And All That Film

Oh Goodness

2011-01-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go? I must post more on this blog! All's well, I just get caught up in other things. So I figured I might as well return to blogging with a bang (just as Robert Downey Jr. returned to relevance with a bang in Iron Man, or Lisa Kudrow returned to TV with a bang in the short-lived-but-brilliant The Comeback). What I mean by a "bang" is my top ten list for 2010, which is as follows (acting awards to follow):

1. The Fighter
2. The Social Network
3. The Kids Are All Right
4. Black Swan
5. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
6. Inception
7. Blue Valentine
8. Solitary Man
9. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work
10. Tangled

What are your favorites of 2010? Please comment!

Music Video

2010-11-05T18:52:00.000-07:00

If I were to start a meme, it would be one where everybody embeds what they consider to be the best music video onto their blog. Not necessarily their favorite, but the actual "best," according to them. If anybody wants to participate, do! Just post what you consider to be the best music video. (I repeat, not your favorite. Unless you're favorite is the best. Fancy taste!)

Here's my pick for the best music video. Keep in mind this is subject to change, but at this moment, on this day, at this hour, I am choosing:

Oi

2010-10-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the follow-up to those Oscar predictions. I won't be able to complete those (junior year at school keeps me busy with other things, whether they be academic or social) I do have another list for you. My favorite celebrities. Not actors or actresses or auteurs (though maybe they are on the list). But those celebrities who, for whatever inexplicable reason, you can't get enough of. Those stars who, if they're on a magazine you buy it, or if they're on a talk show you just have to watch it. Here are my three Tiers of favorite celebrities.

Tier One (Alphabetical)
Jennifer Aniston - It's probably my intense Friends devotion or my belief that she could somehow wow everyone one day if given the right script that leads me to obsess over Miss Aniston.

Penelope Cruz - It's got to be the Spanish accent and the inherent Euro-sexiness.

Andrew Garfield - I've been referring to him as my "new Anna Kendrick" for the awards season, or rather that person who I will cling to during the entire awards season because of their charms, talents, and I just always need somebody to root for (even if they don't usually win, much like Miss Kendrick last year). It's an awards season ritual of mine. In 2007, it was Ellen Page fandom. In 2008, Penelope Cruz. Then Anna and now Andrew.

Neil Patrick Harris - The hottest triple threat ever. He's, like, a 108 threat.

Anna Kendrick - The fast-talking charms of Anna Kendrick make me melt every single time. I could root for her forever.

Nicole Kidman - I have a thing for ridiculously gorgeous and talented actresses with porcelain skin, Amazonian height, delicate features, and Australian accents. What can I say?

Madonna - Nobody has shaped me pop-culturally as much as Madonna has. I made my own Madonna "discovery" in 9th grade. Last year (10th grade), sometime before that "eh" Glee episode devoted to Madge, I became slightly more obsessive and dipped much more extensively into her catalog, but still only scratching the surface of her work and her persona. This past summer, I threw myself completely into Madonna, and now it's October and I still can't get enough. This obsession is here to stay.

(Of course, in the late category, one Katharine Hepburn.)

Tier Two (The people I love but only border on "obsession" with.. alphabetical order.)

Kristin Chenoweth - Pint size fun.
Marion Cotillard - French, and crazy/repressed wife staple.
Courteney Cox - Monica! (And Gale!)
Matthew Fox - One of the few Jack fans out there.
Lisa Kudrow - Phoebe! (And Michele!)
Carey Mulligan - So close to tier one that it actually seems unfair that she's in this tier.
Evangeline Lilly - Kate Kate Kate Kate Kate.
Britney Spears - Bitch.

This is off the top of my head. Which celebrities do you just go gaga for? (Perhaps Gaga herself?)

Oscars Oscars Oscars

2010-09-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

The Oscars seem to be on everybody's minds, from Luke at www.lukecurtis.blogspot.com to Nathaniel at www.filmexperience.blogspot.com. I thought I'd offer my two cents in more than just comment form for who I predict being nominated. These early predictions (no precursors!) are fun. Some may come true, most probably won't. That's the best thing about the pre-precursor season: nothing is set in stone. So be prepared for a lot of text and, without further ado, here they are:

Best Picture (ranked from most likely to least likely):
Toy Story 3
The Kids Are All Right
The Social Network
Inception
The King's Speech
(Tier one above, tier two below)
The Fighter
Black Swan
Love and Other Drugs
Never Let Me Go
Somewhere

We know Toy Story 3 is in if they let Up in last year. Inception I have reservations about, if only because better films may come along, but it definitely captured the zeitgeist this summer, and it is Christopher Nolan's "time." The Academy felt so bad about The Dark Knight snub that they made the field ten-wide. They aren't ignoring Nolan again. The Kids Are All Right has probably had "front-runner" status for awhile (live-action films category) and I don't see any reason why it would lose its heat. The Social Network has gotten very positive early buzz, and its director (David Fincher) has been quite the news item because of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo business. He's safe. The King's Speech is the definition of Oscar bait. Royals, Geoffrey Rush, a true story, and royals. Lots of royals. I've only heard positive things, so I think it can pull off a nomination in a ten-wide field (I mean, An Education did last year and that was certainly less bait-y.)
The Fighter depends on the reviews. With good/great reviews, then the topic (boxer! inspirational!) it's in. Black Swan is probably the most potentially polarizing film on this list, but with ardent supporters (which it seems to have, are they Academy members?) it could break through. Love and Other Drugs feels like that Chocolat nom. waiting to happen. Except Chocolat was in the top 5, so why can't Love and Other Drugs be in the top 10? Never Let Me Go is the film I actually might have the least faith in for Oscar love, but Somewhere also seems iffy, but for different reasons. I give Never Let Me Go the edge because of the cast and that haunting trailer.

Best Director
Christopher Nolan, Inception
David Fincher, The Social Network
David O. Russell, The Fighter
Mike Leigh, Another Year
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan

Nolan has the whole "it's his time," as does Aronofsky. Nolan is probably the safer bet because his film has been released, grossed close to $700 million, and permeated pop culture. Black Swan probably won't come anywhere near $700 million (ah, in a perfect world!), but Darren Aronofsky can't be denied this many times.. can he? David Fincher seems to be a no-brainer, but Mike Leigh and David O. Russell are more long shots. Mike Leigh has pulled off this feat before (Vera Drake) where he gets nominated but his film doesn't, and given the warm reception Another Year has received, he might be safer than the film itself. And David O. Russell soars or sinks based on the reviews of The Fighter. Positive, he's probably in, negative, he's probably out.

More predictions in the coming days. What are your thoughts on my predictions so far?

Catching Up

2010-09-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

So remember that "most anticipated of 2010" list I made? Here's a round-up of the films I've seen, and the new order for "most anticipated" now that I have seen some of the films and my opinions have changed due to trailers, buzz, etc.

Eat Pray Love - B (Tied for number 10 on the former list) A solid Julia Roberts vehicle, but doesn't scratch the surface of the psychological problems and inner journey author Elizabeth Gilbert took to emerge a new woman.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - A- (Number 9) A smart and eye-poppingly fresh take on a graphic novel I never had the fortune of reading. Cera is stellar as he tries to play against type as a womanizer, and the supporting cast (Culkin, Kendrick, etc.) is killer.Inception - B+ (Number 3) A big concept that isn't always as stable as Nolan would want it to be, but can't-miss-cinema nonetheless. Cotillard is radiant in her ever-growing niche of an abused wife, Mal.

The Kids Are All Right - A (Number 2) A film I went into with high expectations, and it didn't disappoint at all. Career best work from Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, and Josh Hutcherson. It treats what could have been trivial plot points with unmatched sincerity and originality.

And now to revise the list.. the previous list looked like:

10. Never Let Me Go / Eat, Pray, Love
9. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
8. My Own Love Song
7. How Do You Know
6. The Social Network
5. Burlesque
4. Rabbit Hole
3. Inception
2. The Kids Are All Right
1. Love and Other Drugs

And the new list looks like:

10. 127 Hours
9. Fair Game
8. How Do You Know
7. Somewhere
6. Burlesque
5. Love and Other Drugs
4. Rabbit Hole
3. Black Swan
2. The Social Network
1. Never Let Me Go

Agree or disagree? Sound off in the comments, please!

Susan Sarandon... EO?

2010-08-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

The EGOT, the combination of having won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. This Sunday, Susan Sarandon may be one step closer to completing her EGOT, as she's nominated for an Emmy in a little-buzzed-about category, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for the HBO telefilm You Don't Know Jack. Her competition includes Brenda Vaccaro (randomly an Oscar nominee) also for You Don't Know Jack, Catherine O'Hara and Julia Ormond for Temple Grandin, and Kathy Bates for Alice. Assuming Syfy doesn't win acting awards, it's a four-way race between the You Don't Know Jack girls and the Temple Grandin girls who aren't Claire Danes.
I haven't seen either movie (no HBO!), but they were both supposed to be pretty good. Susan has the edge here because Catherine and Julia probably play second and third fiddle to Claire Danes, who the movie (presumably) showcases. And while You Don't Know Jack presumably showcases Al Pacino, we all know what Susan Sarandon can do in limited roles. Also, she's been nominated for multiple Emmys before and she has never won, and these kinds of things do factor in (unless you're, say, Richard Burton at the Oscars). She's been a revered, hard working actress for decades now.. surely an Emmy cannot be that hard to take?

And the "G" and the "T" shouldn't be that hard for her to win, either. Her stage work on Broadway is limited. Granted she didn't get a Tony nomination for last season's Exit the King, it's not much to fret over. If supplied with the proper vehicle, a Tony could be hers in no time. And winning a Grammy means doing an audiobook (easier if it's for the kiddies). So, by Sunday, Susan should be halfway through her EGOT.

What do you think of Susan's chances at the Emmys? Please be kind, we're big fans over here.

Black Swan

2010-08-17T16:20:00.001-07:00

Black Swan may or may not be a major Oscar contender.. You can never tell with Darren Aronofsky. It's probably obvious that, if the ten-wide field had existed, The Wrestler would have been included in the line-up, but it's harder to say if Requiem for a Dream would have made it on Oscar's short(but a little bit longer)list of 10 nominees. I mean, Chocolat was in their top five, so...

What do you think of the trailer? I haven't really been looking forward to this, but due to the "eh" trailer of Love and Other Drugs (previously named my "Most Anticipated of 2010") and this much more awesome and intriguing trailer for Black Swan (missing from my most anticipated list), I'm sad that this wasn't previously on my radar! I'm looking forward to it now (Ballerinas! Natalie! Insanity! Mila!?), are you?

Madonna Day 10

2010-08-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Queen of Pop! That's right, Madonna turns 52 today, which also means the end of my countdown of the ten best Madonna songs!

And number 1 is...

1. Ray of Light, Ray of Light

Yes, this is the song that beat Like a Prayer. Its charms are boundless. Every day in the shower I always sing Ray of Light at the top of my lungs. And then when I'm out of the shower, it continues. It starts out so calmly, "Zephyr in the sky at night, I wonder, do my tears of mourning, sink beneath the sun?" And then it's off! Who doesn't have the urge to sing along with Madonna at the top of their lungs when she's singing "And I feel! Like I just got home!" "Quicker than a ray of light!"

And the music video is perfect for this song. Zero controversy (sorry, Like a Prayer), and eye-catching.

It's my favorite Madonna song. Hell, it's my favorite song by anyone.

What are your thoughts on Ray of Light? The countdown? What are your favorite Madonna songs? Agree/disagree with me? Please, stop thinking it and write it down in the comments!

Madonna Days 7, 8, 9

2010-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Of course I haven't been posting daily, so I have to squeeze in the best Madonna songs (#4-#2) in one post! Oh well, nothing to cry over.

4. Like a Virgin, Like a Virgin

3. Material Girl, Like a Virgin

2. Like a Prayer, Like a Prayer

What's that you say? You thought Like a Prayer was going to be number 1!? Well, anybody reading a Madonna countdown expects Like a Prayer to be named her greatest song, but there's one more that I very narrowly love more.

And Material Girl is my favorite Madonna music video. Like a Virgin's music video isn't so great, but the song is just so catchy and iconic.

What are your thoughts on these songs? The countdown? Any guesses for what song is number 1? Sound off, in the comments below!

Madonna Day 6

2010-08-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

5. Borderline, Madonna

Even anti-Madonna people (blasphemy!) have to agree that Borderline is a solid song. And it's probably the song of hers that never gets old, in terms of listening to over and over again consecutively. Love it! That's why it's number 5.

What are your thoughts on Borderline? The countdown? Madonna?

Madonna Day 5

2010-08-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

6. Vogue, I'm Breathless

Don't even get me started on that horrendous, jaw-droppingly bad Sue Sylvester cover version of Vogue that is going to win Jane Lynch her one-note Emmy. Instead, let's focus on the positive. This song is the ultimate feel-good song. My friend and I once agreed that it should play over the credits of every movie, just because it'll allow you to leave feeling good inside even if what you just saw was Precious, Terms of Endearment, A Nightmare on Elm Street, or anything else just shy of "feel good."And the name dropping of all the celebrities? Currently my ringtone... It's probably Madonna's best song for singing along in your bedroom (with the door hopefully closed!). And for these reasons, it lands at spot number 6 on this countdown.

What are your thoughts on Vogue and its ability to make anybody feel amazing?

Madonna Days 3 and 4, Anna Kendrick

2010-08-09T14:25:00.001-07:00

Lack of posting yesterday makes this days 3 and 4...

8. Human Nature, Bedtime Stories

Did I say something true? Did I have a point of view? Did I talk about sex? Did I talk about you? Yes to all of the above! And when you say "yes" to all of the above, you get Human Nature.

7. Frozen, Ray of Light

I wasn't a huge fan of Frozen the first time I heard it. And I don't think many people are, it takes a few times listening to it to understand why it's so amazing. It's the song that gets better and better with repeat listening, and that's why it earns spot 7 (ask me tomorrow and maybe even higher) on this list.

Also...

Happy Birthday Anna Kendrick, winner of the 2009 ATF Award for Best Supporting Actress, comedic and dramatic actress extraordinaire, song and dance gal, and fun media personality.

Madonna Day 2

2010-08-07T21:54:00.001-07:00

A little late for those of us on the East Coast, but for West Coast readers this is still "day 2." And better late than never, so, without further ado...

9. Papa Don't Preach, True Blue

Surprisingly politically right for Madonna, Papa Don't Preach made it's way onto the list because of those almost haunting notes at the beginning, followed by a very solid Madonna song. I think, though everybody may not end up accidentally pregnant, it's a very easy song to relate to. "Mom/dad, I'm in trouble, I need help. Not a lesson."

And that's what earns Papa Don't Preach its spot on this list. What are your thoughts on Madonna's pregnancy anthem?

Madonna Day 1

2010-08-06T19:03:00.001-07:00

I'm counting down the ten best Madonna songs each day until her birthday on August 16th. So let's kick off today with a few honorable mentions...

Of course there are many, many, many honorable mentions, but I narrowed it down to five.

The runners-up (in chronological order...)

Erotica, Erotica
Deeper and Deeper, Erotica
Music, Music
Hung Up, Confessions on a Dance Floor
She's Not Me, Hard Candy

10. Cherish, Like a Prayer, and True Blue, True Blue

Yes, I realize that I already have a tie! You might be asking me, "Why not put one of these in the honorable mentions?" But it's because these songs are so equally feel good, that it's hard to choose which one would make the list and which one wouldn't make the cut. Just listen to Cherish...

It's so sweet. But not to be outdone, here's 1986's True Blue...

These songs are like sugar in song form. That's pretty much all I can say to describe them. Who ever thought a song describing Sean Penn would be so cute? "True blue, baby, I love you."

What are your thoughts on any of the aforementioned Madonna songs?

Ingmar Bergman

2010-08-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

I just saw one of the most disturbing scenes of all time. Actually, a few of the most disturbing scenes the movies have ever brought us. But not "disturbing" in a bad, Hostel Part II way. No, what I just watched was Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers.

And, to be honest, Harriet Andersson's portrayal of a cancer-stricken woman is more unsettling than any horror movie could ever be. How anybody could go there (the breathing, the confused looks of "I don't want to die, or live like this," the constant melancholy) in acting? And how can a director possibly push an actor to those frighteningly realistic places?

The red, the close-ups of each sister (and, of course, loyal, loyal Anna), it's all so memorable and... creepy. But once again not bad creepy. The good kind of creepy.

Have you seen Cries and Whispers? If not, did this encourage or discourage you to see it? I mean, I am trying to recommend it but it's hard to flat out say "you'll love it!"

Also, tomorrow begins a new brief feature.. "The Ten Days of Madonna," where I'll give you my ten favorite Madonna singles up until her 52nd birthday, August 16th!

Cameos

2010-08-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've been shifting towards a TV blog recently, so I'm turning back to film!

I've been thinking of how great cameos can be. To the attentive viewer, cameos can be those few moments when the viewer feels that he or she is in on the joke the director is going at. Here's a clip of one my favorite cameos, Francis Ford Coppola in his own movie, Apocalypse Now.

What are some of your favorite cameos? I wouldn't be surprised to see some Alfred Hitchcock mentions, because he just always pops up in his own films.

Days 11-30: Tv Meme

2010-08-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

This is taking longer than I had anticipated, so here comes one big old post:

A Show That Disappointed Me - Glee
An Episode I've Watched More Than Five Times - "The One with the Red Sweater," Friends
Favorite Childhood Show - Arthur
Favorite Male Character(s) - Charlie Pace, Lost, Chandler Bing, Friends
Favorite Female Character(s) - Rachel Green, Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Friends, Jenna Maroney, 30 Rock, Juliet Burke, Lost
Guilty Pleasure Show - Desperate Housewives
Favorite TV Movie - Grey Gardens
Favorite Title Sequence - Friends
Best TV Ensemble - Friends, Lost
Favorite Kiss - Claire and Charlie's first kiss, Lost
Favorite Relationship - Monica and Chandler, Friends, Charlie and Claire, Lost, Jack and Kate, Lost
Favorite Series Finale - Friends
Most Annoying Character - Mike Delfino, Desperate Housewives, Michael, Lost, Nikki and Paolo, Lost
Best Quote - "Don't tell me what I can't do!" "Live together, die alone." - Lost
A Show I Plan on Watching - Mr. Sunshine
OMG Wtf? Season Finale - "Exodus," Lost
Best Pilot Episode - Lost
First TV Show Obsession - Survivor
Current TV Show Obsession - Cougar Town, The Office, 30 Rock
Saddest Character Death -

[spoiler!]

Charlie, Juliet, Lost

DONE!

Day 10: Television Meme

2010-07-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

A Show That I Thought I Wouldn't Like But Ended Up Loving

Not to sound like a broken record, but...

And here's one that might surprise you more frequent readers...

Yes, my favorite drama and my favorite series of all time (Friends!). I did not think I would like either, having seen an episode here or there and not thinking they were either funny (in the case of Friends) or worthwhile (in the cast of Lost). Boy am I glad I decided to revisit both!

Day 9: Television Meme

2010-07-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

Best Scene Ever

If you haven't watched Lost and are planning on watching it, then do not watch the following scene. It's a spoiler and it's from the season 5 finale, "The Incident." The scene is so emotional and important.

Here's a less spoiler-filled favorite scene.. the beginning of Desperate Housewives. It's stumbled a bit recently, but it would be very hard to regain the magic of this opening scene for anyone.

Day 8: Television Meme

2010-07-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

A Show Everybody Should Watch

Enrique Break

2010-07-16T23:07:00.001-07:00

Love this new Enrique Iglesias song. It's so summer(y?)!

What's been your essential summer song so far?

100th Post

2010-07-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

I'm on post number 100! Hooray!

No, that video does not mean this blog is over. I just totally love that scene!

I'm sorry my posts are so arbitrary. Would you guys like more order or do you like my random musings more?

If you would like me to get organized, sound off! But if you like the way my blog is not (a total mess), sound off in the comments, also! If you have something you've just been dying to say to/ask me, you can also go for it!

Thanks to all of the support throughout my first blogging year. You all know who you are, and your support for this blog has meant the world to me. I love all of your blogs and they inspire me a lot. I'm sorry that this got a little emotional and drawn out, but the blogging community has been so accepting so I just wanted to say thanks!

Here's to hundreds of more toasts!

Emmys - Quick Reaction

2010-07-08T05:51:00.001-07:00

I'm writing this in a hurry, and I have only two things to say.

Congratulations, Matthew Fox! I'm a huge Jack fan though most other Lost fans seem to dislike Mr. Shephard.

It's okay, Courteney Cox Arquette. You're only doing some of your best comedic work carrying the bulk of Cougar Town on your own back. Maybe next year you'll get some Emmy love!

Emmy Predictions

2010-07-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Emmys are upon us! Well, the nominations, and I'm here to offer up some predictions for those nominations.

Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama
Naveen Andrews, Lost
Michael Emerson, Lost
Terry O'Quinn, Lost
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Martin Short, Damages
John Slattery, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Rose Byrne, Damages
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Chloe Sevigny, Big Love
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Rainn Wilson, The Office

Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy
Cheryl Hines, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Jane Lynch, Glee
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama
Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Ray Romano, Men of a Certain Age

Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Harigtay, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy
Toni Collette, The United States of Tara
Courteney Cox, Cougar Town
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Mary Louise Parker, Weeds

Outstanding Drama Series
Mad Men
Breaking Bad
True Blood
House
Lost
Dexter
The Good Wife

Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock
The Office
Glee
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory
Curb Your Enthusiasm
How I Met Your Mother

Emmys and Meme Day 7

2010-07-07T18:20:00.000-07:00

How on earth do you pronounce meme?

Anyway, let's start with Day 7 of the Television Meme - My Least Favorite Episode of My Favorite Show

I shared some favorites today, so I'll do today similarly and list some least favorites.

The One Where Chandler Crosses The Line
Season 4 is honestly probably my least favorite season, despite some great episodes and lines (Michael Flatley, lord of the dance!). This episode has the utterly boring Kathy story line, and Joey and Chandler bickering over such a boring girl. This episode is sort of a snooze. Sorry, fans of TOW Chandler Crosses The Line!

The One With the Ride Along
I'm not a huge fan of Gary, though he does have some awesome Phoebe scenes. But this episode, where Joey, Chandler, and Ross go for a ride with Gary shows the lack of chemsitry between Gary and the male leads (totally unlike Paul Rudd, who brought the hilarity out in all of the cast members). Also- boring subplot in the seemingly endless Ross/Emily story.

Lastly, all clip-show episodes are boring. Sorry, but they are.

Okay I have an upcoming TV related post on the Emmys... stay tuned...

Day 6: Television Meme

2010-07-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Favorite Episode of My Favorite Television Show

It's hard to choose just one episode, so in the following arbitrary order are some of my favorite episodes of Friends:

The One in Barbados
There's so much to love here. Though I'm not a huge fan of Joey/Rachel, I still love the way Joey and Charlie fell apart, and Charlie/Ross Rachel/Joey came together. And Monica's whole hair things show how good actors can make silly stories in pure comedy gold. And how could I forget David? Poor Hank Azaria. His David was just never destined to be with Phoebe!

The One Where Everybody Finds Out
Oh how the writers must have had a tough time figuring this out. She knows we know they know we know? I know they know we know they know? It's never confusing figuring out who knows what, and to that the writers deserve a standing ovation. And, naturally, Kudrow steals the show with the help of Perry's Chandler.

The One Where Ross Hugs Rachel
Season 6 is one of the most consistent seasons, and TOW Ross Hugs Rachel is just one of the many examples of the amazing consistency and hilarity of the season. Whether it's stupid gags (Monica's gross cookies) or balancing comedy and heart (Ross loving Rachel, Chandler and Monica's huge step forward), Friends always succeeds in making the audience wish that their friends were this sixsome. (Sixsome is so not a word.)

Day 5: Television Meme

2010-06-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the break, but I was on vacation! Caribbean waters, so very nice...

So I'm going back to the meme (in a not-so-cheerful-way) with...

A Show I Hate

Seinfeld sucks. I'm sorry. Jerry Seinfeld's acting, Michael Richards' pre-racism over-the-top "kookiness," George Costanza; Everything that isn't named "Julia Louis-Dreyfus" is pure garbage on this show.

Whenever I try to watch Seinfeld (which is not something that happens often), there are always punchlines like "You have a lot to learn about pancakes." Blah. I'm sorry to the millions of Seinfeld fans, but this show is crap.

Day 4: Television Meme

2010-06-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Show

So much has been written about my favorite show: Friends.

I'm not sure what's left to say. It's the go-to show for me whenever I'm feeling anything. Sad, happy, in need of a laugh, tired, angry, excited. 236 episodes of some great comedy. Well, some episodes do misfire a tad (The One with Russ), but when it's good (which is about 200+ of these episodes) it's really good (The One with the Red Sweater). I was too young to watch the series during its incredibly successful, 10-year run on the now-failing NBC. But I found the show in reruns, and now I own all ten seasons on DVD and regularly (very, very regularly) watch them.

Some random musings:
-Season 6 is the best. No wait, Season 9. No wait, Season 5. I can't choose!
-My mind changes on the order of my favorite characters all the time. I posted it on Andrew's blog a little while ago, but I don't remember that order. The order as of today: Phoebe, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Joey, Ross.
-I usually can't bring myself to watch the final episode because it makes me cry. There, I said it!

One day I might rank all of these episodes, is there demand for that though? Sound off in the comments if there is! Also, what are your thoughts on Friends?

Day 3: Television Meme

2010-06-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Your Favorite New Show (Aired This TV Season)

Because I'm often so disappointed with Glee (or at least the second half of season 1), I'm going to have to choose the show of yesterday's meme: Cougar Town. I think I pretty much summed up my thoughts on its quick pacing and how it is full of heart. So, for today, here are some pictures:

Day 2: Television Meme

2010-06-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

A Show You Wish More People Were Watching

Cougar Town, Courteney Cox Arquette's return to network television, got off to a shaky start. The first handful of episodes were struggling to find that balance between comedy and sentiment, raunchiness and clean one-liners, much like Cox's character was trying to find a balance between single mother and dating divorcee. But in the second half of the first season, the show became one of the funniest shows on the major networks.

Cox is a gifted comedienne (uh, Monica!) and here she is able to finally burst into the spotlight. On Friends she was an ensemble player (as they all were), and here she gets to be the comedy-star we knew she could be. If the name turns you off, just please give it a try. It has a heart, and it has found its stride.

Amendment to yesterday's "Never should have been canceled" meme: Lisa Kudrow's The Comeback. That show should still be on today. Valerie Cherish is a character for the ages. Along with Arrested Development, this show is a comedic gem that should still grace the airwaves.

I'm Back, with All That TV

2010-06-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been on an extended leave, but school and finals got pretty hectic, but I'm done! And I've seen this new, 30 day Television meme over at Encore Entertainment, and I decided to jump right on in because I've been on a TV kick recently. I'll be gone June 23rd-27th (vacation!) but I promise to give you reader(s?) a summer filled with posts.

Highlights may include (but are not limited to):

-Thoughts on the recently named Tony Award winning play, Red
-Thoughts on the recently named Tony Award winning musical revival, La Cage Aux Folles
-Television meme
-Oscar thoughts

So onto Day 1 of the Meme...

A Show That Should Have Never Been Canceled

Arrested Development was a cerebral little nugget of a show. My favorite character would have to be Portia de Rossi's dimwitted Lindsay, but legitimately everybody in the awesome ensemble gives her a run for her money. Hilarious guest stars (Henry Winkler! Charlize Theron! Liza Minnelli!) actually seemed to add to the show and were able to understand the series' beautiful, totally odd way of thinking. There were only three seasons (with the possibility of a movie that seems to never be happening), and each one is equally quirky. If you haven't seen it, some of the episodes are available on Hulu, but I totally recommend buying all three seasons blindly. You will not be disappointed.

What are your thoughts on Arrested Development?

Moulin Rouge!

2010-05-30T12:57:00.001-07:00

I know that I'm sorta late, but I figure even if I don't get posted in Andrew's (at Encore Entertainment) blogathon, at least I wrote about my favorite musical, which is...

Moulin Rouge!

I'd like to focus on two of the most confusing snubs of the decade...

Ewan for Best Actor, and Baz Luhrmann for Best Director. A film as big as Moulin Rouge! depends on two things: the acting, and the skill of a director. (All I can say is thank god Nicole got her nomination!)

In a film filled with ridiculously lavish and crazy, over-the-top production numbers, how are you supposed to keep the film's central message (it's a love story!) clear? If you're Baz Luhrmann, you make sure you get Ewan McGregor. Take the scene below...

Even as Ewan and Nicole spin high up in the clouds, they make sure that the message doesn't get lost in the crazy, over-produced (in a good way) musical number. It also helps that Ewan's voice has that sensual, masculine touch of rogue-ness and the face of a Shakespearean paramour. He's the spark that ignites Nicole's flame (there's a metaphor of worth in there somewhere... look harder!).

Baz, in the tradition of Cecil B. DeMille, keeps everything big. But what Baz also does is keep the realism true in spite of the theatricality. Take a look at this...

Notice the intimacy of a huge scene. Nicole's "I love you, 'til the end of time," is more touching than it would have been between just the two of them in a room. By staging the song "Come What May" in the Duke's production, Baz makes the love of these two seem as huge as the production itself. I'm sure we can all realize that, despite its grandeur, it's one of the most touching and intimate portrayals of love ever captured on screen. Baz knows how to make it big and small, all at the same time.

I hope that made sense. It's hard to explain the greatness of Moulin Rouge! without contradicting oneself a thousand times over.

So there you have it, my favorite (and the best) musical.

Most Anticipated Films of 2010

2010-05-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

I know it's May, but I thought that it's better late than never to tell you guy(s?) which films I'm anticipating the most for the 2010 film year. Here they are, in order from 1o (anticipated) to 1 (most anticipated).

10. Never Let Me Go / Eat, Pray, Love
9. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
8. My Own Love Song *
7. How Do You Know
6. The Social Network
5. Burlesque
4. Rabbit Hole
3. Inception
2. The Kids Are All Right
1. Love and Other Drugs

*Don't judge me!

What are your most anticipated movies? Agree/disagree with my list? Sound off!

Mean Girls

2010-05-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

The definitive high school film of the 2000's? As a current high-schooler, I will certainly vouch for that title.

Chita and Kristin

2010-05-11T17:50:00.000-07:00

Time to catch you guy(s) up on my life! Been busy, but I do have some things to share...

I saw Chita Rivera's one-woman show, Chita Rivera: My Broadway, and I thought I'd share some musings.

-Chita referred to Jerome Robbins (West Side Story choreographer) quite endearingly, which is interesting seeing as people (in)famously talk about how hard he is to work with.
-Chita talked about Catherine Zeta Jones, who we all know played Velma Kelly in the film version of Chicago (and, which you should know, Chita cameo'd in! And just in case you weren't sure of the connection because you're not Broadway-oriented, Chita originated the role of Velma Kelly in the original, Bob Fosse-helmed production of Chicago). Chita says she told Catherine that she could "keep her Oscar" as long as Chita could keep "her vamp" from All That Jazz.

-Chita called Rob Marshall an "up and coming director" and referenced his recent movie, Nine. She played Judi Dench's part in the 2003 Broadway revival, which netted Chita a Tony Award nomination.

-Chita paid a lot of tribue to Kander & Ebb, the duo behind Chita-musicals like Chicago, The Rink, and The Kiss of the Spider Woman. She says she's hoping to bring their latest (The Visit) to Broadway this year!

-At 77, Chita is still so full of life. She can kick higher than some twenty-somethings and certainly has an amazing screen presence.

-Chita also paid tribute to fellow famed dancer, the late Gwen Verdon. She did a touching "Nowadays" tribute to her deceased friend.

and all that jazz!

I also saw the new Broadway revival of Promises, Promises. I'm running out of time, but let's just say...
-Katie Finneran for the win!
-Sean Hayes can play straight! (Take that, Newsweek!)
-Kristin Chenoweth was so snubbed! (And I'm not just saying that because I met her at the stagedoor!)
-Based on The Apartment, it really benefits from such a cute, funny, and touching book.

Check it out if you can!

Ann Margret

2010-05-08T13:40:00.001-07:00

Broadway Goes Hollywood

2010-05-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

The Tony Nominations are here! And the list for some of these categories almost looks like an Oscar shortlist, doesn't it? For example...

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Jude Law, Hamlet
Alfred Molina, Red
Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge
Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane
Denzel Washington, Fences

Apparently Denzel is the frontrunner here, but wouldn't we all love the Tony Awards if they decided to give an award to Christopher Walken? He'd be halfway to an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony)!

Speaking of the EGOT, Catherine Zeta Jones is nominated for her performance in A Little Night Music. Since she already has the "O," arguably the hardest letter to obtain in the much coveted EGOT, wouldn't it be nice to add a "T"? We all know Emmys are easy to nab, providing you're not her. And she has a wonderful voice, so she could win a Grammy with that, or record a children's album. Gwyneth Paltrow tried that last year I believe. She didn't win.

In other movie related news, Laura Linney nabbed a nomination for her lead-actressing in the play Time Stands Still. She's somebody else that the Triple Crown (Oscar, Emmy, Tony) seems somewhat obtainable for. Or is that just wishful thinking? Do you think Oscar will ever fully embrace Linney? Emmy might (again) for her upcoming Showtime Series with Gabourey Sidibe, The Big C.

ScarJo is also nominated for her work in A View from the Bridge. She's flirted with Oscar before but has not been nominated, which is weird considering Oscar loves pretty young faces.

What say you? Anyone in mind not on the Tony shortlist that you hope to see Triple Crown and maybe, just maybe EGOT one day? Any reactions to the nominations? Predictions? Have you seen any of the shows? Sound off below!

Lynn Redgrave - Rest in Peace

2010-05-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Rest in Peace, Lynn Redgrave.

Glee

2010-04-20T17:30:00.000-07:00

In less than 30 minutes, Glee: The Power of Madonna will air on Fox. This could go horribly, horribly wrong (like that awful "Vogue" video preview).

Predictions? Or, if you're reading this after the episode, after thoughts?

10 Facts...

2010-04-19T19:58:00.001-07:00

I wasn't tagged in this little movie thing-y, but since I've had a lot of time I figured I'd join in on all the movie-blogging...

1. A lot of movies can make me cry. For example: Moulin Rouge!, Forrest Gump, A League of Their Own, West Side Story...

2. I still honestly believe Anna Kendrick should have won the Academy Award over Mo'Nique. That seems to be a lost battle, no? Hopefully one day Anna Kendrick's performance in Up in the Air will get the recognition it deserves.

3. Johnny Depp doesn't excite me as much as he does others. He's given performances I like (hell, some of them I even love) but hearing his name on a cast list doesn't make me want to see the movie any more (or any less for that matter).

4. Musicals rock. I honestly think that Rob Marshall's Chicago was something of a masterpiece - something Bob Fosse would have been proud of. Spontaneously breaking out into song (to further the plot) is amazing. Why don't more movies do it?

5. Kate Winslet kind of bores me. I really enjoyed her in Little Children, but aside from that none of her performances ever wow me, and I've seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The same goes for Meryl Streep. I love her work in Adaptation. But outside of that film, I don't get the big deal. She sure is charming off screen, but I don't always understand the fuss. I also liked her in Kramer Vs. Kramer, but I'm not a huge fan of her "calculated" work in Sophie's Choice.

6. I'm anticipating Burlesque. That is all.

7. I think Zoolander is hysterical. I mean, orange mocha frappucinos? What could be better! I don't think Meet the Parents is as funny. It's just one of those things I suppose.

8. I consider Jurassic Park to be Spielberg's masterpiece. I hate E.T. with a passion, and his other films just can't beat the fact that in Jurassic Park he brought dinosaurs to life. Those things are freaking awesome. I hope the fourth installment in the series happens, and I hope Keira Knightley is still attached.

9. The first Katharine Hepburn movie (fav. actress) I saw was Woman of the Year, which I don't even particularly like. Who knows how I developed an obsession for her?

10. I think The Lion King is Disney's greatest product. If you don't believe me, watch for yourself.

What's A Paltrow To Do?

2010-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you have all heard the news that Gwyneth Paltrow is dropping out of The Danish Girl with Nicole Kidman. Two of the most media-hated stars together in a movie (and about the world's first transsexual!) was too good to be true.

Gwyneth claims she dropped out in order to spend time with her family (she's married to Coldplay's Chris Martin, you know).

So what's a Paltrow to do? Her career is hardly enviable, with her last big "meaty" role in 2005's underperforming Proof.

Advice: Television. It may seem below you, Oscar winning actress Gwyneth, but I just don't see you snatching these good dramatic parts that we all know you can do. Why wait for something good to fall into your lap again? The roles are few and far between for women of a certain age (you'll be 38 soon!) and we all know that TV is a comfort zone for actresses who get the cold shoulder from the silver screen (Sally Field, Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, and this summer Laura Linney).

I could totally see Gwyneth doing some sort of Desperate Housewives series, but not network television. Take Desperate Housewives and turn it over to HBO or Showtime, and I think we have our first Paltrow-success since... since Shakespeare in Love perhaps!

What do you think? Should Gwyneth turn to the small screen, or should she keep trying to find that next big role in cinema?

Lady Gaga

2010-04-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Question of the day...

Lady Gaga. Everyone calls her the "next Madonna," and we all know that Madonna has had an interesting film career, filled with successes (Dick Tracy, Despearetly Seeking Susan, Evita) and flops (Swept Away).

So my question to you, reader(s), is: Will Lady Gaga turn to the silver screen, and if she does how successful will she be? Do you think she could be a good cross-breed of successful multi-platinum pop-icon and actress?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Sorry

2010-04-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

I've had ZERO time to post anything, and I'm afraid next week is probably going to be just as scarce on the blogging. Even this post is short on time, so I'm just going to embed a video that explains itself...

Decade Defining Performances

2010-04-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Somehow or another, each decade there is that one standout performance that trumped everything else for the decade. (I'm talking actressing here, sorry guys!) For the most part they are widely agreed on, with only a few dissenters.

For the 1930s, the big performane is (or seems to be)...

Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind
(with the possibilities of Luise Rainer in The Good Earth or Claudette Colbert in It Happened One Night)

For the 1940s, the big performance is (or seems to be)...
Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story
(with the possibilities of Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress or Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity)

For the 1950s, the big performance is (or seems to be)...
Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire
(with the possibilities of Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard or Judy Garland in A Star is Born)

For the 1960s, the big performance is (or seems to be)...
Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
(with the possibilities of Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter or in Long Day's Journey Into Night)

For the 1970s, the big performance is (or seems to be)...
Diane Keaton in Annie Hall
(with the possibilities of Jane Fonda in Klute or Liza Minnelli in Cabaret)

For the 1980s, the big performance is pretty undisputed...
Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice
(with us non-Streepies the possibilities of Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond or Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction or Michelle Pfeiffer in The Fabulous Baker Boys)

For the 1990s, the big performance is (or seems to be)...
Holly Hunter in The Piano
(with the possibilities of Frances McDormand in Fargo or Hilary Swank in Boys Don't Cry)

But what are the "big" or "landmark" performances of the 2000s? Most would agree that Charlize Theron takes the cake with her work in Monster, but in 20 years will it still hold up? That's what the other performances seem to have in common. They've managed to stay the test of time and have become loved. They're almost always on those "Best of..." lists when it comes to naming superb actresses. So here are some other suggestions for those big performances of the 2000s, the ones that will age splendidly.

Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge!
Renee Zellweger in Nurse Betty
Penelope Cruz in Volver
Carey Mulligan in An Education
Joan Allen in The Upside of Anger
Amy Adams in Enchanted
Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven
Tilda Swinton in Julia

Which performance(s) do you think should be remembered as the landmark performance of the last decade?

Romance...

2010-04-01T20:49:00.001-07:00

...isn't it great? How many of these films/actors can you name?

Pixar Ranking

2010-03-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

Pixar. There's no way to sum up there incredible and monumental critical/box office success. I've seen all but one of their films. The one I missed was Cars, which I don't really care to catch up on. I have decided to rank the other nine films I have seen. This is more of a preference list than a list of the Best, though I'm sure there would be some serious overlapping.

1. Wall-E

2. The Incredibles

3. Monsters Inc.

4. Up

5. Finding Nemo

6. Toy Story

7. A Bug's Life

8. Ratatouille

9. Toy Story 2

What are your Pixar rankings?

Rethinking Best Supporting Actress

2010-03-23T18:53:00.000-07:00

When you do "best of" rankings, everything depends on your mood. I think I may have made an error in my own Best Supporting Actress ranking by placing Marion Cotillard in 3rd, behind 2nd place winner Mo'Nique. What's done is done, but if I had to make those rankings again today, Marion would take silver (to first place winner Anna Kendrick!).

I think Marion's is the type of performance that grows over time. I think Mo'Nique's is the complete opposite. Everyone was so blown away by Mo'Nique's "powerhouse" performance the second they saw it. In five years time, I wonder if it will pack the same emotional punch that everybody thought it did.

This is where Marion's strengths lie. There's no way that her performance as Luisa Contini will decay as Mo'Nique's might. It may just be the dynamics of Nine vs. Precious, but I truly believe it's something more. Mo'Nique came out of nowhere with Precious. As soon as people saw the film in Sundance there was buzz. The more people saw it, the more intense the buzz grew. It was a comedienne/talk-show host who was giving one hell of a dramatic performance. Marion, on the other hand, was set to be in one of the baitiest Oscar movies of the season: Nine. When Nine failed to take off with audiences and critics, nearly everything connected to it (save Penelope) was left behind in the dust. It was seen as an all-around disappointment because expectations were soooooooooooooooo high.

See the difference? Precious became a surprise hit. Nine became a surprise critical and Oscar failure. Mo'Nique was on the upswing of Precious, and Marion was brought down with Nine. It was expectations that let Mo'Nique soar, and it was expectations that let Marion's chances of a second Oscar nomination plummet. But when we look back in five years and regard Nine as a "total mess," won't Marion's performance seem more impressive? And when we look back in five years and expect the second-coming of Christ from Mo'Nique, won't we all be disappointed? It's the momentum of the season that can help an actress get nominated. Not to defy Mo'Nique's speech, but there is more to winning an Academy Award than just the performance, like it or not. It wasn't about the "politics" so much as the momentum-The Precious momentum carried her, not the other way around.

In 2015, let's all revisit Precious and Nine, and pay close attention to Mo'Nique and Marion. I'd be surprised if people still hailed Mo'Nique as they do now. Marion's lack of an Oscar nomination will probably be on some of those "worst snubs" lists.

What are your thoughts? Which performance do you think will be better in five years' time?

Movie Meme

2010-03-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

I filled out the following survey thanks to a tip from Andrew at Encore Entertainment. Here it is:

Gender: A Single Man
Describe Yourself: Happy-Go-Lucky
How Do You Feel Right Now: Enchanted
Where Do You Live: Boys Town
What's the Weather Like There: Little Miss Sunshine
Where Would You Like To Go Right Now: Chicago
What's Your Biggest Fear: Reversal of Fortune
Your Life Is A Film, Give It A Name: Splendor in the Grass
What Will You Be Doing Today: Do the Right Thing
Give Us A Piece of Advice: Throw Momma from the Train

Happy 34th!

2010-03-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Happy 34th Reese!

Movie Posters

2010-03-19T21:00:00.000-07:00

Certain movie posters are really great, and even if the film is bad, at least they have an awesome poster. Other movies receive utterly lazy posters. Time for a round-up of 2010's the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good:

Repo Men... simple, sweet, and blue

The Runaways... clever, eye-catching, and explosive

Letters to Juliet... those eyes, that look, those colors

The Bounty Hunter... the plot is bad, but the poster is charming

The Bad:

Green Zone... laziness in poster design will not help this dud make any money

When in Rome... both stars are pretty, but neither has that movie star factor

Extraordinary Measures... Brendan Fraser is amused, Harrison Ford is not. Neither are we

The Last Song... stop invading on our movie territory Miley!

The Ugly:

Date Night... great and super-funny stars, dullest poster

Clash of the Titans... snoozeee...

Hot Tub Time Machine... somebody must have come up with this plot and poster within a span of four hours

Legion... mind-numbingly uncreative

What are your thoughts? Comment!

Favorite Actresses

2010-03-18T19:31:00.001-07:00

We all have favorites. People who we just love to love despiteof their credentials or filmography. Case and point: the recent love-fest for Sandra Bullock because everybody just seems to really love that girl in spite of never having turned in a performance that wowed everybody (sorry, The Blind Side.)

I've decided to list my favorite actresses. This is not a list of whom I think are the best actresses (with perhaps some overlappage), but rather a list of which actresses excite me on and off the screen. I've limited the number of actresses to fifteen, and they are actresses currently making movies. If you're reading this, please join in either in the comments or in your own blog and tell me about it so I can link to it!

Here they are...

(order is completely 100% random)

Marion Cotillard

Penelope Cruz

Anna Kendrick

Nicole Kidman

Michelle Pfeiffer

Parker Posey

Amy Adams

Susan Sarandon

Renee Zellweger

Julia Roberts

Reese Witherspoon

Keira Knightley

Jennifer Aniston

Sigourney Weaver

Evan Rachel Wood

Love Me If You Dare

2010-03-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

See Love Me If You Dare. This has to be pretty brief, but a basic overview...

Girl is an outsider, Boy is a troublemaker. Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl start a "game" in which whoever holds their toy carousely thing gets to give the other one a dare? Game? Game.

Roger Ebert gave it two stars (ouch!). I give it four (yay!).

It stars my new love Marion Cotillard (who I used to hate based on ... I don't even know), and her current hubby-ish thing Guillaume Canet. Totally worth checking out! It's available on Netflix on demand. By the way, it's in French!

Oscar Predictions

2010-03-07T13:35:00.001-08:00

My first Oscar Predictions on my blog! Here goes nothing!

Best Picture
The Hurt Locker

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow

Best Actor
Jeff Bridges

Best Actress
Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actor
Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress
Mo'Nique

Best Original Screenplay
Inglourious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay
Up in the Air

Best Animated Feature
Up

Best Foreign Language Feature
El Secreto de Sus Ojos

Best Documentary Feature
The Cove

Best Documentary Short
Rabbit a la Berlin

Best Live Action Short
Kavi

Best Animated Short
The Lady and the Reaper

Best Original Score
Up

Best Original Song
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart

Best Sound Editing
Avatar

Best Sound Mixing
The Hurt Locker

Best Art Direction
Avatar

Best Cinematography
Avatar

Best Makeup
Star Trek

Best Costume Design
The Young Victoria

Best Film Editing
The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects
Avatar

Damn

2010-03-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

It seems I have indeed lost ABC. I will find alternate ways of watching the broadcast, but it still sucks that I can't watch comfortably with a nice TV and a cozy couch to snuggle up in. But let's not dwell on the negative. Let's take a moment to look at something else lovely...

...and predictions will be up tomorrow!

Lovely Marion

2010-03-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

I don't want to come off as a bitter person (see: last two posts) so enjoy Marion Cotillard's smooth and sweet rendition of "My Husband Makes Movies."

Oscars Suck...

2010-03-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

...when you can't watch them live! So Cablevision customers in the general area of NY/CT/NJ will not be able to watch the Academy Awards, or anything on ABC7 for that matter, because Cablevision and ABC7 had a falling out. If this isn't resolved, 12:01 AM on March 7th ABC goes black!

Is this some kind of cruel joke? Would this EVER happen on the weekend of the Superbowl? I think not. But then again we live in a society where a football is more revered than art. Awesome.

And what the hell ABC? Why would a television network voluntarily black out approximately 3 million Cablevision customers? Network television is already dying, and somehow losing what I presume to be one of your top three markets sounds like something I would generally try to avoid. From what I hear, you're going to become obsolete eventually, are you just trying to speed this up or something? Pull the band-aid off quickly instead of slowly sort of deal? Congratulations, you get the All That Film moron award of the year.

But is Cablevision to blame? Earlier this year we Cablevision customers lost HGTV and Food Network for a period of about two weeks because of a dispute (seems to be their favorite word) between Cablevision and Scripps Network. Should we have seen this coming? I would have never guessed that one of the networks that has been around since my 80 year old Grandma was in her twenties would ever disappear from my home. And while Cablevision has come off as the cheapest company I've really ever heard of with these two disputes just in 2010, ABC is really coming off as the scummiest company for doing this. C'mon. The weekend of the Academy Awards? Even if I switched to Fios or Direct TV I would still miss the broadcast. So thanks guys! I've only given you countless hours of my life watching everything from Desparate Housewives, to Good Morning America and The View. So honestly, what gives?

If ABC were to guess how bad I feel for them in this situation, it would probably end up somewhere between as bad as I feel for Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep at this moment. Frankly, my dears - I don't give a damn.

What's more awesome is being in high school as all of this unfolds. As difficult as it is to find a house with Verizon Fios/Direct TV, it's even more difficult to ask somebody to crash at their house until 12 AM on a Sunday night. Parents have work, we have school. Add that to the fact that the majority of people in my high school don't care or know what the Academy Awards are, and wouldn't have even known that they were unable to watch them on Sunday.

So my options are pretty limited. It's looking like a no-go for the Oscars this year. Don't worry ABC, I haven't been following the Oscars closely ever since February 23rd, 2009.

This post probably seems bitter. Good.

What The Hell

2010-03-01T19:26:00.000-08:00

http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2010/03/01/cablevision-customers-in-new-york-area-may-miss-oscars-this-weekend/

I think I'd kill myself. Holy crap.

Best of 2009

2010-02-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

I am getting tired of Best of 2009, and want to rid myself of it. I did Best Supporting Actress and Lead Actress in separate posts, but I feel I will never finish if I keep doing it like that. So, without further ado, here is my best of 2009!

Best Picture

1st place: (500) Days of Summer
2nd: An Education
3rd: Up in the Air
4th: Inglourious Basterds
5th: Avatar

Best Director

1st: Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
2nd: Marc Webb, (500) Days of Summer
3rd: James Cameron, Avatar
4th: Lone Scherfig, An Education
5th: Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Best Actor

1st: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
2nd: George Clooney, Up in the Air
3rd: Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
4th: Logan Lerman, My One and Only
5th: Sam Rockwell, Moon

Best Actress

1st: Carey Mulligan, An Education
2nd: Zooey Deschanel, (500) Days of Summer
3rd: Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
4th: Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
5th: Renee Zellweger, My One and Only

Best Supporting Actor

1st: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
2nd: Peter Sarsgaard, An Education
3rd: Brad Pitt, Inglourious Basterds
4th: Dominic Cooper, An Education
5th: Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Best Supporting Actress

1st: Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
2nd: Mo'Nique, Precious
3rd: Marion Cotillard, Nine
4th: Rosamund Pike, An Education
5th: Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds

Best Cast

1st: Inglourious Basterds
2nd: An Education
3rd: Nine
4th: Up in the Air
5th: Duplicity

Special Award
Up - I couldn't fit this into my limited categories, so I will give it a special award because it truly is fantastic.

Rundown
An Education 7 nominations, 1 win
Inglourious Basterds 5 nominations, 2 wins
Up in the Air 5 nominations, 1 win
(500) Days of Summer 4 nominations, 2 wins
The Hurt Locker 2 nominations, 1 win
Avatar 2 nominations, 0 wins
My One and Only 2 nominations, 0 wins
Nine 2 nominations, 0 wins
Precious 2 nominations, 0 wins
Up 1 nomination, 1 win
Duplicity 1 nomination, 0 wins
Julie & Julia 1 nomination, 0 wins
The Last Station 1 nomination, 0 wins
Moon 1 nomination, 0 wins

Boy do I feel relieved. What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Share!

Oscar Presenters

2010-02-27T20:23:00.000-08:00

With all the news floating about that Twilight stars Taylor Lautner, Kristen Stewart, and the rest of the boring under-25 gang will be presenting at this year's Oscars, I thought I'd like to share who I'd like to see present each award. For the acting awards I'm pretty sure they aren't doing the "five past winners" idea, so I have only one person listed.

Best Supporting Actress
Celeste Holm

Why? She's always been a supporting player, and the Best Supporting Actress Oscar she won more than 60 years ago helped her to launch a film career. And I love the Old Hollywood stars that are still around. Who better to invite somebody to the club than 92 year old Holm?

Fun-fact: Penélope Cruz and Celeste Holm's birthdays are only one day apart (April 28th and 29th, respectively!).

Best Supporting Actor
Gene Hackman

Why? Well, he's pretty much 100% done with acting, so it would be nice to see Hackman up and about.

Best Actress
Julie Christie

Why? I feel she represents this year's Best Actress line-up pretty well. She's practically always better than the films she is in (Darling, Shampoo) and the actresses this year, for the most part, are better than their respective films. Despite the all around terribleness of The Blind Side, at least Sandra does her job well.

Best Actor
Maximilian Schell

Why? Because I'm big on sentiment, that's why.

Best Director
Nicole Kidman

Why? I really want a woman to give Best Director to Kathryn Bigelow. Then maybe the Academy will finally understand that woman do other things than act, design costumes, and make documentary shorts.

Best Picture
Lauren Bacall and Roger Corman

Why? The Honorary Oscars were cut from the telecast, and it would be nice to have two Hollywood legends presenting the Academy's highest honor. I mean, how much more prestigious can you get?

Best Original and Adapted Screenplay
Tina Fey & Steve Carrell

Best Animated Feature
Reese Witherspoon & Christian Bale

Best Foreign Language Film
Penélope Cruz & Pedro Almodóvar

Best Documentary Feature and Short
Ann-Margret & Rita Moreno

Best Live Action and Animated Short
Will Ferrell & John C. Reilly

Best Original Score
Julianne Moore & Mark Wahlberg

Best Original Song
Renee Zellweger & Ewan McGregor

Best Sound Editing and Mixing
Jennifer Aniston & Kevin Bacon

Best Art Direction
Amy Adams

Best Cinematography
Taraji P. Henson

Best Makeup and Costume Design
Marisa Tomei & Mickey Rourke

Best Film Editing
Thelma Schoonmaker

Best Visual Effects
Robert Downey Jr.

Who are your dream presenters?

Oscar Trivia

2010-02-22T18:22:00.000-08:00

Click over to In Contention, they have a pretty witty and charming graph that breaks down the Oscars by numbers..

For example-

According to the graph, 21% of actors had their careers plummet after winning the Academy Award. It's easy to name a few, isn't it? Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Helen Hunt, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Costner, and Nicole Kidman are just a few of the many many actors who saw their careers take a dip (for some, a dip that still hasn't ended) after winning the much-coveted Academy Award.

So what are you waiting for? Click!

Surprise!

2010-02-20T12:40:00.001-08:00

Just kidding! Come March 7th, I feel there will be no big surprises in the acting categories. Mo'Nique, Christoph Waltz, Sandra Bullock, and Jeff Bridges will all make their millionth way to the podium, look all teary-eyed and elated (you should be, it's an Oscar!) and then go backstage to the "Thank You" cam and the press.

But wouldn't it be nice if the Oscars were filled with more surprises? This is not a new thought, but it is true. Regardless of performance merit, wouldn't it be a much better show if the winners looked a little something like...

Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (who should win, but that's beside the point)
Christopher Plummer for The Last Station
Gabourey Sidibe for Precious
Colin Firth for A Single Man

Wouldn't those be more exciting choices? None of them are going into the Kodak and thinking "Oh it might be my name!" And that's a shame, too. There are way too many precursor awards, and while I love the Oscar season, if I were a nominee I'd love to know I had a 20% shot of winning. I mean, what's the point of Maggie Gyllenhaal getting all dolled up to go to the Academy Awards, be critiqued by E!'s snippy fashion police, and then watch Mo'Nique win?

Wasn't Adrien Brody's win (and subsequent speech) more thrilling to watch than Javier Bardem's? Of course Javier would win! Snooze. Spread the wealth, people! And if you want to give the Oscar to Javier Bardem, then okay. But why not use one of those other awards (like SAG for instance) to honor somebody who isn't going to win the Oscar. I mean, the SAG Award isn't a very prestigious prize but it's still a nice honor. I'm sure Anna, Colin, Gabourey, or Christopher would have appreciated it after being dragged out to every single award's ceremony this side of the Atlantic (oh wait..BAFTAs are tonight! Never mind!)

At least this year's race is a teeeeeeeensy bit more unpredictable than last year. The Academy hates women, so heavy-favorite Kathryn Bigelow could lose out to the more traditional choice of James Cameron. And for Best Picture there is a bit of a race, so that should be more fun than last year's Slumdog insanity! Add that to the locks of Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Penelope Cruz, and Heath Ledger and it was pretty boring. People tried to make the race exciting by predicting the likes of Mickey Rourke and Viola Davis, but we all knew how it would end up. Hell, the biggest shock last year came when Departures won Best Foreign Language Film. Let's hope we have much bigger surprises in store for us this year!

The Blind Side

2010-02-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

I finally finished The Blind Side! Whether that's something to be happy or sad about I'm still trying to determine. There's no use in me lying to myself by saying "Oh but come Oscar night Carey Mulligan will win! You'll see! And so will Anna Kendrick!" It seems pretty set in stone that Sandra's taking the gold.

I have nothing wrong with her performance. Her being nominated doesn't irk me at all, especially since Abbie Cornish's performance in Bright Star fell flat with me (I have not seen Julia with Tilda Swinton yet). But to be a winner of an Academy Award for this? That's a little much. Consider the company this performance would be joining...

Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter
Frances McDormand in Fargo
Susan Sarandon in Dead Man Walking
Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind
Helen Hunt in As Good As It Gets

All of the above are of course stellar performances, and not many can match them, but Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side doesn't even come close. The greatest of all of the Oscar nominated performances this year and the only one truly worthy to stand with these women is Carey Mulligan in An Education. But oh well. Oscar has a history of being unfair.

Don't get me started on the Best Picture nomination. If it could get a nomination for Best Picture, then I'm genuinely surprised that Jae Head and Kathy Bates didn't nab supporting nominations. Or Quinton Aaron himself for Best Actor. I mean, honestly, people must really love The Blind Side in order to give it a Best Picture nomination. They had to see past John Lee Hancock's in your face directing and overly sentimental moments (and, perhaps most difficult to overlook, Jae Head himself).

So overall, congratulations to Sandra on a deserved nomination, but can't I dream that she won't win?

What are your thoughts on The Blind Side?

The Muse...

2010-02-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite story-lines for movies is the muse who inspires the artist...

What are some of your favorite story-lines?

Best Performances of the Decade

2010-02-18T14:29:00.001-08:00

I just had to share this video of a few actors' favorite performances of the past ten years...

In case this doesn't work, here's the link. And special thanks to In Contention for showing me first!

It's funny to see which actors choose which performances.

Nepotism
Jake Gyllenhaal chose all of Peter Sarsgaard's performances of the last ten years. I agree that he was phenomenal, but he's not my brother-in-law. I can't argue the validity of his statement. Sarsgaard is incredibly underrated, but it does seem a little odd to choose from your family. Ah well, at least somebody's giving him the recognition he deserves.

Tobey Maguire, good ol' buddy to Shutter Island star Leonardo DiCaprio, chose Leo's performance in The Aviator as the best. Yet again, no arguing from me about the value of Leo's amazing performance in the film, but it is odd that Maguire and Gyllenhaal chose their buddies/family.

Foreign Language
Woody Harrelson opted for Ulrich Muhe in The Lives of Others. If you haven't seen that, then IMMEDIATELY place it on your queue. It's not to be missed. I never would have though of Harrelson as somebody who would sit through The Lives of Others, it's weird isn't it?

George Clooney chose Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose. He's somebody I could see loving foreign cinema, but I am surprised that he chose this performance as one of the best of the decade. I honestly thought he would have picked something much more unknown.

She does it herself!
Julianne Moore hailed Sean Penn's work in Mystic River as one of the best of the decade. She loved how he humanized the grief of his character. This is coming from the woman who practically wrote the book on breakdowns in movies. If anything, Penn looked at Moore's work in Boogie Nights in order to do his role in Mystic River.

What do you think of the actors' choices? I thought it was pretty cool seeing these actors praise each other (I mean, outside of the Academy Awards, SAG Awards, Emmys...).

What are your favorite performances of the decade? Any actor you wish could have done this interview? Shocked by any of the choices? Do share in the comments!

Little Golden Guy...

2010-02-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard of Little Golden Guy, the website that allows you to vote for the Oscars and see how others voted? It was down for awhile, but it's back now! But the votes are really odd... I'll break it down by category, and into the "what the hell?" and "the right on the money" categories.

But before we go onto "what the hell?" let's talk a little about the site. The main purpose of it is to say "okay, here's who won, but this should have happened according to most." And a lot of the time they are right on the money.

Examples...

Cate Blanchett winning Best Actress for Elizabeth
Montgomery Clift winning Best Actor for From Here to Eternity
Billy Wilder winning Best Director for Double Indemnity

It does have a good track record, but...

What the hell?

Best Picture Avatar received the most votes, and that certainly makes sense. In second place with only six fewer votes? District 9. But this is ordinary people's favorites, so that might explain why The Blind Side is in sixth place. Yes, you heard me, sixth place. According to this website's voters, The Blind Side is more worthy of being named Best Picture than Up in the Air, Precious, A Serious Man, and An Education. Let's pray that The Blind Side is actually the tenth worthiest of the nominees when the members of the Academy get to their ballots.

Best Supporting Actress Surprise, surprise, Mo'Nique is in first here. But second place goes to...

Penelope Cruz, in Nine! Wow. I knew there was some love for Penelope (if not for the picture alone), but second place? Are these voters going by "most-deserving" or, like the Academy, what's hot right now. Hell, on the Youtube video of A Call from the Vatican, one of the comments says "I love her, another Oscar!!!"

Side-note: In this case, what's hot to the Academy actually is hot. Mmmmmmmmm.. Penelope.

Best Adapted Screenplay Maybe it's my hate of District 9 that makes this so shocking, but it got 79.8% of the vote for Best Adapated Screenplay on Little Golden Guy. This site seems to be more of the People's Choice Awards than I remember.

Right on the Money

Best Director Kathryn Bigelow inches out James Cameron by less than twenty votes, but she still does it.

Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz waltzes (so clever) away with more than 84% of the vote. Christopher Plummer is a sentimental favorite and comes in second with 7.7% of the vote. That's a bingo!

Best Actor Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth lead the pack, and boy are they close. Jeff has just two more votes than Colin, but in the race for the actual Oscar Jeff Bridges seems unstoppable. I haven't seen Crazy Heart yet, is it good?

Best Actress Unfortunately Sandra Bullock is in the lead here, but there's no used crying over spilled, rotten, unfortunate milk, is there?

And now for your viewing pleasure...

Pinch your cheeks til you say "ow!"

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Best Actress Winner

2010-02-15T09:51:00.000-08:00

Time for the winners of this year's Katharine Hepburn Leading Actress Award!

5th place goes to...
Renee Zellweger in My One and Only

4th places goes to...
Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

3rd place goes to...
Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

2nd place goes to...

Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer

And the winner is...

Carey Mulligan in An Education

Who are your favorite leading ladies of '09?

Best Actress - All That Film Style

2010-02-13T16:34:00.000-08:00

Best of 2009, and this time we're talking leading ladies. Like the last award, this one will be named after a great thespian, too.

And this will be called the Katharine Hepburn Leading Actress Award! For those lovable leads. (Naturally "Katharine Hepburn" is standing in for the regular "Best.")

The nominees are...

Zooey Deschanel, (500) Days of Summer
For simultaneously being the girl we loved, and wanted to kill ourselves over.

Carey Mulligan, An Education
For irritating and charming us as a woman of the world and a confused school girl.

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
For giving a voice to someone so often forgotten.

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
For being a delight on the big screen in a big way.

Renee Zellweger, My One and Only
For flirting not just with tons of men, but the audience.

The winners will be in a separate post later on! Comments? Please, do share!

(And there aren't any pics. this time guys, sorry! It's kind of complicated to get them in the post, does nobody else have this problem? Hm...)

The Delights of Un-Camp

2010-02-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

It's amazing how something so susceptible to camp doesn't quite go there. Moulin Rouge! really is in a league of its own.

It's easy to go into camp territory:

1) get some far-fetched story (the life of a dying courtesan in 1800s France who is dying falls in love with a penniless Bohemian writer, and it takes place in the Moulin Rouge, perhaps?)
2) mix in crazy songs (combining Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend with Material Girl anyone?)
3) have actors slavishly devote themselves to their roles
4) insane colors and sets galore (an elephant that doubles as a love nest, maybe?)

But through all of this, Baz never goes there. There is hard to describe, but it's the point of no-return. Silliness over quality, absurdity over poignancy.

What this is all leading up to is... How the hell was Baz not nominated for an Oscar for directing this film?

Best Supporting Actress Winner

2010-02-10T09:01:00.001-08:00

So, you've all (all 2 of you?) read my nominees for the Rita Moreno Supporting Actress Award!

Time for the winners!

5th place goes to...

Melanie Laurent in Inglourious Basterds

4th place goes to...

Rosamund Pike in An Education

3rd place goes to...

Marion Cotillard in Nine

2nd place goes to...

Mo'Nique in Precious

And the winner is...

Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air

Best Supporting Actress - All That Film Style

2010-02-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Best of 2009 time! One by one, I'll be posting the nominees, followed by the winners. First up we have BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS.

But what good is a category if it doesn't have a name? In honor of one of the best supporting actress performances of all time, I will dub this category the...

Rita Moreno Supporting Actress Award! What a mouthful, eh?

And the nominees are...

Marion Cotillard, Nine

For showing Luisa's heartache with voice, expression, and dance.

Rosamund Pike, An Education

For every little micro-touch and nuance she gives Helen.

Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air

For humanizing Natalie to unimaginable extents.

Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds

For creating a heroine who could not be more vulnerable.

Mo'Nique, Precious

For creating a monster all too real.

Oscar Nomintations!

2010-02-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

Of course, you aren't reading the news on this blog first, but who said being late was a bad thing? I'm still trying to get my best of 2009 ready! So many afterthought, so little time...

Barreling through the nominations I have these conclusions:

Ten Best Picture nominees was a positively horrid and awful awful awful idea. The Blind Side...?

Sandra Bullock...? No thanks. Carey Mulligan? Thank you very much!

Best Actor/Supporting Actor had zero surprises. Boring. Good job Christopher Plummer!

Penelope Cruz over Marion Cotillard? Damn Weinsteins and their stupid campaigning process that tried to get Marion for lead.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, thanks for being a surprise. Anna Kendrick, please try and win this category! It seems rather impossible to beat Mo'Nique though, but we can pray.

No (500) Days of Summer? This sucks.

West Side Story Wins!

2010-01-31T14:38:00.001-08:00

The Grammy, that is. The cast album won Best Musical Show Album, according to Broadwayworld.com.

The revival is great, and stars Tony nominee (and Argentinian goddess of the high note) Josefina Scaglione, Tony winner Karen Olivo (her new album will be out any day now!), and Matt Cavenaugh (before he left in December). If you're in New York, I highly reccomend checking out the Tony/Grammy winning production directed by the play's librettist, 91 year old Arthur Laurents.

If not, check out the soundtrack on iTunes/amazon.com! It's great. It's just impossible to get tired of Matt, Josefina, and Karen's voices.

Have you seen the show or listened to the new cast album? Love the movie? Love another Broadway show? Please, do share in the comments!

Oscars 2009 - Expect Dancing! And Lots Of It

2010-01-27T13:36:00.001-08:00

Check out the brief (but still enlightening) interview with Oscar producer, Adam Shankman! He says to expect a lot of dancers on stage, more than last year. Interesting, I like the sound of this. (I love these kind of musical numbers others hate!)

Here's a look at last year's Oscar Musical Number ( a la Beyonce ! ) . Sorry about the poor quality!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwXu4seYckI

Anna Kendrick

2010-01-17T20:35:00.000-08:00

I'm doing this as part of StinkyLulu's blogathon, but I'm a teeny bit late!

Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air is just about the best thing to happen to supporting actresses this decade (so sorry, Mo'Nique!). What exactly is a supporting actress? Somebody whose presence moves the film from good to great? Somebody who makes a character with limited screentime? Somebody who executes every scene so perfectly it's almost as if the word supporting was made to honor them and them only? Check, check, and check! Anna Kendrick has it all.

Take the firing scene (via the webcam, that is). Tell an actor to do that scene for an audition, you'll get some bore of a performance. When you have Anna Kendrick completely understand Natalie Keener to the point of practically being her, you get movie magic. It's not movie magic in the sense that Avatar is a revelation in technical achievements, or Gone with the Wind is to the epics, but it is movie magic in its simplest sense: Being transported to another world where humans live, not impressions and knock-offs. Natalie, as so well done by Anna, is a real human captured on celluloid. She has ticks, she has a mind, and it's as if a script weren't even there for Anna to read. It's all of these reasons, and many more, that I salutre Miss Kendrick! Congrats. girl, you've earned it.

Golden Globe Predictions

2010-01-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

Really quickly, here are my Golden Globe guesses (love me some alliteration!):

Film:
Best Picture (D) - Up in the Air
Best Picture (M/C) -(500) Days of Summer

Actor (D) - Jeff Bridges
Actor (M/C) - Daniel Day-Lewis

Actress (D) - Carey Mulligan
Actress (M/C) - Meryl Streep

Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz
Supporting Actress - Mo'Nique (please let Anna Kendrick win here!)

Director - James Cameron
Screenplay - Inglourious Basterds

Original Score - Up
Original Song - "The Weary Kind"

Animated Feature - Up
Foreign Language Film - The White Ribbon

TV:
Drama Series - Mad Men
Comedy Series - Glee

Actor (D) - Hugh Laurie
Actor (M/C) - Alec Baldwin

Actress (D) - Julianna Margulies
Actress (M/C) - Courteney Cox

Miniseries/TV film - Grey Gardens

Actor (Miniseries/Tv film) - Brendan Gleeson
Actress (Miniseries/Tv film) - Drew Barrymore

Supporting Actor (Miniseries/Tv film) - John Lithgow
Supporting Actress (Miniseries/Tv film) - Jane Lynch

Susan Sarandon Interview

2010-01-13T15:15:00.000-08:00

There sure is a lot of Susan Sarandon on this blog, isn't there?

Well, now there's more!

I was reading an interview with her on Rotten Tomatoes, and thought this bit about the Oscars was interesting...

"I would love to get a nomination, but the problem is that very often, the supporting category is crowded by people that are actually in lead parts, and so people that are in supporting parts don't get a shot, so I don't know what's going to happen with that. But I would love to get a nomination, just because it's fun, and I think Saoirse deserves it. I would love to see Stanley [Tucci] get one; I've worked with him twice before this [in Joe Gould's Secret and Shall We Dance?] and he's done such great work, and he's such a pro and such a good guy."

Anyway, did you here that Academy? She wants a nomination. She's been turning in delicious supporting roles since the beginning of the 00's. She just needs to find the right one to strike a chord with the Academy (a la Meryl Streep in Adaptation. or Gloria Stuart in Titanic). I've got some hope for the new decade.

So c'mon Academy, what are you waiting for? Let's nominate Susan in the ... teens. Is that the name of this new decade?

(The picture at the right is of happier times for Susan and Tim...)

What are your thoughts on Susan and her Oscar-less turn as of late (and by late, I mean since 1996 when she walked to the podium to accept. How easily Oscar forgets!)

Best of 2009 and Luise Rainer

2010-01-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

This title might be a little misleading...you see, my "Best of 2009" has been postponed (rather indefinitely) as I still try to catch up on films! I'll try to do it before Oscar nominations, but no guarantees!

Also, happy 100th, Luise Rainer!

Status Update

2010-01-02T15:23:00.001-08:00

So I originally planned to hand out my own personal award type things on February 6th. I'll be moving that up to January 12th! As well as a top ten of 2009 to follow on January 13th!

Films that still need to be seen (but there are no guarantees!)

Bright Star, Moon, Public Enemies, It’s Complicated, Broken Embraces, A Single Man, A Serious Man, The Informant!, The Lovely Bones, Invictus, District 9, Where the Wild Things Are, Whip It, Julia, Cheri, Duplicity, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Messenger, The Last Station

The only ones that seem possible for that deadline are...
District 9
Julia
Invictus
The Lovely Bones
The Messengers

Hopefully I get to see all of these and then some!

Wow!

2009-12-27T22:07:00.000-08:00

Last post of the decade...wow!

These are my WOW! moments of the decade. They could be good or bad... let's see. (The number of runners-up varies, but I'll try to limit it to five!)

The Wow! I want to see more of you! award goes to...

Anne Hathaway - The Princess Diaries

Who didn't want to see more of Anne Hathaway after The Princess Diaries? She's fun, she's cute, she's enjoyable. The best part of Anne Hathaway is that you can tell she's having a good time. She's not one of these mopers that complains about fame or paparazzi or whatever. She's just a joy. And talented.

Runners-up:

Amy Adams in Junebug

Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Carey Mulligan in An Education

Jamie Bell in Billy Elliot

Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air

Too many others to name! What a good decade for break-outs that (seem to) have potential.

The Wow! I want to see less of you! award goes to...

TIE! Megan Fox - Transformers and Paul Giamatti - Every film he is in

Megan Fox- Yuck! I can't see what other guys see in her looks-wise. And I can see what everyone else sees in her acting wise: nothing. Zip. Zero personality, stale line reading, a total and utter bore. Everything Anne Hathaway is, Megan Fox is not.

Paul Giamatti- I cannot describe the pain you bring to me when you act on screen. It's either your innate annoyingness or some Paul Giamatti character you're putting on that makes me ill. Please, leave the next decade alone!

Runners-up:

Orlando Bloom in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Hayden Panettiere in Heroes and I Love You, Beth Cooper

The Wow! ensemble in a film award goes to...

The cast of Moulin Rouge!

In a movie that could have been downright silly, this cast, including Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor at their absolute best, makes this film a drama, a musical, a romance for the ages. Kudos!

Runners-up:
The casts of...
Chicago
The Aviator
Adaptation.
Juno
Up in the Air

The Wow! male performance in a film (lead/supporting) award goes to...

Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Johnny Depp was always a kooky kind of guy, but the films he were in were never kooky enough (in the right way). That is until he landed the role of Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean. This was the vehicle Johnny Depp needed all along to show us how funny and offbeat he was as an actor. Here's looking at you, Johnny.

Runners-up:
George Clooney in Up in the Air
Nicolas Cage in Adaptation.
Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge!
Sean Penn in Milk

Sorry supporting men, you just didn't do it for me. Better luck next decade (if this blog is still even around!).

The Wow! female performance in a film (lead/supporting) award goes to

Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge!

Not a huge surprise here I'm sure, but I don't care. Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge! is to the aughts as Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice was to the '80s or Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind was to the '30s. It's that good. It's the performance many will look back on to define the '00s as a decade in film.

Runners-up:
Renee Zellweger in Chicago
Julianne Moore in Far From Heaven
Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
Carey Mulligan in An Education
Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Kate Hudson in Almost Famous

So many runners-up! I know I said there would be 5 runners-up, but these were all too good to pass up!

The Wow! I laugh at this (in a good way) every time I see it award goes to...

Mean Girls

Without a doubt the best comedy of the decade, Mean Girls will always be the definitive high school film from this decade. End of story. I'm not posting any runners-up, Regina George wouldn't like that.

My own All That Film Awards for the year 2009 will be up on February 6th, 2010. If the date changes, I'll keep you posted! Before that, here's a 2010 preview of the blog...

A revised list of the best films of the decade!
Oscar coverage, including predictions and desires!
Golden Globes coverage! I find these awards to be the most fun, don't you?
Random musings on actresses!
Hopefully some more reviews on here!
Thoughts on any Broadway shows I see!

Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins Split

2009-12-23T16:41:00.000-08:00

Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins are done. That's it. They've called it quits. Is nothing sacred in Hollywood anymore?

The couple had two children together and had been together for 23 years. She's 12 years his senior.

Who saw this coming? Who's upset about this besides me? Whatever your feelings are on Susan and Tim, just Susan, just Tim, please comment!

Jennifer Jones... March 2, 1919 - December 17, 2009

2009-12-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

Rest In Peace

SAG Award Nominees

2009-12-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

SAG nominations have come out! Unless I'm wrong, this is the first industry-voted award of the season... let's have a look at the nominees!

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Jeff Bridges Crazy Heart, George Clooney Up in the Air, Colin Firth A Single Man, Morgan Freeman Invictus, Jeremy Renner The Hurt Locker

The Hurt Locker certainly has been dominating critics prizes, and now with Renner getting some recognition from the Guild his Oscar chances are seriously upped. As for those who got snubbed, it seems Michael Stuhlbarg won't be receiving any Oscar attention for A Serious Man. Surprisingly, Daniel Day-Lewis was also snubbed.

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Sandra Bullock The Blind Side, Helen Mirren The Last Station, Carey Mulligan An Education, Gabourey Sidibe Precious, Meryl Streep Julie & Julia

Sandra Bullock? Again? There seems to be some serious love for her in The Blind Side. One of those actresses nobody ever really expected to be nominated for an Oscar has now increased her chances. And farewell, Abbie Cornish. Your buzz certainly was fun, but that's all it turned out to be.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Matt Damon Invictus, Woody Harrelson The Messenger, Christopher Plummer The Last Station, Stanley Tucci The Lovely Bones, Christoph Waltz Inglourious Basterds

Fun fact: This is the first time that the Golden Globe nominees for Best Supporting Actor and the SAG nominees for Best Supporting Actor are exactly the same. This group seems headed for Oscar. Poor Alfred Molina, he seemed like a sure thing awhile ago.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Penelope Cruz Nine, Vera Farmiga Up in the Air, Anna Kendrick Up in the Air, Diane Kruger Inglourious Basterds, Mo'Nique Precious

Vera Farmiga seems to be getting more attention than I would have thought. Diane Kruger's nomination probably doesn't do much for her chances at Oscar, and Julianne Moore will probably be the one to get onto Oscar's shortlist. Or will she?

Best Performance by a Cast
An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Nine, Precious

All of these (except for Precious) only have one nomination in the other categories. If Up in the Air could snag three nominations (One for Best Actor, Two for Best Supporting Actress), then why does the cast get snubbed? Even Invictus got two nominations (One for Best Actor, One for Best Supporting Actor) so why does the cast get overlooked? Oh SAG logic, you sure are odd.

P.S., Congrats. Glee on your Best Enseble (Comedy Series) nomination!

Golden Globe Nominations (Comedy) and Supporting/Director

2009-12-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

Continued from an earlier post! Let's see what Musical/Comedy has for us.

Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy
(500) Days of Summer, The Hangover, It's Complicated, Julie & Julia, and Nine

Only 3/5 with this batch. In the Loop and A Serious Man are apparently fading faster than I had believed. The Hangover, really? I know it was funny but it certainly did not live up the hype around it. Oh well. The Globes certainly do have weird taste.

Best Actress - Musical/Comedy

Sandra Bullock The Proposal, Marion Cotillard Nine, Julia Roberts Duplicity, Meryl Streep It's Complicated, Meryl Streep Julie & Julia

Like everybody else, I predicted Meryl Streep for the double nom. Also like everybody else I overlooked Julia Roberts in Duplicity. I had Michelle Pfeiffer in her slot and Zooey Deschanel in place of Sandra Bullock (or vice versa...it really doesn't matter). Goodbye Oscar nomination, Michelle Pfeiffer. If you can't get a Globe nod for the comedy category, you're done. And Sandra Bullock certainly is feeling the love from the Hollywood Foreign Press. She's without an Oscar nomination her entire career and as of today she has double Globe nods in just one year. Surely one of those (most likely The Blind Side) will result in an Oscar nomination, won't it? It pains me to say it but she just got a major profile boost. Nothing is certain until the SAGs though, which are more accurate in terms of Oscar because they have only five slots to fill, not ten.

Best Actor - Musical/Comedy

Matt Damon The Informant!, Daniel Day-Lewis Nine, Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes, Joseph Gordon Levitt (500) Days of Summer, Michael Stuhlbarg A Serious Man

5/5! That's always fun. Only two of these films are represented in the Best Picture category for Musical/Comedy. It's surprising given their love for The Hangover that Bradley Cooper didn't make the cut. Daniel Day-Lewis and Robert Downey Jr. seem to be the ones to beat in this category. Especially since A Serious Man failed to get a nomination anywhere else (ouch).

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz Nine, Vera Farmia Up in the Air, Anna Kendrick Up in the Air, Mo'Nique Precious, Julianne Moore A Single Man

5/5 again? That's sort of surprising because Vera Farmiga has been quite the question mark for awhile. She seems like more of a Globe nominee than an Oscar nominee. I can't see her right now making it to Oscar's shortlist. Oh SAG, where are you when we need you?

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon Invictus, Woody Harrelson The Messenger, Chirstopher Plummer The Last Station, Stanley Tucci The Lovely Bones, Chirstoph Waltz Inglourious Basterds

I had Jude Law replacing Stanley Tucci. giving me a 4/5. The Lovely Bones certainly hasn't been helped out critically, so why did the Globes go for Tucci's part in that over his delightful turn in Julie & Julia? Alfred Molina is not here, which can go either way for his Oscar chances. He could turn out to be like a Michael Shannon who gets snubbed by the Globes and continues on, or he could stop here. If he lands the SAG nomination the path to Oscar should be restored. I'm surprised Jude Law isn't here. He's a big name in what looks to be a charming movie, opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Rachel McAdams. Oh well.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow The Hurt Locker, James Cameron Avatar, Clint Eastwood Invictus, Jason Reitman Up in the Air, Quentin Tarantino Inglourious Basterds

Kudos James Cameron. I missed you in favor of Rob Marshall, giving me 4/5. Clint over Rob Marshall is interesting seeing as Nine seems to have its Best Picture category locked and Invictus didn't get a nomination for Best Picture - Drama. Quentin Tarantino establishes himself as a serious contender, and the whole Cameron vs. Bigelow ex-spouse thing will lead to an interesting awards season if they keep getting nominated together.

So, what are your thoughts on the Globe nominations? Surprised? Got them all right? Other? Tell me in the comments!

Golden Globe Nominations (Drama)

2009-12-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

So, Golden Globe nominations have been announced! Let's see what they've brought...

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious, and Up in the Air.

I got 4/5 here, putting Invictus rather than Avatar into the mix. They must have really just seen Avatar and fell in love with it. This really ups it's Oscar chances, which were looking doubtful until a couple of days ago when positive words were coming out of the screenings. I was correct in assuming that The Last Station wouldn't pick up a nomination here. It seems to be more focused on its actors. Otherwise, this was a category without much surprise.

Best Actress - Drama

Emily Blunt The Young Victoria, Sandra Bullock The Blind Side, Helen Mirren The Last Station, Carey Mulligan An Education, Gabourey Sidibe Precious

Emily Blunt? Interesting. I'm surprised less people predicted her. I didn't (and I got a 4/5), but I should have. The Golden Globes like big costume dramas and period pieces. And with the split between comedy and drama, they always seem to have a filler (even in a year that's supposed to be packed, like this one). And Sandra Bullock, nice seeing you here. I'll see you againg pretty soon...

Best Actor - Drama
Jeff Bridges Crazy Heart, George Clooney Up in the Air, Colin Firth A Single Man, Morgan Freeman Invictus, Tobey Maguire Brothers

No Johnny Depp? But the Globes love him! Oh well. 4/5. Say goodbye to Public Enemies. It's award season chances have just been thwarted. Tobey Maguire in Brothers certainly is interesting, but not a huge threat to the other men. It's a four-way race between Bridges, Clooney, Firth, and Freeman.

Golden Globe Predictions

2009-12-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

Two Golden Globes at once!? These predictions can't see that happening two years in a row...

Best Motion Picture - Drama
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Precious
Up in the Air

I'm sticking with these. Invictus seems to be their ticket to a historical prestige pic, and Up in the Air and Inglourious Basterds have the stars that the Golden Globes love to have come to their ceremony. Precious and The Hurt Locker seem to be the critical darlings that they will love to honor. I don't think The Last Station will make it, and Avatar has just started screening, so I can't imagine it making it here.

Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy
(500) Days of Summer
In the Loop
Julie & Julia
Nine
A Serious Man

Either Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated, or The Proposal could sneak in here. But if Happy-Go-Lucky could sneak in then why can't In the Loop? Otherwise, I'm fairly confident here. Look for Nine to win come January.

Best Actress - Drama
Sandra Bullock- The Blind Side
Abbie Cornish- Bright Star
Helen Mirren- The Last Station
Carey Mulligan- An Education
Gabourey Sidibe- Precious

These acting categories is where I expect The Last Station to pick up its nods. Hilary Swank could get in here, but I don't think so given the general hate for Amelia. I'm hoping that Cornish gets recognized here. If not, it's probably the beginning of the end for her and Bright Star.

Best Actor - Drama
Jeff Bridges- Crazy Heart
George Clooney- Up in the Air
Johnny Depp- Public Enemies
Colin Firth- A Single Man
Morgan Freeman- Invictus

Yes, the Globes certainly do have a thing for Johnny Depp. He has eight nominations and a big biopic out this year should raise that tally to nine. Jeremy Renner is a close sixth, but I can't see him breaking in here. The only other upset I can think of is Viggo Mortensen for The Road.

Best Actress - Musical/Comedy
Marion Cotillard- Nine
Zooey Deschanel- (500) Days of Summer
Michelle Pfeiffer- Cheri
Meryl Streep- It's Complicated
Meryl Streep- Julie & Julia

A double nod for Streep seems to be the surest thing since Slumdog Millionaire winning Best Picture earlier this year. Pfeiffer seems to be an iffy choice, but I'm confident she can land a nod. Who else is there? Sure, she's been losing steam, but people haven't forgotten. (Or have they?)

Best Actor- Musical/Comedy
Matt Damon- The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis- Nine
Robert Downey Jr.- Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon Levitt- (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg- A Serious Man
The only one who isn't a sure lock is Stuhlbarg. Bradley Cooper could get in there, or Alec Baldwin should the Globes promote him to a leading category. But I don't really think that The Hangover guys can get in here.

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz- Nine
Vera Farmiga- Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick- Up in the Air
Mo'Nique- Precious
Julianne Moore- A Single Man

This will probably be one of the few times Vera Farmiga gets any attention this awards season. Sorry to the other Nine ladies, but this is category is pretty packed. It'd be tough to break through.

Best Supporting Actor
Matt Damon- Invictus
Woody Harrelson- The Messenger
Jude Law- Sherlock Holmes
Christopher Plummer- The Last Station
Christoph Waltz- Inglourious Basterds

This one's tricky. Alfred Molina looked like he was definitely headed to Oscar, and he still could be, but the Globes might not go for him. Jude Law probably has you shaking your head, but the Globes love big stars and the supporting category is where they choose to honor stars for triumphant comebacks in supporting roles (Ben Affleck for Hollywoodland, John Travolta in Hairspray, or Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder). As you can see, it also helps if your in a funny movie, which Sherlock Holmes just happens to be.

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow
Clint Eastwood
Rob Marshall
Jason Reitman
Quentin Tarantino

Sorry James Cameron, but I just don't see Avatar getting major nominations until later in the awards season. This is exactly why December shouldn't be the go-to month for release for Oscar-hopefuls. Lee Daniels or Nora Ephron have a very, very slight chance of getting nominated here if you ask me, but they don't seem like they can beat this stiff competition.

Katharine Hepburn

2009-12-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

Over at Encore Entertainment there's been some Katharine Hepburn buzz about. There's a blogathon and I'm here to devote some of my time and space on my blog to Kate. Why? She's only the greatest actress ever. (Sorry, Streep fans, but Hepburn will always one-up Meryl, Oscar records or not!)

The best part of Katharine Hepburn is that she is entirely human. That could sound weird at first, but it is the only way to describe her.

What I mean by "human" is that her anti-Hollywood ways made her accessible to everybody. When I say anti-Hollywood I don't mean some ungrateful actress that hates the press, the paparazzi, and the fame. She was thankful for her career, for all of the good parts she got, for the longevity she acquired. But she wasn't a Hollywood star like Bette Davis was or Elizabeth Taylor. Instead, she was a girl from Connecticut who wanted to make movies, be on the stage, and spend her life acting for as long as she was able. If you look at someone like Elizabeth Taylor you see the eight failed marriages, the affair(s), and the glamour, and then a character that she is "acting." When you look at Katharine Hepburn you see the person with a great gift doing what they love to do. A little more enjoyable then watching someone "act," isn't it?

You also see a woman who wasn't afraid to wear the pants (well, this is both literally and non-literally...let's focus on non-literally!). Kate didn't let a man control her, yet she was completely devoted to Spencer Tracy. She was an independent woman both with and without Tracy. Her roles were never defined as "damsel in distress" and she never played second-fiddle to anybody. Not Hepburn. The main attraction of a Hepburn film isn't a male co-star. Example: The Philadelphia Story. When somebody wants to see The Philadelphia Story, is it for Jimmy Stewart? Cary Grant? No. It is for the trio. And, to venture a wild guess, it is most likely for Hepburn.

Woman of the Year. There we go. Right in its title we know this is not defined by a man. Don't get me wrong, I love the men Kate has worked with throughout her career and she has unlimited amounts of chemistry with her leading men. But this is to rather point out that Kate was never the second-best. If she was not sharing the spotlight, then she was in it alone. It was never anybody else's but hers and maybe a lucky co-star or two.

The African Queen. Is this Humphrey Bogart's film? Yes. Is this Katharine Hepburn's film? Yes.

Bringing Up Baby. Is this Cary Grant's film? Yes, sure. Is this Katharine Hepburn's film? Yes.

Counterexample:

Vertigo. Is this Jimmy Stewart's film? Yes. Is this Kim Novak's film? Ehhh....

The examples above further prove that Kate was always the star, never the supporting player. Who'd have thunk that this would ever happen to Kate, labeled box office poison in the late 1930s? Certainly not Kate herself. Don't get me wrong- not every film she made was great. At times the roles did not fit her, but she went into them will all she had. Well into her 70s she was still proving that the movies didn't define her, she defined the movies.

I could go on forever proving Kate's screen presence to be an ever-lasting one, but then this would not make it in time for the blogathon! She's legendary, superbly gifted, and a complete individual. Somebody like her will never come by again. Not even close. The talents, the feeling that she was just like everybody else, the radical independence and pant-wearing ways- it's all unique to Katharine Hepburn forever and always.

So, we salute you, Miss Hepburn. You'll forever be missed and remembered both for the characters you played, your history in Hollywood, and your ability to light up any silver screen.

Precious

2009-11-27T14:46:00.000-08:00

Not a huge fan of Precious. I'm going to give you my grade right off the bat for the movie instead of having you wait until the end to yell at me in the comments section (or possibly agree?)!

GRADE FOR PRECIOUS: B-

What I liked....

SPOILER ALERT.
Stop reading if you don't want some plot twists, turns, and 180s to be ruined if you haven't seen the film!

Superb acting. Honestly, Precious is better acted in one scene than other movies are in their entire length. Obviously, it's been said that they will get Oscar nominations and of course that only makes sense given the material given to these two women and the way they handle every painful scene. However, I definitely don't want Sidibe to win for this, not with Carey Mulligan in the race at least. Mo'Nique, while great, ends on such a meh note for me character-ly, so even if it's great acting I was distracted by the movie's poorly written character.

Lee Daniels keeps it from being a bit melodramatic, even if Precious deals with one too many problems. Good job, Daniels!

Tangent- This could or could not be the film's fault. The few dramatic lines that got a laugh from the audience (at least the one I was with). Example (and I'm paraphrasing):

Mo'Nique: Precious, your father died today.
Precious: Is that it?

Why the hell did this get a laugh? Now I would normally fault the audience for this, I mean, this isn't supposed to be funny. Her relationship with her father was sad and terrible to think about, and in my opinion this line should not have garnered a laugh. However, is this the film's fault? I need help with this one. I personally still don't see the humor in it, but to get such a "Ha!" from an audience and a few attacks from other reviews of "unintentional" humor, maybe the film should have approached that differently. Well, it worked for me.

What I didn't like....
Spoiler alert continues...

Mo'Nique's ending monologue. "Oh, it moved me to tears!" What? That moved you to tears? Am I missing something? How do I sympathize with this monster who spent the majority of the movie attacking Precious, both verbally and physically?

That horrific ending. Had the last 10 minutes of this film never existed, I would have liked it more. Precious walks out, triumphant after the last "showdown" with her mother, and a musical montage of sorts starts as she walks down the street, nowhere to go, no money, nothing to eat, with her two children. What? You must think I'm crazy for not liking this when I loved An Education, which has a pretty ambiguous ending. Precious just never ended though. She has HIV, a child with down syndrome, and an infant in her hands, and the movie ends? I know not everything can be resolved, but c'mon. That wasn't "uplifting," like others have said. That was just an easy way to make everyone feel great: have Precious storm out of the meeting with her abusive mom and play music!

Mariah Carey performance praise, namely the Oscar buzz. This is less the film's fault than the buzz's fault, but really? All she did was de-glam and deliver some lines. It's better than Glitter, but if this is ever considered Oscar/Awards in general-worthy, then that is terribly sad and pathetic. What she did was acting. What Mo'Nique and Gabourey Sidibe did was embody a character.

So, if this becomes a major awards winner, I'll be pretty upset. What about you?

Comment!

Random Awards Moments 2 - Kate the Great

2009-11-17T19:05:00.000-08:00

So back in 2003 we lost the world's greatest film actress, Katharine Hepburn. So for the Oscar ceremony in 2004, out came J. Robs to introduce a segment dedicated to Kate the Great. It's not really random, as Miss Hepburn deserves tributes to this very day, but what else to file this under? Ok, if the video does not load properly the link is here!

P.S. Thanks to Sage Slowdive for teaching me how to embed a video!

NINE ON OPRAH!

2009-11-16T13:44:00.000-08:00

The multi-Academy Award winning cast of Nine, the new musical by Rob Marshall, will be on Oprah on Wednesday!

Holy crap. This is so exciting- but before I go on, no mention of Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, or the man himself Rob Marshall was made in the commercial. Or Fergie.

No Sophia on Oprah !? Damn. That would've been pretty epic. However, Nicole Kidman is 50% of the allure of Nine. Unfortunately though in the preview there were some stupid tabloid "When did you meet A-Rod?" questions for Kate Hudz, but I'll stick through even that for Nine. Let's hope each star gets to show some of their singing talents like Penelope did on Leno.

By the way, Penelope's singing? I thought it was just okay, I mean she does not have the sexy/funny/enticing voice of Jane Krakowski, but who does? (30 Rock shout out! Problem Solvers!) Anyway, Penelope sounded a bit like Richard Gere in Chicago. I mean, not literally, but there's the question of "Why was she chosen over somebody with a better voice?" Also, will I listen to that again and again on my iPod (well, not I personally, of course I will! But what about other non-musical diehards?). Thoughts on this guy(s)?

Anyone else looking forward to this interview? Or just Nine itself? Or neither? Tell me in the comments!

Danny Boyle, Meet Casey Affleck...or Jake Gyllenhaal...or....

2009-11-05T13:51:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the news? Danny Boyle is planning a new film about mountaineer Aron Ralston, and the lead role as Aron has not been cast yet. The film will be called 127 Hours. When I read this I knew I had to Google Aron to see who could play him.What I've come up with is either Jake Gyllenhaal or Casey Affleck. What are your thoughts? Please, comment!

Best Supporting Actress

2009-11-02T19:53:00.000-08:00

Having revisted the trailer for The Lovely Bones, I've been inspired to look at this year's Best Supporting Actress hopefuls...Here I will list who I want to be nominated.

Want to be Nominated (This is without having seen any of the films, but based on trailers, buzz, and the occassional favorite actress)

Julianne Moore for A Single Man - The trailer is genius and buzz has been strong. I know Mo'Nique seems to be the most-hyped actress this side of Nine, but Moore is consistently terrific and, from the trailer alone, I'm reminded of Moore's beautifully underappreciated (awards wise at least) work in Boogie Nights. Fingers crossed Moore, I'm sure more than just me want you to get nominated!

Penélope Cruz for Nine - Penélope should have two Oscars at this point, for Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Volver. The latter didn't come through, but at least she has one. Her work has become better with each new release and, taking the sexy, Tony award role from Jane Krakowski, I don't see how there can be any wrong. Also, Rob Marshall directs, and he knows his women.

Nicole Kidman for Nine - She'll probably be campaigned for lead actress, but with the ever-annoying Marion Cotillard hogging up the spotlight, I hope she'll be moved to supporting. Nicole's last musical was Moulin Rouge!, and if her work here is half as good, she'll deserve the nomination. I also love when big stars do go down to supporting performances. It's not always about being the lead ladies (See: Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago, which definitely could have been a co-lead).

Susan Sarandon for The Lovely Bones - Based on the trailer, Susan Sarandon seems her most Sarandon-y in years, no offense Speed Racer. It's hard to come by good parts when you're an actress over 40 in Hollywood, so this could be the comeback Sarandon needs. Hopefully audience affection will lean to her character, and enough momentum will build to beat that late release date in December (and even later wider release in January) to get Sarandon back to the Kodak since her win for Dead Man Walking back in 1995. It's time for a Sarandonssaince. Let's hope The Lovely Bones isn't killed by the late release date like Revolutionary Road was.

Sigourney Weaver for Avatar - James Cameron's first film since Titanic looks... interesting. At first I was anticipating it like no other, as mentioned in some earlier post where I tried to predict the Best Picture nominees, but now the interest in the special-effects bonanza has been fading. It's looking a bit video-gameish. However, my interest in Sigourney's part has been growing. She's great in everything, but I have a feeling that Avatar is going to be almost completely ignored in every category that doesn't deal with tech. I've barely even seen clips of her, but from what I can remember, it's traditional Sigourney, not so showy (The Ice Storm) but oh so good.

So fantasies aside, here's who will probably be nominated...
Mo'Nique for Precious
Julianne Moore for A Single Man
Anna Kendrick for Up in the Air (why can't I get excited over this?)
Penélope Cruz for Nine
Mélanie Laurent for Inglourious Basterds

So, what do you think? Who do you want to be nominated? Who do you think will be nominated?