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Sean Young Arrested At Post Oscars Party, Demands Apology From The Academy

Travis Woods — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:56:19 +0000

Actress Sean Young was arrested on Sunday night following the Oscars, apparently for trying to enter a post Oscars party that she was not inviting to, in a move which California lawbooks unofficially refer to as “Lindsay Lohaning.” Now, she’s demanding an apology for the debacle, and threatening a lawsuit.

The Blade Runner star (yeah, that was 30 years ago, but name a better movie that she’s starred in. Ace Ventura?) apparently was “placed under citizen’s arrest at the Governors Ball at 9:25 p.m” on Sunday night when “she was trying to get into the party and couldn’t get in,” according to police Cmdr. Andrew Smith.

Young was then booked at the Hollywood police station due to misdemeanor battery, after allegedly slapping a security guard who wouldn’t let her enter. She then posted $20,000 bail was released early Monday morning.

Now, Young is demanding that she be given an apology by The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, according to her Facebook page, which currently states she is “waiting on word from The Academy on a public apology…I think they have figured out it was in fact there security guards fault and may indeed feel they should issue an apology to me. I will keep you posted.”

She then explained:

“I just want everyone to know that I was sober, extremely well behaved when a very stupid security guard went postal on me and then The Academy’s very stupid lawyer recommended a ‘private person’s arrest’ and I have grounds for a lawsuit against the Academy although I believe a public apology to me would be much better. I am OK and I have the Hollywood Police Stations support who very carefully and kindly photographed the bruises on my arms which this guard is responsible for doing.”

What do you make of the incident?

Source: CBS News

Oscars 2012: A Wrap Up

Damon Houx — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:03:45 +0000

In a year with a number of great movies, The Oscars mostly went for comfort food over bold decisions, but what else is to be expected at this point? It’s hard to be upset with a voting block that has – time and time again – picked nice and safe and maybe a little political over most of the films that tend to matter. When you look back at 1999, who still thinks American Beauty was the best of that year? And so – as expected – The Artist won big.

It’s usually easier to see the times that the Academy gets it right (say, the first two Godfathers, Annie Hall, No Country for Old Men) as happy accidents than view their picks as in any way definitive. And it’s much easier to watch the awards as a pageant for the famous. Speaking of nice and safe, Billy Crystal only sparked discussion when he trotted out one of his old impressions (Sammy Davis Jr.) for a joke that would have been better if it was funny. But from the opening montage of Crystal appearing in a number of the nominated films, there was a sense of confusion about what to do or say with this year in cinema. That happens when your front runner (and winner) is a black and white silent film that’s only grossed $30 Million so far (which is less than the grosses for the remake of Arthur and A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas), and the biggest films of the year were Harry Potter, Transformers, Twilight and Hangover sequels. Only one of the nominees had grossed over $100 Million domestic (The Help), so they went with a gay joke involving George Clooney and a motioned captured Crystal as Tintin.

Crystal returned to the jokes he’d done before as host – like the musical number – and watching Crystal’s heavily made up face served as a sad reminder of what fuels this town. It’s exactly what you liked before, only less so and covered in flop sweat. Still, for a ceremony that tends to go on and on, it should be said that the awards this year moved at a brisk clip.

It also started with one of the more notable upsets, as Robert Richardson won for Hugo – a prize that was supposedly going to go to either The Artist or Tree of Life. This gave a sense of hope that the Oscar prognosticators might have been wrong, and that The Artist was no longer the lock. And when The Girl With Dragon Tattoo won for editing, there was a hope that the metrics and analysis would also be off on some of the bigger prizes. Alas.

As with any year, there were the awards that seemed deserved, and there’s no arguing that A Separation is a worthy best foreign film winner. It’s hard to argue against Christopher Plummer getting the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award (and his work in Beginners was great), and Bret McKenzie’s win for his Muppets song made for one of the best moments of the night. And with these awards it’s good to enjoy those brief moments of good choices.

Though most of the presenters’ jokes fell flat (as is always the case), the videos had some good moments (though the montage of film seemed less focused than most youtube pastiches). Christopher Guest was commissioned to do a jokey sketch about test audiences from the past criticizing what happens in Wizard of Oz, and seeing his whole crew (Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Bob Balaban and Jennifer Coolidge) making jokes about monkeys was a bright spot, as was Brad Pitt reminiscing about War of the Gargantuans.

But as the show progressed, it moved toward the inevitable and The Artist started picking up awards. The most obnoxious was Ludovic Bource’s win for best Score, if only because it used a huge chunk of Bernard Herrmann’s work for Vertigo, and the composer didn’t thank him. It was expected, but after the early upsets I was hoping for just one more.

The best speeches – it turned out – were by the people who said little to nothing. The sight of Octavia Spencer as a blubbering mess was more endearing than the list of people she reeled off, while Jim Rash won the night by striking a sexy pose in mockery of Angelina Jolie. Woody Allen – as has been his custom since he was first nominated – didn’t bother to come, which moved things along nicely.

Perhaps the biggest and most disappointing upset of the night was held nearly for last when Meryl Streep won for The Iron Lady over Viola Davis. Though it was in the cards, the downside to The Iron Lady‘s two wins mean that more people might actually see the movie. Like so many Oscar winners, Streep’s award seemed to be not for the movie itself so much as the idea of Streep.

But it also points out what is the most important part of winning Oscars now: Campaigning, and having Harvey Weinstein in your corner is worth more than greatness. His company was the biggest winner of the night, and it’s the only way to explain how Michel Hazanavicius won over such great directors as Martin Scorsese, Terrence Malick, Alexander Payne and Woody Allen. It’s harder to be upset that Jean Dujardin triumphed over George Clooney – the only other “real” contender for best actor when it was evident that Gary Oldman never stood a chance. But when Natalie Portman addressed him you could hear the collective world thinking “oh yeah, The Professional” in response. Dujardin’s win seems to suggest he’ll show up in at least three American movies and then fade into a trivia question, but still – it was his night.

By the time The Artist was crowned best picture, all one could do is enjoy that James Cromwell had taken to the stage, and move on to something else. In year where cinema is quickly moving from 35mm film to digital, movie stars can’t open pictures, and the industry busies itself with sequels/prequels/reboots and board game adaptations, the academy chose to honor a film that tells the fake history of itself. Like Slumdog Millionaire or The King’s Speech before it, this win now anoints it as something that will be watched in the future only by people who like watching Oscar winners or film students.

What was your favorite win of the night?

Billy Crystal Catches Heat For Appearing On The Oscars In Blackface

Travis Woods — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:04:10 +0000

After the release of a study which indicates that most Oscar voters are wealthy white men, how smart a play does it seem to feature the host of the Academy Awards, Billy Crystal (a wealthy white man), in a sketch in which he appears in blackface? Well, it’s a play that the Oscars ran with on Sunday night, and it’s catching a bit of criticism (beneath the cacophony about who wore which designer brands, of course).

You see, Crystal trotted out his tired Sammy Davis Jr. impression from his Saturday Night Live days (and, yes, watching a comedian play out a 30 year old bit was both embarrassing and horrifying, and felt a lot like this) in a sketch in which Justin Bieber traveled back in time (a la Best Original Screenplay winner Midnight in Paris) and teamed up with Sammy Davis Jr. to kill Hitler.

It’s an idea that might have actually been funny had it not featured an obvious pop culture figure that is seemingly relevant to “the kids” (Bieber), teaming up with a cultural figure who died two decades ago and has nothing to do with anything beyond the fact that Crystal did an impression of him three decades ago and who also happened to only be a child in the 1920s (Davis Jr). Oh, and yeah, it was a white guy in blackface, which—gasp!—was found to be ever so slightly offensive by some, as The Baltimore Sun points out that several viewers rallied against the sketch on Twitter.

Oh, and to keep things even classier and more awkward, the sketch transitioned into a bit about The Help (a Jim Crow-era film), and featured Crystal eating feces. Classy!

What do you think of Crystal’s performance?

VOTD: Sacha Baron Cohen Pours Ash On Ryan Seacrest At The Oscars

Travis Woods — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:54:17 +0000

Because it wouldn’t be Oscar night without a few desperate bids for shameless self-promotion, Sacha Baron Cohen did arrive to the Academy Awards telecast, as he was rumored to do, in full costume and character to promote his upcoming film, The Dictator. And the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences didn’t ban him after all, which led to a briefly funny bit in which Cohen poured ash all over perennial red carpet stooge Ryan Seacrest—which kind of makes the annoying Dictator schtick worth it. Watch a video of the confrontation below.

UPDATE: Pink is the New Blog has it that this was an obvious farce; which makes one even more annoyed at Cohen; still, enjoy the make believe moment of Seacrest getting owned on live TV.

Surrounded by two flower girls, “The Dictator” was jokingly carrying the “ashes” of deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, and claimed it was Kim’s dream to someday be “to be sprinkled over the red carpet and over Halle Berry’s chest.” And before security could haul Cohen away, he promptly dumped most of the ash all over a visibly shaken Seacrest’s tuxedo. Check it out:

So, was Sacha Baron Cohen’s dictator schtick an annoying and mostly unfunny bout of shameless film promotion for a film that, quite frankly, looks terrible? Yes it was. But was it worth it just to see him annoy a tool like Ryan Seacrest? Yes. Yes, it was.

What do you think of the ash incident?

Source: Denver Post

2012 Academy Awards: And The Oscar Winners Are…

Travis Woods — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:41:49 +0000

It’s that time of year again, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences joins together with the Hollywood community to pose on a red carpet, then hand out little gold men to those who have made the greatest achievements in cinema over the past year (I dare you to say that last part aloud without snickering). Wondering who will nab best picture? Will George Clooney score a Best Actor statuette? Will The Artist win big? Will Billy Crystal be an embarrassing and smugly unwatchable “safe” host? Check out our Academy Awards roundup after the jump!

Updating with each Academy Award win! Keep checking bad to see who scored an Oscar!

And be sure to compare the outcome to our Oscar Predictions list!

Following an insufferable red carpet ceremony (Rooney Mara looked as if she was preparing to ritualistically kill herself during a Ryan Seacrest interview), and an even more insufferable Billy Crystal opening set (oh, yes, thank you for bringing back that Sammy Davis Jr. impression that America was clamoring for, Billy), the Oscars got down to the nitty gritty of actually handing out, well, Oscars, in the midst of several sound issue and Sacha Baron Cohen mugging.

In the end, The Artist didn’t make the grand sweep many predicted it would, but the silent film managed to garner Best Film, Director and Actor, while Christopher Plummer, Meryl Streep, and Octavia Spencer all predictably won their respective Acting categories. Not exactly a year for big surprises, no? Check out the full list of winners below.

Best Motion Picture of the Year: The Artist
Best Achievement in Directing: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Jean Dujardin for The Artist
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Christopher Plummer for Beginners
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Octavia Spencer for The Help
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: The Descendants – Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Hugo – Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
Best Achievement in Sound Editing: Hugo – Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty
Best Achievement in Editing: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: A Separation – Asghar Farhadi (Iran)
Best Achievement in Makeup: The Iron Lady – Mark Coulier, J. Roy Helland
Best Achievement in Costume Design: The Artist – Mark Bridges
Best Achievement in Art Direction: Hugo – Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
Best Achievement in Cinematography: Hugo – Robert Richardson
Best Documentary, Features: Undefeated – Daniel Lindsay, T.J. Martin, Rich Middlemas
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year: Rango – Gore Verbinski
Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Hugo – Robert Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann, Alex Henning
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: The Artist – Ludovic Bource
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: The Muppets – Bret McKenzie, “Man or Muppet”
Best Short Film, Live Action: The Shore – Terry George, Oorlagh George
Best Documentary, Short Subjects: Saving Face – Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Best Short Film, Animated: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore – William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg

ScreenCrave’s 2012 Oscars Drinking Game – Cheers!

Laura Aguirre — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:57:39 +0000

The time has come to say goodbye to the films of 2011. Au revoir The Artist, see you on Netflix! No more Michael Fassbender puns, or Octavia Spencer acceptance speeches. So what better way to say goodbye, and celebrate the Oscars, than by toasting Hollywood’s cream of the crop with a fun drinking game? We understand that some of these awards shows can get a bit boring, even a bit awkward, but let’s make the best of it. We’ve put together an Oscars Drinking Game that’ll be sure to entertain you all night long–just make sure you do it at home, or are paired with a designated driver. Check it out!

Without further ado, here are the rules –

Have A Good Sip Of Your Beer or Wine Every Time:

The orchestra interrupts a speech
The camera cuts to George Clooney
The camera cuts to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
There’s a montage
There’s a musical number
Someone mentions Whitney Houston
There’s a Muppet onscreen
Billy Crystal jokes about his height
Billy Crystal jokes about being Eddie Murphy‘s replacement
Billy Crystal mentions his past experience as an Oscar host
The camera cuts to Jack Nicholson wearing his sunglasses
The Artist wins an award
Martin Scorsese wins an award

And Now For Shots – Take One Shot If:

Someone starts to cry during their speech
Someone mentions ‘God’ during their speech
A winner looks confused as to which direction to walk out and has to be corrected and guided by the presenter
There’s an animal on stage – Uggie!
Someone drops an F-bomb
Someone slips/trips/falls
Someone starts their speech by thanking the Academy
Someone starts their speech with ‘Wow’
A foreign winner apologizes for being foreign or for their accent
George Clooney mentions Michael Fassbender’s penis
George Clooney mentions anything concerning Brad Pitt
Someone claims they had no idea they’d win and have nothing prepared
Aaron Sorkin mentions his daughter
Someone thanks their grade school teacher
A presenter kisses the winner onstage
Someone drops their Oscar
Someone kisses their Oscar

Now, Down One Whole Drink If:

No one mentions Whitney Houston
Octavia Spencer doesn’t win Best Supporting Actress
Melissa McCarthy beats out Octavia Spencer and wins Best Supporting Actress
Jonah Hill wins Best Supporting Actor
Woody Allen is a no-show
The Artist doesn’t win Best Picture

Those are the rules. Remember to drink responsibly, and most importantly, have fun! Also, feel free to add your own rules in the comment section below.

Will you be watching the Oscars this Sunday?

Sacha Baron Cohen Releases Video Response About His ‘Oscar Ban’

Travis Woods — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:33:12 +0000

Yesterday, we reported that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may revoke comedic actor Sacha Baron Cohen’s tickets to the Academy Awards on Sunday if he arrives to the awards ceremony dressed as the titular character from his upcoming film, The Dictator. And because the news that story generated is just about the best promotion the film could ask for—because the trailer certainly didn’t do it many favors—Cohen has now released a video response to the non-controversy, in character as the dictator.

In the video, Cohen fires off a few cute lines, but, much like the trailer to the film, this video clip feels strangely flat and unfunny, coming as it does behind the comedic mastermind that made Bruno. Something about the schtick-y nature of the character, perhaps, but the entirety of what has been seen of The Dictator thus far just plays as one long, unfunny late-period Mike Myers premise. Check out the video:

Well, am I wrong? Is this funny? Or does it just feel like a desperate attempt to hijack some free press for a film that doesn’t look that great to begin with (just as dressing up as the dictator while attending the Oscars would have done)? Let us know your feelings in the comments wall below.

ScreenCrave’s 2012 Oscar Predictions

Damon Houx — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:00:08 +0000

The process of Oscar predictions has changed completely over the last twenty years. Where there may have been favorites and hopes before that came with no sense of what could actually happen on Oscar night, blogging has turned the award ceremony into a stats game, where there are way fewer surprises than ever before. But, if you pay attention to the guilds, you have a great guide as to who is likely to win or lose. That doesn’t keep us from guessing, and our picks for Sunday’s Oscar ceremony are here. Hint: expect big wins for The Artist. Check it out…

Let’s start with the ones we’re most unsure of:

Shorts:

Best Animated Short Film:
“Dimanche/Sunday”
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”
“La Luna”
“A Morning Stroll”
“Wild Life”

Best Live Action Short Film:
“Pentecost”
“Raju”
“The Shore”
“Time Freak”
“Tuba Atlantic”

Best Documentary (short subject):
“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement”
“God is the Bigger Elvis”
“Incident in New Baghdad”
“Saving Face”
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom”

Um… word is high on those I tagged, so that’s what I’m going to go with. La Luna is from Pixar, which is one of those things that can just as easily work for the film as work against it.

Tech:

Best Sound Mixing:

“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“War Horse”

Best Sound Editing:
“Drive”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
“War Horse”

Best Visual Effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Real Steel”
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”

Best Art Direction:

“The Artist”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“War Horse”

Best Costume:
“Anonymous”
“The Artist”
“Hugo”
“Jane Eyre”
“W.E”

Best Makeup:
“Albert Nobbs”
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
“The Iron Lady”

Hugo is likely to lose most of the major prizes it’s nominated for, so its consolation should be the tech awards that aren’t up against The Artist. When going head to head, its scale is bigger so it should win Art Direction but lose Costuming – though Hugo vs. The Artist is the main drama of both awards. The Iron Lady is the most respectable of the make-up choices, and there’s no home team favorite (that is to say, Rick Baker). Still, we could see Potter eke out a victory.

Truth and Music:

Best Documentary Feature:

“Hell and Back Again”
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”
“Pina”
“Undefeated”

There’s little consensus about what could win this one, but I’m going to go with Pina, as it can be viewed as a lifetime achievement award for Wim Wenders. Paradise Lost 3 could win for having real world success, but that could also be that film’s only reward.

Best Original Score:

“The Adventures of Tintin,” John Williams
“The Artist,” Ludovic Bource
“Hugo,” Howard Shore
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” Alberto Iglesias
“War Horse,” John Williams

Best Original Song:
“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets,” Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from “Rio,” Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown and Siedah Garrett.

John Williams splits his vote, and Howard Shore has a number of Oscars, so the movie that borrowed heavily from Vertigo gets it. I’m going Muppets because it’s such a great song.

The More Important Tech Awards:

Best Cinematography:

“The Artist”
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

Best Film Editing:

“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
“Hugo”
“Moneyball”

If Thelma Schoonmaker didn’t have three Oscars, then maybe she might be the odds-on favorite for editing, but because it’s The Artist‘s night it should win, which would be a good sign for its best picture chances. It could also win for cinematography, but as Deep Throat said “follow the guilds.” And if Tree of Life won the ASC award for best cinematography, and Emmanuel Lubezki has been nominated five times and never won, then it’s a good way to award him and the film.

Best Pictures that aren’t Best Pictures:

Best Animated Feature Film
“A Cat in Paris”
“Chico & Rita”
“Kung Fu Panda 2″
“Puss in Boots”
“Rango”

Though the foreign films could be the usurpers, Rango looks like the odds on favorite and a good way to get Gore Verbinski an Oscar.

Best Foreign Language Film:
“Bullhead” (Belgium)
“Footnote” (Israel)
“In Darkness” (Poland)
“Monsieur Lazhar” (Canada)
“A Separation” (Iran)

In Darkness deals with WWII, which would normally make it the front runner, but A Separation also netted a Screenplay award, which means people have been paying attention. Though this category could lead to an upset, expect Separation to take it home. If not, expect Oscar bloggers to bitch a lot.

Writing:

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, “The Descendants”
John Logan, “Hugo”
George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, “The Ides of March”
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, “Moneyball”
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Best Original Screenplay:
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids”
J.C. Chandor, “Margin Call”
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation”

The guild winners have the clearest shot, though The Artist would be the spoiler for Original screenplay. It feels like a bit of a spread the love year, so Woody Allen should get his fourth Oscar. Go Jim Rash aka Dean Pelton!

Acting!:

Best Actor:
Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”
George Clooney, “The Descendants”
Jean Dujarin, “The Artist”
Gary Oldman, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best Actress:
Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis, “The Help”
Rooney Mara, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams, “My Week with Marilyn”

Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte, “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”
Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best Supporting Actress:
Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain, “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

The most likely surprise here would be if George Clooney wins Best Actor, but SAG went with Jean Durjadin, and so should go the Oscar. The academy often acts like an over-compensating liberal, and so Durjadin will follow in Roberto Begnini’s footsteps because he’s new and foreign. The only other possible upset would be Meryl Streep for best actress, but Viola Davis has been doing well in every other award ceremony, and she is a well respected stage and screen actress, so that seems more likely (also as Streep has two Oscars, and this isn’t her best work). Christopher Plummer has been on lock for months, as has Octavia Spencer.

The Artist(s):

Best Directing:
Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”
Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”
Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”
Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”
Terrence Malick, “The Tree of Life”

Best Picture:
“The Artist”
“The Descendants”
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
“The Help”
“Hugo”
“Midnight in Paris”
“Moneyball”
“The Tree of Life”
“War Horse”

In ten years, the idea that Michel Hazanavicius has a best directing Oscar is the sort of thing that will make people scratch their heads. Same with The Artist‘s win. Doesn’t matter. Right now it’s the hot flavor. Expect an expanded run the week after, and expect years of bewilderment from people who will mention it in the same breath as Shakespeare in Love.

Which films/artists are hoping to see score an upset?

Sacha Baron Cohen May Be Banned From The Academy Awards

Travis Woods — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:59:41 +0000

Because Sacha Baron Cohen’s new film, The Dictator, could use the press, and because the Academy Awards desperately, desperately needs a reason for people to tune in to a three-hour telecast in which Billy Crystal mugs his way through a series of celebrity backslappery, news broke this week that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will ban the comic actor from the award ceremony if he attends in full costume to promote his new film. And thus, we must now all tune in to see what happens. Well played, Oscars, well played.

Cohen, as you know, is one of the lead actors in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, which is at the head of the nominee-pack with a whopping 11 Academy Award nominations, and was thus set to appear on Sunday night. Then “rumors had begun circling that he might use the red carpet opportunity to dress in full costume” to promote his new film, and the Academy flipped. Their response: revoking all of Cohen’s tickets unless they have assurance he won’t appear in costume and “make a mockery” of the red carpet.

I’m going to repeat that—the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does not want someone making a mockery of the red carpet portion of the ceremony. You know, that one massive chunk of the telecast that absolutely nothing to do with films, film-making, or artistry of any sort, and exists solely to allow TMZ, US Weekly and People Magazine to generate copy.

No word yet on what Cohen’s next move will be, but hopefully it will be one in which he continues to mock a wholly pointless dead limb portion of the Academy Awards.

What do you think of the anti-controversy?

Source: /Film

Cogan’s Trade, Scary Movie 5 and Butter Get Dated

Damon Houx — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:24:12 +0000

One of our most highly anticipated films of the year reunites Brad Pitt with The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford director Andrew Dominik, and after the extended post-production schedule of their last film, it was hard to know how long the wait would be for their follow-up Cogan’s Trade. Wonder no more, The Weinstein Company has updated their schedule, and the film will be hitting theaters September 21. They’ve also changed the release dates for Butter and Scary Movie 5. Check it out…

The Cogan’s Trade date suggests they want it to be near Oscar consideration, but aren’t sure if it’s a contender. It’s hard to know if the film will premiere at Cannes, or go to Toronto or Venice’s September festivals. Venice is where Brad Pitt won best Actor for Jesse James, so it may be a lucky location for the filmmakers.The film also stars Ray Liotta, James Gandolfini, and Sam Shepard.

Butter was originally scheduled for a March release, and has been bumped to October 5. The film played Telluride’s film festival last year, and may be better served in awards-bait season, but as it’s a black comedy, it’s one of those films that either clicks or doesn’t. Word is good though. The film stars Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, and Olivia Wilde.

And Scary Movie 5, perhaps subtitled “Contractual Obligation” is scheduled for January 11, 2013. So it’s less than a year away!

What release date would you like to see announced? (I’d pick Wong Kar-Wai’s latest)

News Roundup: Michael Fassbender’s Oscar Snub, Hulk Hogan Comes Clean and More

Laura Aguirre — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:30:12 +0000

This week Hulk Hogan finally came clean and admitted that Darren Aronofsky wanted him to play the lead role in the 2008 critical hit The Wrestler. The role that reignited Mickey Rourke‘s career was originally meant for Hogan, at least according to Hogan. Also this week were the Oscar nominations: while many great performances were acknowledged, many were snubbed by the Academy including Michael Fassbender, who was hailed for his performance in Shame. The Los Angeles Times took a closer look at why the actor might’ve been left out of the running. We also have a couple of movie previews. Catch up below.

Michael Fassbender’s Penis: Among the many who got snubbed by the Academy is actor Michael Fassbender, who, this year, portrayed a sex addict in Steve McQueen‘s NC-17 rated Shame. The Los Angeles Times wrote an article about the actor suggesting he was snubbed because showing his penis on film took away from his “super-brave” performance.
Hulk Hogan Fantasies: Hulk Hogan told Digital Spy recently that he was asked, not once, but several times, to play the role that reignited Mickey Rourke’s career. That’s right, after four years of silence, Hogan said that he turned down the lead role in The Wrestler because he felt he wasn’t right for the role. Could you imagine Hogan playing such a serious and dramatic role? Do you believe that Darren Aronofsky wanted him to play Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson?
Movies In An Alternate Universe: Artist Sean Hartter invented this cool concept where he took titles of current well-known movies, but remade them so that the movie’s poster suggested a different time or era. An example of one film is 2011′s Drive, where James Dean has taken Ryan Gosling‘s place. It’s actually pretty cool. Head over to Behance to see the cool posters.

New Photos:

Snow White Photo: Below is an up-close look at Kristen Stewart as Snow White from the upcoming film Snow White and the Hunstman. There’s not much detail, but if you’re excited about the movie, then enjoy.

New Videos:

Man On A Ledge Preview: The action thriller Man On A Ledge hit theaters today. Below is a special exclusive preview. Check it out.

Brake Trailer: Stephen Dorff stars in a new film called Brake, where the actor spends most of the time locked inside a coffin-like box. Beware, the footage below is not for the claustrophobic.

That’s the end of our round-up. Keep checking back at ScreenCrave for more entertainment news.

What are you excited for?

Tilda Swinton Wants to Party With The Oscar Snubbed

Damon Houx — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:38:20 +0000

When the Oscars were announced, there were some favorites that didn’t make the cut. It happens every year, and a number of performers – like Albert Brooks in Drive, Patton Oswalt and Charlize Theron in Young Adult, and Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin were not nominated. Oswalt – on Twitter – joked about having a party for the snubbies, and Vulture brought this to Swinton’s attention. Her response: she’d be there in a heart-beat.

In fact she said she would love to sing “Is There Life on Mars” with Andy Serkis, and said “That’s a dare! That’s an excellent dare. Okay, Patton, you’re on. Let’s get Andy and let’s go for it!” Her response to not being nominated was positive, as she felt she could go home and not worry. Of course, it’s probably easier as she already has one Oscar, and the process of this year would more than likely have her attend to lose.

The only negative about not being nominated is that it will keep Lynne Shetlon’s fascinating and powerful We Need to Talk about Kevin off of the radar, where the film could have new life with a possible Oscar future. As a film fan, the award season usually gets more wrong that right, and few Oscar winners stand the test of time – often they’re given for a body of work, or a feeling in the moment. To wit, Albert Brooks made an indelible impression in Drive, while Christopher Plummer is excellent in Beginners, but the award feels more like a career-win. Maybe not as shamelessly so as Al Pacino’s win for Scent of a Woman, but still.

Whose Snubbing annoyed you the most?

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