While the Oscars will be remembered for the Best Director that didn't get nominated, the Saturn Awards may get some attention between April and June over who will be up for awards.
Unlike the Oscars, the Saturn Awards, run by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films gives genre films their due. In fact, they even let some unexpected movies into the mix. That's due to giving out four different "Best Pictures" for Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Action/Adventure and Horror/Thriller. While some films that the Oscars usually ignore get their due in these awards, other nominees may puzzle some people. A musical? Anne Hathway gets two nominations? What's Robot and Frank or Compliance? (Netflix will answer that question). This is my take on the major movie nominations...
SCIENCE FICTION
The Avengers is nominated along with Cloud Atlas, Chronicle, Hunger Games, Looper and Prometheus. While The Avengers may have the edge because it earned a lot of cash, there may be support for Looper, the first Time Travel Noir film. I'll pick Avengers.
FANTASY
The Hobbit will compete with The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi, Snow White and the Huntsman, Ted and Ruby Sparks. The big support for Hobbit will lead to a big win.
ACTION-ADVENTURE
People are wondering why Les Miserables is nominated. Musicals are not action-packed, although there was some here. However, it'll be a battle between The Dark Knight Rises, Skyfall and Django Unchained, while 007 just coming out on top. Taken 2 and The Bourne Legacy fills out the list
HORROR/THRILLER
The Cabin in the Woods was the ultimate sleeper film because it was on the shelf for years while MGM tried to get its financial house in order. Lionsgate wound up releasing the film and did well. It looks like the favorite here, but the other nominees are surprises: Argo, Zero Dark 30 and The Impossible. Also on the list are Seven Psychopaths and The Woman in Black.
There's also a category for independent films. That is going to be tough, because Compliance (which could be called a thriller and horror film) is up against Killer Joe, Hitchcock, Seeking a Friend at the End of the World, Robot and Frank (which puts new meaning to the term "computer crime"). The Paperboy and Safety Not Guaranteed. Netflix should help me catch up, but Compliance may have an edge because of the subject matter.
Now to acting:
BEST ACTOR
Daniel Craig has the edge for Skyfall, the most successful Bond movie ever, and one that marks a big change in the franchise, too. He'll be challenged by Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Looper and Matthew McConaughey for Killer Joe. The other nominees are Christian Bale (The Dark Knight Rises), Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) and Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables).
BEST ACTRESS
It'll be Katniss vs. Maya this time, but they'll face some interesting competition. Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain are the front runners, with Lawrence in the race for Hunger Games. However, look out for Ann Dowd in Compliance. She may win this award. Also on the list are Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks), Helen Mirren (Hitchcock) and Naomi Watts (The Impossible).
SUPPORTING ACTOR
This could be very interesting: Christoph Waltz will still have Oscar momentum thanks to Django Unchained, but Javier Bardem may have a better chance for his role in Skyfall. There's also Gordon-Levitt in Dark Knight Rises, Clark Gregg in The Avengers, Ian McKellen for The Hobbit, and Michael Fassbinder in Prometheus. It'll be Bardem by a handful of voters over Waltz.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway has a good claim here, but not as Fantine. She stole The Dark Knight Rises, but the fact she's also nominated for Les Miserables may hurt her chances. A sleeper choice may be Judi Dench in Skyfall or Gina Gershon for Killer Joe. Also nominated are Charlize Theron for Snow White and the Huntsman and Nicole Kidman for The Paperboy.
Best screenplay will be interesting. Joss Whedon has two nominations, The Avengers and Cabin in the Woods (with Drew Goddard). Quentin Tarantino is also in there for Django Unchained, Tracy Letts for Killer Joe, Martin McDonagh for Seven Psychopaths and David Magee for Life of Pi. Whedon may be able to survive the vote split and win with Drew for Cabin.
Then there's Best Director. Some may wonder why Tarantino isn't in the race, but the choices make sense: Joss for Avengers, Christopher Nolan for Dark Knight Rises, Ang Lee for Life of Pi, Rian Johnson for Looper, Peter Jackson for The Hobbit and William Friedkin for Killer Joe. My preferences are Whedon, Lee and Johnson, but I am not sure. Good thing I have some time before the ballot arrives.
You can look at the entire list of nominees here, and join the Academy to have a say on who should win. Just visit saturnawards.org. Voting starts in April, and the winners will be announced in June.
Showing posts with label Cabin in the Woods. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabin in the Woods. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Discovering the Secret in Berkeley
It's been a long time since we had a new post here, since Whedonopolis gets priority for all my Whedon-verse posts. There are times, though, where I get to do such stories that someone else at that site has covered.
Nearly three weeks ago, I got to see the long-buried (thanks to MGM's financial problems) movie, The Cabin in the Woods, made by the words and thoughts of Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard--and Goddard directing. My take on it is still here, with the post-picture discussion.
Dread-Central was part of a new round of screenings over the past two weeks, including one this past Wednesday at the Shattuck Cinema in Berkeley.
While we couldn't bring cameras because Lionsgate said so, this was a much more active crowd compared to the one in Anaheim. It really helped when before the movie, Drew said the crowd should be as rowdy as it wants to be as the story unfolds. As my story said at the Anaheim screening, this movie takes a familiar horror story than sends it to places you'd never expect. That goes from what the college students do to where they wind up. I can only wonder what will happen on April 14th, when the "secret" is finally revealed and we can all talk about it. I can just hear the reaction of people being told who exactly is "behind the curtain" as far as the plot is concerned.
Again, no names. April 13th. This movie..your only hope to avoid giving money to a movie that is an even bigger horror, even if it does include Larry David as a nun.
So, what was the place like?
The Shattuck Cinema used to be a department store, but they renovated it for theaters in a section of town where one can choose from at least 15 movies in a three-block radius..and not under the same roof. The theaters themselves are uniquely decorated. They may be small but they are very nice places to check out a movie. My theater had a King Tut feel to it
I went there about 2:30, and found two people in line. An hour later, it was up to ten, and I decided to join in. The chairs are leather with very fancy cup holders. I was n the balcony where they had couches. It was like being at home, but with a very big screen and a stage. The place was filled about ten minutes after the screening was supposed to start. In my section there were a couple of kids that would be too young to see this movie. When you see it for yourself, you'll know why.
Drew and Amy Acker were introduced before the movie. Amy looked great but had cut her hair. That's too bad, since she looked great on Grimm recently with long hair.
Since this was my second time seeing it, I looked for some of the key moments that made this movie special, including how many scenes would have looked better in 3-D (I'd say maybe four or five).
Afterwards, Drew looked pleased abut how things went, especially about how people cheered for a certain item that Starbucks would be reluctant to sell. He also admitted that there are two characters that may remind viewers of Joss and Drew, and they're easy to spot. Again, no names. Go see the movie and you'll see what it is. I'm not the Hollywood Reporter.
He also explained how he tried to get a job being part of John Carpenter's movie, Vampires, in New Mexico. He didn't make it, but wound up working for a TV movie called Scattering Dad with Olympia Dukakis. Apparently it, too, had to wait a couple of years to be shown. Anyway, both movies were being filmed in the same area, which game Drew a chance to visit the set, and eventually meet Carpenter.
Then the discussion went to the chances of a sequel, and what Drew and Joss would have wanted to add to the movie. He also briefly discussed the chances of another Cloverfield movie. He said it depends on getting the right story.
Yes, Amy were there, too. She, too, was excited about working about the movie, and with Richard Jenkins, who...does something. You'll see.
The screening series will be ending soon, then everyone else will see The Cabin in the Woods. You'll find out why in every preview screening, there's one guy who appreciates this movie after the recent string of incredibly disappointing flicks. Seems Silent House is often mentioned.
Also, it gave me a chance to really get to use the BART system. I only used it to get from Fremont to San Francisco..and that was 30 years ago. Heading to Berkeley is good, too, and I may do that again soon. For now, though, I have another special movie screening in San Francisco this weekend. It's a movie I could see on iTunes, but meeting Morgan Spurlock after his Comic-Con movie is something I hope to do.
Nearly three weeks ago, I got to see the long-buried (thanks to MGM's financial problems) movie, The Cabin in the Woods, made by the words and thoughts of Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard--and Goddard directing. My take on it is still here, with the post-picture discussion.
Dread-Central was part of a new round of screenings over the past two weeks, including one this past Wednesday at the Shattuck Cinema in Berkeley.
While we couldn't bring cameras because Lionsgate said so, this was a much more active crowd compared to the one in Anaheim. It really helped when before the movie, Drew said the crowd should be as rowdy as it wants to be as the story unfolds. As my story said at the Anaheim screening, this movie takes a familiar horror story than sends it to places you'd never expect. That goes from what the college students do to where they wind up. I can only wonder what will happen on April 14th, when the "secret" is finally revealed and we can all talk about it. I can just hear the reaction of people being told who exactly is "behind the curtain" as far as the plot is concerned.
Again, no names. April 13th. This movie..your only hope to avoid giving money to a movie that is an even bigger horror, even if it does include Larry David as a nun.
So, what was the place like?
The Shattuck Cinema used to be a department store, but they renovated it for theaters in a section of town where one can choose from at least 15 movies in a three-block radius..and not under the same roof. The theaters themselves are uniquely decorated. They may be small but they are very nice places to check out a movie. My theater had a King Tut feel to it
I went there about 2:30, and found two people in line. An hour later, it was up to ten, and I decided to join in. The chairs are leather with very fancy cup holders. I was n the balcony where they had couches. It was like being at home, but with a very big screen and a stage. The place was filled about ten minutes after the screening was supposed to start. In my section there were a couple of kids that would be too young to see this movie. When you see it for yourself, you'll know why.
Drew and Amy Acker were introduced before the movie. Amy looked great but had cut her hair. That's too bad, since she looked great on Grimm recently with long hair.
Since this was my second time seeing it, I looked for some of the key moments that made this movie special, including how many scenes would have looked better in 3-D (I'd say maybe four or five).
Afterwards, Drew looked pleased abut how things went, especially about how people cheered for a certain item that Starbucks would be reluctant to sell. He also admitted that there are two characters that may remind viewers of Joss and Drew, and they're easy to spot. Again, no names. Go see the movie and you'll see what it is. I'm not the Hollywood Reporter.
He also explained how he tried to get a job being part of John Carpenter's movie, Vampires, in New Mexico. He didn't make it, but wound up working for a TV movie called Scattering Dad with Olympia Dukakis. Apparently it, too, had to wait a couple of years to be shown. Anyway, both movies were being filmed in the same area, which game Drew a chance to visit the set, and eventually meet Carpenter.
Then the discussion went to the chances of a sequel, and what Drew and Joss would have wanted to add to the movie. He also briefly discussed the chances of another Cloverfield movie. He said it depends on getting the right story.
Yes, Amy were there, too. She, too, was excited about working about the movie, and with Richard Jenkins, who...does something. You'll see.
The screening series will be ending soon, then everyone else will see The Cabin in the Woods. You'll find out why in every preview screening, there's one guy who appreciates this movie after the recent string of incredibly disappointing flicks. Seems Silent House is often mentioned.
Also, it gave me a chance to really get to use the BART system. I only used it to get from Fremont to San Francisco..and that was 30 years ago. Heading to Berkeley is good, too, and I may do that again soon. For now, though, I have another special movie screening in San Francisco this weekend. It's a movie I could see on iTunes, but meeting Morgan Spurlock after his Comic-Con movie is something I hope to do.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Much Ado About Avengers In The Woods..with Buffys
Being an overnight guy for a Sacramento radio station, I hear a lot about how the Mayans are predicting the end of the world next year because their calendar runs out, or how a comet from millions of miles away somehow set off Occupy Wall Street.
Well, I say 2012 is the Year of the Whedoncalypse, where his mighty hand, and maybe his ears, nose and throat, will shove the Earth into a new state of consciousness, based on the belief that spending millions of dollars on a 3-D movie that blasphemes The Three Musketeers is an embarrassment to our species.
This is really based on that surprise announcement Sunday night that Joss made his version of Much Ado About Nothing at his house with a hefty amount of Whedonverse alumni while no one was looking. We've been too keyed up about The Avengers we didn't know he had this idea in the back of his mind. What's more, he did this on his vacation and his wife was OK with it. That's because it's the beginning of Bellwether Studios, a micro-studio where new technologies and getting around typical studio suits can be the new road to good movies.
Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof as Benedick and Beatrice is a great selling point right there. Wesley and Fred/Illyria together again. Come to think of it, could Illyria, a God to a God, be intrigued by playing Beatrice? Sure, once she realizes blasting demons who sneaked into the play can be dealt with at intermission. I think Amy would add a dash of Illyria playing this role. while Alexis added some Wesley with a trace of the goofy news anchor he played in How I Met Your Mother.
Add Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, Sean Maher as Don John, Fran Kranz as Claudio, Clark Gregg (our favorite SHIELD agent) and Reed Diamond of Dollhouse, and you've got something. The whole press release is here, and it looks like we'll have to wait until March to see it at a film festival near you. Sadly, there isn't one near me, but maybe someone could start one to get this movie to Sacramento.
You should also thank Dr. Horrible for this, too. Making that internet musical for a pittance for the net, leading to massive DVD sales and applause everywhere, showed that you don't need the big studios to get a movie made, or even the usual indie guys like IFC Films. Just do it yourself, get actors who want to make movies for the fun of it and to sharpen their skills, and off you go. Heck, using cable companies and streaming media aside from Netflix can solve distribution problems. Kevin Smith has proven that with Red State.
The best benefit, of course, is seeing our favorite actors from the Whedonverse more often. Wouldn't you like to see Sean Maher despite the fact The Playboy Club is out of business, or Fran after the Dollhouse is closed, or Amy or Nathan? Course ya do.
Now a flood of links: the website for the movie, followed by the Entertainment Weekly article that includes Amy and Alexis together,and looking all Shakespeare like in a 21st Century world.
Of course, that's only the beginning. The Avengers is coming in May, but before that we FINALLY get to see Cabin in the Woods after the MGM bankrupcy drama. Let's also not forget it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 15th anniversary...and 20 years since that movie was shown. I was really disappointed by the blu-ray release of that movie. Why no cast reunion, or even more outtakes? C'mon, guys, she gave the WB a reason to exist. You should have worked harder. Then, again let's have the TV Buffy in blu-ray with new extras. That would be even better. Your move, Fox Home Entertainment.
Oh, and Firefly is ten years old in 2012. Browncoats assemble!
Well, I say 2012 is the Year of the Whedoncalypse, where his mighty hand, and maybe his ears, nose and throat, will shove the Earth into a new state of consciousness, based on the belief that spending millions of dollars on a 3-D movie that blasphemes The Three Musketeers is an embarrassment to our species.
This is really based on that surprise announcement Sunday night that Joss made his version of Much Ado About Nothing at his house with a hefty amount of Whedonverse alumni while no one was looking. We've been too keyed up about The Avengers we didn't know he had this idea in the back of his mind. What's more, he did this on his vacation and his wife was OK with it. That's because it's the beginning of Bellwether Studios, a micro-studio where new technologies and getting around typical studio suits can be the new road to good movies.
Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof as Benedick and Beatrice is a great selling point right there. Wesley and Fred/Illyria together again. Come to think of it, could Illyria, a God to a God, be intrigued by playing Beatrice? Sure, once she realizes blasting demons who sneaked into the play can be dealt with at intermission. I think Amy would add a dash of Illyria playing this role. while Alexis added some Wesley with a trace of the goofy news anchor he played in How I Met Your Mother.
Add Nathan Fillion as Dogberry, Sean Maher as Don John, Fran Kranz as Claudio, Clark Gregg (our favorite SHIELD agent) and Reed Diamond of Dollhouse, and you've got something. The whole press release is here, and it looks like we'll have to wait until March to see it at a film festival near you. Sadly, there isn't one near me, but maybe someone could start one to get this movie to Sacramento.
You should also thank Dr. Horrible for this, too. Making that internet musical for a pittance for the net, leading to massive DVD sales and applause everywhere, showed that you don't need the big studios to get a movie made, or even the usual indie guys like IFC Films. Just do it yourself, get actors who want to make movies for the fun of it and to sharpen their skills, and off you go. Heck, using cable companies and streaming media aside from Netflix can solve distribution problems. Kevin Smith has proven that with Red State.
The best benefit, of course, is seeing our favorite actors from the Whedonverse more often. Wouldn't you like to see Sean Maher despite the fact The Playboy Club is out of business, or Fran after the Dollhouse is closed, or Amy or Nathan? Course ya do.
Now a flood of links: the website for the movie, followed by the Entertainment Weekly article that includes Amy and Alexis together,and looking all Shakespeare like in a 21st Century world.
Of course, that's only the beginning. The Avengers is coming in May, but before that we FINALLY get to see Cabin in the Woods after the MGM bankrupcy drama. Let's also not forget it's Buffy the Vampire Slayer's 15th anniversary...and 20 years since that movie was shown. I was really disappointed by the blu-ray release of that movie. Why no cast reunion, or even more outtakes? C'mon, guys, she gave the WB a reason to exist. You should have worked harder. Then, again let's have the TV Buffy in blu-ray with new extras. That would be even better. Your move, Fox Home Entertainment.
Oh, and Firefly is ten years old in 2012. Browncoats assemble!
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