Updates 5/4/2015: Here, There, and Everywhere

Introduction

One thing I was aiming to avoid when starting my own page was being a slave to the cinematic news cycle. Not that there’s anything wrong with following industry headlines, and I usually comment on things I find compelling on Twitter. However, yesterday and today there has been a synergistic confluence of fantastic news, in my estimation. Therefore, when the bad news occurring in threes trend is reversed, I feel it should be fodder for my first update post in quite some time. So it’s what’s new on the site and the four bits of film news.

Blog News

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Yesterday I posted a new blogathon contribution.

The recent BAM Awards Considerations post was more appropriately populated.

Music Video Monday and Free Movie Friday will return soon.

Follow my Letterboxd as I may add the My Radar post there as a list. Also, other themes where I plan on doing year-round viewing will be viewable there too.

Also check out out all four of the new About pages if you’re so inclined.

Star Wars

VisionOntv-StarWarsTheEnvironmentalistsVersion608.mp4

Yes, it was just May the fourth and the forthcoming Episode VII played into it big time by releasing new images and information here.

Also recently it was announced that the Anthology films will be Rogue One, directed by Gareth Edwards. Rogue One centers on the Rebel plot to steal plans for the Death Star.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002, 20th Century Fox)

It was also confirmed that the second anthology film, which Josh Trank just departed as director, will be about Boba Fett.

Pennywise cast for new adaptation of Stephen King’s It

Will Poulter (2013, Interview Magazine)

I don’t usually like to get into a casting decision that may still be in negotiations, but the idea of Will Poulter (Multiple BAM Award Winner) as Pennywise in the forthcoming two-part It film from New Line and director Cary Joji Fukunaga is so brilliant I have to applaud it repeatedly.

Recent Birthday Celebrants Making News

Ender's Game (2013, LionsGate)

Asa Butterfield (April 1st), BAM Award Winner for Ender’s Game, has been cited on the leaked shortlist of candidates to be the next Spider-Man. A few publications cite him as the favorite. If this does come to fruition, it’s awesome news.

Bobby Coleman (May 5th) appears to have a new title Momo announced per his IMDb page. Considering some of the notices I’ve given Coleman (which you can see below) it’s a wonder this is his first credit since 2013, and that title was long-in-the-can.

In The Haunting Hour:

What buoys this episode is the prosthetic work, the voice over of the creature, its conclusion and most importantly Bobby Coleman‘s performance, which may be the finest of the series to date.

In Cody the Robosapien:

As per usual, Bobby Coleman, as the young lead, is fantastic and a standout in this cast. He buoys the title much more than most would deem possible, and more than most actors his age could possibly hope to.

In The Last Song:

Most impressive in the film is Bobby Coleman, best known to some as the title character in The Martian Child, who plays the younger brother in this film and delivers a very compelling performance. Towards the end he does quite a bit of crying and considering this is his second tear-jerker style movie it can now be said with no exaggeration that his abilities as a crier now rank amongst the all-time greats, rivaling even Bobs Watson.

Conclusion

It’s been too long since I posted an update, I will try to do this more regularly in a free-flowing manner.

Short Film Saturday: Rooty Toot Toot (1951)

If you ever needed proof that even at the Academy Award-nominated level, even when the official category was called cartoons; that animation isn’t just for kids’ stories. This is proof. Sure, it was unlikely to be selected over The Two Mouseketeers (Tom & Jerry) and Lambert the Sheepish Lion (Disney), but its nomination is noteworthy. As is the musical treatment and minimalist animation style, and usage of color.

2015 BAM Award Considerations – April

I know that awards season on this blog just ended,  however, assembling those nominees is a year-long process. So the cycle begins anew with posts at the end of the month and master lists offline in preparation for the big dates of the award’s calendar year. Enjoy the scant January offerings. All titles viewed, new and old, can be seen on my Letterboxd.

Eligible Titles

Monkey Kingdom
Child 44
The Nun
God’s Slave
Wiplala
Seeds of Yesterday
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
Woman in Gold
Get Hard
Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
If There Be Thorns
Furious 7
I Hate Christian Laettner
It Follows
Little Boy
Ex Machina
The Dead Lands
My Mistress

Best Picture

It Follows

Best Foreign Film

The Nun
God’s Slave
Wiplala
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
The Dead Lands

Best Documentary

Monkey Kingdom
I Hate Christian Laettner

Most Overlooked Picture

As intimated in my Most Underrated announcement this year, I’ve decided to make a change here. Rather than get caught up in me vs. the world nonsense and what a film’s rating is on an aggregate site, the IMDb or anywhere else, I want to champion smaller, lesser-known films. In 2011 with the selection of Toast this move was really in the offing. The nominees from this past year echo that fact. So here, regardless of how well-received something is by those who’ve seen it, I’ll be championing indies and foreign films, and the occasional financial flop from a bigger entity.

The Nun
God’s Slave
Wiplala
The Dead Lands

Best Director

It Follows

Best Actress

Pauline Etienne The Nun
Helen Mirren Woman in Gold
Maika Monroe It Follows
Alicia Vikander Ex Machina
Emmanuelle Béart My Mistress

Best Actor

Tom Hardy Child 44
Will Ferrell Get Hard
Domhnall Gleeson Ex Machina
James Rolleston The Dead Lands
Harrison Gilbertson My Mistress

Best Supporting Actress

Noomi Rapace Child 44
Louise Bourgoin The Nun
Isabelle Huppert The Nun
Natalia de Molina Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
Emily Watson Little Boy

Best Supporting Actor

Gary Oldman Child 44
Geza Weisz Wiplala
Paul Kooij Wiplala
Kevin Hart Get Hard
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Little Boy
Oscar Isaac Ex Machina

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Leading Role

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Leading Role

Sasha Mylanus Wiplala
Francesc Colomer Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
Joel Courtney Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
Mason Cook If There Be Thorns
Jakob Salvati Little Boy

Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Supporting Role

Kee Ketelaar Wiplala
Kat McNamara Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn

Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Supporting Role

Jake T. Austin Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn

Best Cast

The Nun
God’s Slave
Wiplala
It Follows
Little Boy
Ex Machina

Best Youth Ensemble

Child 44
Wiplala
Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
Little Boy

Best Original Screenplay

God’s Slave
It Follows
Little Boy
Ex Machina
The Dead Lands

Best Adapted Screenplay

Child 44
Wiplala
If There Be Thorns

Best Score

Child 44
The Nun
Wiplala
It Follows
Little Boy

Best Editing

Monkey Kingdom
God’s Slave
Wiplala
It Follows
Little Boy

Best Sound Editing/Mixing

God’s Slave
Wiplala
Furious 7
It Follows
Little Boy
The Dead Lands

Best Cinematography

Monkey Kingdom
The Nun
It Follows
Little Boy
Ex Machina
The Dead Lands

Best Art Direction

Child 44
The Nun
Wiplala
It Follows
Little Boy
Ex Machina
The Dead Lands

Best Costume Design

Child 44
The Nun
Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
It Follows
Little Boy
The Dead Lands
My Mistress

Best Makeup

Child 44
The Nun
It Follows
Little Boy
The Dead Lands
My Mistress

Best Visual Effects

Wiplala
Ex Machina

Best (Original) Song

Wiplala
Furious 7

I commented last year that there was a film that had me reconsidering the soundtrack as a potential category. It’s happened again so I will be tracking it and seeing if it’s worth re-including this year.

Best Soundtrack

Monkey Kingdom
Wiplala
Living is Easy with Eyes Closed
Furious 7