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Cannes 2013: Surprises & Notable Absence ...

The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

New Posters Arrive For 'The World's End,' Woody Allen's 'Blue Jasmine' & 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints'

By Ben Brock
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May 21, 2013 10:44 AM
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News

This week brings the closing chapters of one of the rarest things in cinema -- a consistently strong trilogy -- in the shape of the latest installment of one of the most beloved series in recent memory. Not "The Hangover," but "Before Midnight," the closing (?) chapter to Richard Linklater's tale of romance. While it's bittersweet, we're also hopeful that one other perfect trilogy will be coming along before summer's out, in the shape of Edgar Wright & Simon Pegg's Cornetto trilogy, begun with "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz." A new trailer for the third installment "The World's End" is coming tomorrow, but just arriving before that is a new British quad poster, which highlights some of the supporting cast, including Rosamund Pike, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan. Check it out above.

By Jessica Kiang
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May 17, 2013 4:43 PM
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3 Comments

Festivals

In what has apparently become something of a tradition on the Croisette, this evening saw a select group of journalists forgo tempting Official Selection screenings to attend instead the starry, champagne-fuelled preview of The Weinstein Company’s forthcoming slate. Perhaps not quite as salivating a prospect as last year’s auteur-heavy brand-new lineup, which included early glimpses of “Django Unchained,” “The Master,” and “Silver Linings Playbook” it’s still a mark of TWC’s high standing on the awards circuit that what is essentially an invite-only marketing event got so many clamoring to attend. Well, that and the canapes (foie gras toastinis, breaded shrimp and mini eclairs, if you must know). Oh, and the presence of the legendary Harvey Weinstein.

By Rodrigo Perez
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March 2, 2013 12:22 PM
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6 Comments

News

Maybe they were reading our Premature Oscar Predictions? Just days after our series ended, looking way far at the horizon of next year's potential Oscar nominees, The Weinstein Company has dated four films of their late fall awards season hopefuls. Obviously, those films were going to land in Oscar season regardless, but kudos to our features for being on point; Harvey and co. will be driving hard the very films we had touted as potentially strong contenders for next year's Academy season.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 22, 2013 4:51 PM
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2 Comments

News

The Oscars are in just over for 48 hours, but man, they feel so yesterday already, amirite? So let's start looking ahead to next year, and one can't ignore the news and start speculating when someone like Harvey Weinstein snaps up a movie about Nelson Mandela.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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March 12, 2012 12:56 PM
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News

A film adaptation of "Long Walk To Freedom," Nelson Mandela's memoir of his time in prison under South African apartheid, his subsequent release, and rise to the presidency, has been, ironically, a long time coming. Back in the 1990s, "Elizabeth" director Shekhar Kapur was attached to direct a version starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela, but the project never came together, and Freeman would later take on the role in Clint Eastwood's "Invictus." More recently, Tom Hooper flirted with the project before "The King's Speech" got underway and sent him into the stratosphere, but again, the stars never aligned properly.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 23, 2012 9:42 AM
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5 Comments

News

There has been no shortage of portrayals of freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, and given his courageous story, which still resonates and inspires to this day, it's not exactly a surprise. But the past few years have seen an uptick of the man on screens, both big and small. Of course, Morgan Freeman took on the part in Clint Eastwood's "Invictus," while David Harewood and Terrence Howard both inhabited the man for "Mrs. Mandela" and "Winnie" respectively. And there's more on the way. Last month Variety revealed that a biopic mini-series was in the works for U.K. TV titled "Madiba" and based on "Conversations with Myself" and "Nelson Mandela by Himself." But it seems it will be contending with another long brewing project, that has landed a freshly minted Golden Globe winner for the lead.