Deja Vu: Oscar On Franchise Tides Pt. 2

Though I was about to pronounce 2011 unusually sequel-infested, it might not be much different than any other year. Perhaps it's just the Animated Feature category that has made it feel that way with so many high profile continuations. The difference might just be in how much it seems to be confusing the Oscar Prediction Process. Generally speaking in The Academy's 83 year history, they haven't been much for remakes and sequels and long running series. But times they are a-changing and have been since oh... Star Wars? You can't really stay totally immune to the repetitive charms of franchises if 65% of the movies released are series of some sort, as if the cinema were just one giant television and we all eagerly awaited the next episode of Fill in the Blank: The Further Adventures of That Pt.3.

Franchises have been part of Hollywood forever. From left to right: The Thin Man (7 films), James Bond (22+ films), Tarzan (80+ films), The Pink Panther (11 films), Star Wars (6 films), Batman (6+ features), Aliens (4+ features), The Godfather (3 films). But they haven't always been Oscar magnets

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas shook Hollywood up in the 70s, not just by creating "summer movie season" as we know it but also by opening the floodgates to repetitive Oscar charms. Previous long running franchises like Tarzan or James Bond hadn't managed much in the way of Oscar attention, perhaps viewed more as popcorn entertainments than quality filmmaking. The six-film Star Wars saga amassed 22 nominations and 10 statues, the four-film Indiana Jones adventures amassed 13 nominations and 7 statues. The most obvious ancestor and ultimate champion of this new form of long-form Oscar pull was The Lord of the Rings; over just three films it managed 30 nominations and 17 statues which was even more than The Godfather trilogy (29 nominations and 9 statues)

Two of the world's most popular franchises return this year. What will Oscar do with the Boy Wizard and Captain Jack this time around?

Jack Sparrow (3 films | 11 nominations | 1 win)

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
  5 nominations (Actor, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects) 
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
  4 nominations (Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects*)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
  2 nominations (Makeup, Visual Effects)

The Academy has been quite generous with this series though they snubbed its quite awesome first film costumes by the strangely never nominated Penny Rose. But will they tire of it now that it seems like the series will never leave us? Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides can probably count on a Visual Effects nod since the series has never faltered there but maybe it'll pick up Sound Editing and Makeup too if they're not shouting "Enough already!!!" in unison.

Harry Potter (7 films | 9 nominations | 0 wins)

• Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (2001)
  3 nominations (Art Direction, Original Score, Costume Design)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
  N/A
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
  2 nominations (Original Score, Visual Effects)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
  1 nomination (Art Direction)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(2007)
  N/A
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)
  1 nomination (Cinematography)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (2010)
  2 nominations (Art Direction, Visual Effects)

As you can see from the list, there's not much statistical basis to support the wishful thinking (in some quarters) that AMPAS is itching to reward the entire series this year as it finally closes in its eleventh year of hogging the world's money with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2.  The series best bet for a first (!) statue is obviously an Art Direction career-win for Stuart Craig who has done marvelous work on the series. Here's how much they love his work on the series: they even nominated him last year the year in which he arguably did the least. The most perplexing nomination in the series history in terms of 'why then and what does it mean?' would have to be the cinematography nomination for Half Blood Prince. A cinematography get is a big deal and that one does make you wonder how many sixth place finishes, just outside of nomination range, Potter has managed over the years. If the answer is MANY then we might see them rewarding the franchise with a series best showing.

We can probably save the discussion of the third Transformers films and the tech situation with all those superhero films for a later time though let it suffice to say for now that the credits for Thor and particularly Captain America: The First Avenger are stacked with former Oscar players in categories like Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup and Film Editing. Who knew? Marvel ain't playin' around.

VISUAL CATEGORY First Oscar Predictions of Year new
AURAL CATEGORY First Oscar Predictions of Year new
Previously: Animated Feature | Actor | Supporting Actor | Screenplay

First and Last, Our Great Nation.

The first image and the last line from a motion picture.

I present this in the hope that our great nations may learn to live in peace.

Can you guess the movie?

check your guess after the jump.

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Curio: Michelle Pfeiffer in Vogue, 1991

Alexa here. Nathaniel's post on stars posing as other stars brought to mind a spread in Vogue that seared my brain when I was a teenager, so much so that I tore it out and saved it.  After a bit of digging in our basement, I found it: a now-famous set of photos of Michelle Pfeiffer by Herb Ritts.  This shoot has her posing as six different characters, which she chose herself. "I had lists and lists compiled, and I did a lot of reading, and it all kind of boiled down to these characters," she said in the accompanying interview.

as Louise Brooks as Lulu

as Laurence from Noël Coward's Private Lives

Another series I remember were the portraits Kevyn Aucoin shot for his books Making Faces and Face Forward (see here for Calista Flockhart as Audrey, Gwyneth as James Dean). I'm no pop culture historian, but I would think that Cindy Sherman's film stills from the 70s and 80s had a heavy influence on this trend well into the 90s and beyond.  But none of these spreads thrilled me as much as these of Michelle. I can only imagine how much fun they were to shoot.

See more of Michelle's characters after the jump, including Maggie the Cat!

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Box Office: The Source of that Insidious Hopping

Fact #1: I love Easter, bunnies, Easter bunnies, chocolate bunnies, coloring eggs.
Fact #2: Seeing Hop would ruin the upcoming holiday entirely for me because nothing makes me gag harder than animated CGI characters doing hip anachronistic things like oh, I don't know dreaming of playing in a rock n roll band. Just typing this out gave me salmonella. Mainstream moviegoers felt otherwise throwing their hardearned cash at the British wabbit. It had the best opening weekend since Rango. Where were these crowds when The Rock was doing Tooth Fairy?

01. HOP $37.5 new
02. SOURCE CODE $14.8 new
03. INSIDIOUS $13.2 new
04. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES $10.0 (cumulative: $38.1)
05. LIMITLESS $9.3 (cumulative: $55.5)

Poor Patrick. Things never end well for him at the movies.

Hop's success frightens me and the only possible joy that can come from it is that maybe someone will give James Marsden another plum comic gig like the one in Enchanted.  I would however totally want to see this week's chart topper if it were about Jake Gyllenhaal and the Easter Bunny ibeing thrust back in time repeatedly until they saved Patrick Wilson from demonic possessions in The Source of That Insidious Hopping. Don't you wish you could sometimes watch three movies at once?

Per Screen Average Which movies were you most likely to find crowds at? I've eliminated all the specialty IMAX stuff and everything that's only at one theater because "come on" and here's what'cha got.

01. HOP $10,000ish
02. IN A BETTER WORLD $8,000ish (The Danish Oscar winner is finally on a few screens. Weird to wait an entire month post Oscar win to debut.)
03. WIN WIN $7,000ish (cumulative $1.9 million. Big jump in screen count this past weekend. I almost went today but my friend shifted plans.)
04. JANE EYRE $6,700ish  (cumulative $3.4 million. Still going strong. Yay)
05. INSIDIOUS $5,500ish (and this type of movie is always better with a crowd)

What did you see over the weekend? I was entertaining so I didn't get out. Although we did watch the SXSW winner Weekend which was fairly strong as indies go. It definitely knew what it wanted to be and didn't get distracted at being that and that's always a huge plus.

Monday Monologue: You Spoiled Little Bastard.

Jose here. With the Arthur remake arriving in theaters this weekend, now's a good opportunity to remember what made the original one of the most beloved movies of the 80s. The answer: John Gielgud.
The legendary British actor set the standards for what would become a subcategory of acting during the following decades: brilliant actors playing wise sidekick to rising stars.

His performance as valet/father figure Hobson, to Dudley Moore's irresponsible title millionaire, won him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar and with reason. He's truly unforgettable. In one of his best scenes, he gives Arthur a life lesson he probably would never forget.  

After Arthur has finished racing his car, he exits the vehicle complaining about his life. The loyal Hobson, asks him to hand over his helmet and goggles.

After this he slaps him while calling him a "spoiled little bastard".

Without giving Arthur a chance to say anything, Hobson begins:

You're a man who has everything, aren't you. But that's not enough!
You feel unloved Arthur? Welcome to the world. Everyone is unloved!  

Now stop feeling sorry for yourself...

Incidentally... I love you. 

Marry Susan, Arthur. Poor drunks do not find love Arthur.  
Poor drunks have very few teeth, they urinate outdoors, they freeze to death in summer.

I can't bear to think of you that way. 

Gielgud's spitfire delivery makes this monologue touching, hilarious and surprising. Best of all is the way in which Moore reacts to Gielgud. He seems to be in awe of this man's capacity.
The camera follows Arthur and Hobson as the latter continues his speech. Arthur just nods in agreement and for the first time in what seems an eternity shuts up completely.

We understand that Hobson's relationship to his employer has transcended any expectations. They have bonded and have learned to love each other.

Just as Arthur begins to speak again, telling his friend how he's fallen in love for the first time, Hobson, who has undoubtedly been devising a plan magically adds, 

Perhaps fate will lend a hand... 

How do you think Dame Helen Mirren will fare playing this iconic role? Do you think anyone will ever live up to Gielgud's beautiful performance?