What does Brendan Fraser do twice as well as Batman, Iron Man or Brad Pitt? Star in movies making the shortlist for this year’s Visual Effects Oscar.
“The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” all made the cut along with “Australia,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” and Fraser’s twin blockbusters “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” For those keeping score at home, three of the films are sequels and three are comic book adaptations.
Ultimately, only three films will be chosen by the members of the academy’s visual-effects branch to become the final nominees. – Jared Weiss
Seven films shortlisted for the Make-up category are in as well. This category will get cut-down to three final nominations as well. David Fincher’s film is a shoe-in too, even if some of the characters (Cate Blanchett) look unrealistic at times. When it comes to actors made up to look old the question isn’t, “how realistic do they look?” It tends to be, “Do they look realistic enough?” I.e., can you suspend your disbelief and buy it enough? Generally, we never can and a lot of films that age actors drastically with make-up take us emotionally out of the story cause we don’t buy it. Not always, mind you, but often. Taraj P. Henson as Queenie in the film age make-up is remarkably good, the rest of the ‘Button’ cast, not so much.
Oscar Make-Up Shortlist.
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
“The Reader”
“Synecdoche, New York”
“Tropic Thunder”
“The Wrestler”
