Alberto Lattuada, the Italian filmmaker who generously supplied Federico Fellini’s first director’s credit for 1950’s “Variety Lights,” once claimed that he “invented Fellini.” His peer, Massimo Mida, disputed this, noting that if anyone invented il Maestro, it was legendary Italian auteur Roberto Rossellini. Respectfully, they’re both wrong. For his part, Fellini, who now towers over Mida, Lattuada, and arguably Rossellini in Italy’s cinematic canon, credits Rome for shaping him.

Continue reading Federico Fellini: The Essential Films at The Playlist.

This month, Criterion decided to skip the wait and release Paweł Pawlikowski’s Oscar-nominated feature “Cold War” as part of the Collection. And in February, the Criterion Collection is once again skipping the long wait that many films endure before getting the special treatment, and the group will release Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma.”

READ MORE: Oscar-Nominated ‘Cold War’ Brings Amazon Studios To The Criterion Collection In November

The Oscar-winning, black and white feature that is Cuaron’s most personal film to date is coming to the Criterion Collection in February, and it’s getting a special release that film fans will be desperate to get their hands on.

Continue reading Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ Becomes First Netflix Film To Join The Criterion Collection With New Blu-Ray Release at The Playlist.

Depending on who you speak with, the current situation facing the film industry is either incredibly dire, with theaters losing money and studios struggling to find a way to distribute films on the big screen, or the situation is glorious, with a ton of avenues to release your work and companies forking over big sums of cash to help you bring your ideas to life. Well, in the case of actor-turned-filmmaker Edward Norton, who is out there promoting “Motherless Brooklyn,” he is firmly in the latter camp.

Continue reading Edward Norton Thinks Cinemas Themselves Are To Blame For The Death Of The Theatrical Experience at The Playlist.

Qumra is an industry event comprising lectures, masterclasses, labs, and mentoring sessions, held annually in the Qatari capital Doha for the benefit of emerging filmmakers from the region and worldwide, sponsored by the increasingly influential Doha Film Institute.

“Production designers are the great unsung heroes of the film world,” declared one audience member soberly during the Q&A portion of Eugenio Caballero‘s Qumra masterclass. “That’s the fun part,” Caballero replied impishly.

Continue reading Qumra 2019: Oscar Winner Eugenio Caballero On ‘Roma,’ ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ And The “Az-Tech” Approach To Production Design at The Playlist.

Common sense would dictate that a drama about racism in the American Deep South in the 1960s would probably not be a big hit in Asia. But that sort of thinking is exactly why I write about movies for a living and don’t work at a major distributor. Because here we are, almost a full week after “Green Book” debuted in China, and it’s turned into a runaway hit in the region.

Continue reading ‘Green Book’ Shocks In Chinese Box Office Debut & Vaults To #1 As Country Approves ‘Roma’ Wide Release at The Playlist.

Last year, around this time, the discussion about Netflix and the idea of what is a “real movie” was centered around the Cannes Film Festival, as that event began enforcing rules that prevented the streaming service from competing for the coveted Palme d’Or. This year, however, the discussion isn’t centered around Cannes (actually, that fight still might be coming, we shall see), but instead, Netflix has to face criticism from one of the biggest filmmakers of all time and the governing body behind the Oscars.

Continue reading Steven Spielberg To Voice His Netflix Concerns At Upcoming Academy Meeting at The Playlist.

A strange award season came to a strange end. Or perhaps “unsatisfying” end would be more like it. “Green Book” winning Best Picture had many saying the Academy had taken a step back, had others screaming for the end of the preferential ballot system (um, no) and had fans of the movie wondering what all the fuss was about.   No matter where you landed on Peter Farrelly‘s flick it’s hard to dispute it’s certainly the most contentious winner since “Crash.”  And for anyone at Universal, which landed its first Best Picture winner since “A Beautiful Mind” won in 2002, jumping on social media since Sunday night certainly hasn’t been the most rewarding experience.

Continue reading New Oscar Rules 2019: The New Kids On The Block Actually Care at The Playlist.

On paper, Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” is a film about a working-class Mexican woman that literally risks her life to protect an upper-middle-class family, while also juggling her own drama. The film features a beautiful performance from its lead actress and shows an aspect of Mexican culture that isn’t really explored in many modern films. This sure does sound like a film that could have a political bent to it, especially considering the state of the United States and its relationship with its Southern neighbor.

Continue reading Alfonso Cuarón Thinks Donald Trump Might Have To Skip ‘Roma’ Because Of The Subtitles at The Playlist.

A house divided against itself cannot stand, so said Abraham Lincoln, a mostly forgotten historical figure plucked from obscurity by an Oscar-winning 2012 film directed by Steven Spielberg. But if the house was Hollywood’s Dolby Theater on Sunday, February 24, 2019, it stood quite often, especially when not to do so would have seemed racist. So civil rights activist Rep. John Lewis received a dutiful standing ovation, Spike Lee got an immensely hard-earned one, and despite being white, B-Coops and L-Gags doing “Shallow” got a weird kind of swoony standing O because everyone’s knees were so weak by the end of it.

Continue reading The 2019 Oscars: A Diverse “New” Academy At War With Itself at The Playlist.

Despite the bad rep it has in some quarters, there are many things that are great about the Oscars. Well-deserved recognition for actors who’ve been working for years, the highlighting of bright new talents, moments in the spotlight for undersung behind-the-camera talent, spontaneous speeches, good jokes, great frocks.

Another thing we love? Cold, hard stats. Trivia and facts and figures are always a fun thing to parse the afternoon after the ceremony once the shock and the hangover have passed, and luckily, we’ve found some of the more interesting ones and collected them below.

Continue reading The 2019 Oscars By The Numbers at The Playlist.

It was the best of Oscars, it was the worst of Oscars. It was the age of wisdom (Spike Lee, Olivia Colman), it was the age of foolishness (“Green Book“), it was the epoch of belief (Regina King), it was the epoch of incredulity (Sound and Editing awards), it was the season of Light (“Roma“), it was the season of Darkness (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), it was the spring of hope (10 nominations for “The Favourite“!), it was the winter of despair (9 losses for “The Favourite”!), we had everything before us (a whole 3 hours and 15 minutes), we had nothing before us (only 3 hours and 15 minutes!), we were all going direct to Heaven (“I’d like to thank God and my manager!”), we were all going direct the other way (Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me) – in short, the period was so far like the present period (the stage DID look like Trump’s hair) that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Continue reading The Best & Worst Of The 2019 Oscars at The Playlist.

Continue reading In The End The 2019 Oscars Turned Out To Be An Epic Tease at The Playlist.

Updated: That’s a wrap on the Oscars. The 91st Academy Awards came and went and buzzed by at a nice 3 hours and 15 minutes, who needs a host? “Bohemian Rhapsody” walked away with the most Oscar wins, four, including Best Actor for Rami Malek, but it was “Green Book” that took home the top prize. Netflix‘s “Roma” did very well for itself too, winning Best Director for Alfonso Cuaron, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Cinematography and it looked like it was going to take it all there for a moment.

Continue reading ‘Green Book’ Wins Best Picture And The Complete 2019 Oscars Winner List at The Playlist.

With the Oscars nearing its close, Alfonso Cuarón has taken home the year’s Best Director Oscar for “Roma.” The film has been a beloved favorite of critics since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival back in August. Since then, the film’s momentum has built, leading it to 10 nominations this evening, with wins that seem to keep adding up.

READ MORE: Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Roma’ Is An Immensely Moving And Stunningly Personal Glimpse Into The Past [Venice Review]

Cuarón is no stranger to the Oscar stage.

Continue reading Alfonso Cuarón Wins Best Director Oscar For ‘Roma’ [Oscars 2019] at The Playlist.

None of this really works does it? When it comes to the Oscars, the old formulas for picking the Best Picture winner have sort of been thrown out the window this season. No film won more than one major guild honor. Sure, that’s happened before, but it doesn’t help that the only film that won a guild honor and took BAFTA’s top prize, “Roma,“ is a foreign language film.

Continue reading Final 2019 Oscars Predictions: ‘Roma,’ Olivia Colman, ‘Spider-Verse’ at The Playlist.

For the first time in almost a decade, the Film Independent Spirit Awards are charting their own course.  You won’t see a lot of potential Oscar winners on the stage of this year’s ceremony.  Outside of a few acting and screenwriting nominees, there is very little overlap this time around and, frankly, it’s a welcome sight.   It also means predicting the winners just got a wee bit harder.

READ MORE: Aubrey Plaza is the awards show host on earth [Interview]

Normally, you can predict most of the Spirit Award winners by going with the most commercially successful movie or performance in said films.  

Continue reading 2019 Spirit Awards Predictions: ‘Eighth Grade,’ Regina King, Toni Collette at The Playlist.

Academy members are currently voting for the winners of the 91st Oscars.  And after voting, or before, they are letting their anger be known about the Academy and ABC’s decision to award four of the categories, Cinematography, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling and Live Action Short, during commercial breaks.  If that isn’t enough to get some members to run against already embattled president John Bailey I’m not sure what else will.  If this town loves anything it’s drama and in that context it’s no surprise we’ve got another close Best Picture race coming down to the wire.

Continue reading Best Picture Battle Down To ‘Roma’ & ‘Green Book’ Or Is It? [Contender Countdown] at The Playlist.

If you follow the awards season, it’s quite clear that the best films and TV series aren’t always the ones that win the awards. And this Oscar season is no different. While people are quick to criticize “Black Panther” for getting a Best Picture nomination, there’s also the opposite problem of work like “Leave No Trace,” “The Rider,” and “You Were Never Really Here” getting zero recognition, even though those films received some of the best reviews of the year.

Continue reading Alfonso Cuarón Calls Oscar Campaigning “Vicious” & Takes Away From The Joy Of Being Nominated at The Playlist.

One of the big stories of 2018 was about Netflix’s feud with the Cannes Film Festival. While the disagreement between the streaming company and the most prestigious film event of the year was big enough, the fallout from the decision by Netflix to pull its films “Roma,” “Hold the Dark,” “22 July,” and “The Other Side of the Wind” had a ripple effect still felt today, as we approach the Oscars in February.

Continue reading Cannes Film Festival Rumored To Have New Proposal For Netflix To Allow Service To Enter Films In Competition at The Playlist.

After the Oscar nominations were announced yesterday, you have to believe that everyone involved with the Netflix film “Roma” had to be ecstatic. The streaming service made history with its first-ever Best Picture nomination and the film would go on to secure a total of 10 noms, including two for actresses Marina de Tavira and Yalitza Aparicio. However, there’s one person involved with “Roma” that would love to celebrate with his cast members and the filmmakers at the Oscars, but won’t get a chance due to numerous visa denials, which seem to point to a troubling stereotype.

Continue reading ‘Roma’ Actor Has Been Denied 3 Times For A U.S. Visa & Could Miss The Oscars Ceremony at The Playlist.

Yesterday, “Roma” found itself nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including the coveted Best Picture nomination. However, there’s one Oscar category that didn’t feature “Roma,” and in fact, couldn’t ever feature the film – Best Original Song. You see, unlike “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” “Mary Poppins Returns,” or “Black Panther,” Alfonso Cuaron’s film didn’t have a soundtrack at all.

Continue reading Beck, Billie Eilish, Patti Smith, El-P & More To Appear On New ‘Roma’ Soundtrack (Seriously) at The Playlist.

Sure, “Black Panther” is a big Oscars story, as the film is the largest domestic box office earner of 2018 and the first superhero film to earn a Best Picture nomination. However, perhaps the most notable story of today’s Oscar nominations is with Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma.” And in a new interview, the filmmaker discusses the news that his film earned 10 nominations, tied for the most this year, and why he thinks audiences reacted so well to his latest project.

Continue reading Alfonso Cuarón Talks ‘Roma’ Oscar Noms Crediting The Academy’s Recent Focus On Inclusion & Audiences’ Desire For Diverse Films at The Playlist.

For weeks now, we’ve known (or at least predicted) that Alfonso Cuaron’s love-letter to his childhood, “Roma,” would secure Netflix with its first-ever Best Picture Oscar nomination. And this morning, that was confirmed, as the drama picked up a whopping 10 Oscar nominations. While Netflix is probably celebrating quite heavily thanks to the morning’s proceedings, there’s one group that is excluding “Roma” from the same recognition the other seven nominees are enjoying – the major theater chains.

Continue reading AMC, Regal, & Cinemark Ban ‘Roma’ From Oscars Best Picture Special Events at The Playlist.

It’s been a long and bumpy road for Netflix when it comes to the Academy Awards.  Their primary rival, Amazon Studios, landed its first Best Picture nomination two years ago for “Manchester by the Sea” and then saw Casey Affleck and Kenneth Lonergan win Best Actor and Original Screenplay Oscars.  The Amazon division even has a Foreign Language Film statue with Asghar Farhadi’s “The Salesman.”  Netflix may be the streaming king, but its highest-profile nominations were Supporting Actress and Adapted Screenplay for “Mudbound” last year.  

Continue reading ‘Roma’ Gives Netflix Its First Best Picture Nominee at The Playlist.

After countless screenings, Q&A’s, red carpets, screeners, hand holding, for your consideration ads, talk show appearances and cocktail parties, between 160 and 190 contenders are going to be rewarded with Oscar nominations bright and oh, so unnecessarily early on Tuesday morning.  And almost just as many who didn’t hear their name called will try to get back to sleep knowing they no longer have to starve themselves for the February telecast.  Granted, this season hasn’t had the distraction of a historic presidential election or an industry-changing #MeToo movement, but have been controversies late in the game.

Continue reading Final 2018 Oscar Nominations Predictions: ‘Roma,’ ‘Burning,’ ‘A Star Is Born’ at The Playlist.