Interview: The Editors of The Social Network

Meet Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter of The Social Network. They were my own gold medalists this year for Best Editing and they're Oscar nominated together for the second time for David Fincher's riveting classic. You won't know their faces but they've contributed significantly to major moviegoing pleasures in the last few years: their assembly skills kept all the difficult pieces of Zodiac's mosaic rubbing together; their attention to detail augmented those complex setpieces in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; their sense of rhythm and performance shaping kept The Social Network racing along without running roughshod over its dramatic soul. In short, they're quite a gifted team. 

Left: Angus Wall. Right: Kirk Baxter

Herewith some highlights from our conversation. 

When I spoke with them last week, they were on a wee break from working on the day's footage for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. 

Nathaniel: David Fincher has been shooting The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo during the awards season madness. How is this even possible? It must be exhausting.

Have you had any time to enjoy the accolades yourself or does Fincher keep you both locked up in the editing bay?

[read the whole interview]

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Ada & Ruby. Look at them now.

How To Be Nice To Your Dragon

Here's an awards curveball for ya. We don't often hear about the Genesis Awards but this is their 25th year. They award media that promotes fair and kind treatment to animals. There are categories ranging from traditional news segments, to magazines articles, up to feature films and documentaries. Here are three major categories I thought might interest you, whether you're an animal lover, a committed vegan or just an awards junkie.

Feature Film
How To Train Your Dragon
The Switch

It's easy to see why Oscar nominee How To Train Your Dragon figured in as the whole plot revolves around learning to leave peacefully with another species. But the sperm donor comedy The Switch starring Jennifer Aniston? Is Jason Bateman turning into a wolf again? Goddamnit. I thought we were done with that in the 80s.

I guess you have to have seen that one to know why it's so honored. But I don't want to have to have seen it. Please explain in the comments if you have.

Feature Documentary 
The Elephant in the Living Room
Oceans 

I guess Banksy's Pink Elephant in the Gallery from Exit Through The Gift Shop was not a smart move if he wanted to win a Genesis. Painting or dyeing animals is usually not a good idea. I loved the "horses of a different color" in The Wizard of Oz but I'm guessing they didn't consult with them on how they were dealing with their makeup the way they had to deal with actors with skin rashes.

Television Series
Law & Order: Criminal Intent "Inhumane Society" -USA Network
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit "Beef" -NBC
True Blood "Hitting the Ground" -HBO

Okay. Someone who is up to date on True Blood (I'm behind since I don't get HBO) will have to fill me in on how this qualified. From what I've seen of the show don't animals get brutalized along with the humans in its dangerous swampy world? Last time I watched [Season 2 spoiler] Marianne, who liked to travel with a giant pig and was all into animal and human sacrifices and cannibalism was finally dispatched by the horns of a deified bull (not really. But she was ecstatically confused).]

And Kristin Davis of Sex & the City fame is getting a special prize.

Hug your pets! Bye.

"Certificate of Nomination For Award"

How oddly worded "Be it known that..."

But ain't it pretty? Toy Story 3's director Lee Unkrich posted it on Twitter.

Links Episode 14,000,000,000

Film "How classicaly trained are this year's acting nominees?" Cool topic, don't you think?
Austin Translation. Cuteness. Pixar was laying down new cement and they let their employees leave a permanent personalized mark.
The Wrap explains Oscar's weighted ballot again. It's much less complicated than people think. And voting a movie #10 doesn't hurt it.
Awards Daily is disgusted by a recent comment by an Academy member who is not voting for Melissa Leo.
Scott Feinberg makes a passionate defense of Melissa Leo, who he considers a friend. Honestly she sounds very cool from the personal anecdotes therein. I've met her only once so I have no stories.
Amiresque a dozen movies to look forward to in 2011. God, I still haven't even though of this.

Bring Mad Men Back sign an online petition. AMC is still jerking fans around. Why on earth are they letting their best show gather dust. This kind of thing can really turn viewers against a network and less committed viewers away from a show. I'm feeling the anger.
Cinema Blend Rosamund Pike is in talks for a Clash of the Titans sequel. Ugh. I want some meaty roles from her.
A Socialite's Life apparently Jude Law and Sienna Miller have broken up... AGAIN. Those crazy kids. Maybe they should star in a remake of Same Time Next Year because obvs they're fond of repetition.
Carpetbagger a disobedient anecdote on the scoring of The Social Network

Finally, you know that AMC is still doing that Best Picture Showcase/Marathon thingy they do each year, right? Even with 10 nominees, they're tackling it. Will you?  Have you ever gone before? I'd try it one year except for that I'm always burnt out on the Best Pictures by the time Oscar night arrives having obsessed over them for five months.