‘The Descendants’ and ‘Moneyball’ seem to be leading the race, but who will take home gold? By Kevin P. Sullivan Brad Pitt in “Moneyball” Photo: Columbia TriStar Woody Allen has dominated the race to decide the year’s best screenplay, winning the Golden Globe for “Midnight in Paris,” but when the Academy Awards split up the category into Adapted and Original, the former proves much harder to predict. Based on critic and guild awards, the competition for Best Adapted Screenplay comes down to two films: “Moneyball” and “The Descendants.” Each has won significant prizes in the past few months, so the category could result in one of the night’s few genuine surprises. Here are our predictions for Best Adapted Screenplay: Who Will Win : Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash for “The Descendants.” Unfortunately, this will be the film’s consolation prize in a night dominated by Jean Dujardin and “The Artist.” Without all of the hype surrounding Michel Hazanavicius’ silent film, the story of a soon-to-be widower in Hawaii would be the odds-on favorite to take Best Picture and Actor. True to his reputation, Payne and his co-writers crafted a subtle, sad and touching film that keeps you laughing the entire way through. He has proven himself to be one of our most consistent auteurs. And although Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian’s screenplay for “Moneyball” deserves its spot as a front runner, Sorkin’s win for “The Social Network” only happened a year ago. Who Should Win : Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.” Straughan and his late wife O’Connor faced the challenge of not only adapting a beloved novel, but one that had been previously adapted into a beloved miniseries. In transforming John le Carr
MTV News got hip-deep in action figures, accessories and more at the Hasbro showroom. By Josh Wigler The display for “The Avengers” at New York’s Toy Fair Photo: MTV News NEW YORK — Covering film, television and comic books in the geek-space comes with its fair share of perks. Free screenings, interviews with the stars — it’s not a bad life. But of everything, there’s nothing that reverts a professional nerd to their 12-year-old fanboy self quite like a trip to Toy Fair, the New York-based festival featuring more action figures, accessories and board games than any reasonable person could ever need. I suppose that I am not a reasonable person, then, because I found myself craving nearly every toy I saw featured at Hasbro’s showroom in the basement of Manhattan’s TimesCenter. It doesn’t hurt that Hasbro is responsible for the collectibles behind some of 2012’s most anticipated flicks, of course: “Avengers,” “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “Battleship” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” are among the movies Hasbro is connected to, and we saw a whole bunch of movie-related goodies as a result. You can preview the toys for yourself in the video below, and keep reading for some of our favorites.
“When he stepped down as Oscar producer in November over the use of an anti-gay slur , Brett Ratner committed to work with GLAAD on issues pertaining to LGBT images in Hollywood. Now the media advocacy group announced a new video campaign, which will be produced and directed by Brett Ratner. The upcoming video series will feature Hollywood celebrities, athletes, musicians and politicians ‘coming out of the closet’ as supporters of equality.” I’ll Brett you’re GLAAD that’s settled, amirite ? Sigh. [ Deadline ]
Wispy but sweet as spun sugar, The Secret World of Arrietty feels like a modest but exquisitely trimmed Japanese gift to fans of The Borrowers , British author Mary Norton’s classic children’s books. Having originated in Japan’s Studio Ghibli, home to animated films like Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away , the American version of Arrietty is its third translation; when Disney signed on it added a second director in seasoned sound designer Gary Rydstrom (the Japanese version is directed by Ghibli animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi). And yet the look and feel are unmistakable, adding anime flavor to a story so beloved in the West that the BBC took a crack at it with a live-action version just last year. In many ways it is a felicitous collaboration: The Japanese are known for their appreciation for all things miniature and scrappy young heroines. The two are combined in 14-year-old Arrietty (Bridgit Mendler), a “borrower” living underneath a rural home with her parents, Pod (Will Arnett) and Hominy (Amy Poehler). Borrowers, you soon figure out if you don’t already know, are basically just people who happen to be the size of a full-grown string bean. They lead a parasitic kind of life, though they operate with more stealth and grace than the crow that swoops in on the recalcitrant family cat to peck up a few fleas in the opening scene. The Borrowers need “human beans” to borrow from — their size makes any other kind of subsistence impossible — and yet they live in terror of their benefactors. Instead of instilling fear in Arrietty, constant warnings from her gruff, super-stoical dad and hysterical mother only make her more curious about the young boy who shows up at the house. Shawn (David Henrie) is sickly, and has been sent to the home of his aunt and her housekeeper Hara (an antic Carol Burnett) to convalesce for the summer. Where Arrietty’s parents focus only on her, Shawn’s mother is too wrapped up in work to care for him. But instead of exploring whether a broken-hearted kid might get lonely enough to start seeing tiny redheaded girls rappelling down his bed stand at night, the script (written by Karey Kirkpatrick, it feels very much adapted from the Japanese version, by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa) keeps us closer to the concerns of its title character. Which is to say they make gentle suggestion of a young girl’s romantic awakening and negotiation of the world of big-eyed, giant-handed boys. Or perhaps that is a bit of a stretch. As someone unfamiliar with the series (outside of this memorably poignant This American Life segment about a young girl’s abiding belief in the existence of Borrowers), much about The Secret Life of Arrietty feels enigmatic, maybe even a little undercooked. Why are the borrowers so spooked about big people? Why is Shawn so unfazed by little ones? What’s the deal with Hara and her grudges? Why is Pod so hardcore about not using dollhouse implements to make life easier? What’s the point of being that small and how did they get that way? That you are compelled to either ignore or try and fill in the answers on your own is a testament to the film’s soothing charms, although occasionally the treacly music cues and trembling moments of wide-eyed apprehension are so twee your tweeth hurt. It’s a matinee treat for the very little ones, after all, though in its final scenes Arrietty veers into cigarette-and-turtleneck territory. Shawn, who is facing heart surgery, outlines his mopey philosophy of life: “We all have to die,” he says to Arrietty, by way of goodbye. “Sometimes you just have to accept the hand of fate.” Just when you are ready to stop caring whether a story takes shape to match the lushly hand-drawn layers of this enchanting world — which is to say after an hour or so of half-hearted allusions to human excess, the precious illusions of childhood, possible borrower genocide, and entrenched bigotry — Shawn’s speech pokes you with another tentative stab at meaning. No doubt those legion of Norton fans in the know will be moved as well as dazzled. With a little more care, the rest of us might have been let in on the secret as well. Follow Michelle Orange on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Here is a new-ish 60-second bit of viral video that I wouldn’t mind installed in my living room: The first minute of every James Bond film, played on one screen divided into 22 parts. You won’t be able to take your eyes off it. As a bonus, find an older, longer complement that may finish the mind-blowing job commenced by the more recent video. Also: You’ll need full-screen and — if you’re at work — headphones for maximum effect. Turn it up! [Via Grantland ]
I know this is Lucy Pinder and all, I’d recognize those breasts anywhere, but she’s looking a little different to me. I don’t know if it’s the make up or the camera angle or whatever, but I’ve got to say I kinda like it. She seems a little dirtier, like she’d be up for some over the sweater action at the movies. Hot.
I know this is Lucy Pinder and all, I’d recognize those breasts anywhere, but she’s looking a little different to me. I don’t know if it’s the make up or the camera angle or whatever, but I’ve got to say I kinda like it. She seems a little dirtier, like she’d be up for some over the sweater action at the movies. Hot.
A collectible poster debut from the boutique art purveyors over at Mondo is always an event, but this Valentine’s Day Mondo and the Alamo Drafthouse have something in store so special it’s almost… inconceivable ! In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Rob Reiner’s 1987 fantasy classic The Princess Bride , the good folks at the Drafthouse have created a line of Princess Bride -themed wines (“The Bottle of Wits”) to coincide with a series of V-Day Princess Bride Quote-Along Feast events and a new illustrated commemorative poster by artist Drew Millward , which goes on sale today. Get the exclusive first look at Millward’s poster design after the jump! [Ed.: According to Mondo the Princess Bride posters have indeed been printed with the incorrect year and will be sold as planned, warts and all. ] Even 25 years after its debut, The Princess Bride , adapted from William Goldman’s book of the same name, has sustained its place among the best-loved American romances and comedies; you’d be hard pressed to find a self-respecting film lover these days who can’t conjure one of countless iconic lines from Reiner’s film. (See Movieline’s account of LACMA and Film Independent’s magical Princess Bride live-read for further evidence.) So it’s kind of perfect that the Drafthouse will host the Princess Bride Quote-Along Feast events this week at its six theaters in Austin and Houston on Feb. 14, in San Antonio on Feb. 15, and in Winchester, Va. on Feb. 16. What better way is there to spend Valentine’s Day than feasting on seared R.O.U.S. (“NY strip rubbed with telecherry peppercorn, mustard seed and espresso roasted medium rare in a pool of port demi, roast enoki mushrooms with mushroom risotto and grilled rapini”) and MLTs (for which “the mutton is shaved paper thin”) and toasting to “Twue Wuv” along with Westley, Buttercup and little Fred Savage? Millward’s whimsical Mondo poster (on sale at the Austin Quote-Along locations, printed in a limited run of 145) brings together the film’s most iconic elements (the six-fingered man! The R.O.U.Ses!) and its central heroes, from Cary Elwes’ The Man in Black to Robin Wright’s Princess Buttercup, the bouffant-coiffed Spaniard Inigo Montoya, Andre the Giant’s gentle Fezzik and Wallace Shawn’s evil Vizzini, who was last seen laughing maniacally while sloshing a goblet of wine. Speaking of wine… Inconceivable Cab and As You Wish White are the two varietals of Princess Bride wine available for order online ($28) at http://princessbridewine.com and at the Drafthouse locations starting today. The pairing of The Princess Bride with its own wine is an inspired concept that came from a brainstorming session by Drafthouse CEO Tim League and Co.: “At the end of last year, we were thinking about ideas to do something really fun with our wine list at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. To solve that challenge, a group of us got together after work, opened a bottle (a time-honored Alamo tradition) and started to brainstorm our favorite movie scenes involving wine. Quickly The Princess Bride rose to the top. The Princess Bride is one of our all-time favorite films. It stands beside The Big Lebowski as a movie that I will ALWAYS watch and thoroughly enjoy revisiting when it comes on TV. The ‘Battle of Wits’ sequence between Cary Elwes and Wallace Shawn easily stands toe-to-toe with ‘the Sideways Spit Bucket’ and ‘The Silence of the Lambs Chianti slurp’ as wine’s shining moment in film. We contacted the rights-holders and proposed a partnership to launch the product at the Alamo, and they were just as excited as we were. We are thrilled with the collectible bottle that Helms Workshop produced for us and think that fans of the movie will love it too. Although we can’t print it on the label because of legal reasons, we also promise each bottle to most likely be iocane free.” Get more info at the Alamo Drafthouse website .
Surely no one saw this coming: Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier and Artist wonder dog on whose behalf the Consider Uggie awards campaign has surged ever onward for nearly three months now , won the top prize Monday at the inaugural Golden Collar Awards. That’s really all I have to say about that, deferring instead to Uggie’s trainer Omar Von Muller, who put the purpose of the whole phenomenon in perspective while accepting the trophy with his winning pooch: Von Muller said the award was “overwhelming” adding: “He has been my buddy forever and is a great performer and great family member.” He also thanked award organizers DogNewsDaily.com saying: “This is very important for all the trainers in the movie industry, because we have never been recognized before, and people just don’t understand that it takes hundreds and even thousands of hours to train a dog.” Exactly . Respect! [ BBC ; photo via WireImage]
Surely no one saw this coming: Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier and Artist wonder dog on whose behalf the Consider Uggie awards campaign has surged ever onward for nearly three months now , won the top prize Monday at the inaugural Golden Collar Awards. That’s really all I have to say about that, deferring instead to Uggie’s trainer Omar Von Muller, who put the purpose of the whole phenomenon in perspective while accepting the trophy with his winning pooch: Von Muller said the award was “overwhelming” adding: “He has been my buddy forever and is a great performer and great family member.” He also thanked award organizers DogNewsDaily.com saying: “This is very important for all the trainers in the movie industry, because we have never been recognized before, and people just don’t understand that it takes hundreds and even thousands of hours to train a dog.” Exactly . Respect! [ BBC ; photo via WireImage]
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