Archive for January, 2009
January 26th, 2009
The Onion’s AV Club has a list of what director Paul Thomas Anderson called “Gearshift” films, movies that seem to be heading in one direction then abruptly veer off in another.
The classic example — and the first one the list — is Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO, which begins as the story of a secretary who steals some money and, in one of the most famous scenes in movie history, becomes something else entirely. If there were any movie I could see in a theater during its opening run, and — and this is the key — know absolutely nothing about it beforehand — it would be PSYCHO. It’s one of my favorites now, but seeing it with unsuspecting eyes must’ve been a once-in-a-lifetime moviegoing experience.
Spoilers a plenty in that AV Club list, of course. Click here to read it.
January 26th, 2009
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Well, actually, I didn’t have any scars (the wax didn’t work out like we’d hoped). But if you want to see how I became the Joker for this year’s Beat the Movie Man contest, from makeup to Photoshop, click here.
And if you want to enter the contest, click here.
January 26th, 2009
Here are the winners from last night’s Screen Actors Guild Awards. Oscar-wise, it looks like a boost for Sean Penn’s prospects and a lock for Kate Winslet and Heath Ledger:
MOVIES
Cast: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Actor in a leading role: Sean Penn, MILK
Actress in a leading role: Meryl Streep, DOUBT
Supporting actor: Heath Ledger, THE DARK KNIGHT
Supporting actress: Kate Winslet, THE READER
Stunt ensemble: THE DARK KNIGHT
TV
Drama series cast: MAD MEN
Actor in a drama series: Hugh Laurie, HOUSE
Actress in a drama series: Sally Field, BROTHERS & SISTERS
Comedy series cast: 30 ROCK
Actor in a comedy series: Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK
Actress in a comedy series: Tina Fey, 30 ROCK
Actor in a movie or miniseries: Paul Giamatti, JOHN ADAMS
Actress in a movie or miniseries: Laura Linney, JOHN ADAMS
Stunt ensemble: HEROES
Life Achievement: James Earl Jones.
January 23rd, 2009
Over at Turner Classic Movie’s Movie Morlock’s blog, writer “medusamorlock” writes about a category of movies we all have our picks for, movies that we “will not watch, no way, no how, under any circumstances.”
Medusa lists a couple that I’d place on my own anti-favorites list: PRETTY WOMAN and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. In the case of the first one, I just can’t stomach Julia Roberts. What’s more, I can’t even understand her appeal. I don’t find her attractive, I don’t think she can act, and I don’t find her likeable. Why would I want to watch a movie starring her? Simple. I don’t. So I don’t.
In the case of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, I just think it’s way too long, way too boring and completely lacking in any dramatic conflict. The kids are annoying, Julie Andrews — despite her obvious talent — gets on my nerves and Christopher Plummer is dull as dishwater. It’s the sort of Oscar-winning movie that’s barely viewable (by me, at least) today.
Haven’t seen SEX AND THE CITY, and I don’t have any plans too. I did see one of Medusa’s other anti-favorites, ENCHANTED, and thought it was actually pretty entertaining.
How about you guys? Any anti-favorites you’d care to share?
January 23rd, 2009
… where I put on plenty of makeup and do my best to look like one of the nominated performances from the Academy Awards for my annual BEAT THE MOVIE MAN contest. This year, there was really only one choice: Heath Ledger’s Joker from THE DARK KNIGHT. Here’s the promo poster…
… and you can enter the contest (starting Sunday) by clicking here. What’s more, well have a short video documenting the entire Joker-ization process, from makeup to photos to Photoshop, posted online soon. I’ll put a link here on this blog as soon as it’s ready.
So be sure to enter the BEAT THE MOVIE MAN contest — I don’t want to have put on all that makeup for nothing!
And good luck!
January 23rd, 2009
With the late Heath Ledger a favorite to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar this year, it’s a good time to look back at the only time someone won a performing Oscar after his death.
British actor Peter Finch died January 14, 1977, just before his performance as Howard Beale, the “mad prophet of the airwaves” in the great film NETWORK, won the gold statue for Best Actor. It’s a consistently strong performance, both funny and tragic, but here’s the classic scene, the one that no doubt won Finch the Academy Award.
It has a bit of mild profanity, but you probably already knew that.
January 22nd, 2009
I haven’t had a chance to analyze them in any great detail, but I did notice a couple of surprises: No Best Picture nomination for THE DARK KNIGHT, no nominations for Clint Eastwood, and Kate Winslet gets her Best Actress nomination for THE READER, not REVOLUTIONARY ROAD.
As far as my predictions from yesterday go, I was 2 for 5 in Best Picture, 5 for 5 in Best Actor (though I accidentally guessed six, so that category gets an asterisk, 3 for 5 in Best Actress (I had Winslet, but for the wrong movie), 4 for 5 in Best Supporting Actor, 4 for 5 in Best Supporting Actress, and 3 for 5 in Best Director.
The annual Beat the Movie Man contest starts Sunday, so keep an eye out for the Joker-themed illustration. It won’t be hard to spot.
Here’s a partial list of nominees. Get the full results here.
1. Best Picture: THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, FROST/NIXON, MILK, THE READER, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2. Best Actor: Richard Jenkins for THE VISITOR, Frank Langella for FROST/NIXON, Sean Penn for MILK, Brad Pitt for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Mickey Rourke for THE WRESTLER
3. Best Actress: Anne Hathway for RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, Angelina Jolie for CHANGELING, Melissa Leo for FROZEN RIVER, Meryl Streep for DOUBT, Kate Winslet for THE READER
4. Best Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin for MILK, Robert Downey Jr. for TROPIC THUNDER, Philip Seymour Hoffman for DOUBT, Heath Ledger for THE DARK KNIGHT, Michael Shannon for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
5. Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams for DOUBT, Penelope Cruz for VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA, Viola Davis for DOUBT, Taraji P. Henson for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Marisa Tomei for THE WRESTER
6. Director: David Fincher for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, Ron Howard for FROST/NIXON, Gus Van Sant for MILK, Stephen Daldry for THE READER, Danny Boyle for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
January 21st, 2009
Over at Turner Classic Movies’ Movie Morlocks blog, rhsmith shares some fond memories of the glory days of videotapes, lists some he’s pruned from his collection over the years and notes a few that he’ll never part with (including a KING KONG tape with a box that actually roars).
What’s more, he lists plenty of movies that haven’t arrived on DVD yet and probably never will. “The sheer wealth of films available on VHS tape back in the early 80s is staggering,” he writes. “We will not, mark my words, see the same kind of variety of films released to DVD.”
He’s not kidding. I was 16 when our family got its first VCR back in 1983, and those years were glorious times if you (like me) were looking for weird movies to watch. Even the smallest mom-and-pop video store in those pre-Blockbuster, pre-Netflix days had a wide selection of European horror flicks, drive-in oddities and cult classics. I love my DVDs, and I’m grateful for widescreen, pristine, extras-loaded discs, but there’s nothing quite like finding your first copy of DR. BUTCHER MD on the bottom rack of a hole-in-the-wall video store and realizing there are movies out there you can barely imagine.
January 21st, 2009
Oscar nominations are announced tomorrow, so here are my fearless predictions. These are right off the top of my head, so don’t put any huge stock in their accuracy. Right now, at this moment though, this is what I’m feeling:
BEST PICTURE
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, THE DARK KNIGHT, THE WRESTLER
BEST ACTOR
Mickey Rourke for THE WRESTLER, Brad Pitt for BENJAMIN BUTTON, Sean Penn for MILK, Frank Langella for FROST/NIXON, Ricard Jenkins for THE VISITOR, Clint Eastwood for GRAN TORINO
BEST ACTRESS
Kate Winslet for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD (and she’ll win it, too), Anne Hathaway for RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, Sally Hawkins for HAPPY GO LUCKY, Cate Blanchett for BENJAMIN BUTTON, Meryl Streep for DOUBT
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger for THE DARK KNIGHT (and he’ll win it, too), Michael Shannon for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, James Franco for MILK, Robert Downey Jr. for TROPIC THUNDER, Phillip Seymour Hoffman for DOUBT
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kate Winslet for THE READER, Taraji P. Henson for BENJAMIN BUTTON, Viola Davis for DOUBT, Marisa Tomei for THE WRESTLER, Penelope Cruz for VICKY CHRISTINA BARCELONA
BEST DIRECTOR
David Fincher for BENJAMIN BUTTON, Christopher Nolan for THE DARK KNIGHT, Gus Van Zant for MILK, Danny Boyle for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, Sam Mendes for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
How about you? Any predictions? Remember, you don’t have to have seen the movies to make an accurate guess.
January 20th, 2009
You probably don’t recognize the name Kathleen Byron, though I’ll bet you’ve seen her in at least one movie: She played Mrs. Ryan, the mother of Matt Damon, in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. But Byron’s career stretched much further back than that 1997 film. Born in 1923, the British actress appeared in scores of movies since the 1930s.
Her most memorable roles were in the films directed by the legendary team of Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell, known to film fans as “The Archers.” She played an angel in A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH (just released — finally! — on DVD) and a no-nonsense World War II girlfriend in THE SMALL BACK ROOM (released last year). But it’s in the 1947 film BLACK NARCISSUS where she delivers her most memorable performance: Sister Ruth, the greatest crazy nun ever captured on film.
Kathleen Byron died Sunday at the age of 88, but here’s a bit of memorable film from near the end of BLACK NARCISSUS to remember her by. It’s after Ruth has left her nun’s habit behind — along with most of her inhibitions.
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