Tuesday, February 28, 2006
The Oscar race: The mega blockbusters.
Of the top ten blockbusters of last year, not a single one managed to snag one of the big Oscar nominations. In fact, “Walk the Line,” by far the most successful of the “top tier” flicks, managed to actually crack the hundred million marks.
But that doesn’t mean that the blockbusters aren’t going to be represented this year. No. If you go down the list a bit you’ll find that many of the top ten moneymakers (worldwide) got at least some recognition:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $888,733,970
This got a “best art direction” nom. As it’s a series, I guess the academy voters thought that previous efforts may have already had too much kudos but the nearly billion dollar worldwide gross needed some acknowledgement.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith $848,797,674
This got one for “best makeup.” That’s it. After all, Lucas and his series wore off their welcome long ago. This did not have the best makeup.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe $663,891,914
Now here we’ve got a possibility of winning something here although it’s doubtful. “Sound mixing” is a possibility, but “makeup” isn’t, As to “visual effects” the animated beavers were brilliant, but the battle scenes were merely really good.
War of the Worlds $591,413,301
Apparently Speilberg’s sound crew did a brilliant job here. Both “mixing” and “editing” got nominated. The special effects also got nominated, but they weren’t as good as WETA’s “King Kong.”
King Kong $543,007,743
Andy Serkis’ performance as the giant ape needs to be acknowledged, and WETA did better work for this than for CoN:LWW. If it doesn’t win for “visual effects, there’s no justice in the world. It may also get the “sound” awards too.
Madagascar $527,890,631
This made the semi-finals. Unfortunately they don’t give out a plaque for that .
Mr. & Mrs. Smith $477,671,954
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie already got nominated for other things. (Jolie actually won). This is too funny and too violent for an Oscar.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory $473,425,317
This thing got royally snubbed. While it may win the “best costume” award, Johnny Depp and Deep Roy got stiffed for acting. Two of the best performances of the year! This is partly why Tim Burton’s going to win for “Corpse Bride.”
Batman Begins $371,853,783
This has a real shot at winning the “cinematography” award.
Wedding Crashers $283,143,270
This film only made money. Thus it’s justly ignored.
But that doesn’t mean that the blockbusters aren’t going to be represented this year. No. If you go down the list a bit you’ll find that many of the top ten moneymakers (worldwide) got at least some recognition:
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire $888,733,970
This got a “best art direction” nom. As it’s a series, I guess the academy voters thought that previous efforts may have already had too much kudos but the nearly billion dollar worldwide gross needed some acknowledgement.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith $848,797,674
This got one for “best makeup.” That’s it. After all, Lucas and his series wore off their welcome long ago. This did not have the best makeup.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe $663,891,914
Now here we’ve got a possibility of winning something here although it’s doubtful. “Sound mixing” is a possibility, but “makeup” isn’t, As to “visual effects” the animated beavers were brilliant, but the battle scenes were merely really good.
War of the Worlds $591,413,301
Apparently Speilberg’s sound crew did a brilliant job here. Both “mixing” and “editing” got nominated. The special effects also got nominated, but they weren’t as good as WETA’s “King Kong.”
King Kong $543,007,743
Andy Serkis’ performance as the giant ape needs to be acknowledged, and WETA did better work for this than for CoN:LWW. If it doesn’t win for “visual effects, there’s no justice in the world. It may also get the “sound” awards too.
Madagascar $527,890,631
This made the semi-finals. Unfortunately they don’t give out a plaque for that .
Mr. & Mrs. Smith $477,671,954
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie already got nominated for other things. (Jolie actually won). This is too funny and too violent for an Oscar.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory $473,425,317
This thing got royally snubbed. While it may win the “best costume” award, Johnny Depp and Deep Roy got stiffed for acting. Two of the best performances of the year! This is partly why Tim Burton’s going to win for “Corpse Bride.”
Batman Begins $371,853,783
This has a real shot at winning the “cinematography” award.
Wedding Crashers $283,143,270
This film only made money. Thus it’s justly ignored.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
The prediction:
It's going to be Guliani vs. former VA gov. Warner in 'O8. Don't attack me for two and a half years.
Friday, February 10, 2006
nifty rumor of the week
I just read on Wonkette that Scooter Libby told the prosecuter that it was Cheney's idea. I hope to God it's true.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
The cartoon riots.
There are more riots in the Arab world against the Danes for not throwing the cartoonists in jail. Meanwhile some Iranian cartoonists are retaliating by attacking the jews. same as it ever was.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
The Miami Film festival.
To test if anyone is reading this, How about we do a poll as to whether I go to the Miami Film Festival at the end of the month? Please no SPAM.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
The penultimate batch
This may be the ultimate one, I've been so very busy....
THE DARWIN AWARDS / U.S.A
Written and Directed
By Finn Taylor
Disappointment is all that can be said about this misbegotten comedy. It could have been sooooooooooo much better that it staggers the mind just to think about it. This film has the Mythbusters® in a cameo for crissakes!!! If they couldn’t figure out what the hell to do with them, then what’s the point?
The film has what’s called “high concept.” Michael Burrows (Joseph Fiennes) is a great detective working for the San Francisco PD. He has one problem that’s important: he can’t stand the sight of blood. So when the notorious North Beach Killer (Tim Blake Nelson) uses this fact to escape, then he’s immediately fired.
So, he goes to a major insurance firm with a proposition: He can save them literally tens of millions of dollars by coming up with a profile of what he calls “Darwin cases.” Now these are the eponymous winners of the Darwin awards, given annually to the people who are so incredibly dumb that they improve the gene pool by removing themselves from it. Like I said, “high concept.”
We actually begin the film with one intelligent fellow(David Arquette) putting a rocket in the trunk of his car and shooting himself off into the great beyond. Had they concentrated on this sort of stuff this might have worked, but no. They paired an ineptly cast Feinnes with Winona Ryder as insurance investigator Siri Taylor and Wilmer Valderrama as a completely useless documentarian, who actually detracts from anything interesting the filmmakers want to actually do.
Bit and pieces of the film actually work, but unlike other “defective detectives” like “The Zero Effect” or “Monk” Feinnes can’t pull it off. He and Ryder have absolutely no chemistry together, and the effect is boredom. Don’t waste your money.
THE NIGHT LISTENER / U.S.A.
Written and Directed
by Patrick Stettner
Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) is really depressed. His gay lover
Jess (Bobby Cannavale) has been cured [sort of], of AIDS and is now going to leave him for someone else. He can’t do his evening short story show on NPR, and so is heading off to oblivion. That is until his editor Ashe (Joe Morton) gives him a manuscript from a teenager named Pete Logand (Rory Culkin), and asks him to give it a read. He does and is interested by the horrific tale it tells.
He’s given the phone number of the kid and a long-distance relationship develops. He asks Pete’s gardian and lawyer Donna D. Logant (Toni Collette) about a visit. Then Jess, who’s returned briefly, begins to sow doubts about the kid’s very existence. So our hero begins to investigate.
Novellist Armistead Maupin and collaborators Terry Anderson and Patrick Stettner have put together a taut thriller with excellent acting and direction which is sadly marred by a touch of misogyny.
Here you have the heroic gay literati fighting against an evil insane woman, who will do anything to get his love. In fact, with the exception of his accountant (Sandra Oh) all the women portrayed are either insane or doormats unworthy of the least bit of respect. Also, Williams plays Noone with a sourness which really stops us from caring a whit what he does. The use of Culkin is a cheap trick, especially during the third act when Noone is trying to ascertain his existence. If he’s a figment of her imagination, why have him as real and if he’s real, then why go through this whole exercise in the first place? The whole thing, despite the fact that it’s fiction, is dishonest.
Wait until it hits cable.
THE DARWIN AWARDS / U.S.A
Written and Directed
By Finn Taylor
Disappointment is all that can be said about this misbegotten comedy. It could have been sooooooooooo much better that it staggers the mind just to think about it. This film has the Mythbusters® in a cameo for crissakes!!! If they couldn’t figure out what the hell to do with them, then what’s the point?
The film has what’s called “high concept.” Michael Burrows (Joseph Fiennes) is a great detective working for the San Francisco PD. He has one problem that’s important: he can’t stand the sight of blood. So when the notorious North Beach Killer (Tim Blake Nelson) uses this fact to escape, then he’s immediately fired.
So, he goes to a major insurance firm with a proposition: He can save them literally tens of millions of dollars by coming up with a profile of what he calls “Darwin cases.” Now these are the eponymous winners of the Darwin awards, given annually to the people who are so incredibly dumb that they improve the gene pool by removing themselves from it. Like I said, “high concept.”
We actually begin the film with one intelligent fellow(David Arquette) putting a rocket in the trunk of his car and shooting himself off into the great beyond. Had they concentrated on this sort of stuff this might have worked, but no. They paired an ineptly cast Feinnes with Winona Ryder as insurance investigator Siri Taylor and Wilmer Valderrama as a completely useless documentarian, who actually detracts from anything interesting the filmmakers want to actually do.
Bit and pieces of the film actually work, but unlike other “defective detectives” like “The Zero Effect” or “Monk” Feinnes can’t pull it off. He and Ryder have absolutely no chemistry together, and the effect is boredom. Don’t waste your money.
THE NIGHT LISTENER / U.S.A.
Written and Directed
by Patrick Stettner
Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) is really depressed. His gay lover
Jess (Bobby Cannavale) has been cured [sort of], of AIDS and is now going to leave him for someone else. He can’t do his evening short story show on NPR, and so is heading off to oblivion. That is until his editor Ashe (Joe Morton) gives him a manuscript from a teenager named Pete Logand (Rory Culkin), and asks him to give it a read. He does and is interested by the horrific tale it tells.
He’s given the phone number of the kid and a long-distance relationship develops. He asks Pete’s gardian and lawyer Donna D. Logant (Toni Collette) about a visit. Then Jess, who’s returned briefly, begins to sow doubts about the kid’s very existence. So our hero begins to investigate.
Novellist Armistead Maupin and collaborators Terry Anderson and Patrick Stettner have put together a taut thriller with excellent acting and direction which is sadly marred by a touch of misogyny.
Here you have the heroic gay literati fighting against an evil insane woman, who will do anything to get his love. In fact, with the exception of his accountant (Sandra Oh) all the women portrayed are either insane or doormats unworthy of the least bit of respect. Also, Williams plays Noone with a sourness which really stops us from caring a whit what he does. The use of Culkin is a cheap trick, especially during the third act when Noone is trying to ascertain his existence. If he’s a figment of her imagination, why have him as real and if he’s real, then why go through this whole exercise in the first place? The whole thing, despite the fact that it’s fiction, is dishonest.
Wait until it hits cable.
A break from Movies.
Okay, there's a problem with a Salmon Rushdie-like outcry about some inoffensive cartoons, thus here's a link to them.
href="http://www.di2.nu/files/Muhammed_Cartoons_Jyllands_Posten.html" That is if anybody's actually reading this.
href="http://www.di2.nu/files/Muhammed_Cartoons_Jyllands_Posten.html" That is if anybody's actually reading this.
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