The Rural Juror

Rural's Week of the Dead (Part Deux)

2010-04-18T20:59:00.008-05:00

So ... I got sick again, and I decided to take in some more zombie-lore. Here it goes.

There's spoilers. Duh.

Survival of the Dead (2010): So ... Oh, George Romero. You have really gone off the deep end. I mean, OK ... the first thing we have to talk about is the fact that there are two Irish farming families living on an island off the coast of Delaware.

Why did they have to be Irish? I mean, it's not like those actors were REALLY Irish, right? Pretty sure this was 100% Canada.

I understand it's a sort of sequel to his 2007 film Diary of the Dead, but I am kind of over the Blair Witch rip off schtick (unless it's done well like in Paranormal Activity) so I can't say I saw it. I'm a little bit confused about why Romero's later films seem to be, like, approaching zombies from a humanitarian point of view. OK ... They can be trained to eat horses. Great ... I'd bet they'll still eat humans, too.

Anyway, this really wasn't that bad, Irish accents aside. I wouldn't call it a return to form at all, but it was certainly a lot better than Land of the Dead, which I didn't particularly like in the first 'Week of the Dead' post. Romero has always been a low budget director, and you can definitely tell when comparing the fun of this movie to Land of the Dead.

HOWEVER ... CGI can be great, but if it's cheap CGI don't bother. The CGI here is horrific.

Oh, Tom Savini. Come back to us!

We're Alive: Well, I wasn't able to take in any more zombie films, but I have started listening to
this great little podcast/radio drama that follows a group of survivors who've fortified themselves in an abandoned skyscraper in Los Angeles after zombies begin to walk the earth.

It's a really good listen and a really good story. Check it out if you so desire.

Just remember ...

2010-03-26T23:14:00.001-05:00

I totally called it.

Rural's (Not Entirely) FABULOUS Night

2009-08-16T13:50:00.016-05:00

Now, before you start reading this, you should know that this isn't nor is it intended to be an exploration of the greatest GLBT films out there. This is really just me searching through Netflix and watching any gay themed film that can stream and doesn't look like a home video I made with my cousins when I was 11.

I should just say right off the bat that this was a strange project for me, unexplainable except for a strange mood combined with a fit of insomnia. I usually (for better or worse) don't bother with a lot of queer cinema. A lot of it is mopey, cliched, silly, and gratuitous, and there's only so many times you can watch a scene of a gay teen coming out to parents or clashing over religion before the movies just blend together. Nevertheless, here we go.

Were the World Mine (2008): Date rape. I'm pretty sure that's what this movie about. I know it's pitched as a sort of magical realism infused fable about high school, but I dunno. The main character mixes up an elixir and uses it to essentially have his way with the school jock. That's sweet . . . I guess. Honestly, this movie doesn't make a lick of sense, and even within the bizarre universe of this movie there are plot holes and unexplained questions that boggle the mind. Does the elixir make everyone gay or just make them fall in love with the first person they see? I really couldn't tell you. This, I think, is a CONCEPT that got out of control, burying the story under piles of glitter and sub par, Julie Taymor-lite musical interludes. That's a shame, really, because lost among all the frenzy is a pretty decent story, anchored by a solid performance by Judy McLane as the main character's single mother. The relationship between her and her son is rather honest and sweet. She's conflicted about his sexuality, sure, but her love is ferocious. It's not gone into much, but it's implied that she's in the process of getting her life back on track, getting a job as a saleswoman for a Mary Kay-like company. How she landed what is described as a pretty sweet gig isn't really explained, but that's pretty far down on the totem pole of this film's impenetrable enigmas. Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin) might be the most polished of the cast even if she's essentially playing Janis Ian.

Dorian Blues (2004): Well, this was a nice surprise. I understand that the writer/director is straight, and he doesn't approach this so much as a coming out story but more as a growing up story. Not coincidentally, this is the best of the three movies I viewed last night by a fairly large margin. Michael McMillian, who you may or may not know as the fire and brimstone reverend on "True Blood," stars as an awkward teenager coming to terms not so much with his sexuality (though there's plenty of that) but with his life in general. His father is domineering and angry, his mother is barely present, and his younger brother is the star of the family. This is a movie full of the melancholy of its lead character, but it makes room for plenty of humor alongside the pathos (for example, when Dorian's plan to have sex with a prostitute/stripper to turn him straight turns into a swing dance lesson). This is a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, but, unlike the next movie, doesn't undermine its efforts at making a point with too much whiz bang posturing. McMillian certainly isn't the twinky stereotype usually found in these kinds of films, and casting him was a wise move that enables the film to feel more at home in the real world, the world where people look like everyone else. He has a great flair for dry comedy and dramatic introsection that serve the character well. It's certainly not a perfect movie, but it's always nice to be genuinely surprised by just how much a film can deliver above expectations.

Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story (2004): Well . . . this was definitely made in Canada. Aaron Ashmore (who I honestly just assumed was Shawn Ashmore working on a very busy schedule until now) gives what I thought was a very good performance as Marc Hall, a Canadian teenager who sued his high school when they wouldn't allow his 21-year old boyfriend to come with him to prom. With blue hair and slightly eccentric clothing, Ashmore does a good job of *ahem* playing gay without turning it into a queeny stereotype, if you know what I mean. This isn't true of all gay men, but some do carry themselves a little bit differently. Whereas, say, Heath Ledger is playing it pretty straight in Brokeback Mountain, Ashmore puts a little more zing in his step, and I appreciated that he was able to walk that fine line without ever once falling into caricature. As for the rest of the movie? Eh . . . there's just a lot going on here. I did appreciate that the coming out scene was rather low key and didn't fall into the trap of becoming a cliche. His parents already know, his mother says. After all, his hair is blue and he has a poster of Celine Dion in his bedroom. But, wow . . . there are some strange things going on in this movie. I knew what I was in for when, in the first scene, the film gives us a tongue in cheek Christ metaphor followed by WACKY sound effects. Directors, don't put wacky sound effects in your movie. There was also some bizarre, Canadian version of one of those direct to DVD American Pie sequels going on involving tech geeks, three inexplicable teenage girl characters, and a lot of talk about renting hotel rooms for prom and getting laid, etc . . . I guess I'm glad this movie didn't take itself too seriously, but there's a line and I'm pretty sure you cross it when you have two older women in lawn chairs doing double takes at drag queens. You could find worse ways to spend 90 minutes, and Aaron Ashmore sure is cute, but be prepared to turn off your brain and let the bright colors and loud noises take over.

My Top 10 of 2008

2009-07-17T13:52:00.002-05:00

It occurs to me that I never posted my top to 0f 2008. Well, here it is, mainly for keeping track for myself.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Catch a Rising Star

2009-07-17T13:31:00.006-05:00

In a previous post, I heralded the career of Mia Wasikowska, an Australian actress who is the now the new Alice for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. I also mentioned that she starred in a great little Australian flick called September that I saw when I was in Australia for four months a few years ago. Well, the September train keeps on plugging along.

Entertainment Weekly announced today that Australian actor Xavier Samuel has been cast in the third Twilight film. Though I'm not particularly interested in the movie (haven't seen the first, won't see the second, have never read the books, etc . . . ), I am interested in the casting. Samuel made quite a good impression on me in that film and, though it might be a bit premature to herald him as the next big thing, it's nice to see him getting so high profile roles alongside Wasikowska.

According to Entertainment Weekly, he's playing someone named 'Riley'. I haven't the faintest idea who that is being completely ignorant of most 'Twilight' information, but I might have to seek out this movie if it means catching up with a promising actor. And I need to see September again.

The Return of 'Kings'

2009-06-21T13:21:00.004-05:00

One of the most interesting show's to come out of NBC in a long time returned last week, and if you haven't watched yet, now is the time to start. Though the episode it returned on last week was a tad overblown, Saturday's episode (now viewable on Hulu) might just be the best yet. The episode explains a few of the secrets that have been simmering underneath the show's surface as well as further explaining the motivations of Ian McShane's King Silas. There's also a nice little tid bit for the 'Kings' fanatic involving the playing of a piano that seems to connect several plot lines together quite wonderfully.

Plus. Prince Jack. Gay stuff.

Well, well, well . . .

2009-06-13T01:44:00.006-05:00

Aren't you two just the cutest?

I don't know why I've become so musical crazy since the Tony Awards aired. Regardless, I just bought the new 'West Side Story' cast album, and it is quite good. Now, all I need is 'Hair.' Gavin Creel is god.

Breakin' Down the Tony Awards

2009-06-07T22:46:00.020-05:00

That about sums it up, I think. Clearly, the best moment of the night other than Brett Michaels' attack by a descending Broadway wall. Death by jazz hands.

Other than that . . . I thought it went pretty well. Neil Patrick Harris was decent, if upstaged by his SHINY SHINY suit (I especially loved the bitchy, Jeremy Piven-sushi bit), and Jane Fonda was there and looking FAB-U-LOUS, which makes me a happy camper.

Plus, GROWN UP KIRSTEN DUNST WAS THERE!

Samantha Mathis could cure cancer, and I would still remember her as Amy in Little Women.

Let's see . . . What else? There was an uncomfortable amount of men who thanked their wives, but Liza Minelli was there so it was all still pretty gay.

Yeah. Still crazy. But she's so much fun to watch, especially when that guy with a mullet from Rock of Ages was talking dirty to her.

And I AM SORRY, but did the music start to cut off Liza at one point? Do not make her come down off that stage. She will turn this car around.

There was a lot of hotness there, too, especially from those Hair boys in their tight jeans and hippie shirts. I wish I was Geoffrey Rush, for the first time ever.

But we also got Aaron Tveit from Next to Normal who I JUST realized was Nate's stuck up cousin on "Gossip Girl," on that episode where Vanessa whined and sulked in the corner for an hour (or is that every episode?) Anyway, yes please.

I was also rather fond of the actor playing Tony, i.e. his arms and the way his jeans fit.

I am not EXACTLY sure, however, why a gangster is dressed like he just stepped out of an Old Navy catalog or why he chose to wear that ensemble to a dance. A dance in a gym featuring the gayest looking basketball hoop ever realized.

Also, Karen Olivo is gorgeous.

And this makes no sense to me:

How . . . ?

I would also like to say that if I never hear the song 'Dancing Queen' again, it will be too soon. That song is TIRED. Why was Mamma Mia even there? At least sing a more interesting number. Christ!

In that same vein, note to awards' show producers. You tried it at the Oscars. You tried it here. Having two different sets of people performing two completely different songs at the same time does not work. It just becomes a jumbled mess of Puerto Rican ladies and Depression era gangsters wandering around the stage.

These kids will make three lucky girls very happy someday . . .

So, in short, the Tony Awards were shamelessly gay, shiny, geeky, and over-the-top. What else did you expect?

All the big names were there: Jane Fonda, Liza Minelli, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Harvey Fierstein and the small community of Keebler Elves that live in his throat, and John Stamos. Really, the only way it would have been better is if someone thought to invite Kristen Stewart.

Hiccup.

She probably would have fit right in!

Come back. Come back to me.

2009-06-05T11:47:00.003-05:00

Picture from Empire On Line's Birthday Portfolio, celebrating actors' most iconic roles. God, I love these two.

And when did Emma Watson become so chic and amazing?

Cute!

Boo-ya!

2009-05-26T15:08:00.002-05:00

Rural's Lazy American Idol Snark-cap

2009-05-19T23:44:00.002-05:00

Top 2 Perform

Sorry about the absence. I was busy moving back from school . . . bla bla bla. Anyway, KRIS MADE IT! WEEEE! That's about all I would have had to say, anyway.

So, about tonight. Hmmm. Not terribly inspiring. Kris and Adam both chose to re-sing what I would consider their best performances this season. Good job. It's certainly less, I dunno, affecting to see them sung for the second time, though. I honestly have no idea what the songs Simon Fuller chose for them are, and I don't really give a shit whether Kris' song 'speaks to the nature of our times' or whatever. As for that piece of shit Kara wrote for them . . . well, at least this year's final song doesn't talk about magical rainbows.

So, who will win? I'm ever so tempted to say Kris might pull an upset, but I'm still going with the safe bet of Adam. Who should win? Honestly, I would be happy with either even if Adam was getting on my nerves tonight. Have fun watching a TWO HOUR RESULTS SHOW, because I definitely won't be. That's insane.

Hahahaha . . . no

2009-05-15T12:17:00.002-05:00

Fool me once, shame on you, Mr. Howard. You're not gonna fool me again.

Rural's (SUPER) Lazy American Idol Snark-cap

2009-05-06T02:39:00.004-05:00

Top 4 Perform

Honestly, I have nothing to say about tonight. Seriously . . . How incredibly uninspiring was that? I can barely remember what anyone sang because I was so bored. When you manage to get the walking cluster fuck that is Slash to appear on your reality show, and you still produce an uninteresting hour of crap, the problem begins and ends with you.

The performances? Ummm . . . Let's see. Adam went first for what I think is the first time ever. He wore sparkly green eyeliner and sang in falsetto. Shocker. Allison's hair has purple in it now, and she sang a Janis Joplin song that her voice wasn't gravely enough to pull off. Kris and Danny sang a duet in character as two estranged, drunk brothers singing karaoke at a family reunion. Kris shook his cute little ass around in some tight-ish jeans on stage and sang The Beatles. So pretty. Pity he'll probably leave tomorrow. Danny sang an Aerosmith song and delivered, probably, the worst sung note of the entire season. Adam and Allison did something that had lots of light effects. Kara had bad hair.

I'm all out.

Completely Subjective Favorites Ranking

1. Kris Allen's ass
2. Kris Allen's skin
3. Kris Allen's lips
4. Adam and Allison's hair
5. Something about singing or whatever

Hi. I'm Kris Allen's ass. Don't you wanna rock the vote (wink wink)?

Rural's (REALLY Lazy) American Idol Snark-cap

2009-04-28T21:34:00.002-05:00

Top 5 Perform

Ok, so . . . This is gonna be pretty short tonight. I'm exhausted, and tonight's show didn't exactly inject a lot of inspiration.

Music of the Rat Pack. Jamie Foxx. God, whatever.

Kris Allen: This was kind of aimless, but it still sounded pretty good. Who are we kidding, though: he was wearing a tie, and he still hasn't shaved. Yes, please.

Allison Iraheta: She looked GORGEOUS. I loved that this was different from her usual performance but still managed to fit her style. Go Allison!

Matt Giraud: What a mess. Stop dicking around with your voice and just sing. Also, please continue to wear tight pants. XOXO

Danny Gokey: Ok, ok. Not terrible. Maybe the best he's been. Still don't like him. No one is going to buy this album. It will be in the discount bin at Target faster than you can blink.

Adam Lambert: Let's just end it already and start running back-to-back episodes of that obnoxious show Fringe. Unless hell freezes over, Adam is going to win. Based off of tonight, he deserves it. And I think Paula had an orgasm.

Judges' Notes

Simon: You're an idiot. You were wrong about everyone but Adam. Just go ahead and quit if you're so bored. And how exactly does a contestant answer, "do you think you can still win?"

Randy: (Pulls string) A Randy says, "Here's the thing, dawg."

Paula: Your dress was out of control.

Completely Subjective Favorites Ranking

1. Adam
2. Allison
3. Kris
4. Danny
5. Matt

Rural's (Lazy) American Idol Snark-cap

2009-04-21T21:52:00.004-05:00

Top 7 Perform (Again)

Before I say anything, I should just say that the Idolatry interviews always make me feel guilty for all the nasty things I say on here. Scott MacIntyre won me over in 10 minutes during his chat with Michael Slezak on EW.com. Maybe I should just throw in the towel.

Nah.

Wow. Disco night wasn't actually a huge train wreck. Who would've thunk it, eh? I certainly thought I was in for an hour of soul crushing horror. It's always nice to be surprised.

So, can I start off by asking if anyone else couldn't stop looking at that blond girl behind Simon that the camera showed every time he started talking? Girl was having a great old time, and you could tell that she KNEW she was on camera. She was milking that 30 seconds of screen time every time it came around. She kept laughing and trying to talk to the person next to her . . . even though I'm not entirely sure the person next to her had any idea who she was. Pretty sure she was just pretending to be there with someone. Making an ex-boyfriend jealous, maybe? Give this girl an iPod or something.

Also, I'm pretty sure Kristin Bell was there. She did some sort of sexy eyebrow thing into the camera when Ryan walked by. She was sitting next to that puffy, old rocker (?) whose name I still can't remember and his . . . female companion (?).

Lil Rounds: Hmmmm. Well, I mean . . . I dunno. Actually, you know what, this wasn't thoroughly unenjoyable. She still can't hit most of those notes to save her life, but at least she looked like she was enjoying herself for the first time EVER. She was wearing a jumpsuit, though, so I have to deduct a couple of points automatically. Not bad. Still not close to great.

Kris Allen: Loved it. Great vocals and arrangement. Kris Allen is a sex/music god. Kris Allen's arm muscles are the 8th Wonder of the World. Vote Kris Allen in 2012. All I want for Christmas is a naked Kris Allen under the Christmas tree, tied up nice and tight in red ribbon with a bow on top. Et cetera. God bless you, Paula Abdul. I'd go underwear shopping with Kris anytime. Maybe tomorrow he can show us his underwear and prove that he doesn't actually shop at Victoria's Secret. Fan me! Kris Allen for President.

Danny Gokey: GO AWAY! Just do it! Maybe then you can shave. Just a bit of advice to any and all men: stubble doesn't look good on everyone. Some people look like they just woke up from a three month long drug bender, especially when they kind of amble around the stage, swinging their arms randomly, like a confused Alzheimer's patient. The first half of that song was talking to a backing track. Boring vocals. Even more boring stage presence. Why. does. he. keep. getting. praised?

Allison Iraheta: First of all, loved the entrance. That was pimp staging on the part of the producers if I've ever seen it, and I am buying what they're selling. The song? Hmmm . . . Girl can SING, no matter what, but this song is a little stupid. I mean, "HOT, HOT, HOT, HOT STUUUUFFFF?" A song like that isn't going to exactly set the world on fire these days, but she sang it pretty damn well. This girl is ridiculously talented and has the killer voice and stage presence of a veteran rocker. Go Allison!

Adam Lambert: Thanking the musician who helped you arrange the song. Once again, VERY SLY, Mr. Lambert. You're either a genuinely nice person or a very crafty individual. I prefer to say both. I'm just glad he hasn't started sitting on the stage and reading from the phonebook, since he would probably still win the whole thing. We all knew we were getting slow Adam since he was wearing a suit, albeit with a Bond villain-like snake ring on his pinky. I am completely fine with the fact that he is winning, even if I'm still on the Kris Allen train (it's a very sexy train, btw . . . lots of crushed velvet). He has a CRAZY GOOD voice. I think Paula thinks he was singing that straight to her. Paula is going to have sex with him whether he wants to or not. She will not be satisfied until he's backstage with a bag over his head, a sock in his mouth, and his pants around his ankles, with the sounds of frantic clapping and Vicodin-induced babbling the only things clueing him into her identity.

Matt Giraud: Let's play a little game. I say 'disco,' and what is this FIRST thing you think of? 'Staying Alive,' I presume? Much, much too obvious a choice. You just got saved from elimination, dude. Maybe it's time to start thinking outside of the box. He's still got an interesting voice and a certain pop star swagger that I think works on him, but he's just not making himself memorable. He sang the most obvious disco song there is, and I still have a hard time remembering much about it.

Anoop Desai: Pimp slot? Whatever for? Ok . . . I'll give him that one note. Awesome. You held that for a looooooong time. Still, this is the exact same thing he did last week. It was a little better, but it was still the same thing. I am also still bored by it. He has a good voice, certainly, but not an interesting one. And what is with the David Cook syndrome this season? I think they outlawed razors in the Idol Mansion. Also, he really is a frat boy. That outfit was right out of a meeting of the Harvard Greek Council over cigars and brandy. Nerd.

Judges' Notes

Simon: 'Beat It.' Anoop's worst performance was 'Beat It.' You probably blocked it from your memory. Wish I could.

Randy: When, exactly, did I start hating you? Because I really REALLY think you're pretty fucking useless.

Paula: Where you there in person? All I remember is a giant shimmer with your voice emanating from it like some sort of ethereal being. Lay off the glittery jewelry.

Completely Subjective Favorites Ranking

1. Blond Girl behind Simon
2. Adam
3. Kris
4. Allison
5. Anoop
6. Matt
7. Lil
8. Danny

So . . . Kris/Adam finale, ya?

Rural's (Lazy) American Idol Snark-cap

2009-04-14T23:45:00.003-05:00

Top 7 Perform

This isn't exactly the kind of episode that inspires a lot of interesting things to say, and this week is already exhausting me. Anyway . . .

Can I just say this? There have been A LOT of songs written for the movies. A LOT. Was this really the best they could come up with? Two gooey, cheddar cheese filled Bryan Adams ballads and Lionel Ritchie? Is this '80s night again?

Also, this new format of only letting two judges speak is fucking stupid . . . AND THEY STILL MANAGED TO GO OVER TIME? What is this? Maybe we should cut out the little chit chat with Ryan Seacrest and Danny Gokey about how cool it is to sing with a fucking harp. No? How about the 5 minutes we spent promoting Inglorious Basterds?

Allison Iraheta: No no no. Do not pick a song from a movie about a massive, worldwide catastrophe. The jokes become too obvious. I still love her voice, but I don't think that there's any way to make this song sound cool, unless I'm mistaken and it's still 1998. She gave it her best though, and I still say she's got stage presence oozing out of her fiery red mane. And, you know what, let's stop dissing her clothes. I know I was guilty of it too. You know who else dresses like a deranged freak? Katy Perry, Pink, Gwen Stefani, and Lady Gaga, to name a few (and that's just the girls).

Anoop Desai: I. Just. Rewatched. Last. Week's. Performance. YAAAAAWN. Boring boring boring. What was he trying to do, up his cool factor by singing a cheesetastic, ironically popular song from a 1980s Kevin Costner vehicle? Hope that goes well for you. He has a good voice, but I seriously just can't be bothered anymore.

Adam Lambert: The bitch is back, ladies and gentlemen (not that he ever left). No, he's been delivering pretty great performances since this season started, but tonight saw the return of Mr. Nail Polish and Eye Liner himself. He jumped all over the stage like a chimp on crack. He sang notes that most dogs probably can't even hear. This is what he does. You either like it or you don't. I am firmly in the 'like it' camp if only because, let's be honest, this show would be a lot less interesting without this lovable theater queen around. I still think he's the safest bet for the finale.

Matt Giraud: Here comes tonight's SECOND Bryan Adams ballad. Honestly, why would you sing this song? Again, this just oozes cheese. What sets him apart from Anoop is that he at least has an interesting voice that makes you pay attention, whether or not you dig his style. Speaking of style . . . those jeans fit that boy like a glove. OOOOF! Please stick around if only for some more ogling.

Danny Gokey: "And they whirled and they twirled and they tangoed/Singin' and jinglin' the jango/Floatin' like the heavens above/It looks like muskrat love" . . . 'Nuff said. Without his glasses, he even squints like a muskrat. What is this movie, anyway? A Brooke Shields vehicle? Time is not always kind, is it folks?

Kris Allen: I now present a dramatic reenactment of my friend and I's reaction the SECOND Kris started singing this song in the clip with Quentin Tarantino: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH! I saw Swell Season in concert a year ago, and "Falling Slowly" is just a beautiful song. I'm happy to say Kris did not disappoint. Thank god we got him out of that black hole of talent they call a small disk-sized performance space from last week. Stella's got her groove back, and it's just as sexy and soulful as ever.

Lil Rounds: What the hell was this? Seriously . . . Can anyone tell me? This girl cannot pick a song to save her life (or sing it ). If she was trying to distance herself from the drag queen image after last week's Tina Turner fiasco, I don't think Bette FUCKING Midler was the way to go. Stop wearing skin tight outfits.

Judges' Notes

Quentin Tarantino: You have the hair of a fucking SS Guard right now. Is this purely for publicity for the movie or what?

Randy: Fuck off. If Kris Allen was pitchy THE ENTIRE TIME, then I'd hate to hear what you think of Lil's pitch as it continually plummets of Mount Everest and hits a swamp full of malaria ridden mosquitoes.

Kara: I don't know if an Academy Award winning song can necessarily be called obscure but . . . the American public is often quite ridiculous, so I'll give you a pass on this one.

Paula: You're going to get a lot of shit for basically reading a fortune cookie instead of critiquing Lil, but, you know what, she obviously isn't going to listen anyway. Throw crayons at her next time and tell her the world is filling her life with rainbows for all I care.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY CAN WE GET A DIRECTOR ON THIS SHOW WHO KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING? I've got a great idea! Let's cut out judge critiques, leave in a bunch of filler, and still manage to rush through the last two singers and somehow go over an hour time limit.

Completely Subjective Favorites Ranking

1. Kris
2. Adam
3. Allison
4. Matt
5. Anoop
6. Danny
7. Lil

Anyone else looking forward to the judges and producers pretending that they still liked Jennifer Hudson when she was voted off when she comes back to perform on the results show as an Oscar and Grammy winner? I sure am.

Things I'm Loving This Week

2009-04-10T16:32:00.004-05:00

From Crackle: Angel of Death Ep 1 "Edge" starring Zoe Bell

"Angel of Death," the completely over-the-top pseudo comic book, 10-part action web series starring stunt woman turned Tarantino icon, Zoe Bell. I mean, how can you not love a series in which a female assassin gets stabbed in the head and survives, Lucy Lawless plays a southern belle and ex-prostitute with a fondness for the five finger discount, and young upstart in the world of organized crime kills people with an old-fashioned razor? Episode 1 is embedded above.

Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, and Adam Lambert. Make this the final 3, America . . . PLEASE!

Hanna Schygulla in The Marriage of Maria Braun. No one oozes sex appeal and carefully constructed pluck quite like she does in Fassbinder's classic look at German history in the years after World War 2. Her performance, like the movie as a whole (which I saw for the first time this week), is funny, sexy, courageous, captivating, and even (at times) unsettling. Compare this to her heartbreaking and withdrawn performance in last year's The Edge of Heaven to see what a talent she is and has always been.

Billy Bob Thornton is a Jackass

2009-04-08T18:10:00.001-05:00

Skip to the about 6 minute mark.

Rural's (Lazy) American Idol Snark-cap

2009-04-07T21:31:00.015-05:00

Top 8 Perform

Hot damn! Welcome to the Thunder Dome, people. This competition just heated up . . .

Hahaha. I am, of course, only kidding. This week's episode was as boring as last week's was completely derailed. At least last week we had more than one performance to really be excited about. Seriously, though, I don't have a lot to say about tonight. I was not really feeling it. I think there's a reason that 90% of '80s music exists only to be lampooned by Vh1.

And . . . OH MY FUCKING GAWD? WHO THE FUCK IS THAT BALD GUY? Is that the gypsy Gokey promised his soul in exchange for an unfathomably long run on this show?

Danny Gokey: Why am I trapped on this elevator, and why is it ALWAYS playing 'Muskrat Love?' Seriously, this shit isn't even good cheese. It comes in a resealable bag, and they sell it in bulk at the Thrift-O-Mart.

Kris Allen: Well, fuck. I don't . . . I don't really know . . . It was . . . Actually, I kind of liked it, but I think that has more to do with the fact that I really just like the sound of his voice. That song was just, sigh . . . I would not have sung that, let's just say. That's a Gokey song if I've ever heard one. This was just forgettable, honestly. I think those heinous hipster girls in that mosh pit suck the mojo out of these singers. First Matt, now Kris. I am TERRIFIED that he is going home . . . before Danny, Lil, Anoop, and Scott. That is awful. I blame that bald gypsy. Damn you, Gokey!

Lil Rounds: Welcome to the Hilton Ballroom, ladies and gentlemen. Performing tonight is the fourth best Tina Turner impersonator in the Midwestern United States. Enjoy your shrimp cocktails and don't forget to tip your cocktail waitresses. She'll do something different next week? My ass, she will. She cried. She's safe. Whatever. At least her FUCKING KIDS weren't there again. Oh . . . and I don't think I need to make any terribly un-PC comments about the fact that her mother named her 'Lil,' do I?

Anoop Desai: Well, well, well. SOMEBODY understands the concept of Internet backlash, I see. Guess you decided it might be time to not come off like a complete dick, huh? Mission accomplished, I suppose. Pretty good vocals this week, actually. That sweater was louder than Lil Rounds, but he actually managed to pull together a solid night. Nice to see you stopped trying to be an R & B sex god, nerd.

Scott MacIntyre: "Let's take a glimpse into Scott's childhood." -Ryan Seacrest. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I'm sorry. I know I'm going to hell. You guys, this was just heinous. It's like I said, his songs get better the worse his hair gets. Unfortunately for him, his hair was kind of under control this week, and this was possibly his most ludicrous yet. His eye makeup was clumping, for goddsake! What was he playing, like, 2 chords on that electric guitar? There was absolutely no way he wasn't going to be the new VTFW pick.

Allison Iraheta: I have absolutely no idea what this song was. I know . . . I'm a child. Whatever. Never heard it in my life. But I liked Allison's take on it. I kind of wish she'd go back to up tempo Allison sometime in the near future, but I'm still kind of digging this low key style, too. Girl has stage presence for DAYS! Go Allison!

Matt Giraud: Take off that hat, please. Eaaaaasily one of the best . . . Not that that's saying a whole lot considering tonight's frost-bitten harvest of beige. I still find him kind of uninteresting, but his clip package was amusing, I suppose. Good to see the vocals are back now that he's out of that pit of voice sucking fanwhores in that black hole of talent they call a mosh pit.

Adam Lambert: Let's just stop bull shitting, you guys. Adam Lambert is going to win this season. Like, it's really not up for debate. As far as I can tell, he has never NOT been one of the last people to perform in a given night, and this was his second time in the pimp slot. Like, it's pretty clear they want him to win, which I am FINE with if it means we can stop hearing about Danny Gokey. Plus, you can't say he didn't have a great night. Yes, that was Tears for Fears by way of Gary Jules, but it's certainly not his furthest departure from a song this season. It would have been fantastic if he didn't insist on screaming that one note in the middle, but, sigh . . . Whatever. He's going to do that every week, regardless. Pretty excellent performance, though, I've got to say.

Judges' Notes

Randy: You were totally late for Adam, weren't you? Or did you just feel like running head first into Ryan for shits and giggles.

All Four of You: I know this isn't completely your fault, but JESUS H. CHRIST! Why can we not get the timing on this show down? Did you really just give Adam Lambert a 3 second critique?

Completely Subjective Favorites Ranking

1. Adam
And, ummm . . .
2. Allison
3. Matt
4. Kris (Sigh . . . What can I do?)
5. Anoop
Sure. Why the hell not?
6. Danny
7. Lil
8. Scott

Save the Kris. Save the world!

Cock Tease: The Movie (2009)

2009-04-04T02:29:00.014-05:00

Hi. I'm Paul Walker's abs. You might remember me from a movie that delivered on its promises.

It's really very simple, makers of Fast and Furious.

You take Paul Walker, he of the piercing blue eyes and mouth watering body. You add Vin Diesel, he whose imposing largeness and gravely voice makes you want him to like you just so he won't kill you dead. You have fast cars that, ya know, go fast and run into things. I wouldn't have thought it was brain surgery BUT . . .

Here's a side-by-side comparison of what I want from a movie called Fast and Furious and what the makers of THIS movie think I want.

Me: Loud, stupid car chases down a strip of road in Korea-town or something, briefly punctuated by character moments that give all the crashing, speeding sexiness some kind of a point.
Them: Boring, stupid scenes full of characters talking about FBI protocol and being introspective, briefly punctuated by car chases in underground tunnels so that they can put cars on the poster.

Me: Paul Walker naked or half-naked. Frequently.
Them: Paul Walker in baggy T-shirts. Exclusively.

Me: Over-the-top camp. Winking at the audience because, yes, we know this is a movie about car chases and Paul Walker's ability to take his shirt off.
Them: Gooey earnestness. PLEASE TAKE US SERIOUSLY! THIS ISN'T JUST A MOVIE ABOUT THINGS THAT EXPLODE! WE HAVE SOOOO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THESE CHARACTERS AND THEIR INNER TURMOIL! LET'S GO TALK ABOUT OURSELVES OVER COFFEE AT A FUCKING ROADSIDE DINER!

Me: Sex scenes. Gratuitous swearing. Tank tops, low rise jeans, and booty shorts. Various, R rated hijinks.
Them: Bland, Pg-13 rated cock teasing. No sex. Paul Walker feeling up Jordana Brewster while she's sitting on a kitchen counter in A FUCKING CARDIGAN!

Needless to say, I did not have nearly enough mind numbing fun in this movie, because this movie didn't want me too. This movie wanted me to feel for these characters and their emotions and their self-doubt. For every scene of Vin Diesel driving underneath a flaming oil tanker flipping in the air or blowing up his car with a cigarette lighter, there were endless scenes of Vin Diesel brooding and Paul Walker starring in a play school dress up episode of Law and Order.

Well, I've got news for you. The dialog in this script was written by a group of first year screenwriting students who haven't talked to a real human being in quite some time. I cannot emotionally connect to characters who barely manage to stutter words with two syllables.

I don't really have anything to say about the plot except to wonder when Vin Diesel's character began having psychic visions. Maybe I missed something, but he pegged the guy who he was looking to lay the smack down on because . . . he looked like the shadowy figure he envisioned at the scene of the crime?

I have exactly the same problem with this movie as I did with Quantum of Solace. This movie was too embarrassed to just be what it is: a big, dumb movie full of explosions. Just do that. It's what you're there to do.

So, makers of this movie, when you make a sequel (and they will, if the number of people who came to the showing I went to tonight are any indication) just have fun with it. You don't need to try to win people over. We're there because we know what we're getting. Your movie is called Fast and Furious. Just get Jordana Brewster and Paul Walker naked, put them in a car, and let them drive down a steep road at 120 miles per hour.

Rural's (Lazy) American Idol Snark-cap

2009-03-31T21:58:00.008-05:00

Top 9 Perform

I called it. I just knew most of them would sing songs they loved rather than songs they could actually, ya know, SING. Trainwreck.

Anoop Desai: Wait . . . What did he sing? I honestly can't remember. Welcome to Sarver country. Population: Anoop. Stop making painful sex faces, nerd. Stop getting snippy with the judges. Moving on . . .

Megan Joy: Megan, I still like you. But . . . gah. Pull it together, woman. Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Adele, Regina Spektor . . . Ever heard of them? The season's most current voice and she chooses Bob Marley. Good going.

Danny Gokey: At least he didn't mention his dead grandfather. Wasn't horrible . . . I might actually admit it was kind of good if I was acknowledging his existence. Pass. Whatever.

Allison Iraheta: Holy Hobknobs and Hairclips Batman! Who the hell was dressing this girl? Ah . . . but now I'm being as bad as the judges and not mentioning that the first, more low-key half of the song was quite good if significantly better than the second. Still . . . Go Allison!

Scott MacIntyre: Fine. He was decent. It seems like his voice gets better the worse his hair gets. Maybe they should pin that deranged cockatoo sitting on Allison's head on him next week. He'd probably end up the best of the night. Still bored.

Matt Giraud: Oh dear . . . Remember what I was saying about contestants singing songs they liked rather than ones they can actually sing? The prosecution rests.

Lil Rounds: Pro: Not 'My Heart Will Go On." Con: Celine Dion. Pro: She can still belt. Con: I think I just watched a rerun of last week's performance. Pro: Her children want to punch Randy in the face. Con: Her children pussy out on threats . . . She cried. She's safe. Girl's got an ASS on her, too. That dress was painted on.

Adam Lambert: Isn't it funny how sometimes the judges say a contestant really could just sing the phone book? I think Paula or Kara said that about Allison last week. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I think we just saw it in action. 'Play that Funky Music White Boy?' Is it more disturbing that this song is on the top of the charts for downloads off of iTunes or that this performance actually kind of worked? I'm gonna go with option C: He actually fucking twirled in the middle of the song. Giving props to the band . . . VERY SLY, Mr. Lambert. The hair, though. That mullet was having a party in the front and the back.

Kris Allen: OH. MY. GAWD. YOU. GUYS. Like, I don't even really know what to say. I kept waiting for him to mess up because I really didn't think it was possible that he could keep that up the whole time but DAMN! I need that to be on iTunes an hour ago.

Fuck it. I'm embedding this.

Judges' Notes

Paula: Never stop dancing. If you and Megan had a dance-off, the world might explode.
Kara: You are not Simon. Do not fight a large auditorium full of people. You will probably lose. But good job on the counting.

Completely Subjective Favorites Ranking

1. Kris
2. Adam
3. Allison

Aaaaand then it kind of becomes a cluster fuck of mediocrity with Lil and Megan at the top, I guess, and Matt 'proving himself' near the bottom. The rest are just kind of circling around in the middle blackhole of forgetableness. And I seemed to have missplaced Anoop somewhere. Possibly on an oil rig.

Things I'm Loving This Week

2009-03-30T17:33:00.009-05:00

Mishavonna Henson's version of 'Drops of Jupiter.' How this girl didn't even make Wild Card night on American Idol is something I'll never understand.

NBC's shamefully low rated, addictive melodrama, Kings. This show is the quintessential guilty pleasure. It's a little bit like the similarly addictive The Tudors, except with better lighting and more religious allegory. If I tried to explain the pseudo-science fiction meets Old Testament plot, I wouldn't do justice to just how watchable this show is. The entire cast is just right, but I got to give credit to Susanna Thompson who plays Queen Bitch like nobody else and Ian McShane who anchors this show with a lot of gusto. Special shout out to Prince Jack (played by Sebastian Stan). Good to have a gay character on TV whose entire storyline isn't about his sexuality. Watching this on Hulu is the highlight of my Mondays.

Dean Stockwell in A Long Day's Journey Into Night. Yum Yum delicious. I spent my entire first class today just GAPING at him.

Rural's (Lazy) American Idol Snark-cap

2009-03-26T18:49:00.017-05:00

Top 10 Perform

Can we get the pacing down, producers? You've only had 8 seasons to figure it out, so why are they always rushing through the last 3 performers?

Matt Giraud: He's getting better, actually. He didn't try to fiddle around with the melody too much this time, thank god. His voice is still a little whiny to me, though.

Kris Allen: Sex. Big brown eyes. Skinny tie. The voice. Lots of sex.

Scott MacIntyre: Yawn. So over it. Ugh . . . don't even feel like wasting time on him. Sitting at the piano. Great. Original. What was he wearing, anyway? Put sunglasses on him, please.

Megan Joy: I agree that her vocals tend to be all over the place, but let's be honest. Her sound is pretty current (Adele, Amy Winehouse, Duffy), and she'd probably be the only winner whose album I'd consider buying. So, Megan's growing on me. I don't think this was nearly as bad as the judges made it out to be.

Anoop Desai: Simon said, "I think you looked like you were half asleep throughout the song . . ." That makes two of us. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. You're very close to Sarver-ing yourself out my consciousness. Speaking of . . .

Michael Sarver: What's a Michael Sarver? (Note: I wrote this before I even heard him perform, and I saw no reason to change it afterward).

Lil Rounds: I love this girl's personality, but come on. Just STFU. "I was so affected by how far you guys had come . . . " Whatever. Oh, the performance? She didn't sing it. She SANG it. Is that good or bad? I dunno. That's really a matter of taste. At least they figured out how to dress her this week so her hips didn't look 12-feet wide. She's definitely got the pipes.

Adam Lambert: Fat Elvis crossed with Chris Isaak and tons of hair gel. Pretty good vocals, though. Much better than Johnny Cash by way of John Wayne Gacy.

Danny Gokey: I'm sure if I cared I might say it was corny as hell but a little bit fun, too. No thanks.

Allison Iraheta: If you don't have something mean to say, don't say anything at all. Go Allison!

Judges' Notes

Randy: Just say no to horizontal stripes, dawg.
Kara: One-of-the-best-performances-of-the-night. Not 6 words.

Oh, and a note to Ryan and the judges, all of this banter is UNBEARABLE. Not funny. Why are we talking about coloring books and drawing mustaches. Please stop.

Completely Subjective Favorites Ranking

1. Kris
2. Allison
3. Megan
4. Adam
5. Matt
6. Lil
7. Anoop
8. Scott
9. Danny

(Hmmm . . . I don't think I'm forgetting anyone )

Rural's Week of the Dead

2009-03-10T18:06:00.024-05:00

I was sick last week and, in between episodes of Degrassi and American Idol, I got the zombie bug and ended up watching a string of zombie films for no real reason other than I started and couldn't stop. All of these were first viewings.

There's spoilers. Duh.

Dawn of the Dead (1978): Is Zack Snyder's remake maybe just a teensy bit more fun to watch? Sure. I watched the extended version so perhaps that played a part, but it seemed like this one took a little long to really get going. But Snyder's version is not nearly as smart. It's refreshing to see a horror movie with a cast of human beings. Like, the people at the center of this movie just feel real, and I liked them for it. I didn't feel like there were any characters I was actively being forced to root against. I felt a little bad for them when they got into trouble. I know Romero gets some grief nowadays for making the ending less nihilistic, but I kind of like the idea that our central characters are flying off in a helicopter headed for god knows where. It adds a little hope, yes, but how much when you really think about it?

Day of the Dead (1985): So, I understand this had collected a bit of a cult following over the years, and I can understand why. This is certainly a much more cerebral film than the first two entries in the series which, unfortunately, makes it a lot less entertaining at times. It's quite dour and claustrophobic which works toward the mind set of the characters, of course. It just makes it a little hard to get through. You can see in the military characters too that Romero was starting to devolve into good vs. bad guys plot lines (see Land of the Dead further down). And I think I understand that this is the chronological last film in his series, coming even before Land of the Dead. That's crazy because we really don't get a lot of closure about what happens to the world. The characters end up on a tropical island somewhere, literally counting their days, but I guess we're just supposed to assume that the world is pretty much over? Whoa.

Day of the Dead (2008): First of all, this has absolutely nothing to do with the original other than the fact that the army is involved. These aren't even technically zombies, if you want to be technical, since they're actually infected like the creatures in 28 Days Later, not to start that debate up or anything. This isn't a horrible movie, actually, if you remove it from the original, certainly compared to a lot of straight to DVD horror. It's just kind of silly. And all I can say is thank god they killed of Nick Cannon badly playing Samuel L. Jackson, though I think a much longer death would've been in order. And, really, when did it become commonplace to fill horror movies with so many unpleasant people that bicker the whole time and have poorly timed personal conversations? Also, it's time to retire the last second jump-cum-promise of a sequel from the zombie movie.

Land of the Dead (2005): Ok . . . so the credits SAY this was directed by George A. Romero, but I'm pretty sure Steven Spielberg did it. Like, what was with the E.T.-ification of the zombies? I'm sorry. I don't feel sorry for them. They want to eat me. Maybe you should kill the lead zombie who's teaching them to use guns instead of playing inspirational music and letting them go ahead on their journey bla bla bla. Also, really? A 9/11 metaphor? Really, George? Again . . . ZOMBIES EAT PEOPLE! What's with all of this Guantanamo-zombie posturing? Asia Argento is in this movie, though, so I cannot hate this movie. It's true that her character had tenuous ties at best to the plot, but you get Asia in there however you can.

Dance of the Dead (2008): Future horror filmmakers, please hear this. NEVER work overtime to make a character or characters obnoxious and then expect me to enjoy the fact that they have lived in the final reel. If you're going to set up characters as unlikeable, at least have the decency to off them as they gain redemption yada yada etc . . . The two nerdy characters really grated on my nerves. I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to find them endearing, but no. Otherwise, though, this is a pretty fun little movie. Funny in all the right places and featuring a pretty creative use of dead frogs. BUT . . . if you're going to sell your movie as a prom/zombie movie, you might want to actually show us the prom, ya know. Why segregate your main characters when you have a whole gym full of horny teens ready to get bitten? Or at least that's what Stacie Ponder thinks. All in all, the movie IS a lot of fun, despite its faults, and surprisingly well-acted.

Dead and Breakfast (2004): So here's what I think happened. Someone with a lot of marginally famous celebrity friends (i.e. Portia de Rossi, David Carradine, Erik Palladino, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jeremy Sisto, Diedrich Bader) had some money lying around and thought it would be fun to make a supernatural voodoo zombie movie. My prime suspect's Miranda Bailey since she happens to star and executive produce. I mean . . . I dunno, I suppose it's funny and gory enough, but it was all just a little bit confusing. There's a lot of bells and whistles with the country singer/narrator and the Buddhist monk, etc . . . Some of the gory scenes work well, though. It's watchable even if you get the sense it kind of wasn't meant for anything else than a home movie between friends who got bored and decided to pass the time.

I Can't Wait for Shutter Island or Ashcliffe or Whatever They're Calling It

2009-03-05T16:55:00.004-06:00

FYC Emily Mortimer. Best Supporting Actress. It's never too early.

Just when I thought Teri Hatcher was useless to me . . .

2009-02-08T14:50:00.002-06:00

She just HAD to go and be awesome in a surprisingly great movie.

UPDATE: Fine, I like you again.

2009-02-05T17:05:00.001-06:00

The Graduate: The Eyes Have It

2009-02-05T04:42:00.003-06:00

Wrote this for a class, but I thought be a worthwhile read. Beware. It's long.

Fade in. The camera lingers on Benjamin Braddock’s face. It’s hard to discern what he’s feeling. His expression is a complicated mixture of solemn resignation and complete emotional detachment. The camera pulls back slowly as the presence of other passengers on board a plane is established. Though our protagonist is just one of the travelers in view, the viewer’s eye is still drawn to him as the pilot informs the passengers that he looks forward to seeing them, “in the near future.” He remains in the center of the frame, and the music of Simon and Garfunkel slowly pipes through the soundtrack and into the viewer’s consciousness. Cut to Benjamin walking up to and getting on a moving walkway. The camera follows. His expression hasn’t changed, but there’s an element of anxiety present. He timidly looks up and examines his surroundings. A man passes by, and he looks down, betraying a lack of confidence in his relation to others. The camera stops, but Ben continues on until the frame is filled by just the shadow of his progressing profile.

In this, the first 2 minutes of Mike Nichols’ 1967 The Graduate, and ode to youthful uncertainty and disaffection, the director has already laid the groundwork for the narrative still to unfold. And he’s done it simply, with no dialog, by focusing the camera in on Dustin Hoffman’s face, letting the emotions flitting across it speak volumes about Benjamin’s state of mind. He is, we learn, returning home from college as a star student with big expectations. The question is, what’s the next step? Who is he outside of the academic realm in which he has flourished for the past 4 years? Who will he become? What will come to define his life? Will he, as one of his parent’s friends suggests, find his future in “plastics?” Or is there something else?
It’s an opening Zach Braff would commandeer some 37 years later for his surprisingly successful debut feature, Garden State, though his over reliance on more literal imagery to get the point across would dampen the effect. In the opening of the 2004 film, Andrew Largeman, the film’s protagonist, sits on a turbulent plane, his face devoid of emotional investment even as the other passengers are seen frantic and petrified. Eventually, Braff cuts to Andrew, sprawled in bed like a corpse, draped with a white sheet. It was all a dream.

The basic approach is the same, but whereas Nichols realizes the power inherent in the emotional commitment of an actor’s visage, Braff relies on a clunky, post 9/11 metaphor to get the point across. His mind is troubled with the world and his place in it, as reflected in the rocky and doomed journey of the plane, but he is emotionally incapable or unwilling to come to terms with it. So uncertain is he about the future, if there is a future at all, that he has shut himself off from the very idea of it. He doesn’t understand, as Nichols does, that whether or not an audience is aware, the way a director frames a scene and places actors within it, is a powerful way to convey the aspects and components of a film’s message and effectiveness.

And understand it Nichols certainly does, even in the film’s light hearted moments, crafting the film’s most humorous sequences around a set of camera techniques and reliance on the commitment of his actors to both their characters and the scene. In what is, arguably, one the film’s most effective and certainly its most successfully humorous sequence, Benjamin has driven Anne Bancroft’s now legendary character Mrs. Robinson back to her house from the celebratory graduation party being thrown by his parents, partly to escape the throng of his parent’s well-meaning if pushy friends and partly due to his inability to maneuver out of her clever web of entrapment and insistiveness. He drives her home, but she insists he come inside, as she is afraid to enter a dark house. Once he’s in the house, despite his fumbling insistence to the contrary, she convinces him to stay, belittling him as foolish for refusing to stay with her until her husband returns. It is from this back-and-forth, consisting of the twitchy manifestations of his increasing discomfort and her seeming commitment to both ignoring and mocking them, that Nichols mines the humor of the sequence. Both Bancroft and Hoffman give themselves completely over to the scene- she in a flippant disregard for most anything he has to say in her quest to lure him upstairs and he in his inability to cope with the one situation he hasn’t had much success in previously. Mrs. Robinson recognizes his inexperience, is almost aroused by it, and it is this awareness that constructs the basis of the witty, cat-and-mouse game being played by the characters.

It is also here that Nichols composes the, justifiably, most famous shot in the film and the one that’s significance is undeniable to its next chapter. As Nichols is fond of doing in The Graduate, one character- here, Mrs. Robinson- is in the foreground of a shot while another- Benjamin- is seen in long shot. Mrs. Robinson, seated on a bar stool, props up her leg, and, through the space between her leg and the chair, Benjamin is seen framed when he utters the film’s most infamous line: “Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.” She laughs it off as another of his silly delusions bred out of childish inexperience, belittling him even as she slowly begins to show her true intentions. By framing Benjamin in the shot through Mrs. Robinson’s legs, Nichols is indicating to the viewer that Benjamin’s been caught. Mrs. Robinson’s ensnared him, just as she’s intended, and it is no longer a question of if they will go upstairs, but when. Throughout the film, Nichols uses techniques like this, mining humor from the fact that Benjamin’s caught in a situation he’s not entirely comfortable with but one he’s going to, cautiously and nervously, make the best of. That is, until the arrival of Katharine Ross’ Elaine throws a wrench into the equation, providing the film its final chapter and the one that will, ultimately, prove to be the most significant to the film’s underlying ideas.

At the end of Garden State, Braff again echoes the thematic undertones of Nichols’ film, and, again, he does so in much too literal a scenario. After he has an epiphany and rushes back to reunite with Natalie Portman’s character, he utters the film’s narrative thesis: “So what do we do? What do we do?” Portman shakes her head, at a loss for the answer. They kiss. The music grows. The camera pulls back from them. We see the two reunited lovers slowly recede from view, isolated in the middle of a stark white airport, uncertain of the future but prepared to tackle it head on. The end.

Braff and Nichols want to tell us, essentially, the same thing in their film’s final moments, but, as Garden State draws to a close, Braff wants to make absolutely sure that the audience has understood what it all means. He employs the character of Andrew to spell it all out as he’s spilling his heart in the baggage claim. He has forgotten one of the cardinal rules of filmmaking in his haste to explain himself to the MySpace generation. Film is a visual medium. It’s not what you tell an audience that counts. It’s how you show it.

In The Graduate’s closing sequence, the camera follows Benjamin and Elaine as they rush out of the church after he stops her wedding. A bus is driving by, and they hail it, running to keep up with it as Elaine struggles to keep pace in her wedding dress. The two get on, and we cut to the interior of the bus, following Elaine and Benjamin closely as they make their way to the back, passing confused passengers that watch them as they go. They sit down, and a sense of triumph and giddy exhilaration spreads over their faces. They stare into each other’s eyes for a moment, but Benjamin looks away. Elaine remains looking at him for a brief moment, but soon the two are facing forward, the thrill of the moment faded, replaced by a creeping awkwardness exacerbated by the continuing silence between them. “The Sound of Silence,” the same Simon and Garfunkel song that opened the film, swells up again. He grins a little. She adjusts her dress, and, in her downcast eyes, the viewer sees a small pang of doubt creep in. As Benjamin’s gaze remains steadfastly forward, Elaine takes a long, inquisitive look at him before her head gradually turns away and here eyes go almost blank. The two lovers sit side-by-side, searching their subconscious for a sense of security in what comes next.

For Benjamin, the uncertainty and lack of purpose he felt in those opening shots is renewed. He got the girl. The task he’s devoted his body and soul and mind to for so long has come to an end. Once again, he’s a success. In his eyes and the drooping of his smile, though, the viewer sees that he’s back to square one. He’s on a bus headed for an unknown destination. The road is long and mysterious, and there’s no telling where it’s going or when he’ll get off. Without the pursuit of Elaine defining his every move, he’s at a loss. Who is he outside of the tortured romantic hero? Who will he become? What will come to define his life? Will he, as one of his parent’s friends suggests, find his future in “plastics?” Or is there something else?

As it turns out, Nichols doesn’t have the answers to the questions he asked in the beginning and doesn’t make an attempt to try. Rather, he wants the viewer to recognize and identify with how truly terrifying the future can be to someone faced with absolute uncertainty. Youthful vigor and disillusionment can’t last forever, and, eventually, choices have to be made. As the film ends, Elaine and Benjamin have, indeed, made a major decision in running off together but are now faced with the prospect of discovering what to do once Nichols is through telling their story for them. It’s all up to them now.

The camera cuts to the back of the bus as seen from the out side. We see Elaine and Benjamin through the window, but the audience is no longer part of their story. The drama is over. Life is beginning. The camera follows the bus, slowing even as the bus moves further and further away down the road until the two characters become indistinguishable from smudges on the bus’ back window. Eventually, the camera stops altogether, and the bus continues on, getting smaller and smaller as Elaine and Benjamin face the future, whatever it is, without us. Fade out.

Best Picture: Ranking the year's crop

2009-01-31T18:03:00.006-06:00

. . . or I should say ranking the 4 I've seen since my interest in Frost/Nixon is minimal at best.

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: A technically impressive film with one great performance (that'd be Cate Blanchett) that nevertheless left me pretty unaffected. Full of clunky historical allusions to space shutte lanches, hurricanes, and music of The Beatles, this film was doomed from day one with a screenplay that values Q-U-A-N-T-I-T-Y of elements over any particular emotionally affecting quality. The end take on a slightly creepy vibe as well that I don't think was intentional. Had this not been the presumptive Best Picture winner before anyone saw it, I doubt anyone would still be paying attention to it outside of the techinical categories.

3. The Reader: A perfectly adequate movie in every way but not one I'm likely to remember for much longer. Whereas I'll still be impressed with a few of David Fincher's visual tricks for a while, most of this movie has already evaporated from my subconscious. Kate Winslet will probably win Best Actress for this, which is a shame because I can't think of anything particularly special in what she did here. Most of the film's attempts at sensual eroticism came off a little silly, and the plot is a pastiche of been there, done that elements. The best thing it has going for it is David Kross, a young actor who I hope finds better vehicles to display his growing talents in the future.

2. Milk: Well-made and perfectly acted by a group of solid actors, it does a good job of setting itself up as a period piece without resorting to jarring historical introductions. Instead, it integrated vintage television footage and newsreels in seemlesly, blending them into the film's narrative structure. Depicting events that feel as relevant today as they ever have, this film finds itself at the #2 spot simply because, try as Gus Van Sant might, I don't think there's a way to make a biopic that doesn't feel in some small way that it's all been done before, especially in the past decade. The screenplay also suffers from a few over sentimentalized points that just didn't need to be there (the kid in the wheelchair as exhibit A).

1. Slumdog Millionaire: Say what you will, but I think this would be a uniquely strange choice for Best Picture, even if it's path to the top spot of a film coming out of nowhere near the end of the year is all to familiar from the recent past (Million Dollar Baby, etc . . .) Danny Boyle's messy, hyperenergetic visual and storytelling style fit perfectly into the story, compensating for the (at times) visible inexperience of his lead actors. This is not a perfect film, but it's an interesting one, as most Danny Boyle films tend to be, and one that's distinctly different and diverse pedigree of creators would be a welcome choice for the top prize. Call it Crash 2.0 all you like (though, really, I have NO idea where you can make those comparisons from), but I'd be quite happy to see it go home with a golden boy.

Probably the best parody of The Reader out there

2009-01-31T17:56:00.001-06:00

SAG predix

2009-01-25T15:17:00.006-06:00

Update: 1 out of 5. Not so good.

Best Ensemble
And the nominees are:
Slumdog Millionaire
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Winner?: A lot of people are saying Slumdog, but I can't really see that happening. It seems to be popular with actors, but it doesn't really have an industry popular cast. The saving grace of Doubt is its cast so that's where my money goes. Milk and Benjamin Button wins wouldn't be huge shockers, though.

Best Actor
And the nominees are:

Richard Jenkins- The Visitor
Brad Pitt- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frank Langella- Frost / Nixon
Sean Penn- Milk
Mickey Rourke- The Wrestler
Winner?: This is a tough call between Penn and Rourke BUT I would say Rourke has the momentum. Milk was pretty popular with SAG, though, so his win wouldn't be surprising.

Best Actress
And the nominees are:
Anne Hathaway- Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie- Changeling
Melissa Leo- Frozen River
Meryl Streep- Doubt
Kate Winslet- Revolutionary Road
Winner?: Going out on a limb here, but is there anyone Melissa Leo hasn't worked with during her long career as a character actress? She seems like the actress everyone is happy to see succeeding.

Best Supporting Actor

And the nominees are:
Josh Brolin- Milk
Robert Downey Jr.- Tropic Thunder
Dev Patel- Slumdog Millionaire
Phillip Seymour Hoffman- Doubt
Heath Ledger- The Dark Knight
Winner?: Duh.

Best Supporting Actress
And the nominees are:
Amy Adams- Doubt
Penélope Cruz- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis- Doubt
Taraji P. Henson- The Curious Case of Benjamin Butto
Kate Winslet- The Reader
Winner?: Ruby Dee might have been a legend, but I still think that Viola Davis' performance and industry respect are comparable enough that she could snag the prize in an upset.

Catch a rising 'Snow Angel'

2009-01-24T22:21:00.006-06:00

Remember when I couldn't wait to see Snow Angels, and then it came out and . . . nothing. Probably not but it happened.

Anyway, I FINALLY got around to seeing it, and I'm glad to say it wasn't a disappointment. David Gordon Green is one of my favorite filmmakers, and in Snow Angels he once again crafts an interestingly composed and captivating tale of small town America.

The film also boasts a pretty impressive cast. Sam Rockwell gives one of the best male performances of the year, Kate Beckinsale proves that she has some chops when given the right material and creative team, and Amy Sedaris pops up unexpectedly in a great little turn. However, this post is in tribute to the sweet young romance in the film between Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby that gives it a certain amount of affection to off set what is otherwise a pretty downbeat movie.

I realize I'm pretty late in the game in proclaiming Olivia Thirlby a rising star. Ever since appearing in Paul Greengrass' United 93, Thirlby has been working pretty steadily in independent cinema. Last year she gained a certain amount of recognizability as the 'honest to blog' best friend of Juno, and earlier this year she broke Josh Peck's heart in the early '90s in The Wackness. In Snow Angels , Thirlby is almost 180 degrees removed from the over confident side characters she played in those films. Her Lila IS confident, yes, but she's also a quieter, sweeter girl. Whereas her sexual veracity in The Wackness is a point of humor, the sexual encounters between her and Michael Angarano are those of a less experienced couple: akward, maybe a little bit goofy, and caring.

Michael Angarano is still mostly identified for his role as Jack's son with Rosie O'Donnell on Will & Grace. After also starring as the younger version of the main character in Almost Famous, Angarano landed the job that saw him on one of the top rated sitcoms of its time. Since then, he's been making his mark in supporting turns in more independent films like Dear Wendy and The Lords of Dogtown to varying degrees of success. He's also headlined a few mainstream films (2005's Sky High and last year's Jackie Chan-Jet Li face off The Forbidden Kingdom). In Snow Angels, Angarano probably has his most mature role to date, and he more than holds his own. It takes two to tango and the inherent sweetness of the relationship between his character and Thirlby is delicately handled by all involved, including Angarano himself. His Arthur isn't the most confident kid, but he's happy if a little unsettled by troubles at home. His character is the one who discovers something upon which the rest of the film's plot revolves.

A quick look at their IMDB pages reveals that neither is straying too far from where they've been before-Thirlby has a number of indies in the pipeline including the eternally troubled Margaret, and Angarano is working with Napoleon Dynamite's Jared Hess in what is presumably a more goofy, slapstick comedy-but it's hard to say until these films come out. Nevertheless, one hopes that the promise they showed in Snow Angels is indicative of strong turns in the future.

In praise of the 2008 Sundance First Feature

2009-01-24T20:00:00.006-06:00

I was watching the wonderful Frozen River, and I was struck by its similarities with another great little movie released this year: Ballast. Both films opened last year at Sundance to much acclaim-Frozen River took the Grand Jury Prize-and both are surprisingly self-assured and confident debut features from newly-Academy Award nominated Courtney Hunt (for Best Original Screenplay) and Lance Hammer, respectively.

Both Hunt and Hammer are concerned in their films with the problems of lower class Americans-Hunt in the story of a single mother smuggling immigrants across the Canadian border and Hammer in the story of a loose-knit family unit that forms after a tragedy brings them together in the Mississippi Delta. The two families that make up the core of these films don't have extravagant dreams. In Ballast, a woman and her son find some form of economic and personal salvation in the running of a small, roadside gas station and food mart. In Frozen River, the main character gets into human smuggling in the hopes of finally affording a new double wide for her and her two kids.

The films contain what I would consider to be the two best performances by actresses last year. Perennially under appreciated actress Melissa Leo finally gets to show an audience what she can do with a great leading role in Frozen River and takes advantage of it. Her performance of Ray Eddy is distinctly human. Ray is a tired woman. She loves her kids but doesn't always know how to provide the best for them. In one particular sequence, we see her prejudices come to the surface. Leo juggles all of this-the desperation, the simpleness-and still injects a bit of humor into a few of her scenes.

Similarly, new discovery Tarra Riggs is a revelation in Ballast, playing a mother who's lost control of her family and is trying desperately to get it back. At times, this is an angry performance, but it never goes over the line into histrionics. She plays Marlee, a woman who will do anything for her son until circumstances intervene, forcing her to make decisions and grow as a woman in ways that ultimately allow her to do something for herself.

It would be a misnomer to say that Ballast and Frozen River examine the hardships of working class Americans in the exact same way. Frozen River has a more generally traditional narrative structure whereas Ballast's modus operandi is to follow its characters to an end that is not so much a resolution as the promise of better things to come. Nevertheless, both are powerful and distinctly human snapshots into the modern American psyche, executed skillfully by two new directors who I hope have even more exciting projects ahead of them.

'The Wrestler' (2008)

2009-01-24T19:15:00.002-06:00

Sometimes the greatest successes can come out of the biggest failures, and The Wrestler is exhilarating, vibrant proof of this fact.

After struggling since 2002 to pull together his last film, 2006's metaphysical fantasy The Fountain, Darren Aronofsky found himself in the unfamiliar position of critical whipping boy. His first two features (1998's Pi and 2000's Requiem for a Dream) were critically praised, and he was hailed as one of the most refreshing new voices in cinema. It must have been pretty tough to see a film that was four years and a new set of lead actors in the making fail to measure up when it finally opened in theaters.

Luckily, Aronofsky used the criticism and went back to the basics, abandoning the metaphysical components and complicated timeline that turned many people off of The Fountain and directed this film, his best to date.

The Wrestler is a simple film, a look into the life of an aging, Hulk Hogan-like professional wrestler played by Mickey Rourke (Sin City). His name is Robin but is happier being known as Randy the Ram Robinson. His glory days are gone, and the little fame he has left is tied up in grungy weekend matches at convention halls and meet and greets where he takes Polaroids with a few kids more interested in the glory days of his career than anything he might have to say.

There's a potential love interest in his life: a stripper, played fearlessly by Marissa Tomei (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead), but her interest in him might not extend past frequent lap dances, and his estranged daughter (Evan Rachel Wood of thirteen) isn't speaking to him anymore.

As many critics have already noted, this is nothing short of a resurrection for Rourke. It's impossible to talk about this film without noting that the story of a beat up, faded star could describe both the narrative journeys of Randy the Ram and Rourke himself.

After getting attention for work in (at the very least) noteworthy films like Diner, Rumble Fish and 9 ½ Weeks, a combination of hard living and poor career choices relegated him to cheap rip offs and bit parts. But in The Wrestler, Rourke proves that his charisma and appealingly grizzled screen presence are still fully in tact.

In short, this is the perfect synchronization of character and actor.

In today's environment where hope has become a buzzword, there's a tendency by some critics to unearth an optimistic message in the majority of films released, but The Wrestler doesn't make any concessions toward an easy ending affirming the power of the underdog.

What makes The Wrestler an encouraging piece of work, then, is not the underlying narrative of the film. It's the idea that anyone, a fallen golden boy like Aronofsky or a troubled big screen personality like Rourke, can come back from failure in spectacular fashion.

The Wrestler is one of the best films to come out in months and serves an example of the best of what today's generation of young American filmmakers have to offer.

Yes, I did cry at the end

2009-01-10T03:49:00.001-06:00

A LOT. And it felt really good.

Review coming soon.

Rural's Thoughts While Watching . . .

2009-01-08T01:22:00.015-06:00

Sex and the City (2008)

- Okaaaaay, so Fergie . . . This movie and I are NOT of to a good start.

- STEVE! I LOVE STEVE!

- Patricia Fields needs to get a real job. Stop sticking glitter and crap you find on the street on to dresses and calling yourself a designer. Just stop.

- STEVE'S ASS!!!!!!

- I like you a lot Candy Bergen, but maybe it's time to try something new. There's only so many ways you can play Candice Bergen. I mean, you're great at it, and I'm sure the houses you're buying are gorgeous. But still.

- Look at Steve crying, Miranda! How can you NOT forgive him?

- MOLE!

- Oh. Jennifer Hudson. Fuuuun.

- AWWWW. Steve and Miranda together again. Remember when Miranda professed her love for him at Brady's birthday in the laundry

room with the cake and he was all, "I love you, too." I love that episode. I really want to watch that episode again.

- This movie is long. Benjamin Button long.

- So . . . Samantha is 50 and single and jobless(?). And this is empowering?

- Not as bad as I was expecting (thank god). Definitely had its moments. Definitely made me want to watch some old episodes again. Still . . . maybe a little TOO much. I mean, 2 1/2 hours?

- I've missed you Steve.

Stinky Lulu's 3rd Annual Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon

2009-01-06T17:42:00.009-06:00

Sometimes a supporting turn by an actress is limited by the part or by the script handed her. It takes skill to transcend this and make the very most with what she is given. Such is the case with Julia Ormond as Caroline in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a strangely hollow and over ambitious project elevated by the turns of a number of actors carving out humanity from a script that seems more interested in clunky historical allusions than the characters involved.

Ormond spends the entirety of her time on screen sitting at the bedside of her dying mother, Daisy (played by an otherwise wonderful Cate Blanchett covered in prosthetic makeup), in New Orleans as Hurricane Katrina approaches (maybe the film's most grevious example of unnecessary historical allusions). Essentially a plot device as far as the script is involved, Caroline is reading the journal of Brad Pitt's Benjamin Button, providing the film with a window to the flashbacks that makeup the film's long-winded dramatic structure.

On the page, the part of Caroline must have seemed like an unplayable impossibility, a drab character with nothing of interest to say except when accepting leaps in logic in record time (oh . . . so he's aging backward) and giving David Fincher more padding for an overlong screentime. However, Ormond is able to make the audience identify with Caroline. She IS the audience, hearing the story of Benjamin Button for the first time as we watch it all unfold.

I'm not sure even Fincher understood the possibilities contained in this synchronization between character and viewer, but (I think) Ormond does. Caroline is a woman dealing with the inevitable loss of her mother, dealing with the approach of an uncertain future without Daisy and (though she doesn't know it yet) without the city and culture of New Orleans post-Katrina. She's angry at her mother for keeping these secrets for so long, and, in Ormond's eyes and line readings, we see her struggling to hold it all together, struggling to forgive her mother and say goodbye while processing these game changing revelations.

A one-time, failed Hollywood "it girl" in the Gretchen Mol mold and nominee for worst supporting actor in 2006 for The Lindsay Lohan Stripper Movie (an "honor" she earned by trying to add humanity to a character in a movie completely devoid of anything but failed camp value), Ormond's career has been a roller coaster of solid turns and strange casting decisions. But, in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ormond proves that she has the skill to transcend a script that has almost no interest in her.

This entry is part of Stinky Lulu's 3rd Annual Supporting Actress Blogathon

A conversation between RJ and a friend after watching the 'Bride Wars' trailer

2008-12-31T02:17:00.003-06:00

RJ: Weird . . .

Emma: What?

RJ: Isn't Kate Hudson a lot older than Anne Hathaway?

Emma: Hmmm . . . maybe.

RJ: I mean, isn't she like 40?

Emma: No! At most, she's 35 or something.

RJ: Still, isn't Anne Hathaway like 19?

Emma: I think she's 22.

RJ: Look it up.

Emma: So . . . apparently Kate Hudson is only 29, and Anne Hathaway is actually 26.

RJ: What?!

Emma: I think Kate Hudson seems older since she's been around for a while.

RJ: I'm still not seeing that movie.

That was a conversation between RJ and a friend after watching the 'Bride Wars' trailer.

It is Written: Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

2008-12-31T01:54:00.002-06:00

I flat out love Danny Boyle, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

What makes Boyle a great and brave filmmaker is that he's always teetering on the edge of over direction and unnecessary strangeness, but (with the exception of the very bizarre The Beach) he has the skill to never quite fall over the line. His films have always celebrated a kind of magical realism, whether it be through visions of dead babies climbing on the ceiling, manifestations of Hindu gods, or visions of patron saints.

Really, the only fairly bland entry in his diverse filmography is A Life Less Ordinary, the one time Boyle attempted to make (essentially) a typical Hollywood romantic comedy, casting Cameron Diaz in the lead, an actress who might as well change her name to 'we've run out of ideas' at this point.

Boyle needs to take risks. He needs to indulge his inner schoolboy and let his imagination run wild to keep himself engaged in the process. He'll never really fit in among mainstream Hollywood because of it, and I really hope he doesn't try.

Kids.

Listen, I don't want to like out myself here as cold hearted but I really cannot stand children in movies about 90% of the time. Every time I see a trailer for a movie starring Jayden Smith or Connor Cruise, I can practically smell the contract negotiations and Caesar Salads eaten by lawyers and publicists in development meetings. I was really happy with the kids in this movie. A LOT of this movie relies on the performances of the kids playing the younger versions of the film's 3 main characters, and (as Boyle has proven before) Boyle knows how to direct children. The kids are cute, without being precocious. The kids are skilled, without feeling unbelievably over rehearsed and hollow.

Dev Patel is, as many have already noted, charming as Jamal, and Frieda Pinto is likeable, sweet, and really knows how to look alluring in lots of yellow, but if I were to single out one performance, I would probably highlight Madhur Mittal's work as the adult version of Jamal's older brother, Salim. With what probably amounts to no more than a maximum of 10 minutes of screen time, Mittal makes a pretty distinct impression that should be getting a lot more press.

Slumdog Millionaire is a really interestingly and beautifully realized Dickensian fable that only a maniac like Danny Boyle could have directed.

Oh . . . and my co worker has a theory that anyone who walks out before the credits sequence is over has no soul. He may be right.

(Yes, I'm rooting for it come Oscar time)

"Trial by twelve good men and true . . . It's a sound system."

2008-12-31T01:05:00.008-06:00

This post is a part of J.D. at Valley Dreaming's 2nd Annual Endings Blog-A-Thon.

(There's spoilers. No duh.)

It's a testament to the quality of Sidney Lumet's cinematic output of the 1970s that he was able to amass a cast of celebrated actors like Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, Wendy Hiller, John Gielgud, Michael York, Jacqueline Bisset, and Alfred Finney to star in Murder on the Orient Express for what must have been a much lower salary than usual. However he managed to get them all under one roof, I'm glad that he did.

Probably my favorite aspect of Murder on the Orient Express is the last scene in which Albert Finney is called upon to deliver what is essentially an 8 page long monologue that sums up the facts surrounding the murder of Mr. Ratchet and stages a depiction of how all the passengers played a part in the crime.

The scene calls for Finney to explain every detail of the case and essentially carry a good portion of the film on his shoulders, and he does it amazingly well. I love this film, and I love this ending. See it if you haven't. You're unlikely to find a more entertaining example of classic Hollywood glamour and stardom at its best.

Hollywood's New Year's Resolution #4

2008-12-28T01:53:00.001-06:00

Finally start making movies about World War 2.

Hollywood's New Year's Resolution #3

2008-12-27T23:34:00.003-06:00

Deus ex jellyfish: figure out what it is and how to exploit its power in more films.

Hollywood's New Year's Resolution #2

2008-12-27T12:49:00.003-06:00

Start making movies targeted to women. Quality isn't necessarily an issue.

Hollywood's New Year's Resolution #1

2008-12-27T12:37:00.004-06:00

When in doubt, always cast Irrfan Khan as the authoritarian figure if the film is set in India or the Middle East.

I'm developing a major crush on Dev Patel . . .

2008-12-23T21:57:00.001-06:00

I just saw Slumdog Millionaire (review coming soon), and I am helpless to resist his charming goofiness

It CAN'T be just me . . . can it?

Just pimping out some great Italian music to all you Westerners

2008-12-23T04:47:00.000-06:00

A Boy and His Toys: Doubt (2008)

2008-12-21T02:00:00.014-06:00

The best thing to be said about Doubt is it IS a believable film. As much as I enjoyed Proof (and specifically Gwyneth Paltrow's performace in it), that was a movie that was very clearly adapted from a play. The acting was larger than the medium of film should normally contain, and the script made no attempt to tone down the dialog for an audience not sitting in the nosebleed section. Doubt, on the other hand, feels like a film. Yes, the acting is bombastic, and the script is monologue heavy, but Shanley managed to fit his script into a setting that could contain it and give it a cinematic quality.

Meryl Streep, admittedly bringing to mind a stern Mother Goose in certain scenes, plays the stern Sister Aloysius with skill and relish, injecting some wry humor into an otherwise stony woman. She gets to exercise her flair for accents once again, but doesn't overdo it by overstressing it. Better to just committ to the humanity of the character and let the vocal specifics follow. As an actress, she almost always raises the bar high, and doesn't disappoint in this film.

The other actors are more than up to the challenge. It is difficult, in this day and age, for an audience not to automatically assume the guilt of a priest, so it is to the credit of both the script and the performance of Philip Seymour Hoffman that the film manages to mantain a level of the titular doubt while still hinting at a level of creepy intensity simmering below the surface. Viola Davis, in her one scene, stands toe to toe with Meryl Streep, more than justifying the buzz that has followed her since the film was announced. I GUESS I can understand why Amy Adams is being highlighted as the weakest link, but I personally found the way she managed to underline her usual cheerful mousiness with a level of melancholy to be fairly impressive.

AND THANK GOD AMY ADAMS GOT THE ROLE OVER RUMORED NATALIE PORTMAN! As much as I've liked her in other things, the last thing this film needed was a quirky, vegan version of Sister James to twitch and empower herself all over the place. Sister James requires an actress willing to embrace an inner meekness, willing to stand in the shadow of her co stars and say more with her silence than any grand scene.

The main problem with Doubt, then, is the direction. Specifically, there is far far too much of it.

You can tell John Patrick Shanley's been dying to get behind a camera and make a movie ever since 1995's Joe Versus the Volcano. And make a movie he certainly did, using just about every camera trick and symbolic angle placement he thought up in his 13 year break. He tilts the camera at strange angles, shoots characters from above and below, and pans past numerous lines of hymn-singing children.

I'm not sure Shanley had a reason for a lot of these decisions other than his desire to 'get creative.' The problem? Creativity only really works when it's not detracting attention from the central story and characters. It's hard to pay attention to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams sharing a dramatic moment when you randomly cut to shots peering up from the ground an up into their nostrils. It just is.

Doubt is not a bad movie, certainly, but one that could have benefited from a fresh set of eyes.

Matthew Goode is kind of a big deal

2008-12-18T23:23:00.008-06:00

Oh, I met Matthew Goode this summer! Don't really know why I neglected to mention that . . .

SAG Thursday

2008-12-18T13:22:00.023-06:00

The SAG Award nominations were announced this morning, and (in what has been up until now such a confusing and mostly unpredictable season) things got just a little bit clearer. There will always be last minute surprises, but the Screen Actors Guild did give us some indication of how things are shaping up.

Best Ensemble
And the nominees are:
Slumdog Millionaire
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The omission of Revolutionary Road here and in other categories really makes this a two way race for Best Picture between Slumdog Millionaire and Milk. I think the winner will be determined by how far along the inevitable Slumdog backlash is by the time voting ends. Either way, the fact it was able to get in with a cast whose most famous member was the comic relief on a British teen drama is kind of remarkable, especially since it beat out star heavy ensemble films like Rachel Getting Married and The Reader. Don't expect it to win, though.

Winner?: My pick would be Milk, but I'd say the smart money is on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is full of very industry-popular actors.

Best Actor
And the nominees are:

Richard Jenkins- The Visitor
Brad Pitt- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frank Langella- Frost / Nixon
Sean Penn- Milk
Mickey Rourke- The Wrestler
Probably the biggest blow to Revolutionary Road is Leonardo DiCaprio's failure to get in here. It's not exactly a huge surprise, but the film really needed him to start gaining traction if it hoped to do as well as people thought it would earlier this year. Other than Brad Pitt, who I can't imagine making it to an Oscar nod (thought who knows for sure?), I'd say this is the usual suspects. Very nice to see Richard Jenkins continuing to build momentum for a performance I thought no one would remember but should.

Winner?: Sean Penn still has the momentum, and I don't think it's going to stop with the Screen Actor's Guild. Langella is a looming threat, however.

Best Actress
And the nominees are:
Anne Hathaway- Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie- Changeling
Melissa Leo- Frozen River
Meryl Streep- Doubt
Kate Winslet- Revolutionary Road
It's sad not to see Sally Hawkins or Kristin Scott Thomas here, and it's looking more and more like only one of them is going to make it. My money's on Hawkins whose been winning most of the critics' prizes thus far. This Oscar, though, is Kate Winslet's to lose, almost by default. She's long overdue, and the other contenders don't exactly have a lot of excitement behind them. Bride Wars is opening next month, so Anne Hathaway might want to hold up on writing that speech and just go find a pretty gown. She'll be in the building but probably not called to the stage.

Winner?: This is looking like more and more like Winslet's year to win the Oscar but never underestimate how much other actors love Meryl Streep. But I'm gonna go out on a limb and say if any category at the SAGs surprises, it'll be this one (cross your fingers Leo).

Best Supporting Actor
And the nominees are:
Josh Brolin- Milk
Robert Downey Jr.- Tropic Thunder
Dev Patel- Slumdog Millionaire
Phillip Seymour Hoffman- Doubt
Heath Ledger- The Dark Knight
Well, thank god that inexplicable Tom Cruise express didn't go anywhere after the Golden Globes nod. I'm sad not to see James Franco here, because it's looking less and less likely that he'll get in come Oscar time (even though, frankly, I'd rather see Hirsch nominated from Milk over Franco and Brolin). At this point, all but Patel seem pretty much assured nominations come January, and his chances have been given a large boost recently. If Slumdog Millionaire is as popular come Oscar time as it is now, he could very well find himself among the nominees. Oh, and I guess we're saying goodbye to Michael Shannon this season . . .

Winner?: Do you even need to ask?

Best Supporting Actress
And the nominees are:
Amy Adams- Doubt
Penélope Cruz- Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis- Doubt
Taraji P. Henson- The Curious Case of Benjamin Butto
Kate Winslet- The Reader
Despite flying way under the radar this entire season, Amy Adams keeps getting nominations at this late stage in the game. It's hard for me to imagine her getting an Oscar nod, but if Doubt does really well, I suppose she could sneak in with it. Still, I don't see her landing at #1 on people's ballots, especially with a co star overshadowing her. I think both Tomei and DeWitt have a shot at her place. Otherwise, this looks like our line up (although Henson isn't a lock by any means).

Winner?: Cruz has the momentum this year, but Davis' scene stealing turn is the kind of thing they sometimes like to honor in this category (i.e. Ruby Dee last year).

New poll on the sidebar

2008-12-18T01:42:00.004-06:00

And whoever just voted for Joseph Cross (if they were being serious) is my hero. I've already discussed how wonderfully his pants fit him in that movie.

UPDATE: Someone voted for Diego Luna. Interesting . . . Otherwise, 3 way tie!

Speaking of something that wasn't funny . . .

2008-12-17T22:15:00.004-06:00

I'm sorry. I don't want to keep pointing out that emperor doesn't have any clothes on, but Tom Cruizzz's cameo in Tropic Thunder was (outside of his first scene) actually pretty excrutiating.

It's pretty sad this year to see the once unstoppable Jerry Maguire having to embarrass himself by dancing to whatever trashy rap song it was in a rather mediocre Ben Stiller film just to get people to forget how crazy he is and come back onto Letterman and the Today Show with his tail between his legs so people will go see a movie about Germans with American accents trying to assassinate Hitler.

But, really, there's no reason to get self-righteous about the Golden Globes. There were dozens of people who should've made it in over him, but they didn't. The best we can all hope for is that he doesn't win.

I Drink Your 'MILK'-shake (2008)

2008-12-12T09:50:00.036-06:00

Sometimes, it's best to just come out and admit that you can't be 100% objective about a film, and as much as I'd like to be able to analyze Milk on a purely intellectual level, I really can't. Here is a film perfectly suited to its time and place. Here is a film that speaks to the anger, the drive, and the hope for something better. Here's a film that makes you want to act, makes you want to do SOMETHING.

That's not to say their isn't a level of technical achievement present, because there certainly is. Gus Van Sant quite successfully blends news and archived footage into the narrative that grounds the film in its time and place. Aided by a screenplay written by Dustin Lance Black, he does a great job of setting the film amidst the backdrop of the 1970s San Francisco without having to resort to clunky asides or random historical references. Milk is set in the past, but it feels as present as if it were set in 2008.

I haven't always been the biggest fan of Sean Penn, but this is an undoubtedly great performance. Similar to Poppy in Happy-Go-Lucky, Harvey Milk is a character who could come off overly cheery or mannered in the hands of an actor who isn't completely committed to the humanity at the heart of the person. He spends a great deal of the film surrounded by much younger actors, but the youthful vibrancy and charm he uses in the performance make it easy to believe so many people would be drawn to and inspired by him.

If, perhaps, the film as a whole does not flesh out these surrounding characters as much as the man himself, Van Sant was smart enough to fill Milk with a skilled ensemble that is more than up to the task. Josh Brolin, in a role largely absent from the film's first half that still looms tall over the film's narrative, is given the difficult task of hinting at the psychology behind Dan White's actions without ever being given a scene to verbalize them. And though I'm not quite sure I completely bought his drunken tirade near the film's end, it's great to see him continue to his string of impressive performances. I was similarly impressed with James Franco and Emile Hirsch who never get lost amongst the film's sprawling cast. Diego Luna is, I know, taking some flack for his performance, but I don't think there was anyway to win a character like that. And in a performance that I've heard NO ONE talk about, Alison Pill has a memorable turn as Harvey's campaign manager and delivers a small, poignant moment in her last shot of the film that really struck a chord with me.

And speaking of great ensembles . . .

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A COMPLETELY GRATUITOUS SEXTION OF THIS REVIEW.
There was a lot of '70s era hotness going on in this movie. Like, not only did we get lots of James Franco's midriff and a brief look at his ass, but Emile Hirsch was rocking those tight bell bottoms, and whatever costume designer was painting those slacks onto Joseph Cross every morning did a bang up job. A job I'd very much like to have.
DISCLAIMER: THE PRECEDING WAS A COMPLETELY GRATUITOUS SEXTION OF THIS REVIEW.

Anyway . . . what was I saying? Right.

Milk is up-lifting, funny, tragic, and couldn't have come at a more prescient time. Does it get overly cute and literal in parts? Sure (I'm speaking specifically of a pair of phone calls he receives from a young teen and an opera metaphor). But did those moments get to me? You betcha. As the last scene unrolled and an endless line of candles filled the San Francisco streets, I knew the film had me.

If a film can work (at least for me) on such a visceral level, somebody is doing something right.

Dear Zachary (2008)

2008-12-07T22:19:00.006-06:00

In 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby was found murdered and suspicion immediately fell on his ex-girlfriend, Dr. Shirley Turner, whose inconsistent stories to the police made her the chief suspect in the crime. The sequence of events that followed (some of which director Kurt Kuenne documents as they occur) were beyond even the worst nightmares of his family, friends, and colleagues.

But to say the facts of the case make up the bulk of the film would be a misnomer.

The body of the film is the result of Kuenne's cross country (and cross Atlantic) trip to interview anyone who came into contact with Andrew, his childhood friend. It's an interesting thing to see so many people working through their grief, expressing it in different ways. Most affecting are the interviews with Andrew's parents whose lives are tied up in the legal and personal dramas that unfold around the trial. In the end, this film becomes as much about their dedication and resiliency as it does about their son.

Dear Zachary is a tricky film to review because so much of what's wonderful about it is indescribable to somebody who hasn't seen it. It's a raw, angry, passionate, overwhelming, sweet, heart breaking tearjerker of a documentary, and so much of it's power comes from developments Kuenne had no control over, though it would be wrong to say that nobody saw them coming. The audience is introduced to revelations in the same way as every one interviewed for the film.

This is not an extremely polished film, but Dear Zachary wouldn't feel as emotionally honest as it does had it been so. The film is almost a home movie and, perhaps, would have been so had the story of Bagby family proceeded differently. It is a gripping, powerful movie and is easily amongst the best films of the year.

Sometimes a film doesn't need a shiny polish if it's got a beautiful heart.

Thomas Newman Has Never Won an Oscar

2008-11-17T20:02:00.007-06:00

This man has given us the scores to American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, Little Women, Road to Perdition, and Jarhead to name a few.

Really. The thought makes my head spin. Why, it's almost . . .

Isn't she Deneuvely?

2008-11-03T11:13:00.005-06:00

Kate Winslet is the new Vanity Fair cover girl, and she is looking spectacular.

Hopefully she has as great a year as people are predicting.

More pictures can be found here.

Hello there, Paddy.

2008-10-31T00:23:00.008-05:00

I kind of ♥ you.

Joaquin . . . oh dear

2008-10-29T00:39:00.001-05:00

I'm sorry, but you're ridiculous.

I'm sorry, but this trailer is adorable.

2008-10-27T03:03:00.001-05:00

The Blog Where Memes Go to Die

2008-10-26T21:04:00.019-05:00

So, I done been tagged by Vance of Tapeworthy as part of the 7 Facts Meme.

Here are da rules: Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE . . .

Fact the First: I almost never get emotional in movies, but the end of A League of Their Own always makes me cry. I watched it last night, and I got choked up about the time older Geena Davis and older Lori Petty saw each other across the room.

Fact the Second: I auditioned (and got a call back for) the lead role in THIS movie when I was a kid. I really wanted to be an actor until I got to high school and realized I wasn't any good.

Fact the Third: Until about the end of my senior year of high school, I was about 280 lbs. (give or take). I lost a bunch of weight as a Freshman in college, and now I'm about half the size I was then.

Fact the Fourth: My heroes are as follows: Roger Ebert, Matt Singer and Alison Wilmore, Bill Bryson, Sarah Vowell, Tina Fey, and Claudia Bruni and Emmanuelle Seigner and Asia Argento (really, any slightly Eurotrash-y actor/singer/model whose persona is more or less tied up in outrageousness and/or sheer ballsiness)

Fact the Fifth: I think glasses are sexy.

Fact the Sixth: The first R-rated movie I saw was Sleepy Hollow. The first R-rated movie I saw in theaters was Panic Room. The first PG-13 movie I saw in theaters was Godzilla. My parents didn't much care about violence as long as there were no boobs. (Ironic upon reflection, no?)

Fact the Seventh: James McAvoy is tied to a bed in my basement in only his underwear with a sock taped into his mouth so as not to worry the neighbors (not really but maybe if I will it into being it will happen OMG wouldn't that be amazing I would literally never leave the house because why would I need to?)
TMI . . . ?

Now, I know I'm supposed to tag 7 people, but I feel like anyone who is going to do it already has. So, if you want to do it and haven't been asked, I tag you . . . .

Now!

Our thoughts are with you, Jennifer Hudson.

2008-10-25T17:22:00.002-05:00

Poor girl. This is really awful.

A (not so) Brief Political Thought

2008-10-23T14:19:00.010-05:00

I was reading Perez Hilton yesterday (I know, don't give me that look!), and I came across the above picture, essentially equating Proposition 8 with the discrimination suffered by African Americans through more than half of the 20th Century.

Now, anyone who has spent more than half a second on this blog knows that I'm gay. But this comparison always makes me a little uncomfortable. I am fully aware that I'm able to live my sheltered, comfortable little gay life because of the tireless work put in by other people like Harvey Milk (look ma, a movie tie in!) who did more for me than I can even imagine, but I still think I'm qualified to call shenanigans.

When people say things like this, I think there's an inherent assumption that racism isn't a problem anymore. And, if there's anything this election has taught us, racism is still very much a reality. It may not be so out in the open, but it's been underground, waiting to come to the surface.

And maybe I'm out of line, but I don't think the discrimination faced by the gay community is even remotely comparable. All people deserve to be treated equally, but it's a mistake to assume we're coming to the table with the same background or history. We're not.

And another thing: EXCUSE ME, but when did Barack Obama become the savior of gay America? From an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune:

"I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman."

Uh-huh.

But we're all supposed to be overjoyed that he supports civil unions?

Well, you know what? FUCK YOU AND FUCK YOUR CIVIL UNIONS! Don't give me a band-aid for a broken wrist and pretend that you're doing me a favor, mkay?

I'll admit that he's more gay friendly than McCain, but that doesn't make Obama perfect. I'm all for supporting a candidate, but this deification has to stop.

So he is against the Constitutional ban on gay marriage. So what? John McCain is too. The only one supporting it is Sarah Palin, and that probably isn't even in the top 30 ridiculous things she believes. All things considered, it's probably somewhere near the middle, right underneath that men rode dinosaurs to church 5,000 years ago.

Of course gay marriage should be legalized. I think this is one of the stupidest debates raging in modern politics. Can anyone give me a reason NOT to legalize it that doesn't invole the words 'God', 'sanctity', or 'Bible'? Because I don't think so. Separation of church and state isn't a suggestion.

But I'm still voting for Obama. Why?

Because 'gay civil rights' isn't the most important issue this election. Not even close. It's not even in the top 10. Whether or not I can get married isn't gonna make a bit of difference if the ice caps have melted or I can't get a job or we've started World War III with the Middle East.

So, no. I don't think the state of affairs for gay Americans now is at all comparable to the state of African Americans in the 1950s and 60s. Nor do I feel comfortable co opting Martin Luther King Jr. as a proponent of my right to get married. His own daughter doesn't even think he would support it.

Whether or not he would support it doesn't make him any less important or great a human being. I'm just uncomfortable with this modern tendency to put words into his mouth. How do I know what he would believe? He isn't here.

Call me a traitor or whatever, but this is what I think.

So . . . what are we all thinking about punk Dakota Fanning?

2008-10-23T03:58:00.001-05:00

Any thoughts?

2008-10-17T22:30:00.013-05:00

Mind if I take off my sweater?

Children are scary

2008-10-16T16:45:00.003-05:00

Especially when they're Swedish vampires . . .

Matthew Rhys

2008-10-14T19:51:00.012-05:00

Just 'cause.

Why am I watching this show right now?

2008-10-14T16:09:00.003-05:00

This show is absolutely terrible. Really, I don't see a point in ranting against it since no one is forcing me to watch. But, still . . . nothing gives me less hope in the future of our nation than the fact that this was green lit. Oh, and CLARK GABLE'S GRANDDAUGHTER IS ON THIS SHOW! Why? Why?!

No Reason.

2008-10-11T06:02:00.005-05:00

I just love this picture.

Rural's Thoughts While Watching . . .

2008-10-11T03:43:00.031-05:00

The Apple (1980)

- I don't wanna, like, call out the emperor on his new clothes or anything, but this new BIM Mark the characters keep raving about is a sticker. You would think in a future as crazy as 1994 is going to be that we might not be so easily impressed.

- Hmmm . . . what is it EXACTLY about the protagonists that just doesn't seem right. Ah! Now I have it. They are (how can I put this?) boring, and their songs are syrupy disasters. I kind of prefer the cheesy, over produced ridiculousness of the songs produced by . . . I guess he's the devil (?)

- Also, why are they dressed in hand me down J.C. Penney fashions in a movie populated by characters dressed by the House of Ziggy Stardust?

- Actually, yeah, I'm just gonna admit right now that some of these songs are infectious. You listen to them once, and there's really no
getting rid of them.

- So the flamboyant man with the voice of a night club crooner who wears silver capes and lip gloss is fooling around with the female singer? Uh-huh.

- "Meet an actual, actual, actual VAMPIRE!" Oh, a vampire. That's . . . fun, I guess. It's hard to rhyme with 'desire'.

- From New York out to LA, everybody does it her way. Poppin' power, by the hour. SPEEEEEEEEEED!"

- Finally a music number revolving around date rape. Can't tell you how long I've been waiting.

- Bet you can't guess what the song 'Coming' is about!

- I would have chosen the hot singer with the triangle on his forehead, myself. He's a little less . . . useless.

-Ummm . . . I'm just gonna go ahead and call this the strangest recorded case of deus ex machina since the term was coined. Either I'm losing my mind, or God just descended from the sky in a Cadillac and whisked our heroes and their hippie commune off to Mars.

Turner Classic Movies showed this as part of it TCM Underground series this Friday night/Saturday morning as a double bill with another crap classic: Roller Boogie. It stars Linda Blair, but the only real reason to see it is for lots of Jim Bray in those fab short shorts they seem to have loved so much back in the day.

Who loves short shorts?

I love short shorts!

He is not, unfortunately, a great actor so watching Linda Blair come onto him so strongly in the beginning of the film comes across a little TOO . . . predatory. She just seems much more, err, EXPERIENCED than he does.

Wanna take a ride with me and my car phone, little boy? Grrrrrrrr.

Luckily, director Mark L. Lester has moved on to directing bigger and better things . . . Cameron Daddo taking on cheap CGI dinosaurs on the Sci Fi channel, for instance

Yeah, no.

2008-10-09T22:04:00.007-05:00

I don't need to see that, Brad. I mean, thanks for donating all that money in support of gay marriage or whatever BUT, really, I don't need to see that.

And anyway, do you want your privacy or don't you? Like, go ahead and complain about the paparazzi and tabloids if you want, but don't turn around and sell W magazine pics of your wife lactating.

Thoughts While Watching 'My Fair Lady' (1964)

2008-10-09T18:10:00.004-05:00

I do so love Aubrey Hepburn, but I finally found one thing she can't do very well: lip synch.

I suppose it's not entirely her fault. I KNOW what Audrey Hepburn sounds like, and I doubt very much that even the best synching could convince me that she sounds anything like Marni Nixon.

Anywayz . . . just my two cents.

Hello, lover.

2008-10-08T02:12:00.001-05:00

Consider Me Intrigued

2008-10-07T15:08:00.002-05:00

Hear a Preview of 'The Wrestler' score.

2008-09-07T15:39:00.007-05:00

In case anyone was actually wondering, I'm still alive.

Anyway, I don't really have time to post much these days, but something I though was pretty exciting came my way via Cinematical.

If you head over to music maestro Clint Mansell's MySpace page, you can hear a section of his score for Darren Aronofsky's (award winning) new film The Wrestler.

Exciting, no? It's got a great sound to it-somber and gritty with some redemptive notes near the end, and I can practically imagine the film unfolding to this without having seen a single frame.

With Rachel Weisz already getting good notices for her performance in Rian Johnson's latest, The Brothers Bloom, this looks to be the year of Mr. and Mrs. Aronofsky.

Aaaah . . . the sweet smell of success.

And Now For a Non-Film Related Post

2008-08-15T20:43:00.005-05:00

President Bush on Russia's military actions in Georgia:

"Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century."

Interesting . . .

Today in Great Movie Quotes

2008-08-07T14:51:00.005-05:00

Inspired by Nathaniel's post:

This is kind of warped.

Yes, Kate, it certainly is.

A Little Dose of Perfection

2008-08-06T20:45:00.010-05:00

Jane Fonda

Just because . . .

Fonda's previously unavailable 1964 French film Joy House has recently been released on DVD. It costars Alain Delon. It's been on my radar for quite a long time, and I can't wait to check it out.

The Twelve Movie Meme

2008-08-02T03:52:00.052-05:00

Piper tagged JA who tagged Glenn who tagged me so . . . here goes nothing. The general idea is to program your own 6 night mini-film festival. I tried to 'program' each night with two films with similar themes or aesthetics.

NIGHT #1

À la folie... pas du tout (Laetitia Colombani, 2002) and
Jeux d'enfants (Yann Samuell, 2003)

Two quirky French comedies with surprisingly wicked edges

NIGHT #2

The China Syndrome (James Bridges, 1979) and
The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)

Two paranoia driven thrillers of the innovative American film movement of the 1970s

NIGHT #3

Diva (Jean-Jacques Beineix, 1981) and
Mauvais Sang (Leos Carax, 1986)

Two classic entries into the New French New Wave Movement of the 1980s

NIGHT #4

Targets (Peter Bogdanovich, 1968) and
The Day of the Jackal (Fred Zinnemann, 1973)

Two narratives following the path of killing spree inspired by true events

NIGHT #5

Murder on the Orient Express (Sidney Lumet, 1974) and
Nashville (Robert Altman, 1975)

Two character packed features directed by masters of the cinema of the 1970s

NIGHT #6

Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006) and
28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2002)

Two recent and bleak looks at mankind on the verge of collapse

And, hey . . . there's a whole day of the week left over for me to screen all 6 hours of La Meglio gioventù (Marco Tullio Giordana, 2003)

Technically, I'm supposed to tag 5 people, but I'm pretty sure anyone who plans on doing this already has. If I'm forgetting you, just leave a comment and consider yourself tagged.

Matthew Goode is Kind of a Big Deal

2008-08-01T00:41:00.002-05:00

Today in Great Movie Quotes

2008-07-30T23:48:00.007-05:00

He'd KILL us if he had the chance.

OR is it . . . ?

He'd kill US if he had the chance.

With all due respect to JD, I have to disagree.

'Vicky Cristina Barcelona': Most Gorgeous Cast of 2008?

2008-07-30T02:49:00.005-05:00

I think so.

Is Mia Wasikowska the future of Hollywood?

2008-07-28T22:36:00.016-05:00

I first became aware of Mia Wasikowska when I caught her in a great little indie Australian film called September. Marking the debut of filmmaker Peter Carstairs, the film is certainly one of the most beautiful that I've seen in quite some time. It's lush photography of the wind swept Australian countryside called to mind the work done by the likes of Néstor Almendros.

In it, Mia stars as the new girl in town whose sun kissed beauty plays a part in the unraveling friendship between the two boys at the center of the film. If the part sounds like a hoary cliche (which, I must admit, is true in theory), the ways in which she and Carstairs handle her role as the central impetus for the straw that breaks the camel's back manages to sidestep any weariness that might come from a motif that has been handled in so many other films before.

Carstairs praised her in an interview published by an Australian news site:

Mia is in an exceptional class as an actor. She is one of those gifted actors who doesn't appear to be doing anything. You just put a camera on her and she hardly moves, but is just so engaging.

I spoke previously about my love for this film here.

A few months after I saw September, I began to notice the name Mia Wasikowska popping up in quite a few places (remarkable considering the name's length). She starred in the eternally troubled Australian crocodile flick Rogue, co starring Michael Vartan and fellow up and coming Australian Sam Worthington, and was recently critically lauded for her work on the HBO series In Treatment, a role that required her to go toe to toe with Gabriel Byrne.

All of this is impressive, but what prompted this post are the three high profile projects she is attached to over the course of the next three years. This year sees the release of Defiance, Ed Zwick's World War 2 themed appeal to the Academy starring Daniel Craig. In 2009, Mia will appear as pilot and prodigy Elinor Smith in Mira Nair's Amelia Earhart biopic opposite Hilary Swank. Smith is known for a number of reasons, most notably for becoming the youngest woman to fly solo at age 15 and for becoming the youngest person to earn a pilot's license in the U.S. at age 16.

News came out this week that Tim Burton has chosen her to play Alice in his 2010 release of Alice in Wonderland, rumored to co star Johnny Depp (a safe bet considering recent history).

Now relocated to L.A., the 18-year-old actress ruminated on her recent success in the same article containing the praise from Carstairs:

It's all been a huge learning curve and really unexpected to be where I am at the moment. I want to just do my job and do it well

If history repeats itself, she will continue to do just that. Vanity Fair can tout Emma Roberts on the cover all it wants as the future of Hollywood, but I suspect that the future might just be with Mia Wasikowska.

When did Alison Lohman become so chic?

2008-07-28T22:27:00.007-05:00

Girl looks like she belongs in a Factory.

The picture was taken at a Comic-Con panel for Sam Raimi's new horror flick Drag Me to Hell. You may remember it as the film Ellen Page signed on for briefly following Juno before pulling out soon after.

The plot, according to IMDB:

An unsuspecting young woman (Lohman) becomes the recipient of a supernatural curse cast upon her by an older Eastern European woman who was defied and humiliated by others.

Well . . . it certainly looks horrifying

Happy 63rd, Dame Helen Mirren

2008-07-26T15:02:00.002-05:00

I would wish you luck for a great year, but I don't think you need it.

Cuteness Overload

2008-07-19T00:29:00.000-05:00

Jim Henson owns my childhood.

Judi Dench is 16, Going on 17 . . .

2008-07-12T01:19:00.000-05:00

No, seriously . . . she is.

Huh?

2008-07-08T00:18:00.004-05:00

The actress delivered Sunday Rose Kidman Urban early on Monday morning, reports People.com.

Lemme get this straight: their daughter was born on Monday, and they named it Sunday? Me thinks the Urbans were a smidge bit confused.

How Do You Like Your McAvoy?

2008-07-02T15:26:00.000-05:00

New poll on the sidebar. Just humor me . . .

All Racist on the Western Coast

2008-07-02T15:15:00.002-05:00

Over at Nick's Flick Picks the third entry in the Best Picture series conducted by him, Goatdog, and Nathaniel has been posted examining 'The Message Movies' or the Academy's third and 78th choice for Best Picture.

You've probably already read it, but do so if you haven't.

Remember What I Said About 'Reprise'?

2008-07-02T02:01:00.002-05:00

You still need to see it.

Picture comes via Nathaniel who calls it the best film of 2008 so far (and who am I to disagree?)

Adrien and Emmanuelle Take on 'Giallo'

2008-07-02T00:28:00.009-05:00

Anyone who has seen The Mother of Tears can attest to the fact that Dario Argento is just a wee bit off his game lately. Not that I don't enjoy good cheesy fun involving Asia Argento and suprisingly easy to defeat witches dressed like Robert Smith groupies, but it seems a bit lazy not to reshoot a scene of a baby being thrown off of a bridge in which the arm of the stand-in doll pops off mid air.

Regardless, I find it hard NOT to anticipate his upcoming 2009 release Giallo, starring slim and sultry Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and Mrs. Roman Polanski and Eurotrash pop star herself Emmanuelle Seigner as an Italian detective and American stewardess on the hunt for a mysterious serial killer preying on young women in Turin. (I'll let you figure out who plays which character.) A few stills have been released on Argento's official website, these featuring our two leads:

I hesitate to call them romantic leads for I don't think as a general rule Argento has shown a tendency to wrap his films up with lovebirds walking off into the sunset. He does, however, end films with his daughter covered in sewage and laughing while surrounded by the remnants of a collapsed demonic mansion.

As much as I think this film will probably be as silly as its predecessor, I can't help but anticipate seeing these two walking cheek bone machines run in peril around the shady back streets of Dario Argento's vision of Italy. Set the date on your calendar.

James McAvoy is Officially a Hollywood Leading Man

2008-06-30T15:44:00.005-05:00

Now that Wanted is a $51.1 million blockbuster, I'm going to call it: James McAvoy has officially arrived. For my fellow McManiacs and I, this is bittersweet for it is inevitable that droves of prepubescent girls will flock to fandom. But we were here first!

Regardless, congrats Jimmy! Remember us while you hit the big time.

Mamma Mia, Dominic Cooper!

2008-06-25T03:57:00.007-05:00

Because everyone else is doing it:

Today in Great Movie Quotes

2008-06-25T02:28:00.005-05:00

The world has plenty of assholes, Dr. Shapiro. Don't be another one.

OR

Psychiatry . . . I figure I'm an expert because everyone around me is so fucked up.

Couldn't Have Thought of a Better Name Myself

2008-06-24T13:09:00.002-05:00

Disaster Movie

Another year, another horrific looking parody movie. Honestly, when will people stop going to these things?

And have we honesty reached the point where these movies are parodying not movies but trailers? Because Hancock isn't even out yet, and The Incredible Hulk wouldn't have been out while they were making this movie. How can you parody something you haven't even seen? You can't.

Ann Curry is a Cougar

2008-06-23T14:44:00.001-05:00

And yet, who can blame her?

Need More Proof Asia Argento is Amazing?

2008-06-19T00:48:00.007-05:00

Just look at her movie posters.

She's totally fearless. She may not be the best actress out there, but she's one of the bravest.

. . . Or something.

See 'Reprise', won't you?

2008-06-14T01:30:00.001-05:00

Is it Just Me or Is Greg Kinnear Getting Better With Age?

2008-06-04T17:35:00.005-05:00

I recently saw Baby Mama and while I didn't think it was particularly great, I was generally amused throughout and never bored. Amy Poehler and Tina Fey managed to pull off both the comedy AND the drama remarkably well, and most successful aspects of the film were due to their work.

But that's not the point of this post. Watching Baby Mama, I was struck by how amazing Greg Kinnear is looking these days. Seriously, he's never looked better. Am I crazy, or is Mr. Kinnear aging incredibly well?

It's almost enough to make a gay hate Tina Fey . . . almost.

Let's Hear it for Lost's Most Interesting Character (spoilers)

2008-06-02T14:00:00.004-05:00

Sun, played by Yunjin Kim.

I know, I know. More traditionalists would answer Ben or Locke or Juliet, but not me. This week's season finale solidified in my mind that the character of Sun is the most interesting and most dynamic character on the show. It doesn't hurt that Yunjin Kim is a fantastic actress either.

Just look at where she started in comparison to where she is now. In the first season, she was the largely silent and dominated wife of Daniel Dae Kim's Jin. She was meek and afraid to speak to others. Soon, through flashback, we learned that we didn't have the whole story. We learned that she spoke English, that she had been planning to leave her husband, that she had an affair. Eventually, Jin found it, and they've become equal partners in the relationship. Where the last part of Thursday's finale leaves them is open for debate, I think . . . I'm not totally buying his demise.

And now, in flash forwards, it seems that Sun has become the same kind of shrewd yet cruelly calculating business woman as her father. Did she approach Charles Widmore to get back at Ben, or is she setting a trap for the shady fellow and father of Penelope? I have no idea, but I'm interested to see how much further they can develop this constantly growing character.

Speed Racer (2008)

2008-05-09T22:41:00.005-05:00

Sigh . . . I wish Hollywood would realize that obnoxious children are not funny. They just aren't. I don't want to pay money to be annoyed. This movie tried so hard to make the kid everyone's favorite character, but I really just wanted him to suffer.

Anyway, I would say that this is a film that works about 50% of the time. It has the same weaknesses and strengths of The Matrix trilogy, in fact. The action sequences (as computer game-y as they were) made for pretty thrilling viewing when the Wachowskis weren't throwing too many talking heads around (literally, talking heads), but the rest was fairly hit or miss. There was some really BIZARRE flash back techniques they used that just made everything needlessly complicated, and one in particular involving Matthew Fox at the end was laughable.

I would say pretty much every actor was severely underused, including poor Christina Ricci who barely had a point. Matthew Fox did a nice job, I would say, except in the aforementioned flash back scene. Then again, it's hard to be too good when your head is floating across the screen every 3 seconds like a ping pong ball while exposition plays out in the background.

IF you go see this, I would say IMAX is the way to go . . . unless you're prone to seizures in which case I would never see this movie. The whole thing kind of looks like the inside of a pin ball machine. There's lots of colors and sounds, and you're not sure what's going on, but it sure is fun to see.

Now, if you're going to ogle some man flesh, the Wachowski's apparently have you in mind because the guys look great in this. Emile Hirsch walks around with Danny Zuko hair the whole time looking like jail bait. There's one scene in which he walks into the kitchen after just waking up with his hair all messy in a white t-shirt that was almost worth the price of admission. Matthew Fox and Rain get to show off their chests a few times and parade around in leather suits and artfully ripped shirts, respectively. Oh . . . and I don't believe Kick Gurry ever wore sleeves.

Maybe I would have liked it more had I ever SEEN an episode of Speed Racer, but I would give it a C+, probably.

And for no reason: