i really miss Vassar sometimes...
Friday, November 14th:
Marx in SoHo, Today at 8:00pm
"Marx in SoHo," a play by Howard Zinn, produced by Catalyst and Unbound. Come see Karl Marx rant and rave over contemporary society. Performed by an ensemble cast using multimedia to bring to life Karl Marx, the person. the icon, the communist, the original hipster. In Main Building, 5th floor lounge.
Philaletheis Play, Today at 8:00pm
Susan Stein Shiva Theater
The Philaletheis Society presents "Popcorn," a sensational play that examines our mediatized world with a satirical eye.
Gayme Night, Today at 10:00pm
Gayme Night.
Sick of Lady Marmalade? Come play games at the LGBTQ Center instead! LGBTQ Center (College Center, room 235).
Moulin Rouge, Today at 10:00pm
College Center, Villard Room
Moulin Rouge, Main's reincarnation of last year's smash all-campus party is back again! Join us in the College center for a night of merriment celebrating love, the bohemian lifestyle, and Paris nightlife circa 1899. Music throughout the night by DJ Respire, gogo dancers to keep the party alive, a movie screening of the 2001 film Moulin Rouge in the MPR, and all sorts of other goodies you'll just have to come see to believe!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
"...only unfulfilled love can be romantic..."
if i've likened the experience of viewing woody allen's romantic comedies to taking a walk in the park, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a blissful stroll through the winding streets of Catalonia. the prolific director's latest offering is refreshingly apt- a decidedly mature film that, true to form, is at once light and tragic. it's more than what i would have expected from the auteur after years of creative atrophy (ok, Match Point, while certainly laudable, is little more than a fleshed-out subplot from an earlier and much more complete opus). i guess, for the time being, he's back; i say we welcome him with open arms.
(i suppose this is the part where i warn of !SPOILERS AHEAD!, though i recognize that this will reduce my already-negligible readership drastically. oh well, continue at your own peril.)
anyway, i usually refrain from writing conventional movie reviews, as they are now more ubiquitous than ever (everyone's a critic, blah blah), so i'll call this a personal recommendation instead. also, my approach to cinema is an irrational one, as i rely largely on my visceral reactions to guide my opinions about each work. in this case, i liked the movie because it fed me (like carrie bradshaw skipping her dinner and buying Vogue instead), it taught me a practical truth, and it overloaded my senses in a most pleasant way. never happier am i than when provoked visually, mentally, and emotionally all at the same time.
in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, deceptively ham-fisted dialogue belies the film's deeper message, which was just outside of my reach up until the final frame. perhaps distracted by the unorthodox narration, bright colors, and beautiful soundtrack, i lost myself completely in the diegesis and did not come up for air until that climactic fade-out. ultimately, this was a story about romantic love and the human folly that prevents it from ever reaching its true destination.
it's apparent that the characters' relationships are basically a series of tragic misfires. vicky (rebecca hall) is ready to marry a boorish WASP, presumably because it never occurred to her that she might one day find a more exciting prospect (yes, she's dull as well, but we get the feeling that years of tedious company has stripped her of any imagination she might have once possessed). best friend cristina (scarlett johansson), who aspires to a sort of sophomoric bohemian lifestyle that would enable and encourage her flights of fancy, finds herself in over her head when she just can't handle a polyamorous relationship with juan antonio (javier bardem) and maria elena (penelope cruz).
maria elena, for her part, would have ended up with juan antonio's father in an ideal world, the two being the only genuinely gifted artists in the bunch (her unique style having been co-opted and his pearls-before-swine poetry left unpublished and kept hidden from the world). juan antonio is a charming but parasitic hedonist who would benefit from years of solitary reflection (which his restlessness would prevent), but vicky is arguably most suited for him, though circumstances keep them apart, of course.
miscommunication, bad timing, thwarted attempts at romance- such is the nature of this film. though tragic and disheartening in ways, it remains a joy to watch. even if it's true that after thousands of years of civilization, human beings have never learned how to love (as juan antonio's father suggests), at least we can learn how to appreciate the irony.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
"look at this tangle of thorns."
ladies and gentlemen of the jury, i must begin by confessing that though i often fancy myself a writer (of sorts), i am not a frequent reader of fiction, and i am certainly not a fan. even as a young person, i always considered fiction-writing a waste of time, vain indulgences of authors' imaginations (as unreasonable as this notion may be). i recognize that my aversion to novels is quite ironic in light of the fact that i almost indiscriminately consume films from most genres. if i can appreciate an excellent screenplay, why should i continue to avoid the fiction aisles? having said all of this, i must add that there are many notable exceptions to this rule, and if you care to know about the single most important one, please read on.
actually, i don't really care to describe my favorite novel or even to expound on the merits thereof. i will resist the urge to suggest that you all read it, for i fear that my words will be as pearls before swine (the swine, in this case, being those of you who will make a note of it and completely forget a couple of hours later). plus, this book is old and infamous enough that it wouldn't be a novel recommendation on my part (how's that for wordplay, Mr. Nabok-...oooh, too soon for the reveal!). ok, so if i don't want to add a title to your summer reading list, and i don't want to give you notes on the plot or argue for a heretofore undiscovered subtext (which i certainly couldn't do, anyhow), what am i here for? well, my goal this evening is to suggest to you, gentle members of the jury, why the precious and delicate Lolita could never survive the onerous journey to the screen. here is my appeal.
i am indeed aware that Nabokov's novel was adapted not once, but twice, to film. the author himself wrote much of 1962's screenplay (along with Kubrick), and James Mason did all he could to bring our Humbert Humbert to life. the brilliant Jeremy Irons proved just as game in Adrian Lyne's 1997 version, which nevertheless falls more flat than its predecessor. so when i say that Lolita could never survive the trip from page to screen, i do mean that it has not and will not ever reach the screen intact, no matter who handles the script or how hard they work on it. so, my answer to the movie poster's famous question is that they never did make a movie of Lolita, and they really never should have tried.
i have known and loved this book for no more than five years, and although i have read it in its entirety at least thrice now, i feel that i have only just begun to scratch its surface. this is a work of art which can be viewed and appreciated from untold angles; one day the sunlight hits it just so but the next day the wind is coming in from the south, and the same phrase is blown off its feet and on its side. this is the only book that does not sit on my shelf but dwells there, making a modest home between her much lesser neighbors, with whom stimulating interaction is rendered impossible by virtue of their inertia.
but then, i promised i would not sing its praises or aim to tempt the uninformed. those of you who have already known her will (hopefully) agree with my assessment of the text. this is an elusive puzzle, a challenge, a provocateur. the subject matter alone was enough to make the public cringe in 1955, and it is no easier to digest several decades later. and even those readers with strong enough stomachs to take the plunge occasionally find themselves shuddering upon the turn of the page. after all, our protagonist is a liar, a criminal, a confined madman. we are left at the mercy of this detestable narcissist, and his account is all we are given. the thoughts, actions, and words of each character are filtered through Humbert's grotesque mind, so we know that our belief is best left un-suspended for the duration of this "curious tale."
when our dear Humbert refers to Charlotte Haze, "she of the...massive thigh," as his "large-as-life wife," we know that it is only in comparison to Lo, her "nymphet" daughter, and the "seaside of her schoolgirl thighs," the "blond down of her brown limbs." we can never know what Mrs. Haze looks like in any objective sense, because she is older than fourteen, and thus is an unappealing, crude, and nagging blob. furthermore, ever the unreliable narrator, Humbert describes himself proudly at one point as possessing a "clean-cut jaw, muscular hand, deep sonorous voice, broad shoulder," only to state a few pages later, "I am lanky, big-boned, wooly-chested Humbert Humbert, with thick black eyebrows and a queer accent, and a cesspool of rotting monsters behind his slow boyish smile." when his own self-perception is forever subject to the childish whims of whatever girl he lays his gaze on, how are we to trust his fickle moods?
Humbert's lengthy and schizophrenic written appeal to the court is not only rife with dubious claims and descriptions but also littered with the crumbs of his fragmented and uncensored compulsions. he leaves almost nothing out and is quite fanciful in his telling. his "fancy prose style" is seductive enough that we quickly begin to welcome the descent into his twisted psyche. his sharp wit and impish nature deceive us into forgetting his moral depravity, if just for a few moments at a time. he conjures images in our minds, and stirs emotions, that we have not prepared for. and how would we have known to? each one of us must quietly work out our unique relationship to his story. how do we feel when Humbert describes the first time he laid eyes on Lo ("...my knees were like reflections of knees in rippling water, and my lips were like sand...")? i was entranced by the first reading, and then repulsed upon the next; Humbert himself seems to understand both reactions equally.
there are countless reasons why there can never truly be a faithful adaptation of Lolita. the author's incredible use of english (his second language), which begs a second, third, and fortieth reading of the book, is high on the list.
but in the end, because each of its characters is a delusion and each line is poetry, we must never substitute a film, gorgeous as it may be, for this timeless piece of literature. when a frustrated Humbert exclaims, "I only have words to play with!," we must concede.
actually, i don't really care to describe my favorite novel or even to expound on the merits thereof. i will resist the urge to suggest that you all read it, for i fear that my words will be as pearls before swine (the swine, in this case, being those of you who will make a note of it and completely forget a couple of hours later). plus, this book is old and infamous enough that it wouldn't be a novel recommendation on my part (how's that for wordplay, Mr. Nabok-...oooh, too soon for the reveal!). ok, so if i don't want to add a title to your summer reading list, and i don't want to give you notes on the plot or argue for a heretofore undiscovered subtext (which i certainly couldn't do, anyhow), what am i here for? well, my goal this evening is to suggest to you, gentle members of the jury, why the precious and delicate Lolita could never survive the onerous journey to the screen. here is my appeal.
i am indeed aware that Nabokov's novel was adapted not once, but twice, to film. the author himself wrote much of 1962's screenplay (along with Kubrick), and James Mason did all he could to bring our Humbert Humbert to life. the brilliant Jeremy Irons proved just as game in Adrian Lyne's 1997 version, which nevertheless falls more flat than its predecessor. so when i say that Lolita could never survive the trip from page to screen, i do mean that it has not and will not ever reach the screen intact, no matter who handles the script or how hard they work on it. so, my answer to the movie poster's famous question is that they never did make a movie of Lolita, and they really never should have tried.
i have known and loved this book for no more than five years, and although i have read it in its entirety at least thrice now, i feel that i have only just begun to scratch its surface. this is a work of art which can be viewed and appreciated from untold angles; one day the sunlight hits it just so but the next day the wind is coming in from the south, and the same phrase is blown off its feet and on its side. this is the only book that does not sit on my shelf but dwells there, making a modest home between her much lesser neighbors, with whom stimulating interaction is rendered impossible by virtue of their inertia.
but then, i promised i would not sing its praises or aim to tempt the uninformed. those of you who have already known her will (hopefully) agree with my assessment of the text. this is an elusive puzzle, a challenge, a provocateur. the subject matter alone was enough to make the public cringe in 1955, and it is no easier to digest several decades later. and even those readers with strong enough stomachs to take the plunge occasionally find themselves shuddering upon the turn of the page. after all, our protagonist is a liar, a criminal, a confined madman. we are left at the mercy of this detestable narcissist, and his account is all we are given. the thoughts, actions, and words of each character are filtered through Humbert's grotesque mind, so we know that our belief is best left un-suspended for the duration of this "curious tale."
when our dear Humbert refers to Charlotte Haze, "she of the...massive thigh," as his "large-as-life wife," we know that it is only in comparison to Lo, her "nymphet" daughter, and the "seaside of her schoolgirl thighs," the "blond down of her brown limbs." we can never know what Mrs. Haze looks like in any objective sense, because she is older than fourteen, and thus is an unappealing, crude, and nagging blob. furthermore, ever the unreliable narrator, Humbert describes himself proudly at one point as possessing a "clean-cut jaw, muscular hand, deep sonorous voice, broad shoulder," only to state a few pages later, "I am lanky, big-boned, wooly-chested Humbert Humbert, with thick black eyebrows and a queer accent, and a cesspool of rotting monsters behind his slow boyish smile." when his own self-perception is forever subject to the childish whims of whatever girl he lays his gaze on, how are we to trust his fickle moods?
Humbert's lengthy and schizophrenic written appeal to the court is not only rife with dubious claims and descriptions but also littered with the crumbs of his fragmented and uncensored compulsions. he leaves almost nothing out and is quite fanciful in his telling. his "fancy prose style" is seductive enough that we quickly begin to welcome the descent into his twisted psyche. his sharp wit and impish nature deceive us into forgetting his moral depravity, if just for a few moments at a time. he conjures images in our minds, and stirs emotions, that we have not prepared for. and how would we have known to? each one of us must quietly work out our unique relationship to his story. how do we feel when Humbert describes the first time he laid eyes on Lo ("...my knees were like reflections of knees in rippling water, and my lips were like sand...")? i was entranced by the first reading, and then repulsed upon the next; Humbert himself seems to understand both reactions equally.
there are countless reasons why there can never truly be a faithful adaptation of Lolita. the author's incredible use of english (his second language), which begs a second, third, and fortieth reading of the book, is high on the list.
but in the end, because each of its characters is a delusion and each line is poetry, we must never substitute a film, gorgeous as it may be, for this timeless piece of literature. when a frustrated Humbert exclaims, "I only have words to play with!," we must concede.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
my 2 cents on 4/20/08
let's reconsider the facts,
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/12/22/whyIsMarijuanaIllegal.html
view a short timeline,
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html
start a dialogue,
http://www.nojailforpot.com/
and
let's challenge our paradigms and ill-advised doctrines,
breed understanding, peace, freedom, and community.
and let's please get my people out of jail.
be SAFE, everyone.
L
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762/stories/2003/12/22/whyIsMarijuanaIllegal.html
view a short timeline,
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/dope/etc/cron.html
start a dialogue,
http://www.nojailforpot.com/
and
let's challenge our paradigms and ill-advised doctrines,
breed understanding, peace, freedom, and community.
and let's please get my people out of jail.
be SAFE, everyone.
L
Sunday, February 24, 2008
whoa
guess who's never making a list of Oscar predictions ever again?
ME.
(i'm so, so glad i was wrong on the best actress one though.)
the end.
ME.
(i'm so, so glad i was wrong on the best actress one though.)
the end.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
"what's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?"
dear old Oscar is wiping his feet on the welcome mat as we speak, and my hair's still in curlers! is he early, or am i late?
of course, i blame the writers strike for stealing the Academy's thunder, and i couldn't be more grateful that it's finally over. now, we'll hopefully be treated to a production of mammoth proportions, one with all the glitz, excess, and frivolity that God intended. i'm ready for the 3+ hour broadcast tomorrow night, and i hope they don't skimp this time around.
bring on the overlong speeches, padded out with the hems and haws of false humility, interrupted by cutaways of the losers. welcome trusty ol' jon stewart, who will remain just this side of subversive while still managing to please college fanboys everywhere. and please don't forget the über-awkward red carpet interviews before the main event, which will be painful to watch but also oddly reassuring (however crappy your life may seem at times, be glad that you are not a professional celeb-fawner. lookin' at you, mr. oceanpeak*). point is, Academy, my already-uncomfortable couch will be pins and needles tomorrow night if you'll just bring the show that this girl looks forward to all year.
what follows is my personal list of predictions for tomorrow night's winners... erm, award recipients. i should mention that this is my very first time making such a list, and the simple reason is that i hate when i'm not right. but i am psychologically prepared for every one of these predictions to be proven wrong, and, as you'll see, i hope some of them are.
here are the categories that i feel comfortable guessing on. my predicted winners are in boldface, while my preferred winners are in italics.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton"
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah"
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises"
(can we all agree that the inclusion of any nominees other than mr. day-lewis is a mere formality, here? thanks. by the way, let's all create a mental picture of any one of these other men taking a second to jot down a few names on a piece of paper in the limo on the way to the kodak theatre, just in case. awww, how precious.)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War"
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild"
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton"
(okay, i loved javier, so i have to explain. in a movie that wasn't worthy of the accolades it got, holbrook broke my heart and made me cry.)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Julie Christie in "Away from Her"
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose"
Laura Linney in "The Savages"
Ellen Page in "Juno"
(this one is really tough. christie was amazing and gut-wrenching. she will take it, as she's american and getting on in years. cotillard was simply incredible, though- fearless and a marvel to watch. please, God, i hope i'm wrong on this one and dear marion steals the statue.)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There"
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster"
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement"
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton"
(guess what? didn't even get to see GONE BABY GONE yet, but i'm sold on ryan, just based on the clips i've seen! whoa! we all know cate will take this one home, though, right?)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
"Persepolis": Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille": Brad Bird
"Surf's Up": Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
(ummm, how the heck did SURF'S UP get in here? is this a mistake?)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
"American Gangster" : Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement": Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass": Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street": Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood": Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
(hmm, i have a weird feeling on this one and hope i'm wrong about the winner.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford": Roger Deakins
"Atonement": Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly": Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men": Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood": Robert Elswit
( i swear, i don't know what's going on here with the inklings. please, no ATONEMENT, people.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
"Across the Universe" Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" Colleen Atwood
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", Julian Schnabel
"Juno", Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton", Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men", Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood", Paul Thomas Anderson
(please, please give it to p.t.a.)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"No End in Sight" : Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" : Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko": Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side": Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance": Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine
(don't be fooled, Academy. SICKO wasn't nearly as good as it could have been. moore is getting even lazier, which i didn't think was possible.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
"The Bourne Ultimatum": Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly": Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild": Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men": Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood": Dylan Tichenor
(since roderick jaynes= the bros themselves, let's give them even more props for a job well done. pieced together splendidly, indeed.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel
(ummm, yeah...)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami
(refuse to predict since jonny greenwood is not nominated. do. not. care. who. wins.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
(hopefully, all the ENCHANTED songs will cancel each other out, and falling slowly, which is beautiful, will win.)
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"Atonement": Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno": Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton": Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men": Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood": JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers
(close call. i want TWBB to triumph, but we all know who'll win.)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Atonement", Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her", Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men", Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood", Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
(haha, can't pick, of course. and i haven't even seen THE DIVING BELL yet!)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Juno", Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl", Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton", Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille", Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages", Written by Tamara Jenkins
(you know what? i think LARS AND THE REAL GIRL's script was totally more boss.)
the end.
so what if i'm wrong?
we shall see tomorrow!
tune in, folks!
*not his real name.
of course, i blame the writers strike for stealing the Academy's thunder, and i couldn't be more grateful that it's finally over. now, we'll hopefully be treated to a production of mammoth proportions, one with all the glitz, excess, and frivolity that God intended. i'm ready for the 3+ hour broadcast tomorrow night, and i hope they don't skimp this time around.
bring on the overlong speeches, padded out with the hems and haws of false humility, interrupted by cutaways of the losers. welcome trusty ol' jon stewart, who will remain just this side of subversive while still managing to please college fanboys everywhere. and please don't forget the über-awkward red carpet interviews before the main event, which will be painful to watch but also oddly reassuring (however crappy your life may seem at times, be glad that you are not a professional celeb-fawner. lookin' at you, mr. oceanpeak*). point is, Academy, my already-uncomfortable couch will be pins and needles tomorrow night if you'll just bring the show that this girl looks forward to all year.
what follows is my personal list of predictions for tomorrow night's winners... erm, award recipients. i should mention that this is my very first time making such a list, and the simple reason is that i hate when i'm not right. but i am psychologically prepared for every one of these predictions to be proven wrong, and, as you'll see, i hope some of them are.
here are the categories that i feel comfortable guessing on. my predicted winners are in boldface, while my preferred winners are in italics.
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton"
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah"
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises"
(can we all agree that the inclusion of any nominees other than mr. day-lewis is a mere formality, here? thanks. by the way, let's all create a mental picture of any one of these other men taking a second to jot down a few names on a piece of paper in the limo on the way to the kodak theatre, just in case. awww, how precious.)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Casey Affleck in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"
Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War"
Hal Holbrook in "Into the Wild"
Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton"
(okay, i loved javier, so i have to explain. in a movie that wasn't worthy of the accolades it got, holbrook broke my heart and made me cry.)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age"
Julie Christie in "Away from Her"
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose"
Laura Linney in "The Savages"
Ellen Page in "Juno"
(this one is really tough. christie was amazing and gut-wrenching. she will take it, as she's american and getting on in years. cotillard was simply incredible, though- fearless and a marvel to watch. please, God, i hope i'm wrong on this one and dear marion steals the statue.)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There"
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster"
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement"
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone"
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton"
(guess what? didn't even get to see GONE BABY GONE yet, but i'm sold on ryan, just based on the clips i've seen! whoa! we all know cate will take this one home, though, right?)
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM OF THE YEAR
"Persepolis": Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille": Brad Bird
"Surf's Up": Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
(ummm, how the heck did SURF'S UP get in here? is this a mistake?)
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
"American Gangster" : Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement": Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass": Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street": Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood": Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
(hmm, i have a weird feeling on this one and hope i'm wrong about the winner.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford": Roger Deakins
"Atonement": Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly": Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men": Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood": Robert Elswit
( i swear, i don't know what's going on here with the inklings. please, no ATONEMENT, people.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
"Across the Universe" Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" Colleen Atwood
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", Julian Schnabel
"Juno", Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton", Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men", Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood", Paul Thomas Anderson
(please, please give it to p.t.a.)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"No End in Sight" : Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" : Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko": Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side": Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance": Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine
(don't be fooled, Academy. SICKO wasn't nearly as good as it could have been. moore is getting even lazier, which i didn't think was possible.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
"The Bourne Ultimatum": Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly": Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild": Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men": Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood": Dylan Tichenor
(since roderick jaynes= the bros themselves, let's give them even more props for a job well done. pieced together splendidly, indeed.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel
(ummm, yeah...)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami
(refuse to predict since jonny greenwood is not nominated. do. not. care. who. wins.)
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
(hopefully, all the ENCHANTED songs will cancel each other out, and falling slowly, which is beautiful, will win.)
BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"Atonement": Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno": Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton": Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men": Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood": JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers
(close call. i want TWBB to triumph, but we all know who'll win.)
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"Atonement", Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her", Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men", Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood", Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
(haha, can't pick, of course. and i haven't even seen THE DIVING BELL yet!)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"Juno", Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl", Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton", Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille", Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages", Written by Tamara Jenkins
(you know what? i think LARS AND THE REAL GIRL's script was totally more boss.)
the end.
so what if i'm wrong?
we shall see tomorrow!
tune in, folks!
*not his real name.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
"when it comes to the showdown, they won't be there."
a few randomosities before heading to class:
more importantly,
- finally saw THERE WILL BE BLOOD, and it was better than i expected by jillions of miles. if there's somebody out there who doesn't think that daniel day-lewis will take the oscar this year, i'd love to shake your hand.
- CLOVERFIELD is also amazing. if you're one of the few who hasn't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? i'm anticipating a third viewing soon, because i am a sucker, and j.j. abrams' trickery is more clever than i.
more importantly,
- i won't try to express the shock and confusion i felt last night upon hearing of the demise of a man whose name i can't bring myself to type, for some reason. i don't want to be trite, but my thoughts and prayers, for real. i hate the hollywood machine a lot sometimes.
Monday, January 7, 2008
"and i'm tellin' you, them pussycats is quick!"
2007 is finally over (for good, i think!), and i have to concede that it was a great year for movies.
just when i start to feel almost inconsolably disillusioned with the content of american multiplexes, a huge raincloud of cinematic genius bursts over my head. and now, here i stand, looking at the glistening treasures scattered around me, just trying to make sense of it all.
these are just 5 reasons why 2007 will go down in history as the year that restored my faith in the movies forever (yes, my tongue is resting squarely in my cheek- you should know that i deal only in hyperbole, if we've not yet met in person. though, if we haven't met, i doubt you'd be reading this at all. heck, i doubt if anyone is reading this, close friend or not. out of curiosity...mom, are you out there? hi! yay, i knew you'd support my lifelong dream of blogging! what's that? yesss, i've got a warm jacket, but i promise it's not cold down here! it was like summer today, for reals. what? i don't know how many degrees, what am i- benjamin franklin? sheesh.).
in no particular order (i can't commit- what else is new?):
1. SWEENEY TODD- just the first thing that comes to mind, since i saw it most recently for the second time. fun, fun, fun, and fun. it even comes with a commendable (and quite biblical) lesson to be learned in the end, for those who care about that sort of thing. honestly, stephen sondheim's score is gorgeous, and his lyrics are catchy but oh-so-clever at the same time. if you're not familiar with this musical, the film is a more-than-satisfactory introduction. helena bonham carter's mrs. lovett is nearly as good an interpretation as angela lansbury's- a bit dryer with the humor but great in its own right. and johnny depp seethes on-screen like no other. tim burton proved the perfect man for this job- not surprisingly, considering the content. bottom line? i couldn't have possibly had more fun watching this movie.
2. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN-
my dear coen bros,
thank you, thank you, thank you for returning with something worth waiting for. fortunately for you two, O BROTHER... managed to stick to my ribs in the interim between FARGO and this incredible surprise. if it hadn't, there would have been some sort of heck to pay in the form of a mild and possibly unvoiced dissatisfaction on my part. be glad that you dodged that bullet, guys. (and how!)
alright, truth is... well, shucks- i ain't never been so terrified in a movie theater before! seriously, i literally thought that i might possibly lose my life in that darkened room. i will not surrender on this night, i told myself, frozen in fear. tense is not the word. ok, for real, though: who are these strangers sitting around me? and why aren't there any metal detectors in this place? you mean to tell me that anyone can just stroll in here and watch a movie, no pre-show frisking required? who is that strange bald man just now coming in, halfway into the movie? nope, i did not see him leave for the bathroom earlier. why is he so stiff, looking straight ahead and sitting still so suspiciously? mister, can i just get a nod and a smile, please? dear Lord, this is not how i want to leave this earth. not by the hand of some cattle-gun-wielding copycat psychopath during a screening of the best film of the year.
sincerely,
tylergirly
3. THERE WILL BE BLOOD- okay, yes. i am basing this on the flippin' theatrical trailer! ...and the fact that daniel day-lewis is the best actor in the world. plus, if you know just one thing about me, it's that paul thomas anderson could set up a tripod outside his house and film a single leaf falling to the ground for three-plus hours (tall tree, y'all) and i would watch intently (thrice) before following him all the way to the razzies. after only four feature films, this dude had already more than earned the right to release a huge stink bomb on the viewing public, and i am still waiting for that day to come. and though i have not yet seen it (oh, the itch! it's getting worse! wide release, where are you?), i have a gut feeling that this one ain't the stinker. just a sneaking suspicion.
4. JUNO- it's now time to address the elephant in the room, so i'll humbly admit that so far, this list has been pretty predictable and clichéd. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was the best movie of the year? no...duh! and SWEENEY TODD was fun and wicked and clever? you don't say! and THERE WILL BE BLOOD was probably amazing, too? scandalous!
so, to spice up this boring list, to remedy this sad situation we've now got on our hands, it is with great originality and creativity of imagination that i bring you JUNO.
what? never heard of it? that's what i thought. you would not believe the cranial acrobatics that i had to perform in order to dig up this little gem for you, my precious reader(s). i had to sift through a lot of gravel and grit, but i am sure that your groveling gratitude will be the aloe to my calloused hands. go and see this brilliant unsung little movie, i beg of you. though some of the dialog is pretty silly and michael cera is painfully underused, you will laugh a lot and cry a bit at the end (unless you are made of stone- in which case, why did you leave me with all of that digging?).
anyway, my hope is that someone out there will read this blog entry and campaign for their neighborhood theater to start screening JUNO immediately, along with every other theater in the nation. oooh, and then...maybe that same person will write to the movie studio and prompt it to deliver a billion different tv spots based on the trailer, each one containing some of the "best" (will no doubt be debatable) lines in the film...and then the networks could maybe air these little previews between each commercial, every night of the week...oh, and maybe place some ads on mtv.com, just a few, and every other site on the internet, causing audience numbers to skyrocket and ensuring numerous award nominations and wins. i know these are lofty goals, but can't a girl dream big?*
*i actually did like this movie, despite all of my bitterness regarding the marketing. oh, did you not pick up on that? the bitterness? i'll make sure to cut back on the subtlety next time.
5. all of the potentially great movies that i haven't seen yet- i have never, as far as i can remember, entered a new calendar year with so many terrible regrets, so many movies left unwatched. largely because of forces beyond my control, i have yet to see PERSEPOLIS (which i will love), I'M NOT THERE (lots of possibility there, for sure), GONE BABY GONE (can't wait), and a whole slew of others, which i will mercifully not attempt to list here.
note: i realize that i included an un-viewed movie among my fave four and not as a part of number 5, but you've got to understand my conviction. allow me to be frank, here. and i will not waver from my stance... THERE WILL BE BLOOD is going to be a good movie! there, i said it!
note 2: i also realize that soon after claiming to not have any hierarchical order in mind for this little list, i refer to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN as the best of the year. come on, really? you're going to hold me to some casual claim even in the face of this towering, indisputable fact? no, it's totally indisputable, i promise you. c'mon, now you're just disagreeing for the sake of it. have you even seen the movie? wait, what? no, SPIDERMAN 3 was not better. no, it wasn't! ok, let's rock-paper-scissors.
no, wait! i've got a coin.
call it.
just when i start to feel almost inconsolably disillusioned with the content of american multiplexes, a huge raincloud of cinematic genius bursts over my head. and now, here i stand, looking at the glistening treasures scattered around me, just trying to make sense of it all.
these are just 5 reasons why 2007 will go down in history as the year that restored my faith in the movies forever (yes, my tongue is resting squarely in my cheek- you should know that i deal only in hyperbole, if we've not yet met in person. though, if we haven't met, i doubt you'd be reading this at all. heck, i doubt if anyone is reading this, close friend or not. out of curiosity...mom, are you out there? hi! yay, i knew you'd support my lifelong dream of blogging! what's that? yesss, i've got a warm jacket, but i promise it's not cold down here! it was like summer today, for reals. what? i don't know how many degrees, what am i- benjamin franklin? sheesh.).
in no particular order (i can't commit- what else is new?):
1. SWEENEY TODD- just the first thing that comes to mind, since i saw it most recently for the second time. fun, fun, fun, and fun. it even comes with a commendable (and quite biblical) lesson to be learned in the end, for those who care about that sort of thing. honestly, stephen sondheim's score is gorgeous, and his lyrics are catchy but oh-so-clever at the same time. if you're not familiar with this musical, the film is a more-than-satisfactory introduction. helena bonham carter's mrs. lovett is nearly as good an interpretation as angela lansbury's- a bit dryer with the humor but great in its own right. and johnny depp seethes on-screen like no other. tim burton proved the perfect man for this job- not surprisingly, considering the content. bottom line? i couldn't have possibly had more fun watching this movie.
2. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN-
my dear coen bros,
thank you, thank you, thank you for returning with something worth waiting for. fortunately for you two, O BROTHER... managed to stick to my ribs in the interim between FARGO and this incredible surprise. if it hadn't, there would have been some sort of heck to pay in the form of a mild and possibly unvoiced dissatisfaction on my part. be glad that you dodged that bullet, guys. (and how!)
alright, truth is... well, shucks- i ain't never been so terrified in a movie theater before! seriously, i literally thought that i might possibly lose my life in that darkened room. i will not surrender on this night, i told myself, frozen in fear. tense is not the word. ok, for real, though: who are these strangers sitting around me? and why aren't there any metal detectors in this place? you mean to tell me that anyone can just stroll in here and watch a movie, no pre-show frisking required? who is that strange bald man just now coming in, halfway into the movie? nope, i did not see him leave for the bathroom earlier. why is he so stiff, looking straight ahead and sitting still so suspiciously? mister, can i just get a nod and a smile, please? dear Lord, this is not how i want to leave this earth. not by the hand of some cattle-gun-wielding copycat psychopath during a screening of the best film of the year.
sincerely,
tylergirly
3. THERE WILL BE BLOOD- okay, yes. i am basing this on the flippin' theatrical trailer! ...and the fact that daniel day-lewis is the best actor in the world. plus, if you know just one thing about me, it's that paul thomas anderson could set up a tripod outside his house and film a single leaf falling to the ground for three-plus hours (tall tree, y'all) and i would watch intently (thrice) before following him all the way to the razzies. after only four feature films, this dude had already more than earned the right to release a huge stink bomb on the viewing public, and i am still waiting for that day to come. and though i have not yet seen it (oh, the itch! it's getting worse! wide release, where are you?), i have a gut feeling that this one ain't the stinker. just a sneaking suspicion.
4. JUNO- it's now time to address the elephant in the room, so i'll humbly admit that so far, this list has been pretty predictable and clichéd. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN was the best movie of the year? no...duh! and SWEENEY TODD was fun and wicked and clever? you don't say! and THERE WILL BE BLOOD was probably amazing, too? scandalous!
so, to spice up this boring list, to remedy this sad situation we've now got on our hands, it is with great originality and creativity of imagination that i bring you JUNO.
what? never heard of it? that's what i thought. you would not believe the cranial acrobatics that i had to perform in order to dig up this little gem for you, my precious reader(s). i had to sift through a lot of gravel and grit, but i am sure that your groveling gratitude will be the aloe to my calloused hands. go and see this brilliant unsung little movie, i beg of you. though some of the dialog is pretty silly and michael cera is painfully underused, you will laugh a lot and cry a bit at the end (unless you are made of stone- in which case, why did you leave me with all of that digging?).
anyway, my hope is that someone out there will read this blog entry and campaign for their neighborhood theater to start screening JUNO immediately, along with every other theater in the nation. oooh, and then...maybe that same person will write to the movie studio and prompt it to deliver a billion different tv spots based on the trailer, each one containing some of the "best" (will no doubt be debatable) lines in the film...and then the networks could maybe air these little previews between each commercial, every night of the week...oh, and maybe place some ads on mtv.com, just a few, and every other site on the internet, causing audience numbers to skyrocket and ensuring numerous award nominations and wins. i know these are lofty goals, but can't a girl dream big?*
*i actually did like this movie, despite all of my bitterness regarding the marketing. oh, did you not pick up on that? the bitterness? i'll make sure to cut back on the subtlety next time.
5. all of the potentially great movies that i haven't seen yet- i have never, as far as i can remember, entered a new calendar year with so many terrible regrets, so many movies left unwatched. largely because of forces beyond my control, i have yet to see PERSEPOLIS (which i will love), I'M NOT THERE (lots of possibility there, for sure), GONE BABY GONE (can't wait), and a whole slew of others, which i will mercifully not attempt to list here.
note: i realize that i included an un-viewed movie among my fave four and not as a part of number 5, but you've got to understand my conviction. allow me to be frank, here. and i will not waver from my stance... THERE WILL BE BLOOD is going to be a good movie! there, i said it!
note 2: i also realize that soon after claiming to not have any hierarchical order in mind for this little list, i refer to NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN as the best of the year. come on, really? you're going to hold me to some casual claim even in the face of this towering, indisputable fact? no, it's totally indisputable, i promise you. c'mon, now you're just disagreeing for the sake of it. have you even seen the movie? wait, what? no, SPIDERMAN 3 was not better. no, it wasn't! ok, let's rock-paper-scissors.
no, wait! i've got a coin.
call it.
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