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Holiday movies are making their way to Tulsa
"The Cove" is a brilliant picture that exposes the killing of thousands of dolphins annually in Japan.Courtesy
By MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer
Published: 11/27/2009 2:20 AM
Last Modified: 11/27/2009 9:14 AM
The holiday movie season is upon us, and my winter film preview will appear in Sunday's section of the Scene. This should be a complete list of holiday hits, big-budget blockbusters and pictures seeking Academy Award glory, with listings running through Valentine's Day. The lineup should also be the most accurate as to the dates that some of those "prestige" films that roll out slowly will actually find their way to Tulsa.
'Blind'-sided
For two weeks, I kept seeing ads during football games for "The Blind Side," the movie based on the true story of NFL player Michael Oher and the family that helped this young man with an unfortunate upbringing find happiness, security and success.
I kept thinking that with the emphasis on Sandra Bullock as the sassy, caring mom shown in the commercials, this didn't look like your average sports movie, despite its placement during football games watched predominantly by men.
It turns out "The Blind Side" is a huge hit, with an opening three-day box- office at $34.5 million, and that success is thanks to women. Centering more on the feel-good story than on sports action, the audience was 59 percent women, according to tracking by the CinemaScore service.
Have women ever dominated a weekend like this past one, with the "Twilight" sequel, "New Moon," making $142 million, and then "The Blind Side" numbers? It's not likely.
That good fortune is likely to continue, because the film connected with audiences in a rare manner, according to CinemaScore data: "The Blind Side" is only the second film of 2009 to average an A-plus rating from theatergoers leaving screenings, accomplished previously this year only by "Up."
On documentaries
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences produced its short list of documentaries, whittling down 89 entries to 15 that will now be considered for the ultimate five nominations.
The good news:
"The Cove," the brilliant picture (just finished playing Circle Cinema) that exposes the killing of thousands of dolphins annually in Japan in such a unique way (read my 4-star review here
) is on the list. It might be the favorite.
I say that because of the disappointing news: Some of the year's best works were left out in the cold. I admit to having not yet seen 11 of the films on the short list (many of these make their way to theaters after being nominated), but three I have seen that did make the short list — "Valentino: The Last Emperor," "Food, Inc." and "Every Little Step" — could have been replaced by the following three better ones.
Missing from the list: "Anvil! The Story of Anvil," a sort of real-life Spinal Tap movie, was a rock doc filled with heart and humor. "The September Issue" featuring Anna Wintour assembling Vogue's annual doorstop edition was an irresistible look at the devil herself who donned Prada. "Tyson" was a blow-by-blow account of Mike Tyson's rise and fall.
More good news: The Circle Cinema has played several titles, and operator Clark Wiens confirmed that the theater will be seeking multiple films from the remaining short-list nominees. Check the Internet Movie Database for information on these documentaries: "The Beaches of Agnes," "Burma VJ," "Facing Ali," "Garbage Dreams," "Living in Emergency: Stories of Doctors Without Borders," "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," "Mugabe and the White African," "Sergio," "Soundtrack for a Revolution," "Under Our Skin" and "Which Way Home."
The Academy Award nominations are announced Feb. 2.
Excerpted from Michael Smith's "I See Movies for Free" blog. Read it at tulsaworld.com/iseemovies
By MICHAEL SMITH World Scene Writer
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