Category: media

“Vice’s copious failings … are exactly the sorts of things that the Academy reveres. Oscar voters love films that pretend to tackle Serious Issues but in fact exploit them as stages for personality operas and starry performances. Look no further than Green Book.” — Slate

“I haven’t seen a dumbing down of anything – at least not yet. Looking at new projects, you have to think about who is writing it and who is going to be involved. But I see the rising competition as a positive thing. It’s good for actors but I think television as a whole has been enriched.” – The Guardian

In 2019, Sundance is arguably more mainstream than ever. Many options at the festival this year are the kinds of projects major studios used to make all of the time—crowd-pleasing comedies, true-story adaptations, and teen romances. With Hollywood now consumed by brand management, major franchises, and mega-budgeted blockbusters, independent producers have become the caretakers of the midsize movie. – The Atlantic

What was new here was that formerly fringe filmmakers were now getting big crossover deals and gushy reviews, redefining indie cinema in the public consciousness. This began a snowball effect with other newer and younger would-be writers and directors. Sundance and Cannes 1989 were the first major “Yes We Can!” moments for those who had had studio and network gates slammed in their faces in the past or who’d never had the confidence or connections to go that far in the first place. – The American Conservative

“Roma, Alfonso Cuarón’s intimate masterpiece, has been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, … [and its] achievements belong to a generation of filmmakers unlike any other in the history of the art form. If Cuarón wins again, the Mexican trio of Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro, and Cuarón will take home their fifth Oscar in the past six years in the Best Director … Few countries can claim to have produced a cohesive group of collaborators with the level of success three Mexican auteurs have enjoyed for more than two decades.” — Slate

They’re only going to air two of the five Best Song nominees. They’re going to present some of the technical awards (even Best Cinematography) during commercial breaks (although the Oscars are the only time those trades get to be in the public spotlight). They generally seem obsessed with making the telecast short. New York Times Carpetbagger columnist Kyle Buchanan argues that the producers should do the opposite and embrace the Oscars’ Oscarness. — The New York Times

It’s Hyderabad, India’s fourth-largest city, sixth-largest metro, and the home of the world’s largest film studio, Ramoji Film City, the heart of the movie industry in Telugu, India’s third-most spoken language (after Hindi and Bengali). — The Guardian

“For many of us, the most difficult part of the job is ringing the doorbell of a bereaved family, or prying into the opinions of unwelcoming strangers. Twitter has created a seductive universe in which the reactions of a virtual community are served up in neatly quotable bits without need for uncomfortable personal interactions.” – Washington Post

“In the 1940s she was known as an actress, usually playing good-hearted tough-as-nails dames … But in a brilliant short burst, from 1949 to 1953, she directed six of her seven feature films, co-writing and producing many of them. She was, of course, a woman director in a man’s world, but beyond that her films deserve to be rediscovered because they are so substantial, stylish and bold, … [taking] on social issues that were usually taboo.” — BBC