From the very get-go (i.e., from the time I saw the very first trailer) my basic Mank feeling was that however accomplished the film might be as a whole, 63 year-old Gary Oldman is too old and too fat to be playing a guy in his mid 40s who was not Oliver Hardy-sized. And I hated the floppy haircut with the nine-inch locks.

Herewith a director speaking to Indiewire‘s Anne Thompson about Oscar preferences:

“Oldman was too old to be in Mank. If he was playing this 20 years ago, great. But there’s something a bit weird, when watching the scene with Tuppence Middleton putting him to bed drunk and pulling off his pants — that’s his wife? She’s [34], Oldman is [63]…is she supposed to be a young wife? It turns out she was the same age as Mank. Why not cast an older actress to play Oldman’s wife?

“Things like that distract from the craft and great performances in that movie. It would have been better with someone else playing that part. He’s an incredible actor, but there’s nothing in the movie to explain why he’s 20 years older.”

Respect and salutations for the late Monte Hellman, a ’60s-era Roger Corman protege who went on to become a formidable director of (a) Warren Oates, (b) the legendary Two-Lane Blacktop (’71), (c) a couple of acid westerns — The Shooting, Ride in the Whirlwind, (d) Cockfighter, (e) the Italian-lensed China 9, Liberty 37 and (f) the Steven Gaydos-penned Road to Nowhere.

Hellman served as editor on Corman’s The Wild Angels (’66), Bob Rafelson‘s Head (’68), Sam Peckinpah‘s The Killer Elite (’75) and Jonathan Demme’s Fighting Mad (’76). Hellman also was an exec producer on Quentin Tarantino‘s Reservoir Dogs (’92).

Hugs and condolences to Hellman’s friends, colleagues, fans and family. He was 91 — born on 7.12.29.

The Many Saints of Newark, which allegedly deals with racial relations between Newark-residing Italian-Americans and Blacks in the late ’60s, has been delayed so often it looks like up to me. But this is the kind of undercurrent-of-tension scene I’d love to see more of. Saints began filming on 4.3.19, and was initially slated to open on 9.25.20, even with Covid. But re-shoots happened, and then it was bumped to 3.12.21. And then again to 9.24.21. Apparently there’s a degree of faith in award-season contention. It’ll open simultaneously in theatres and on HBO Max.

I didn’t realize this at first, but now I do. When I noticed in a recent Mare of Easttown trailer that Kate Winslet‘s “Mare Sheehan” character was limping like Dustin Hoffman‘s Ratso Rizzo character, I subconsciously decided that I was less interested in catching this seven-episode series. This doesn’t mean I was uninterested — just that I didn’t feel a great urgency. I intend to watch episode #1 (“Miss Lady Hawk Herself“) this evening and go from there. Presumably the HE community has already given it a looksee.

Alissa Walker, the urbanism editor at Curbed.com, to THR‘s Kirsten Chuba: “It just seems like [Oscar night at Union Station will be] one of those nights where it’s going to be hugely chaotic. It would be worth it if at least more celebrities took the train to the event, a promise to take transit in solidarity with transit riders.

“Otherwise you’re just going to have this horrible town car parade of people trying to come up to a train station, which is just so comical. It gives us another great reason to make fun of Los Angeles.”

“Perhaps in one sense this guilty verdict will be remembered as the inverse of another landmark verdict — in O.J. Simpson’s 1995 murder trial. When O.J. was found not guilty in 1995, public response split along racial lines. The reaction to today’s decision, by contrast, could be fairly unified — a largely shared feeling of relief that justice has been done. After all, the protests after the killing of George Floyd last summer had broad public support.” — N.Y. Times‘ Emily Bazelon, posted around 2:20 pm Pacific.

“At George Floyd Square, the memorial to where Floyd was killed, a woman nearly collapses in tears. When she straightens, she manages to croak out, ‘We matter. We matter.” — N.Y. Times‘ Shaila Dewan.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, we’re all on the verge of concluding the grimmest, most under-charged and minor-seeming Oscar season in Hollywood history.

The following was spoken by “Producer #1” in a 4.19 Anne Thompson Indiewire story focusing on what the industry is thinking and feeling about the “does anyone really give a shit?” Oscars.

From “Scott Rudin ‘Stepping Back’ From Film, Streaming Work Due to Abuse Allegations,” a 4.20 Variety story by Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly:

“Rudin is one of the most successful producers in entertainment history, having won an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy, and 17 Tony Awards. His films include No Country for Old Men, The Social Network, Lady Bird, The Firm and The Truman Show. He was still active in the prestige space, recently acquiring the rights to the best-seller ‘Shuggie Bain,’ but no longer had the major studio support that he once enjoyed.

“Tastes [have] shifted from the pedigreed dramas and comedies that Rudin preferred to make in favor of superhero fare, though he’s continued to work regularly.”

Rephrasing: “Taste in movies has shifted from movies written and directed by the Coen Brothers, David Fincher, Greta Gerwig, Sydney Pollack and Peter Weir to blow-the-doors-off popcorn fare directed by Zack Snyder, James Gunn, Taika Waititi, Jon Favreau, Adam Wingard, Ryan Coogler, etc.”

HE reaction: Stab me in my carotid arteries with a pen knife.

Variety‘s Matt Donnelly and Brent Lang are reporting that Searchlight co-chairpersons Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula are “retiring” — i.e., have been shown the door by Disney management.

Another way to put it is that Gilula and Utley have been whacked like Joe Pesci‘s “Tommy” in Goodfellas. Disney management comment: “And that’s that. We had a problem, and there wasn’t nothin’ we could do about it.”

Gilula-Utley will be replaced by David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield, who are now co-presidents. They will report to Disney Studios Content chairman Alan Bergman and chief creative officer Alan Horn. Disney purchased Searchlight as part of its 2019 deal for the Murdoch family’s entertainment assets.

Excerpt from 1.14.20 interview with Gilula by Box Office Plus‘s Kevin Lally:

Intro: Much of the credit for Fox Searchlight’s remarkable performance must go to Gilula and Utley, co-chairmen of the studio since July 2018. Twenty-year veterans of the company, they were named presidents in 2009, succeeding Peter Rice, who took the helm in 2000. Now they’ve entered a new era with Disney’s acquisition of Fox this past March. Gilula, a former exhibitor who co-founded Landmark Theatres, recently took time out of his busy schedule to talk about Searchlight’s latest chapter and its highly successful run.

Lally: Here we are, nine months into the merger with Disney. Can you give me a status report on how things are going and what has changed?

Gilula: Well, the status report is all signs are really positive. It’s been really quite good. At a top-line level, as far as the kinds of movies we’re making and acquiring and how we’re releasing them, there’s a hundred percent unequivocal support. What was represented to us in the year-plus before the deal closed has all come true—everything that Disney indicated that they liked about Searchlight they want us to continue.”

HE comment: Either things suddenly changed or Gilula, not surprisingly, was wearing a “political” hat when he spoke to Lally.

Gilula: On the practical side, the logistical and organizational side, as with any merger we’re working through all the bureaucratic and administrative things in terms of policies that we operate under. But the core business of the kinds of movies we make, how we release them, and what our campaigns are, we have full support and we continue to have the same independence that we had under Fox. So that’s been fantastic.”

HE comment: I think it’s fantastic that things were so “fantastic” 14 months ago.

Bergman and Horn statement to Variety about the booting of Gillula and Utley: “Thanks to the stewardship and pitch-perfect creative instincts of Steve Gilula and Nancy Utley, Searchlight has cemented itself as one of the finest film studios in history, and we commend and thank them for their incredible leadership, especially throughout the integration of Searchlight at Disney. They are leaving the studio in the talented hands of Matthew Greenfield and David Greenbaum, who have been a critical part of Searchlight’s success over many years and we’re confident they will continue to set a course that keeps Searchlight on the industry’s leading edge.”

HE comment: Whatever prompted Disney to eject Giulula and Utley, Bergman and Horn aren’t inclined to share at this point in time. They felt a certain rapport with Greenfield and Greenbaum that was lacking with Gilula-Utley?

Walter Mondale, the moderately liberal Minnesota Senator (’64 to ’76) who served as Jimmy Carter‘s vp (’77 to ’81) and who was severely trounced by Ronald Reagan in the ’84 presidential election, has passed at age 93.

Soundbite-wise, Mondale is probably best known for undermining Gary Hart‘s 1984 presidential primary campaign with that famous “where’s the beef?” line.

Mondale also made history that year by selecting Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate — the first woman to run for the vice presidency.

The Bluray of Warner Archives’ 4K restoration of Michael Curtiz‘s Doctor X (’32), which will arrive on 4.20, has both the two-color and the black-and-white versions, which were filmed separately. It stars Lionel Atwill in the title role (actual name: Xavier), pre-King Kong Fay Wray and Lee Tracy as a snappy news reporter.

WhySoBlu review, 4.8.21: “The amount of work they have gone [through] to give this film new life is fairly astounding. Check out the featurette on restoring it for all the nifty details and examples. It has a painterly quality. Details are strong as can be given the age and type of film process.

“The monochrome version also features an impressive restoration with good details and crisp image.”

There are 26 Gold Derby Oscar “experts”…experts, I should add, who know absolutely nothing except for the intriguing bouquet of their own anal cavities and the wing-flapping sound of flying pigs when they try to divine which nominees might prevail.

Okay, they’re almost certainly correct in predicting that the late Chadwick Boseman will win the Best Actor Oscar…fine.

As you might expect, their Best Picture predictions are all over the map. (Which may reflect Academy sentiments also.) 14 are predicting the triumph of Nomadland, 8 are predicting victory for The Trial of the Chicago 7, 3 are predicting Minari (not a chance in hell!) and one (Chris Rosen) is predicting that Promising Young Woman will take the prize.

For what it’s worth, Carey Mulligan reigns supreme when it comes Gold Derby predictions about the Best Actress race. 12 experts are siding with the star of Promising Young Woman, 7 are standing behind Ma Rainey‘s Viola Davis, 5 are predicting victory for The United States vs, Billie Holiday‘s Andra Day, and 2 are predicting a Best Actress trophy for Nomadland‘s Frances McDormand (her third if she wins).

In the Best Supporting Actress category all but three are predicting victory for Minari‘s Yuh-Jung Youn. In the Best Supporting Actor realm it’s Judas and the Black Messiah‘s Daniel Kaluuya, Daniel Kaluuya, Daniel Kaluuya, Daniel Kaluuya, Daniel Kaluuya, etc.