BLACK SWAN, INCEPTION, THE KING’S SPEECH, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, and TRUE GRIT Cinematographer Nominees

Matthew Libatique, ASC (Black Swan), Wally Pfister, ASC (Inception), Danny Cohen, BSC (The King’s Speech), Jeff Cronenweth, ASC (The Social Network), and Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC (True Grit) have been nominated in the feature film category of the 25th Annual American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Outstanding Achievement Awards.

“These five people have set the standard for today’s cinematography,” says Awards Committee Chairman Richard Crudo. “Although they were nominated for a variety of films, they share the common denominator of extraordinary talent and good taste. Just their mere presence on set would elevate any production.”

This is the ninth nomination for Deakins in the ASC feature film competition. He earned top honors for The Shawshank Redemption (1995) and The Man Who Wasn’t There (2002), and other nominations for Fargo (1997), Kundun (1998), O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2001), No Country for Old Men (2008), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2008), Revolutionary Road (2009) and The Reader (2009). In addition to his nomination for True Grit, Deakins will also be honored as the recipient of the ASC’s 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award.

This is the third nomination for Pfister who was previously recognized for Batman Begins (2006) and The Dark Knight (2009).

Cohen, Cronenweth and Libatique are all first-time nominees.

“The artistically diverse approaches these talented cinematographers employed are a glimpse at what visionaries with a camera can accomplish,” says ASC President Michael Goi. “They are visual storytellers of the highest caliber.”

The winner will be announced at the ASC Awards celebration at the Hollywood and Highland Grand Ballroom on February 13.

Blu Monday: January 11, 2011

Your Weekly Source for the Newest Releases to Blu-Ray

Blu-Ray for Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011

David Fincher’s Best Picture contender THE SOCIAL NETWORK hits store shelves today. Two modern classics — Kevin Costner’s western DANCES WITH WOLVES and Martin Scorsese’s RAGING BULL,  adapted from Jake La Matta’s memoir — receive special anniversary special editions. Criterion Collection releases two classic films on Blu-Ray: John-Pierre Melville’s ARMY OF SHADOWS — a WWII story about the French Resistance, set in 1942 and thick with realism — and Byron Haskin’s ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS — a fascinating sci-fi story about an astronaut stranded on Mars with only a monkey as his companion, he must find someway to survive with limited water and oxygen.

  1. ARMY OF SHADOWS: Criterion Collection (1969)
  2. DANCES WITH WOLVES: 20th Anniversary Edition (1990)
  3. ENDLESS SUMMER (1966)
  4. THE GREAT DEBATERS (2007)
  5. ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (1984)
  6. PIRANHA (1978)
  7. RAGING BULL: 30th Anniversary Edition (1980)
  8. ROB ROY (1995)
  9. ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS: Criterion Collection (1964)
  10. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)

DVD for Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011

Debuting solely on DVD are a few indie films worth checking out, including Katie Aselton’s THE FREEBIE — the story of a couple who decide to give each other the night off, no questions asked; CANDY MAN — a documentary about the rise and fall of David Klein, the man behind the Jelly Belly jelly bean; Louis CK’s HILARIOUS — the comedian’s latest comedy concert and a huge hit at Sundance 2010; and A LONG RIDE FROM HELL — Camillo Bazzoni’s spaghetti western about two brothers serving prison time for a train-robbery, starring Steve Reeves.

  1. CANDY MAN (2010)
  2. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
  3. THE FREEBIE (2010)
  4. GREEN HORNET, THE: 75th Anniversary Original Serials Collector’s Set
  5. HAPPILY EVER AFTER (1993)
  6. HEARTBREAKER (2010)
  7. LOUIS C.K.: HILARIOUS (2010)
  8. HOW TO GET AHEAD IN ADVERTISING (1989)
  9. A LONG RIDE FROM HELL (1968)
  10. THE SOCIAL NETWORK (2010)

AFI Announces Top Ten of 2010

While every online and print source of motion picture industry news and criticism puts out a Top Ten list this time of year (yours truly not an exception, look for it soon), some may say the “definitive” voice is the American Film Institute. For better or for worse, they’ve announced their list of the top ten films of 200… and, personally, I am quite pleased. None of these films are anything short of spectacular.

“Black Swan,” directed by Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter,” directed by David O. Russell
“Inception,” directed by Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right,” directed by Lisa Cholodenko
“127 Hours,” directed by Danny Boyle
“The Social Network,” directed by David Fincher
“The Town,” directed by Ben Affleck
“Toy Story 3,” directed by Lee Unkrich
“True Grit,” directed by Joel & Ethan Coen
“Winter’s Bone,” directed by Debra Granik

BLACK SWAN continues it’s remarkable tsunami of critical acclaim, while WINTER’S BONE is still (thankfully) proving small films are capable of competing with the big dogs.

Source: AFI