Now Hear This: The Circuit will become part of the Los Angeles Times movie blog 24 Frames, effective immediately. You'll find The Contender Q&A series there, as well as other award show and film festival-related delights. All previous posts and interviews should remain here for your edification and amusement.
Be seeing you...
-- Paul Gaita
In this interview series, we ask some famous free thinkers to recast the Oscars in their own image. Please welcome to the stage: producer-director ("The Toxic Avenger"), Troma Entertainment co-founder, and stalwart champion of independent film, Lloyd Kaufman.
Lloyd, I'm almost afraid to ask, but. ... if you were in charge of the academy voting this year, which films or performers would get the Oscar?
Intellectually, I and millions like me don't give a ... for the Oscars. With the earthquake in Haiti and a 10-15 percent unemployment rate in this country, should we really be concerned with the celebrity red carpet culture of the Oscars? Furthermore, a truly brilliant, independent, visionary artist with limited resources simply can't compete with the big time Hollywood producers who dole out massive amounts of money for trade advertising in order to campaign for Oscars. Many of us on the consumer side believe that the Oscars are bought, like the money changers in the temple!
Nevertheless, we cynics -- emotionally, we can't help ourselves -- we can't help but care about old Oscar, no matter what we do or say. So regarding 2009, "Observe and Report," directed by Jody Hill and starring Seth Rogen, was an unappreciated, brilliant movie. "District 9" should sweep for best picture, best special effects and best actor for Sharlto Copley. Unlike "Avatar," the CGI in "District 9" doesn't intrude or take over the film, but enhances it, like a Bernard Herrmann musical score for a Hitchcock movie.
"Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead" was also highly, highly underrated and overlooked by the academy (author's note: Lloyd Kaufman directed "Poultrygeist")! Also worthy of an Oscar are "The Girlfriend Experience," directed by Steven Soderbergh; "Life Is Hot in Cracktown," directed by Buddy Giovinazzo; "Crank 2: High Voltage," directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (and featuring a cameo by the hunky Lloyd Kaufman), and "The Hurt Locker," directed by Kathryn Bigelow, though that film was perhaps a little too one-sided for my tastes.
In your opinion, which films and performances from the past deserved an Oscar but didn't win one? And are there movies that didn't deserve the award?
Charlie Chaplin deserved Oscar gold for every single movie he made, especially "Monsieur Verdoux." So did Bjork for Lars von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark." I can't pass up a musical with a good bludgeoning and a horrendous hanging!
As for rewriting history, I'd retract the Oscars given to "Forrest Gump." The message of that movie is terrible! Essentially, if you're a mentally retarded male, and you go through life obeying orders as if you were a Nazi (to the point of supporting an obscenely wrong war such as Vietnam), then you too can end up a billionaire! But if you're female, working for peace and a better world, then you'll get punished! God will give you AIDS! "Forrest Gump" is a hateful film, worthy of Pat Robertson.
Which categories would you add? And which need deleting?
The categories themselves are fine, but there's a hypocrisy in who and what is selected. There's nothing wrong with a category called best actor, but why do plastic automatons like Russell Crowe, Julia Roberts, Mel Gibson and George Clooney are nominated, who act like film students, receive such adulation? Why not give the Oscar to someone deserving, like Sam Rockwell, Bill Pullman, Laura Linney, Ellen Page, Kerry Washington or Amy Adams? They're all brilliant actors.
As far as the major media goes, there are really only two categories at the Oscars: who is the best on the red carpet and who is the best advertised. In the past, the Oscars were about respect, not ratings. If this were true today, the categories would actually mean something.
Which parts of the telecast would you remove, and what would you replace it with?
Get rid of the hokey-jokey hosts and toastmasters and bring in some serious inspiration. If real talents and earth-shakers like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Woody Allen, Jonas Mekas, Penelope Spheeris, Don Cheadle, Jon Voight, Jane Fonda and Oliver Stone could speak from the heart and not be required to read pre-scripted schlock from a teleprompter, then it might make for an interesting evening. I'd rather hear Oliver Stone, as crazy as he might be, over a blathering, clown-like acceptance speech from Roberto Benigni any night!
Which part of the Oscars would you never change?
The best part is the In Memoriam tribute. I'd give a bit more information on each of the honorees so that younger people might learn something about them. Also, as I've already said, we should preserve the original idealism of the Oscars and nix the red carpet and worship of conspicuous consumption.
Who would be your dream host and musical presenters?
I would love to see Amy Winehouse, DEVO, Genesis, Fiona Apple, Philip Glass, Ronnie James Dio, Madeleine Peyroux, Lemmy from Motorhead and perhaps Calamari Safari on the same stage!
Wow. So who would receive your honorary Oscars for lifetime achievement?
George A. Romero. He is the most overlooked American director today. And Karen Black deserves an Oscar -- she has an amazing body of work and goes out of her way to support truly independent filmmakers. Also, Kirk Douglas should receive a competitive Oscar instead of the honorary Oscar for "50 years as a moral and creative force in the motion picture community." What is that, a consolation prize? Kirk broke the blacklist, for god's sake! Don't forget Werner Herzog, Mike Leigh, Lars von Trier and Stan Brakhage, of course!
The academy should also pay tribute to director John G. Avildsen, who directed "Rocky" and "Save the Tiger," both of which won Oscars. His "Karate Kid" series, "Cry Uncle!" and "Rocky" have sold billions of dollars in tickets and influenced a generation of movie makers and moviegoers. Because Avildsen fights for his art, he was removed from "Serpico," "Saturday Night Fever" and "Howard Stern's Private Parts." However, Avildsen's early, visionary stewardship of these films helped them make millions of dollars for the studios and, with the exception of "Private Parts," were also cinematic landmarks.
Do you have a favorite Oscar moment -- good or bad -- from the past?
For me, the most inspirational and important Oscar moment was when Marlon Brando sent Sacheen Littlefeather onstage in his place to protest the treatment of American Indians. Now that's what I call getting punk'd! This was one of the first moments in American and world consciousness where attention had to be paid to the historic genocide of Native Americans by the white race. Thanks to that Oscar moment, U.S. social history was changed -- and it led to the resurrection of the ancient Native American tradition of casino gambling!
Lloyd, I've always wanted to say this -- let's give you an Oscar for a lifetime of challenging the accepted notions of filmmaking, not to mention good taste. So give us your best acceptance speech.
You like me! You really like me! I would like to thank God, Jesus Christ and the MPAA ratings board for creating this incredibly historic occasion. Now, if we could bow our heads for a moment of silence in honor of all the alcoholic, crack-addicted, ugly, Native American, unmarried mothers and other distasteful minorities whom the Hollywood elite have banned and blacklisted ... Hollywood, we don't need your awards. We're the Troma Team! Now let's make some art!
-- Paul Gaita
Top Photo: Lloyd Kaufman. Bottom Photo: Lloyd Kaufman in "Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead." Credit: Troma Entertainment.
More from The Circuit:
If I ran the Oscars: cult director Herschell Gordon Lewis
If I ran the Oscars: Andy Kindler
Well, how's this for a morbid item: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released an item Thursday stating that "all three living performers" (italics mine) who won Oscars last year will present at the 82nd annual Academy Awards. That's a somewhat carnival-esque way of saying that Sean Penn (best actor for "Milk"), Kate Winslet (actress, "The Reader") and Penelope Cruz (supporting actress, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona") will attend the March 7 ceremony; the supporting actor winner, Heath Ledger ("The Dark Knight"), sadly passed away Jan. 22, 2008, and therefore could not be included in this wince-worthy come-on. But, hey, Oscars! Speaking of telecasts and things to make you wince, will the 2010 MTV Movie Awards and Video Music Awards feature anything as cringe-inducing as the sight of Sacha Baron Cohen landing keister-first on Eminem or Kanye West hogging Taylor Swift's spotlight? Los Angeles residents will be the first to know, as MTV is reporting that both events will air live from the City of Angels this year; the 2010 MTV Movie Awards will broadcast June 6, while the 27th VMAs are set for Sept. 12. Meanwhile, the London Times Online has an interview with playwright and screenwriter Ronald Harwood, who has added his voice to the growing support for director Roman Polanski. In the feature, Harwood, who won the Oscar in 2003 for his script for Polanski's "The Pianist," discusses the challenge in defending the filmmaker in the face of his 1977 criminal charge for sex with an underage girl but ultimately concludes, "He changed my life, and I support him." Harwood, who also penned 2005's "Oliver Twist" for Polanski in addition to his Oscar-nominated screenplays for "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (2007) and "The Dresser" (1983), also has choice comments on Clint Eastwood's "Invictus" (Harwood wrote 1987's "Mandela" for American television) and 2008's "Australia," which he also wrote. Lee Daniels is also full of praise Thursday evening for a fellow filmmaker; the Oscar-nominated director of "Precious" was cited in a CBC News article as describing Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award winner and recent Directors Guild of America lifetime achievement winner Norman Jewison as a major influence on his work. In the piece, Daniels singled out Jewison's Oscar-winning "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) and "A Soldier's Story" (1984), which received three Oscar nominations, as films that changed his life and inspired him to follow in Jewison's footsteps. Both men also discuss the challenges they faced in bringing controversial images and ideas to the screen -- the sight of Sidney Poitier striking a white murder suspect in "Night" and the tragic backstory of "Precious," which involves incest and abuse. -- Paul Gaita
More from The Envelope:
Mo'Nique's and Christoph Waltz's amazing - and very rare - awards sweep
A report from AFP notes that Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor were effusive in their praise for Roman Polanski, who directed them in the upcoming thriller "The Ghost Writer." The pair, who spoke to the media at a news conference in Paris, were quoted in report as describing the controversial filmmaker as having "a command over the whole set I've never seen before. He's like a maestro," said McGregor. Brosnan added that the 76-year-old Polanski's "energy is ferocious... he keeps everyone on their toes." Neither actor commented on Polanski's current legal woes, which find him under house arrest in Switzerland and awaiting extradition to the United States for his 1977 charge of sex with a minor. "The Ghost Writer" will have its world premiere at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival on Feb. 12; Polanski will not attend the screening. Sublime/Ridiculous Dept.: What exactly brought together celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and Oscar-winning rap duo Three Six Mafia for this photo -- taken during Puck's cover shoot for the new issue of The Food Magazine -- is not clear, but it does shed light on the latest doings of the men who brought us "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." A link to a report on AllHipHop.com reports that Juicy J and DJ Paul are shopping a cooking show to various networks, which will feature the pair hosting a weekly dinner party for friends and celebrity guests. The title? Why, "Cookin' Ain't Easy," of course. Be sure to check out the video of Three Six Mafia's visit to Spago on the Food Magazine's site for some of the finest in awkward banter from Chef Puck and his staff. -- Paul Gaita
More from The Envelope:
The Envelope's directors roundtable transcript
Tarantino will participate in "Directing the Dead: Genre Directors Spill Their Guts," a panel devoted to modern horror pictures; he'll be joined by filmmakers Ti West (the acclaimed "House of the Devil"), Ruben Fleischer ("Zombieland"), the ubiquitous Eli Roth and Matt Reeves ("Let Me In," the American remake of "Let the Right One In"). Meanwhile, Oscar winner Gondry will discuss his work, including "The Thorn in the Heart," his new documentary about his family, with critic Elvis Mitchell, while Gordon Green will be joined by longtime collaborators Jody Hill ("Observe and Report") and actor Danny McBride ("Up in the Air") for "Filmmakers in TV: A Case Study," which looks at their transition from indie and Hollywood features to TV with "Eastbound and Down." Director Matthew Vaughn and members of the cast of his superhero comedy "Kick-Ass" will also be featured on a panel, while actor Jeffrey Tambor will conduct his popular acting workshop for the third year at the festival. For a complete list of panels, please direct your browser here. The controversial documentary "The Cove," about the clandestine slaughter of dolphins by Japanese fishermen, is receiving a release date in that country. The film, which is currently in contention for the best documentary feature at this year's Academy Awards ceremony, is slated for a tentative release in April; the picture was threatened with legal action by the fishermen of Taiji, where the slaughter took place, when it premiered at the Tokyo Film Festival in October of last year. Medallion Media, which picked up the rights to the film from The Works International, issued a statement regarding the film's hot-button status, which in part said that "there is a debate to be had here, and this important film -- and the Academy Award nomination only serves to reinforce its importance -- offers the opportunity for such a debate." -- Paul Gaita Directors Quentin Tarantino (seen here doing his best "Bubba Ho-Tep" imitation at the Grammys), Michel Gondry and David Gordon Green ("Pineapple Express") are among the talent appearing at over 80 panels at the 2010 SXSW Film Conference and Festival, which runs from March 12-20 in Austin, Texas.
More from The Envelope:
The Envelope's directors roundtable discussion
Final Oscar ballots: Is a best picture shocker possible?
Poll: Who should host the Emmys?
On Jan. 16, the five filmmakers now nominated for the Academy Award directing prize sat down to discuss their craft. For nearly two hours, the directors discussed how their current and past movies came together — and, in some cases, nearly fell apart — among countless other topics, including casting, marketing and the push to turn board games into movies. What follows is a complete (save for the occasional deleted expletive) transcript of the conversation with James Cameron (“Avatar”), Kathryn Bigelow (“The Hurt Locker”), Quentin Tarantino (“Inglourious Basterds”), Lee Daniels (“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”) and Jason Reitman (“Up in the Air”), as moderated by John Horn and transcribed by Stephen Saito:
HORN: First of all, thank you all for coming. I’m honored and flattered and touched that you all made it down here. I know it’s a busy time of the year, and I think this is going to be a great conversation. Quentin, watch your language. Jason, watch your language.
REITMAN: Why?
HORN: I’m just kidding.
REITMAN: Oh, OK.
HORN: If you want to argue, if you want to contradict, all the better.
CAMERON: You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Stir it up.
HORN: I do. I do.
TARANTINO: We can argue and contradict with you.
HORN: Exactly. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me things like that. We’ll move it along really quickly. I know you guys have things to do, but the shorter, the glibber, the better. Are we all set?
More after the break.
What will the fabulous and infamous enjoy at this year's Governors Ball? Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck will once again man the ovens for the 1,500 guests at the event, which takes place immediately after the 82nd Academy Awards at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood and Highland; this year marks the 16th year Puck has created the menu for the Oscars. Winners and losers alike will feed on smoked salmon Oscars and pastry chef Sherry Yard's gold-dusted chocolate Oscars (do you sense a theme?). Well, if you're going to celebrate a career-topping success -- or drown your sorrows - -it should at least taste good. Also in Governors Ball news: Oscar-nominated costume designer Jeffrey Kurland will make his debut as chairman for the event; his duties include overseeing the decor, the menu and the entertainment for the evening, as well as designing the outfits for the wait staff. He'll work with producer Cheryl Cechetto, who marks her 21st year in that position. This year's theme, according to Cechetto: a fusion of "innovative design elements reminiscent of the 1930s 'Streamline Moderne' style." Sounds very tony, as my mother might say. Oh, and if all that swank isn't enough for this year's crop of Oscar winners, those lucky enough to take home a trophy will get one with personalized engraving that very evening. In previous years, winners were required to take their trophies to the academy to receive their engraved nameplates, but this year, the academy is creating 197 nameplates, one for every nominee in each category. After the winners are announced, the losing nameplates (yes, that sounds harsh, but let's call it like it is) will be recycled. Instant gratification -- and green, to boot! Meanwhile, Carl Gottlieb is the latest honoree at the 2010 Writers Guild Awards' West Coast ceremony. Best known for co-writing the screenplay for "Jaws" with source novel author Peter Benchley (which earned him Golden Globe and Writers Guild nominations), Gottlieb's other film credits include "The Jerk" (with Steve Martin and Michael Elias), the Richard Pryor vehicle "Which Way Is Up?" (with Cecil Brown), and "Jaws 2" (with Howard Sackler) and "Jaws 3-D" (with Richard Matheson). In addition to numerous television scribe credits (including a 1969 Emmy win for "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour"), Gottlieb has been extremely active behind the scenes at the guild, including tenures as vice president and on the board of directors, among many other positions. Gottlieb will receive the Morgan Cox Award, which is given to those whose work exemplifies service to the guild, on Feb. 20. Previous recipients include Mel Shavelson, Frank Pierson, Don M. Mankiewicz and Larry DiTillo. Other honorees that evening will include Barry Levinson and Larry David; Seth MacFarlane is set to host. -- Paul Gaita
More from The Envelope:
The Oscar circus comes to Santa Barbara
Notes on the town: Cameron gets busy, Oscar voters tell secrets
Thursday roundup: Oscar red carpet news; Movieguide Award nominees
Can watching "Avatar" make you sick? A report today on MSNBC.com notes that while the 3-D effects in the Oscar-nominated sci-fi epic are wowing most audiences, there's a significant amount of moviegoers who are left nauseous by the technology (hold your puns, please).
The culprits lay with disruptions in the body's vestibular system -- a system of fluids and nerves and cells that connect the ear to the brain and keep you from toppling over every time you take a step -- that literally inform the brain to clear the decks, so to speak, and vomit. With more 3D titles on the horizon ("Clash of the Titans," "Alice in Wonderland"), the best way to deal with the problem is to watch the 2-D version. Or bring a stomach distress bag.
Speaking of distressing, Movie City Indie has posted the video of Tim Burton's acceptance speech from the Annie Awards, at which he received the Windsor McCay Award (along with Bruce Timm and Jeffrey Katzenberg). Burton was unable to attend the event, but sent along this video which, in typical fashion, is both alarming and amusing. I won't give away the payoff, but if you're a fan of Japanese ghost stories, you'll appreciate the denouement.
And Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" continued its winning streak by landing the top prize at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. The Cannes Jury Prize winner was named best film at the annual event, which honors the best in British and Irish films; Andy Serkis' performance as Ian Dury in "Sex & Drugs and Rock & Roll" earned best actor, while Anne-Marie Duff's turn as John Lennon's mother in "Nowhere Boy" trumped Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan.
Another Oscar nominee, "In the Loop," took the screenplay award for director Armando Iannucci, Jesse Armstrong, Tony Roche and Simon Blackwell, while Academy shutout "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" won best documentary. And "The Hurt Locker" added another laurel to its collection when cinematographer Barry Ackroyd was presented with the London Museum Award for Technical Achievement.
-- Paul Gaita
Top photo: Michelle Rodriguez in "Avatar." Credit: 20th Century Fox. Bottom photo: Anne-Marie Duff. Credit: Getty Images.
More from The Envelope:
Olivier Award nominations include Oscar, Emmy and Tony winners
What's that, dear reader? The Oscars are less than a month away, and you say you still haven't seen all of the best picture nominees? Well, fear not: AMC Entertainment wants to bring you up to speed with its best picture showcase.
The annual national event, which screens all of the nominees in a single day, is actually split into two separate days this year (Feb. 27 and March 6) to accommodate all 10 films in the category. The full schedule of films -- including which four will run with the special Feb. 27 screening of "Avatar" in 3D (in selected theaters) -- will be released today, so check the site for times and locations. Oh, and to sweeten the deal, they'll throw in a large popcorn with unlimited refills -- in short, how a Saturday should be spent.
And while we're on the subject of "Avatar" (which is pretty much every day on the Circuit), here's an op-ed piece from the Washington Post by director James Cameron on the current state of NASA and space exploration.
Cameron, who served on the agency's Advisory Council from 2003 to 2005 (did you know?), outlines the financial problems that faced the U.S. space program but ends on a positive note by stating that President Obama's current budget for NASA will allow for private industry to fund space exploration -- which might lead not only to jet packs for everyone (like on the Jetsons!), but also the chance for directors with serious financial clout (like Mr. Cameron) to shoot their future projects in outer space. It's not that far-fetched an idea, and I mean, if you're gonna top "Avatar," that's your only likely venue.
And last but not least, what are you doing from Oct. 13 to 28 of this year? If your answer is, "Oh, nothing, really," you might consider attending the 54th BFI London Film Festival. The venerable event has just announced its dates, with a full schedule slated for September. Mark your calendars accordingly, and hey, why not call your travel agent now?
-- Paul Gaita
Photo: "Avatar." Credit: 20th Century FoxMore from The Envelope:
Is "Avatar" a message movie? Absolutely, says James Cameron
Oscar experts agree: Jeff Bridges will win best actor
Notes on the town: Cameron gets busy, Oscar voters tell secrets
"Coraline" and "The Princess and Frog" won three awards each. Wes Anderson's "Fantastic Mr. Fox" won for best writing.
-- Susan King
Photo: Disney / Pixar
Complete list of winners after the jump.
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