Tarantino's grandest yet ?

Well, QT has his script for the much waited for, Inglorius Batstards, now picked up by Harvey Weinstien and Universal picking up the slack and ready to get the ball rolling. The much ballyhooed script goes back as far as 2001, and has gone through 3 re-writes. The rumor is it's the hottest script in town, and the film wants Brad Pitt and Leonard Di Caprio to star in the lead roles with Pitt playing American Colonial Aldo Raine and Leonardo as the evil Nazi Hans Lander AKA The Jew Hunter.
The story goes that Raine needs to recruit some bad ass Jewish soldiers and go behind enemy lines for Operation Kino in German occupied France, and decimate the Nationalist Social Party. Filming is to commence in October and Tarantino has said the goal is to preview it at Cannes next year. It will be under much anticipation as to who is cast as the 8 man crew Raine recruits. Names that have been rumored is Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Bo Svenson and Adam Sandler. Should be real interesting to follow the casting.

Australia film synopsis- Release Date: November 13

Australia- Starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, David Wenham and Bryan Brown. Directed by Baz Lurhmann. Written by Lurhmann, Stuart Beattie and Oscar winner Ronald Harwood ( The Statement, The Pianist, The Diving Bell and The Butterfly ) Cinematography by Mandy Walker ( Shattered Glass, Lantana ).



Lurhmann, of Moulin Rouge fame, directs this period epic during World War II, about a English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley, that has inherited a large cattle station in Australia. She is assisted by an Aussie drover ( Jackman ) with whom she becomes romantically interested in. He helps her drive the cattle across the property as they are under the threat of nearby Darwin being bombed by the Japanese.

Current Oscar prediction tracking for 2008

This is going to be a tough and competitive year, in one that last year I didn't think would be so. I'm pleasantly surprised and happy there are more than just a few movies that I will be anticipating this year. Hard for me to think The Dark Knight can be topped for just pure entertainment value. But if I was a betting man I think you will see these titles and names come next February. Shifting will occur and films and names deleted once Oscar season rolls around in the fall and then come Jauary the predicted nominations will be made for good. Each week I will give the synopsis of each movie to give you a better understanding of the movie. The predicted winner is capitalized.

20 films you may see nominated:

Appaloosa, Australia, Body Of Lies, Burn After Reading, Changeling, Churchill At War, Crossing Over, Defiance, Doubt, Frost/Nixon, Guerrilla ( Che ), Milk, Revolutionary Road, The Dark Knight, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, The Other Man, The Reader, The Road, The Soloist, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

15 actors you may see get a nomination:

Javiar Bardem- Vicky Cristina Barcelona, George Clooney- Burn After Reading, Daniel Craig- Defiance, Benicio Del Toro- Che, Leonardo DiCaprio- Body Of Lies, Harrison Ford- Crossing Over, Jamie Foxx- The Soloist, Brendan Gleeson- Churchill At War, Hugh Jackman- Australia, Richard Jenkins- The Visitor, FRANK LANGELLA- Frost/Nixon, Viggo Mortensen- The Road, Sean Penn- Milk, Brad Pitt- The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Will Smith- Seven Pounds.

15 actresses you may see get a nomination:

Kate Beckinsale- Nothing But The Truth, Emily Blunt- The Young Victoria, Penelope Cruz- Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Anne Hathaway- Dancing With Shiva, Angelina Jolie- Changeling, Nicole Kidman- Australia, Keira Knightley- The Duchess, Dianne Lane- Nights In Rodanthe, Laura Linney- The Other Man, Janet McTeer- Churchill At War, Julianne Moore- Blindness, Sophie Okeando- Skin, Meryl Streep- Doubt, KATE WINSLET- Revolutionary Road.

10 actor's you may see get a supporting nomination:

Josh Brolin- Milk, Russell Crowe- Body Of Lies, Robert Downey Jr.- The Soloist, Jason Flemying- The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Phillip Seymour Hoffman- Doubt, HEATH LEDGER- The Dark Knight, John Malkovich- Burn After Reading, Liev Schreiber- Defiance, Michael Shannon- Revolutionary Road, Michael Sheen- Frost/Nixon.

10 Actresses you may see get a supporting nomonation:

Amy Adams- Doubt, Kathy Bates- Revolutionary Road, Cate Blanchett- The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Rosario Dawson- Seven Pounds, Vera Farminga- Nothing But The Truth, Taraji P Henson, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, Jessica Lange- Grey Gardens, Samantha Morton- Synecdoche, New York, FRANCES MCDORMAND- Burn After Reading, Kate Winslet- The Reader.

15 directors you may see get a nomination:

Woody Allen- Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Stephen Daldry- The Reader, Coen Brother's- Burn After Reading, Clint Eastwood- Changeling, DAVID FINCHER- The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, John Hillcoat- The Road, Ron Howard- Frost/Nixon, Baz Luhrmann- Australia, Sam Mendes- Revolutionary Road, Chris Nolan- The Dark Knight, Ridley Scott- Body Of Lies, John P. Shapley- Doubt, Gus Van Sant- Milk, Joe Wright- The Soloist, Edward Zwick- Defiance.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button may get the most Oscar nods with probably at least 10 nominations. Though I predict at this time that Frank Langella's portrayal of Richard Nixon is the front runner ( doesn't hurt that he won the Tony for the same role ), I think Pitt as Button could surprise though. Don't count Gleeson's portrayal of Churchill out either. Rumor from a worker on the set says he nailed it.

Fincher could finally get his first nomination and if this film recieves good reviews which I think it will, he could be going home with the gold statue. But I think Luhrmann, Mendes and Van Sant are close. Ridley Scott is still seeking a win. I wouldn't count him out if Body Of Lies is very well recieved. He could get the sympathy win since he is 0 for and not getting any younger. He could get it for Body Of Lies in the same way Scorsese got it for The Departed. This may not be Ridley's best work, but The Departed wasn't Scorsese's either and he got passed over for Raging Bull and Good Fellas.

It looks like it might go down to a 3 way heat between Winslet, Jolie and Streep. The dark horse would most likely be Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman.

I could possibly see a better performance other than Ledger's this year but I personally don't think I will and I think right now as of July 2008, I think he should win the Oscar for his brilliant performance as The Joker. If not for some crazy notion Ledger doesn't win, I think Liev Schrieber, Malkovich and Sheen are leading the bets.

Supporting actress is always a toss up really. I'm saying McDomand eccentric turn as Linda in BAR should be the leader but I have seen where people are predicting Henson for CCBB as Queenie. Kate Winslet could lose Best Actress but win in support for her aging role in The Reader.


Next week I will give you my review of The Dark Knight and give you the synopsis on the film Australia.