Thompson on Hollywood

Three Indie Summer Hits Vie for Oscars: 'Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,' 'Beasts of the Southern Wild' and 'Moonrise Kingdom'

Awards

Several indie movies are looking to make a late-year comeback on the road to the Oscars, most notably three summer hits. Fox Searchlight is pushing Brit import "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" ($46 million domestic) as well as Sundance sweetheart "Beasts of the Southern Wild" ($11 million) and Focus Features is touting Wes Anderson's Cannes entry "Moonrise Kingdom" ($45 million). (See how the Gurus 'O Gold place the films here.)

By Anne Thompson
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October 3, 2012 4:21 PM
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Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Another Middle Eastern Film and Foreign Oscar Submission

News

In advance of its New York Film Festival screening next week, Israel's Oscar entry "Fill the Void," has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. Israel sends its Ophir Best Picture winner to the Oscars.

By Anne Thompson
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October 2, 2012 1:26 PM
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Review Roundup: 3-D 'Life of Pi' Dazzles Critics, NYFF Rothman Panel [VIDEO]

Reviews

Critics are eating up Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" following its NYFF debut on Friday. Raves praising the film's immersive, spectacular use of 3-D, its inspirational pantheistic message and strong performances from the three actors playing Pi are in the majority, with a few outliers wishing for heftier substance over CG smoke and mirrors. Review roundup below.

By Beth Hanna
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October 1, 2012 1:16 PM
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Academy Chases Young Male Demo with Oscar Host Seth MacFarlane [VIDEO]

News

At the HBO Emmy party last weekend, Seth MacFarlane was in good spirits as the question of his hosting the 85th Oscarcast made the rounds. He's a hit on TV ("Family Guy") and as host of several awards shows around town, including the WGA Awards.

By Anne Thompson
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October 1, 2012 12:52 PM
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China and Uruguay Pick Contenders for Foreign Language Oscars

News

On the eve of the Academy's October 1 foreign film submission deadline, both China and Uruguay selected films to vie for a Best Foreign Language nomination.

By Maggie Lange
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October 1, 2012 5:28 AM
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Oscar Talk: 'Life of Pi,' Best Actor Race

Awards

Oscar chances for Ang Lee's 3-D New York Film Festival opener "Life of Pi" was the main Oscar Talk discussion this week for Kris Tapley and me. We also dissected the Best Actor race, where it is now and who could enter the contenders list. Here's my "Life of Pi" review, a report from the press conference and a link to another streaming Lee Q & A.

By Anne Thompson
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September 28, 2012 4:00 PM
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Cinema Eye Honors Names Ten Finalists for Outstanding Short Film Award 2013

Awards

Cinema Eye names the ten finalists for its 2013 Outstanding Short Film Award, as chosen by a committee of international film festival programmers. The nonfiction films are listed below. Five of the finalists will be announced as nominees in October, prior to the 6th Annual Cinena Eye Honors in January.

By Sophia Savage
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September 27, 2012 6:23 PM
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Spain Selects Silent, Black-and-White 'Blancanieves' as Official Oscar Entry

Awards

In a year of American Snow White reinventions, Spain has followed suit and picked "Blancanieves" as its official entry for the 2013 Best Foreign-Language Oscar race. While the 1920s-set matador tale looks to be more imaginative than "Mirror Mirror" or "Snow White and the Huntsman" (and received rave reviews out of Toronto), it's hard to know if it will resound with the Academy -- the film is silent and black-and-white, which feels "been there, done that" after the success of "The Artist."

By Beth Hanna
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September 27, 2012 12:43 PM
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Italy Selects Taviani Brothers' Prison Docudrama 'Caesar Must Die' for 2013 Oscar Race

Awards

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's "Caesar Must Die," winner of the Berlin Golden Bear and screening at the upcoming New York Film Festival, is Italy's official submission to the Best Foreign-Language Oscar race. The hard-hitting docudrama was shot in Rome's maximum-security Rebibbia prison, where the inmates perform Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" while behind bars. Trailer below.

By Beth Hanna
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September 26, 2012 12:58 PM
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Iran Boycotts 2013 Oscar Race Over Anti-Islam 'Innocence of Muslims'

Awards

After winning the Best Foreign-Language Oscar in 2012 for "A Separation," Iran will not be participating in the 2013 Oscar race. The country has decided to boycott the Oscars in protest of the incendiary "Innocence of Muslims" film that has been linked to violent and deadly protests in the Muslim world from Egypt to Pakistan, including the murder of the well-respected U.S. Ambassador in Libya.