When we get solid information, we will update it, seeing how you offer none. Until that time, we will use the dates that are being propigated in the Hollywood Reporter (August 2006) and IMDB and the reported studios. At this time, I see no point in fighting about it as it is just as likely that anything else on this list will be moved or changed as the schedule gets defined.

Gangs of New York was probably the worst nominee in 15 years of Oscar history, it's nominations (aside from Production Design and Daniel Day Lewis) were bought and paid for while about 10 better pictures were relegated to the sidelines. Thankfully, when it came time to vote, the Academy wasn't tricked (or bought off) into giving it any more.

I have a subscription to both THR online and Variety online. Where did you find the info at The Hollywood Reporter about an Aug release date for The Departed? Variety only has the film as in post production with no release date. BOM, Coming Soon and Film-release.com also have the date of release as either 2006 or 2006 TBA.

As for GONY I suppose everyone is entitled to their opinion on the film.After all there were people who hated Raging Bull and Goodfellas too. I happen to think GONY was one of the best films of 2002 although I think Minority Report was the best film of the year.My comments about the ACE were in response to what you said about the editing of GONY. The reality is that GONY won the ACE as the best edited dramatic film of the year. The ACE is given by film editors to film editors.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/im ... tt0407887/

Which i see pulls from IMDB. We'll change it when we get a real date, otherwise we'll use IMDB. It's the date that's being propogated. As I said, it's not a set in stone thing. I will add a question mark as a compromise.

Is that Janis Joplin?

Yup.

Here's one of interest called The Good Shepherd, which is directed by Robert De Niro, and written by Eric Roth, who's credits include Forrest Gump and Munich. It stars Robert De Niro, Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, William Hurt, Timoth Hutton, and the long awaited return of the venerable Joe Pesci!

Plot Outline: The history of over 40 years in the CIA, told through the eyes of Edward Wilson, one of its founding officers.

Set for release on Dec. 22, 2006

http://imdb.com/title/tt0343737/

I'd say it qualifies as a film to keep an eye out for.

We already had a Janis Joplin biopic, do we really need another?

Huh? When?

Well... The Rose is basically a Joplin bio-pic. Kinda loose though.

Velvet Goldmine is to David Bowie what The Rose is to Janis Joplin.

Animation:

SONY 'Monster House' (7/21/06)
WARNER BROS 'Happy Feet' (11/17/06)

.....

'Fur' from the new HBO/NEW LINE company PICTUREHOUSE. Nicole Kidman wants to compete for an Oscar again. (Fall 06)

FOX's 'Eragon'. John Malkovich, yeah! (12/15/06)

....

I know this lacks credible, but according to an early review for OVER THE HEDGE, its really unoriginal even though it has fine animation.

That's okay... Shark Tale and Jimmy Neutron got nominations

The Good Shepherd is a passion project that Robert De Niro has been trying to make for over 20 years.At one time De Niro had hoped to play the lead role in the film but eventually was too old and cast Leonardo in the lead. Leonardo dropped out of TGS last fall to star in The Departed. Graham King a producer on The Aviator was set to produce TGS and dropped out and is producing The Departed instead. Production on TGS was delayed after Graham King dropped out in order for Universal to find another producing partner to help cover the films reported $130 mil budget.The Dec 22, 2006 release date makes this look like Universals main Oscar push for 2006. If the film is any good Universal should be able to get it nominated for best picture. I think this is definently one to watch for next year.

I wonder why Zodiac changed it's name to Chronicles.

Zodiac was a better name. A much better name.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0443706/

bumps

So I was looking through the imdb database and I spotted a few movies to stimulate the mind:

Sunset Boulevard remake: Starring Glenn Close. Basicly the plot is self-explanatory if you know the original movie. I think its very unneeded, as much as I would support Close finally picking up an oscar, I'd rather see her in an Oscar contender thats original.

Alatrise: Starring Viggo Mortenson. Its a 17th century soldier war-epic set in Spain. It seems a bit too close to Hidalgo for me, but who knows.

The Frontrunner: No cast on IMDB yet, but its a love story set at the Olympics. Sounds promising at least.

Barnyard: Animated comedy set in a barn, Steve Oededek produces. Could get a nom for Animated.

Now this one sounds effing cool:

The Children of Men: Directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Starring Clive Owen, Micheal Caine, and Julianne Moore.
Plotline/Synopsis: "In 2027, as humankind faces the likelihood of its own extinction, a disillusioned government agent agrees to help transport and protect a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea where her child's birth may help scientists to save the future of mankind."



It might be a little too sci-fi for Oscar, but we shouldn't forget it.

The Sensation of Sight: Starring David Straithairn and Ian Solmerhalder. An english teacher searches for meaning in life. Something about encyclopedia selling in there as well.

Infamous: Starring Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Gwenyth Paltrow, Daniel Craig, Signourey Weaver, Jeff Daniels. From what I can tell, Toby Jones is Truman Capote, Sandra Bullock is Harper Lee, Gwentyh is Peggy Lee which I assume is Harper's sister. The rest may be historical figures as well which I am not deep on. I guess dolce will have to look into that. I don't think its a biopic, the site says its something about Truman looking at a couple serial killers to write a book or something.

Mr. Magnorium's Wonder Emporium: Starring Dustin Hoffman and Natalie Portman. Err...well its something about Hoffman and Portman who are father and daughter owning a toy store, and Portman accidently running it into the ground or something. Its got wonderful casting at least.

And oh yeah, Tom Hanks is everywhere next year.
Charlie Wilson's War: He plays a Texas congressman with wild antics that constantly jeopardize his career.
The Risk Pool: He plays a man who has to take care of his son when his wife has a nervous breakdown.
A Cold Case: He plays an investigator who before retiring has one more case to solve, the murder of his best friend from 27 years ago.
The Great Buck Howard: A downed magician/illusionist who hires an assistant to get him back on track in his career. Also starring Colin Hanks and Kevin Kline.

I am very, very, very intrigued by Robert Altman's A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION.

Gotta love that cast.

I don't think the Sunset Boulevard musical will be hitting screens next year as originally planned.

bump

Maybe we should make a new thread for this, though I suppose we'll really get to the talking after March.

Here's an interesting one:

Lucky You

Directed by:
Curtis Hanson(L.A. Confidential, In Her Shoes)

Starring:
Eric Bana
Drew Barrymore
Robert Duvall
Debra Messing
Robert Duvall Jr.


Plotline:
Set among the poker tables of Las Vegas, Huck Cheever (Bana), tries to beat the odds and his own demons in order to win a world championship.

...

Could easily go the way of Two For the Money, but I have some faith in this one. The director is of course solid, as is the cast. Bana is coming off Munich, he's certainly becoming a leading man. Drew Barrymore is someone that I've been waiting to see break out with a nom for a while now. Robert Duvall Sr. of course is the legend pick. Debra and Robert Duvall Jr. don't hurt either, I see them both as somewhat talented. It's a summer movie, so that's the slot it would be going for. Hmm...

Altman is old...very old...and he has got five Best Director noms already, but no wins. I think this mght be his year if the film's half-decent.

It is also rumored that Julia Roberts is in talks to star and that Mike Nichols is set to direct. But IMDB says Sam Mendes is directing, so that may not be true.

This fact calls into question the entire project, I mean Paul Walker. The ads for Eight Below just prove my point, god he's horrible, if under Eastwood's direction he manges to look anything beyond horrid I'll be surprised.

Over the Hedge has a very uninteresting trailer.

Last I read Nichols will direct and Roberts will star.

Paul Walker is not the lead and do NOT make me remind you of Cape Fear, GoNY or that Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead in The Departed. Granted, Clint's output has sometimes been inconsistent but all that means is that he can join every other filmmaker with a sizeable body of work in Hollywood who's stumbled occasionally. You know, directors like Hawks, Wilder, Ford, Capra, Hitchcock, etc (and btw, Space Cowboys was considerably more entertaining than anything Marty's made recently).

The Departed reminds me of Michael Mann's Heat in that it looks like another lengthy, glossy, violent - but essentially hollow - crime flick, brimming with scenery chewing performances by the usual suspects. On the other hand I hear good things about William Monahan's script. Maybe this time Scorsese's notoriously uneven grasp of mainstream narrative will be absent along with his distressing fondness for bloat and excess. I hope so.

As for the Academy awarding Scorsese an Oscar because Eastwood won previously - hold on, weren't his fans making the same argument last year? Claiming that Scorsese was bound to win because Clint already had been rewarded with Oscars for Unforgiven? That's right, they were! So much for that theory.

We can argue the theoretical Scorcese/Eastwood race between two pictures that don't technically exist yet, sure.

It's highly doubtful that the race would come down to the two of them. It's a long year. Lots of movies.

Our expectations are rarely met.

2005 - Rob Marshall vs. Spielberg? Malick vs. Sam Mendes?

2004 - Oliver Stone vs. Mike Nichols?

If Che can be made on time this year, it could be a major contender, at least for Del Toro and Soderbergh.

Um...sorry, but GONY was nominated for ten Oscars and DiCaprio has already starred in three Best Picture nominees, two of them directed by Scorsese...

Moreover, if The Departed is anything like the original, Infernal Affairs, it will be anything, but hollow.

I'll be looking forward to seeing Jennifer in two movies, though I still haven't seen Dark Water.

She's in The Berkeley Connection, a comedy/drama co-starring Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0428260/

She's also in Little Children with Kate Winslet. It might be decent.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0404203/