THE 2008 INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS

You can have the Oscars. We dig today’s Independent Spirit Awards. Yeah, there’s some crossover (Juno, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), but the Academy Awards don’t have something as cool as The John Cassavetes Award. And they definitely don’t have Dennis Hopper making Rainn Wilson his indie bitch.

As we watch now (5:45pm et) Todd Haynes is breaking Rainn Wilson’s acoustic guitar after a miserable audition for I’m Not There. For those not watching, a running shtick is that Wilson has actually auditioned for all the Best Film nominees and we get to see the results. Sure beats the crap that passes for a “witty” intro during the Oscars.

More as we go along… hope you enjoy.

:: 5:53pm
Steve Zahn does a surprisingly entertaining Bob Dylan goof, making fun of Todd Haynes’ use of six actors to play Dylan in I’m Not There. Nobody likes musical numbers in awards shows, but these are pretty damn funny.

:: 5:57pm
In one of the stranger classifications, Once is up for Best Foreign Film (it’s Irish, but spoken in English, of course). And it wins. Filmmaker John Carney admits the movie was made for about $100,000 on the streets of Dublin, with no permits. Man, I love this film.

:: 6:05pm
It’s time for Best Male Lead. Alan Arkin and Shareeka Epps present, and Arkin lays down the truth about the bullshit that comes with winning (and losing) an award. The guy would know. By the way, are we now at the point where Philip Seymour Hoffman will get nominated for a prize as long as he just makes a movie? He’s nominated for The Savages, but it may as well have been for Before the Devil Knows Your Dead. And the winner is: well there you go, it’s Hoffman. See you next year, Phil!

:: 6:24pm
We’re actually laughing out loud at the latest Rainn Wilson audition. He can’t get through a read for A Mighty Heart because Michael Winterbottom’s name is making him do stupid things. There is nothing better than ass and poop jokes during an awards show, no?

:: 6:25pm
Time for the Best Screenplay award, and everyone must be pulling for a posthumous award for Adrienne Shelly. And she loses. Tamara Jenkins wins for The Savages. We still think Waitress is sweet and strong and innocent.

:: 6:35pm
Best Cinematographer is interesting when it comes down to indie films. But Janusz Kaminski certainly ain’t no beginner, so will he get it for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly?… Of course! (I swear I’m writing this stuff as it happens. I swear.) And Kaminski just admitted he was paid “only” $3,000 a week.

:: 6:39pm
Jason Bateman just said “ball sac”. Nice!

:: 6:49pm
Jeez man, I like the movie very much, but I’m all Juno‘d out. Just give Diablo Cody the freakin’ Oscar tomorrow and let’s get this over with.

:: 6:55pm
Julian Schnabel wins Best Director for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and he may very well pull the upset tomorrow night. I won’t say this guy talks slowly, but where is drunk Sean Young to scream “Get on with it!”

:: 7:02pm
Ellen Page wins Best Female Lead. Okay, even though I’ve been Juno‘d to death, I do really like her. Now go rent Hard Candy.

:: 7:06pm
Best Feature is… C’mon guess! It’s Juno! Juno, Juno, Juno! Now let’s everyone all go out and get pregnant!

Other Posts of Interest

February 23rd, 2008
Categories: Awards, Independent Film . Author: Norm Schrager

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