Screenwriter David H. Steinberg's credits include two American Pie sequels, National Lampoon's Barely Legal, the 2002 Devon Sawa vehicle Slackers, and, yes, Puss in Boots... which makes him an expert on adapting for the screen, of course! "...Ultimately I was underwhelmed. The movie simply failed to capture the emotion of the book... (No one in the movie ever looks hungry!)" [Yahoo]
Hollywood's biggest (and possibly most anticlimactic) night is upon us, which can only mean one thing: Movieline's third annual Oscar Liveblog Extravaganza! Join your Movieline editors and loyal readers as we parse the Academy Awards to within an inch of their glamorous lives. The fun begins on the red carpet at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the Oscarcast proper commencing at 8:30 p.m ET/5:30 p.m. PT. And in any case, keep abreast of this year's Oscar class with our commentary after the jump.
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When the Academy announced its nominations last month for Best Animated Feature, two waves of surprise washed over Oscar watchers: Not only was Pixar left out in the cold for the first time in its history, but also two lesser-known films from abroad made the cut in the category: the noir-y French entry A Cat in Paris and the Spanish-language jazz-romance Chico and Rita. The directors of those films, along with Kung Fu Panda 2 helmer Jennifer Yuh Nelson, one of few female directors nominated this year, spoke with Movieline about the recognition from the Academy, technologies such as 3-D and motion capture, and their Oscar night excitement.
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Give the Academy some credit: They made awards season fun for a little bit longer. At least my mind was blown this morning as AMPAS president Tom Sherak and Jennifer Lawrence announced The Tree of Life, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Demián Bichir and a few other shocks among the 2012 Oscar nominations.
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We're a little more than half a day away from learning who and what will compete for the 84th annual Academy Awards -- an elite class through which Movieline's Institute for the Advanced Study of Kudos Forensics had combed for four months in its fail-safe, fool-proof and bracingly handsome Oscar Index. This calls for one last sweep through each of the Academy's categories (with the exception of live-action, animated and documentary short, about which even our pointiest-headed Oscar wonk cannot speak yet with authority); check our team's work against your own, and drop back by Movieline tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT as we deliver nominations, reactions, analysis and more.
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The Twilight Saga sparkled to another #1 opening, as if you had any doubt; it was just a matter of how many millions Breaking Dawn would rake in, after Friday's $72 million opening day. But while all the excitement over weddings, butter-colored honeymoons, and monster vampire babies couldn't quite help BD eclipse New Moon (groan), it still nudged out Pirates of the Caribbean: The One with the Kraken for the #5 biggest opening of all time. That's forever, baby. Let's get our imprinting on in today's Weekend Receipts.
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Between Puss in Boots, In Time, and Rum Diary, I didn't see much reason to fork over $13 at the movies this weekend. (Though I did see Like Crazy -- or as I like to call it, Jennifer Lawrence Thanklessly Pouts in a Supporting Role.) Instead of paying up, let's read up on Twitter's feelings about these three new films. Prepare to have mixed feelings about Justin Timberlake by the time we hit #1.
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If you thought you had seen the last Muppets parody trailer, think again. With less than a month until Kermit and Miss Piggy storm the theaters for their movie comeback, The Muppets Studio has a released another promo in which the fuzzy gang pokes fun at Paranormal Activity 3, Puss In Boots, Breaking Dawn and themselves.
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After the Shrek series used up its charm on rote third and fourth installments that nevertheless raked in giant piles of box office bullion, the prospect of a spin-off prequel focusing on Antonio Banderas' swashbuckling, footwear-sporting feline seemed as inevitable as it was unpromising. But Puss in Boots, directed by Chris Miller (who also helmed Shrek the Third) is a legitimately entertaining prequel that encapsulates what the franchise does best: Breezy action, clever twists on classic figures from fables and grown-up gags tucked in amidst the kid-friendly developments. ("You got any idea what they do to eggs in prison? I'll tell you this -- it ain't over easy!" the Zach Galifianakis-voiced Humpty Dumpty quavers at one point, in the first prison rape joke I can think of to not only be slipped into a kiddie flick but also highlighted in the trailer.)
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DreamWorks Animation's Shrek spinoff Puss in Boots is racing into theaters on Friday, a week earlier than originally scheduled. Director Chris Miller and voice cast including Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis joked their way through a press conference over the weekend, and Movieline was there to bring you some of the slightly more serious communiqués from the PIB team:
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Whilst watching the Shrek franchise, you may have wondered: How does Puss, the swashbuckling cat voiced by Antonio Banderas, justify donning footwear but not clothes? A new video for his upcoming spin-off movie, Puss in Boots, has your answer. This movie star endorses a freer, more versatile lifestyle choice: No-pants pants!
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