Sherlock Holmes Tagged Articles at Cinematical
Five (Semi)-Big Snubs & Other 2009 Oscar Facts
Filed under: Awards », Oscar Watch »
The nominations for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards have been announced and they have everyone saying the same four words - "The Secret of Kells?" Yes, "the animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells" (as goes the IMDB synopsis) grabbed one of the five slots for Best Animated Feature. It has to be the biggest surprise of the morning just because nobody has ever heard of it. But there were certainly a few others as well.
THE FIVE BIGGEST SNUBS (not involving The Secret of Kells)
1.Invictus for Best Picture
This is what qualifies as a snub despite many of us being aware that it was in the bottom five (maybe even the bottom three) for consideration. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon both got their nominations. Eastwood was on everyone's list as a potential wild card for Director, but the lukewarm response must have finally caught up with it and the Academy chose to go with a bad box office success (The Blind Side) than a decent box office disappointment.
2. (500) Days of Summer for Best Original Screenplay
The best thing that can be said about this snub is that it didn't involve being replaced by either Avatar or The Hangover. It was The Messenger that took its place, taking a little but not all of the sting out of it for Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber
3. Julianne Moore for Best Supporting Actress
In the category that opened the nominees, we must have all been a little worried that we were in for a surprise-filled morning. Penelope Cruz has been in the conversation all through awards season, but the Nine backlash figured her for the cutting room floor. But Maggie Gyllenhaal for Crazy Heart? The least believable aspect (her character, not the performance) of the entire film? Mo'Nique, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick were the only true locks, so it's not out there to suggest the other two were up for grabs. But you could have gone with Diane Kruger or Samantha Morton and not drawn as much attention to the snubbing.
Weekend Box Office: 'Avatar' on Top for Seventh Week
Filed under: New Releases », Box Office »
Avatar enjoyed a seventh straight week atop the box office, a streak that may come to an end next week depending on how much traction bald and crazy John Travolta gets with audiences (and also how popular Dear John, the mother of all chick flicks, turns out to be). In the meantime, though, as Monika reported earlier in the week, Avatar is now the top-grossing movie of all-time internationally. In the next couple of days it will also pass Titanic to take that title domestically. So that's pretty much the end of that.Edge of Darkness came in second, though it's an ambiguous result: you have to go back to the mid-90s to find a mainstream Mel Gibson vehicle that opened to as little as $17 million. On the other hand, it's the guy's first role in seven years -- and in a rather nondescript film noir in the middle of January at that. I wouldn't read too much into it, though the movie's $80 million budget raises some questions. The fantasy rom-com When in Rome didn't have a lot of competition for its target audience, but had to battle terrible reviews for its okay $12 million take.
Legion took the biggest hit of the holdovers, dropping over 60% to 6th place; it may have wound up on the wrong side of the ludicrous/enjoyable divide for most people. Meanwhile, Sherlock Holmes is about to eke past the $200 million mark, Alvin and the Chipmunks already has, and Nancy Meyers' It's Complicated just skated past $100 million. Those are last year's three Christmas Day releases, which appear to have been perfectly calculated to stay out of each other's way in the ensuing weeks.
The full top 10 after the jump.
Free Flick of the Day: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Filed under: Mystery & Suspense »
Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970) is his personal Magnificent Ambersons. It was taken away and edited without his supervision or approval, and the excised footage is currently thought to be lost. He apparently hated the version that was eventually released, but it's still a very enjoyable movie, full of typically bracing Billy Wilder humor (co-written, of course, with I.A.L. Diamond). The film was originally supposed to contain four unrelated stories and now contains only two. In the first one, Holmes pretends to be in a gay relationship with Watson to avoid the unwanted attentions of a female suitor. In the second, main section, he searches for a missing husband, and the search includes a visit from his brother Mycroft (Christopher Lee, a former Sherlock himself) and an encounter with the Loch Ness Monster.
This is the movie in which Holmes falls in love and -- unlike in the earlier Basil Rathbone films -- drugs are mentioned. Stage actor Robert Stephens gives us a sly, funny Holmes, Colin Blakely is Watson, and Genevieve Page is the woman who melts Holmes' heart. Those who have seen Robert Downey Jr's badass new version of Holmes will probably find this one a bit on the slow and/or stagnant side, but it was an important step in the evolution of Holmes between Rathbone and Downey, and it's definitely an underrated Wilder gem.
The movie is afoot over at SlashControl.
'Avatar' Wins The Globes' Top Prize: Is Oscar Next?
Filed under: Awards », Oscar Watch »
It was the moment all the Avatar fans were waiting for. At least if you believed the announcer going into the final commercial of last night's Golden Globes. Apparently anticipation was building amongst the blue faithful, right up to the moment that James Cameron's film took him the award for Best Picture (Drama) over the likes of The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds and Up In The Air,. Oh yeah, and Precious. Cameron also took home the award for Best Director despite announcing in his speech that he thought Kathryn (Bigelow) was going to win for The Hurt Locker, which went home with not a single statuette.
Avatar, Crazy Heart and Up were the only films to win multiple awards for the evening, not one of them winning more than a pair. Other multiple nominees shut out included (500) Days of Summer (which lost Best Comedy to The Hangover), Brothers, The Informant, Invictus, It's Complicated, The Last Station, A Single Man and, most notably, Nine. With 15 nominations between the Golden Globes and the Broadcast "Film Critics" Association, the Rob Marshall musical wound up with a big donut that may have officially sounded the death knell on its Oscar chances. How does everyone else measure up though?
Keeping Score: The Best Movie Music Of '09
Filed under: Fandom », Lists », Columns »
Welcome to the first installment of Keeping Score, Cinematical's new epicenter of coverage and commentary on movie music. In coming weeks you'll read interviews with composers, reviews, profiles, and critical analyses of entire genres and bodies of work. Before we get to that, however, as a sort of introduction we thought we'd take a look at the best of 2009.
The year was surprisingly full of really strong movie music, from hit-heavy compilations to original orchestral work and almost everything in between. Runners up to our Top Ten list included the soundtracks to Where the Wild Things Are, Funny People, A Single Man, and even New Moon, if only for Thom Yorke's throbbing, irresistible contribution "Hearing Damage." But the following ten were the year's cream of the crop – the best, most beautiful, and, ultimately, most moving pieces of music set to moving images in 2009.
Stay in the Closet, Sherlock Holmes!
Filed under: Action », Gay & Lesbian », Warner Brothers », Celebrities and Controversy », Fandom », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »
If you enjoyed the unabashed bromance of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes, and pondered whether Irene Adler and Mary Morstan were there just to make them seem less gay, keep those naughty thoughts to yourself, especially if you want to see a sequel. Because if Holmes gets any more homoerotic, then Holmes' copyright holder will prevent another film from ever being made.
It all started with Robert Downey Jr.'s quips to David Letterman. EW had the transcript, which I'll post in full so we have the proper context:
Letterman: "Now, from what I recall, there was always the suggestion that there was a different level of relationship between Sherlock and Dr. Watson."
Downey: "You mean that they were homos ..."
Letterman: [Laughs.] "Well ..."
Downey: "That is what you're saying?"
Letterman: "In a manner of speaking, yes ... that they were closer than just out solving crimes. It's sort of touched on in the film, but he has a fiancée, so we're not certain. Is that right?"
Downey: "She could be a beard. Who knows?"
Paul Shaffer: "What are they, complete screamers? Is that what you're saying?"
Downey: "Why don't we observe the clip and let the audience decide if he just happens to be a very butch homosexual. Which there are many. And I'm proud to know certain of them."
Total Film apparently caught up with Andrea Plunket, who holds the stateside rights to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's brainy deducer. Those quotes didn't sit well with her, nor did she take them in the spirit in which they were probably intended.
Follow the clues below the jump
Weekend Box Office: 'Avatar' Breaks More Records, Climbs All-Time Charts
Filed under: New Releases », Box Office »
Avatar has grossed $352 million after three weeks of release. That in itself is nothing earth-shattering -- the movie is only third fastest to $300 million behind Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and The Dark Knight (it's second-fastest to $350 million), and is only 15th on the all-time domestic charts. Worldwide, however, things look different. There, Avatar has broken the $1 billion mark, and is sitting at number four -- which is just about $100 million out of number two. Titanic is the top worldwide grosser, of course, and its $1.8 billion number still looks tough to match, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility. Domestically, things get more interesting when you consider that Avatar's $68.3 million third weekend is the top third weekend of all time. And its 10% week-to-week drop is remarkable even considering that the top grosser over Christmas generally holds up well over the slow first weekend of the new year. (Marley & Me fell 33%; National Treasure: Book of Secrets 44%; Night at the Museum 35%.) Again, Titanic's record-holding number ($600 million on the nose) still looks very far away. But January is a notorious Hollywood dead zone, and Avatar shows few signs of slowing down.
The rest of the top 10 -- all holdovers -- also mostly did good business over the holiday weekend. Sherlock Holmes predictably took the biggest hit, but even it didn't do badly, dropping less than 40% and bringing its cume to $140 million. The Blind Side saw a 10% boost and broke $200 million (the modestly budgeted film's success is every bit as notable as Avatar's, I think). And The Princess and the Frog finally rebounded a bit after a few tough weeks, gaining business despite dropping theaters, and making a $100 million finish probable.
The full chart after the jump.
Box Office: Hello, 2010
Filed under: Box Office »
James Cameron's Avatar held strong, dropping less than 2% in its second week and maintaining its status as the number one movie. Last week's three new releases didn't do too shabby either, with each doing its best to separate us from any money we might have left after the holidays. Up in the Air and Nine moved into wider release last week finishing in sixth and eighth respectively.
1. Avatar: $75.6 million
2. Sherlock Holmes: $62.4 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: $48.9 million ($75.6 million total)
4. It's Complicated: $22.1 million
5. The Blind Side: $11.5 million
No new releases for the New Years weekend but the Christmas week releases still have plenty of momentum. I dare say Avatar is going to have at least another weekend at the top, and I think the rest of the top five will stay put. Here's my prediction:
1. Avatar
2. Sherlock Holmes
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel
4. It's Complicated
5. Up in the Air
1. Avatar: $75.6 million2. Sherlock Holmes: $62.4 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: $48.9 million ($75.6 million total)
4. It's Complicated: $22.1 million
5. The Blind Side: $11.5 million
No new releases for the New Years weekend but the Christmas week releases still have plenty of momentum. I dare say Avatar is going to have at least another weekend at the top, and I think the rest of the top five will stay put. Here's my prediction:
1. Avatar
2. Sherlock Holmes
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel
4. It's Complicated
5. Up in the Air
Cinematical Seven: Asylum DVD Covers That Make My Head Spin
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Cinematical Seven », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
I love The Asylum. There's no irony there. I'm one of the few weirdos on this planet who actively embraces a studio that releases schlock after schlock, month after month. To say I have a soft spot in my blackened, cinematic heart for their bottom-of-the-barrel mockbusters would be a lie. More accurately, part of my heart was replaced long ago by a shunt made of bad movies with bad "special" effects starring people who haven't been heard from in a long, long time. If you were to remove said shunt from my system, a little part of me would die inside. Then again, that may not be a bad thing, as clearing my Syfy channel recordings would free up a ton of space on my DVR.Today marks the release of Princess of Mars on DVD, a landmark of sorts for the low-budget studio. This is the first time they've been able to both piggyback off a current release (the cover claims it is "The classic story that inspired James Cameron's Avatar) and pre-emptively piggyback off a future release (Pixar's John Carter of Mars), which is a coup I can only imagine they are still patting themselves on the back for pulling off. So in honor of their creative apex, I'd like to throw some love/hate to seven of their best DVD covers.
Of course, this being the Asylum we're talking about, best has a whole new meaning.
Discuss: My Theory About 'Sherlock Holmes'
Filed under: Action », Comedy », Mystery & Suspense », Warner Brothers »
(Spoilers herein.)So I saw Sherlock Holmes with my family over the holidays, and since a good $65 million of you did as well, I don't feel that it's too soon to jump into this discussion...
When Holmes (Robert Downey, Jr.) meets with Sir Thomas (James Fox), he swiftly deduces that he must be the father of our villain, Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). Thomas is quick to explain that their magic-worshiping order does not condone Blackwood's nefarious deeds, and he also explains that Blackwood had killed before the five attempted (four successful) murders that kick the film off.
Later on, our hero is finally widening his gaze with regards to Blackwood's endgame, and we can see that each of the five women were killed, or would have been, the five points of a star configuration. Combine that development with the late 19th-century London setting, and I got to thinking about what little I knew about Jack the Ripper (you know, since seeing From Hell eight years ago).
I've run the following theory by two friends, and since both of them were more intrigued by the notion than disappointed that I had gone over-thinking things again, I now submit it to your judgment:
Do you think that Lord Blackwood could've been Jack the Ripper?
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