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5 Songs That Should've Been Nominated For An Oscar & Would Have Made The Live Show More Fun

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • February 8, 2012 12:57 PM
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  • 19 Comments
Features
Never exactly the finest hour of the Oscars, the Best Original Song category of the Academy Awards this year has been something of a fiasco. First it was nominations with only two tracks -- "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" and "Real In Rio" from the animated film "Rio" -- making the cut. Then, at the start of this week, Deadline broke the news that neither song would be performed as part of the Oscar telecast, seemingly in the ever-vain hope of keeping the running time of the ceremony under three hours, despite protestations from those behind the two films, and many others.
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More: Oscars, Academy Awards, Submarine, Alex Turner, Win Win, The National, The Muppets, The Chemical Brothers, Hanna, Take Shelter

National Board Of Review Gives Best Picture & Director To 'Hugo'; Tilda Swinton & George Clooney Take Acting Awards

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • December 1, 2011 4:14 PM
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  • 8 Comments
Awards
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More: Hugo, Martin Scorsese, George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, The Descendants, We Need To Talk About Kevin, Christopher Plummer, Shailene Woodley, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash (screenplay); Kaui Hart Hemmings (novel), Rango, Felicity Jones, Rooney Mara, J.C. Chandor, The Help, Michael Fassbender, Crime After Crime, Pariah, A Separation, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, The Artist, Drive, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Ides Of March, J. Edgar, The Tree Of Life, War Horse, Elite Squad II: The Enemy Within, Le Havre, Buck, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Project Nim, Senna, 50/50, Another Earth, A Better Life, Cedar Rapids, Margin Call, Shame, Take Shelter, Win Win, The Amazing Race

The Best Films Of 2011...So Far

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • June 21, 2011 4:05 AM
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  • 54 Comments
Well, today is the first day of summer, more or less the midpoint of the year, and looking back over the the first six months of 2011, it’s definitely been a bit more of a scattershot movie year compared to the arthouse heavy start of 2010. We'll be honest, compiling this list wasn't exactly easy, the year has been uneven so far, but that said, it's certainly not without highlights: Terrence Malick finally delivered his long awaited film, Woody Allen flexed some of the old magic we love him for, and Michael Winterbottom found life and heart from a familiar comic pairing, while Joe Wright moved completely in a new, exciting direction. Over at the multiplex, big summer entertainment has already made that overpriced, greasy bag of popcorn worth the price with J.J. Abrams proving that genre thrills don't have to be empty, while one of the year’s best efforts unfolded beautifully on the small screen.
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More: Films, Foreign Films, Super 8, The Tree Of Life, Meek's Cutoff, Jane Eyre, Bridesmaids, Midnight In Paris, Submarine, Hanna, Beginners, Mildred Pierce, The Trip, I Saw The Devil, Win Win

Weekend Box Office: 'Super 8' Is A Super Performer For Paramount, 'Judy Moody' Has A Bummer Summer

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • June 12, 2011 6:53 AM
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  • 10 Comments
Call this one a victory for Paramount, and a big one at that. “Super 8,” which opened to $37 million, was advertised with only the slightest of peekaboos, an ad campaign that played less coy and more stubbornly mysterious. While the film was pitched on the name of Steven Spielberg, the filmmaker has his name on a lot of projects annually, and the wealth of offerings has become so consistent that it no longer tilts the needle.
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More: Films, Film Studios, Foreign Films, Weekend Box-Office, The Hangover 2, Super Hero Films, Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Super 8, Animated Films, The Tree Of Life, Bridesmaids, Midnight In Paris, The Trip, X-Men: First Class, Thor, Universal, 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Classics, Paramount, Dreamworks, Viva Riva, Kung Fu Panda: The Kaboom Of Doom, Win Win

Box Office: 'Rio' First 2011 Release To Crack $40 Million Opening Weekend; 'Scream' Goes Quiet

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • April 17, 2011 6:18 AM
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  • 9 Comments
There’s no way to sugarcoat this: it’s been a dismal year at the box office. Studios have their fingers crossed in regards to a tepid-looking summer schedule, but many were hoping the season could be kick(punch)-started early with a strong April, as two new films were tracking well over $40 million this weekend. And it looks like those hopes are for naught, as the number one movie for this period looks to be Fox and Blue Sky’s animated “Rio,” clocking in juuuust about at $40 million for the three day weekend. Yes, Hollywood, it's taken more than four months to register year's first $40 million opening weekend.
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More: Films, Film Studios, Weekend Box-Office, Modern Horror, Scream 4, Animated Films, Source Code, Your Highness, Soul Surfer, Hanna, The Conspirator, Atlas Shrugged: Part I, Universal, The Weinstein Company, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony, Roadside Attractions, Insidious, Arthur, Hop, Rio, Win Win

Weekend Box Office: 'Hop' Defeats Four Newcomers; 'Your Highness' Flops Loudly And Rudely

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • April 10, 2011 4:48 AM
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  • 12 Comments
Earlier in the year, the tepid box office returns were something to be ignored, as 2011 was competing with the previous year, with both “Avatar” and then the anomaly of “Alice In Wonderland” each raking in a cool billion. Well, it’s April, and it’s time for Hollywood to panic. There have been no genuine out-of-the-box hits so far this year and lots of flops, and the two (barely) $100 million grossers considered underperformers (“Rango” and “Just Go With It”). Let’s face it, part of it is a failure of marketing, but the blame must be laid on inadequate product. Even when it comes to the early year doldrums, this has been a banner year for garbage.
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More: Films, Actors, Actresses, Film Studios, Weekend Box-Office, David Gordon Green, Joe Wright, Duncan Jones, Modern Horror, Animated Films, Source Code, Meek's Cutoff, Your Highness, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Hanna, James Franco, Danny McBride, Russell Brand, Eric Bana, Saoirse Ronan, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount, Insidious, Arthur, Hop, Win Win

Weekend Box Office: Kids Come Out For 'Hop,' 'Sucker' Thoroughly 'Punch'ed

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • April 3, 2011 5:00 AM
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  • 1 Comment
While Universal’s animated division remains behind Disney and Dreamworks, “Hop” became their second straight surprisingly big opening this weekend, collecting $39 million. Most called the heavily-promoted film in the high 20’s, low 30’s, but like “Despicable Me” before it, the film definitely connected with family audiences in its first frame. While “Despicable Me” eventually collected $544 million globally with a much bigger opening, “Hop” isn’t expected to bust the doors down. But due to the seasonal and family appeal, expect this thing to have legs, and while they initially weren’t counting on $100 domestic, that should be easily surmountable from here, with $150 million being a solid preliminary target. Fanciful returns for the studio, who have kept the budgets for the partly-animated “Hop” and the fully animated “Despicable Me” well under the industry-standard $100 million.
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More: Films, Actors, Film Studios, Foreign Films, Weekend Box-Office, Zack Snyder, La Quattro Volte, Super Hero Films, Modern Horror, Animated Films, Sucker Punch, Source Code, Jane Eyre (2011), Battle: Los Angeles, The Lincoln Lawyer, Limitless, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Trust, Super, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount, Dreamworks, Certified Copy, Insidious, Hop, Rango, Win Win

Watch/Listen: The National For 'Win Win'; Zooey Deschanel For 'Winnie' & Mark Ronson For 'Arthur'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • April 1, 2011 4:09 AM
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  • 0 Comments
A few bits of music/movie news to bring you into the weekend. First off, as we reported last year, The National have recorded a brand new song for the solid Tom McCarthy directed dramedy "Win Win" starring Paul Giamatti and Amy Ryan. The film goes into wider release this weekend and Prefix have uncovered the video for the tune, "Think You Can Wait." It's a mashup of clips, behind-the-scenes footage and band rockin' out so it gets the job done. Totally anecdotal, but "Win Win" got hearty applause from the audience we saw it with, so might be worth your $10 this weekend.
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More: Musicians, Actresses, Films, Animated Films, Zooey Deschanel, Mark Ronson, The National, Arthur, Winnie The Pooh, Win Win

Weekend Box Office: Zack Snyder & Warners Get 'Sucker Punch' From 'Wimpy Kid'

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • March 27, 2011 5:09 AM
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  • 12 Comments
Demographics matter. You want to say, well, screw the numbers, let’s just make a movie for everyone! But considering the multiple sources of entertainment in our multimedia worlds, whatever doesn’t automatically turn us on will turn us off. Because of this, Zack Snyder’s “Sucker Punch” turned people off. It was an action fantasia, a genre normally attractive to teenage boys, but it featured only girls, an immediate turnoff for that demographic. And it didn’t appeal to women, who noticed the marketing campaign centered around cacophonous violence and mayhem, not usually a drawing point for females. It wasn’t made for kids, but the heavily-CGI’d special effects made it look like a candy-coated kids’ entertainment to adults. Four quadrants, all disinterested.
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More: Films, Film Studios, Foreign Films, Weekend Box-Office, Super Hero Films, Sucker Punch, Paul, Battle: Los Angeles, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Adjustment Bureau, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Man of Steel, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony Pictures Classics, Of Gods And Men, Win Win

Interview: Thomas McCarthy Grapples With 'Win Win'

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • March 21, 2011 8:08 AM
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  • 1 Comment
Director Also Discusses His Upcoming Project 'Million Dollar Arm“Win Win” is the latest effort from writer-director Thomas McCarthy, who last helmed the Oscar-nominated “The Visitor.” But most have preconceived notions of the man behind the camera. McCarthy is also an accomplished actor, having appeared in work as diverse as "The Wire," “Syriana” and “2012” in between his small, sensitive character dramas, and is often seen in unpredictable places. The bulk of people who attended the loony New York Comic Con presentation for “Your Highness” seemed to be oblivious that McCarthy was in fact the moderator at that event.
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More: Films, Actors, Film Studios, Interview, Tom McCarthy, Pixar, Win Win

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