Guilds, Guilds, Guilds/More Anticipated 2015 Film Lists/Upsizing Downsizing/Oscar Podcast

Good Thursday World!

GUILDS, GUILDS, GUILDS

The run up to the Golden Globes on Sunday and Oscar nominations announcement coming next week on Jan. 15 has included a slew of Guild announcements over the past few days.

Producers, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Costumes and Writers...all of which are included in the links below.

The PGA announcement probably gave a much needed boost to "Foxcatcher" as well as "American Sniper", "Gone Girl" and "Nightcrawler".  Harmed by the lack of Producers' nominations were: "Interstellar", "Unbroken" and possibly "Selma" which, again, seems to have suffered from a lack of screeners.

Here's the list and the "take" from The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/producers-guilds-film-nominees-go-761108

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/what-pga-nominations-mean-oscar-761122

Art Directors Guild nominations are here from The Hollywood Reporter:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/grand-budapest-hotel-woods-art-760886

American Society of Cinematography nominees from Awards Daily: (Unbroken, Birdman, Imitation Game, Mr. Turner and Grand Budapest)

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2015/01/the-asc-announces-cinematography-nominees/

Costume Designers Guild from HitFix/InContention:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/selma-interstellar-into-the-woods-pick-up-costume-designers-guild-nominations


Writers Guild of America from Awards Daily:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2015/01/writers-guild-announce-nominations/

Only two films seem to have hit all the Guilds at this point (with the Directors Guild still to announce on Jan. 13th) and they are "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "The Imitation Game".  A number of possible Oscar screen writing contenders were ineligible for WGA consideration: "Birdman", "Selma", "Theory of Everything" for example.


MORE ANTICIPATED 2015 FILM LISTS

More and more outlets are posting their hopes and dreams about films for 2015 and those lists give insight into possible TFF #42 titles.  Today I'm looking at HitFix, Anne Thompson and The Playlist.  HitFix posted an additional list...I had their overall list linked last Monday.  The new HitFix list is what they label 25 "Prestige" titles.  Meanwhile, Anne Thompson posted 45 anticipated 2015 films and The Playlist list is 100 titles long.  I have linked all three sources below.

Telluride possibilities that show up in all three lists are:

Justin Kurzel's "Macbeth" Why a TFF chance?  The Weinsteins and See Saw films as its producers.  See Saw has had "The King's Speech" "Shame" and "Tracks" at past TFFs.

Jeff Nichols' "Midnight Special"...I haven't mentioned this film in a Telluride context until now but HitFix's Kristopher Tapley specifically mentions Telluride as a possibility.

"Carol" from Todd Haynes.  Why TFF?  Haynes was at T-ride in 2007, it's from TWC.  There's a lot of thought that it could play Cannes which is often a precursor to a Telluride play.

Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" is on all three lists and on my T-ride watch list despite knowing that the window for QT to have it ready for Labor Day would be tight.  However, as I've written before, I have to believe that if a version of the film is ready and because he's filming 10 miles outside of of the 'Ride...despite the fact that he's never played Telluride...I think it could happen.

And Alejandro G. Ianrritu's "The Revenant".  Just like Tarantino, this is subject to tight timing as it's filming right now but I believe if Inarritu has a workable print, he'll play Telluride as he has for "Babel", "Biutiful" and "Birdman".


Telluride possibles that were named by both HitFix and The Playlist include:
Jean Marc Vallee's "Demolition" (HitFix suggests it's a Telluride possibility),
Gus Van Sant's "The Sea of Trees"...GVS was, at one time, a fairly common fixture at Telluride but hasn't had a film there since 2003's "Elephant",
Cary Fukunaga's "Beasts of No Nation"...HitFix calls it a Cannes possibility,
Derek Cianfrance's "The Light Between Oceans" mostly because Participant Media is one of the production firms behind it (and "Beasts" as well) and their films occasionally play Telluride,
Richard Linklater's "That's What I'm Talking About", his "spiritual sequel" to "Dazed and Confused" which I include here largely because of the HitFix perception that it'll be making the fest circuit,
Scott Cooper's "Black Mass" which HitFix calls a Telluride possibility.

Thompson and The Playlist both list Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert" on their respective lists. (frankly, I'd be more stunned if it DOESN'T play at Telluride) and Tom Tykwer's "A Hologram for the King" originally written by Telluride regular and past guest director Dave Eggers.

Single mentions from The Playlists' much longer list that I think have some T-ride potential:

"Suffragette", "The Last Face", "Forsaken", "Truth", "Tale of Tales", "Icon", "Spotlight", "Our Brand is Crisis" and "Sicario".

Here are the links to all three of these lists:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/25-most-anticipated-prestige-films-of-2015-hateful-eight-knight-of-cups-carol

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/45-films-were-looking-forward-to-in-2015-20150105

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-100-most-anticipated-films-of-2015-20150105



UPSIZING DOWNSIZING

A few weeks back I wrote about Alexander Payne's likely next directing gig.  The film is called "Downsizing" and is set to star Matt Damon and begin shooting this fall.  News broke yesterday that past Payne collaborator Reese Witherspoon (who I was this close to ...holds hands a foot apart...at this year's fest).  Witherspoon starred in Payne's "Election".  I've linked a number of posts about the casting announcement from yesterday:

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/reese-witherspoon-downsizing-casting-matt-damon-1201395244/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/reese-witherspoon-reunites-alexander-payne-761716

http://www.thewrap.com/reese-witherspoon-joins-matt-damon-in-alexander-paynes-downsizing/

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/reese-witherspoon-is-back-on-for-alexander-paynes-sci-fi-social-satire-downsizing-20150107

Put this one down for TFF #43.

OSCAR PODCAST

As we round the turn toward Oscar nominations check out Sasha Stone's Awards Daily podcast for this week here:

http://www.awardsdaily.com/oscarpodcast/?p=6906

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...

FLASH: Screen Actors Guild Nominations Announced

FLASH: SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

Telluride nominees in Bold!

BEST ACTOR

Steve Carell/Foxcatcher
Benedict Cumberbatch/Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal/Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton/Birdman
Eddie Redmayne/Theory of Everything

BEST ACTRESS

Jennifer Aniston/Cake
Felicity Jones/Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore/Still Alice
Rosamund Pike/Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon/Wild

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Robert Duvall/The Judge
Ethan Hawke/Boyhood
Edward Norton/Birdman
Mark Ruffalo/Foxcatcher
JK Simmons/Whiplash


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Patricia Arquette/Boyhood
Kiera Knightley/Imitation Game
Emma Stone/Birdman
Meryl Streep/Into the Woods
Naomi Watts/St. Vincent

BEST CAST

Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
The Theory of Everything

"Birdman" leads with four nominations.  "Boyhood"  and "The Theory of Everything" have three.  "Foxcatcher" nabbed two.

Telluride 2014 is represented with 10 of the 25 nominations.

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!

New "Foxcatcher" Poster-Carell!/Oregonian Says "Wild" at T-ride/Another Stab at the Lineup/Remember to Rate

Good Day on a Tuesday.  72 hours from now I'm standing in line for the trip to the Patron brunch.   Counting it down...


NEW "FOXCATCHER" POSTER

Yesterday we saw the release of another character poster from Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" focusing on Steve Carell's John DuPont character.  Here's the new poster:

"Foxcatcher" poster from Entertainment Weekly

Looks good and creepy.  I have also linked a number of the stories that were posted yesterday with the release of the poster.

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2014/08/25/steve-carell-foxcatcher-poster

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/bennett-miller-originally-considered-ryan-gosling-heath-ledger-and-bill-nighy-for-foxcatcher-20140825

http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/seven-years-later-foxcatcher-finally-makes-big-screen/

http://www.awardsdaily.com/blog/2014/08/new-creepy-poster-for-foxcatcher/

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/steve-carell-praise-take-center-stage-on-new-foxcatcher-poster/

Currently, "Foxcatcher" sits at #2 on my personal list of top five films I want to see this weekend in Telluride.  My top five list:

5) Leviathan

4) Rosewater

3) Birdman

2) Foxcatcher

1) The Imitation Game

Of course, my list could change depending on what is actually in the lineup.  What's your "Top Five" wish list for Telluride this weekend?


OREGONIAN SAYS "WILD" AT TELLURIDE

The Oregonian posted yesterday that Jean Marc Vallee's "Wild" starring Reese Witherspoon will world premiere at Telluride this weekend.  "Wild" is the true story of Oregon native Cheryl Strayed and her 1,000 mike hike in the American West.  The Oregonian story is here:

http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/index.ssf/2014/08/wild_and_the_boxtrolls_open_at.html



ANOTHER STAB AT THE LINEUP

The Dallas News website, late last night, posted its own guesses at the Telluride lineup.  The early part of the article seems pretty spot on.  The latter part seems to fly off the rails.  For example, the writer, James Tisch, claims that Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert" could play and we know that won't happen per producer Cassian Elwes.  Other end-of-article claims are for "Fury" and "Unbroken", both of which were reported as not playing ANY fall fests last week in the New York Times.

Still there's a lot there worth taking a look at including the persistent notion that Damien Chazelle's Sundance favorite, "Whiplash", could screen.

The post is here:

http://movies.mxdwn.com/news/what-may-pop-up-at-the-2014-telluride-film-festival/


REMEMBER TO RATE

Now that we're down to Telluride week, 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 in the comments section of this blog.

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

More tomorrow...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Richard Attenborough 1923-2014/Mark Harris on Foxcatcher/Jeff Wells Intuits a Wild Start to Telluride/Reminding You Everyday

It's a Monday...and Telluride starts on Friday...counting hours now instead of days...

RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH 1923-2014

Sir Richard Attenborough (IMDb)

Oscar winner Sir Richard Attenborough has died.  He was 90.  Attenborough made is mark both as an actor and as a director.  In 1983 his "Gandhi" won the Oscar for Best Picture and he was named Best Director.
Attenborough also directed "A Bridge Too Far" and "Magic" as well as acting in "Jurassic Park", "Seance on a Wet Afternoon" and "Brighton Rock" among others.

MARK HARRIS ON "FOXCATCHER"

"Foxcatcher" trailer (YouTube/Coming Soon)

Mark Harris has posted a long piece at Vulture.com about the making of Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher" starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo.  The film won Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes back in May and has been hotly tipped to make an appearance at Telluride.  On my list of prospective films to be at T-ride, it sits in the top five that I want to see.

Here's the link to the in-depth story:

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

JEFF WELLS INTUITS A WILD START TO TELLURIDE

"Wild" trailer (YouTube)

Jeffrey Wells writing for his Hollywood Elsewhere site posted this weekend that he has a "hunch" that Jean Marc Vallee's "Wild" starring Reese Witherspoon might well be the Patron screening on Friday afternoon at the Chuck Jones.  It's the kind of choice that makes a lot of sense to me.  Big film for the fall season that has some Oscar hopes especially for Ms. Witherspoon and the Best Actress Oscar.  There's also been some buzz that Laura Dern might well be in the conversation for a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

Wells says he has no real intell to back up his intuition so take this with several grains of salt.  Still, it wouldn't stun me either.

The Patron film choices over the last few years have been:

2013: "Labor Day"
2012: "Argo"
2011: The Descendants
2010: "Chico and Rita"


We'll see what happens...

Here's the link to Wells' post:

http://www.hollywood-elsewhere.com/2014/08/long-hike/#more-53804


REMINDING YOU EVERY DAY...

Now that we're down to Telluride week, 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.

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

And don't miss "The Professional's Telluride".  I'm also canvassing a broad number of film critics, bloggers and industry pros and will be posting their results next week as well.  So far I have these fine folks who have agreed to participate:

Alex Billington/FirstShowing
Greg Ellwood/HitFix
Eric Kohn/IndieWire
Tomris Laffly/Film Journal
Eugene Novikov/Film Blather
John Rhodes/Screencraft
Sasha Stone/Awards Daily
Kristopher Tapley/HitFix-InContention
Anne Thompson/Thompson on Hollywood


More on Tuesday...


Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

New York Announces Main Slate: What It Tells Us/Reese Is Busy/"Fury" Is Playing Some Festival

Hello on a Thursday...

The legend, Lauren Bacall

Today's sadness is the passing of 89 year old legend Lauren Bacall...you know how to whistle, don't you?

NEW YORK ANNOUNCES MAIN SLATE: WHAT OT TELLS US

The New York Film Festival announced its main slate of films yesterday and we can read their choices and the designations of their premiere status and come to some conclusions...most of which we had already come to.  "New York Premiere" status seems to be the key designation and it essentially confirms "Birdman", "Foxcatcher" (after a brief bit of confusion yesterday about the way the NYFF folks listed its premiere status-the email that was sent to the media listed it as a NY Premiere but for a few minutes, the fest's website listed it as a U.S. premiere.  That was corrected quickly.), "Mr. Turner" and "Two Days, One Night".

There were a couple of "New York premieres" that still seem doubtful for Telluride: "Listen Up Phillip" played Sundance, so that explains its status.  Alian Resnais "Life of Reilly" is also listed as a NY Premiere but is closing the Montreal fest on Sept. 1...seems like a close shave...but also a possible Telluride play.

Another "NY Premiere" that seems to now have Telluride potential is "71" starring Jack O'Connell (who will also be starring this Oscar season in Angelina Jolie's "Unbroken" and who was in last year's TFF selection "Starred Up".  I had mentioned the possibility of "71" a couple of times.  I said on July 8th that "I could see it popping up as a part of the TFF #41 program".  I also mentioned it way back in February as I was evaluating what had transpired at the Berlin Festival.


Finally, there's Jean Luc Godard's "Goodbye to Language 3D" that New York chose today (it played at Cannes) and is listed as a "NY Premiere".  Seems like it could be headed to Telluride as well.


Here's the complete main slate from the NYFF email today:

The 52nd New York Film Festival Main Slate

Opening Night Gala Selection
GONE GIRL
Director: David Fincher

Centerpiece Gala Selection
INHERENT VICE
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Closing Night Gala Selection
BIRDMAN OR THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE 
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

BELOVED SISTERS (Die geliebten Schwestern)
Director: Dominik Graf

THE BLUE ROOM (La chambre bleue)
Director: Mathieu Amalric

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA
Director: Olivier Assayas

EDEN
Director: Mia Hansen-Løve

FOXCATCHER
Director: Bennett Miller

GOODBYE TO LANGUAGE (Adieu au langage)
Director: Jean-Luc Godard

HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT
Directors: Josh & Benny Safdie

HILL OF FREEDOM (Jayuui Eondeok)
Director: Hong Sang-soo

HORSE MONEY (Cavalo Dinheiro)
Director: Pedro Costa

JAUJA
Director: Lisandro Alonso

LIFE OF RILEY (Aimer, boire et chanter)
Director: Alain Resnais

LISTEN UP PHILIP
Director: Alex Ross Perry

MAPS TO THE STARS
Director: David Cronenberg

MISUNDERSTOOD (Incompresa)
Director: Asia Argento

MR. TURNER
Director: Mike Leigh

PASOLINI
Director: Abel Ferrara

THE PRINCESS OF FRANCE (La Princesa de Francia)
Director: Matías Piñeiro

SAINT LAURENT
Director: Bertrand Bonello

LA SAPIENZA
Director: Eugène Green

’71
Director: Yann Demange

TALES OF THE GRIM SLEEPER
Director: Nick Broomfield

TIMBUKTU
Director: Abderrahmane Sissako

TIME OUT OF MIND
Director: Oren Moverman

TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT (Deux jours, une nuit)
Directors: Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne

TWO SHOTS FIRED (Dos Disparos)
Director: Martín Rejtman

WHIPLASH
Director: Damien Chazelle

THE WONDERS (Le meraviglie)
Director: Alice Rohrwacher

Finally, notice the absence of the absent.  By that I mean that the entirety of the list that I published  Tuesday as being MIA from Toronto are also MIA for New York.  That list again is:

"Unbroken"
"Big Eyes"
"Fury"
"Interstellar"
"Trash"
"Slow West"
"Suffragette"
"Kill the Messenger"
"St. Vincent"
"Winter Sleep"

Meanwhile, in Anne Thompson's story about the NYFF announcement, she adds fuel to the notion that "The Homesman" could also play Telluride.  Check her story here:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/new-york-film-festival-slate-of-30-cherry-picks-world-fests-20140813

New York also tells us that some things that we have thought might be potential Telluride choices will not be. For example, Mathieu Amalric's "The Blue Room", Alice's Rohrwacher's "The Wonders" and Bertrand Bonello's "Saint Laurent".

Finally, there are still nascent whisperings that Sony Pictures Classics Sundance presentation "Whiplash" has a chance to play Telluride.  Would be cool with me.

REESE IS BUSY

We're pretty sure that Jean Marc Vallee's "Wild" starring Reese Witherspoon is going to play at The SHOW.  I've been saying that I think that there is a real possibility that she gets one of the three tributes. She could also end up Oscar nominated thrice this season...yup...three times.  "How?" you ask.  Think of her as a producer as well as an actress.  HitFix/InContention's Kristopher Tapley explains:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/how-reese-witherspoon-could-end-up-with-three-oscar-nominations-this-year


FURY IS PLAYING SOME FESTIVAL

Brad Pitt and "Fury" will assault London

The London Film Festival has announced that David Ayers "Fury" will close that festival on Oct. 19.  That's the first announced/scheduled fest date for the film starring Brad Pitt.

I had reported yesterday that Kristopher Tapley had reported that he has been told that "Telluride and Toronto was never in the cards" but any number of other film news outfits still think it's a possibility.

There was some flurry of speculation on social media yesterday that the London announcement signaled that "Fury" might still be in the cards for either Telluride or Toronto or both especially with the note in the announcement that London would be its "European Premiere".

Of course, Sony moved its domestic release date up to Oct. 17th earlier this week so the "European Premiere" designation doesn't really provide any tea leaf to read.

Overall, I still think it's rather unlikely for The SHOW.

Here are stories about the selection from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brad-pitt-bringing-his-fury-725502

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/brad-pitt-starrer-fury-to-close-london-film-festival-1201282744/


More tomorrow...including an updated "Ten Bets" list...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2

Toronto's Tuesday Announcement Tells Very Little/"Goodbye to "Fury"?/Shrinking Tribute Pool

Good Day on Wednesday...

TORONTO'S TUESDAY ANNOUNCEMENT TELLS VERY LITTLE

Marion Cotillard in "Two Days One Night"

The Toronto International Film Festival announced its next wave of films (over 75 titles added) and here are the primary takeaways as far as Telluride is concerned:

"Tow Days, One Night" from the Dardnnes Brothers seems a lock for T-ride now as Toronto lists it as a Canadian premiere.  Meanwhile, Olivier Assasyas "Clouds of Sils Maria" is a North American premiere so won't be playing Telluride.

Other films that I have had an occasional Telluride vibe for that will not play after all are:

"Girlhood"
"Charlie's Country"
"Bird People"
"Pride"
"The Search"
"Juaja"
"Maidan"

Still no inclusion at Toronto for:

Unbroken

"Unbroken"
"Big Eyes"
"Fury"
"Interstellar"
"Trash"
"Slow West"
"Suffragette"
"Kill the Messenger"


And nothing about Bill Murray's "St. Vincent"...hmmm...

I had reported last week that the buzz was that "St. Vincent" was on the verge of being announced as a Big Gala that would fete Murray in the process.  That could still happen next week but it's a little weird that we didn't hear about it this morning.

Meanwhile...


GOODBYE TO "FURY"?

Brad Pitt in "Fury"

Sony announced that David Ayers "Fury" has moved up its release date yesterday from November to Oct. 17th, which, I knew, meant that the AFI Fest became a non-issue for that film.  In my research about that announcement, I ran across Kris Tapley's article about it and he says no "Fury" at Telluride.

However, The Hollywood Reporter and Variety imply that a festival play could still be in the cards:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brad-pitts-world-war-ii-724942

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/brad-pitt-wwii-drama-fury-moves-to-october-1201281186/


After having watched the trailer and not seeing it announced for TIFF I was thinking that we might well see it in T-ride.

Still, Tapley says that "Telluride and Toronto were never in the cards".  Tapley is really good at this stuff...so for all practical purposes...probably check "Fury" off your Telluride wish list.

Here's the link to the HitFix/InContention post:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/brad-pitt-wwii-drama-fury-moves-to-october


SHRINKING TRIBUTE POOL

Tommy Lee Jones and Hilary Swank in "The Homesman"

News in the last couple of days about the unreadiness of Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert" and the announcement that Olivier Assayas' "Clouds of Sils Maria" will World Premiere at Toronto means that at least two names that I have speculated might be potential tribute candidates are off that list.  Nicole Kidman and Juliette Binoche both seemed like very good candidates to me but absent "Queen" and "Clouds" those options seem to be off the table.

Personally, at this point, I'm thinking the best shots are Tommy Lee Jones, Reese Witherspoon and Peter Bogdanovich with a reminder about the story I ran on Monday that suggested Italian film preservationist Gian Luca Farinelli might be in that mix as well.

I'll keep an ear to the ground...16 DAYS!

More tomorrow...

Follow me on Twitter @Gort2