Did you ever believe you’d hear these words aloud? Mariah Carey is now an award-winning actress. Yes the same woman who was eviscerated to pieces by critics for her turn in the universally reviled “Glitter” has been giving an acting achievement award. Carey will receive the breakthrough performance award at the 21st annual Palm Springs International Film Festival for her uglification turn in Lee Daniel’s urban horror drama, “Precious.”
If you haven’t already heard— or read our semi-disdainful review — Carey plays a tough, but compassionate social worker in the film and what’s more? She deserves the award. Music critics are baffled, but it’s clear they actually haven’t seen the film. We had tons of problems with the visually garish and socially vulgar picture, but all the performances are excellent, including Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz. Watch for lead actors Mo’Nique and Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe to get major awards love including Oscar nominations (and possible wins as well; Mo’Nique’s performance seems to be in the bag).
Animal Collective are making an “experimental sort of film” with their friend Danny Perez. It’s going to be a “visual record.”
This was mentioned way back in the day. But it looks like rapper MC Paul Barman’s collaboration with director Michel Gondry is finally happening. Barman has returned with a new album called, Thought Balloon Mushroom Cloud and Gondry will direct the video for “Divorce” and wrote the music to the last track, “It Can All Be Taken Away” (he’l direct the clip for that too). Barman and Gondry have been longtime mutual admirers and the rapper had a small cameo in “Be Kind Rewind.”
Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s indie film distribution company Oscilloscope (“Wendy & Lucy,” “The Messenger”) is starting a direct-mail subscription DVD club. A subscription fee of $150 gets you Oscilloscope’s next 10 DVD releases a week early, one a month. We like Oscilloscope that was co-founded by ThinkFilm’s David Fenkel, but this feels like a bit of a gamble.