents to allow her to visit <i>Graceland</i>, his home in Memphis. Once again reassuring them that their teenage daughter would be in safe hands, surrounded by his family, they reluctantly agree to let Priscilla fly to Tennessee alone.<br /><br />
This is when Priscilla would begin to see the wild, chaotic world that Presley was living in, filled with a rowdy crew of hanger-ons along with their jaded ladies who catered to his every whim and all night parties fueled by booze and amphetamines. Quietly observing her surroundings, this young teenager is easily fascinated and impressed with Presley's lavish lifestyle. Seven years after they first met, Priscilla marries Presley in Las Vegas, with her now transformed into a feminized, mirror image of the rock-n-roller.<br /><br />
"Priscilla" could seem like a companion piece to Luhrmann's extravaganza yet Coppola's bio-pic is far removed from "Elvis". Modestly scaled and emotionally grounded, Coppola explores a love story that seemed to be doomed for failure from the beginning. Presley's beloved mother, Gladys who he shared an unusually close relationship, had passed away a year before meeting Priscilla. And this deep sense of loss seemed to shape his views on women: some were available strictly for carnal desires while others were supposed to be just nurturing mothers and wives. And the two did not meet. After Priscilla gave birth to their daughter, Lisa Marie, Presley would make excuses not to touch her in an intimate way, leaving her confused and frustrated.<br /><br /> Coppola has made her film career focusing on female protagonists, usually young women, in search of their own identity and value in society while trying to lift the heavy shadow of the baffled men in their lives. With her reflective screenplay, she manages to keep the focus on the inner turmoil that Presley struggles with despite the hovering presence of the larger-than-life singer. The visual approach is subtle as cinematographer, Philippe Le Sourd begins with a warm and dreamy atmosphere as seen through the childlike eyes of Priscilla before a dramatic shift that is brighter and more garish as she enters into the real-life of Presley's inner orbit.<br /><br /> Spaeny (who won the <i>Best Actress Award</i> for her role at <i>the Venice Film Festival</i>) is extraordinary as she advances from a precocious, lovestruck teen fully convinced she can handle a mature romance with one of the most popular and desirable men on the planet to a less enamored young woman no longer willing to endure his erratic behavior and endless womanizing. And as for our Elvis, the Australian Elodi offers another well-crafted version of Presley, perfectly capturing the essence of the King, right down to his distinctive mumbling, Southern drawl.
<br /><br />
Coppola has crafted another fine feature film, thoughtful and poignant, yet "Priscilla" reveals something that may or may not have been intentional. Despite Presley's best efforts of wistfully presenting her story as a tragic romance, it is also a disturbing account of neglect and abuse. It's shocking that Elvis Presley was allowed, with her parents' blessing, to groom this young child into his ideal version of a woman only to essentially discard her emotionally once he had made her a mother. This only adds another more troubling layer to an already complicated history of one of the most significant cultural figures of the last century.
</div>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-11734247338462285202023-10-30T01:42:00.000-07:002023-10-30T01:42:36.157-07:00NYAD (2023)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy60LoH3x4Aq8f8aXMSTC7G8he3I8xf20XMV5V6OE8tHfsoAV4qu2F_-3inie2aza4UesYAFkCZM-bw1ugMQX1TijmiH_KctDEoBubykJsvUiD__Atg9ETPojVogMkwnAwsFIf1p4JLpCSk93yEZuFQ-EZfcZNUeUN-9WMmPLEAWN_33Qc-tS3j0QtByc/s378/Nyad_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="255" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy60LoH3x4Aq8f8aXMSTC7G8he3I8xf20XMV5V6OE8tHfsoAV4qu2F_-3inie2aza4UesYAFkCZM-bw1ugMQX1TijmiH_KctDEoBubykJsvUiD__Atg9ETPojVogMkwnAwsFIf1p4JLpCSk93yEZuFQ-EZfcZNUeUN-9WMmPLEAWN_33Qc-tS3j0QtByc/w270-h400/Nyad_film_poster.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Written by Julia Cox<br /><br /><br /><br />
Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin<br /><br /><br /><br />
Where & When: Landmark Theatres Sunset, West Hollywood, CA. October 24, 2023 8:00 PM
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<i>Available to stream on Netflix on November 3, 2023</i><br /><br /><br /><br />
For the first narrative feature by the <i>Oscar</i>-winning documentary filmmakers, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the married couple decided to continue in their fascination with themes involving intense sports and athletes. "Nyad" is an engaging yet safe recreation of Diana Nyad, the famed long-distance swimmer, and her dream of completing a treacherous sixty-hour, one hundred and three-mile swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida. Facing unpredictable weather conditions, fluctuating water temperatures, perilous marine life and her advanced age, Nyad had plenty of obstacles that made this extreme marathon seem virtually impossible to accomplish. Yet after several attempts, with fierce determination and a powerful ability to dissociate, Nyad was able to actually make the impossible possible.<br /><br />We meet Nyad (Annette Bening) in 2010 on her sixtieth birthday and demanding to her friend, Bonnie (Jodie Foster) that she absolutely does not want a party. But having briefly been lovers and now her closest friend, Bonnie throws a thrilled Diana a surprise party, knowing very well what she really wanted. Aging also triggers in Nyad a strong desire to complete a swim from Havana to Key West she first attempted thirty-two years ago. Nyad begins extensive training and pushes a skeptical Bonnie into being her coach.<br /><br />
Hiring John Bartlett (Rhys Ifans), the captain of the fishing vessel who will follow alongside her as she swims, Nyad makes her second attempt a little over a year later escorted by a paddler in a kayak equipped with an electronic shark repellent. But ends the quest twenty-nine hours later after strong winds throw her off-course and begins to suffer some shoulder pain. Nyad attempts again a month later but is stopped once more after forty-one hours in the water due to multiple stings from jellyfish and Portuguese man-of-war when bad weather pushes her off-course. Nyad tries again yet is unable to finish although she covers more distance than her previous attempts. With Bonnie and the crew beginning to lose their patience, time and money on this more seemingly, crazy venture, Nyad knows she can do it if given one more chance.<div><br /></div><div>Memory plays a large part of the film with Nyad continuously going over in her mind the errors that were made in her previous attempts to make the journey to Florida. She is also haunted by the abandonment of her father from the family and most troubling, the sexual abuse she suffered from her swim coach that Nyad had a crush on when she was a pre-teen.<br /><br />
One thing about Nyad is that she is no shrinking violet. Abrasive and demanding, this swimmer is confident in herself and her abilities and more than happy to share this information with anyone who will listen. Benning is a reliable commanding presence and delivers another terrific performance. Yet the four-time <i>Oscar</i> nominee still has some difficulty making the prickly Nyad an appealing protagonist and finding a way to make us really want to root for her. Luckily, Bonnie is around to try and soften Nyad's rough edges and lack of proper people skills. Playing her first queer character on screen, Foster comes across as jovial and relaxed, capturing a lighter side of the actor that has been rarely seen over her lengthy career. Together, these veteran performers make a great team, displaying genuine warmth and chemistry. <br /><br />It's clear that Chai Vasarhelyi and Chin are still trying to find their way to make a smooth transition from documentary filmmaking to narrative storytelling. They lean a little too much on actual footage of the real Diana Nyad and her journey throughout the film, undercutting the actors' achievements to some degree.
The film is a solid debut feature film yet ultimately, "Nyad" feels conventional, never pushing to challenge us narratively or visually. We are left to be moved by the sheer will and determination of Nyad, trying to beat the odds of this incredible quest. And while the film certainly succeeds as an inspirational biopic, it's not really enough to keep "Nyad" afloat as a compelling drama.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bYks_-fPmaE?si=RmsV5iacL2I80osd" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-44842420114941609652023-10-21T01:07:00.005-07:002023-10-26T20:47:11.457-07:002023 AFI FILM FESTIVAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSiMk4P2Gc-BIVtHiLDHoi2QQqWSrqg8XdUXdeeCLyjPMR9i5Dxr_gE8wyYvc1On55CbdUBYPRfAEyJ7mebdhTAgyz1DXFBD_9ilFQhw4c-ZCsxsae8r7BMjvgLH1jfSuJS8yEegKLQ8ZsgC8cX-D3MAQsvn_9KWx7Prf-jYNZM0N964APSZzqXSPq9Y/s1188/Web%20capture_22-9-2023_222529_fest.afi.com.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="185" data-original-width="1188" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSiMk4P2Gc-BIVtHiLDHoi2QQqWSrqg8XdUXdeeCLyjPMR9i5Dxr_gE8wyYvc1On55CbdUBYPRfAEyJ7mebdhTAgyz1DXFBD_9ilFQhw4c-ZCsxsae8r7BMjvgLH1jfSuJS8yEegKLQ8ZsgC8cX-D3MAQsvn_9KWx7Prf-jYNZM0N964APSZzqXSPq9Y/w640-h100/Web%20capture_22-9-2023_222529_fest.afi.com.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><i>AFI Fest </i></b>is the premiere event in Los Angeles that celebrates world cinema and this year's thirty-seventh edition will feature over one hundred and forty films from across the globe. The festival will once again be held in the heart of Hollywood at the historic <i>TCL Chinese Theatres</i>.<br /><br />
The <i>Opening Night Red Carpet Film</i> that is making its world premiere will be "Leave the World Behind", Sam Esmail's adaptation of the novel by Rumaan Alam. Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali and Ethan Hawke star in this dystopian thriller about two couples, who are complete strangers and holed up in a house in Long Island, having to decide how best to survive a mysterious disaster threatening the world.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tvWUroNu61E?si=LmAFsJNYaL6jSpmt" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
The <i>Centerpiece Screening</i> is "Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story", a documentary by Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz that examines the complicated life and groundbreaking career of the African American actor, filmmaker and media mogul, allowing us access into the little-seen, inner world of Perry.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HaGLHkzOOnk?si=lQZfJal4FK_gvLV8" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
And the <i>Closing Night Red Carpet Film</i> selected is Bradley Cooper's latest turn as a director, "Maestro", a bio-pic in which he also stars as the composer Leonard Bernstein. This drama takes us on an emotional journey through this gifted musician's life, his artistry and complicated relationship with his wife Felicia Montealegre, played here by Carey Mulligan. <br /><br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gJP2QblqLA0?si=VA7YYRmxYfqLfpFU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br />
There are various sections in the <i>Fest</i> that include <i>World Cinema</i> which will feature several films selected by their country to be the submission for this year's <i>Oscars</i>; <i> Discovery</i> which highlights new voices in contemporary cinema; <i>Luminaries</i> offers a selection of the latest films from important filmmakers; <i>Documentaries</i>; <i>Special Screenings</i> and a shorts competition.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fRO5x4Kp7gU?si=uHWyIdPFhz85Fc52" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QC6OWdUPZPc?si=87EP11iIB75-H4UU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q7lu0KoD5so?si=WHDdVYNXNUB40FJ7" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ru2dV-8Wg6I?si=TTBVLDNNXINFoKjM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SolhWny1zF4?si=3P0VrmTG6Qy9KVx9" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4OzaexEqDa8?si=OliV91qcwPIsf5U7" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
This year's <i>Guest Artistic Director</i> is Greta Gerwig, the actor and director who was behind "Barbie", the summer blockbuster hit that became an unlikely cultural phenomenon. She has curated five films to be screened during the fest that had an impact on her as an artist and filmmaker. The classic films selected are "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" (1985) and "A Matter of Life and Death" (1946) (which Gerwig will be on-hand to do in-person introductions for these films); "All That Jazz" (1979), "An American in Paris" (1951) and "Wings of Desire" (1988).<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S0veuSLLWZ0?si=jcfsohHOBk1DI1WP" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o2WAMZRCbpU?si=1DctEzXDF1gCCqt5" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0iAzYofuItM?si=NSfTEvFd9DZaSXlq" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<i>For the complete list of films and to purchase tickets and passes, please click below</i>:<br /><br />
<a href="https://fest.afi.com/"><span style="color: yellow;">2023 AFI Fest </span></a><br /><br />
Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-55826567270519412892023-10-16T01:16:00.003-07:002023-10-18T22:48:06.059-07:00WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS @ 100<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzB2z_j_uIIuV8vTQ6g9f2yR6Ky_XOA5o86IdfxXajt7I4vyk6GYM6QgL1LxcmvW5BP_LW9lJtcn3mfMdqqiiwIVYt8e9qtFmbMSC9v1SMaVrcFvcD8z3sUia5UKzimvb_qIeDr47Q1Ec_Lb5uSmd3zmzmU981MDzybat4gfiTaB1s-82hpUQRKByQmig/s1200/R.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzB2z_j_uIIuV8vTQ6g9f2yR6Ky_XOA5o86IdfxXajt7I4vyk6GYM6QgL1LxcmvW5BP_LW9lJtcn3mfMdqqiiwIVYt8e9qtFmbMSC9v1SMaVrcFvcD8z3sUia5UKzimvb_qIeDr47Q1Ec_Lb5uSmd3zmzmU981MDzybat4gfiTaB1s-82hpUQRKByQmig/w640-h336/R.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Warner Bros.</i> is not the only movie studio celebrating a centennial. This year <b><i>Walt Disney Studios</i> </b>came into existence on this day one hundred years ago. Far removed from the global media conglomerate that it has now become, <i>Disney</i> began as a scrappy, yet innovative animation company started by two midwestern brothers, Walt, who was the creative driver and Roy who handled the production side of the studio.<br /><br />
Arriving in Los Angeles from Kansas City, MO in 1923, the brothers got their start producing a series of silent shorts that merged live-action and animation about a young girl named Alice and Julius, her cartoon cat. Another creation by Disney was "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" with the animated shorts were done for <i>Universal Studios</i>. But after a contract dispute over money and not owning the rights to <i>Oswald</i>, Disney began secretly working on a new character with a mouse named "<i>Mickey</i>".<br /><br />
The first <i>Mickey Mouse</i> short appeared in 1928 was silent and with sound on the horizon, the next film, "Steamboat Willie" was released later that year and became the first with synchronized sound. It became a major success and Disney began work on a second cartoon series, "<i>Silly Symphonies</i>" the following year. All of the initial animated films were in black & white and after the studio made a deal with <i>Technicolor</i> and their three-strip color film process in 1932, Disney made the first color "<i>Silly Symphonies</i>" short, "Flowers and Trees".<br /><br />
Walt Disney began considering a feature length animated film in 1934, deciding to base the story on the <i>Brothers Grimm</i>'s German fairy tale. This expensive project, at over a million dollars and taking three years to complete, was extremely risky and if it failed could bankrupt the company. But "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" became a critical and commercial success, earning more than eight million globally during its initial release.<br /><br />
<i>Disney</i> would continue to achieve great success with other popular animated features ("Cinderella", "Bambi", "Dumbo", "Peter Pan", "Alice in Wonderland") and live action films ("Treasure Island", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", "Mary Poppins", "The Shaggy Dog", "The Parent Trap"). The company expanded to build a brand amusement park in Anaheim, Ca named "<i>Disneyland</i>" in 1950 and moved into television, offering such shows as "<i>Walt Disney's Disneyland</i>" and "<i>The Mickey Mouse Club</i>". Disney was in the process of developing a second theme park in Orlando, Fl and near completion of production on their nineteenth animated feature, "The Jungle Book", when Walt Disney, a heavy smoker, passed away from lung cancer in 1966.<br /><br />
The studio continued on, opening "<i>Disney World</i>" in 1971 and finding some success in live-action films and television yet struggled for a number of years in the animation division. But it was in the late 1980's with the release of "The Little Mermaid" that helped return <i>Disney</i> back into a reliable studio that created critically acclaimed and globally popular animated movies.<br /><br />
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JuQrVla3TTk?si=hY26y5DrLOH9kOIM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<br /><br />
<i>Disney</i>’s 1937 animation classic, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" will be coming to <i>Disney+</i> in a new 4K restoration that will premiere on Oct. 16th to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary.
<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t1mEHEgDehg?si=7do55h5yNT1Cm5ii" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-57184886719425555752023-10-07T23:10:00.003-07:002023-10-07T23:10:34.615-07:00INVISIBLE BEAUTY (2023)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ncDKZzo1UtHmTVUBMdGQXgeHQfRgCzTy39xAdAhcdggmoTO9tyg2n6LFH8-GXw-LSsRGJiYPd3d0i4VhfIFnrUcyoQeFvGqEs95Tc45hw_TyhHWyyODHIF69xiC49LvLhjhb091gbZQGlxd6mKs2uJYR-uohUUS7X_xvNhUFNnN3BJNeIX73p2C55VQ/s702/th.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="474" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ncDKZzo1UtHmTVUBMdGQXgeHQfRgCzTy39xAdAhcdggmoTO9tyg2n6LFH8-GXw-LSsRGJiYPd3d0i4VhfIFnrUcyoQeFvGqEs95Tc45hw_TyhHWyyODHIF69xiC49LvLhjhb091gbZQGlxd6mKs2uJYR-uohUUS7X_xvNhUFNnN3BJNeIX73p2C55VQ/w270-h400/th.jpg" width="270" /></a></div>Directed by Bethann Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng<p><br /></p><p>Where & When: Laemmle Royal, West Los Angeles, CA. September 28, 2023 7:00 PM<br /><br /><br />
You may not be familiar with the name <i>Bethann Hardison</i> unless you're really intrigued by the inner workings of the fashion world. And Hardison's story would be fascinating enough with her being an unassuming African American woman from Bed-Stuy who managed to beat the odds at the time by becoming a popular international model then going on to start her own successful modeling agency. But what the documentary, "Invisible Beauty", co-directed by Hardison and Frédéric Tcheng, brings into focus is what the former model has become best known and greatly admired for by many who work in the style industry: her outspoken activism in fearlessly challenging the status quo and being extremely vocal in regard to how the business over the years has inadequately dealt with race, more than willing to call individuals out by name when necessary.</p><p>Born and raised in New York City, Hardison attended <i>FIT</i> and <i>NYU Tisch School of the Arts</i> before landing a job as seller in the garment district. Her life would make a dramatic change after meeting designer, Willi Smith, the man behind the whimsical fashion line, <i>WilliWear</i> and would go on to be regarded as one of the most successful African American designers after his passing in 1987 from complications of AIDS. First becoming his fit model, Hardison smoothly transitioned into working in front of the camera.<br /><br /> A highlight of her modeling career came when she was a part of the largely African American models who came to France in 1973 for<i> the Battle of Versailles Fashion Show</i>, a fund-raising, face-off event between French and American designers. While the French had an elaborate yet stiff presentation, the Americans (which included Oscar de la Renta, Halston and Anne Klein) only had the models to display their clothes on the runway which they did with a carefree style and exuberance, bringing the audience wildly to their feet. <br /><br />
By 1981, Hardison changed her focus from modeling to becoming a model booking agent. Three years later, she formed <i>the Bethann Management Agency</i> which represented a diverse range of models that most agencies probably would never have considered. Some of the beautiful faces that Hardison repped included Roshumba, Kimora Lee Simons, Veronica Webb (who became the first African American model to land a major cosmetics contract) and Tyson Beckford, one of the world's most famous male models who enjoyed a long, exclusive contract with designer Ralph Lauren.<br /><br /> And it was around this time that Hardison went on to form <i>Black Girls Coalition</i> with fellow former model, Iman to celebrate these women, uplifting and guiding these models to give back to the community. Later she became a major force not long after the turn of the century when the industry went backwards by actively not using models of color. Hardison quickly went to work organizing a town hall meeting to address this lack of diversity in fashion and advertising.<br /><br />
Originally, Hardison wanted to make a film about the fashion industry but people around her wisely suggested she narrow her focus. She teamed up with Tcheng, who has a history of creating captivating documentaries on important figures in fashion (Valentino, Diana Vreeland, Halston) and together came up with the concept to shape "Invisible Beauty" around her struggle to write her memoir, allowing this film to organically reflect back on her life.
<br /><br />
Hardison married young and briefly, having a son, Kadeem who would become known as an actor, appearing in "The Cosby Show" spin-off sitcom, "A Different World". She's aware that she never achieved a perfect balance between her career and motherhood, leaving her relationship with her son today complicated and, at times, strained. Yet Hardison is maternal and nurturing, caring for the young models that came her way, mentoring and offering her home as shelter when needed.
<br /><br />"Invisible Beauty" is an inspirational document which details of a life well-lived. Hardison is certainly filled with contradictions yet she's a generous spirit who offered her experiences and created opportunities to made sure that those who followed after her could also benefit to have an equal and fair chance to flourish in the arduous fashion business.
<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vh_qswS2G-o?si=rfpUZnd9J4xZp-CP" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4765778768360209968.post-64891263827867339332023-09-28T00:49:00.000-07:002023-12-25T12:01:37.668-08:002023 NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXoAZqRMM9vhgiyLEvFy-q37NpkeXvcsv_9-JreEfNr9jReWzkh0TV9HCDYj0IZ2x4SnpxNpG35uKMEdWMFYI0PZw7HV4HIGl5K4zJ9l91yxeQcU1Gr-TWDuvPi5UoyoJsoP2bC49jwj9dxmzseCehFOi1D94NhdIsQgDmEj835D-SU-krLTOgk21ueQ/s1353/s-l1600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1353" data-original-width="960" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXoAZqRMM9vhgiyLEvFy-q37NpkeXvcsv_9-JreEfNr9jReWzkh0TV9HCDYj0IZ2x4SnpxNpG35uKMEdWMFYI0PZw7HV4HIGl5K4zJ9l91yxeQcU1Gr-TWDuvPi5UoyoJsoP2bC49jwj9dxmzseCehFOi1D94NhdIsQgDmEj835D-SU-krLTOgk21ueQ/w454-h640/s-l1600.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><b><i>The 2023 New York Film Festival</i> </b>is set to begin on September 29th and running through October 15th. This event has served as the first opportunity in the US to preview many of the films that will be vying for attention during the upcoming awards season. The 61st edition of <i>NYFF</i> will be held at <i>Film in Lincoln Center</i> as well as utilizing theaters in all five boroughs of New York City.
<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/46tgKz7mdiE?si=yna6_t2fNs7Xb__f" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
The fest will open with "May December", the latest from Todd Hayes based very loosely on the story of Mary Kay Letourneau. Natalie Portman stars as an actress researching to play on-screen a woman (Julianne Moore) that became a tabloid figure years ago when she was a teacher who got romantically involved with her teenage student, now her husband (Charles Melton).<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4VdAParM4h8?si=hA9LFdZuZqbc3eVa" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
The <i>Centerpiece Selection</i> is "Priscilla" from Sofia Coppola which explores the life of Elvis Presley's teenage bride, Priscilla (Callee Spaeny who won <i>Best Actress</i> at <i>Venice</i>) and her complicated relationship behind closed doors with the "<i>King of Rock & Roll</i>", played here by Jacob Elordi.<br /><br />
And The <i>Closing Night Film</i> will be "Ferrari", Michael Mann's look into the life of the legendary, Italian car manufacturer with Adam Driver portraying Enzo Ferrari. Patrick Dempsey, Jack O'Connell, Shailene Woodley and Penélope Cruz co-star.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KZHxT2yb2cE?si=_MFR-KzbCGiVAEel" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>
<br /><br />
Many of the films in the <i>Main Slate</i> have previously been screened in other film festivals but will be making their US or North American premieres at the New York fest. Some of these international films selected include the Turkish drama from Nuri Bilge Ceylan, "About Dry Grasses"; "The Beast", a French drama from Bertrand Bonello based on the Henry James short story; "The Delinquents", Rodrigo Moreno's heist drama set in Argentina; "Evil Does Not Exist", Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's follow-up to his <i>Oscar</i>-winning film, "Drive My Car" and Agnieszka Holland's controversial "Green Border" which details the harrowing story of a Syrian family trying to escape the violence in their home country only to endure further trouble in Poland.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g9Zj8BmckxI?si=gc8RuJUXvUefw5Qs" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KacoBtvgcT0?si=jflfx3r7Rd0pYX7g" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
The films in the <i>Spotlight</i> section will showcase some of the season's most anticipated works. This will feature the first animated feature from the acclaimed Japanese filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki in ten years, "The Boy and the Heron"; Steve McQueen's four and a half hour long documentary, "Occupied City" which examines Amsterdam under Nazi occupation during World War II while offering contemporary parallels in the British filmmaker's adopted home; the North American premiere of Yorgos Lanthimos' black & white, silent short film from last year, "Bleat" that features Emma Stone (Lanthimos and Stone's current feature length project together, "Poor Things", which won the <i>Golden Lion</i> after making its premiere at this year's <i>Venice Film Festival</i>, will also be screened in the <i>Main Slate</i>) and Pedro Almodovar's second English language short film, "Strange Way of Life", an unconventional western which will be followed by an in-person conversation with the Spanish filmmaker.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f7EDFdA10pg?si=PxitG_z_O0u6jho0" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
And <i>the Revivals</i> section will feature remastered and restored films from distinguished filmmakers. The fest will feature the world premiere of the restored version of Nancy Savoca's 1993 comedy, "Household Saints" that stars Lili Taylor, Tracey Ullman and Vincent D'Onofrio. "Return to Reason: Short Films by Man Ray" spotlights the celebrated photographer's first foray into filmmaking with these silent shorts accompanied with new music by Jim Jarmusch (the indie filmmaker who designed this year's poster for the fest) and Carter Logan who together are known as the band, <i>SQURL</i>. There will also be screenings of <i>Oscar</i>-winning actress Lee Grant's 1980 directorial debut, "Tell Me a Riddle", Jean Renoir's final feature film from 1947, "The Woman on the Beach" and "La Roue (<i>The Wheel</i>)", a seven hour long 1923 French film from Abel Gance that merged early narrative silent cinema with an experimental style.<br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3D-zEdl2a1M?si=XeOG4zE5l7qac0mO" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tr2ruGlP6LI?si=Fz6jqv59UpEpZICA" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />
For the complete list of films, events and to purchase tickets, please click below:<br /><br />
<a href="https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2023/"><span style="color: yellow;">2023 New York Film Festival </span></a><br /><br />
Anthony Mainerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14353517837254274175noreply@blogger.com0