If you’re like me and a little underwhelmed by this year’s Oscar nominees, maybe seeing them through Mondo’s eyes will make it more exciting. The poster boutique of the Alamo Drafthouse is making posters for four of their favorite films, in four of their favorite categories, timed to the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26.
The first two films are Martin Scorsese‘s Hugo, representing the Best Picture category, designed by Kevin Tong and Gore Verbinski‘s Rango, representing the Best Animated Film category, designed by Tom Whalen. Check them out after the jump. Read More »
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Posted on Friday, February 17th, 2012 by Angie Han
Although the Muppets have recently seen a resurgence in popularity — not unlike the one they enjoyed in the plotline of last year’s The Muppets, which contributed to that popularity — they’ve had some trouble getting into Hollywood’s biggest night of the year. First, the powers that be decided to go with Billy Crystal rather than the Muppets to replace Eddie Murphy as host, despite impassioned pleas from fans. Then, news broke that in a departure from tradition, this year’s Best Song nominees (of which “Man or Muppet” is one) would not be performed live during the telecast.
But fans can cheer up, because it seems the Academy’s finally found a place for the beloved puppets in this year’s ceremony after all. Kermit and Miss Piggy are now set to present at the Academy Awards, joining the all-star ranks of Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie, Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Ben Stiller, Tina Fey, Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, and more. Read more after the jump.
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If you walked out of The Muppets feeling like you were on top of the world, Bret McKenzie was a big reason. The actor/singer/songwriter, best known for his HBO series Flight of the Conchords, was hired by director James Bobin to write many of the brand new songs for characters like Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and others to sing in the Muppets triumphant return to the screen. And to that aim, McKenzie was a success. He was rewarded for his work with an Oscar-nomination for Best Original Song for “Man or Muppet,” which features Jason Segel’s character Gary and his brother, Walter the Muppet, signing about their true identities. It’s funny, clever, catchy and has a 50/50 shot at gold since only two songs are nominated.
We sat down to talk to McKenzie about the honor, his process integrating songs in the film, the song not being performed at the Oscars, as well as his upcoming role in a tiny film called The Hobbit and more. Watch the video interview after the jump. Read More »
Each year, the Oscars are the culmination of a year of movies in Hollywood. Films from January through December of the previous year are celebrated and awards are handed to the best of the best. This year however, maybe I’m crazy, but something doesn’t feel right.
It all began with the Brett Ratner/Eddie Murphy debacle. Brian Grazer and Billy Crystal replaced them, which was fine, but then the nominations came out and were almost too predictable for words. Even as recently as Tuesday, it was announced the two Best Original Song nominees won’t be performed. What’s supposed to be a joyous occasion, filled with glitz and glamour, now has what feels like a huge rain cloud hanging over it.
Maybe the people who are behind the whole shebang agree. They’ve just revealed a new ad campaign to remind viewers, and filmgoers, about Oscar’s storied history with thirty plus images saying “We Showed You” followed by a reference to a great movie of the past. We’ve picked ten of the best for you to check out after the jump. Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 by Angie Han
It’s been a rough awards season for the Oscars’ Best Original Song contenders. Not only did the complicated new rules lead to just two out of thirty-nine eligible songs getting nominated, we’re now learning that the songs that did get acknowledged — “Real in Rio” from Rio and “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets — will play a smaller role than usual at this year’s ceremony. In past years, the event has featured live performances of the Best Original Song nominees. However, according to a new report, this year’s Awards will likely skip the performances altogether. More details after the jump.
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Joe Carnahan‘s new film The Grey opens this week, and the movie is a return to the early promise of Carnahan’s movie Narc, which was released in 2004. The Grey is a solid little movie that combines familiar characters with tense action and survival situations, and it should do pretty well with audiences. And if the movie does click with the public, we might see it back in theaters late this year, the better to position it for possible awards. Read More »
We’ll likely spend some of today reacting to the Oscar nominations, which were announced this morning. But before we get to complaining and picking apart the Academy choices that snubbed certain films, let’s celebrate a couple of movies that just got a big bump from the Oscar nods.
In the Best Animated Film category two of the nominated films are ones that are probably unfamiliar to a lot of people. A Cat in Paris, by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, and Chico & Rita, by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando were both nominated. But before you get too up in arms that these movies helped snub Pixar and/or Tintin, take a look at the trailers for the two films below. Chico & Rita, for example, is simply gorgeous. Read More »
This morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 84th Academy Awards. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone, The Hunger Games) read the new Oscar nods, with by Academy President Tom Sherak.
The big nominees were The Descendants, The Artist, and Hugo, all which come as no surprise. But Moneyball scored four big nominations, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy also walked away with a couple big nods, and The Muppets is now Oscar-nominated. The Adventures of Tintin was shut out of the Best Animated Film category, and Andy Serkis did not end up with a nomination for his work in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Read More »
