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The conservative politics of “Forrest Gump”
Conservative magazine National Review Online has come out with a list of the best 25 movies with conservative themes. Hollywood has long been a target for the right wing, which accuses it of producing films with a liberal bent, and the magazine took up that line of argument in its opening sentence.
“Once in a blue moon, Hollywood releases a conservative movie, or at least a film that resonates with conservatives in a particular way,” the article said.
But given the many blockbuster movies on the magazine’s list, it appears that the themes in National Review’s top 25 could appeal to movie goers of all political persuasions.
Topping the list is 2007 German film “The Lives of Others,” which chronicles the harsh realities of life in Communist East Germany during the 1980s, when secret monitoring poisoned the relationships between the country’s citizens.
Fans, Oscar at odds over movie picks
(Writing and reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis)
After winning key awards from the Producers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild this past weekend, “Slumdog Millionaire” is a favorite to win best picture at the Oscars. But don’t tell that to everyday movie fans. The think Oscar voters are a bunch of elitists, and they have their own favorites from among the movies and performers shut out of Oscar nominations.
Movie fans picked Batman movie “The Dark Knight” as the year’s biggest Oscar snub, in a poll released on Monday by online ticket seller MovieTickets.com. Fans also said Clint Eastwood should have been nominated for best actor for his movie “Gran Torino,”
Leonardo DiCaprio should have earned a nod for “Revolutionary Road,” Christopher Nolan should have been nominated best director for “The Dark Knight” and singer Bruce Springsteen should have been on the list of best original song nominees for “The Wrestler.”
Eastwood has long been a favorite with Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters, with two best director and best film awards, but he got zero nominations for “Gran Torino,” a snub that has irked fans. Still, fans have rewarded Eastwood at the box office, with “Gran Torino” earning nearly $100 million since it opened on Dec. 12.
This weekend, the critically panned comedy “Mall Cop” ruled the box office for a second week in a row, taking in a strong U.S. and Canada total of $64.8 million in two weeks. There’s no chance that “Mall Cop” will be nominated for best picture next year, but in only a couple weekends it has outperformed the $72.8 million worldwide total for “Slumdog Millionaire,” the tale of an Indian orphan who beats the odds to win love and a game show. Still, with best picture wins at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild awards, ”Slumdog” from director Danny Boyle is currently the frontrunner in the race to Oscars.
Clint Eastwood’s “Gran Torino”: Oscar roadkill
It was perhaps the biggest snub of the Oscar nominations, actor/director Clint Eastwood’s “Gran 
Torino” was overlooked by voters at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with no — zero — nominations. Or, was it?
(For a slideshow of nominees, click here, and for a list of nominees, click here.)
“The Dark Knight” returns to theaters in run-up to Oscars
The studio behind Batman movie “The Dark Knight” has set Jan. 23 as the date for the movie’s re-release in IMAX and conventional theaters.
Studios often re-release movies in the lead-up to the Oscars, and “The Dark Knight” has been talked about for a number of trophies.
Hollywood’s best movie contenders — did they get it right?
Hollywood’s movie awards season got seriously underway with the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday. But have those who pick the best movies and actors of the year got it right?
Some pundits are already crying foul over the absence of Australian actress Cate Blanchett, Brad Pitt’s co-star in ”The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”, from the Golden Globe contenders, not to mention the fact that the San Francisco gay drama “Milk” got just one nomination, for actor Sean Penn.
Hollywood’s summer movies. Hot or Not?
As Hollywood’s summer movie season draws to a close — only two weekends to go — box office watchers are expecting slightly more than $4 billion in total revenue largely because of superhero blockbusters “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man” and “Hancock”
A final number around last year’s record $4.18 billion would approximate last summer’s record box office, but it’s important to note that while revenues are up, attendance — the number of people actually going to movies — is down about 3 percent from last summer. What accounted for the difference? Higher average ticket prices.
The decline in attendance leads us to think that maybe, despite the success of “Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” and even “Sex and the City,” maybe audiences weren’t too thrilled with Hollywood’s summer. Can anyone say “Speed Racer”?
Is Heath Ledger Oscar-worthy?
The hype around Friday’s release of the “The Dark Knight” has reached a fever pitch, with Heath Ledger’s dark turn as the Joker generating an avalanche of posthumous Oscar buzz.
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone has called Ledger’s performance “mad-crazy-blazing brilliant,” while the sequel’s director Christopher Nolan has raved in the New York Times that Ledger’s portrayal of the sadistic makeup-caked villain is “stunning” and “iconic”.
“Dark Knight” gets thumbs up from Heath Ledger’s parents
The new Batman movie “The Dark Knight” has already impressed critics in advance of its Friday opening, but at its New York premier, the family of late Australian actor Heath Ledger gave the film their mark of approval.
The performance of Ledger as Batman’s nemesis The Joker has sparked speculation among critics that he could win an Oscar posthumously.
Kim Ledger attended the premier of his son’s movie in New York on Monday with his wife, Ines, who was Heath’s step-mother. The actor’s mother, Sally Bell, and his sister, Kate Ledger, also attended. The only close family not there was Ledger’s former partner Michelle Williams, and mother of his daughter, Matilda.
After the movie, the Ledgers released a statement quoted in various media outlets saying: “‘The Dark Knight’ is everything we hoped it would be and more. Heath loved the experience of creating this character and working on the film. We are so proud of our boy.”
Kim Ledger also reportedly gave a thumbs-up sign at the premier when asked what he thought of “Dark Knight.”
Ledger, 28, died alone in his Manhattan apartment in January from an accidental overdose of prescription medications. If Ledger is nominated for an Oscar for his role as The Joker, it would not be his first. He also won a nomination for his role as a gay cowboy in the 2005 film “Brokeback Mountain.”
“Dark Knight” whips up strong advance ticket sales
Since before the summer movie season began in May, new Batman movie “The Dark Knight,” starring Christian Bale, has been one of the most anticipated films by movie fans. With good early reviews and an apparently strong performance by Heath Ledger as Batman’s nemesis The Joker, fan interest keeps growing.
Online ticket seller Fandango said on Wednesday that its advance ticket sales for the film are on pace to blast past blockbusters like “Iron Man” and “Sex and the City” — two of the summer’s biggest box office hits.
