The 81st Annual Academy Awards

[Sleepless]

I know it's early, but I found this article on Variety, and it's quite interesting reading. Gave me a bit of hope for the rest of the year anyway:


Oscar candidates lagging: First half of 2008 comes up short on potential

As of Monday, the year was at the halfway mark, so in theory, the 2008 awards race is half over.
Not a chance. The past six months have offered fewer potential contenders than any January-June period in memory.

At least on paper, this year looks like a return to the old days, when the majors dominated awards and most of the nominees bowed late in the year -- in contrast with recent history, when the Oscar charge was led by specialty divisions and fall launches.

In the last six months, there have been possible nominees in the below-the-line Oscar races ("Iron Man," "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," "Forbidden Kingdom," "The Incredible Hulk," "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," "Wanted," "Hancock," etc.), and there have been strong toons ("Horton Hears a Who," "Kung Fu Panda," "Wall-E") as well as too many docus to mention.

But as for potential action in the "money" categories, not so much. However, keep an eye on Overture's "The Visitor": Lead actor Richard Jenkins has rightly earned awards buzz, but the film has many other virtues (Thomas McCarthy's script and direction, the other performances, etc.). McCarthy, a talented actor in his own right, has crafted an actors' movie -- a character study with current-event concerns -- that will play well on DVD, so late-year mailings could pay off.

Otherwise, awards prognosticators have to look to the fests. Last year, Cannes boasted a lot of eventual Oscar pics, including "No Country for Old Men." This year's Cannes saw hot prospects in Universal's "Changeling"; the Weinstein Co.'s Woody Allen pic, to be distribbed by MGM, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" -- particularly for the respective perfs by Angelina Jolie and Penelope Cruz; and Sony Classics' "Waltz With Bashir," all of which will open this year.

The Berlin Film Festival embraced Mike Leigh's "Happy-Go-Lucky," with Sally Hawkins winning the actress prize, while Sundance was bullish on "Frozen River," with Melissa Leo. The pics will be released in the U.S. by Miramax and Sony Pictures Classics, respectively.

Of course, their fate depends on what else opens.

After the specialty divisions dominated the 80th Oscars, the major studios predicted they will return triumphantly this year (Variety, March 3-9), and there are plenty of biggies on the books that make the 2008 lineup sound like the most promising from the majors in several years.

But even at the halfway point, there are questions.

Will the early buzz sustain for Disney-Pixar's "Wall-E" and WB's "The Dark Knight" and Heath Ledger?
What effect will the Clint Eastwood double whammy -- November's "Changeling" and the December bow of Warner Bros.-Village Roadshow's "Gran Torino," in which he stars as well as directs -- have on kudos? Similarly, Scott Rudin, who was in the winner's circle with "No Country," has two December openers -- but will he have a third with "The Reader," whose opening date is not yet set?
Benicio Del Toro won Cannes' actor award for Steven Soderbergh's "Che," but will it find a U.S. distrib this year and, if so, in what form will the two-part film be released?
And then there are ... other questions. In the last few years, the song category has been dominated by tunes that were production numbers (as opposed to those end-credit or background songs). So does this bode well for Disney's "High School Musical 3" and Focus' "Hamlet 2"? (If the song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" can win, there may be hope for the latter pic's "Rock Me Sexy Jesus.")
A few years ago, film-awards shows followed the lead of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and moved their ceremonies a month earlier, but it's clear that the studios are not similarly shifting their release schedules to accommodate the moves. Bottom-line thinking comes first, and release dates are more focused on box office than on awards.

Still, this year will be an interesting one for the majors as they woo Oscar.

For decades, Oscar voters had a reputation for going with more mainstream films, preferring "Ordinary People" to "Raging Bull," to use an often-cited example. But in the last few years, Acad members have embraced darker, arthouse-style films like "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood." So it will be interesting to see how the majors' lineup meshes with this growing specialty sensibility among the voters.

Following are the month-by-month releases that sound like awards fodder. Of course there are always disappointments -- there's no point bringing up the many, many painful memories of films whose makers thought they had a shot -- and there are always surprises.

Last year, "Juno" wasn't on anyone's radar because it wasn't skedded for a 2007 release. And the Weinstein Co. has two that may be added to its 2008 slate: "Shanghai," directed by Mikael Hafstrom and starring John Cusack, and "The Reader," directed by Stephen Daldry, scripted by David Hare, produced by Rudin and starring Kate Winslet).

But here's a blueprint for the next six months.

July: It's an f/x extravaganza with New Line's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (going out through WB); and Universal's "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."

August: DreamWorks' "Tropic Thunder"; U's "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."

September: Disney's Spike Lee movie "Miracle at St. Anna"; Focus' "Burn After Reading," the follow-up film from this year's triple Oscar winners, Joel and Ethan Coen, that stars George Clooney and Tilda Swinton; Miramax's Fernando Meirelles pic "Blindness"; "The Appaloosa," directed by and starring Ed Harris (New Line, via WB); Paramount Vantage's "The Duchess," with Keira Knightley.

October: Lionsgate's Oliver Stone bio-politico-comedy-drama "W." starring Josh Brolin; WB's Ridley Scott film "Body of Lies," written by William Monahan ("The Departed") and starring Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio; Fox Searchlight's "The Secret Life of Bees" (Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah); Universal-Spyglass' Greg Kinnear film "Flash of Genius," with Marc Abraham making his directing debut; and Sony Pictures Classics' "I've Loved You So Long," with Kristin Scott Thomas, and Jonathan Demme's "Rachel Getting Married," with Anne Hathaway.

November: Paramount-DreamWorks' "The Soloist" (Joe Wright directing Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.); Focus' "Milk" (Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn); Fox's "Australia," from Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman; MGM-Sony's "Quantum of Solace," with Daniel Craig returning as 007; WB's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"; and the Weinstein Co./Dimension's "The Road," an adaptation of the book by Cormac McCarthy (who penned the novel "No Country") that's going out via MGM and stars Charlize Theron and Viggo Mortensen.

December: Miramax's "Doubt" (starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman and produced by Rudin); Paramount's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett under helmer David Fincher (Warner Bros. has the pic overseas); Paramount Vantage-DreamWorks' "Revolutionary Road" (Sam Mendes, DiCaprio, Winslet and Rudin again); Par Vantage's "Defiance" (Ed Zwick, with Craig); Disney's Adam Shankman-helmed "Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler; Lionsgate's Frank Miller-directed "The Spirit"; Sony's "Seven Pounds," reuniting Will Smith with Gabriele Muccino (who directed "The Pursuit of Happyness"); Universal-Imagine-Working Title's Ron Howard-helmed "Frost/Nixon."

[MacGuffin]

Hugh Jackman to host Academy Awards
Reigning 'Sexiest Man Alive' to emcee Feb. 22 ceremony

LOS ANGELES - Hugh Jackman will host the 2009 Oscars, Access Hollywood has confirmed.

The "Australia" star, who was recently selected as "Sexiest Man Alive," by People magazine will emcee the event on February 22.

This will be Jackman's first time as Oscar host. He previously hosted the Tony Awards in 2004 and 2005.

The 2008 Oscar ceremonies, which came just weeks after the writer's strike ended, was helmed by comedian Jon Stewart.

[Pozer]

that's just crazy talk.

[mogwai]

wtf?

[cinemanarchist]

Great, now it's going to be boring AND gay...not that there's anything wrong with that.

[Alexandro]

every year for some reason i get pulled back into the oscars even though they never fail to bore the hell out of me. if it's no scorsese competing, is the coens or pta, or some actor i love like phil hoffman. but this year i don't really care. hopefully i'll be able to ignore this crap for the first time in 14 years...

[Pozer]

you know you won't though.  as much crap as we all will forever talk on them, we all will forever watch them.  ALL of us.  forever.

[Alexandro]

it's just that the names that are being thrown around to get nominations and awards this year are not big enough for me to care. i don't feel like watching clint eastwood get his ass kissed again, or sean penn. fincher, van sant, kate winslet, etc...i like everyone, but i don't sabor the moment of seeing them winning as I did with the coens or pta, or scorsese...the only one i'm excited about because she totally surprised me is penelope cruz in vicky cristina barcelona. but that's that.

[Fernando]

i don't feel like watching clint eastwood get his ass kissed again, or sean penn. fincher, van sant, kate winslet, etc...i like everyone

I'm not sure if with that again you only mean clint or the others too, but just in case, Fincher hasn't ever been nominated here or by the globes (til Benjamin this year). So I think it's about time he gets some recognition, not that he needs it or that makes these shitty awards worth it.


btw Alexandro, congrats for your play El Rey y su Sensei (The king and his sensei).

[Alexandro]

hey, thanks for the congrats!!

no, i only meant clint. i like him, but cmon....

[MacGuffin]

List of nominees for the 81st annual Academy Awards:


BEST PICTURE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
"Frost/Nixon"
"Milk
"The Reader"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway, "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie, "Changeling"
Melissa Leo, "Frozen River"
Meryl Streep, "Doubt"
Kate Winslet, "The Reader"

BEST ACTOR
Frank Langella, "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn, "Milk"
Brad Pitt, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke, "The Wrestler"
Richard Jenkins, "The Visitor"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis, "Doubt"
Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Marisa Tomei, "The Wrestler"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin, "Milk"
Robert Downey Jr., "Tropic Thunder"
Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Doubt"
Heath Ledger, "The Dark Knight"
Michael Shannon, "Revolutionary Road"

BEST DIRECTOR
Danny Boyle, "Slumdog Millionaire"
Stephen Daldry, "The Reader"
David Fincher, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Ron Howard, "Frost/Nixon"
Gus Van Sant, "Milk"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Dustin Lance Black, "Milk"
Courtney Hunt, "Frozen River"
Mike Leigh, "Happy-Go-Lucky"
Marttin McDonagh, "In Bruges"
Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, "WALL-E"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Simon Beaufoy, "Slumdog Millionaire"
David Hare, "The Reader"
Peter Morgan, "Frost/Nixon"
John Patrick Shanley, "Doubt"
Eric Roth, Robin Swicord, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"The Baader-Meinhof Complex" (Germany)
"The Class" (France)
"Departures" (Japan)
"Revanche" (Austria)
"Waltz with Bashir" (Israel)

BEST ANIMATED FILM
"Bolt"
"Kung Fu Panda"
"Wall-E"

BEST ART DIRECTION
"Changeling"
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"
"Dark Knight"
"The Duchess"
"Revolutionary Road"

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Changeling", Tom Stern
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", Claudio Miranda
"The Dark Knight", Wally Pfister
"The Reader", Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
"Slumdog Millionaire", Anthony Dod Mantle

BEST FILM EDITING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall
"The Dark Knight," Lee Smith
"Frost/Nixon," Daniel P. Hanley, Mike Hill
"Milk," Elliot Graham
"Slumdog Millionaire," Chris Dickens

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
"Australia", Catherine Martin
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", Jacqueline West
"The Duchess", Michael O'Connor
"Milk", Danny Glicker
"Revolutionary Road", Albert Wolsky

BEST MAKEUP
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Colleen Callaghan, Fionagh Cush
"The Dark Knight," Peter Robb-King, John Caglione Jr.
"Hellboy II: The Golden Army," Mike Elizalde, Thom Floutz

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)"
"Encounters at the End of the World"
"The Garden"
"Man on Wire"
"Trouble the Water"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Slumdog Millionaire," "Jai Ho," A.R. Rahman
"Slumdog Millionaire," "O Saya," A.R. Rahman & M.I.A.
"Wall-E," "Down To Earth," Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman

BEST SCORE
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button",Alexandre Desplat
"Defiance", James Newton Howard
"Milk", Danny Elfman
"Slumdog Millionaire", A.R. Rahman
"WALL-E", Thomas Newman

BEST SOUND EDITING
"The Dark Knight", Richard King
"Iron Man", Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
"Slumdog Millionaire", Tom Sayers
"WALL-E", Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
"Wanted",Wylie Stateman

BEST SOUND MIXING
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
"The Dark Knight", Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
"Slumdog Millionaire", Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
"WALL-E",Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
"Wanted", Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
"The Dark Knight", Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
"Iron Man", John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
"La Maison en Petits Cubes", Kunio Kato
"Lavatory - Lovestory", Konstantin Bronzit
"Oktapodi", Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
"Presto", Doug Sweetland
"This Way Up",Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)", Reto Caffi
"Manon on the Asphalt", Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
"New Boy", Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
"The Pig", Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
"Spielzeugland (Toyland)", Jochen Alexander Freydank

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
"The Conscience of Nhem En", Steven Okazaki
"The Final Inch", Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
"Smile Pinki", Megan Mylan
"The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306", Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

[Sleepless]

I was going to congratulate you, Mac, on putting the noms up before Variety and the Oscar site, but it's not a complete list. Still, thanks though ;)

Chuffed for Richard Jenkins' noms, but pissed at Dark Knight's snub for Picture/Director/Screenplay.

EDIT: Btw, Kate Winslet is nominated for The Reader, not RR.

[Jefferson]

not many surprises there. kind of a blah year for me despite a few keepers.

[matt35mm]

That list feels very boring.  Full of the movies that anyone last year could have told you was Oscar-bait, plus some nominations for films and performances that, while not designed for Oscar, still aren't surprising.

I would have liked to seen Michelle Williams nominated for Wendy & Lucy and I'm kind of surprised that Springsteen song for The Wrestler wasn't nominated (I'm starting to think that they just nominate the songs they think would be fun to see be performed on stage).

I'm pretty convinced at this stage that Slumdog Millionaire will win Best Picture, just because that's the only one out of all them that would make a good story (will give people a lot to talk/write about regarding its rise from direct-to-DVD status to Best Picture Winner).

[modage]

the reader is a pile of shit. 

the dark knight was snubbed.

the other choices are so boring.

fuck these awards this year.