As us English folk say, Clean Coal, my arse.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
New Clean Coal Ad' Directed by Coen Brothers
Joel and Ethan Coen (Fargo, Burn After Reading) have stepped up and used their talents to direct the latest ad for thisisreality.org.
As us English folk say, Clean Coal, my arse.
As us English folk say, Clean Coal, my arse.
Celebrity Apprentice
I gave up on the regular Apprentice after the the first couple of seasons because it had become tired and dull. However I am most certainly back with this second celebrity version. Not because I am a fan of any of the mostly C-D-E list celebs but because i think seeing Joan Rivers going at it with The Donald will be worth a laugh or two. The 'stars' of the show are as follows:Brian McKnight, Andrew Dice Clay, Dennis Rodman, Herschel Walker, Clint Black, Tom Green, Jesse G. James, Scott Hamilton, Tionne Watkins, Khloe Kardashian, Joan Rivers, Melissa Rivers, Claudia Jordan, Annie Duke, Brande Roderick, Natalie Gulbis.
The Show begins March 1st at 9/8c ion NBC and you can even (if you really want to) get Apprentice updates on Twitter:
Melissa Rivers will be tweeting during the premiere of The Celebrity Apprentice on Sun., Mar.1! Follow her here to get updates!
about 21 hours ago from web
NBC's Celebrity Apprentice has joined twitter!
2:30 PM Feb 25th from web
Backlash Over Fourth American Idol Judge
A recent poll at tv.com tells us that 62% of those asked felt the addition of a fourth judge on the American Idol panel was a bad idea.This comes after Paula Abdul recently told OK magazine she too thought it was a bad idea. The judge in question, Kara DioGuardi is a singer, songwriter, producer etc who no one had heard of until this news season of the mega-hot FOX show. Responding to MSNBC about Abdul's comments:
“Paula has a right to her opinions, but I was disappointed by her comments, and hurt that she did not address them to me in person,”
As Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Life on Mars Shooting in New York
Good old youtube and big thanks to pixierosedesign for shooting the shooting of ABC's Life on Mars in New York recently.
Woody Allen Back in London
Fresh from Oscar success with Vicki Cristina Barcelona Woody Allen is keeping the Spanish flavor alive by bringing Antonio Banderas to his next movie that will be shot in London. Three out of his last five films have been set in my old stomping ground, Match Point, Scoop and the not so good Cassandra's Dream.Banderas will be joined by Slumdog's Freida Pinto, Milk's Josh Brolin along with Anthony Hopkins and Naomi Watts. Plot details are still under wraps but if you are heading to London for a vacation this summer keep your eyes open and see if you can spot the Woodster at work!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Actors & Directors by Annie Leibovitz
In this extraordinary selection of photographs from Vanity Fair Annie Leibovitz explores some of the most interesting and successful Actor/Director partnerships of the last 12 months.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Last Mile: An Exhibition of Rare and Private Photographs by Barbara McQueen
I am looking forward to attending the Artist Reception (March 6th 7-9pm) for this collection of rare and private photographs by Barbara McQueen at the Chandler Center for the Arts. McQueen married Barabara Minty on January 16th 1980 a year before his death and this collection spans the three years they knew each other.
The exhibition runs March 6th through April 11th for more details click here.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Top 10 Futurama Episodes
To celebrate todays release of the Futurama DVD Into the Wild Blue Yonder TV.com offers us their top 10 best Futurama episodes of all time (number 5 ... Jurassic Bark is my fave).10. The Problem With Popplers(season 2, episode 18)When the Planet Express crew discovers tasty little whatchamacallits on a planet, they bring them back to Earth, call them Popplers, and sell them to a hungry public. The problem with the Popplers? They're actually the young of Omicronians. Oops. To solve the problem, the Omicronians agree to eat Leela, but end up eating a hippie.
9. Roswell That Ends Well(season 4, episode 1)After an incident with metal in a microwave, the crew is transported back to the 1940s and become the center of the Roswell UFO controversy. In one of the funniest stories the series ever concocted, Fry accidentally kills his grandfather but does the deed with his grandma, becoming his own grandpappy.
8. A Bicyclops Built For Two(season 2, episode 13)Leela discovers another cyclops, Alkazar, and leaves Earth to repopulate her species. Soon Alkazar is treating Leela like dirt, and a jealous Fry investigates what's really going on. Highlights of the episode include a nod to Married With Children and the coolest rendition of the Internet ever.
The war against balls.
7. I, Roommate(season 1, episode 3)I'm a sucker for sappy buddy episodes, and Bender and Fry moving in together and Bender making the ultimate sacrifice for his new best friend--cutting off "little Bender"--gets me every time.
6. The Why of Fry(season 5, episode 8)This episode unravels like an episode of Lost, with Fry going back in time and learning his destiny from Nibbler. One of the smartest Futurama scripts, The Why of Fry shows us what really happened the night Fry was frozen.
5. Parasites Lost(season 3, episode 4)After eating a rotten sandwich, Fry becomes super smart thanks to parasites. Though Futurama is known for its geeky slapstick, Parasites Lost was unabashedly romantic, with Leela falling for the "new" Fry. The good guy he is, Fry reverts back to his old, stupid self at the cost of losing Leela's affection because he wanted to be loved for who he really was.
4. War is the H Word(season 3, episode 2)When aliens declare war on Earth in Starship Troopers fashion, only one man can save them: Zapp Brannigan. Plenty of classic lines from Zapp, and plenty of jokes about balls.
3. Mars University(season 2, episode 2)Fry returns to college to drop out, Bender helps his old frat become popular, and the Professor makes a monkey named Guenter super-smart with a hat. The ode to Up the Creek, the Dean's screams of "Rooooobot House!!!", and a monkey trying to wear a hat on its butt make this a classic. Plus, this episode has the ultimate Fry line: "Banana! Banana! Banana!" Guenter, future president of the Fox network.
2. Jurassic Bark(season 3, episode 10)A tale of man's best friend has never been told better. Fry discovers the fossilized remains of his beloved pet pooch Seymour and wants to clone him, much to the chagrin of Bender. But realizing that Seymour lived to the ripe old age of 15, Fry thinks his dog would barely remember him. In flashbacks, we see otherwise in one of the most moving scenes in cartoon history. A real tearjerker.
1. The Luck of the Fryrish(season 3, episode 10)Hands down the best episode of Futurama ever. Flashbacks show Fry's competitive relationship with his brother Yancy, who is constantly stealing Fry's ideas and passing them off as his own. But when Fry finds a seven-leafed clover, his luck changes. Meanwhile, in the future, Fry finds out that his brother stole his name and clover, becoming world-renowned for becoming the first person on Mars. I dare anyone to watch this episode without sobbing like a little baby.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Oscar Winners 2009 - In Pictures
Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Director - Danny Boyle Slumdog Millionaire
Best Actor - Sean Penn Milk
Best Actress - Kate Winslet The Reader
Best Supporting Actress - Penelope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Best SupportingActor - Heath Ledger The Dark Knight
Best Original Screenplay - Milk
Best Original Song - Jai Ho Slumdog Millionaire
Best Animated Feature Film - Wall-E
Oscar Winners 2009
In the first of a series of Oscar related posts here is the complete list of last nights winners:Best picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Frost/Nixon; Milk; The Reader
Best director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: Stephen Daldry - The Reader; David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon; Gus Van Sant - Milk
Best actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Also nominated: Richard Jenkins - The Visitor; Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon; Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Best actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Also nominated: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married; Angelina Jolie - Changeling; Melissa Leo - Frozen River; Meryl Streep - Doubt
Best supporting actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Also nominated: Josh Brolin - Milk; Robert Downey Jr - Tropic Thunder; Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt; Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road
Best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Also nominated: Amy Adams - Doubt; Viola Davis - Doubt; Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Best original screenplay: Milk
Also nominated: Happy-Go-Lucky; Wall-E; In Bruges; Frozen River
Best adapted screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Doubt; Frost/Nixon; The Reader
Best animated feature film: Wall-E
Also nominated: Bolt; Kung Fu Panda
Best animated short film: La Maison en Petits Cubes
Also nominated: Lavatory - Lovestory; Oktapodi; Presto; This Way Up
Best foreign language film: Departures - Japan
Also nominated: Revanche - Austria; The Class - France; The Baader Meinhof Complex - Germany; Waltz With Bashir - Israel
Best documentary feature: Man on Wire
Also nominated: The Betrayal; Encounters at the End of the World; The Garden; Trouble The Water
Best documentary short subject: Smile Pinki
Also nominated: The Conscience of Nhem En; The Final Inch; The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306
Art direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Also nominated: Changeling; The Dark Knight; The Duchess; Revolutionary Road
Costume design: The Duchess
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Australia; Milk; Revolutionary Road
Make-up: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Also nominated: The Dark Knight; Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Changeling; The Dark Knight; The Reader
Best live action short film: Spielzeugland (Toyland)
Also nominated: Auf der Strecke (On The Line); Manon on the Asphalt; New Boy; The Pig
Visual effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Also nominated: The Dark Knight; Iron Man
Sound editing: The Dark Knight
Also nominated: Iron Man; Wanted; Slumdog Millionaire; Wall-E
Sound mixing: Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; The Dark Knight; Wanted; Wall-E
Film editing:Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; The Dark Knight; Frost/Nixon; Milk
Best original score: Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Defiance; Milk; Slumdog Millionaire; Wall-E
Best original song: Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: Down To Earth - Wall-E; O Saya - Slumdog Millionaire
Sunday, February 22, 2009
My Picks for Tonights Oscars
On the whole it's been a great 12 months of movies and I certainly can't remember a year when so many categories have so many deserving nominees. Who should take home Oscar? Here are the nominees that impressed me the most:
Actor in a Leading Role: Sean Penn - Milk
Actor in a Supporting Role: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Actress in a Leading Role: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Actress in a Supporting Role: Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Animated Feature Film: Wall-E
Art Direction: Revolutionary Road
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Costume Design: The Duchess
Directing: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Writing (Adapted Screenplay): The Reader
Writing (Original Screenplay): Happy-Go-Lucky
What do you think? Did I ignore a movie and you think I have lost my marbles? Let me know!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
The Hardest Cast Ever?
I read this week that a motley crue of tough guys has assembled to remake the French gambling film 13 Tzamti. 13 as the new version will be known brings together Ray Winstone, Ray Liotta, Fifty Cent, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham in a New York movie about men taking bets on the lives of other men in the shady world of Russian Roulette. The flick is being directed by Gela Babluani who also helmed the original 2005 release. Look for it in theaters next year.
Friday, February 20, 2009
This Years Oscar Snubs
Every year the Academy seems to inexplicably leave some movies out of categories most of us feel they are a safe bet to get nominated if not win. This year two movies seemed to be singled out for a good snub leaving me scratching my head:
Happy-Go-Lucky
Actress in a Leading Role - Sally Hawkins
Directing - Mike Leigh
Revolutionary Road
Actress in a Leading Role - Kate Winslet
Actor in a Leading Role - Leonardo DiCaprio
Directing - Sam Mendes
Easier for Winslet to bear with her nomination for The Reader but newcomer Sally Hawkins was robbed. I think the Academy sometimes sees a talent like hers and recognizes she will almost certainly be nominated again in a future role.
Have any 2009 snubs got you spilling your popcorn in disbelief?
Happy-Go-Lucky
Actress in a Leading Role - Sally Hawkins
Directing - Mike Leigh
Revolutionary Road
Actress in a Leading Role - Kate Winslet
Actor in a Leading Role - Leonardo DiCaprio
Directing - Sam Mendes
Easier for Winslet to bear with her nomination for The Reader but newcomer Sally Hawkins was robbed. I think the Academy sometimes sees a talent like hers and recognizes she will almost certainly be nominated again in a future role.
Have any 2009 snubs got you spilling your popcorn in disbelief?
Movie Review - Changeling
I will be honest I am not the biggest Angelina Jolie fan in the world which has little to do with her ability as an actress (I actually think when she is good she is great) but more to do with her movie choices and her courtship of celebrity media. Looking back at the acclaim she has won it has usually been in movies that really didn’t move me such as 1999’s Girl Interrupted and A Mighty Heart from 2007. Granted to you have to try and watch her work while trying to forget all the paparazzi nonsense that comes with being Mrs Brad Pitt but it can be difficult. So with that in mind I sat down to watch Changeling hoping that the fact it has been nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Actress, Art Direction and Cinematography) will reward me with a decent 2 hr 20 mins.
It is Los Angeles in the 1920s and Angelina Jolie plays Christine Collins, a mother whose son goes missing and the subsequent investigation by a corrupt LAPD ends up returning a different boy to her claiming to be her missing son. We are treated to a grim reminder of how women were marginalized in American society when as Collins continues to protest that the nine year old boy the police brought home to her is not her son she is thrown in the ‘Psychopath Ward’. This is the barbaric detention facility used by the LAPD when their power is challenged by women questioning their authority which often meant they were simply speaking out against physical abuse.
It is no wonder the Academy has honored the movie with nominations of Art Direction and Cinematography as it is a visual delight, the muted tones and washed out colors Tom Stern & Clint Eastwood created in the film really set it apart. It was a bleak time in Los Angeles history with prohibition in full swing, corruption seemingly around every corner and women like Collins flighting a seemingly impossible battle. Jolie plays this woman facing increasing desperation combined with a mothers resolution to find her son very well indeed. As her struggle seems more futile with the police digging in even further her efforts to find her son and discover the truth become all the more urgent.
Jolie puts in a solid performance in Changeling but I can’t say it was Oscar worthy. In fact in the scenes she has with John Malkovich who plays the social crusader and anti-LAPD Pastor, Gustav Briegleb, it is Malkovich who commands our attention. His role is barely a supporting one in the movie but I can’t remember when I last enjoyed one of his performances as much as this. Briegleb's sanctimonious yet righteous fight against police corruption offers Malkovich a chance to really take his performance to another level while not letting the character become an object of ridicule ... it's a pleasure to watch.
The fact that the movie is based on a true story adds interest but the script and performances don’t need it. It’s not a short film but your attention is held comfortably throughout with enough twists and turns to raise eyebrows and even a decent shock or two on occasion (it is 'R' rated). I wasn’t excited about seeing Changeling but it turned out to be a very satisfying movie.
Rating: ****
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Favorite Promo Posters #9 - Crank High Voltage
The first Crank movie was nuts but the sequel, Crank High Voltage looks like it will take us to new heights of cinematic delirium! This time around Jason Statham has had his heart stolen by a Chinese mobster and replaced by a battery powered version (yes, yes, not 100% plausible I agree) which needs regular bolts of electricity to keep it going.This posters sums up the movie perfectly and the Crank franchise is fast becoming the double espresso of the movie world.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Skynet Research
In what is some of the cleverest movie marketing I have seen in some time the team behind Terminator Salvation have created a site for Skynet Research. The name comes from the self-aware computer from the Terminator franchise introduced to us back in 1984 when the first movie was released. Facebook site and youtube channel are additional information streams and this looks like an interesting one to follow as the May 21st premier date for Salvation gets closer.
Schwarzenegger Returns to Acting
Empire Online reports today that Arnie will step in front of the camera again to join his old Planet Hollywood buddy Sly Stallone in the 2010 action-fest The Expendables:"It is now official. With a cast including Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Forest Whitaker and The Stath, Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables was sure to one of the best action films ever made. But now, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed on to join the testosterone party, which seals the deal - that this will be the biggest and best movie to hit our screens in 2010.
Lest we forget that the ubiquitous mustachioed one, Danny Trejo is also rumoured to have signed on, no doubt as one of the South American drug cartel the band of mercenaries are sent in to quash. But Sir Ben Kingsley has apparently dropped out as their CIA contact - due to a feeling of comparative physical weediness perhaps? - with The Dark Knight's Eric Roberts taking his place.
The shoot will only take Governor Arnie away from his duties for one day, and he will of course be playing himself, so the political world can rest assured that their action hero won't be wandering too far into the undergrowth.
And that means we are now missing just three more names from our action hero tick list of fame. So, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal - get hold of Sly's number and join the gang. The Expendables needs you!"
The People vs.George Lucas
In case you were ever unsure about just what impact George Lucas has had on our culture.
No date is set for the release of this movie yet.
No date is set for the release of this movie yet.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sophia Loren and Daniel Day-Lewis in Rome
Due out Thanksgiving this year Nine is a musical flick based on the Tony award winning production of the same name.
Rob Marshall (Chicago) directs an international mega cast starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sophia Loren, Dame Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Stacey ('Fergie') Ferguson. Day-Lewis plays a director trying to finish his latest motion picture but is distracted by the various women in his life including Luisa (Marion Cotillard), his wife; Carla (Penélope Cruz), his mistress; and Claudia (Nicole Kidman), his muse and protege.
Rescue Me Renewed
Welcome Back, Carter
On ER this Thursday we will see the return of Noah Wyle as Doctor Carter. The New York Post reports that Carter is "seeking treatment for health issues he's developed while in Africa. He also tries to take on a few shifts, only to find that technology has gotten ahead of him."
ERs final season continues Thursdays at 10pm on NBC.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Very Cool De Niro Poster
This is a poster designed by Tim Doyle showing De Niro in 5 of his most famous movies: Godfather 2, Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, The Untouchables, and Jackie Brown. As big a fan of film as I am I don't usually festoon my house with cinema art but this really does stand out as an artistic tribute to one of our greatest living actors. You can buy it over at the Nakatomi store, click here to purchase for just $30. Who are Nakatomi I hear you ask?
"Like a gargantuan reptilian beast looming over Tokyo, NAKATOMI INC towers on the threshold of a Brave New Era in nerd fashion. It is our solemn oath to meticulously select only the most white-hot shards of '80s, '90s and future culture in assembling our high-quality assault against drab modern apparel. A composite Voltron of boundless geek obsession, we represent multiple lifetimes of pop-culture mania and lowbrow art taken over the max and directly into the hands of nerds, goofs and the common man. All our products are created with the best and most durable components while our friendly and responsible staff are available at all times to answer any questions, but make no mistake...NAKATOMI is a rabid, Saturday Morning sugar cereal-fueled permanent weapon in the war against adulthood. RAGING ! ! ! ! ! !". Worth a bookmark if you ask me.
Bigging up /film Ali-G style for bringing this to my attention, I might just splash the cash.
Weekend Box Office
February 13, 2009 - February 15, 2009
1.Friday The 13th - $42,245,000
2. He's Just Not That Into You - $19,610,000
3. Taken -$19,250,000
4. Confessions of a Shopaholic - $15,406,000
5. Coraline - $15,322,750
6. Paul Blart Mall Cop - $11,700,000
7. International, The - $10,000,000
8. Pink Panther 2 - $9,000,000
9. Slumdog Millionaire - $7,150,000
10. Push - $6,931,000
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Movie Review - Lakeview Terrace
There is one reason to see this movie and it's certainly the only reason why I rented the DVD and that's the always impressive Samuel L Jackson. When I saw the trailer for this at the theater it looked frighteningly formulaic and the fact that it is Neil LaBute's first film after the dreadful Wicker Man remake made me think twice. But Mr Jackson is such a class act I figured let's make the leap of faith and check it out. The premise is ultra simplistic and if you think you have seen bad cop meddling in the life of an average suburban couple before, well you have, remember Ray Liotta in 1992's Unlawful Entry? Lakeview Terrace has Kerry Washington (I Think I Love My Wife) and Patrick Wilson (Little Children) as a young couple recently moved into a Los Angeles burb next door to veteran LAPD cop Jackson. As an overbearing, widowed single father with serious issues Jackson plays the character of Abel Turner painfully well, creating a tension and discomfort in the viewer whenever he is on screen. However Jackson is really the only actor in this movie that seems to have any presence. Washington and Wilson plays characters that are bland and this is not through any performance issues but from what has to said is a very average screenplay. At no point do you particularly care about this young couple trying to make it as first time homeowners under siege from a maniac neighbor.
The writing is really my biggest problem with Lakeview Terrace. I don't care that it's formulaic as some of the most enjoyable movies around are reworkings of tried and tested plot tricks but I found myself detached from the characters. The symbolism in the movie is hardly subtle matching Wilsons Prius vs Jacksons muscle car and the fast approaching wildfires used to match the downward spiral of Jacksons character leading to the films predictable climax.
This is really a 2 star movie and each of those 2 stars in earned solely in Jackson's performance.
Rating: **
Jackman On Hosting Oscars
When asked about Heath Ledger's Best Supporting Actor nomination:"I can't hide the fact that I would really love for that honor to be bestowed upon him," Jackman said of his fellow Australian. "It would be fitting and I think he deserves it."
How would he compare his Tony experience to the Oscars:
"The Oscars is obviously a very different beast. There's a lot of hype. There's so much anticipation. ... I chatted with Steve Martin on the phone who gave me some great tips. The first five or six minutes you're going to have possibly the best audience you've ever had in your life, because all of them know they're going be on camera at any moment, none of them have lost yet and they're all sort of generally ready for a good time. He said from that point on, just move it on quickly. Just be quick."
What will he bring to the Oscars as host:
"Celebration is the key. I'm certainly going to have a good time. If I'm not going to have a good time, how the hell is anybody else ... Obviously I'm not a standup comedian and generally there's been comedians who are actors as well (who) have been doing it for the last however many years. So there's not the same pressure. I don't think people expect me to come out and do seven minutes of bang-bang-bang jokes. ... They really just encourage me to do what I feel I do best. It's a night to have a feeling of celebration, of community. The look of the theater is very different. It's more like the nightclub of your dreams. It's very intimate. ... It's got to be a lot closer. It's been a little austere in the past. You know, there's that stage, the host being up above the stalls, looking down at everybody. ... But this is a lot more intimate. It's still spectacular, being in the Kodak Theatre. But it's a real difference in the way things are laid out."
The Academy Awards air on ABC February 22nd.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Moon
One of our generations most watchable actors, Sam Rockwell, returns to the Big Screen in June with a movie that takes us to well ... the moon. Mining for a gas that the earth desperately needs to escape an eco-crisis Sam Bell (Rockwell) is coming to the end of his three year assignment and is looking forward to going back to his family on earth. After a freak accident things take a turn for the not so good and Bell comes to realize the mining company Lunar is not all they appear to be.
The movie looks like it is summoning the spirit of Alien (sans monster!), Solaris, and even Space 1999 and will be a departure from the CGI fest' that make up so many sci-fi movies these days. Check out cinematical's review here from the screening at Sundance last month and for images from the film head on over to BD.com.
Top 10 Movies to Crank Up the Romance on Feb' 14th
This is the one day of the year when you can watch syrupy movies full of Hugh Grant types wooing all and sundry absolutely guilt free. So with that in mind here is the Big & Small Screen's list of movies that are sure to do the trick on that special evening (ahem!).
Ghost (1990) - Who can resist the do it yourself pottery scene .... oooh i say!
Amelie (2001) - A love story about two young lovers in the most romantic city on earth.
Lost in Translation (2003) - Funny and romantic, and with one of the best endings in recent memory.
When Harry Met Sally (1989) - 'I'll have what she's having.'
Family Man (2000) - Cage and Leoni in one of my fave mushy movies ever.
Remains of the Day (1993) - Repressed love story done the old fashioned English way (i.e no one talks about it!)
An Affair to Remember (1957) - Romance done the old school way.
Casablanca (1942) - Old school again, and it doesn't get any better.
Serendipity (2001) - What Jeremy Piven did before Entourage.
Love Actually (2003) - Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in the hilariously unreal (for normal folk) London
Whichever movie you pick enjoy your night on the couch with your other half and if we have learned one lesson from the movies about love it's to never say 'You complete me'!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Mickey Rourke & Courtney Love an Item?
According the the Daily Mirror in the UK Rourke & Love 'have been secretly dating for the past three weeks.' This is hardly the most reputable of British Tabloids although it is a little higher in the sleaze ratings that The Sun or The News of the World but whether it's true or not the idea of such a messy match made me laugh.
Third Star Trek Trailer Announced! In Theaters on 3/6
Announced this week, a third trailer from Star Trek is planned to be in theaters starting on Friday, 3/6 with WATCHMEN.
The trailer, which features brand new footage will also be online on Apple.com Trailers in HD starting on the morning of 3/9 and thereafter on the official site and this webmaster program for direct download and streaming.
Star Trek arrives in theaters on May 8. You can visit the official Star Trek site at http://www.StarTrekMovie.com.
Until then here's the Super Bowl TV Spot in case you missed it first time around!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Movie Review - Revolutionary Road
Tonight it has been confirmed. We are truly enjoying a Golden Age of 21st century cinema proven by my second extraordinary movie experience of the week, this time courtesy of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in Sam Mendes' 1950s drama Revolutionary Road.How do you break free without breaking apart? This is the question that lives in every scene of this movie about the marriage of Jack and April Wheeler, a young couple with two kids waking up from the suburban American dream and questioning how they got here. It is an adaptation from a 1961 novel of the same name by Richard Yates and how it isn't nominated for a Best Screenplay Oscar is a mystery to me. The writing is taut, real and captivating. When the Wheelers begin to ask how they got stuck in this comfortable but unsatisfying life and how their dreams of being 'different' got forgotten the audience is drawn into the movie and is forced to ask those same uncomfortable questions of our own lives. This is not an easy picture to watch as it doesn't shy away from what one character describes as the 'emptiness and hopelessness' of life.
Winslet and DiCaprio present us with a couple whose story whilst set in the 1950s is just as relevant to us today. The sacrifices individuals are forced to make in marriage and career to participate in what American society then and now deems successful lives are presented as stark and often unpalatable choices. The chemistry between the two leads in this film is visceral and all the talk (granted mostly from vacuous morning show anchors) of this being their Titanic reunion movie is just redundant as we are witnessing two very different actors from twelve years ago.
Much has been said about Winslet's performance in this film and her wins in the Best Actress category at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs are well deserved. Oddly DiCaprio seems to have been largely passed over in the Best Actor awards which has to be due to competition in the category the like of which we haven't seen for a number of years. It's easy when reviewing a film as well made as Revolutionary Road to sound like some kind of fawning idiot but really it was just that good. What the Academy has against the film I really don't know but Mendes has directed a classic and one that will be talked about for many years to come.
Rating: *****
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Movie Review - The Wrestler
It's hard to review a movie when so much has already been written about it, hard but not impossible. The Wrestler has already collected a slew of awards including two BAFTAs plus Golden Globes for Best Original Song, Best Performance by an Actor and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. So it was on a bizarrely wet Phoenix night this week that I struggled to the cinema to make my own mind up.
As the opening scenes of the movie played to a mostly 80s metal soundtrack I wondered how many people would have come to see this flick about the local New Jersey wrestling scene if so much award buzz hadn't surrounded it. Would Mickey Rourke really have been such a draw? Maybe for curiosity's sake but not too much else I doubt. Well thank god for buzz and hype. From the moment Rourke appears on screen you instantly forget you are watching the star of 9 1/2 Weeks and Barfly, instead immediately believing in this ' broken down piece of meat' that is the character he inhabits. This has-been wrestler trying to make sense of his life and recreate the glory that was Randy 'The Ram' Robinson.
The movie is a simple one. A faded wrestler twenty years past his heyday tries to battle through his decaying health issues and fight one last fight with an old rival 'The Ayatollah'. Along the way we see attempts at reconciliation with his daughter played by Evan Rachel Wood and a relationship with his favorite stripper that might serve as a way out of the downward spiral Robinson finds himself in as his options in life lessen.
Marisa Tomei is stunning as local stripper Cassidy showing a bravery and understanding in her performance that surely gives her the best of chances to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar later this month. Tomei is no stranger to the Academy awards after winning in the same category back in 1987 for My Cousin Vinny and being nominated again in 2001 for In The Bedroom. It was a sensation to see the quality of her acting (she makes you realize this is an actual craft) and with Rourke putting in a career best watching the two of them together was incredible. There is a touching poignancy to this movie that comes through in both the writing and nuanced performances. That such subtlety is able to permeate the loud and ultra aggressive world in which The Wrestler is set is what makes it such a rewarding cinema experience.
Ultimately though this is the movie that will always be remembered as returning Mickey Rourke to the big leagues as his performance was simply stunning. I remember back in September of 2008 when the movie played at the Toronto International Film Festival how shocked I was at the transformation that he had gone through to play this character (read my old post here). Physically pumped up and having aged in a way we never expected him to age Rourke was a different man and the image of him as Robinson alone was enough to spark the interest of any movie fan that than remembers his work from the Eighties.
Director Darren Aronofsky has directed a great film that should be on everyones must see list. The tagline for this film is Love. Pain. Glory. I couldn't agree more.
Rating: *****
The Art of Claire Fisher - Six Feet Under
Wonderful teen angst and the birth of an artist were two central themes for the character of Claire Fisher during HBO's Six Feet Under. Here is some of the art created by her character during the show.
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