Goldtripping

In and around the web.

AJ Schnack on When Art, Sexuality and Religion Collide, What is the Role of a Film Festival?

NY Post’s Lou Lumenik on Benjamin Button, “One Classy Movie Takes the Lead.”

Jeff Wells says Brad Pitt deserves it for Burn After Reading.

Kris Tapley says awards season is sapping the creativity from his bones, not feeling a thing. Why so glum, chum?

Hollywood Reporter’s Steven Zeitchik wonders if Benjamin Button and Forrest Gump were separated at birth.

And Variety’s Timothy Gray has the proven ways of nabbing and Oscar nomination or even a win!:

# Talk funny. Daniel Day-Lewis in “There Will Be Blood” was a prime example of a long, proud tradition of speaking in a strange voice, using eccentric rhythms and speech patterns and — this is important — doing it while squinting. The glorious roster includes everyone from Billy Bob Thornton in “Sling Blade” to Renee Zellweger in “Cold Mountain.” (Anthony Hopkins in “The Silence of the Lambs” and Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump” managed Oscar wins without the squint, which is remarkable.) Here’s the rule of thumb: If a standup comic can do an impression of your performance that’s immediately recognizable, you’re in.

# Have a distinctive haircut. Kate Winslet in “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada,” Saoisha Ronan in “Atonement,” all great. If at least three men dress up as your character in the West Hollywood Halloween parade, Oscar voters will remember you.

# Be threatening and playful. When Forest Whitaker encounters James McAvoy in “Last King of Scotland,” he terrorizes him then pretends he was joking. Same thing for Joe Pesci with Ray Liotta in “Goodfellas.” It’s part of the “He’s scary!/Oh, he’s kidding!/No, he’s really scary!” school of drama.

# Kill somebody. 2007 was a banner year, thanks to performances from Johnny Depp and Casey Affleck, but recent winners include Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlize Theron, Denzel Washington, Sean Penn and Tim Robbins. Other noms include William Hurt (“A History of Violence”), Mark Wahlberg (“The Departed”), Ben Kingsley (“Sexy Beast”) and Paul Newman (“Road to Perdition”).