Directors Guild Announcement and BAFTA Means Oscar Looming/Films Making Noise from 41/Looking Ahead to 42

Good Monday to All...

DIRECTORS GUILD ANNOUNCEMENT AND BAFTA MEANS OSCAR LOOMING

Alejandro G. Inarritu was named the awarded the Best Direction prize last night by the DGA for "Birdman".  With that and wins from the PGA and SAG (ensemble) it might now be the real favorite for Best Picture on Oscar night.

Alejandro G. Inarritu with The DGA via HitFix/InContention

Here's some of the coverage and analysis from last night's announcement:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/alejandro-g-inarritu-wins-directors-guild-award-for-birdman/1

http://deadline.com/2015/02/birdman-dga-win-oscar-1201368817/

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/dga-prize-boosts-birdman-in-oscar-race-analysis-1201427652/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/dga-feature-award-goes-to-birdman-gaining-oscar-momentum-20150208

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/dga-awards-alejandro-g-inarritu-771156

But a "Birdman" win is not foreordained.  "Boyhood" rocked three BAFTA awards Sunday including Best Picture, Director and the expected Best Supporting Actress.  That closed the 24 hour cycle that had all but anointed "Birdman".  At this point, it seems to me that the "Bird" is flying a little higher than the "Boy" but neither film has this locked up.  Also, with a preferential ballot, despite that fact that it has been essentially a no-show throughout the Oscar run-up, I still think "The Imitation Game" could sneak onto enough ballots as #1, #2 and #3 to surprise come Oscar night.

Eddie Redmayne picked up the BAFTA Best Actor award.  He has to be considered the front runner, but I still stubbornly insist that a Michael Keaton win is possible.

I have linked BAFTA coverage and analysis here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/bafta-awards-boyhood-shows-signs-771273

http://deadline.com/2015/02/bafta-awards-analysis-baftas-winners-losers-1201368766/

http://www.hollywoodnews.com/2015/02/08/and-the-winners-of-the-2015-british-academy-film-awards-are/

http://moviecitynews.com/2015/02/20-weeks-to-oscar-what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-best-picture-2/

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2015/02/the-state-of-the-race-boyhood-is-honored-in-england-while-hollywood-sends-a-message-to-studios/

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/off-the-carpet-how-to-look-at-what-the-guilds-and-bafta-awards-have-told-us

Oscar voting has begun and is ongoing.



FILMS MAKING NOISE FROM 41

Quick looks here at three films that were highlighted by stories on the web since my last post.  first, an interview from Gold Derby with "The Imitation Game" screen writer Graham Moore:

http://www.goldderby.com/news/8416/graham-moore-interview-imitation-game-oscars-entertainment-13579086-story.html

Andrea Gronvall profiles Gabe Polsky, the director of the documentary "Red Army":

http://moviecitynews.com/2015/02/the-gronvall-report-gabe-polsky-on-red-army/

Brad Brevet at Rope of Silicon passes on a story of the original ending for Alejandro G. Inarritu's "Birdman".  It might have been very, very different:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/original-birdman-ending-revealed-feature-johnny-depp/

Finally, this from FirstShowing.net...a trailer for Eyhan Hawke's very well received documentary "Seymour: An Introduction":

http://www.firstshowing.net/2015/must-watch-trailer-for-ethan-hawkes-seymour-an-introduction/


LOOKING AHEAD TO 42

The Berlin International Film Festival is underway.  In the run up to the fest IndieWire posted a piece highlighting nine films that they were excited about.  The list includes a few films that I've been thinking are real Telluride possibilities:  "Queen of the Desert" (although the reviews aren't rocking the film world after its premiere, so maybe this is a Herzog that doesn't play at The Zog), "Mr. Holmes" and "The Club".  MTFB/FAC friend Christopher Schiller opined last weekend that "45 Years" might make the T-ride lineup.  Actually, almost any one of the nine films on IndieWire's list could pop up over Labor Day weekend.  Here's the post:

http://www.indiewire.com/article/berlin-2015-the-9-films-indiewire-cant-wait-to-see-20150205

Furious Cinema has posted an interesting piece on the influences that Quentin Tarantino is likely playing with as he films "The Hateful Eight" just outside Telluride.  It's fun.  Take a look:

http://www.furiouscinema.com/2015/01/hateful-eight-primer/

Finally, Sir Ian McKellen tweeted the first poster for the above-mentioned Berlin film and possible Telluride choice "Mr. Holmes":

More on Thursday...Have a great week...