The 85th Academy Awards were hosted in Los Angeles on Sunday 24th February, and this year saw a relatively even split, with Skyfall and Zero Dark Thirty even tying in the award for Best Sound Editing.
Hosted by Seth McFarlane, the race was headed up by Stephen Speilberg’s Lincoln which held 12 nominations, and Ang Lee’s ‘unfilmable’ Life of Pi which held 11. Following closely behind were Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook with 8, and Argo with 7.
Argo grabbed headlines after Ben Affleck was snubbed in the race for Best Director, but the film was awarded the coveted Oscar for Best Picture.
Daniel Day Lewis made history by being the first actor to win 3 Oscars for Best Actor, while Jennifer Lawrence bagged the Best Actress award for her role in Silver Linings Playbook. As predicted, Anne Hathaway won Best Supporting Actress for her show stealing performance in Les Miserables, and Christoph Waltz earned a well-deserved Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Dr. Schultz in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.
Check out the full list of Oscar winners, below..
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained Best Animated Short Film:Paperman Best Animated Feature Film:Brave Best Cinematography:Life of Pi Best Visual Effects:Life of Pi Best Costume:Anna Karenina Best Makeup and Hairstyling:Les Miserables Best Live Action Short Film:Curfew Best Documentary (short subject):Inocente Best Documentary:Searching For Sugar Man Best Foreign Language Film:Amour Best Sound Mixing:Les Miserables Best Sound Editing (TIE):Skyfall, Zero Dark Thirty Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, Les Miserables Best Editing:Argo Best Production Design:Lincoln Best Score:Life of Pi Best Song: Adele, Skyfall Best Adapted Screenplay: Chris Terrio, Argo Best Original Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained Best Director: Ang Lee, Life of Pi Best Actress Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln Best Picture:Argo
With the long-awaited sequel to Kick-Ass fast approaching, Fwd/Film are very happy to present these newly released images of Jim Carrey as Colonel Stars & Stripes.
The next instalment in the hugely successful Marvel film adaptation is due to hit cinemas in the UK this summer, and the new images show Carrey on set alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
The film sees the return of vigilante hero Kick-Ass, who joins together with a group of everyday citizens who have also been inspired to fight crime. Meanwhile, Red Mist is planning an attack of revenge that will affect everyone that Kick-Ass knows.
Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Nicholas Cage will all be reprising their roles. Donald Faison and Robert Emms will also star.
Kick-Ass 2 hits cinemas on 19 July. Check out the latest images, below..
The latest film contribution from Quentin Tarantino has brought with it high expectations, and a whole heap of controversy. Unsurprisingly, the movie epic about black slavery in 1850s Deep South of America, has attracted criticism for its glorification of gun violence, and its heavy focus on racism. That said, the only real question that Fwd/Film wants answering is, ‘is the latest Tarantino instalment any good?’
The film tells the story of Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave who sets off on a journey across the South to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from the clutches of an evil plantation owner. His freedom is paid for by the enigmatic Dr. Schultz (Christoph Waltz), a bounty hunter who calls upon Django to assist in the capture of his latest targets. Django and Schultz strike up an unusual and unorthodox friendship, leading them to the sinister company of Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Django’s enslaved wife.
Like nearly all of Tarantino’s films, Django is ultimately a revenge movie, which brings with it the satisfaction of watching the underdog gain the upper hand. And, like its award-winning predecessor Inglourious, the film is grounded in turning history on its head. Django presents the freed slave as our hero; a white knight intent on rescuing his beloved from her captors. Dr. Schultz aside, the white characters in the film are portrayed as uneducated and uncultured barbarians, ironically and satisfyingly reversing the social assumptions of the time. However, the truly remarkable thing about Django is its depiction of the brutality of slavery, on a level which has previously remained largely censored in modern film.
Guardian
The film has come under heavy fire for its use of graphic violence, and racially derisive dialogue; an unusual criticism to make of a film about slavery. For, although the film does not stay 100% historically accurate, the sociological premise of the film is vital to the story. Ignoring the racial violence and prejudice language that existed in 1850s America would be to bury a shameful history, and further silence the voice of slavery. Additionally, the audience invest in the character of Django as a result of his oppressive and humiliating treatment at the hands of white Americans. To remove this portion of the story, would be to remove the audience’s desire for Django’s triumph over Candie and his slack-jawed subordinates.
The revenge violence in Django is another vital component of the film. While the concept of ‘an eye for an eye’ is understandably controversial, the revenge scenes in the film are inarguably cathartic, and will leave even the most timid cinema goer punching the air in support of our hero. Does the film encourage the broadening of a racial divide? Does it debase African American slaves, by turning them into the very violent, animalistic savages that white America feared them to be? It’s hard to ignore the flawed social commentary of this movie. But what Django does offer is an ultimately liberating voice for a history that has remained largely unspoken, and a fantastical tale of justice and retribution.
As solemn and somber as the backdrop of the film is, Django is also fantastically entertaining and darkly funny. Tarantino’s astonishing ability to find humour in the darkest of places is unfaltering, as even the intimidating presence of the Ku Klux Klan offers a laugh-out-loud comedy exchange. The film boasts outstanding performances from the entire cast, with appearances from Tarantino favourites Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Parks and Michael Bowen. Tarantino fans, keep an eye out for the brief appearance of Deathproof‘s Zoe Bell as one of Candie’s trackers. Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz undoubtedly steals the show as the intriguing Dr. Schultz, but Foxx is captivating and charming as our sass-mouthed protagonist. DiCaprio also gives a convincing performance as Calvin Candie, and sits surprisingly comfortably in his role as movie villain.
Hollywood.com
Well deserving of its 5 Oscar nominations, Django Unchained is yet another Tarantino masterpiece. Not only does the film offer a fantastic story and a unique hero, the cinematography and the soundtrack of Django is nothing short of perfection. Tarantino had already proven that he was content exploring the realms of the Western genre in Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2, and Django only confirms this. Django Unchained is a gun-slinging, dust-kicking romp across the Deep South, and an uplifting alternative history of 19th century American slavery.
Django Unchained is in cinemas across the UK now. If you haven’t already, check out the trailer below. Let us know what you think..
The second feature from Shane Carruth will feature at the 2013 Sundance Festival, and has left audiences baffled by the release of its cryptic and mysterious trailer.
Following the success of the award winning Primer (2004), Carruth’s latest film is set to be equally as exceptional and elaborate as its cult predecessor.
Upstream Colour tells the story of Kris (Amy Seimetz), a woman torn away from her life when she is drugged by a small-time thief. Kris is unknowingly drawn into the life cycle of a presence which goes beyond the microscopic world, finding solace in another (Carruth), who is equally consumed by the larger force. The two search desperately for a place of safety within each other, while they struggle to assemble the fragments of their ruined lives.
Take a look at the trailer for Upstream Colour below, and let us know what you think..
As the news surrounding the release of the next Hunger Games film hots up, Lionsgate have released a brand new movie poster along with several new high res images.
The highly anticipated Catching Fire is the second instalment in the Hunger Games trilogy, and is set to hit cinemas this winter. Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, the film sees Katnis Everdeen taking on the 75th Hunger Games tournament, the ‘Quarter Quell.’
Directed by Francis Lawrence (above), Catching Fire also sees the return of Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks and Donald Sutherland. Based on the books by Suzanne Collins, the film also stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone and Jeffrey Wright.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is released in the UK on 22 November. Check out the poster, below..
Ruben Fleischer’s vigilante flick Gangster Squad hit screens across the UK last Thursday, and brought with it the promise of a movie epic to rival the works of Brian De Palma and Martin Scorcese. Yet, having sold the film as a modern classic for a new generation, it’s hardly any wonder that audiences up and down the country have been left disappointed by Fleischer’s luke-warm efforts.
Starring Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling and Sean Penn, Gangster Squad tells the story of the rise to power of Micky Cohen (Penn), the notorious Jewish mobster who reigned over the LA criminal underworld in the 1940s. Having returned from the war to a city racked with gang warfare and vice, Sargent John O’Mara (Brolin) is called upon by the Chief of Police (Nick Nolte) to head up a secret unit, dedicated solely to bringing down Cohen’s regime. Assembling Los Angeles’ finest (to include Gosling, Anthony Mackie, Giovanni Ribisi, Michael Pena and Robert Patrick) O’Mara forms the ‘gangster squad’, and begins the task of destroying Cohen’s web of criminal operations.
Hollywood.com
Although the film is ‘based’ on the true story of Micky Cohen’s hold over Los Angeles, not that much of Gangster Squad is actually grounded in the history of the Cohen legend. The dynasty of the Ukrainian prizefighter actually came to an end following an investigation by the US Senate for tax evasion, rather than resulting from the vigilante work of a group of brutish cops, as the film would have us believe.
Gangster Squad is certainly enjoyable in places, offering slick cinematography, and crisp, colourful visuals. Unfortunately, this feels like a smoke screen to distract from the film’s lack of depth or sincerity. The plot of the film is naive at best, and predictable at worst. The potential for intricate plot twists is certainly there, but these opportunities are glossed over clumsily, as the film spirals into a series of crude gangster flick cliches. And while the performances of the cast are not to be sneered at, the dialogue does feel forced and uncomfortable at times, with Penn’s portrayal of Cohen morphing into the realms of cartoon villain towards the movie’s close.
EW.com
Emma Stone is charming and provocative as Cohen’s girl, who finds herself in the line of fire, after falling for Gosling’s character. Sadly though, this relationship never quite makes it past the 2 dimensional, and Stone’s character is left undeveloped in the shadow of a gun-toting final showdown.
Gangster Squad is by no means a bad film, but sadly failed to live up to its unrealistic expectations. With films like Bugsy, LA Confidential and The Black Dhalia having already blazed the trail so triumphantly, Gangster Squad was lagging listlessly behind before it had even left the blocks. And while the film offers a stylish and sharp look at 1940s mob culture, in trying to stand up to the greats, Fleischer only sets himself up for a fall.
Quentin Tarantino launched a furious attack during an interview with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, after he questioned the director about the link between violence on-screen and in real life.
The Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill director was promoting his latest movie Django Unchained during the interview for Channel 4, when he took exception to the questions posed about movie violence.
Rotten Tomatoes
Django Unchained tells the story of a freed slave turned bounty hunter, who embarks upon a journey to free his wife from the clutches of an evil plantation owner.
The film, which stars Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz, opens in the UK next weekend, and was nominated for 5 Oscars earlier this week. However, the film has come under heavy criticism for its bloody violence and glorification of gun use.
Telegraph
Tarantino, who is known for his bloody and violent films, refused to answer questions about the parallels between movie violence and real-life violence, and became frustrated when Guru-Murthy continued to push the topic.
Tarantino responded, “Don’t ask me a question like that. I’m not biting. I refuse your question.”
Check out the clip below, and let us know what you think..
