1,000 Posts/Variety Series/Sundance Stories

Good Monday Everyone...

A quick note here...Michael's Telluride Film Blog/Film Awards Clearinghouse will not post on Thursday this week or next week. I'll be holidaying on both of those days.  I will post a new MTFB next Monday, Dec. 29th and return to the normal twice a week posting on Monday, Jan. 5th  followed by a new post on Thursday, Jan. 8th.

Of course, if something blog-worthy pops, I could change all that.

Here's todays' MTFB/FAC:

1,000 POSTS

Today's post is MTFB/FAC's 1000th post!  The first post came on August 8, 2008.  Here it is in its entirety:

The festival opens three weeks from today and the Pattersons are uber excited. Last year's fest was such a great experience that we're really looking forward to whatever awaits us in the San Juans in a few days. See you there! When in Telluride, stay at the lovely River Club!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to today:  This all started with the notion that someone might be able to decipher some of the films that would make the secret lineup each year with enough investigation.  I know I've written this before, but it's still difficult for me to believe that people actually read this; that it's been going for more than six years and that people seem to find it useful.

I'm not sure what the future holds for MTFB/FAC.  If you'd have asked me back in 2008 if it'd still be going 6 years and 1,000 posts later, I probably would have said that was nope, so predicting what happens with it over the next six years...

As always, huge gratitude to the people who have allowed me to indulge in this exercise:  Mitzi and Larry Mallard of Telluride who have made my attendance at the festival possibly each year since 2006.  Passes for me and my wife, Kristy, as well as sumptuous lodging for us and our guests for nine straight fests.  I'm guessing that the monetary value of this generosity would be around $100,000. You kids have changed my life.

Thanks also to the staff of TFF especially over the last four fests that MTFB/FAC has been accredited as a part of the official TFF press corps.  A specific shout out to Erica Gioga, Shannon Mitchell and Julie Huntsinger for their graciousness each time I've talked with them.

Thanks to the great friends that we have made along the way including those of you who attended the "Guide to the Ride" meet-ups in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

To those of you who have read and supported this experiment, my gratitude.  It means more to me than you can imagine when someone who reads the blog comes up to me at the fest to say hello.  It also constantly amazes me.

And finally, the biggest "thank you" to my wife and biggest fan, Kristy...at least I think she's the biggest fan.  She's endured this obsession of mine with patience and support for six years. Thank you!

Another six years and a 2,000th post?  Who knows, but I'm going to try.

VARIETY SERIES

Variety has been publishing/posting a series of conversations between people who are likely Oscar contenders which has necessarily included a number of Telluride #41 film participants.  You might have seen my link in an earlier post to the convo featuring Edward Norton (Birdman) and Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game).  There have been more and I have included links to several with T-ride connections here:

Michael Keaton (Birdman) and Reese Witherspoon (Wild):

http://variety.com/video/actors-on-actors-reese-witherspoon-and-michael-keaton-full-video/


Hilary Swank (The Homesman) and Tilda Swinton (TFF 2011 Tribute recipient):

http://variety.com/video/actors-on-actors-hilary-swank-and-tilda-swinton-full-video/


Producers Roundtable including producers for: "The Imitation Game", "Wild" and "Foxcatcher":

http://variety.com/video/producers-roundtable-at-the-variety-studio/


Another Variety feature called The Contenders; Directors on Directors has had contemporaries of various Oscar candidates write a bit about them.  Included are Alejandro Inarittu/Birdman (by Alfonso Curaon), Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher (by Andrew Dominik), Tommy Lee Jones/The Homesman (by Ron Shelton), Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game (by Michael Roskam), Xavier Dolan/Mommy (by Damien Chazelle) and Jean Marc Vallee/Wild (by Jeff Nichols).


http://variety.com/gallery/contenders-directors-on-directors/#!1/birdman-fox/


SUNDANCE STORIES

Announcements within the last ten days about films that will play the Sundance Film Fest in and around Park City, Utah have moved some films that I have thought could be Telluride players into the "not very likely" camp.  "Slow West" (Michael Fassbender) and "True Story" (Jonah Hill, James Franco) have both been named as Sundance premieres.  Sundance founder and recent (2013) Telluride Tribute recipients Robert Redford's "A Walk in the Woods" starring Redford and Nick Nolte and directed by Ken Kwapis will also, unsurprisingly, play Sundance.

I've included some of that coverage here:

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/sundance-adds-robert-redford-drama-jonah-hill-and-james-francos-true-story-1201379800/

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/a-walk-in-the-woods-true-story-are-also-headed-to-sundance/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/sundance-2015-lineup-includes-slow-west-z-for-zachariah-results-strangerland-and-more-20141203

The Film Awards Clearinghouse Vol. 6A: Picture, Director, Actress and Actor/Cotillard Talks/Foxcatcher and Makeup/Rudderless Top Ten/Critics Choice Awards

FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL. 6A

Here's the latest FAC focused on Best Picture, Director, Actress and Actor.

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 PICTURE

1) Boyhood (1)
2) Birdman (3)
3) The Imitation Game (4)
4) Selma (2)
5) The Theory of Everything (5)
6) The Grand Budapest Hotel (15)
7) Whiplash (7)
8) Foxcatcher (9)
9) Unbroken (6)
10) Gone Girl (8)
11) Into the Woods (12)
12) Nightcrawler (NR)
13) Interstellar (10)
14) Mr. Turner (13)
15) A Most Violent Year (14)

Hot: Grand Budapest, Nightcrawler

Not: Selma, Unbroken, Gone Girl, American Sniper

Comment: "Grand Budapest" returns to a serious part of the conversation in light of good news from critics and Globes nominations.  "Selma's" drop is probably not all that crucial.


BEST DIRECTION

1) Richard Linklater/Boyhood (1)
2) Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu/Birdman (2)
3) Ava DuVernay/Selma (3)
4) Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game (4)
5) Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel (13)
6) David Fincher/Gone Girl (6)
7) Damien Chazelle/Whiplash (7)
8) Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher (10)
9) Angelina Jolie/Unbroken (5)
10) James Marsh/The Theory of Everything (8)

 Hot: Anderson, Miller

Not: Jolie, Marsh and Nolan

Comment:  the Director's race continues to tell me that "Imitation Game" is the more likely Best Picture spoiler compared to "The Theory of Everything".  Wes Anderson also benefits from "The Grand Budapest" explosion over the lat ten days.

BEST ACTRESS

1) Julianne Moore/Still Alice (1)
2) Reese Witherspoon/Wild (2)
3) Felicity Jones/The Theory of Everything (3)
4) Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl (4)
5) Jennifer Aniston/Cake (9)
6) Amy Adams/Big Eyes (6)
7) Hilary Swank/The Homesman (5)
8) Marion Cotillard/Two Days, One Night (11)
9) Emily Blunt/Into the Woods (7)
10) Shailene Woodley/The Fault in Our Stars (8)


Hot: Aniston and Cotillard.

Not: Swank, Blunt, Woodley and Mbatha-Raw

Comment:  Aniston is a hot enough candidate that I expect she might be parked at #2 when we re-visit the category in two weeks.  Ultimately, the five nominees might be known at this point.


BEST ACTOR

1) Michael Keaton/Birdman (1)
2) Eddie Redmayne/The Theory of Everything (2)
3) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Imitation Game (3)
4) David Oyelowo/Selma (4)
5) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher (5)
6) Jake Gyllenhaal/Nightcrawler (10)
7) Timothy Spall/Mr. Turner (7)
8) Ralph Fiennes/The Grand Budapest Hotel (11)
9) Oscar Isaac/A Most Violent Year (8)
10) Chadwick Boseman/Get On Up (14)

Hot: Gyllenhaal, Fiennes and Boseman

Not: Cooper.O'Connell

Comment: Gyllenhaal is definitely a part of the convo along with Oyelowo and Carell for the fourth and fifth spots.


COTILLARD TALKS

Thompson on Hollywood talks to the Telluride Tribute recipient,  Oscar winner and potential nominee about "Two Days, One Night" and other matters.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/from-the-immigrant-to-two-days-one-night-marion-cotillards-amazing-year-20141201


FOXCATCHER AND MAKEUP

Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" makes the final lineup of seven films that can still be Oscar nominated for outstanding hair and makeup:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/seven-features-make-the-oscar-hair-and-makeup-shortlist-20141215


RUDDERLESS TOP TEN

William H. Macy's (and Casey Twenter and Jeff Robison's) "Rudderless" makes Fred Topel/Crave Online's Top 15 film list from 2014.

Ahead of: "Unbroken", "Boyhood", "Begin Again" and "Gone Girl".

Check the list here:

http://www.craveonline.com/film/articles/800787-14-best-films-2014-final-opinion#/slide/1


CRITIC'S CHOICE AWARDS NOMINATIONS LED BY "BIRDMAN"

Continuing a trend that I have said will carry on into Oscar nomination morning, Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman" led all films with 13 Critic's Choice Award nominations including Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor, Direction and Screenplay.

Also among the nominees from Telluride:

"The Imitation Game": Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Adapted Screenplay

"Two Days, One Night": Best Actress

"Wild" Best Actress, Adapted Screenplay

"Foxcatcher" Best Supporting Actor

The complete list is here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/birdman-leads-pack-13-critics-757554


More in Monday...

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...

The Film Awards Clearinghouse Vol. 2-Four Major Categories/HitFix-InContention Survey the Oscar Field/Inherent Trailer/Last Note: Trumbo

Hello on a Monday...October is just around the corner.


THE FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE VOL. 2A-FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES

As the New York Film Festival roared to life over the past weekend, I took the opportunity to take another snapshot of the four biggest races in the Oscar contest for 2014.  In the wake of the conclusion of the triumvirate of September fests (Telluride, Toronto and Venice) and the first reviews coming out for the NYFF opener, David Fincher's "Gone Girl", there has been some movement in some of the categories.

As always, 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.
A film/person's rating in the last FAC is listed to the right in parentheses.


BEST PICTURE

1) The Imitation Game (3)
2) Birdman (1)
3) Boyhood (2)
4) The Theory of Everything (6)
5) Unbroken (5)
6) Interstellar (7)
7) Foxcatcher (4)
8) Gone Girl (8)
9) Mr. Turner (9)
10) Fury (NR)
11) Selma (NR)
12) Whiplash (NR)
13) Into the Woods (NR)
14) Wild (NR)
15) The Grand Budapest Hotel (10)

Comment:  Big boost to "The Imitation Game" coming out of Telluride and then winning the audience award at Toronto.  "Theory" also got a good bump from Toronto.  "Foxcatcher" and "Grand Budapest" getting the worst of it over the last couple of weeks.

Watch out for J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year" which has been announced as the opening film for the American Film Institute festival on Nov. 6th.


BEST DIRECTION

1) Alejandro Inarritu/Birdman (1)
2) Richard Linklater/Boyhood (2)
3) Angelina Jolie/Unbroken (5)
4) Christopher Nolan/Interstellar (4)
5) Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game (6)
6) Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher (3)
7) David Fincher/Gone Girl (NR)
8) James Marsh/The Theory of Everything (NR)
9) David Ayer/Fury (7)
10) Mike Leigh/Mr. Turner (8)

Comment: Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson drop out.  I expect PTA will jump back into the conversation once "Inherent Vice" plays as the centerpiece for the New York Film Festival.  There's been big momentum for Jolie, Fincher and Marsh in the past two weeks and, as I expected and wrote in the first FAC for Best Director, Morten Tyldum moved up a spot to #5 and would be a nominee if these stats prove accurate.

BEST ACTRESS

1) Reese Witherspoon/Wild (1)
2) Felicity Jones/The Theory of Everything (4)
3) Julianne Moore/Still Alice (8)
4) Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl (3)
5) Amy Adams/Big Eyes (2)
6) Hilary Swank/The Homesman (6)
7) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year (9)
8) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods (5)
9) Shailene Woodley/The Fault in Our Stars (7)
10) Jessica Chastain/The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (10)

Comment:  Julianne Moore rockets up the chart after her Toronto performance.  I expect that she'll move to the top spot by the time I get the next FAC for Best Actress up.  Amy Adams and Meryl Streep take a dive...and I get the feeling that that may be prophetic.  Who benefits?  Chastain would be my bet.  My five would be: Moore, Witherspoon, Pike, Jones and Chastain (for "Most Violent Year").

BEST ACTOR

1) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Imitation Game (2)
2) Michael Keaton/Birdman (1)
3) Eddie Redmayne/The Theory of Everything (4)
4) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher (3)
5) Timothy Spall/Mr. Turner (5)
6) David Oyelowo/Selma (6)
7) Bill Murray/St. Vincent (8)
8) Jack O'Connell/Unbroken (10)
9) Joaquin Phoenix/Inherent Vice (9)
10) Ralph Fiennes/The Grand Budapest Hotel (7)

Comment: This has been a fairly stable category the last two weeks despite bring generally regarded as one of the most competitive categories.  The top three men are so tightly packed that it's likely going to be tight right to the end.  Big boost for O'Connell (who would replace Timothy Spall in my guesses at the five nominees) and Fiennes suffers the biggest drop.


HITFIX AND IN CONTENTION SURVEY THE OSCAR FIELD

The crew at HitFix and In Contention have put together a lengthy list of Best Picture contenders and assess the chances of each of the films at winning the big prize on Feb. 22.  The TFF #41 films on their list (alphabetically):

"Birdman"
"Foxcatcher"
"The Homesman"
"The Imitation Game"
"Mr. Turner"
"Rosewater"
"Wild"

The complete post is here:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/best-picture-2015-oscar-contenders-include-interstellar-gone-girl-and-the-imitation-game


INHERENT TRAILER

OK...OK...it's not a Telluride film but I couldn't help linking to the trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" that dropped earlier this week.  I'll be honest, I've been a little reluctant about embracing/anticipating this film.  I love me some PTA but I found, in reading the Thomas Pynchon novel, that the loosey goosey structure to be entertaining for awhile and then a little annoying.  Occasional comparisons to PTA's "Punch Drunk Love" didn't help...it's his one film that I think is really just bad.

But recent reports that "Vice" is inspired/informed by Zucker-esque films such as "Airplane" and "Top Secret" have me re-intrigued.  The trailer is also...interesting.  Check it here and take a look at a number of posts/stories about the film and the trailer that I have also linked:

"Inherent Vice" trailer (via YouTube)

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/first-trailer-inherent-vice-has-736562

http://moviecitynews.com/2014/09/trailering-paul-and-toms-inherent-vice-201/

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/paul-thomas-anderson-thomas-pyncheon-and-joaquin-phoenix-collide-in-inherent-vice-trailer#YvFDolziFfKXy3AW.99

http://time.com/3448964/trailer-paul-thomas-anderson-inherent-vice/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-joaquin-phoenix-gets-his-stoner-detective-groove-on-in-paul-thomas-andersons-psychedelic-comedy-inherent-vice-20140929

LAST NOTE: TRUMBO

On Monday I posted a list of five films that might have a future at Telluride and at #3 on that list was Jay Roach's "Trumbo" which will star Bryan Cranston as the blackballed author and screenwriter.  I admitted than that I had no real Telluride connections that I could point to such as a producer, director or dustributor with a Telluride history.

Fortunately MTFB reader Patrick Pringle was on the ball and pointed out that Dalton Trumbo came from that part of Colorado.  Patrick reminded me that Trumbo was born in Montrose, CO. and raised in nearby Grand Junction.  For all practical purposes, Dalton Trumbo was a hometown boy.  

Thanks Patrick!

More on Monday...Have a great weekend.

The First 2014 Film Awards Clearinghouse-Four Major Categories/Words from Inarritu/The Playlist Looks at Telluride

Welcome to Monday and another week in the middle of September.

THE FIRST 2014 FILM AWARDS CLEARINGHOUSE-FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES

With Telluride and Venice done and Toronto wrapping up, here's the first look at The FAC for Best Picture, Director, Actor and Actress.  TFF #41 Films in Bold.

The FAC uses the published predictions f 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

A bit later in the season, I'll  add other Oscar experts...but for now...

BEST PICTURE

1) Birdman
2) Boyhood
3) The Imitation Game
4) Foxcatcher
5) Unbroken
6) The Theory of Everything
7) Interstellar
8) Gone Girl
9) Mr. Turner
10) The Grand Budapest Hotel

Comment:  Personally, if I were wagering, my money would likely be on "Unbroken", "The Imitation Game" and then "Birdman" in that order.

BEST DIRECTION

1) Alejandro Inarritu/Birdman
2) Richard Linklater/Boyhood
3) Bennett Miller/Foxcatcher
4) Christopher Nolan/Interstellar
5) Angelina Jolie/Unbroken
6) Morten Tyldum/The Imitation Game
7) David Ayer/Fury
8) Mike Leigh/Mr. Turner
9) Wes Anderson/The Grand Budapest Hotel
10) Paul Thomas Anderson/Inherent Vice

Comment:  Some disconnects here...James Marsh who directs "The Theory of Everything" which sits at #5 on the BP chart doesn't make the Best Direction list while David Yer does for "Fury".  I suspect that Morten Tyldum will gain some momentum as the season moves along.


BEST ACTRESS

1) Reese Witherspoon/Wild
2) Amy Adams/Big Eyes
3) Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl
4) Felicity Jones/The Theory of Everything
5) Meryl Streep/Into the Woods
6) Hilary Swank/The Homesman
7) Shailene Woodley/The Fault in Our Stars
8) Julianne Moore/Still Alice
9) Jessica Chastain/A Most Violent Year
10) Jessica Chastain/Eleanor Rigby

Comment: A tough category in what is perceived as a weak year for lead female roles.  This list is likely very volatile.  Chastain may beat herself out as she has a number of projects and "A Most Violent Year" may not even see release this year.  Frankly, I'm dubious about Streep on "Into the Woods".


BEST ACTOR

1) Michael Keaton/Birdman
2) Benedict Cumberbatch/The Imitation Game
3) Steve Carell/Foxcatcher
4) Eddie Redmayne/The Theory of Everything
5) Timothy Spall/Mr. Turner
6) David Oyelowo/Selma
7) Ralph Fiennes/The Grand Budapest Hotel
8) Bill Murray/St. Vincent
9) Joaquin Phoenix/Inherent Vice
10) Jack O'Connell/Unbroken


Comment:  I think Spall is really in jeopardy here.  Fiennes, Murray and O'Connell duke it out for the fifth spot.


I'll be looking at the Supporting Acting categories and the screenplay categories next week on MTFB/FAC.


WORDS FROM INARRITU

Alejandro G. Inarritu at T-ride (Getty Images)

Friend of the blog Alex Billington of FirstShowing.net got a chance at Telluride to speak with director/writer Alejandro G. Inarritu about his brilliant film "Birdman" and other topics as well.  Alex posted his interview with the autuer here:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/video-interview-birdman-director-alejandro-g-inarritu-discusses-life/


THE PLAYLIST TALKS TELLURIDE, FALL FESTS AND THE OSCAR SEASON

I've included a link to the latest podcast from The Playlist.  The 'cast goes nearly an hour and covers any number of topics from the last couple of weeks.  Take a listen here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/podcast-the-playlist-talks-telluride-tiff-venice-and-reductive-oscar-narratives-20140916


More on Monday.  Have a good weekend!

The People's Telluride/Scenes from TFF #41/Catching Foxcatcher

Good Thursday to all...

THE PEOPLE'S TELLURIDE

After about ten days of polling and a couple pf dozen responses, here are this year's results of The People's Telluride.  I asked readers of this space to rate the films they saw at TFF #41 on a 0-5 scale with "0" being "abysmal" and "5" being a "Masterpiece".  I then collated that information and divided by the number of respondents for each film.  To make the list, a film had to have ratings from at least 25% of the respondents.  That's the methodology.  Here are the results with the average rating in parenthesis:

1) The Imitation Game (4.73)
2) Birdman (4.46)
3) Wild Tales (4.23)
4) Foxcatcher (4.20)
5) Merchants of Doubt (4.04)
6) '71 (3.90)
7) Red Army (3.63)
8) Wild (Tie 3.50)
8) Escobar: Paradise Lost (Tie 3.50)
8) Mommy (Tie 3.50)
11) 99 Homes (3.47)
12) Rosewater (3.46)
13) Two Days, One Night (3.31)
14) Mr. Turner (3.00)
15) Madame Bovary (2.88)
16) The Homesman (2.58)

Notes:

Joshua Oppenheimer's "The Look of Silence" had a 4.9 rating but not enough respondents to surpass the 25% threshold.

"Merchants of Doubt", "99 Homes" and "Escobar: Paradise Lost" all were rated by enough of "The People" to make it onto today's list but were not seen by enough of "The Professionals" to make that list which I posted Tuesday.

"Leviathan" was the one film on "The Professionals" list that wasn't seen by enough of "The People" to make today's list.

The biggest disconnect this year between "Pros" and "Peeps"; "Mr. Turner".  The pros rated it at 4.10 which put it at #6 on that list.  The Peeps rated it at 3.00 which made it 14th out of the 16 films on today's list.

There was also a fairly astounding separation between the choice of the Peeps #1-"The Imitation Game" and The Pros which, though rated by them at an over "4" average, ended up at #7 on The Pros listing.

And, yeow...the Peeps did not care for Tommy Lee Jones "The Homesman".

Monday, I'll have the combination listing from all the Pros and Peeps...13 films make that list.


SCENES FROM TFF #41

The official Telluride Film Festival website has posted four filmed tidbits of conversations/interviews from this year's fests.  I have linked to them here:

Reese Witherspoon on "Wild"

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/144

Jon Stewart Q & A after the initial "Rosewater" screening:

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/142


Francis Ford Coppola on "Apocalypse Now" Tribute:

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/143


Hilary Swank on "The Homesman" during her tribute:

http://telluridefilmfestival.org/showroom/show/145


CATCHING FOXCATCHER

"Foxcatcher" Teaser trailer via YouTube

Mark Ruffalo kindly tweeted a link to an in depth story that Vulture.com did about the genesis and development of Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher".  The Mark Harris piece was posted originally on Aug. 24th but provides such detail that I have linked it here:


http://www.vulture.com/2014/08/the-making-of-foxcatcher.html

"Foxcatcher" opens nationally on Nov. 14th.


Coming next week to MTFB/FAC:  The Combination Ratings of The Peeps and The Pros and the first look at major Oscar categories as The Film Awards Clearinghouse returns to this blog!


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2.

Have a great weekend!

Continued Responses to TFF #41/Rate Those Films

Good Wednesday Everyone...

As you might expect, the real world (two days removed from TFF) isn't as much fun as the Reel world...

CONTINUED RESPONSES TO TFF #41

Gathered for this year's "Class Photo" Hilary Swank, Jon Stewart, and Channing Tatum (Getty Images)

I have continued to gather reactions to this year's group of films from critics and those that roam the awards season landscape.  Included in a couple of the wrap-ups and reviews are kind mentions of MTFB...to Alex Billington/First Showing and Sasha Stone/Awards Daily...thanks!  They're two of the best in the business and are always encouraging about this small enterprise.  So we'll start there:

Sasha reviews the weekend here:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2014/09/telluride-diary-glory-in-the-hour/

Alex also provides a summary of the four days here:

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/telluride-2014-cinema-thrives-in-colorado/

Anne Thompson offers her take with some really interesting background on the Toronto issue:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/telluride-wrap-the-little-festival-that-could-20140903

Variety's Justin Chang and Scott Foundas filed this dialogue that looks at the weekend that was:

http://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/telluride-from-birdman-to-mommy-festival-soars-above-the-fray-1201295912/

And from a number of places, the continued assesment of Oscar:

Gold Derby:

http://www.goldderby.com/news/7189/oscars-birdman-foxcatcher-telluride-boyhood-unbroken-entertainment-13579086-story.html

The Wrap:

http://www.thewrap.com/reese-witherspoons-odd-f-bombs-michael-keaton-mania-weird-tales-show-stealing-7-takeaways-from-telluride-film-fest/

Cinema Blend:

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Benedict-Cumberbatch-Imitation-Game-Win-Telluride-Battle-Oscar-Buzz-67015.html


RATE THOSE FILMS

The ratings from readers have begun to come in and this is your reminder to be a part of the annual rating compilation of  the films you saw at Telluride.  Please drop me a line with your rating of each of the films you saw using a 0-5 scale with "0" for the atrocious and "5" for the sublime.  Send them to me via Twitter @Gort2 or email:  michael_speech@hotmail.com or as a comment to this post.  I'll collate them and publish the results in the next week or so.  It's fun!


More tomorrow...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Sunday TBAs and Sneaks/ Quick Takes of Day Two Films/Name Drops/Day Three/Rate Films

Hope your Festival is going as well as mine is...I have had a great first two days of TFF #41.


SUNDAY TBA'S AND SNEAKS

Sunday TBAs

CJC/Sun 12:15PM       (SNEAK) ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST - Q&A

Masons/Sun 1:30PM     MAGICIAN     FREE    

SOH/Sun 3:30PM        TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT 

Nugget/Sun 3:30PM     RED ARMY     Q&A

Galaxy/Sun 4PM          ROSEWATER        

Pierre/Sun 6:30PM      50 YEAR ARGUMENT                           

Nugget/ 8:45PM         MOMMY   Q&A                                                     

Masons/Sun 9PM    WILD TALES       

Pierre/Sun 9:15PM      Student Prints  FREE

CJC/Sun 11:55PM       KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON   FREE

Seminar

FROM REAL TO REEL: HOW DOES A FILM SHAPE FACT?

with Jon Stewart, Bennett Miller, Gael García Bernal, Yann Demange, Regis Wargnier, Jean-Marc Vallée

Moderated by Annette Insdorf

SNEAK PREVIEW   ESCOBAR: PARADISE LOST   Chuck Jones/Sun 12:15PM Q&A

Nick (Josh Hutcherson) and Dylan (Brady Corbet), two Canadian brothers, discover an idyllic surfing beach on the coast of Colombia, where Nick eyes Maria (Claudia Traisac), an idealistic local girl who works with the poor. But this love story has a dark side: Maria’s wealthy, very protective uncle is Pablo Escobar (Benicio Del Toro), the country’s biggest narco-trafficker, and one of the most dangerous men alive. Writer-director Andrea Di Stefano ingeniously mixes fact and fiction in this disturbing thriller, with Hutcherson (Jennifer Lawrence’s love interest in the Hunger Games movies) giving a touching performance as an ordinary guy stumbling headlong into terror and violence, holding his own opposite one of the most charismatic actors alive. And Del Toro, with his mixture of avuncular sweetness, self-mythologizing grandiosity and cobra-like cruelty, may well have been born to play Escobar. (France-Spain-Belgium, 2014, 120m) In person: Andrea Di Stefano

MONDAY SNEAK PREVIEW     THREE SHORT FILMS ABOUT PEACE    Herzog/Monday 9:15AM Q&A

Errol Morris is best known for his interrogations of humanity's dark complexity, including portrayals of two American engineers of war, Robert McNamara, in THE FOG OF WAR (TFF 30) and Donald Rumsfeld, in THE UNKNOWN KNOWN (TFF 40). Here, Morris turns his camera 180 degrees, creating three inspiring portraits of courageous figures who dare to confront the worst Goliaths of our times. In THE DREAM, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee recounts the coalition of Liberian women whom, without brandishing a weapon or uttering a word of disrespect, stopped one of the longest, most vicious wars in modern history. THE SHIPYARD shows how Lech Walesa, a Polish electrician and Nobel Laureate, rallied workers to challenge the repressive Soviet Union, succeeding where 30-plus years of Cold War aggression failed. And in THE MOMENT, rockstar Bob Geldof tells how he transformed his commitment and some guilt (along with a phenomenal Rolodex) into an ongoing, 30-year struggle to eradicate hunger in Africa. Morris, one of cinema’s most insightful, inquisitive and expressionistic artists, reminds us of his deep, heartful comprehension of the indomitable human spirit. He created these films in conjunction with the New York Times’ Op-Docs series. (U.S., 2014, 49m total) In person: Errol Morris

   

QUICK TAKES OF DAY TWO FILMS

FOXCATCHER:  Bennett Miller directs with such assuredness as to be a little unworldly.  Fantastic performances from the three leads, Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo.  Truly wonderful work all around. 4.5/5

RED ARMY: Solid doc work from Gabe Polsky focusing on the Russian Men's Hockey team from the 1980's Cold war era through perestroika and the fall of then wall right up to today.  Stirring and often funny.  3.5/5

WILD TALES: Argentinian episodic film of mostly comic aspirations.  The opening sequence is the funniest and strongest.  Thereafter, it's sporadically comic.  3.5/5

BIRDMAN:  Authentic genius and Alejandro Inarritu's best film (and that's saying something).  Venice raves are dead on.  Beautifully realized from start to finish on all fronts.  Michael Keaton is a revelation. OSCAR thy name is KEATON or it should be.  Great work from the rest f the cast but special mention for Edward Norton and Emma Stone..  It's Inarritu's masterpiece. 5/5

NAME DROPS

I had really kept this largely quiet, but the Mrs. and I were invited to Fox Searchlight's party this year and stopped in for about an hour Saturday night.  Persons of Interest: Jon Stewart, Gael Garcia Bernal, Alejandro Inarritu, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Morten Tyldum (director of The Imitation Game) Cheryl Strayed (the author of "Wild").

Also got to hang with buds: Sasha Stone, Tomris Laffley and Chris Schiller.

DAY THREE

Plans are to catch the Hilary Swank tribute at 8:30 at the Chuck and the ensuing presentation of "The Homesman".  After that the day is kind of open.  In consideration: "Magician", "Two Days, One Night", "Leviathan", "Escobar: Paradise Lost", "The Look of Silence", "The Price of Fame", and "Merchants of Doubt".  Also wouldn't mind catching at least some of the Justin Kauffin concert in Elks Park and maybe laying eyes on the master: Quincey Jones.

RATE THOSE FILMS

Now that we're down to Telluride weekend, here's your reminder...Don't forget to join in on "The People's Telluride".  Rate the films you see this week on a 0-5 scale ( 0 being just abysmal and 5 being a masterpiece).  You can rate each day or do them all at the end of the fest.  Send film ratings to me via Twitter (@Gort2) or email me at michael_speech@hotmail.com or comment to the blog itself.

I'll collect all of that data and post the collective ratings from we, The People.

More tomorrow...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Who Gets a Tribute?/EW Looks at "99 Homes"/Alexander Payne in the News: "Nebraska" in Color and "Sideways" Tenth

Good Wednesday everyone...


WHO GETS A TRIBUTE?

I was noodling around the rising suspicion that Tommy Lee Jones "The Homesman" will be screened in just over three weeks in Telluride and as I was doing that, it struck me that a TLJ tribute in coordination with that film.  I can see it pretty clearly.  Maybe co-star and two time Oscar winner Hilary Swank attends as well. Makes a lot of sense to me.

And that got me to thinking seriously about other tribute possibilities.

Pete Hammond suggested a couple of weeks ago that Telluride might be dangling the tribute carrot in front of Chris Nolan in a play to get "Interstellar" on board.  I've never thought it was a big likelihood and recent buzz is that no fest may have the film on its lineup.

I have suggested Nicole Kidman as a tribute possible in conjunction with the almost certain play of "Queen of the Desert".

I have also mentioned a Juliette Binoche tribute should Olivier Assasyas "Clouds of Sils Maria" be a T-ride selection.

Some weeks back, I mentioned a Michael Keaton tribute as a possibility with the screening of "Birdman", although that does seem a little far fetched.

How about Tim Burton if Telluride gets "Big Eyes"...yeah. that would make some sense.

Those seem the best bets to me for tributes, at least for the moment.  Got any ideas?  Comment and let me know.

EW LOOKS AT "99 HOMES"

"99 Homes" with Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon via Entertainment Weekly

Entertainment Weekly was up yesterday with a first photo from Ramin Bahrani's "99 Homes" as you can see above.  The film is scheduled to play the Venice fest in competition and I think, given its premiere status vis-a-vis Toronto that it's very likely to play Telluride as well.  Bahrani was at T-ride in 2012 with "At Any Price" with star Dennis Quaid in attendance as well.  "at Any Price" didn't exactly set the world on fire scoring a 60 rating at Metacritic and earning a reported $379,000 domestically.

"99 Homes" focuses on the U.S. housing crisis as Garfield plays a man who gets in over his head and ends up working with Michael Shannon who plays an unscrupulous realtor.

Stories are included here from Entertainment Weekly and The Playlist:

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/05/andrew-garfield-michael-shannon-99-homes/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/venice-first-look-michael-shannon-andrew-garfield-in-ramin-bahranis-99-homes-20140805


Couple of stray thoughts: "Spiderman vs. General Zod".

And one wonders if Garfield, who attended the fest 2010 with "Never Let Me Go" might return and if he does, if it's possible that his current significant other, Ms. Emma Stone, might be there as well as she's co-starring in Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman".


ALEXANDER PAYNE IN THE NEWS: "NEBRASKA" IN COLOR

Past TFF Guest Director and frequent attendee, Alexander Payne popped up in  my Twitter feed a couple of times yesterday.  First came the news that his Oscar nominated "Nebraska", which was one of my favorite films at the 40th Telluride last year, will look a little different when it's aired on EpixHD TV.  They will air the color version which Payne shot for overseas screening but who was reportedly hopeful that U.S. audiences would never see it that way.

Guess some of us will now.

Thompson on Hollywood has the story here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/color-version-of-nebraska-to-show-on-epix-that-alexander-payne-hoped-would-never-be-seen-20140805


PAYNE IN NEWS 2: "SIDEWAYS" TENTH

Payne and his star from "Sideways" Paul Giamatti celebrated the tenth anniversary of the film this past weekend.  "Sideways" was very close to having been a Telluride choice back in 2004 and that near miss is what ultimately led to Payne's stint as TFF Guest Director in 2009.  After that, Payne has been hooked.  I really expect that he'll be in town in three weeks in some capacity, perhaps just hanging with girlfriend Laura Dern...are they still a couple?   (I think so.)  Dern has a couple of films in which she appears that are probably on the Telluride Billl of Fare: "99 Homes" and "Wild"...

Anyway, Payne and Giamatti used the occasion of the Oscar winning film's anniversary to fund raise for a good cause and highlight the wine that was at the heart of the film.

Check the story from The Hollywood Reporter here:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sideways-10th-anniversary-celebrated-at-723322


More on Thursday...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2