Will "Wind River" Find a Second Life?

by Nathaniel R

Last night word spread round that this summer's sleeper success Wind River, about a rape/murder investigation on an reservation, had possibly found a new lease on life. It was a Weinstein Company release this summer -- their only "hit" this year actually -- and that connection was thought to have obviously doomed its chances this awards season following Harvey Weinstein's banishment from Hollywood after the numerous sexual harrassment and rape allegations. 

If you remove that associative stain, though, the film is, in essence, a non-genre sleeper hit aimed squarely at adults and thus theoretically Oscar compatible...

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Spirit Award Nominations 2017

by Nathaniel R

The Film Independent Spirit Award nominees hit today. Tessa Thompson and Lily Collins were on hand to announce the awards with the longest stretch of time between nominations and awards. The ceremony, as ever, will be held the day before the Oscars. So that's Saturday, March 3rd 2018 this time.

It was a huge day for Sony Pictures Classics (the company received 13 nominations in total) and for A24, too. Almost every single movie A24 released this year was nominated for at least a little something. As far as underseen pictures the happiest nominee this morning has to be Sony Pictures Classics' The Rider (reviewed here) which was a busy film on the festival circuit but has yet to be released. 

The Nominees Are...

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Seth Meyers as Golden Globes Host

Chris here. Looks like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is nailing down a host for the 75th Golden Globes ceremony and they are very much sticking within the late night host mold: Seth Meyers is closing in on the gig.

The move isn't a surprising one, but Meyers is perhaps a more palatable hosting options than last year's Jimmy Fallon or the Oscar's returning host Jimmy Kimmel. If nothing else this will bring Amy Poehler back to the Globes stage for their recurring "Really?" schtick, but even that notion underlines that these hosting gigs need some new blood. Shouldn't there be some prerequisite other than talk show hosting that makes a qualified host? Globes embrace television and films, but when will the film side be reflected in the host? Do the Globes even need a host?

The 75th Golden Globe Award nominations be announced on December 11 and will be awarded on January 7.

Interview: Director Petra Volpe on Swiss Oscar Submission 'The Divine Order'

By Jose Solís

I don’t remember exactly what horrible thing the new US administration had announced it wanted to do the day I found myself walking into The Divine Order at the Tribeca Film Festival. I knew nothing about the movie and decided I’d give it ten minutes to capture my attention and help me escape whatever ghastly reality was shaping outside. I didn’t want to watch anything about war, genocide etcetera.

All I wanted was hope, and boy did Petra Volpe’s lovely film deliver...

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Jordan Peele and Daniel Kaluuya of 'Get Out' on Their Fave Moviegoing Experiences

by Jose Solis

My first attempts at watching Get Out were not the best of moviegoing experiences. I'm someone who is not into crowds and the first time I walked into a theater that was so packed there wasn’t even a seat for me. Theater management couldn’t figure out what was up, so they gave me a refund and their apologies. Needless to say so, I was relieved and took it as a sign that I should go see it at “off hours.” I showed up on a Saturday morning to an AMC theater that according to the kiosk was empty and when I showed up that wasn’t the case. Although it was less packed than my first try, the crowd at this screening was rowdier than any other I’ve sat with. Three young men lit up a joint, two white men got into a fight with a young black woman, another patron threw her popcorn at someone sitting a few rows down, and by the fourth time security showed up to try to restore order the movie was over.

Let's just say my first impression of Get Out was fractured. I was so stressed about all the activity going on around me that leaving the theater I could only remember a few scenes.

Watching the film earlier this week at an Academy screening in New York, things were quite different. For starters, I was one of the only people of color in the room. While I roared with laughter at scenes I didn’t remember, the people around me emitted shy giggles. There was only one other person laughing out loud which comforted me. I don’t think many people knew they were allowed to laugh, so perhaps they hadn't heard the news that the film would be considered a Comedy by the HFPA. After the film ended and people gathered in the lobby to chat, I heard the lovely laughter again -- it was Tony nominee Daphne Rubin-Vega of "Rent" fame! Read more after the jump...

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