list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Imaginarium_of_Dr_Parnassus/351849/default.aspx Title: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus
Year: 2009
Director: Terry Gilliam
Plot: Set in the present day, director Terry Gilliam's fantastical morality tale follows the traveling show of the mysterious Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) - a man who once won a bet with the devil himself, and possesses the unique ability to guide the imagination of others. Many centuries ago, Dr. Parnassus won immortality in a bet that found the malevolent Mr. Nick (Tom Waits) coming up short. While few would be foolish enough to try their luck against the powers of darkness a second time, Dr. Parnassus did precisely that - this time trading his mortality for youth on the understanding that his firstborn become the property of Mr. Nick when the child reaches their sixteenth birthday. Flash-forward to the present day, and Dr. Parnassus' daughter Valentine (Lily Cole) is about to celebrate her sweet sixteen. Dr. Parnassus is desperate to save his little girl from her fiery fate, and when Mr. Nick arrives to collect the good doctor presents the Prince of Darkness with a wager too enticing to refuse: Dr. Parnassus and Mr. Nick will each compete to seduce five souls, with possession of Valentina going to whomever manages to complete the task first. As the competition begins to heat up, Dr. Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to any man who can help him successfully navigate the surreal obstacle course that lies ahead and finally help him undue the many mistakes of his past. While the sudden dead of prominant Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus player Heath Ledger in January of 2008 left Gilliam and company scrambling to find a means of salvaging the film, which was already well into principal photography at the time, the cavalry soon arrived in the form of Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, who will each serve as alternate dimension versions of the character orginally set to be played by Ledger when the character crosses through a paranormal mirror. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Number of Lists: 5
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 2
]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:44:15 GMTThe Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus2009Terry GilliamSet in the present day, director <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____91577/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Terry Gilliam</a>'s fantastical morality tale follows the traveling show of the mysterious Dr. Parnassus (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____57110/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Christopher Plummer</a>) - a man who once won a bet with the devil himself, and possesses the unique ability to guide the imagination of others. Many centuries ago, Dr. Parnassus won immortality in a bet that found the malevolent Mr. Nick (<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___115730/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tom Waits</a>) coming up short. While few would be foolish enough to try their luck against the powers of darkness a second time, Dr. Parnassus did precisely that - this time trading his mortality for youth on the understanding that his firstborn become the property of Mr. Nick when the child reaches their sixteenth birthday. Flash-forward to the present day, and Dr. Parnassus' daughter Valentine (Lily Cole) is about to celebrate her sweet sixteen. Dr. Parnassus is desperate to save his little girl from her fiery fate, and when Mr. Nick arrives to collect the good doctor presents the Prince of Darkness with a wager too enticing to refuse: Dr. Parnassus and Mr. Nick will each compete to seduce five souls, with possession of Valentina going to whomever manages to complete the task first. As the competition begins to heat up, Dr. Parnassus promises his daughter's hand in marriage to any man who can help him successfully navigate the surreal obstacle course that lies ahead and finally help him undue the many mistakes of his past. While the sudden dead of prominant Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus player <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___268296/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Heath Ledger</a> in January of 2008 left Gilliam and company scrambling to find a means of salvaging the film, which was already well into principal photography at the time, the cavalry soon arrived in the form of <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____18682/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Johnny Depp</a>, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___230573/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Jude Law</a>, and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____22766/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Colin Farrell</a>, who will each serve as alternate dimension versions of the character orginally set to be played by Ledger when the character crosses through a paranormal mirror. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide562http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s351849.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Imaginarium_of_Dr_Parnassus/351849/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Re_Is_anyone_out_there_excited_about_any_upcoming/216/42731/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 6/19/2009 2:44:15 PM
Body: [quote user="dakidhasdough"] Hey there folks. I just want to get a heads up and see if anyone out there is excited for any upcoming release in the drama/comedy category. I don't mind foreign language films. Thanks. [/quote] I'm not sure how soon these are coming out, but these are ones that are in completed or post-production stages that I'm looking forward to: A Serious Man The Rum Diary The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Inglorious Basterds Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans The Tree of Life This is largely based on who is directing these films.
]]>Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:44:15 GMTRisseladaComing Soon6/19/2009 2:44:15 PM[quote user="dakidhasdough"] Hey there folks. I just want to get a heads up and see if anyone out there is excited for any upcoming release in the drama/comedy category. I don't mind foreign language films. Thanks. [/quote] I'm not sure how soon these are coming out, but these are ones that are in completed or post-production stages that I'm looking forward to: A Serious Man The Rum Diary The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus Inglorious Basterds Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans The Tree of Life This is largely based on who is directing these films. http://www.spout.com/groups/The_Imagination_of_Fantasy/Re_Year_in_Review_What_Was_Your_Favorite_Fantasy/47/39192/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: The Imagination of Fantasy
Post Date: 1/7/2009 10:17:41 AM
Body: [quote user="pippin06"] Any 2009 releases you look forward to seeing? [/quote] Well The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus looks like a fantasy movie. It's Terry Gilliam so that always makes it interesting if not great. And I'm sure lots of people will see it soley on the fact that it will be Heath Ledger's final movie. Of course it's very sad that he passed away, but I am always fascinated to see multiple actors play the same character as well.
]]>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:17:41 GMTRisseladaThe Imagination of Fantasy1/7/2009 10:17:41 AM[quote user="pippin06"] Any 2009 releases you look forward to seeing? [/quote] Well The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus looks like a fantasy movie. It's Terry Gilliam so that always makes it interesting if not great. And I'm sure lots of people will see it soley on the fact that it will be Heath Ledger's final movie. Of course it's very sad that he passed away, but I am always fascinated to see multiple actors play the same character as well. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/7/37067.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/7/2008 3:01:08 PM
Body: Opening today, Soul Men features the final performance from Bernie Mac, who died unexpectedly on August 9. The movie also includes a cameo from Isaac Hayes, who died one day later. Both men join a long list of people whose last films were released after their deaths, a list that includes Brad Renfro, whose final performance, in The Informers, can be seen in theaters come next May. Unlike some names on that list, Bernie Mac, whose voice can also be heard in the new animated sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, isn’t likely to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination as a tribute to his final work. But as one of the most underrated comic actors of the past few years, Mac likely gives a great performance as soul singer “Floyd Henderson,” enough to fall in with the crop of posthumously released roles we’ve showcased below: 1. Spencer Tracy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Tracy died from a heart attack June 10, 1967, a couple weeks after finishing his work on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which was released that December. It would end up one of his most distinguished performances, earning him a posthumous ninth Oscar nom for Lead Actor. 2. James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause Dean received two posthumous Oscar nominations, but it’s easy to forget that neither of them were for Rebel Without a Cause, despite the film being Dean’s first posthumous release. Were it possible under the Academy’s rules, Dean could have been nominated for playing iconic teen Jim Stark, but he was instead recognized solely for East of Eden (the first official posthumous Oscar nomination for acting), which had been released a few months prior to Dean’s accidental death. Meanwhile Dean’s costars in Rebel, Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood, were each nominated for this film. 3. James Dean in Giant This film became Dean’s second posthumous release and earned him his second posthumous Oscar nomination (he won neither). The actor had pretty much finished his work on Giant right before his death, though some post-production vocal work had to be performed by a substitute later on, and the film wasn’t to come out in theaters until two months after the first anniversary of Dean’s death. 4. Clark Gable in The Misfits Like the death of Heath Ledger (see below), Gable’s was blamed on the demands of a role. Whether his performance in The Misfits was too physically demanding or he experienced immense tension from lack of things to do or he lost too much weight too quickly to prepare for the film, there may not have been one single thing that led to his having his third heart attack and then ultimately succumbing to coronary thrombosis mere weeks after finishing up principal photography. A few months later, on Gable’s birthday, his performance was unveiled to the world, and while not as historically remembered as his characters in Gone With the Wind and It Happened One Night, nor one of his three Oscar-nominated roles, it is arguably his greatest work. 5. John Cazale in The Deer Hunter Cazale should have been honored with a posthumous Oscar nomination at some point (I can’t believe I left him off that list), if for no other reason than to recognize his achievement of acting solely in features nominated for Best Picture (including The Godfather Part III, in which he’s only shown in archive footage). But an even bigger reason is that Cazale was a damn good supporting actor and he actually would deserve that statue. For all the talent he displays in The Deer Hunter, though, he was easily upstaged by his costar Christopher Walken, who actually took home the Oscar. 6. Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon There are tons of artists who didn’t live long enough to see their work become huge successes. Unlike most of them, though, Lee at least experienced some level of stardom prior to his death on July 20, 1973. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see his final film, Enter the Dragon, open to huge numbers in the U.S., eventually even topping the box office chart here after a few months in theaters. He also tragically never got to see how iconic, influential and culturally significant his performance would become. 7. Brandon Lee in The Crow Bruce Lee also never got to see his son grow up to have a #1 movie, too. Sadly, neither did the son, Brandon, who died accidentally from a malfunctioned prop gun on the set of The Crow. And while the star’s then-mysterious death may have helped to make the movie more popular than would otherwise have been expected, it’s primarily Lee’s performance, not his legacy, that has allowed the movie to remain worthwhile viewing 15 years later. Even if some of that performance was assisted through a controversial yet groundbreaking use of stunt doubles and digital effects. 8. Richard Harris in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets There have now been more Harry Potter films released in which Michael Gambon portrays Albus Dumbledore, yet Harris will forever be remembered more clearly and favorably in the role. Even those of us who like Gambon as the Hogwarts headmasterhave more vivid memories of Harris’ performances in both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the latter of which arrived in theaters less than three weeks after the actor’s death on October 25, 2002. Surely some fans would have preferred to see Harris reprise his role in the subsequent films courtesy of effects wizardry similar to that done in The Crow and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (see below). 9. Laurence Olivier in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow It may have been morally wrong for Kerry Conran to digitally create a villainous performance from Olivier 15 years after the legendary actor’s death, but who doesn’t want to keep getting new performances from such a master thespian, even if it it technically consists of nothing but archive footage? Besides, it’s still better than making him posthumously hawk beer, vacuum cleaners, or McDonalds cheeseburgers. Too bad the film as a whole was such a disappointment. 10. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight His performance as The Joker is better than anyone ever dreamed it would be, before or after he died suddenly last January. He’ll get an Oscar nomination, at least, and will probably even win. Will his final performance, in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, yet to be seen or released, be as remarkable? It’s quite possible that if this list is ever rewritten in the future that Ledger will join Dean as another actor with two slots, for two monumentally great performances released posthumously. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:01:08 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/7/2008 3:01:08 PMOpening today, Soul Men features the final performance from Bernie Mac, who died unexpectedly on August 9. The movie also includes a cameo from Isaac Hayes, who died one day later. Both men join a long list of people whose last films were released after their deaths, a list that includes Brad Renfro, whose final performance, in The Informers, can be seen in theaters come next May. Unlike some names on that list, Bernie Mac, whose voice can also be heard in the new animated sequel Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, isn’t likely to receive a posthumous Oscar nomination as a tribute to his final work. But as one of the most underrated comic actors of the past few years, Mac likely gives a great performance as soul singer “Floyd Henderson,” enough to fall in with the crop of posthumously released roles we’ve showcased below: 1. Spencer Tracy in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Tracy died from a heart attack June 10, 1967, a couple weeks after finishing his work on Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which was released that December. It would end up one of his most distinguished performances, earning him a posthumous ninth Oscar nom for Lead Actor. 2. James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause Dean received two posthumous Oscar nominations, but it’s easy to forget that neither of them were for Rebel Without a Cause, despite the film being Dean’s first posthumous release. Were it possible under the Academy’s rules, Dean could have been nominated for playing iconic teen Jim Stark, but he was instead recognized solely for East of Eden (the first official posthumous Oscar nomination for acting), which had been released a few months prior to Dean’s accidental death. Meanwhile Dean’s costars in Rebel, Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood, were each nominated for this film. 3. James Dean in Giant This film became Dean’s second posthumous release and earned him his second posthumous Oscar nomination (he won neither). The actor had pretty much finished his work on Giant right before his death, though some post-production vocal work had to be performed by a substitute later on, and the film wasn’t to come out in theaters until two months after the first anniversary of Dean’s death. 4. Clark Gable in The Misfits Like the death of Heath Ledger (see below), Gable’s was blamed on the demands of a role. Whether his performance in The Misfits was too physically demanding or he experienced immense tension from lack of things to do or he lost too much weight too quickly to prepare for the film, there may not have been one single thing that led to his having his third heart attack and then ultimately succumbing to coronary thrombosis mere weeks after finishing up principal photography. A few months later, on Gable’s birthday, his performance was unveiled to the world, and while not as historically remembered as his characters in Gone With the Wind and It Happened One Night, nor one of his three Oscar-nominated roles, it is arguably his greatest work. 5. John Cazale in The Deer Hunter Cazale should have been honored with a posthumous Oscar nomination at some point (I can’t believe I left him off that list), if for no other reason than to recognize his achievement of acting solely in features nominated for Best Picture (including The Godfather Part III, in which he’s only shown in archive footage). But an even bigger reason is that Cazale was a damn good supporting actor and he actually would deserve that statue. For all the talent he displays in The Deer Hunter, though, he was easily upstaged by his costar Christopher Walken, who actually took home the Oscar. 6. Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon There are tons of artists who didn’t live long enough to see their work become huge successes. Unlike most of them, though, Lee at least experienced some level of stardom prior to his death on July 20, 1973. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to see his final film, Enter the Dragon, open to huge numbers in the U.S., eventually even topping the box office chart here after a few months in theaters. He also tragically never got to see how iconic, influential and culturally significant his performance would become. 7. Brandon Lee in The Crow Bruce Lee also never got to see his son grow up to have a #1 movie, too. Sadly, neither did the son, Brandon, who died accidentally from a malfunctioned prop gun on the set of The Crow. And while the star’s then-mysterious death may have helped to make the movie more popular than would otherwise have been expected, it’s primarily Lee’s performance, not his legacy, that has allowed the movie to remain worthwhile viewing 15 years later. Even if some of that performance was assisted through a controversial yet groundbreaking use of stunt doubles and digital effects. 8. Richard Harris in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets There have now been more Harry Potter films released in which Michael Gambon portrays Albus Dumbledore, yet Harris will forever be remembered more clearly and favorably in the role. Even those of us who like Gambon as the Hogwarts headmasterhave more vivid memories of Harris’ performances in both Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the latter of which arrived in theaters less than three weeks after the actor’s death on October 25, 2002. Surely some fans would have preferred to see Harris reprise his role in the subsequent films courtesy of effects wizardry similar to that done in The Crow and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (see below). 9. Laurence Olivier in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow It may have been morally wrong for Kerry Conran to digitally create a villainous performance from Olivier 15 years after the legendary actor’s death, but who doesn’t want to keep getting new performances from such a master thespian, even if it it technically consists of nothing but archive footage? Besides, it’s still better than making him posthumously hawk beer, vacuum cleaners, or McDonalds cheeseburgers. Too bad the film as a whole was such a disappointment. 10. Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight His performance as The Joker is better than anyone ever dreamed it would be, before or after he died suddenly last January. He’ll get an Oscar nomination, at least, and will probably even win. Will his final performance, in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, yet to be seen or released, be as remarkable? It’s quite possible that if this list is ever rewritten in the future that Ledger will join Dean as another actor with two slots, for two monumentally great performances released posthumously. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/7/16/32630.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/16/2008 3:00:59 PM
Body: Though I first buzzed about an Academy Award nomination for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight more than a month before his death, I now want to take it all back. I feel all the talk of Ledger’s posthumous Oscar chances will cloud my mind when I finally do see it, and it will probably also cloud the Academy’s judgment, too. Six months from now, when the nominations are announced on January 22 (coincidentally the one-year anniversary of Ledger’s death), if Ledger is not recognized for his role as The Joker, there will surely be an uproar — actually, Hollywood might just up and self-implode. I’m not the only one annoyed by all the Oscar buzz. Terry Gilliam, who directed Ledger in The Brothers Grimm and the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is calling “bullshit” on the whole thing, particularly against Warner Bros., which Gilliam accuses of exploiting Ledger’s death and chance of a posthumous Oscar for publicity purposes. Considering most Oscar campaigns for live actors are really just part of movie marketing, he has a good point. Sure, I would love to see Ledger honored. I’ve believed in his Oscar worth since 10 Things I Hate About You . But in February, if he receives a posthumous award, it will surely feel, at least in good percentage, that it’s because he died young. In that case, why not also give supporting noms sight unseen to Rob Knox for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Brad Renfro for The Informers? Despite the more than 10 posthumous nominations in Oscar history, however, it’s not obligatory for the Academy to hand out such accolades every time someone dies before his final movie is released. Just check out the following list of talent who probably deserved posthumous Oscar recognition as much as Ledger does: Jean Vigo for L’Atalante - One of the greatest, most influential films of all time, L’Atalante premiered in France in 1934, a few months before Vigo died of tuberculosis at the age of 29. It eventually made its way to the U.S. 14 years later, just in time for the debut of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. And considering the first recipient, Vittorio De Sica (for Shoeshine), would win again two years later (for Bicycle Thieves), the Academy should have recognized Vigo’s film, even if it was more than a decade old. Unfortunately, it would be many decades before L’Atalante received the kind of esteem it deserves. James Dean for Rebel Without a Cause - Dean starred in only three feature films, one of which, East of Eden, was released prior to his death. He received posthumous Oscar nominations for that film and his final appearance in Giant, which came out a year later. But wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he’d also been nominated for his most iconic role in Rebel Without a Cause? Sure, he’d have posthumously gone up against himself in 1956, but that’s what movie gods like him were made to do. Richard Harris for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Not only should Harris have received a nomination, he should have won, too. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t the greatest performance by the actor, who’d previously been nominated for 1963’s This Sporting Life and 1990’s The Field. It’s that Harry Potter fans would have tuned in and saved that year’s telecast from being the least-watched in years. Just imagine how many people will be tuning in to next year’s show just because of the (inevitable) Ledger nom. Heather O’Rourke for Poltergeist III - I know that I’m only one of maybe three people who like the third Poltergeist movie, but even if you think the movie itself is bad, you have to give little Heather O’Rourke credit for being giving creepily terrific performances throughout the series. Compare her talent to some other young actresses who’ve been nominated. Especially Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine. And had she lived, she’d probably be a better actress today than Oscar-winner Anna Paquin. F.W. Murnau for Tabu - His Sunrise was pretty successful a few year earlier, at the 1st Academy Awards, but he wasn’t even nominated. In fact, the man who also gave us Nosferatu, Faust and The Last Laugh was never nominated for an Oscar, a fact that might have been different had the Oscars been founded a decade earlier or had he not died tragically in a car accident at age 43. I’m sure, at least, that Floyd Crosby, when winning for his cinematography work on Tabu, raised the statue to the sky and said, “this is for Murnau.” Peter Sellers for The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu - Whether or not you believe the Academy hates on comedic actors, you should agree that Sellers should have won an Oscar before he died. Or after he died. If he’d been nominated for this critical and commercial failure, though, it would of course have been one of those “he deserved it for ______, but this will do” kind of situtations. Stanley Kubrick for Eyes Wide Shut - If Scorsese can finally win with The Departed, Kubrick should have finally won posthumously with what is often thought of as his worst film. If anything, he at least deserved to be nominated instead of M. Night Shyamalan. Adrienne Shelly for Waitress - Didn’t it seem like a sure thing the writer-director-actress, Shelley, would get the nomination this year? Considering Diablo Cody had already (unofficially) won the actual Oscar before the nominations were even announced, could it have hurt to include the tragically murdered screenwriter? Or were there already too many ladies on the screenwriting ballot this year? Thelma Ritter for What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? - If ever there was a supporting actress who should have won an Oscar, Ritter was she. After six nominations (four of them consecutive), a posthumous seventh should have come with this movie (even if I’ve never personally seen it, I bet she’s great as usual). Unfortunately, the ballots were likely already in when she had her heart attack in February 1969. Also, she probably would have lost to Ruth Gordon anyway. Brandon Lee for The Crow - Laugh all you want, but in a crazy year that saw John Travolta recognized with a nomination and Tom Hanks recognized with a win for one of his silliest performances ever, would it have been so strange if the Academy had given Lee the slot filled by Morgan Freeman (obviously Oscar had little love for The Shawshank Redemption as it was)? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:00:59 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/16/2008 3:00:59 PM Though I first buzzed about an Academy Award nomination for Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight more than a month before his death, I now want to take it all back. I feel all the talk of Ledger’s posthumous Oscar chances will cloud my mind when I finally do see it, and it will probably also cloud the Academy’s judgment, too. Six months from now, when the nominations are announced on January 22 (coincidentally the one-year anniversary of Ledger’s death), if Ledger is not recognized for his role as The Joker, there will surely be an uproar — actually, Hollywood might just up and self-implode. I’m not the only one annoyed by all the Oscar buzz. Terry Gilliam, who directed Ledger in The Brothers Grimm and the upcoming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, is calling “bullshit” on the whole thing, particularly against Warner Bros., which Gilliam accuses of exploiting Ledger’s death and chance of a posthumous Oscar for publicity purposes. Considering most Oscar campaigns for live actors are really just part of movie marketing, he has a good point. Sure, I would love to see Ledger honored. I’ve believed in his Oscar worth since 10 Things I Hate About You . But in February, if he receives a posthumous award, it will surely feel, at least in good percentage, that it’s because he died young. In that case, why not also give supporting noms sight unseen to Rob Knox for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Brad Renfro for The Informers? Despite the more than 10 posthumous nominations in Oscar history, however, it’s not obligatory for the Academy to hand out such accolades every time someone dies before his final movie is released. Just check out the following list of talent who probably deserved posthumous Oscar recognition as much as Ledger does: Jean Vigo for L’Atalante - One of the greatest, most influential films of all time, L’Atalante premiered in France in 1934, a few months before Vigo died of tuberculosis at the age of 29. It eventually made its way to the U.S. 14 years later, just in time for the debut of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. And considering the first recipient, Vittorio De Sica (for Shoeshine), would win again two years later (for Bicycle Thieves), the Academy should have recognized Vigo’s film, even if it was more than a decade old. Unfortunately, it would be many decades before L’Atalante received the kind of esteem it deserves. James Dean for Rebel Without a Cause - Dean starred in only three feature films, one of which, East of Eden, was released prior to his death. He received posthumous Oscar nominations for that film and his final appearance in Giant, which came out a year later. But wouldn’t it have been wonderful if he’d also been nominated for his most iconic role in Rebel Without a Cause? Sure, he’d have posthumously gone up against himself in 1956, but that’s what movie gods like him were made to do. Richard Harris for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Not only should Harris have received a nomination, he should have won, too. It doesn’t matter that it wasn’t the greatest performance by the actor, who’d previously been nominated for 1963’s This Sporting Life and 1990’s The Field. It’s that Harry Potter fans would have tuned in and saved that year’s telecast from being the least-watched in years. Just imagine how many people will be tuning in to next year’s show just because of the (inevitable) Ledger nom. Heather O’Rourke for Poltergeist III - I know that I’m only one of maybe three people who like the third Poltergeist movie, but even if you think the movie itself is bad, you have to give little Heather O’Rourke credit for being giving creepily terrific performances throughout the series. Compare her talent to some other young actresses who’ve been nominated. Especially Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine. And had she lived, she’d probably be a better actress today than Oscar-winner Anna Paquin. F.W. Murnau for Tabu - His Sunrise was pretty successful a few year earlier, at the 1st Academy Awards, but he wasn’t even nominated. In fact, the man who also gave us Nosferatu, Faust and The Last Laugh was never nominated for an Oscar, a fact that might have been different had the Oscars been founded a decade earlier or had he not died tragically in a car accident at age 43. I’m sure, at least, that Floyd Crosby, when winning for his cinematography work on Tabu, raised the statue to the sky and said, “this is for Murnau.” Peter Sellers for The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu - Whether or not you believe the Academy hates on comedic actors, you should agree that Sellers should have won an Oscar before he died. Or after he died. If he’d been nominated for this critical and commercial failure, though, it would of course have been one of those “he deserved it for ______, but this will do” kind of situtations. Stanley Kubrick for Eyes Wide Shut - If Scorsese can finally win with The Departed, Kubrick should have finally won posthumously with what is often thought of as his worst film. If anything, he at least deserved to be nominated instead of M. Night Shyamalan. Adrienne Shelly for Waitress - Didn’t it seem like a sure thing the writer-director-actress, Shelley, would get the nomination this year? Considering Diablo Cody had already (unofficially) won the actual Oscar before the nominations were even announced, could it have hurt to include the tragically murdered screenwriter? Or were there already too many ladies on the screenwriting ballot this year? Thelma Ritter for What’s So Bad About Feeling Good? - If ever there was a supporting actress who should have won an Oscar, Ritter was she. After six nominations (four of them consecutive), a posthumous seventh should have come with this movie (even if I’ve never personally seen it, I bet she’s great as usual). Unfortunately, the ballots were likely already in when she had her heart attack in February 1969. Also, she probably would have lost to Ruth Gordon anyway. Brandon Lee for The Crow - Laugh all you want, but in a crazy year that saw John Travolta recognized with a nomination and Tom Hanks recognized with a win for one of his silliest performances ever, would it have been so strange if the Academy had given Lee the slot filled by Morgan Freeman (obviously Oscar had little love for The Shawshank Redemption as it was)? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/3/28/26711.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/28/2008 1:00:53 PM
Body: There is so much going on these days in the marketing of The Dark Knight (see Chris Thilk’s most recent update/summary here), but Warner Bros. may be wasting a lot of time and money on its campaigns. If we’re to believe an AP story from yesterday, there’s already enough interest in the Batman Begins sequel coming from two separate directions: comic book fandom (”the magnitude of a comic-book franchise with an illustrious 70-year history”) and, of course, the cult of celebrity death (”arguably the biggest movie featuring a posthumous role in Hollywood history.”). The article highlights a number of posthumous film releases, including those of James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause and Giant), Spencer Tracy (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner), Will Rogers (Steamboat Round the Bend), Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon), his son, Brandon Lee (The Crow), John Candy (Canadian Bacon and Wagon’s East!), Natalie Wood (Brainstorm), Carole Lombard (To Be or Not to Be), Oliver Reed (Gladiator), Clark Gable (The Misfits) and Aaliyah, whose Queen of the Damned is implied to have only been successful on account of the singer/actress’ accidental demise. However, none of these performers, the article argues, had the benefit of having such a blockbuster swan song as a Batman movie (coupled with the Terry Gilliam movie, of course, but Ledger’s actual final film is considerably less anticipated and so may be less notable). So certainly Ledger will be winning the contest for Biggest Posthumous Box Office. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:00:53 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/28/2008 1:00:53 PMThere is so much going on these days in the marketing of The Dark Knight (see Chris Thilk’s most recent update/summary here), but Warner Bros. may be wasting a lot of time and money on its campaigns. If we’re to believe an AP story from yesterday, there’s already enough interest in the Batman Begins sequel coming from two separate directions: comic book fandom (”the magnitude of a comic-book franchise with an illustrious 70-year history”) and, of course, the cult of celebrity death (”arguably the biggest movie featuring a posthumous role in Hollywood history.”). The article highlights a number of posthumous film releases, including those of James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause and Giant), Spencer Tracy (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner), Will Rogers (Steamboat Round the Bend), Bruce Lee (Enter the Dragon), his son, Brandon Lee (The Crow), John Candy (Canadian Bacon and Wagon’s East!), Natalie Wood (Brainstorm), Carole Lombard (To Be or Not to Be), Oliver Reed (Gladiator), Clark Gable (The Misfits) and Aaliyah, whose Queen of the Damned is implied to have only been successful on account of the singer/actress’ accidental demise. However, none of these performers, the article argues, had the benefit of having such a blockbuster swan song as a Batman movie (coupled with the Terry Gilliam movie, of course, but Ledger’s actual final film is considerably less anticipated and so may be less notable). So certainly Ledger will be winning the contest for Biggest Posthumous Box Office. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/23/24249.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/23/2008 11:01:09 AM
Body: The combo of last week’s DGA contract agreement and yesterday’s announcement of the Oscar noms may have set the WGA in a new direction towards ending the writer’s strike. Yesterday afternoon the WGA announced it had withdrawn demands for jurisdiction over reality and animation, which the AMTPT was dead against recognizing. The two sides are reportedly meeting together today. Even if the strike is not over in a month, let alone today, there will still definitely be an Oscar telecast. It will be heavy on clips honoring the past 80s years of cinema, according to Gil Cates, who compared the strike to the presidential race. As far as the Oscar-nominee responses go, the most noteworthy are those of Julian Schnabel, who is sorry The Diving Bell and the Butterfly didn’t get a Best Picture nod but who feels he could one day have his Departed moment, and Jason Reitman, who points out that if he can be nominated for directing Juno then his father, Ivan, should have been nominated three or four times (sure, for Ghostbusters, Dave and Stripes, but what would be the fourth? Father’s Day?). It made me think of the above scene from papa Reitman’s Kindergarten Cop. 2008 Oscar-nominee Michael Moore is making a stand on the issue of documentary and foreign film exhibition, stating that his new year’s resolution is to sit down with theater owners and urge them to reserve one auditorium per multiplex devoted to specialty films. Hopefully he’ll document it, and one day we can sit in that auditorium and watch the result. The fate of Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has not been officially announced yet, but Variety points out that Heath Ledger’s involvement in the movie was integral to its financing. I doubt the film could easily replace the late actor and go back and reshoot all of his scenes, but I also hope Gilliam isn’t left with another unfinished work (ala The Man Who Killed Don Quixote). Could Gilliam & Co. go the route of The Crow and digitally add Ledger’s face to a double? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:01:09 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/23/2008 11:01:09 AM The combo of last week’s DGA contract agreement and yesterday’s announcement of the Oscar noms may have set the WGA in a new direction towards ending the writer’s strike. Yesterday afternoon the WGA announced it had withdrawn demands for jurisdiction over reality and animation, which the AMTPT was dead against recognizing. The two sides are reportedly meeting together today. Even if the strike is not over in a month, let alone today, there will still definitely be an Oscar telecast. It will be heavy on clips honoring the past 80s years of cinema, according to Gil Cates, who compared the strike to the presidential race. As far as the Oscar-nominee responses go, the most noteworthy are those of Julian Schnabel, who is sorry The Diving Bell and the Butterfly didn’t get a Best Picture nod but who feels he could one day have his Departed moment, and Jason Reitman, who points out that if he can be nominated for directing Juno then his father, Ivan, should have been nominated three or four times (sure, for Ghostbusters, Dave and Stripes, but what would be the fourth? Father’s Day?). It made me think of the above scene from papa Reitman’s Kindergarten Cop. 2008 Oscar-nominee Michael Moore is making a stand on the issue of documentary and foreign film exhibition, stating that his new year’s resolution is to sit down with theater owners and urge them to reserve one auditorium per multiplex devoted to specialty films. Hopefully he’ll document it, and one day we can sit in that auditorium and watch the result. The fate of Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus has not been officially announced yet, but Variety points out that Heath Ledger’s involvement in the movie was integral to its financing. I doubt the film could easily replace the late actor and go back and reshoot all of his scenes, but I also hope Gilliam isn’t left with another unfinished work (ala The Man Who Killed Don Quixote). Could Gilliam & Co. go the route of The Crow and digitally add Ledger’s face to a double? Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/karina/archive/2008/1/22/24232.aspx Post By: Karina
Post To: Karina on SpoutBlog
Post Date: 1/22/2008 6:01:14 PM
Body: The NY Times and CNN are reporting that Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in a Soho apartment. According to this NY Times blog post, a housekeeper let a masseuse into the apartment for an appointment, and when they knocked on his bedroom door and there was no response, they went in and found him unconscious. Unnamed pills were allegedly found near the body. Ledger, of course, was one of the Bob Dylans in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There; he also stars as the Joker in this summer’s eagerly anticipated Batman sequel, The Dark Knight. He recently split with Michelle Williams, with whom he had a child. More details as they come in. UPDATE: In the comments, Chris wonders if Ledger was finished shooting The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus with Terry Gilliam. According to this CBS story, filming was still in progress. UPDATE 6:15 EST: The NY Times blog post linked above has been updated to say that Ledger was found in an apartment owned by Mary-Kate Olsen. Both STAR and TMZ are referring to the apartment as belonging to Ledger. Olsen has a high-profile cameo in The Wackness, which premiered this weekend to wildly mixed reviews at Sundance. UPDATE 6:29 EST: NYT is now using the word “suicide.” TMZ apparently has a spy close to the scene who says the medical examiner is on the way. In their typically classy fashion, they’re running with the headline, “Ledger Death Bed Strewn With Pills.” UPDATE 6:45 EST: TMZ is now reporting essentially the opposite of the NY Times. The AOL-owned gossip site says that Ledger, a recovering addict, accidentally overdosed in an apartment that “was not owned by Mary-Kate Olsen or related to her in any way.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » karina
]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:01:14 GMTKarinaKarina on SpoutBlog1/22/2008 6:01:14 PMThe NY Times and CNN are reporting that Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in a Soho apartment. According to this NY Times blog post, a housekeeper let a masseuse into the apartment for an appointment, and when they knocked on his bedroom door and there was no response, they went in and found him unconscious. Unnamed pills were allegedly found near the body. Ledger, of course, was one of the Bob Dylans in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There; he also stars as the Joker in this summer’s eagerly anticipated Batman sequel, The Dark Knight. He recently split with Michelle Williams, with whom he had a child. More details as they come in. UPDATE: In the comments, Chris wonders if Ledger was finished shooting The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus with Terry Gilliam. According to this CBS story, filming was still in progress. UPDATE 6:15 EST: The NY Times blog post linked above has been updated to say that Ledger was found in an apartment owned by Mary-Kate Olsen. Both STAR and TMZ are referring to the apartment as belonging to Ledger. Olsen has a high-profile cameo in The Wackness, which premiered this weekend to wildly mixed reviews at Sundance. UPDATE 6:29 EST: NYT is now using the word “suicide.” TMZ apparently has a spy close to the scene who says the medical examiner is on the way. In their typically classy fashion, they’re running with the headline, “Ledger Death Bed Strewn With Pills.” UPDATE 6:45 EST: TMZ is now reporting essentially the opposite of the NY Times. The AOL-owned gossip site says that Ledger, a recovering addict, accidentally overdosed in an apartment that “was not owned by Mary-Kate Olsen or related to her in any way.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » karina http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/1/22/24231.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 1/22/2008 6:01:06 PM
Body: The NY Times and CNN are reporting that Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in a Soho apartment. According to this NY Times blog post, a housekeeper let a masseuse into the apartment for an appointment, and when they knocked on his bedroom door and there was no response, they went in and found him unconscious. Unnamed pills were allegedly found near the body. Ledger, of course, was one of the Bob Dylans in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There; he also stars as the Joker in this summer’s eagerly anticipated Batman sequel, The Dark Knight. He recently split with Michelle Williams, with whom he had a child. More details as they come in. UPDATE: In the comments, Chris wonders if Ledger was finished shooting The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus with Terry Gilliam. According to this CBS story, filming was still in progress. UPDATE 6:15 EST: The NY Times blog post linked above has been updated to say that Ledger was found in an apartment owned by Mary-Kate Olsen. Both STAR and TMZ are referring to the apartment as belonging to Ledger. Olsen has a high-profile cameo in The Wackness, which premiered this weekend to wildly mixed reviews at Sundance. UPDATE 6:29 EST: NYT is now using the word “suicide.” TMZ apparently has a spy close to the scene who says the medical examiner is on the way. In their typically classy fashion, they’re running with the headline, “Ledger Death Bed Strewn With Pills.” UPDATE 6:45 EST: TMZ is now reporting essentially the opposite of the NY Times. The AOL-owned gossip site says that Ledger, a recovering addict, accidentally overdosed in an apartment that “was not owned by Mary-Kate Olsen or related to her in any way.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:01:06 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com1/22/2008 6:01:06 PMThe NY Times and CNN are reporting that Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in a Soho apartment. According to this NY Times blog post, a housekeeper let a masseuse into the apartment for an appointment, and when they knocked on his bedroom door and there was no response, they went in and found him unconscious. Unnamed pills were allegedly found near the body. Ledger, of course, was one of the Bob Dylans in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There; he also stars as the Joker in this summer’s eagerly anticipated Batman sequel, The Dark Knight. He recently split with Michelle Williams, with whom he had a child. More details as they come in. UPDATE: In the comments, Chris wonders if Ledger was finished shooting The Imaginarium Of Dr. Parnassus with Terry Gilliam. According to this CBS story, filming was still in progress. UPDATE 6:15 EST: The NY Times blog post linked above has been updated to say that Ledger was found in an apartment owned by Mary-Kate Olsen. Both STAR and TMZ are referring to the apartment as belonging to Ledger. Olsen has a high-profile cameo in The Wackness, which premiered this weekend to wildly mixed reviews at Sundance. UPDATE 6:29 EST: NYT is now using the word “suicide.” TMZ apparently has a spy close to the scene who says the medical examiner is on the way. In their typically classy fashion, they’re running with the headline, “Ledger Death Bed Strewn With Pills.” UPDATE 6:45 EST: TMZ is now reporting essentially the opposite of the NY Times. The AOL-owned gossip site says that Ledger, a recovering addict, accidentally overdosed in an apartment that “was not owned by Mary-Kate Olsen or related to her in any way.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog