Have A Happy New Year!

From all of us at the site...have a fun night, but keep safe! 2008 was the year of Why So Serious? and Yes We Can!, so make sure you're around to find out what 2009 will be the year of...best wishes from us!

Academy Idol: Top 9 (Box Office Week)

The Return of Scorsese; Paramount Pictures 2009 Preview

I know we have a few hours left in 2008, but it's never too early to take a glance at '09. Paramount released it's 2009 preview. The Lovely Bones and Shutter Island (or Ashecliffe) stand out as potential Oscar films.  The early release date for The Soloist will hurt it's Oscar potential, but it might be in the running, who knows? The premise for Up in the Air seems funny, and is written and directed by the same dudes that produced Thank You For Smoking. They have a few potential money makers in there too (Star Trek, GI Joe, and Transformers). Overall, the list is really balanced. I'm just glad Martin Scorsese is returning with DiCaprio. Deadly combination. 

Anything else excite you about 2009? 

2008 Goes Out With a Whimper, DVD-Wise

Yes, the year ends poorly for DVD's, though if it helps, next week is a pick up of sorts. Only two releases of any note, but one is of enough quality to warrant being named my PICK OF THE WEEK. It's Allan Ball's follow-up to American Beauty and his directorial debut. It's:

Towelhead

Acting lifts this film from being only fair to rather good. Summer Bishil and Aaron Eckhart stand out in this tale of sexual empowerment and growing up.

-The other release is David Zucker's conservative comedy An American Carol. I see where he was going with it, but he took a wrong turn somewhere and left us with a comedy lacking in much humor.

-My Vintage pick this week will be a multitude of titles, to make up for the dearth of new releases. For fans of TV sets, check out either Aqua Teen Hunger Force, a strange animated show that isn't for everyone, but is hilarious if it works for you, as well as Entourage, a show I've gotten into as of late and find very entertaining. On the film end I offer up Copland, a modern day western of sorts, Birds of America, a dysfunctional family dramedy with Matthew Perry, Ben Foster, and Ginnifer Goodwin all doing very nice work, and the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, which is a must see for any fans of Donkey Kong.

-What will you guys and gals be watching to close out the year?

Eric Roth's Curious Court Case

Seems like he got scammed too in the Madoff scandal, as this report in the Daily News details:

The writer of a string of Hollywood hits - including "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" - sued his investment manager Friday for losing a bundle in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
Screenwriter Eric Roth claims his "trusted investment manager," Stanley Chais, "simply handed off" his money to Madoff while collecting "enormous fees."
When he learned of his "heavy" losses last week: Roth exclaimed: "I'm the biggest sucker who ever walked the face of the Earth. The tragedy is the people who lost their life savings and their dreams."
Madoff is accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme on charities, Yeshivas and high-rollers around the world, including New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon.
In papers filed in Los Angeles, Roth - also authored the screen versions of "Forrest Gump" and "The Horse Whisperer" - claims he suffered "massive losses" at the hands of Chais.
Roth, listing himself as the trustee for Vanessa Productions Ltd. profit-sharing plan, charged Chais "funneled to Madoff the billions of dollars in investment capital that he needed to perpetuate his confessed Ponzi scheme."
Roth charges Chais ignored "red flags" from other investors and hedge fund managers, investment advisers and banks that had refused to invest with Madoff's firm, BMIS.
After a long slump, Roth just hit it big again as writer of "Benjamin Button," in which the lead character ages backward - from old age to youth.
He was nominated this week for a Golden Globe.
Chais failed to conduct "reasonable due diligence" of Madoff's investment practices and the failure to diversify investments constituted "gross negligence and an egregious breach of fiduciary duties," the suit says.
Roth is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

-Pretty rough Eric, perhaps the Academy will help cheer him up soon...

20th Century Fox Is Determined To Piss Off "Watchmen" Fans At Every Turn

Cheers to The Associated Press for reporting this update on the ongoing legal battle over Watchmen, which could make for a fairly tense movie on its own at this point:

The Associated Press is reporting that an attorney for 20th Century Fox says the studio will continue to seek an order delaying the release of the upcoming "Watchmen" movie.
US District Court Judge Gary Feess last week agreed with Fox that Warner Bros had infringed its copyright by developing and shooting the superhero film, scheduled for release on March 6th, 2009. Feess said that he plans to hold a trial on January 20th to decide remaining issues.
Fox claims it never fully relinquished story rights from its deal made in the late 1980s, and sued Warner Bros in February. Warner Bros contended Fox isn't entitled to distribution.
Warner Bros' attorney said Monday he didn't know if an appeal was coming, but thinks a trial is necessary and a settlement unlikely.

- I don't know about you lot, but I'm starting to get more than a little irritated by the fact that our viewing of this movie about 20 years in the making is in constant peril. To read the ranting of a similarly pissed Watchmen fan, check out Cracked.com's amusing article on the matter: "Watchmen" Fan Cordially Invites Fox To Eat Several Dicks.

Slumdog Declared "A Moment of Significance" by AFI!

Another accolade to add to its rather large collection, as Variety informs us:

Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire" added another kudo to its list of honors on Sunday as it was named one of the year's eight "Moments of Significance" by the AFI.
The pic "stands as a monument to the possibilities of cross-cultural storytelling," the American Film Institute said Sunday.
Tina Fey also picked up another laurel, with AFI dubbing her America's First Lady of Laughs for her appearances as GOP veep candidate Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live" and for her multi-tasking on her Peacock sitcom "30 Rock."
Other significant moments in 2008 included TV and new-media coverage that allowed a worldwide aud to fixate on the historic presidential race between Barack Obama and John McCain and NBC's coverage of the Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The rapid changes in the TV distribution landscape were noted by AFI as being part of the "Age of Anxiety" for showbiz as traditional business models evolve. The org cited such examples as the growth of Internet website Hulu, DirecTV's funding of a third season of NBC's "Friday Night Lights" and the Peacock's decision to move Jay Leno into a Monday-Friday primetime berth.
Joss Whedon's online success with his made-for-Internet tuner "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" earned a separate nod.
On the film side, AFI noted the downturn for indie filmmakers, with specialty divisions such as Paramount Vantage, New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse disappearing. It also noted the loss of influence for film critics as many full-time positions were eliminated at Time, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times, Village Voice and Newsday.
"AFI celebrates the global community of film lovers interacting online, but also encourages these conversations to honor and appreciate historical context in addition to personal opinion," the org said.
AFI's "Moments of Significance" were chosen by a 13-person jury comprising scholars, film artists, critics and AFI trustees. Two juries, one for film and another for TV, deliberated for two days in Los Angeles.
AFI will honor the creatives behind these selections on Jan. 9 at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills.

-Cool stuff

Academy Idol: Top 10 Results

Some Quick Thoughts on Revolutionary Road and Slumdog Millionaire

Since I didn't review either, I figured I'd give everyone a short burst of my two cents on each film:

Slumdog

-I'll come out and say it...I think it's a bit overrated. At the same time, it's one of the few films that there's nothing really to complain about. It's well made, well acted, and the story captures you for the duration of the flick. The movie is essentially a small scale film that's on a dream ride (perhaps) to the promised land, and while I think there's better films out there this year that might deserve the award (or even the nomination) more, you won't hear me complain a bit about any accolades that come its way. I loved me some Slumdog, and it will definitely have a place on my top 10 list, but I don't think it's the best film of the year by any stretch, but again...that's just me.

---

Revolutionary Road

-This is the scariest film of the year, since now I am horrified of marriage. The arguements in the movie are incredibly intense, which is a testament to the acting. The story is only ok, nothing we haven't seen already in something like Little Children (and I prefer that film to this, I must confess), but the direction by Sam Mendes is very good, making the film never a chore to sit through. It's a movie you see for the acting, and Leo and Kate deliver in a big way. The supporting characters are fine, but none particularly set the world on fire in the flick (I enjoyed Michael Shannon's acting, but his character annoyed the hell out of me). Overall, it's one of the better films of the year, though it may end up letting some people down.

---

By the end of the week I will have seen the last of the films I need to see, so around New Year's expect my end of the year list...probably going to be the 30 best films of the year, but it will contain my top 10, which is all that really counts anyway....

Trailer for Paul Blart: Mall Cop

The first of two movies coming out about mall cops (the other is Seth Rogen's much edgier sounding "Observe and Report") has an underwhelming trailer:

-Doesn't look very good at all, but I like Kevin James, so I have some hope that this won't suck...

Initial Thoughts on 'Gomorra'

Two words: gritty realism (think 'The Wire'). It strips all of the glamour that you come to expect from a Gangsta film. The narration seems frantic and loose, which will turn some people off. However, its a hard hitting film that highlights the impact on a place controlled by the Camorra. I can't call it a masterpiece, but it's certainly among the best of this year. A more detailed review is coming.

Trailer for The Proposal

-Looks slightly better than it has any right to be...thoughts?

R.I.P. Eartha Kitt

A little late, I know, and my apologies, but here's the story from Variety:

Eartha Kitt, 81, a sultry singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, died of colon cancer today in Connecticut, family spokesman Andrew Freedman said.
A self-proclaimed "sex kitten" famous for her catlike purr, Ms. Kitt was one of America's most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and nabbing a third nomination. She also was nominated for several Tonys and two Grammys.
Her career spanned six decades, from her start as a dancer with the famed Katherine Dunham troupe to cabarets and acting and singing on stage, in movies, and on television.
She persevered through an unhappy childhood as a mixed-race daughter of the South and made headlines in the 1960s for denouncing the Vietnam War during a visit to the White House.
Through the years, Ms. Kitt remained a picture of vitality and attracted fans less than half her age even as she neared 80.
When her book Rejuvenate, a guide to staying fit, was published in 2001, she was featured on the cover in a long, curve-hugging black dress with a figure that some 20-year-old women would envy. Ms. Kitt also wrote three autobiographies.
Once dubbed the "most exciting woman in the world" by Orson Welles, she spent much of her life single, though brief romances with rich and famous men peppered her younger years.
After becoming a hit singing "Monotonous" in the Broadway revue New Faces of 1952, Ms. Kitt appeared in the show Mrs. Patterson in 1954-55. (Some references say she earned a Tony nomination for Mrs. Patterson, but only winners were publicly announced then.) She also appeared in Shinbone Alley and The Owl and the Pussycat.
Her first album, RCA Victor Presents Eartha Kitt, came out in 1954, featuring such songs as "I Want to Be Evil," "C'est Si Bon" and the saucy golddigger's theme song "Santa Baby," which is revived on radio each Christmas. The next year, the record company released a follow-up album, That Bad Eartha,
In 1996, Ms. Kitt was nominated for a Grammy for traditional pop vocal performance for her album Back in Business. Previously, she was nominated for a children's recording for Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa (1969).
In movies, Ms. Kitt played the lead female role opposite Nat King Cole in St. Louis Blues in 1958 and more recently was in Boomerang and Harriet the Spy in the 1990s.
She was the sexy Catwoman on the popular Batman TV series in 1967-68, replacing Julie Newmar, who originated the role. A guest appearance on I Spy brought her an Emmy nomination in 1966.
Ms. Kitt was plainspoken about causes she believed in. Her antiwar comments at the White House came at a luncheon hosted by Lady Bird Johnson.
"You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed," she told the group of about 50 women. "They rebel in the street. They don't want to go to school because they're going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam."
For four years afterward, Ms. Kitt performed almost exclusively overseas. She was investigated by the FBI and CIA, which allegedly found her to be foul-mouthed and promiscuous.
"The thing that hurts, that became anger, was when I realized that if you tell the truth - in a country that says you're entitled to tell the truth - you get your face slapped and you get put out of work," she told Essence magazine two decades later.
In 1978, Ms. Kitt returned to Broadway in Timbuktu! - which brought her a Tony nomination - and was invited back to the White House by President Jimmy Carter. In 2000, she earned another Tony nod for The Wild Party.
As recently as October 2003, she was on Broadway after replacing Chita Rivera in a revival of Nine.
She was married for several years in the 1960s to developer Bill McDonald, with whom she had a daughter, Kitt. They later divorced. Ms. Kitt is survived by her daughter and two grandchildren.

-R.I.P.

Bride Wars Trailer

-Something about wedding themed romantic comedies I guess...

Think About This Next Time You Talk During A Movie...

From a newspaper in Philadelphia:

A South Philadelphia man enraged because a father and son were talking during a Christmas showing of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button took care of the situation when he pulled a .380-caliber gun and shot the father, police said.
James Joseph Cialella Jr., 29, of the 1900 block of Hollywood Street is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons violations.
"It's truly frightening when you see something like this evolve into such violence," said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.
Police were called to the Riverview Theatre in the 1400 block of Columbus Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. where the gunshot victim, a Philadelphia man who was not identified, told police a man sitting near him told his family to be quiet and threw popcorn at his son.
After exchanging words, Vanore said Cialella allegedly got out of his seat to confront the family when the father got up to protect them. That's when the victim was shot once in the left arm, sending others in the theatre running to safety.
Cialella then sat down to watch the movie. Police arrived a short time later and arrested Cialella and confiscated his weapon, Vanore said.

-Think about that...

Gomorrah Gets a Trailer

-Hands down the frontrunner for Best Foreign Film?

No More Narnia?

At least not for Disney, as this piece in Variety says:

Disney has bailed out of co-financing the third movie in Walden Media's "Chronicles of Narnia" series, according to published reports.
The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that Disney had decided not to exercise its option to partner with Walden on "Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," which has Michael Apted attached to direct.
Disney's move comes on the heels of disappointing worldwide B. O.for the second "Narnia" pic, "Prince Caspian." "Caspian," released in May, grossed $419 million worldwide, compared to a haul of $745 million for the first "Narnia" pic, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," in 2005.
Disney like other studios is also looking to be selective about its big-budget bets amid the economic downturn.
Walden execs told the Times they were "disappointed" in Disney's decision but that they remain committed to the franchise.

-I'm not a fan of the series, but I know many are, so let's see where this goes from here...

A "Curious Case" Indeed...

Hey all, now that everyone has had a chance to (hopefully) see Benjamin Button I figured I'd finally break my silence on the flick. Benjamin Button is at turns a borderline masterpeice and also a majorly flawed film. Much of the success of the film is due to director David Fincher crafting a visually interesting film and Brad Pitt giving one of his best performances. The flaws mainly are in terms of the length (essentially it's a brilliant 2 hour movie that lasts almost 3), the script, which is like by the scribe of Forrest Gump and at times wants really hard to be that way, and the framing device involving Hurricane Katrina...my full review will be up soon, but suffice to say, it's far from a perfect film, but it's definitely in the talk for Best Picture.

Will We Even Be Able to Watch the Watchmen?

Perhaps not...here's the latest on the legal trouble for the flick, curtesy of the New York Times:

In a surprise ruling, a federal judge in Los Angeles said he intended to grant 20th Century Fox’s claim that it owns a copyright interest in the “Watchmen,” a movie shot by Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures and set for release in March.
The decision was disclosed in a five-page written order issued on Wednesday. Gary A. Feess, a judge in the United States District Court for Central California, said he would provide a more detailed order soon.
Fox has been seeking to prevent Warner from releasing the film. The superhero adventure, based on the “Watchmen” graphic novel, is being directed by Zack Snyder (who also directed “300”) and has shaped up as one of most eagerly anticipated releases for next year.
A Warner spokesman, Scott Rowe, declined to comment on the ruling and the studio’s plans.
At an earlier hearing, the judge said he believed that issues in the case could be settled only at a trial, which was scheduled for late January. On Wednesday, however, Judge Feess said he had reconsidered and concluded that Fox should prevail on crucial issues.
“Fox owns a copyright interest consisting of, at the very least, the right to distribute the ‘Watchmen’ motion picture,” the ruling said.
Fox acquired rights to the “Watchmen” graphic novel in the late 1980s for the producer Lawrence Gordon, but eventually dropped its own plan to make a movie from its story, about the underside of life for superbeings.
Mr. Gordon later pursued the project with Universal Pictures, and then with Paramount Pictures, before shooting it with Warner and Legendary under an arrangement that allows Paramount to distribute the film abroad.
In ruling on Wednesday, Judge Feess advised both Fox and Warner to look toward a settlement or an appeal.
“The parties may wish to turn their efforts from preparing for trial to negotiating a resolution of this dispute or positioning the case for review,” he said.

-This makes me nervous...hope it gets solved

R.I.P. Harold Pinter

Via Variety:

Harold Pinter, praised as the most influential British playwright of his generation and a longtime voice of political protest, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 78.
Pinter, whose distinctive contribution to the stage was recognized with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005, died on Wednesday, according to his second wife, Lady Antonia Fraser.
"Pinter restored theater to its basic elements: an enclosed space and unpredictable dialogue, where people are at the mercy of each other and pretense crumbles," the Nobel Academy said when it announced Pinter's award. "With a minimum of plot, drama emerges from the power struggle and hide-and-seek of interlocution."
The Nobel Prize gave Pinter a global platform which he seized enthusiastically to denounce U.S. President George W. Bush and then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
"The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act, an act of blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law," Pinter said in his Nobel lecture, which he recorded rather than traveling to Stockholm.
"How many people do you have to kill before you qualify to be described as a mass murderer and a war criminal? One hundred thousand?" he asked, in a hoarse voice.
Weakened by cancer and bandaged from a fall on a slippery pavement, Pinter seemed a vulnerable old man when he emerged from his London home to speak about the Nobel Award.
Though he had been looking forward to giving a Nobel lecture - "the longest speech I will ever have made" - he first canceled plans to attend the awards, then announced he would skip the lecture as well on his doctor's advice.
Pinter wrote 32 plays; one novel, "The Dwarfs," in 1990; and put his hand to 22 screenplays including "The Quiller Memorandum" (1965) and "The French Lieutenant's Woman" (1980). He admitted, and said he deeply regretted, voting for Margaret Thatcher in 1979 and Tony Blair in 1997.
Pinter fulminated against what he saw as the overweening arrogance of American power, and belittled Blair as seeming like a "deluded idiot" in support of Bush's war in Iraq.
In his Nobel lecture, Pinter accused the United States of supporting "every right-wing military dictatorship in the world" after World War II.
"The crimes of the United States have been systematic, constant, vicious, remorseless, but very few people have actually talked about them," he said.
The United States, he added, "also has its own bleating little lamb tagging behind it on a lead, the pathetic and supine Great Britain."
Most prolific between 1957 and 1965, Pinter relished the juxtaposition of brutality and the banal and turned the conversational pause into an emotional minefield.
His characters' internal fears and longings, their guilt and difficult sexual drives are set against the neat lives they have constructed in order to try to survive.
Usually enclosed in one room, they organize their lives as a sort of grim game and their actions often contradict their words. Gradually, the layers are peeled back to reveal the characters' nakedness.
The protection promised by the room usually disappears and the language begins to disintegrate.
Pinter once said of language, "The speech we hear is an indication of that which we don't hear. It is a necessary avoidance, a violent, sly, and anguished or mocking smoke screen which keeps the other in its true place. When true silence falls we are left with echo but are nearer nakedness. One way of looking at speech is to say that it is a constant stratagem to cover nakedness."
Pinter's influence was felt in the United States in the plays of Sam Shepard and David Mamet and throughout British literature.
"With his earliest work, he stood alone in British theater up against the bewilderment and incomprehension of critics, the audience and writers too," British playwright Tom Stoppard said when the Nobel Prize was announced.
"Not only has Harold Pinter written some of the outstanding plays of his time, he has also blown fresh air into the musty attic of conventional English literature, by insisting that everything he does has a public and political dimension," added British playwright David Hare, who also writes politically charged dramas.
The working-class milieu of plays like "The Birthday Party" and "The Homecoming" reflected Pinter's early life as the son of a Jewish tailor from London's East End. He began his career in the provinces as an actor.
In his first major play, "The Birthday Party" (1958), intruders enter the retreat of Stanley, a young man who is hiding from childhood guilt. He becomes violent, telling them, "You stink of sin, you contaminate womankind."
And in "The Caretaker," a manipulative old man threatens the fragile relationship of two brothers while "The Homecoming" explores the hidden rage and confused sexuality of an all-male household by inserting a woman.
In "Silence and Landscape," Pinter moved from exploring the dark underbelly of human life to showing the simultaneous levels of fantasy and reality that equally occupy the individual.
In the 1980s, Pinter's only stage plays were one-acts: "A Kind of Alaska" (1982), "One for the Road" (1984) and the 20-minute "Mountain Language" (1988).
During the late 1980s, his work became more overtly political; he said he had a responsibility to pursue his role as "a citizen of the world in which I live, (and) insist upon taking responsibility."
In March 2005 Pinter announced his retirement as a playwright to concentrate on politics. But he created a radio play, "Voices," that was broadcast on BBC radio to mark his 75th birthday.
"I have written 29 plays and I think that's really enough," Pinter said . "I think the world has had enough of my plays."
Pinter had a son, Daniel, from his marriage to actress Vivien Merchant, which ended in divorce in 1980. That year he married the writer Fraser.
"It was a privilege to live with him for over 33 years. He will never be forgotten," Fraser said.
-Rest in Peace...

A Wag of the Finger to Prestige Pics?

It seems like almost all of the "prestige" pics this year have been unable to gain unanimous support (Slumdog, The Wrestler, WALL-E, and The Dark Knight are the three with the least detractors it seems) with critics or audiences. Revolutionary Road, Gran Torino, Benjamin Button, Doubt, etc...all have had at least a few more negative words said about them than usual. I wonder if this will come into play at the end of the season and result in more surprise nominations than usual....what do you guys think?

Land of the Lost Poster

-I must admit, I don't hate the idea of this...

A Revolutionary Let Down

I just watched Revolutionary Road, and it was a tad bit disappointing. If you want to watch the tragic demise of a couple in suburbia, you are better off watching American Beauty. The Dark Knight is the front runner for that fifth slot. The only challengers are Doubt and Wall-E. It should go to the Wrestler, but that's another story.

Mickey Rourke on Letterman

Dude is cool. 

Airing of Grievances '08

In the spirit of Festivus, I feel its appropriate to list the top five things that disappointed me with this year's Oscar race. If you are not familiar with "Festivus", please refer to season 9 (eps 166) of Seinfeld. Here's the Oscar edition of my "Airing of Grievances":

5. The Political Relevance of 'Milk'

Simply stated; rights should be distributed equally. No person should be discriminated against because of race, religion, sexuality, etc. The fact that we are currently debating the issues that Harvey Milk fought over baffles me. If this is the land of freedom, then Gays should have the right to marry, period. 'Milk' shouldn't be a politically relevant film because these issues aren't supposed to be politically relevant.

4. The Dark Knight is better than Jesus?

I, like many others, anticipated the Dark Knight since the closing credits of Batman Begins. Needless to say, my expectations were as high as Josh Howard on a Saturday night. However, the fan boys (and gals) we're an inch away from ruining the film for me. I know that the opinions of others shouldn't influence me, but their fanatacism was taken to another level. Sometimes I felt threaten for my life when I argued that the Dark Knight was less than a 10 (out of 10). The fact that it's no. 4 all time on IMDB is evidence to the point that fanboys/girls really really really truly honestly love the Dark Knight. It's a great movie, but I don't think it's the best thing since slice bread, duct tape, Jesus Christ, or the Beatles.

3. No 'Road' in site

I geared up for "The Road" after watching Cormac McCarthy adapted book "No Country for Old Men". McCarthy knows how to tell a story, and after reading The Road, I was confident that McCarthy had produced another gem for all of us. I wrote about it a few times throughout the year, and placed it among my most anticipated. However, the powers that be felt it wasn't the right time to release the movie. I was saddened deeply. I even thought about throwing toilet paper all over the buildings of Dimension, but figured criminal charges wouldn't sit well with the NYC bar.

2. Death of Heath Ledger

I always thought he was a really talented actor. He was dedicated to his craft, and in his short time, gave us much to enjoy on screen. His turn as the "Joker" was brilliant and depressing to watch. He left with a bang, but we'll never be able to see him act again. I suppose we just have to take the good with the bad.

1. Laying the Smackdown on 'the Wrestler'

The Wrestler is the best movie of the year. It deserves to be mentioned alongside Slumdog and Milk, but the critics aren't given it must praise. At this point, its looking to get very limited love from the Academy. Of course, winning awards don't mean everything. But, we all want our favorite films to get some love. Rourke is getting well deserved love, but the film is equally great.

[By praise, I mean precursor wins]

Other than that, 2008 was great for film. Here's to 2009!

Happy Holidays!

From all of us at the site, no matter what you celebrate...have a happy and a healthy one!

State of Play Trailer

Check it out:

-It doesn't look bad...hope the full movie is better though...opinions?

Oklahoma Film Critics Chime In

Here they are:

Best Film of 2008: Slumdog Millionaire dir. Danny Boyle
Top Ten Films (listed alphabetically):
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
The Wrestler
Best Foreign Film: Let the Right One In, dir. Tomas Alfredso

Best First Feature: Synecdoche, New York, dir. Charlie Kaufman

Best Documentary: Man on Wire, dir. James Marsh

Best Animated Film: WALL-E dir. Andrew Stanton

Best Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Best Original Screenplay: Robert D. Siegel, The Wrestler

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Slumdog Millionaire

Obviously Worst Film: The Love Guru

Not-So-Obviously Worst Film: Mamma Mia!

-Very nice selections overall...thoughts?

Academy Idol: Top 10 (SAG Nominations Week)

Who will get eliminated next? (Who do you think will be the Bottom 3?)

The 10 Best Films Nobody Saw This Year

Hopping on the list bandwagon with this one, though my official best of the year list is still about a week away. Instead, I'm making mention of the 10 best flicks this year that people mostly seemed to ignore, either in terms of a bad box office, small release, missing out on a wider audience in one way or another, or some combination of those.

Without further blabbering on my part, here they are, in descending order:

10. Diary of the Dead

9. The Hammer

8. Snow Angels

7. My Blueberry Nights

6. Stop Loss

5. Choke

4. The Wackness

3. Charlie Bartlett

2. Zack and Miri Make a Porno

1. The Go-Getter

-Feel free to comment...

A Holiday DVD Week

Yes, deck the halls and light the menora and such, it's holiday season, and on the site is no exception. The DVD releases this week aren't holiday themed, except in that they're for sale this holiday season. Quick note that some of the movies won't be out till the weekend, so take note of that. There's some decent selections, though nothing amazing. My PICK OF THE WEEK is the latest from the Brothers Coen. It's:

Burn After Reading

Essentially the comedy version of No Country for Old Men, it's got some nice performances from the ensemble and is generally pretty appealing.

-Also out we have Shia's mindless action flick Eagle Eye, which is ok if you turn your brain off, the even more mindless action film Death Race, the decent pseudo horror drama Baghead, the ok period piece starring (who else but?) Keira Knightley The Duchess, the flawed but entertaining documentary American Teen (my #2 pick this week), and the dueling comedies Hamlet 2 and Ghost Town, both of which are pretty entertaining.

-My Vintage pick, in honor of the season, is also one of my favorite movies to watch on a downer of a day. It's Love, Actually, and it's very hard not to be charmed by this. The holiday setting only adds to the flavor, and it's a great watch for the whole family (if they're not too uptight).

-What will you guys be watching this week?

Stalk a Critic!

Yes, now you can follow your friendly neighborhood film critic/blogger on twitter. I'm there, and welcome anyone who wants to keep in touch, chat about movies, or just shoot the breeze. My page is: http://twitter.com/JoeyMagidson

-Feel free to follow along!

Academy Idol: Top 11 Results

Push Poster

-Can't say I'm impressed, but it does seem moderately interesting...

News on the latest from Michael Moore

Seems like it's going to be one of a handful of films to deal with the financial crisis, as per this article in Variety:

Disgraced hedge fund manager Bernard Madoff is ripe for the Hollywood treatment, but the industry has long been mining tales of Wall Street greed and hubris.
Even before Madoff's stunning tale unfolded, 20th Century Fox had begun fast-tracking a "Wall Street" sequel. Penned by Allan Loeb ("21"), the script will pick up with Gordon Gekko, recently sprung from prison, who re-emerges into a financial world much more tumultuous and cutthroat than the one he once lorded over.
Greed is good for Michael Moore, too, who switched the focus of his next documentary from an examination of foreign policy to an expose of Wall Street crimes and misdemeanors. Moore, who is making his untitled doc in partnership with Overture and Paramount Vantage, couldn't have asked for a better villain than the Washington-connected Madoff, who is accused of bilking $50 billion from his clients, many of them charities, hospitals and trusts.
And Elevation Filmworks, the production company behind indie pics including "Sherrybaby," is developing a bigscreen adaptation of Stephen Amidon's novel "Human Capital." Published in 2004, the book, which looks at the human toll taken when a father invests all of his family's money in a mysterious hedge fund, has become eerily timely given the recent headlines. Noam Murro ("Smart People") is attached to direct.
Loeb, who is busy finishing up his latest "Wall Street 2" draft, says he has been riveted by the Madoff headlines.
"The thing that is so crazy about this story is that Ponzi schemes seem to be the simplest low-class scam," says Loeb, noting that the Madoff scandal will likely be referenced in "Wall Street 2." "But this was carried out in the highest-echelon of high-finance. You couldn't even get in to see this guy unless you had $2 million to invest."
Loeb says the Madoff case would make a great episode on "Crooked," a Fox TV show he is developing and producing that deals with white-collar crime. That is, if "Law & Order" doesn't beat him to the punch.

-Seems like a good subject for him....also, Wall Street 2 suddenly doesn't like such a bad idea, to me at least.

Two Lovers Poster

-Perhaps the poster should say "the best American drama of NEXT year", but still...

A Body Slam of a Movie

My full review will be up soon, but I feel compelled to write and state that without question, The Wrestler is the true masterpiece of the year. What Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Darren Aronofsky have done in this film is without peers this year. See it as it expands (it's currently only in NY and LA), because it deserves quite a few Oscar nominations (personally, Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actress, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Original Score, and Original Song are all categories that it should be recognized in). I can't stress this enough...The Wrestler is the best film of 2008. More to come, but feel free to state your favorite film of the year here!

African American Film Critics Association Hands Out Thier Awards

AAFCA 2008 Film Selections

First, their top 10

1. The Dark Knight

2. Slumdog Millionaire

3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

4. Tie) The Secret Life of Bees

4. Tie) Cadillac Records

6. Miracle at St. Anna

7. Milk

8. Seven Pounds

9. Doubt

10. Iron Man

Best Director: Danny Boyle

Best Lead Actor: Frank Langella

Best Lead Actress: Angelina Jolie

Best Sup. Actor: Heath Ledger

Best Sup. Actress: Viola Davis

Special Achievement Award: Melvin Van Pebbles

-Some notice for The Dark Knight, always a good thing

A "Usual Suspect" for Future Tom Cruise Projects?

Excuse the crappy pun, but it seems so, according to Variety:

"Valkyrie" co-writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie is fast becoming a go-to guy for Tom Cruise.
The scribe is now working on three post-"Valkyrie" projects designed as potential star vehicles for the actor.
New Regency has set McQuarrie and Mason Alley to write "Flying Tigers," based on the volunteer fighter squadron formed to help the Chinese fight the Japanese before the U.S. entered World War II.
Cruise isn't formally attached. The "Top Gun" star has long wanted to return to the skies, and several years ago was attached to "The Few," a Paramount project about the first American pilots to battle Germans in WWII, with director Michael Mann and scribe John Logan.
McQuarrie also is writing and producing with Guillermo del Toro the previously announced United Artists project "The Champions," penning the script with an eye toward hammering it into a Cruise vehicle. The British TV series transfer concerns a team of government agents rescued from a plane crash in the Himalayas by an advanced civilization and given superhuman abilities.
MGM brass has long felt that the project was UA's strongest chance for a big-ticket franchise vehicle that could star UA co-owner Cruise.
But the Cruise-McQuarrie collaboration with the most urgency is Spyglass espionage drama "The Tourist." McQuarrie is rewriting for Cruise to star with Charlize Theron in the Bharat Nalluri-directed remake of the 2005 French thriller "Anthony Zimmer." Julian Fellowes originally scripted the redo.

-I'm a fan of Cruise, so I like the prospects of him working steady again...thoughts?

Detroit Film Critics Awards

Best film

Slumdog Millionaire

Best director

Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

Best actor

Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler

Best actress

Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road

Best supporting actor

Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

Best supporting actress

Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler

Best ensemble

Frost/Nixon

Best newcomer

Martin McDonough, writer/director, In Bruges

-Thoughts?

Baz making The Great Gatsby?

Seems like it, according to Variety:

Baz Luhrmann may jump from pre-WWII Australia to America's Jazz Age.
The "Australia" helmer has purchased the rights to "The Great Gatsby," F. Scott Fitzgerald's tome of the Roaring Twenties. While a script does not yet exist, Luhrmann intends to focus on it after "Australia's" awards run. No studio is attached yet.
Fitzgerald's novel of American excess has spawned a Broadway play and multiple films, including Jack Clayton's 1974 pic starring Robert Redford and scripted by Francis Ford Coppola.

-And here I thought Scorsese beat him to it (on Entourage)....thoughts?

The Vegas Film Critics Dig Frost/Nixon

Picture: “Frost/Nixon”

Actor: Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”

Actress: Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road,” “The Reader”

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler”

Director: Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”

Screenplay (Original or Adapted): Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”

Cinematography: Claudio Miranda, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Film Editing: Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill, “Frost/Nixon”

Score: James Newton Howard, “Defiance”

Song: “Another Way to Die,” “Quantum of Solace”

Family Film: “The Spiderwick Chronicles”

Documentary: “Man on Wire”

Animated Film: “Wall-E”

Foreign Film: “Mongol” (Russia)

Costume Design: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Art Direction: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Visual Effects: “Iron Man”

Youth in Film: David Kross, “The Reader”

-While I think they've gone a bit overboard for Frost/Nixon (see my review here: http://www.awardscircuit.com/frostnixon.html) it's nice to see some different choices...

Utah's Film Critics Chime In

Some love for The Dark Knight:

2008 Utah Film Critics Association Winners

Best Picture

The Dark Knight(runner-up: Rachel Getting Married)
Best Achievement in Directing

Andrew Stanton, WALL-E(runner-up: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight)
Best Lead Performance by an Actor

Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler(runners-up: Richard Jenkins, The Visitor; Sean Penn, Milk)
Best Lead Performance by an Actress

Melissa Leo, Frozen River(runner-up: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married)
Best Supporting Performance by an Actor

Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight(no runner-up)
Best Supporting Performance by an Actress

Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married(runners-up: Frances McDormand, Burn After Reading; Misty Upham, Frozen River; Evan Rachel Wood, The Wrestler)
Best Screenplay

Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married(runner-up: Robert Siegel, The Wrestler)
Best Documentary Feature

Man on Wire(runners-up: Encounters at the End of the World; Waltz with Bashir)
Best Non-English Language Feature

Let the Right One In(runner-up: Waltz with Bashir)
Best Animated Feature

WALL-E(runner-up: Kung Fu Panda)

-Thoughts?

I Have Officially Seen The Best Film of the Year...

Details to come, but feel free to guess what film has captured this distinction for me...

London Critics' Circle Nominate their Best of the Year!

Nominations from across the pond:

FILM OF THE YEAR

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Warner)

Frost/Nixon (Universal)

Milk (Momentum)

Wall-E (Disney)

The Wrestler (Optimum)
THE ATTENBOROUGH AWARD: BRITISH FILM OF THE YEAR

Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Hunger (Pathe)

In Bruges (Universal)

Man on Wire (Icon)

Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OF THE YEAR

Gomorrah (Optimum)

I’ve Loved You So Long (Lionsgate)

The Orphanage (Optimum)

Persepolis (Optimum)

Waltz With Bashir (Artificial Eye)
DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler (Optimum)

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Clint Eastwood - Changeling (Universal)

David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Warner)

Gus Van Sant - Milk (Momentum)
BRITISH DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Terence Davies - Of Time and the City (BFI)

Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Steve McQueen - Hunger (Pathe)

Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight (Warner)
ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Josh Brolin - W. (Lionsgate)

Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon (Universal)

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight (Warner)

Sean Penn - Milk (Momentum)

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler (Optimum)
ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Optimum)

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married (Sony)

Angelina Jolie - Changeling (Universal)

Meryl Streep - Doubt (Miramax)

Kate Winslet - The Reader (Entertainment) and Revolutionary Road (Paramount)
BRITISH ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Michael Fassbender - Hunger (Pathe)

Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess (Pathe)

Ben Kingsley - Elegy (Entertainment)

Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Michael Sheen - Frost/Nixon (Universal)
BRITISH ACTRESS OF THE YEAR

Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (Optimum)

Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Kristin Scott Thomas - I’ve Loved You So Long (Lionsgate)

Tilda Swinton - Julia (Chelsea)

Kate Winslet - The Reader (Entertainment) and Revolutionary Road (Paramount)
BRITISH ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Liam Cunningham - Hunger (Pathe)

Toby Jones - Frost/Nixon (Universal) and W. (Lionsgate)

Eddie Marsan - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)

Peter O’Toole - Dean Spanley (Icon)

Mark Strong - Body of Lies (Warner)
BRITISH ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Hayley Atwell - The Duchess (Pathe)

Kristin Scott Thomas - Easy Virtue (Pathe)

Tilda Swinton - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Warner)

Emma Thompson - Brideshead Revisited (Miramax)

Alexis Zegerman - Happy-Go-Lucky (Momentum)
SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

David Hare - The Reader (Entertainment)

Martin McDonagh - In Bruges (Universal)

Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon (Universal)

Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Warner)
THE NSPCC AWARD: YOUNG BRITISH PERFORMER OF THE YEAR

Asa Butterfield - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Miramax)

Georgia Groome - Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (Paramount)

Bill Milner - Son of Rambow (Optimum)

Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire (Pathe)

Will Poulter - Son of Rambow (Optimum)

Thomas Turgoose - Somers Town (Optimum) and Eden Lake (Optimum)
BREAKTHROUGH BRITISH FILM-MAKER

Joanna Hogg - writer-director: Unrelated (New Wave)

Martin McDonagh - writer-director: In Bruges (Universal)

Steve McQueen - writer-director: Hunger (Pathe)

James Watkins - writer-director: Eden Lake (Optimum)

Rupert Wyatt - director: The Escapist (Vertigo)
DILYS POWELL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CINEMA

Dame Judi Dench

-Thoughts?

Chicago Film Critics Award Winners

2008 CFCA AWARD WINNERS

BEST PICTURE: WALL-E

BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Kate Winslet - The Reader

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: WALL-E (Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire (Simon Beaufoy)

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Let the Right One In

BEST DOCUMENTARY: Man On Wire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: WALL-E

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Dark Knight (Wally Pfister)

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: WALL-E (Thomas Newman)

MOST PROMISING PERFORMER: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

MOST PROMISING DIRECTOR: Tomas Alfredson - Let the Right One In

SAG Nominations!

MOVIES

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis, Doubt
Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet, The Reader

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
Doubt
Milk
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Here's the rest.

The Dark Knight is not looking so great. The only uncertainty is Doubt (fitting title). So, there is still hope for Revolutionary Road or the Dark Knight (maybe even Wall-E). Thoughts?

Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 (and Bottom 5)

Lisa Schwarzbaum and Owen Gleiberman give their 10 best and 5 worst:

Lisa Schwarzbaum’s 10 Best:

1. WALL-E

2. Milk

3. The Dark Knight

4. Waltz with Bashir

5. Gomorra

6. Wendy and Lucy

7. Trouble the Water

8. Happy-Go-Lucky

9. Man on Wire

10. Tropic Thunder

Owen Gleiberman’s 10 Best:

1. The Wrestler

2. The Dark Knight

3. Rachel Getting Married

4. WALL-E

5. Momma’s Man

6. The Edge of Heaven

7. Burn After Reading

8. The Class

9. Milk

10. Tell No One

Lisa’s 5 Worst:

1. The Women

2. Seven Pounds

3. 88 Minutes

4. Speed Racer

5. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Owen’s 5 Worst:

1. Speed Racer

2. Star Wars: The Clone Wars

3. Patti Smith: Dream of Life

4. Australia

5. Hounddog

-Very much agree with both #1's as being fantastic films....what do you guys think?

SAG Predictions

Screen Actors Guild Nominations are tomorrow. No article to follow, just simple predictions. Post yours!

Best Performance by a Cast Ensemble
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Rachel Getting Married

Alternate: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Richard Jenkins-The Visitor
Frank Langella-Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn-Milk
Brad Pitt-The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke-The Wrestler

Alternate: Clint Eastwood-Gran Torino

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Anne Hathaway-Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins-Happy Go Lucky
Meryl Streep-Doubt
Kristin Scott Thomas-I've Loved You So Long
Kate Winslet-Revolutionary Road

Alternate: Angelina Jolie-Changeling

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Josh Brolin-Milk
Robert Downey, Jr.-Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman-Doubt
Heath Ledger-The Dark Knight
Dev Patel-Slumdog Millionaire

Alternate: James Franco-Milk

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams-Doubt
Penelope Cruz-Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis-Doubt
Debra Winger-Rachel Getting Married
Kate Winslet-The Reader

Alternate: Rosemarie DeWitt-Rachel Getting Married

Laying the Smackdown on the Gurus of Gold

The Good: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button made a significant leap ahead of Milk. Its now 4 points behind Slumdog. Although Milk dropped, it's only 18 points below Slumdog, while Frost Nixon and Revolutionary Road round out the top 5. 

The Bad: The Dark Knight dropped out of the top 5. Its still in the thick of things, but the DK's star is fading (at least among the Gurus and Critics). Guild love will do the Dark Knight wonders. Also, Wall-E isn't in the top ten yet. Its enjoying basement space with the Visitor. I think both of these movies should be in the top ten (of the movies listed), but who am I? 

The Ugly: The Wrestler has yet to make strides with the Gurus of Gold. Australia and Doubt are ahead of it. The Wrestler is currently at 98 % (RT) and 82 % (MC). Yet, the Gurus have yet to show it any significantly love. Either they hate wrestling or haven't seen the movie yet. I'll go with the former, since I'm still confused on why I ever enjoyed watching dudes in tights 'rassle. 

Check it out. 

I Love You, Man Trailer

-Good cast...looks funny enough...I'm in...how bout you guys?

Women's Perspective

Women Film Critics Circle:

BEST MOVIE ABOUT WOMEN

Changeling

BEST MOVIE BY A WOMAN
Frozen River

BEST STORYTELLER [Screenwriting Award]
Jennifer Lumet: Rachel Getting Married

BEST ACTRESS:
Melissa Leo: Frozen River

BEST ACTOR
Mickey Rourke: The Wrestler

BEST YOUNG ACTRESS:
Abigail Breslin: Kit Kittredge and Definitely Maybe

BEST COMEDIC ACTRESS: *TIE*
Sally Hawkins: Happy-Go-Lucky
Meryl Streep: Mamma Mia!

BEST FOREIGN FILM
I've Loved You So Long

BEST FEMALE IMAGES IN A MOVIE:
The Secret Life Of Bees

BEST UNRELEASED MOVIE:
How The Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer

BEST EQUALITY OF THE SEXES:
Nothing But The Truth

BEST MUSIC:
Cadillac Records

BEST ANIMATED FEMALE:
Eve: WALL-E

BEST FAMILY FILM
WALL-E

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Meryl Streep

ACTING AND ACTIVISM:
Natalie Portman

ADRIENNE SHELLY AWARD: For a film that most passionately opposes violence against women:
Changeling

JOSEPHINE BAKER AWARD: For best expressing the woman of color experience in America:
Ballast

KAREN MORLEY AWARD: For best exemplifying a woman’s place in history or society, and a courageous search for identity:
Battle In Seattle

COURAGE IN ACTING:
Deidra Edwards in DisFigured: For redefining conventional standards of female physical beauty and pride on screen, and promoting positive images of big bodied women.

BEST DOCUMENTARIES:

GROUNDBREAKER:
A Walk To Beautiful

ABOVE AND BEYOND:
Wings Of Defeat

COURAGE IN FILMMAKING:
Traces Of The Trade

MOST OFFENSIVE MALE CHARACTERS
Aaron Eckhart: Towelhead
Sam Rockwell: Choke,
Larry Bishop: Hell Ride
Paul Rudd, Sean William Scott: Role Models
Jason Mewes: Zack And Miri Make a Porno

TOP TEN HALL OF SHAME
Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired
House Of The Sleeping Beauties
The Women
The Life Before Her Eyes
The Hottie and the Nottie
Savage Grace
Made Of Honor
The Family That Preys
Hounddog
Zack And Miri Make A Porno

I'm glad Zack And Miri finally won something. 

Dallas Fort Worth Critics

Top Ten Films of 2008

1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
2. MILK
3. THE DARK KNIGHT
4. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
5. THE WRESTLER
6. THE VISITOR
7. FROST/NIXON
8. DOUBT
9. WALL-E
10. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY

Best Film: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE

Best Director: Danny Boyle, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
runners-up: David Fincher, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON; Christopher Nolan, THE DARK KNIGHT; Gus Van Sant, MILK; and Ron Howard, FROST/NIXON

Best Actor: Sean Penn, MILK
runners-up: Mickey Rourke, THE WRESTLER; Frank Langella for FROST/NIXON; Brad Pitt, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON; and Richard Jenkins, THE VISITOR

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway, RACHEL GETTING MARRIED.
runners-up: Meryl Streep, DOUBT; Sally Hawkins, HAPPY-GO-LUCKY; Kristin Scott Thomas, I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG; and Kate Winslet, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD

Toronto Film Critics Awards

The critics from up north make their picks:

BEST PICTURE

“Wendy and Lucy” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up:“Rachel Getting Married” (Mongrel Media) “WALL*E” (Disney/Pixar)
BEST PERFORMANCE, MALE

Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler” (Alliance)

Runners-up: Sean Penn, “Milk” (Alliance) Jean-Claude Van Damme, “JCVD” (Peace Arch)
BEST PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

Michelle Williams, “Wendy and Lucy”

Runners-up: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married” Meryl Streep, “Doubt” (Maple)
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE

Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros)

Runners-up: Josh Brolin, “Milk” Robert Downey, Jr, “Tropic Thunder” (Paramount) Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”
BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married”

Runners-up: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (Fox Searchlight) Viola Davis, “Doubt”

BEST DIRECTOR

Jonathan Demme, “Rachel Getting Married”

Runners-up: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight) Andrew Stanton, “WALL*E”
BEST SCREENPLAY

Jenny Lumet, “Rachel Getting Married”

Runners-up: John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt” (Maple) Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
BEST FIRST FEATURE

“Ballast”, directed by Lance Hammer (KinoSmith)

Runners-up: “The Band’s Visit”, directed by Eran Kolirin (Mongrel Media) “Frozen River”, directed by Courtney Hunt (Mongrel Media)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“WALL*E” (Disney/Pixar)

Runners-up: “Kung-Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animaton) “Persepolis” (Mongrel Media) “Waltz with Bashir” (E1 Films)
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

“Let the Right One In” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up: “The Class” (Mongrel Media) “I’ve Loved You So Long” (Mongrel Media) “A Christmas Tale” (E1)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“Man on Wire” (Mongrel Media)

Runners-up: “Standard Operating Procedure” (Mongrel Media) “Up the

Yangtze” (KinoSmith/NFB)

-Nice to see some different people awarded the honors, at least for me it is....how bout y'all?

The 49 Potential Nominees for Best Original Song

Here they are:

“Another Way to Die” from “Quantum of Solace"

“Barking at the Moon” from “Bolt”

“The Boys Are Back” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Broken and Bent” from “Role Models”

“By the Boab Tree” from “Australia”

“The Call” from “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”

“Can I Have This Dance” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Chase the Morning” from “Repo! The Genetic Opera”

“Chromaggia” from “Repo! The Genetic Opera”

“The Code of Life” from “My Dream”

“Code of Silence” from “Save Me”

“Count on Me” from “The Women”

"Di Notte” from “The Lodger”

“Djoyigbe” from “Pray the Devil Back to Hell”

“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”



“Dracula’s Lament” from “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” 

“Drive” from “Fuel”

“Forever” from “They Killed Sister Dorothy” 



“High School Musical” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Gran Torino” from “Gran Torino”

“I Thought I Lost You” from “Bolt”

“I Want It All” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“In Rodanthe” from “Nights in Rodanthe”

“It Ain’t Right” from “Dark Streets”

“Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”

“Just Getting Started” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Just Wanna Be with You” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Little Person” from “Synecdoche, New York”

“The Little Things” from “Wanted”

“A Night to Remember” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Nothing but the Truth” from “Nothing but the Truth”

“Now or Never” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire”

“Once in a Lifetime” from “Cadillac Records”

“Right Here Right Now” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Right to Dream” from “Tennesee”

“Rock Me Sexy Jesus” from “Hamlet 2”

“Scream” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“The Story” from “My Blueberry Nights”

“Sweet Ballad” from “Yes Man”

“Too Much Juice” from “Dark Streets”


“The Traveling Song” from “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa”

“Trouble the Water” from “Trouble the Water”

“Up to Our Nex” from “Rachel Getting Married”

“Walk Away” from “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”

“Waterline” from “Pride and Glory”

“The Wrestler” from “The Wrestler”

“Yes Man” from “Yes Man”

“Zydrate Anatomy” from “Repo! The Genetic Opera”

-Which films do you think deserve to be recognized?

The Most Average DVD Week....Ever!

Indeed, just about every film out this week meets with a resounding "meh". The best of the bunch, which earns my coveted PICK OF THE WEEK distinction is an unlikely film to get recognized as such. It's:

The House Bunny

If for no other reason than the fact that Anna Faris is a riot in the otherwise average film, this works as a decent date night film.

-Also out on the average side we have Traitor, which had the potential to be really good, but ends up only being ok, The mediocre chick flick The Women, and the howlingly average third entry in the mummy flicks The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

-Mamma Mia is out as well, which some people enjoyed, but I found to be an incredibly painful experience...you be the judge.

-My vintage pick this week is the most realistic romance I have ever seen in a film. It's the film All The Real Girls. David Gordon Green is a poor man's Terrance Malik, and this film is like poetry, both visually and emotionally. It's definitely worth a shot for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

-What will you guys and gals be checking out this week?

Academy Idol: Top 11 (Golden Globe Nominations Week)

Morgan and Sheen Bringing Back Blair...

seems like they're going for the trifecta, as per this article in Variety:

"Frost/Nixon" playwright and screenwriter Peter Morgan is lining up his directorial debut, a film that would be the third movie in the Tony Blair trilogy launched in 2003 by Stephen Frears' British TV movie "The Deal" and followed by "The Queen."
"Deal" tracked the rise of Tony Blair, played by Michael Sheen. Frears and Sheen then reteamed for "The Queen," which also starred Helen Mirren in her Oscar-winning turn. Morgan earned an Oscar nom for best original screenplay on the pic as well.
The third movie, tentatively titled "The Special Relationship," will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy and will again star "Frost/Nixon" thesp Sheen as Tony Blair.
Morgan initially planned to focus the pic on George W. Bush as well as Bill Clinton, but decided to narrow its scope to the intimate relationship between Blair and Clinton between 1997 and 2000. The writer researched the picture in Washington, D.C., and Little Rock, Ark., last summer.
One prospective home for the trilogy's final chapter could be DreamWorks, where Kennedy set up Morgan's script "Hereafter" for Clint Eastwood to direct.
The prolific Morgan also wrote Tom Hooper's upcoming "The Damned United," which also stars Sheen as legendary English soccer coach Brian Clough; Universal-Working Title's remake of the Brit miniseries "State of Play," starring Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck; and a pending adaptation of John le Carre's "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" for Working Title.

-Very cool

A New Film by James L. Brooks?

Yes indeed, according to Variety:

Helmer James L. Brooks is set to team with Reese Witherspoon on an untitled comedy for Columbia Pictures.
Brooks, who has directed only five films during his career and hasn't helmed one since 2004's "Spanglish," has been holed up writing the screenplay for the film, which is described as an ensemble project that boasts at least three major characters -- a hallmark of such Brooks films as "Broadcast News" and "Terms of Endearment."
Witherspoon is the only lead to sign on so far.
Logline is being kept under wraps on the film, which has the working title "How Do You Know?"
Studio is eyeing a March start date.
Witherspoon was set to start lensing an untitled Cameron Crowe romantic comedy for Sony in February, but that film has been pushed to July, leaving an opening in the actress' schedule.
Witherspoon, who is onscreen in "Four Christmases," is in production as the voice star of DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens."

-Gotta say, more excited for the Crowe flick, but this is good too...thoughts?

Official Trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine

-still not sure if I like this or not...what does everyone else think?

South Eastern Film Critic Awards

There are too many of them. I've lost count. 

BEST PICTURE 
1. Milk
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Wrestler
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. The Reader
8. The Visitor
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTOR: Sean Penn “Milk”
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke “The Wrestler”

BEST ACTRESS: Anne Hathaway “Rachel Getting Married”
Runner-up: Kate Winslet “The Reader”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Heath Ledger “The Dark Knight”
Runner-up: Robert Downey, Jr. “Tropic Thunder”

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Runner-up: Viola Davis “Doubt”

BEST DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle “Slumdog Millionaire”
Runner-up: Gus Van Sant “Milk”

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Dustin Lance Black “Milk”
Runner-up: Robert D. Siegel “The Wrestler”

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Simon Beaufoy “Slumdog Millionaire”
Runner-up: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: “Let the Right One In” (Sweden)
Runner-up: “I’ve Loved You So Long” (France)

DOCUMENTARY: “Man on Wire”
Runner-up: “Young@Heart”

ANIMATED FEATURE: “WALL-E”
Runner-up: “Kung Fu Panda”

Lest We Forget....

The AP Chimes in on Top 10

Both David Germain and Christy Lemire weigh in, and here's their lists:

Lemire:

1. The Wrestler

2. Frost/Nixon

3. Man on Wire

4. Waltz with Bashir

5. Wall-E

6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

7. Frozen River

8. Milk

9. Paranoid Park

10. Iron Man

Germain:

1. Happy-Go-Lucky

2. Wall-E

3. Encounter at the End of the World

4. Slumdog Millionaire

5. Frozen River

6. The Visitor

7. The Wrestler

8. Frost/Nixon

9. The Dark Knight

10. Wendy and Lucy

-I like both lists...what about you guys?

Nominations from the Chicago Film Critics

Take a gander:

BEST PICTURE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Milk

Slumdog Millionaire

WALL*E
BEST DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle–Slumdog Millionaire

David Fincher–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Christopher Nolan–The Dark Knight

Andrew Stanton–WALL*E

Gus Van Sant–Milk

BEST ACTOR

Clint Eastwood–Gran Torino

Richard Jenkins–The Visitor

Frank Langella–Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn–Milk

Mickey Rourke–The Wrestler
BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway–Rachel Getting Married

Sally Hawkins–Happy-Go-Lucky

Angelina Jolie–Changeling

Melissa Leo–Frozen River

Meryl Streep–Doubt
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Robert Downey Jr.–Tropic Thunder

Philip Seymour Hoffman–Doubt

Bill Irwin–Rachel Getting Married

Heath Ledger–The Dark Knight

Michael Shannon–Revolutionary Road
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams–Doubt

Penelope Cruz–Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Viola Davis–Doubt

Rosemarie Dewitt–Rachel Getting Married

Kate Winslet–The Reader
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

In Bruges–Martin McDonagh

Milk–Dustin Lance Black

Rachel Getting Married–Jenny Lumet

Synecdoche, N.Y. –Charlie Kaufman

WALL*E–Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button–Eric Roth

The Dark Knight–Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan

Doubt–John Patrick Shanley

Frost/Nixon–Peter Morgan

Slumdog Millionaire–Simon Beaufoy
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM

The Band’s Visit

Che

A Christmas Tale

I’ve Loved You For So Long

Let the Right One In
BEST DOCUMENTARY

American Teen

Dear Zachary

IOUSA

Man On Wire

Standard Operating Procedure
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
Bolt

Kung-Fu Panda

Tale of Desperaux

WALL*E

Waltz with Bashir
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Australia–Mandy Walker

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button–Claudio Miranda

The Dark Knight–Wally Pfister

The Fall–Colin Watkinson

Slumdog Millionaire–Anthony Dod Mantle
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button–Alexandre Desplat

The Dark Knight–Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard

Milk–Danny Elfman

Slumdog Millionaire–A.R. Rahman

WALL*E–Thomas Newman
MOST PROMISING PERFORMER

Russell Brand–Forgetting Sarah Marshall

David Kross–The Reader

Lina Leandersson–Let the Right One In

Dev Patel–Slumdog Millionaire

Brandon Walters–Australia
MOST PROMISING FILMMAKER

Tomas Alfredson–Let the Right One In

Lance Hammer–Ballast

Courtney Hunt–Frozen River

Martin McDonagh–In Bruges

Steve McQueen–Hunger

-Somewhat typical for a Critics group, but nothing too bad....opinions?

Winners of the Golden Satellite

Here they are:

Best Film (Drama): “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Film (Comedy/Musical): “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Best Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Actress (Drama): Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”

Best Actor (Drama): Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”

Best Actor (Comedy/Musical): Ricky Gervais, “Ghost Town”

Best Actress (Comedy/Musical): Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Best Supporting Actor: Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Supporting Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt, “Rachel Getting Married”

Best Original Screenplay: “The Visitor”

Best Adapted Screenplay: “Frost/Nixon”

Best Art Direction and Production Design: “Austrailia”

Best Cinematography: “Australia”

Best Costume Design: “The Duchess”

Best Editing: “Iron Man”

Best Original Score: “Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Original Song: “Another Way to Die” from “Quantum of Solace”

Best Sound (Editing and Mixing): “The Dark Knight”

Best Visual Effects: “Australia”

Best Foreign-Language Film: “Gomorrah”

Best Animated or Mixed-Media Film: “WALL-E”

Best Documentary: (tie) “Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer” and “Man on Wire”

-Way to not make a stand at all Satellite awards...jeez...thoughts?

More Terminator Coming Our Way Already?

Seems like it, as we can read in this piece from Variety:

The Terminator will be back.
Halcyon Co. toppers Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek are developing a fifth instalment of the man-vs.-machine franchise.
Helmer McG, who directed the upcoming fourth pic, "Terminator Salvation," is working with the Halcyon duo on the latest project.
Announcement was among the news that came out of the Dubai Intl. Film Festival, which bowed Dec. 11 and runs through Thursday.
McG was in Dubai for the announcement, despite his well-known fear of flying, which led to him dropping out of the Oz-shot "Superman Returns." He mentioned that incident in remarks during the announcement.
No decision has been made as to where to film the next "Terminator," although the Middle East was mentioned as a locale.
When Anderson and Kubicek acquired the rights the lucrative "Terminator" franchise last year from previous owners C2, the former ad exec and banker envisaged the re-booted series as a trilogy. Christian Bale has signed on in the role of John Connor for all three roles. Newest pic is tentatively skedded for a 2011 release.
The duo had originally planned to wait until the release of "Terminator Salvation" next summer before deciding on whether to proceed with the next chapter, but the positive studio, fan and media reaction to footage from the current pic has encouraged them to move forward ahead of schedule.
"We feel the time is now to start shaping the next part of this," Kubicek said.
Warner Bros. is handling the domestic release of "Terminator Salvation" with Sony handling the majority of the rest of the world, with the exception of the Middle East where the film is being handled by Dubai-based Gulf Film.
No decision has been made yet on whether the fifth "Terminator" will be once again split by Warner Bros. and Sony.
"Terminator" vidgame, which has been developed inhouse through the Halcyon Games division, will be released day-and-date with the live action pic.
The Halcyon duo is also prepping an English-language remake of Danish helmer Susanne Bier's Oscar-nominated "After the Wedding." Brit helmer Michael Caton-Jones will start lensing in early 2009. Pic, about a Western social worker in a Mumbai slum who receives a mysterious multi-million-dollar donation from a Western businessman, has yet to be cast.
"It's on the opposite side of the spectrum from 'Terminator" in that it's a much smaller drama," Anderson said. "It's a total departure for us. There's not that many screens for foreign-language films so we thought this was an opportunity for more people to see the film."
Keen to assuage question marks over its commitment to the local film industry, the Dubai government announced at the fest that it would invest in its first-ever feature project. Government investment arm the Dubai Intl. Financial Center is coughing up the majority of coin for Emirati helmer Ali Mustafa's debut feature "City of Life," which refers to the English translation of Dubai's oldest nickname.
Project, which has a budget in the mid-seven-figure range, is a multilingual, character-driven drama based in the bustling emirate. Filmworks CEO Tim Smythe is producing the project, which will begin lensing on location in Dubai next February.
Alexandra Maria Lara ("Control"), Arab-American standup Ahmed Ahmed and rising Bollywood star Sonu Sood ("Singh Is Kinng") have boarded the cosmopolitan project.
"We need to be aware that as a first film this is going to serve as a benchmark for," Smythe said. "It's an important project for Dubai and developing an industry here. We're going to be 85% local crew, which is an amazing thing to do. This is a huge step up for us."
Project is the most ambitious Emirati film to be fully funded with local coin. Mustafa, who won the Emirati Filmmaker prize at the Dubai fest last year, has long been seen as the Emirati helmer most likely to break out internationally.
Mustafa and Smythe are hoping to world preem the pic at next year's Dubai fest.
-Excited?

New York's Online Film Critics Present Their Winners...

The NYFCO Awards for 2008:

BEST PICTURE-Slumdog Millionaire

BEST DIRECTOR-Danny Boyle w/ Loveleen Tandan - Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ACTOR-Sean Penn - Milk

BEST ACTRESS-Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR-Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS-Penelope Cruz - Vicki Cristina Barcelona

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY-Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

BEST SCREENPLAY-Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy

BEST FOREIGN PICTURE-4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

BEST DOCUMENTARY-Man on Wire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE-Wall-E

BEST SCORE-Slumdog Millionaire - A.R. Rahman

BEST BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE-Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky

BEST DEBUT AS DIRECTOR-Martin McDonagh - In Bruges

BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE-Milk

BEST PICTURES (alphabetical)

Che

A Christmas Tale

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Happy-Go-Lucky

Milk

Rachel Getting Married

Slumdog Millionaire

Wall-E

The Wrestler

-Nothing too out of the ordinary, though Che gets a mention for a change...the Slumdog lovetrain continues...thoughts?

New York Times Profile of Eastwood

Here's a nice little write up on Clint Eastwood. He's more of a bad ass than I originally assumed.  

AFI's Top 10!

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
FROZEN RIVER
GRAN TORINO
IRON MAN
MILK
WALL*E
WENDY AND LUCY
THE WRESTLER

Boston Society of Film Critics Announce Their Award Winners!

Here they are:

Best Picture
Tie: Slumdog Millionaire and WALL-E
Best Actor
Tie: Sean Penn for Milk and Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler
Best Actress
Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky
Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress
Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best Director
Gus Van Sant for Milk and Paranoid Park
Best Screenplay
Dustin Lance Black for Milk
Best Cinematography
Christopher Doyle and Rain Kathy Li¹ for Paranoid Park
Best Documentary
Man on Wire
Best Foreign-Language Film
?
Best Animated Film
WALL·E
Best Film Editing
Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire
Best New Filmmaker
Martin McDonagh for In Bruges
Best Ensemble Cast
Tropic Thunder

-The usual suspects for the most part, though Gus Van Sant gets some love here, as does Sally Hawkins, lot of ties for some reason....I will write on the comments section once the Foreign Film winner is known...thoughts?

Duplicity Poster

Slowly turning into Clive Owen day at the site...

SAG Halting Talk of a Strike?

Could be, according to Variety:

Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg has called an emergency national board meeting for Friday to discuss a proposal to call off SAG's strike authorization vote.
Rosenberg made the announcement Saturday afternoon, a day after the New York reps of SAG requested that the authorization vote be terminated due to the nation's economic crisis. The Gotham leaders, who represent 25 percent of SAG's 120,000 members, have asserted that SAG needs to negotiate with the congloms and that the guild's current negotiating team should be replaced.
Rosenberg is requiring that board members attend Friday's meeting in person or designate an alternate. He has blasted the move to call off the authorization vote, asserting that getting a strike authorization is the only way to persuade the companies to sweeten their offer.
The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers made its final offer on June 30 as SAG's primetime-feature contract expired.
Should the authorization vote proceed, ballots will go out Jan. 2 and results will be announced Jan. 23. Over 75 percent of those voting would have to affirm the authorization, with the national having the final say, if SAG is to go on strike.
The meeting will take place at SAG headquarters in Hollywood Friday morning at 9AM.
-Fingers crossed the Oscars are spared, no matter the outcome...

Poster for The International

-Most noteworthy thing about this poster, which is kind of dull otherwise, is the mention of my birthday (March 13th, a date one which it seems everyone pays...)

The Gurus of Gold Keep Count

Slumdog Millionaire has the slight edge over presumptive favorite, Curious Case. 62 votes separate Revolutionary Road (6) from Slumdog (1). Only two votes separate Revolutionary Road from the Dark Knight. So, this definitely shaping up to be a tight one (the precursors proved that). I'm slightly disappointed that the Wrestler is barely in the top 10. Of all the films on the list, I am anticipating the Wrestler the most. 

Van Johnson Dies

From Variety:

Van Johnson, boyish 1940s heartthrob who starred in "The Caine Mutiny," died Friday in Nyack, New York. He was 92.
As well as dozens of film roles during the 1940s and 50s, he made many later TV appearances and was Emmy nommed for his role on "Rich Man, Poor Man."
The wholesome, red-haired thesp co-starred with Elizabeth Taylor in "The Last Time I Saw Paris," and with Deborah Kerr in "The End of the Affair," appeared in musicals like "Brigadoon" and romantic comedies such as "Weekend at the Waldorf" and "The Bride Goes Wild."
Born in Newport, R.I., he started in the chorus in "New Face of 1936." He made his film debut in "Too Many Girls," and was signed to Warner Bros. When Warners dropped his contract after "Murder in the Big House.," he was about to return to New York, when Lucille Ball invited him to dinner at Chasen's restaurant.
"Lucille tried to cheer me up, but I just couldn't seem to laugh," he said in a 1963 interview. "Suddenly she said to me, 'There's Billy Grady over there; he's MGM's casting director. I'm going to introduce you, and at least you're going to act like you're the star I think you will be.'"
While working on "A Guy Named Joe," he suffered a serious car crash that left him exempt him from service in the war.
After recovering, he finished "A Guy Named Joe" and appeared in other WWII films such as "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo."
MGM cashed in on his stardom with three or four films a year. Among them: "The White Cliffs of Dover," ''Two Girls and a Sailor," ''High Barbaree," ''Mother Is a Freshman," ''No Leave No Love" and "Three Guys Named Mike."
On TV, Johnson is often remembered for his appearance on "I Love Lucy," and later appeared on "Batman" as the Minstrel as well as on "Here's Lucy," "The Love Boat," "Maude," "McCloud," "Quincy M.E.," "MacMillan and Wife." He also appeared on several episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" and returned to film in Woody Allen's "The Purple Rose of Cairo."
For three decades he was one of the busiest stars in regional and dinner theaters, traveling throughout the country from his New York base. After starting his career on Broadway in 1930s, he returned in the 1980s as a replacement in "La Cage aux Folles."
He married actress Eve Wynn, from whom he separated in 1961, and they had one daughter.
-Loved him in "Yours, Mine, And Ours" especially...RIP

Stephen King Puts In His Own Top 10 List

Why not...here it is:

1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. Tropic Thunder
5. Funny Games
6. The Bank Job
7. Lakeview Terrace
8. The Ruins
9. Redbelt
10. Death Race
-Certainly doesn't look like the average top 10 list, that's for sure...

A Positive Way to Look at Some of the GG Noms

Curtosy of The Envelope:

There was tittering in the Beverly Hilton ballroom early Thursday morning as Brooke Shields announced the Golden Globes nominees for actor in a comedy or musical. James Franco, she intoned, and there came those giggles. Co-announcer Elizabeth Banks then revealed Tom Cruise as a supporting actor nominee and out burst the laughter again.The two roles -- Franco as a loopy drug dealer in the stoner comedy "Pineapple Express" and Cruise's hip-jiggling turn as a profane studio chief in "Tropic Thunder" -- coupled with Robert Downey Jr.'s "Thunder" nomination for his work as an obsessive Australian actor who undergoes "pigment augmentation" to look black, added an unexpected twist to the Globes nominations.Was the crowd laughing because they remembered the laugh-inducing performances fondly? Or was it a reaction to the out-of-left-field honors bestowed upon gross-out comedy roles at the expense of such heavyweight performances as Michael Shannon's supporting turn in "Revolutionary Road"? Or was it simply a move by the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. to add Cruise-style star power to its annual January bash, particularly after the debacle of last year when the writers strike turned its award event into a dreary news conference?James Franco, contacted in New York where he attends New York University's film school, sounded amused and chipper by the morning's unexpected hoopla, particularly because he had stayed up late the night before sound mixing a short film for school. "I was a little surprised," he kept saying. "In some ways, the Golden Globes are better than the Oscars in that they have a comedy category. Over the past 70 years, a lot of comedic performances have been passed over by the Oscars."Franco, who was nominated previously for his TV performance as James Dean, added, "I always saw this movie as something bigger than a formulaic stoner comedy. Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen are really doing fresh things."These nominations represent a rare recognition by the Golden Globes of that Apatow brand of ribald comedy that plays well in the U.S. but less so elsewhere. ("Pineapple Express" earned $87 million domestically and a mere $13 million internationally. "Tropic Thunder" took in about $30 million less worldwide than it did domestically.) For many journalists in the HFPA, English is not even their first language, and the group has traditionally honored more tony European-flavored comedies like "Shakespeare in Love" or this year's "Happy-Go-Lucky" and "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."The nominations also offer an ironic coda to this summer's "Tropic Thunder" phenomenon. Paramount Pictures ran an award campaign for the film, which pointedly satirizes Oscar lust. Cruise has won the Globe three times -- for "Magnolia," "Jerry Maguire" and "Born on the Fourth of July," while Downey has taken home the statuette for his turn on TV's "Ally McBeal" and as part of the ensemble of "Short Cuts."

-Agree?

Academy Idol: Top 12 Results Show

Jerry Lewis to receive Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Beverly Hills, CA — Actor, director, writer and producer Jerry Lewis has been voted the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy President Sid Ganis announced today. The award, an Oscar® statuette, will be presented to Lewis during the 81st Academy Awards ceremony on February 22, 2009.

The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award is given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

“Jerry is a legendary comedian who has not only brought laughter to millions around the world,” said Ganis, “but has also helped thousands upon thousands by raising funds and awareness for those suffering from muscular dystrophy.”

Visual Effects Contenders Announced

Who will the three be?

“Australia”
“The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”
“Cloverfield”
“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
“The Dark Knight”
“The Day the Earth Stood Still”
“Hancock”
“Hellboy II: The Golden Army”
“The Incredible Hulk”
“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”
“Iron Man”
“Journey to the Center of the Earth”
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”
“Quantum of Solace”
“The Spiderwick Chronicles”

Hugh Jackman to HOST Oscars

AMPAS reports:

Beverly Hills, CA –– Hugh Jackman will host the 81st Academy Awards® telecast, producer Laurence Mark and executive producer Bill Condon announced today. This will be Jackman’s first time center stage at the Oscar show, although he has previously been a presenter.
“Hugh Jackman is a consummate entertainer and an internationally renowned movie star,” said Mark and Condon in a joint statement. “He also has style, elegance and a sense of occasion. Hugh is the ideal choice to host a celebration of the year’s movies – and to have fun doing it.”

Adam Resurrected Gets An Old School Poster

Digging this very much...

"The Brothers Bloom" Pushed to 2009

"Summit Entertainment has decided to delay the release of Brick director Rian Johnson’s acclaimed con adventure film The Brothers Bloom from early January to May 15th 2009 in select markets, and May 29th wide." (Slashfilm)

-Cross another off your lists...

Golden Globe Madness, Version 2008

Kate Winslet is a woman with a secret in the Golden Globe nominated drama "The Reader"

The HFPA is hardly among my favorite “film associations” in the world and I don’t even feel like having my yearly rant about how inept their choices for the Golden Globe Awards seem to be. I don’t get the prestige of this precursor and I’m sure most people out there question their relevance these days but hey, let's not forget the one thing we’ve learned through all these years of awards-watching: it’s definitely not about what we consider a serious precursor or not…

Some quick reactions (on how today’s surprises may affect the Oscars):

MILK
Possibly the best English-language film of the year (and the second best film of 2008 after Italy’s haunting Gomorrah) was left out from the Best Picture (Drama) race but to be fair, I can’t point a film from the actual lineup of nominees that would deserve to be replaced by Gus Van Sant’s redeeming biopic (Actually this seems to be one of those years when six nominees where more than required).

THE READER
A “late entry” to this year’s game seems eventually poised to collect the love (and votes) from the famously loyal demographic that pushed the divisive Atonement to a Best Picture nod last year but at this point, the Kate Winslet’s awards-vehicle still has an impending battle with Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino that in the end may cross out both dramas from the main competition.

BEST PICTURE (COMEDY/MUSICAL)
Nice to see quality indie-filmmaking getting recognized (Vicky Cristina Barcelona, In Bruges and Happy-Go-Lucky) and it’s nice to see the well-produced and highly profitable adaptation of Broadway’s Mamma Mia! representing the musical genre over, ehem, High School Musical 3 and… Australia? (Sorry, can’t still determine what genre that one was supposed to be). Burn After Reading was a semi-functional follow-up to the Coens’ NCfOM and the award-winning brothers should be more than happy with this mainstream honor. Vicky Cristina Barcelona should win this one easily on europeanness alone.

JAMES FRANCO
He played devoted “supporting wife” with genuine charm and sensitivity in Milk but the HFPA considered him more worthy of recognition for his hilarious performance in The Pineapple Express. While I think Franco is still in the running for that coveted Oscar nod, competition from co-star (and fellow snubbee) Josh Brolin may jeopardize his long-term awards hope. Still, expect Franco to win his second Golden Globe (that’s right) unless Dustin Hoffman upsets with Last Chance Harvey.

CELEBRITIES OVER ACTORS
Critics and audiences have embraced lesser-known faces like Melissa Leo, Richard Jenkins and Michael Shannon but in typical HFPA-fashion, we only get the “big names” invited to the open-bar party. In a year where only half of the Brangelina duo is deserving of acting recognition (you tell me which half) and Tom Cruise gets sympathy votes for an effective, but hardly awards-worthy, cameo; I’m surprised to see veteran and well-regarded talent Kristin Scott Thomas making the Best Actress (Drama) lineup over glamazons Keira Knightley or Kate Beckinsale.

REBECCA HALL
Penelope Cruz will likely take another Oscar to Europe in a few more weeks thanks to her stunning performance in Vicky Cristina Barcelona but if you ask me, Britain’s Rebecca Hall was the real show stealer in the Woody Allen comedy and at least we can say the HFPA got it right here.

KATE WINSLET
She has been nominated for five Oscars and she has lost the five times but guess what, she has also been nominated for five less-important Golden Globe Awards and the outcome has also been the same (with two extra nods this year to possibly make the statistic even more depressing). I have this strange feeling right now that either Winslet begins taking awards soon or she will turn into the Deborah Kerr of our time. That, whether we like it or not.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR.
Our editor Clayton Davis was probably the first to champion Robert Downey Jr.’s controversial performance in the big, studio comedy Tropic Thunder and what seemed like a longshot last summer, it’s now a solid possibility for the man who also played Iron Man this year.

OTHER PEOPLE I LOVE TO SEE NOMINATED
Mickey Rourke (the “comeback kid”) and Marisa Tomei for The Wrestler, Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married, Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell for IN BRUGES and the cast of Doubt (Especially Viola Davis).

PEOPLE I THINK WE ARE MISSING…
Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight; Gus Van Sant, James Franco and Josh Brolin for Milk; Debra Winger and Rosemarie DeWitt for Rachel Getting Married and Melissa Leo for Frozen River.

PEOPLE THAT MAKE ME THINK “THESE ARE THE GLOBES”
Tom Cruise for Tropic Thunder and Angelina Jolie for The Changeling (don’t hate me).

Do you have anything to say about the Golden Globe nominations? Share your reactions in our forum, click here.

A Director for "New Moon? (Since There's No Avoiding It Now)

Seems like one is about to be chosen, as this article from EW states:

There will be a new director atop the Twilight franchise: and he'll be a man. Sources tell EW.com that Summit Entertainment is about to hire Chris Weitz (The Golden Compass) as the shepherd for New Moon, the second installment of Stephenie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series. Weitz is best-known for his work with his brother Paul. The two directed and produced American Pie and then were nominated for an Academy Award for best screenplay for About a Boy, which they also co-directed. Chris' first solo directing gig, The Golden Compass, didn't do well stateside but was a hit internationally.
Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, has grossed more than $141 million so far, but Hardwicke had clashed with the studio during production. It was announced early this week that she would not be making New Moon. Weitz has a solid relationship with Summit's top brass; he's considered easy to work with and has experience with special effects. "He's the quality-of-life-choice," says one source. While Summit insists "we have not yet signed Chris Weitz to do New Moon," and Weitz's agency says no deal has been signed, other sources say the deal is imminent, and that Summit has stopped negotiations with other potential Moon directors. Summit had planned to announce this hiring decision on Sunday, Dec. 14, and could have Weitz in Vancouver, B.C. as early as Monday to start pre-production on the film.

-Interesting selection, gotta give them that...thoughts?

Golden Globe Nominations!

The HFPA is at it again:

Best Picture (Drama)

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Frost/Nixon”

“The Reader”

“Revolutionary Road”

“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Picture (Comedy/Musical)

“Burn After Reading”

“Happy-Go-Lucky”

“In Bruges”

“Mamma Mia!”

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Best Actor (Drama)

Leonardo DiCaprio, “Revolutionary Road”

Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”

Sean Penn, “Milk”

Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Micky Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Best Actor (Comedy/Musical)

Javier Bardem, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Colin Farrell, “In Bruges”

James Franco, “Pineapple Express”

Brendan Gleeson, “In Bruges”

Dustin Hoffman, “Last Chance Harvey”
Best Actress (Drama)

Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”

Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”

Meryl Streep, “Doubt”

Kristin Scott Thomas, “I’ve Loved You So Long”

Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”
Best Actress (Comedy/Musical)

Rebecca Hall, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Frances McDormand, “Burn After Reading”

Meryl Streep, “Mamma Mia!”

Emma Thompson, “Last Chance Harvey”
Best Supporting Actor

Tom Cruise, “Tropic Thunder”

Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”

Ralph Fiennes, “The Duchess”

Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”

Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”
Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, “Doubt”

Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

Viola Davis, “Doubt”

Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler”

Kate Winslet, “The Reader”

Best Director

Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”

David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”

Sam Mendes, “Revolutionary Road”
Best Original Score

“Changeling”

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Defiance”“

Frost/Nixon”

“Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Screenplay

“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

“Doubt”

“Frost/Nixon”

“The Reader”

“Slumdog Millionaire”

Best Foreign Film

“The Baader Meinhof Complex”

“Everlasting Moments”

“Gomorrah”

“I’ve Loved You So Long”

“Waltz with Bashir”

Best Animated Feature

“Bolt”

“Kung Fu Panda”

“WALL-E”
Best Original Song

“I Thought I Lost You” from “Bolt”

“Once in a Lifetime” from “Cadillac Records”

“Gran Torino” from “Gran Torino”

“Down to Earth” from “WALL-E”

“The Wrestler” from “The Wrestler”

-Quick thoughts....Tom Cruise, wow...snubs for The Dark Knight and Milk....and finally we see Sam Mendes show up to play....your thoughts?

Trailer for "Good"

-Nazis are in this year, aren't they?

Rolling Stone/Peter Traver's Top 10

Here it is:

1. Milk

2. Slumdog Millionaire

3. The Dark Knight

4. Frost/Nixon

5. WALL-E

6. Revolutionary Road

7. The Visitor

8. Doubt

9. Rachel Getting Married

10. Man on Wire

-Benjamin Button, Gran Torino, The Reader, and The Wrestler are the notable snubs, but it's his personal picks, so nothing to argue about...thoughts?

The Globes Are Coming!

Less than 24 hours to go before the Golden Globe nominations are announced...feel free to discuss here, in terms of predictions or anything else.

I'll save my predictions, since nobody can do more than guess at this point, but just comment that the Comedy section will be interesting to watch, since only true comedies are in contention this year.....so have at it!

Bedtime Stories Poster

Still can't wrap my head around the marriage of Disney and Adam Sandler, but we shall see...

"Dragonball Evolution" Showcases How The Action Genre Is Now Devoid Of Originality

Just in time to properly get you in the mindset that next summer's crop of movies can in no way live up to this summer's, we bring you the new Dragonball Evolution trailer:

-Yeah, it looks pretty bad.....

Your thoughts?

NYFCC Awards 2008!

Per this guy 

Best Actress -Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Screenplay - Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married

Best Cinematographer - Anthony Dod Mantle, Slumdog Millionaire

Best Supporting Actor - Josh Brolin - Milk

Best Animated Film - WALL-E

Best Director - Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky

Best Supporting Actress - Penelope Cruz, VCB

Best First Film - Courtney Hunt, Frozen River

Best Foreign Film - 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days

Best Actor - Sean Penn, Milk 

Best Documentary - Man on Wire 

Best Film - Milk 

Milk and Happy-Go-Lucky get a ton of love. No love for the Dark Knight in New York. I guess the whole Gotham City = Chicago description really got to them. Here's a look at NYFCC picks for 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Thoughts? 

Because Extra-Terrestrials Deserve To See All The Wooden Acting And Dodgy CGI That Earth Has To Offer...

According to WorstPreviews, 20th Century Fox has gone certifiably insane by announcing that The Day The Earth Stood Still will be broadcast to intelligent life across the galaxy. Seriously:

20th Century Fox has just announced that they will make history by transmitting the first motion picture in to deep space, making "The Day the Earth Stood Still" the world's first galactic motion picture release. The first deliberate deep space transmission of this sci-fi thriller will begin this Friday, December 12th, 2008, to coincide with the film's opening day on Planet Earth. If any civilizations are currently orbiting Alpha Centauri, they will be able to receive and view the film approximately four years from now in the year 2012.
In a time when global movie launches are now commonplace, Fox is raising the bar by spearheading, with Deep Space Communications Network located at Cape Canaveral, the ultimate in "wide release" platforms. As millions of Earthbound movie fans get their first look at "The Day the Earth Stood Still," the film will be zipping through space at 186,000 miles per second to a heretofore untapped possible consumer base orbiting the three star system, Alpha Centauri.
Commented 20th Century Fox domestic distribution president Bruce Snyder: "We at Fox always like to think big, and what's bigger than a 'galactic' release of a major motion picture event? We look forward to sharing 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' with our galactic neighbors near Alpha Centauri -- and look forward to their feedback...eight years from now."
Industry watchers and film historians will note that due to the distance between our solar system and the Alpha Centauri system, it will take over eight years (accounting for a roundtrip communication) to receive any Alpha Centauri reviews. The transmission is not a single beam aimed at just the Alpha Centauri system, but can be received by any advanced technologically capable civilization along the way to Alpha Centauri, and beyond.
Prior to its arrival at Alpha Centauri, the transmission of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" can be intercepted and viewed at various points in our own solar system (Distance from Earth – at the speed of light – and transmission time, as follows):
Moon: 0.000000038, 1.1991888 seconds
Sun: 0.000016, 8.41536 minutes
Mercury: 0.0000095, 4.99662 minutes
Venus: 0.00000476, 2.5035696 minutes
Mars: 0.0000076, 3.997296 minutes
Jupiter: 0.0000666, 35.028936 minutes
Saturn: 0.000135, 1.18341 hours
Uranus: 0.000285, 2.49831 hours
Neptune: 0.00046, 4.03236 hours
Pluto: 0.0006183, 5.4200178 hours

-I can't help but feel that if we're going to expose alien life to Earth cinema, that a Keanu Reeves toplining remake of "The Day The Earth Stood Still" isn't the best example we can give. "The Godfather", maybe? "Casablanca"? Hell, "Star Wars"? Years after we've all forgotten about this movie, we can look forward to establishing alien contact for the first time in history by receiving an E.T.'s lukewarm review of our depiction of what aliens are up to.

In case you haven't guessed, I'm not looking forward to this movie. But maybe somebody who is can shed light on why this is a good idea? What do you guys think?

Best...FYC Ad...Ever

God this is good...

New "Terminator Salvation" Trailer Stops Trying To Be "Cloverfield" And Starts Trying To Be "Transformers" Instead

Courtesy of Apple, we now have the new trailer for "Terminator Salvation", starring Christian Bale, who will apparently be doing his gravelly Batman voice the entire movie:

-After the third movie, I have serious doubts about this installment. But I've been wrong before.......your thoughts?

The 2009 Movie Slate Changes a Bit...

Mainly, Ridley Scott won't have his Nottingham film come out next year at all. Read about here, from Variety:

Marking major changes to next year's slate, Universal Pictures has pushed back the release of horror franchise hopeful "The Wolfman" from April 3 to Nov. 6 and taken Ridley Scott's "Nottingham" out of 2009 entirely.
Also, U's "The Fast and the Furious 4" will now open on April 3, instead of June 12.
"Nottingham," toplining Russell Crowe, will open in 2010, but U did not set a specific date.
U said the reshuffling was the sensible thing to do, considering that "Fast 4" is completed, while the Brian Grazer-produced "Nottingham" won't start lensing until February or March.
And moving "Wolfman" -- a reboot toplining Benicio Del Toro -- to Nov. 6 gives the film more of a high-profile release, as well as ample time for post-production. Pic is directed by Joe Johnston.
Even with "Fast 4" opening in April, Universal still has one June 2009 release, the Will Ferrell adventure-comedy "The Land of the Lost," which opens June 5.
With "Fast 4" gone, the June 12-14 weekend now sports two comedies, giving other studios a chance to slot in counterprogramming.

-Wolfman interests me very much...how bout y'all?

A Break from Oscar Talk

This has very little Oscar relevance, but this is what happens to me every time I see Kate Winslett. 

SNL Digital Short - Jizz in my pants - 12/06/08 - watch more funny videos

Any movie moments make you jizz your pants? [exclude adult material haha]

LA Film Critics Give Out Their Awards!

By way of Variety:

Best Picture: “Wall-E”

Runner-up: “The Dark Knight”
Best Director: Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, “The Dark Knight”
Best Actor: Sean Penn, “Milk”

Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins, “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Runner-up: Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Runner-up: Eddie Marsan, “Happy-Go-Lucky”
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “Elegy”

Runner-up: Viola Davis, “Doubt”
Best Screenplay: Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”

Runner-up: Charlie Kaufman, “Synecdoche, New York”
Best Foreign Language film: “Still Life”

Runner-up: “The Class”
Best Documentary: “Man on Wire”

Runner-up: “Waltz With Bashir”
Best Animation: “Waltz With Bashir”
Best Cinematography: Yu Lik Wai, “Still Life”

Runner-up: Anthony Dod Mantle, “Slumdog Millionaire”
Best Production Design: Mark Friedberg, “Synecdoche, New York”

Runner-up: Nathan Crowley, “The Dark Knight”
Best Music/Score: A.R. Rahman, “Slumdog Millionaire”

Runner-up: Alexandre Desplat, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
New Generation Award: Steve McQueen, “Hunger”
Douglas E. Edwards independent/experimental film/video: James Benning, “RR” and “Casting a Glance”

-Good for WALL-E mainly, though The Dark Knight got a boost as well, and the West Coasters sure seem to love their Happy-Go-Lucky...thoughts?

Need I Say What's on DVD This Week?

Like it's any shock to people, my PICK OF THE WEEK is absolutely going to be one of the best films of the year:

The Dark Knight

It simply redefined what a blockbuster could be. It's the 2nd highest grossing film of all time currently, so I think I'm not alone in my adoration for this flick. Stop reading this and buy it now!

-Also out we have the fascinating documentary Man on Wire, which could be headed for Oscar glory in the coming months, Horton Hears a Who!, which is a pretty decent retelling of the good doctor's classic kiddie tale, and the dance flick Make It Happen, which shockingly enough, does not in fact make it happen...

-My Vintage pick also makes quite a bit of sense this week. It's Batman Begins, so set aside a 5 hour block of your day and see the (as of now) complete take on the caped crusader that has made Nolan a god to so many film fans.

-Will you be watching The Dark Knight this week?

Academy Idol: Top 12 (Precursors Week)

Trying a New Look on the Mainsite

Tell us what you think?

Nominations for the Critics Choice Awards

And here we go:

-BEST PICTURE

Changeling

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Doubt

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire

Wall-E

The Wrestler
-BEST ACTOR

Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino

Richard Jenkins - The Visitor

Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn - Milk

Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
-BEST ACTRESS

Kate Beckinsale - Nothing But the Truth

Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie - Changeling

Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt

-BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Josh Brolin - Milk

Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

James Franco - Milk
-BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Viola Davis - Doubt

Vera Farmiga - Nothing But the Truth

Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Kate Winslet - The Reader
-BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Dark Knight

Doubt

Milk

Rachel Getting Married
-BEST DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon

Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight

Gus Van Sant - Milk
-BEST WRITER (Original or Adapted Screenplay)

Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire

Dustin Lance Black - Milk

Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon

Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

John Patrick Shanley - Doubt
-BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Bolt

Kung Fu Panda

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Wall-E

Waltz With Bashir
-BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS (Under 21)

Dakota Fanning - The Secret Life of Bees

David Kross - The Reader

Dev Petal - Slumdog Millionaire

Brandon Walters - Australia
-BEST ACTION MOVIE

The Dark Knight

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Iron Man

Quantum of Solace

Wanted
-BEST COMEDY MOVIE

Burn After Reading

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Role Models

Tropic Thunder

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
-BEST PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

John Adams

Recount

Coco Chanel
-BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

A Christmas Tale

Gomorrah

I’ve Loved You So Long

Let the Right One In

Mongol

Waltz With Bashir
-BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

I.O.U.S.A.

Man On Wire

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

Standard Operating Procedure

Young At Heart
-BEST SONG

“Another Way to Die” (performed by Jack White and Alicia Keys, written by Jack White) - Quantum of Solace

“Down to Earth” (performed by Peter Gabriel, written by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman) - Wall-E

“I Thought I Lost You” (performed Miley Cyrus and John Travolta, written by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele) - Bolt

“Jaiho” (performed by Sukhwinder Singh, written by A.R. Rahman and Gulzar) - Slumdog Millionaire

“The Wrestler” (performed by Bruce Springsteen, written by Bruce Springsteen) - The Wrestler
-BEST COMPOSER

Alexandre Desplat - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Clint Eastwood - Changeling

Danny Elfman - Milk

Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight

A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire

-Milk and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button lead the way with 8 nods, 6 for The Dark Knight, Doubt, and Slumdog Millionaire...thoughts?

A New Directorial Gig for Ben Affleck?

Maybe, according to Variety:

Miramax Films has begun development on "Arizona," a fact-based drama that is being shaped as a potential directing vehicle for Ben Affleck.
Pic is based on a true story that began with the death of Don Bolles, an investigative reporter for the Arizona Republic. In 1976, Bolles was killed in a car bomb explosion as he was investigating the infiltration of organized crime into state government.
Bolles was a co-founder of a group called the Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), whose members rallied to his cause shortly after his death, completing the work that Bolles had begun.
Miramax has hired Sheldon Turner to write the script and Sean Bailey to produce. Cori Stern will exec produce.
The "Arizona" project is in a nascent stage, and Miramax had tried to make a rights deal with IRE but will likely proceed with facts on the case that are in the public domain.
Affleck made his directing debut last year on "Gone Baby Gone."
Turner scripted "The Longest Yard" and was the first scribe on an adaptation of the George Kirn novel "Up in the Air," which Jason Reitman has rewritten and will direct with George Clooney starring.
Bailey is Affleck's former partner in LivePlanet and the producer of Disney's "Tron" sequel.

-I'm a huge fan of Ben Affleck as a director, so this could be very cool news...thoughts?

The Boss Bound For Another Oscar?

I sure hope so, since he's my god, but being completely objective, the song he wrote for The Wrestler (titled, if you can believe it...The Wrestler) is incredible (listen here, where Kris Tapley has posted it http://www.incontention.com/audio/springsteen_wrestler2.mp3 ), just incredible. I've been listening to it for almost a whole 24 hour period (currently while I write a paper on the "road movie"). The only other memorable song this year is "Down To Earth" from WALL-E, but I have to think this is the frontrunner....thoughts? Am I crazy or not?

Update: Third "Batman" Movie Is Still Sorta Kinda Being Worked On

Just in case you've been starving for any real updates on the inevitable sequel to The Dark Knight (for better or worse), here's some tidbits from director Christopher Nolan, via AICN:

"The Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan spoke with USA Today, telling the paper that he is hesitant about starting the third Batman movie, because third installments in franchises don't do very well. Just look at "Shrek the Third," "Spider-Man 3," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and many others.
"I don't know why they're hard to do," said Nolan. "Maybe there's so much expectation to them. But I wouldn't want to do one if it weren't going to be as good as the first or second. That's not respectful to the fans."
The DVD for "Knight" will be available in stores tomorrow (December 9th) and we already heard that Heath Ledger does not appear in any of the deleted scenes. According to Nolan, it has nothing to do with Ledger's death. "For my past three films, I really haven't had scenes that didn't make it in the movie," he said. "If it's in the final script, I tend put it on screen."
At this point Nolan is jotting notes and oding some rough outlines for a third story, but he hasn't yet found anything he's willing to commit to film, despite Warner Bros' eagerness to get a new film underway. "It was obvious when the box office was so big ($530 million domestically) that we had underestimated how ready fans were to reboot the franchise," he said. "The worst thing you could do now that you've gotten the plane back in the air is mess up the landing."
In addition, Nolan recently spoke during a "Dark Knight" Blu-ray event where he said that he would like to shoot an entire film in IMAX. He explained that shooting with an IMAX camera is very expensive and too noisy to capture dialogue. So, all conversations would have to be shot using a 65mm camera and combined in post-production.

-It certainly seems like his heart is in the right place when it comes to a third film, but he's not wrong about the lofty expectations following Dark Knight. Thoughts?

The Dark Knight Score is Back!

Yes indeed, as this short but sweet missive from Variety confirms:

Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard are back in contention for an Oscar nom.
The Music Branch Executive Committee of the Academy has reversed its Nov. 10 decision declaring their score for "The Dark Knight" ineligible for the 2008 Academy Awards.
The score was disqualified due to five names being listed as composers on the music cue sheet.
After reviewing information submitted by the affected parties, the committee concluded that two, Zimmer and Howard, were responsible for the score's authorship.
Neither nomination ballots nor lists of eligible scores had been distributed so there is no impact on the actual voting process.
-Great news...what do you think of its Oscar chances?

Academy Idol: Top 16 Results

The Top 12 are revealed!

Help! Revolutionary Road Screening Q and A.

I bring this news to you with great joy and despair.

Sam Mendes will be fielding questions at the upcoming Revolutionary Road screening in NYC. I won't be there because of finals, but more importantly because I am 500 miles away. However, I have a very reliable informant who will be there. He asked me to compile a list of questions to prepare for the event. Since all of my questions involve Kate Winslett, I thought it would make sense to seek help from you.

Do you have any questions about the film or Mendes that might be worth asking?

'Twilight' Breaks....Away From Its Director

Indeed, Catherine Hardwicke is off the inevitable sequel to Twilight, as this piece in Variety says:

Summit Entertainment has wasted no time moving ahead with the next installment in Stephenie Meyer's bestselling "Twilight" series, "New Moon." But in an unusual move after the successful launch of a franchise that has already generated $138.6 million, the upstart distrib is not bringing director Catherine Hardwicke back to direct the picture. Summit and Hardwicke cite Summit's wish to rush the movie into production as one reason for their split. Summit wants to release the picture, which will demand substantial CGI work, by the end of 2009 or the start of 2010. A former production designer, Hardwicke wanted more prep time.
"Twilight" scripter Melissa Rosenberg handed in a draft of "New Moon" the weekend that "Twilight" opened. Hardwicke wanted more time to work on it; Summit announced it was going ahead with "New Moon" on November 22, with no director attached. Negotiations lasted two weeks before Hardwicke formally passed on the film Saturday.
As word spread through Hollywood agencies that the talks might not result in Hardwicke's return, reports surfaced that Summit was checking out other directors for the "Twilight" franchise while they insisted they were still negotiating with Hardwicke, who delivered the biggest opening weekend ever for a woman. (CAA denies that they were soliciting other directors.) The movie is still going strong as the director and cast promote it overseas; it came in second this weekend with $13.2 million, grossing a total $138.6 million.
The problem that stalled negotiations was that Hardwicke had strong opinions about what to do with the next installment, and so did Summit. The debate was how to focus the adaptation of the second book, which deals more with giant werewolves than vampires, as well as the long depression of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), after her vampire lover (Rob Pattinson) leaves her. One issue was how to get more of teen heartthrob Pattinson into the film. (Rosenberg has figured out a device to achieve this.) But Hardwicke, burned out from her "Twilight" labors, simply wasn't willing to jam this movie with a script that still needed months of development.
"I am sorry that due to timing I will not have the opportunity to direct 'New Moon,'" said Hardwicke. "Directing 'Twilight' has been one of the great experiences of my life, and I am grateful to the fans for their passionate support of the film. I wish everyone at Summit the best with the sequel -- it is a great story."
"Catherine did an incredible job in helping us to launch the 'Twilight' franchise, and we thank her for all of her efforts and we very much hope to work with her on future Summit projects," said Summit production prexy Erik Feig. "We as a studio have a mandate to bring the next installment in the franchise to the big screen in a timely fashion so that fans can get more of Edward, Bella and all of the characters that Stephenie Meyer has created. We are able to pursue an aggressive time frame as we have the luxury of only adapting the novels into screenplays as opposed to having to create a storyline from scratch."
Hardwicke has other balls in the air, including two projects in the works with Groundswell Entertainment's Michael London, who produced "Thirteen."

-I believe Harry Knowles mentioned Kathryn Bigelow as his personal choice to take over, and that would probably make for a very interesting flick, some other names off the top of my head that could make this new film work more as a crossover or even (gasp) attract males would be Mark Romanek, David Yates, Renny Harlin, or Paul McGuigan of the upcoming "Push"...they're of varying quality, but can work visually....thoughts?

The Top 10 Lists Start Coming In From The Critics!

Always interesting reads, we have Lou Lumenick of the New York Post:

1. Slumdog Millionaire

2. Wall-E

3. Milk

4. A Christmas Tale

5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

6. Iron Man

7. Revolutionary Road

8. The Visitor

9. Synecdoche, New York

10. Waltz With Bashir

-

Next is Dave Denby of The New Yorker:

1.Defiance

2.Rachel Getting Married

3.The Class

4.The Wrestler

5.Vicky Cristina Barcelona

6.Wall-E

7.Milk
8.Trouble The Water

9.Revolutionary Road

10.I’ve Loved You So Long

-

And last but not least, the immortal Roger Ebert, who in lue of a top 10 list, throws out 20 top films with only alphabetical order, so I'll follow his lead and show them to you that way:

Ballast

The Band's Visit

Che

Chop Shop

The Dark Knight

Doubt

The Fall

Frost/Nixon

Frozen River

Happy-Go-Lucky

Iron Man

Milk

Rachel Getting Married

The Reader

Revolutionary Road

Shotgun Stories

Slumdog Millionaire

Synecdoche, New York

W

WALL-E

-

Coming soon my own best of the year list...and warning, it'll be more Ebert length than anything else...

A Different Kind of Date Movie...

Slumdog takes top honors in DC

So far, it looks like the critics love Slumdog. WAFCA honored Slumdog with top honors this year. Take a look below:

Best Film: Slumdog Millionaire/Fox Searchlight

Best Director: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Actor: Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)

Best Actress: Meryl Streep (Doubt)

Best Ensemble: Doubt/Miramax

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)

Best Supporting Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married)

Best Breakthrough Performance: Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)

Best Original Screenplay: Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married)

Best Animated Feature: Wall∙E /Disney & PixarBest

Foreign Language Film: Let The Right One In/Magnolia Pictures and Magnet Releasing

Best Documentary: Man On Wire/Magnolia

Best Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button/Paramount

Slumdog hasn't pulled away just yet, but this is a great start. We'll see what happens in the future, but I get the feeling that a lot of people might start shifting their belief away from Curious Case as the front runner. This is shaping up to be tight race. Get excited!

"The Boat That Rocked" Trailer

The latest from Richard "Love Actually" Curtis:

-Always a fan of slightly quirky British humor...how bout you guys?

Heath Ledger Gets Honored

Read about it in the Daily News, and here's the story:

The late actor Heath Ledger was awarded one of his country's most prestigious film awards Saturday for his final role as the Joker in the Batman movie "The Dark Knight."
Ledger, 28, who died of an accidental overdose of painkillers and other medicines in his New York apartment 11 months ago, was posthumously awarded the Australian Film Institute's international award for best actor.
Guests at a packed awards ceremony in Melbourne's Princess Theatre rose to their feet clapping, but with some in tears, to pay tribute.
"It has been without a doubt the most difficult year, losing such a loved family member," said his sister Kate, fighting back tears. "We are so proud of him and humbly accept this award on behalf of his beautiful daughter [Matilda], whom we will cherish forever."

-He deserves it...

Aronofsky Getting "The Fountain" Flowing Again?

I was one of the few who dug Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain, and in fact placed it as my #1 film of the year when it came out, ahead of films like The Departed and United 93 (both were in my top 5 of the year, though The Fountain is in the top 5 all time for me), so this tidbit comes as very exciting news:

"...at some point down the road, he’d like to do a kind of reassembly of his last film, “The Fountain,” which has become a sci-fi cult hit on DVD. “It wouldn’t be a ‘director’s cut,’” he said — more like an alternate story told with the addition of unused footage from the first go-round. This would be a complicated project on a couple of levels, though, and it’s at least a few years away."

-Now, since it's off of the MTV Movie Blog, it's more like something conversationally said by the director, but it still would be quite something to see....thoughts?

Poster for Nothing But The Truth

FYC Kate Beckinsale and Matt Dillon? Judging by the poster, yes, more so than Vera Farmiga or Alan Alda I guess...

The Dark Knight Returns!

Couldn't resist using the title of the graphic novel here, since it's just a great title, but apt since Warner is in fact re-releasing The Dark Knight, as well all know by now. Here's the story from Variety:

Warner Bros. will re-release "The Dark Knight" on Jan. 23 in a nationwide launch, guaranteeing that it will become the fourth film to take in more than $1 billion in worldwide box office.
"Knight" has cumed $530.3 million domestically and $465.9 million internationally, leaving it less than $4 million short of the billion-dollar milestone. Only "Titanic," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" have topped that mark.
"Knight" also is the second-highest domestic grosser of all time, trailing only "Titanic."
The re-release will come six weeks after the DVD launch of "Knight," set for Tuesday.
Dan Fellman, president of Warner's domestic distribution, made the announcement Thursday. "We wanted to provide one more opportunity for moviegoers to experience it on the bigscreen as it was meant to be seen," he added.

-Count me in, one more time

What Doesn't Kill You Poster

Seems like the one calorie version of The Departed, but that could still equ