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and I plan to see this later today - thank you connections. 
Nicole Holofcener is a filmmaking goddess. If you've not seen her films Walking and Talking (1996) or the beyond brilliant Lovely & Amazing (2001), stop reading this and seek them out. Now please. When Lovely & Amazing came out on DVD it was around the same time as the terrible The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I would constantly let female customers know that Lovely & Amazing is a thousand times better, as its dialogue rings true and sincere, not like the tastes-like-screenplay patois that the Ya-Ya film foists upon its viewers. Each and every time they'd come back and thank me for recommending Lovely & Amazing.I also plan to make some headway in regards to TiVo and Netflix (Aeon Flux is winging its way to me; hopefully it'll arrive tomorrow) and maybe try to see American Dreamz or The Sentinel today or tomorrow as well. I have to work 2-6 on Sunday.
I will see United 93. People can hem and haw over whether or not a 9/11-themed film should exist at this point in time. My personal belief is that Hollywood churned out film after film about WWII *during* WWII and that as long as the subject matter is treated with care and a steady hand, it's fine. Early word on the film states that writer/director Paul Greengrass (Bloody Sunday, The Bourne Supremacy) has crafted a masterful, gripping, haunting film experience that is never exploitative and that United 93 is the first four-star film of the year. Greengrass also worked closely with the family of the Flight 93 passengers and 10% of the opening weekend grosses will be going to 9/11-related charities. In any case, I will watch United 93. I think certain people will be alot more apprehensive when Paramount releases Oliver Stone's 9/11-related film on August 11th, World Trade Center, starring Nicolas Cage as a real-life port authority worker.
I am almost finished reading The Da Vinci Code and it is a very taut, spellbinding novel and I can now fully understand why the Catholics are up in arms over it -- especially the sect known as Opus Dei.
Edward Norton produced the latest film he's in and it looks exceptional with a great cast. The trailer just debuted online at Apple's movie trailer page. Click the poster to check it out. It's a small film so of course that means we here in the uncultured dregs of a city known as Savannah will only get to see this when it's thrown onto DVD by ThinkFilm this August. Have I mentioned that this town is quite lame, arthouse movie-wise? Because I think I have.
Whatever the case may be, I plan to post reviews of several films that I see this weekend. I've been slacking off for far too long lately.
After Silent Hill ended, my mother and I picked up a Toshiba DVD player as the old one conked out, sound-wise. It seems the thing kept emitting a loud buzz through our sound system whenever we'd turn it on. The damn thing wasn't even a year old yet! So much for SONY being top-shelf. Then after Bill Maher's show ended we watched...
I've had this for almost a week from Netflix. Suffice it to say I love Franka Potente (she will be mine...oh yes) but all in all this was a two-star affair. It started out promising but then after the characters start behaving like toddlers halfway through it undermined the entire rest of the film for me. It's a shame too as the film was well-made and well-directed with great cinematography inside London's Underground.
I just finished Dan Brown's novel Angels and Demons and am currently reading...
in advance of the film's release on May 19th. I need to start reading again. TiVo has bewitched me as we all know and I think I should dive right back into the frothy cool waters of the printed page as I'd not done so, until recently, in quite some time.
In the land of radio buyouts and format changes, steady constants are always cool and delicious.
First a bit of Savannah radio history...
In the mid '90s Savannah had a really cool alternative station - WZAT-FM Z102 - Savannah's Rock and Roll Radio. The DJs were *always* live and you truly had the feeling that if you turned the dial you'd miss something. Hell, my freshman year of high school I attempted to do my four hours of community service (all Georgia high school students must complete four hours of community service, in addition to maintaining their grades, to pass) interning at Z102. I did so under the tutelage of the amazing, awesome Tripp West, who's now at WSTR-FM, Star 94, in Atlanta (and has been for quite some time). It was an experience I'll never forget. Pulling commercials (this was *before* the automated computerized stuff), watching the behind-the-scenes stuff - it was fascinating.
Then, Cumulus flashed their cash and bought the station in 1998, flipping it to Top 40 as "Z102 - Savannah's Hit Music Station". And for a while it did extremely well. Then Clear Channel flipped their Hot Adult Contemporary station WAEV-FM - Mix 97.3 - to Top 40, relaunching the station under their national Top 40 banner as "97.3 KISS FM". And then Z102 began its slow descent to the bottom of the ratings pile, where it still lingers today, as a weird Top 40/Hot AC hybrid. Z102 continually winds up being beaten while WAEV towers in the market.
As for the alternative rock scenario now in Savannah? Well, none to speak of. We do have a rather kick-ass Adult Album Alternative station, Wave 104.9, - http://www.wave1049.com - but nothing along the lines of WZAT. Triad Broadcasting, which owns Wave, also owns the boring-as-hell WFXH-FM (Rock 106.1). If you like hearing Chevelle and Nickelback three thousand times a day, be my guest. It's horrible. Their standard operating procedure must be - nothing melodic -- EVER! Tama Broadcasting might be launching a new rock station -- The Hawk 104.7 http://www.thehawk1047.com but only time will tell as they're still simulcasting their Variety Hits station, Freedom 92.3.
So suffice it to say, there's nothing here for those of us who like a diverse menu of alt-rock goodness. For more than ten years, WAVF-FM has shone like a beacon of hope from Charleston, South Carolina. If you love great alternative music, look no further than this gem of a radio station. If someone could bring a station like this to Savannah, it'd clean Rock 106.1's clock -- no doubt about it. Ah, if only I had the money...click the 96 Wave logo to hear aural brilliance.
In 2002, director Christophe Gans created a masterpiece with Le Pacte des loups (otherwise known as Brotherhood of the Wolf). It was ambitious, smart, and an all-around well-made film with a vibrant and alive mythos populated with strong characters. Now, four years later, the French filmmaker has teamed with Pulp Fiction co-writer and Killing Zoe writer/director Roger Avary (he wrote Silent Hill) to craft one of the very best horror films in quite some time.
Rose Da Silva (Radha Mitchell) and her husband Christopher (Sean Bean) have been having issues with their adopted daughter Sharon (Jodelle Ferland), who's taken to sleepwalking and uttering the phrase "Silent Hill". Medication has not helped so Rose decides to take Sharon to the place she keeps uttering, much to Christopher's dismay. But along the way there's a car accident and when Rose awakens from it, Sharon is nowhere to be found. It is in the nearby town of Silent Hill where Rose searches for her daughter, alongside a no-nonsense cop (Laurie Holden) who followed her. The town is seemingly deserted, save for the ash that rains down by day. At night, a blaring siren signals to all in the vicinity that something horrible is coming.
I have never played the video games upon which Silent Hill is based (my video gaming ended somewhere around the Sega Genesis era) but one need not be well-versed in any of the video games to enjoy the film. Christophe Gans and Roger Avary use musical cues, slight CGI, good-old fashioned makeup, and several different film techniques to convey the sheer hellish nature of the decrepit town. Walls melt, moaning demonic babies and barbed wire-covered corpses come alive to help create a vivid and beyond nightmarish landscape. In all of the other video game adaptations so far, the emperor truly had no clothes. With Silent Hill, Gans and company (kudos to Carol Spier's production design) have made a film that feels like the love child of Clive Barker and Dario Argento, a movie that has a carefully detailed backstory (some might say *too* detailed) that gives weight to the otherworldly images we witness.
Some reviews are treating this film as a graphic exercise in sadism and revulsion that only a maniac would view. But then again horror films as a genre have never been given a fair shake. This is not the watered-down PG-13 pablum that most studios are now trying to pass off as a "horror" film. It is a gripping and plot-driven horror film that is head and shoulders above any in a very long while. If you truly enjoy a scary and enjoyable time at the movies, see Silent Hill. It may not reinvent the wheel but it damn sure covers it in gore, with a style and craftsmanship that's really refreshing.
So, blogging can be a fun and informative way to pass on information between one person or a set of people to millions and possibly billions of others across the globe. My little corner of the Internet seems to become active in sporadic fits and starts.
My plans for today mostly consist of...
1. Go to sleep
2. Enjoy my day off and finally see V for Vendetta.
I really want to see Thank You For Smoking. It *finally* opens in nationwide release this weekend.
But I'm really jonesin' to see Rian Johnson's directorial debut, Brick. It's film noir with characters still in high school.
Learn more here - BrickMovie.net
Writer/director Rian Johnson also has a forum of his own at rcjohnso.com/forum
It's really cool; he replies to posts and has been posting new release date schedules as he gets them. I asked him about the release plan for Brick here in Savannah and he said it bodes well if we got the Focus Features films 21 Grams and The Constant Gardener (pre-Oscar noms), (which I'd mentioned we had) as the same guy is in charge of distribution. So in other words - hurry up and get here Brick! I need my noir fix. In the meantime I plan to sate my lust for all things noir with a list I procured from the Internet and will soon check out a few film noir titles on Netflix.
I guess I should come clean as to WHY I've been blog absent. You see, dear reader, I've fallen in love. I am smitten and have been wooing my dear lass for several days now...
What, you thought I was speaking of a female? That's funny. First you'd have to assume there's a girl out there that thinks I'm more interesting than debit cards, text messaging, "American Idol" and Abercrombie & Fitch or Aeropostale and that said imagined girl would think me a nice and witty chap. And that is stuff you only find in badly written romantic comedies. But I digress.
I've long been a fan of Turner Classic Movies, or TCM, for short. If you look back on the maelstrom of cable activity in the early/mid '90s, it was amazing. You had new cable channels popping up all over the place. Cartoon Network, E!, Game Show Network, The Sci-Fi Channel, and Turner Classic Movies were just a few new faces on the cable landscape. Each sought to carve out a special niche in the marketplace, one that until then had largely gone unfufilled.
Now it's almost two decades later and what has happened? Cartoon Network has turned into a repetitive noise-machine of regurgitated "original series" while forsaking the classic cartoons they originally aired (so much so they had to create a sister channel, Boomerang, just to air said cartoons!), E! resembles The Paparazzi Channel, save for their weekly series The Soup, Game Show Network is now called gsn - the network for games and throws in reality series and poker, poker, poker, and The Sci-Fi Channel now dubs itself simply SCI FI while upon closer inspection, the channel could not be any less devoted to science fiction, as it constantly eschews the genre it's named for in lieu of demos, ratings, and the almighty dollar.
But in the loud den of the money-hungry claptrap that the race for viewers causes, one channel has stood the test of time by staying true. One channel has remained committed and devoted to its founding principles: classic movies 24/7. They've proven that they can make money and yes, Bonnie Hammer at SCI FI *still* retain a hefty viewership. That channel is, of course, Turner Classic Movies.
I will turn 25 later this year and Turner Classic Movies is truly like a breath of fresh air. I've ignored this channel for far too long. On May 22nd, they'll be airing the Orson Welles-made documentary F for Fake! That's never shown on television! Tonight theme (as each night has one) is films by director Norman Z. McLeod. They'll be playing The Marx Brothers classic Horse Feathers plus the film Topper, to name a few.It'd be one thing if they only ran movies. But Turner Classic Movies goes the extra mile by really conveying just how much they love these great films. Each film is more often than not introed and outroed by the inimitable Robert Osborne, the vast film encyclopedia. He is amazing and provides a lush detailing of each and every facet that you might want to know about the film you're going to watch or the one you just did. Then there's the channel's movie promos, TCM's "One Reel Wonders" in which they'll air a short (in between movies) from yesteryear, one that no doubt played before a movie in one of the country's grand movie houses, "Cartoon Alley", where classic cartoons are screened, and sometimes we'll get treated to Robert Osborne interviewing a classic film star. In September, select episodes of The Dick Cavett Show will air, each featuring interviews with legends of film including Groucho Marx and Alfred Hitchock, to name a few. Some bemoan the fact that they'll be airing this show; I welcome it as an added bonus to hear a candid and in-depth interview with some of Hollywood's best and brightest who are no longer with us.And as for a web presence...whoa nelly! TCM's website, at TurnerClassicMovies.com , is really something. There's games, schedule info, a message board, and a newly unveiled movie database, which is a technological marvel in and of itself. Their web team really outdid themselves.As long as Time Warner keeps their mission statement in mind, this amazing, amazing, treasure of a cable channel, with its great films that harken back to the silver's screen's best and brightest of yesteryear and wonderful on-air style, sophistication, and presentation, will truly remain the one and ONLY crown jewel on cable television - PERIOD.
I *will* see this movie this weekend, come hell or high water. It's so far one of the best reviewed film of the year, with an 86% Tomato reading over at RottenTomatoes.com
It's just a damn shame that it's not doing as well as I'd have liked it to. Damn snot-nosed brats and their foolish adherence to Ice Age: The Meltdown. A lovingly crafted throwback to great '80s horror comedies like Night of the Creeps and Tremors and the masses simply bring their soccer mom SUVs to the same old, same old retread of a CGI movie that wasn't all that great in the first place. But dollars speak volumes. Oh well. If there's a silver lining in there anywhere it should pick up a bit this weekend and then next weekend there's no competition to speak of so it might rake in a couple more million before recouping its cost on DVD in three months. Longest run-on sentence ever. Thank you very much.
The blog has taken a backseat recently and for that I apologize as I've been busy with work. I had inventory from 11:30 last night to 4:30 this morning. We would have been out of there earlier but we had to re-scan the XBox and Gamecube section and then reshift all of the movies. I came home at 5, watched some lovely TiVo, then crashed about 8 and woke up at 3.
I have this to watch. I've heard good things and I pray that David Benioff's screenplay isn't a lame pastiche of all thing Sixth Sense. I'm in the mood for a good, smart, effective supernatural thriller and I hope this is it.
Also on the bill is...
The Horror Channel gave this one a good review and at work it's been slim pickings as far as new horror titles that look halfway decent (i.e. that don't have that filmed-in-the-backyard-by-imbeciles look) so we'll see how this one turns out.
If you live in Connecticut, please donate to Ned Lamont. Hell, if I had some extra cake to spare, I'd donate. Joe Lieberman needs to be kicked the hell out of office as he's been the best Democrat the Republicans could ever want - a mewling, nodding sycophant willing to parrot any right-wing trope that's ever thrown out there. Lest we forget the shudder-inducing kiss he received from Bush after that State of the Union address a while back.
Here's a few links of what's going on in CT via Daily Kos...
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/31/161825/695
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/1/132442/3585
and then georgia10 over at Daily Kos really does a bang-up job dissecting how, even thought the Bush censure won't take, it's still a marvelous tool that could effectively help the Democrats regain Congress this November by painting the Republicans into the now-testy corner of having to defend an indefensible Bush. Mr. 33%, indeed.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/1/131629/0619
Well, it was chaos to the nth degree at work tonight. Busy, busy, busy and then I paid the remainder of a late fee I had for Prime (which was a great movie, by the way). Robin took off the hold that always appears whenever an employee gets a late fee. But they recently changed the numerical codes for various items in the "edit" mode of accounts so instead of typing the new number to remove a "hold" she typed the old one and accidentally negated my employee status. So I called our AM, Jeff, and he called our manager, Cheryl. She was actually going to drive in from Hinesville but had him come in and rectify the situation. Suffice it to say my old employee #, with its history of 777 rentals, is no more. Factor in this with the maddening maelstrom of customer idiocy and general BS and voila - a rather crappy night. Then it took forever to leave as certain opening procedures had not been done this morning and that made our computers restart and think we were performing opening procedures. So Robin had to call computer support and shortly thereafter order was quickly restored. As the title states...WHAT A NIGHT! If tonight is not a much better evening, I'll be quite pissed.
I brought home Rodrigo Garcia's Nine Lives and Zombie Honeymoon from work. I also have Netflix and the massive collection of television TiVo has amassed, including the U.S. premiere of Doctor Who. I am a novice of all things Who so I can't wait to see it. I also have some free previously-viewed DVDs I won for being a top seller of Rewards memberships (titles I chose include Millions, Layer Cake, and Elizabethtown) I also get to pick another one this week as I was top seller by one Rewards membership last week.
Yes, V for Vendetta came out today (well, technically yesterday as it's past midnight now). No, I haven't seen it, although I did read the graphic novel. I will hopefully see the film Monday after work. I still want to see The Hills Have Eyes as well as Inside Man, which comes out next Friday. Alot of good movies are finally coming out and the remainder of my income tax (I had to file an amendment...and you *can't* e-file it...LAME!) is weeks away. Being broke sucks beyond the telling of it.
In2TV
Clicking the link above will take you to AOL and Warner Brothers new venture, In2TV. It's totally free and allows you to watch episodes of series like Lois & Clark, The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., the animated Beetlejuice, and many more. I'm most excited about Freddy's Nightmares, the long unavailable A Nightmare on Elm Street series that was syndicated back in the late '80s. I remember watching it late at night/early AM on our local ABC affiliate and it's great to be able to watch it again after so many years.
R.I.P. Peter & Kathleen Tomarken
While I was bit too young to watch Press Your Luck in its original airing, the summer of 1992 all I did was vegetate in front of USA's weekday afternoon game show block (of which Press Your Luck was a staple) and drink iced tea out of a McDonald's Batman Returns promo cup. Ah, memories.
Peter Tomarken was a legend. Some may think otherwise but in a total reversal of the superficial and phony on-air personalities we're faced with today, he projected an affable, witty, cool, and personable demeanor without a bit of pretension. He was simply marvelous. The world has lost a great television personality and a wonderful part of television history.
This comes out April 21st. It's the best movie poster, ever, in my opinion.
Here's the synopsis of American Dreamz.
On the morning of his re-election, the President (Quaid) decides to read the newspaper for the first time in four years. This starts him down a slippery slope. He begins reading obsessively, reexamining his black and white view of the world, holing up in his bedroom in his pajamas. Frightened by the President’s apparent nervous breakdown, his Chief of Staff (Dafoe) pushes him back into the spotlight, booking him as a guest judge on the television ratings juggernaut (and the President’s personal fave), the weekly talent show American Dreamz.
America can’t seem to get enough of American Dreamz, hosted by self-aggrandizing, self-loathing Martin Tweed (Grant), ever on the lookout for the next insta-celebrity. His latest crop of hopefuls includes Sally (Moore), a conniving steel magnolia with a devoted, dopey veteran boyfriend (Klein), and Omer, a recent Southern Californian immigrant (who just happens to be a bumbling, show tune singing, would-be terrorist awaiting activation). When both Sally and Omer make it to the final round of Dreamz – where the President will be judging along with Tweed – the stage is set for a show the nation will never forget.
Of course it won't be successful. It makes fun of the slack-jawed morons who love "Glorified Karaoke Contest". Satire is not something they'd understand. But the point of the movie isn't the singing show; it's the fact that people in this society blind themselves from the news in favor of being complacent in their ignorance. Our national past-time is celebrating mediocrity and this movie appears to address that notion. I look forward to seeing it.
Both were really good (and really free, thanks to my connections). 16 Blocks was vintage Richard Donner, with Willis and Mos Def making a great pairing and connecting to their roles excellently. Some say that Mos Def's character was grating but I didn't think so. Great action and some really stellar work from the always reliable David Morse make this a cut above the average action flick.
But writer/director Wayne Kramer (The Cooler) really struck paydirt with his gritty and disturbing Running Scared. Paul Walker ascends to heights heretofore unseen. He is very believable in the role and you never doubt him for a second. But it's Vera Farmiga, as Walker's wife, who really commands and holds your attention. She is breathtaking in the role, as a harried Jersey housewife who summons strength when she needs to...and boy does she ever, especially in one scene.
I implore you to seek this film out. It's a damn shame that shit like the Pink Panther remake can make money hand over fist yet amazing gems like Running Scared get ignored and then they come out on DVD and people ask me, "Why didn't I hear about this awesome movie?" Well, dumb fuck, if you paid attention you'd have known.
Running Scared is brutal, intense, and doesn't let up from frame one. I can't wait to see what Wayne Kramer does next.
that's my Oscar prediction ratio, in the renowned categories. I *so* should have gone to Vegas or done some betting. I'd have made a decent cent or two.
Well, another Oscar night has come and gone. After what seemed like eons, all of the awards have been handed out and conservatives can sleep easy knowing that hordes of gay sheep herders aren't going to rampage through their town.
Bill O'Reilly, however, is somewhere with his blood boiling that the phrase "Academy Award Winner George Clooney" is now a truth. And Clooney's acceptance speech was a great "fuck you" to conservatives everywhere.
Onto the awards...the rest of my thoughts follow...
Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role
George Clooney, Syriana
Achievement In Visual Effects
King Kong
Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
Wallace & Gromit In The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit
Best Live Action Short Film
Six Shooter
Best Animated Short Film
The Moon and The Son: An Imagined Conversation
Achievement In Costume Design
Memoirs of a Geisha
Achievement In Makeup
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Best Documentary Short Subject
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin
Best Documentary Feature
March of the Penguins
Achievement In Art Direction
Memoirs of a Geisha
Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Score)
Brokeback Mountain
Achievement In Sound Mixing
King Kong
Achievement In Music Written For Motion Pictures (Original Song)
"It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" From Hustle & Flow
Achievement In Sound Editing
King Kong
Best Foreign Language Film Of The Year
Tsotsi
Achievement In Film Editing
Crash
Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Achievement In Cinematography
Memoirs of a Geisha
Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
Reese Witherspoon, Walk The Line
Adapted Screenplay
Brokeback Mountain
Original Screenplay
Crash
Achievement In Directing
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Best Motion Picture of the Year
Crash
Good for Hoffman, Weisz, Nick Park & the gang at Aardman Animation. Gustavo Santaolalla's work on Brokeback Moutain was richly deserving of an Oscar and I'm glad the Academy agreed. Robert Elswit's cinematography for good night, and good luck. was sadly overlooked. Applause and kudos also go to Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana for their wins for the screenplay for Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee's award for Best Director was a lock and was also Oscar-worthy.
Reese Witherspoon = yawn times twelve. As usual the Academy loves it when actresses campaign and talk about their devotion to their role. So couple that with her new lease on life as the new title-holder "America's Sweetheart" and Reese Witherspoon was a lock to win Best Actress. This is much like when Horse Teeth - oh, I'm sorry, I meant Julia Roberts - won for the vastly overrated Erin Brockovich. Ellen Burstyn deserved that for Requiem for a Dream and we *all* know it. This year's Oscar in the category belonged to Keira Knightley but they never reward actresses who haven't had a lengthy career which is just stupid. So a big award goes to a mediocre actress for a mediocre role in a mediocre film...Jon Stewart *is* right...Walk The Line is just Ray with white people.
Jon Stewart was incredible as host. He managed to pull it off with aplomb and style. They'll never have him back of course, as he was too far over the heads of alot of clueless offal in the crowd. He also razzed the people in the theater in a dry, deprecating manner, which they never appreciate. Next year we'll be treated to the same staid mediocrity. Billy Crystal, Steve Martin - get those tuxes ready.
As I very accurately predicted, Crash was the dark horse here, pulling out the win for Best Picture. People thought I was crazy for joining those that saw the last minute push, the renewed interest, and the writing on the wall. But 9,000+ Crash DVDs (distributed by Lionsgate to Academy members between the nominations being announced & the voting deadline) later, here we are. The liver-spotted elder Academy members (and to be fair, some younger ones, presumably) decided not to reward a haunting, poetic film about love denied and instead gave the pinnacle award to a film that was not by any means the best of the year.
Unlike some, I am not anti-Crash. I saw the film in the theater upon its initial release last May. I liked it then, I like it now. But it just seems that Crash won after months of public surmising that the Academy was not looking for a fight by giving Brokeback Best Picture. Mark my words, had the Academy Awards been held a month ago, Brokeback would have won. But they weren't. To the victor go the spoils. Oh well. Despite it all, at least Brokeback can still be called "an Academy Award-winning film". And no matter what anyone says, Brokeback is still a better film than Crash.
So sleep well, conservatives. The boogeyman you so stupidly fear isn't coming to redecorate your house.
Brokeback Mountain is still a powerful love story, one whose story will resonate through time as a masterpiece of virtuoso filmmaking. And just looking at all of the films nominated in major categories brings a smile to one's face - they're all extremely well-made pieces of exemplary art that personify and encapsulate the very heart and essence that make movies a powerful and transformative medium.
I look forward to what's in store for us on this year's silver screen and I can't wait to see what will be honored at next year's Academy Awards.
As usual, I'll post what *will* win and what I think *should* win.Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading RolePhilip Seymour Hoffman, Capote
Terrence Howard, Hustle & Flow
Heath Ledger, Brokeback MountainDavid Strathairn, good night, and good luck.
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk The LineI just saw Walk The Line last night and while technically proficient and *very* well done, it felt more like a condensed travelogue of Johnny Cash's life, with extended music videos throughout. That said, Phoenix was great as The Man In Black. Heath Ledger was masterful as the grizzled sheephand and Strathairn became Murrow. Sadly, this award is locked down for one man alone. I really wish Terrence Howard would get this, as until I saw Hustle & Flow I was rooting for Hoffman. But Howard's electrifying performance outshines all others in this category. Unfortunately that matters not to Oscar voters, so they'll stick with the status quo which is a damn shame.
WILL WIN: Philip Seymour Hoffman
SHOULD WIN: Terrence Howard
Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role
George Clooney, Syriana
Matt Dillon, Crash
Paul Giamatti, Cinderella Man
Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain
William Hurt, A History of Violence
This category has come down to two contenders: will Clooney's on-point performance as a grizzled, worn-out CIA agent pull a win here or will Dillon's racist cop get the nod? crash has recaptured alot of its buzz from earlier this year so Matt Dillon may have a chance. But I think Clooney's other nominations will be ignored in favor of this category.
WILL WIN: George Clooney
SHOULD WIN: George Clooney
Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role
Judi Dench, Mrs. Henderson Presents
Felicity Huffman, Transamerica
Keira Knightley, Pride & Prejudice
Charlize Theron, North Country
Reese Witherspoon, Walk The Line
I've yet to see Transamerica (it *just* started playing here today...gotta love the superficial theaters here - only run them once they get the Oscar noms) but I hear Felicity Huffman is a revelation. I hate to say it but the others are slot-fillers as again the Oscar voters will gather around one young lady from Memphis and reward her for bringing to life a strong musician. While very well-done, I was not impressed with the performance as a whole and it just seemed like I've seen her play that role before. In a perfect world, Keira Knightley's wonderfully brilliant role would take the Oscar gold here but it's early yet in her career. Even though this will be much like when Horse Teeth (I'm sorry - Julia Roberts) won for the vastly overrated Erin Brockovich, Ryan Phillippe's wife needs to start clearing mantle space now.
WILL WIN: Reese Witherspoon
SHOULD WIN: Keira Knightley
Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role
Amy Adams, Junebug
Catherine Keener, Capote
Frances McDormand, North Country
Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener
Michelle Williams, Brokeback Mountain
You want to know what's sad? I've had a screener VHS tape of Junebug for about two months now. But I just haven't had the time to watch it. I will do that before Sunday, mark my words. I was very happy to see Amy Adams get a nomination, as I love left-field nominations. The other three actresses were great. I simply think Rachel Weisz will get the win here, for her luminescent work as the passionate activist. It's much deserved. I would *love* to see Amy Adams get it, simply because I've enjoyed her work over the years and to see an acceptance speech by her would be wonderful.
WILL WIN: Rachel Weisz
SHOULD WIN: Amy Adams
Best Animated Feature Film Of The Year
Howl's Moving Castle
Tim Burton's Corpse Bride
Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Burton's macabre tale was gothic eye-candy but with more plot than this previous stop-motion effort and therefore alot more enjoyable, with a great score and songs by Danny Elfman. Miyazaki already won for Spirited Away a few years ago. Nick Park and the gang at Aardman Studios have already impressed Oscar enough with their wins for their shorts in the early '90s so Oscar will return the favor yet again.
WILL WIN: Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
SHOULD WIN: Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Achievement In Art Direction
good night, and good luck.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
Pride & Prejudice
James Bissell's staggeringly devoted job recreating the 1950s-era CBS was nothing short of breathtaking. But I feel that loud, garish tones will sadly win the day here.
WILL WIN: King Kong
SHOULD WIN: good night, and good luck.
Achievement In Cinematography
Batman Begins
Brokeback Mountain
good night, and good luck
Memoirs of a Geisha
The New World
This is the rare case in which conventional wisdom might win out, to which I would not mind in this instance. Wally Pfister's great work bringing to life the visual scope of Gotham City was done masterfully. But Robert Elswit really captured the essence of George Clooney's film, so much so you could practically smell the Pall Malls wafting through the air.
WILL WIN: good night, and good luck
SHOULD WIN: good night, and good luck
Achievement In Costume Design
Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
Memoirs of a Geisha
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Pride & Prejudice
Walk The Line
The melted gumdrop designs of Willy Wonka's world might squeak out a win here but we all know how much Oscar loves period pieces and the clothing of classic Britain will edge out an award all their own, every time. Jacqueline Durran managed to make the costumes moveable and true to the era of their making.
WILL WIN: Pride & Prejudice
SHOULD WIN: Pride & Prejudice
Achievement In Directing
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain
Bennett Miller, Capote
Paul Haggis, Crash
George Clooney, good night, and good luck.
Steven Spielberg, Munich
If Clooney did not snag the supporting Oscar, he could be the dark horse here. Spielberg is always here, like a friend who crashes on your couch but refuses to leave. This is Ang Lee's all the way and deservedly so.
WILL WIN: Ang Lee
SHOULD WIN: Ang Lee
Best Documentary Feature
Darwin's Nightmare
Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
March of the Penguins
Murderball
Street Fight
With so much corporate and political wrong-doing going on these days (hell, when *isn't* it?), a win here for Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room would be great. I've also heard that Murderball is a stellar documentary and it could be the dark horse in this contest. But with a massive marketing push, a bigger-than-expected box office, and a family audience that came out in droves, expect the citizens of the North Pole to waddle away with an Oscar.
WILL WIN: March of the Penguins
SHOULD WIN: Enron: The Smartest Guys In The Room
FILM EDITING
The award will go to Crash. It *should* go to The Constant Gardener for Claire Simpson did a masterful job with the non-linear storytelling this narrative provides, bringing it all into focus with remarkable clarity.
Best Foreign Language Film
Don't Tell
Joyeux Noel
Paradise Now
Sophie Scholl - The Final Days
Tsotsi
Just three months ago, I would have said that Paradise Now with its tale of two suicide bombers in Palestine would have won. But significant praise and acclaim have slowly been buiding behind South Africa's Tsotsi
WILL WIN: Tsotsi
SHOULD WIN: Tsotsi
Achievement In Makeup
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe
Cinderella Man
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Seeing as how there's only one film in which makeup played an extensive part, you could pick this winner blindfolded.
WILL WIN: The Chronicles of Narnia
SHOULD WIN: The Chronicles of Narnia
Achievement In Music
Brokeback Mountain
The Constant Gardener
Memoirs of a Geisha
Munich
Pride & Prejudice
Staid complacency will ensure that John Williams will not cancel himself out. Gustavo Santaolalla's haunting score for Brokeback Mountain deserves this reward, however.
WILL WIN: Memoirs of a Geisha
SHOULD WIN: Brokeback Mountain
Original Song
"In The Deep" (crash)
"Travelin' Thru" (Transamerica)
"It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" (Hustle & Flow)
Dolly will take the cake here.
WILL WIN:"Travelin' Thru"
SHOULD WIN: "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp"
Achievement In Sound Editing
King Kong
Memoirs of a Geisha
War of the Worlds
The loud roars of his acceptance speech via satellite from Skull Island can already be heard.
WILL WIN: King Kong
SHOULD WIN: King Kong
Sound Mixing - King Kong
Visual Effects - Some are guessing Narnia but this one will go to King Kong.
Adapted Screenplay
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
The Constant Gardener
A History of Violence
Munich
There is no contest here. Diana Ossana and Larry McMurtry took Anniel Proulx's story and turned it into the most romantic and moving love story of the year.
WILL WIN: Brokeback Mountain
SHOULD WIN: Brokeback Mountain
Original Screenplay
Crash
good night, and good luck
Match Point
The Squid and the Whale
Syriana
This is historically the consolation prize for whatever doesn't get Best Picture (witness Sofia Coppola's win for Lost in Translation). I'd love to see Noah Baumbach get recognized for his bitter divorce piece. Stephen Gaghan did a great job with Syriana. Clooney and Grant Heslov also were awesome with good night, and good luck. But this one's sewn up by Bobby Moresco and Paul Haggis. Match Point, IMHO, should win here. It deserved far more nominations.
WILL WIN: Crash
SHOULD WIN: Match Point
Best Motion Picture Of The Year
Brokeback Mountain
Capote
Crash
good night, and good luck
Munich
And now we come to the top category. All were good films, yet Crash has lost some of its shine for me. I did not see Munich but that's not even remotely an option (see my Spielberg analogy earlier). Hoffman will get rewarded for Capote, and Clooney will pick up an Oscar elsewhere. Brokeback Mountain so richly deserves this award. But with deep, deep sadness I fear that Crash has managed to gain more steam as time has worn on and I think it's going to eke out a win here. I sincerely hope I'm wrong. I really want to see Brokeback Mountain producer James Schamus up on that stage with an Oscar in his hand when this envelope is opened.
WILL WIN: Crash
SHOULD WIN: Brokeback Mountain
And with that, I'm going to get ready for work.
BRILLIANT.
Off to read Sarah Vowell's Assassination Vacation before I go to bed. I just got it at Barnes & Noble tonight. I also plan to procure the graphic novel (paperback version, thank you very much; I'll not spend $30 for the hardcover) V for Vendetta to read in advance of the film version opening March 17th.
Go see Match Point. It's a truly amazing film, full of great writing and precise, well-defined characters and it's restored my faith in the transcendent power of really great cinema.
I got up at 7:45 this morning and just could *not* go back to sleep. So I got up, ate three bowls of Froot Loops, made some coffee and had a cup, and am just relaxing at present.
I received part of my income tax return early this morning. I plan to catch up on my movie-going, purchase Stephen King's new novel Cell, and perhaps pick up several DVDs, many of them hopefully from The Criterion Collection, like this one:
and this one...
and...
I'm most looking forward to The Criterion Collection's release of Richard Linklater's brilliant 1993 film Dazed and Confused. It's been crying for a special edition DVD release and the people at The Criterion Collection redefine the term "special edition DVD". I can't wait.
Also on the schedule is me picking up several CDs. I've already made mention of The White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan, which won a Grammy the other night for Best Alternative Rock Album. But the main titles I'll be procuring are the following...
The Elected - Sun, Sun, Sun
And then there are, of course, the 9,371 movies that are currently unspooling in theatres that I wish to see. Match Point, The New World, Underworld: Evolution, Firewall, The Matador, Walk The Line, and Final Destination 3 are at the top of my list. Munich is no longer playing in the area so DVD here I come, I guess. And then a nice dinner or two may be in the cards. All in all, I'm going to treat myself (and my mother) but I'm going to try not to blow all of this cash in a wild spending frenzy. I want to have some money saved up for a rainy day.
I'm off today, work 4-close tomorrow, and then am off Sunday. Then factor in TiVo being stuffed to the gills as well and I've got alot on my plate.
Tonight is the season finale (as they're calling it and I hope that statement is true) for Arrested Development, a 2-hour send off in which FOX basically washes their hands of the series, airing it against the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Justine Bateman co-stars as Jason Bateman's character's sister. I sincerely hope that Showtime picks the show up; c'mon Mitchell Hurwitz - keep this wicked piece of brilliance alive! PLEASE!
UPN.com hosted yet another online webchat/call-in show with E! Entertainment Television's Kristen Veitch and Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas yesterday. I will be viewing that later, of course. If you've not feasted on the bounty that is Veronica Mars, then do so immediately. Television is rarely this good.
I'm off from work, about to watch an episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! on TiVo, and just ate a grilled cheese sandwich and Chef Boyardee spaghetti. If we don't get some food in this house ASAP, I'm going to go crazy! C'mon paycheck and tax return, get here soon!
Ron & Fez have been brilliantly hilarious. I'd stopped listening for a bit but I think I'll start listening more frequently.
I'll have my Academy Award thoughts and more up soon.
In one of the most unexpected developments in television history, the industry was given quite the shock yesterday. What shock, you may ask? One simple math problem...
PLUS
EQUALS...
CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment Form New 5th Broadcast Network - The CW
The above article details it all. CBS Corporation will own 50% of The CW, Warner Bros. Entertainment will own the other 50%.
That's right. As of September UPN and The WB will be no more. I think that this is a *truly* stellar idea, as both networks were simply fighting for the same viewers and now they'll be able to successfully compete against the other four TV networks. Limited coverage for both UPN and The WB hindered the success of each network; The CW will be available in 95% of the country, making the new fifth network a much greater threat competition-wise to the other networks.
As for programming, thankfully Veronica Mars and Supernatural have made the cut; nothing's formal yet but all press releases tout that both shows will be on The CW. And with gilmore girls rumored to be airing before Veronica Mars, I think Veronica Mars will finally get the audience it's been desperately needing.
I'm really happy and excited about this development and hope to see some really cool shows when The CW unveils its Fall 2006 lineup at the upfronts this May.
Tribune Broadcasting-owned WB stations will become affiliates of The CW; other cities that have CBS Corporation-owned UPN affiliates will become affiliates of The CW.
As for my city, we have via our cable provider Comcast WBVH WB 15 (Channel 15 on cable), a part of The WB 100+ (a cable-only WB station provided for TV markets below #100. It's through a contract between the local cable company and Time Warner). We also have WGSA/UPN 34 (cable channel 13), a low-power UPN affiliate. It started out as WUBI, an affiliate of The WB until early 1997. Now with the creation of The CW, I have little doubt that WGSA will become an independent station. I just hope that they don't recant their UPN affiliation before September, as I need my "Veronica Mars" fix. When they do go indie, I hope they'll play cool movies. So yeah, I think The WB 100+ will just become The CW 100+.
As far as the future, I have DIRECTV and as such, will receive The CW via Tribune's WBZL out of Miami come September.
I've really been looking forward to seeing this film. Today at 4:00, I will finally get a chance to. It's playing at Regal's Savannah 10, usually the only place to actually screen arthouse movies here although Carmike's Wynnsong 11 *is* playing Brokeback Mountain. That's a rare occurrence, as Wynnsong hardly ever plays anything remotely resembling an indie/arthouse film.
There are ALOT of good movies out now that I want to see: Tristan & Isolde, Walk The Line, Munich, Underworld: Evolution, and Casanova. I sincerely hope that we get Woody Allen's new film Match Point very soon and by that I mean I hope it gets alot of Oscar nominations on January 31st. If it doesn't it won't expand past its current theater count and that would suck. I also hope New Line Cinema continues to roll out Terrence Malick's The New World as I've been anxious to see that for many months now. I've said it before and I'll say it again - someone really needs to get off their ass and open an arthouse theater in Savannah! It really pisses me off to only get artistic films here in short bursts and if one doesn't leap like a gazelle to the theater in time, the films are pulled to make room for some lame teen comedy or overblown kiddie film to take up 3,000 screens. Was anyone really clamoring loudly for Big Momma's House 2?. Carmike 10 on Stephenson Avenue started to back in the early/mid '90s - they designated one of their screens as "The Screening Room" and always booked arthouse films. I remember seeing their newspaper listing for Trainspotting back in 1996. But after they rebuilt their theaters with stadium seating in late 1998, "The Screening Room" vanished.
But I digress.
Let's look at The Coligny Theater in neighboring Hilton Head, SC. The last week or two they played Michaelangelo Antonioni's long-lost film, The Passenger. This purported '70s gem stars Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider, when she was fresh off of the controversial Bertolucci film Last Tango In Paris. They're now showing Rodrigo Garcia's follow-up to his films Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her and Ten Tiny Love Stories, Nine Stories. Nine Stories has garnered considerable critical acclaim, landing a spot on Roger Ebert's Top Ten Films of 2005 list.
THIS is what we need in Savannah, DAMMIT! I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired! Someone with considerable bank needs to put the wheels in motion and get something going! People need to stop getting scared and/or kowtowing to the stranglehold SCAD (that's Savannah College of Art and Design, for those not in the know; they own all of downtown practically...old theaters, buildings, etc.) has on anything creative in the Historic District. They're not going to open one, as that would infringe on their overhyped and far-too-exclusive Film Festival they hold every year.
As much as I'd love to see something like this on the Southside of Savannah, it'd never fly. There's a Media Play store that's operated in that area since 1995 and is soon closing (as are all Media Play stores). It'd be very cool to see a several screen arthouse theater open, complete with a cafe and/or small restaurant. But the sad reality is quite sobering: the cretins and slack-jawed imbeciles that comprise the surrounding area would never frequent said establishment, as their tastes are far too low on the Darwinian scale to ever want to sit through Francois Ozon's latest film, never enjoy a retrospective of the brilliant and before its time 1968 Malcolm McDowell thriller ...if. These people would much rather let the numbing opiate of a Rob Schneider film deaden their minds and it's a sad statement, a rather alarming reminder of how far we've fallen. When more people vote in the glorified karaoke contest that is American Idol than those that vote in a presidential election, you know the minutiae of vapid conformity has finally won over intelligent articulation and thought-provoking art.
Only if this theatre was placed downtown would it cull favor with its intended audience, that is if SCAD didn't try to close it. Some can laugh and wonder why a college would want to do that. I've already made my case as to why. It's depressing beyond the telling of it. There's a very palpable hunger for something of this nature and if someone would step up to the plate and feed it, they'd get accolades from the entire community. I see a demand to be met here and NO ONE HAS ANY GODDAMN SENSE to do anything about it. I don't give a flying fuck if it's a little two-screen affair in a closet with little to no ambience - as long as it can bring this city the independent films it so richly deserves on a regular basis and keep me and the rest of its audience sated, I'll be fine. And yes, Virginia, I guarantee this enterprise would make money.
It appears until someone wakes the hell up and realizes the potential gold mine they're sitting on, we'll be stuck with one-offs at our local multiplex. I'm glad Regal is trying but it seems that we never get a consistent batch of arthouse titles unless it's Oscar season. I sincerely hope that changes soon.
Yes. SCI FI actually pulled their heads out of their asses and will begin airing the new series of Doctor Who this March. The show is set to return with a new actor as The Doctor on BBC One in the next few months. Hopefully SCI FI will pick up the rights for that season as well. I've never seen any of the series and have heard that this new incarnation is the best. I can't wait to see it! Here's the press release, straight from SCI FI's own Sci-Fi Wire at SCIFI.COM:
SCI FI To Air New "Doctor Who"
Perhaps now SCI FI will start airing this and the spin-off, Torchwood, and maybe, just maybe, they can bring some actual sci-fi back to their airwaves. Aside from Battlestar Galactica, I hardly ever watch the channel and if they keep in the direction they're going with this Doctor Who pickup, I'll be happy and watching alot more.
I'm about to head to bed. But first, a subtle reminder...tonight the clock starts ticking all over again...
JACK IS BACK.
That's right, the most suspenseful show on television, the one that redefines the term "appointment television" returns with two nights of nail-biting tension. The series will then resume its normal timeslot, Mondays at 9PM Eastern all the way through the season finale. I have to make sure I make my hours at work (since I'm full-time I have to maintain a set number of hours) so I'm going in this afternoon of my own volition from 4-7 to run tapes. I will be home in time to watch 24! I'll also have to TiVo the Golden Globes tomorrow, as 24 is paramount over that awards ceremony. Don't get me wrong - I love the Golden Globes. It's just that 24 is, well, 24.
I purchased Morningwood's debut album at Best Buy yesterday for the awesome price of $6.99. It's stellar, a really great album full of energetic punk-edged pop and rock tunes. I'll post a proper review in the very near future.
Sony to singer: Whoa, Nellie!
The above article is from The Boston Herald. I was very ecstatic for Nellie McKay's (pronounced Mick-i) sophomore release, Pretty Little Head. Her debut album, Get Away From Me, was amazing. On its release I said that Nellie McKay "is an amazing virtuoso who blends '40s piano with a edgy, slightly profane sense of female empowerment and it makes for a heady buzz of musical heaven."
The new album features duets from McKay and great singers like k.d. lang and Cyndi Lauper, was due for release on the 3rd of this month, and had already been sent to and reviewed by music magazines like SPIN and Blender. They raved about the album. Guess what? Sony wanted a truncated album with less songs. Nellie said no. Now this amazing angel of the lyrical word is labeless. This is so lame. I really hope that this album gets released ASAP. I hate this very much.
The debut self-titled album from Morningwood was released yesterday (since it's now Wednesday). You simply must go buy this! They're the best band out now, with a dynamic lead singer in Chantal Claret. Visit their website at MorningwoodRocks.com.
And as if that's not enough...
Rilo Kiley lead singer Jenny Lewis's debut CD will be released on the 24th. I can't wait! Finally some music I can really enjoy. I barely own any CDs and need to start getting more. With these two releases, I can confidently begin amassing new titles. I still need to get Rilo Kiley's two other CDs, Take-Offs and Landings and The Execution Of All Things. Indie rock is alive and well and we should all do our part in supporting great music when we hear it. THIS is the future of rock, not worn-out claptrap like Nickelback or Shinedown or 3 Doors Down, lame corporate rock that all sounds the same.
I think I'll see Walk The Line this weekend.
No Democrats took *any* money from Jack Abramoff. The claim that the Jack Abramoff bribing scandal is a non-partisan issue is a lie. Click the link below.Rich Lowry ExplainsI apologize for falling for the trap the media's been laying down for and setting up.Wow, those ScAlito hearings are something, huh? Watching this man outright lie and try to obfuscate critical details of his past doings is quite interesting. Trying to distance yourself from a group you were a part of at Princeton that selectively excluded women and minorities and your wanting to overturn Roe v. Wade, among other things, is crazy stuff. Head on over to the best damn blog on the Internet, Daily Kos, at DailyKos.com for more info and commentary on the whole ScAlito affair. This bastard cannot get confirmed; otherwise it's back-alley abortions and racial discrimination, plus civil liberties will be rolled back (yes, I know they're already listening to our phone calls) even further than you can imagine.
I'd heard alot about this 1988 horror film. Way back in the early '90s, I used to devour movie guides (VideoHound, Ebert, Maltin). You name it, I'd buy it. Remember folks, this was *before* IMDb and the Internet was available to everyone. I can recall reading reviews of this and wanting badly to see it. Unfortunately, it's been out-of-print forever and ever and was only released for a very short time on VHS back in the late '80s. So imagine my delight when I was perousing my TiVo for horror movies and this movie popped up! I'd planned to TiVo its airing at 4:35AM on The Movie Channel's West Coast feed, but instead watched the 1:35AM airing on The Movie Channel. I'll still TiVo this and then transfer that to tape later.After more than a decade, I can safely say that William Wesley's Scarecrows is a creepy horror film that is immensely enjoyable. Military deserters steal $3.5 million from the Federal Reserve and hijack a plane. One of their crew splits...well parachutes....away with the money. The rest of them decide to follow. They discover an abandoned, condemned house with nothing around for miles except a very large cornfield and...dozens of scarecrows.The film is very well-written, evenly paced, and features some of the scariest-looking scarecrows I've ever seen, plus great cinematography from Peter Deming (who's gone on to lens such films as David Lynch's Mullholland Drive, i heart huckabees, The Jacket, Scream 2, Scream 3, From Hell and the recently released Rumor Has It...)The budget for this film was not that large; however, the makeup and costumes for the straw-filled villains are quite disturbing. Seek this puppy out if ever you get the chance. It's worth the effort.Interestingly enough, fresh episodes of The WB's horror series Supernatural returned tonight. The series follows two brothers who are in search of their father. He seeks out occult and supernatural occurrences and his sons are following in his footsteps while remaining on his path. Tonight's episode featured the boys contacting their dad, who tells them to stop looking for him and head to a town where people are being sacrificed in a pagan ritual. The episode is titled "Scarecrow" and features possessed scarecrows. That's currently housed on TiVo.I saw Hostel on Friday. It was quite good. Eli Roth has certainly grown up since his debut feature Cabin Fever. I look forward to the sequel as Lionsgate (all one word now) has given a green light for one after Hostel took in $20.1 million this past weekend.
I also saw Brokeback Mountain. WOW! I'm fairly certain this movie's going to sweep the Oscars. Heath Ledger will get nominated as Ennis, no doubt about it.
Ang Lee has always been an amazing director and he really managed to outdo himself with Brokeback Mountain.
It was a quiet, elegant film with a sad undercurrent. The two wanted so bad to be together yet kept subscribing to the lives they'd been taught to live, hurting others in the process. The scene where Ennis finds Jack's shirt is just *so* full of pain and sorrow.
Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway (a long way from The Princess Diaries) also did stellar work.
Brokeback Mountain is the one of the very best films of 2005. I will confidently state that I believe it will be nominated for and win the Oscar for Best Picture and deservedly so. Hopefully, capote and some of the other Oscar hopefuls will get some play here soon. Noah Baumbach's The Squid and the Whale will screen at The Lucas Theatre this Sunday; I may just go. It's part of the Reel Savannah Film Group's film series.
I also hope to see director Kevin Reynold's (Waterworld) latest film Tristan and Isolde. Starring James Franco and Sophia Myles, the movie takes place after the fall of the Roman Empire. English orphan Tristan meets and falls in love with Irish princess Isolde. However, she is set to marry Lord Marke, who raised Tristan. While unaware of her identity, he has won her hand in marriage for his lord and future king of the two countries. But now the passion of the two young people causes a rift leading to a devastating battle. I've heard good things and director Ridley Scott and his director brother Tony produced it.
