Roundup: How 'The Hobbit' made the VFX shortlist sight unseen
Also: 'Argo' an illegal hit in Iran, and Hackford to relinquish DGA presidency
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
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The shortlisting and ensuing "bakeoff" that results in the Oscar nominees for Best Visual Effects is a notably imperfect process -- all the more so when the Academy compressed its voting calendar by a couple of weeks. David S. Cohen looks into this year's race, and finds that "The Hobbit" made the Academy's 10-film shortlist despite the fact that most of the VFX committee hadn't seen it by November 28, the day they met to draw up the list. Chairman Craig Barron describes the sight-unseen inclusion as a no-brainer, but other members were less happy: "One interest is concerned with having an awards process that is conducted as promptly as possible, and that of course has to vie with the interest that is mainly preoccupied with ensuring the process maintains its integrity," says Jonathan Erland. "It's self-evident that there's a problem." What do you think? [Variety]
"Argo" may have been banned in Iran -- quelle surprise -- but that hasn't stopped bootleg DVDs from selling by the truckload. [Wall Street Journal]
David O. Russell on the scene he found hardest to write in "Silver Linings Playbook." It's the same scene that could win Jennifer Lawrence the Oscar. [Vulture]
Forrest Wickman thinks a lot of people need to give Anne Hathaway a break. (Still, if she was as widely disliked as his article would have you believe, she wouldn't be an Oscar shoo-in.) [Slate]
David Koepp, writer of "Jurassic Park" and "Spider-Man," will receive the WGA's Career Achievement Award at the tender age of 49. As it happens, he's never been nominated for a WGA Award. [Hollywood Reporter]
DGA president Taylor Hackford, an Oscar nominee eight years ago for "Ray," will not be pursuing a third term at the head of the table. [Variety]
Sasha Stone traces the timeline of "Argo"'s ascendance to frontrunner status. Some pundits had it there all along, mind you. [Awards Daily]
Why British cinema, after a strong 2011, took an artistic and commercial step back in 2012. No mention, oddly, of either the absence of a Harry Potter film, or the Conservative Party scrapping the UK Film Council. [The Guardian]
Denzel Washington is planning to direct the long-awaited film adaptation of August Wilson's "Fences," for which he and Viola Davis won Tony Awards on its last revival. Could be major. [Empire]
Want to go see all the Best Picture nominees back-to-back? Of course you don't. Still, the opportunity is there if you change your mind. [AMC]
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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February 1, 2013 at 3:01PM EST Reply to CommentIt IS a no-brainer. The Hobbit is a staggering achievement in visual effects. ALMOST everything in that film IS CG. The quality can be gaged from the trailers itself.
For the category concerned, they nominated the best there was, so this nomination is not to be grudged.
christopher lewis
February 1, 2013 at 3:50PM EST Reply to CommentThe moment Viola Davis didn't win the Oscar for The Help, I hoped that they would make a Fences movie so that she could have another great role. I was lucky enough to see her in this show when it was on Broadway with Washington and Davis--the confrontation scene alone between them would warrant her an oscar. She's truly gifted!
Sean
February 1, 2013 at 5:03PM EST Reply to CommentWhile it is a no brainer (some amazing effects work in the film) I do have a problem with just putting a film in a line-up sight unseen. However, the Oscar's are supposed to represent the best from the year, which is why these deadlines drive me insane. Films should not be rushed to fit their time table. As long as they are released by the end of the year that is all that should matter. So i guess I'm saying perhaps we should go back to the old way of doing things. This rushed season has screwed a lot of things up, which has made it exciting, but increasingly frustrating.
RichardZ
February 1, 2013 at 6:01PM EST Reply to CommentSLP: I think that is the scene that made Jennifer Lawrence deserve an Oscar.
Argo: When Argo came out, I thought it was the frontrunner.
Denzel: If Denzel hasn't won an Emmy yet, this would be a perfect movie for HBO--for the EGOT.
CaptainCanada
February 1, 2013 at 6:55PM EST Reply to CommentI haven't seen Washington's first two movies, but as I recall they both got "nicely done, but unexceptional" reviews. "Fences", by reptutation, is the kind of material that could really put him on the map, if he's got a truly great film in him.
Matt
February 2, 2013 at 3:03AM EST Reply to CommentThat Anne Hathaway defense is vaguely repugnant. And I like Hathaway well enough.
Joe7827
February 2, 2013 at 11:47AM EST Reply to CommentThank you for posting the AMC event, Guy. Although there's no need for sarcasm; it's actually a fun time. I do the two-weekend option, though; can't watch 9 movies in a row, and I don't live in a market with that option anyway.