Angels And Demons Trailer

Here's the first teaser for Ron Howard's upcoming sequel to his controversial The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks. It is scheduled for May 2009.

Slumdog Millionaire Trailer

Here's the trailer for Danny Boyle's upcoming film which is currently stirring Oscar talk. A very interesting premise, but what do you think?

Vote!

Just listen...

Gran Torino Trailer

This film might look like a long shot for the Oscars, but the Academy sure does love Clint, and a December 17th release might cause a surprise. What do you think?

Academy Award Nominee...High School Musical?

In case you don't have any association with a female age 6 to 12, "High School Musical 3" opens theatrically tomorrow. And since the trailers have begun airing on TV, the only thing I could think was: could this get a Best Original Song nomination? I know it sounds ridiculous at first, but there are a few things we should take into mind:

-Oscar loves, especially as of late, to use the Original Song category as a way to honor musicals
-The film will inevitably be highly successful
-Atrocious as these films may be, there is no denying that they do everything that they need to, and consistently satisfy their target audience, as indicated by this one's decent RT score.
-The Academy's new "one song per film" rule, combined with the fact that there are very, very few applicable nominees this year compared to last, makes it seem quite plausible.I guess the main kink in my logic is that it's...well...High School Musical. The songs are annoying, the kids are annoying and the audience is annoying. I dunno; just a thought I had. Could it happen, or is it just me overthinking everything?

No Worries, Ledger is "100% Supporting"

For all of those worried, take a breath of relief: Heath Ledger will definitely be campaigned in Supporting Actor. EW's Dave Karger reports here. He adds as an interesting side note, "But in the supporting category, his strongest likely competitor is Doubt's Philip Seymour Hoffman, coincidentally the man who defeated Ledger for Best Actor the only other time Ledger was nominated, for Brokeback Mountain." Now, as much as I love me some PSH, the Oscar is Ledger's this year and hopefully the Academy will agree.

The Soloist in danger of Oscar contention?

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures has announced that two of their Oscar candidates will have their wide releases pushed to 2009. While Defiance will still be released in New York and Los Angeles on December 31st in time for Oscar contention, it has still not been determined if the film The Soloist, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. slated now for March 16th, will be viewed before January 1st in limited screening. We'll keep you updated on the status of the film's release as it goes.

Still Hope for Stone's W.?

If you're like me, you check up Metacritic daily and the scores for the coming Friday. If you're like me, you can't help but be excited for Oliver Stone's W. and hope that the film presents Bush in a manner that is true but not altogether disrespectful. Needless to say, I've been looking for W. reviews all week, particularly on Metacritic. Since the beginning of the week, one critic after another has been writing up on Stone's mess of a film; each review worse than the next. Yesterday, however, Roger Ebert posted his review. Now, especially these days, Ebert will get it right 90% of the time...but that other 10% he gets it wrong (see last year's Rendition). I'm hoping his review is in that 90%. Ebert gives the film four stars and calls it "fascinating" and elaborates on the character of Stone's George W. Bush. Interestingly enough, while most of the negative reviews still point out that Brolin plays Bush exceptionally well, Ebert calls Dreyfuss the best in the cast.

Well, certainly this is the most controversial film this year: What are your pre-viewing thoughts? More and more positive reviews are coming out to balance the negative ones. Will this be the true love-it-or-hate-it film of the year? I've been very behind this film since the second trailer and TV spots have been coming out. Hopefully, I'll agree with Ebert.

First Review of "The Road"...

Here.

Now I know to take these with a grain of salt, and that there is, at best, a 50/50 chance that the person writing the "review" quoted here has even seen the film, but still, I can't help but die inside. At this point, I'd be fine if the rumors of it being pushed over to 2009 were true, as long as this is not.

Frost/Nixon opens London Film Festival

Last night the London Film Festival began with the gala screening of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. I wasn't able to get my hands on tickets to the opening film this year but from what I've read, there is no definite answer as to how the film was. Over at In Contention, Guy Lodge gives the film a resounding two stars, writing that Langella and Sheen "struggle to build much chemistry between the pair"; a surprising statement. On the other hand, The Times gave the film four out of five stars and believed it to be a "pin-sharp drama" and "an absolutely electric piece of cinema." So, what do we know about how good the film is as a result? Well, nothing until we get some more ideas about it. I'm going to keep trying to find some reviews. What are your thoughts about the film? Will it be a crash and burn or an exceptional film?

The Road for 2009?

According Entertainment Weekly's Dave Karger, The Weinstein Co. will meet with The Road's producers to determine a release schedule for the film because it isn't complete yet. They are currently shooting for a December release but it might not even possible for the film to be ready on time. It would be a blow for one of the current awards favorites (and a major one at this site), so we'll keep our fingers crossed. EW's main article is here.

Friday Predix

DAVID

Best Picture

1. The Road
2. Changeling
3. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
4. Doubt
5. Revolutionary Road

Best Director

1. John Hillcoat - The Road
2. Clint Eastwood - Changeling
3. David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
4. Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road
5. Gus Van Sant - Milk

Best Actor

1. Viggo Mortensen - The Road
2. Benicio Del Toro - Che
3. Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
4. Sean Penn - Milk
5. Brad Pitt - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

Best Actress

1. Angelina Jolie - Changeling
2. Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
3. Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
4. Meryl Streep - Doubt
5. Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actor

1. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
2. Liev Schreiber - Defiance
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
4. Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon
5. Kodi Smit-McPhee - The Road

Best Supporting Actress

1. Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
2. Amy Adams - Doubt
3. Viola Davis - Doubt
4. Vera Farmiga - Nothing But The Truth
5. Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Best Original Screenplay

1. Changeling
2. Milk
3. Rachel Getting Married
4. Synecdoche, New York
5. WALL-E

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. The Road
2. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
3. Doubt
4. Frost/Nixon
5. Revolutionary Road

Friday Predix

BRIAN

Best Picture
1. The Road
2. Revolutionary Road
3. The Wrestler
4. The Dark Knight
5. Frost/Nixon

Best Director
1. John Hillcoat - The Road
2. Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road
3. David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
5. Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight

Best Actor
1. Viggo Mortensen - The Road
2. Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
3. Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
4. Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
5. Sean Penn - Milk

Best Actress
1. Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long (I know I can't judge based on a trailer, but...wow)
2. Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
3. Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
4. Meryl Streep - Doubt
5. Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky (Changeling has a 36% on RT right now...if it stays that way, then no Angelina)

Best Supporting Actor
1. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
2. Kodi Smit-McPhee - The Road
3. Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon
4. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
5. Josh Brolin - Milk

Best Supporting Actress
1. Viola Davis - Doubt
2. Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Amy Adams - Doubt
4. Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
5. Charlize Theron - The Road

Best Original Screenplay
1. The Wrestler
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. Happy-Go-Lucky
4. Rachel Getting Married
5. I've Loved You So Long

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. The Road
2. Frost/Nixon
3. Doubt
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

DANIEL

Best Picture
1. Milk
2. The Road
3. Doubt
4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5. Defiance

Best Director
1. Gus Van Sant, Milk
2. John Hillcoat, The Road
3. David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Clint Eastwood, Changeling
5. Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actor
1. Viggo Mortensen, The Road
2. Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
3. Sean Penn, Milk
4. Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
5. Robert Downey Jr., The Soloist

Best Actress
1. Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long
2. Angelina Jolie, Changeling
3. Meryl Streep, Doubt
4. Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
5. Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

Best Supporting Actor
1. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
2. John Malkovich, Changeling
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
4. Jamie Foxx, The Soloist
5. Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road

Best Supporting Actress
1. Viola Davis, Doubt
2. Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
3. Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
4. Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
5. Elsa Zylberstein, I've Loved You So Long

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. The Road
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4. Doubt
5. The Dark Knight

Best Original Screenplay
1. Milk
2. I've Loved You So Long
3. The Soloist
4. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
5. Rachel Getting Married

You Have No Idea How Long I Have Been Looking for This...

...and I'm guessing you have too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QUacU0I4yU
(Embedding is disabled, unfortunatley)

Predix Update, With a Twist

From now on, an individual post will acknowledge our individual predictions and the sidebar predix will be a combination of all of ours (NOTE: David, I deleted your post and added it here, and into the sidebar)

BRIAN

BEST PICTURE

1. The Road
2. Changeling
3. Revolutionary Road
4. The Wrestler
5. Synecdoche, New York

BEST DIRECTOR
1. John Hillcoat - The Road
2. Clint Eastwood - Changeling
3. Edward Zwick - Defiance
4. Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road
5. Charlie Kaufman - Synecdoche, New York

BEST ACTOR
1. Viggo Mortensen - The Road
2. Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
3. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Synecdoche, New York
4. Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
5. Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTRESS
1. Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
2. Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road
3. Angelina Jolie - Changeling
4. Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
5. Meryl Streep - Doubt (I have to say, she underwhelmed me in the trailer)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
1. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
2. Liev Schreiber - Defiance
3. Kodi Smit-McPhee - The Road
4. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
5. Robert Downey, Jr. - The Soloist

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
1. Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married
2. Viola Davis - Doubt
3. Amy Adams - Doubt
4. Vera Farmiga - Nothing But the Truth
5. Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1. Changeling
2. Synecdoche, New York
3. The Wrestler
4. Rachel Getting Married
5. WALL-E

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
1. The Road
2. Revolutionary Road
3. Doubt
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

DANIEL

Best Picture
1. Milk

2. Doubt

3. The Road

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

5. Frost/Nixon

Best Director
1. David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

2. Gus Van Sant, Milk

3. Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

4. John Hillcoat, The Road

5. Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

Best Actor

1. Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

2. Viggo Mortensen, The Road

3. Sean Penn, Milk

4. Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon

5. Josh Brolin, W.

Best Actress

1. Angelina Jolie, Changeling

2. Kristin Scott Thomas, I've Loved You So Long

3. Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

4. Meryl Streep, Doubt

5. Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Actor

1. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

2. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt

3. Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road

4. James Franco, Milk

5. Richard Dreyfuss, W.

Best Supporting Actress

1. Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

2. Viola Davis, Doubt

3. Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

4. Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

5. Elizabeth Banks, W.

Best Original Screenplay

1. Milk

2. Rachel Getting Married

3. The Wrestler

4. I've Loved You So Long

5. The Visitor

Best Adapted Screenplay

1. The Road

2. Slumdog Millionaire

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

4. Doubt

5. Frost/Nixon

DAVID


BEST PICTURE

1. The Road
2. Changeling
3. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
4. Doubt
5. Revolutionary Road

BEST DIRECTOR

1. John Hillcoat - The Road
2. Clint Eastwood - Changeling
3. David Fincher - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
4. Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road
5. John Patrick Shanley - Doubt

BEST ACTOR

1. Viggo Mortensen - The Road
2. Josh Brolin - W.
3. Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
4. Sean Penn - Milk
5. Brad Pitt - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

BEST ACTRESS

1. Angelina Jolie - Changeling
2. Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
3. Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
4. Meryl Streep - Doubt
5. Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1. Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
2. Robert Downer Jr. - The Soloist
3. Liev Schreiber - Defiance
4. Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
5. Kodi Smit-McPhee - The Road

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1. Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
2. Amy Adams - Doubt
3. Viola Davis - Doubt
4. Vera Farmiga - Nothing But The Truth
5. Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1. Changeling
2. Burn After Reading
3. Milk
4. Synecdoche, New York
5. WALL-E

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1. The Road
2. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button
3. Doubt
4. Frost/Nixon
5. Revolutionary Road

A Couple of Short Clips from The Wrestler

Ignore the commentary going on in the beginning (just skip it if your computer loads the video quickly enough) and there are two very good clips from Aronofsky's The Wrestler. Mickey Rourke looks absolutely solid in these and if his acting is this strong and consistent throughout the film, I would not doubt that he ends up going home with Best Actor. If this can get a good trailer then the already rising buzz for this film could skyrocket. There is a strong possibility that this film is the Surprise Film at this year's London Film Festival, so if I can get my hands on some tickets for the event...I'm going to be keeping my fingers crossed that it is this film.

I've Loved You So Long: Trailer

I really liked this brief trailer. I didn't know too much about the film previous to watching this (mostly my fault for not taking the initiative) and now I am very excited for it. I thrive on films like this. Kristin Scott Thomas really does look exceptional here and I think she could easily pull off an Oscar nomination this year, in addition to Elsa Zylberstein in Supporting Actress. This film has already been released on this side of the pond so perhaps if I get the time I'll go see this during the weekend. Overall, I really think this could be great. Now if only we could get a trailer for The Road...