Category: Screener Watch

I received a new DVD in the mail today for the documentary We Were Here. It had no accompanying one-sheet and was in a non-descript case, so this is all you get. We Were Here Genre: Documentary Director: David Weissman Premise: “A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San…

For me, this is the second screener (or batch of screeners) I’ve received even though, for the Academy, this was their first. No pictures as this is a retail DVD copy (without liner notes). A Better Life Genre: Drama Stars: Demian Bichir, Jose Julian Director: Chris Weitz Premise: “Set on the streets of East Los…

I had not expected a screener package this early in the season, but the first has arrived. First bunny out of the gate this year is Oscilloscope Laboratories. They have submitted the following five films for consideration. I will list them in alphabetical order. Since these are nondescript containers, I won’t be posting accompanying pictures.…

Here are two more straggling screeners. For Colored Girls and Rabbit Hole. FOR COLORED GIRLS Genre: Drama Stars: Kimberly Elise, Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Washington, Tessa Thompson, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad, Macy Gray Director: Tyler Perry Premise: Each of the women portray one of the characters represented in the…

I think these may be the last I receive. Our nominations balloting begins Monday, so even if they aren’t, I won’t have time to see any of them before the nominations are started. THE FIGHTER Genre: Boxing Drama Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo, Mickey O’Keefe, Jack McGee Director: David O. Russell…

These came in the mail yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance to post them. Here are Oscar short-listed documentaries. WASTE LAND Genre: Documentary Director: Lucy Walker Premise: An uplifting feature documentary highlighting the transformative power of art and the beauty of the human spirit. Top-selling contemporary artist Vik Muniz takes us on an emotional…

Normally, screener season is a bit more of a trickle, but the deluge this year has made the waning days less enjoyable. Sometimes it’s cool to get a new gift every day. Anyway, here’s the latest addition to my collection. FOUR LIONS Genre: Comedy Stars: Riz Ahmed, Arsher Ali, Nigel Lindsay, Kayvan Novak, Adeel Akhtar…

In addition to the three screeners I’ll be discussing below, I received a package of soundtracks for nearly the entire slate of Warner Bros. contenders this year: (Harry Potter, Hereafter, Inception, Legend of the Guardians and The Town). Tonight, though, I received another package from Fox Searchlight with their less visible contenders: Conviction, Cyrus and…

Today, Magnolia/Magnet sent their annual “Everything but the Kitchen Sink” screener set and really out did themselves this time in terms of quantity. Below are all the titles I received, fourteen in total. Also, since there were so many and they were mostly nondescript, I left out a number of the extra details I’ve been…

Only four new screeners tonight from IFC Films and they are fairly bland, so unlike my first Screener Watch I posted where I included blanded photos, I’ll spare you this time. Here’s what I received from IFC: CARLOS Genre: Crime Stars: Edgar Ramirez, Alexander Scheer, Alejandro Arroyo Director: Olivier Assayas Premise: The story of Venezuelan…

Today’s Warner Bros. package arrived with some nice titles. Here is what I got in alphabetical order. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART I Genre: Fantasy Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter Director: David Yates Premise: The first part of the final chapter of…

I arrived home to find several packages delivered via various methods waiting for me. No fewer than 13 DVD screeners. Here they are in alphabetical order. 127 HOURS Genre: Drama, Thriller Stars: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Sean A Bott, Treat Williams, Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan Director: Danny Boyle Premise: The story of an…

Tonight, we have what I like to call the “Wherever You Want It” screener. These screeners (like this one for Shutter Island) are generally retail copies but are accompanied by no “instructions” of where the publicist wants you to consider their film. So, you get to put it in whatever categories you want. But, I…

Tonight, I received the promotional screener for How to Train Your Dragon. Note the packaging is rather fancy and Academy members, unless they are also members of other guilds/groups who get screeners, won’t be getting this. Academy rules strictly prohibit anything but generic packaging. It’s also one of the neatest packages I’ve received in the…

Oscar season is officially upon us. Although I received my first screener a few weeks ago, another batch arrived in the mail Friday. From this point until the end of the screener season, I’ll be posting the interesting tidbits I get in the mail. You’ll get pictures of the discs and the inserts that show…