600/Argo News/Gurus of Gold/Oscar Poker/Few with Feinberg/Oscar Guy/Central Park Five News/Beasts and SAG

Good Thursday World!

600

Today marks the 600th post of Michael's Telluride Film Blog/The Film Awards Clearinghouse.  Thanks for playing!  Hope that some of you have enjoyed it these last four years and found it informative and occasionally entertaining.

ARGO NEWS

Bryan Cranston's character poster for "Argo" (Supporting Actor nom please!)

Ben Affleck's "Argo" was the toast of Telluride this year and continues to ride a wave of buzz and popularity following the Toronto Festival.  Its roll out is complete next week when it opens nationally on Oct. 12th.  I'm looking forward to it as I will likely see it again.

WB has released 6 clips that together provide the set up for the Iranian hostage crisis set thriller that finds itself in the thick of the early awards conversation.  You can access those clips below via either Cinema Blend or The Playlist:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/6-Clips-From-Ben-Affleck-Argo-Reveal-Wild-Idea-Just-Might-Work-33294.html

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-6-clips-from-ben-afflecks-argo-set-up-the-story-plus-a-character-poster-for-bryan-cranston-20121001


Also available is this interview with Affleck from Hollywood News in the midst of the ongoing New York Film Festival (where Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" has been very well received):

http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2012/10/01/ben-affleck-on-argo-and-why-his-ensembles-work-so-well oscars/


David Poland of Movie City News also shared this sit down with Affleck earlier this week:

http://moviecitynews.com/2012/10/dp30-argo-directoractor-ben-affleck/


"Argo" has also been named this week to receive the Ensemble Acting Award from The Hollywood Film Awards:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-argo-cast-hollywood-film-awards-20121003,0,2477025.story

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/argo-ben-affleck-bryan-cranston-hollywood-film-awards-375905

http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2012/10/03/ben-affleck-alan-arkin-john-goodman-and-bryan-cranston-to-receive-the-hollywood-ensemble-acting-award/


GURUS OF GOLD

Movie City News has updated the Gurus of Gold Best Picture race and you can find it here:

http://moviecitynews.com/2012/10/gurus-o-gold-after-toronto-part-1/

Sasha Stone of Awards Daily compares this week's new Guru rankings with the past three years at this point in her post here:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2012/10/02/movie-city-news-releases-gurus-of-gold-part-1-post-toronto-still-anyones-game/

And the conclusion you should draw is that Telluride, for better or worse, has the MOST TANGIBLE EFFECT ON THE OSCAR RACE!  More than Venice, Cannes, Sundance and even Toronto.  Just look at the front runners at this point in 2009, 2010 and 2011.  Then there's the whole "Slumdog Millionaire" phenomena that happened in 2008.  Some won, some ultimately did not.  But if you're a producer/distributor/director and you want/think your film is Oscar worthy, Telluride is almost indispensable as THE PLACE you want your film to drop...

Now, you can argue with whether that's what Telluride should be, is intended to be...whatever...but the proof is in the pudding.  And I know there is some resistance in some quarters about Telluride's place in the scheme of awards season.  Further, I know that there are some film outlets/individuals that resist going to Telluride for whatever reasons (time, distance, etc.).  Bu, seriously, how can you argue with the recent past?

2012 Gurus of Gold Best Picture  chart leader the first week of October: "Argo"
In 2011: "The Descendants" (Eventual winner "The Artist" was at #3...still proving my point)
In 2010: "The King's Speech"
In 2009: "Up in the Air"

In part Two, the Gurus weigh in on Best Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress and Actor:

http://moviecitynews.com/2012/10/gurus-o-gold-after-toronto-part-2/


OSCAR POKER

Jeff Wells has a version of Oscar Poker up this week without past partner Sahsa Stone.  Scott Feinberg has stepped in for a one time/stand alone appearance.  I don't have a clue what went down between Stone and Wells...but it appears that that relationship is very, very done.  Stone has said she's moving onto another podcast and Wells is saying Oscar Poker will continue in some capacity...

Here's this week's link to the Wells/Feinberg edition:

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2012/10/oscar_poker_95.php


FEW WITH FEINBERG

And speaking of Scott Feinberg, here's this week's link to his video "A Few Minutes with Feinberg":

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/a-few-minutes-feinberg-fest-376292

SETH MAC FARLANE

Well, you have to hand it to the Academy.  They clearly wanted to shake things up for this year's Oscars and  almost certainly have done it by tapping comedian/actor/producer/writer/director...etc. Seth MacFarlane as this year's host.

I'm of a split mind here.  I've never been a big fan of MacFarlane's "work'.  I think the mix of topical satire and gross out humor doesn't play particularly well.  Though I do have to say, I mostly enjoyed his hosting gig on Saturday Night Live a couple of weeks ago.  Additionally, I understand that the Academy wants a draw for the telecast and is obviously wanting the demographics to go a bit younger...but still...I don't think that this is the way I would have gone.

Here are a couple of links concerning the MacFarlane choice from The Playlist and The Hollywood Reporter:



http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/surprise-seth-macfarlane-selected-to-host-the-oscars-20121001

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/seth-macfarlane-hosting-oscars-375327

CENTRAL PARK FIVE NEWS

Scott Feinberg re-tweeted news yesterday that the producers of the Ken Burns led documentary "The Central Park Five" have had he film subpoenaed in the lawsuit that has been brought against New York as a consequence of  that case.  Here's the link to the New York Times from Scott's tweet with those details:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/03/nyregion/ny-city-subpoenas-ken-burns-film-on-89-jogger-rape.html?hp&_r=0

And also from Movieline:

http://movieline.com/2012/10/03/new-york-city-subpoenas-ken-burns-film-central-park-jogger-rape-89-central-park-five/


BEASTS AND SAG

Earlier this week the Screen Actor's Guild ruled that "Beasts of the Southern Wild", which has been considered a strong contender for recognition this awards season, was ineligible for the SAG ensemble award.  Will that affect its Oscar chances?  Hard to tell, but Scott Feinberg at The Hollywood Reporter thinks it could.  Two stories and links from The New York Times and from THR:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/beasts-of-the-southern-wild-ineligible-for-sag-awards/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/beasts-southern-wild-sag-awards-375204


More on Monday...have a good weekend.

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