Thursday, September 26, 2013 at 4:13PM These two tweets were next to each other on Twitter as I scrolled through my feed....
unretouched from my twitter feed. no cropping!
I find this juxtaposition totally uncalled for and HIGHLY upsetting. I will never be able to look at Superman's crotch again without seeing Annabelle *shudder*. Can I sue Warner Blu-Ray for emotional distress?
Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 7:53PM 
Relax. The headline is misleading, thank the baby Jesus. Variety is merely wondering if there should be 20 nominees and the only argument they can see against it is that it would make the ceremony even longer?!? Why would anyone propose such a thing? Oh, yes, shameless traffic-baiting is always the why. A website gotta have hits. But since we're feeling generous we've indulged them with a link.
The Film Experience would rather go back to 5 when a Best Picture nomination meant something and was difficult to procure. Even with 10 slots available it's so diluted. One unfortunate side effect is the Best Director category which, despite some fascinating surprises last year, has lost some of its appeal since gone are the days when you could wonder about the "lone wolf" nominee. With any more Best Picture nominees all the tension and drama that comes with annual competition would instantly be sucked out of it, like a zigzagging balloon with knot untied, falling to the ground in a rubbery lump of no fun who cares.
In other stupid news there seems to be a weird notion floating around twitter that the Standing Ovation for August: Osage County is a big deal somehow or that it's "rare". Standing ovations are the furthest thing from rare at festival screenings if the cast or director actually shows up... unless they went and changed the definition of rare while I was up flying the friendly skies. They're kind of expected... that thing you do to say 'thank you for coming, movie stars!'
Julianne, Dermot, Julia, Juliette, Ewan & Abigail at the premiere
Nevertheless August: Osage County is clearly where your head is out (I read the comments sections) and where Twitter's been sl let's discuss the reactions after the jump
Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 6:00PM 
Glenn here. First things first: let us congratulate the four people selected by the Academy to receive statues at their annual Governer's Awards in November. The names are screen (big and small) and stage legend Angela Lansbury, five-time costume design nominee Piero Tosi, actor and comedian Steve Martin, as well as Angelina Jolie who will be awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
I think we can all agree that the first three names listed there are bona fide deserved winners. Lansbury with her nominated screen roles in Gaslight, The Picture of Dorian Gray (which I think made her the first person ever nominated for both their debut and sophomore performances?) and perhaps most famously as the wicked puppet master mother in The Manchurian Candidate, not to mention also appearing as the voice of sweet Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast. She ranked #7 on The Film Experience's poll of women who deserve an Honorary Academy Award so there's one name we can strike off the list. It's hard to argue also with the selection of Steve Martin, and it's especially a breath of fresh air to see the Academy honour another comedian with their honorary award as if to say "Yeah, look, we know!" Such a shame audiences will be denied getting to see these two fabulous icons on stage at the Oscars.
And while his name may not be as familiar, Italian costumer Piero Tosi is no stranger to Oscar. He's been nominated five times including for such famed films as The Leopard, Death in Venice, La Cage aux Folles, and La Traviata. He has not worked since 2009 so it's now or never and we can all applaud the Academy's continued celebration of craftsman in these categories.
However, I'd really like to know what you guys think of the choice of Angelina Jolie. I don't think anybody would begrudge her her success in bringing the plight of refugees to the front page of national magazines and into movie cinemas (Beyond Borders and her directorial debut In the Land of Blood and Honey both did this albeit to questionable success) as well as her many other humanitarian efforts alongside United Nations. Still, by the end of the year, Jolie will be a two-time Academy Award winner. She's only 38 and has plenty - plenty! - of time to win another (whether for acting or directing or whatever other forte she chooses to venture into). What next? George Clooney? Opra... Oh, wait.
Meanwhile, poor ("poor" in a metaphorical sense, obviously) Mia Farrow continues to sit there wondering what on Earth she has to do to get noticed by these people. She could easy be recognised with an honorary Academy Award for her acting (her years alongside Woody Allen as well as Rosemary's Baby attest to that) or for her humanitarian efforts of which there are many. Hell, her goodwill nature is so well known and so strong that she was immortalised on an episode of Laura Dern and Mike White's Enlightened!
Given her lack of nomination to this day one has to wonder whether people within the Academy view her in a certain unflattering light. Why that'd be so, I have no idea. You'd think the fall out from her marriage to Woody Allen would have made them want to honor her even more, no? I guess not. Of course, I doubt Farrow is too bent out of shape over it: one doesn't commit themselves to activism in the hopes of winning an Oscar. But wouldn't it be nice to see them rewrite multiple wrongs instead of giving Jolie her second statue? And if not Farrow then surely there are still plenty of other worthy people who are Oscarless to this day that have done a lot for charity and the community.
Nevertheless, congratulations to all the winners. May the brief montage they allow us to see of your ceremony be funny and enlightening and prove that y'all deserve to be on the main stage.
Thursday, September 5, 2013 at 5:38PM 
The signage that tempts me each time I walk from hotel to movie theaterDear Readers,
I am happy to report that I have arrived in Toronto. Wednesday night went smoothly (but for "Best Shot" posting -- delayed. My apologies!) though the long trip to get from the airport to my hotel and press office gave me shudders thinking about Monday night when salivation-worthy titles like August: Osage County & Under the Skin can't really be done unless I miss my flight. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
After arrival had yum dinner with Amir who I think you'll agree is doing a bang up job organizing those "Team Experience" events each month. We then hit a "welcome to TIFF" style critics party hosted by Calum Marsh with so many great writers (fun putting faces to bylines) that I probably shouldn't name any because I'll leave someone awesome out. But you should follow me on twitter for more of that sort of thing.
The topic was so often "what are you planning to see?" which should be the easiest question when you hit a festival but had me flustered each time because I keep changing my schedule. I always tried the safest answer "well, I'm starting with..." but then kept forgetting the title of the movie "Undefebeatable" "Indestructabeatable?"
It's my first time. Be gentle.
Isn't it a beauty? That's the press pass. I consider it a very good omen that snatching it upon arrival was easy as can be. And that it's both green and purple, which are literally my two favorite colors and the ones I always wear (though not at the same time because that's too Arkham Asylum).
But just as I was feeling super confident and excited for the festival, I saw this:
Two of the three Oscars won by Crash (Best Picture and Best Screenplay) prominently displayed at the Festival HQ. Ill omens! O Canada... nobody wants to be reminded of that! The festival is also celebrating David Cronenberg this year but sadly his is not the Crash we're talking about.
First Round of Movies Next!
Crash, Oscars (00s), TIFF, Twitter, film critics Friday, August 23, 2013 at 10:25AM Last night on Twitter when the news broke that Ben Affleck was cast as Batman for the inevitable Batman vs. Superman movie, Ben Affleck and the internet reenacted that scene from The Dark Knight Rises where Batman "dies" in a nuclear explosion over Gotham. Here were my favorite tweets from that "event"...
Have we learned nothing from 'Daredevil?'
— Ashley Reynolds (@Ashley_Reynolds) August 23, 2013
You guys, I'm really worried Affleck isn't up to acting challenge of the 2 or 3 scene where Batman isn't entirely CGI.
— Michael Cusumano (@SeriousFilm) August 23, 2013
I swear I can hear Matt Damon giggling wherever he is.
— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) August 23, 2013
The person most disappointed by the Ben Affleck news is Matt Damon, as he is now legally required to play Robin.
— James Martin (@Pundamentalism) August 23, 2013
Lee Daniels' Batman vs. Superman (a.k.a. Mo'Nique vs. Oprah with Lenny Kravitz as Alfred the Butler)
— itsonlyzach (@itsonlyzach) August 23, 2013
Hey, remember when Affleck was Superman? pic.twitter.com/rD4xn9U8RU
— Mike Ryan (@mikeryan) August 23, 2013
Batman fuck yourself?!?
— Andreas (@astoehr) August 23, 2013
In the Ben Affleck version, Batman's parents kill themselves.
— Chase Mitchell (@ChaseMit) August 23, 2013
On a more serious note, I don't get why they need a Star when Batman is the draw. Superman movies understand this and this is a Superman movie (sort of... being the Man of Steel sequel that's become a Batman vs. Superman thing in the latest example of Hollywood's fandering.) It's just setting fire to your production budget is all. It buys you one day of notoriety on the internet for heaps of millions but ticket sales will be there regardless.
And, finally, the perfect rude 'hair of the dog' cure this morning to get this out of your system once and for all...
Not even Jennifer Garner sucks Ben Affleck's dick as much as the internet did just 6 months ago.
— Maxwell H. (@cinemaxwell) August 23, 2013
Not even Jennifer Garner fucks Ben Affleck as hard as the internet has over the last 10 hours.
— Maxwell H. (@cinemaxwell) August 23, 2013
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