Oh, I’m so naive to be shocked by this:
Movie studios traditionally spend up to $25 million a year per nominated film in an attempt to secure Hollywood’s highest honor. This time around, Fox Searchlight (”Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Last King of Scotland”) and Paramount (”Babel,” “Dreamgirls”) are leading the pack. With marketing budgets commonly running around $40 million to $50 million for high-profile films, that extra $25 million smarts. But many studios feel it’s worth it.
The above is from an article in yesterday’s Daily News, called “The business of Oscar.” It seemed like a fitting, albeit depressing, follow up to Monday’s post about the push to get Half Nelson star Ryan Gosling a best actor nomination. No wonder our “who-we-think-should-win” and “who-we-think-will-win” lists rarely line up.
Interview with Forrest Whitaker, who’s favored for the Best Actor Oscar, and director Kevin Macdonald before the premier of their film, The Last King of Scotland. Screenwriter and Waterfront Film Festival co-founder, Hopwood DePree, gives the lowdown on this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Also, the Spout guys react to The Last King of Scotland in an eerie, late-night gondola ride. Listen to the podcast.
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5 films (well, Rick is giving us 4 instead):
- Volver
- Babel
- Little Children
- The Last King of Scotland
4 interesting people:
- Kevin MacDonald (director of The Last King of Scotland–we recorded a podcast with him)
- Natasha (Kevin’s agent–funny and wonderfully opinionated)
- Forest Whitaker (so cool–he also was willing to do a podcast)
- the girls in the gondola (their conversation was…interesting, their allegiance to Family Guy over South Park was…disappointing)
3 favorite spots:
- the pathway along the stream that runs through the town–walking on it was a little retreat
- Baked in Telluride (delicious sandwiches and baked goods)
- the view on the gondola coming back down into Telluride at night (words can’t describe)
2 memorable moments:
- being at the Patrons’ Brunch high in the mountains (beautiful setting, interesting conversation)
- making the nighttime podcast from the gondola
1 way the festival changed you:
- The festival reaffirmed for me that great film isn’t about hype or celebrity. It’s about great stories, artfully told, then consumed and discussed by a community.
What did Dave do at Telluride? So glad you asked… Here’s what he told me.
5 favorite films:
- The Last King of Scotland (we had a good podcast conversation about the film)
- The War (the first part of the new Ken Burns documentary on WWII)
- The Italian
- Volver
- Infamous (for the acting)
4 interesting people:
- Kevin MacDonald (director of The Last King of Scotland–here’s our podcast featuring him)
- Sharon (an “older” woman who has been coming to the festival for about 10 years with a group of friends–the group has grown and this year numbered about 20)
- Forest Whitaker (lead actor in The Last King of Scotland–we also made a podcast with him)
- a couple from Boston we shared the gondola with after watching The War
3 favorite spots:
- the New Sheridan Saloon (lots of mingling, playing pool, drinking beer)
- the Elks Park (where the outdoor screenings were held)
- the gondola at night (a really stunning way to come down off a film)
2 memorable moments:
- walking and talking with Kevin MacDonald and Forest Whitaker (see podcast links above)
- listening to the conversation between Peter Bogdanovich and Bertrand Tavernier
1 way the festival changed you:
- I realized in a more complete way that there’s such a great diversity of film lovers out there–not a certain type like we sometimes imagine. The thing that ties them all together is their passion for “pictures.”
I talked to Bill for the first time since he returned from Telluride. He shared with me some of his favorites. Here they are for you. (And if you’re out there reading SpoutBlog and you went to Telluride 2006, give us a holler and let us know a few things you enjoyed most.)
5 favorite films:
- Volver
- The Lives of Others
- Ghosts of Cite Soleil
- The Last King of Scotland (we recorded a conversation four of us had after the film)
- Severance (we did a podcast interview with the director)
4 interesting people:
- Chris Anderson (author of The Long Tail, which I’ve blogged about)
- Lisa Kennedy (film critic for the Denver Post)
- Kevin MacDonnald (director of The Last King of Scotland)
- Asger Leth (director of Ghosts of Cite Soleil)
3 favorite spots:
- Baked in Telluride (amazing cinnamon rolls)
- Siam (an amazing Thai restaurant)
- the gondola
2 memorable moments:
- the dinner at the Steinberg residence (being a sponsor gave us great access to directors and others)
- being told by a woman named Rosie that my Spout shirt was very cool and she had to have it, so in the interest of marketing I gave her the shirt off my back
1 way the festival changed you:
- I realized that good directors aren’t good necessarily because they’re the best storytellers. They’re good because they have many of the same qualities as good managers: they’re good leaders who are able to attract the best talent and then create an environment where they can do what they do best.
