Next Week (02/07):
Doom (Unrated)
Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Elizabethtown
Just Like Heaven
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced The 78th Annual Oscar Nominations today in Beverly Hills. And, here they are:
Best Picture: "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Munich."
Best Actor: Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Capote"; Terrence Howard, "Hustle & Flow"; Heath Ledger, "Brokeback Mountain"; Joaquin Phoenix, "Walk the Line"; David Strathairn, "Good Night, and Good Luck."
Best Actress: Judi Dench, "Mrs. Henderson Presents"; Felicity Huffman, "Transamerica"; Keira Knightley, "Pride & Prejudice"; Charlize Theron, "North Country"; Reese Witherspoon, "Walk the Line."
Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney, "Syriana"; Matt Dillon, "Crash"; Paul Giamatti, "Cinderella Man"; Jake Gyllenhaal, "Brokeback Mountain"; William Hurt, "A History of Violence."
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, "Junebug"; Catherine Keener, "Capote"; Frances McDormand, "North Country"; Rachel Weisz, "The Constant Gardener"; Michelle Williams, "Brokeback Mountain."
Best Director: Ang Lee, "Brokeback Mountain"; Bennett Miller, "Capote"; Paul Haggis, "Crash"; George Clooney, "Good Night, and Good Luck"; Steven Spielberg, "Munich."
List of Annual Academy Award Nominations - The Washington Post
'Brokeback Mountain' Leads Oscar Nods - The Washington Post
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BloggingSundance has been conducting video interviews with Sundance filmmakers. They have 4 completed programs online. Featuring a wide array of filmmakers and films, they provide a great way to learn more about this year's festival.
Cinematical At Sundance: Roundtable Four - BloggingSundance
Cinematical @ Sundance: Roundtable Three - BloggingSundance
Blogging Sundance: Roundtable Video 2 - BloggingSundance
Sundance Video Roundup (so far) - BloggingSundance
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Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the arthouse, Slate's Bryan Curtis is telling you to hold your horses. Moviegoers have been driven crazy by the perils of the multiplex. The cell phones, the jabbering, the ten minutes of advertising before movies have all sent folks home. So, you'd think that the Art House Cinema would provide a safe haven. Nope! Bryan describes the "horrors of art houses." Ahhhh, so that's why I see most movies on my home screen!
Cinema Purgatorio - Slate
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Parting is such sweet sorrow. Thank you all for tuning in to FilmBlab for this year's Sundance coverage. I hope to be there at Park City next year and report directly! Could be very interesting, don't you think?
I want to thank BloggingSundance and indieWIRE for all their great coverage. In that spirit, indieWIRE has compiled 75 articles on this year's festival. Wow, there's lots more to read about! It's weird, I looked through the documentary films in competition this year, and didn't even recognize a lot of them.
Blogging has really helped open up Sundance to those of us who haven't been able to attend (yet!). So, check out the articles available. Sundance is definitely the Number 1 place for independent film. What took place at this year's festival will set the stage for what independent films we'll all be seeing for the rest of 2006. Happy viewing, everyone! I'll continue to pass on post-festival coverage, and of course, provide you all with the latest goings on in the film biz!
75 Articles About Sundance - indieWIRE
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Martin Lawrence in drag is winning over Emma Thompson in makeup in this weekend's box office.
Weekend Box Office Estimates (U.S.) - Yahoo! Movies
Weekend Box Office Estimates - January 27-29, 2006 - Box Office Mojo
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"Half Nelson" and "TV Junkie" made deals as Sundance winds down. While many have gone home, some days before now, there were enough movers and shakers around to get deals signed.
ThinkFilm acquired worldwide rights to "Half Nelson," directed by Ryan Fleck and starring Ryan Gosling and newcomer Shareeka Epps.
Foreign Sales Rep Katapult has acquired the worldwide rights, excluding North America, for documentary "TV Junkie." Producer/co-director Michael Cain and editor/co-director Matt Radecki's representatives are in negotiations for the North American rights.
"Half Nelson" Goes to ThinkFilm - indieWIRE
Katapult Acquires Non-North American Rights to "TV Junkie" - indieWIRE
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The Sundance 2006 Awards were announced this evening in Park City. Here are the recipients:
Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic - "Quinceanera," written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer.
Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - "God Grew Tired of Us," directed by Christopher Quinn.
World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic - "13 Tzameti" (France), written and directed by Gela Babluani.
World Cinema Jury Prize: Documentary - "In the Pit" (Mexico), written and directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo.
Audience Award: Dramatic - "Quinceanera," written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer.
Audience Award: Documentary - "God Grew Tired of Us," directed by Christopher Quinn.
World Cinema Audience Award: Dramatic - "No. 2" (New Zealand), written and directed by Toa Fraser.
World Cinema Audience Award - "De Nadie" (Mexico), directed by Tin Dirdamal.
Dramatic Directing Award - Dito Montiel for "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints."
Documentary Directing Award - James Longley, director of "Iraq in Fragments."
Sundance '06 Awards - indieWIRE
Sundance 2006 Awards - Blogging Sundance
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America's favorite Anti-Christ is back! Damien returns on June 6, 2006. Get it? 6-6-06. Twentieth's remake of the classic is out this summer in "The Omen 666." The trailer is up. It's simple, and it's damn spooky! Watch it for yourself.
The Omen 666 - IMDb
The Omen 666 Trailers - Apple QuickTime
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Steven Soderbergh's "Bubble" premieres today in theatres and on cable. The "day and date" release scheme has been criticized by those who see it as a threat to movie theatres. Since the film is a very low-budget high-definition affair, any impact may be negligible. However, concern is still being heard.
The DVD will be released in 4 days on January 31st. This is due to Tuesday being the industry day for DVD releases. The film will be showing two times: 9:00 ET and 11:00 ET on HDNet Movies. Following each showing will be "Higher Definition," the network's regular show, this time with host Robert Wilonsky interviewing director Steven Soderbergh. I don't get high-definition programming myself, so if someone could tell me how the broadcast goes, I'd appreciate it!
Boy in the Bubble - ComingSoon.net
"Bubble" Review - Roger Ebert
Bubble Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes
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Here is the rundown of major Sundance deals, courtesy of the Sundance Channel Blog:
"Little Miss Sunshine" sold for $10 million.
"Right At Your Door," the dirty bomb thriller from first-time director Chris Gorak, sold for $2 million.
"Wordplay," the documentary on New York Times crossword puzzles, sold for $1 million.
"The Science of Sleep," directed by Michel Gondry and starring Gael Garcia Bernal, sold for $6 million.
"Stay" (about an impulsive sexual encounter), "The Night Listener" (co-written by "Tales of the City" writer Armistead Maupin and Terry Anderson, and starring Robin Williams) and "The Darwin Awards" (starring Winona Ryder and the late Chris Penn) sold for undisclosed amounts.
Films with deals being rumored are "Half Nelson" (starring Ryan Gosling), "The Hawk is Dying," and "Small Town Gay Bar."
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Available on the Sundance Website are the "Daily Insider" newsletters. There is one for each day, in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. Each file is kinda large at 5 MB or so. Lots of good articles, with that quirky, off-beat Sundance Channel feel to it. You can also access the articles right there on the web page using the Menu Bar ("Intro," "Features," etc.) Happy reading, folks!
Sundance Film Festival Daily Insider - Newsletters for Download
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Movie history is one day away! Steven Soderbergh's "Bubble" is about to be released simutaneously in theatres and on cable. DVD release is 4 days later on January 31st. Never before has this been done. Steven's move has certainly been bold. He has been both praised and criticized for this release strategy. But, he's taking it all in stride, looking forward to the other 5 high-definition movies he will release the same way. It should be very interesting to see how this all plays out!
Boy in the Bubble - ComingSoon.net
"Bubble" Bubbles Toil and Trouble - Minnesota Public Radio
Bubble Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes
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Crossword puzzle doc "Wordplay," which was picked up by IFC Films, is now having its deal contested. Warner Independent and Sony Pictures Classics both have questions for attorney John Sloss, who negotiated the deal. Sony Classic's co-president Tom Bernard opined that the filmmakers weren't made aware of the other offers. He implied that "major lawsuits" could be the result if regulations aren't put in place for these types of negotiations.
Sundance Reports: Controversy Over Wordplay Deal - BloggingSundance
Crossword Gurus Highlighted in 'Wordplay' - Associated Press
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Kirby Dick's documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated puts the Motion Picture Association of America on trial. The film asks whether it has too much power, and whether it abuses that power. The doc has gotten buzz since the MPAA themselves supposedly made their own copy of the documentary, counter to director Kirby Dick's wishes. The film premieres tonight at 9:30 PM at the Eccles Theatre.
Sundance Report: This Film is Not Yet Rated - Blogging Sundance
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Actor Chris Penn was found dead Tuesday at his condominium near the beach in Santa Monica, police said. Chris was the brother of Sean Penn. The family has asked for privacy during their difficult time. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
Chris Penn appeared in many films, including "Resovoir Dogs." His last film was "The Darwin Awards," which is appearing at this year's Sundance Film Festival.
Actor Chris Penn Found Dead at Residence - The Washington Post
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Sexy Scientologist Katie Holmes isn't going to show us her moves anytime soon. Her 12-second sex scene in the Sundance-featured movie "Thank You for Smoking" just plain disappeared. At its Sundance premiere, director Jason Reitman was "shocked" that it was gone from the print. His audience didn't take his reaction too well, responding with grumbling and a few boos.
So, what happened? Was it Tom who had it cut? Could it be aliens? Who knows for sure. Controversy at the Sundance Film Festival. You gotta love it!
No "Smoking" Sex for Katie - E! Online News
Thank You for Smoking - Sundance 06 Film Profile
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News Movies Movie Film Films Hollywood Entertainment Film Festival Film Festivals Sundance Katie Holmes Tom Cruise Blog Blogs Blogger Bloggers Weblog Weblogs
Next Week (01/31):
Bubble
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
In Her Shoes
The Legend of Zorro
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Rabble-rousing cinematographer/filmmaker Haskell Wexler is at it again! DP of films such as "Bound for Glory" and director of "Medium Cool," Wexler tackles excessive film crew overtime in "Who Needs Sleep?" Working 15- to 18-hour days on a regular basis, film crews lose sleep, don't see their families, and sometimes pay with their lives. After a 19-hour day on the set, assistant cameraman Brent Hershman fell asleep behind the wheel, crashed his car, and died. That event shook Wexler, who works with “12 On / 12 Off,” a movement to limit film crew hours to 12 a day, with 12 hours off. Wexler is scrappy for sure, and is a great cinematographer and artist. This sounds like a good movie to me.
Who Needs Sleep? - Sundance 06 Film Profile
12On / 12Off Campaign
Sundance #5 - Roger Ebert
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The latest film getting buzz at Sundance is "Wordplay," which profiles Will Shortz, editor of the New York Times crossword puzzle. While many find the film fascinating, a reviewer at BloggingSundance says it "has all the gravitas of lint" and was a torture to sit through! "All the gravitas of lint," eh? Now, that's my kind of movie!
Sundance Deals: Wordplay in Play - BloggingSundance
Crossword Gurus Highlighted in 'Wordplay' - Associated Press
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Vampires won over Little Red Riding Hood in this weekend's box office.
Weekend Box Office Actuals (U.S.) - Yahoo! Movies
Weekend Box Office - January 20–22, 2006 - Box Office Mojo
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The controversial 'Da Vinci Code' will be The Cannes Film Festival's opening-night film. Starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard, the film is based on Dan Brown's bestseller. The festival is held in France every May.
'Da Vinci Code' to Open Cannes - Associated Press
Cannes Film Festival
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Living up to this year's goal, Sundance 06 is becoming a showplace for new filmmakers and new ideas. Roger Ebert reviews more new films in Reports 2 and 3. Here are some of the featured films:
"Somebodies" from Georgia-based director Hadjii. Using an unconventional narrative, the film is a new take on films about African-Americans.
"Little Miss Sunshine," directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris and written by Michael Arndt, sets a family on a trip to an over-the-top child beauty contest in a VW Bus.
“Open Window,” starring Robin Tunney as a rape victim who has to find her road to recovery.
“The Night Listener,” directed by Patrick Stettner from a novel by Armistead Maupin. Robin Williams stars as a radio talk show host who becomes involved in the story of a boy dying of AIDS.
More later, folks! Thanks for tuning in.
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Everything with a "2" in the title should be subtitled "Electric Boogaloo," don't you think? Well, the deals are already being sealed on Day 2. Fox Searchlight bought the worldwide rights to comedy "Little Miss Sunshine" for $10 million. Big bucks definitely being spent early in the festival. Of course, news on big deals and celebrities are just the kind of things you always hear coming from Sundance every year. Robert Redford has lamented that buzz is often centered around deals and celebs, with the films getting short shrift. Guess that could happen again! Unless you read blogs like Blogging Sundance, you're not going to hear the rest of the story.
I'm patiently waiting for Roger Ebert's second installment from Sundance. His first was very entertaining!
Sundance Channel's Festival Dailies premiered its Second Episode. Featured were the film's "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," and "Come Early Morning." Plus, we follow a film buyer as she makes her rounds. Catch the episode through Sunday afternoon, or see clips here!
Blogging has become a big part of Sundance coverage, but IndieWIRE has been there for 10 years now. Check out their site for lots of great stories!
What's in store next? A recap of the Day 3 developments tomorrow!
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