NEWS: Watch Films On Facebook!

Do you watch Facebook? Why not go all post-modern and watch The Social Network on it while chatting to your friends watching with you? Well soon you can ...

Well, with Warner Bros you can anyway. They are setting up a streaming service with Facebook that will allow users to access their films and stream them from the site. Probably not good news for services such as LoveFilm etc. but I think would be good news for the general public - ease of access, no need for subscriptions (no mention of it anyway) and all just from your Facebook page.

The first out of the bag will be The Dark Knight which will be about $3 and, like iTunes, you get 48 hours to watch it after purchase. If it's a success, then watch out as they roll out more and more content to the service. Thomas Gewecke has said “Facebook has become a daily destination for hundreds of millions of people. …….Making our films available through Facebook is a natural extension of our digital distribution efforts. It gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy our films through the world’s largest social network.” - which is true. Facebook might be taking over the world a bit at a time, but right now I think it's a good idea. If you go to the Dark Knight page and 'Like' it - then it should tell you how you can access it.

ARTICLE: Oscar Winners! How Did Wild Bore Do?

Was it worth the wait? The Oscars are finally over and were there any surprises? No. None. I had already  made my predictions here - but let's see how well we did.










Best Picture Winner: The King's Speech
WRONG
Unfortunately I thought 'The Social Network' would win this and the real shock was that Fincher's Facebook Film didn't fare better.

Best Actor In A Leading Role: Colin Firth
CORRECT
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Firth was going to get this. Apparently the bookies said never before had the odds been better for an actor in this category.

Best Actor In A Supporting Role: Christian Bale
CORRECT
'The Fighter' had to pick up something and got the Supporting roles. However, Bale was a shoe-in with a decent backlog of films and a worthy successor to Heath Ledger's same award a couple of years back.

Best Actress In A Leading Role: Natalie Portman
CORRECT
Predictable until the end - but a very deserving win.

Best Actress In A Supporting Role: Melissa Leo
CORRECT
Even with a full page spread in Variety that Leo financed herself - her shameless self-belief that she should win the award didn't hinder her chances.

Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 3
CORRECT
Critics and fans love it alike.

Best Art Direction: Alice In Wonderland
WRONG
I thought Harry Potter would get this, but it's lack of awards makes me wonder if it will do a Return of the King next year and scoop up a huge amount in 2012.


Best Cinematography: Inception
WRONG
I thought 'True Grit' would get this, and I'm not the only one. The Coen's latest offering was up for 10 nominations and got nothing. That was another shock!

Best Costume Design: Alice In Wonderland
CORRECT
These kind of films where a lot of money is haemorrhaged in will always get more technical awards than creative ones. "But Costume is very creative!" - Well, sometimes it is ...

Best Directing: Tom Hooper
WRONG
I really didn't think Hooper would win this. He is perhaps the most undeserving director on the list and I'm positive a lot of people won't be happy about it. I guessed Fincher would get this one.

Best Documentary Feature: Inside Job
WRONG
I didn't think "Inside Job" would be as good as it turned out to be. "Restrepo", I thought, had Oscar all over it. Apparently not!


Best Documentary Short Feature: Strangers No More
WRONG
"Killing In The Name" was very apt for such a time of Middle Eastern uprising. However, this more homely subject matter took the golden goose home.

Best Film Editing: The Social Network
WRONG
I should have guessed "127 Hours" would walk away with nothing. Danny Boyle himself knew he wouldn't win anything, damn.


Best Foreign Language Film: In A Better World
WRONG
I've never seen it. Maybe I should then.

Best Make-Up: The Wolfman
CORRECT
The fact this terrible film won anything was ridiculous. Even though I guessed correct, "Barney's Version" really should have won.


Best Music: Original Score: The Social Network
CORRECT
Not a surprise. I still think Daft Punk should have won this - but they weren't even nominated.
TRON!

Best Music: Original Song: Toy Story 3 - "We Belong Together" Randy Newman
WRONG
I thought "127 Hours" would get this. But it didn't. Randy Newman did for those God-awful country songs that make me want to rip my eyes out of their sockets and stick them down my ears.

Best Short Film (Animated): The Lost Thing
WRONG
I actually wanted The Lost Thing to win - but didn't think it would. I guess someone has to have some kind of taste along the line. Instead I thought "The Gruffalo" did.

Best Short Film (Live Action): God of Love
WRONG
I thought "Na Wewe" would get this. That's all I got to say about that.


Best Sound Editing: Inception
CORRECT
"Inception" was given a few nods from the Academy but Nolan is still yet to make a huge impression. Until he takes on a more 'serious' project, I feel they won't accept him as an auteur which is a shame seeing as a nobody like Hooper is supposed to be better than him.

Best Sound Mixing: Inception
WRONG
Really? "Inception" got both Sound ones? Jesus. I thought "True Grit" would get this, but it didn't even get a look see.

Best Visual Effects: Inception
WRONG
I really should have got this right but I really saw "Inception" taking more mainstream awards and thought "Alice In Wonderland" being pretty much all in CG and being Burton would scoop this, but it rightfully went to Inception, which was my personal choice anyway.

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Social Network
CORRECT
Aaron Sorkin. 'Nuff said.


Best Writing (Original Screenplay): The King's Speech
WRONG
David Seidler? I mean ... really? His last film went straight to TV and was called "Kung Fu Killer". I thought "The Fighter" would get this - but they like stutters.

So that's it!  10 out of 24 - not great but not bad either. Not as spot on as my predictions last year, but I got almost all the main ones. Which is what matters really.

ARTICLE: Oscar Nomination & Predictions

After The Wild Bore's amazing results in last year's predictions it's time to check out who we think will win in 2011.


What a boring nominations list - absolutely no surprises here whatsoever - what do you guys think? I've suggested what I think will win, and what I think should win.






Best Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Prediction: The Social Network
Wild Bore Choice: Black Swan


I can't imagine anything else but Social Network winning this. As much as I think King's Speech will win some huge awards, I doubt they will give it Best Film. For me, I'd like to have seen either Inception or Black Swan but Inception was fun but Black Swan, as a film, was better.

Actor In A Leading Role
Javier Bardem - Biutiful
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Jesse Eisenburg - The Social Network
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
James Franco - 127 Hours

Prediction: Colin Firth - The King's Speech
Wild Bore Choice: Colin Firth - The King's Speech


I haven't seen Biutiful but I sincerely doubt Bardem will win it and Jeff Bridges is still on the comedown from his Crazy Heart win, Eisenburg did well but one of the best actors of last year? I don't think so. Franco shouldn't win because not only is he hosting the Oscars with Anne Hathaway this year but I don't think he was very impressive in 127 Hours (which I haven't stayed awake through yet). Therefore, it can only be Firth as he missed out with A Single Man and has impressed the States no end.

Actor In A Supporting Role
Christian Bale - The Fighter
John Hawkes - Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner - The Town
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech

Prediction: Christian Bale - The Fighter
Wild Bore Choice: Jeremy Renner - The Town


I think Bale will get an Oscar for the fact that he deserves one, but also a lot of people were impressed with his method acting that has finally found a film that ticks all the Oscar's boxes. I haven't seen Winter's Bone so can't comment, I've heard The Kids Are All Right is up it's own arse and as much as I loved Geoffrey Rush, I think Bale will pip it. However, I'd love to see Renner win in a film I didn't expect I'd enjoy so much and one I think should have been given more credit, Affleck's The Town. I feel where Bale can go OTT, Renner holds it back, and it's this approach that I find much more appealing.

Actress In A Leading Role
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman - Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine

Prediction: Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Wild Bore Choice: Natalie Portman - Black Swan


A whole bunch of films I am yet to see, so instead it's more of an educated guess. I just can't see Portman losing this.

Actress In A Supporting Role
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter - The King's Speech
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit
Jacki Weaver - Animal Kingdom

Prediction: Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Wild Bore Choice: Hailee Steinfeld - True Grit


Jacki who? Anyway, Adams was upstaged by Leo so I think that's unfair for a start, however I can't see Bonham Carter winning here at the Oscars, other British awards maybe but not here. Steinfeld I thought really brought True Grit home and was a stand-out performance, I don't see how they classify Jeff Bridges as a leading male and Steinfeld as a Supporting role, I thought it would be the other way round.

Animated Feature Film
How To Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3

Prediction: Toy Story 3
Wild Bore Choice: Toy Story 3


I want to say The Illusionist but I haven't seen it. Toy Story can't lose this one though, the Academy love it.

Art Direction
Alice In Wonderland
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1
Inception
The King's Speech
True Grit

Prediction: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1
Wild Bore Choice: Inception


I think as far as all the art direction goes, the more fantastical it is, then the more chance it has of winning. However, Alice In Wonderland was mainly CG and Harry Potter always does well for more technical stuff but I think Inception's art direction was overshadowed by it's content. Every detail in it's different settings was unique and stylish. Hats off.

Cinematography
Black Swan
Inception
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Prediction: True Grit
Wild Bore Choice: True Grit


As beautiful as the other films look, the cinematography in True Grit really captured the raw essence and the landscapes, the lighting, all the shots felt remarkable. Inception again was incredible and Black Swan was more rebellious, but True Grit will get some Oscars for stuff like this.

Costume Design
Alice In Wonderland
I Am Love
The King's Speech
The Tempest
True Grit

Prediction: Alice In Wonderland
Wild Bore Choice: Alice In Wonderland


How it can be nominated for anything is crazy but I haven't seen The Tempest or I Am Love. King's Speech wasn't exactly imaginative and True Grit didn't have anything particularly interesting costume wise I thought.

Direction
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
David O Russell - The Fighter
Tom Hooper - The King's Speech
David Fincher - The Social Network
Coen Brothers - True Grit

Prediction: David Fincher - The Social Network
Wild Bore Choice: Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan


America is going crazy for The Social Network and Fincher is a well respected director and some feel Aronofsky has already enjoyed some success with The Wrestler last time. Hooper is too new and O Russell I don't think will be chosen as he's not exactly earned it and The Fighter is very straightforward, and something Aronofsky gave up to produce anyway. Black Swan had some incredible directing, but it will be Fincher who takes the glory.

Documentary Feature
Exit Through The Gift Shop
Gasland
Inside Job
Restrepo
Waste Land

Prediction: Restrepo
Wild Bore Choice: Restrepo


Not only because it's the only one that I've seen anything of but American's love documentaries on the war don't they?

Documentary Short Subject
Killing In The Name
Poster Girl
Strangers No More
Sun Come Up
The Warriors of Qiugang

Prediction: Killing In The Name
Wild Bore Choice: Killing In The Name


I haven't seen any of these. I like Rage Against The Machine.

Film Editing
Black Swan
The Fighter
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Prediction: 127 Hours
Wild Bore Choice: Black Swan


They have to give Danny Boyle something, and I'm sure they will think 127 Hours was this terrific, horrific, prolific piece of film-making keeping you on your toes at all times, but in fact it should be Black Swan again, the editing as graceful and beautiful as a dance itself.

Foreign Language Film
Biutiful
Dogtooth
In A Better World
Incendies
Outside The Law

Prediction: Biutiful
Wild Bore Choice: Dogtooth


Dogtooth! Love it. Though I doubt such a strange rather disturbing film will get a nod, instead it will give Bardem some peace for losing out on Best Actor.

Make-Up
Barney's Version
The Way Back
The Wolfman

Prediction: The Wolfman
Wild Bore Choice: Barney's Version


I re-edited this because after seeing Barney's Version, not only is it a great film but the make-up is brilliant. They age perfectly, and I'd say it's better than the CG fakeness of Benjamin Button for instance.

Music (Original Score)
How To Train Your Dragon
Inception
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network

Prediction: The Social Network
Wild Bore Choice: Inception


Ok, so Trent Reznor's score has been commended left right and centre (where's Tron: Legacy by the way?!) but it's Hans Zimmer's looming score that really stuck with me. Hans Zimmer has loads of Oscars though so I doubt he'll be bothered losing one.

Music (Original Song)
Country Strong - Coming Home
Tangled - I See The Light
127 hours - If I Rise
Toy Story 3 - We Belong Together

Prediction: 127 Hours
Wild Bore Choice: .... Tangled?


I haven't heard these and quite frankly I don't care. But I think Dido's If I Rise might be the one.

Short Film Animated
Day & Night
The Gruffalo
Let's Pollute
The Lost Thing
Madagascar, A Journey Diary

Prediction: The Gruffalo
Wild Bore Choice: The Lost Thing


No idea. Gruffalo's pretty well known though.

Short Film (Live Action)
The Confession
The Crush
God Of Love
Na Wewe
Wish 143

Prediction: Na Wewe
Wild Bore Choice: The Confession


Na Wewe looks like it's about child soldiers and The Confession looks dark. That's it.

Sound Editing
Inception
Toy Story 3
Tron: Legacy
True Grit
Unstoppable

Prediction: Inception
Wild Bore Choice: Inception


The sound was amazing and worked perfectly

Sound Mixing
Inception
Salt
The King's Speech
The Social Network
True Grit

Prediction: True Grit
Wild Bore Choice: True Grit


Blending all the many sounds and dialogue in quite close quarters in an epic landscape takes some doing.

Visual Effects
Alice In Wonderland
Harry Potter & Deathly Hallows Part 1
Hereafter
Inception
Iron Man 2

Prediction: Alice In Wonderland
Wild Bore Choice: Inception


The use of 3D is strangely non-existent here and I think it might be so as to give Alice In Wonderland a shot at something that looked quite pretty, but Inception's visuals still take some beating.

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
127 hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

Prediction: The Social Network
Wild Bore Choice: The Social Network


C'mon, it's Aaron Sorkin, no way Boyle or the Coens could even touch him.

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech

Prediction: The Fighter
Wild Bore Choice: Inception


I doubt Mike Leigh will get an Oscar for this but I can't help but love Inception and the screenplay is perfect.


So that's it! Really isn't that amazing but never mind. I'm hoping Inception and Black Swan will clean up but we'll see. What do you guys think? Am I right? Am I wrong?

NEWS: BAFTAAAAAA

What a surprise. The King's Speech is taking over the BAFTA's - how very exciting (yawn) ...

God what a Wild Bore ... but here it is - the list! I've highlighted in RED who will win and in BLUE who I want to win - in case anyone is bothered. If it's both red, assume I also want them to win.

The list is pretty boring to be honest, so flip through and see if you agree. Let's hope the Oscars is a bit more inventive, or maybe it's just been a shit year for film?


Best supporting actress

AMY ADAMS – The Fighter

HELENA BONHAM CARTER – The King’s Speech

BARBARA HERSHEY – Black Swan

LESLEY MANVILLE – Another Year


MIRANDA RICHARDSON – Made in Dagenham



Best supporting actor


CHRISTIAN BALE – The Fighter


ANDREW GARFIELD – The Social Network


PETE POSTLETHWAITE – The Town (He's dead so he's got to get it!)

MARK RUFFALO – The Kids Are All Right


GEOFFREY RUSH – The King’s Speech



Best actress


ANNETTE BENING – The Kids Are All Right


JULIANNE MOORE – The Kids Are All Right

NATALIE PORTMAN – Black Swan


NOOMI RAPACE – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo


HAILEE STEINFELD – True Grit


Best actor


JAVIER BARDEM – Biutiful


JEFF BRIDGES – True Grit


JESSE EISENBERG – The Social Network


COLIN FIRTH – The King’s Speech - I haven't seen Biutiful but I can't justify any of the others winning it


JAMES FRANCO – 127 Hours


Best animation


DESPICABLE ME – Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin


HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

TOY STORY 3 – Lee Unkrich


Best film not in the English language

BIUTIFUL – Alejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik, Fernando Bovaira

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Søren Stærmose, Niels Arden Oplev


I AM LOVE – Luca Guadagnino, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Marco Morabito, Massimiliano Violante

OF GODS AND MEN – Xavier Beauvois

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES – Mariela Besuievsky, Juan José Campanella


Best adapted screenplay


127 HOURS – Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Rasmus Heisterberg, Nikolaj Arcel

THE SOCIAL NETWORK – Aaron Sorkin

TOY STORY 3 – Michael Arndt


TRUE GRIT – Joel Coen, Ethan Coen


Best original screenplay

BLACK SWAN – Mark Heyman, Andrés Heinz, John McLaughlin

THE FIGHTER – Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson

INCEPTION – Christopher Nolan

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT – Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg

THE KING’S SPEECH – David Seidler



Best director

127 HOURS – Danny Boyle


BLACK SWAN – Darren Aronofsky

INCEPTION – Christopher Nolan

THE KING’S SPEECH – Tom Hooper

THE SOCIAL NETWORK – David Fincher


Outstanding British debut


THE ARBOR – Director, Producer – Clio Barnard, Tracy O’Riordan

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP – _Director, Producer – Banksy, Jaimie D’Cruz


FOUR LIONS – Director/Writer – Chris Morris

MONSTERS – Director/Writer – Gareth Edwards

SKELETONS – Director/Writer – Nick Whitfield


Best British film

127 HOURS – Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy, Christian Colson, John Smithson

ANOTHER YEAR – Mike Leigh, Georgina Lowe

FOUR LIONS – Chris Morris, Jesse Armstrong, Sam Bain, Mark Herbert, Derrin Schlesinger

THE KING’S SPEECH – Tom Hooper, David Seidler, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin

MADE IN DAGENHAM – Nigel Cole, William Ivory, Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley


Best film

BLACK SWAN – Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin

INCEPTION – Emma Thomas, Christopher Nolan

THE KING’S SPEECH – Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin


THE SOCIAL NETWORK – Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Céan Chaffin

TRUE GRIT – Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

The Social Network

The Social Network aka The History of Facebook might be an interesting story, but is it really worthy of a Hollywood feature? Or better yet, a David Fincher feature?

Unless you've been a Chilean miner for the last five years, you might not have heard of Facebook, a social networking site that has spawned the term 'The Facebook Generation', which for a lot of the people who read this is you and me. What makes this film interesting is really it's a character piece about success rather than a boring sequence of events.

Jesse Eisenberg plays founder Mark Zuckerberg as we watch him get dumped by his girlfriend and start turning on the female community of Harvard. Soon we see how the idea of 'exclusivity' gets planted in his head by three Phoenix club members, a club that is extremely prestigious and something that fills Zuckerberg with envy when his best friend Eduardo starts getting accepted into. But then, this is the real story at the heart of it - how can anyone completely screw over their best friend?

But then there is two sides to the tale, there's no doubt that Zuckerberg's Facebook is completely his own creation and passion and that people like Eduardo feel they are entitled to something when really, they couldn't keep up to the genius of it's founder. However, it's like putting a price tag on any relationship, how far will you isolate yourself to become successful, and for Zuckerberg it's all the way. Eisenberg does a good job portraying an ironically socially retarded individual who seems to be battling himself in a subtle way, but really the guy's just a selfish nerd. The real stand-outs for me were Armie Hammer playing a set of jock twins, who I found to be not only the comic relief, but the more interesting characters and, annoyingly, fellow Epsom 1983 boy (I'm from Epsom in case no-one knew) Andrew Garfield, who is also set to be the next Spiderman. I don't really like the guy but I can't fault that he does a remarkable job as a man hurt by just not being good enough for Zuckerberg's standards.

For some, this will be the first time they see Justin Timberlake act and his portrayal of Napster founder Sean Parker grates with me. His boyish voice and looks makes Sean Parker look like a hip teenager rather than the ugly yet insightful businessman he truly is, and I just think it should have been played by someone with more gravitas. It's not that he does it badly, but I don't think it's right.

Overall, there is nothing gained from this film that I could not have read in an article. There might not be the emotional impact, but then Zuckerberg feels for the most part emotionally detached and it's only when the film comes full circle, a man scorned, as he sits looking at his ex's Facebook profile picture that it becomes clear he never intended for it all to end the way it did but that in some strange way, it's the only way he can reach out to others. There's no clever directing here or 'signature' styles that would make this a Fincher film, the boat race is quite stylised and the lighting is typically moody Fincher, but really unless someone tells you, you would never guess. The whole thing kind of shoots and writes itself, I can't help but think it's more a case of tagging along with the Facebook hype for the Hollywood studios to get more money rather than a 'Shakespearean' tale that needs to be told. Some geek thought up a great idea, made 90 billion bucks and then people wanted his money. Sure there are some good moments, some funny moments, some dramatic moments and I was entertained but, sometimes I don't need pictures to tell me a story.

There's also no reason for you to go to the cinema to see this film, it's a DVD rental at best and I can't believe you'd want to buy it unless you're a Timberlake fan or you just really love Facebook. It's interesting but it also feels too soon, maybe ten or twenty years later I might enjoy it more for nostalgia's sake, but it's still relatively new and feels weird watching how it came about knowing this wasn't that long ago. Go see it if there's nothing else on, but I can't help but think it's a high-class Crimewatch reconstruction shoot with a bit more narrative. If you already know the history of Facebook, don't bother. Well acted, well shot, but forgettable.

Rating: 6/10