Oscar Talk: Ep. 88 -- Academy changes dates while Searchlight adds a new contender
Also: This weekend's releases and a quick look at Best Foreign Language Film
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Welcome to Oscar Talk.
In case you're new to the site and/or the podcast, Oscar Talk is a weekly kudocast, your one-stop awards chat shop between yours truly and Anne Thompson of Thompson on Hollywood. The podcast is weekly, every Friday throughout the season, charting the ups and downs of contenders along the way. Plenty of things change en route to Oscar's stage and we're here to address it all as it unfolds.
This week there have been a number of shake-ups, from significant scheduling shifts to new movies for the season to festival premiere announcements. And there are even a few movies to discuss, too. Let's see what's on the docket...
We start out this week with discussion of the weekend's releases. We both really liked "Trouble with the Curve" while I'm big on "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (which Anne hasn't seen) and Anne is big on "End of Watch" (which I haven't seen).
The week's biggest announcement was the Academy's decision to announce Oscar nominees earlier than ever, on January 10. This significantly shortens the phase one window and gives us plenty of room to agree, disagree and ponder the implications.
Fox Searchlight dropped a new contender on the slate this week with the announcement that Sacha Gervasi's "Hitchcock" is ready to go -- and with a November release, at that.
With the October 1 deadline looming, the Best Foreign Language Film race is heating up with official submissions landing fast and frequent. We take an ever-so-brief survey of what's going to be in play.
And finally, reader questions. We field queries regarding the "zeitgeist" thing people like us bring up every year around this time, perceptions of The Weinstein Company's recent streak of dominance impacting this year in some way and whether "Moonrise Kingdom" is still a potential player.
Have a listen to the new podcast below. If the file cuts off for you at any time, try the back-up download link at the bottom of this post. And as always, remember to subscribe to Oscar Talk via iTunes here.
"Here I Come" courtesy of Stuart Park.
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2012-2013 OSCAR PREDICTIONS
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Makeup And Hairstyling
Best Original Score
Best Original Song
Best Production Design
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Best Animated Feature Film
Best Documentary Feature
Best Foreign Language Film
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Login or create a HitFix account Login SignupRichardA
September 21, 2012 at 3:05PM EST Reply to CommentZeitgeist-y movie that won the BP recently is No Country For Old Men. I thought it captured the phantom of terror (post-9-11) quite well. Or was that just me?
Rashad just you
September 21, 2012 at 5:11PM ESTJLPatt Definitely not just you. It's been mentioned many times by others, and I've seen it in several articles listed as one of the primary movies that truly embodied the 00s.
September 21, 2012 at 6:16PM ESTPrettok You could see the same 9/11 subtext in every movie from Lord of the Rings to The Dark Knight. If we stretch the meaning of the word too far, EVERY film is a zeitgeisty film.
September 22, 2012 at 11:51AM ESTPrettok Is it definitely going to be released this year?
September 22, 2012 at 11:54AM ESTGuy Lodge Is what going to be released this year?
September 22, 2012 at 12:15PM ESTOromichuar
September 21, 2012 at 3:26PM EST Reply to CommentDjango mysteriously ignored again!! Aside from that, good chat.
Kristopher Tapley What is there to say?
September 21, 2012 at 3:44PM ESTCasey Fiore Kris next time you should just say "Django Unchained," randomly and perhaps that will suffice
September 21, 2012 at 5:59PM ESTMartini
September 21, 2012 at 5:25PM EST Reply to CommentEmma Watson was perfectly fine in My Week With Marilyn....she fulfilled what she was given (and she did it quite well)...exactly how Kris describes her performance in Perks. She has huge hump to get over if she wants to please Anne!
JJ1 Yeah, I'd love to know what was horrible about Watson in My Week with Marilyn, haha. She was at best/worst, serviceable. There was nothing cringe-wrothy about it.
September 21, 2012 at 8:29PM ESTAndrej
September 21, 2012 at 5:50PM EST Reply to CommentYou won't talk about Looper FROM the future, but you'll talk about it IN the future. Dun dun dunnn.
Aside from that, I haven't heard around here if they've chosen No as our national Oscar submission. They should pick it, though -- let's hope this doesn't turn into another The Maid situation.
Guy Lodge No hasn't been officially picked yet. I think Anne was presuming -- which, as we saw with The Maid, isn't wise!
September 22, 2012 at 7:01AM ESTConnor
September 21, 2012 at 6:15PM EST Reply to CommentHey Kris. I have a question for next week's episode. Will Pixar have any competition this year to go up against Brave ?
Jonnybon No. Pixar make one feature a year.
September 21, 2012 at 9:12PM ESTforg I think he means what movie will be competing with Brave for Animated Film. Brave is not the frontrunner I think since while the reviews are solid it's low compared to the typical Pixar flick. I think as it stands among the mainstream releases ParaNorman and Frankenweenie will likely be top contenders as well. And there's Rise of Guardians and Wreck It Ralph waiting to be seen.
September 21, 2012 at 11:06PM ESTJonnybon Brave doesn't even deserve a nomination.
September 22, 2012 at 7:20AM ESTConnor Macgregor That's what I mean yeah. What films can compete with Brave as Animated Feature usually always goes to a Pixar film. What about To Rome With Love ? Could Woody score another Screenplay nomination ?
September 22, 2012 at 11:52AM ESTGuy Lodge "What about To Rome With Love ? Could Woody score another Screenplay nomination ?"
September 22, 2012 at 12:16PM ESTIn a word? No.
Edwin I don't foresee "Brave" winning the Oscar, but it's tough to say which other animated movie will beat it. "ParaNorman" had more passionate fans, but it seems to have slipped under the radar and I wonder if people will still remember it come Oscar time. I don't have high expectations for "Wreck-It Ralph," but it could be a big box office hit, and sometimes that counts. "Rise of the Guardians" could go either way, but I get the sense that it's more jokey/less heartfelt than, say, "How to Train Your Dragon." I actually think "Frankenweenie" might have a shot. The early reviews seem to be suggesting that it's a very personal movie for Burton, and passion projects can go a long way with voters (see Glenn Close's nomination last year). Plus it would be a way to give Burton an Oscar for all of those who feel he's been snubbed in the past, and given his recent output, I'm not sure his career is heading in a direction that would lead him to an eventual Best Director nod. Frankly, this might be the best chance the Academy ever gets to give Tim Burton an Oscar, and if for that reason alone, it's my current prediction. Plus, as an interesting trivia note, it would mark two consecutive years of Best Animated Feature going to a director who is more known for live action films, and more specifically live action films starring Johnny Depp.
September 22, 2012 at 2:17PM ESTD2 Wreck-it-Ralph feels like it's this year's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs...beautiful to look at, but not much for the Academy snobs to grab on to...
September 23, 2012 at 2:41AM ESTPaul Outlaw
September 21, 2012 at 7:59PM EST Reply to CommentAt least this time Toby Jones' Hitchcock will be seen first...
JJ1 He was so freaking good as Capote in 'Infamous'. Such a shame he couldn't get traction/buzz for that performance; the movie (and other performances) was quite good, too.
September 21, 2012 at 8:30PM ESTGuy Lodge Actually, The Girl (the Toby Jones/Sienna Miller Hitchcock film) has already been seen -- the BFI previewed it in London last month. I couldn't make it myself, but responses I heard from colleagues were... not good.
September 22, 2012 at 7:06AM ESTKristopher Tapley Yikes, that's too bad.
September 22, 2012 at 10:28AM ESTPaul Outlaw
September 22, 2012 at 4:36PM EST Reply to CommentRE: The Grey. I just received an invitation to a SAG Foundation screening next Thursday followed by a Q&A with Liam Neeson and Joe Carnahan, so the campaign would seem to be on.
THE Diego Ortiz
September 22, 2012 at 10:06PM EST Reply to Commenthey! how long does it take for oscar talk to show up on itunes? two weeks in a row that it tells me that its not on the u.s. store.
Kristopher Tapley The feed is currently dead due to the use of copywrited music. Hence the new, original piece used in our podcasts. So it'll be a while before that corrects. In the meantime, please listen here and apologies.
September 25, 2012 at 1:06PM ESTBJT
September 23, 2012 at 6:23AM EST Reply to CommentGreat podcast as usual,
I especially liked you running through this week's releases talking about their general quality and potential chances with the academy. Is that going to be a regular feature going forward?
Kristopher Tapley We always TRY to discuss the weekend's releases in some form. I guess in this case, they were films we hadn't discussed so they got more air.
September 25, 2012 at 1:06PM EST