A Moment for Mike/Film Awards Clearinghouse Vol. 4B/More "Foxcatcher" Blitz/Starting to Pump for "The Imitation Game"/Hilary Talks "The Homesman"/Coming Attractions: Steve McQueen

Good Thursday Y'all...

A MOMENT FOR MIKE

Word early this morning that visionary director Mike Nichols has died.  Nichols was one of the most important directors that has ever worked this biz.  Among his credits were "The Graduate" (Oscar winner for Best Director) and "Angels in America" both were ground breaking.  I'd place each of those projects on their respective top ten all time lists for their medium.  Then there was "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?".  There was so much more.  In a year that had already produced two gut punches: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Williams...count Nichols death as a third.  He was 83.

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/mike-nichols-graduate-director-dead-at-83-1201360933/

http://www.hitfix.com/news/mike-nichols-director-of-the-graduate-passes-away-at-83

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/21/movies/mike-nichols-celebrated-director-dies-at-83.html



THE FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL. 4B

Here's the latest FAC focused on the Supporting Acting and Screenplay categories.

The FAC uses the published predictions of the following to develop its list of likely Oscar nominees:

Kristopher Tapley/InContention/HitFix
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Bred Brevet/Rope of Silicon
Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood
Peter Knegt/IndieWire
Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit
Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter

Telluride #41 films are Bold (with their last rating in parentheses).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1) Patricia Arquette/Boyhood (1)

2) Kiera Knightley/The Imitation Game (2)

3) Emma Stone/Birdman (3)

4) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods (4)

5) Laura Dern/Wild (5)

6) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year (NR)

7) Jessica Chastain/Interstellar (6)

8) Carmen Ejogo/Selma (7)

9) Kristen Stewart/Still Alice (NR)

10) Katherine Waterston/Inherent Vice (8)

Hot: Chastain/Most Violent...The AFI screening has her knocking on the door of another nomination.  K Stew returns to the top ten for "Still Alice"

Not: Octavia Spencer and Anna Kendrick who both drop from the top ten.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

1) J.K. Simmons/Whiplash (1)

2) Edward Norton/Birdman (2)

3) Ethan Hawke/Boyhood (4)

4) Mark Ruffalo/Foxcatcher (3)

5) Tom Wilkinson/Selma (5)

6) Miyavi/Unbroken (6)

7) Josh Brolin/Inherent Vice (8)

8) Robert Duvall/The Judge (NR)

9) Christoph Waltz/Big Eyes (7)

10) John Goodman/The Gambler (9)

Hot: Duvall, who makes a return to the top ten.

Not: Waltz and Tyler Perry.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) The Theory pf Everything (1)

2) The Imitation Game (2)

3) Gone Girl (3)

4) Unbroken (4)

5) Wild (5)

6) American Sniper (6)

7) Inherent Vice (7)

8) Still Alice (8)

9) Into the Woods (9)

10) Rosewater (10)

Comment: The category hasn't moved in two weeks.  Wow.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) Boyhood (1)

2) Birdman (2)

3) Whiplash (3)

4) The Grand Budapest Hotel (4)

5) Foxcatcher (5)

6) Mr. Turner (6)

7) Selma (7)

8) A Most Violent Year (8)

9) Interstellar (9)

10) Wild Tales (10)

Comment: Also no movement in this category in the last two weeks.

MORE FOXCATCHER BLITZ

Here are two interviews with writer/director Bennett Miller as the "Foxcatcher" media blitz continues:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/11/bennett-miller-interview/382742/

http://thedissolve.com/features/interview/818-foxcatcher-director-bennett-miller-on-the-essentia/

STARTING TO PUMP FOR THE IMITATION GAME

With the release of "The Imitation Game" now just days away, that film also is cranking up the P.R. campaign.  I have included interviews and clips with co-stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera Knightley:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/imitation-game-benedict-cumberbatch-explains-749513

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/benedict-cumberbatch-keira-knightley-making-748838

http://news.moviefone.com/2014/11/18/benedict-cumberbatch-imitation-game-clip/


HILARY TALKS THE HOMESMAN

Hilary Swank continues to be a part of the Oscar conversation for her role in Tommy Lee Jones' "The Homesman"  She has consistently been at the #6 spot in the FAC assessment of the Best Actress race.  She talked recently to Gold Derby about the film:

http://www.goldderby.com/news/7653/hilary-swank-the-homesman-tommy-lee-jones-oscars-movies-entertainment-13579086-story.html


COMING ATTRACTIONS: STEVE MC QUEEN AND PAUL ROBESON

Mark it down as a real possibility for TFF #43...Steve McQueen's next feature project appears to be set and it's a film about the life of the legendary Paul Robeson.  The only casting news at this point?  Harry Belafonte will have some role to play.  My question is: "What role will Michael Fassbender play in the film?"  Fassbender has been featured in all three of McQueen's features: "Hunger", "Shame" and "12 Years a Slave" and all three played Telluride.  Here's some of the posts announcing the McQueen/Robeson project:

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/steve-mcqueen-teams-with-harry-belafonte-on-paul-robeson-biopic-1201359755/

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/steve-mcqueen-to-direct-film-centered-on-paul-robesons-life

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/steve-mcqueen-making-paul-robeson-750183


More on Monday...