Today, February 9th
LET’S TALK MOVIES. The 92nd Academy Awards air tonight at 8:00 E / 5:00C—and with a roster that includes “The Two Popes,” “The Cave,” “Parasite,” “Jojo Rabbit,” “1917,” and “The Joker,” you’d be hard-pressed to name a more eclectic year. Thanks to podcasts, the blogosphere, YouTube, and more—the conversation around film is just as interesting.
ALEC BALDWIN’S CONVERSATION WITH "MARRIAGE STORY” DIRECTOR NOAH BAUMBACH IS AS HONEST AS THE MOVIE. Baldwin has been candid about the hellish custody battle that accompanied his divorce—which explains why Director Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” affected him so deeply. So much so, that Baldwin says it puts Baumbach in the same category as Woody Allen, Barry Levinson and Mike Nichols. While I was moved by the film… the raw honesty that both men brought to this conversation was almost more intriguing.
Listen to the episode of Baldwin’s podcast “Here’s the Thing” here.
AN “IRISHMAN” FOR THE AGES. “You’ve given me another 30 years in my career,” joked Robert DeNiro, upon seeing the computer-generated magic performed by the Oscar-nominated Visual Effects Supervisor, Pablo Helman that allowed the cast of “The Irishman” to de-age by 50 years over the course of the film. It’s a far cry from the facial prosthetics that won John Chambers a special Oscar for 1968’s “Planet of the Apes.”
GET THE SCORE ON FILM SCORES WITH FOUR-TIME NOMINEE, DANNY ELFMAN. Journalist Elvis Mitchell is clearly an Elfman fan—which makes his conversation with the prolific Tim Burton collaborator so much fun. On scoring “Pee-wee's Big Adventure,” “Batman,” “Edward Scissorhands” (and a dozen more) : “It never gets easier,” admits Elfman. “Countless times, I've played something and watched Tim put his head in his hands and start pulling at his hair. You have to be half-composer, half-psychiatrist.”
Hear the conversation here, or visit Mitchell’s podcast, The Treatment @ kcrw.com.
SHORT FILMS GET SHORT SHRIFT. With the animated and live shorts in theaters for as little as two days (Jan. 29th - Jan. 31), it’s a wonder anyone outside the Academy sees them. But thanks to the rabbit-hole that is YouTube, you can find numerous nominated and winning films, plus nominees early work. You’ll find a link to one 2020 contender and two other celebrated films at bottom. But one 2018 winner deserves special mention:
Glen Keane’s beautifully “hand-drawn” film, “Dear Basketball”
On November 29, 2015 Kobe Bryant penned a letter in the Players' Tribune announcing his retirement from basketball at season’s end. “Dear Basketball” is animator Glen Keane’s visualization of that letter, narrated by Kobe, and scored by John Williams. Backstage at the 2018 Oscars , Bryant (pictured) told reporters his win that night felt “better than winning the championship.” Watch it here.
RIP Kobe.
Kobe Bryant with his Oscar for Best Animated Short, 2018