#Sundance awards

[dopefoxflower]

Sugarcane è un documentario diretto da Julian Brave NoiseCat ed Emily Kassie, incentrato sulle indagini sugli abusi e sulla scomparsa di bambini in una scuola residenziale in Canada; questo film mette in luce la resilienza delle comunità indigene mentre affrontano traumi storici e cercano giustizia; è stato presentato in anteprima al Sundance ed è stato descritto come un'esplorazione toccante degli impatti intergenerazionali sui popoli nativi.

A partire dal 1894, il governo canadese costrinse i bambini indigeni a frequentare collegi segregati.

Le scuole furono progettate per "liberarsi del problema indiano"; la maggior parte erano gestite dalla chiesa cattolica.

Per anni, gli studenti riferirono di abusi e di compagni scomparsi.

[onlydylanobrien]

Dylan O'Brien and Jack Champion at the Variety & The Golden Globe Awards Breakthrough Artists Party Presented by Adobe during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. (January 19, 2024)

[thishadoscarbuzz]

306 - Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her

A film with strong festival reviews that gets dumped to cable television because its commercial prospects appear slim? Sounds like something ripped from today's cinema headlines, but it's the case for this week's film, Rodrigo Garcia's Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her. Led by a prestigious cast of awards show mainstays, the film is a tapestry of loosely interconnected stories that detail the inner lives of women living in the San Fernando valley. After successful trips to both Sundance and Cannes, the film's distributor sold the film to Showtime when even its good reviews weren't considered enough to merit a theatrical release.

This episode, we talk about the understated work of writer/director Garcia and the critical community's reaction at the time to the film's punting to cable. We also talk about Calista Flockhart's run on Ally McBeal, Kathy Baker and Valeria Golino's absence from the film's marketing, and how Glenn Close and Holly Hunter went from Oscar beloveds to Emmy perennials.

Topics also include the Emmys, MGM's then-looming bankruptcy, and the Tyra Banks game.

The 2000 Academy Awards

The 2001 Academy Awards

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[gentil-minou]

wangxian rookies in showbiz au where newbie idol Wei Wuxian is on set of a commercial wearing a ridiculously uncomfortable outfit getting yelled at for dumb reasons by his incompetent agent while bottom-of-the-totem-pole production assistant Lan Wangji is being bossed around by the awful director

Except wwx isn't actually a newbie he was once popular child actor Wei Ying seen everywhere, the golden boy of the industry known for his upbeat personality and the smile constantly on his face.

That is until his final role when he was 13 where he played a dark jaded teenage psychopath in a psychological thriller and was forced to perform intensely emotional scenes without any counselor or anyone there to keep an eye on him (his manager at the time Madam Yu's focus was always her other children's careers, Wei Ying was just an extra way to make money you see). He even got badly injured on set, and now has an ugly burn scar above his heart from a poorly done fire stunt.

But the movie flops and things just keep getting worse from there...

It gets no attention from critics that is until former golden boy becomes the teen misfit all the gossip rags talk about, with constant cover stories showing him at 15 doing drugs and partying and eventually getting kicked out by his manager/aunt at 16. The narrative becomes clear that Wei Ying is a flop and another failed child star turned deplorable diva

He disappears for a few years, only ever coming up in a low budget TMZ special or some commentary youtuber's videos, but Lan Wangji never forgot him.

Lan Wangji had often worked with his uncle when he came on as a consultant on set and so was able to watch and admire Wei Ying from afar. He's especially fond of Wei Ying's role as the happy go lucky middle child on a popular sitcom role and his smaller movie roles where he played a genius child inventor and solved crimes alongside a precocious bunny rabbit.

So well Lan Wangji has always been a fan of him so he's shocked when the new idol on set of their cheap commercial stage looks so similar to Wei Ying.

But at the same time, they're not the same at all. While Wei Ying was known for being friendly and silly, Wei Wuxian is acting like a pompous and cocktail overly confident ass, flirting with the director and everyone else while making a show of whiny and being cutesy with hopes for more screentime.

It's very unnatural and there's a moment where LWJ thinks he must have been mistaken but there's a moment in between when he's running back and forth on the producer's order while balancing cups of coffee when he spots WWX sitting by himself, huddled in a corner of the soundstage deep in the shadows where no one else is around.

He's staring at the fingernails they've painted and stuck gaudy fake jewels on and fiddling with the ridiculous black demon wings he's wearing, as he picks at the layers of makeup and stickers they've put on his face. He's tugging on his red crop top, cut indecently short and revealing so much, as watery eyes dart back and forth in front him like he's worried someone important might see.

In general he doesn't seem anything like the person he was under those lights just minutes ago.

As lwj approaches he sees that actually wwx shoulders are shaking his hands are clenched into fists, his eyes shut tight so that his makeup doesn't run

Wei Wuxiann watches as the director is barking orders for someone to fix the set as another idol takes wwx's place and finishes the shoot. Apparently his acting wasn't "peppy enough" so they've replaced him with someone else

But this was his first gig in months, years actually but months since he tried to come back and for it to fail like this, so fast without anything to show for it is absolutely devastating. He'd tried so hard to give them what he thought he wanted, desperately hoping for his big break. Only to fail again.

What does he do? What can he say? Why does he even bother?

He's staring at the floor like it might have the answer to all his problems when a pair of white sneakers appear.

He tracks those sneakers up to meet the stonefaced stare of one of the PAs he's seen running around, the youngest one who's been doing the most menial tasks. He looks somewhat familiar but his face is impassive and wwx can't tell at all what he's thinking

The PA hands him a bottle of water that wwx takes with both hands, too taken aback to do much else. Then the PA slips his headset off and sits next to him, the black faux feathers of wwx's wings brushing against the PAs arms, though he doesn't seem to mind

And so they sat. Two nobodies hidden in the shadows of a forgotten corner in a busy studio, far from the reach of the shining spotlights and stage. Little by little, wwx finds it easier to control his breathing and stray sniffles.

Eventually, the PA starts taking off his hoodie, revealing a plain white t-shirt underneath. He reaches into his pocket and holds out a marker for wwx to take as he turns so his back is facing him.

When wwx, understandably confused, doesn't do anything, the PA glances over his broad shoulders and just says "Sign, please."

Wei Wuxian blinks waiting for the punchline but it never comes. He's not even on the roster for any boy group, just a trainee idol whose only fans are the diehards who follow the trainee circuit and his sister. And this guy doesn't seem like the former and he definitely isn't the latter.

But the PA just sits and waits, back facing wwx.

Eventually, almost mechanically, he signs his new autograph, the one where he uses the 2 W's to make a smile.

He asks for a name to make the signature out to, and the PA answers in a quiet hesitant voice that he can barely hear over all the background noise, "Lan Zhan."

That name sends a spark up his spine like it should be familiar but wwx can't figure out why. So he finishes his autographs with a star and a flourish. He hasn't gotten to test out the new signature yet. He thinks he likes it better than he'd expected.

Wei Wuxian beams up at him, heart beating a beautific beat against his ribcage and asks, "Why would you want a signature from a nobody like me?"

He means it as a teasing joke but the PA, Lan Zhan his brain corrects him, gives him a grave look that steals the breath from his lungs.

"You're not nobody, Wei Ying"

Lan Zhan takes the marker and slips his hoodie back on, covering the autograph with their two names side by side, and with a final nod he walks away, melting into the general chaos of the production floor.

It takes a long moment for Wei Wuxian to realize he'd never told the guy his real name.

(originally a threadfic here)

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

The Squid and the Whale (2005, Noah Baumbach)

27/12/2024

[tilbageidanmark]

22 Geumhosan 2na-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea (approx. GPS coordinates: 37°32’57.9″N, 127°01’25.3″E).

[turn-to-me]

Let's celebrate Luca! Happening today Jan 19 at the Opening Night Sundance film fest! 🖤🥳🏆🎥 🎬 🎞 ✍

[oscarupsets]

At the time of its release, Midnight Cowboy was rated X (later reclassified as R) with 31 year old Dustin Hoffman playing a dying man, just two years after his portrayal of a college graduate. A bit jarring to watch back to back. It also stars Mr. Sir himself, Jon Voight.

The National Society of Film Critics had very mixed reviews on Midnight Cowboy. Collectively, they seemed to praise both Hoffman and Voight, but reject the overall premise and direction.

I'm still not sure about it. I enjoyed watching it - to an extent - but looking back I don't consider it to have a cohesive enough storyline to illicit any sort of strong emotion. Do I really feel anything for these two? It's nice to look at, and the acting is as good as they say, but that's about it. The critics were harsh about it, so I won't be. Some people really enjoy it!

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid also boasted a strong cast not only from dynamic duo Robert Redford and Paul Newman, but also from former The Graduate star Katharine Ross.

While this one is listed as a drama/western, I also can't help but consider this one to be a comedy. It's much lighter than Midnight Cowboy, and it's not dripping with plot.

The score is nice, which is helpful when there's an entire montage of 1890s style photography of the cast and scenes with no dialogue. The quality is high enough that it's enjoyable just watching the outdoor scenes and the horses ride around.

I could not get an original review for this one, but I was able to pull some quotes on its future success in a book about 1960s film.

With two wins for its music, Butch Cassidy beat out Midnight Cowboy by one Oscar, becoming the most decorated film of the night. Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight were up against Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole for Best Actor, all losing to John Wayne. Both films were awarded heavily at the BAFTAs, as Midnight Cowboy fell under the 23rd ceremony and Butch Cassidy the 24th. They both also took home a Grammy and a WGA award. Unofficial Review: Midnight Cowboy was an interesting choice by the Academy. Coming off Oliver! the year prior, I'm curious why Midnight Cowboy was heavily on their minds. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid seems a better choice, and I enjoyed it more.

[theinternetisfulloftrash]

Dylan reaffirms that he's an awkward turtle.

The Awakwardest

The adorablest.

I think independent-thought-alarm is referencing some of my tags about his inherent discomfort and social awkwardness when being acknowledged in any kind of public forum for his talent... which is incredibly endearing.

[thebestestwinner]

The Best Best Original Screenplay Tournament: Round 1

Congratulations to the winners of our preliminary round! We now start the bracketed rounds of our celebration of a celebration of writers: the Best Original Screenplay Oscar. Your votes decide the Best Best Original Screenplay!

(Friendly reminder that even the worst writers deserve to be fairly compensated when you use their work 😉)

Bracket has been seeded by IMDb rating. Polls are live for one week.

[onlydylanobrien]

Dylan O'Brien at the Variety & The Golden Globe Awards Breakthrough Artists Party Presented by Adobe during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. (January 19, 2024)

[thishadoscarbuzz]

249 - Love is Strange

Ahead of this week's release of Ira Sachs' Passages, we're discussing perhaps Sachs' most lauded film, 2014's Love is Strange. The film stars John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as a newly married couple forced to live apart in New York City when one of them is fired from his Catholic school job for being gay. Charting the frustrating nuances of cohabitation and the unexamined financial hardships of city life, the film is a quiet wonder filled with humane performances, including Marisa Tomei as part of the couple's social circle. Praised at Sundance and in its late summer release, the film managed to stay in conversation due to several Independent Spirit nominations, but was shut out by Oscar.

This episode, we discuss Sachs' underappreciated filmography and Molina's career rise as a trustworthy supporting player. We also discuss Lithgow's consecutive Supporting Actor nominations in the 1980s, the film's release in the year before the Obergefell ruling, and Sony Pictures Classics' busy 2014.

Topics also include Best Grownup Love Story, the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, and Asteroid City.

Links:

The 2014 Oscar nominations

Chris on Cannes I Kick It discussing Sachs' Frankie

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[dopescissorscashwagon]

Riley Keough receives the IMDb "Fan Favorite" STARmeter Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024 in Park City, Utah.

[courseyoulovemeyoudontknowme]

The Squid and the Whale (2005, Noah Baumbach)

18/12/2024

[dgspeaks]

Kristen Stewart Named Recipient of Visionary Award at 2024 Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting independent artists, has announced that Kristen Stewart will be receiving the Visionary Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser Opening Night Gala. This event, presented by Chase Sapphire®, will take place on January 18, 2024, at the DeJoria Center in Utah. The annual gala is critical in raising funds to…

[floorman3]

Flora and Son Review- A Mother and Son Story with Wonderful Musical Twist

John Carney is a director who made the breakout hit Once back in 2007 and it had the breakout hit song that won an Academy Award, Falling Slowly. Ever since he has infused music into his films. Sing Street was another fun film about a battle of the bands and teen angst. His latest film, which premiered at this past January’s Sundance Film Festival, Flora and Son, follows similar trends for the…