Monthly Archives: January 2010
5 Awesome Uses of Music in Film 2009
There were a lot of wonderful soundtracks and scores this year, as I mentioned in an earlier post. This time I’d like to talk about 5 instances where filmmakers used a song to enhance a scene.
Inglourious Basterds – Cat People (Putting Out The Fire With Gasoline) by David Bowie
Bigelow Wins DGA
KATHRYN WON YOU GUYS. SHE WON. I am so happy about this. SO HAPPY.
So what does this mean for Oscar? Well, the winner of the DGA has gone on to win Best Director at the Academy Awards 58 of the last 60 years. This is one of the few precursors that tend to accurately predict how Oscar will go.
Avatar – Visually Stunning, But Ultimately Boring and Predictable
I really did go into this film with an open mind. After about 30 minutes I was pretty sure I knew how I’d feel about the rest of the film. Why? Because I could see exactly how it was going to play out and all I really wanted was for it to end.
Avatar – The Matrix 2.0?
What I’m saying is Avatar is a special effects-driven film, like The Matrix, that is critically acclaimed and loved by audiences. Both films pushed boundaries of film visual effects and created new technologies.
Miramax Offices Close – The End of An Era
I hear on the grapevine though that the Weinsteins, who were bought out of Miramax years ago and started their own company – The Weinstein Company, are still trying to get the name back. I hope they do.
All through the 90s and early 00s Miramax, under the Weinsteins, pretty much dominated the Academy Awards.
Anne Hathaway Set To Announce Oscar Noms
She will join Academy President Tom Sherak to announce this year’s Oscar nominations on Feb. 2.
A Salute To Soundtracks – 2009
I’m a big fan of soundtracks and scores and 2009 was full of some really wonderful ones. There were three soundtracks and four scores that I particularly loved.
Avatar Surpasses Titanic at Worldwide Box Office
This is a big feat and it’s taken a film 12 years do it. It’s no surprise, really, that James Cameron would be at the helm of the movie that finally surpasses Titanic–his last film.
This number is only going to go up as Titanic got to this number through a re-release after it won Best Picture. I remember seeing it when it first came out in December 1997 or maybe January 1998 and then seeing it again for my birthday in June. I don’t really see a re-release of Avatar in its future. Although, it could be a possibility since there still isn’t a home release technology that can preserve the film’s 3D self.
“The Hurt Locker” takes top prize at the Producers Guild Awards
This is a wonderful sign for The Hurt Locker. The winner at the PGA has gone on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards 13 times out of the last 20 years.
the diary of a film history fanatic 