The Motion Picture Academy announced Wednesday that for the first time in more than 65 years, the field of best picture nominees will be expanded to 10 contenders for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards.
“Having 10 best picture nominees is going allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize,” said [Academy president] Sid Ganis in announcing the shift. “I can’t wait to see what that list of 10 looks like when the nominees are announced in February.”
People are speculating this will allow more animation and comedies to slide into the top slot. What this means for Wes?
In my quest to see NYC-things before I leave NYC, I spent this Saturday cavorting around the city. I went to the Whitney, but that only paled in comparison to the pilgrimage I took with my friend George to see the house where Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums was filmed. The house (not on Archer Avenue, not in an inconspicuous city) is actually on 144th and Convent Ave in Harlem (more).
The good people at /Film have posted another Bill Murray inspired piece of art, this time a t-shirt by artist Paul O’Sullivan called “Being Bill Murray.” This isn’t the first time Murray’s diverse career has inspired an artist.
The shirt includes three of the four characters Murray has played for Wes Anderson (from left to right): Raleigh St. Clair (The Royal Tenenbaums), Herman Blume (Rushmore), and Steve Zissou (The Life Aquatic with…). No spot for The Businessman from The Darjeeling Limited? What’s the deal?
You can click the picture below to see a bigger version and order one for yourself. (That is, if you’re either a small or an x-large. All other sizes are unfortunately out of stock.)
Murray can currently be seen in his third film with director Jim Jarmusch The Limits of Control which is in limited release and will be expanding throughout the month.
Thanks to everyone who came out for the first event of our Second Wes Anderson Film Festival. It was great fun to watch The Royal Tenenbaums with all of you. The next film in the series, by popular demand, will be The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Today, May 1, 2009, is Wes Anderson’s 40th Birthday! Happy Birthday, Wes! Send along your birthday greetings, videos, and haikus to edwardappleby(at)yankeeracers(dot)org or tweet them @rushmoreacademy! I will post them through the day.
This is the fifth in a five-part series of video essays analyzing the key influences on Wes Anderson’s style. Part 1 covers Bill Melendez, Orson Welles, and François Truffaut. Part 2 covers Martin Scorsese, Richard Lester, and Mike Nichols. Part 3 covers Hal Ashby. Part 4 covers J.D. Salinger.
Along with a handful of historic houses, including the stately Queen Anne where the movies “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” were filmed, City Island, just 1.5 miles long, manages to cram in two parks, a ball field, three churches, a synagogue, two schools, a cemetery, a museum, a French bed-and-breakfast and 33 restaurants.
The island is popular among film and TV producers (most recently “Law and Order” and “Life on Mars”). The landmark Queen Anne at 21 Tier Street was used in “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “Long Day’s Journey Into Night.”
A whale decorates the weathervane on the peak of the Queen Anne house at 21 Tier Street.
Wes has inspired the Upright Citizens Brigade once again, this time in their parody “Famous Sketches Retold.” I can’t really say that I think this one is much funnier than the last one. Opinions?
Wes’ Picks:
(Wes Anderson directed Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, etc. He is one of the most specific directors I have ever worked with. When I played Margot in The Royal Tenenbaums, he knew exactly how he wanted my hair, clothes and eye makeup. He is so inspiring to work with because you feel like you are the one crazy, important color he needs to create the whole picture. Also, he is a great dresser.)
Terror’s Advocate
Barbet Schroeder’s great documentary, Terror’s Advocate, also relates to another one I would highly recommend, which is Marcel Ophüls’ documentary Hôtel Terminus (except I think you can only get it on VHS). There is kind of a miniature version of Terror’s Advocate in the middle of it.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
This is a Japanese cartoon that is very difficult to describe and might not sound that great if I tried anyway. It is 24 episodes, and we watched them all in less than a week because you start to want to believe it’s real. This could spawn something like Scientology.
From the Life of Marionettes
I’d never heard of this until last month. It’s an Ingmar Bergman movie he made in Germany where I think he was a tax exile.
Life Lessons
The Martin Scorsese part of New York Stories. It’s about a painter.
More or less anything that says The Criterion Collection across the top it. The most recent one I had never seen before and loved was Costa-Gavras’ Missing.
The folks over at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade have made a parody of Wes’ filmmaking (The Royal Tenenbaums, specifically). I can’t decide if I think it is funny or not.
