"Rise of the Guardians" Begins Its Oscar Push

This morning, very bright and early, MOMI unveiled their new exhibit "The Art of Rise of the Guardians" with an accompanying film series on the Best of Dreamworks Animation. A museum exhibit is definitely a way to announce that you are Serious For Real and not just for, you know, for kids. Methinks Dreamworks Animation wants their third Animated Feature Oscar. 

And hey, this year's Oscar is totally up for grabs. Sure Wreck-It Ralph might be the one to beat unless the Cult of Pixar regathers for Brave but it's hardly a done deal this early in the toon throwdown.

Related Oscar Chart

The only two things I could think staring at this beautiful image above is 

1. I have to see this exhibit! and...
2. Wouldn't the (admittedly unseen) movie have been more awesome if it actually looked like this image above --- so graphically compelling and painterly and not like it does with the semi generic 3D modelled CGI?

Who do you think has the edge in the Animated Feature Race?

My Own Private Franco

In his ongoing hipster efforts to become the gayest straight man of all time, or maybe just the most storied and/or most interesting celebrity of the new millenium, James Franco recently joined  forces with his Milk (2008) auteur Gus Van Sant for another look at the gay hustler drama My Own Private Idaho (1991) starring Keanu Reeves and the late great River Phoenix. They've collaborated on a two film exhibit for the Gagosian called "Unfinished". It opens this saturday so that Franco may completely own the weekend. He's hosting the Oscars on Sunday.

The films are called Endless Idaho, which is 12 hours long featuring unused footage from the film shoot as well as footage shot years before that Van Sant showed Franco during the Milk period, and My Own Private River, which is described like so.

My Own Private River consists largely of shots of Phoenix 's character, Mike, woven into a compelling portrait. Franco describes being mesmerized by Phoenix 's "uninhibited acting" in this unreleased footage, and his edit captures the gifted actor at his most emotionally expressive and physically dynamic. The score is by Michael Stipe, who is an art school drop-out.

If I were in Beverly Hills, I'd gladly take this in. River Phoenix's "Mike" is one of the best performances of the Nineties if you ask me, and he was criminally denied an Oscar nomination (the film was completely snubbed though River did win the Independent Spirit Award). I still vividly remember receiving the news of his death, a shock so sudden and dispiriting for the cinema that I have (gratefully) only ever experienced it's like one other time (Heath Ledger).

Start Your Weekend With Pretty Pictures

Good morning.

I'm spending this Saturday, behind the scenes: writing, podcast editing (yes, it returns!), skimming through previously adored movies (FB Awards about to start), interview transcribing (two soon-to-be-nominated people I've long admired), and the like. Next week = busy busy busy.

While you're here why not check out my 33 all time favorite actresses? (Just click on any photo to start the slide show). Feel free to share yours. I was going to put up a Top 100 up but that seemed... extravagant (as well as time consuming). If there's enough interest I'll add more galleries throughout the year. Mmmmm eye candy.

Got any movie plans this weekend?