Coming Attractions/Foreign News/Cuaron and Gravity/Nyong'o Long Ago...well, Two Years.

Good Monday All...

COMING ATTRACTIONS...

Keeping last week's promise, here's the first of what will likely be several entries regarding films that are floating around various stages of genesis/production that have at least some potential to play as a part of some future Telluride Film Festival.  Since teasing the notion that I keep this file last week, I have added information about this week's announcements that Jennifer Lawrence will be in Gary Ross's new version/adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic "East of Eden".  Look at a couple of posts about that tantalizing prospect here from The Playlist and The Hollywood Reporter:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jennifer-lawrence-gary-ross-reteam-for-2-part-east-of-eden-burial-rites-20130925

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jennifer-lawrence-gary-ross-reteam-636585

This project isn't really a film that immediately says: "Telluride" but I'm personally intrigued by the thought of it.  I think it would be interesting to see this pair away from "The Hunger Games" and what Ross might do. I'm an admirer of both "Seabiscuit" and "Pleasantville".  I like J. Law too.

On a more conventional prospect for Telluride, of the ten or so films I mentioned in last week's post about potential T-ride projects, none has a greater likelihood of playing than Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert".  Over the past few months I have collected numerous posts about its development (from The Playlist and Empireonline.com):

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/noami-watts-out-nicole-kidman-in-for-werner-herzogs-sweeping-queen-of-the-desert-20130908

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/james-franco-could-replace-jude-law-in-werner-herzogs-queen-of-the-desert-20130425

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/naomi-watts-says-werner-herzogs-queen-of-the-desert-with-robert-pattinson-jude-law-on-hold-20130120

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=35680

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/jude-law-joins-werner-herzogs-queen-of-the-desert-with-naomi-watts-robert-pattinson-20121102

FOREIGN NEWS

A lot of movement occurred this week in regards to the Foreign Language Oscar as the Oct. 1 deadline for submission looms.  Iran officially is back in the FLF race as they chose Asghar Farhadi's "The Past" and Israel chose "Bethlehem" as their entry.  Poland has "Ida" all of which played Telluride this year.  Links below to stories on each of the three films:

Ioncinema's "Ida" story:
http://networkedblogs.com/PqMWk

The Hollywood Reporter on "Bethlehem":
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/bethlehem-represent-israel-as-foreign-638654

Variety on "The Past":
http://variety.com/2013/film/news/iran-picks-the-past-for-oscar-1200679482/


CUARON AND GRAVITY

Alfonso Cuaron continues to generate astounding critical response and buzz as it nears its release date this weekend.  The director talked recently to Kris Tapley of HitFix/InContention about the film and other matters.  You can see that here:
http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/alfonso-cuaron-on-the-long-strange-trip-of-gravity#~oiRVsFR0Wm2U6C


NYONG'O LONG AGO

Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" has a lot going for it and has been received rapturously at both Telluride and Toronto and is soon to be bow at the New York Film Fest (Oct. 8).  One of its surprises is the emergence of Lupita Nyong'o in the role of a young woman who has captured the fancy of the evil plantation owner played by Michael Fassbender.  Nyong'o is very new to American audiences but does have some credits on her resume.  Among them: soap opera work in her native Kenya.  Take a look at this CNN video in which the young actress talks about her early career:

http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/international/2010/10/25/av.shuga.kenya.mtv.bk.b.cnn.html


More on Thursday!

The First FAC for 2013/12 Years Revealed/Llewyn Sings Dink's Song/Bethlehem Has a Home

Good Thursday Everyone...

THE FIRST FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE FOR 2013

I’m starting the annual collation of Oscar predictions from well known experts for this season with my expected emphasis on the films that played as a part of the TFF #40 program.  As usual, I’ll begin with the Big Eight categories and expand the FAC to the other categories as we move through the season.

As I have for the last couple of years, I use the publicly posted predictions of these Oscar experts:

Sasha Stone/Awards Daily

Kris Tapley/HitFix-InContention

Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood

Peter Knegt/IndieWire

Alex Carlson/Film Misery

Nathaniel Rogers/Film Experience

Scott Feinberg/The Hollywood Reporter

Clayton Davis/Awards Circuit

Brad Brevet/Rope of Silicon

And here’s what they say as we conclude September...

BEST PICTURE

Last year, the initial Best Picture FAC had all nine eventual nominees listed in the top ten so that’s a good omen for the films that are at the top of this poll.  There have been 9 Best Picture nominees the last two years.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we get 10 this year.  Telluride #40 films are Bold.

1) 12 Years a Slave

2) Gravity

3) American Hustle

4) Captain Phillips

5) Saving Mr. Banks

6) The Wolf of Wall Street***

7) Inside Llewyn Davis

8) Lee Daniel’s The Butler

9) Foxcatcher

10) Nebraska

Others:

11) The Monuments Men

12) All is Lost

13) August: Osage County

14) Blue Jasmine

15) The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

***Rumors have been flying this week that Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” mind end up being pushed to a 2014 release date which could have a significant impact on the Best Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor and Adapted Screenplay races.

Other thoughts:  I’m personally dubious about “Saving Mr. Banks”.  Also, I’m really hot to see “American Hustle”, “Captain Phillips”, “Foxcatcher” and “The Monuments Men”.  “Walter Mitty” could really be a sleeper as could Spike Jonze’s “Her” and Jean Marc Vallee’s “Dallas Buyers Club”.

BEST DIRECTION

1) Steve McQueen/12 Years a Slave

2) Alfonso Cuaron/Gravity

3) David O. Russell/American Hustle

4) Paul Greengrass/Captain Phillips

5) Martin Scorsese/The Wolf of Wall Street (***see note above)

Others:

6) Alexander Payne/Nebraska

7) John Lee Hancock/Saving Mr. Banks

8) Lee Daniels/Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Thoughts: It seems to me that the most likely people to disrupt the parade of these eight possible nominees would be the Coen Brothers for “Inside Llewyn Davis”.  Possibly J.C. Chandor for “All is Lost” or Spike Jonze for “Her”.

BEST ACTRESS

1) Cate Blanchett/Blue Jasmine

2) Meryl Streep/August: Osage County

3) Sandra Bullock/Gravity

4) Judi Dench/Philomena

5) Emma Thompson/Saving Mr. Banks

Others:

6) Amy Adams/American Hustle

7) Berenice Bejo/The Past

Thoughts: Blanchett is the early (and big) favorite.  Adele Excharopoulos/Blue is the Warmest Color and Kate Winslet/Labor Day seem the most likely to break into the race.

BEST ACTOR

1) Chiwetel Ejiofor/12 Years a Slave

2) Robert Redford/All is Lost

3) Matthew McConnaughey/Dallas Buyers Club

4) Bruce Dern/Nebraska

5) Forest Whitaker/Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Others:

6)  Leonardo DiCaprio/The Wolf of Wall Street (***see note above)

7) Tom Hanks/Captain Phillips

Thoughts:  For a race that’s supposed to be tight and competitive, I was surprised at how few men were dominating the nine experts that I use.  Who else might challenge?  Steve Carell in “Foxcatcher” and Idris Elba in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” seem to be the only others at this point getting much interest.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

1) Oprah Winfrey/Lee Daniels’ The Butler

2) Lupita Nyong’o/12 Years a Slave

3) June Squibb/Nebraska

4) Margo Martindale/August: Osage County

5) Octavia Spencer/Fruitvale Station

Others:

6) Jennifer Lawrence/American Hustle

7) Julia Roberts/August: Osage County

8) Cameron Diaz/The Counselor

9) Sally Hawkins/Blue Jasmine

Thoughts: Winfrey and Nyong’o have sucked all the oxygen up in this contest and I doubt that will change between now and Oscar night.  Others that could sneak in: Sarah Paulson/12 Years a Slave or Carey Mulligan/Inside Llewyn Davis

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

1) American Hustle

2) Inside Llewyn Davis

3) Blue Jasmine

4) Saving Mr. Banks

5) Her

Others:

6) Nebraska

7) Fruitvale Station

8) Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Thoughts: Screenplay categories are notoriously dodgy to puzzle out.  No script in this category has a clear edge in the early going.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

1) 12 Years a Slave

2) Before Midnight

3) Captain Phillips

4) The Wolf of Wall Street (***see note above)

5) Foxcatcher

Others:

6) Philomena

7) The Monuments Men

Thoughts: It’s telling to me that “August: Osage County” has almost no early support in this category.

Overall, in the Big Eight categories, the experts collectively have "12 Years a Slave" with five nominations, "Gravity" with four, Nebraska with three and two other possibles, "Inside Llewyn Davis" with two, "All is Lost" with one and one other possible and "The Past" with one possible nomination.  That has TFF #40 films with 14 nominations and four other possibilities.

AND ON THE "WOLF OF WALL STREET" NOTE...

 *** As a matter of fact, here's one of the posts from earlier this week that suggests that "The Wolf of Wall Street" maybe on the way out of a 2013 release date and off of this year's Oscar charts (from The Playlist):

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/oscar-race-may-grow-slimmer-as-grace-of-monaco-bumped-to-spring-wolf-of-wall-street-debates-move-to-2014-20130924

12 YEARS A SLAVE REVEALED

Journos and bloggers continue to unearth information from the film makers and cast members of Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" as is evidenced by the following:

Alex Billington at FirstShowing.net interviews McQueen and his star Chiwetel Ejiofor in this post from earlier this week:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/interview-12-years-a-slave-star-chiwetel-ejiofor-on-solomon-northup/

Shadow and Act's Tambay A. Obenson profiles newcomer (and Likely Best Supporting Actress nominee) Lupita Nyong'o.  That profile and teases of future interviews to come are linked here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/get-familiar-w-lupita-nyongos-past-work-before-seeing-her-lauded-performance-in-12-years-a-slave

LLEWYN SINGS DINK'S SONG

It's n secret that I loved the Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" and I also loved the music that is the backbone of the film.  The soundtrack doesn't drop until Nov. 12 but those of us that attended the Patron brunch this year were lucky enough to score a vinyl EP that includes 6 songs from the film ("Five Hundred Miles", "The Death of Queen Jane", "The Auld Triangle", "Green Green Rocky Road", "Farewell" and "Fare the Well/Dink's Song").

Tuesday, a number of press outlets and blogs included a link to the Marcus Mumford/Oscar Issac collaboration "Fare the Well (Dink's Song" that has been featured in the "ILD" trailer.

You can hear it here from Rope of Silicon or The Playlist:

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/listen-marcus-mumford-oscar-isaac-sing-fare-thee-well-dirks-song-inside-llewyn-davis/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/listen-marcus-mumford-oscar-isaccs-beautiful-fare-thee-well-dinks-song-from-inside-llewyn-davis-20130924

BETHLEHEM GETS A HOME

Israeli thriller "Bethlehem" that played as a part of TFF 340 to generally warm reception has reportedly been acquired by Adopt Films according to this post from The Star Tribune:

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/blogs/224894082.html

More on Monday...hope you all have a fantastic weekend!