The much-anticipated Daniel Radcliffe ghost-story thriller The Woman in Black opens Feb. 10. This calls for a giveaway! But considering what you stand to win (including an iPod Nano and a signed WIB poster, we’re going to make you work for it. (Sort of.) Welcome to Movieline’s Daniel Radcliffe Mini Fan Fiction Sweepstakes! First things first: The prize line-up!
Oscar-winning Man on Wire director James Marsh is clearly unafraid of dropping real talk ; during this month’s Sundance Film Festival he unleashed a tongue-lashing on the Academy for its recent Oscar documentary nominations, which notably did not include Marsh’s own well-received Project Nim . But that’s not the real problem — Marsh laments the entire class of ’12 Academy Awards doc selections, which he claims overlooked the best films of the year and makes the entire branch “look stupid.” Marsh, in Park City with his narrative feature Shadow Dancer , wasn’t terribly precious about Nim ‘s snub in conversation with The Daily Beast ‘s Marlow Stern (via SUNfiltered ). “Putting Nim to one side, if you created a short list of five films that would reflect the best documentary filmmaking of the year, none of those films were nominated.” “I’m a member of the documentary branch so I’m criticizing my own branch here, and it’s really about trying to recognize the best work out there. The system that we have, which I think we’re improving next year, doesn’t seem to do that on a regular basis. Instead, it creates a ‘we look stupid,’ clearly overlooking great ones every year.” Which great docs, then, should have been nominated? Marsh rattled off a laundry list of acclaimed works that many expected to be vying for the Oscar. “I was shocked that film of The Interrupters ’ ambition, quality, and heart didn’t get in…[Its omission from the Top 15 cut ] is a disgrace to our branch, and I don’t mind saying that publicly. And it’s not about taste. I think we can all agree that that is a great piece of documentary filmmaking. Likewise, Senna was a gripping character portrayal of a very interesting man, but also an exciting cinematic experience. Both those films found audiences as well. I was also surprised that Bill Cunningham didn’t make the last, which is a charming and lovely film.” Marsh’s criticism extends to the Oscar documentary selection process, which this year earned a set of revisions . But the branch member also had words for the foreign documentary category, which he says demands attention. “Something is not working here and it’s an annual controversy. I think the system that’s being mooted now is a slight improvement, but [the Best Documentary] category does have a responsibility to getting these films exposure, and we’re also eliminating a lot of foreign documentaries that really should be part of this discussion as well. There was a Danish film called Armadillo two years ago; brilliant film that didn’t get anywhere in that category. We need to try and rectify this.” • Oscar-winning MAN ON WIRE director James Marsh rips Best Doc Oscar noms, talks brilliant new film SHADOW DANCER [SUNfiltered]
Let’s see, what day is it? Jan. 31? Oh , then it must be time for everyone to fulminate over the Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue , specifically its lack of diversity among the featured cover stars. It’s a seasonal ritual almost as inviolable as Groundhog Day, with equally severe implications of who made the cover (and where). To wit, a lot of white chicks. Cue six more weeks of winter! At least in the grocery checkout aisle, anyway. It’s hard for me to get exercised about this tradition anymore — especially in 2012, after so many years of black, Asian, Latino and other young talent of color being routinely nudged aside for the likes of… Lily Collins. Of course, let’s be fair: Pariah star Adepero Oduye is in the center of the spread’s second page, and Paula Patton is there on the third page. And if we think of breakthrough actresses of color whom VF missed and should have included, it’s kind of a short list, isn’t it? As in: I can’t think of any off the top of my head. Which likely says more about Hollywood and/or me than about VF . Kind of. Placement is placement. Anyway, suggestions welcome! And: I’m fully expecting Viola Davis on next month’s cover to coincide with her imminent Best Actress Oscar win.
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