March Movies

Time for some more personal thoughts. This time, all the films I saw in March!

A Visitor From the Living (A) and The Karski Report (A): Two documentaries from Claude Lanzmann that are offshoots from his Holocaust documentary Shoah. Living concerns Maurice Rossel's visit to the Theresienstadt camp while Karski deals with Jan Karski's story of reporting the atrocities to the U.S. Government. Both stories are absolutely riveting.

3 Backyards (B-): Three separate slice of life dramas set in Long Island one summer afternoon. Only Edie Falco's story really works, and since the stories never intersect, that means you have a nice 30 minute story in a 90 minute film.

Potiche (C+): Francois Ozon's new film never finds the story it wants to tell. It's a comedy, it's a drama, it's a feminist parable, the left, the right. There's a good film to be found in the story of a trophy wife taking over the family business, but the tone veers so wildly throughout, the film never settles down.

White Irish Drinkers (B+): A perfectly acceptable coming-of-age film set in NY in the 1970's. Every character and situation comes straight from cliche central, but new to me Nick Thurston and the other actors bring their A game, so the film passes by pleasantly.

Limitless (B): A little pill opens up the sections of your mind that you don't normally use. Too bad the screenwriter didn't take one; the ending would have been better. Bradly Cooper has charm and Robert DeNiro is having a good time, which makes the film go down easily; but as stated, the ending just doesn't feel right to me after what came before.

Rango (B+): It looks like other companies are finally catching up to Pixar. A fun and enjoyable romp, with quirky characters and enough humor for adults to keep the proceedings enjoyable. Johnny Depp has great line readings, and while the plot may be a little stale, you'll still walk out smiling.

Source Code (B): A soldier has the last 8 minutes of someone else's like to find the bomber of a train. How does it work? No clue, even the movie admits it's preposterous. The type of film you watch, enjoy, then forget about the next day.

Illegal (B): A social justice film about the plight of illegal immigrants in Belgium. The lead actress does a good job, which helps, but there are still a lot of questions left at the end. Still, I believe the film is looking more to expose injustice then tell a coherent story.

The Panels of São Vicente de Fora: A Poetic Vision (C-): Manoel De Oliveira's short about a character from a painting explaining the painting. Exactly. Still, it has Ricardo Trepa in it.

Sergeant Slaughter, My Big Brother (D): I have absolutely no idea what this short was about. Two brothers fight, then one goes somewhere and the other gets chased for some reason. I'm glad it was only 10 minutes.

Kubrick

Barry Lyndon (B): Great first half, middling second half. I'm not sure the film is the masterpiece others say it is, but it didn't deserve to be the failure it was. The trouble is the two halves of the film are so distinct from each other, they don't quite mesh into one.

Spartacus (B+): A grand, old-fashioned Roman epic. Loads of fun to watch, especially Peter Ustinov. I was a little surprised that Spartacus himself barely figures into the final hour of the film, that took me away from it a bit.

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (B): Best for the numerous pictures of Kubrick at work and some interesting facts. Otherwise, it's a basic "He was so fantastic and everyone loved him" type of documentary.

Color Me Kubrick (D): God, this was bad. Apparently Kubrick had someone who pretended to be him and swindled some people in 1990's Britain. This is not a good version of the story. The film is just boring, more concerned with fitting in as many callbacks to Kubrick films as possible than in telling a story.

New Directors/New Films

One (D): Continuing the theme of crappy shorts, this one is about a young Afghan girl who walks around and collects items in a metal box she carries on her back. If there was anything more to the film, I missed it.

Winter Vacation (C+): A Chinese film about some youths and adults in a rural Chinese town whiling the time away before winter vacation ends. The humor is meant to be deadpan, and some of it does work; but 90 minutes of the same style over and over just did not work for me here.

Tyrannosaur (B-): A horrible, violent man meets a woman abused by her husband. There is hope in the story, but the consistent downbeat tone before that comes leaves the film feeling like a slog to get through.

Catherine Breillat

Sleeping Beauty (B): Breillat's take on the classic fairy tale starts off intriguingly then flies off the rails at the end. A young girl is put to sleep for 100 years, but does she spend this time living with a family in the woods? What is real, what isn't? All good questions to ponder, until she wakes up? and the film morphs into a feminist parable for the last 15 minutes that makes no sense.

Anatomy of Hell (F): This might be the most horrifying film I've ever sat through. If I had any last shreds of heterosexuality in me, this film grabbed them by the roots and tore them out of me. The nominal plot involves a woman who pays a gay man to watch her for 4 days doing "stuff". The "stuff" is forever seared into my brain and makes me cry on occasion.

A Real Young Girl (C): Not learning my lesson, I watched Breillat's first film, which essentially involves a 14 year girl inserting various objects into her ahem..."lady parts" in extreme closeup for 90 minutes. Fingers, utensils, even a bottle of suntan lotion gets to join the party. Of course, this all takes place when the film is not showing closeups of her expelling liquid waste or having pieces of an earthworm placed down there. There might have been some mild semblence of a plot, but I was too busy contemplating what SPF she was using.

January Movies

I always take January as my time to catch up on all the movies I feel like seeing. TV is pretty much on hiatus until February, and the weather stinks, so it's the perfect time to watch as much as possible. Here's a rundown of what I caught the past 31 days. All films have their respective link to their IMDB page in the sidebar. These aren't reviews so much as brief personal assessments.

The Fighter (B+): My Aunt's niece plays Mark Wahlberg's daughter in this films, which I was all gung-ho to see, until I realized she only had 3 minutes of screentime. The film itself is decent, but very predictable and slow in parts. Oscar for Christian Bale though. And Melissa Leo.

Family Guy: It's A Trap (A-): Great conclusion to their Star Wars trilogy. Jokes that work, references that are funny. Easy way to pass an hour. Might not hold up on repeated viewings, but who watches those more than once?

Boys Life 7 (D+): A collection of some number of gay themed shorts. They all sucked.

The Illusionist (B): A lovely little homage to Jacques Tati, that starts off in a vein of wistful humor then quickly turns depressing. I don't require a happy ending in my films, but when it became obvious where this one was heading, a little levity would have been appreciated.

True Grit (A-): A fine entry into the Coen Brothers oeuvre. The film was paced well, it was funny and suspenseful and the script had some great turns of phrase. Didn't love the coda, but it didn't detract from the rest of the film.

I Love You Phillip Morris (B-): Raunchy and hilarious in parts, slow and boring in others. This would have been a better film if Ewan McGregor had been given a character to play. As written, Phillip Morris has almost nothing to do.

The Take (B): A British crime drama miniseries with Tom Hardy. Pretty average stuff, nothing surprising or truly interesting, it's all been done before and better.

I Knew It Was You: Rediscovering John Cazale (C): A short documentary celebrating the career of 70's character actor John Cazale. It comes off as a DVD extra, everyone loved him, he never did anything wrong, he was perfect in all his roles, every famous actor he ever worked with learned so much from him. Repetitive.

All Good Things (B-): A dramatization of the Robert Durst case, this film suffers from wallowing in the weird twists of the case instead of its characters. nice to see Kirsten Dunst again, though.

Dream Boy (C): An adaptation of the Jim Grimsley novel. Too slow paced and the lead character is difficult to identify with. Makes for a slog of a film.

The Exterminating Angel (A-): Luis Bunuel's satire on religion (one of many) where Mexican nobility find themselves unable to leave a room. Starts to drag slightly, and waits until the very end to make its point, but still a fantastic film.

Simon of the Desert (B-): Luis Bunuel's satire on religion (one of many) where a man stands on a pillar in sacrifice for God and is tempted by the Devil. Enjoyable, but too short (45 min) to make much of an impact.

Viridiana (B): Luis Bunuel's satire on religion (one of many) and the aristocracy where a nun visits her uncle in the countryside and sets up a shelter for the town's poor. Winner of the Plame D'Or, I thought once the movie made its point, it kept on making its point over and over.

Somewhere (C): Sofia Coppola's study of the ennui of a Hollywood actor. Ennui is the feel one gets watching this plotless and ultimately pointless film.

Blue Valentine (B): A study of a couple and how their marriage disintegrates. I'm not as in love with the film as others are. I found it to drag at points and be almost too downbeat for entertainment. Again, I don't need happy, peppy in a film, but I need something to latch onto. Two hours of depressing material tends to put one out of an enjoyment zone.

Exit Through the Gift Shop (B): An interesting take on the street art phenomenon. Better in the first half as the film follows a number of different artists. boring in the second half when Bansky takes over.

Open House (C): A person is held hostage in their house while two psychopaths take over and start killing. Been there, seen it.

I Am Love (B+): An Italian film about Tilda Swinton's affair with a cook. The film isn't as epic as it thinks it is, but the food in the film made me hungry.

The Way Back (C+): Prisoners escape from a Russian gulag and make their way on foot to India. It feels like we're with them every...single...step of the way.

Making the Boys (B): A nice look at the cultural touchstone that was The Boys in the Band. Loses focus a couple of times, but places the film in perspective.

Lake Tahoe (A-): A young man's car breaks down and he tries to find the replacement part needed for it. On his search, he comes across a number of slightly strange individuals. From the director of Duck Season (another fine film), this is a great, low-key and very funny 80 minutes.

Gasland (C-): One of this years Oscar nominated documentaries, it's all about hydraulic fracturing and how it's bad. Trouble is, the director delivers mushy-mouthed narration that is grating to the ears, an endless litany of the same problems over and over, graphics that are hard to follow since they fly by so quickly and a finale that ignores any idea of a possible solution and instead dumps the issue back to the viewer. It won't win.

Top Ten of 2009

Now that I've finally managed to catch up with the last of the major releases from 2009, I'm finally ready to state my own unasked for preferences for the top ten movies of the past year.


#10. Treeless Mountain (Dir. So Yong Kim)

A heartbreaking story of two young girls forced to grow up on their own after their mother leaves to go search for their absent father. The two girls are so natural you find yourself weeping for them at every loss and cheering for every gain. An unheralded gem that hopefully will find an audience on DVD.



#9. Star Trek (Dir. J.J. Abrams)

This is what big, Hollywood movie making is all about. With the proper amount of respect given to its predecessors, J.J. Abrams turned out the summer's best event film. Great for fans and newbies alike, I'm ready for the sequel right now.



#8. The Young Victoria (Dir. Jean-Marc Vallée)

I admit I'm a sucker for British royalty pictures, but this one managed a nice balance between regal scenes and personal ones. Emily Blunt does a fine job showing Victoria's sometimes less than royal behavior since she's...well...young. Rupert Friend is now on my actors to watch list. A nice, slice of a history lesson that goes down easy.


#7. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Dir. Terry Gilliam)

Without studio interference, Gilliam is capable of producing moments of brilliance. Parnassus has many such moments. A beautiful, visual phantasmagoria of a film, one can just sit back and be entertained by all the wild ideas thrown at the screen. Tom Waits is a hoot to watch and while there is sadness at watching Heath Ledger in his final film, he finishes in style.



#6. Drag Me To Hell (Dir. Sam Raimi)

Thankfully, Sam Raimi decided to cleanse his palate and do what he does best--horror comedy. A gooey-oozy punch of a film that provides plenty of jumps and chuckles right up to its fantastic finish. If only all PG-13 "horror" films could be like this. I knew the film was good when I didn't hate Justin Long in it, but now I'm scared of gypsies.


#5 Fantastic Mr. Fox (Dir. Wes Anderson)

Wes Anderson is a director who runs hot and cold for me; luckily, this time he ran hot. Beautiful to look at and run through with a bizarre sense of humor, Mr. Fox was the best animated film this year. (UP was good, until the villain tried to shoot Ed Asner [which does take spunk].) Here's hoping for a Roald Dahl revival.



#4. The White Ribbon (Dir. Michael Haneke)

Exploring the roots of Fascism by examining the life in a small village pre-WWI, Haneke shows how resentment over a strict upbringing can boil over. By turns creepy and harrowing, the rot that can exist underneath a seemingly peaceful, bucolic existence is laid bare.


#3. Antichrist (Dir. Lars von Trier)

Ignore the people that say this is a boring psychodrama, all are wrong. Antichrist, after admittedly a slightly dull first hour, turns into a rollicking comedy. There is simply no other explanation for the set of events that comprise the final 45 minutes. It is so ridiculous, the only response is continued laughter.


#2. The Hurt Locker (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow)

Pow! A lean and taut action thriller set in Iraq, but more concerned with the human response to war in general and fear in particular. Every set piece works, Jeremy Renner delivers a powerful performance and pieces of it linger in the mind long afterwards. Quite possibly the Best Picture winner come Oscar time (unless people go for the nature hooey of Avatar).


#1 In the Loop (Dir. Armando Iannucci)

A treat for the ears, In the Loop is the best laughs-per-minute movie I've seen in a long time. Nominally about trying to prevent the start of a war, the movie really exists as an exercise in verbal linguistics as each actor delivers the sharpest and funniest dialogue of the year. The true heart of the film lies in all the various insults the characters throw at each other; it's hard to choose a best from among them all, but "Nazi Julie Andrews" stays with me.


And there you have it, my top ten of 2009. Now, how close did I come to you? Which ones do you agree with? Which ones did I miss out on? Which ones will you call me an idiot for for not putting in the list? Fire away.....

Anyone?

Does anyone by any chance happen to own this on VHS and can rip a copy to DVD for me? This one's an instant classic.

I've Done Stuff! The Class

Since a teaching job has not been forthcoming (the past three years), I've decided to attempt something different involving my other love, movies! To that end, I enrolled in a class offered by NYU's Continuing Education School. It's called "Becoming a Film Critic" and is taught by a critic from Time Out New York Magazine, Joshua Rothkopf.

It has been a really kicking experience. I've always fancied myself a decent writer to begin with (ever since I won a short play writing contest in 5th grade), and the class has helped me focus on how to write a more publishable review than I usually do. The teacher is very entertaining to listen to (and thankfully is also quite attractive), and gets right to the heart of how to go about trying to make a go of this as a career; so I feel as if I've come away with valuable information. It's not easy breaking into media, but the course and the feedback I've received gives me the confidence that I have a decent shot at doing so, even though it still might take quite a few attempts. Confidence has always been my issue, so it's pleasant to finish a class feeling it. I've still got 1 more session to go and have a final paper to write for it, but I'm not too worried. This might be the most enjoyable final paper I've had to write, definitely more fun than a 24 page English final.

After it's over and the holidays wrap up, it will be time to see if I can put what I've learned into practice. Maybe an article on filling out my ballot for the Independent Spirit Awards or something.....

Best of all, I hope to take another class taught by Josh over the summer in horror film (if it's offered, have to wait for the catalog). Spending summer watching my favorite genre? What's not to love?

So the past few posts hopefully explain my absence over the last month. It's been hectic, and December will remain hectic, but I have a bit more free time coming my way than in November, so I probably won't disappear again.

NYFF Schedule

So I've set up my schedule for the NYFF this year. Between my weekend job and an impending visit by a cousin from out west, I've had to curtail the number of films I see from roughly 20 down to 7 this year. Oh well. If anyone (by some magic chance) happens to be at the films or in the vicinity of Lincoln Center, say hi!

Friday, September 25: Wild Grass 6pm

Saturday, September 26: The Wizard of Oz 11am

Saturday, September 26: Eccentricities of a Blond Haired Girl 5:30pm

Saturday, September 26: Vincere 8:30pm

Monday, September 28: Police, Adjective 9:15pm

Thursday, October 1: Lebanon 9:30pm

Friday, October 2: Antichrist 9:00pm

Too good to pass up.

Well, at least one person won't be seeing Avatar.

ingergay ogersray

Starting at the 1:38 mark , I have absolutely no idea how she managed to pull it off. I would have broken down crying if I had to try to learn this version of the lyrics.

NYFF!

And the list is up. I already see about 15 I'm going to get a ticket for...maybe 4 or 5 others. Ah...so many choices.....


OPENING NIGHT
Wild Grass / Les herbes folles
Alain Resnais, France, 2009; 113m
The venerable Alan Resnais creates an exquisite human comedy of manners, mystery and romance with some of France's - and our - favorite actors: Sabine Azéma, André Dussollier, Emmanuelle Devos and Mathieu Almaric. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

CENTERPIECE
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
Lee Daniels, USA, 2009; 109m
Precious is sixteen and living a miserable life. But she uses all the emotional energy she possesses to turn her life around. Director Lee Daniel's audacious tale features unforgettable performances by Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe. A Lionsgate release.

CLOSING NIGHT
Broken Embraces / Los abrazos rotos
Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, 2009; 128m
Almodóvar's newest masterwork is a candy-colored emotional roller that barrels from comedy to romance to melodrama to the darker haunts of film noir and stars his muse, Penélope Cruz, in a multilayered story of a man who loses his sight and the love of his life. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

36 Views of Saint-Loup Peak / 36 Vues Du Pic Saint Loup
Jacques Rivette, France, 2009, 84m
The legendary Jacques Rivette returns with an elegiac look at the final days of a small-time traveling circus.

Antichrist
Lars von Trier, Denmark, 2009, 109m
Surely to be one of the year's most discussed films, Lars von Trier's latest chronicles a couple's efforts to find their love again after a tragic loss, only to unleash hidden monsters lurking in their souls. An IFC Films release.

The Art of the Steal
Don Argott, USA, 2009, 101m
Bound to be controversial, this intriguing account of the travails of the legendary Barnes collection of art masterworks and the foundation set up to protect it raises vital questions about public vs. private "ownership" of art.

Bluebeard / La Barbe Bleue
Catherine Breillat, France, 2009, 78m
Two sisters reading Charles Perrault's 17th century tale of perhaps the first "serial killer" becomes a meditation on the enduring fascination with a character who has served as inspiration for countless novels, plays and films.

Crossroads of Youth / Cheongchun's Sipjaro
An Jong-hwa, Korea, 1934, 73m
The oldest surviving Korean film, this recently-rediscovered masterwork will be presented with live musical accompaniment as well as a benshi (offscreen narrator).

Eccentricities of a Blonde
Manoel de Olivera, Portugal/France, 2009, 64m
One hundred years young, director Manoel de Oliveira returns with another gem: a wry, moving tale of a pure if frustrated love adapted from a novel by Eça de Queiroz.

Everyone Else / Alle Anderen
Maren Ade, Germany, 2009, 119m
The ups and downs, joys and jealousies, frustrations and fulfillments of a young couple on a summer holiday provides the premise for this brilliant meditation on modern coupling.

Ghost Town
Zhao Dayong, China, 2008, 180m
A revealing, one-of-a-kind look at China far away from the glittering urban skylines, this portrait of a contemporary rural community in China offers extraordinary insights into everything from the role of religion to gender relationships to the place of social deviants.

Hadewijch
Bruno Dumont, France, 2009, 105m
A young woman searches for an absolute experience of faith-and in the process grows increasingly distant from the world around her.

Independencia
Raya Martin, Philippines, 2009, 77m
Maverick director Raya Martin offers a kind of alternative history of the Philippines and its struggle for nationhood in this stylized tale of a mother and son hiding in the mountains after the US takeover of the islands.

Inferno / L'Enfer
Serge Bromberg, France, 2009, 100m
A film buff's delight, Serge Bromberg film resurrects the surviving footage of Clouzot's aborted, experimental film L'Enfer, revealing a slightly mad but beguiling project that will always remain one of cinema's great "what ifs."

Kanikosen
Sabu, Japan, 2009, 109m
Kaniskosen is a highly stylized, stirring, manga-flavored update of a classic Japanese political novel, with labor unrest aboard a crab canning ship evolving into a cry of a younger generation aching to break the bonds of conformity.

Lebanon
Samuel Maoz, Israel, 2009, 92m
Debut director Samuel Maoz takes us inside an Israeli tank and the emotions of its crew during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

Life During Wartime
Todd Solondz, USA, 2009, 96m
Preparing for his bar-mitzvah, a young man must deal with his divorced mother's prospective fiancé as well as rumors that his own father is not really dead.

Min Yé
Souleymane Cissé, Mali/France, 2009, 135m
A work of startling originality, Souleymane Cisse's first film in over a decade insightfully and incisively chronicles the dissolution of an upper-middle class African marriage.

Mother/ Maedo
Bong Joon-ho, South Korea, 2009, 128m
Convinced that her son has been wrongly accused of murder, a widow throws herself body and soul into proving his innocence. Kim Hye-ja in the title role gives perhaps the performance of the year.

Ne Change Rien
Pedro Costa, France/Portugal, 2009, 103m
A shimmering valentine, Costa's latest is less a portrait than a kind of visual homage, to the artistry of actor and singer Jeanne Balibar.

Police Adjective / Politist, adj.
Corneliu Porumboiu, Romania, 2009, 115m
Discovering a teenager with hashish, a young policeman hesitates about turning him in. But his supervisor has other ideas in this beautifully acted, provocative modern morality play. An IFC Films release.

Room and a Half / Poltory Komnaty Ili Sentimentalnoe Puteshtvie Na Rodinu
Andrey Khrzhanovsky, Russia, 2009, 131m
Former animator Andrey Khrzhanovsky combines scripted scenes, archival footage, several types of animation, and surrealist flights of fancy to create this stirring portrait of poet Josef Brodsky and the postwar Soviet cultural scene. A Seagull Films release.

Sweetgrass
Ilisa Barbash, Lucien Castaing-Taylor, USA, 2009, 105m
This breathtaking chronicle follows an ever-surprising group of modern-day cowboys as they lead an enormous herd of sheep up and then down the slopes of the Beartooth Mountains in Montana on their way to market.

Sweet Rush / Tatarak
Andrzej Wajda, Poland/France, 2009, 85m
Celebrated master Andrzej Wajda returns with a bold, experimental work that juxtaposes a story about a terminally doctor's wife rediscovering romance thanks with a heart-rending monologue written and performed by actress Krystyna Janda about the death of her husband.

To Die Like a Man / Morrer Como Um Homen
Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Portugal, 2009,138m
This touching, finely-etched portrait follows Tonia, a veteran drag performer confronting younger competition and her boyfriend's demands that she undergo a sex change.

Vincere
Marco Bellocchio, Italy, 2009, 129m
Mussolini's "secret" marriage to Ida Dalser, afterwards completely denied by Il Duce, along with the son born from the relationship, becomes the springboard for this visually ravishing meditation on the fascist manipulation of history. An IFC Films release.

White Material
Claire Denis, France, 2009, 100m
A handful of Europeans try to make sense of-and survive-the chaos happening all around them in an African country torn apart by civil war.

The White Ribbon / Das weisse band
Michael Haneke, Austria/France, 2009, 144m
The Palme d'Or winner at this year's Cannes Film Festival, this is a starkly beautiful meditation on the consequences of violence-physical, emotional, spiritual-in a northern German town on the eve of World War I. A Sony Pictures Classics release.

The Wizard of Oz
Victor Fleming, 1939, USA, 103m
The 70th Anniversary of the timeless classic, presented in a spectacular newly-restored edition makes the film a new experience even for those who practically have it memorized. A Warner Bros. release

WATCH THIS NOW

Treevenge

The less I say about this masterpiece, the more you will enjoy it. Go to the site, start it, make it full screen and enjoy. Best short film I've ever seen. Also NSFW, no nudity though.

Hmmm..

Well, I've had time let it sink in. 21/24 correct on the Oscars, my best year ever. 87.5% Can't be upset though, never would have gotten all 24. Could have guessed Sean Penn, and possibly The Dark Knight in Sound Whatever, but never would have seen Departures in Foreign Film. I don't think it even opens here until June. Ah well, bring on next year.

My bologna has a first name.....

Well, my lack of a well-paying job and worsening financial situation has left me rather apathetic to posting on a semi-regular basis, hopefully when things turn around (if), it will all get better. Still though, no reason not to post my own personal Oscar picks. Tough one this year.

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke

This could just as easily go to Sean Penn, but as the ceremony arrives, I just haven't heard the buzz surrounding Penn as you would normally expect to hear around a winner; so I'm guessing the comeback story of Rourke wins the day here.

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger

It could go to someone else, but then that person would be hated forever. The good thing is that Ledger would actually deserve the Oscar, as his performance was worthy, not just mass hysteria to honor a deceased star.

Best Actress: Kate Winslet

Again, this could easily go to Meryl Streep, and I'm sure the Academy would love to honor her again, but I think the Academy would love to honor Winslet for the first time even more. Plus, it's about the Holocaust, Ricky Gervais is right on that point.

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz

This race is a bit more open. The only performance that has stayed with me is Cruz's. The Wrestler is all about Rourke, so I don't think it will go to Tomei. Henson was fine but forgettable. Adams was also fine but a bit one note, though people do seem to like her. Davis did a great job with her scene, but I didn't think it was as amazing as others thought. So I say Cruz, with hesitation.

Best Animated Feature: WALL-E

The Panda beat it at the animation awards, but more people vote for the Oscar, so WALL-E will take home it's due.

Best Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The film looked beautiful, and it got to follow the characters through many different time periods. Maybe The Dark Knight could upset it, and if it had scored a Best Picture nod it might have, but Button has to win something.

Best Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

Maybe not the best choice, but it was vibrant and kinetic, and that will win the day.

Best Costume Design: The Duchess

After watching Elizabeth: The Golden Sequel win, I realized that Best Costume means best period film, so The Duchess will win for its finery.

Best Director: Danny Boyle

I actually liked Slumdog Millionaire and was happy to see it nominated for so many awards. Frost/Nixon and Button I thought were boring, The Reader was good until that twist, then the film started to unravel. I loved Milk, but I don't think it has enough oomph to overthrow Slumdog in major categories. So Boyle will take home the Oscar.

Best Documentary Feature: Man on Wire

A two way race between Man and Herzog's Encounters. Man wins because 1. The man involved is a great storyteller and 2. It's about the World Trade Center.

Best Documentary Short: Smile Pinki

I arrived 3 hours early for the screenings of the shorts and it was already sold out! What's the deal? MOMA needs to hold 2 screenings at least. A tougher call without seeing them, but consensus seems to be between the MLK associated The Witness and the Indian Cleft Lip story Smile Pinki. I'm thinking cute and adorable wins the day, so Pinki will take it.

Best Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

Spirited and kinetic wins the day. It does seem as if fast paced usually wins the day here.

Best Foreign Language: The Class

The Class is an amazing film, and not just because I'm an unemployed teacher. This category can be tough to call as only qualified voters and vote, and 3 of the nominees has not been released to see yet, but I can't imagine much being better than The Class.

Best Makeup: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I'd love to see Hellboy II win here, but I think most people would associate the makeup jobs with visual effects, so Button will pick up the Oscar here, and hey, it has to win something.

Best Original Score: Slumdog Millionaire

Hmmm....I wonder what the opposite of this award would be? Remember when it used to be 2 different awards? Anyhoo, the Indian rhythms of Slumdog will win as it's new to many.

Best Original Song: Jai Ho

Everyone watches the dance to it over the end credits of Slumdog, so how can it not win?

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

The coronation will be around 11:30ish EST. I found Button to be rather dull and that seems to be a minor refrain, so that will keep it from winning. Frost/Nixon was also dull and I'm not exactly sure how that got nominated. Milk would be my second choice, and it would be a worthy winner, but again, no oomph. The Reader's second half keeps it from winning. So Slumdog it is.

Best Animated Short Film: La Maison en Petits Cubes

These I did see. All 5 are good, but La Maison was quite touching and brought a tear to my eye. Only Presto has a chance to unseat it.

Best Live Action Short Film: Toyland

It's about the Holocaust, and is actually good to boot.

Best Sound Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

This probably should go to The Dark Knight, but I think most voters are going to give it to Heath Ledger and call it a day, so the kineticism of Slumdog will win here.

Best Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire

This probably should go to The Dark Knight, but I think most voters are going to give it to Heath Ledger and call it a day, so the kineticism of Slumdog will win here.

Best Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Brad Pitt looking 16 again? What's not to love. Besides, Button has to win something.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog takes a concept that sounds cringe inducing to hear and makes a great film out of it. I know some others don't like Slumdog, but I'm not one of them.

Best Original Screenplay: Milk

Here's the category that Milk can win in. Unless there's an swelling of support for Mike Leigh, Dustin Lance Black will win.

New York Film Festival

So I will be attending the NYFF again this year, as I have been doing every year since 1994. Damn, time flies fast. Either way, here is my schedule of films (there are a few I can't attend, so if anyone sees this who lives in the NY area, you're welcome to ask me for my ticket.)

9/26 8:00pm The Class
9/27 6:00pm Happy-Go-Lucky (This is one of the films I can't attend, anyone?)
9/28 12:00pm Happy-Go-Lucky
9/28 9:00pm I'm Gonna Explode
9/30 9:15pm The Northern Land (Not sure I'm going to see this, anyone?)
10/1 9:15pm Waltz with Bashir (Stuck in Westchester that night, anyone?)
10/4 6:15pm Ashes of Time Redux
10/4 9:15pm Changeling
10/5 3:00pm Four Nights With Anna
10/5 9:00pm Gomorrah
10/6 9:15pm The Headless Woman (Not sure I'm going to see this, anyone?)
10/7 6:00pm Che
10/9 6:00pm Tokyo Sonata
10/9 9:00pm Tulpan
10/10 6:00pm A Christmas Tale
10/10 9:45pm Let it Rain
10/11 1:30pm Darren Aronofsky: Director's Dialogue
10/12 2:30pm Bullet in the Head
10/12 5:15pm Serbis
10/12 8:30pm The Wrestler

I will attending all of these alone, save for The Wrestler. Look for the person who is the saddest one there and come say HI!

Flames

Yes, I did it, I killed Yvette. I hated her, so much... That... it... it... flam - flames. Flames, on the side of my face, heaving... breath - , heaving breaths. Heaving breath...

20TH CENTURY FOX-----RELEASE THIS ON DVD IMMEDIATELY

Validation!

Remember this post from just a short time ago? Contrary to what some people have said to me, I am not insane. I just happened to notice today that Film Threat posted a Never Back Down review, and sure enough, their reviewer was also reminded of that classic film, Showdown.

Ah, it's nice to know that there are other people out there with the same tastes in movies as myself. Now, why can't I get a job as a film reviewer? Seriously, what do I have to do?

Burning Question + Vault of Forgotten Movies: Martial Arts Edition

I am absolutely seeing this movie as soon as possible, I am only human after all.



However, something niggles at me.....this looks familiar. I enjoy a good martial arts movie...even paid to see that Mark Dacascos "Only the Strong" film where Capoeira was the art of choice, but this seems awfully familiar. Hmmmm.....(searches brain....neurons firing....accessing movie knowledge)....AH!



I knew I saw "Never Back Down" before. It was 1993 and it was called "Showdown", not this "American Karate Tiger", I have no idea where that retitling came from. Let's see here.....

Character: New Kid in Town--Brunette

Showdown: Kenn Scott playing Ken
Never Back Down: Sean Faris playing Jake

Charatcer: Arrogant Blond Asshole Jock

Showdown: Ken Mcleod (remember him...ahhhhhhhhhh)as Tom
Never Back Down: Cam Gigandet as Ryan

Character: Worthless female "love interest"

Showdown: Christine Taylor (Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!) as Julie
Never Back Down: Amber Heard as Baja

Character: Wise Black Mentor

Showdown: Billy Blanks (Tae-Bo!) as Billy
Never Back Down: Djimon Honsou as Jean

The plots may differ slightly, in "Showdown" the fights are because the new kid hits on the jock's girlfriend, while in "Never Back Down" I believe they just fight. "Showdown" is the perfect "B" martial arts movie. It's just a giant ball of cheese from beginning to end...it's nice to see that they do still make them like this. I thought the teen martial arts movie died out years ago. I highly doubt "Showdown" is out on DVD, but if it ever crosses your path, it's a fun way to spend 90 minutes. Beyond that, I don't remember too much about it....been over a decade since I've seen it. It might be in my unorganized VHS collection....I hope so. I need more Ken Mcleod.

FDot has a realization.....

Ok. So tomorrow is Friday night. I'm a young guy, only 34 at the moment, so what is my plan for tomorrow? Going to a bar? Hanging out with my friends? Video games? No, no and no. On a Friday night, I'm heading into Brooklyn to see this man.



Who is this you ask? His name is Manoel de Oliveira. He is a Portuguese film maker. He is also 99 years old. Yes, 99. His latest film is having it's American premiere tomorrow night and he is going to be there for a Q&A. I believe it's his first time here since 2001. So instead of staying around home or going to be with friends, I'm taking a 50 minute drive into Brooklyn to see a 70 minute film and a 99 year old film maker. This has caused me to have 2 major revelations about myself.

1. I am a huge and obviously irredeemable film geek.

2. Doing things like this is why I am single.

Very Long Oscar Predictions

EDIT (2/25 12:25AM) So it looks like I went 16 correct and 8 wrong for 67%...not too shabby.....I think The Bourne Ultimatum wins and especially The Golden Compass threw me the most



Ah...now that the writers strike is over...there will be nothing like experiencing a bloated 3+ hour self celebration of narcissism, sadly minus Debbie Allen dance numbers. Unlike many other bloggers, I will not be live blogging the event, since my computer is nowhere near a tv, and I will be too glued to the set to want to write anything about it. I'm also quite interested in the Spirit Awards the day before, as I had the honor of voting for them this year and want to see if my choices turn out to be the winners. But this post is about the Oscars....so let's see what we have.....

Best Actor:

Tommy Lee Jones and Viggo Mortensen should be happy with their nominations. Johnny Depp might win in a split vote scenario. George Clooney has the clout, but I believe DANIEL DAY-LEWIS gave the leading performance of the year and should easily walk away with the prize.

Best Supporting Actor:

Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Wilkinson should be happy with their nominations. Casey Affleck has an extremely outside shot. Hal Holbrook has a decent chance if the Academy goes the 'honoring the body of work' route. However, they didn't do that for Laurel Bacall and they won't do it here. JAVIER BARDEM all the way.

Best Actress:

Cate Blanchett? Not a chance. Laura Linney will win one of these days, but this is not her year. Ellen Page has a decent shot at winning a split vote. Then it becomes hard. Either Marion Cotillard or Julie Christie has a great chance at winning. It's become quite a toss-up...but I think JULIE CHRISTIE will win. Just a hunch and I can easily be wrong.

Best Supporting Actress:

The hardest category of the lot. Atonement girl is probably the only one that can be safely discounted. Ruby Dee may have been honored by SAG, but I don't see the academy going that route. I didn't find her performance all that memorable. Tilda Swinton has a chance, but I'm just not feeling it for her, maybe another year. Cate Blanchett has a great chance too...but she also won recently and I just get a feeling that most won't vote for what amounts to a trick performance, even if it was good. That leaves AMY RYAN, who really did go all out in her performance and should squeak by the others.

Best Animated Film:

Surf's Up! Huh? Perspolis stands a decent chance since it was denied a Foreign Language nom...but RATATOUILLE can't be beat here. It's also French and most academy members won't stop hearing it from their kids if they don't give it the win.

Art Direction:

American Gangster and The Golden Compass....enjoy your nominations. There Will Be Blood might win as Jack Fisk is quite respected. Atonement possibly too, but save for a few set pieces...it's just your pretty English countryside again. SWEENEY TODD created a older London that perfectly fit in with the sensibility of the film. This might be the category to honor it in...give Tim Burton some love.

Cinematography:

Everyone talk about Roger Deakins splitting the vote. Who's really going to vote for Jesse James when his other film is the likely Best Picture winner? Atonement is a no. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly could take it as one of those 'let's honor it here' type of wins. No Country for Old Men should take the top prizes so THERE WILL BE BLOOD will most likely be honored here.

Costume Design:

Everyone talks about the green dress in Atonement. I can't remember it. Sweeney Todd and La Vie en Rose I remember basically for suits, I doubt the academy will honor that. Across the Universe? I don't really remember costumes per se. Elizabeth 2 has your average regal queenly dresses, I think the well has run dry there. Plus, who want to honor Elizabeth 2. ATONEMENT will win for this green dress thingy.

Best Director:

Jason Reitman should be happy with his nomination. I doubt the George Clooney love will transmit to Tony Gilroy. This might be the chance to honor Diving Bell and give it to Julian Schnabel...but I don't see it. Paul Thomas Anderson will make more movies, and there are those who did not like There's Blood!. JOEL AND ETHAN COEN will walk away with the prize. People may not like the ending....but I was on the edge of my seat during the film.

Documentary:

There's not giving it to Michael Moore again...not with Iraq in the mix. That knock out War/Dance since that's Africa and Taxi to the Dark Side as that's Afghanistan. Operation Homecoming is a recitation of letters so NO END IN SIGHT will take the prize and we'll get to hear a 45 second diatribe against our Iraq involvement.

Short Documentary:

Salim Baba was too slight. La Corona was amusing but ultimately pointless. Sari's Mother was a bit confusing and didn't have too much emotional heft. FREEHELD grabs you by the throat and squeezes out tears until it's over. It will take the prize and we'll get 45 seconds about equal rights for gay/lesbian partners.

Editing:

Into the Wild? Nope....not enough nominations to give it an Oscar. Diving Bell and Bourne Ultimatum have to sit back to another No Country and There's Blood! showdown. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN should take it as people want to see what will happen since Roderick Jaynes doesn't really exist.

Foreign Language:

I've never heard of 4 of these films and have only seen THE COUNTERFEITERS. SO it wins because I say so.

Makeup:

Like Norbit will really win. Here's the chance to give LA VIE EN ROSE it's Oscar. Pirates 3 has too much CGI to give it a makeup award.

Music Score:

3:10 to Yuma and The Kite Runner no one really cares about. I don't remember the music from Michael Clayton or Ratatouille. But I do remember the typewriter from ATONEMENT and the academy will also.

Music Song:

If August Rush wins, it's a sign of the apocalypse. Enchanted had nice songs...but the fact that there's 3 of them here shows that not many other films had original songs...and these weren't up to Menken's usual standards. Once is one of those films that everyone who see it seems to love (except me), but the music was great, and here's a chance to honor it in a catagory no one remembers later on. So FALLING SLOWLY take the prize.

Best Picture:

Atonement just isn't good enough. Neither is Michael Clayton. There Will Be Blood had too many detractors from the start to take the prize. It's a Juno/No Country showdown. I think enough people had the reaction that I did to Juno...that it wasn't very good...and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is 2007's best picture. Hopefully the Paul Haggis "gotcha!" award isn't given out again.

Animated Short:

Tough call. A film might be better than others, but I find the short catagories better suited to voting your gut instinct. I Met The Walrus was too short and pointless. My Love and Madame Tulti-Pulti had fanatstic animation but were also boring as paint drying in hell. Meme Less Pigeons Vont au Paradis is cute but a one-note joke. PETER AND THE WOLF was a hilarious telling of the story and should be the winner.

Live Action Short:

Il Supplente was too strange. The Tonto Woman has been done before. Tanghi Argentini was cute and could bring in some votes...but it's a one joke film. At Night is probably the most depressing 40 minutes I have ever sat through. Excellent, but it really is a tough sell. LE MOZART DES PICKPOCKETS was a cute 30 minute romp and the audience favorite when I saw it. At Night is probably the better film, but I think gut instinct tends to win out here.

Sound Editing:

Oh boy...one of those categories only the people involved know what it's about. Bourne is just a loud (albeit excellent) action film. Transformers was just loud. Ratatouille is animated. I think here THERE WILL BE BLOOD will win out over No Country, as the academy will want to give it something.

Sound Mixing:

This goes to the loudest film, so there's no need to discuss the other 4. TRANSFORMERS.

Visual Effects:

Golden Compass...please. Transformers and Pirates 3 run neck and neck here as they both were basically CGI films. I think TRANSFORMERS will take it, as Pirates 3 was considered too bloated and who doesn't love giant robots (as opposed to a giant Naomi Harris).

Adapted Screenplay:

Another No Country/Blood battle. But There's Blood! used it's book more as a template and NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN really adapted it's book quite faithfully and into the best picture of the year.

Original Screenplay:

JUNO.....this way everyone can stop talking about it. I hated the screenplay...but it's another one of those 'give it something' awards.

And that's it........let's see Monday Morning how I did...enjoy the show!

FagaBeefe!

Midnight Madness

Come see how good a night can be
Are you ready for a brand new game?
(a brand new game)
Come take a chance and play with me
And you're never gonna be the same

When Midnight MadnessStarts to get to you
Doesn't matter what you say
Doesn't matter what you do.
You gotta play.

Just when you think you've had your fun
And you're ready to say goodnight
(don't say goodnight)
You'll find the fun has just begun
'Cause the game's gonna last all night.

Just when you think you've had your fun
And you're ready to say goodnight
(don't say goodnight)
You'll find the fun has just begun
'Cause the game's gonna last all night.

When Midnight MadnessStarts to get to you
Doesn't matter what you say
Doesn't matter what you do.
Whooo!

Song by: David and Julius Wechter