Photo: The Weinstein Co.
As we announced on our podcast this past Friday, the Weinstein Co. are supplying us with what I have since learned are two (2) posters from The Artist, one (1) with signatures from stars Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo and writer/director Michel Hazanavicius and the other is signed by Uggie, the dog that has taken the world by storm and, not to mention, has just announced his retirement.
Uggie was seen in both The Artist and Water for Elephants last year and was one of many canines to take over the film world alongside the likes of Cosmo from Beginners, Hummer from Young Adult and Blackie from Hugo. And now is your opportunity to get a piece of memorabilia that I personally think is one of the few pieces of studio provided goodies actually worth owning.
So how can you enter to win one (1) of these posters? Well, that's actually quite easy and several already have.
Here on RopeofSilicon we post two podcasts a week and in the comments section we take listener questions and topics. Each Friday we discuss the best of the bunch and declare one the winner and award that person a prize. We've given away Blu-ray copies of Up and Beauty and the Beast and collectible hardcover books from the Making of The Adventures of Tintin and War Horse in recent episodes, but these posters for The Artist easily take the cake when it comes to the best we've had to offer yet.
Entering is simple. You can post your question or topic in the comments below, you can go back and listen to last Friday's episode and comment on that post or you can listen to tomorrow's podcast and post your question/topic there. On Friday, February 3, we will discuss the hand-picked best questions and announce the two (2) winners at the end of the podcast.
SPECIAL NOTE: Winners for this contest will be limited to the United States only. Apologies to our international listeners.
So get your questions/topics in and listen on Friday as we will choose what we determine to be the best question/topics of the bunch and declare two (2) winners, one (1) of which will take home a signed poster by the cast and one (1) will win the signed poster by Uggie.
Be sure and provide a valid email address when commenting, otherwise what's the point? I'd have no way of contacting you and alerting you that you've won. Not to mention if you don't reply to my email I will be forced to give your prize to a runner-up.
And now, how about watching a blooper reel from The Artist while you think of a good question to ask. And by the way, if you haven't been listening to our podcast, click here and find out what you've been missing out on.
'Before Midnight' (2013) Movie Review
'All is Lost' (2013) Movie Review - Cannes Film Festival
'Only God Forgives' (2013) Movie Review - Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Podcast #3: Reviewing 'Only God Forgives' and 'All is Lost'
'Nebraska' (2013) Movie Review - Cannes Film Festival
'We're the Millers' Red Band Trailer and Poster
Vince Vaughn is the Baby Daddy in 'Delivery Man' Teaser Trailer
First Clip from Cannes Hit 'All is Lost'
Trailer for Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 'Don Jon'
I'm 41 and I've Loved Only You
Does it work internationally?
Unfortunately, no. Sorry, I just added a line to the post. This contest can be won by United States listeners only.
BUGGER!!
Canada is excluded from the contest??
Yeah, sorry, just found out. Weinstein is doing the shipping for us on this one and I have to go by their rules.
That's okay, just making sure :) I already posted my topic/question. Hope you find it interesting.
That's ok, I can have friends who live in the States that would accept delivery. So I will enter regardless.
Q: Wall-E was something of a silent film and it was a contemporary reminder of how powerful the genre can communicate. Do you think now that The Artist has been so highly touted that we will see revived interest and appreciation in silent film classics by both fans and Hollywood?
Was there a conflict between artistic creativity and the technical demands of recreating a period movie, during the film making process?
This ones for Laremy
Laremy are you a man? or are you a muppet?
Topic: Weinstein's efforts to market The Artist to the mainstream. Have they done a good job?
Uggie is SOO STINKING CUTE!!!!!!! And, to any fans of the TV Show "One Tree Hill", does anyone feel Berenice Bejo bears a striking resemblance to Bethany Joy Galloti??? or is it just me???
This is for The Artist poster lol
What was the moment when you wanted to become a critic? When you fell in blissful love on the screen and felt the power of cinema?
Sorry if my last post makes NO FREAKING SENSE WHATSOEVER!! I've been on this OTH kick as of late, and I LOVE IT. I guess seeing the resembance is just the result of watching too much OTH.
When I submitted topic post read "Winners for this contest will be limited to the United States and Canada only." Now Canada isn't mentioned. What's going on?
Unfortunately I was corrected by Weinstein. They are handling shipping in this case so I have to go by their rules.
Can you have it shipped to you, then you ship it to Canada? :p
okay i want to win one of those two posters so here is a humdinger of a mad chat topic
what characters from totally separate films would you like to see in the same film like they did freddie v jason so how about
eg george smiley and his sidekicks seeking hannibal lector
riddick as the villain up against james bond
ron burgundy reporting on aldous snow's latest tour
this better win ^
Two Questions...the first is more related to curiosity. (1) Laremy, do you have any background in studying psychology? (2) I have some movies that I watch over and over and even though I know what the ending will be, sometimes I have this moment where I wish/hope/imagine maybe this time the ending will be different. Has there every been a movie that you wish you could change the ending to?
One of the hottest topics of the awards season is whether Meryl Streep should be awarded with an Oscar or not. For years, we've seen how the Academy has nominated Meryl multiple times, only to snub her. This year, she has given one of her strongest performances in years, but everything points that Viola Davis is taking the cake.
This year, she's up for playing Margaret Tatcher, a role extremely hard to perform, as she is considered to be "the iron lady". I think that no one can deny that Meryl Streep's performance was masterful, but the lack of campaign that surrounds her might be the main reason she hasn't won in over 30 years. Harvey Weinstein has publicly said that he has tried to convince her for a strong campaign, but she has denied the offers.
So here comes the question: Does Viola Davis deserve the Oscar because she outperformed Streep, or will she win for default? The fact that she constantly losses to lesser performances like Sandra Bullock in 'The Blind Side' and Kate Winslet in 'The Reader' gives us the perfect example as how the Academy tends to give the Oscar to the second best performance nominated.
Brad and Laremy, what are your favorite performances by animals in movies?
Why have critically acclaimed films such as Hugo and The Artist not reached expectations at the box-office, yet franchise films like Underworld and re-releases such as Beauty and the Beast have boosted the box-office. Is that a sign that audiences today aren't open to trying new movies, or that hollywood doesn't know how to market originality?
How do you wish Best Picture would be voted? Your favorite film or the best film? For that matter, there's still on going debate on the difference between favorite and best also. How do you two wish the Academy would vote?
Could this be the first silent film to win and Oscar for best picture since Wings.
My question for the poster is:
Doesn't it seem like Sandra Bullock has some sort of voodoo with the Academy? She was in "Crash" which was the biggest upset in recent history. She was in "The Blind Side" which got a surprise Best Picture Nomination, and now her latest film "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" is another surprise Best Picture nominee. Isn't it strange?
Do you think it would be viable for a small movie theater to stay in business if all they did was show screenings of classic films with huge fan followings every week/weekend?
For example, let's say you plan to operate in a major city and have a cinema with 3 screens. Each week, you show movies from 3 categories. (1) Action/Adventure (Back To The Future, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, etc.), (2)Comedies (Caddyshack, Animal House, Anchorman, etc.) (3) Misc. Other Genres (The Godfather, The Exorcist, Casablanca, etc.).
Would it be too costly to have screenings of these films? Are enough people interested to sell the tickets?
I have often wondered this as all of Vancouver's independent movie theatres (some of them Art Deco beauties) are closing and face the wrecking ball.
I saw Casablanca at one of them about a year ago and it was full.
Last year in film reminded audiences how magical silent cinema can be, as seen in both Hugo and The Artist. How important is it for all filmgoers to remember what film once started at and appreciate all diferent styles of filmmaking, including silent, black-and-white, foreign, etc.
When Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for "The Blind Side," many thought it was Hollywood politics at it's finest and she won not because of her talent in that role, but simply because of who she is and the subject matter of the film. Do you, Brad and Laremy, agree that the front runners in the race, (according to Brad's Oscar predictions), deserve to win in said field or that the true talent is going to be snubbed for a more mainstream or established actor/actress?
Question: What do you think is the biggest upset in Oscar history?
My 2nd question is: do you think the art of cinema will ever die?
PS heres my email krod817@yahoo.com
Question: What are your top 10 favorite animals from any film. The character must have been played by an actual animal and not have been cgi or motion capture.
I would count someone as Babe eligible but not King Kong obviously.
Darn. Just saw my question was already asked. Question 2: If you could give anyone an Oscar right now that has never won one, either alive or dead who would they be. Question 3(just in case question 2 was already asked): The reverse of question 2. If you could take an Oscar away from any person alive or dead, who would it be. (both questions work for anyone not just actors)
Seeing "The Grey" this past weekend made me think about two topics.
1.) Are ambiguous endings good or bad for certain movies, and what are your views on them?
AND
2.) "The Grey" is a Class-A example of false advertising (I'm not mad, I loved the film), but after this and the situation in which sued FilmDistrict because "Drive" wasn't like "Fast Five", is it time to change the guidelines of marketing and what exactly goes into a trailer/commercial?
I absolutley love nostalgia in films, so here are my questions-
-What are films you loved as a child but don't like that much now?
-What kind of attributes in a movie bring you childhood nostalgia?
and
-When do you believe the art of film will "die"?
Thanks for considering!
email- pulpfuertes@yahoo.com
I've got a question for you Brad, I already posted a question on last friday's podcast and I was wondering whether or not I could ask another question. That possible?
Sure, though I am looking through both.
Question: How much of a threat is the idea for movies to be available on demand the same day as it's in theaters, Netflix, Redbox, and ticket prices going up with more 3D releases to the movie industry?
For best question on your regular podcast (not including this prize) would you deliever prizes to Canada?
Question: what affects your interest in seeing a movie? Do digital press kits, early buzz, and photos/trailers affect it, or do you just not really care and go into movies with no previous exposure to it and a big open mind?
I can answer that now... I rarely, if ever, pay attention to press kits and do my best to never watch trailers. I try to go into every movie with as little knowledge as possible and can tell you Laremy is the exact same way. As far as I see it, if I really want to see a movie seeing a trailer or knowing the story is only going to lessen the film experience, and with other movies (We Need to Talk about Kevin for example) not knowing anything about the movie and then being blown away is one of this job's #1 joys.
Brad, I am on board 100% with you on this one. I just watched the trailer for E.T. the other day and it's great how in older movies the trailer really gave almost nothing away about the film. This seemed to be the case for a lot of older films. I wish more movies would jump on board with this these days, since it has pretty much been proven that you don't need detailed trailers to have box office success (Super 8, Cloverfield).
2011 was not a great year for movies. The box office showed it. Harry Potter was the highest grossing domestic film at roughly 381 million. 2012 has a highly anticipated slate of films including a couple potential record breaking blockbusters. That obviously includes The Dark Knight Rises whose predecessor collected around 533 million. Last year had seven 200 million domestic grossers down from 10 the year before. My question is, based on the amount of anticipated films, potential quality films, sequels, franchise enders, and 3D re-releases, will this be an up year for cinema and how much so?
Do you think The Artist will generate any broader interest in silent films here in the U.S. to the point where we may see more in the future (albeit not a LOT more) or is this just a flash in the pan where everything came together for this film despite it being mostly silent?
Hey Guys. Here's my question:
Do you agree with me in thinking that Melancholia was completely overlooked for an Oscar nod because of Von Trier's comments at Canne (regarding sympathizing with Hitler)?
I thought it was brilliant, but it had zero buzz.
Thanks.
1.)Who has the most apt surname in Hollywood? I say it is John Goodman, because I really think he is a good man.
2.) Name a film with a musical score that you think is absolutely vital to the movie. Not just a great soundtrack, but something that is like an ingredient for the film's recipe. Of course The Artist comes to mind, but one of my favorite examples is Blade Runner.
This is kind of part question, part musing. It seems like the Academy likes to reward those who have "paid their dues." There are exceptions to this, certainly, but I can't help but find it odd somehow that a guy whose last two films were period spy spoofs (good ones, but still) is the odds on favorite to win Best Director and that his odd (and wonderful) film is favored to win Best Picture. So, is the Academy getting closer to actually awarding on Merit, or is it becoming more sensationalistic or what? I don't have much faith in the Academy anyway, but would love to hear your thoughts.
Is it me, or do women who are shown nude, tortured, or physically or mentally raw... Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams, Kate Winslet, get more acclaim than say Fassbender or even Harvey Keitel who went full frontal. Do they hold them as a double negative?
Some performances are simply big and great like Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will be Blood or Mo'Nique in Precious. More overlooked are "small," subdued performances that are nonetheless deserving in their own way. So my question is, what are the best understated performances of the year and of recent memory?
I started reading...getting excited...
But then, I read this:
SPECIAL NOTE: Winners for this contest will be limited to the United States only. Apologies to our international listeners.
And died a bit on the inside :(. Wanted Uggie's paw-tograph so badly.
Pertaining to Sundance that just recently ended its film festival, last year had some great movies come out of Sundance, such as Martha Marcy May Marlene, Take Shelter, The Interrupters, Like Crazy, Project Nim, Tyrannosaur, The Guard, and others. Why do you think that they were ignored this year for the Oscars when last year had films like The Kids are All Right and Winter's Bone making progress by getting Best Picture nods and moving Sundance indie films in the right direction? And do you think any of this years films from Sundance have any Oscar chance?
Want That Artist poster so bad!!
Hope you like the question!
Do either of you feel that the films that are nominated and those that win at Academy Awards are an accurate representation of the best film(s) of the year?
Here is my question -
Who gets the credit when it comes to the aesthetic and feel to a film? the Director? or the Cinematographer?
I ask because i've recently saw a featurette on Emmanuel Lubezki's cinematography for Tree of Life. I have always credited Terrence Malick for his unique look and unforgettable shots, but now, im left pondering what's Malick's and whats Lubezki's.
Fun podcasts!
In your first podcast, you mention your distaste for flashbacks, particularly in Lost and in The Grey. In your second podcast, you get into the ambiguity of the ending of the Grey.
In the past, I've gotten the impression that Brad's a fan of ambiguous endings, giving praise to movies like Inception, The White Ribbon, and Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Now, I've heard a lot of filmmakers say flashbacks are a mark of weak or lazy storytelling. My question is, at what point would you consider ambiguous endings lazy storytelling? It often seems like modern storytellers make a big promise to the audience--say in Lost--and can't find a way to deliver on that. Or they use ambiguous endings to create feverish speculation, which can change the focus from the story itself to the filmmaker's intentions, which seems terribly indulgent.
In the Grey it seems justified, as it did in the Wrestler. But I'm curious to hear your thoughts on the subject, and if there are any ambiguous endings that you particularly disliked.
Kish