The Oscars are just around the corner and to get everyone in the mood, the Angelika Plano will be hosting a mini-series of Best Picture winners from the past. But hereâ??s the best part: you choose the films! Here are the rules:

• Voters may vote as many times as they like.
• Voters may vote for up to 3 films at one time.
  
• The poll is active from Dec. 1 through early January.
• Every Thursday weâ??ll eliminate the lowest 5 films and re-post the poll.

Donâ??t be shy. Exercise your right to vote!

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The much anticipated 2008 Sundance Film Festival’s lineup was revealed today. The festival, which will take place in Park City, Utah from January 17-27, will feature 121 films in total, including 81 world premieres, 51 of which come from an impressive group of first-time filmmakers.

For a complete list of films and complete coverage, head over to Variety.

Mark your calendars – our sneak recently caught a screening of Paul Thomas Anderson’s THERE WILL BE BLOOD and came back with much impassioned applause for the stellar adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s novel “Oil!”. See what he had to say below:

The Academy should just send the Oscar for Best Male Performance right now to Daniel Day Lewis for his mesmerizing role in There Will Be Blood. Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s stunning Citizen Kane-like saga of a ruthless oilman in the late 1800’s in a Western United States where entrepreneurs were as dangerous and deadly as any gunslinger. This is truly an American masterpiece.

Look for THERE WILL BE BLOOD @ the Angelika Dallas in early January ’08.

Mr. Turturro completed his rounds at the Angelika Dallas this weekend by hosting a Q&A after his Saturday evening screening of ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES. Enjoy the video below, and don’t forget to scroll down for our exclusive, one-on-one interview!

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John was nice enough to take a minute between trying on cowboy hats, making the social rounds in our cafe and watching his film on the big screen to sit down with us for a brief one-on-one interview and a behind-the-scenes look at ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES. Watch the video below.

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Much to our pleasant surprise, Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo caught a showing of SOUTHLAND TALES this past weekend at the Angelika Dallas and was gracious enough to let us snap his picture. It’s easy on the eyes, so enjoy!

The Angelika Dallas was invaded this past weekend by one Mr. John Turturro, an impressively talented, accomplished writer/director who happens to be opening several movies with us in the near future. Turturro arrived Saturday evening to screen his film, ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES, as part of the USA Film Festival and in anticipation for its opening on 11/30 at the theater.

The film, which he wrote and directed back in 2005, is a totally unique, down and dirty musical-drama-romantic comedy set in a manic working class world. Produced by the Coen brothers, ROMANCE AND CIGARETTES stars an impossibly cool array of actors, including James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Steve Buscemi, Mandy Moore, Bobby Cannavale, Aida Turturro, Mary-Louise Parker, Christopher Walken and Elaine Stritch.

Turturro also has a part in fellow New Yorker Noah Baumbach’s new film, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING, which opened extraordinarily well this past weekend at the Angelika New York. The film, which also stars Nicole Kidman and Jack Black, opens December 7 @ the Angelika Dallas.

Revered New York Times critic Manohla Dargis calls director Richard Kelly’s SOUTHLAND TALES a “funny, audacious, messy and feverishly inspired look at America and its discontents”, and proclaims that the film “has more ideas, visual and intellectual, in a single scene than most American independent films have in their entirety…”.

Dargis is not one to dish out such high praise on a regular basis, so it goes without saying that SOUTHLAND TALES is not to be missed! The film is playing now @ the Angelika New York and opens this Friday, 11/16 @ the Angelika Dallas. Click here to read the full review,
and check out the trailer below.

The French have always known that great animations features were not only for the kiddie- matinee set (the phenomenal grosses for RATATOUILLE proved to be a slam dunk in France), so it should come as no surprise that this stunning black and white animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel (or what the intellectuals call â??comic booksâ?) about a young Iranian woman’s coming of age is such an unalloyed delight. This French feature has already won critical acclaim in film festivals from Cannes to Toronto, and will appeal to all ages – even the ones that can’t read the subtitles – either because they haven’t mastered English yet or because they left their bifocals at home.

Read one of PERSEPOLIS’ many glowing reviews here. The film opens Christmas Day @ the Angelika New York & January 18 @ the Angelika Houston. Don’t miss it!

Khalid Abdalla was nice enough to hang out and answering some questions from our audience after last week’s screening of THE KITE RUNNER. Check it out below, and don’t miss THE KITE RUNNER, opening 12/14 @ the Angelika Plano.

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