Tag Archives: Amanda Seyfried

Entertainment, Movies, Videos

‘Mank’ gets 6 Globe Nods Including Best Film: Thoughts on ‘Citizen Kane’ and Historic Cinema

A total of 6 nods for “Mank” were announced during the nomination ceremony for the 78th Golden Globe Awards.  The film about “Citizen Kane” available on Netflix is now leading the most nominations for the company, with no other streaming service (Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime or Apple TV+) coming close.   Last year Netflix dominated at the Globes and it appears they will follow the same lead, commanding a total of 42 nominations (22 in the film category and 20 for television series).

Co-writer Herman Mankiewicz landed a nomination for best film (drama). Best actor for Gary Oldman.  Best director for Jack Fincher.  Best supporting actress for Amanda Seyfried.  Best score and best screenplay for Jack Fincher. 

“Despite a stressed pandemic year, there is a comfort of sorts in embracing traditions, perhaps it is a hopeful sign that we will get out of this eventually,” Oldman said in a statement. “The Golden Globes are such a sign of both tradition and normal.” 

The 78th Golden Globe Awards is set to be hosted by comedians Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler on February 28, 2021, and will be telecast live on NBC at 5 p.m. 

A hall of mirrors, not only of reflections on “Kane” and “Mank” but this very moment in time

Seeing “Mank” on netflix, in painstakingly low tech black and white on and ancient 2004 vintage plasma flat screen many coincidences seemed to converge and collide. 

In the final sequences of Mank as the epilogue divulges the Oscar win for best screenplay and indicates that “Citizen Kane” was the final film written by Herman J. Mankiewicz, while as is part of Hollywood history and lore, it was the first by Orsen Wells, as a director and actor. 

And Mank was released a day after it was announced that Warner Bros. would begin releasing all its films (the next 17, at any rate) simultaneously on HBO max and in theaters. For many, particularly those in the movie theater business, this was seen as a possible death knell for live cinema. 

And, taking this thread further, “Mank” also touches on the fact that Citizen Kane, which in many ways marks the birth of modern filmmaking, was only released at all due to legal maneuvering by RKO Radio Pictures, and Orson Wells only had the contract allowing him full autonomy because of his status as a radio star…

Radio, in other words, was present at the inauguration of modern cinema while Streaming attends the death of the movie theater experience, for the time being, at any rate. 

And while these various technical marvels, the luxurious, sensual and powerfully stimulative immersion in a dark theater, on the one hand, and the inconsistent and convenient yet ever evolving systems of today both share, as a prerequisite to all creation the written, spoken and word and the imagination the imbues its invocation.

A movie for the ages and a single man’s creative life that was fulfilled through it’s creation

Adding to the layers of what seems like uncanny timing, “Citizen Kane” inspirational subject in real life, William Randolph Hearst, was at the time of the film’s initial release, rich on the level that would compare to Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos today, but was a newspaper Publisher. Newspaper publishing is yet another storytelling technology that, already at that time was considered on its way out, and in “Mank” there is even a scene where Hearst touts “Talkies”, movies with sound and dialog, as the technology that would captivate the future. 

Implying, inadvertently perhaps, that we are at a similar crossroads of change, and that, while streaming, digital publishing and beyond may be “the future”, the light of good works, and of a great story well told, will shine into eternity, as will “Citizen Kane” and the man who originally conceived it: Mank.

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Entertainment, Esoteric, Movies

Reflections on ‘Citizen Kane’, ‘Mank’ and the Demise of Live Cinema

Video

A hall of mirrors, not only of reflections on “Kane” and “Mank” but this very moment in time

Seeing “Mank” on netflix, in painstakingly low tech black and white on and ancient 2004 vintage plasma flat screen many coincidences seemed to converge and collide. 

In the final sequences of Mank as the epilogue divulges the Oscar win for best screenplay and indicates that “Citizen Kane” was the final film written by Herman J. Mankiewicz, while as is part of Hollywood history and lore, it was the first by Orsen Wells, as a director and actor. 

Read more: ENTERTAINMENTHBO Max / Warner Bros. news Cast a Shadow over the Future of Live Cinema

And Mank was released a dat after it was announced that Warner Bros. would begin releasing all its films (the next 17, at any rate) simultaneously on HBO max and in theaters. For many, particularly those in the movie theater business, this was seen as a possible death knell for live cinema. 

And, taking this thread further, “Mank” also touches on the fact that Citizen Kane, which in many ways marks the birth of modern filmmaking, was only released at all due to legal maneuvering by RKO Radio Pictures, and Orson Wells only had the contract allowing him full autonomy because of his status as a radio star…

Radio, in other words, was present at the inauguration of modern cinema while Streaming attends the death of the movie theater experience, for the time being, at any rate. 

Read more: Will Movie Theaters Disappear?

And while these various technical marvels, the luxurious, sensual and powerfully stimulative immersion in a dark theater, on the one hand, and the inconsistent and convenient yet ever evolving systems of today both share, as a prerequisite to all creation the written, spoken and word and the imagination the imbues its invocation.

A movie for the ages and a single man’s creative life that was fulfilled through it’s creation

Adding to the layers of what seems like uncanny timing, “Citizen Kane” inspirational subject in real life, William Randolph Hearst, was at the time of the film’s initial release, rich on the level that would compare to Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos today, but was a newspaper Publisher. Newspaper publishing is yet another storytelling technology that, already at that time was considered on its way out, and in “Mank” there is even a scene where Hearst touts “Talkies”, movies with sound and dialog, as the technology that would captivate the future. 

Implying, inadvertently perhaps, that we are at a similar crossroads of change, and that, while streaming, digital publishing and beyond may be “the future”, the light of good works, and of a great story well told, will shine into eternity, as will “Citizen Kane” and the man who originally conceived it: Mank.

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletter for all the latest updates directly to your inBox.

Find books on Screenwriting, Sustainable Energy, Racial Equality & Justice and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

Enjoy Lynxotic at Apple News on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.

Lynxotic may receive a small commission based on any purchases made by following links from this page

Entertainment, Movies

The Art of Racing in the Rain: Preview Trailer

Video

Based on the 2008 novel of the same name, written by Garth Stein, a novel that has had lasting success, this was an obvious choice to be made into another, family friendly, Disney K-9 fest.

Directed by Simon Curtis and starring Milo Ventimiglia, Amanda Seyfried and with Kevin Costner as the voice of the thinking of Enzo, who is a dog.

It’s not that Enzo talks, other than the same way other dogs “talk”, but, instead, Enzo narrates the film from the perspective of Enzo’s thoughts and observations.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/the-art-of-racing-in-the-rain/the-art-of-racing-in-the-rain-trailer-1_h1080p.mov
Photo / Disney
PHOTO / DISNEY

The story is based around Enzo’s belief that a dog that has the proper life experiences will be a human after re-birth. Since it is late in his life he tries to gather those and reach his goal of becoming a (human) and a race car driver.

The human drama does take a front seat and they are able to talk, as is usual, but the feelings of the audience are likely moved most by seeing these human events with “dog eyes”.

The story revolves around Enzo’s relationship with his owner (Milo Ventimiglia as Denny Swift) and his Wife (Avery “Eve” Swift played by Amanda Seyfried).

Probably the appropriate question to ask yourself, once you’ve seen the trailer, above, is how much of a dog lover are you? If the answer is that you are a huge fan of dogs and dog movies, you will love this movie, or at the least, be moved by it.

Costner is well cast as the voice of the internal thoughts and musings of Enzo, and the thoughts do seem to match his well known off-beat heroic on screen persona.

No big surprises but plenty of heart strings get pulled

Naturally, while not a movie to sneak up on you with any huge surprises, once you are comfortable with the basic premise of seeing life through the eyes of a very cute and sympathetic dog, nevertheless, the stories many emotional peaks and valleys hit home, as the novel also did with its millions of fans.

As a kind of unrelated sequel to “Marley & Me” also a hit dog story that succeeded in novel as well as Feature film form, there is, apparently, a growing tradition of adorable dog profiles that make it to the big screen.

So: cute, adorable dog imparts wisdom from late in his life, looking back, and presumably forward to his reincarnation as a human.

If you love the trailer you’ll likely enjoy the film.

Released in theaters on August 9, 2019

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