Roundup: Calling time on film culture
Plus: Awards for Spain's Oscar submission, and the Reel Geezers return
David Chase crossed from TV to film with "Not Fade Away," but Andrew O'Hehir thinks his old medium might be the more relevant one.
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As if you ever thought otherwise, film critics are not an easily satisfied people, but we seem particularly agitated lately. In the past two weeks, we've had David Denby decrying the state of American filmmaking, Stephanie Zacharek questioning her colleagues' notions of importance, and now Andrew O'Hehir has jumped in to declare film culture dead. While conceding that plenty of good films are being made today, he wonders whether anyone outside of specialised cinephile circles really notices or cares anymore, as TV grows in water-cooler status: "I’m looking in the mirror and thinking about the purpose of what I do, which is supposed to be communicating with people, sharing ideas and generating discussion." Are film critics still doing that? And does it matter if that's becoming a more intimate, but equally impassioned conversation? I say yes and no. [Salon]
Some changes in the Oscar-blogger universe: Sasha Stone has split from Jeff Wells and started a new podcast with Tom O'Neil. We wish them well. Check out the new duo's first effort. [Gold Derby]
Francois Ozon's "In the House" won top honors at the San Sebastian Film Festival, while Spain's Oscar submission, "Blancanieves," was a multiple prizewinner. [Screen Daily]
Kicking off his annual Fifties feature, Nick Davis rounds up the best leading male performances of 2012 so far. My own such list would include four of the five names he nominates. [Nick's Flick Picks]
The brilliant Ezra Miller talks to Kate Carraway about playing a gay teen "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and coming out in real life. [The Guardian]
David O. Russell, Amy Adams and "Anna Karenina" production designer Sarah Greenwood will all receive prizes at the Hollywood Film Awards, for whatever that's worth. [THR]
Remember the Reel Geezers? Well, they're still with us, and they have thoughts on "The Master." [Thompson on Hollywood]
Oscar-nominated costume designer Sharen Davis talks to Chris Laverty about her retro inspirations for the otherwise forward-looking "Looper." [Clothes on Film]
Speaking of which, Katey Rich and Kristy Puchko debate the best forms of cinematic time-travel. [Cinema Blend]
Charlie Lyne lays out a manifesto for the modern-day teen movie, adhered to this year by only a few titles, including "21 Jump Street" and "Pitch Perfect." [Ultraculture]
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 SignupJJ1
October 1, 2012 at 10:00AM EST Reply to CommentSO happy to see the reelgeezers again!!
That said, 'The Master' will have an uphill battle to be nommed for best Picture if these two are any indicators of Academy opinion. i.e., they think there are great performances, they think the film looks great ... but they also have the what-the-hell-is-this-movie-about? opinion. I think they even acknowledged that they wish they had their time back.
/3rt It would shock me if The Master were denied a Best Picture nod. Since they've opened the category to more than five — just about any award season bait has a chance with a passionate minority. Harvey's backing it. I believe other branches outside of the actors will love it or respect it also. It should be okay getting multiple nods. The hat trick involves actually voting for it for the win.
October 1, 2012 at 11:32AM ESTTeegray Yeah, I'd say it definitely gets nominated. I mean, if The Tree of Life could score a nod, then The Master certainly isn't too elliptical for Oscar voters.
October 1, 2012 at 2:47PM ESTJLPatt "The Tree of Life" is deeply emotional. "The Master" is aggressively chilly. Huge difference.
October 1, 2012 at 8:43PM ESTHoustonRufus
October 1, 2012 at 10:34AM EST Reply to CommentI don't really feel like O'Hehir reveals anything in that piece that we didn't already know. However, I'm not really comfortable with the proclamation that film culture is dead. I mean, what is this site but an example of film discussion? Film culture isn't New York centered or led by Sontag anymore, true. I tend to think film culture has just changed and adapted to audience tastes and technology. How many film blogs are there? I just think film culture is less of a kind. It's more fractured. Because of that, it's probably difficult to even gauge how many people actually participate to some degree in film culture. So, it's probably true that fewer people sit around talking about film. But at the same time, it's much easier for me to find people with similar interests on line. Again, I use this site as a perfect example of that.
Liz "Film culture isn't New York centered"
October 1, 2012 at 3:56PM ESTI think that some people really and truly do not understand this.
via collins I suspect what O'Hehir may be getting at is the switch of countless eyeballs that once would have focussed on cinema-culture are now switched to TV culture. And fairly enough, I've lost count of friends who have forsaken the cinema for the boxed set at home.
October 1, 2012 at 9:14PM ESTSure, they'll be out in force for festivals, but if the cinephile culture is in retreat to any sort of degree, the market that once sustained them will retreat as well.
Mind you, I've feared that my whole life, and it's still here :)