Contending at the Water Cooler

Episódios Disponíveis

5 de 34

‘Fantastic Four’ VFX Supervisor On Artistic Challenges Posed By Each Character’s Powers
Fantastic Four VFX Supervisor Scott Stokdyk talks about bringing the core four, plus a new Silver Surfer, to vivid, authentic life. Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps wasn’t the first film to render the famed comic book quartet on the big screen. Aside from the famed never-released early 90s attempt, there have been three previous Fantastic Four films. Yet, none of those films’ visual effects truly felt fully realized in representing the core four’s — Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, The Thing — cosmic-birthed powers. Earlier attempts felt cartoonish, overly exaggerated, or strictly phoned in. Thankfully, Marvel Studios and director Matt Shakman vastly improved the Fantastic Four VFX. Thanks to Academy Award-winning VFX Supervisor Scott Stokdyk, the update feels real and authentic. Reed Richards / Mr. Fantastic’s infamous stretching ability never becomes the butt of a joke. Ben Grimm / The Thing conveys the humanity of Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s performance. Even the controversial female Silver Surfer / Shalla-Bal (Julia Garner) is gorgeously rendered, refuting early reactions to split-second glimpses of the character in the trailer. They’re exactly rendered as Stokdyk and team intended, online buzz be damned. “I have to tune that out. At this point it’s like, it’s so easy to get caught up in first reaction kind of things. When I’m just in it and working on it, I just want to make these shots the best they are and focus on that,” Stokdyk explained. “If I think they look good and I know they’re going to look good, then I’m not worried about it.That’s just kind of noise to me.” Here, in an interview with The Contending, Stokdyk talks about the process of bringing to vivid life the Fantastic Four’s powers. He talks about digging into anatomy — muscle, skin, bones — and learning how they stretch. He talks about retaining Bachrach’s emotional performance as The Thing within that rocky exterior. He also talks about capturing Julia Garner’s fully committed performance as Shalla-Bal through visual effects as a fully chromatic character. “She’s so expressive, and there’s so many really deep emotional performances. On set, you’re just like flabbergasted on what she brings. Then, you get back, and you want to make sure the audience feels what I felt on set.” Stokdyk shares details about taking Ralph Ineson to galactic heights as Galactus, eater of worlds. He also reveals the extensive collaboration between multiple departments that helped fashion the excellent finished product. Finally, he reveals which character posed the biggest challenge to render through VFX. Click here to listen to my full interview with The Fantastic Four: First Steps Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Scott Stokdyk. The Fantastic Four: First Steps streams exclusively on Disney+. Podcast Music: Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/ The post ‘Fantastic Four’ VFX Supervisor On Artistic Challenges Posed By Each Character’s Powers appeared first on The Contending.
--------
--------
Oscars 2026: How Critics Week, Golden Globes Impact the Race [VIDEO]
This week, we look at the 2025 critics awards, Golden Globes and their impact on the 2026 Oscar race. Plus, what happened to the old Globes? A lot happened in the weeks since we last recorded. Last week, the New York, Los Angeles, and National Board of Review all weighed in on 2025 film. We also had the AFI and the Critics Choice unveil their nominations for the best of the year. This week, the maligned Golden Globes revealed their nominations. Funny thing: they’re all kind of the same. On this week’s podcast, we talk about whether or not the critics still matter and who most benefitted from the initial awards. Then, we break down the Golden Globe nominations and reveal who we think the frontrunners are to win. We close our podcast with a Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen! Our video podcast follows below! Podcast Music: Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/ The post Oscars 2026: How Critics Week, Golden Globes Impact the Race [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.
--------
1:13:39
--------
1:13:39
‘Jay Kelly’ Casting: Nina Gold, Doug Aibel Discuss Assembling Different Ensembles [PODCAST]
One of the most exciting things about this upcoming Academy Awards is the introduction to the newest category: Best Casting. This will be the first new category implemented by the organization since 2001, and there are a lot of questions swirling around. Which films will have a shot at the inaugural trophy? Will some popular films make the shortlist when they are announced later this month? For legendary casting directors Nina Gold and Doug Aibel, they might have the same questions. Their work on Jay Kelly is one of the many reasons why Noah Baumbach’s character study is as successful as it is. We began our talk reflecting on what it means for them to finally be in competition for an Academy Award. If you put their resumes together, you would find enormous accomplishments. Aibel cast Materialists, The Phoenecian Scheme, and Long Bright River this year alone, while Gold worked on Ballad of a Small Player, Too Much, and Hamnet in 2025. For Jay Kelly, Gold and Aibel had to populate entire worlds of the entertainment industry and Jay Kelly’s devoted fandom across multiple countries. The duo explains that they made pocket ensembles to represent the various groups that follow Jay and his crew around. One of the most satisfying and entertaining sections of Baumbach’s film is when the entertainment crew boards a train from France to Italy, and Jay finds himself at the center of an adoring stew of people. Some are locals, some are tourists. Most are European but some Americans make themselves known. There are many different ways to cast a project, and Gold and Aibel admit that it depends on the story, timing, and circumstance. There is no “standard” way of casting a film, and that’s why Gold and Aibel are the best in the business. Their work on Jay Kelly reflects just how many factors come into play when populating the screen with characters big and small. They make it look effortless–just like Jay Kelly’s smile. Jay Kelly is in select theaters now, and it debuts exclusively on Netflix on December 5. Click here to listen! Podcast Music: Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/ The post ‘Jay Kelly’ Casting: Nina Gold, Doug Aibel Discuss Assembling Different Ensembles [PODCAST] appeared first on The Contending.
--------
--------
‘Wicked:’ Have We Been Chaaaaaanged ‘For Good?’ [VIDEO]
As we lead into the Thanksgiving holiday, are we thankful for Jon M. Chu’s Wicked: For Good? Find out on this week’s podcast! Wicked: For Good gave the U.S. box office a sorely needed shot of adrenaline. Headed into this week’s Thanksgiving holiday, the film appears likely to continue drawing in audiences and will serve up near-record box office numbers with Zootopia 2. On this week’s podcast, Megan, Joey, and Clarence catch up on the latest happenings in Oz and ask, “Does For Good correct the perception that the stage show’s second act lacks magic?” Also, Wicked, the first act, received 10 Oscar nominations last year. Will Wicked: For Good see similar results? Based on lower critical appraisal, many online Oscar watchers dropped the film from the top ten, but what do we think? What films could realistically take its place? Find out as we break it all down for you. We close our podcast with a Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen! Our video podcast follows below! Podcast Music: Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/ The post ‘Wicked:’ Have We Been Chaaaaaanged ‘For Good?’ [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.
--------
1:04:49
--------
1:04:49
‘Die My Love:’ JLaw, RPatz Descend Into Montana Madness [VIDEO]
This week, we review Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson’s new film, Die My Love, and wrestle with director Lynne Ramsay’s esoteric approach. Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson star in director Lynne Ramsay’s Die My Love. The film debuted in theaters last weekend and received an audience-based Cinemascore rating of D+. But that’s a typical reaction to films that challenge expectations. On this week’s Contending at the Water Cooler podcast, we review Die My Love and explore its themes and performances. Does it deserve that audience reaction? What works? What made us scratch our heads? And what do we think of Lawrence and Pattinson’s performances? Plus, will the Academy embrace Lawrence producing and attempting such a challenging, career-shifting role for herself? We break down this and much more as we look closer at Die My Love. We close our podcast with a Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week. We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Click here to listen! Our video podcast follows below! Podcast Music: Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com Track: Here We Go! by cinematic alex https://tunetank.com/track/802-here-we-go/ The post ‘Die My Love:’ JLaw, RPatz Descend Into Montana Madness [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.
--------
41:18
--------
41:18