Link-o-mania
This week has been so relentless that I haven't had a chance to publish any of the links I've been storing up. It's a tidal wave of links for vous. You've lots to read this afternoon and over the weekend. Ready Set... Go...
news bits
David Poland on the binge-viewing model people are talking about post House of Cards. Incidentally I'm not at all for this. If I'm going to spend multiple hours watching something, I can catch up on movies I missed. My favorite thing about TV might be its serialized brevity. Don't ruin that TV gods.
Playlist another new pic from Behind the Candelabra the Liberace biopic - although i almost didn't link because I hate when images are trotted out as "first official" when we've all seen myriad photos already. Splitting hairs for traffic. But since it's a Liberace biopic I shall let it slide this one time.
Cinema Blend Ryan Gosling uses the casting couch! Girlfriend Eva Mendes joins the cast of How To Catch a Monster, Gosling's directorial debut
LA Times Wong Kar Wai's The Grand Master opens Berlinale and gets bought up by Weinstein Co.
Guardian both Ellen Page and Melissa McCarthy are going to direct comedy features soon!
In Contention Good news. ParaNorman did solid enough business that Laika and Focus will reteam for The Boxtrolls (2014)
star-gazing
Hammer and Thump Nicholas Hoult draws pictures for film bloggers. Ugh. So sad I didn't do Warm Bodies interviews now.
Coming Soon Hoult has also just joined the cast of Young Ones, a sci-fi thriller costarring Elle Fanning
Laughing Squid animated Superman gif throws dozens of iconic characters into the mix
individualistic takes
A Blog Next Door looks at Django Unchained. Loved the very last observation and not just because I'm tired of people not realizing that this movie is infinitely inferior to Inglourious Basterds
Two Dollar Cinema enjoys Pitch Perfect's organized nerd singing despite his very manly nature
Cinematic Corner 'best of' whoa, someone really likes The Dark Knight Rises.
how very random
L Magazine Ryan Lochte recreates the iconic Nirvana "Nevermind" cover, although the swimsuit kinda kills the effort.
i09 wonders why Batman doesn't return to TV where it could totally thrive again
i09 10 movies that should become TV series right now. #1 is a great punchline
Hark a Vagrant makes an insanely long scrawl joke out of a pop culture moment from 1987
retro
Film Doctor looks back at Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious -- one of my favorites from his oeuvre.
Stale Popcorn issues a warning Terence Stamp's crotch will drive you loco in Teorema.
gold-digging
New York Magazine Frank Rich on Oscars in the Obama age. He'd vote Django Unchained and here's why.
LA Times finally finds a way to make those Oscar Luncheon group portraits interesting. Make them interactive. I totally loved clicking around here. You should too.
The Carpetbagger Tony Kushner responds to critiques of Lincoln and the notion of "accuracy" in historical recreations
Awards Daily thinks Supporting Actor is anyone's game
Reader Comments (11)
So much for that Ellison-Weinstein feud played up in Vanity Fair. He's distributing her produced Wong Kar Wai's movie.
And as much as I enjoyed reading Frank Rich's theater writing. His movie critiques can be dodgy such as criticizing The Grapes of Wrath while falling hook, line, and sinker for tone-deaf Oscar-bait Up in the Air (and like the 'Django is the best' piece, he also seems hung up in 'the movie for our time' idea) in the same piece
As somebody steeped in the Batman Universe, I see no reason to not do an adaptation of the Gotham Central comic series when ABC is doing a show on The S.H.I.E.L.D. sans its superhero characters. It would be infinitely more interesting than other police procedurals and Nolan kind of missed an opportunity on a few interesting characters in the canon of the Gotham City police force beyond Gordon.
A little late to the party, but finally a Les Mis review in the Examiner for all the critics who missed what was happening in front of their eyes: http://www.examiner.com/review/hugh-jackman-is-masterful-les-mis-rables
You just wanted to see some Lochte peen, admit it. :-) Don't we all.
I am so conflicted over Django Unchained. I am not a Tarantino fan--he's always been like that kid in school who thinks he's so much smarter and cooler than anyone else. But the acting, visual style, musical perspective, story potential were all so exciting that I gave myself into the film. And what a disjointed, bloody mess--literally. The whole thing is like a rough cut, like he just didn't finish the thing. It obviously wants to some significant and powerful things about race and our history--but Tarantino is like the drunken frat boy fiddling with a girl's bra. In the end, he just doesn't have the touch to pull it off.
Thanks so much for the link! TDKR deserves love :)
Billy Budd, featuring its inimitable Stamp in an Oscar-nommed performance, was on TCM last night. Thank you for the article that playfully tries to get to the crux of this great actor. Terence Stamp is a genius, above and below the belt.
I love how incredibly dorky Hoult is with drawing the pictures for his interviews. I could totally see Marcus from About a Boy doing the same thing if he got famous like Hoult which puts a smile on my face.
The swimsuit on Locte is sort of distracting. There doesn't have to be dick in the shot and it's not like that swimsuit is covering much. Or maybe i'm just a perv.
and hugs to all who can see that Django is a step-down from Inglorious. I felt alone in that opinion for so long. I appreciate DiCaprio's Candie, but he's not Landa. I appreciate Waltz doing his thing too, but he's pretty much on autopilot. Still charming though.
Thanks for the article about the wonderful Mr. Stamp that playfully tries to get to the crux of why he's so good. He's a genius above and below the belt. Oscar snubbed him thrice: The Collector, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, and The Limey. Shame on AMPAS, and from the looks of things, they're going to have more shame on their heads this year.
Derreck, there's a good movie somewhere inside Django. But Tarantino doesn't have the self-discipline to carve it out of the bloody lard he's thrown at the screen. Too bad too, it could have really been an audacious work of art. Waltz was exceptional.
brookesboy - oh, i totally agree. Don't get me wrong, i did like Django. Quite entertaining! but throughout the whole movie, i couldn't help but think that Inglorious was just so much better. Some of the editing choices in Django were just so distracting and i hardly ever notice editing. I can totally see what you mean about it seeming like a rough cut.
I could re-watch Inglorious anytime. Lots of fun characters and great dialogue.
Not so much with Django.
Maybe it was because it was his first film since Sally Menke passed away?
Much obliged for the link. Especially when Fat Amy's waiting at the end of it.
Can't believe I've now seen Pitch Perfect and not Django Unchained.
I'll show myself out.