The News: Cate On, Cate Off

Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan in I'm Not There (Photo: The Weinstein Company)

By S.T. VanAirsdale

Some of today's movie news of note from around New York:

--I have a theory about Monday's Cate Blanchett Oscar kerfuffle -- the one that David Poland said had the Weinsteins pushing her into lead actress territory for I'm Not There before Scott Feinberg and Tom O'Neil each jumped in with their respective "not so fasts." Harvey's already threated to kill himself if she's not nominated for something, so why not float her anonymously or second-hand for Best Actress, get every beat writer, Oscar blogger and their cousins to react with outrage that Supporting Actress would be a lock to win (not just be nominated), and finally come out with an official, "She's been our Supporting candidate all along"? (And, if the idea gained traction, boost box office?) The race is over before December, and Harvey can get back to focusing on his wedding. Seriously -- have these guys ever done anything this time of year that wasn't calculated to death? Humor me and pretend you care.

--OMG OMG! Watchmen set photos -- from the New York City backlot! They don't look so bad. More from director Zack Snyder's blog, including word of "20,000 donuts ... consumed by the construction crew." (H/T: First Showing)

--If David Denby could shatter the Earth twice, he'd have done it this week with the double shot about the Louis Jourdan/Joan Fontaine-starrer Letters From an Unknown Woman ("What’s surprising is how good the two stars are in their kitschy roles") and this week's Julian Schnabel and Tamara Jenkins openings ("[T]he challenge of an impossible subject can bring out the best in a director"). It's not easy to make Roger Friedman look like Edmund Wilson.

--Thanks to FreeNYC for tipping us off to the NY Hispanic Film Festival, launching tonight and screening throughout the week in Manhattan. The organizers pledge director Leon Ichaso to be in attendance at this evening's opener El Cantante; other local selections from recent years include Washington Heights, Soy Andina, From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale and Two Dollar Dance. And as per the hat tip above, all the programs are free to the public.

Posted at November 27, 2007 9:05 AM