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But who knows what lurks in the caves of Iwo Jima?

Clint do.
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The weeds of Oscar obsessives bears bitter fruit. Predicting does not pay. The Eastwood knows.

HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

I am Jeff Wells' pigmentally challenged EGO. Bling Bling Mofos!

This is just a theory, but if Flags and Letters are in theaters at the same time and Letters has strong buzz, might it not get some of those people who haven't paid for tickets yet to go see Flags as well? No Oscar help, but maybe some money help?

Also, did the line from the Blood Diamond ads where Leo says, "In America it is bling bling, but here it is bling bang," kill whatever small desire you had to see the movie, too?

Since the online publicist working on this movie doesn't know anything about this move to December, as reported by the Goldderby's message board sources, I'm still taking it with a grain of salt.

I will add that critics won't have to see this by the end of next week regardless (and probably won't since next week is Thanksgiving). There's still two whole weeks after that where this movie can be screened for LA/NY critics groups to be considered, though I don't think it will matter.

Million Dollar Baby was only screened the week before NY/LA film critics' awards and so few of them had a chance to see it that it was mostly overlooked even though it (pretty much) swept the Oscars a few months later.

Heck Dreamgirls and Good Shepherd might have similar problems since they're waiting until the last movie to screeen for most critics (that said, there's always the whole "last thing seen" factor which often helps)

Spamy - The fruit isn't bitter to me. It is process. And process is expected.

I get what you are saying, but it's kind of like bitching about the process of making a movie. The process sucks. But people are invested in the goal. And the role I have chosen is to discuss that process as it happens.

It's okay with me if it bores you. We'll keep trying to find some meat more to your liking.

David
was just continuing the SHADOW metaphor.

Clint is a lifelong idol to me, and I've loved his pre-"Flags" latter-years run of "mature" epics-- yes, including "Blood Work"-- but assuming this is true, doesn't the seeming NEED for Oscar validation seem a little... beneath a master filmmaker and legendary actor? To actually plan a last-minute sweep-in to assure oneself of (another) Academy Award? I remember the online film community, more specifically the "geek" culture, being dismayed by how hard Clint pimped for "Mystic River" over "LOTR," and the look on Scorsese's face when "Aviator" lost to "Million Dollar Baby" said it all that year. Are we looking at a repeat of two years ago if "Letters" moves into Decemeber? I know the Academy loves Clint, but to barrel into the race unexpectedly has the faint vibe of being a "sore winner," like a needless, showoffy end-zone spike in Zwick, Scorsese, and Soderbergh's faces. Come on, Clint, let Marty have ONE Oscar.

Since "Blood Diamond" was mentioned, why is WB pushing Leo for THAT and not "The Departed"? Bear in mind I've not seen Zwick's movie yet, but Leo was infinitely awardable in "Departed," easily his best adult/Scorsese performance, and an electric one at that, one that sears the screen in a Pacino-Serpico kind of way. I don't doubt that he's fine enough in "Blood Diamond," but it definitely looks like more of a traditional, phony-accented leading-man turn in a liberal guilt adventure movie. What's WB thinking with this?

ED - Why would you take anything anywhere based on GoldDerby boards?

Like I wrote, the decision hasn't been made. And it is not the first run at this issue.

And M$B did start screening before Thanksgiving, though there was concern that enough LAFCA members hadn't seen the film by their vote... a special screening was set up to try to deal with that problem. But this is different, as M$B declared in late October. This is a twist... not the same. Could work for it, could work against it. But it's not the same at all.

"I see no scenario in which Iwo Jima helps Flags move forward. You can’t take the scent of failure off a movie once its there. And it’s there. But who knows what lurks in the caves of Iwo Jima?"

The only failure of Flags was in how badly the ball was dropped on its release - first among, letting you write that horrid, negative review of it - and then all of the Poland wanna-bes followed suit. The major critics gave it high praise. Even on BFCA it is rated highly; what Clint Eastwood is doing with these two films is SO FAR BEYOND this awards silliness it isn't even funny. There is no stink of failure. Failure to what? Wow a few web bloggers and 18-24 year olds who would rather watch two guys eating each other scrotums than Flags? Who gives a fuck? Are we to totally drop everything and bow down to the young pricks who get to decide the fate of great American filmmakers? Think again!

The simple fact is, Flags of Our Fathers and very likely Iwo Jima are two of 2006's greatest achievements in film and they make me proud of American filmmakers, of course along with the masterpiece that is The Departed. Two great American directors at the top of their game.

And Scorsese is the supposed Oscar whore?

Right. Clint scrambled to get M$B out before the end of the year, and now he's doing the same thing again because FOOF underperformed. What, was he hoping to win Oscars for both films?

Official now, per Variety:

Clint's 'Letters' coming early
December release puts pic in kudos contention
By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

Warner Bros. is moving up the release date of Clint Eastwood's Japanese-language "Letters From Iwo Jima" -- the companion pic to "Flags of Our Fathers" -- from Feb. 9 to Dec. 20.

New frame puts "Letters" up for awards consideration, with Warners planning to make the film available to critics groups and guilds in its limited run.

Pic will open in L.A. and New York, and possibly in San Francisco.

Eastwood approached Warners about the date change for "Letters" after consulting with Steven Spielberg, who brought in Eastwood to direct "Flags" for DreamWorks.

Spielberg is a producer on both pics.

DreamWorks partnered with Warners on "Flags." The two studios partnered again when Eastwood decided he wanted to shoot a companion picture telling the story of the battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective.

The new Dec. 20 date was locked in early Wednesday evening, as Eastwood was in Japan to promote "Letters," which hadn't been set to open until Feb. 9.

(end excerpt)

It's enough to make you scream OY and start kvelling.

I must say though, I am much more interested in Iwo Jima even after seeing Flags and thinking it stunk. The Japanese side just seems so much more interesting.

Well, other considerations aside (awards qualification etc...), I for one would enjoy the chance to see both movies within a short period of time. Not back to back but at least within a week or two of each other. I have yet to see FoF (as still only available around here dubbed, should be in OV in our independant cinema soon, and I don't see them going to the effort to dub Letters so should only be in OV), but based on the idea behind the two am more interested in Letters (WWII heroes is getting to be a tiring and un-original subject, Letters sounds like a much more interesting story). And seeing as how I have a very savvy independant/european (dunno what to call it) cinema in my neighbourhood, I'm willing to bet they'll have some kind of special, intelligent showings of these two movies.

"ED - Why would you take anything anywhere based on GoldDerby boards?"

Hey, you're the one who brought the news over here after it was reported there.

"Like I wrote, the decision hasn't been made. And it is not the first run at this issue."

Or like Jeff Wells presumed... WB just wanted to let Variety break the news so they wouldn't confirm it to anyone who asked. I sometimes wonder why AOL Time Warner doesn't just buy Variety and AICN so they can be more like Fox.

The Eastwood bashers can try & spin the announcement of Iwo Jima's release as a last ditch gamble by Clint all they want but I think Warners has simply come around to following the release strategy Eastwood always envisaged for his films. Bart's Variety article laid out the case for that back in early October & also made the difference of opinion between what Eastwood's camp wanted & what the suits wanted pretty clear.

>>The unseen-film sense of it all is that Iwo Jima could be a film that critics are craving… an agreed upon serious film without the vote-splitting love/hate thing going on with Babel and Little Children.

Spot on.

Nope, ED.

And nope, Dave.

The truth has no master or inherent bias.

So it was always 12/9 in Japan, right? And this will be just NY and LA, right? One theatre in each city? How did they make the room... ???

What are the press and Japanese pals on Skype saying about the Nov. 15 world preem of "Letters?"

No. Will also be San Francisco and perhaps a few other cities, like Chicago.

I would just love to know what got bumped from these theatres to make room and what they're getting for Christmas from WB distribution.

It's not a lot of screens, T.H. There is some story that it will be a Landmark Theater here in L.A., which probably means the new Westside Pavillion multi, which has room. (That would tag that rumor to The Hammonds.) Or it will be at a big plex like The Grove or Arclight, where there is also room for flexibility. And it would hardly be shocking if the screens are coming out of WIP deals.

I thought the new Westside plex won't be ready till next summer...?

The Westside Pavilion certainly doesn't look from the outside like it's anywhere close to being completed.

Could be wrong... was being talked up yesterday... maybe it's farher off...

David Germain makes Dan Fellman bark.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/16029821.htm

If this move was planned all along then why isn't there a poster and a trailer and, well, anything.

"If this move was planned all along then why isn't there a poster and a trailer and, well, anything."

It wasn't planned. I know it's a rhetorical question. The trailer we saw was from a Japanese website right? But I'm sure people in the industry already know about the two movies. This move has desperation written all over it. Even I can see it. Too obvious. I'll love to hear how good (or bad) Letters is. I'll be waiting.

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