CanIStream.It News and Reviews

Netflix Instant:

Carrie (1976)

This Must Be The Place (2011)

Matilda (1996) 

Bully (2012) 

The Awakening (2012)

Crackle:

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Youtube Free:

Snatch (2001)

Rental:

Les Miserables (2012) 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

This is 40 (2012)

Room 237 (2013)

A Royal Affair (2012)

Purchase:

Django Unchained (2012) 

You can check out the arrivals here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21401540

So many surprises with today’s Oscar nominations.  From the history-making moments (e.g.,  Quvenzhane Wallis becoming the youngest best actress nominee in Oscar history), to the snubs (no Affleck or Bigelow for director), to the expected (Lincoln nomination sweep).  See for yourself:

Best Picture
“Amour” Nominees to be determined
“Argo” Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck and George Clooney, Producers
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers
“Django Unchained” Stacey Sher, Reginald Hudlin and Pilar Savone, Producers
“Les Misérables” Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward and Cameron Mackintosh, Producers
“Life of Pi” Gil Netter, Ang Lee and David Womark, Producers
“Lincoln” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
“Silver Linings Playbook” Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen and Jonathan Gordon, Producers
“Zero Dark Thirty” Mark Boal, Kathryn Bigelow and Megan Ellison, Producers

Best Director
“Amour” Michael Haneke
“Beasts of the Southern Wild” Benh Zeitlin
“Life of Pi” Ang Lee
“Lincoln” Steven Spielberg
“Silver Linings Playbook” David O. Russell

Best Actor
Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln”
Hugh Jackman in “Les Misérables”
Joaquin Phoenix in “The Master”
Denzel Washington in “Flight”

Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin in “Argo”
Robert De Niro in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Philip Seymour Hoffman in “The Master”
Tommy Lee Jones in “Lincoln”
Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained”

Best Actress
Jessica Chastain in “Zero Dark Thirty”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Silver Linings Playbook”
Emmanuelle Riva in “Amour”
Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild”
Naomi Watts in “The Impossible”

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams in “The Master”
Sally Field in “Lincoln”
Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables”
Helen Hunt in “The Sessions”
Jacki Weaver in “Silver Linings Playbook”

Best Animated Film
“Brave” Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
“Frankenweenie” Tim Burton
“ParaNorman” Sam Fell and Chris Butler
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” Peter Lord
“Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore

Best Cinematography
“Anna Karenina” Seamus McGarvey
“Django Unchained” Robert Richardson
“Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda
“Lincoln” Janusz Kaminski
“Skyfall” Roger Deakins

Best Costume Design
“Anna Karenina” Jacqueline Durran
“Les Misérables” Paco Delgado
“Lincoln” Joanna Johnston
“Mirror Mirror” Eiko Ishioka
“Snow White and the Huntsman” Colleen Atwood

Check out the full list here. 

This morning the British Academy of Film and Television Awards announced its nominations for the year.  ”Lincoln” dominated with 10 nominations.  Other multiple nominees include “Life of Pi”, “Les Miserables” and “Zero Dark Thirty”: 

BEST FILM

• Argo
• Les Miserables
• Life of Pi
• Lincoln
• Zero Dark Thirty

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

• Anna Karenina
• The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Les Miserables
• Seven Psychopaths
• Skyfall

LEADING ACTOR

• Ben Affleck - Argo
• Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook
• Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
• Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables
• Joaquin Phoenix - The Master

LEADING ACTRESS

• Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty
• Marion Cotillard - Rust and Bone
• Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook
• Dame Helen Mirren - Hitchcock
• Emmanuelle Riva - Amour

SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Alan Arkin - Argo
• Javier Bardem - Skyfall
• Philip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
• Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
• Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Amy Adams - The Master
• Dame Judi Dench - Skyfall
• Sally Field - Lincoln
• Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables
• Helen Hunt - The Sessions

DIRECTOR

• Ben Affleck - Argo
• Kathryn Bigelow - Zero Dark Thirty
• Michael Haneke - Amour
• Ang Lee - Life of Pi
• Quentin Tarantino - Django Unchained

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• Amour - Michael Haneke
• Django Unchained - Quentin Tarantino
• The Master - Paul Thomas Anderson
• Moonrise Kingdom - Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola
• Zero Dark Thirty - Mark Boal

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• Argo - Chris Terrio
• Beasts of the Southern Wild - Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin
• Life of Pi - David Magee
• Lincoln - Tony Kushner
• Silver Linings Playbook - David O Russell

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

• James Bobin (director) - The Muppets
• Dexter Fletcher (director/writer) and Danny King (writer) - Wild Bill
• Tina Gharavi (director/writer) - I Am Nasrine
• Bart Layton (director) and Dmitri Doganis (producer) - The Imposter
• David Morris (director) and Jaqui Morris (director/producer) - McCullin

ANIMATED FILM

• Brave
• Frankenweenie
• Paranorman

DOCUMENTARY

• The Imposter
• Marley
• McCullin
• Searching for Sugarman
• West of Memphis

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

• Amour
• Headhunters
• The Hunt
• Rust and Bone
• Untouchable

View the full list here. 

PGA Nominations were announced today and did not disappoint.   Oscar nominations (to be announced on January 10) for best picture should closely follow this list.  

“Argo” (Warner Bros.)
Producers: Ben Affleck, George Clooney, Grant Heslov

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn

“Django Unchained” (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Reginald Hudlin, Pilar Savone, Stacey Sher

“Les Misérables” (Universal Pictures)
Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Debra Hayward, Cameron Mackintosh

“Life of Pi” (Fox 2000 Pictures)
Producers: Ang Lee, Gil Netter, David Womark

“Lincoln” (Touchstone Pictures)
Producers:  Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

“Moonrise Kingdom” (Focus Features)
Producers: Wes Anderson & Scott Rudin, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales

“Silver Linings Playbook” (The Weinstein Company)
Producers: Bruce Cohen, Donna Gigliotti, Jonathan Gordon

“Skyfall” (Columbia Pictures)
Producers: Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson

“Zero Dark Thirty” (Columbia Pictures)
Producers: Kathryn Bigelow, Mark Boal, Megan Ellison

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

“Brave” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Producer: Katherine Sarafian

“Frankenweenie” (Walt Disney Pictures)
Producers: Allison Abbate, Tim Burton

“ParaNorman” (Focus Features)
Producers: Travis Knight, Arianne Sutner

“Rise of the Guardians” (Paramount Pictures)
Producers: Nancy Bernstein, Christina Steinberg

“Wreck-It Ralph” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Producer: Clark Spencer

Television Nominees:

The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:

“American Horror Story” (FX)
Producers: Brad Buecker, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy, Chip Vucelich, Alexis Martin Woodall

“The Dust Bowl” (PBS)
Producers: Producer Eligibility Pending

“Game Change” (HBO)
Producers: Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Jay Roach, Amy Sayres, Steven Shareshian, Danny Strong

“Hatfields & McCoys” (History)
Producers: Barry Berg, Kevin Costner, Darrell Fetty, Leslie Greif, Herb Nanas

“Sherlock” (PBS)
Producers: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Beryl Vertue, Sue Vertue

The Long-Form Television category encompasses both movies of the week and mini-series.

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

“A People Uncounted” (Urbinder Films)
Producers: Marc Swenker, Aaron Yeger

“The Gatekeepers” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Estelle Fialon, Philippa Kowarsky, Dror Moreh

“The Island President” (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Producers: Richard Berg, Bonni Cohen

“The Other Dream Team” (The Film Arcade)
Producers: Marius Markevicius, Jon Weinbach

“Searching For Sugar Man” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Producers: Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:

“Breaking Bad” (AMC)
Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett

“Downton Abbey” (PBS)
Producers: Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge

“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss

“Homeland” (Showtime)
Producers: Henry Bromell, Alexander Cary, Michael Cuesta, Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Chip Johannessen, Michael Klick, Meredith Stiehm

“Mad Men” (AMC)
Producers: Jon Hamm, Scott Hornbacher, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Victor Levin, Blake McCormick, Matthew Weiner

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:

“30 Rock” (NBC)
Producers: Irene Burns, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Vali Chandrasekaran, Luke Del Tredici, Tina Fey, Matt Hubbard, Marci Klein, Jerry Kupfer, Lorne Michaels, David Miner, Dylan Morgan, Jeff Richmond, John Riggi, Josh Siegal, Ron Weiner

“The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
Producers: Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, Faye Oshima Belyeu, Bill Prady

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO)
Producers: Alec Berg, Larry Charles, Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Tim Gibbons, David Mandel, Erin O’Malley, Jeff Schaffer, Laura Streicher

“Louie” (FX)
Producers: Dave Becky, M. Blair Breard, Louis C.K.

“Modern Family” (ABC)
Producers: Cindy Chupack, Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Chris Smirnoff, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny ZukerThe Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:

“American Masters” (PBS)
Producers: Prudence Glass, Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks

“Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” (Travel Channel)
Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandy Zweig

“Deadliest Catch” (Discovery Channel)
Producers: Thom Beers, Jeff Conroy, Sean Dash, John Gray, Sheila McCormack, Bill Pruitt, Decker Watson

“Inside the Actors Studio” (Bravo)
Producers: James Lipton, Shawn Tesser, Jeff Wurtz

“Shark Tank” (ABC)
Producers: Rhett Bachner, Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Yun Lingner, Brien Meagher, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Skowlund, Paul Sutera, Patrick Wood

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:

“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
Producers: Meredith Bennett, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Matt Lappin, Emily Lazar, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart

“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
Producers: David Craig, Ken Crosby, Doug DeLuca, Erin Irwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jill Leiderman, Jason Schrift, Jennifer Sharron

“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
Producers: Hillary Hunn, Lorne Michaels, Gavin Purcell, Michael Shoemaker

“Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO)
Producers: Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin

“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Producers: Ken Aymong, Steve Higgins, Erik Kenward, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television:

“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo

“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
Producers: Ashley Edens Shaffer, Conrad Green, Joe Sungkur

“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
Producers: Jane Cha Cutler, Desiree Gruber, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea, Colleen Sands

“Top Chef” (Bravo)
Producers: Daniel Cutforth, Casey Kriley, Jane Lipsitz, Dan Murphy, Nan Strait

“The Voice” (NBC)
Producers: Stijn Bakkers, Mark Burnett, John De Mol, Chad Hines, Lee Metzger, Audrey Morrissey, Jim Roush, Nicolle Yaron, Mike Yurchuk, Amanda Zucker
The following programs were not vetted for producer eligibility this year, but winners in these categories will be announced at the official ceremony on January 26:

The Award for Outstanding Sports Program:

“24/7” (HBO)

“Catching Hell” (ESPN)

“The Fight Game with Jim Lampley” (HBO)

“On Freddie Roach” (HBO)

“Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” (HBO)

The Award for Outstanding Children’s Program:

“Good Luck Charlie” (Disney Channel)

“iCarly” (Nickelodeon)

“Phineas and Ferb” (Disney Channel)

“Sesame Street” (PBS)

“The Weight of the Nation for Kids: The Great Cafeteria Takeover” (HBO)

The Award for Outstanding Digital Series:

“30 Rock: The Webisodes” (www.nbc.com)

“Bravo’s Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen” (www.bravotv.com)

“Dexter Early Cuts: All in the Family” (www.sho.com)

“The Guild” (www.watchtheguild.com)

“H+ The Digital Series” (www.youtube.com/user/HplusDigitalSeries)

“Red vs. Blue” (www.roosterteeth.com)

Source

Quentin Tarantino has given up on reality.  His latest alt history film is “Django Unchained” and, having tackled World War II to gory, brilliant effect in “Inglourious Basterds”, he brings his unique brand of exhilarating, revenge-drenched, in-your-face filmmaking to take on America’s original sin – slavery.   The film is, at turns, consciously erratic in tone, courageous, infuriating, uncomfortable, spectacular and unabashedly Tarantino from beginning to end.  

The film opens on a vast, deserted canvas where a group of slaves is being led on a gruesome march.  A song that immediately evokes the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s plays in the background to great effect – it is an anachronistic choice and certainly not the last one (be ready to hear everything from early 1970s folk to hip-hop).  Among the slaves is Django, played by Jaime Foxx in a terrifically multi-layered performance.  We learn about the traumatic events that separated him from his wife Broomhilda (played by a luminescent Kerry Washington) through devastating flashbacks.  By chance, his path crosses with one Dr. King Schultz (Oscar winner Christoph Waltz), a German dentist turned ruthless bounty hunter.  Schultz buys Django because he can lead him to three outlaws, but, uncomfortable with the idea of slavery, agrees to give Django his freedom and eventually to help him locate his wife.  What follows is a fairly traditional first act, with Django becoming Schultz’ eager pupil and displaying a natural flare for “killing white men.”  Throughout their journey we are treated to some fantastic vistas (courtesy of Robert Richardson) albeit slightly familiar to any fan of the western film genre.  

The pair ultimately end up in Mississippi, where they encounter Calvin Candie, played with frightening gusto by Leonardo DiCaprio.  Candie is the owner of the infamous Candieland plantation and one of his recent purchases happens to be Broomhilda.  Candie inhabits the enormous plantation with his widowed sister and several servants, including the devoted Stephen.  Stephen is played by Samuel L. Jackson, a Tarantino veteran.  Jackson gives what is probably the most complex, ingenious performance of the film.  It is, in fact, revelatory and, in a film populated by familiar archetypes, the one character that felt genuinely “new.”  

The final act of the film is explosive and the pay off (i.e., the body count) is not unlike that at the Kino at the end of “Basterds.”  There is something to be said for Tarantino’s need to re-write history and hand the trophy to the victim, even if that trophy is smeared in blood and guts.  It is cinema as a weapon, meant to purge and exorcise demons.  It would be a mistake (an easy one at that) to see “Django” or “Basterds” any other way.  Tarantino’s work is not pretty but, then again, neither is history.  

Verdict: Must See

By I. Rodriguez

The Los Angeles Film Critics (@LAFilmCritics) will be live-tweeting their results throughout the next couple of hours.   Will LAFCA vote in lock-step with the NY Film Critics and the National Board Review and give the top prize to “Zero Dark Thirty” or will it break ranks and award “Lincoln” or something out of left field like “Beasts of the Southern Wild” or “Silver Linings Playbook”?  The suspense is killing me! (not really)  I’ll update this post with the winners.  

Update:  Full list of winners (yep, LAFCA went rogue!)

• Best Picture: Amour by Michael Haneke (Runner Up: The Master) 
• Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, The Master (Runner Up: Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty)
• Best Actress (tie): Emmanuelle Riva, Amour & Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
• Best Actor: Joaquin Phoenix, The Master) (Runner Up: Denis Lavant, Holy Motors)
• Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, The Master (Runner Up: Anne Hathaway, The Dark Knight Rises & Les Miserables)
• Best Supporting Actor: Dwight Henry, Beasts of the Southern Wild (Runner Up: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained)
• Best Foreign Film: Holy Motors (Runner Up: Footnote)
• Best Animated Film: Frankenweenie (Runner Up: It’s Such a Beautiful Day)
• Best Documentary: The Gatekeepers (Runner Up: Searching for the Sugar Man)
• Best Screenplay: Chris Terrio, Argo (Runner Up: David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook)
• Best Cinematography: Roger Deakins, Skyfall (Runner Up: Mihai Malaimare Jr., The Master)
• Best Editing: Dylan Tichenor, William Goldenberg, Zero Dark Thirty (Runner Up: William Goldenberg, Argo)
• Best Music/Score: Dan Romer, Behn Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild (Runner Up: Jonny Greenwood, The Master)
• Best Production Design: David Crank, Jack Fisk, The Master (Runner Up: Adam Stockhausen, Moonrise Kingdom)
• New Generation Award: Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild
• Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Leviathan

The National Board of Review has named Zero Dark Thirty this year’s best film.  The full list below: 

Best Film:  ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY

Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, DJANGO UNCHAINED

Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE

Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, LOOPER

Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Best Animated Feature: WRECK-IT RALPH

Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck, ARGO

Breakthrough Actor: Tom Holland, THE IMPOSSIBLE

Breakthrough Actress: Quvenzhané Wallis,  BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Best Directorial Debut: Benh Zeitlin, BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Best Foreign Language Film:  AMOUR

Best Documentary: SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN

William K. Everson Film History Award: 50 YEARS OF BOND FILMS

Best Ensemble: LES MISÉRABLES

Spotlight Award: John Goodman (ARGO, FLIGHT, PARANORMAN, TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE)

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: CENTRAL PARK FIVE

NBR Freedom of Expression Award: PROMISED LAND

Source: Awards Daily

The New York Film Critics Circle announced their picks for the best of the year today.  Kathryn Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty” took the top prize and she walked away with the best director win as well.  Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” took home best actor (Daniel Day-Lewis), best supporting actress (Sally Field) and best screenplay (Tony Kushner).  Here’s the full list with some surprises (Matthew McConaughey, folks!):