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Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

Monday, March 8, 2010

My Oscars review


Last night's Oscars were pretty tame. There were few things in this year's awards ceremony that I am going to remember ten years from now.

Hosts Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin were good. I laughed, but I didn't fall over laughing. There jokes were not that biting. They were adequate or serviceable, I guess. I would give them the grade of a "B" for their performance.

There were also few surprises last night in the actual awards. It was somewhat surprising that Avatar, with as much money as it had made, did not take home more awards. However, that is the way I thought it should have gone.

Instead, The Hurt Locker, a truly wonderful film took home top honors Sunday night. It won six Oscars and the all-important best picture. It also earned the best director statue for Kathryn Bigelow. She was the first woman to win that award.

All of those awards were deserving.

The most surprised I was about any award was in the adapted screenplay category. I really do not understand how Precious beat out Up in the Air or District 9. That is confusing.

Other than that, however, everything else went in order. The best actor categories went as the whole world expected. Although, I love Jeff Bridges and am glad that he got the award, I think it would have been awesome if Jeremy Renner would have won.

Colin Farrell gave a great little speech about Renner. You could tell that they were good friends, unlike some of the other people giving tributes. I thought Bridges should have won, but I was kind of pulling for Renner there in the final moments. An award like that would change that man's career. He obviously deserves some more great roles in the future. Let's hope that he gets them.

I think a lot of people felt the same way about the best actress award last night. I think a lot of people were rooting for Sandra Bullock, but last minute were thinking, 'wouldn't it be great if Gabrielle Sidibe would have won.'

Still, even though I did not think Sandra Bullock deserved an Oscar for a middling movie like The Blind Side her acceptance speech was probably the best of the night. It was emotional, humorous and triumphant.

As for the rest of the show there were some glaring issues. That interpretive dance segment was painful to watch. Street dancing is cool, but not really so much to orchestra music. Also, Kathy Ireland... what were you thinking. Were you high? Your red carpet interviews were a train wreck. You are going to be all over youtube after that performance.

One positive part of the show was the tribute to John Hughes. It was nice to see some of the brat pack in the house. It is too bad Hughes directed so few movies in his lifetime. We should have demanded more.

My Oscar night via the Twitter machine


RT @thatkevinsmith: 'atta girl, Bigs. Double-fist those bad-boys. #DirectHer

so I was 16-24 on my picks tonight... not bad. #oscars

RT @thr: Final score-- The Hurt Locker 6, Avatar 3, Precious 3, Up 2, Inglourious Basterds 1 -Congrats to The Hurt Locker!

I am pleased by those last two awards.... sweet... that made this #oscars worth it... everything else was kinda lame.

RT @sethmeyers21: The Academy makes up for the Oscar they failed to award Bigelow for "Point Break."

RT @uranowski: Shut up Barbra Streisand I was in a good mood after Sandra B's speech and you ruined it. #oscars


despite me not wanting her to win... that was a nice acceptance speech from Sandra #oscars

you wore us down.... #oscars

RT @millbot: I'm going to throw something through something else if Sandra B. wins this award.

RT @tvwithoutpity: "Thank you to the Academy for not considering Na'vi a foreign language." Nice! #oscars

@elizabethbanks you could make a paper bag look good in reply to ElizabethBanks

RT @showbiz411: farrah fawcett left out of oscar memorial

snuggie sighting at the #oscars... nice

they should have let Robin Williams do the interprative dance number... it would have been better #oscars

RT @borowitzreport: Memo to #Oscars: if America liked ballet they'd watch fucking PBS

ummm what the helll is going on... at the #oscars ?

dude, TWILIGHT is not a horror movie... unless you are talking about how bad it is #oscars

RT @borowitzreport: Two hours in, I think the Oscar franchise is badly in need of a reboot. #oscars

RT @robcorddry: First vagina reference less than one hour in. I called it!

what the hell is that lampshade backdrop... kinda sweat... and crazy.... #oscars

oh good lord.... ben stiller... what won't you do... lol #oscars

I thought we had another Kanye situation there for a second #oscars

who the hell is this lady? #oscars

John Hughes should have directed more movies... Here is is his wiki page http://tr.im/R0Rk #oscars

RT @buckhollywood: KATHY IRELAND FOR BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM! #Oscars

apparently Tina Fey is good at speedreading #oscars

RT @filmfan1971: They should have an award for Most Torrented Movie. #oscars

RT @lovelybutton: Now Every Time I see Shrimp I Think Of District 9. lol

can this #oscars go any slower?

RT @followjenyu: Animation skit....snooze #oscars about 15 hours ago via DestroyTwitter

RT @danguyf: Kudos to the #Oscars for giving the people what they want: MORE NPH!
NPH!!!!!!!! #oscars

here we go #oscars

RT @ericvespe: Taylor Lautner is "the most famous werewolf in motion picture history." No. Fuck you annoying red carpet Oscar lady

RT @borowitzreport: I love trashing the way the celebrities are dressed as I lie here in my Old Navy drawstring pants. #oscars

when did kathy ireland become an idiot? #oscars



Saturday, March 6, 2010

My complete Oscar-winner predictions

ACTING OSCARS

Actor in a Leading Role
  • Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"
  • George Clooney in "Up in the Air"
  • Colin Firth in "A Single Man"
  • Morgan Freeman in "Invictus"
  • Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"
Actor in a Supporting Role
  • Matt Damon in "Invictus"
  • Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger"
  • Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"
  • Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones"
  • Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"
Actress in a Leading Role
  • Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"
  • Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"
  • Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
  • Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"
  • Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"
Actress in a Supporting Role
  • Penélope Cruz in "Nine"
  • Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"
  • Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
  • Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
  • Mo’Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"

FILMMAKER OSCARS

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
  • "District 9" Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
  • "An Education" Screenplay by Nick Hornby
  • "In the Loop" Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire" Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
  • "Up in the Air" Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Writing (Original Screenplay)
  • "The Hurt Locker" Written by Mark Boal
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Written by Quentin Tarantino
  • "The Messenger" Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
  • "A Serious Man" Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
  • "Up" Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
Directing
  • "Avatar" James Cameron
  • "The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Quentin Tarantino
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire" Lee Daniels
  • "Up in the Air" Jason Reitman
Best Picture
  • "Avatar"
  • "The Blind Side"
  • "District 9"
  • "An Education"
  • "The Hurt Locker"
  • "Inglourious Basterds"
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"
  • "A Serious Man"
  • "Up"
  • "Up in the Air"
Animated Feature Film
  • "Coraline" Henry Selick
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Wes Anderson
  • "The Princess and the Frog" John Musker and Ron Clements
  • "The Secret of Kells" Tomm Moore
  • "Up" Pete Docter
Foreign Language Film
  • "Ajami" Israel
  • "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" Argentina
  • "The Milk of Sorrow" Peru
  • "Un Prophète" France
  • "The White Ribbon" Germany

TECHNICAL OSCARS

Art Direction
  • "Avatar" Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
  • "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
  • "Nine" Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
  • "Sherlock Holmes" Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
  • "The Young Victoria" Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography
  • "Avatar" Mauro Fiore
  • "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Bruno Delbonnel
  • "The Hurt Locker" Barry Ackroyd
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Robert Richardson
  • "The White Ribbon" Christian Berger
Costume Design
  • "Bright Star" Janet Patterson
  • "Coco before Chanel" Catherine Leterrier
  • "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Monique Prudhomme
  • "Nine" Colleen Atwood
  • "The Young Victoria" Sandy Powell
Film Editing
  • "Avatar" Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
  • "District 9" Julian Clarke
  • "The Hurt Locker" Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Sally Menke
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire" Joe Klotz
Sound Editing
  • "Avatar" Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
  • "The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Wylie Stateman
  • "Star Trek" Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
  • "Up" Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Sound Mixing
  • "Avatar" Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
  • "The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
  • "Star Trek" Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
  • "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Visual Effects
  • "Avatar" Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
  • "District 9" Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
  • "Star Trek" Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

NO ONE CARES OSCARS

Short Film (Animated)
  • "French Roast" Fabrice O. Joubert
  • "Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty" Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
  • "The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)" Javier Recio Gracia
  • "Logorama" Nicolas Schmerkin
  • "A Matter of Loaf and Death" Nick Park
Short Film (Live Action)
  • "The Door" Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
  • "Instead of Abracadabra" Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
  • "Kavi" Gregg Helvey
  • "Miracle Fish" Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
  • "The New Tenants" Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
Documentary (Feature)
  • "Burma VJ" Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
  • "The Cove" Nominees to be determined
  • "Food, Inc." Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
  • "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
  • "Which Way Home" Rebecca Cammisa
Documentary (Short Subject)
  • "China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province" Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
  • "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner" Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
  • "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
  • "Music by Prudence" Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
  • "Rabbit à la Berlin" Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Makeup
  • "Il Divo" Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
  • "Star Trek" Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
  • "The Young Victoria" Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

MUSIC OSCARS

Music (Original Score)
  • "Avatar" James Horner
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Alexandre Desplat
  • "The Hurt Locker" Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
  • "Sherlock Holmes" Hans Zimmer
  • "Up" Michael Giacchino
Music (Original Song)
  • "Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • "Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • "Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
  • "Take It All" from "Nine" Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
  • "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Friday, March 5, 2010

My predictions for the filmmaker Oscars

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
  • "District 9" Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
  • "An Education" Screenplay by Nick Hornby
  • "In the Loop" Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire" Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
  • "Up in the Air" Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
Writing (Original Screenplay)
  • "The Hurt Locker" Written by Mark Boal
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Written by Quentin Tarantino
  • "The Messenger" Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman
  • "A Serious Man" Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
  • "Up" Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
Directing
  • "Avatar" James Cameron
  • "The Hurt Locker" Kathryn Bigelow
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Quentin Tarantino
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire" Lee Daniels
  • "Up in the Air" Jason Reitman
Best Picture
  • "Avatar"
  • "The Blind Side"
  • "District 9"
  • "An Education"
  • "The Hurt Locker"
  • "Inglourious Basterds"
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"
  • "A Serious Man"
  • "Up"
  • "Up in the Air"
Animated Feature Film
  • "Coraline" Henry Selick
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Wes Anderson
  • "The Princess and the Frog" John Musker and Ron Clements
  • "The Secret of Kells" Tomm Moore
  • "Up" Pete Docter
Foreign Language Film
  • "Ajami" Israel
  • "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" Argentina
  • "The Milk of Sorrow" Peru
  • "Un Prophète" France
  • "The White Ribbon" Germany

Thursday, March 4, 2010

My predictions for the best acting Oscars

ACTING OSCARS

Actor in a Leading Role
  • Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"
  • George Clooney in "Up in the Air"
  • Colin Firth in "A Single Man"
  • Morgan Freeman in "Invictus"
  • Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"
Actor in a Supporting Role
  • Matt Damon in "Invictus"
  • Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger"
  • Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"
  • Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones"
  • Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"
Actress in a Leading Role
  • Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"
  • Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"
  • Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
  • Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"
  • Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"
Actress in a Supporting Role
  • Penélope Cruz in "Nine"
  • Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"
  • Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
  • Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
  • Mo’Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire"

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

My Predictions for the Oscars most people don't care about

TECHNICAL OSCARS

Art Direction
  • "Avatar" Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
  • "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
  • "Nine" Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
  • "Sherlock Holmes" Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
  • "The Young Victoria" Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
Cinematography
  • "Avatar" Mauro Fiore
  • "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Bruno Delbonnel
  • "The Hurt Locker" Barry Ackroyd
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Robert Richardson
  • "The White Ribbon" Christian Berger
Costume Design
  • "Bright Star" Janet Patterson
  • "Coco before Chanel" Catherine Leterrier
  • "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" Monique Prudhomme
  • "Nine" Colleen Atwood
  • "The Young Victoria" Sandy Powell
Film Editing
  • "Avatar" Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
  • "District 9" Julian Clarke
  • "The Hurt Locker" Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Sally Menke
  • "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire" Joe Klotz
Sound Editing
  • "Avatar" Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
  • "The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Wylie Stateman
  • "Star Trek" Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
  • "Up" Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
Sound Mixing
  • "Avatar" Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
  • "The Hurt Locker" Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
  • "Inglourious Basterds" Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
  • "Star Trek" Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
  • "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
Visual Effects
  • "Avatar" Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
  • "District 9" Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
  • "Star Trek" Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

NO ONE CARES OSCARS

Short Film (Animated)
  • "French Roast" Fabrice O. Joubert
  • "Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty" Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell
  • "The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)" Javier Recio Gracia
  • "Logorama" Nicolas Schmerkin
  • "A Matter of Loaf and Death" Nick Park
Short Film (Live Action)
  • "The Door" Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
  • "Instead of Abracadabra" Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
  • "Kavi" Gregg Helvey
  • "Miracle Fish" Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
  • "The New Tenants" Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
Documentary (Feature)
  • "Burma VJ" Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
  • "The Cove" Nominees to be determined
  • "Food, Inc." Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
  • "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
  • "Which Way Home" Rebecca Cammisa
Documentary (Short Subject)
  • "China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province" Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill
  • "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner" Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
  • "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
  • "Music by Prudence" Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
  • "Rabbit à la Berlin" Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
Makeup
  • "Il Divo" Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
  • "Star Trek" Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
  • "The Young Victoria" Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

MUSIC OSCARS

Music (Original Score)
  • "Avatar" James Horner
  • "Fantastic Mr. Fox" Alexandre Desplat
  • "The Hurt Locker" Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
  • "Sherlock Holmes" Hans Zimmer
  • "Up" Michael Giacchino
Music (Original Song)
  • "Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • "Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
  • "Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
  • "Take It All" from "Nine" Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
  • "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

TRAILER TUESDAY: Which Oscar contender had the best trailer?

Best Picture Nominees
  • "Avatar"
  • "The Blind Side"
  • "District 9"
  • "An Education"
  • "The Hurt Locker"
  • "Inglourious Basterds"
  • "Precious"
  • "A Serious Man"
  • "Up"
  • "Up in the Air"

10) THE BLIND SIDE


9) INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

8) AN EDUCATION


7) A SERIOUS MAN


6) AVATAR


5) THE HURT LOCKER


4) DISTRICT 9


3) PRECIOUS


2) UP IN THE AIR


1) UP

Monday, March 1, 2010

Welcome to Oscar Week!


TELL ME MORE ABOUT THESE OSCARS
And the nominees are... (as if you didn't already know). If you want a printable ballot you can find them on numerous different websites including the official Academy Awards site.

MY ONLINE OSCARS POOL
Dig into some research at Yahoo! Movies and then join my pool and see if you can out-pick me. The only website that I found that would allow an online pool was funofficepools.com. The site is rather primitive, but seems to be functional. It is also free and updates live.

Join My Oscar Pool Here:

Here are the details if you need them:
Pool Name: Craig's Pool
Password: madison

MORE BACKGROUND
Here are some related posts about the Academy Awards on my blog:

ON THE BLOG THIS WEEK
  • Tuesday | Special Edition of Trailer Tuesday, I break down the best and the worst of the Best Picture nominee trailers.
  • Wednesday | I post my predictions for Oscars most people don't care about.
  • Thursday | I post my predictions for the best acting Oscars.
  • Friday | I post my predictions for Best Picture and other important Oscars.
  • Saturday | Check back for details on the Razzie Awards which will be announced the day before the Academy Awards
  • Sunday | All of my picks are out. I will be live-tweeting and posting commentary on the blog shortly after the show.
TWEET WITH ME
If you are on twitter and feel like joining the conversation, I would love to hear from you Sunday Night. Follow me at @boscohouse

Happy Oscars week everybody...

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

TRAILER TUESDAY: Are Aniston and Butler good enough to make THE BOUNTY HUNTER watchable?



THE BOUNTY HUNTER
Opens March 19, 2010
**

This movie looks like it could be okay. We all like Jennifer Aniston and I enjoy Gerard Butler so that is a good start.

The plot looks somewhat original, but I worry about the comedy. The jokes, at least in the trailer, seem kind of stale. I imagine this movie will be so-so, probably DVD worthy. I can't imagine it getting amazing reviews or much acclaim.

It also looks like a completely forgettable film. I, however, would not mind being proven wrong. I think Butler has a lot of potential. He is always entertaining and interesting. I just wish he would do a movie that had some value to it.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Who is going to be the big winner at the Oscars?

Avatar vs. The Hurt Locker vs. Inglourious Basterds


There are two ways that you can define "big winner." First, you can go by the raw number of Oscar wins, or second, you can go by who wins best picture.

The three favorites for both of these distinctions are Avatar, The Hurt Locker and Inglourious Basterds. Avatar and The Hurt Locker are the obvious favorites, but Basterds has a chance to pull an upset based on the total number of nominations it received. Here is the breakdown:

"Avatar," (9 nominations)
(Art direction, Cinematography, Directing, Film editing, Original score, Best picture, Sound editing, Sound mixing, Visual effects)

The Hurt Locker (9 nominations)
(Jeremy Renner - Performance by an actor in a leading role, Cinematography, Directing, Film editing, Original score, Best picture, Sound editing, Sound mixing, Original screenplay)

Inglourious Basterds (8 nominations)
(Christoph Waltz - Performance by an actor in a supporting role, Cinematography, Directing, Film editing, Best picture, Sound editing, Sound mixing, Original screenplay)


Meanwhile, Up In the Air (6 nominations), Precious (6 nominations) and Up (5 nominations) are sleeper picks for the night's big winner. All are nominated for best picture.

Right now my money is on Avatar winning the most Oscars with The Hurt Locker winning best picture. In that case it is a split decision on who is the night's big winner. That is the way it should go anyway. I really hope Avatar doesn't win best picture and James Cameron better not win best director.

And the Oscar Nominees Are...

Best motion picture of the year
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

If you recall my predictions, I was pretty spot on. The only movie I really overlooked was An Education. The only other movie that I did not predict, but had hoped would get nominated, was Up.

The two movies that I had inserted into the other slots was Invictus and Crazy Heart. I haven't seen Crazy Heart yet, but I am more than okay with Invictus not getting a Best Picture nod.

Here are the nominees in the other categories that we care about. For the whole list check out Oscar.com here:http://oscar.go.com/nominations/nominees

Achievement in directing
James Cameron "Avatar"
Kathryn Bigelow "The Hurt Locker"
Quentin Tarantino "Inglourious Basterds"
Lee Daniels "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Jason Reitman "Up in the Air"

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney in "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth in "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman in "Invictus"
Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Matt Damon in "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan in "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Penélope Cruz in "Nine"
Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"
Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

Monday, February 1, 2010

Razzie Nominations Are Out! Suck It TRANSFORMERS!


I am glad to see that I was not the only one to think Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was the worse movie of the year.


I was a little surprised that Land of The Lost was so heavily "honored." I actually gave that movie a favorable review when I first saw it on DVD a few months ago. I can understand why it got some nominations, but I didn't think it was that bad.

Here is the full list of nominations:

Worst Picture
All About Steve
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Land of The Lost
Old Dogs
Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen

Worst Actor
All Three Jonas Brothers (JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3-D CONCERT EXPERIENCE)
Will Ferrell (LAND OF THE LOST)
Steve Martin (PINK PANTHER 2)
Eddie Murphy (IMAGINE THAT)
John Travolta (OLD DOGS)

Worst Actress
Beyonce (OBSESSED)
Sandra Bullock (ALL ABOUT STEVE)
Mylie Cyrus (HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE)
Megan Fox (JENNIFER’S BODY AND TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN)
Sarah Jessica Parker (DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?)

Worst Supporting Actor
Billy Ray Cyrus (HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE)
Hugh Hefner (MISS MARCH)
Robert Pattinson (TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON)
Jorma Taccone (LAND OF THE LOST)
Marlon Wayans (G.I. JOE)

Worst Supporting Actress
Candice Bergen (BRIDE WARS)
Ali Larter (OBSESSED)
Sienna Miller (G.I. JOE)
Kelly Preston (OLD DOGS)
Julie White (TRANNIES, TOO)

Worst Screen Couple
Any Two (or More) Jonas Brothers (THE JONAS BROTHERS 3-D CONCERT EXPERIENCE)
Sandra Bullock & Bradley Cooper (ALL ABOUT STEVE)
Will Ferrell & Any Co-Star, Creature or “Comic Riff” (LAND OF THE LOST)
Shia LaBeouf & EITHER Megan Fox OR Any Transformer (TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN)
Kristen Stewart & EITHER Robert Pattinson OR Taylor Whatz-His-Fang (TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON)

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Land of The Lost
Pink Panther 2
Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen
Twilight Saga: New Moon

Worst Director
Michael Bay (TRANNIES, TOO)
Walt Becker (OLD DOGS)
Brad Silberling (LAND OF THE LOST)
Stephen Sommers (G.I. JOE)
Phil Traill (ALL ABOUT STEVE)

Worst Screenplay
All About Steve (SCREENPLAY BY KIM BARKER)
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (SCREENPLAY BY STUART BEATTIE AND DAVID ELLIOT & PAUL LOVETT)
Land of The Lost (WRITTEN BY CHRIS HENCHY & DENNIS MCNICHOLAS)
Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen (WRITTEN BY EHREN KRUGER & ROBERTO ORCI & ALEX KURTZMAN)
Twilight Saga: New Moon (SCREENPLAY BY MELISSA ROSENBERG)

Worst Picture of the Decade
Battlefield Earth (2000)
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Gigli (2003)
I Know Who Killed Me (2007)
Swept Away (2002)

Worst Actor of the Decade
Ben Affleck (DAREDEVIL, GIGLI, ETC.)
Eddie Murphy (ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH, NORBIT, ETC.)
Mike Myers (CAT IN THE HAT, THE LOVE GURU)
Rob Schneider (THE ANIMAL, THE HOT CHICK, ETC.)
John Travolta (BATTLEFIELD EARTH, OLD DOGS, ETC.)

Worst Actress of the Decade
Mariah Carey (GLITTER)
Paris Hilton (THE HOTTIE & THE NOTTIE, HOUSE OF WHACKS)
Lindsay Lohan (HERBIE FULLY LOADED, I KNOW WHO KILLED ME)
Jennifer Lopez (GIGLI, MONSTER-IN-LAW, ETC.)
Madonna (THE NEXT BEST THING, SWEPT AWAY)


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

TRAILER TUESDAY: Is KICK-ASS Going to Kick My Ass?


KICK-ASS
**** (I CAN'T FRIGGIN' WAIT)
Opens April 16

It probably will, is my answer.

This movie looks like it is going to test my sensibilities about violence. You know you are stepping it up a notch when you have a little girl blowing away people like in the The Matrix lobby scene – see what I mean in this alternate trailer:


I have seen three different trailers for this movie already and all of them have been great – that usually means there is a good movie in there somewhere. Here is the other trailer:


Let the buzz begin.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Holiday Movie Season Wrap: SHERLOCK HOLMES and THE BLIND SIDE Can Wait Until DVD


SHERLOCK HOLMES

I fully expected to either love or hate this movie. On the one hand, I thought there was a chance that I was going to be blown away by Robert Downey Jr. and the exploding razzle-dazzle of Hollywood. On the other hand, I thought there was a chance I would walk out of the theater cursing the filmmakers for having the gall to pervert Arthur Conan Doyle's best known work.

In the end, however, I was stuck somewhere in the murky middle. Doweny as Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as his sidekick, Dr. John Watson, were quite entertaining; the rest of the movie was just so-so. The studio should have tapped a more capable director than Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).


THE BLIND SIDE
The Blind Side is a 'Hollywoodization' of a wonderful true story of Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Michael Oher. It is full of likable performances from Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw and others. This movie is pretty much what you expect it to be. There is no trick play, just a base package that is worth a screening.

The Blind Side feels a lot like another football feature, Remember the Titans. I liked that movie and I liked this one, but if this movie wins any awards this year I am going to throw a yellow flag high into the sky.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

My Latest Predictions for the 67th Golden Globes

Here are my predictions for the Golden Globe winners this year. The awards show is scheduled for Sunday, January 17.

For a good briefing on this year's awards check out this guide from Variety.

Also, I am planning on Live Tweeting during the show. So if you don't already, make sure to follow me (or just keep tabs at twitter.com/boscohouse). Join the conversation!


My predictions are in RED, while my hopes are in BLUE. If there is only red, my hopes and predictions align.

I might update my scorecard before Sunday, but here are my best guesses.

FILM

BEST FEATURE - DRAMA
"Avatar"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Inglourious Basterds"
"Precious"
"Up in the Air"

BEST FEATURE - COMEDY
"(500) Days of Summer"
"The Hangover"
"It's Complicated"
"Julie & Julia"
"Nine"

ACTOR - DRAMA
Jeff Bridges - "Crazy Heart"
George Clooney - "Up in the Air"
Colin Firth - "A Single Man"
Morgan Freeman - "Invictus"
Tobey Maguire - "Brothers"

ACTRESS - DRAMA
Emily Blunt - "The Young Victoria"
Sandra Bullock - "The Blind Side"
Helen Mirren - "The Last Station"
Carey Mulligan - "An Education"
Gabourey Sidibe - "Precious"

ACTOR - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Matt Damon - "The Informant!"
Daniel Day-Lewis - "Nine"
Robert Downey Jr. - "Sherlock Holmes"
Joseph Gordon-Levitt - "500 Days of Summer"
Michael Stuhlbarg - "A Serious Man"

ACTRESS - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Sandra Bullock - "The Proposal"
Marion Cotillard - "Nine"
Julia Roberts - "Duplicity"
Meryl Streep - "It's Complicated"
Meryl Streep - "Julie & Julia"

DIRECTOR - MOTION PICTURE
Kathryn Bigelow - "The Hurt Locker"
James Cameron - "Avatar"
Clint Eastwood - "Invictus"
Jason Reitman - "Up in the Air"
Quentin Tarantino - "Inglourious Basterds"

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon - "Invictus"
Woody Harrelson - "The Messenger"
Christopher Plummer - "The Last Station"
Stanley Tucci - "The Lovely Bones"
Christoph Waltz - "Inglourious Basterds"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz - "Nine"
Vera Farmiga - "Up in the Air"
Anna Kendrick - "Up in the Air"
Mo'Nique - "Precious"
Julianne Moore - "A Single Man"

SCREENPLAY - MOTION PICTURE
Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell - "District 9"
Mark Boal - "The Hurt Locker"
Nancy Meyers - "It's Complicated"
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner - "Up in the Air"
Quentin Tarantino - "Inglourious Basterds"

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Baaria" (Italy) - Medusa Film; Summit Entertainment
"Broken Embraces" (Spain) - El Deseo SA; Sony Pictures Classics
"The Maid" (Chile) - Forastero; Elephant Eye Films
"A Prophet" (France) - Chic Films; Sony Pictures Classics
"The White Ribbon" (Germany) - Wega Films; Sony Pictures Classics

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs"
"Coraline"
"Fantastic Mr. Fox"
"The Princess and the Frog"
"Up"

BEST SCORE
Michael Giacchino - "Up"
Marvin Hamlisch - "The Informant!"
James Horner - "Avatar"
Abel Korzeniowski - "A Single Man"
Karen O, Carter Burwell - "Where The Wild Things Are"

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Cinema Italiano" from "Nine" - Music & Lyrics by: Maury Yeston
"I Want to Come Home" from "Everybody's Fine" - Music & Lyrics by: Paul McCartney
"I Will See You" from "Avatar" - Music by: James Horner, Simon Franglen; Lyrics by: James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell
"The Weary Kind" from "Crazy Heart" - Music & Lyrics by: Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett
"Winter" from "Brothers" - Music by: U2; Lyrics by: Bono

TELEVISION

TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
"Big Love"
"Dexter"
"House"
"Mad Men"
"True Blood"

TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
"30 Rock"
"Entourage"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"The Office"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Simon Baker - "The Mentalist"
Michael C. Hall - "Dexter"
Jon Hamm - "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie - "House"
Bill Paxton - "Big Love"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - DRAMA
Glenn Close - "Damages"
January Jones - "Mad Men"
Julianna Margulies - "The Good Wife"
Anna Paquin - "True Blood"
Kyra Sedgwick - "The Closer"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Toni Collette - "United States of Tara"
Courteney Cox - "Cougar Town"
Edie Falco - "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey - "30 Rock"
Lea Michele - "Glee"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES - COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock"
Steve Carell - "The Office"
David Duchovny - "Californication"
Thomas Jane - "Hung"
Matthew Morrison - "Glee"

MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
"Georgia O'Keeffe"
"Grey Gardens"
"Into the Storm"
"Little Dorrit"
"Taking Chance"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Kevin Bacon - "Taking Chance"
Kenneth Branagh - "Wallander: One Step Behind"
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "Endgame"
Brendan Gleeson - "Into The Storm"
Jeremy Irons - "Georgia O'Keeffe"

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Joan Allen - "Georgia O'Keeffe"
Drew Barrymore - "Grey Gardens"
Jessica Lange - "Grey Gardens"
Anna Paquin - "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler"
Sigourney Weaver - "Prayers for Bobby"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jane Adams - "Hung"
Rose Byrne - "Damages"
Jane Lynch - "Glee"
Janet McTeer - "Into The Storm"
Chloe Sevigny - "Big Love"

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Michael Emerson - "Lost"
Neil Patrick Harris - "How I Met Your Mother"
William Hurt - "Damages"
John Lithgow - "Dexter"
Jeremy Piven - "Entourage"

Holiday Movie Season Wrap: INVICTUS and THE ROAD are Worth Seeing and Feeling


INVICTUS
There are a lot of beautiful things in this film about Nelson Mandela and a rugby team he hoped would bring his racially-divided South Africa together after apartheid was ended. The fact that the movie's name comes from one of Mandela's favorite poems is quite fitting – Invictus, the movie, unfolds like a bit of poetry.

Unfortunately, rugby does a terrible job of translating onto film and makes little sense to an American audience that has little experience with the game. The rugby scenes do little to heighten the emotion and intensity of the movie like they should. Still, there is a wonderful story to enjoy here, along with some heavyweight acting performances by Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon.


THE ROAD
There is nothing easy about watching this movie about a man and a boy traveling on a road to the coast in search of a better life – or one that is not as tragic as the one they currently have. The road is fraught with the perils of a post-apocalyptic earth: a lack of food, death and cannibalism.

It is a dirty, cruel and ugly movie. It is also a desperately hopeful, well-acted and well-crafted movie. It is not for everybody and the story will leave you as malnourished as its painfully thin characters, but there is something very engaging in The Road if you are willing to give it a try.

Tomorrow I will discuss SHERLOCK HOLMES and THE BLIND SIDE.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

John Travolta is the Laughing Stock of Twitter


For the record, I kind of like John Travolta. That said, he has made a lot of shitty movies lately and he doesn't look too convincing in his latest, From Paris with Love.

Like everybody watching football today I saw the advertisements for this new flick on TV. Shortly after I began tracking "John Travolta" on Twitter. It was amusing. Here is what I culled in a matter of ten minutes or so.

@misterlacy Between news of a Mannequin remake and that new John Travolta movie trailer this has been a serious WTF movie day.

@BlackCanseco Based on the trailer 4 John Travolta's new movie, the Village People are back and adding a Hitman.

@The6thHeartbeat John Travolta was in High School 35 years ago (Welcome Back Kotter). Why is he still trying to be cool?

@erikcervantes Just saw a commercial for "From Paris With Love." Sorry John Travolta, but I think your acting days are over.

@fred_davidson Just saw an ad for "From Paris With Love"...so John Travolta has shaved his head, grew a goatee, and is pretending to be Bruce Willis...

@Constant22 Quentin Tarantino should publicly apologize for revitalizing John Travolta's career. It's gone too far.

@drumminherbie For some reason, I think John Travolta makes a sissy of a terrorist (i.e. Pelham 123 and From Paris With Love)

@antbrent John Travolta looks like Mr. Clean in that new flick "From Paris With Love"

@JizzySal Lol @ John travolta. What do you think it's about? It's about terrorists?! That movie looks turrible. Also, we have a ballgame now folks

Here is the official trailer if you care to watch it.

Holiday Movie Season Wrap: AVATAR and UP IN THE AIR Are the Best of the Bunch

The holiday stretch is always a good time for movies. Good ones get sent to the theaters this time of year as filmmakers look to capture the family movie-going experiences that tend to happen around the holidays.

A lot of the filmmakers are also looking to win some awards. Most filmmakers looking to gain Oscar or Golden Globe buzz for films get them released in December to bleed into the awards voting season. Here are a few that got my attention:


AVATAR
The money I spent on Avatar in IMAX 3D was the best money I have ever spent on a movie theater experience. Director James Cameron spent years and hundreds of millions of dollars making this science fiction epic and it shows.

There is a moment in the film when a real (or at least I think it is real) human hand touches a computer generated alien face. It blends flawlessly as each appears as distinctly organic skin. It is amazing. Avatar and the world Cameron created is amazing.


UP IN THE AIR
Director Jason Reitman knows how to make a movie. It is likely he will be on the short list for a best director Oscar again this year – he was also nominated for his direction of the 2007 smash hit Juno. I doubt he will win, simply because of his notable competition.

That said, expect this movie's stars, George Clooney and Vera Farmiga, to be serious contenders in the the best actor and best supporting actress categories. Rietman has a way of making the people around him better. He helped first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody win an Oscar; he also helped the elegant Ellen Paige get an actress nomination with Juno.

Reitman's movies, especially Up in the Air, are well-rounded, without overwrought sentimentality and without easy answers. His direction is clean and understated. That is probably why it might take him a while to win an Oscar, but it is why he has won my theater-going loyalty.

Tomorrow I will discuss INVICTUS and THE ROAD.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Some Thoughts on James Cameron's AVATAR


I didn't feel like writing my own review of Avatar yet so I decided to piggy-back off those of others.

Let's start with Rotten Tomatoes. I think RT nailed it pretty well with its boiled-down consensus of critical analysis of this science fiction epic.

"It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron's singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking."
-Rotten Tomatoes


There has been a lot said about the plot being Dances With Wolves in outer space and talk about how it doesn't live up to the spectacle of Avatar, which I find true, but then again it is hard to live up to the mind-blowing spectacle.

"When all the hype and hullabaloo about Avatar calms down, we will be left with a film that’s no masterpiece, but still well worth seeing."
-Cosmo Landesman
Sunday Times (UK)


Go see this movie for the pure simplicity of watching the special effects, if for no other reason -- and see it in IMAX 3D if possible.

"Yes, you are effectively watching a special effects showcase - but no more so than Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings. And that was nine hours long. So go and see Avatar on the biggest screen possible - you won't regret it."
-Andy Morris
GQ Magazine (UK)

This movie really is as amazing as people say it is.

"The narrative would be ho-hum without the spectacle. But what spectacle! Avatar is dizzying, enveloping, vertiginous ... I ran out of adjectives an hour into its 161 minutes."

Throughout this movie I felt like I was on vacation in a crazy new world. It is an entirely engrossing adventure. This is my favorite review that I have read about Avatar so far.

"Mr. Cameron's singular vision has upped the ante for filmed entertainment, and given us a travelogue unlike any other. I wouldn't want to live on Pandora, mainly because of the bad air, but I'm glad to have paid it a visit."
-Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal


Friday, January 1, 2010

Honorable Mention: SUGAR -- My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2009 (so far)


This might be one of the most overlooked movies of the year.

It may not be the best baseball movie ever made – that honor goes to Major League – but it may be the best movie about baseball ever made.

The movie is understated and engaging, if not a little sad. It is a movie every baseball fan should watch, while simultaneously being a movie that every independent film fan should watch, whether they like baseball or not.