Why "Selma" Won't Win

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"Racism is dead in America." ~ Anne Coulter.

By now you should know how I feel about Awards shows in general. Admittedly, I'll watch the Oscars this year, just to see NPH (loved his lunacy on "American Horror Story" this season). Like most Americans, I have seen very few of the nominated movies. I've seen Boyhood (which I didn't care for enough to even bother reviewing) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (which I did review and honestly wanted to like more than I did). With the exception of Birdman, I honestly have no interested in seeing the other nominated films. Not that you shouldn't see them or that they shouldn't be seen. And while I guess if was a professional critic, I would have seen them all, but probably grumbled about seeing more than one. Oddly, the rest of the nominees are all biopics... American Sniper; The Imitation Game; The Theory of Everything; Whiplash and Selma are all real-life stories. Fictionalized, of course, for dramatic interest. 

But it is Selma in particular, which seems to have generated the most controversy. First, it was reported that the movie was historically inaccurate and portrays Lyndon Johnson as opposed Dr. King's march in Alabama and the Voting Rights Act. And then the Oscar nominations came out. And while Selma is nominated for Best Picture, not one of its cast were nominated. In fact, not a single person of color was nominated in any performance category. Not a single Black, Latino, Asian or multiracial person on the list! No Inuit; Pacific Islanders; Native Americans; Maori or Aboriginals, either. That's just... I mean, how does a film get nominated for Best Picture, without a single nomination for any actor that's in it or the director who made it? One might also ask how The Color Purple didn't win a single one of its 11 nominations. Or why Brokeback Mountain lost to Crash. Oh, wait, wasn't Crash about racism? Sure, but in a really awful, hit-you-over-the-head way that went way out it's way to prove a point. Plus, it didn't have any icky man-on-man kissing. 

Hollywood, that supposed bastion of liberal hedonism, is racist, sexist and homophobic. Now, I know I'm not saying anything new here. But the Oakland Tribune headline up on the right just put it so succinctly and hilariously, that I had to comment, especially when the country is about to enjoy a three-day weekend in celebration of Dr. King's birthday. It's like the Academy voters are saying "We like the idea of civil rights; we just don't like the people who are asking for them."

Selma doesn't have a chance of winning Best Picture on February 22nd. Because the more things seem to change, the more they stay the same. 

For what it's worth, here are the trailers for this year's Best Picture nominees:

















So, I guess... Yay, White People!? Ugh! Oh, and by the way... F*ck You, Anne Coulter!

Uncle P used to participate in a charitable event every MLK weekend as my Day of Service, but they and I parted ways a while ago and I focused my volunteering on the JTMF. Of course, JTMF is all but dead (only our Facebook page remains), though a last gasp may be at hand with a project I'll be talking about (and directing again!) soon.

If you are lucky enough to be off, enjoy your holiday. Don't feel obligated to do a Day of Service because it's MLK Day. You should always fee obligated to do service whenever you can. But if you need a special day for it, so be it. 

More anon,
Prospero

A Day Late and a Dollar Short: An Oscars Post-Mortem

Nipple with a Z

I didn't get to the movies last year nearly as much as I wanted and usually do. A lot of that had to do with Mom's declining health and passing. Much of it had to do with the fact that there was very little to get excited about, this year. The only Best Picture nominee I saw was Gravity, and while it was the best movie Uncle P saw all year, that's not saying much. And honestly, I had little interest in seeing the other nominees. That's not saying they weren't excellent films, but I don't always want a life-lesson when I see a movie. I just want to be transported from reality for 90 to 120 minutes, forgetting about the problems of the real world for just a little while. Of course, the really great movies, IMHO, are the ones that can do both. Pan's Labyrinth springs to mind. I'm sure that 12 Years a Slave is a very good film. I just don't want to spend two hours watching another person suffer.

Of course, most people watching the Oscars feel the same way. It isn't about who or what wins or why. It's about the accompanying sideshow. Who wore or said or did what? What outrageous thing happened that's trending on Twitter. Travolta said what? Did Ellen just call Liza a tranny? Are Liza's nips really that huge? Did you see Kim Novak's face? Ellen ordered pizza? How wacky! 

And in what is both the funniest and saddest moment of this year's Overblown Ego-fest, Scientologist and alleged masseur molester John Travolta forever cemented his 'Oscars Fail' when he introduced Broadway star Idina Menzel as "Adele Dazeem." 

Is it any wonder poor Ms Menzel botched her performance of a song every little girl (and some big girls and boys) knows by heart after listening to the Frozen soundtrack for the 12,367th time? No pressure there, eh? Pink, however, managed to not only show up in a gorgeous red-sequined gown that was deliberately reminiscent of Dorothy's ruby slippers, but then fearlessly took on an iconic song which she managed to own! Brava!

Then there's the obsession with the celebrities' fashions. First, why didn't Lorna Luft tell her sister to wear a bra? Everyone else looked nice, I suppose. I wondered if Cate Blanchet's dress was designed by Tesla, though I thought Idina Menzel, Lupita Nyong'o and Camila Alves looked particularly stunning. Jared Leto's hair bothered some folks I know. I was just pleased that he finally acknowledged all the people living with and who have died from AIDS, unlike co-star Matthew McConaughey, who rambled on like the weirdo he appears to be. No one was surprised by Gravity grabbing all the technical awards, or by Frozen winning both awards for which it was nominated (I must admit. "Let It Go" has become a personal anthem, of late). 

Mostly, as for the past too many years, there wasn't a single surprise or upset. I didn't do a predictions post this year, but I should have. We all would have won our office pools had I done so. When the Oscars are that predictable, it's time to stop watching. 

Though there were a few things I liked:

Maybe I'm just too old and jaded to care anymore. As a life-long movie lover, that makes me kind of sad...

More, anon.

Prospero

Last Words on this Topic

Okay, so maybe I was a bit premature. But I did say I'd post if something came up. And something actually has sort of blown up all over social media and I couldn't express everything I had to say about it in short bursts and comments on other people's timelines.

I'm sure you have figured out what I'm going to talk about from the the GrumpyCat meme pic I've posted to your right.

Uncle P's first experience seeing The Sound of Music was at a drive-in with Mom and my sister. I don't remember how old I was. It was certainly before the VHS boom of the late-70's and popular movies were often re-released to theatres many years after their initial runs. Mom thought we'd like it, so off the three of us went. That's almost all I really remember about it. I think I liked it. I do remember Mom telling us about a friend of hers who had left after the wedding scene (long movies often had intermissions) because she thought it was over. And unlike Mary Poppins,* it didn't make my sister cry because Mary left the Banks children. It undoubtedly had an influence on me. I have sung 'Edelweiss' for more auditions than almost any other song. And yes, it's old-school, Rogers and Hammerstein cheese. In fact, one of their cheesiest. But the film is a classic for so many reasons, Ms. Andrews' and Mr. Plummer's performances among the least of them. There is Robert Wise's amazing direction; the stunning scenery and photography; gorgeous period costumes and a score filled with songs that literally everyone in the Western world recognizes, if not knows the lyrics to. The movie is so beloved, that President Reagan rather infamously retreated from a G7 Summit which he was hosting, in order to watch it on TV.

You obviously think you know where this is going, but bear with me.

NBC presented an adaptation of the stage version of the show (in which Broadway legend Mary Martin originated the role of Maria) last Thursday. Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere in general exploded with both negative and positive reviews, comments and what one of my Facebook friends called a "Snarknado." To be honest, I had no intention of watching it. Don't get me wrong - I've performed in my fair share of R&H shows - they are staples of high school and community theatre. I played Emile in South Pacific my senior year in high school. But give me Sondheim; Schwartz; Kander & Ebb; Rado & Ragni or Parker & Stone, anytime. Especially when it comes to a show like The Sound of Music, which is far better suited for the screen than the stage.

The night it aired, I caught about a total of 30 minutes or so, starting with "My Favorite Things." Not wanting to gawk at the the train wreck, I caught subsequent sections while moving between programs I had DVR'd earlier in the week. I witnessed unsuppressed accents; breathy singing; some really bad acting and even worse dialogue; anachronistic costumes and some pretty crappy sets.

What I did not see, was a Musical Theatre production. There was no live audience; no pauses for applause or laughter; no energy reflected back to cast to inspire them. I saw a talented singer with no acting experience thrust into an iconic role which she had no business playing. I saw some amazing actors left adrift and others taking command. And then there was Audra McDonald's stunning rendition of "Climb Every Mountain:"

Yes, so many of my theatre friends want to tout "The Sound of Music Live!" as an introduction to and inspiration for young theatre enthusiasts. And yes, it's wonderful that TV wants to bring us live performances (something NBC already does on SNL). But if you want to bring live theatre to the masses, then really shell out the bucks give them today's live theatre. I would have been glued to a live performance of Wicked or Pippin. Instead, NBC chose a 'safe' musical, did some stunt-casting and hoped Ms Underwood's fans would tune in, And while the ratings were pretty good, the criticism was less than kind, even among mainstream media. Time Magazine's review had this to say: 

"When Carrie Underwood stepped out on the (wooded, not grassy) hills and started singing, I wished the hills were alive with the sound of hungry mountain lions." Ouch!

Trust me, NO ONE believes more in the power of the Performing Arts than Uncle P.  While a poorly produced and woefully miscast production from a rag-tag company in a Podunk town may be perfectly acceptable and delightful, we expect and deserve more from a multimillion dollar production on a major TV network. 

*Speaking of Mary Poppins, I think if I only see one Holiday movie this year (though I hope to see a few), it has to be Saving Mr. Banks:

And in case you're wondering how all of this ties together, please remember that Julie Andrews won her only Oscar for playing... Mary Poppins. My dear dancer friend 'Lizard' and I were lucky enough to see her live in the Broadway production of Victor/Victoria and while she didn't quite have the range for which she was once so renowned, her stage presence alone was enough to make for an unforgettable theatrical event. That, my friends, is why so many of us hated "The Sound of Music Live!" and it's many missed opportunities.

I truly hope this isn't the last time we see such a grand experiment. I just hope it's done right, next time.

Rant over. Break starts now. Really. Unless some other idiotic thing gets stuck in my craw.  << sigh >>

More, anon (I suppose I have to go back that now, too).

Prospero

Big 5 Oscar Picks

Oops! Wrong Oscar!

So, between my mother's most recent health scare and my exhaustion thanks to dealing with it, I really haven't posted much this week. But since tomorrow brings us the 85th Annual Academy Awards, I thought I should at least post my annual picks. 

While I won't apologize for making a joke about Oscar Pistorius, I won't judge him until I hear all the facts (unlike Casey Anthony; Jodi Arias and Drew Peterson). But that's not what tonight's post is about.

Tonight is about the impending Oscars and my picks for the 5 Big Awards (and a few others). As always, I'll be listing What Will Win; What Should Win and the Long Shot. And as always, I'll be asking you not to place any bets based on my picks, because I am never 100% accurate (though I did manage to get most of last year's Big 5 right, if I remember correctly -- and weren't too lazy to go back and look). 

So, without further ado, here are my picks:

Best Actor (Supporting Role):

Who Should Win -- Robert Di Niro in Silver Linings Playbook. Giving his least affected performance in years, Di Niro is simply excellent.

Who Will Win -- Alan Arkin in Argo. Arkin has been around a long time and will win for his body of work.

Long Shot -- Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Master. A simply astonishing performance from one of America's best living actors.

Best Actress (Supporting Role):

Who Should Win -- Sally Field in Lincoln. We really liked her a long time ago. Despite being all wrong as Aunt May in The Amazing Spider-Man, Field is more than just 'good' as Mary Todd Lincoln in Spielberg's biopic.

Who Will Win -- Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables. Her performance, while brief, was the best part of Tom Hooper's misguided adaptation of the stage hit.

Long Shot -- Jacki Weaver in Silver Linings Playbook. Who? The Australian star is completely unknown in the U.S. and very unlikely to win.

Best Actor:

Who Should Win -- Denzel Washington in Flight. Washington was nothing less than amazing as an alcoholic pilot who lands a plane and saves it's passengers against all odds.

Who Will Win -- Daniel Day Lewis in Lincoln. Did anyone doubt they were watching the real Lincoln?

Long Shot -- Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook. Cooper is still young with many great roles ahead of him.

Best Actress:

Who Should Win -- Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook. Lawrence just gets better and better with each film she makes and she shines here.

Who Will Win -- Jessica Chastain in Zero Dark Thirty. As the woman who found Bin Laden, Chastain more than makes up for her performance in the ridiculous Mama.

Long Shot -- Quvenzhane Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild. No child has ever won in this category, despite the 9 year old's brilliant performance.

Best Director:

Who Should Win -- Ang Lee for Life of Pi. Lee won for 2005's Brokeback Mountain, but his singular visual style in Life of Pi (despite the movie's 'spiritual' message) and the performance he gets out of young Suraj Sharma certainly warrant acknowledgement. 

Who Will Win -- Steven Spielberg for Lincoln. Having won for Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg seems to do well with historical drama. 

Long Shot -- Behn Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild. First-time nominees rarely win in this category, no matter how wonderful their films are.

Best Picture:

What Should Win -- Argo. Ben Affleck's dramatization of the 1980 rescue of 6 hostages in Iran is a thrilling and entertaining version of a daring rescue in a very uncertain time in history.

What Will Win -- Argo. Do you really think any other movie has a chance?

Long Shot(s) -- Les Miserables/Amour -- Tom Hooper's tepid musical and Michael Haneke's tale of love among octogenarians both face uphill battles against several much better films.

Other Winners:

Animated Feature:  ParaNorman: The first animated film to feature an openly gay character, director Chris Butler's stop-motion horror comedy may well turn out to be the first animated film in a long time to beat Pixar.

Cinematography: Life of Pi. Quite simply the most gorgeously filmed movie of 2012.

Animated Short: Head Over Heels

Original Song: Hands down - Adele's 'Skyfall' from Skyfall. 

Visual Effects: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Costumes: Anna Karenina

Makeup and Hairstyling: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Original Screenplay: Moonrise Kingdom

Adapted Screenplay: Argo

I'll talk about the awards again, after I've turned them off in boredom half-way through - though I do have high hopes that the adorable host Seth MacFarlane will be amazing enough to keep me watching.

And just as a side note, last November I occupied a 4th row seat in the Dolby Theatre for Cirque du Soliel's Iris. I wonder what celebrity will be planting his or her butt where I planted mine.

More, anon.
Prospero

More Oscar Animation

Nom-Nom-Nom-Nom-Nom-Nom!

As promised, I went and took a look at the remaining Oscar-nominated Animated Shorts and was truly delighted by what I found. Story seemed to be key this year, though clever and voiceless had their place, as well. I've already shared Head Over Heels and the trailer for Disney's CGI/Hand Animation combo, Paperman. I haven't seen The Simpsons: The Longest Daycare (in which Maggie spends a day at the Ayn Rand School for Tots), though I believe Fox is planning on airing it this coming Sunday. 

That leaves Adam and Dog, a sweet mythology about the first man's first best friend:

And Fresh Guacamole, an absurd little stop-motion cooking lesson, of sorts:

And in case you missed it, here's the full version of Paperman:

While I do have a favorite of the four, I'll wait to name it until I've seen The Longest Daycare.

Which of these is your favorite?

More, anon.
Prospero 

Head Over Heels

The older I get, the less I care about entertainment awards shows. When I was a kid, there were only five: The Oscars; The Tonys; The Emmys; The Grammies and sometimes The Golden Globes. It was a big deal when Rita Moreno became the first person ever to win the all of the Big Four. Then came MTV and it all went haywire.  Of course, it still seems to me that awarding prizes for art is just silly. How does one maintain objectivity in such a subjective field? But since we do so award arts and entertainment, and since I'd like to consider myself to be primarily an 'Entertainment' blogger, I guess I should at least comment on them, no?

The Grammys were tonight, hosted by hot rapper/actor LL Cool J. The bastard step-child of awards shows, no one really cares about the Grammy awards anymore (if they ever really did). The general decline in the quality of popular music in the last 30 years makes me sound like my parents complaining about music in the 80's. Of course, we knew enough to appreciate how what came before influenced those who were popular at the time. Today's popular music is boring, repetitive and unoriginal crap. This year's Grammy broadcaster CBS issued a much-reported dress-code memo to invited attendees. I honestly can't wait to see the response.

The Oscars finish the season in a few weeks, and while I've seen several of the nominated films, I haven't seen enough of any of them to make any sort of truly informed opinion,. Curiously, I have now seen two of the films nominated in the Best Animated Short category. The first is from Disney, combining traditional hand-animation with CGI for the sweet and romantic Paperman:

Also nominated is Head Over Heels, a striking stop-motion film about a middle-aged couple who are separated by so much more than just gravity.

I know there is a live-action Sci-Fi-Romance coming out with a similar idea, though I doubt it will have the same emotional impact and commentary as that surprisingly delightful short. I think I need to seek out the other nominees in this category. I'll let you know what I find.

More, anon,
Prospero

Ditto

Whoopi Goldberg and Patrick Swayze

So far we've talked about scary ghost movies and funny ghost movies. I thought it was time to talk about a romantic ghost movie. And they don't get much more romantic than 1990's Ghost, starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg in a role that won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Sam (Swayze) and Molly (Moore) are a young New York couple. He's banker and she's a potter. When Sam discovers a discrepancy at the bank, he confides to his friend Carl (Tony Goldwyn, currently so good as the conflicted  POTUS on ABC's "Scandal"). Carl offers to investigate, but Sam says he'll take care of it. Later that night, on their way home from a date, Sam is gunned down in a botched mugging. But Sam isn't gone. His ghost is still here, learning about his new found afterlife through a series of encounters with other earth-bound spirits, including a rather malevolent NYT subway ghost played by Vincent Schiavelli. While Sam is hanging around the apartment, his killer breaks in, looking for something. Sam freaks out the cat, scaring the killer away. Following the killer, Sam learns that he intends to return and kill Molly, if need be. He also encounters con-artist Oda-Mae (Goldberg), who has been bilking money from people by claiming to talk to the dead. Oda-Mae is freaked out that she can actually hear (though not see) Sam and thinks she's losing her mind. Sam convinces her that he is real and gets her to help him uncover why he was killed (and to contact Molly).

Molly thinks Oda-Mae is trying to scam her, until Sam tells her to tell Molly "Ditto," his answer to Molly's "I love you" and making a penny crawl up the door into Molly's hand. This leads to a weird scene in which Sam possesses Oda-Mae in order to kiss Molly one more time. Eventually, Oda-Mae goes to the bank and with Sam's help, scams them out of the $4M that (SPOILER ALERTS) Carl had been stealing all along (making her to donate the check to a church shelter in a particularly funny scene) and lays a trap to save Molly from the murderous Carl. With his murder avenged and Molly safe, Sam can move on, but not before materializing for one last ectoplasmic kiss.

There is a lot to like about Ghost, despite its often hokey romance. The special effects (especially the shadowy figures that drag people off to their unsavory rewards) are quite good for a pre-CGI film and then there's the sexy early scene that had women all over America running out to buy pottery wheels:

But it's Goldberg's comedic performance as Oda-Mae that makes Ghost so eminently watchable. She's hilarious here, and her Academy Award makes up for her snub for 1985's The Color Purple. Of course, the hopeless romantic in me always get suckered in by the love story. And Swayze wasn't too hard on the eyes, either.

Recently, Ghost was adapted into a musical which is still running in London's West End, but fared less successfully on Broadway, despite some amazing stage effects by illusionist Paul Kieve and new songs from Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard:

Ghost  has become (for better or worse) a modern classic and I always find myself stopping to watch when I come across it while flipping through channels on my TV. If you've never seen it, it's certainly worth watching. If you have seen it, it's certainly worth seeing again. Especially if you're a hopeless romantic.

More, anon.
Prospero

Super Bore Part Deux

So once again we were 'treated' to a boring and predictable Oscar broadcast in which the only surprise was Meryl Streep winning Best Actress for The Iron Lady. Billy Crystal did his best, I suppose, though the aging comedian was a rather safe choice to host. For the record, I didn't hate last year's hosts (Anne Hathaway and James Franco) as much as some people did. And I always hate "safe." I loved the "Focus Group" bit about The Wizard of Oz, starring Bob Balaban; Christopher Guest; Eugene Levy; Fred Willard; Catherine O'Hara and Jennifer Coolidge.

Even the appearance by my obsession, Cirque du Soleil (which promised 'original music' by Danny Elfman) was a disappointment. Too short and using music recycled from Iris (the show in permanent residence at the Kodak Theatre), it just didn't have the "Wow Factor" I've come to expect from them. 

Yes, Christopher Plummer gave a very amusing acceptance speech, though both Martin Scorcese and his amazing film Hugo, were robbed of the awards they deserved. 

I gave up on the show about 2/3 of the way through (as usual); went on Facebook and visited my usual sites; then came here to post my thoughts about the very safe and rather boring (as it has been for the last 20 years) Oscars telecast. 

The red carpet was interesting, at least, Gwyneth Paltrow looked amazing in that white cape, while Michelle Williams looked ridiculous in a very silly dress people seemed to adore for some reason. And while Jennifer Lopez' left nipple seemed to want to escape the confines of her dress, Angelina Jolie was stunning, as always (though I wish Brad Pitt would show up with washed hair, for once). 

Honestly, I miss the Oscars of old, where streakers ran across the stage and fake Native Americans declined awards on behalf of pretentious fading stars while young up-and-comers tied with aging biddies for Best Actress. 

Or maybe I'm just too old and jaded to care anymore...

More, anon.

Prospero

2011 Oscar Snubs

Sigh...

So, last night I gave you my picks for this year's Oscar winners. Tonight I'm talking about those left out in the cold by AMPAAS; those films, actors and technicians who probably should have, but for one reason or another were not nominated for a naked gold guy.

And speaking of golden guys, there's lovely Ryan Gosling, passed over for both People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive and an Oscar nom, Tsk-tsk. So sad. So pretty. So talented. At least they didn't add insult to injury by nominating Bradley Cooper for an award. Happily, Ryan's in good company. Leo Dicaprio was similarly ignored for his turn in Clint Eastwood's fairly unliked J. Edgar. Of course, critical darling Michael Fassbender was ignored (well, Oscar-wise) for his performance in Shame, though I know plenty of folks who would give him an award just for a certain body part which gets lots of screen time in the film. Andy Sirkus was likewise ignored for his motion-capture performance in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (though many think the Academy should create a special category for this increasingly popular type of performance). And what of Patton Oswalt in Young Adult, who gives what many critics have called a "revelatory" performance? How about Albert Brooks, playing against type as a very bad man in Drive?

On the ladies' team, the always amazing Tilda Swinton was not nominated for her role as the mother of a killer in We Need to Talk About Kevin and Kirsten Dunst was likewise ignored for her role as a depressed bride in Lars van Trier's Melancholia, despite being lauded by nearly every critic on the planet. Charlize Theron in Young Adult; Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene; Sandra Bullock for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close -- all not nominated. 

Directors left out in cold include Stephen Spielberg (Warhorse; The Adventures of Tintin); David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Tate Taylor for The Help and David Cronenberg for A Dangerous Method. 

And what about those pesky Best Animated Films? For the first time in years, Pixar is not nominated, though I must admit that Cars 2 is hardly their best effort. But no love for Tintin or Puss in Boots? 

As for Best Picture -- well that list could be very long: Shame; Melancholia; Drive; Bridesmaids; Super 8; Martha Marcy May Marlene; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and 50/50 (among many other excellent films) were all ignored. To quote my favorite 70's madcap comedy (and 10 points to the first person who can identify it): "C'est la vie. C'est la guerre. C'est la drek!"

In the end, awards mean nothing, especially when a relatively bad movie like The Help (don't hate on me - it really isn't all that good) can get nominated. I mean, look at Crash. That piece of crap actually won against Ang Lee's beautiful, powerful and wrenching Brokeback Mountain (something I will probably complain about until the day I die). Maybe someday Academy nominators will actually get it right. Though I doubt it.

If you love a movie others hate, or vice-verse, so what? Art is purely subjective. Of course, one has to draw the line somewhere. Mine is drawn at The Smurfs. And Chipwrecked. And the deplorable remake of Arthur. Dame Helen, what were you thinking?

Anyway, here's the trailer for one of my favorite movies of 2011: 

More, anon.
Prospero

Oscar Predictions

Coincidence? Yeah. Probably.

I'm actually disappointed in the number of films I've seen this year. Busy, lazy and broke, I spent my ticket money only on films I really wanted to see. Sadly, not all of them were good. 

And while this list is early for me (I usually wait until just before the actual awards ceremony), I thought I might as well get it out of the way. As usual, please do not place any bets based on my predictions, though I think many of my picks are pretty safe. I'm not going to talk about Best Documentary or Best Sound Editing. I will cover the big Baker's Dozen.

So, let's get started, shall we?

Best Original Screenplay:

What I Want to Win: Bridesmaids, because I love Kristin Wiig.

What Will Win: Midnight in Paris, because it's Allen's best movie in years.

Upset: The Artist, because everyone just loves this movie

Long Shot: A Seperation, because no one has seen it.

Best Adapted Screenplay:

What I Want to Win: Hugo, because I loved this movie and it is very close to the book.

What Will Win: The Descendants, because it's going to win lots of other awards, too.

Upset: Moneyball, because it's the underdog.

Long Shot: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, because it's a remake.

Best Original Score:

What I Want to Win: Hugo, because it's Howard Shore's best score since The Fly.

What Will Win: Warhorse, because the Academy loves them some John Williams.

Upset: The Artist, because many folks think Bource simply stole from other composers.

Long Shot: The Adventures of Tintin, because it's animated.

Best Art Direction:

 

What I Want to Win: Hugo, because it's just gorgeously designed.

What Will Win: Hugo, see above.

Upset: The Artist, because black and white is so forgiving.

Long Shot: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, because it's a Harry Potter movie.

Best Cinematography:

What I Want to Win: Hugo, because Robert Richardson's camera used 3D to create a very real world.

What Will Win: Hugo, see above.

Upset: The Tree of Life, because of that amazing opening sequence.

Long Shot: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, because it's essentially a horror movie.

Best Costume Design:

What I Want to Win:  Hugo, because Sandy Powell's costumes were simply gorgeous.

What Will Win: Hugo, see above.

Upset: Jane Eyre, because folks love the classics.

Long Shot: Anonymous, because people hate Shakespeare haters.

Best Director:

Who I Want to Win: Martin Scorcese for Hugo, because he put so much of himself into the film.

Who Will Win: Martin Scorcese for Hugo, because he deserves it.

Upset: Michel Hazanavicious for The Artist, because he took a major chance.

Long Shot: Terrence Malick for Tree of Life, because no one really understood it.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

Who I Want to Win: Christopher Plummer for Beginners, because he was fearless.

Who Will Win: Christopher Plummer for Beginners, because he deserves it.

Upset: Nick Nolte for Warrior, because everyone loves a comeback.

Long Shot: Jonah Hill for Moneyball, because he's just a kid.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

Who I Want to Win: Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids, because she was fearless.

Who Will Win: Octavia Spencer for The Help, because she's had so many thankless roles before.

Upset:  Jessica Chastain for The Help, because she's just a kid.

Long Shot: Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs, because she also plays a woman pretending to be a man.

Best Actor in a Leading Role:

Who I Want to Win: George Clooney for The Descendants, because this is his year.

Who Will Win: George Clonney for The Descendants, see above

Upset: Jean Dujardin for The Artist, because he doesn't speak at all.

Long Shot: Demian Bichir for A Better Life, because who?

Best Actress in a Leading Role:

Who I Want to Win: Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs, because she has yet to win. 
Who Will Win: Viola Davis for The Help. Because she deserves to win.
Upset: Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn, because she has a long career ahead of her.
Long Shot: Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, because she's a complete newcomer.

Best Picture:

What I Want to Win: Hugo, because it's a movie made just for me.

What Will Win: The Artist, because people love this movie.

Upset: The Help, because it's actually not a very good movie.

Long Shot: The Tree of Life, because so many people actively hated its obtuseness.

So there you have it. Again, please don't use my predictions to pick your Oscar pool choices. Besides, I really couldn't care less who or what wins. Tomorrow I'll be posting about who and what I thought were snubbed.

More, anon.
Prospero

 

Beep-Beep!

I'm not to usually one to talk about about fashion and red carpet appearances (ask me sometime about the JTMF 5 Year Gala and my rented tux), though this year's Oscars featured some amazingly good and stunningly bad couture.

On the good side: Hailee Steinfeld in a beautiful and age-appropriate dress that made her look like a princess; Jennifer Hudson in a tangerine confection that showed off her new svelte body in amazing detail; Sandra Bullock in a stunning red gown which evoked Old Hollywood Glamor; Mila Kunis in romantic lavender lace; Helena Bonham Carter in a Gothic tribute to costume design; Hilary Swank in a flowing gossamer gown; Oprah Winfrey in a corseted dress that amazingly matched the set and co-host Anne Hathaway in 8 different looks (my favorite being her last gown - a stunning cobalt blue dress that proved her the heir to Katherine Hepburn's Oscar style).

On the bad side: The usually fabulous Nicole Kidman, who looked like she stepped out of the 1980 version of Flash Gordon; gorgeous Scarlett Johansson in a frumpy plum lace mess made worse by her terrible hairstyle; Jennifer Lawrence in an elongated red t-shirt and almost most heinous of all - Melissa Leo in a dress that looked like a broken mirror ball glued onto a distressed pant suit.

None of them however, compared to the Sci-Fi monstrosity worn by the usually gorgeous Cate Blanchett (seen in the picture above). A lavender beaded gown with leather Star Wars shoulders and puke-yellow beaded accents, the usually gorgeous Cate looked like Darth Vader's date to the Imperial Ball. 

Sadly, that's all I really have to say about this year's Academy Awards. Except maybe that I thought Hathaway would have done better on her own, without the obviously stoned Franco. She sure seemed to be having as good a time as Uncle P would have tried to have. Kudos to Colin Firth and Natalie Portman, who both deserved to win, even if no one was surprised to see them do so.

I'll leave you with this, apropos of nothing, really:

More, anon.
Prospero

Thpppppppp!

Once again, I've given up on the Oscars just before the big three... frankly, because I doubt there will be any surprises - and yes, IMDb has just informed me that Natalie Portman won for Black Swan. Not that she didn't deserve it - because she was astounding in that movie. But it's all become so predictable. Where are the surprising upsets? Ann Hathaway and James Franco were sure pretty hosts, but they weren't very exciting. Oh look - James came out dressed as Marilyn. Soooo funny!

The awards I really care about were given out last night, anyway. The Golden Raspberry Awards, or The Razzies, were awarded last night in a ceremony attended by bad movie lovers and no celebs, unlike last year when Sandra Bullock showed up to accept her award or the year Halle Berry graciously accepted for Catwoman. I imagine this year's winners were either too embarrassed by (and rightfully so) or completely oblivious to, their nominations. If it's the latter, that's a shame, because they probably think their work was pretty good (or at least, acceptable). Of course, I loves me some bad movies, but I have to admit that the Razzie winners this year were all pretty unwatchable.

And those winners were:

Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel: Sex and the City 2

Worst Screenplay: M. Knight Shyamalan for The Last Airbender

Worst Screen Couple/Screen Ensemble: The entire cast of Sex and the City 2

Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D (new this year): The Last Airbender

Worst Supporting Actress: Jessica Alba for The Killer Inside Me; Little Fockers; Machete and  
                                             Valentine's Day.

Worst Supporting Actor: Jackson Rathbone (grandson of the immortal Basil) for The Last Airbender &  
                                         The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Worst Actress: A 4-Way Tie! Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon for
                         Sex and the City 2.

Worst Actor: Ashton Kutcher for Killers and Valentine's Day.

Worst Director: M. Knight Shyamalon for The Last Airbender.

Worst Picture:

So there you have it, the worst of the worst in American films for 2010. I do hope you clicked all the links. They're all different and some of them (I think) are rather amusing. And while I've just learned that The King's Speech has won for Best Picture, I'm much happier knowing that The Last Airbender won for Worst.

More, anon.

Prospero

Oscars

Okay, so I never got around to the Ariel Awards. I got... distracted. But the 83rd Academy Awards are coming up and I'm here to give my picks, as usual. 

I'll only be capping the 9 big awards with my usual what/who should/will win, but adding my 'what/who I want to win' to the list.

So, let's get started, shall we?

Best Supporting Actress:

The Nominees:

Amy Adams for The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech
Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit
Jackie Weaver for Animal Kingdom

Who Should Win: Hailee Steinfeld, even though she's nominated in the wrong category.
Who Will Win: Melissa Leo, though mostly for her body of work.
Who I Want to Win: Hailee Steinfeld - she owned that movie!





Best Supporting Actor:

The Nominees:
Christian Bale for The Fighter 
John Hawkes for Winter's Bone 
Jeremy Renner for The Town 
Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are Alright
Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech 

Who Should Win: Christian Bale, because he's just friggin' amazing.
Who Will Win: Geoffrey Rush
Who I Want to Win: Mark Ruffalo, because he's so damned sexy.



Best Screenplay (Original):

The Nominees:
Another Year
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are Alright
The King's Speech


What Should Win: Inception, because it's so damned smart.
What Will Win: Inception, see above
What I Want to Win: Inception, because I just loved that script.



Best Screenplay (Adapted):

The Nominees:
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone


What Should Win: True Grit, because it's a much truer adaptation that the 1968 version.
What Will Win: True Grit, see above
What I Want to Win: True Grit, because it made me love a Western.




Best Actor:

The Nominees:
Javier Bardem for Biutiful
Jeff Bridges for True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network
Colin Firth for The King's Speech
James Franco for 127 Hours

Who Should Win: Colin Firth, because he should have won last year for A Single Man.
Who Will Win: Colin Firth, see above.
Who I Want to Win: James Franco, because he's hot and sexually ambiguous.




Best Actress:

The Nominees:
Annette Bening for The Kids Are Alright
Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman for Black Swan
Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine

Who Should Win: Natalie Portman, because she was astoundingly good.
Who Will Win: Natalie Portman, see above
Who I Want to Win: Natalie Portman, see above.



Best Director:

The Nominees:
Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan
David O. Russell for The Fighter
Tom Hooper for The King's Speech
David Fincher for The Social Network
Joel & Ethan Coen for True Grit

Who Should Win: Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan was an amazing genre cross-over that left me thinking                                                            about it long after I'd seen it.
Who Will Win: David Fincher, because he should have won for Se7en.
Who I Want to Win: The Coens, because they made love a Western.




Best Animated Feature:

The Nominees:

Toy Story 3
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist

What Should Win: Toy Story 3, because it made grown men (myself included) cry.
What Will Win: Toy Story 3, because Pixar is an unstoppable juggernaut.
What I Want to Win: Toy Story 3, because it made me cry and managed to be a three-quel as good as the                                    original.



Best Picture:

The Nominees:
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are Alright
The King's Speech
127 Hours
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone

What Should Win: The Social Network, because it made a potentially boring subject into a fascinating film.
What Will Win: The King's Speech, because everyone loves pretentious stories about overcoming
                           adversity.
What I Want to Win: Inception, because it was the single most entertaining movie in an otherwise terrible                                  year.

So, there you have it. As always, please make no wagers based on my opinions or predictions (though I did pretty good last year). I hope James Franco and Anne Hathaway are good hosts. They're attractive, at the very least and they have both been pretty good on SNL. They're promising no long montages (though I imagine there will have to an In Memoriam piece) and the return of the Best Song Nominee performances. In any event, i know I'm not going to make to the end - I haven't for quite a while now. Getting old sucks, kids.

More, anon.
Prospero

2010 Oscar Snubs

So, the Oscar Nominations were announced yesterday. I, like many film fans out there, am stunned by some of the glaring omissions on the Academy's list this year.

First and foremost, Christopher Nolan (L) was not nominated for Best Director for Inception, despite the movie's nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Really? Did this "Best Picture" nominee direct itself? It certainly didn't write itself. Inception was also snubbed for a Best Editing nod. I ask anyone who has seen the film: How did the amazing last 40 minutes of it come together so brilliantly? Was it luck? Or maybe magic. I think not.

Also ignored: Matt Damon in True Grit. This was really a slap in the face for an actor who has grown by leaps and bounds in every film he's in. His performance as Texas Ranger LeBeouf was one of his best ever. And since I'm already talking about True Grit, why was the amazing young Hailee Steinfeld nominated as Best Supporting Actress? As in the Charles Portis novel, the Coen Brothers' film was the story of Mattie and her journey, where Rooster and LeBeouf are the supporting characters. Surely Steinfeld deserves to be recognized for her amazing debut, but she was the leading actress in the movie, not a supporting player.

And let's not forget the always amazing Julianne Moore in The Kids Are Alright; Ryan Gosling in Blue Valentine; Armie Hammer; Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake in The Social Network; Danny Boyle for 127 Hours and Tangled and Despicable Me. Really, did anyone actually see The Illusionist? And why is Toy Story 3 (a movie I loved) nominated as both Best Picture and Best Animated Feature?

My mother, bless her, has complained for many years that the Oscars are no longer really about 'The Best" but rather about the studios who spend the most money promoting their nominees. And sadly, I am inclined to agree with her. I mean, come on... Crash won over Brokeback Mountain? A serious reality check is needed among Academy voters. Hey AMPASS members - 'Gay' no longer equals 'Evil' and 'Excellent' still equals 'Excellent.'

At the risk of repeating myself, here are the trailers for 10 nominees for Best Picture:

May the actual Best nominees win!

My predictions, anon (though as always, I advise against betting on my predictions....)

More, anon.
Prospero