Yeah, my apologies as usual for not updating very often.
So I DID see Kick-Ass. Last weekend. When it came out. And yes, I quite liked it. The more I thought about it, though, the more depressing it got for me. It's not depressing like The Dark Knight, where you go in expecting a down movie and get it, but Kick-Ass is advertised as a comedy and the thing is, it is funny... but incredibly sad.
Watch out for potential spoilers, folks. I'll try to be gentle though.
As we all know, Kick-Ass is an average guy. And his first foray into crime-fighting goes very poorly. In fact, he gets stabbed. Then hit by a car. Sure, the getting hit by a car is much worse, but watching him get stabbed was just so painful to me. Once he gets out of the hospital, he's still not very super; just a super punching bag. His "super power" is total defense, which means that to be of any use, he has to get his ass kicked. I took no joy in watching him endure all the pain he does and it is was a sad fanaticism that Kick-Ass pursues his career as a crime-fighter. He's bad at it, he almost gets killed a lot, and his ass is saved by the real super hero, Hit Girl, multiple times. Watching Hit Girl is a delight. Watching Kick-Ass is just so sad.
The movie opens with the question, as we have seen in the trailers, asking why no one else tried being a superhero before Kick-Ass. And after watching this movie, I understand and myself have no desire to pursue a career of crime-fighting. There is no glorious montage where Kick-Ass learns how to fight or actually does any ass-kicking at all. Even his fight with Red Mist toward the end is just a show of his incompetent they both are. With no power, comes no responsibility, sure, but is also means having no power, including all the advantageous parts of being a superhero. While the best superhero stories involve the question of how painful and lonely it can be to be such a powerful figure (see: superhero deconstruction, aka, why I love superheroes), Kick-Ass is so ordinary it is painful to watch him get his ass kicked. When Batman is getting his ass kicked, we know he can handle it, because he is Batman. But Kick-Ass is really just Dave with a scuba suit; his mask is the only thing that makes him different than everyone else. At least Nite Owl and Silk Spectre had some training.
Dave, in the end, is just an average guy in way over his head. He can handle the pain, physically, so he survives because that's his ability: to survive. But that's it. He's just like the faceless human beings that survive with the help of the real, trained, able superheroes, or simply heroes. The tough ones who can endure the pain, but also can't do anything to stop it.
Kick-Ass is not a superhero movie; if it really was, it would be called Hit Girl, because she is the superhero. She's got the training, the bloody fight sequences, and the strong origin story. Kick-Ass is, instead, the story of everyone who is not a superhero, but people like Dave, like me, like every fan on the planet, that dreams even for a second what that life would be like. Kick-Ass shows us that that life sucks. It would be hard and unrewarding. So unless we go to ninja school or have a mother train us for a life of crime-fighting or build a super suit or get bitten by a radioactive spider, we are screwed. Because being a superhero takes more than wanting to be a superhero; it takes dedicating yourself to the role. Dave doesn't do that, so he just manages to scrape through and make a few heroic moves outside of all the non-heroic moments he has in the movie. He's the Bond girl to Hit Girl's Bond; he might lend a hand, but really, he's just normal.
So when I first left the theater, I was a bit disappointed that Dave wasn't more badass, that he wasn't more heroic. But as I thought more about it, I just realized that I wanted him to be tougher because it was hard to see him be so normal. It reminded me just how normal I am and that if I were to try what he tried, to just put on a scuba suit and fight crime, I'd probably get stabbed in the gut too. Superheroes aren't normal. And that's just fine; they shouldn't be. Being good at anything takes real dedication, not just posturing in front of a mirror and doing a few sit-ups.
I'd like to see it again, of course, to further assess it and to understand what it is going to give me rather than what I want out of it. If I want a story of a heroic super-human, I'll watch my Dark Knight or Iron Man DVDs. If I want to be brought back to Earth, well, that's what Kick-Ass is for.
Iron Man 2 hits theaters in 2 weeks. That's good, because I need some badassery to keep me sane.
Showing posts with label anticipation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anticipation. Show all posts
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I Am Excited For Blockbuster Season!
So I've been woefully negligent about seeing movies recently, but I've been wicked busy. I saw Alice in Wonderland, but that's about it for recent films. To make up for this, I'm going to write my anticipation list! Movies that I want to see this coming year and that might change, but things do that sometimes.
Currently in theatres:
Shutter Island
maybe Greenberg and The Runaways.
Shutter Island has been getting mixed reviews, but if I don't see it in theatres, I'll probably rent it because I still want to see it for myself. Greenberg has been getting pretty good reviews and I honestly think that Ben Stiller is a great actor. The Runaways has been getting a lot of attention and I'm interested in seeing Kristen Stewart in something that isn't a stupid vampire flick.
Coming soon:
How to Train Your Dragon
I've been hearing that, like Avatar, this one should be seen in 3D. I also think it looks adorable. Dreamworks isn't Pixar, but they do provide some excellently healthy competition for Pixar. Before Pixar made me cry, Dreamworks tugged at my heartstrings with The Prince of Egypt (remember back in the day when people still made mostly 2D movies with a little bit of CGI help?!) Dragon looks fantastically cute and fun. Animation isn't just for kids, yo. I will love animated movies well into my adulthood.
Hot Tub Time Machine
I'm a little torn on this one. I blame Sandra Bullock and her recent comments about comedic roles for women (i.e. they don't exist except in rom coms) and I see all these funny looking raunchy comedies and really notice how they're all men. I'll get to this in another post though. Hot Tub Time Machine looks like it could be ridiculously funny in a Hangover kind of way. So maybe I'll see it, maybe I'll rent it, maybe I'll skip it. I like comedies though!
Clash of the Titans
TITANS WILL CLASH may be a stupid tagline, but Liam Neeson! Sam Worthington! And isn't Ralph Fiennes in it too? I also love action films. Here's to hoping it is fun action and not boring, a la Matrix Revolutions.
Date Night
I didn't really give this movie the time of day but the more I see the trailers, the more I think, "y'know... this could be genuinely hilarious." It IS Tina Fey and Steve Carrel and they are funny people. I'm going to wait on the reviews to make my choice.
Kick-Ass
Now this movie... I am REALLY psyched for. As I've been promoting it to people with my enthusiasm, it looks like the movie Watchmen should have been. An adult comic book adaptation with a real look at superheroes in the real world. Not to mention with some bitchin' action sequences and Nicolas Cage as a Batman-esque character named Big Daddy (since BioShock came before Kick-Ass the comic, I wonder if it's a direct reference) BUT WITH A SHOTGUN. I LOVE SHOTGUNS. (I know; this is weird. Blame Mass Effect.) Just go watch the trailers and you can see how awesome this movie looks for yourself.
Iron Man 2
...uh... DUH I AM EXCITED. I loved Iron Man. The sequel, even if it isn't as good as the original, it still has Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark. So we're golden.
Robin Hood
Torn as I may be as to whether this Gladiator-esque adaptation (both directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russel Crowe, I also totally got this Gladiator-esque vibe of the warrior-hero being turned into a badass outlaw fighting the corrupt system from the trailer) will be any good, I still want to see it. It IS Robin Hood. And I liked Gladiator.
Shrek Forever After, Sex and the City 2, and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
All three movies I will probably see. The last one is the only one I really feel strongly inclined to see. The other two, I liked the preview films (although Shrek the Third not as much), so I'll go see 'em. It'll be summer. I'll drive-in like crazy.
Toy Story 3
Um... okay, so The Prince of Egypt might have been the first movie I remember crying during, but Toy Story 2 came out a year later and did the same damage to me. Goddammit, Jessie's song makes me cry to this day. It's freakin' Pixar! And Toy Story! If it isn't good, I'll be shocked and upset. But chances are it will be. The real question is: will it be as good or better than the first two?
Despicable Me
Remember what I said about animated films being awesome? Well, this one looks adorably clever. And I want to see it. So there.
Inception
Probably the most high brow of the many films I'm excited for this spring/summer, Inception features a fantastic team-up of TDK's Christopher Nolan and everything's Leonardo DiCaprio. Not to mention that supporting cast... JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT. Ken Watanabe! Ellen Page! MARION COTILLARD! Michael Caine! CILLIAN MURPHY! This movie will be great. If it isn't, again, I'll be very sad.
Beyond those, into the summer, I'm also vaguely interested in The Sorcerer's Apprentice (it'll probably suck though), Salt (it could go either way), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (I actually haven't seen the original, but hilariously, Gordon Gekko is based off of a Bard grad), The Last Airbender, and The A-Team (which looks like it has a bitchin' cast... SHARLTO COPLEY... OH WAIT SHARLTO COPLEY OKAY THIS FILM IS ON MUST SEE LIST NOW... Sharlto Copley is my favourite, if you didn't know yet).
Also, I am vowing to see Memento while I'm on spring break.
Vampire Diaries returns tomorrow!
Chuck has continued to be AMAZING this season. I will be PISSED if/when Chuck isn't nominated for an Emmy for Best Comedy, Zachary Levi for Best Actor in a Comedy, and Adam Baldwin for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (I'd also totally pull for Yvonne too).
Um. I'm out of stuff, aside from the women in comedy thing. I'll do that later.
Currently in theatres:
Shutter Island
maybe Greenberg and The Runaways.
Shutter Island has been getting mixed reviews, but if I don't see it in theatres, I'll probably rent it because I still want to see it for myself. Greenberg has been getting pretty good reviews and I honestly think that Ben Stiller is a great actor. The Runaways has been getting a lot of attention and I'm interested in seeing Kristen Stewart in something that isn't a stupid vampire flick.
Coming soon:
How to Train Your Dragon
I've been hearing that, like Avatar, this one should be seen in 3D. I also think it looks adorable. Dreamworks isn't Pixar, but they do provide some excellently healthy competition for Pixar. Before Pixar made me cry, Dreamworks tugged at my heartstrings with The Prince of Egypt (remember back in the day when people still made mostly 2D movies with a little bit of CGI help?!) Dragon looks fantastically cute and fun. Animation isn't just for kids, yo. I will love animated movies well into my adulthood.
Hot Tub Time Machine
I'm a little torn on this one. I blame Sandra Bullock and her recent comments about comedic roles for women (i.e. they don't exist except in rom coms) and I see all these funny looking raunchy comedies and really notice how they're all men. I'll get to this in another post though. Hot Tub Time Machine looks like it could be ridiculously funny in a Hangover kind of way. So maybe I'll see it, maybe I'll rent it, maybe I'll skip it. I like comedies though!
Clash of the Titans
TITANS WILL CLASH may be a stupid tagline, but Liam Neeson! Sam Worthington! And isn't Ralph Fiennes in it too? I also love action films. Here's to hoping it is fun action and not boring, a la Matrix Revolutions.
Date Night
I didn't really give this movie the time of day but the more I see the trailers, the more I think, "y'know... this could be genuinely hilarious." It IS Tina Fey and Steve Carrel and they are funny people. I'm going to wait on the reviews to make my choice.
Kick-Ass
Now this movie... I am REALLY psyched for. As I've been promoting it to people with my enthusiasm, it looks like the movie Watchmen should have been. An adult comic book adaptation with a real look at superheroes in the real world. Not to mention with some bitchin' action sequences and Nicolas Cage as a Batman-esque character named Big Daddy (since BioShock came before Kick-Ass the comic, I wonder if it's a direct reference) BUT WITH A SHOTGUN. I LOVE SHOTGUNS. (I know; this is weird. Blame Mass Effect.) Just go watch the trailers and you can see how awesome this movie looks for yourself.
Iron Man 2
...uh... DUH I AM EXCITED. I loved Iron Man. The sequel, even if it isn't as good as the original, it still has Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark. So we're golden.
Robin Hood
Torn as I may be as to whether this Gladiator-esque adaptation (both directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russel Crowe, I also totally got this Gladiator-esque vibe of the warrior-hero being turned into a badass outlaw fighting the corrupt system from the trailer) will be any good, I still want to see it. It IS Robin Hood. And I liked Gladiator.
Shrek Forever After, Sex and the City 2, and Prince of Persia: Sands of Time
All three movies I will probably see. The last one is the only one I really feel strongly inclined to see. The other two, I liked the preview films (although Shrek the Third not as much), so I'll go see 'em. It'll be summer. I'll drive-in like crazy.
Toy Story 3
Um... okay, so The Prince of Egypt might have been the first movie I remember crying during, but Toy Story 2 came out a year later and did the same damage to me. Goddammit, Jessie's song makes me cry to this day. It's freakin' Pixar! And Toy Story! If it isn't good, I'll be shocked and upset. But chances are it will be. The real question is: will it be as good or better than the first two?
Despicable Me
Remember what I said about animated films being awesome? Well, this one looks adorably clever. And I want to see it. So there.
Inception
Probably the most high brow of the many films I'm excited for this spring/summer, Inception features a fantastic team-up of TDK's Christopher Nolan and everything's Leonardo DiCaprio. Not to mention that supporting cast... JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT. Ken Watanabe! Ellen Page! MARION COTILLARD! Michael Caine! CILLIAN MURPHY! This movie will be great. If it isn't, again, I'll be very sad.
Beyond those, into the summer, I'm also vaguely interested in The Sorcerer's Apprentice (it'll probably suck though), Salt (it could go either way), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (I actually haven't seen the original, but hilariously, Gordon Gekko is based off of a Bard grad), The Last Airbender, and The A-Team (which looks like it has a bitchin' cast... SHARLTO COPLEY... OH WAIT SHARLTO COPLEY OKAY THIS FILM IS ON MUST SEE LIST NOW... Sharlto Copley is my favourite, if you didn't know yet).
Also, I am vowing to see Memento while I'm on spring break.
Vampire Diaries returns tomorrow!
Chuck has continued to be AMAZING this season. I will be PISSED if/when Chuck isn't nominated for an Emmy for Best Comedy, Zachary Levi for Best Actor in a Comedy, and Adam Baldwin for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy (I'd also totally pull for Yvonne too).
Um. I'm out of stuff, aside from the women in comedy thing. I'll do that later.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
PREDICTIONS? Hardly, as if Sharlto Copley and Michael Sheen are getting nominated...
I have made the roughest combination of a dream list/prediction sheet. You'll see some glaring omissions, particularly from films I haven't seen yet, although some clear front-runners to get nominated I have left in some categories either for lack of a better suggestion or because I have faith that said film is awesome in that particular field. There are a couple categories that have an extra nominee because I couldn't narrow it down. There is a very clear bias in these selections. I have cut out a lot of Nine, there's no Invictus to be found, very little The Lovely Bones, but I also haven't seen any of those three so that's no surprise.
Movies yet to be watched, Oscar-wise, include (but are not limited to): The Lovely Bones, Nine, Invictus, The Last Station, The Young Victoria, The Hurt Locker, A Single Man, Crazy Heart, The Messenger, Brothers, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and a big host of others I could see. As it is, chances I'll see The Last Station or Brothers are kind of wobbly. Love Helen Mirren and the stars of Brothers, but goddamn does the material look eh.
Also to note, my original best Actor category had eight people (Michael Stuhlberg, George Clooney, and Matt Damon were also on it). I feel like a traitor totally ignoring Morgan Freeman, but this is a tough category this year, IMO.
ANYWAY, here is my intensely rough list praising District 9 and Bright Star far more than either will ever get praised:
(*asterisks mark movies I haven't seen*)
Best Picture
Avatar
District 9
An Education
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Julie & Julia
A Serious Man
Star Trek
Up
Up in the Air
Best Actor
*Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
Sharlto Copley – District 9
*Colin Firth – A Single Man
*Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker
Michael Sheen – The Damned United
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabby Sidibe – Precious
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia
Best Supporting Actor
*Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Alfred Molina – An Education
Stanley Tucci – Julie & Julia
*Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
Cristoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air
Melanie Laurent – Inglourious Basterds
*Julianne Moore – A Single Man
Mo’Nique – Precious
Best Director
*Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Jane Campion – Bright Star
Joel and Ethan Coen – A Serious Man
Lone Scherfig – An Education
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Best Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up
Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9
An Education
The Informant!
Precious
Up in the Air
Best Editing
Avatar
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up in the Air
Best Cinematography
Avatar
Bright Star
District 9
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Best Costume Design
Bright Star
*The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Inglourious Basterds
Julie & Julia
*Nine
*The Young Victoria
Best Make-Up
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
Best Art Direction
Bright Star
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
*Nine
A Serious Man
Best Visual Effects
2012
9
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek
Best Sound Editing
Avatar
District 9
*The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up
Best Sound Mixing
Avatar
District 9
*The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up
Best Original Score
Avatar
The Informant!
The Princess and the Frog
Star Trek
Up
Where the Wild Things Are
Best Song
“I See You” – Avatar
*“The Weary Kind” – Crazy Heart
“Almost There” – The Princess and the Frog (or “When We’re Human” or “Down in New Orleans”)
“Cinema Italiano” – Nine
“All Is Love” – Where the Wild Things Are
Best Animated Feature
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
*Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
Up
(excluded: Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Documentary Feature)
Movies yet to be watched, Oscar-wise, include (but are not limited to): The Lovely Bones, Nine, Invictus, The Last Station, The Young Victoria, The Hurt Locker, A Single Man, Crazy Heart, The Messenger, Brothers, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and a big host of others I could see. As it is, chances I'll see The Last Station or Brothers are kind of wobbly. Love Helen Mirren and the stars of Brothers, but goddamn does the material look eh.
Also to note, my original best Actor category had eight people (Michael Stuhlberg, George Clooney, and Matt Damon were also on it). I feel like a traitor totally ignoring Morgan Freeman, but this is a tough category this year, IMO.
ANYWAY, here is my intensely rough list praising District 9 and Bright Star far more than either will ever get praised:
(*asterisks mark movies I haven't seen*)
Best Picture
Avatar
District 9
An Education
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Julie & Julia
A Serious Man
Star Trek
Up
Up in the Air
Best Actor
*Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
Sharlto Copley – District 9
*Colin Firth – A Single Man
*Jeremy Renner – The Hurt Locker
Michael Sheen – The Damned United
Best Actress
Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
Abbie Cornish – Bright Star
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabby Sidibe – Precious
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia
Best Supporting Actor
*Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Alfred Molina – An Education
Stanley Tucci – Julie & Julia
*Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
Cristoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress
Vera Farmiga – Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick – Up in the Air
Melanie Laurent – Inglourious Basterds
*Julianne Moore – A Single Man
Mo’Nique – Precious
Best Director
*Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Jane Campion – Bright Star
Joel and Ethan Coen – A Serious Man
Lone Scherfig – An Education
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds
Best Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up
Best Adapted Screenplay
District 9
An Education
The Informant!
Precious
Up in the Air
Best Editing
Avatar
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
A Serious Man
Up in the Air
Best Cinematography
Avatar
Bright Star
District 9
*The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Best Costume Design
Bright Star
*The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Inglourious Basterds
Julie & Julia
*Nine
*The Young Victoria
Best Make-Up
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek
Where the Wild Things Are
Best Art Direction
Bright Star
District 9
Inglourious Basterds
*Nine
A Serious Man
Best Visual Effects
2012
9
Avatar
District 9
Star Trek
Best Sound Editing
Avatar
District 9
*The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up
Best Sound Mixing
Avatar
District 9
*The Hurt Locker
Star Trek
Up
Best Original Score
Avatar
The Informant!
The Princess and the Frog
Star Trek
Up
Where the Wild Things Are
Best Song
“I See You” – Avatar
*“The Weary Kind” – Crazy Heart
“Almost There” – The Princess and the Frog (or “When We’re Human” or “Down in New Orleans”)
“Cinema Italiano” – Nine
“All Is Love” – Where the Wild Things Are
Best Animated Feature
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
*Ponyo
The Princess and the Frog
Up
(excluded: Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Documentary Feature)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
I Hate Feeling So Behind Even Though There Is Still So Much To Arrive...
Being a full time student + part time employee + college students who enjoys socializing in her spare time when she isn't doing a shitload of homework = less time to see movies. As it is, I am far behind both on Oscar movies and regular enjoyment movies (helloooo, Zombieland). I haven't been to the theatre in nearly three weeks when I saw a few new films, including Bright Star. So there have been movies I have missed and hopefully they will remain in theatres until next weekend when I take a short detour home for a couple days to catch up on TV, movies, and good food.
Movies I Would Like To See This Month: Where the Wild Things Are, Zombieland, Good Hair, An Education, The Road, The Damned United, A Serious Man.
The Road and An Education come out in time for Thanksgiving break, while I'm going to have to hurry up to see Zombieland and Where the Wild Things Are before they disappear from theatres. I'd also like to see Clive Owen in The Boys Are Back, but, come on, I'm already assigning myself the task of seeing 7 movies during a three day weekend plus a four and a half day break, which also involves crossing the state to visit family for half of that.
But winter break will be a lot more interesting. The past two winters have seen me watch movies like a crazy woman between Netflix and the theatre. It is quite a bit of fun to see me and try to equate to yourself how many movie tickets I buy each year. Next to food, it's probably my biggest outlet for spending money. And this doesn't include the scenarios where I ask my friends to go with me, they say they don't have the money, and I just pay for them because I've already seen like 5 movies by myself that season.
Which leads me to the hard part about these two short breaks: I'm not going home alone. My roommate has decided that she wants to tag along next weekend (but I can just drop her off at Paranormal Activity, which she really wants to see), and then another of my friends, who, as an international student, lives across the world, isn't going home for Thanksgiving break, will be accompanying me then. But this will happen! I must see these movies. Not only do I really have a vested interest in seeing them and, as a film student, I should be watching lots and lots of movies, but I am a NERD when it comes to awards season. For reals, yo.
And we're not even into the major season yet. Like I said, I'll have more time come winter break (approx. six weeks of laziness... and a day or two of meeting my brother's Brazilian girlfriend), but there will also be more movies. Invictus. Nine. The Lovely Bones. Sherlock Holmes. Precious. Avatar. Up in the Air. Any other of a host of last minute surprises and things that suddenly occur to me "oh hey, that looks awesome, I should see that." Not to mention the netflixing of movies I missed earlier, like The Hurt Locker. But anyways, the more I think about this, the crazier I go, and I can't go crazy just yet; still got a month and a half left of classes. Blegh on that. I would much rather just watch movies.
I did finally see Waltz with Bashir (one year later). How that did not win Best Foreign Film is beyond me.
On another note, considering how The Road is being reacted to so far, maybe I was too quick in my judgment to assume that it could never match up to the book. I have become more interested in seeing it as of late. Viggo Mortensen looks like he gives a fantastic performance (I was close to saying that he looks fantastic, but he doesn't, which is the point), and so I will go see The Road when it comes out. So color me excited (in a minimal way).
Movies I Would Like To See This Month: Where the Wild Things Are, Zombieland, Good Hair, An Education, The Road, The Damned United, A Serious Man.
The Road and An Education come out in time for Thanksgiving break, while I'm going to have to hurry up to see Zombieland and Where the Wild Things Are before they disappear from theatres. I'd also like to see Clive Owen in The Boys Are Back, but, come on, I'm already assigning myself the task of seeing 7 movies during a three day weekend plus a four and a half day break, which also involves crossing the state to visit family for half of that.
But winter break will be a lot more interesting. The past two winters have seen me watch movies like a crazy woman between Netflix and the theatre. It is quite a bit of fun to see me and try to equate to yourself how many movie tickets I buy each year. Next to food, it's probably my biggest outlet for spending money. And this doesn't include the scenarios where I ask my friends to go with me, they say they don't have the money, and I just pay for them because I've already seen like 5 movies by myself that season.
Which leads me to the hard part about these two short breaks: I'm not going home alone. My roommate has decided that she wants to tag along next weekend (but I can just drop her off at Paranormal Activity, which she really wants to see), and then another of my friends, who, as an international student, lives across the world, isn't going home for Thanksgiving break, will be accompanying me then. But this will happen! I must see these movies. Not only do I really have a vested interest in seeing them and, as a film student, I should be watching lots and lots of movies, but I am a NERD when it comes to awards season. For reals, yo.
And we're not even into the major season yet. Like I said, I'll have more time come winter break (approx. six weeks of laziness... and a day or two of meeting my brother's Brazilian girlfriend), but there will also be more movies. Invictus. Nine. The Lovely Bones. Sherlock Holmes. Precious. Avatar. Up in the Air. Any other of a host of last minute surprises and things that suddenly occur to me "oh hey, that looks awesome, I should see that." Not to mention the netflixing of movies I missed earlier, like The Hurt Locker. But anyways, the more I think about this, the crazier I go, and I can't go crazy just yet; still got a month and a half left of classes. Blegh on that. I would much rather just watch movies.
I did finally see Waltz with Bashir (one year later). How that did not win Best Foreign Film is beyond me.
On another note, considering how The Road is being reacted to so far, maybe I was too quick in my judgment to assume that it could never match up to the book. I have become more interested in seeing it as of late. Viggo Mortensen looks like he gives a fantastic performance (I was close to saying that he looks fantastic, but he doesn't, which is the point), and so I will go see The Road when it comes out. So color me excited (in a minimal way).
Friday, October 9, 2009
Return of the Chuck: How NBC Will Probably Ruin It
So with all the excitement over at EW.com about Chuck's possible earlier return, a lot of good points have been brought up that are very important to Chuck's long term success rather than Chuck coming back as soon as possible.
a) Promotion.
If they suddenly bring Chuck back either because of Southland's recent cancellation or if they cancel the under-performing new series Trauma (or the cancellation that it deserves but hasn't gotten yet for Heroes), there will be next to no time to properly promote the series. Chuck has a loyal following, yes, but if Chuck is to actually succeed (especially in NBC's current fail!environment with very little to offer viewers aside from their comedy block and the handful of people who want to watch Jay Leno every night and the people like my roommate who are Law & Order addicts), it needs to build up an even stronger following of new and curious viewers. Chuck is a great show that can appeal to a whole host of viewers. It's a spy comedy drama with geeks and hot girls alike, episodic and large arcs alike, interesting main characters and a great ensemble, and it's just very likeable and accessible in many ways. But if it doesn't get the proper promotion, if there isn't at least a couple weeks of build up before it gets brought back, it'll get trashed and then we probably won't even manage to see more than a handful of episodes ever again.
b) Timeslot.
Chuck's old timeslot of 8pm on Mondays (when it would lead into Heroes) is now occupied by Heroes. And while Heroes totally deserves cancellation after a dismal third season and a limping fourth, this time slot would KILL as it has, amongst other things, HOUSE to compete with. And House, although I personally have been getting bored with it, still gets excellent viewership. If Trauma got cancelled, 9pm wouldn't be quite so bad a time, but the challenge that CBS' Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory present might be too much, especially since Chuck, as half comedy, would be interested in drawing the same crowd. As for other potential timeslots, the originally intended spot for Southland, on Fridays, would also completely demolish any chance Chuck has at continuing beyond this fall. The best option I heard in the comments was to shorten The Biggest Loser to a one hour show and put Chuck in on Tuesdays.
The main problem that Chuck has is that NBC came dangerously close to not renewing it at all before and give them even a split second's doubt that Chuck can sustain decent numbers and I have absolutely NO faith in NBC's capacity to give Chuck another chance. It took a lot of effort to bring it back for March and although I love Chuck and I would love for it to return sooner, if bringing it back in fall means that either it won't get enough promotion or that it'll end up in a poor timeslot then I would much rather wait until March when it would have a real chance at a future.
Mostly this all goes back to an overall disappointment with NBC. Now, personally, I don't watch anything on NBC anymore except for Community. I know people who watch The Office and 30 Rock, of course, but are any of the scripted dramas on that network any good? Heroes has gotten so bad that even a devout fan like me has given up. And everything else on there is either medical (Trauma, Mercy) or law (Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU) shows. More and more is the Jay Leno Show looking like the stupidest idea ever, cutting out the chance for so many new shows to get a chance, proving that NBC has absolutely no faith in giving shows a chance. And when their most critically acclaimed (and pretty decently viewed) shows is about to return (I'm talking about Southland, which I never saw, but heard only good things about), they cut it out completely. Yeah, it's too dark for the 9pm time slot? Then stop with the madness of Jay Leno five times a week! Sure, it's cheaper, but that just makes your network that much cheaper. As evidenced by Tina Fey's acceptance speech for 30 Rock at the Emmys, even NBC's most stable show has absolutely no respect for the network anymore.
Oh how far the mighty hath fallen.
Oh, and NBC? If you DARE to cancel Chuck before its time, I will join the army of angry fans in setting your studio on fire. You know it'll happen. Stop being pussydicks (excuse my crudeness), and start showing some real television.
PS: If you haven't experienced Chuck, do it. And don't give up if you can't get into the first season. While the first season is definitely good, in my opinion, the show really finds its pace as the second season progresses, and morphs into a truly great television show.
a) Promotion.
If they suddenly bring Chuck back either because of Southland's recent cancellation or if they cancel the under-performing new series Trauma (or the cancellation that it deserves but hasn't gotten yet for Heroes), there will be next to no time to properly promote the series. Chuck has a loyal following, yes, but if Chuck is to actually succeed (especially in NBC's current fail!environment with very little to offer viewers aside from their comedy block and the handful of people who want to watch Jay Leno every night and the people like my roommate who are Law & Order addicts), it needs to build up an even stronger following of new and curious viewers. Chuck is a great show that can appeal to a whole host of viewers. It's a spy comedy drama with geeks and hot girls alike, episodic and large arcs alike, interesting main characters and a great ensemble, and it's just very likeable and accessible in many ways. But if it doesn't get the proper promotion, if there isn't at least a couple weeks of build up before it gets brought back, it'll get trashed and then we probably won't even manage to see more than a handful of episodes ever again.
b) Timeslot.
Chuck's old timeslot of 8pm on Mondays (when it would lead into Heroes) is now occupied by Heroes. And while Heroes totally deserves cancellation after a dismal third season and a limping fourth, this time slot would KILL as it has, amongst other things, HOUSE to compete with. And House, although I personally have been getting bored with it, still gets excellent viewership. If Trauma got cancelled, 9pm wouldn't be quite so bad a time, but the challenge that CBS' Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory present might be too much, especially since Chuck, as half comedy, would be interested in drawing the same crowd. As for other potential timeslots, the originally intended spot for Southland, on Fridays, would also completely demolish any chance Chuck has at continuing beyond this fall. The best option I heard in the comments was to shorten The Biggest Loser to a one hour show and put Chuck in on Tuesdays.
The main problem that Chuck has is that NBC came dangerously close to not renewing it at all before and give them even a split second's doubt that Chuck can sustain decent numbers and I have absolutely NO faith in NBC's capacity to give Chuck another chance. It took a lot of effort to bring it back for March and although I love Chuck and I would love for it to return sooner, if bringing it back in fall means that either it won't get enough promotion or that it'll end up in a poor timeslot then I would much rather wait until March when it would have a real chance at a future.
Mostly this all goes back to an overall disappointment with NBC. Now, personally, I don't watch anything on NBC anymore except for Community. I know people who watch The Office and 30 Rock, of course, but are any of the scripted dramas on that network any good? Heroes has gotten so bad that even a devout fan like me has given up. And everything else on there is either medical (Trauma, Mercy) or law (Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU) shows. More and more is the Jay Leno Show looking like the stupidest idea ever, cutting out the chance for so many new shows to get a chance, proving that NBC has absolutely no faith in giving shows a chance. And when their most critically acclaimed (and pretty decently viewed) shows is about to return (I'm talking about Southland, which I never saw, but heard only good things about), they cut it out completely. Yeah, it's too dark for the 9pm time slot? Then stop with the madness of Jay Leno five times a week! Sure, it's cheaper, but that just makes your network that much cheaper. As evidenced by Tina Fey's acceptance speech for 30 Rock at the Emmys, even NBC's most stable show has absolutely no respect for the network anymore.
Oh how far the mighty hath fallen.
Oh, and NBC? If you DARE to cancel Chuck before its time, I will join the army of angry fans in setting your studio on fire. You know it'll happen. Stop being pussydicks (excuse my crudeness), and start showing some real television.
PS: If you haven't experienced Chuck, do it. And don't give up if you can't get into the first season. While the first season is definitely good, in my opinion, the show really finds its pace as the second season progresses, and morphs into a truly great television show.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Julie & Julia (one down, four to go)
I thought Julie & Julia was pretty fabulous. Being a vegetarian, the dishes weren't exactly as mouth-watering as they may have been for other viewers, but I could still appreciate how pretty all the food looked. But what really caught my eye, of course, were the people and the places. Queens in 2002 is hardly ancient history or very different from today so far as I can tell, but I always enjoy seeing cramped apartment lifestyles, not gonna lie. Of course, the scenery that stole the show was definitely Julia Child's story, mostly the Parisian parts. Although, the tidbit of suburban Massachusetts life toward the end was also a kind of sweet nostalgia.
But the real show-stealer was Meryl Streep, no surprises there. As I said over dinner last night, putting it down now, Oscar nom (and perhaps another win) for Meryl right there. No doubt in my mind. Of course, it would also be wonderful to see the rest of the fabulous cast recognized (when Jane Lynch appeared as Julia's sister Dorothy, it was WONDERFUL, I was very excited to see her; I'd only realized she was in the film when the opening credits were rolling and boy oh boy she and Meryl Streep looked like they were having SO much fun inhabiting their larger than life personas (both personality and size wise, of course)). Julie Powell was easy to roll your eyes at and label as a bitch, but I've always thought Amy Adams is a wonderful actress and despite being frustrated with Julie at times, I certainly thought she was relate-able on many levels. I mean, in an age such as this, whoever has a blog or even a facebook or anything where they can post their thoughts and feelings want validation for them? Isn't it beyond thrilling when someone recognizes your thoughts are worthy to read? And it is so very easy to let that inflate your ego, to take over your life, and I can sympathize with Julie for falling into that trap. It's not as if it takes a particularly vain person to have it happen to, Julie isn't by nature a narcissistic person, but she, like the rest of us, just wanted appreciation and when she got it, she became addicted to it like a drug, and anytime she didn't have anything to show off or if she got negative feedback, it crushed her.
Anyway, I apologize for rambling on far too much about this and surely repeating myself, but I think those who call Julie Powell as a character a bitch are not understanding why she acted as poorly as she did at times. Granted, I myself am a self-centered bitch, so maybe I simply want to show how it's not Julie's fault so I can accept my own nature. xD
Regardless, Amy Adams and Meryl Streep did a fabulous job, and Jane Lynch, and Stanley Tucci, and simply everyone was just so much fun to watch in the movie. I deeply enjoyed myself.
On another note, I am a preview freak. The more trailers that come with a movie, the better, even if they're movies I have no intention of seeing (this is not counting horror trailers, because horror trailers scare the living bejeezus out of me and are usually way way way frightening). And I was BEYOND thrilled to see a preview for The Lovely Bones during Julie & Julia. I hadn't seen a preview for it yet, but I'd read the novel several years ago, the summer before my freshman year of high school, and stayed up until 9am to finish reading it. The preview did NOT disappoint me in the least. I forget many of the finer points of the novel, but it all looked so good, I had to bite my tongue very hard to keep from crying just from the trailer. I am very, very excited for the movie. Hurrah Peter Jackson!
As for his production credit in District 9, I still haven't gotten to see it yet, but I am set on seeing it this Tuesday. And today, in a bit less than three hours, I will see Tarantino's glorious Inglorious Basterds. I am very excited for that. Beyond that, I plan to see Taking Woodstock (having been filmed in my area, most people I know are planning to point out their friends' cameos as extras) this Friday when it comes out (I leave Saturday midday to return to school), and the other movie I am determined to see before I return to school is The Hurt Locker. I also have The Class on DVD from Netflix to watch... and I have a lot of packing still to do having just gotten home from Venezuela.
So I better end this entry now and prepare myself for massive movie exposure! I love it!
PS: Saw the Mad Men season 3 premiere finally. Although it felt a bit slow (but that might just be because it's been a while since Mad Men's been on), I attribute that to SO much catching up. I was slightly sad to see so little Peggy, but it's fab seeing her with her own secretary. The Brits seem a bit off, Pete's as entrancingly yuppie/obnoxious/self-centered as ever, Betty's all preggers, Sally should totally be a lesbian, and Salvatore Romano remains one of my favourite characters on the show. HIGH FIVE Bryan Batt, because you are beyond fabulous and so wonderful to watch as one of the show's many fascinating characters. And a less pronounced high five to Joan for being BAMF.
But the real show-stealer was Meryl Streep, no surprises there. As I said over dinner last night, putting it down now, Oscar nom (and perhaps another win) for Meryl right there. No doubt in my mind. Of course, it would also be wonderful to see the rest of the fabulous cast recognized (when Jane Lynch appeared as Julia's sister Dorothy, it was WONDERFUL, I was very excited to see her; I'd only realized she was in the film when the opening credits were rolling and boy oh boy she and Meryl Streep looked like they were having SO much fun inhabiting their larger than life personas (both personality and size wise, of course)). Julie Powell was easy to roll your eyes at and label as a bitch, but I've always thought Amy Adams is a wonderful actress and despite being frustrated with Julie at times, I certainly thought she was relate-able on many levels. I mean, in an age such as this, whoever has a blog or even a facebook or anything where they can post their thoughts and feelings want validation for them? Isn't it beyond thrilling when someone recognizes your thoughts are worthy to read? And it is so very easy to let that inflate your ego, to take over your life, and I can sympathize with Julie for falling into that trap. It's not as if it takes a particularly vain person to have it happen to, Julie isn't by nature a narcissistic person, but she, like the rest of us, just wanted appreciation and when she got it, she became addicted to it like a drug, and anytime she didn't have anything to show off or if she got negative feedback, it crushed her.
Anyway, I apologize for rambling on far too much about this and surely repeating myself, but I think those who call Julie Powell as a character a bitch are not understanding why she acted as poorly as she did at times. Granted, I myself am a self-centered bitch, so maybe I simply want to show how it's not Julie's fault so I can accept my own nature. xD
Regardless, Amy Adams and Meryl Streep did a fabulous job, and Jane Lynch, and Stanley Tucci, and simply everyone was just so much fun to watch in the movie. I deeply enjoyed myself.
On another note, I am a preview freak. The more trailers that come with a movie, the better, even if they're movies I have no intention of seeing (this is not counting horror trailers, because horror trailers scare the living bejeezus out of me and are usually way way way frightening). And I was BEYOND thrilled to see a preview for The Lovely Bones during Julie & Julia. I hadn't seen a preview for it yet, but I'd read the novel several years ago, the summer before my freshman year of high school, and stayed up until 9am to finish reading it. The preview did NOT disappoint me in the least. I forget many of the finer points of the novel, but it all looked so good, I had to bite my tongue very hard to keep from crying just from the trailer. I am very, very excited for the movie. Hurrah Peter Jackson!
As for his production credit in District 9, I still haven't gotten to see it yet, but I am set on seeing it this Tuesday. And today, in a bit less than three hours, I will see Tarantino's glorious Inglorious Basterds. I am very excited for that. Beyond that, I plan to see Taking Woodstock (having been filmed in my area, most people I know are planning to point out their friends' cameos as extras) this Friday when it comes out (I leave Saturday midday to return to school), and the other movie I am determined to see before I return to school is The Hurt Locker. I also have The Class on DVD from Netflix to watch... and I have a lot of packing still to do having just gotten home from Venezuela.
So I better end this entry now and prepare myself for massive movie exposure! I love it!
PS: Saw the Mad Men season 3 premiere finally. Although it felt a bit slow (but that might just be because it's been a while since Mad Men's been on), I attribute that to SO much catching up. I was slightly sad to see so little Peggy, but it's fab seeing her with her own secretary. The Brits seem a bit off, Pete's as entrancingly yuppie/obnoxious/self-centered as ever, Betty's all preggers, Sally should totally be a lesbian, and Salvatore Romano remains one of my favourite characters on the show. HIGH FIVE Bryan Batt, because you are beyond fabulous and so wonderful to watch as one of the show's many fascinating characters. And a less pronounced high five to Joan for being BAMF.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Ancitipating District 9... and a TDK rant.
So here I was all sad that there wasn't a movie both adventurous and interesting, a movie in the same vein as The Dark Knight, that both excites and provokes me, and here comes District 9, a movie that I have not yet seen but deeply want to now. I hadn't heard much of it beyond a title and that Peter Jackson was involved until recently, when Entertainment Weekly did a cover story on it last week. Since then, I have really wanted to watch this movie and have heard a great deal about it.
Unfortunately, I am currently on vacation in Venezuela, but when I get home, I am getting to the nearest movie theatre and watching District 9 (...and then Julie & Julia, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and Taking Woodstock).
Don't tell me what happens! I want to see for myself. I don't want to be overexposed because I want to be thrilled by what I see not thinking, "oh I remember reading about this part" (although, I have to admit, reading about and seeing the Joker in a nurse's uniform is still different enough for the visual to be hilariously awesome).
BTW, I am skimming rottentomatoes at the moment in a slight pit of boredom and saw that some critic, I forget who, commented that The Dark Knight does not seem to recognize the absurdity of its premise, or something similarly phrased. And, in return, I say, you, sir, are full of shit. "Oh man, a guy who dresses up like a bat and fights crime." Yeah, it sounds ridiculous. So does "a bunch of hobbits going on a journey with elves, dwarves, and men to fight evil and destroy a ring of power." It upsets me when people have to reduce a telling story to the superficial premise. I did it with Harry Potter ("ooh a book about some boy wizard. sounds stupid") before I read the books and realized that I was mistaken; yes, the superficial premise is there, but that's not what the story's about. And why not dress up like a bat to fight crime? It seems pretty practical: you have a dark exterior, you can hold out your "wings" to fly and... yeah, that's about all that's different about Batman's get together and, let's say, a dude who just dresses up in armour with weapons to fight crime.
Yeah, that is clearly totally absurd. Oh wait, I'm forgetting about the maniac who is known as the Joker. Hmm... well, firstly, he's insane... and secondly, ...he dresses funny and refers to himself as the Joker? I think the first one covers it all: he's insane, Mr. Movie Critic, and why not do crazy things like pretend you're a court jester with some grenades and guns if you're insane?
Anyway, this started out as excitement and anticipation to see District 9 and ended with The Dark Knight. Don't all my posts? My apologies, as I've said before, The Dark Knight is simply among the best films I've ever seen.
Unfortunately, I am currently on vacation in Venezuela, but when I get home, I am getting to the nearest movie theatre and watching District 9 (...and then Julie & Julia, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, and Taking Woodstock).
Don't tell me what happens! I want to see for myself. I don't want to be overexposed because I want to be thrilled by what I see not thinking, "oh I remember reading about this part" (although, I have to admit, reading about and seeing the Joker in a nurse's uniform is still different enough for the visual to be hilariously awesome).
BTW, I am skimming rottentomatoes at the moment in a slight pit of boredom and saw that some critic, I forget who, commented that The Dark Knight does not seem to recognize the absurdity of its premise, or something similarly phrased. And, in return, I say, you, sir, are full of shit. "Oh man, a guy who dresses up like a bat and fights crime." Yeah, it sounds ridiculous. So does "a bunch of hobbits going on a journey with elves, dwarves, and men to fight evil and destroy a ring of power." It upsets me when people have to reduce a telling story to the superficial premise. I did it with Harry Potter ("ooh a book about some boy wizard. sounds stupid") before I read the books and realized that I was mistaken; yes, the superficial premise is there, but that's not what the story's about. And why not dress up like a bat to fight crime? It seems pretty practical: you have a dark exterior, you can hold out your "wings" to fly and... yeah, that's about all that's different about Batman's get together and, let's say, a dude who just dresses up in armour with weapons to fight crime.
Yeah, that is clearly totally absurd. Oh wait, I'm forgetting about the maniac who is known as the Joker. Hmm... well, firstly, he's insane... and secondly, ...he dresses funny and refers to himself as the Joker? I think the first one covers it all: he's insane, Mr. Movie Critic, and why not do crazy things like pretend you're a court jester with some grenades and guns if you're insane?
Anyway, this started out as excitement and anticipation to see District 9 and ended with The Dark Knight. Don't all my posts? My apologies, as I've said before, The Dark Knight is simply among the best films I've ever seen.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Twitter, Inception, And Tonight's Viewing Pleasure!
A) Check out my twitter for short tidbits that can't make it fully into blogposts. I know, I know, I refused to use twitter for the longest time, but it is cute. :D Plus, I feel less annoying updating that frequently over Facebook as I am expected to update my Twitter a zillion times.
B) I love how I have managed to make it into my personality as the go-to movie girl. If my friends have a movie related question to pose or something movie-esque to talk about, they go to me. I have gotten texts asking me what the title of a movie or the name of an actor is. They make me happy because I love talking about movies. Thanks to my darling friend Carley, who just alerted me to the new Christopher Nolan movie scheduled for next year, I checked out the Wikipedia page and got a brief glimpse.
Totally an Awesome Cast post, which she kindly enough pointed out. Leonardo DiCaprio is an amazing actor, for instance, but I admit that I am excited to see him work with a different visionary director than Martin Scorsese, which he certainly has a rapport with considering their extensive work together, but, again, it'll be nice to see him with someone like Christopher Nolan! Marion Cotillard has suddenly become a go-to actress for Awesome Casts, between Public Enemies (which, despite being rather mediocre of a movie, certainly has a good cast) and Nine (which I have become massively excited for), after her stunning Oscar-win last year (not to mention that she is beautiful). Ellen Page... well, we'll see. I honestly haven't seen her in too much aside from Juno (although, no lie, she was definitely good in Juno), but I am rather hesitant about Juno... I never liked all the major hype it got and, believe me, I am beyond sick of the "little Indie that could" stories. Unless we're talking legitimate, amazing indies like The Visitor. But onward! Cillian Murphy, I have to admit, I haven't seen much beyond the Nolan Batman series, but I loved him in the Batman movies, so I'm hoping for good stuff. And, of course, Ken Watanabe, always excellent. And, lastly, of course, Michael Caine. Because, in the stunning three Nolan films I've seen (yes, yes, I still need to watch Memento, don't harass me, I know), you gotta have Michael Caine.
Also, can we take a moment to absolutely love the premise? As quoted from Wikipedia: "Warner Bros describes Inception 'as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.'"
Now that sounds epic.
Oh snap. Hold the phone! I just went over to imdb.com and they told me that my dearly beloved Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also going to be in Inception! Hot damn, this really is an amazing cast. Not to mention that via imdb.com there is a suweet looking image of Nolan, DiCaprio, and Watanabe. They know this movie will be good. :D
C) Going out to the movies later. Unfortunately, there really isn't anything out just now that thrills me. Aside from Bruno, which just came out today. Which is one of the possible movies I will view. I will be sure to let you know how whatever movie I end up seeing today is. I need to get back on my game and view me some movies! That's what summer is for, isn't it? Gotta catch up on my work, here.
Oh and a PS: Let me express how glad I am that I Love You, Beth Cooper looks like it is tanking. Hayden Panetierre bores me. I really wish Claire on Heroes could die. Nooo instead, she's getting it on with ladies. Can the other lady have an Arthur Petrelli type power and steal her power so she can friggin DIE? /rant
B) I love how I have managed to make it into my personality as the go-to movie girl. If my friends have a movie related question to pose or something movie-esque to talk about, they go to me. I have gotten texts asking me what the title of a movie or the name of an actor is. They make me happy because I love talking about movies. Thanks to my darling friend Carley, who just alerted me to the new Christopher Nolan movie scheduled for next year, I checked out the Wikipedia page and got a brief glimpse.
Totally an Awesome Cast post, which she kindly enough pointed out. Leonardo DiCaprio is an amazing actor, for instance, but I admit that I am excited to see him work with a different visionary director than Martin Scorsese, which he certainly has a rapport with considering their extensive work together, but, again, it'll be nice to see him with someone like Christopher Nolan! Marion Cotillard has suddenly become a go-to actress for Awesome Casts, between Public Enemies (which, despite being rather mediocre of a movie, certainly has a good cast) and Nine (which I have become massively excited for), after her stunning Oscar-win last year (not to mention that she is beautiful). Ellen Page... well, we'll see. I honestly haven't seen her in too much aside from Juno (although, no lie, she was definitely good in Juno), but I am rather hesitant about Juno... I never liked all the major hype it got and, believe me, I am beyond sick of the "little Indie that could" stories. Unless we're talking legitimate, amazing indies like The Visitor. But onward! Cillian Murphy, I have to admit, I haven't seen much beyond the Nolan Batman series, but I loved him in the Batman movies, so I'm hoping for good stuff. And, of course, Ken Watanabe, always excellent. And, lastly, of course, Michael Caine. Because, in the stunning three Nolan films I've seen (yes, yes, I still need to watch Memento, don't harass me, I know), you gotta have Michael Caine.
Also, can we take a moment to absolutely love the premise? As quoted from Wikipedia: "Warner Bros describes Inception 'as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind.'"
Now that sounds epic.
Oh snap. Hold the phone! I just went over to imdb.com and they told me that my dearly beloved Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also going to be in Inception! Hot damn, this really is an amazing cast. Not to mention that via imdb.com there is a suweet looking image of Nolan, DiCaprio, and Watanabe. They know this movie will be good. :D
C) Going out to the movies later. Unfortunately, there really isn't anything out just now that thrills me. Aside from Bruno, which just came out today. Which is one of the possible movies I will view. I will be sure to let you know how whatever movie I end up seeing today is. I need to get back on my game and view me some movies! That's what summer is for, isn't it? Gotta catch up on my work, here.
Oh and a PS: Let me express how glad I am that I Love You, Beth Cooper looks like it is tanking. Hayden Panetierre bores me. I really wish Claire on Heroes could die. Nooo instead, she's getting it on with ladies. Can the other lady have an Arthur Petrelli type power and steal her power so she can friggin DIE? /rant
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Moar Movies To See
Okay, so that's a lie. There are other movies I want to see, I just don't have any bets on them being excellent, breathtaking, or maybe I just don't know that much about them. Either way, here are more movies I desire to see as they come out:
Taking Woodstock - I've heard it's not very great, but considering it was filmed in this area, I guess you can say I have an attachment to it. Plus, it just seems like it'd be a generally fun movie. Plus, I want to see if I can recognize any of the extras (they recruited at my school). It'll make me feel way hip and connected.
Bruno - It comes out tomorrow! It's going to be hilariously inappropriate and I will laugh. I like laughing. I still remember my documentary professor last semester, telling us that he was massively psyched for Bruno. After the stunt at the MTV movie awards (which were actually pretty entertaining save the fact that the actual awards were shit)... oh man. Being a lover of bizarre fashion (to an extent, I would never wear Bruno's clothes), I am excited. And inappropriate laughter. I love it all.
(500) Days of Summer - Joseph Gordon-Levitt is awesome and will do many a great thing. I rewatched 10 Things I Hate About You last night and considering that Brick is perhaps my favourite movie, I am feeling the JGL love right now. And Zooey Deschanel is also very cool. This movie sounds really sweet without intentionally being that way. And the dance number reminds me of Enchanted... in a good way.
The Hurt Locker - Not going to lie, I knew little about this until critics started raving about it. I don't watch much television, but I was watching recently and one commercial essentially commanded me to go see it. So, I suppose I will.
Julie & Julia - I missed all the Meryl Streep Is Amazing film history (I'll have to explore her filmography more extensively in the future), but I am in love with Amy Adams, and that the pair are together is awesome. I finally saw a preview at Public Enemies and it looked really adorable. And yummy. This is why I love Chocolat but can rarely rewatch it. It makes me crave chocolate so much.
Harry Potter 6 - Okay, I loved the Harry Potter books, not going to say they're the best things ever but they're good stories, but I've never been a big fan of the movies. They all feel lost between trying to be a Faithful Adaptation and Finding A New Voice. But I'll give 'em this - the previews always look AMAZING even if I've never been deeply in love with any of the movies.
The Ugly Truth - Another rom com sucks me in! But I can't help it, Gerard Butler's just too amazing for me to avoid. Also, Katherine Heigl is genuinely funny. I actually enjoyed 27 Dresses... to an extent. (Most) rom coms are only so good. I don't know that this movie will actually live up to be hilarious, but it could be, so I will probably give it a shot.
Funny People - This could either suck or be awesome. I am really hoping for the latter. I'd like to see Adam Sandler in a good movie again (You Don't Mess With the Zohan!? Bedtime Stories!?). Plus, I'd like to think that I trust Judd Apatow. We'll see.
Inglorious Basterds - Hilariously enough, as I was skimming old Entertainment Weekly magazines, I came across a note in a 2004 issue that made reference to Quentin Tarantino's long rumored "Inglorious Bastards project." Funny seeing it come to fruition five years later. I have no delusions this will be anything but what it's expected to be. But that doesn't mean it won't be enjoyable.
And there will be more as we get into the I Want An Oscar! season (aka: fall). But, for now, I'll settle for some not-top-notch quality movies. Who knows? They might even surprise me.
Taking Woodstock - I've heard it's not very great, but considering it was filmed in this area, I guess you can say I have an attachment to it. Plus, it just seems like it'd be a generally fun movie. Plus, I want to see if I can recognize any of the extras (they recruited at my school). It'll make me feel way hip and connected.
Bruno - It comes out tomorrow! It's going to be hilariously inappropriate and I will laugh. I like laughing. I still remember my documentary professor last semester, telling us that he was massively psyched for Bruno. After the stunt at the MTV movie awards (which were actually pretty entertaining save the fact that the actual awards were shit)... oh man. Being a lover of bizarre fashion (to an extent, I would never wear Bruno's clothes), I am excited. And inappropriate laughter. I love it all.
(500) Days of Summer - Joseph Gordon-Levitt is awesome and will do many a great thing. I rewatched 10 Things I Hate About You last night and considering that Brick is perhaps my favourite movie, I am feeling the JGL love right now. And Zooey Deschanel is also very cool. This movie sounds really sweet without intentionally being that way. And the dance number reminds me of Enchanted... in a good way.
The Hurt Locker - Not going to lie, I knew little about this until critics started raving about it. I don't watch much television, but I was watching recently and one commercial essentially commanded me to go see it. So, I suppose I will.
Julie & Julia - I missed all the Meryl Streep Is Amazing film history (I'll have to explore her filmography more extensively in the future), but I am in love with Amy Adams, and that the pair are together is awesome. I finally saw a preview at Public Enemies and it looked really adorable. And yummy. This is why I love Chocolat but can rarely rewatch it. It makes me crave chocolate so much.
Harry Potter 6 - Okay, I loved the Harry Potter books, not going to say they're the best things ever but they're good stories, but I've never been a big fan of the movies. They all feel lost between trying to be a Faithful Adaptation and Finding A New Voice. But I'll give 'em this - the previews always look AMAZING even if I've never been deeply in love with any of the movies.
The Ugly Truth - Another rom com sucks me in! But I can't help it, Gerard Butler's just too amazing for me to avoid. Also, Katherine Heigl is genuinely funny. I actually enjoyed 27 Dresses... to an extent. (Most) rom coms are only so good. I don't know that this movie will actually live up to be hilarious, but it could be, so I will probably give it a shot.
Funny People - This could either suck or be awesome. I am really hoping for the latter. I'd like to see Adam Sandler in a good movie again (You Don't Mess With the Zohan!? Bedtime Stories!?). Plus, I'd like to think that I trust Judd Apatow. We'll see.
Inglorious Basterds - Hilariously enough, as I was skimming old Entertainment Weekly magazines, I came across a note in a 2004 issue that made reference to Quentin Tarantino's long rumored "Inglorious Bastards project." Funny seeing it come to fruition five years later. I have no delusions this will be anything but what it's expected to be. But that doesn't mean it won't be enjoyable.
And there will be more as we get into the I Want An Oscar! season (aka: fall). But, for now, I'll settle for some not-top-notch quality movies. Who knows? They might even surprise me.
Nine
Let us take a moment to note just how bitchin' Nine looks! I have not seen the musical, as I have seen very few musicals live, but I just watched the trailer for the upcoming movie three times and am still in love with how it looks like it will turn out. Just note that amazingly awesome international Oscar-winning cast (save two; one is a nominee and the other is Fergie). Daniel Day-Lewis amongst many women, such as Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Sophia Lauren, Nicole Kidman, and Fergie, with FAB vocals over the trailer. The visuals are already stunning, and I just rewatched Chicago, so that this is being directed by the same guy, Rob Marshall, makes me enthusiastic (I had forgotten just how amazing the movie Chicago is).
I was lamenting over how few movies I was psyched for this coming fall season (also known as I Want An Oscar! season), but then I stumble into Nine, which I had heard about before but not ventured much into. But after seeing the trailer and obsessing over the cast... I'm excited.
And also, major props to Kate Hudson for doing a real movie again. It's been too long, Kate. Please, hang up the rom coms and do real movies. You were so good in Almost Famous! You're a past Oscar nominee! You deserve better. At least pick your rom coms better if you're going to do any.
And although I pay little to no attention to Fergie despite my respect for her as a good vocalist and performer (I just don't pay much attention on the music front), I am very excited to see her in Nine as well.
Last note: other movies this fall I'm excited for? Mostly Sherlock Holmes, which comes out on Christmas. Although Tim Burton-produced 9 looks very interesting and potentially good. I was almost excited for The Road since I started reading it and already really love it, but then I watched the preview and can't hide my displeasure at it looking rather mediocre. This is disappointing as Cormac McCarthy is a great author and No Country for Old Men was wicked good. Oh well. I'll just settle down and enjoy the book.
Final note, for reals: Where the fuck is the Academy going to find 10 Best Picture Nominees without any filler? BTWs, Academy, Star Trek and Up will be filler when you nominate them. They are both good, but we all know they have no chance of winning. The point of five nominees was that they all had a chance of winning... even if it is a slim to none chance like going up against Slumdog Millionaire. But my point is that if Slumdog Millionaire hadn't been the awards sweeper it was, the other four films would've had a chance (well, maybe not The Reader... but I'm still spiteful over the lack of The Dark Knight). I loved Up and really liked Star Trek, but let's not kid ourselves, unless every drama that comes out this year is total suck, neither of those films would ever win Best Picture.
So screw you Academy for another stupid decision. Oh and PLEASE bring back the clips. Seeing Tilda Swinton in another bag, Sophia Lauren with way too much makeup and boobage, and Whoopi Goldberg's unfortunate pattern choice talking about actors they may or may not know very well (which totally ruins it when one winner and nominee are paired perfectly and another are a total mismatch; completely unfair to the poor nominee that was mismatched!) is PAINFUL. I much prefer seeing the clips from movies that actually show us why these actors deserves an Oscar. Isn't that the point of movies? To be shown instead of told (something Public Enemies should have known better)?
And thus ends another longer-than-intended Sarah-rants/raves-about-movies segment.
Have a good night.
I was lamenting over how few movies I was psyched for this coming fall season (also known as I Want An Oscar! season), but then I stumble into Nine, which I had heard about before but not ventured much into. But after seeing the trailer and obsessing over the cast... I'm excited.
And also, major props to Kate Hudson for doing a real movie again. It's been too long, Kate. Please, hang up the rom coms and do real movies. You were so good in Almost Famous! You're a past Oscar nominee! You deserve better. At least pick your rom coms better if you're going to do any.
And although I pay little to no attention to Fergie despite my respect for her as a good vocalist and performer (I just don't pay much attention on the music front), I am very excited to see her in Nine as well.
Last note: other movies this fall I'm excited for? Mostly Sherlock Holmes, which comes out on Christmas. Although Tim Burton-produced 9 looks very interesting and potentially good. I was almost excited for The Road since I started reading it and already really love it, but then I watched the preview and can't hide my displeasure at it looking rather mediocre. This is disappointing as Cormac McCarthy is a great author and No Country for Old Men was wicked good. Oh well. I'll just settle down and enjoy the book.
Final note, for reals: Where the fuck is the Academy going to find 10 Best Picture Nominees without any filler? BTWs, Academy, Star Trek and Up will be filler when you nominate them. They are both good, but we all know they have no chance of winning. The point of five nominees was that they all had a chance of winning... even if it is a slim to none chance like going up against Slumdog Millionaire. But my point is that if Slumdog Millionaire hadn't been the awards sweeper it was, the other four films would've had a chance (well, maybe not The Reader... but I'm still spiteful over the lack of The Dark Knight). I loved Up and really liked Star Trek, but let's not kid ourselves, unless every drama that comes out this year is total suck, neither of those films would ever win Best Picture.
So screw you Academy for another stupid decision. Oh and PLEASE bring back the clips. Seeing Tilda Swinton in another bag, Sophia Lauren with way too much makeup and boobage, and Whoopi Goldberg's unfortunate pattern choice talking about actors they may or may not know very well (which totally ruins it when one winner and nominee are paired perfectly and another are a total mismatch; completely unfair to the poor nominee that was mismatched!) is PAINFUL. I much prefer seeing the clips from movies that actually show us why these actors deserves an Oscar. Isn't that the point of movies? To be shown instead of told (something Public Enemies should have known better)?
And thus ends another longer-than-intended Sarah-rants/raves-about-movies segment.
Have a good night.
Stealing From My Livejournal Part XXXII
As I use my livejournal for little else except for movie rants and decided to switch over here, I thought I'd recruit some older posts so as to show a history. I'll bother with new ones as they come to me.
From June 30, 2009:
"I saw Up again. I cried at least on three, maybe four, occasions. Although it's not my favourite Pixar films because, as good as it is, it's no WALL-E/Toy Story, it definitely got to me more than probably any of those other films ever has. I mean, I cry during most movies I see, or at least tear up, if I like them at all, but I don't usually cry more than once or twice. Kudos, Up!
Speaking of movies, let me count how many people want to go see Public Enemies with me. Hmm... seven off of the top of my head. This will be interesting to actually make happen. BUT I AM PSYCHED. I am way excited to see that movie.
I was thinking yesterday, as I fled the house and my dramatically upset pissiness, about why I love movies, and I realize that it's for the same reasons as everyone else, really. I went to go see Up to escape my life, to thoroughly enjoy a good-looking, well-written story, and that's really why I see all movies, even the prestigious ones, even the bad ones, even the BAMF ones - I see them because I love getting lost in movies.
It's also really sad to think about too because there is this deep love I have for movies that is just so different than love I have for anything, or anyone, else. And when I'm not experiencing that, it's hard for me. It's like I suffer from withdrawal (isn't this just a wee bit pathetic when you think about it?). I have to see movies, and I particularly enjoy seeing new, amazing movies.
I admit, I am deeply upset that there is nothing like The Dark Knight coming soon to theatres. I was so excited for that movie and it was just so unbelievably amazingly awesome on so many levels (it satisfied my childhood Batman-fanatic geek, my Heath Ledger-loving soul, my Morgan-Freeman-Is-The-Awesomest-Badass-Ever side, my action-adventure love, my Deep-Yet-Not-Pretentious-Storyline obsession, and my fangirl like obsession with awesome filmmaking - the soundtrack! the editing! the cinematography! the sets!) and there isn't a movie quite like that this summer. Granted, I am hyping for Public Enemies like there is no tomorrow, but I know it won't be the same.
Regardless, I love movies, if you all didn't already know.
I rented a bunch recently. I watched The Forbidden Kingdom the other day and I liked it a lot. I remember the previews for it and I thought it looked wicked cool but I never got to see it in theatres (I admit, I was pushing for it on senior skip day, but nobody really cared and Liz was all like "NARNIA! NARNIA!" ...at least Ben Barnes is hot...) and I got to see it now and it was very cool. I'm returning to my action-adventure love, I think, especially since I also watched Hero today. It started with the English dub and I was like "uh, no" and went to setup to change it back to Mandarin.
Hero was awesome. It felt so Rashomon in the story-telling style, but with the action flair of the best martial arts films ever. And I loved Tony Leung in that movie. Everyone was great, but he always stands out to me when I see him (i.e. 2046, Infernal Affairs) for whatever reason. The art direction was fabulous, and although the moral of the story, the stance it takes, has a really frightening political meaning, there's a part of me that agrees with the idea that sometimes we do have to make sacrifices to have peace. Of course, this depends on the peace, and we don't want something like the third ending of Jade Empire (aka: totalitarianism and militaristically forced peace) to hold true, but fighting gets tiresome and not all battles are worth fighting.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. I just thought I'd share my latest film feelings since, as I said, there is this inexplicable relationship between me and the movies, a bond that I feel so strongly, and that allows me to bore everyone with extensive movie-chatter.
But I hope y'all love me anyway.
Peace (the good sort)."
From June 30, 2009:
"I saw Up again. I cried at least on three, maybe four, occasions. Although it's not my favourite Pixar films because, as good as it is, it's no WALL-E/Toy Story, it definitely got to me more than probably any of those other films ever has. I mean, I cry during most movies I see, or at least tear up, if I like them at all, but I don't usually cry more than once or twice. Kudos, Up!
Speaking of movies, let me count how many people want to go see Public Enemies with me. Hmm... seven off of the top of my head. This will be interesting to actually make happen. BUT I AM PSYCHED. I am way excited to see that movie.
I was thinking yesterday, as I fled the house and my dramatically upset pissiness, about why I love movies, and I realize that it's for the same reasons as everyone else, really. I went to go see Up to escape my life, to thoroughly enjoy a good-looking, well-written story, and that's really why I see all movies, even the prestigious ones, even the bad ones, even the BAMF ones - I see them because I love getting lost in movies.
It's also really sad to think about too because there is this deep love I have for movies that is just so different than love I have for anything, or anyone, else. And when I'm not experiencing that, it's hard for me. It's like I suffer from withdrawal (isn't this just a wee bit pathetic when you think about it?). I have to see movies, and I particularly enjoy seeing new, amazing movies.
I admit, I am deeply upset that there is nothing like The Dark Knight coming soon to theatres. I was so excited for that movie and it was just so unbelievably amazingly awesome on so many levels (it satisfied my childhood Batman-fanatic geek, my Heath Ledger-loving soul, my Morgan-Freeman-Is-The-Awesomest-Badass-Ever side, my action-adventure love, my Deep-Yet-Not-Pretentious-Storyline obsession, and my fangirl like obsession with awesome filmmaking - the soundtrack! the editing! the cinematography! the sets!) and there isn't a movie quite like that this summer. Granted, I am hyping for Public Enemies like there is no tomorrow, but I know it won't be the same.
Regardless, I love movies, if you all didn't already know.
I rented a bunch recently. I watched The Forbidden Kingdom the other day and I liked it a lot. I remember the previews for it and I thought it looked wicked cool but I never got to see it in theatres (I admit, I was pushing for it on senior skip day, but nobody really cared and Liz was all like "NARNIA! NARNIA!" ...at least Ben Barnes is hot...) and I got to see it now and it was very cool. I'm returning to my action-adventure love, I think, especially since I also watched Hero today. It started with the English dub and I was like "uh, no" and went to setup to change it back to Mandarin.
Hero was awesome. It felt so Rashomon in the story-telling style, but with the action flair of the best martial arts films ever. And I loved Tony Leung in that movie. Everyone was great, but he always stands out to me when I see him (i.e. 2046, Infernal Affairs) for whatever reason. The art direction was fabulous, and although the moral of the story, the stance it takes, has a really frightening political meaning, there's a part of me that agrees with the idea that sometimes we do have to make sacrifices to have peace. Of course, this depends on the peace, and we don't want something like the third ending of Jade Empire (aka: totalitarianism and militaristically forced peace) to hold true, but fighting gets tiresome and not all battles are worth fighting.
Anyway, enough of my rambling. I just thought I'd share my latest film feelings since, as I said, there is this inexplicable relationship between me and the movies, a bond that I feel so strongly, and that allows me to bore everyone with extensive movie-chatter.
But I hope y'all love me anyway.
Peace (the good sort)."
Stealing From My Livejournal Part XXI
As I use my livejournal for little else except for movie rants and decided to switch over here, I thought I'd recruit some older posts so as to show a history. I'll bother with new ones as they come to me.
From January 9, 2009:
"For The Dark Knight?
So, I might be getting ahead of myself here but The Dark Knight is on the short list (7 movies) for Makeup and Visual Effects... and may I say that the main competition for both has got to be The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which, for all its nods, hasn't actually been achieving too many awards). Although I doubt TDK will steal a Best Picture award (although the odds are looking good for a Best Picture nod), it has good chances in most of its other categories and... if nothing else... we can all expect a teary moment to kick off the award show when Heath Ledger wins. (What pisses me off is that the Best Supporting Actor Oscar is always first! The most awesome moment of the night... will be over after fifteen minutes. Jeezum crow, man!). Regardless, I have pretty high hopes for The Dark Knight to score a lot of nods, and at least one statuette.
I'm still banking on Slumdog Millionaire to win Best Picture.
Anyway, I saw Australia today. I disagree with the harsh reviews it garnered; it was a good movie. Definitely of an epic length and scope, at times way too much so, but I've always enjoyed my movies jam-packed with stuff, so maybe that makes me partial to the somewhat bloated plot. And boy oh boy, I see why Hugh Jackman was voted sexiest man alive. I look forward to seeing him emcee the Oscars! In a slower year, he would totally deserve a Best Actor nod for his role in the film too. Anyway, I liked Australia, although it's not in my favourite films of the year list nor is it my favourite Baz Luhrmann film (well... he did make Moulin Rouge!). It's on the short list for visual effects, which I think it will end up getting a nod for, and some other more visual categories seem appropriate for the movie, as, if nothing else, it is beautiful to look at (and so is Hugh Jackman shirtless... mmm...).
Watched the People's Choice Awards yesterday (LAME). Here is an article that really explains how sucky the PCAs were better than me. And I watched the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards this evening. A MUCH better assessment, if I do say so myself. And... jeezum crow, I can't remember which award show this happened at... I think it was the People's Choice Awards... because Christopher Nolan accepted Heath's BFCA award... but... hm... okay, well, whatever award show it was (I think it was the PCAs), Christian Bale merely said, on behalf of something for The Dark Knight, something along the lines of "this is for Heath." It was freakin beautiful. It was all he said, aside from "thank you" trying to shut the crowd up (which makes me almost certain it was the PCAs now).
Hooray for Heath. It's an absolute shame he can't be present for one of the best parts that should have been his life."
From January 9, 2009:
"For The Dark Knight?
So, I might be getting ahead of myself here but The Dark Knight is on the short list (7 movies) for Makeup and Visual Effects... and may I say that the main competition for both has got to be The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (which, for all its nods, hasn't actually been achieving too many awards). Although I doubt TDK will steal a Best Picture award (although the odds are looking good for a Best Picture nod), it has good chances in most of its other categories and... if nothing else... we can all expect a teary moment to kick off the award show when Heath Ledger wins. (What pisses me off is that the Best Supporting Actor Oscar is always first! The most awesome moment of the night... will be over after fifteen minutes. Jeezum crow, man!). Regardless, I have pretty high hopes for The Dark Knight to score a lot of nods, and at least one statuette.
I'm still banking on Slumdog Millionaire to win Best Picture.
Anyway, I saw Australia today. I disagree with the harsh reviews it garnered; it was a good movie. Definitely of an epic length and scope, at times way too much so, but I've always enjoyed my movies jam-packed with stuff, so maybe that makes me partial to the somewhat bloated plot. And boy oh boy, I see why Hugh Jackman was voted sexiest man alive. I look forward to seeing him emcee the Oscars! In a slower year, he would totally deserve a Best Actor nod for his role in the film too. Anyway, I liked Australia, although it's not in my favourite films of the year list nor is it my favourite Baz Luhrmann film (well... he did make Moulin Rouge!). It's on the short list for visual effects, which I think it will end up getting a nod for, and some other more visual categories seem appropriate for the movie, as, if nothing else, it is beautiful to look at (and so is Hugh Jackman shirtless... mmm...).
Watched the People's Choice Awards yesterday (LAME). Here is an article that really explains how sucky the PCAs were better than me. And I watched the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards this evening. A MUCH better assessment, if I do say so myself. And... jeezum crow, I can't remember which award show this happened at... I think it was the People's Choice Awards... because Christopher Nolan accepted Heath's BFCA award... but... hm... okay, well, whatever award show it was (I think it was the PCAs), Christian Bale merely said, on behalf of something for The Dark Knight, something along the lines of "this is for Heath." It was freakin beautiful. It was all he said, aside from "thank you" trying to shut the crowd up (which makes me almost certain it was the PCAs now).
Hooray for Heath. It's an absolute shame he can't be present for one of the best parts that should have been his life."
Stealing From My Livejournal Part XI
As I use my livejournal for little else except for movie rants and decided to switch over here, I thought I'd recruit some older posts so as to show a history. I'll bother with new ones as they come to me.
From September 16, 2008:
"How much of a nerd does it make me when I look back on the 2004 Oscars as beautiful? Probably a huge nerd, but I was just browsing through the wikipedia articles on the recent Oscar ceremonies, trying to spot an instance other than the Lord of the Rings sweep in which unconventionality reigned in Hollywood.
Why was I doing this? Because The Dark Knight is being rereleased, at least in IMAX, maybe in traditional theaters, in January, to throw it into prominence for the Oscars. At this point, there aren't that many excellent films of 2008, so I can see the appeal, but there are a lot of movies coming out that I am highly anticipating and that Hollywood surely is looking towards as potential Oscar material. I was trying to convince Julie as to why the "strange" happening that Heath Ledger might get an Oscar is possible. I love unconventionality. And it is unconventional for a dead man to win an Academy Award. But if any performance deserved it, it's that one.
But anyways, this leads me into another movie rant.
Buzz is already surrounding Keira Knightley, unfortunately, for The Dutchess. What I am more excited for, however, is the buzz surrounding Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married. Maybe this is because Anne Hathaway does not play all the same roles and is a good actress with a promising career ahead of her, whereas Keira Knightley does play all the same roles and is getting kind of annoying. I get it, you made a good Elizabeth Bennet, can you try something new now? Angelina Jolie is getting some buzz too for Changeling. I haven't been paying that movie much attention at all, however, so I can't really voice my opinion there. I'm reserving judgment, because I've never really seen Angelina Jolie act since Girl, Interrupted and that was like a decade ago.
I am really excited for Australia. REALLY excited. I missed Baz Luhrmann. I am just really excited for this movie and I hope it does well. I think Revolutionary Road is also certainly garnering some attention, starring Leo and Kate and with Mendes as director. Other movies I predict might be contenders in some form, whether acting or feature, include Doubt and Frost/Nixon. Of course, I've been hearing buzz about Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button since I first saw a preview for it months ago. We'll see how that works out. And Seven Pounds might get Will Smith some more attention (not that he really needs it). Milk is a movie I'm a bit excited about and looking forward to. James Franco is in it!!! This excites me. And I still really want to see August, which stars Josh Hartnett and is apparently a very good movie.
On a lighter note, Fanboys is FINALLY coming out. The official release date, announced on the production website, is November 26th. It better finally come out. I mean, dammit, I've been waiting for this movie for like two years. And, obviously, I'm still excited for The Brothers Bloom. In my wildest dreams, it becomes somehow famous and garners so much attention and becomes the underdog of the year. But realistically speaking, I'm hoping the honour of underdog goes more in the direction of The Visitor, which better not get neglected or else I'll be very sad.
But as for The Dark Knight, if all these other movies don't live up to the expectations, which I'd be surprised by, who knows? Maybe it could get a Best Picture nod. I really don't think it will, but if the coming season doesn't live up to expectations, it could happen. For now, I'll settle for a Best Supporting Actor nod (at minimum), and some awards in the sound, effects, and design department. But the popularity and general acclaim the movie has, it has me wondering... would it count as Adapted Screenplay or Original Screenplay? I mean, does it have to be directly adapted to be adapted? I would think it'd be an adapted screenplay, considering it's not original material, but it's something worth wondering over.
I don't know... Hollywood's been pretty boring the past couple years. Maybe it's about time for another unconventional sweep. Unlikely... but it's nice to dream isn't it? (Because in my dream, Rian Johnson gets a Best Director nod. Hahahaha, my dreams are crazy).
At least one thing's for certain. If Wall-E doesn't win Best Animated Feature, something's wrong with this world."
From September 16, 2008:
"How much of a nerd does it make me when I look back on the 2004 Oscars as beautiful? Probably a huge nerd, but I was just browsing through the wikipedia articles on the recent Oscar ceremonies, trying to spot an instance other than the Lord of the Rings sweep in which unconventionality reigned in Hollywood.
Why was I doing this? Because The Dark Knight is being rereleased, at least in IMAX, maybe in traditional theaters, in January, to throw it into prominence for the Oscars. At this point, there aren't that many excellent films of 2008, so I can see the appeal, but there are a lot of movies coming out that I am highly anticipating and that Hollywood surely is looking towards as potential Oscar material. I was trying to convince Julie as to why the "strange" happening that Heath Ledger might get an Oscar is possible. I love unconventionality. And it is unconventional for a dead man to win an Academy Award. But if any performance deserved it, it's that one.
But anyways, this leads me into another movie rant.
Buzz is already surrounding Keira Knightley, unfortunately, for The Dutchess. What I am more excited for, however, is the buzz surrounding Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married. Maybe this is because Anne Hathaway does not play all the same roles and is a good actress with a promising career ahead of her, whereas Keira Knightley does play all the same roles and is getting kind of annoying. I get it, you made a good Elizabeth Bennet, can you try something new now? Angelina Jolie is getting some buzz too for Changeling. I haven't been paying that movie much attention at all, however, so I can't really voice my opinion there. I'm reserving judgment, because I've never really seen Angelina Jolie act since Girl, Interrupted and that was like a decade ago.
I am really excited for Australia. REALLY excited. I missed Baz Luhrmann. I am just really excited for this movie and I hope it does well. I think Revolutionary Road is also certainly garnering some attention, starring Leo and Kate and with Mendes as director. Other movies I predict might be contenders in some form, whether acting or feature, include Doubt and Frost/Nixon. Of course, I've been hearing buzz about Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button since I first saw a preview for it months ago. We'll see how that works out. And Seven Pounds might get Will Smith some more attention (not that he really needs it). Milk is a movie I'm a bit excited about and looking forward to. James Franco is in it!!! This excites me. And I still really want to see August, which stars Josh Hartnett and is apparently a very good movie.
On a lighter note, Fanboys is FINALLY coming out. The official release date, announced on the production website, is November 26th. It better finally come out. I mean, dammit, I've been waiting for this movie for like two years. And, obviously, I'm still excited for The Brothers Bloom. In my wildest dreams, it becomes somehow famous and garners so much attention and becomes the underdog of the year. But realistically speaking, I'm hoping the honour of underdog goes more in the direction of The Visitor, which better not get neglected or else I'll be very sad.
But as for The Dark Knight, if all these other movies don't live up to the expectations, which I'd be surprised by, who knows? Maybe it could get a Best Picture nod. I really don't think it will, but if the coming season doesn't live up to expectations, it could happen. For now, I'll settle for a Best Supporting Actor nod (at minimum), and some awards in the sound, effects, and design department. But the popularity and general acclaim the movie has, it has me wondering... would it count as Adapted Screenplay or Original Screenplay? I mean, does it have to be directly adapted to be adapted? I would think it'd be an adapted screenplay, considering it's not original material, but it's something worth wondering over.
I don't know... Hollywood's been pretty boring the past couple years. Maybe it's about time for another unconventional sweep. Unlikely... but it's nice to dream isn't it? (Because in my dream, Rian Johnson gets a Best Director nod. Hahahaha, my dreams are crazy).
At least one thing's for certain. If Wall-E doesn't win Best Animated Feature, something's wrong with this world."
Stealing From My Livejournal Part VIII
As I use my livejournal for little else except for movie rants and decided to switch over here, I thought I'd recruit some older posts so as to show a history. I'll bother with new ones as they come to me.
From August 2, 2008:
"As in The Brothers Bloom. As in Rian Johnson's second film out in October following his debut directorial film, Brick, my personal favourite film. As in EXCELLENT.
I don't know how long ago the trailer came out, but it's out now, and I am super-psyched. I recommend that you go see the movie when it comes out. Rian Johnson is an excellent filmmaker and it seems like he's really aiming to get noticed this time, I mean, considering the step in casting. Before it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Nora Zehetner, relative unknowns, and now it's Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, and Rinko Kikuchi. Of course, I am basing this off of the single film he's released that I've seen, but Brick was an excellent film and The Brothers Bloom looks really good. His cousin, Nathan Johnson, is returning to score once again (which is excellent; I am in love with the Brick soundtrack). The budget is several times larger than it was last time (for Brick it was under 500k, now I hear Brothers Bloom is near 30 mil). And I'm hoping for a wider release because I wasn't able to see Brick in theatres; I rented and then bought it when it came out later.
There are likely to be lots of excellent movies in the fall, it's the season for Oscar hopefuls, but The Brothers Bloom is the only one I'm really psyched about at the moment.
Check out Rian's forum (he's actually a regular). - http://www.rcjohnso.com/forum/
Watch the trailer for The Brothers Bloom. - http://videos.movie-list.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8dad4d52d063967f0a70"
From August 2, 2008:
"As in The Brothers Bloom. As in Rian Johnson's second film out in October following his debut directorial film, Brick, my personal favourite film. As in EXCELLENT.
I don't know how long ago the trailer came out, but it's out now, and I am super-psyched. I recommend that you go see the movie when it comes out. Rian Johnson is an excellent filmmaker and it seems like he's really aiming to get noticed this time, I mean, considering the step in casting. Before it was Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Nora Zehetner, relative unknowns, and now it's Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz, Mark Ruffalo, and Rinko Kikuchi. Of course, I am basing this off of the single film he's released that I've seen, but Brick was an excellent film and The Brothers Bloom looks really good. His cousin, Nathan Johnson, is returning to score once again (which is excellent; I am in love with the Brick soundtrack). The budget is several times larger than it was last time (for Brick it was under 500k, now I hear Brothers Bloom is near 30 mil). And I'm hoping for a wider release because I wasn't able to see Brick in theatres; I rented and then bought it when it came out later.
There are likely to be lots of excellent movies in the fall, it's the season for Oscar hopefuls, but The Brothers Bloom is the only one I'm really psyched about at the moment.
Check out Rian's forum (he's actually a regular). - http://www.rcjohnso.com/forum/
Watch the trailer for The Brothers Bloom. - http://videos.movie-list.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8dad4d52d063967f0a70"
Stealing From My Livejournal Part VI
As I use my livejournal for little else except for movie rants and decided to switch over here, I thought I'd recruit some older posts so as to show a history. I'll bother with new ones as they come to me.
From July 12, 2008:
"As a film nerd, I was excited to read in Entertainment Weekly (and everyone else who is talking about The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger) that I wasn't the only person in the midst of summer blockbuster season to be looking towards the Oscars. After seeing Wall-E, which is at least one of the best, if not the best, Disney/Pixar film (and I agree with anyone pushing for a Best Picture nom rather than just an Animated Picture nom (or more likely, win)), and after hearing all the buzz about The Dark Knight, I've just been waiting for February to get here already.
I rely on my brother's subscription to Entertainment Weekly as my portal into the media and the film industry (aside from my online escapades), and so was extremely glad to see when they spoke of the few contenders for Oscars thus far this year, to see at least a passing mention for Richard Jenkins in The Visitor. This got me to thinking, of all the films already out there, what films are good contenders? And today, I remembered another early contender, In Bruges. In January/February/March, you don't expect many, if any, good films to come out, but I remember seeing that in theatres back when it came out and it was excellent. I think that it should definitely be included on any list of good movies of 2008 so far. The Visitor is the tiny indie film of the year, except that it has much more indie cred than that fucker Juno ever had imo, and I hope that it doesn't get ignored. Everything about that film was excellent.
Another film that came out in the off-season was the surprise Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Not the best movie I've ever seen, hardly, but it was adorable in its own right. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand were great in it, to say the least, and it was certainly a visually pleasing movie. It was a genuinely sweet film but in the best way possible, and although not in the same caliber as The Visitor or In Bruges, also good.
Now, these aren't my votes for Best Picture; I'm still waiting to see some Best Picture qualifiers aside from Wall-E (which is a tough competitor because not only is it a Disney/Pixar film, which speaks for itself as a brilliant animated feature film, but also, I think, the best film of the year thus far). But I do think The Visitor and In Bruges should not be forgotten when critics start to reflect on the year come fall and columnists start making Oscars guesses. I wouldn't be shocked that, if the fall lacks some proper Oscar contenders, The Dark Knight or Iron Man might take a stab at more notable noms than the special effects departments.
Also, because I like to think of the less dramatic Oscars, I think the sound effect and sound mixing ones should go to Wall-E. SERIOUSLY, man, the sound put into that movie is AMAZING. I notice these things; I disliked Atonement, but loved the soundtrack and thought that deserved the Oscar it got (although all of last year's soundtracks were great, like 3:10 to Yuma, which was totally shunted elsewhere in its awesomeness). I'd make a guess right now that Horton Hears a Who! and Kung Fu Panda will attempt to rival Wall-E for the Best Animated Feature. With the abundance of superhero films this summer, I'm sure the special effects categories are well-covered.
But my opinions right now might change. It seems to me that Oscar contenders are going to come late in the year, considering what there is to work with thus far.
In other film news, I am looking forward to the Coen Brothers' new film, Burn After Reading. I remember seeing a preview at some point and wondered just how many Oscar-vets they were trying to fit into the movie, but it also looked funny. And, of course, I need to see about fifty other movies this year, surely. x)"
From July 12, 2008:
"As a film nerd, I was excited to read in Entertainment Weekly (and everyone else who is talking about The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger) that I wasn't the only person in the midst of summer blockbuster season to be looking towards the Oscars. After seeing Wall-E, which is at least one of the best, if not the best, Disney/Pixar film (and I agree with anyone pushing for a Best Picture nom rather than just an Animated Picture nom (or more likely, win)), and after hearing all the buzz about The Dark Knight, I've just been waiting for February to get here already.
I rely on my brother's subscription to Entertainment Weekly as my portal into the media and the film industry (aside from my online escapades), and so was extremely glad to see when they spoke of the few contenders for Oscars thus far this year, to see at least a passing mention for Richard Jenkins in The Visitor. This got me to thinking, of all the films already out there, what films are good contenders? And today, I remembered another early contender, In Bruges. In January/February/March, you don't expect many, if any, good films to come out, but I remember seeing that in theatres back when it came out and it was excellent. I think that it should definitely be included on any list of good movies of 2008 so far. The Visitor is the tiny indie film of the year, except that it has much more indie cred than that fucker Juno ever had imo, and I hope that it doesn't get ignored. Everything about that film was excellent.
Another film that came out in the off-season was the surprise Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Not the best movie I've ever seen, hardly, but it was adorable in its own right. Amy Adams and Frances McDormand were great in it, to say the least, and it was certainly a visually pleasing movie. It was a genuinely sweet film but in the best way possible, and although not in the same caliber as The Visitor or In Bruges, also good.
Now, these aren't my votes for Best Picture; I'm still waiting to see some Best Picture qualifiers aside from Wall-E (which is a tough competitor because not only is it a Disney/Pixar film, which speaks for itself as a brilliant animated feature film, but also, I think, the best film of the year thus far). But I do think The Visitor and In Bruges should not be forgotten when critics start to reflect on the year come fall and columnists start making Oscars guesses. I wouldn't be shocked that, if the fall lacks some proper Oscar contenders, The Dark Knight or Iron Man might take a stab at more notable noms than the special effects departments.
Also, because I like to think of the less dramatic Oscars, I think the sound effect and sound mixing ones should go to Wall-E. SERIOUSLY, man, the sound put into that movie is AMAZING. I notice these things; I disliked Atonement, but loved the soundtrack and thought that deserved the Oscar it got (although all of last year's soundtracks were great, like 3:10 to Yuma, which was totally shunted elsewhere in its awesomeness). I'd make a guess right now that Horton Hears a Who! and Kung Fu Panda will attempt to rival Wall-E for the Best Animated Feature. With the abundance of superhero films this summer, I'm sure the special effects categories are well-covered.
But my opinions right now might change. It seems to me that Oscar contenders are going to come late in the year, considering what there is to work with thus far.
In other film news, I am looking forward to the Coen Brothers' new film, Burn After Reading. I remember seeing a preview at some point and wondered just how many Oscar-vets they were trying to fit into the movie, but it also looked funny. And, of course, I need to see about fifty other movies this year, surely. x)"
Stealing From My Livejournal Part IV
As I use my livejournal for little else except for movie rants and decided to switch over here, I thought I'd recruit some older posts so as to show a history. I'll bother with new ones as they come to me.
From May 24, 2008:
"I'm excited for films. I am looking forward to the long anticipated Fanboys movie, finally being released this year. The Visitor looks really excellent and like the kind of relatively unknown films that attract me. The Brothers Bloom is being done by Rian Johnson, the mind behind Brick. Like everyone else, I'm dying to see The Dark Knight. Because I have faith in Pixar, I will, of course, see Wall-E. And these are just some films. There are the bajillion other summer blockbusters we all know about and then we will see some previews for the films that will surely be contending for Oscars.
I am a huge film nerd. And I love it."
From May 24, 2008:
"I'm excited for films. I am looking forward to the long anticipated Fanboys movie, finally being released this year. The Visitor looks really excellent and like the kind of relatively unknown films that attract me. The Brothers Bloom is being done by Rian Johnson, the mind behind Brick. Like everyone else, I'm dying to see The Dark Knight. Because I have faith in Pixar, I will, of course, see Wall-E. And these are just some films. There are the bajillion other summer blockbusters we all know about and then we will see some previews for the films that will surely be contending for Oscars.
I am a huge film nerd. And I love it."
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