Gold Derby
Tom O'Neil has the inside track on Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and all the award shows.
Tracking the Oscar race for best adapted screenplay
Obviously, "The Social Network" is ahead in the Oscar race for best adapted screenplay, given its front-runner status as best picture and the vaunted reputation of Aaron Sorkin as master wordsmith. However, upsets are always possible at these quirkly Hollywood awards, of course. "127 Hours" or "True Grit" could quickly jump ahead if one of them wins best picture from the film critics' awards in early December, which is quite possible. The creators of both films have been honored by them in the past and they also previously won the Oscars for best picture and screenplay in the past for "Slumdog Millionaire," "No Country for Old Men." There's an obvious link between those two Academy...
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10/29/2010 16:23
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Gold Derby nuggets: 3 or 5 animated feature Oscar nominees? | "SNL" = Oscar good luck charm?
• Pete Hammond has the scoop on the possibility of the animated feature Oscar race expanding this year. As he reports, "the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences sent out a reminder confirming the 5 PM PT November 1st deadline for 2010 Best Animated feature entries. At this point there do not appear to be enough entries to trigger five nominations rather than the more common three but there is still time, brother. What wasn’t mentioned in the release is the number that have been received so far at the Academy. A really good clue though is a letter I have learned that was sent late last week updating members and potential members of...
127 Hours Academy Awards Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Alice in Wonderland James Franco Jesse Eisenberg Love and Other Drugs Morning Glory Oscars Saturday Night Live SNL The King's Speech The Social Network True Grit
10/29/2010 16:11
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Gold Derby nuggets: 'Mad Men' gets 'Mr. Men' treatment | Jennifer Lawrence is rising star for Palm Springs filmfest
• Submissions for consideration by the nominating panels of the SAG Awards have to be in by 5 p.m. PDT Thursday. SAG AWARDS • Sasha Stone examines the truthfulness of certain best picture contenders, including front-running "The Social Network," and considers this in terms of the state of the race. AWARDS DAILY • John Lopez looks at the long list of lead actress contenders. LITTLE GOLD MEN • Three-time Emmy champ "Mad Men" has inspired a British satirical website to create a cheeky revamp of the "Mr. Men" series of cartoon characters by the late Roger Hargreaves. Included in their tongue-in-cheek report, is this statement from spokesperson Camile Von Bach: "Pre-orders for 'Mr. Sterling Gets...
127 Hours Academy Awards Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Hollywood Film Festival Jennifer Lawrence Mad Men SAG Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards The Social Network Winter's Bone
10/26/2010 16:46
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Gold Derby nuggets: 'Shutter Island' reopens | '127 Hours' news and views | Casting news for 'The Hobbit'
• Pete Hammond delivers the scoop on a "high profile kick-off to Paramount's 'Shutter Island' Oscar campaign." As Pete reports, "American Cinematheque will present a retrospective of the film collaborations of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese at Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre the weekend of November 13 with the pair participating in a live 'conversation' following a November 14 screening. DiCaprio will appear in person while Scorsese will be satellited in from London where he is currently working on his new film 'Hugo Cabret.'" DEADLINE • In the latest installment of their weekly Oscar Talk podcast, Anne Thompson and Kris Tapley dish about the odds of films like "Solitary Man" and "Welcome to the Rileys" making it...
127 Hours Academy Awards Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Danny Boyle James Franco Leonardo DiCaprio Martin Scorsese Peter Jackson Shutter lsland The Hobbit The Lord of the Rings Toy Story 3
10/22/2010 11:29
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One year ago: What Oscar pundits prophesized
Let this be a lesson to all of us smug Oscar seers who insist that they know how the current derby will play out. Most of us now say that it's "The Social Network" versus "The King's Speech" for best picture, Colin Firth ("The King's Speech") versus James Franco ("127 Hours") for lead actor and Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") versus Annette Bening ("The Kids Are All Right") for lead actress. But true? One year ago today, we weren't even talking about the eventual winners of lead actor and actress: Jeff Bridges ("Crazy Heart") and Sandra Bullock ("The Blind Side"). BEST PICTURE: Last year in mid-October we had a decent grasp of the best picture race...
127 Hours Academy Awards Annette Bening Black Swan Carey Mulligan Colin Firth Daniel Day-Lewis James Franco Jeff Bridges Natalie Portman Oscars The Kids are All Right The King's Speech The Social Network
10/21/2010 12:29
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Gold Derby nuggets: Fest faves James Franco & Carey Mulligan | Tom Bosley dead at 83 | Sasha Stone on best picture race
• "127 Hours" leading man James Franco will receive the outstanding performance prize from the Santa Barbara filmfest on Jan. 29. In making the announcement, fest exec Roger Durling described him thus: "A truly exceptional actor who embraces the character and lives the story to tell it, James Franco eases onto the screen, seducing the audience no matter if he is the hero, the villain or the victim." Among the roster of talent that has taken home this prize in the past: Colin Firth (2010), Penelope Cruz (2009), Angelina Jolie (2008), Helen Mirren (2007), Heath Ledger (2006), Kate Winslet (2005) and Charlize Theron (2004). SBIFF • Carey Mulligan will be feted by the Palm Springs...
127 Hours Academy Awards Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Annette Bening Carey Mulligan Carol Burnett Glee Gotham Awards Gwyneth Paltrow James Franco Oscar nominations Oscars Tom Bosley Tony Awards Tonys True Grit Winter's Bone
10/19/2010 13:41
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Poll: Will 'Winter's Bone' be nominated for best picture at the Oscars?
Now that "Winter's Bone" leads with the most nominations at the Gotham Independent Film Awards (three), its Oscar hopes brighten. But how much? Only three previous Gotham champs were nommed for best picture in the past: "The Hurt Locker," "Capote" and "Sideways." "Winter's Bone" faces a crowded field at the upcoming Oscar derby. Currently, there are 13 front-runners competing for the 10 best-picture slots: "127 Hours," "Black Swan," "The Fighter," "Hereafter," "How Do You Know," "Inception," "The Kids Are All Right," "The King's Speech," "The Social Network," "The Town," "Toy Story 3," "True Grit" and "The Way Back." Jockeying right behind: "Alice in Wonderland," "Another Year," "Blue Valentine," "For Colored Girls," "The Ghost Writer," "How...
127 Hours Academy Awards Black Swan Gotham Awards Inception Oscars The Fighter The Kids are All Right The King's Speech The Social Network Winter's Bone
10/18/2010 16:20
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Countdown to '127 Hours'
Danny Boyle's first film since "Slumdog Millionaire" swept the Oscars two years ago is "127 Hours." The film is based on the true story of hiker Aron Ralston who was forced to cut off his arm when it became pinned by a rock. The picture screened at the Telluride and Toronto film fests to very positive reaction and star James Franco is a strong contender for lead actor. Along with the main website for the film, which features extensive background video along with photos and fact sheets, there is an offshoot -- 127DefiningMoments -- which is collecting inspirational stories as part of a contest. The trailer below captures the intensity of "127 Hours," which opens...
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10/15/2010 17:34
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Latest Oscar predictions: Lead actor
Right now it looks like Colin Firth is far ahead in the Academy Award race for lead actor. All Oscarologists know that voters are suckers for actors who portray real-life characters (Forest Whittaker in "Last King of Scotland," Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Capote"), especially ones with handicaps (Jamie Foxx in "Ray," Geoffrey Rush in "Shine"). In "The King's Speech," Firth portrays Britain's monarch George VI struggling to overcome a stammer while rallying his countrymen to fight World War II. Firth has something else going for him — the old Oscar Makeup Rule: If you lose one year, don't worry, you'll win the next. All of these stars (plus many others) won an Academy Award one...
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10/13/2010 16:10
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Latest Oscar predictions: Best picture
Since "The Social Network" has not disappointed at the box office, it retains its status as the front-runner to win best picture at the Oscars. However, buzz builds fast for "The King's Speech," which is just the kind of grand historical drama that academy voters used to adore. Normally, royal film pageants don't do well at the early film-critics' awards, though, and nowadays those critics' kudos seem to matter more than ever. Critics' trophies certainly helped to propel "The Hurt Locker" Oscar bound last year. What's possible this year? Anything. Journos often like to shake things up by making oddball calls. This year that could mean victory by, say, "Toy Story 3" at the New...
127 Hours Academy Awards Black Swan Inception Oscars The Kids are All Right The King's Speech The Social Network
10/11/2010 16:32
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New trailers: 'Blue Valentine,' '127 Hours,' 'The Way Back'
"Blue Valentine" just got slapped with an NC-17 rating, which may hurt it at the box office and therefore at the Oscars, but it's certainly in the derby thanks to realistic, deeply felt performances by past nominees Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. See trailers for "127 Hours" and "The Way Back" after the jump. Here's the second trailer for "127 Hours," which is a shoo-in to be nominated for best picture, director (Danny Boyle) and lead actor (James Franco). Pete Hammond recently reported that "The Way Back" just jumped into the derby thanks to Newmarket giving Peter Weir's drama about escapees from a Siberian prison camp a December qualifying run. Includes strong performances from Ed...
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10/08/2010 16:46
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'Animal Kingdom' and 'Mother and Child' are first DVD screeners of Oscar season
Being first out of the gate often matters a lot in the Oscar derby. "Frozen River" and "Little Miss Sunshine" reaped top nominations in 2008 and 2006, respectively, after being the first DVDs shipped to academy members. This year, that distinction goes to two releases shipped by Sony Pictures Classics late last week: "Animal Kingdom" and "Mother and Child." In his L.A. Times review, Kenneth Turan praised "Animal Kingdom," which won the world cinema jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival: "Faultlessly acted by top Australian talent, including Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn and Jacki Weaver, 'Animal Kingdom' marries heightened emotionality with cool contemporary style to illustrate one of the oldest of genre truths: 'Crooks always...
127 Hours Academy Awards Inception Oscars The Kids are All Right The King's Speech The Social Network
10/04/2010 18:38
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