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'Blind Side' Tackles Post-Thanksgiving Blahs

6 hours ago | Box Office Mojo | See recent BoxOfficeMojo.com news »

Though The Blind Side still packed a wallop, the movies as a whole saw a typical post-Thanksgiving slide over the weekend. However, due to the momentum from last weekend's record Thanksgiving gross, overall business was the highest the timeframe has ever seen (although not in terms of attendance), up 21 percent over the same period last year.

As indicated by their close grosses last weekend, The Blind Side out-paced The Twilight Saga: New Moon to claim the top spot. Down 49 percent, the football-themed drama had the best hold among nationwide releases, racking up an estimated $20.4 million. With a super $129.3 million tally in just 17 days, it surpassed Rocky IV to become the highest-grossing sports drama on record (though it 's still a far cry off in terms of attendance). Among football movies, only the Adam Sandler comedies The Waterboy and The Longest Yard made more, and Blind Side will soon overtake them as well. »

- Brandon Gray

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Greg Mottola Reviews Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

9 hours ago | Slash Film | See recent Slash Film news »

In October, Juno/Up in the Air director Jason Reitman tweeted a mini-review of an early cut of Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which he called "a game changer for Edgar and the genre" and "the first all encompassing film of the joystick generation." Now Adventureland/Superbad director Greg Mottola has also seen the film, and has posted a mini-review on Twitter. Be very jealous of me. I’ve seen an entire cut of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Edgar Wright has made a classic (again)! It’s amazing. ... I would say that Scott Pilgrim is the wittiest action movie you’ll ever see, but that’s just the half of it. ... Needless to say, Michael Cera is perfect. In fact, every single performance is incredible. You've got something special to look forward to. ... The filmmaking is so insanely good, I retired halfway through the movie. (looking forward to the pension checks, »

- Peter Sciretta

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Movie Reviews: “Up In The Air”

5 December 2009 6:45 PM, PST | Studio Briefing - Film News | See recent Studio Briefing - Film News news »

Not a few critics are calling Up in the Air a film for our times -- while at the same time comparing it with the classic romantic comedies of the ‘30s and ‘40s by Billy Wilder, Leo McCarey, Garson Kanin, Frank Capra, Ernst Lubitch and Preston Sturges. They’re also predicting Oscar nominations for its star, George Clooney, and its writer-director, Jason Reitman. And several have designated it best picture of the year. (Indeed it is being released on the same day that the National Board of Review, the group that traditionally opens the awards season, named it the year’s best.) In the movie, George Clooney plays a “transition specialist” whose job it is to fire people for corporation executives who don’t have the stomach for such business themselves. It marks “the high-water mark in George Clooney’s career,” says Peter Howell in the Toronto Star. At the crosstown Toronto Globe and Mail, Rick Groen comments, “Clooney is made for this role.” Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post judges Clooney to be at the peak of his career. “He operates not just as an actor but also as a finely machined screen object,” she writes. But Reitman garners even more rapturous reviews. Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal says that Up in the Air, Reitman’s third feature (after Juno and Thank You for Smoking), shows him to be “a filmmaker of rare distinction.” Claudia Puig in USA Today calls him “a bona fide filmmaking talent ... a modern-day Frank Capra.” Several critics call attention to the fact that Reitman is the 32-year-old son of producer-director Ivan Reitman, whose credits include Animal House, Meatballs, Ghostbusters, Twins, and Junior. In his review of the movie, Roger Ebert notes that the younger Reitman has said that one of the questions he is most often asked in interviews is, “How does your father feel about your success?” Comments Ebert “Bursting with pride, is my guess.” »

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Twice the glitz and glamour?

5 December 2009 4:10 PM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »

The Academy has decided to extend the shortlist for next year's best picture Oscar from five to 10 films. Is that a good idea? We can't quite decide…

It has to be a bad idea, doesn't it?

Ten best picture nominations in the Oscars instead of five? It's a cynical move by the Academy to boost viewing figures by opening the field to crowd-pleasers such as The Dark Knight, the exclusion of which last year caused fanboy outrage. The Oscars aren't exactly the gold standard where quality is concerned, but they remain the most important fixture in the movie calendar and the nomination process is not to be treated lightly. Now the list will be swamped with button-pressing blockbusters such as Avatar and Star Trek, which may deserve their box-office receipts but absolutely should not be honoured alongside the all-time greats: All About Eve! Lawrence of Arabia! The Godfather!

True, but »

- Killian Fox

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Oscar-Worthy ‘Up in the Air’ Gels With Shrewd Script, Fresh Faces, Unpredicted Realism

5 December 2009 2:46 PM, PST | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »

Chicago – Director Jason Reitman is becoming like a fine wine. He’s maturing with age, tasting newer with each sip and leaving an aftertaste that makes you think you’ll savor what’s next.

And in his new romantic dramedy “Up in the Air,” he has managed to pour a likely Oscar contender – again using some of his usual casting suspects (i.e. J.K. Simmons returns for a trifecta with Reitman after both “Juno” and “Thank You for Smoking” and Jason Bateman’s now on a double after “Juno”) – on the usual subject matter of flyover country and layoffs while continuing to display his directorial range.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Reitman describes the film as a personal journey in our recent interview with him on this film and admits that the quest was daunting after coming off the Oscar-winning quest with the surprise hit film “Juno” from writer Diablo Cody and stars Ellen Page and Michael Cera. »

- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

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'Up in the Air': Its quality? Sublime. Its super-low budget? Priceless!

4 December 2009 5:06 PM, PST | EW.com - The Movie Critics | See recent EW.com - The Movie Critics news »

The standard joke to make about a movie with a very low budget is that its entire cost could have provided the catering budget for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen/2012/fill-in-your-famously- overpriced-blockbuster-here. (In the case of Paranormal Activity, you could refine the joke to: Its budget would barely cover the cost of one of those movies' craft-services tables, minus the food.) I'm not sure if the joke quite works with Up in the Air. It might be a bit of an exaggeration to claim that its entire budget would have covered, say, the catering costs for Avatar. Nevertheless, Up in the Air »

- Owen Gleiberman

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George Clooney Deals With Difficult Changes In ‘Up In The Air’ Movie Trailer

4 December 2009 3:05 PM, PST | OnTheFlix | See recent OnTheFlix news »

George Clooney deals with difficult changes in 'Up In The Air' movie trailer. Paramount Pictures has released it's new drama/comedy movie, "Up In The Air" in limited release this weekend. It features George Clooney dealing with difficult life changes. It aslo stars : Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones, and Chris Lowell. Oscar nominated director of Juno, Jason Reitman directed "Up In The Air," which is focused around Oscar winning actor George Clooney,playing the character of Ryan Bingham. »

- Andre@ontheflix

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Critics Get Carried Away by 'Up in the Air'

4 December 2009 12:54 PM, PST | www.actressarchives.com | See recent Actress Archives news »

There hasn't been much in the way of critically acclaimed movies recently, ("Precious" being one of the few exceptions, but even that drew mixed responses), but "Up in the Air", which opens in theaters today, seems to be blowing critics away. The combination of George Clooney and "Juno" director Jason Reitman is proving irresistible...and people are already speculating that the Academy will feel the same way.Jason Reitman also wrote the script for "Up in the Air," which is based on an a novel by Walter Kim. Demonstrating how long it can take for anything in the movies to come to fruition, he began writing it seven years ago. According to th ... »

- By Actress Archives

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Interview with Jason Reitman, co-writer/director of Up in the Air

4 December 2009 9:00 AM, PST | MovieRetriever | See recent MovieRetriever news »

Dec 04, 2009

It almost felt like after the success and inevitable backlash that surrounded Juno that some people were expecting Jason Reitman to fail with his next project. He couldn’t make another film that critically and commercially successful, right? He didn’t. He made an even better film. Up in the Air, starring George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, Jason Bateman, and more, tells the story of a businessman who values his frequent flyer miles over anything approaching a personal relationship. It’s easily one of the best films of the ...Read more at MovieRetriever.com »

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Topics/Questions/Exercises Of The Week—4 December 2009

4 December 2009 8:47 AM, PST | The Auteurs | See recent The Auteurs news »

Are You Missing The Spout Blog Like I Am?: You really don't know what you've got till it's gone, do you? Regular readers of this column know that is is often—too often, some believe—a repository for its author's snark. And that often the snark was directed at the Spout blog, which stopped posting original content at the end of October. And I find myself sincerely missing it. Not, I repeat, not just because it frequently provided me with snark fodder. But because it was, I only now really understand, one of the few movie websites besides this one that boasted a multiplicity—some would call it a diversity—of voices. Voices which frequently seemed to contradict one another—Karina Longworth's championing of the obscure and artistic would frequently butt heads with, say, Kevin Kelly's fanboyish enthusiasms and near-disdain for actual critical practice. The closest we've got »

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Foo Fighters, Hilary Duff And Maxwell Help 'Up In The Air' Take Off

4 December 2009 8:24 AM, PST | MTV Newsroom | See recent MTV Newsroom news »

Though the awards for this year's best cultural achievements won't be handed out until the calendar turns over, this week has built up a bunch of buzz for statuettes. The Grammy Awards announced their nominations on Wednesday night, and though there are a few strange moments on that list, it has kept everybody excited for the work of Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. Meanwhile, today sees the release of "Up in the Air," the new film directed by Jason Reitman ("Juno," "Thank You for Smoking") and starring George Clooney. The film — which centers around the life of a frequently-flying consultant who is brought in to lay people off — is already scoring a bunch of awards and is an early contender for a bevy of Oscars.

In order to properly prepare yourself for the funny, melancholy movie (which also stars Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride and Zach Galifianakis), we »

- Kyle Anderson

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'Up In The Air': First Class, By Kurt Loder

4 December 2009 6:09 AM, PST | MTV Movie News | See recent MTV Movie News news »

George Clooney in a high-flying classic.

Anna Kendrick and George Clooney in "Up In The Air"

Photo: Paramount Pictures

"Up in the Air," the new Jason Reitman movie, is difficult to describe. It's not a romantic comedy, although it's very funny, and romance is one of its subjects. But it's not a straight drama, either, even though it pokes around in some dark corners of contemporary life. The picture is really one of a kind. And it's virtually perfect.

George Clooney, in one of his most supple performances, plays Ryan Bingham, corporate executioner. Ryan spends his life flying around the country at the behest of downsizing companies that bring him in to break the bad news to the employees they're laying off. It's a hideous job, but Ryan loves the life. He loves the anonymous luxe of his business-hotel suites, his VIP car-rental accounts, the first-class airport lounges and the »

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'Up In The Air' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know

4 December 2009 3:50 AM, PST | MTV Movie News | See recent MTV Movie News news »

Bone up on this buzzed-about flick before it takes off.

By Eric Ditzian

George Clooney in "Up in the Air"

Photo: Paramount

You hear that? It's the final boarding call for awards season. If your movie doesn't hit theaters soon, you're going to be left at the gate as the Oscars and Golden Globes take flight. "Up in the Air" will soar to 30,000 feet when it arrives in theaters on Friday (December 4), and it will do so in style, courtesy of Mr. George Clooney.

Clooney's Ryan Bingham is a connoisseur of the security check-in line, an aficionado of the airline upgrade, a guru of the skies. His day job may be as a corporate downsizer, but his real life is lived within the calming terminals and hotel suites he frequents almost every day of his life. Clooney, his co-star Anna Kendrick (a young downsizer on the rise), director Jason Reitman »

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Movie Review: Up In the Air (2009)

4 December 2009 1:56 AM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

Anna Kendrick and George Clooney in Up In the Air

Photo: Paramount Pictures Considering how much time he spends in the air, Ryan Bingham's (George Clooney) goals in life aren't too lofty. His sights are currently set on reaching 10 million miles on his frequent flier account and beyond that I guess the friendly skies are his oyster, but he doesn't seem to show any interest in grabbing hold of the pearl.

Ryan flies 270 days a year and lives out of his carry-on as he moves from city-to-city as, what he calls, a Termination Facilitator. Yup, how's that for reflecting the nation's current employment climate? Ryan works for a termination outsourcing company that sends people out to do the job corporate big wigs are too scared to do. He'll fire you, hand you a packet and give you a few words of encouragement to help you along your way to a "better" life. »

- Brad Brevet

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New “Up In The Air” TV Spot

3 December 2009 11:42 PM, PST | Filmofilia | See recent Filmofilia news »

Here’s the latest TV Spot for George Clooney’s “Up In The Air.”

Up In The Air

Jason Reitman (”Thank You for Smoking,” “Juno”) both directed and wrote the script based on Walter Kirn’s novel of the same name.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), a corporate hatchet man who loves his life on the road but is forced to fight for his job when his company downsizes its travel budget.

He is required to spend more time at home just as he is on the cusp of a goal he’s worked toward for years: reaching five million frequent flyer miles and just after he’s met the frequent-traveler woman of his dreams.

The movie which also stars Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman, Tamala Jones and Chris Lowell, will hit theaters on December 4, 2009.

More movie info, trailers, clips you can find at “Up In The Air” FilmoFilia Movie »

- Fiona

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Up In The Air Review

3 December 2009 9:40 PM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

Up in the Air is a great movie.  The script is sharp, Jason Reitman’s direction is astonishing, the cast is outstanding, and its story is as timely as its themes are timeless.  The film is a strong awards contender but rather than tap into important figures or controversial issues, Up in the Air finds its hero in the most unlikely of people: Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) a man who loves air travel and whose job it is to lay people off because their bosses are spineless weasels.  He’s turns both travel and firing into an art, but discovers that a simple and satisfying life can be just as fragile as a personal life he’d rather leave on the ground.

Ryan Bingham has a peculiar goal in life: reach 10,000,000 frequent flyer miles.  He is the perfect flyer.  He travels light, knows which airport security line to use, »

- Matt Goldberg

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Grammy Nominations, Journey And 'Twilight' Glitter In Today's Twitter-Wood

3 December 2009 4:00 PM, PST | MTV Movies Blog | See recent MTV Movies Blog news »

It's always great to see "Twilight" cast members getting along off-screen, and there were a couple of shout-outs bouncing around the Twitter-Wood feed today. Edi Gathegi wished Christian Serratos could be with him on a plane ride, but he had to settle for her advice on candy shenanigans. Elsewhere, Tinsel Korey sought Chaske Spencer's glitter skills in some Advent calendar construction.

In non-"Twilight" tweets "I'm on a Boat" seems to be a popular pick among the Grammy nominations this year, and Seth Meyers was among the first to back it. Michael McKean, meanwhile, will be pulling for Bela Fleck and Loudon Wainwright. Check out those posts after the jump, along with Richard Kelly's new prospective "Donnie Darko 3" premise and Danny DeVito's Thanksgiving Troll Foot costume. It's all in the Twitter-Wood report for December 3, 2009.

Twitter Pic of the Day:

@Danny_DeVito Trollfoot with turkey head orniment NY December http://yfrog. »

- Brian Warmoth

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American Malaise: Up In the Air

3 December 2009 1:36 PM, PST | Huffington Post | See recent Huffington Post news »

Director Jason Reitman has nearly 18,000 followers on Twitter. Now it may pale compared to the likes of screenwriter Diablo Cody (112,000), whose Oscar-winning script for Juno could've been a mess in anyone else's hands besides Reitman, or actress and potential Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick (67,000), or even one of those webceleb types like Tila Tequila (267,000). But what makes Reitman's hourly Twitter feed about food and banal junket questions significant is this: he just made a hell of a film about human connection, the George Clooney-starrer Up in the Air. Based on the novel by Walter Kirn, it's a film that grappled with topics that are ever-so-timely: job loss, the state of the economy, the way that the modern world—be it the airworld of airports and planes, or the encroaching ease of the Internet—is making us even more lonely. Clooney plays... »

- Elisabeth Donnelly

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Nbr names `Up in the Air' best film of the year

3 December 2009 1:14 PM, PST | Filmicafe | See recent Filmicafe news »

"Up in the Air" was named best picture from the National Board of Review and won a total of four awards.Directed by Jason Reitman ("Juno," "Thank You for Smoking"), the film stars George Clooney as a perpetually traveling contractor who fires people for a living. The National Board of Review, which announced its awards Thursday, also chose Clooney as best actor, an honor he shares with Morgan Freeman who plays Nelson Mandela in "Invictus.""Up in the Air" also won best supporting actress for Anna Kendrick and best adapted screenplay, penned by Reitman and Sheldon Turner working from Walter Kirn's book of the same name.Already an Oscar favorite, the win boosts the awards prospects of "Up in the Air," which opens Friday. The last two Nbr winners . "No Country for Old Men" and »

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Interview: Jason Reitman Takes Personal Journey With ‘Up in the Air’

3 December 2009 12:14 PM, PST | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »

Chicago – Following up the massive critical and commercial success of “Juno” would be a daunting task for anyone and writer/director Jason Reitman admits that he was nervous coming off that film. Somewhat surprisingly, he’s delivered an even more confident and, overall, superior film in the excellent “Up in the Air,” starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, and Jason Bateman.

After taking our pictures for his own records and a lively discussion about why he’s not too psyched about “Avatar,” what he thought of “Final Destination 4” in German, and what went wrong with the “Saw” movies, Bateman, Peter Sobczynski of EFilmCritic.com, Lee Shoquist of N:Zone, and I got into “Up in the Air”. Bateman is very open about how each of his films reflect what he’s concerned about personally.

Up in the Air

Photo credit: Paramount Pictures

Reitman says, “I like my »

- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

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2009 | 2008 | 2007

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