Monthly Archives: November 2012
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.
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
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 Noirvember. Witness 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.