Visual Effects Race Narrows Further

Chris here, with a quick update on the visual effects Oscar race. Two weeks ago this year's longlist of twenty eligible CGI wonders dropped but the VFX branch is already down to the next bake off round, slicing those contenders in half. Those not tough enough to stick around included many of the early year releases (like Beauty and the Beast and Logan) and every superhero film with the exception of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

But fear not, humble porg, for you and the fish nuns of The Last Jedi are still in the hunt. Here's the ten films that advance:

• Alien: Covenant
• Blade Runner 2049
• Dunkirk
• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
• Kong: Skull Island
• Okja
• The Shape of Water
• Star Wars: The Last Jedi
• Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
• War for the Planet of the Apes

Interesting to see smaller art house fare like Okja and The Shape of Water advance in a category that traditionally favors studio pictures. The win two years ago for Ex Machina (and to a much lesser extent last year's Deepwater Horizon nomination) suggests that supporting visual effects actually stand a chance against showier work. Along with the seemless, unflashy Dunkirk these make for curious potential nomination threats against the flashier sights of likely nominees Last Jedi and Apes. What five do you think are the eventual nominees?

The Furniture: Revisiting the Surreal Spaces of Toys

"The Furniture," by Daniel Walber, is our weekly series on Production Design. You can click on the images to see them in magnified detail.

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Barry Levinson’s Toys, a film you don’t hear about very much anymore. It wasn’t exactly beloved at the time, certainly, and wound up with a Razzie nomination for Worst Director. However, it also showed up at the Oscars, receiving nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. At the very least, it remains a pleasant reminder that sometimes even flops are given a fair shake by the Academy’s craft branches.

And now, in the dramatically different context of 2017, it deserves some renewed attention. Its critique of militarism and toxic masculinity has aged surprisingly well, as have the more committed of the performances. Joan Cusack’s absurd turn as the eternally childlike Alsatia is at the top of the list.

But the best elements are still those that were recognized at the time.The work of production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, art director Edward Richardson and set decorator Linna DeScenna is beyond...

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Beauty vs Beast: A Black Christmas Story

Jason from MNPP here wishing you a Happy Season with this week's ho ho holiday edition of our "Beauty vs Beast" series. If you ask me there is but one undisputed Movie King of Christmas - no it's not Frank Capra with his wingless angels and suicide bridges, nor is it Tim Burton with his antihero cat-people and scissor-handed freaks. No the Lord of Cinematic Hollies Jollies is Mr. Bob Clark, who gave us the ever-festive duo of 1983's A Christmas Story in 1974's Black Christmas. Nostalgia & Homicide - spells Xmas to me.

So this week to celebrate we'll be facing down two representational totems, one from each film - from A Christmas Story we have the infamous Sexy Leg Lamp that Ralphie's Dad buys (and that Ralphie's Mom destroys). And from Black Christmas comes the Crystal Unicorn that is used to murder the film's greatest character, drunken and acid-tongued Barb (a never funnier Margot Kidder).

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PREVIOUSLY One of 2017's greatest movies was last week's subject and it was  a blow-out for Get Out's leading man - Daniel Kaluuya took just under 3/4s of the vote. But Allison Williams shouldn't feel bad since she got some lovely notices in the comments... said IanO:

"I expected Team Chris to win so I threw my vote to Rose. Get Out is fantastic, am so happy it’s getting awards attention, but I think Williams is somewhat lost in the critical hosannas for the film. She has to walk a real tight rope and she does so with ease. A second viewing really drove home how nuanced the performance is - it’s why the key scene works so damn well."

Review: The Last Jedi

Lynn Lee looks at the new Star Wars film. Warning: Minor SPOILERS ahead...

It’s hard to put my finger on why I remain resistant to the recent Star Wars resurgence despite being a lifelong fan of the original trilogy.  So far the new movies have been solid pieces of entertainment, meticulously crafted to capture the scrappy, underdog-hero ethos that made Episodes IV-VI so appealing and the prequels feel so stilted and airless by comparison.  Maybe a bit too meticulously – and therein lies my ambivalence.  There’s a fine line between homage and recycling, and The Force Awakens, in particular, was a skillful exercise in the latter.  (Rogue One was superior in this regard, perhaps by virtue of being a spin-off that had to be able to stand on its own.)  On the other hand, TFA also introduced new protagonists who were so engaging you could almost overlook the fact that they were moving through the same beats as A New Hope.  I hoped that Episode VIII would give them a bit freer rein to move in new directions.

Does The Last Jedi do that?  Yes and no.  It makes a point of subverting certain narrative expectations, although this has the unfortunate side effect of making some of the subplots feel like unnecessary detours and/or dead ends.  But the overall arc remains a highly familiar one, albeit with some tweaks...

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FYC: Tracy Letts in Lady Bird

by Ben Miller

Tracy Letts directing your attention to Greta Gerwig at the Lady Bird premiere at TIFF

As a father, few things bring me greater joy onscreen than portrayals of loving, supportive fathers. Tracy Letts’ performance in Lady Bird is my favorite on-screen dad in years and years (though we'll get to other fine portrayals of onscreen dads of 2017 in a later post).

Letts plays Larry McPherson, the patriarch of Lady Bird’s clan.  He is shrouded in a bushy beard and balding head which characterizes him in his late 50s/early 60s.  In reality, he’s only 52.  At 6’3”, he towers over every character.  Despite his frame, Larry is nothing but heart and warmth...

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