Search form

AWN Blogs

Blogs

Getting Buzzed – Support My Act

The supporting actor category is usually a category for surprises. This year the front runners are clear and the field is thin. But there is definitely room for some unexpected actors and actresses to find themselves with an Oscar nomination next Tuesday.

10) Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker) & Judi Dench (Nine)
The Hurt Locker review & trailer
Nine review & trailer
Mackie received an Indie Spirit award nomination last year for his performance in this Iraq War thriller. He deserves to be nominated but the film is being seen as a director's film more so than one for its great cast. Lead Jeremy Renner has a far better chance, but Mackie should be there along with him.

Blogs

Great Russian Animator Yuri Norstein in Person in San Francisco February 7th

If you have never had a chance to meet or  see the amazing films of the Great Russian Animator Yuri Norstein do not miss this rare  opportunity.Yuri will appear in person on Feb 7 to present 3 works: Hedgehog in the Fog, Tale of Tales, and a segment of his work in progress, Nikolai Gogol's OvercoatTale of Tales has been recognized as the greatest animated film ever made.
The first two will be accompanied live by Gojogo - a Berkeley based world music quartet with guest artists who will perform a new original score for the animations. The entire duration of the screening will be about 1h20m. Doors 8pm, screening 8:30.

The show will be a benefit to raise funds for Yuri Norstein's studio in Moscow.

Blogs

FEVER PITCH (1997) (***1/2)

In 2005, the Farrelly Brothers did a baseball version of Nick Hornby's novel about an obsessed soccer fan. But in 1997, there was this British film that more directly resembles Hornby's novel even though he changed the autobiography into a work of fiction. The American version plays more like a traditional romantic comedy, while the British version is a character study. The latter is far more challenging.

Paul Ashworth (Colin Firth, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY) is a teacher who spends most of his free time obsessing about the Arsenal soccer team. When Sarah Hughes (Ruth Gemmell, TV's EASTENDERS) comes to teach at his school, he rubs her the wrong way; she couldn't ever fall for a soccer hooligan. I wouldn't bet on it. But it's not easy being in a relationship with a soccer fanatic.

Blogs

BIG FAN (2009) (***1/2)

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 11:35pm

Former editor-in-chief of The Onion, Robert D. Siegel makes his directorial debut with this drama with a wry satirical edge that delves into the life of an obsessed football fan. This intriguing character study chronicles what drives an awkward outsider who lives for one thing. The depth to which he will go is scary.

Paul Aufiero (Patton Oswalt, RATATOUILLE) works as a cashier at a parking lot. The undemanding job gives him a chance to think about the New York Giants all day. He's a regular caller on a late night sports talk show and prepares for each call by writing out everything he's going to say. His best friend Sal (Kevin Corrigan, WALKING & TALKING) is envious of how he sticks it to the team's rivals and can speak so well on the radio "on the fly." Paul and Sal go to the stadium to tailgate, but they can't afford tickets so they watch the game on a TV hooked up to their car's battery. The football season is his happiest time.

Blogs

This Weekend’s Film Festival – Poetic Heart

This Weekend's Film Festival dedicates the lineup to poetic hearts, inspired by the release of BRIGHT STAR on DVD. The John Keats biopic is also a great romance. A young woman turns to poetry to heal heartache and finds more heartache. A documentary looks at one of the most savagely honest poets. A duel love story follows an affair between two Victorian poets and the scholars that love them. The Festival closes with a romantic comedy centering on the first production of the most famous tragic romance.

Jane Campion's BRIGHT STAR tells the romance between poor the poet, John Keats, played effortlessly by Ben Whishaw, and clothing designer Fanny Brawne, played with innocent charm by Abbie Cornish. They were an unlikely pair. Keats was a thinker and Brawne had never read poetry before. But they became infatuated in each other because Brawne was drawn to Keats' passion and intelligence and he was drawn to her beauty and eagerness to listen. As I said in my original review, "Campion's poetic flare comes out significantly in the scenes when the couple is apart. For them it’s a young head-first passionate love. A love of grand gestures." She captures first love in beautiful imagery using butterflies and simple white walls. The story respects the morals of the age these lovers lived in and thinks about love in those terms. Like so many poets Keats died poor and a failure in his own time, but his romance with Brawne inspired some the most beloved Romantic poems.

Animation Blogs

Elemental Magic - An Organic Approach to Visual Effects Animation goes to the University of Pennsylvania

My ‘Elemental Magic –An Organic Approach to Visual Effects Animation’ workshop is not just a cute little tip of the hat to traditional animation principles. This is vital stuff, that cannot be left behind, in the rush to embrace ‘cutting edge’ digital technology.

Blogs

YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN (1985) (***)

It started as a concept album and then transformed into a stage play, which has become one of the most performed plays in the world. In 1985, the musical made its way to TV like classic PEANUTS adaptations via animation. At 49 minutes, the special is like a review of the stage version, giving fans a musical highlight reel to the world that Charles Schulz created.

The production begins with the title tune where the Peanuts gang gives their impression of good ole Charlie Brown (Brad Kesten, voice, Kevin Brando, singing). Next we get a song set to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" where Lucy (Jessica Lee Smith) laments her love for pianist Schroeder (Jeremy Reinbolt). She says, "My Aunt Marion was right, never try to discuss marriage with a musician." Charlie Brown gets wrapped up in many of his classic misfortunes involving kite flying, Valentine's Day cards and losing baseball games.

Blogs

Crab Cakes and 3D Glasses on Menu at VFX Bake-off

Last Thursday night was the annual Visual Effects Bake-off held at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Theater in Beverly Hills. For your ninety bucks you could attend the pre-event party at Kate Mantellini and get packed together in what was called by my drill instructor during boot camp as “balls to butts.” Plus eat crab cakes.

Blogs

MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY (2009) (***1/2)

Guy wakes up after a night of partying in a strange bed with a beautiful woman. What does he do? This simple scenario is what starts Barry Jenkins' smart, sexy and sweet romance. Disregard the pretentious vibe of the title; Jenkins' main goal is to tell an accessible modern romance. The fact that he also says something about race relations and the changing dynamics of San Francisco is just part of his two characters' personalities.

Micah (Wyatt Cenac, TV's THE DAILY SHOW WITH JOHN STEWART) doesn't know what to say to Jo (Tracey Heggins) when they first wake up. It takes him till they're dressed and outside before he speaks at all. They decide to share a cab. He makes every effort but she doesn't respond. She leaves the cab at her apartment and he thinks that it will be the last that he sees her. But luck strikes and she has left her wallet behind. When he checks her license she hadn't even give him her correct name when he asked. He checks her profile out on MySpace and then rides his bike to her place to return her wallet and to get a second chance.

Blogs

Getting Buzzed: Who's Helming the Ship Called Oscar?

The last two weeks I've been looking at the Oscar contenders. First I looked at the Best Picture picture and then moved on to the Best Actor and Actress categories. This week we look at the directors. Last year I didn't run down the director hopefuls but this year is a curious year because of how the Oscars have changed. In the past, there were cases where a director could get a nomination without their films being nominated for Best Picture. But now that there will be 10 Oscar nominees, I really, really think that the likelihood of that ever happening again are very slim.

10) Neill Blomkamp - District 9
If there is a chance of a director getting a nod without his film getting nominated then it might be Blomkamp. The Academy loves breakthrough directors and could reward the newcomer for his success. Don't underestimate the respect given to a director who can make a big summer blockbuster for around $34 million.

Blogs

A SINGLE MAN (2009) (***)

Back in the day a man of certain age who wasn't married was looked upon with suspicion. George is such a man. In one scene a character describes him as being light in the loafers. That was a nice way to say what they were really thinking. This is the world that George lives in. When tragedy strikes, is it a world worth staying in?

Colin Firth plays George with great reserve. He has been with his lover Jim (Matthew Goode, MATCH POINT) for 15 years. Jim gives his life color. When Jim dies in a car accident, George loses his lifeline to the happiness in the world. One day George takes a gun out of a drawer and goes about his day as if he were planning on going away. He goes to work as an English professor and talks to his students about how fear of the unknown warps man the most. One of his students, Kenny (Nicholas Hoult, ABOUT A BOY), worries about him acting so odd.

Blogs

Don't Miss the Deadline for Entries for ANIMAFEST Zagreb 2010

I can whole-heartedly recommend that animators send their films to this world class festival -- but pay attention because the deadline is drawing near -- 31 January.  Hope to see many of you there.



LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES!
Submission deadline is 31 January 2010.

For detailed information and online submission please visit Animafest official web site www.animafest.hr

20th World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb dedicated to short animated films will be held from 01  -06 June 2010 in Zagreb, Croatia.

Animated shorts completed in 2008 or later with a running time of 30 seconds to 30 minutes may be entered into the following competition categories:
- Grand Competition
- Student Competition
- Films for Children Competition
- Commissioned Films (Educational, Commercials, Music Video)

Blogs

This Weekend’s Film Festival – Immigration Nation

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 11:49pm

Immigration is a complex issue with its larger meaning representing something different to each person. This Weekend's Film Festival looks at the issue through film. These five films address the issue from the immigrants' point of view. There's the story of a cheerful Senegalese cabdriver. A Palestinian mother brings her son to America for a better life. An Irish man moves his whole family to the States for a chance at stardom. A poor factory worker becomes a drug mule in order to get a trip to the U.S. A young woman meets a violent gang member on her journey across Latin America on top of a train.

GOODBYE SOLO is the best film of 2009. Solo, played with such effortless energy by Souleymane Sy Savane, is an immigrant from Senegal, who drives a cab, but dreams of becoming a flight attendant. He is the constant optimist who sees the America Dream as something bigger than his wife does. She wants him to settle and start his own cab company. One night he picks up an old man named William, played with subtle gruff by Red West, who is willing to pay Solo $1,000 to take him to a remote mountain in 10 days. He never speaks of a return trip. Solo spends the next 10 days trying to convince William to change his mind. The hip-hop talking immigrant and an aging biker have little in common, but they become friends. Director Ramin Bahrani understands these characters fully. The force of Solo's personality drives the story. When it comes to immigrants, questions arise. Would an American-born cabbie try to stop William's deadly plan, or just take his money? Is it less about where Solo came from and more about who he is? Solo's wife is Latino and looks at him as a procrastinator. Does the ease of American culture promotes this or is Solo just a dreamer by nature? As I said in my original review, "In the way the story unfolds, the film makes us feel what its like to be its characters." The film allows us to walk in someone else's shoes and our feet fit naturally because it crafts its characters so well.

Blogs

Cameron Talks Avatar at the Skywalker Ranch

January 7th I was fortunate enough to (once again) see James Cameron’s Avatar on the big screen, projected in the Stag Theater at the Skywalker Ranch in Dolby 3D Digital Cinema. There’s nothing like a state-of- the-art theater to really set the hook for the 3D experience. The film also proves that improving image quality is perhaps the easiest goal to accomplish in this day of technical marvels.

Pages