I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, but if you’re even vaguely familiar with Scientology symbols you know that triangles are, as a colleague just put it, “a Scientology thing.” And so it seems a little weird that the just-revealed logo for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences uses a golden triangle. It looks a a tiny bit creepy, now that I’m thinking about it.
Day: December 18, 2013
Hah! Nope!
Contrary to Glenn Kenny‘s belief, The Wire‘s Esther Zuckerman hasn’t panned The Wolf of Wall Street. She calls it “a well-acted, well-directed, well-written film.” She just can’t roll with the bacchanalian debauchery that constitutes a good portion of its length. She’s ethically offended, in short, warning that Martin Scorsese‘s film “will be idolized for all the wrong reasons.” She’s entitled to her view, of course, but she’s aligning herself with the harumphs who’ve been dissing it for all the wrong reasons. “I guess, at the tender age of 23, I’m just an old fogey,” she writes within air quotes, “but Wolf left me feeling sick to my stomach, and not because the movie condemned [Jordan] Belfort‘s world, but because it seemed to love it.”
Lingering Butler Current
Last night Denzel Washington hosted a special screening of Lee Daniels’ The Butler at the Academy theatre. I came in late and so I missed Denzel, who showed up for photos before the film began and then ducked out. Attendees included director Lee Daniels and costars Cuba Gooding Jr., Elijah Kelly, David Oyelowo and Jesse Williams, costume designer Ruth Carter, producer Pam Williams plus six of the original Freedom Riders (Dr. William Harbor, Julia Aaron Humbles, Charles Person, Hank Thomas, Robert and Helen Singleton) along with Rev. James Lawson and Charles Allen. The moderator was Elvis Mitchell. It’s no secret that The Butler has been pushing a primal emotional button for African Americans since it opened, and last night’s comments (particularly a teary confession from Oyelowo) underlined this. Here’s my original 8.9.13 review, titled “Surprise: The Butler Isn’t half Bad.”
(l.) Butler screening host Denzel Washington, (middle) Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET, (r.) Butler director Lee Daniels.
Butler costars David Oyelowo (who broke down while discussing the gulf between performing scenes of racial animus vs. what the original Freedom Riders went through for real), Elijah Kelly during last night’s post-screening discussion.
Braff Kickstarter Pic Added to Sundance Slate
Zach Braff‘s Wish I Was Here, the film that became semi-notorious when Braff asked for Kickstarter funds last May to help finance it, has been added to the Premieres section at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival (1.16 through 1.26). Braff wound up raising $3.1 million from 46,000 supporters. Directed by, cowritten by and starring Braff, the 30something identity crisis dramedy costars Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Joey Kiing, Mandy Patinkin, Jim Parsons and Ashley Greene.
No Extra Scenes on Wolf Bluray?
There was a panel discussion during today’s Wolf of Wall Street luncheon at Manhattan’s Four Seasons, during which Martin Scorsese‘s editor Thelma Schoonmaker said something a tiny bit sad: “There are wonderful things we didn’t put in [the final 179 minute cut]. But Marty doesn’t believe in [doing] Director’s Cuts so you won’t see a four-hour version.” HE friendo Bill McCuddy spoke to costars Matthew McConaughey, Jonah Hill and Margot Robbie about the admirable fact that Wolf doesn’t offer any apologetic arias. McCuddy also snapped this pic of Robbie, obviously the second image of the Australian actress appearing today.
