2013 GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS

 The Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning. A lot of love for Lincoln (7 nominations, 5 apiece for Argo and Django Unchained and even Joaquin Phoenix and The Master got some love.). I'm personally excited to see Cloud Atlas (Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil) among the nominees for Best Score. Well-deserved! See the complete list below!

1.    BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
a.    ARGO
Warner Bros. Pictures, GK Films, Smokehouse Pictures; Warner Bros. Pictures
b.    DJANGO UNCHAINED
The Weinstein Company, Columbia Pictures; The Weinstein Company/Sony Pictures Releasing
c.    LIFE OF PI
Fox 2000 Pictures; Twentieth Century Fox
d.    LINCOLN
DreamWorks Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox; Touchstone Pictures
e.    ZERO DARK THIRTY
Columbia Pictures and Annapurna Pictures; Sony Pictures Releasing

2.    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

19th ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS® NOMINATIONS

I know I'm a little late to the party, but the SAG nominations were announced yesterday! I love this time of year. It's cool to see what different organizations across the film and television industry think of the years' films. Sometimes I'm dumbfounded with each groups' decision, but still excited - especially when a favorite film or two get some recognition. That being said, I would love Argo to go all the way and am so glad the entire cast got a nomination! I'm giddy Alan Arkin got singled out, but would have loved for John Goodman to get a supporting nom too. They play off each other so well. Have a look at the nominations below. What do you think? Were you disappointed with any nominations? Who do you think was snubbed and deserved some recognition from their fellow actors?

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
BRADLEY COOPER / Pat - “SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK” (The Weinstein Company)
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS / Abraham Lincoln - "LINCOLN” (Touchstone Pictures)
JOHN HAWKES / Mark - "THE SESSIONS" (Fox Searchlight)
HUGH JACKMAN / Jean Valjean - "LES MISÉRABLES" (Universal Pictures)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Whip Whitaker - "FLIGHT" (Paramount Pictures)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

Fall 2012 Odds, Ends & Updates

Hey folks!
We have finally, FINALLY completed our fun teaser trailer we worked on last Fall. Expect to see a link to it soon. When you have a small crew, sometimes things take a little longer than expected. We are so excited it's complete and can't wait to share it with you! We also just completed our script for a web series we hope to start filming within the next year, so fun future projects abound!

Also, here's a personal shout-out to a couple of films that this gal really wants to see. What about you? Any films you can't wait to watch this season?

LOOPER - OUT NOW!

ARGO - OUT OCTOBER 12th

Fall Offerings - Halloween Style! - Veda Rains

As some of you know (if you're one of the few - nay, the PROUD- who read this blog), I love autumn. The cool weather, the gloomy skies, colorful leaves covering the ground... I could go on and on. Yes, it is still August, but I knew it was time to get excited for Fall when I got an email from Bath & Body Works telling its mailing list that yes, it's true! Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin (my fave Fall scent) is back in stock and ready for purchase! Oh, and, uh... all of the awesome (arguably) Halloween-themed movies coming out!
Yes, I love my horror films. In high school, I went through a period where I bought a ton of cheap horror film VHS's (remember those? Well, ya better. I was still purchasing them up til 2006) every other week during the Fall season. But it's not those films I'm talking about. Blame it on the kid at heart that lies within me, but I'm super excited about all of the kid-centric movies this year! Here are the trailers for the 3 that caught my eye. What do you think? Will you go see any of them? Be honest now...

ParaNorman - Out Now!
If your partial to Coraline (the film adaptation), you may like ParaNorman. It's by the same people! And you're just in time, because it comes out in theaters this weekend!

Hotel Transylvania - September 28th
It's a cute premise. Where do all the monsters and creatures go to get away from ordinary people? And what happens when an average Joe winds up there and falls for Dracula's daughter?

Frankenweenie - October 5th
We showed you the trailer the instant it came out! When Victor loses his dog, he finds a way to bring him back to life! I loved the original, and I'm excited to see how they expand the world of Frankenweenie.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - Joan Finch

     I don't have too much to say about this film which shouldn't be interpreted as a black mark on the film itself. Truthfully I feel ambiguous about it. Neither dull or exceptional it comes immediately to mind as calculating. It's like walking the circumference of a large abstraction, trying to figure out its purpose. 

     Tinker Tailor was originally a novel adapted previously for television in 1979 by the BBC.  The story is set in the Cold War era of the 70's concerning the investigation of a double agent inside the British Secret Service. You've probably heard about it and if you've seen the trailer then you know it has a stellar cast. 

     It's the type of story with long pauses and little dialogue which means you sometimes have to explain the subtext to your fellow movie goers. This is the same with the frequent flashbacks. There is a lot to like about Tinker Tailor including some suburb acting. 

     It felt long and thats the worse thing I can say about it. As I realized I had fifty minutes of runtime left I just thought 'Really?'.  'They can keep this going for another hour?'. And they did. Even at the resolution there was no rushing. Discovering the identity of the trader was over in a moment. There was tension but no action, no fight. This is not Bond after all.  It worked though and all the elements of the film make sense. 

Presenting Lily Mars! (Review of a Classic)- Veda Rains

I have to admit, I think I missed the first 10-15 minutes of this movie, but perhaps the fact that it caught my eye whilst channel surfing late one night, is just a testament to how enjoyable and addicting this classic film is. You may have heard this story a time or two: a talented small-town girl (in this case, from Indiana) forges her way to New York to be a star! Her name is Lily and before she makes the leap to New York, she tries to take advantage of a hometown hero: Broadway producer John Thornway, hounding him to let her have a roll in one of his productions. She tries to base this on the fact that his father brought her into the world and her mother knows his mother. Lily is spunky, bright, funny, and full of life. She's not afraid to crash a party and steal the show (or put the moves on Thornway, for that matter)... but Thornway is the exact opposite: prickly and unamused with Lily's spirit and lack of acting ability-or so he tries to make it appear...
As the story progresses and Lily works her way up to a single-line roll, Thornway becomes attracted to her. And while they may fall in love way too quickly-the film's greatest, but somewhat forgivable, fault (as the actors share great chemistry), it is clear from the start that they were meant for each other.
I found this movie refreshing and timeless. I can't believe I hadn't seen it before! I think its plot has a realistic twist, too: Thornway's star and sometime girlfriend, leaves the show, Lily rises to the occasion and steps in to star, but falls short of Thornway's perfectionistic view of how the show is to be performed. He goes back to the star and asks her to come back. She does, and nothing romantic happened, but Lily is crushed. I think if Lily had gone on to star in the production, the movie would have lost some of its charm and credibility.
The fact that Lily chooses to return to play the roll of a barmaid with a single line shows her growth and maturity. She knows it's going to take time to get where she wants to go, and she's just fine with that. Please check this movie out if you're a dreamer or are in need of a classic musical!

P.S. Lily's family was a fantastic and quirky part of the film! I think many families can relate to their enthusiasm and pride when Lily takes to the stage-even if for a brief minute.

Bad Recomendations - Joan Finch

By and large the source of most bad recommendations is the trailer. Whether its a television promo or feature trailer the one thing you can count on is that they are going to lie to you. How much is relative but you can be sure they aren't going to show you the bad. Its like politics in that way. The more you participate in the process the more apt you are to see a sucker coming a mile away.  It they tell you the whole story in the trailer, if they rely too heavily on action sequences, if you can figure out the ending from the minute and a half video clip....that's a BAD sign.
Its far more difficult to avoid the bad recommendations when they come from friends. These people know you, right? Whoever suggested The Ninth Gate and Silent Hill to me really should rethink the giving recommendations ever. If there's anything I dislike more than horror films with no plot I could think of them after watching these two flops.
But there is a way to avoid this misleading pitfall.  Get to know what your friends favorite and most watched films are. For example I won't consider the advice of anyone whose watched more than one of the Hostle or Saw series. People who know me know my most watch tv shows and films because I talk about them. The slightest references sends me into an hour long rant about how great Doctor Who is, How unexpectedly awesome Pandorum was, & How the brilliant Joss Whedon should be my pen pal, etc. If you like your friends favorites than your onto a good source of recommendations. And hopefully, won't find yourself considering the quickest path to the theatre exits.

Dial M for Murder (1954) - Joan Finch

     A great film from that great era of murder mysteries when men wore coats and ties to dinner and thoughtfully planned out their wife's murder.  The American Film Institute listed Dial M among the top ten greatest mystery films of all time. Not surprising as this is a Hitchcock film, the master of suspense himself, but it surprised me to learn Dial M was adapted from a stage play by Frederick Knott.  Staged like a play the majority of the film is set in the apartment of Tony and Margot where the plot, crime and coverup are all played out.

*SPOILERS* 

     Dial M is a thinking mans murder mystery. Besides being narrated almost entirely from the murderous husbands POV the story went beyond the typical genre film of the time.  Calm & calculating Tony, having discovered some time ago of his wife's short lived affair with an American writer, decides he's too accustomed to his fortune & status to allow divorce to take it away. He spends months planning the perfect murder of his rich wife Margot, even entangling an old school mate with a shady moral compass to perform the deed, but when the perfect plan goes wrong he must quickly improvise a plan B.

     I was in awe at the dialogue and plotting of this script. It contains, in my opinion, a perfect scene. Penultimate within the film and perfectly performed by the actors. There's something almost admirable about the brilliance with which Tony, played by Ray Milland, goes about orchestrating the crime with a charming smile and relaxed manner. Having lured his unsuspecting university friend Charles Swann to his home he speaks candidly about discovering the affair, anonymously blackmailing his wife, then about stalking Mr. Swann and learning so many interesting things about him. It's too late for Swann now. He's left fingerprints on numerous things inside the apartment during the visit, which makes Tony's story of Swann's black mail of and Margot and now Tony all the more plausible. They strike a deal and Tony walks Swann through each masterful step of the murder. He even pauses to answer a call from his wife as Swann thinks it over.  

     And Dial M is just that clever from beginning to end. Watching Tony's mind work over the problem at hand is absolutely mesmerizing. 

     Dial M for Murder also marks Hitchcocks first film with Grace Kelly, his most beloved star.

Watch the trailer by clicking the link.   

Animated Frankenweenie Remake?- Joan Finch

     Next year we're going to be gifted a new Tim Burton film and its going to be animated as well. Animated in the uniquely Burton way of animation that was so striking in The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. Frankenweenie, if you're not familiar, is about a child who brings back his dog after he's struck by a car. A comical verson of the Frankensteins monster story. I loved the original black and white film with its whimsy and absurdism but I can't not be excited to see how Burton will bring the same story to life in clay. Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and Martin Short are set to lend their voices to this fanciful and dark remake of Tim Burtons '84 film with the same name.

     I'll keep my eye out for more news to come. Keep me updated if you run across any news on your own, will you?

HitRECord, Collaboration Medium - Joan Finch

So I was surfing indiewire.com for any new news and I ran across something brilliant.   Joseph Gordon-Levitt (yeah, him) heads a creative 'think tank' style production company called HitRECord where everyone and anyone is invited to contribute and collaborate on projects of all sorts together. They've already produced Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, obviously a collection of member made short stories currently being turned into "tiny films", and RECollection: Volume 1, a collection of music and films they made last year.

The article with way more info and a video intro by the main man himself can be found here.

This is a great opportunity to work on projects with people around the world and produce something complete spontanious and beautiful. Its like a much bigger all-encompassing version of what we'll be trying to accomplish at Obscura Operandi. Fantastic. Check out the article at indiewire.com with the link above. There's an interview with Gordon-Levitt about the founding and success of HitRECord.

I've also included the link to the HitRECord website. Explore.

News from the Toronto Film Fest

Its Day 4 of the Film Fest up there in Ol'Canada and maybe I didn't bring it up because I'm envious of the people who can afford to go but it was wrong of me and I'm sorry.

Hit the link to go to a blog hosted by IMDB about the Fest.  Theres also a photo gallery of all the celebs and semi-celebs who are making an appearance.  http://www.imdb.com/features/toronto/2011/blog/

Some of the films mentioned are

Ghostbusters 3 NEWS

Not that this is a democratic Hollywood we're dealing with but if there was a vote I'd be Pro-Gubler all the way.  So here's me lobbying for that very possibility!

Check this out guys. http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=81518

Team Ghostbuster. Team Gubler.

Crazy Stupid Love (2011) - Joan Finch

     Beyond the obvious reasons to go see this film, like the impeccable casting, I'll give you another...its absolute in its goodness.  They never drop the ball on any aspect of the storytelling.  It is continually funny, charming, surprising, and human.  It's that kind of satisfying movie-going experience that makes you happy there's such a thing as a mega-plex. Its well worth the ticket price. And yes its a romantic comedy but its a truly great ride.

      And if you don't trust my opinion (which is just silly) there is a point B to my pro-Crazy Stupid Love argument that even you may agree with.  

Point B: Ryan Gosling shirtless, Ryan Gosling in a suit, Ryan Gosling smiling.

Letters To Juliet (2010) - Joan Finch

Those who are very easily influenced by suggestion, like me, would remember the previews for this romance flick from last year.  Beautiful scenery and an embarrassing abuse of a pop song made this a better music video than trailer.  I might not be so hard on this film had they not broken the cardinal rule(in my opinion) about trailers: Don't show the whole film in the trailer.

Yet still, in spite of your gut feeling that this is going to be no more that another in a long line of uninspired so-called “chick flicks”, you find yourself in line for popcorn with the ticket in your hand and a very excited “chick” saving you a seat. 

They wasted Gael Garcia Bernal and Vanessa Redgrave completely. I would much rather have watched a film focusing on Mrs. Redgraves storyline than what Letters To Juliet ended up being. This film is the result of a half-hearted attempt and I can't in anyway recommend it. 

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) - Joan Finch

     My vocabulary isn't equipped to do this film justice any better than the title does for itself.  It's the log-line, the premise, the idea of the story in a reserved and open-ended statement.  Reserved is the mood of this film, captured by Roger Deakins' hauntingly beautiful cinematography and the marked editing style.  Watching this film is like walking in on a conversation already in progress.  A tense sort of dialogue that makes you instinctively step back because at any moment violence could, and does, burst in on the calm.  

     The cast is beyond star-studded as Ted Levine, Zooey Deschanel and Mary-Louise Parker are some of the actors to claim bit parts and cameo appearances. I would highly recommend The Assassination to anyone especially if you're looking to spend an afternoon in deep contemplation. 

     This film has the audience constantly wondering as we marvel at the apt and tempered production.  Though you do feel the time ticking by this rather lengthy story keeps you enraptured to the end.  As in the moment where Jesse is waiting for the train to roll up to the trap, you have to keep watching. 

Superman Reboot News - Joan Finch

Man of Steel: Good News for Super-Classic

          Bit player and current Tudors cast member, Henry Cavill, to steal the lead in next years Man of Steel.  

          Here's hoping the filmmakers on this redux of the classic franchise avoid the creative decisions behind the last disheartening release.  What a disaster that was.  I must admit I haven't paid much attention to Director Zach Snyder's previous work but his style is vibrant and he has a lot of talented support behind him.  The cast includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, as well as, Kevin Costner & Diane Lane as Mr. and Mrs. Kent.  To top it all off the script is being helmed by David S. Goyer and is based on a story he wrote with Christopher Nolan.  This is the same team behind the successful Batman films of the past several years! 

I have real hope for this guys.  Holy smokes this could be good!

Top 5 James McAvoy movies - DeWinter

Okay this is a hard one. I love me some Hot Scots and Mr. McAvoy is no exception to the rule. However, I own pretty much like 75% of his movies, maybe more, not just because he’s nice to look at, but also because the man is a great actor and he makes incredible films…So here it is, folks, in no particular order. Also, it should be said I know that there are a lot of great films that didn’t make this list, and I love all of them as well, but these are the ones that have stood out to me.

Welcome!

Glad you stumbled across our blog, Obscura Operandi. We're excited to begin sharing our love of film with others. So what can you expect from this blog? News, reviews, projects, opportunities....and more! We're just getting started so stay tuned for more and thank you for being among the first to check us out. You can also Like us on Facebook
And Follow us on Twitter
We will also have a full-fledged website this year, too! Tell your friends and come back often.