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Noteworthy DVDs released 2/09/10
PICK OF THE WEEK:
‘A Serious Man’ (Universal). The Coen Brothers get personal with this black-comic tale of Job-scale misfortune.
OTHER TOP PICKS:
‘Bad Girls of Film Noir’ Volume 1 (Sony). Our early pick for Best Boxed Set Name of 2010 is a four-pack starring such dames as Gloria Grahame and Lizabeth Scott.
‘Bronson’ (Magnolia). A portrait of “the most famous prisoner in Britain,” who has spent most of the last 35 years in solitary confinement.
‘Hardware Wars’ (Indie Blitz). This “Star Wars” take-off is goofy little blast from a past — long, long ago — in which film spoofs weren’t cranked out once a month.
NEW ON BLU-RAY:
‘Drop Zone,’ ‘Hard Rain,’ ‘The Phantom,’ ‘The Running Man’ (Lionsgate)
FRESH FROM THE MULTIPLEX:
‘Couples Retreat’ (Universal); ‘Serious Moonlight’ (Magnolia); ‘The Stepfather’ (2009) (Sony); ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ (New Line)
ARTHOUSE/FOREIGN:
‘36’ (Palisades Tartan); ‘Bushido: The Cruel Code Of The Samurai’ (AnimEigo); ‘The Song of Sparrows’ (E1 Entertainment); ‘Troubled Water’ (Film Movement)
Documentaries. ‘Chevolution’ (Magnolia); ‘Eleven Minutes’ (E1 Entertainment); ‘For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots’ (Melee Entertainment); ‘Good Hair’ (Lionsgate); ‘Reinactors’ (Passion River)
BEST OF TV:
‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1966), ‘Emma’ (2009) (BBC); ‘The Four Minute Mile,’ ‘Second Sight,’ ‘Ultimate Dambusters Collection’ (BFS); ‘Halo Legends’ (Warner Bros.); ‘JAG’ Season 10, ‘The Sarah Silverman Show’ Season 2, Vol. 2 (Paramount); ‘The Life & Times of Tim’ Season 1 (HBO); ‘The Patty Duke Show’ Season 2 (Shout! Factory); Studio One: ‘Rod Serling Dramas’ and ‘Twelve Angry Men’ (E1 Entertainment)
Reissue/repackage. ‘Pride & Prejudice’ (2005) (Universal)
Straight(ish) to video. An oddball, animated version of ‘Dante’s Inferno’ (Anchor Bay); Zach Gilford in ‘Dare’ (Image); William Hurt and Chiwetel Ejiofor in ‘Endgame’ (Monterey); Nia Vardalos’ ‘I Hate Valentines Day’ (IFC); ‘Lo’ (SKD); ‘The Penguins of Madagascar — Operation: DVD Premiere’ (Paramount); ‘Race With Destiny: The James Dean Story’ (IFC)
KIDS’ STUFF:
‘Jim Henson’s The Hoobs: Hooblebobbers and Other Spring Things,’ ‘LeapFrog: Math Adventure to the Moon’ (Lionsgate); ‘Little Einsteins: Animal Expedition,’ ‘Minnie’s Bow-Tique’ (Walt Disney)
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‘Boondock Saints’ in theaters for one night
Risible ma-cheese-mo or an adolescent boy’s delight — call it what you will, but Troy Duffy’s aria of Boston thuggery “The Boondock Saints” made millions on DVD after a modest-to-floppy theatrical run in 2000. The true cult sensation spawned a sequel last year.
To mark its 10th birthday, the original “B.S.” will have a one-night screening in 457 theaters across the country, including Austin’s Metropolitan, South Park Meadows, Cinemark Hill Country Galleria and Pflugerville’s Tinseltown.
It plays at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11 (opening night of SXSW, be warned).
More about the show:
Creator, writer and director Troy Duffy will introduce the event and share rare behind-the-scenes experiences and footage as well as exclusive interviews with cast and crew members including Norman Reedus (Murphy MacManus) and Sean Patrick Flanery (Connor MacManus), captured especially for this anniversary celebration. Audiences will also be treated to special performance clips by The Dirges, Ty Stone and Taylor Duffy whose music is part of the upcoming soundtrack to “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day,” along with a sneak peek into the mobile games, comic books and graphic novel currently in development.
Tickets HERE.
P.S. For something infinitely more entertaining and edifying, see the documentary about director Duffy’s rise and crash from Hollywood “saint”-hood. It’s called “Overnight”, and it’s delicious.
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LBJ movie shooting outside Texas?
Despite recent and thorough location scouting, from Austin to South Texas, veteran writer-director Robert Benton still doesn’t know if he can shoot his in-the-works biopic of President Lyndon Johnson in Texas at all.
The hitch is becoming more and more common, and no less painful for the local film community: Other states offer richer tax breaks for filmmakers than Texas does, so productions are flocking to New Mexico, Michigan and Louisiana to get more bang for the buck.
Local movie insiders say Benton is aching to shoot at least part of the untitled project, which he wrote, in his home state. (Benton, who won the directing Oscar for “Kramer vs. Kramer” and writing Oscar for “Places in the Heart,” was born in Waxahachie.)
“If I can get a week in Texas I’ll be lucky,” a local quotes him as saying.
HBO, which is producing, wants to film in Louisiana and Georgia. Once officially greenlit, the production will begin in late spring.
Location scouting for the project has been energetic, says Bob Hudgins, director of the Texas Film Commission. Benton has looked everywhere from Austin to Llano, Taylor to Georgetown, Fredericksburg to Alice.
“It was not a small scout,” Hudgins says. “We’re in the running.”
If the state loses a picture about iconic Texan LBJ, “That would be really hard to bear,” he says.
Last year’s Drew Barrymore roller-girl movie “Whip It!” was set in Austin, but only a couple of pick-up shots were actually filmed here. Michigan lured the production with incentives.
Everyone agrees this is a different case.
“It will be very interesting to see how they shoot South Texas outside of Texas,” Hudgins says.
Benton
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Haas, O’Hara added to Hall of Fame bash
Here’s the latest line-up for the Austin Film Society’s 10th annual Texas Film Hall of Fame Awards, March 11 (Go HERE for all you need):
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Bale and Bardem in Malick’s next film
Austin-based visionary Terrence Malick is gearing up for his next movie, an untitled romantic drama, with stars Christian Bale, Javier Bardem, Rachel McAdams and Olga Kurylenko, The Hollywood Reporter writes.
The show will go into production this fall. Malick’s Smithville-shot “Tree of Life,” with Sean Penn and Brad Pitt, is slated to open later this year. As usual with Malick, the film’s been shrouded in secrecy.
Malick
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Assessing the films screening at this year’s SXSW
During 17 years as one of the world’s iconic independent film festivals, South by Southwest has gone from scrappy and grungy to sparkly and a bit Hollywood-y. It’s grown up, luring more established filmmakers with more accomplished films. These days SXSW feels less like Slamdance and a lot more like Sundance, without betraying its devotion to low-budget underdogs and exciting new visions and voices.
SXSW’s 2010 film line-up, announced Thursday, demonstrates this easy- going mix of minors and majors. It begins with a mainstream bang March 12: the world premiere of the Lionsgate comedy “Kick-Ass,” based on Mark Millar’s comic book series and starring Aaron Johnson and Nicolas Cage (it opens theatrically April 16). Later, it unveils the world premiere of “MacGruber,” starring Will Forte and Kristen Wiig and based on the “Saturday Night Live” skit spoofing ’80s television show “MacGyver.”
Dropping big Hollywood comedies into its slate has proven extremely successful for SXSW in recent years. Premieres of “Knocked Up,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “I Love You, Man” have not only shown that the festival is hip to “edgier” mainstream fare but that it knows how to fill seats.
These films are joined in the fest’s “Headliners” section by five other titles, including recent Sundance hits “Cyrus” — an off-kilter romantic comedy by former Austinites Mark and Jay Duplass, starring John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill — and “The Runaways,” a biopic about the birth of the all-girl rock band, starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning.
This year’s festival boasts 119 feature films, including 55 world premieres, plucked from a record 1,572 submissions.
Some titles we’re most looking forward to have been road-tested at other festivals, including Austinite Bryan Poyser’s uneasy comedy “Lovers of Hate,” which earned good press at Sundance last month.
Others: the always-challenging Gaspar Noé’s Tokyo-set “Enter the Void”; “And Everything Is Going Fine,” Steven Soderbergh’s portrait of late monologist Spalding Gray; Cannes award-winner “Dogtooth,” an unsettling Greek drama by Giorgos Lanthimos; Tamra Davis’ documentary “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child”; Harmony Korine’s reliably transgressive “Trash Humpers”; and Sundance Jury Prize winner “Winter’s Bone.”
Documentaries are a festival strong suit, and Austin viewers will take special notice of “American: The Bill Hicks Story” about the late cult stand-up comic who enjoyed a fervent local following. For film and pop-culture nerds (we all stand up) “The People vs. George Lucas” is described as an unflinching look at “the conflicted dynamic between Lucas and his fans.” Michel Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) offers a peculiar slant on his own family in “The Thorn in the Heart.”
Needless to say, music documentaries are top draws at SXSW. “Lemmy,” partly shot in Austin, takes an in-depth look at the gnarly Motörhead frontman/metal hero. Highlights of SXSW’s popular music-oriented “24 Beats Per Second” section include: “No One Knows About Persian Cats,” a feature about teenagers trying to form a rock band in modern Iran; “The Weird World of Blowfly,” a non-fiction chronicle of original foul-mouthed rapper Blowfly; and the David Byrne concert movie “Ride, Rise, Roar.”
Per tradition, Austin indie filmmakers are making a good show at the fest. “Mars,” a heady blend of live action and Day-Glo animation, is Geoff Marslett’s science-fiction romance, with Mark Duplass and Zoe Simpson. “Dance With the One,” a taut crime thriller produced by the University of Texas Film Institute, has its world premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition. And Simon Rumley’s gory “Red, White and Blue,” thrilling them this week at the Rotterdam film festival, stars Noah Taylor and Amanda Fuller and was co-executive-produced by the Alamo Drafthouse’s Tim League.
Speaking of League, his Fantastic Fest is presenting five special screenings of international genre pictures under the “SX Fantastic” heading, including midnight shows of “Monsters,” an alien thriller from the United Kingdom, Japanese vampire flick “Higanjima” and a yet- to-be announced “super secret” world premiere.
For those in a nostalgic mood, a trio of classic silent movies round- out the fest’s special events schedule, each with live musical accompaniment. Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 masterpiece “The Passion of Joan of Arc” screens with a live score played by English band The Nursery. The Invincible Czars perform with Tod Browning’s 1927 creep- out “The Unknown” and the Golden Hornet Project plays with Harry O. Hoyt’s marvelous dinosaur adventure “The Lost World.”
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Complete list of SXSW feature films
The lineup for this year’s South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival, which starts March 12.
(We assess the lineup here.)
THE HEADLINERS SECTION
‘Cyrus.’ Directed and written by Jay and Mark Duplass.
‘Get Low.’ Directed by Aaron Schneider. A Tennessee hermit plans a fun funeral, starring Robert Duvall, Bill Murray.
‘Kick-Ass.’ Directed by Matthew Vaughn. Based on the comic.
‘MacGruber.’ Directed by Jorma Taccone. Starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe.
‘Micmacs.’ A French film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Starring Danny Boon.
‘Mr. Nice.’ Directed and written by Bernard Rose. A true story about a British criminal, starring Rhys Ifans.
‘The Runaways.’ Directed by Floria Sigismondi. Based on the life of Joan Jett. Starring Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanninng.
SPOTLIGHT PREMIERES
‘Audrey the Trainwreck.’ Directed by Frank Ross.
‘Barbershop Punk.’ Directed by Georgia Sugimura and Kristin Armfield.
‘Barry Munday.’ Directed by Chris D’Arienzo. Starring Patrick Wilson, Judy Greer, Chloë Sevigny, Jean Smart.
‘Cold Weather.’ Directed by Aaron Katz.
‘Elektra Luxx.’ Directed by Sebastian Gutierrez. Starring Carla Gugino, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Timothy Olyphant.
‘Greenlit.’ Direcetd by Miranda Bailey.
‘Hood to Coast.’ Directed by Christoph Baaden and Marcie Hume.
‘Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee.’ Directed by Shane Meadows.
‘Leaves of Grass.’ Directed by Tim Blake Nelson. A comic thriller starring Edward Norton.
‘Lebanon, Pa.’ Directed by Ben Hickernell. Starring Josh Hopkins, Samantha Mathis.
‘Lemmy.’ Directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski. A documentary about heavy metal icon Lemmy Kilmister.
‘Man on a Mission.’ Directed by Mike Woolf. A documentary about Austin millionaire Richard Garriott’s outer-space adventures.
‘No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson.’ Directed by Steve James.
‘One Night in Vegas.’ Directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood.
‘The People vs. George Lucas.’ Directed by Alexandre Philippe.
‘The Ride.’ Directed by Meredith Danluck. Bull riding in America.
‘Saturday Night.’ Directed by James Franco.
‘The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights.’ Directed by Emmett Malloy.
NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION
‘Brotherhood.’ Directed by Will Canon. Starring Jon Foster and Trevor Morgan.
‘Dance With The One.’ Directed by Mike Dolan. A Texas thriller, starring Gabriel Luna, Gary McCleery.
‘Earthling.’ Directed by Clay Liford. Starring Rebecca Spence, William Katt.
‘Helena from the Wedding.’ Directed by Joseph Infantolino. A tale of New Year’s Eve.
‘The Myth of the American Sleepover.’ Directed by David Robert Mitchell.
‘Phillip The Fossil.’ Directed by Garth Donovan. A party animal in search of meaning.
‘Some Days are Better than Others.’ Directed by Matt McCormick.
‘Tiny Furniture.’ Directed by Lena Dunham. A tragi-comedy about a graduate with no skills.
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION
‘Beijing Taxi.’ Directed by Miao Wang
‘Camp Victory, Afghanistan.’ Directed by Carol Dysinger
‘The Canal Street Madam.’ Directed by Cameron Yates
‘Dirty Pictures.’ Directed by Etienne Sauret
‘For Once In My Life.’ Directed by Jim Bigham and Mark Moormann
‘Marwencol.’ Directed by Jeff Malmberg
‘Pelada.’ Directed by Luke Boughen, Rebekah Fergusson, Gwendolyn Oxenham and Ryan White
‘War Don Don.’ Directed by Rebecca Richman Cohen
EMERGING VISIONS
‘11/4/08.’ Directed by Jeff Deutchman and dealing with the election of Barack Obama.
‘A Different Path.’ Directed by Monteith McCollum and dealing with transportation issues.
‘American: The Bill Hicks Story.’ Directed by Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas
‘Bear Nation.’ Directed by Malcolm Ingram. A documenary about gay culture.
‘Cherry.’ Directed by Jeffrey Fine.
‘The Happy Poet.’ Directed by Paul Gordon.
‘Les Signes Vitaux / The Vital Signs.’ Directed by Sophie Deraspe
‘Mars.’ Directed by Geoff Marslett. Set in 2014 and starring Mark Duplass and Kinky Friedman.
‘NY Export: Opus Jazz.’ Directed by Henry Joost and Jody Lee Lipes. A scripted adapatation of a ballet by Jerome Robbins.
‘The Parking Lot Movie.’ Directed by Meghan Eckman.
‘Passenger Pigeons.’ Directed by Martha Stephens.
‘Putty Hill.’ Directed by Matthew Porterfield.
‘Red White & Blue.’ Directed by Simon Rumley. The lives of three young people in Austin intersect in violence. Starring Noah Taylor, Amanda Fuller, Marc Senter.
‘Skeletons.’ Directed by Nick Whitfield.
‘We don’t care about music anyway…’ Directed by Cedric Dupire and Gaspard Kuentz.
‘World Peace and other 4th-Grade Achievements.’ Directed by Chris Farina.
‘World’s Largest.’ Directed by Amy C. Elliott and Elizabeth Donius
LONE STAR STATES
‘Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio.’ Directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas.
‘For The Sake Of The Song: The Story of Anderson Fair.’ Directed by Bruce Bryant.
‘Thunder Soul.’ Directed by Mark Landsman.
‘Wake.’ Directed by Chad Feehan.
‘When I Rise.’ Directed by Mat Hames.
24 BEATS PER SECOND
‘Ain’t In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm.’ Directed by Jacob Hatley.
‘No One Knows About Persian Cats.’ Directed by Bahman Ghobadi.
‘Rejoice and Shout.’ Directed by Don McGlynn.
‘Ride, Rise, Roar.’ Directed by David Hillman Curtis.
‘Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and The Magnetic Fields.’ Directed by Kerthy Fix and Gail O’Hara.
‘Taqwacore.’ Directed by Omar Majeed.
‘The Weird World of Blowfly.’ Directed by Jonathan Furmanski.
SX GLOBAL
‘The DeVilles.’ Directed by Nicole Nielsen Horanyi.
‘Erasing David.’ Directed by David Bond.
‘The Erectionman.’ Directed by Michael Schaap.
‘IDFA DocLab.’
‘Iron Crows.’ Directed by Bong-Nam Park.
‘Like a Pascha.’ Directed by Svante Tidholm.
‘The Living Room of the Nation.’ Directed by Jukka Kärkkäinen.
‘The Other Side of Life.’ Directed by Stefanie Brockhaus and Andy Wolff.
‘Phantom of Liberty II.’ Directed by Karel Zalud.
‘Presumed Guilty.’ Directed by Roberto Hernández and Geoffrey Smith.
‘Reel Injun.’ Directed by Neil Diamond.
FESTIVAL FAVORITES
‘And Everything Is Going Fine.’ Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
‘Crying With Laughter.’ Directed by Justin Molotnikov.
‘Dogtooth.’ Directed by Giorgos Lanthimos.
‘The Freebie.’ Directed by Katie Aselton.
‘The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.’ Directed by Niels Arden Oplev.
‘The Good Heart.’ Directed by Dagur Kári.
‘Google Baby.’ Directed by Zippi Brand Frank.
‘Harry Brown.’ Directed by Daniel Barber. Starring Michael Caine.
‘His & Hers.’ Directed by Ken Wardrop.
‘How to Fold a Flag.’ Directed by Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein.
‘Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child.’ Directed by Tamra Davis.
‘Last Train Home.’ Directed by Lixin Fan
‘Life 2.0.’ Directed by Jason Spingarn-Koff.
‘Lovers of Hate.’ Directed by Austin’s Bryan Poyser.
‘The Oath.’ Directed by Laura Poitras.
‘The Taqwacores.’ Directed by Eyad Zahra.
‘The Thorn in the Heart.’ Directed by Michel Gondry.
‘Trash Humpers.’ Directed by Harmony Korine.
‘Winter’s Bone.’ Directed by Debra Granik.’ A winner at Sundance.
MIDNIGHTERS
‘Amer.’ Directed by Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani.
‘Cannibal Girls.’ Directed by Ivan Reitman.
‘Cotton.’ Directed by Daniel Stamm.
‘Enter the Void.’ Directed by Gaspar Noé.
‘Jimmy Tupper vs. The Goatman of Bowie.’ Directed by Andrew Bowser.
‘The Loved Ones.’ Directed by Sean Byrne.
‘Tucker & Dale vs. Evil.’ Directed by Eli Craig.
SX FANTASTIC
‘Higanjima.’ Directed by Tae-Kyun Kim.
‘Monsters.’ Directed by Gareth Edwards.
‘Outcast.’ Directed by Colm McCarthy.
‘Serbian Film.’ Directed by Srdjan Spasojevic.
SPECIAL EVENTS
‘All My Friends are Funeral Singers with Live Soundtrack by Califone.’ Directed by Tim Rutili.
‘Hubble 3D.’ Directed by Tony Myers.
‘The Lost World’ (1925) with Live Score by Golden Hornet Project.
‘The Passion of Joan of Arc’ (1928) with Live Score by In The Nursery.
‘The Unknown’ (1927) with Live Score by The Invincible Czars.
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Marfa Film Festival call for entries
Get your shorts and features to the third annual Marfa Film Festival by the March 20 deadline. The fest runs May 5 — 10. All you need HERE
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‘True Grit’ extras wanted
Here’s the true dirt on extras casting for the Coen Bros.’ remake of the western “True Grit,” being shot this spring in the Austin area, directly from the studio:
PARAMOUNT PICTURES IS SEEKING EXTRAS FOR A NEW COEN BROTHERS FEATURE FILM “TRUE GRIT.” The film shoots in TX (Austin area, incl Granger & Blanko) during March, April & May of 2010.
Looking for reliable people to portray looks specific to the 1870’s and 1900. Start growing your hair now! Seeking: Unique “character” faces. We are most interested in people with natural features.
HAIR NOTES: If you want to be considered, start growing your hair now! Women should have long hair that is not colored in anyway— no highlights, full head colors or semi-permanent colors. Men should have some length, especially on top. Crew cuts are not suitable, as the hair will not have time enough to grow. Men should grow their facial hair, incl. beard, moustache, sideburns.
BODY TYPES: People from this time period did not have modern enhancements, meaning they did not have braces, implants, etc. They weren’t weight lifters— people worked hard, but not in a gym. Body types were most often average to slim. Women will be wearing corsettes and long dresses.
OTHER: We are most interested in people willing to work more than one day. Looking for responsible people w/ flexible schedules. 10 years of age & older. All minors must have consent of parent/guardian & must indicate date of birth. If you don’t have a resume, please list any performing/background experience you may have.
TO SUBMIT: There are two ways to submit. Preferred is in-person (ONLY on dates, below)! If this is impossible, you may submit by mail. Follow instructions below.
In-Person Interviews: (bring legal form & copy of I.D.) SEE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS BELOW!
Austin Studios, 1901 East 51st. St. (Red Bldg.), Austin TX 78723
Thurs, Feb. 4: 11am - 7pm
Fri, Feb. 5: 11am - 7pm
Sat, Feb. 6: 11am - 7pm
Mail Submissions: SEE SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS BELOW!
Austin Studios, c/o Extras Cstg / Debbie DeLisi, 1901 East 51st. St. (Red Bldg), Austin TX 78723
SUBMISSIONS MUST INCLUDE: Headshot & one page resume, if you have them. Also, you MUST include CURRENT SNAPSHOTS (face & body). List all pertinent contact information, incl your place of residency & anything else we should know about you. Remember: THIS A PERIOD FILM. If you want to be considered, it’s best to send us a natural, current photos (no makeup or glamour). All submissions are non-returnable. Incl age, height, weight, measurements, etc. List any scheduling conflicts (4/23 - 5/26). Preference will be given to those w/ flexible schedules. If you want to be considered, start growing your hair now!
Extras Casting Director: Debbie DeLisi
HOTLINE: 212-330-9357
texascasting2010@gmail.com (Submissions will NOT be accepted via email. Email address is for general inquiries only)
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Foreign language Oscars
It’s always frustrating for Austin and other American audiences when the foreign-language Oscar nominees are announced.
Rarely do we get to see these movies before the nominations, and that’s a shame.
The leading contender for this year’s Oscar has to be “The White Ribbon,” from Germany. It is scheduled to open in Austin Feb. 19.
It’s set in pre-World War I Germany and looks at the cultural underpinnings of what would lead to the rise of the Third Reich. Michael Haneke directs, and the film won the top prize at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
The other big contender, and my personal favorite, is “A Prophet” from France. Directed by Jacques Audiard, it was No. 2 in Cannes. It’s scheduled to open in Austin in March. It focuses on a young man who’s sent to prison, and his rise to the top.
The other nominees:
“Milk of Sorrow” from Peru. Directed by Claudia Llosa. It won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. No release date yet for Austin.
“El Secreto de Sus Ojos,” (“The Secret in their Eyes”) by Argentine director Juan Jose Campanella. It deals with a detective investigating a murder case. No release date yet for Austin.
“Ajami,” directed by Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani. It deals with violence in a Jewish-Arab neighborhood in Jaffa. No release date for Austin.
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Oscars: The complete list
Here’s the complete list of all Oscar nominees, for your perusal”
Best picture
“Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
“The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined
“District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
“An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
“The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined
“Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
“A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
“Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer
“Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers
Actor
Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
George Clooney in “Up in the Air”
Colin Firth in “A Single Man”
Morgan Freeman in “Invictus”
Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon in “Invictus”
Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger”
Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station”
Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones”
Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
Actress
Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Helen Mirren in “The Last Station”
Carey Mulligan in “An Education”
Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
Actress in a Supporting Role
Penélope Cruz in “Nine”
Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air”
Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart”
Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air”
Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Directing
“Avatar” James Cameron
“The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
“Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels
“Up in the Air” Jason Reitman
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
“An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby
“In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
“Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Writing (Original Screenplay)
“The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal
“Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino
“The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
“A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
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Austin and animation
Wes Anderson, a University of Texas alumni, was nominated for best animated feature for “The Fantastic Mr. Fox.”
It has made many top 10 lists compiled by critics, but Anderson faces an uphill battle against the popular “Up,” which was also nominated for best picture.
Other animated nominees: “Coraline,” “The Princess and the Frog” and “The Secret of Kells.”
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Austin festivals and the Oscar
The Oscar nominations this morning are further proof that the local film festivals are doing their job.
Austin audiences got an early screening of “The Hurt Locker” last March during the South by Southwest Film Conference and Festival.
And “Precious,” “Up in the Air” and “An Education” had early screenings here at the Austin Film Festival in October.
Both festivals have been able to pick the best in movies for a long time.
Last year, for instance, the Austin Film Festival had an early screening of the eventual best-picture winner, “Slumdog Millionaire.”
So a big shout-out to Austin festival programmers. Thanks!
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Top Oscar nominees
“The Hurt Locker” and “Avatar” led all other movies with nine Oscar nominations each.
Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” received eight nominations.
More to come.
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Best song and the Oscars
Austin music fans have reason to cheer.
Local favorite Ryan Bingham and fellow songwriter T Bone Burnett were nominated for “The Weary Kind,” from “Crazy Heart.” And it looks like the two have a good change of winning.
Here are the other nominees:
“Almost There,” from “The Princess and the Frog” by Randy Newman
“Down in New Orleans,” from “The Princess and the Frog” by Randy Newman
“Loin de Paname,” from “Paris 36”
“Take it All,” from “Nine” by Maury Yeston
Newman is always a big favorite at the Oscars, but this time, he’s competing against himself for two songs from “The Princess and the Frog.” So that might help the chances of “The Weary Kind.” We’ll see.
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Jeff Bridges and the Oscar
Jeff Bridges of “Crazy Heart” finally got the recognition he deserves this morning with an Oscar nom for best actor.
He has competition, but should be one of the favorites. Also nominated: George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Jeremy Renner for “The Hurt Locker,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man,” and Morgan Freeman for “Invictus.”
I’m personally torn between Bridges and Renner. I think Bridges has the better chance, but I was blown away by Renner.
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Bullock’s chances
It looks as though Bullock will have a good chance of taking home the best actress Oscar.
She has competition from Oscar favorite Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia,” but the role is far from Streep’s best. Other competitors: the great Helen Mirren of “The Last Station,” Carey Mulligan from “An Education,” Gabourey Sidibe from “Precious.”
The biggest threat to Bullock’s chances may end up being Mirren, who shines as the wife of Tolstoy during the Russian writer’s final days.
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“Precious” moment
“Precious” did well on Tuesday.
Gabourey Sidibe, in her first role, was nominated for best actress.
Mo’Nique got her first nom for supporting actress.
Lee Daniels got his first nom for best director.
And the movie also got a nom for adapted screenplay. It was based on the novel “Push” by Sapphire.
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Woody Harrelson and the Oscar
Woody Harrelson, who has long been overlooked at Oscar time, just like Sandra Bullock, finally scored a nomination for his role in “The Messenger.”
Harrelson was a bit of a surprise, but the nom is deserved. He goes up against Matt Damon from “Invictus,” Christopher Plummer for “The Last Station,” Stanley Tucci for “The Lovely Bones” and Christoph Waltz for “Inglourious Basterds.”
Waltz and Plummer have to be considered the favorites here, although Woody could pull a surprise. It’ll be a tight race. Damon should come in last with this lineup.
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Bullock and the Oscars
Austinite Sandra Bullock of “The Blind Side” finally got her first Oscar nomination. She told the Today Show that she was asleep and had been awakened by the news. And she sounded sleepy.
“I’m not awake enough to be sarcastic,” she told the Today show after some kidding from the hosts. The show then cut to a commercial, presumably while Bullock gets a dose of caffeine.
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“Hurt Locker”
Director Kathryn Bigelow and actor Jeremy Renner appeared on the Today show shortly after the nomination. Bigelow was quite gracious, saying she was honored to be among the nominees, which included James Cameron, her ex-husband, for “Avatar.”
After looking at the competition, Renner said he’d have to break some serious legs. The fellow actor nominees included Jeff Bridges for “Crazy Heart,” George Clooney for “Up in the Air,” Colin Firth for “A Single Man,” and Morgan Freeman for “Invictus.”
The big competition for “The Hurt Locker,” of course, includes “Avatar” and “Up in the Air,” both of which got multiple nominations. More on that later.
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