Monthly Archives: November 2012

Movie Quote of the Day – I Walk Alone, 1948 (dir. Byron Haskin)

i_walk_alone

Kay Lawrence: It might take me awhile to get him out of my system. One gets kind of used to someone.

Movie Quote of the Day – The Woman in the Window, 1944 (dir. Fritz Lang)

Richard Wanley: The Biblical injunction “Thou shalt not kill” is one that requires qualification in view of our broader knowledge of impulses behind homicide. The various legal categories such as first and second degree murder, the various degrees of homicide, manslaughter, are civilized recognitions of impulses of various degrees of culpability. The man who kills in self defense, for instance, must not be judged by the same standards applied to the man who kills for gain.

Movie Quote of the Day – Naked Alibi, 1954 (dir. Jerry Hopper)

Chief Joe Conroy: Are you in the habit of hauling in cut-up strangers?
Marianna: Yeah. It’s a hobby with me.

Beasts of the Southern Wild Leads Independent Spirit Award Nominations

BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer, Executive Producers are not awarded)

  • Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • Bernie
  • Keep the Lights On
  • Moonrise Kingdom
  • Silver Linings Playbook

BEST DIRECTOR

  • Wes Anderson – Moonrise Kingdom
  • Julia Loktev – The Loneliest Planet
  • David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
  • Ira Sachs – Keep the Lights On
  • Benh Zeitlin – Beasts of the Southern Wild

BEST SCREENPLAY

  • Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola – Moonrise Kingdom
  • Zoe Kazan – Ruby Sparks
  • Martin McDonagh – Seven Psychopaths
  • David O. Russell – Silver Linings Playbook
  • Ira Sachs –  Keep the Lights On

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

  • Fill the Void
  • Gimme the Loot
  • Safety Not Guaranteed
  • Sound of My Voice
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

  • Rama Burshtein – Fill the Void
  • Derek Connolly – Safety Not Guaranteed
  • Christopher Ford – Robot & Frank
  • Rashida Jones & Will McCormack – Celeste and Jesse Forever
  • Jonathan Lisecki – Gayby

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000. Award given to the writer, director, and producer. Executive Producers are not awarded.)

  • Breakfast with Curtis
  • Middle of Nowhere
  • Mosquita y Mari
  • Starlet
  • The Color Wheel

BEST FEMALE LEAD

  • Linda Cardellini – Return
  • Emayatzy Corinealdi – Middle of Nowhere
  • Jennifer Lawrence –  Silver Linings Playbook
  • Quvenzhané Wallis – Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • Mary Elizabeth Winstead – Smashed

BEST MALE LEAD

  • Jack Black – Bernie
  • Bradley Cooper – Silver Linings Playbook
  • John Hawkes – The Sessions
  • Thure Lindhardt – Keep the Lights On
  • Matthew McConaughey – Killer Joe
  • Wendell Pierce – Four

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

  • Rosemarie DeWitt – Your Sister’s Sister
  • Ann Dowd – Compliance
  • Helen Hunt – The Sessions
  • Brit Marling – Sound of My Voice
  • Lorraine Toussaint – Middle of Nowhere

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

  • Matthew McConaughey – Magic Mike
  • David Oyelowo – Middle of Nowhere
  • Michael Péna – End of Watch
  • Sam Rockwell – Seven Psychopaths
  • Bruce Willis – Moonrise Kingdom

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • Valley of Saints
  • Here
  • Beasts of the Southern Wild
  • End of Watch
  • Moonrise Kingdom

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director and producer)

  • How to Survive a Plague
  • Marina Abramoviæ: The Artist is Present
  • The Central Park Five
  • The Invisible War
  • The Waiting Room

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)

  • Amour
  • Once Upon A Time in Anatolia
  • Rust And Bone
  • Sister
  • War Witch

16th ANNUAL PIAGET PRODUCERS AWARD (honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget.)

  • Nobody Walks
  • Prince Avalanche
  • Stones in the Sun

19th ANNUAL SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD  (recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

  • Pincus
  • Gimme the Loot
  • Electrick Children

STELLA ARTOIS TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD (presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition. The award includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant.)

  • Leviathan
  • The Waiting Room
  • Only the Young

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD (Given to one film’s director, casting director, and its ensemble cast)

  • Starlet

Movie Quote of the Day – The Narrow Margin, 1952 (dir. Richard Fleischer)

Mrs. Neall: What’re you going to do? Shoot something for breakfast?
Det. Sgt. Walter Brown: Sure. Name it.
Mrs. Neall: Eggs, bacon, toast, a bucket of coffee and some cigarettes. I’m famished, Brown.

Oscar Vault Monday – Witness for the Prosecution, 1957 (dir. Billy Wilder)

Like Stanley Donen’s Charade, Witness For The Prosecution is often misremembered as an Alfred Hitchcock films. While the subject matter on paper sounds like a Hitchcock film, the resulting film is most definitely a Billy Wilder film. Since the film came at the end of the Film Noir era I thought it would be a perfect way to end NoirvemberWitness For the Prosecution is not a full-on noir like Wilder’s Sunset Blvd., Double Indemnity or Ace in the Hole, but it definitely borrows from those films. It’s got a wonderful twist ending that I, for once, will not spoil. After the film ends there’s a disclaimer that runs during the credits. A voice-over announces:

“The management of this theatre suggests that for the greater entertainment of your friends who have not yet seen the picture, you will not divulge, to anyone, the secret of the ending ofWitness for the Prosecution.”

So I’ll follow the producer’s wishes. Currently, this film is available on instant Netflix, so you can watch it right away if you want!. Witness For The Prosecution was nominated for five Academy Award, though it didn’t win any: Best Sound, Best Film Editing, Best Supporting Actress Elsa Lanchester, Best Actor Charles Laughton, Best Director and Best Picture. The other films nominated for Best Picture were Sayonara, Peyton Place, 12 Angry Men and winner The Bridge on the River Kwai.

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Movie Quote of the Day – Cry Vengeance, 1954 (dir. Mark Stevens)

Peggy Harding: Can I get you something?
Vic Barron: A bourbon, if you can spare the time.
Peggy Harding: I think I can spare it.

Movie Quote of the Day – Moonrise, 1948 (dir. Frank Borzage)

Danny Hawkins: You don’t sound very happy.
Gilly Johnson: Should I be?

Movie Quote of the Day – No Man of Her Own, 1950 (dir. Mitchell Leisen)

Helen Ferguson: He’s nice, isn’t he? I mean, giving me his place?
Patrice Harkness: Oh, he’s tolerable. He has his good points.

Movie Quote of the Day – Private Hell 36, 1954 (dir. Don Siegel)

Cal Bruner: Fifty-dollar bill’s a pretty big tip. What did you do for it?
Lilli Marlowe: Just put this down in your little book. Ready?
Cal Bruner: Mmm-hmmm.
Lilli Marlowe: Not what you’re thinking.