Come this time next year, could Jay-Z be up for an Oscar nomination? The rapper/record producer/entrepreneur is on board to help score the re-make of The Great Gatsby . Jay-Z, born Shawn Corey Carter, is teaming up with The Bullitts ‘ Jeymes Samuel for the film’s music, which Samuel revealed via Twitter. Samuel was clearly ecstatic over their pairing for the film, which stars Leonard DiCaprio and Isla Fisher, saying through the social networking site, “It is too DOPE for words!” The younger brother of singer Seal, Samuel has left his mark on the music biz on singles Supercool , Landspeeder and Close Your Eyes . He has also written and directed the upcoming single They Die By Dawn starring Idris Elba. This is not the first mash-up Jay-Z has had with Australian-born filmmaker Baz Luhrmann , who is directing the film based on the classic book by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Lurhmann used one of his songs for The Great Gatsby ‘s first trailer. Also starring Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Jason Clarke and Tobey Maguire, the story revolves around a Midwestern transplant to Long Island who becomes fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby and is drawn into his circle of obsession and tragedy. The Great Gatsby opens in May.  [Source: The Guardian ]
2012 brought us two whacked-out limousine-set films from auteurs bearing all the markings of future cult classics. But while Leos Carax’s Holy Motors received universal critical praise, David Cronenberg ‘s Robert Pattinson -starring Cosmopolis left critics a little more divided , although how anyone could dislike a film featuring an R-Pattz prostate exam is one of life’s great mysteries. Movieline spoke with Cronenberg, a man who at this point seems physically incapable of tolerating bullshit, about his career, Oscar hopes and realities, and new advances like the High Frame Rate Peter Jackson used on The Hobbit . Along the way he riffed hypothetical on what he’d do for awards season glory, assessed the comfortable niche he’s carved out for himself on the fringes of the studio system, and revealed what he really thinks about… cats. Happy New Year! The Blu-ray release of Cosmopolis is coming out in the heart of Oscar-campaign season. I get the sense it doesn’t bug you too much that this film isn’t being discussed more as a contender. Yes. Every year I try to be as disconnected as possible. This year it’s been very easy because we haven’t been nominated for any awards. It’s not sour grapes, it’s not compensation; it’s a relief. It’s very easy to get caught up in it if you are nominated. The people who are releasing the movie get excited, they want you to do more, and you understand it because the awards can maybe get more people to see the film. This, on its face, is a good thing. However, it is all bullshit, it is all annoying and it is all very problematical. But it gives people stuff to write about, gives structure, we understand. But I won’t be watching any of the awards shows. It’s not just showing up that night, there’s months of campaigning. Oh, yes. I’ve talked with several people, one of whom was Denys Arcand, a French Canadian director who won the Best Foreign Language Oscar for The Barbarian Invasions — I know him well. He said he would never, ever do it again. He said it was a year, an incredibly intense year, and ultimately rather boring. Because he’s not doing anything creative at all, just selling. For a guy like Denys Arcand, though, does an award affect his bottom line? Does it affect his career? Will he be able to buy a new house after winning? No, not really. On the contrary, it’s caused him to retreat. He’s decided he doesn’t want to be involved in anything remotely Hollywood. He wants to make Quebecois films. He attempted to make some movies in English with emerging stars and it was a disaster — it’s not his sensibility. For an actor, though, perhaps it’s a different story. Viggo Mortensen was nominated for some of your films, Keira Knightley was discussed for A Dangerous Method . But let’s say she had won — would that have elevated her, and gotten her roles she wouldn’t have gotten otherwise? I don’t think so. She’s incredibly sought after — despite the fact that the British critics are often on her, but they like to eat their own, let’s face it. She’s too smart and beautiful and too talented, it drives them crazy. I don’t see [an award] doing anything for her. End of the year lists, though — Cosmopolis did end up placing second in Cahiers du Cinema ‘s top ten of the year. Yes and on Sight and Sound ‘s list, as well. So the snooty-pants Euros are digging the movie. And, it’ll no doubt end up somewhere on my top 20, I think. [Note: it came in at #12.] If I gave you money would you put it higher? No. Well? Depends how much money. C’mon, let’s talk. A hundred grand goes a long way. Would you give me a hundred grand to write that Cosmopolis is the best movie of the year? No! [Laughs.] But it’s a thought. Let’s be honest — at this stage in your career, let’s say you met the most reputable critic in the world, you met him at a bar and he said, “Oh, man, I’m in a real money crunch right now, I will make Cosmopolis my #1 of the year for X amount of dollars,” do you consider it for a second? No. But that’s because I’m too cheap. But… fact is, I have been on those lists, New York Times has been very positive on my last few movies, we got three great reviews from three critics at the New York Times for A Dangerous Method . But we still didn’t get…[laughs]…it didn’t… Still nobody in the States sees your damn movies, it’s Europeans only! That’s right. It doesn’t do much. But, listen, you like the validation, especially when they are intelligent people who write beautifully and when they applaud your movie it is terrific and gratifying. Pragmatically, it doesn’t do much. Better to get good reviews over bad, obviously, but we all know terrible movies that got terrible reviews that made a lot of money. There’s no one to one relationship. You just have to get very ’60s… just go with the flow.
Top 10s abound, but what the hell, its New Year’s Eve and there are mere hours left (in the Western Hemisphere at least) to look back on the year while it’s still here – Happy New Year Australia, N.Z., Japan and much of Asia. [ Related: Mash-Ups, ‘Moonrise,’ And ‘Miami’ Connections: Jen Yamato’s Top 10 Movie Moments of 2012 and Amy Nicholson’s / Top 10 of 2012 / Written In Haiku ] For those trolling the internet Monday and stumble on this list, I hope it’ll spawn more Top 10s. Either in your own mind or better yet – in the comments below. Or even just give your Top 5 or hell… Just your one favorite. Or even your least favorite. Just go for it, don’t be shy. Below is my ten favorites for 2012. I admit, mine may be loaded with some of the “cold and corny prestige pics and all those ‘respectable’ ‘films’ headed for Oscar gold” as my fab colleague Jen Yamato describes – but there it is… My favorite, Amour , was also the toughest to watch, but it just stayed with me through the rest of the year after having the privilege to see it for the first time in Cannes last May. I saw it again in December and it stayed with me as my favorite even if I was rather numb walking out of the theater. It is one helluva tough one, but so good. Disagree? Go for it and say why in the comments. My top 10 follows with an ever so brief comment and a trailer (admittedly, there are still a couple of ‘key’ movies I still need to see). And what were your faves of 2012? 1. Amour – The toughest movie I, well, loved. 2. Zero Dark Thirty – I knew what the ending would be, but my palms sweat for hours in the lead-up. 3. Silver Linings Playbook – I thought I’d be bored as I was ‘dragged’ to see it at a festival. I completely loved it. 4. Lincoln – I like political intrigue – even of the 19th century sort. Tommy Lee Jones was Amazing. 5. Beasts of the Southern Wild – No stars – fantastic acting and a great new voice in filmmaking in the form of Benh Zeitlin. 6. How to Survive a Plague – It’s hard to hold back the tears watching as these brave people fight for their lives under the scepter of hate. 7. Anna Karenina – Sumptuous. No surprise the Revolution came along. 8. Holy Motors – This movie may go down as one of 2012’s most important. 9. On the Road – Sit down, light up and go for the ride. Garrett Hedlund is a good trip. 10. Argo – Again, you know what the end will be but it still gets the heart racing. The final scenes when the film hits you over the head with how they barely get out is a bit much though.
According to THR ‘s Scott Feinberg, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences ‘ newfangled online voting system, implemented this year to make it easier for members to hand Anne Hathaway that statuette and such, is doing just the opposite . Voters can’t remember their passwords, web security is questionable, and important papers are being mistakenly tossed in the trash like annoying credit card offers. “It’s probably more difficult for members to log on than it is for hackers,” said one Oscars voter. Wait a second guys: This could be great. Who needs a Brett Ratner — this could be just what the Oscars need to finally jazz and youthen things up! Granted, it’s a real problem. Who knows how many ballots won’t be cast, or how e-apathy will decimate voter turnout? HOW WILL BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL GET ALL THE OSCARS?? Oh, I kid. And not to be ageist but as Feinberg points out, as we well know, the Academy skews older — a concern he and other pundits had when the e-voting change was announced: At the time, some (me included) speculated that the change might be too much too soon, particularly because “more than a few members don’t even have computers and/or know how to use the Internet.” (The median age of the Academy’s 5,765 members, according to a recent study, is 62.) [UPDATE: It’s worth pointing to Movie City News ‘s David Poland, who suggests that the Academy’s senior members are merely scapegoats for a flawed system.] I’m sure the Academy will figure it out, extend a deadline, put a few more volunteers on the HelpDesk lines. And I’m positive the media hubbub won’t attract the internet attention of those insidious hackers out there. The Dark Knight Rises , Avengers , Project X — your Oscar chances just skyrocketed! I leave you with these actual real quotes from Oscar voters, via Feinberg: “My son had to show me that I was done voting and what to press in order to submit. … The whole site was a little bit confusing. … I imagine some of the less technologically savvy Academy members might be struggling with this. … It would be an obvious target [for hackers]. … I’m not convinced that it’s exactly the Fort Knox of sites. It’s probably more difficult for members to log on than it is for hackers!” “Listen, I don’t do anything online. You know, I don’t even have a computer. I’m writing my next book in longhand with drawings in notebooks!” “I still haven’t voted. I couldn’t remember my password, so [after a few tries] they locked me out of it. Once they lock you out of it, you can’t get back in, so you have to get a whole new password and everything, so I did that… I called the help line, and I asked them to walk me through it, and they were very polite and friendly, but you could just hear in the girl’s voice that I was not the only one complaining that day. … And then they said you can’t vote for 24 hours. … I have heard from several [fellow members] that it’s been a disaster and they wanted to give up because they couldn’t navigate the system. It wasn’t even letting them in, requiring dual passwords and all this nonsense. … It’s easier to break into the CIA*.” *Not that this voter would seem to know from experience. Read the full report over at THR and let’s get to predicting what the 2012 Oscars will look like once our new haxorz overlords take over. [ THR ] Follow Jen Yamato on Twitter . Follow Movieline on Twitter .
Coming off like a mashup of Shaun of the Dead and Zombie Land with some manic pixie dream girl nonsense thrown in, the premise of Warm Bodies – after a worldwide apocalypse, zombie boy falls in love with human girl – is interesting, and the book upon which it’s based has been really well received. But in the hands of the wrong studio things could go horribly wrong. Like The Time Traveller’s Wife horribly wrong. Add to this the fact that we’re dangerously close to reaching peak zombie and you feel less like we’re about to get something cool and more like we’re about to see the last drops of fuel extracted from a dried out earth, Mad Max style, before the zombie genre is killed forever. Consider my fears (temporarily) averted. Via Fandango, the first four minutes of Warm Bodies has popped up online, and shocker, it manages to be funny and kind of touching, and reveals a really interesting take on the whole undead-as-a-metaphor-for-something thing. Previous zombie films have used the shuffling undead as a stand-in for things like consumerism and global pandemics like AIDS. Warm bodies treats it note for note like depression. Have a look and see for yourself. Rob Corddry as a middle aged zombie who clearly used to be a heavy drinking business traveller is also a nice touch. Yeah, it does mine rather overexploited territory, glossing over the origins of the apocalypse via heavy references to other well known zombie films, but that’s fine because it looks like we might be getting our first original take on zombies in several years. Just so long as none of them run. Please god, please don’t let them be runners. [ Source: Fandango ]
Actor Charles Durning, who starred in the 1982 film Tootsie died on Christmas Eve in New York. His long time agent Judith Moss confirmed his death at 89, BBC reports . In Tootsie he played the would-be suitor of Dustin Hoffman’s starring character. Durning received Best Supporting Actor nominations in 1982 and 1984 for roles in To Be or Not to Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas . He also won a Golden Globe in 1991 for Best Supporting Actor in the mini-series The Kennedys of Massachusetts along with a number of other critical accolades throughout the decades. In 1982’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds, he played the corrupt governor. A veteran of World War II, he began his acting career in the ’60s at the New York Shakespeare Festival, first gaining notoriety in 1973 playing a bad cop in The Sting alongside Robert Redford. “I never turned down anything and never argued with any producer or director,” he said in 2008. “Not only was Charlie a World War II hero but he was also a hero to his family,” his stepdaughter, Anita Gregory said in a statement. “Charlie loved Christmas and if he could have chosen a time to pass, he would have chosen this day.” Durning will be buried in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. [ Source: BBC ]
Good news, everyone! 2012 has been a pretty great year for the film industry. Ticket sales were up worldwide by 5% over 2011, and a record box office haul of $10 billion means plenty of celebrating at studio holiday parties. Of course, Biggie wasn’t lying when he preached the harsh truth that with mo’ money comes mo’ problems, and so it is that while bootleg film watching didn’t quite rival ticket sales, with hundreds of millions of illegal downloads piracy is nothing to sneeze at. TorrentFreak has helpfully compiled a list of the year’s most frequently stolen films, and while it contains few surprises – is anyone shocked that the year’s biggest films would also be among the most pirated? – we can learn a lot from what it is people are actually pirating. Here are the films you were most likely to steal in 2012: 1. Project X 2. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol 3. The Dark Knight Rises 4. The Avengers 5. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows 6. 21 Jump Street 7. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo 8. The Dictator 9. Ice Age: Continental Drift 10. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 So what can we learn from this? For starters, Robert Downey Jr. clearly needs to invest in an illegal file sharing operation. No, we definitely do not condone piracy, but the pirates have spoken, and they’re firmly on team RDL. He might as well cash in on their adoration. Also noteworthy is the fact that the single most pirated film was Project X, which also has the distinction of being the lowest-grossing film on the list. It’s probably rational to think the film’s R-rating led to a lot of underage downloads from people who might otherwise be its target audience. But while some might suggest this only means teen comedies should be tamed down for a PG-13 rating, we think there’s a more obvious solution: eliminate the ratings system entirely. We look forward to a G-rated Machete sequel with plenty of nudity. Finally, this list conclusively proves that pirates have zero interest in prestige films. Every single one of these movies was a giant hit aimed at a wide audience. Now some might argue that movies with broad appeal are going to be more sought-after targets than those that play for a few weeks in an arthouse theater in Pasadena, but it seems just as likely pirates simply don’t like film snobs. The obvious take away: all tentpole movies should debut at Sundance and TriBeCa. [Source: Screen Crush ]
Django Unchained will not be making filmmaker Spike Lee ‘s year-end top 10 list nor any other list for that matter because he says he won’t see it. The outspoken Red Hook Summer director said the slavery-centered feature by Quentin Tarantino may deal with the topic in a manner that is less than respectful. In an interview with Vibe magazine, Lee said: “I can’t speak on it ’cause I’m not gonna see it. I’m not seeing it. All I’m going to say is that it’s disrespectful to my ancestors to see that film…” [ Related: Quentin Tarantino Wants You To Feel The Inhumanity Of Slavery In ‘Django Unchained’ ] Lee was quick to add that he is only speaking on his own behalf and stopped short at a full condemnation, but said America’s dark history in slavery was not akin to the story portrayed in a film like Django Unchained . “I can’t disrespect my ancestors,” he said. “I can’t do it. Now, that’s me, I’m not speaking on behalf of anybody but myself.” Lee had commented earlier via Twitter alluding to the film, according to Yahoo U.K.: “American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It Was A Holocaust. My Ancestors Are Slaves. Stolen From Africa. I Will Honor Them.” Lee took on Tarantino when Jackie Brown hit screens, criticizing the plentiful use of the n-word, which also is uttered throughout Django Unchained / “I’m not against the word. And some people speak that way,” he said. “But Quentin is infatuated with that word. What does he want to be made – an honorary black man? I want Quentin to know that all African Americans do not think that word is trendy or slick.” [ Sources: Vibe via Yahoo U.K. ]
While stars such as Mark Hamill , Carrie Fisher and perhaps even Harrison Ford have indicated they may make a return to Disney’s Star Wars , the narrow pool of once possible directors has narrowed more. [ Related: Will J.J. Abrams Or Jon Favreau Direct ‘Star Wars: Episode VII?’ ] J.J. Abrams is the latest possible director to bow out of possibly leading Star Wars: Episode VII . Steven Spielberg said he won’t be heading to the director’s chair for the next round of the franchise, which Disney will spearhead via its $4.05 billion acquisition of LucasFilm in late October. Abrams, who is directing next year’s Star Trek Into Darkness briefly discussed the idea with producer Kathleen Kennedy, according to Empire Magazine, but decided against taking on the project and will keep his focus on Star Trek . [ Related: Woody-Wan Kenobi? ‘Toy Story 3’ Writer Hired For Next ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy Treatment ] “There were the very early conversations and I quickly said that because of my loyalty to Star Trek , and also just being a fan, I wouldn’t even want to be involved in the next version of those things. I declined any involvement very early on. I’d rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them.” Continuing he added, “I guess the franchises could go up against each other, but I’m not thinking that far ahead! I’m a huge fan of Star Wars, Empire and Jedi, and the idea of the world continuing is exciting and will be amazing. Kathy Kennedy is a friend and there are no smarter producers. It’s in great hands.” [Sources: Empire , Coming Soon , Huff Post ]
This December is heavy with major movies — Zero Dark Thirty , This is 40 , The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , Django Unchained and Les Misérables — that are literally (use the bathroom first) and metaphorically big. As they dominate the year-end conversation, it seems like a good moment to to call out some films that may not earn many mentions at award shows and top ten lists, but nevertheless charmed, entertained or impressed me throughout the year. 1. Indie Game: The Movie This fascinating documentary about the relatively new world of independently made video games follows the maker of an established hit, a team preparing to debut their work and a guy who’s been toiling for years on something that’s still not finished. It’s a look at the ambitious far reaches of a medium that’s been dominated by the equivalent of blockbusters for most of its existence, and at what it means to strive for something personal and artistically inclined in a world just learning to appreciate those qualities. 2. Keep the Lights On Ira Sachs’ film about the ups and downs of a decade-long romance is based on his own relationship, and has the sting of the personal in the way it tracks how the needy Eric (Thure Lindhardt) and the drug-addicted Paul (Zachary Booth) support, hurt and enable each other. It’s a painfully honest look at how we can keep returning to the things we know are bad for us, and what it takes to finally pull away. 3. Sparkle Yes, it comes with the baggage of featuring an unhappy, exhausted-looking Whitney Houston in her last role and serving as the acting debut of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks . But Sparkle is an interesting, complex consideration of African American womanhood and what it means to be good and to be a success. And Carmen Ejogo , as the troubled and talented oldest sister, is an outstanding find — she’s magnetic even as she’s embraces destruction. 4. Sound of Noise A heist movie in which the goal is not to steal but to make music: This Swedish comedy is built around four outrageous and inventive movements in a piece performed a group of anarchist artists who unlawfully invade a hospital room, a bank, a plaza and a power plant to make themselves heard . It’s weird in the very best way. 5. King Kelly Shot on iPhones and consumer-grade cameras posing as them, this film about a camgirl and her adventures on July 4th is a damning portrait of self-documentation as narcissism, and worse, as a way of using the Internet to justify your behavior and your appeal. Between her online following and her fawning best friend, Kelly (Louisa Krause) has surrounded herself with people who tell her how great she is. She blocks out anyone who disagrees, although it becomes apparent that she’s as much at the mercy of pandering to her “fans” as she is empowered by their adoration.
