I'm too happy for words. Let's just say that life is sweet again and, despite being single, I feel the love everywhere on this stupid holiday.
Expect a review soon!
See full post
Monday, February 14, 2011
A Happy V-Day Courtesy of Radiohead
The new Radiohead album, The King of Limbs, is available for pre-order on the band's official website. You can now order either a digital download or the "newspaper album" + digital download. The album will then be available for download this Saturday, Feb. 19th.
I'm too happy for words. Let's just say that life is sweet again and, despite being single, I feel the love everywhere on this stupid holiday.
Expect a review soon!
See full post
I'm too happy for words. Let's just say that life is sweet again and, despite being single, I feel the love everywhere on this stupid holiday.
Expect a review soon!
See full post
Sunday, February 13, 2011
My (I Don't Really Care About The) Grammy Awards Post
I didn't watch the Grammy Awards. I was however happy to hear about both Muse and (especially) Arcade Fire winning awards. They deserve all sorts of accolades, even when it's at a (generally) lame award show.
I was also, very curious about the Bob Dylan performance (featuring some other blokes too). Dylan kinda owns my life right now (no, we don't have to get into it) so obviously I had to go find a video of the performance as soon as the show ended. I found it and I loved it. So here it is, just in case you missed it too:
By the way, it's awesome. And not just because of Dylan. Mumford & Sons are an obvious win. Avett Brothers were a pleasant surprise. See full post
I was also, very curious about the Bob Dylan performance (featuring some other blokes too). Dylan kinda owns my life right now (no, we don't have to get into it) so obviously I had to go find a video of the performance as soon as the show ended. I found it and I loved it. So here it is, just in case you missed it too:
By the way, it's awesome. And not just because of Dylan. Mumford & Sons are an obvious win. Avett Brothers were a pleasant surprise. See full post
Friday, February 11, 2011
Would You Do 99 Takes for David Fincher?
Crossposted on and commissioned by Film.com
One of the big talking points around The Social Network has been how director David Fincher had Jesse Eisenberg & Rooney Mara do 99 takes of the opening six minute scene over the course of two days. Which isn't new for Fincher - doing an inordinate number of takes is how he rolls. And in the case of The Social Network, with a script as wordy and deliberate as Sorkin's tend to be, I can hardly imagine the kind of experience this must have been for the actors. It begs the question - would you do 99 takes for David Fincher?
In a recent actor's round table organized by The Hollywood Reporter, Jesse Eisenberg got into discussing the process and Mark Ruffalo, also in attendance, offered his two cents as well, having worked with Fincher himself on Zodiac. Ruffalo posits that Fincher sees the whole, and the actors are only a bit of that whole, while Duvall scoffs at the idea of 50+ takes so much that he wonders if there was a subconscious reason he turned down a role in Seven. What compels one actor to jump at the chance to do 99 takes and turns others off so much that they be thrilled to miss an opportunity to work with such a director?
I have a BA in Drama from NYU Tisch and almost always hated the rehearsal process of theater out of fear of finding a moment and then never being able to retrieve it again, but was of course grateful for the process in the end. But theater is QUITE different from film. In theater, you have months of prep. You rehearse to find your blocking, to find your moments and hopefully keep them, to see if your analysis works, to get your actions or any potential externals you have to live with for the duration of the show in your body. But with film, you do bits at a time and often the technical aspects take priority over the acting - most directors expect you to come ready to film. And because it's so up close, because it's just one tiny part of the whole, spontaneity is key in capturing honesty. Clint Eastwood is one of those directors that thinks the best takes happen right away, most spontaneous, most in the moment, most unaware of what is to come. He casts actors he knows he can trust, who will come ready to go, and makes sure his actors know they can trust him, that they are in a safe environment, that they can feel free to do whatever they want - he is known for most often using the first take that was shot. My personal favorite experiences on sets have been when we got the scene in 1-3 takes, so on paper, working with Eastwood sounds like a dream.
And the idea of doing a six minute scene 99 times in a row makes my head want to explode.
But here's the thing. Eastwood movies I tend to not like. Fincher movies, I LOVE. I love every movie he has ever made, that I've seen (Sorry Panic Room & Alien 3, one day I'll meet you). It might be annoying for the actors, but his methods yield genius results. Also with that number of takes, I feel like it could almost give more of a chance to just mess around and do takes for yourself. Natalie Portman has praised Darren Aronosfky for always letting her have a take "for herself." There is something about doing that many takes that could end up being a similar kind of freeing. Especially if you know that's the way the director works. If your director does 2-3 takes normally, then needs to do 20 on you because you are missing all your moments or flubbing your lines, that's a bad sign. But if you know your director will be doing 40-99 takes, there isn't really much you can do to change that, so you might as well go balls out. And it shows.
Recently, Vulture printed an in depth interview with Fincher, in which I was thrilled to find he touches on exactly that notion,
Adding to the freedom? In the opening scene of The Social Network, Fincher put a camera on Mara *and* a camera on Eisenberg so they could nail the rhythms and overlaps of Sorkin's language. Thus, everything those actors did was captured. No moment lost. He also instructed the extras to speak at full volume to create a sense of realism for the actors. They weren't on a silent set, feeling the pressure, feeling the focus all directed on them. They were in it.
Another director notorious for doing numerous takes was Stanley Kubrick. People often view his methods as perhaps less kind or more crazy than Fincher's, Duvall going so far as to call him the "actor's enemy" in the aforementioned actor's round table, but according to some, Kubrick was going after a similar result, as Nicole Kidman can testify,
So it seems as though directors like Fincher & Kubrick are in fact going after the exact same thing directors like Eastwood desire - spontaneity, honesty, living in the moment.
The difference?
You can't half ass 99 takes. You need to know your lines, you need to have energy, you need to have worked on your voice & speech skills so you don't lose your voice or trip over your words. You need your body to be warm and open so you don't slip up, so you don't get tired. It's scary. And truly something only the most dedicated actors can pull off. Which is why, Justin Timberlake, I just got a whole lot more impressed with you.
But you know what? 99 takes? That's a challenge I'd be willing to take. Yes I hate doing more than 3 takes of anything, but for the chance to work with David Fincher, I'd do just about anything. Well. That's overstating it a bit. But you know what I mean. Can you imagine waking up every morning knowing you are going to go work with incredibly talented people who, rather than worrying about time or perfection, are most concerned with letting you be open and free. Screw an actor's nightmare, this just turned into actor's dream, you guys. Sign me up.
For more on the behind the scenes process, check out the behind the scenes doc, How Did They Ever Make a Movie About Facebook, included on The Social Network blu-ray. See full post
One of the big talking points around The Social Network has been how director David Fincher had Jesse Eisenberg & Rooney Mara do 99 takes of the opening six minute scene over the course of two days. Which isn't new for Fincher - doing an inordinate number of takes is how he rolls. And in the case of The Social Network, with a script as wordy and deliberate as Sorkin's tend to be, I can hardly imagine the kind of experience this must have been for the actors. It begs the question - would you do 99 takes for David Fincher?
In a recent actor's round table organized by The Hollywood Reporter, Jesse Eisenberg got into discussing the process and Mark Ruffalo, also in attendance, offered his two cents as well, having worked with Fincher himself on Zodiac. Ruffalo posits that Fincher sees the whole, and the actors are only a bit of that whole, while Duvall scoffs at the idea of 50+ takes so much that he wonders if there was a subconscious reason he turned down a role in Seven. What compels one actor to jump at the chance to do 99 takes and turns others off so much that they be thrilled to miss an opportunity to work with such a director?
I have a BA in Drama from NYU Tisch and almost always hated the rehearsal process of theater out of fear of finding a moment and then never being able to retrieve it again, but was of course grateful for the process in the end. But theater is QUITE different from film. In theater, you have months of prep. You rehearse to find your blocking, to find your moments and hopefully keep them, to see if your analysis works, to get your actions or any potential externals you have to live with for the duration of the show in your body. But with film, you do bits at a time and often the technical aspects take priority over the acting - most directors expect you to come ready to film. And because it's so up close, because it's just one tiny part of the whole, spontaneity is key in capturing honesty. Clint Eastwood is one of those directors that thinks the best takes happen right away, most spontaneous, most in the moment, most unaware of what is to come. He casts actors he knows he can trust, who will come ready to go, and makes sure his actors know they can trust him, that they are in a safe environment, that they can feel free to do whatever they want - he is known for most often using the first take that was shot. My personal favorite experiences on sets have been when we got the scene in 1-3 takes, so on paper, working with Eastwood sounds like a dream.
And the idea of doing a six minute scene 99 times in a row makes my head want to explode.
But here's the thing. Eastwood movies I tend to not like. Fincher movies, I LOVE. I love every movie he has ever made, that I've seen (Sorry Panic Room & Alien 3, one day I'll meet you). It might be annoying for the actors, but his methods yield genius results. Also with that number of takes, I feel like it could almost give more of a chance to just mess around and do takes for yourself. Natalie Portman has praised Darren Aronosfky for always letting her have a take "for herself." There is something about doing that many takes that could end up being a similar kind of freeing. Especially if you know that's the way the director works. If your director does 2-3 takes normally, then needs to do 20 on you because you are missing all your moments or flubbing your lines, that's a bad sign. But if you know your director will be doing 40-99 takes, there isn't really much you can do to change that, so you might as well go balls out. And it shows.
Recently, Vulture printed an in depth interview with Fincher, in which I was thrilled to find he touches on exactly that notion,
"I’m not, like, trying to psychologically remake people, but look, it’s an incredibly neurotic thing to want to do with one’s life. It’s incredibly hard to stand in front of a camera and be the focus of that attention and not be self-conscious. It makes you self-conscious, and to get beyond that self-consciousness, I absolutely want people to have their idea of what the scene is about, to have an idea of what their moment is. And then I want to take them through that process to a point where they’ve literally forgotten their own names. I want to take them past the point where they go, "But I had it all worked out." If it’s still there but you’re doing it a little bit later or doing it a little bit flustered. You know, it’s an interesting thing: It happens very rarely, but invariably, when an actor’s in the middle of a take and they go, "Uh, hang on a sec, sorry, my fault, can we start again?" always it’s the best take. Always the best take before they cry uncle, before they go, "Wait a minute, I’ve lost my train of thought." And I can show them on the monitor: "Look at you here, that is you at your most present, when you’re falling-down ill, like Dudley Moore in Arthur, ass-over-teakettle trying to remember where you were in the thing, that’s when you are stunning and real and amazing." Little things happen. There’s this moment at the beginning of the movie where Rooney [Mara, who plays Zuckerberg’s girlfriend] interrupts him and says “Mark!" And Jesse did this thing where he leaned forward in a very prodding way and said "Erica!" Oddly condescending. She gets really pissed off — and he’d never done it before. It was kind of great. I went up to him and he said, "Do you want me to do it again?" And I said, "No, but I bet you it’s going in the movie." That’s the kind of stuff you want to find."
Adding to the freedom? In the opening scene of The Social Network, Fincher put a camera on Mara *and* a camera on Eisenberg so they could nail the rhythms and overlaps of Sorkin's language. Thus, everything those actors did was captured. No moment lost. He also instructed the extras to speak at full volume to create a sense of realism for the actors. They weren't on a silent set, feeling the pressure, feeling the focus all directed on them. They were in it.
Another director notorious for doing numerous takes was Stanley Kubrick. People often view his methods as perhaps less kind or more crazy than Fincher's, Duvall going so far as to call him the "actor's enemy" in the aforementioned actor's round table, but according to some, Kubrick was going after a similar result, as Nicole Kidman can testify,
"He believed that what it does to you, as an actor, was that you would lose control of your sense of self, of the part of you that was internally watching your own performance. Eventually, he felt, you would stop censoring yourself."
So it seems as though directors like Fincher & Kubrick are in fact going after the exact same thing directors like Eastwood desire - spontaneity, honesty, living in the moment.
The difference?
You can't half ass 99 takes. You need to know your lines, you need to have energy, you need to have worked on your voice & speech skills so you don't lose your voice or trip over your words. You need your body to be warm and open so you don't slip up, so you don't get tired. It's scary. And truly something only the most dedicated actors can pull off. Which is why, Justin Timberlake, I just got a whole lot more impressed with you.
But you know what? 99 takes? That's a challenge I'd be willing to take. Yes I hate doing more than 3 takes of anything, but for the chance to work with David Fincher, I'd do just about anything. Well. That's overstating it a bit. But you know what I mean. Can you imagine waking up every morning knowing you are going to go work with incredibly talented people who, rather than worrying about time or perfection, are most concerned with letting you be open and free. Screw an actor's nightmare, this just turned into actor's dream, you guys. Sign me up.
For more on the behind the scenes process, check out the behind the scenes doc, How Did They Ever Make a Movie About Facebook, included on The Social Network blu-ray. See full post
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Objectifying Men: Genuine Ken
Read more at The Mystery of Girls Media See full post
You knew this was coming
The Strokes have released their new single "Under Cover of Darkness" as a free download, available on their website for another 20 or so hours. Go here. And enjoy. See full post
Friday, February 4, 2011
Muse's Eight Most Upsetting Snubs of Oscars 2011
Crossposted on & commissioned by Film.com
Last Tuesday, I was hoping for a pleasant morning. For an Oscars 2010 kind of morning, where you wake up and find out that District 9 got nominated for Best Picture. Instead it was an Oscars 2009 kind of morning. A The Dark Knight got snubbed for Best Picture kind of morning. Translation: A really bad morning.
The only happy surprise of the main 8 categories? Michelle Williams getting a nod. But there was no Ryan Gosling. There was no Julianne Moore, though no one really thought she'd make it in. And most upsettingly, there was no Andrew Garfield, the heart and soul of The Social Network. His snub alone began to unravel my previously stable belief that The Social Network has Best Picture locked up (now almost completely shattered by The King's Speech winning at the SAG Awards). If the actors branch, the largest branch of the academy, didn't appreciate his performance enough to get him a nod, does that mean they don't appreciate the movie enough?
But then something even worse was announced. The nominees for Best Director. Don't get me wrong. I love David Fincher. I love Darren Aronofsky. I love the Coen Brothers. I even love notoriously crazy David O Russell. But the fact that Christopher Nolan, a director committed to using the language of cinema to not only tell a story, but make you think and make you feel in ways you don't even understand or realize you're feeling until it's over - the fact that one of the most innovative, creative, most aspiring to cinematic greatness directors working today did not get a nomination for Best Director is disappointing at best. But, and not to beat a dead horse, Tom Hooper, who impressed me directorally only in his casting of the three leads, did. And then won the DGA award later that week. Because the universe hates me.
So when the director nominations were announced, I got worried. I immediately went online, found the complete list of Oscar nominations...and I didn't like what I saw. There were more snubs than the obvious - more than Gosling, Garfield, Mila Kunis & Nolan, Waiting for Superman in Doc, The Town in Picture. So here is my list of the top eight most upsetting snubs.
8.Lisa Cholodenko - Director - The Kids Are All Right
No one seemed to prognosticate that Lisa ever had a chance, but since I believed that the top five would have been The Social Network, The King's Speech, Black Swan, True Grit or Inception & The Kids Are All Right (if following the genre standards set by the aughts), I was still hoping that maybe the directors would reflect this. Unfortunately it seems as though The Fighter would have potentially taken that last slot, leaving The Kids Are All Right out in the cold and Cholodenko with it. But her direction was actually quite remarkable. The way the scenes were framed & lit that seemed to inform the relationships, the comfort levels in each location, the lingering shots, the attention to detail, the warmth - plus it really feels like open, honest acting from everyone in the cast. There is no schmacting, there is no indicating, Cholodenko knew exactly how to capture what she wanted. I was so sincerely hoping there would be a slot for this movie in direction and not just because Lisa is a woman, though that would have been a cool plus side coming off of last year's historic win for Kathryn Bigelow. Le sigh.
7. Daft Punk- Score - Tron: Legacy
This movie would be a big fat nothing without two things: The visuals & the score. Daft Punk MADE this movie work for me. Looking at Tron: Legacy as one long Daft Punk music video suddenly made it not suck. Aside from the fact that it is absurdly necessary for the movie to even work on any level, the score is *awesome* to listen to. It's atmospheric when it needs to be, triumphant when it needs to be, popping when it needs to be, forlorn when it needs to be - each track is distinct, yet clearly Daft Punk and clearly from Tron: Legacy. I've listened to it on multiple occasions for multiple reasons and was really hoping to be able to say "Oscar nominees Daft Punk." Not everyone can be Three Six Mafia, I suppose.
6. & 5. Visual FX: Tron: Legacy and Scott Pilgrim
The other aspect that made Tron for me was obviously the VFX. The ways in which Tron utilized 3D and the IMAX screen to actually help tell the story (as stupid as the story was) I thought deserved some praise. This movie looked so utterly cool, it's the first time I have *ever* excused a terrible story and terrible dialogue because I loved the effects so much. I was so taken with this universe, I felt like I was actually inside it and I loved every moment. No one can deny the feat that was accomplished with the visuals and those very visuals have been a subject for discussion since we first got a glimpse of what would be at Comic-Con three years ago.
Then you have Scott Pilgrim, which played with vfx in a very different way, but still a style I've never seen before. They play into the environment and help specify that this world isn't exactly our world, but rather a much more badass one. Or, to be slightly more accurate, a much more EPIC one.
It seems endlessly strange to me that the opening sequence of a movie, Hereafter, featuring a type of effect that has been done many times before, tsunami, (see: Deep Impact, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, etc etc etc) deserved a nomination more than two films that really created something unique and essential to the storytelling of the film. Using fx as a flavor of ice cream itself instead of the cherry on top, if you will?
4.& 3. Sound Editing & Mixing - Scott Pilgrim & Black Swan
I don't know much about sound. Which is precisely why I think Scott Pilgrim & Black Swan deserved some recognition. Sound played essential roles in both of these films and not in the obvious action movie sense.
In Scott Pilgrim, there is almost *always* a specific sound cue designed to help tell the story - whether it's by referencing something else, setting the location, keeping the pace, directing the audience's attention - sound plays a HUGE role in the movie. The choices in sound were actually on the same level as the choices in music and special effects, to the point where all three departments were working together to create the most immersive result possible. It mystifies me that that much detail doesn't deserve some recognition. I don't see how "train sounds" is more innovative or creative than what Julian Slater and his team did for Scott Pilgrim. I'm sure Unstoppable's sound was edited perfectly, but to what imaginative end? With Pilgrim, Every punch with a different person sounded different. There was a specific sound scape running through every scene, playing a vital role in letting us know what to think & how to feel. It's a travesty Pilgrim was snubbed here, nothing less. For more, head here.
Then you have Black Swan, in which the sounds affect environment as much as the cinematography and production design do. They are integral in creating atmosphere, in getting inside Nina's head, in suggesting emotion. The cracking, the whispering, the breathing, the sound was almost a living entity. It is an artistic use of sound, both in editing and mixing that has sadly gone unnoticed by the academy. Fore more on Black Swan and sound, head here.
2. Lesley Manville - Actress - Another Year
Now THAT is a performance. Yes, the other actresses were fantastic and I begrudge none of them, but it would have been wonderful to see Manville sneak in there. Her performance is almost beyond description. Her character is so thoroughly authentic that you have trouble believing she's real. It's difficult to play unstable that accurately. Watching her, I was uncomfortable, but couldn't pull my eyes away. Every choice was fascinating. I'm honestly not sure any other actress nominated could have pulled off that character. I was positively in awe and absolutely believe the reason she didn't make it is that simply not enough actors saw Another Year to get her quite enough votes.
1. Lee Smith - Editing - Inception
The one you've probably heard the most bitching about on Twitter and rightly so. A crucial element in Inception was tricking the audience into thinking we are following a much more straightforward story than we actually are. To edit so seamlessly that we don't realize anything is truly strange until the end of the movie. Like a dream itself. Part of what makes Nolan so masterful is his ability to make a movie like Memento and really make us feel like we don't have a short term memory, to make a movie like Insomnia and make us feel like we have insomnia, and with Inception, to make us feel like we've been dreaming, or to go even further, than we've been incepted. (Sidenote: I LOVE Inception theories.) But this would not be possible without top notch editing. The only reasonable explanation for this is that Smith ended up as #6 and by a remarkably small margin.
If any of these snubs affected you the way they affected me, check out the nominations for the second annual Fangirl Awards...Scott Pilgrim got 14 nominations. Take that, The King's Speech with 12 Academy Award nominations! ... I'm not going to be happy on Oscar night, am I? See full post
Last Tuesday, I was hoping for a pleasant morning. For an Oscars 2010 kind of morning, where you wake up and find out that District 9 got nominated for Best Picture. Instead it was an Oscars 2009 kind of morning. A The Dark Knight got snubbed for Best Picture kind of morning. Translation: A really bad morning.
The only happy surprise of the main 8 categories? Michelle Williams getting a nod. But there was no Ryan Gosling. There was no Julianne Moore, though no one really thought she'd make it in. And most upsettingly, there was no Andrew Garfield, the heart and soul of The Social Network. His snub alone began to unravel my previously stable belief that The Social Network has Best Picture locked up (now almost completely shattered by The King's Speech winning at the SAG Awards). If the actors branch, the largest branch of the academy, didn't appreciate his performance enough to get him a nod, does that mean they don't appreciate the movie enough?
But then something even worse was announced. The nominees for Best Director. Don't get me wrong. I love David Fincher. I love Darren Aronofsky. I love the Coen Brothers. I even love notoriously crazy David O Russell. But the fact that Christopher Nolan, a director committed to using the language of cinema to not only tell a story, but make you think and make you feel in ways you don't even understand or realize you're feeling until it's over - the fact that one of the most innovative, creative, most aspiring to cinematic greatness directors working today did not get a nomination for Best Director is disappointing at best. But, and not to beat a dead horse, Tom Hooper, who impressed me directorally only in his casting of the three leads, did. And then won the DGA award later that week. Because the universe hates me.
So when the director nominations were announced, I got worried. I immediately went online, found the complete list of Oscar nominations...and I didn't like what I saw. There were more snubs than the obvious - more than Gosling, Garfield, Mila Kunis & Nolan, Waiting for Superman in Doc, The Town in Picture. So here is my list of the top eight most upsetting snubs.
8.Lisa Cholodenko - Director - The Kids Are All Right
No one seemed to prognosticate that Lisa ever had a chance, but since I believed that the top five would have been The Social Network, The King's Speech, Black Swan, True Grit or Inception & The Kids Are All Right (if following the genre standards set by the aughts), I was still hoping that maybe the directors would reflect this. Unfortunately it seems as though The Fighter would have potentially taken that last slot, leaving The Kids Are All Right out in the cold and Cholodenko with it. But her direction was actually quite remarkable. The way the scenes were framed & lit that seemed to inform the relationships, the comfort levels in each location, the lingering shots, the attention to detail, the warmth - plus it really feels like open, honest acting from everyone in the cast. There is no schmacting, there is no indicating, Cholodenko knew exactly how to capture what she wanted. I was so sincerely hoping there would be a slot for this movie in direction and not just because Lisa is a woman, though that would have been a cool plus side coming off of last year's historic win for Kathryn Bigelow. Le sigh.
7. Daft Punk- Score - Tron: Legacy
This movie would be a big fat nothing without two things: The visuals & the score. Daft Punk MADE this movie work for me. Looking at Tron: Legacy as one long Daft Punk music video suddenly made it not suck. Aside from the fact that it is absurdly necessary for the movie to even work on any level, the score is *awesome* to listen to. It's atmospheric when it needs to be, triumphant when it needs to be, popping when it needs to be, forlorn when it needs to be - each track is distinct, yet clearly Daft Punk and clearly from Tron: Legacy. I've listened to it on multiple occasions for multiple reasons and was really hoping to be able to say "Oscar nominees Daft Punk." Not everyone can be Three Six Mafia, I suppose.
6. & 5. Visual FX: Tron: Legacy and Scott Pilgrim
The other aspect that made Tron for me was obviously the VFX. The ways in which Tron utilized 3D and the IMAX screen to actually help tell the story (as stupid as the story was) I thought deserved some praise. This movie looked so utterly cool, it's the first time I have *ever* excused a terrible story and terrible dialogue because I loved the effects so much. I was so taken with this universe, I felt like I was actually inside it and I loved every moment. No one can deny the feat that was accomplished with the visuals and those very visuals have been a subject for discussion since we first got a glimpse of what would be at Comic-Con three years ago.
Then you have Scott Pilgrim, which played with vfx in a very different way, but still a style I've never seen before. They play into the environment and help specify that this world isn't exactly our world, but rather a much more badass one. Or, to be slightly more accurate, a much more EPIC one.
It seems endlessly strange to me that the opening sequence of a movie, Hereafter, featuring a type of effect that has been done many times before, tsunami, (see: Deep Impact, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, etc etc etc) deserved a nomination more than two films that really created something unique and essential to the storytelling of the film. Using fx as a flavor of ice cream itself instead of the cherry on top, if you will?
4.& 3. Sound Editing & Mixing - Scott Pilgrim & Black Swan
I don't know much about sound. Which is precisely why I think Scott Pilgrim & Black Swan deserved some recognition. Sound played essential roles in both of these films and not in the obvious action movie sense.
In Scott Pilgrim, there is almost *always* a specific sound cue designed to help tell the story - whether it's by referencing something else, setting the location, keeping the pace, directing the audience's attention - sound plays a HUGE role in the movie. The choices in sound were actually on the same level as the choices in music and special effects, to the point where all three departments were working together to create the most immersive result possible. It mystifies me that that much detail doesn't deserve some recognition. I don't see how "train sounds" is more innovative or creative than what Julian Slater and his team did for Scott Pilgrim. I'm sure Unstoppable's sound was edited perfectly, but to what imaginative end? With Pilgrim, Every punch with a different person sounded different. There was a specific sound scape running through every scene, playing a vital role in letting us know what to think & how to feel. It's a travesty Pilgrim was snubbed here, nothing less. For more, head here.
Then you have Black Swan, in which the sounds affect environment as much as the cinematography and production design do. They are integral in creating atmosphere, in getting inside Nina's head, in suggesting emotion. The cracking, the whispering, the breathing, the sound was almost a living entity. It is an artistic use of sound, both in editing and mixing that has sadly gone unnoticed by the academy. Fore more on Black Swan and sound, head here.
2. Lesley Manville - Actress - Another Year
Now THAT is a performance. Yes, the other actresses were fantastic and I begrudge none of them, but it would have been wonderful to see Manville sneak in there. Her performance is almost beyond description. Her character is so thoroughly authentic that you have trouble believing she's real. It's difficult to play unstable that accurately. Watching her, I was uncomfortable, but couldn't pull my eyes away. Every choice was fascinating. I'm honestly not sure any other actress nominated could have pulled off that character. I was positively in awe and absolutely believe the reason she didn't make it is that simply not enough actors saw Another Year to get her quite enough votes.
1. Lee Smith - Editing - Inception
The one you've probably heard the most bitching about on Twitter and rightly so. A crucial element in Inception was tricking the audience into thinking we are following a much more straightforward story than we actually are. To edit so seamlessly that we don't realize anything is truly strange until the end of the movie. Like a dream itself. Part of what makes Nolan so masterful is his ability to make a movie like Memento and really make us feel like we don't have a short term memory, to make a movie like Insomnia and make us feel like we have insomnia, and with Inception, to make us feel like we've been dreaming, or to go even further, than we've been incepted. (Sidenote: I LOVE Inception theories.) But this would not be possible without top notch editing. The only reasonable explanation for this is that Smith ended up as #6 and by a remarkably small margin.
If any of these snubs affected you the way they affected me, check out the nominations for the second annual Fangirl Awards...Scott Pilgrim got 14 nominations. Take that, The King's Speech with 12 Academy Award nominations! ... I'm not going to be happy on Oscar night, am I? See full post
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
My The King's Speech Rant Of The Day
Think I can keep this up for 25 days?
Today's rant was inspired by three words in Lisa Schwartzbaum's article about the absurdity of Tom Hooper winning the DGA award.
"privileged fellow’s triumph" in reference to what The King's Speech is actually about.
And this got me thinking.
Lots of people complain that The Social Network is just a movie about some bratty nerds making a website that people will forget about next week and The King's Speech is about World War II and will last forever.
A. Incorrect
B. Let me provide you with a different perspective.
The King's Speech is about a rich royal who feels like he isn't good enough because he has a stutter. Did I mention he is rich as balls and the King and never has to want for anything and also that he never mentioned maybe his nazi sympathizer brother shouldn't be King, oh, because he's a nazi sympathizer, not just cause he fell for a divorced woman? Oh yeah, marrying someone who was married once before is SO much worse than being a nazi-lover. Yup. So: privileged entitled King to be gets over his stutter with the help of a failed actor who isn't as rich cause he isn't PART OF THE ROYAL FAMILY and they become friends, despite the fact that again, one of them isn't part of the royal family, OMG. ...
As opposed to a film about someone who could be called privileged if being a genius is a privilege. Someone who was flawed and fucked up emotionally but managed to use his smarts to LITERALLY CHANGE THE WORLD. THE WHOLE WORLD. ACTUALLY. It's about young people yes, young people who eventually have a shit load of money, some young people who have money already, like Eduardo - but they all *worked* for it, they all used their minds to get into school, to make money, to eventually revolutionize the way people communicate.
If we're talking purely subject matter, all people are from now on forbidden from positing that The King's Speech, because it's all warm & fuzzy, is somehow more important. Excuse me for being more interested in seeing how someone my age, born into nothing particularly special, except a mind and the determination to use it, changes the world and loses the only people he cares about in the process, versus a movie about someone born into royalty who has one fault and it's his stutter, but through friendship, he fixes it zzzzzzzzzzzz. Give me a break. And give The Social Network its damn Oscar.
Muse out.
Updated with response (in comments) -
It's only my vitriol, unfortunately...
Definitely see them. Both. Then read my 2000 word article on why The Social Network should win, haha.
The King's Speech is a perfectly lovely film. I saw it before all the hype, before it was a front runner, before all of this. It didn't move me. It didn't impress me. I thought Colin Firth was a GENIUS, but that's it. Then all of a sudden, it's winning everything and Harvey Weinstein is hiring lawyers to defend its historical accuracy (Check this out - http://www.slate.com/id/2282194/) and wanting to recut the movie without the "fucks" so middle america will see it and making all sorts of phone calls and claims about how TKS is *actually* the timely, yet timeless one. So my "Oh, I liked it!" has turned into "FUCK THAT GOD DAMN MOVIE, EFFING GOD DAMNIT"
And while it's true that these kids were from middle to upper middle class families, they didn't *have* to go to Harvard, they didn't *have* to revolutionize communication as we know it. They could have been asshole idiots. But they were smart and knew how to use their smarts they made that shit happen.
The truth is though, subject matter is the least of my arguments for TSN and against TKS. I'm sick of people all of a sudden saying TKS will last forever cause World War II blah and TSN will be forgotten about cause it's about nerds, which makes me want to laugh and/or choke on my own vomit.
The King's Speech is totally delightful. Would sweep at the Emmys. But it's the most conventional, safe, boringly shot, uncreatively made, least cinematic movie of what has been generally an *incredible* Oscar season.
And it didn't even move me, for all it's supposed fuzziness. Another Year moved me. Toy Story 3 at least manipulated me so perversely that I couldn't feel my face afterwards from all the tears. Black Swan and Inception made me cry out of sheer goosebumpy awe. Yet TKS, supposedly the best and most moving of the bunch? Not a tear. And keep in mind, when I saw it, I WANTED to love it. Was before any of this.
So that's that. Definitely see those two, see True Grit, keep an open mind. I just hate that Harvey Weinstein has shoved a perfectly fine movie with one incredible performance down everyone's throats so much that now it's gonna win Best Picture. In 2011. In a year with The Social Network, Black Swan, Inception, True Grit, The Kids Are All Right, I just...ugh.. See full post
Today's rant was inspired by three words in Lisa Schwartzbaum's article about the absurdity of Tom Hooper winning the DGA award.
"privileged fellow’s triumph" in reference to what The King's Speech is actually about.
And this got me thinking.
Lots of people complain that The Social Network is just a movie about some bratty nerds making a website that people will forget about next week and The King's Speech is about World War II and will last forever.
A. Incorrect
B. Let me provide you with a different perspective.
The King's Speech is about a rich royal who feels like he isn't good enough because he has a stutter. Did I mention he is rich as balls and the King and never has to want for anything and also that he never mentioned maybe his nazi sympathizer brother shouldn't be King, oh, because he's a nazi sympathizer, not just cause he fell for a divorced woman? Oh yeah, marrying someone who was married once before is SO much worse than being a nazi-lover. Yup. So: privileged entitled King to be gets over his stutter with the help of a failed actor who isn't as rich cause he isn't PART OF THE ROYAL FAMILY and they become friends, despite the fact that again, one of them isn't part of the royal family, OMG. ...
As opposed to a film about someone who could be called privileged if being a genius is a privilege. Someone who was flawed and fucked up emotionally but managed to use his smarts to LITERALLY CHANGE THE WORLD. THE WHOLE WORLD. ACTUALLY. It's about young people yes, young people who eventually have a shit load of money, some young people who have money already, like Eduardo - but they all *worked* for it, they all used their minds to get into school, to make money, to eventually revolutionize the way people communicate.
If we're talking purely subject matter, all people are from now on forbidden from positing that The King's Speech, because it's all warm & fuzzy, is somehow more important. Excuse me for being more interested in seeing how someone my age, born into nothing particularly special, except a mind and the determination to use it, changes the world and loses the only people he cares about in the process, versus a movie about someone born into royalty who has one fault and it's his stutter, but through friendship, he fixes it zzzzzzzzzzzz. Give me a break. And give The Social Network its damn Oscar.
Muse out.
Updated with response (in comments) -
It's only my vitriol, unfortunately...
Definitely see them. Both. Then read my 2000 word article on why The Social Network should win, haha.
The King's Speech is a perfectly lovely film. I saw it before all the hype, before it was a front runner, before all of this. It didn't move me. It didn't impress me. I thought Colin Firth was a GENIUS, but that's it. Then all of a sudden, it's winning everything and Harvey Weinstein is hiring lawyers to defend its historical accuracy (Check this out - http://www.slate.com/id/2282194/) and wanting to recut the movie without the "fucks" so middle america will see it and making all sorts of phone calls and claims about how TKS is *actually* the timely, yet timeless one. So my "Oh, I liked it!" has turned into "FUCK THAT GOD DAMN MOVIE, EFFING GOD DAMNIT"
And while it's true that these kids were from middle to upper middle class families, they didn't *have* to go to Harvard, they didn't *have* to revolutionize communication as we know it. They could have been asshole idiots. But they were smart and knew how to use their smarts they made that shit happen.
The truth is though, subject matter is the least of my arguments for TSN and against TKS. I'm sick of people all of a sudden saying TKS will last forever cause World War II blah and TSN will be forgotten about cause it's about nerds, which makes me want to laugh and/or choke on my own vomit.
The King's Speech is totally delightful. Would sweep at the Emmys. But it's the most conventional, safe, boringly shot, uncreatively made, least cinematic movie of what has been generally an *incredible* Oscar season.
And it didn't even move me, for all it's supposed fuzziness. Another Year moved me. Toy Story 3 at least manipulated me so perversely that I couldn't feel my face afterwards from all the tears. Black Swan and Inception made me cry out of sheer goosebumpy awe. Yet TKS, supposedly the best and most moving of the bunch? Not a tear. And keep in mind, when I saw it, I WANTED to love it. Was before any of this.
So that's that. Definitely see those two, see True Grit, keep an open mind. I just hate that Harvey Weinstein has shoved a perfectly fine movie with one incredible performance down everyone's throats so much that now it's gonna win Best Picture. In 2011. In a year with The Social Network, Black Swan, Inception, True Grit, The Kids Are All Right, I just...ugh.. See full post
The Fangirling: Slings & Arrows Edition
A few things before we get to the carnage of my dignity that will hopefully frame the events that so recently took place:
1: I am a Shakespeare nerd, and attend a free Shakespeare workshop, called The Shakespeare Forum, every Tuesday at 8 pm.
2: Like any Shakespeare nerd worth their salt, I have a deep love (and the complete box set of) Slings&Arrows, the three-season Canadian television show starring Paul Gross, Martha Burns and Mark McKinney and featuring such talents as Sarah Polley and Rachel MacAdams, which follows the misadventures of a Shakespeare Festival helmed by a former actor who has suffered a mental breakdown and sees the ghost of his former mentor while he tries towrangle cats make a theater company work.
3: I spent last Sunday at home in pajamas convelescing and watching the entire series start to finish.
Which brings us to Monday.
Monday, after a very long day at the office, I bundled up and prepared to trudge out into the cold. I double checked all the email accounts, turned off all the lights, and then loitered for no particular reason in our foyer, tidying things and tying my hair back before I left. I waited for the world's slowest elevator, got on, and exited onto the street.
Directly in front of me were two women of rather small stature, bundled up and chatting. I did not see either of their faces nor could I hear a single word of their conversation, but somehow my radar went off. Trying not to look lik the world's most epic creeper, with my scarf bundled around my face and my black trenchcoat wrapped up tight, I attempted to get a peek of the woman on the left's face. Possibly sensing she was being peered at, she glanced over her shoulder at me-
And I had an immediate and severe internal freak out. It was Martha Burns, who plays the indomitable and insufferable and brilliant actress Ellen Fanshaw in the above mentioned show.
I was then faced with a conundrum that my severely S&A addled brain could not successfully tackle. I could quietly spazz and follow them until I had to peel off for the subway, or I could Be That Person and say something.
But what were the odds? Really? What were the odds of my watching a show that is a real touchstone for me, a reminder of why I want to do what I do, and what I want to do, at the tail end of possibly the most discouraging and hellaciously stressful month of my life and the very next day finding myself all but face to face with one of its greatest components.
So I said, to their backs, "Excuse me, I know this is atrociously rude and invasive, I'm so sorry, but- Are you Martha Burns?"
At which point Ms. Burns turned, somewhat surprised, and said "Yes."
I immediately began the process of making an ass out of myself.
I told her it was uncanny, because I just the day before showed my friend the show for the first time, at which point her companion turned and it was Susan Coyne.
Series creator and writer and co-star, Susan Coyne. I yelped aloud and clapped my hands over my mouth while they watched with polite bemusement as I said things like "Oh my God, I love you both! You're such wonderful actors! I'm sorry, I'm so flustered, I never do this, but- I love you!"
They then opened up the line they were standing so I could WALK BETWEEN THEM as they CONTINUED DOWN THE STREET. I was so frazzled I could scarcely put two words together, and yet I managed to babble incoherently at them for quite some distance. I asked them if they were in town for a show, and they told me no, they were attending a Shakespeare workshop at the Michael Howard studio, which is directly next to my place of work. They asked me if I was in the theater, and I asked them if it was that obvious. They were amused.
At the end of the block, I could have followed them down the way they were going. I should have done so and tried to recover, to tell them about the forum I attend and invite them to please email me if THEY were ever hosting seminars or workshops, for acting or writing or anything at all, in the city. But I was so mortified by my flailing and gushing that I merely bid them congratulations on having created such a wonderful and enduring show and wished them a good night.
Then I called @erinlaurel8 and absolutely lost my shit in the middle of Madison Square Park.
It was a strange incident- the unlikelihood of running into those two actresses together outside my place of work, at that particular point in the evening, on the last day of the terrible month of January- and I have had no choice but to take it as a sign. Here are two tremendous, marvelous actresses, actively working on their craft, walking around like normal people. It was such a moment of geek joy, I had to- after calling, texting, IMing and tweeting at everyone I know- write it up on the blog, because.... Fangirling. Fangirling all over the place. In public.
I'm still happy about it. Even though I didn't even introduce myself UGH RUDE I WAS SO FLUSTERED blast it all.
If you haven't, pick up Slings&Arrows. Or a Complete Works. And if you see them wandering around, please tell them to call me, I have a group of young Shakespearean actors who are dying to buy them a drink. See full post
1: I am a Shakespeare nerd, and attend a free Shakespeare workshop, called The Shakespeare Forum, every Tuesday at 8 pm.
2: Like any Shakespeare nerd worth their salt, I have a deep love (and the complete box set of) Slings&Arrows, the three-season Canadian television show starring Paul Gross, Martha Burns and Mark McKinney and featuring such talents as Sarah Polley and Rachel MacAdams, which follows the misadventures of a Shakespeare Festival helmed by a former actor who has suffered a mental breakdown and sees the ghost of his former mentor while he tries to
3: I spent last Sunday at home in pajamas convelescing and watching the entire series start to finish.
Which brings us to Monday.
Monday, after a very long day at the office, I bundled up and prepared to trudge out into the cold. I double checked all the email accounts, turned off all the lights, and then loitered for no particular reason in our foyer, tidying things and tying my hair back before I left. I waited for the world's slowest elevator, got on, and exited onto the street.
Directly in front of me were two women of rather small stature, bundled up and chatting. I did not see either of their faces nor could I hear a single word of their conversation, but somehow my radar went off. Trying not to look lik the world's most epic creeper, with my scarf bundled around my face and my black trenchcoat wrapped up tight, I attempted to get a peek of the woman on the left's face. Possibly sensing she was being peered at, she glanced over her shoulder at me-
And I had an immediate and severe internal freak out. It was Martha Burns, who plays the indomitable and insufferable and brilliant actress Ellen Fanshaw in the above mentioned show.
But what were the odds? Really? What were the odds of my watching a show that is a real touchstone for me, a reminder of why I want to do what I do, and what I want to do, at the tail end of possibly the most discouraging and hellaciously stressful month of my life and the very next day finding myself all but face to face with one of its greatest components.
So I said, to their backs, "Excuse me, I know this is atrociously rude and invasive, I'm so sorry, but- Are you Martha Burns?"
At which point Ms. Burns turned, somewhat surprised, and said "Yes."
I immediately began the process of making an ass out of myself.
I told her it was uncanny, because I just the day before showed my friend the show for the first time, at which point her companion turned and it was Susan Coyne.
Series creator and writer and co-star, Susan Coyne. I yelped aloud and clapped my hands over my mouth while they watched with polite bemusement as I said things like "Oh my God, I love you both! You're such wonderful actors! I'm sorry, I'm so flustered, I never do this, but- I love you!"
They then opened up the line they were standing so I could WALK BETWEEN THEM as they CONTINUED DOWN THE STREET. I was so frazzled I could scarcely put two words together, and yet I managed to babble incoherently at them for quite some distance. I asked them if they were in town for a show, and they told me no, they were attending a Shakespeare workshop at the Michael Howard studio, which is directly next to my place of work. They asked me if I was in the theater, and I asked them if it was that obvious. They were amused.
At the end of the block, I could have followed them down the way they were going. I should have done so and tried to recover, to tell them about the forum I attend and invite them to please email me if THEY were ever hosting seminars or workshops, for acting or writing or anything at all, in the city. But I was so mortified by my flailing and gushing that I merely bid them congratulations on having created such a wonderful and enduring show and wished them a good night.
Then I called @erinlaurel8 and absolutely lost my shit in the middle of Madison Square Park.
It was a strange incident- the unlikelihood of running into those two actresses together outside my place of work, at that particular point in the evening, on the last day of the terrible month of January- and I have had no choice but to take it as a sign. Here are two tremendous, marvelous actresses, actively working on their craft, walking around like normal people. It was such a moment of geek joy, I had to- after calling, texting, IMing and tweeting at everyone I know- write it up on the blog, because.... Fangirling. Fangirling all over the place. In public.
I'm still happy about it. Even though I didn't even introduce myself UGH RUDE I WAS SO FLUSTERED blast it all.
If you haven't, pick up Slings&Arrows. Or a Complete Works. And if you see them wandering around, please tell them to call me, I have a group of young Shakespearean actors who are dying to buy them a drink. See full post
Friday, January 28, 2011
Why The Social Network Deserves To Win Best Picture
Crossposted on & commissioned by Film.com
Something's happened. For the first time in at least seven years, I actually want the Oscar front runner for Best Picture to win Best Picture.
This may not seem important to you, but check it out - Fantastic Mr Fox was my #1 last year. The year before, I hated Slumdog Millionaire. The year before that, No Country? Eh. I wanted There Will Be Blood to win. The year before that, my two favorite movies, Children of Men & United 93, were virtually ignored. This goes on...and on...and on...a brief break at Return Of The King, then on...and on...and on yet again. The aughts were terrible in terms of my taste matching the Academy's. So you can imagine how sublimely jazzed I, an Oscar enthusiast who lists the date as a conflict on any form I fill out because it's my CHRISTMAS, am that the front runner for best picture of this year may actually in fact be...the best picture of this year...and I'm here to break down exactly how and why The Social Network fits that bill.
It Fires On All Cylinders Beginning to End
Except for the hardly hangable offense of a little too much CGI breath, there is not a weak element in this movie. I've heard criticisms of course - that it's boring (have you seen a movie before?), that its characters are unrelatable (have you met people? - are you a person?) or even further - all the characters are "douchebags" (not the movie's fault if you can't read into subtext or understand acting...also, if you only like watching things where everyone is nice, I know this GREAT show called Wonderpets on Nickelodeon. It's about animated pets rescuing other animated pets through the power of teamwork, you'd love it), so on and so forth. Contrarians gonna be contrarians, but the fact of the matter is, The Social Network is masterfully crafted from top to bottom.
It is the complete package in terms of writing, directing, cinematography, performance (and for that matter - casting), score, editing, spot on costuming & production design, even visual effects (Winklevai!). It is technically superb. And even further, it tells an important, relevant story in a smart, compelling way. When you find yourself jealous that these actors get to say those lines and have those moments, you know the script is good. The direction is so seamless, it manages to step out of the way while still dictating the best path to follow. The Social Network is an example of what movies *should* be and *can* be . It's a film that is bare boned in its classic brilliance - it has nothing to hide behind and it doesn't need anything to hide behind. It's non-controversial (an American studio movie that did great at the box office!) while being totally controversial (young! edgy! plays with the truth! forces us to think about social networking in relation to our ability to connect on an interpersonal level!) Cinematic yet intimate. For more on the meaning of it all, head here for some great analysis.
Words This Great Rarely Look This Great
The Social Network is one of those rare movies that has a script sharp enough to be a play, but is elevated by the direction to such an extent that it could still only be a movie. Each scene is so fluid and expertly written, you could easily imagine seeing them performed live and still be at the edge of your seat, leaning in to make sure you get every word so that your brain can keep up with the verbal tenacity you're lucky enough to be witnessing. It's no coincidence Sorkin has plenty of playwriting experience under his belt.
But then Fincher pulls the camera back with cinematic sequences like In The Hall Of The Mountain King, the creation of Facemash intercut with the Phoenix party, even the sound levels in the club where Parker confirms his place in Zuckerberg's life that make you feel like you're next to them in the club eavesdropping - only movies can do that and The Social Network the only one this year to pull off such a feat.
Take The King's Speech - it could absolutely be a play as is. There is nothing that screams "technical achievement" about anything in the movie. It's mostly close ups and static two shots in one of three locations. Then take something like The Black Swan - it could absolutely not be a play, unless perhaps you were Julie "Cray Cray" Taymor. It uses the cinematic language to such an extent that cinema is the only home for it - same goes for Inception. But The Social Network is unique. It has a script so crackling, so complete but cinematography so dynamic, score so essential, direction so visually exciting and relentless in the pursuit of the perfect performance, that Fincher makes it *distinctly* cinematic. What other movie this year can live up to those standards?
It's Controversial In The Best Way Possible
In Oscar history, more often than not the safe choice overcomes the controversial one, it's true. But take a look at last year. The Hurt Locker was a tough movie with an even tougher message. It was incredibly timely in a way most people didn't want to think about or acknowledge as truth. And the Academy actually had the balls to consent to etching its name in the hallway of the Kodak Theater for the rest of time. I don't see why this year should be any different. Maybe it's the 10 movies, maybe it's the influx of new, young Academy voters, maybe it's a combination of both, where the unexciting vote gets divided too much amongst the other nominated films, so the passionate vote wins out, but I feel like we've entered into new era and that's awesome.
It's Written By Aaron Sorkin and Directed By David Fincher...Enough Said
These are both artists that have been honing their craft for years and are incredibly well respected in the community. It's the guy who directed Fight Club and the dude who invented Jed Bartlet! Together! I want to eat the very idea of it! They've both had creative slumps (...depending on who you ask), so they've been there, they've done that, but Fincher figured out how to to infuse his incredible visual style into just simply telling a story and Sorkin stopped doing shrooms. The fact that neither has an Oscar should be remedied immediately and will. It's thrilling when two artists, both virtuosos on their own, come together and manage to create something even greater, much greater, than the sum of its parts. And shouldn't the best written & directed film of the year be, you know, considered the best picture of the year?
It Defines A Generation (I Went There)
I connected with this movie in a very intense way. I went to one of the first few schools that had Facebook, I've been around for every update, for every privacy debate, to see other websites come and go (yes, I was a member of ConnectU), to see new forms of social networking come into existence because Facebook set the groundwork for how to do it right, I've partaken in Facebook stalking and not to toot my own horn, but I'm sure I've been Facebook stalked. Who hasn't? And that's the point. This is very much a movie that could not have been made before now. And making it now and not in twenty years is rather courageous, if you ask me. The events depicted in The Social Network began eight years ago. Not only is every character in the movie able to see themselves portrayed, but most of us watching remember all of this happening. We remember site revamp after site revamp, the creation of the wall, the invention of tagging, the news stories about money and members and lawsuits. And if that doesn't convince you - the main character in the movie also happened to be Time's Person of the Year in 2010. The Zeitgeist Factor should play more of a role than it has in the past. And when someone can tap into the Zeitgeist and make beautiful art at the same time? That deserves some recognition. And you know what? Social networking isn't going away. So not only does it define our generation, but it will remain definitive for generations to come.
Other movies that defined their generations in terns of media impact & influence include Citizen Kane & Network, two powerful films that came very much out of their respective eras but are still applicable today to an INSANE degree. Neither film won Best Picture. They lost to safe choices. To triumph of the human spirit choices. To rather irrelevant choices. But as I touched on earlier, this may have happened in the 30s or the 70s, but 2011 is another story. How about we finally award a film that challenges the predominant form of media that runs our lives? Make it so when people look back on 2011 and ask which film won Best Picture, the answer is "The Social Network! Of course!" instead of "I don't remember, but it beat The Social Network.
It Would Be Really Awkward If It Lost
I'm seeing lots of articles making proclamations along the lines of "But remember that one year where something was a front runner and lost? And that other year where that happened too?!" but everyone seems to be glossing over the true universality of praise this film has gotten. It is not simply the frontrunner - it has won *every* critics award and *every* top prize at an awards show so far this season (except for the PGA...inexplicably...but it's only forecast the Oscar choice 65% of the time and that's when other awards/critics groups have agreed at least once, usually many times, which is not the case here.) The last movie that was the closest in echoing this sweep? Schindler's List. Just saying.
And if The Social Network doesn't win Best Picture - why? The only film being groomed to upset is The King's Speech, which is the safest, most conventional, least creative, least use of the film medium of any movie being talked about right now. For that to win would set the Academy back and just be really awkward for everyone. Even if something that was actually artistically deserving like Black Swan or True Grit pulled an upset, the prevailing thought would still be "Really?" This might not seem like a valid reason, but accept it or not, politics do play a factor in the Oscars and the odds are politically stacked in The Social Network's favor. I normally rail against this kind of funny business, but when said business is actually backing something that deserves it, that's a miracle and I'd like no one to futz with it.
Because most importantly here, we should be celebrating the fact that The Social Network is the front runner, not inventing rivalries and pretending movies can & will upset it. Think about what this movie is and what it has accomplished on multiple levels. This is the kind of movie we wait for and hope will get the kind of love it deserves. And it happened! It actually happened. Let's ride the wave of acclaim all the way to the podium and dance around and update our Facebook statuses when it wins and get The Social Network trending on our social networks. We can root for the movie that is likely to win, not against it this year! I mean, are you really gonna own The King's Speech and watch its commentary and show it to your kids years from now? I highly doubt it. The Social Network is a special movie, it truly is. Don't let the hype fool you. You don't always have to root for the underdog - when the front runner deserves the win, you're allowed to enjoy it.
For more on this matter, specifically why I don't think The King's Speech should or will upset on Oscar night, head here. See full post
Something's happened. For the first time in at least seven years, I actually want the Oscar front runner for Best Picture to win Best Picture.
This may not seem important to you, but check it out - Fantastic Mr Fox was my #1 last year. The year before, I hated Slumdog Millionaire. The year before that, No Country? Eh. I wanted There Will Be Blood to win. The year before that, my two favorite movies, Children of Men & United 93, were virtually ignored. This goes on...and on...and on...a brief break at Return Of The King, then on...and on...and on yet again. The aughts were terrible in terms of my taste matching the Academy's. So you can imagine how sublimely jazzed I, an Oscar enthusiast who lists the date as a conflict on any form I fill out because it's my CHRISTMAS, am that the front runner for best picture of this year may actually in fact be...the best picture of this year...and I'm here to break down exactly how and why The Social Network fits that bill.
It Fires On All Cylinders Beginning to End
Except for the hardly hangable offense of a little too much CGI breath, there is not a weak element in this movie. I've heard criticisms of course - that it's boring (have you seen a movie before?), that its characters are unrelatable (have you met people? - are you a person?) or even further - all the characters are "douchebags" (not the movie's fault if you can't read into subtext or understand acting...also, if you only like watching things where everyone is nice, I know this GREAT show called Wonderpets on Nickelodeon. It's about animated pets rescuing other animated pets through the power of teamwork, you'd love it), so on and so forth. Contrarians gonna be contrarians, but the fact of the matter is, The Social Network is masterfully crafted from top to bottom.
It is the complete package in terms of writing, directing, cinematography, performance (and for that matter - casting), score, editing, spot on costuming & production design, even visual effects (Winklevai!). It is technically superb. And even further, it tells an important, relevant story in a smart, compelling way. When you find yourself jealous that these actors get to say those lines and have those moments, you know the script is good. The direction is so seamless, it manages to step out of the way while still dictating the best path to follow. The Social Network is an example of what movies *should* be and *can* be . It's a film that is bare boned in its classic brilliance - it has nothing to hide behind and it doesn't need anything to hide behind. It's non-controversial (an American studio movie that did great at the box office!) while being totally controversial (young! edgy! plays with the truth! forces us to think about social networking in relation to our ability to connect on an interpersonal level!) Cinematic yet intimate. For more on the meaning of it all, head here for some great analysis.
Words This Great Rarely Look This Great
The Social Network is one of those rare movies that has a script sharp enough to be a play, but is elevated by the direction to such an extent that it could still only be a movie. Each scene is so fluid and expertly written, you could easily imagine seeing them performed live and still be at the edge of your seat, leaning in to make sure you get every word so that your brain can keep up with the verbal tenacity you're lucky enough to be witnessing. It's no coincidence Sorkin has plenty of playwriting experience under his belt.
But then Fincher pulls the camera back with cinematic sequences like In The Hall Of The Mountain King, the creation of Facemash intercut with the Phoenix party, even the sound levels in the club where Parker confirms his place in Zuckerberg's life that make you feel like you're next to them in the club eavesdropping - only movies can do that and The Social Network the only one this year to pull off such a feat.
Take The King's Speech - it could absolutely be a play as is. There is nothing that screams "technical achievement" about anything in the movie. It's mostly close ups and static two shots in one of three locations. Then take something like The Black Swan - it could absolutely not be a play, unless perhaps you were Julie "Cray Cray" Taymor. It uses the cinematic language to such an extent that cinema is the only home for it - same goes for Inception. But The Social Network is unique. It has a script so crackling, so complete but cinematography so dynamic, score so essential, direction so visually exciting and relentless in the pursuit of the perfect performance, that Fincher makes it *distinctly* cinematic. What other movie this year can live up to those standards?
It's Controversial In The Best Way Possible
In Oscar history, more often than not the safe choice overcomes the controversial one, it's true. But take a look at last year. The Hurt Locker was a tough movie with an even tougher message. It was incredibly timely in a way most people didn't want to think about or acknowledge as truth. And the Academy actually had the balls to consent to etching its name in the hallway of the Kodak Theater for the rest of time. I don't see why this year should be any different. Maybe it's the 10 movies, maybe it's the influx of new, young Academy voters, maybe it's a combination of both, where the unexciting vote gets divided too much amongst the other nominated films, so the passionate vote wins out, but I feel like we've entered into new era and that's awesome.
It's Written By Aaron Sorkin and Directed By David Fincher...Enough Said
These are both artists that have been honing their craft for years and are incredibly well respected in the community. It's the guy who directed Fight Club and the dude who invented Jed Bartlet! Together! I want to eat the very idea of it! They've both had creative slumps (...depending on who you ask), so they've been there, they've done that, but Fincher figured out how to to infuse his incredible visual style into just simply telling a story and Sorkin stopped doing shrooms. The fact that neither has an Oscar should be remedied immediately and will. It's thrilling when two artists, both virtuosos on their own, come together and manage to create something even greater, much greater, than the sum of its parts. And shouldn't the best written & directed film of the year be, you know, considered the best picture of the year?
It Defines A Generation (I Went There)
I connected with this movie in a very intense way. I went to one of the first few schools that had Facebook, I've been around for every update, for every privacy debate, to see other websites come and go (yes, I was a member of ConnectU), to see new forms of social networking come into existence because Facebook set the groundwork for how to do it right, I've partaken in Facebook stalking and not to toot my own horn, but I'm sure I've been Facebook stalked. Who hasn't? And that's the point. This is very much a movie that could not have been made before now. And making it now and not in twenty years is rather courageous, if you ask me. The events depicted in The Social Network began eight years ago. Not only is every character in the movie able to see themselves portrayed, but most of us watching remember all of this happening. We remember site revamp after site revamp, the creation of the wall, the invention of tagging, the news stories about money and members and lawsuits. And if that doesn't convince you - the main character in the movie also happened to be Time's Person of the Year in 2010. The Zeitgeist Factor should play more of a role than it has in the past. And when someone can tap into the Zeitgeist and make beautiful art at the same time? That deserves some recognition. And you know what? Social networking isn't going away. So not only does it define our generation, but it will remain definitive for generations to come.
Other movies that defined their generations in terns of media impact & influence include Citizen Kane & Network, two powerful films that came very much out of their respective eras but are still applicable today to an INSANE degree. Neither film won Best Picture. They lost to safe choices. To triumph of the human spirit choices. To rather irrelevant choices. But as I touched on earlier, this may have happened in the 30s or the 70s, but 2011 is another story. How about we finally award a film that challenges the predominant form of media that runs our lives? Make it so when people look back on 2011 and ask which film won Best Picture, the answer is "The Social Network! Of course!" instead of "I don't remember, but it beat The Social Network.
It Would Be Really Awkward If It Lost
I'm seeing lots of articles making proclamations along the lines of "But remember that one year where something was a front runner and lost? And that other year where that happened too?!" but everyone seems to be glossing over the true universality of praise this film has gotten. It is not simply the frontrunner - it has won *every* critics award and *every* top prize at an awards show so far this season (except for the PGA...inexplicably...but it's only forecast the Oscar choice 65% of the time and that's when other awards/critics groups have agreed at least once, usually many times, which is not the case here.) The last movie that was the closest in echoing this sweep? Schindler's List. Just saying.
And if The Social Network doesn't win Best Picture - why? The only film being groomed to upset is The King's Speech, which is the safest, most conventional, least creative, least use of the film medium of any movie being talked about right now. For that to win would set the Academy back and just be really awkward for everyone. Even if something that was actually artistically deserving like Black Swan or True Grit pulled an upset, the prevailing thought would still be "Really?" This might not seem like a valid reason, but accept it or not, politics do play a factor in the Oscars and the odds are politically stacked in The Social Network's favor. I normally rail against this kind of funny business, but when said business is actually backing something that deserves it, that's a miracle and I'd like no one to futz with it.
Because most importantly here, we should be celebrating the fact that The Social Network is the front runner, not inventing rivalries and pretending movies can & will upset it. Think about what this movie is and what it has accomplished on multiple levels. This is the kind of movie we wait for and hope will get the kind of love it deserves. And it happened! It actually happened. Let's ride the wave of acclaim all the way to the podium and dance around and update our Facebook statuses when it wins and get The Social Network trending on our social networks. We can root for the movie that is likely to win, not against it this year! I mean, are you really gonna own The King's Speech and watch its commentary and show it to your kids years from now? I highly doubt it. The Social Network is a special movie, it truly is. Don't let the hype fool you. You don't always have to root for the underdog - when the front runner deserves the win, you're allowed to enjoy it.
For more on this matter, specifically why I don't think The King's Speech should or will upset on Oscar night, head here. See full post
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Paul F Tompkins & James Urbaniak FTW! [Interview]
When I attended the Thrilling Adventure Hour last month, I had the pleasure of getting to sit down with Paul F Tompkins & James Urbaniak, two longtime Workjuice Players who also happen to be in a film called Drones, written by Acker & Blacker, the same boys who write Thrilling Adventure Hour. Tompkins & Urbaniak were both incredibly delightful and easy to talk to - we got into both projects as well as what their favorite things from 2010 were...a quick chat, but super fun. I can't encourage you enough to buy your tickets to the February Thrilling Adventure Hour if you live in the LA area! See these two in action!
(I'm introduced as being from All Things Fangirl & Cineboobs)
They're lady websites in case you couldn't tell
J: I had a feeling!
P: I bet there's some confused dudes that go there though!
J: Co-opting the terminology for your own purposes
So how did you guys get involved in all this? In it from the beginning?
J: He was in it way before me
P: I was in the very first one, way back when, I was one of the founding Workjuice Players, which I guess is coming on 5 years now? Something like that? And I've known, first Ben Acker, for a long time, and then met Ben Blacker, It's funny, I THINK, through this show. I may have met him before then, but it's hard to remember sometimes, because there's so many people that you've known for so long, you kind of can't remember where they came in in your own personal timeline.
J: And I moved to LA from NY 3 and a half years ago, and then probably sometime within the first year, I had met Acker, I'm on a show called The Venture Brothers on Adult Swim, and he knew that show, I guess he knew who I was and he invited me to come see this and I loved it and then he said well we'd love you to do one, then I did one, then he asked me back the next month, and then in short order, I just became a regular and I've done them all since then, except a couple times when I was out of town and I think I was sick once.
The rest after the jump!
See full post
Monday, January 24, 2011
The Second Annual Fangirl Award Nominations
These nominations do not reflect the opinions of the editors at All Things Fangirl, but rather the Fangirl Academy, made up of 87 lovely ladies who follow us on Twitter, read the blog, or know us in real life. In the case of a tie for the final slot in a category, the ATFG editors acted as the tie-breaker. Some ladies couldn't get their ballots in on time, but the everyone in the Academy will be allowed to vote on the winners.
Ballots to pick the winners will go out this week & the results will be announced February 25th!
* - Editor's Choice - Certain categories have an extra nomination. These additions represent something one of the editors at ATFG feels passionately about that we want to encourage you to check out! Often, the editor's choice was in 6th place for the nomination.
Some of these may surprise you. Enjoy!
Best Picture
Black Swan
Blue Valentine
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part One
Inception
The Kid's Are All Right
The King's Speech
Scott Pilgrim V. The World
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Honorable Mentions: The Fighter, Shutter Island, Easy A
Best Actor
Colin Firth - The King's Speech
Leonardo DiCaprio - Inception/Shutter Island
Jeff Bridges - True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network
Ryan Gosling - Blue Valentine
Honorable Mentions: James Franco - 127 Hours
Best Actress
Julianne Moore - The Kids Are All Right
Natalie Portman - Black Swan
Haliee Steinfeld - True Grit
Jennifer Lawrence - Winter's Bone
Michelle Williams - Blue Valentine
Annette Bening - The Kids Are All Right*
Honorable Mentions: Emma Stone - Easy A
Best Supporting Actor
Geoffrey Rush - The King's Speech
Joseph Gordon Levitt - Inception
Christian Bale - The Fighter
Andrew Garfield - The Social Network
Mark Ruffalo - The Kids Are All Right/Shutter Island
Honorable Mentions: Jeremy Renner - The Town, Matt Damon - True Grit, Keiran Culkin - Scott Pilgrim
Best Supporting Actress
Helana Bohnam Carter - The King's Speech
Melissa Leo - The Fighter
Amy Adams - The Fighter
Barbara Hershey - Black Swan
Mila Kunis - Black Swan
Honorable Mentions: Marion Cotillard - Inception, Olivia Williams - The Ghost Writer
Best Director
Christopher Nolan - Inception
Darren Aronofsky - Black Swan
David Fincher - The Social Network
Edgar Wright - Scott Pilgrim V. The World
The Coen Brothers - True Grit
Honorable Mentions: David Yates - Harry Potter GHP1, Danny Boyle - 127 Hours, Debra Granik - Winter's Bone
The rest after the jump!
See full post
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Walking Dead: A Course In Zombiology TONIGHT at Meltdown Comics! [Event]
Had the pleasure this week of assisting Nerds in Babeland and Meltdown Comics plan their very first in a series of Comic Book Club discussions in their event space. Tonight marks the first installment, The Walking Dead: A Course in Zombiology. Press Release below!
Join us Thursday, January 20, 2011, at 7pm PST at Meltdown Comics in Los Angeles or at nerdsinbabeland.com/chat in the discussion for our first ever Comic Book-of-the-Month club, focused entirely on The Walking Dead. Learn more about the books, the television series, or just geek-out with a bunch of fellow Walking Dead-Heads. Want to know more? Then read on!
Have you ever wanted to get into comic books but have no interest in superheroes and/or mutants? Or, perhaps you have never thought about getting into comics but happen to be a huge fan of all things horror/zombie/gruesome? Or you are already obsessed with The Walking Dead and just looking for people to geek out about the book and series with? At the meet-up, we will discuss the book series from the beginning, and why it might be the perfect book for you to pick up if you’ve been toying with the idea of getting into graphic novels but haven’t taken the plunge.
Jenna Busch (Moviefone Minute, Huffington Post, Cineboobs) will be leading a discussion on the hit AMC program show based on the series, followed by a discussion lead by Stephanie Wooten from Nerds in Babeland on the best-selling comic book series. In between the discussions we will even provide a zombie make-up tutorial by Jackie Bagwell, an owner & organizer of Ashtoberfest (a week-long festival dedicated to all-things zombie).
All attendees will get 20% off all purchases at Meltdown, Inc during the duration of the event. Can’t be there in person because you don’t live in Los Angeles? Show up to the online chat and receive a discount code good for 20% any online order placed through Meltdown Comics.
What: Comic Book-of-the-Month club.
When: Thursday, January 20, 2011 7PM PST.
Entry fee: $6.00 You’ll also have the opportunity to enter a raffle in order to win a copy of a Walking Dead graphic novel.
Where: http://bit.ly/meltmap
RAINCHECK: TWD BOOK ONE is currently out of stock from their distributor. Get 20% off if pre-purchase during the event.
Plus, just got word that there will be a Food Truck on the premises - the lovely Ahn Joo, which I DEVOURED at the LA Times Food & Wine Fest this summer. Its executive chef is Debbie from The Next Food Network Star. Yes I watched it. And yes, she was awesome.
Also, during the television discussion we will have very special guest Juan Gabriel Pareja, who played Morales in four of the six episodes of The Walking Dead season one! He will be on hand to provide a POV of what it's actually been like to be on set of the hit AMC series.
Plus - free beer & wine :).
Hope to see you there! See full post
Why Everyone Needs to STFU About The King's Speech
Crossposted at Film.com
If one more person types to me with a straight face that The King's Speech has the potential to upset The Social Network, I will scream and/or hit my coffee table with mild force. Because this is not going to happen. There is not the remotest chance of chances that this will happen.
And my opinion isn't totally worthless.
Last year, I said the same thing about Avatar when people started to say it was going to win. I said it pre nominations, I said it post nominations, I said STFU everyone, The Academy may be dumb sometimes, but not Avatar-is-Best-Picture dumb. And I maintain that now, here, in this Awards season, the Academy is still not that dumb. The Academy is not The-King's-Speech-Is-Best-Picture dumb. Or in a more accurate statement The Academy Is not The-Kings-Speech-Is-Best-Picture-Old Fashioned. Maybe in 1954. Maybe even in 2004. But not in 2011.
Now, don't get angry. If you loved The King's Speech, I am not aiming to insult you, it is definitely a good movie and has Emmy written all over it's delightful Masterpiece Theater-esque script, cinematography & direction. But the only, and I mean ONLY thing that elevates The King's Speech from good ol' PBS quality (other than the film grain...) are the performances, most specifically Colin Firth's, and he will be rewarded for it.
The idea that BRITISH AS HELL movie The King's Speech is poised to clean up at the BRITISH FILM AWARDS shouldn't surprise anyone or in any universe be considered as dictating the way the Oscars will go down. Does anyone understand how rare and beautiful a thing it is when an AMERICAN studio movie is as good, relevant, successful & well received on all levels as The Social Network is? Cinematical writer & film buff David Ehrlich will rarely consider an American studio picture as worthy of his top five, but The Social Network is his #2 (behind Certified Copy, technically a 2011 release.) I've heard arguments that the "people who overlap the voting bodies for the BAFTAs and the Oscars overlap more than the Globes and the Oscars, therefore..." But, ummm...was anyone arguing against that fact? Did anyone ever offer the argument that the Globes influence the Oscars because they share voting members? Didn't think so. My hair is SUCH a bird.
Not to mention, once you remove the BAFTA overlap, there are still thousands, yes THOUSANDS of AMPAS members remaining. The closest number anyone has been able to estimate in terms of overlap is roughly 1000. There are just under 6000 members of AMPAS. Plus, the BAFTAs are notorious for having an obvious and acceptable bias towards British film. Most importantly, in the past 11 years, the BAFTAs and the Oscars have only agreed on Best Picture four times. That's not even half. NOT EVEN HALF. OF THE TIME. LESS than HALF. You with me?
A conventional, safe British film about a 20th century king, consisting mostly of close-ups and sentiment is not going to win Best Picture in a year where its competition involves an astonishingly original science fiction movie, the return of the Western, a new & unconventional story about a new & unconventional family dynamic, a hallucinatory extravaganza set in the world of ballet - even The Fighter isn't the typical schmaltz-fest the trailers made us think it was. The best movies in 2010 were not Oscar bait bullshit, they've been original, innovative, creative, often times genre-bending, and in the case of The Social Network, perfectly scripted, acted, directed, edited and relevant. And in case you aren't convinced yet, I'll have an article up on this site few days explaining exactly why The Social Network deserves the win.
One thing I'll grant you - in such a predictable year, having something to root against is fun, it at least allows for a tiny bit of suspense come February 27th. But don't kid yourselves. The King's Speech doesn't ACTUALLY have a chance. And can we please take a moment to appreciate that fact? This is a good thing, guys. The Academy is getting a clue. The Social Network FTW!
Editor's Note: The King's Speech has since won the PGA, but the PGA only has a 65% overlap rate with the Oscars, and that is in years when its winner has won *other* awards. In this season, the PGA is the *only* award The King's Speech has received in the Best Picture category See full post
If one more person types to me with a straight face that The King's Speech has the potential to upset The Social Network, I will scream and/or hit my coffee table with mild force. Because this is not going to happen. There is not the remotest chance of chances that this will happen.
And my opinion isn't totally worthless.
Last year, I said the same thing about Avatar when people started to say it was going to win. I said it pre nominations, I said it post nominations, I said STFU everyone, The Academy may be dumb sometimes, but not Avatar-is-Best-Picture dumb. And I maintain that now, here, in this Awards season, the Academy is still not that dumb. The Academy is not The-King's-Speech-Is-Best-Picture dumb. Or in a more accurate statement The Academy Is not The-Kings-Speech-Is-Best-Picture-Old Fashioned. Maybe in 1954. Maybe even in 2004. But not in 2011.
Now, don't get angry. If you loved The King's Speech, I am not aiming to insult you, it is definitely a good movie and has Emmy written all over it's delightful Masterpiece Theater-esque script, cinematography & direction. But the only, and I mean ONLY thing that elevates The King's Speech from good ol' PBS quality (other than the film grain...) are the performances, most specifically Colin Firth's, and he will be rewarded for it.
The idea that BRITISH AS HELL movie The King's Speech is poised to clean up at the BRITISH FILM AWARDS shouldn't surprise anyone or in any universe be considered as dictating the way the Oscars will go down. Does anyone understand how rare and beautiful a thing it is when an AMERICAN studio movie is as good, relevant, successful & well received on all levels as The Social Network is? Cinematical writer & film buff David Ehrlich will rarely consider an American studio picture as worthy of his top five, but The Social Network is his #2 (behind Certified Copy, technically a 2011 release.) I've heard arguments that the "people who overlap the voting bodies for the BAFTAs and the Oscars overlap more than the Globes and the Oscars, therefore..." But, ummm...was anyone arguing against that fact? Did anyone ever offer the argument that the Globes influence the Oscars because they share voting members? Didn't think so. My hair is SUCH a bird.
Not to mention, once you remove the BAFTA overlap, there are still thousands, yes THOUSANDS of AMPAS members remaining. The closest number anyone has been able to estimate in terms of overlap is roughly 1000. There are just under 6000 members of AMPAS. Plus, the BAFTAs are notorious for having an obvious and acceptable bias towards British film. Most importantly, in the past 11 years, the BAFTAs and the Oscars have only agreed on Best Picture four times. That's not even half. NOT EVEN HALF. OF THE TIME. LESS than HALF. You with me?
A conventional, safe British film about a 20th century king, consisting mostly of close-ups and sentiment is not going to win Best Picture in a year where its competition involves an astonishingly original science fiction movie, the return of the Western, a new & unconventional story about a new & unconventional family dynamic, a hallucinatory extravaganza set in the world of ballet - even The Fighter isn't the typical schmaltz-fest the trailers made us think it was. The best movies in 2010 were not Oscar bait bullshit, they've been original, innovative, creative, often times genre-bending, and in the case of The Social Network, perfectly scripted, acted, directed, edited and relevant. And in case you aren't convinced yet, I'll have an article up on this site few days explaining exactly why The Social Network deserves the win.
One thing I'll grant you - in such a predictable year, having something to root against is fun, it at least allows for a tiny bit of suspense come February 27th. But don't kid yourselves. The King's Speech doesn't ACTUALLY have a chance. And can we please take a moment to appreciate that fact? This is a good thing, guys. The Academy is getting a clue. The Social Network FTW!
Editor's Note: The King's Speech has since won the PGA, but the PGA only has a 65% overlap rate with the Oscars, and that is in years when its winner has won *other* awards. In this season, the PGA is the *only* award The King's Speech has received in the Best Picture category See full post
Deep Thoughts About The Scream 4 Trailer
Things I am obsessed with: Scream. Things you should be obsessed with: Scream. Today's lesson rules!
Naturally, with a Scream obsession, comes an OH DEAR GOD CAN IT BE APRIL NOW BBZZZZZGZUIGH reaction to the upcoming fourth installment. So when the trailer hit the interwebs Thursday evening, I had to watch it. And analyze it. And marry it. Here are my deep thoughts.
First, stray observations!
With the horror genre being reinvented every decade, this means new Scream movies could come out every decade, pastiching whatever new method of scares we discover. Pastiches are better than parody, after all. In fact, I pretty much hate parody. Like, a lot. I'd be happy if no one ever made a Scary Movie Epic Movie Vampires Suck whatever the hell ever again.
Is that one character related to Cotton Weary? Cause he looks just like him You know who I mean because it looks just like him. Is it safe to assume that since Emma Roberts is related to one of our original characters, others will be as well? Like Cotton Weary Jr? If the fact that he is a spitting image of Liev Schreiber turns out to be pure coincidence, I will be very disappointed.
In this trailer, instead of Kristin Bell & Anna Paquin facing sure death, we get Alison Brie! Alison Brie's in this?! Who decided that?! I'm excited. Can you tell I'm excited?
David Arquette looks like he hasn't aged a day. My crush on Deputy Dewey is coming back. Oh god. I can feel it. It's happening.
But unless you are weird like I am and think David Arquette is adorbz, there's no male eye candy in this movie. Yet TONS of gorgeous women. Only expecting a male audience, much?
Now for some specific moments in the trailer. Follow along!
.52 - "He's trying to do Ghostface"
Because this this the fourth in the series, expect the movie to be meta meta meta. The trailer leads us to believe that the killer isn't a copycat of the original murders, but a copycat of first Stab movie, based on the original murders, which came out in the second Scream movie (hey now woah now!). So not only does everyone know how horror films work, they know how Stab movies work. They know who Ghostface is. Well. So when they pick up the phone and someone asks "What's your favorite scary movie?" rather than being afraid or even creeped out, their response is "omglol." Meta goodness OMNOM!
1.13 - "It's all over the Internet!"
Because, after all, it is 2011, expect technology to play a huge role. This is a meta meta meta satire slasher film set in the age of Facebook, Twitter and Texting. While such things may be over Dewey's head, the rest of the cast is mostly under the age of twenty-five. I'll be surprised if no one gets a text from Ghostface. Or at least makes a joke about getting a text from Ghostface. But Ghostface wouldn't be scary in text. Please don't text anyone, Ghostface.
1:47 - "Guaranteed third act main cast blood bath"
I suspected as much from the moment I heard "Scream 4", but expect a major character to bite it - Dewey, Gale or Sydney. I kind of hope they all make it out alive, but the Scream movies to tend to follow their own rules. Idea! Kill Gale so Dewey can go out with me.
1:57- Hayden Panettiere Shows Off Her Memorizing Techniques
One of the best things about the Scream movies are how they take place in a world where scary movies exist - it's partly what made the first one so groundbreaking and it's nice to be reminded of that fact. Seems like there will be plenty of references in this chapter, even if they are all in one breath. Hayden Panettiere listing off all the horror remakes literally just gave me goosebumps. I am a NERD. Also - which movie could he possibly be referring to?! What didn't she say?! OPEN, MOVIE, I NEED YOU.
I feel good. Scream makes me feel good. Is that weird? I don't care. I know where I'm gonna be at 12:01am on April 15th and that's all that matters. See full post
Naturally, with a Scream obsession, comes an OH DEAR GOD CAN IT BE APRIL NOW BBZZZZZGZUIGH reaction to the upcoming fourth installment. So when the trailer hit the interwebs Thursday evening, I had to watch it. And analyze it. And marry it. Here are my deep thoughts.
First, stray observations!
With the horror genre being reinvented every decade, this means new Scream movies could come out every decade, pastiching whatever new method of scares we discover. Pastiches are better than parody, after all. In fact, I pretty much hate parody. Like, a lot. I'd be happy if no one ever made a Scary Movie Epic Movie Vampires Suck whatever the hell ever again.
Is that one character related to Cotton Weary? Cause he looks just like him You know who I mean because it looks just like him. Is it safe to assume that since Emma Roberts is related to one of our original characters, others will be as well? Like Cotton Weary Jr? If the fact that he is a spitting image of Liev Schreiber turns out to be pure coincidence, I will be very disappointed.
In this trailer, instead of Kristin Bell & Anna Paquin facing sure death, we get Alison Brie! Alison Brie's in this?! Who decided that?! I'm excited. Can you tell I'm excited?
David Arquette looks like he hasn't aged a day. My crush on Deputy Dewey is coming back. Oh god. I can feel it. It's happening.
But unless you are weird like I am and think David Arquette is adorbz, there's no male eye candy in this movie. Yet TONS of gorgeous women. Only expecting a male audience, much?
Now for some specific moments in the trailer. Follow along!
.52 - "He's trying to do Ghostface"
Because this this the fourth in the series, expect the movie to be meta meta meta. The trailer leads us to believe that the killer isn't a copycat of the original murders, but a copycat of first Stab movie, based on the original murders, which came out in the second Scream movie (hey now woah now!). So not only does everyone know how horror films work, they know how Stab movies work. They know who Ghostface is. Well. So when they pick up the phone and someone asks "What's your favorite scary movie?" rather than being afraid or even creeped out, their response is "omglol." Meta goodness OMNOM!
1.13 - "It's all over the Internet!"
Because, after all, it is 2011, expect technology to play a huge role. This is a meta meta meta satire slasher film set in the age of Facebook, Twitter and Texting. While such things may be over Dewey's head, the rest of the cast is mostly under the age of twenty-five. I'll be surprised if no one gets a text from Ghostface. Or at least makes a joke about getting a text from Ghostface. But Ghostface wouldn't be scary in text. Please don't text anyone, Ghostface.
1:47 - "Guaranteed third act main cast blood bath"
I suspected as much from the moment I heard "Scream 4", but expect a major character to bite it - Dewey, Gale or Sydney. I kind of hope they all make it out alive, but the Scream movies to tend to follow their own rules. Idea! Kill Gale so Dewey can go out with me.
1:57- Hayden Panettiere Shows Off Her Memorizing Techniques
One of the best things about the Scream movies are how they take place in a world where scary movies exist - it's partly what made the first one so groundbreaking and it's nice to be reminded of that fact. Seems like there will be plenty of references in this chapter, even if they are all in one breath. Hayden Panettiere listing off all the horror remakes literally just gave me goosebumps. I am a NERD. Also - which movie could he possibly be referring to?! What didn't she say?! OPEN, MOVIE, I NEED YOU.
I feel good. Scream makes me feel good. Is that weird? I don't care. I know where I'm gonna be at 12:01am on April 15th and that's all that matters. See full post
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The 2011 Golden Globes: What We Learned
crossposted from Film.com
It's that time of year again! In which we reflect on the grand & not at all frivolous evening that was the Golden Globes. What did we learn this year about the Oscar race, about Hollywood, about life, about Angelina Jolie's shockingly not-always-glossy lips? My very scientific analysis below:
The Social Network Officially Cannot Be Beat
I mean, yes, most of us figured it was a lock for the Oscar anyway, but after rumblings of possible Globes upsets from The Fighter or The King's Speech turned out to be rubbish, I don't think there's anything stopping the film at this point. Picture, writer, director are in the bag. So most likely editing as well. #oscarhistoryreference.
I'm beginning to hear insider discussion of another film in particular upsetting on the night (more on this when I do my annual interview with an Academy member), but a lot in the atmosphere would have to change in a month for this to be possibility. When every critics group picks the same movie, its subject is named Time's Person of the Year AND everyone says the Academy will be out of touch if they pick something else, it doesn't leave much room for members to vote with their hearts, does it? It would be nice one year if the Academy got to actually pick its favorites instead of being bullied into staying in line. For more on this topic, check out an article I wrote last season - Oscar & The Art of Influence. This year also happens to be the first time in a long while that I actually think the unstoppable force sweeping the Oscar pre-season DESERVES the win, but it feels tainted when the Academy doesn't really have a choice.
Ricky Gervais Will Not Be Hosting Next Year
The HFPA is reportedly very upset with the British comedian, because it turns out they're all still in elementary school, but some folks, like Badass Digests' Devin Faraci don't think he went far enough. Still if the "Golden Globes Boss" (is that an official title? really?) doesn't get the joke anytime soon, expect a safer choice to be announced for next year. Laaaame. I personally enjoy the RDJ coined "sinister" undertone of Gervais hosted evenings. It leads to a fun game called "Which Actors Are Self Aware and Which Actors Have Their Heads Up Their Asses?" (For those keeping score at home, Self Aware: Johnny Depp, Steve Carrell, Bruce Willis. Head up your ass: Tim Allen, the HFPA, Scientologists.)
There Are Five Kinds of Actors: Classy & elegant (Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Claire Danes) Charming & Hilarious (Tina Fey, Jane Lynch, Steve Bushemi), Slightly Insane (Melissa Leo, Tilda "Happy New Year" Swinton, Christian Bale), Mind-bogglingly Awkward (Robert De Niro, Natalie Portman, Andrew Garfield) and Get Off The Damn Stage (Jennifer Lopez, January Jones). Though Bale was actually in fine form last night. Perhaps fashioning himself as a knight on the outside brought out his inner chivalry and good nature.
Rango Opens Nationwide March 4th
I can never unlearn this
Hollywood is Still Too Afraid of Scientologists to Laugh at Scientology Jokes
One of the best (it's funny cause it's true!) jokes of the evening took a fun stab at the Church of Scientology. But due to the fact that there was a Scientologist at every other table, no one could really get away with laughing without fear of disappearing into the night. If Ricky Gervais suddenly vanishes this week - we all know why.
Andrew Garfield Will Be The Perfect Peter Parker
His flub would have looked embarrassing on anyone else. But Peter Parker makes awkward look GOOD ya'll.
Hailee Steinfeld Will Be STUNNING in 10 Years
That girl has a FACE. I don't care if she's only 14. You can tell. Especially seeing her tower over that small child girls her age are supposed to be lusting after, when she was presenting. Here's hoping she goes the way of Scarjo Napo & Anpaq and not the way of Dustin Diamond. #legitimatestatement
Best Actress Race IsStill Up In The Air 80/20 Natalie Portman/Annette Bening
For some reason there is a prevailing notion that the quality of one's speech at the Golden Globes will determine the Oscar outcome. A. that's dumb and B. that also might be true. But I've heard from the Portman Supporters that Bening was too stiff and from the Bening Supporters that Portman was too frenetic. We can't ALL be Chris Colfer, you guys. So. Back to square one. Yes, Natalie is young & pregnant & glowy, but Benning is legendary, has never won, lost twice to Hilary Swank of all people, and is married to 1962 Golden Globe winner for Most Promising Actor, Warren Beatty. Maybe, just maybe, the winner of this category will be based on whose performance the Academy members like best. What a notion. Long story short, I don't think Portman has it all tied up as some critics too. If Bening wins on the night, it will be seen as an upset, but at least there is still a POSSIBILITY of an upset, which can't really be said for Best Actor or Supporting Actor.
For Supporting Actress, Melissa Leo is still the clear front-runner, but if we're going by the very precise method of measuring speeches, Leo's...all over the place-ness may have hurt her chances . Let's hope those "who gives the best speech" Academy members saw her delightful & classy speech at the Critics Choice Awards this weekend. This woman's been acting a LONG time. And is amazing. Give her an Oscar please.
The Cast Of Love Actually Rules
Wins for Laura Linney & Colin Firth and plenty of shots of Andrew Lincoln at the table for nominated drama The Walking Dead. When Colin Firth won, I definitely said "I hate uncle Jamie" out loud. Did anyone in the room understand why I would ever say something like that in that moment? No. Did I care? AbsoLUTELY not.
Lea Michele Doesn't Understand What Being A Human Being is
The amount of mugging Lea Michele was engaging in Sunday night was bridging on offensive. Sometimes you can feel something without mutating your face into multiple shapes and sizes. Life isn't musical theater. Well. Actually. I guess her life is about as close as it gets. But she stills needs learn how to be a person at some point.
Garrett Hedlund May Also Not Understand What Being A Human Being Is
But that's because he's a robot
If a Television Show is Shiny & New and/or Glee, It Will Win All The Gold
I love Boardwalk Empire, but Mad Men season four may go down in television history as one of the best seasons of television that ere was. Boardwalk Empire is a great new show that didn't pick up until halfway through its first season. But everyone in it talks funny and the lead is a movie star, so, ok, yeah, that makes sense.
Also, yes, Glee is definitely, hands down the best musical nominated for best TV Show, Musical or Comedy, but it is not the best comedy. Jane Lynch & Heather Morris are doing their best to hold down the fort, but Modern Family has not a single weak or lacking comedic performer in the entire bunch. Globes, when you tempt me with interesting, deserving choices like Katy Sagal & Chris Colfer, I forget that you're mostly worthless. But then you remind me, so it's okay.
Christian Bale worships Robert De Niro, Tilda Swinton is in awe of Al Pacino, Lori from the Walking Dead has a Melissa Leo fixation, Melissa Leo has a crush on Jeremy Irons and Natalie Portman loves Jeff Bridges.
Though who doesn't?
Mark Wahlberg is The King Of Hollywood
I don't like Mark Wahlberg so I don't really like this lesson, but he is inexplicably a producer on Boardwalk Empire and apparently Christian Bale & Melissa Leo would have been nothing in The Fighter without him. So. Bully for you, Mark Wahlberg.
Celebrities Are Friends With Other Celebrities!
This isn't, erm, a "lesson" per se, but it's an excuse to list the fun friendship sightings of the night: Jake Gylenhaal and Jason Segel during E!s Red Carpet,, Emma Stone & Mila Kunis unwittingly creating the greatest gif in gif history, Katy Sagal & Ed O Neil via reaction shot.
Robert Downey Jr & Emma Stone Have Good Chemistry
No? Just me?
Matt Damon Continues to be Smarter Than Just About Everyone Ever
His De Niro intro was so clever, that it seemed to go over the heads of most of the audience for about 85% of the speech. For some reason his speech convinced ME that he must be the greatest husband evar. I have no explanation for this.
Smart Girls Have More Fun...
...But you'll only get to go to the Golden Globes if you're beautiful. Thanks for mixed messages, everyone in the ballroom/Hollywood.
Another year, another slew of life altering lessons learned. And hey, even if this awards season turns out to be as boring & predictable as we're all suspecting, at least we know to look forward to some great speeches. I'll take all the giggly Natalie Portman, self-deprecating Colin Firth, bizarrely ecstatic Christian Bale and energetically sincere Melissa Leo I can get.
See full post
It's that time of year again! In which we reflect on the grand & not at all frivolous evening that was the Golden Globes. What did we learn this year about the Oscar race, about Hollywood, about life, about Angelina Jolie's shockingly not-always-glossy lips? My very scientific analysis below:
The Social Network Officially Cannot Be Beat
I mean, yes, most of us figured it was a lock for the Oscar anyway, but after rumblings of possible Globes upsets from The Fighter or The King's Speech turned out to be rubbish, I don't think there's anything stopping the film at this point. Picture, writer, director are in the bag. So most likely editing as well. #oscarhistoryreference.
I'm beginning to hear insider discussion of another film in particular upsetting on the night (more on this when I do my annual interview with an Academy member), but a lot in the atmosphere would have to change in a month for this to be possibility. When every critics group picks the same movie, its subject is named Time's Person of the Year AND everyone says the Academy will be out of touch if they pick something else, it doesn't leave much room for members to vote with their hearts, does it? It would be nice one year if the Academy got to actually pick its favorites instead of being bullied into staying in line. For more on this topic, check out an article I wrote last season - Oscar & The Art of Influence. This year also happens to be the first time in a long while that I actually think the unstoppable force sweeping the Oscar pre-season DESERVES the win, but it feels tainted when the Academy doesn't really have a choice.
Ricky Gervais Will Not Be Hosting Next Year
The HFPA is reportedly very upset with the British comedian, because it turns out they're all still in elementary school, but some folks, like Badass Digests' Devin Faraci don't think he went far enough. Still if the "Golden Globes Boss" (is that an official title? really?) doesn't get the joke anytime soon, expect a safer choice to be announced for next year. Laaaame. I personally enjoy the RDJ coined "sinister" undertone of Gervais hosted evenings. It leads to a fun game called "Which Actors Are Self Aware and Which Actors Have Their Heads Up Their Asses?" (For those keeping score at home, Self Aware: Johnny Depp, Steve Carrell, Bruce Willis. Head up your ass: Tim Allen, the HFPA, Scientologists.)
There Are Five Kinds of Actors: Classy & elegant (Colin Firth, Annette Bening, Claire Danes) Charming & Hilarious (Tina Fey, Jane Lynch, Steve Bushemi), Slightly Insane (Melissa Leo, Tilda "Happy New Year" Swinton, Christian Bale), Mind-bogglingly Awkward (Robert De Niro, Natalie Portman, Andrew Garfield) and Get Off The Damn Stage (Jennifer Lopez, January Jones). Though Bale was actually in fine form last night. Perhaps fashioning himself as a knight on the outside brought out his inner chivalry and good nature.
Rango Opens Nationwide March 4th
I can never unlearn this
Hollywood is Still Too Afraid of Scientologists to Laugh at Scientology Jokes
One of the best (it's funny cause it's true!) jokes of the evening took a fun stab at the Church of Scientology. But due to the fact that there was a Scientologist at every other table, no one could really get away with laughing without fear of disappearing into the night. If Ricky Gervais suddenly vanishes this week - we all know why.
Andrew Garfield Will Be The Perfect Peter Parker
His flub would have looked embarrassing on anyone else. But Peter Parker makes awkward look GOOD ya'll.
Hailee Steinfeld Will Be STUNNING in 10 Years
That girl has a FACE. I don't care if she's only 14. You can tell. Especially seeing her tower over that small child girls her age are supposed to be lusting after, when she was presenting. Here's hoping she goes the way of Scarjo Napo & Anpaq and not the way of Dustin Diamond. #legitimatestatement
Best Actress Race Is
For some reason there is a prevailing notion that the quality of one's speech at the Golden Globes will determine the Oscar outcome. A. that's dumb and B. that also might be true. But I've heard from the Portman Supporters that Bening was too stiff and from the Bening Supporters that Portman was too frenetic. We can't ALL be Chris Colfer, you guys. So. Back to square one. Yes, Natalie is young & pregnant & glowy, but Benning is legendary, has never won, lost twice to Hilary Swank of all people, and is married to 1962 Golden Globe winner for Most Promising Actor, Warren Beatty. Maybe, just maybe, the winner of this category will be based on whose performance the Academy members like best. What a notion. Long story short, I don't think Portman has it all tied up as some critics too. If Bening wins on the night, it will be seen as an upset, but at least there is still a POSSIBILITY of an upset, which can't really be said for Best Actor or Supporting Actor.
For Supporting Actress, Melissa Leo is still the clear front-runner, but if we're going by the very precise method of measuring speeches, Leo's...all over the place-ness may have hurt her chances . Let's hope those "who gives the best speech" Academy members saw her delightful & classy speech at the Critics Choice Awards this weekend. This woman's been acting a LONG time. And is amazing. Give her an Oscar please.
The Cast Of Love Actually Rules
Wins for Laura Linney & Colin Firth and plenty of shots of Andrew Lincoln at the table for nominated drama The Walking Dead. When Colin Firth won, I definitely said "I hate uncle Jamie" out loud. Did anyone in the room understand why I would ever say something like that in that moment? No. Did I care? AbsoLUTELY not.
Lea Michele Doesn't Understand What Being A Human Being is
The amount of mugging Lea Michele was engaging in Sunday night was bridging on offensive. Sometimes you can feel something without mutating your face into multiple shapes and sizes. Life isn't musical theater. Well. Actually. I guess her life is about as close as it gets. But she stills needs learn how to be a person at some point.
Garrett Hedlund May Also Not Understand What Being A Human Being Is
But that's because he's a robot
If a Television Show is Shiny & New and/or Glee, It Will Win All The Gold
I love Boardwalk Empire, but Mad Men season four may go down in television history as one of the best seasons of television that ere was. Boardwalk Empire is a great new show that didn't pick up until halfway through its first season. But everyone in it talks funny and the lead is a movie star, so, ok, yeah, that makes sense.
Also, yes, Glee is definitely, hands down the best musical nominated for best TV Show, Musical or Comedy, but it is not the best comedy. Jane Lynch & Heather Morris are doing their best to hold down the fort, but Modern Family has not a single weak or lacking comedic performer in the entire bunch. Globes, when you tempt me with interesting, deserving choices like Katy Sagal & Chris Colfer, I forget that you're mostly worthless. But then you remind me, so it's okay.
Christian Bale worships Robert De Niro, Tilda Swinton is in awe of Al Pacino, Lori from the Walking Dead has a Melissa Leo fixation, Melissa Leo has a crush on Jeremy Irons and Natalie Portman loves Jeff Bridges.
Though who doesn't?
Mark Wahlberg is The King Of Hollywood
I don't like Mark Wahlberg so I don't really like this lesson, but he is inexplicably a producer on Boardwalk Empire and apparently Christian Bale & Melissa Leo would have been nothing in The Fighter without him. So. Bully for you, Mark Wahlberg.
Celebrities Are Friends With Other Celebrities!
This isn't, erm, a "lesson" per se, but it's an excuse to list the fun friendship sightings of the night: Jake Gylenhaal and Jason Segel during E!s Red Carpet,, Emma Stone & Mila Kunis unwittingly creating the greatest gif in gif history, Katy Sagal & Ed O Neil via reaction shot.
Robert Downey Jr & Emma Stone Have Good Chemistry
No? Just me?
Matt Damon Continues to be Smarter Than Just About Everyone Ever
His De Niro intro was so clever, that it seemed to go over the heads of most of the audience for about 85% of the speech. For some reason his speech convinced ME that he must be the greatest husband evar. I have no explanation for this.
Smart Girls Have More Fun...
...But you'll only get to go to the Golden Globes if you're beautiful. Thanks for mixed messages, everyone in the ballroom/Hollywood.
Another year, another slew of life altering lessons learned. And hey, even if this awards season turns out to be as boring & predictable as we're all suspecting, at least we know to look forward to some great speeches. I'll take all the giggly Natalie Portman, self-deprecating Colin Firth, bizarrely ecstatic Christian Bale and energetically sincere Melissa Leo I can get.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Winter is Coming
Remember when this series was going to be amazing and set the bar for what can be accomplished in a period drama action series in a long-form storytelling format?
April 17th, baby. April 17th. See full post
April 17th, baby. April 17th. See full post
Friday, January 14, 2011
DC and M.A.C. Team up on Wonder Woman Make-Up Line
M.A.C. Cosmetics and DC Comics are collaborating on a fascinating consumer product. Wonder Woman Cosmetics.
More After the jump on why this is has turned me into a raving 4-year-old, as well as a discussion on masking and archetypes of strength.
See full post
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Thrilling Adventure Hour: One Of Los Angeles' Finest Hours of Entertainment [Event]
I had the great pleasure this past weekend of seeing The Thrilling Adventure Hour at Largo on La Cienega, a show that's been running in Los Angeles for five years, but has only recently begun getting the amount of attention it deserves. Created in 2005 by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker, The Thrilling Adventure Hour is a throwback to radio plays of the 30s and 40s. Each month features an installment of three of Acker & Blacker's ongoing serials, told in an old fashioned style, but with modern sensibility.
This month, we saw:
Sparks Nevada: Marshall of Mars,
Marc Evan Jackson as the melty voice Marshall (his voice. was so melty.)
Mark Gagliardi as his Martian sidekick
Busy Phillips as the woman stuck between them
Guest Star Yvette Nicole Brown as the Trouble Shooter
(Theme song sung by Sean & Sara Watkins!)
Captain Laserbeam!
John DiMaggio as the title hero
Hal Lubin & Guest Star Matt Braunger as his prepubescent sidekicks
Guest Star Nick Kroll (whose vocal choice was indescribably hilarious) as King Mammal
John Ennis as his number one henchmen
(Theme song sung by Yvette Nicole Brown & The Workjuice Players)
Jefferson Reed, Ace American
guest star Nathan Fillion (having the time of his life) as Mr. Reed
Annie Savage as his best gal
Samm Levine as a fellow soldier
John DiMaggio as the general
Craig Cackowski as a nasty
In between each episode, and during the opening of the show, we got spot on satirical recreations of old radio ads for cigarettes and coffee, starring the rest of the Workjuice Players, mostly featuring the hilarious James Urbaniak (Dr. Venture himself!) & Mark Gagliardi as New York cops (and sometimes perps) who really love their Workjuice Coffee & Patriot Cigarettes.
On paper, this idea sounded amazing and I was THRILLED to discover that it actually is as wonderful as I had hoped. An hour of pure joy. Not only is this kind of humor right up my alley (I'm looking at you, Marc Evan Jackson in particular, and honoring you with the "Greatest line readings ever" award for the evening) but it's nothing short of exhilarating to see actors I enjoy having a great time on stage, totally committing, giving it their all, and delivering fantastic results.
There's a fine mix of players too - comedians, voiceover actors, Freaks & Geeks alum, and high profile guest stars like this week's Nathan Fillion, Community's Yvette Nicole Brown, The League's Nick Kroll & Nickel Creek's Sean & Sara Watkins. Every person brings something unique to the table. A lot of the players who we would recognize from the small screen like Nathan Fillion & Samm Levine would give a few winks & nods (literally) to the live audience - if you listen to the podcast and hear uproarious laughter in places that make no sense, it's most likely because of some perfectly timed mugging, courtesy of Fillion or Levine.
Having dabbled in recording original noir radio plays in my time, it was nice to see that kind of recording done on a large scale - a MUCH larger scale. There's clearly a lot of passion here. There's a full band, 3 mics, plus a special area for the announcer (Hal Lubin) and someone, somewhere is doing sound effects, which I'm fairly certain were recordings this time, but my understanding is they are sometimes done live. And the actors don't just dress nicely - they dress period. Busy Philips & Annie Savage even had costume changes. Yvette Nicole Brown rocked a tight black sheath and had her hair styled straight of the late 30s. The men all wore suits and looked mighty dapper. The Workjuice Players don't fuck around - everyone does what they can to make the audience really feel like they've been transported back in time & are a part of this experience. I'm even considering dressing up for next month's show. No joke.
I truly can't recommend this experience enough. As soon as it ended, I, along with some of the people who came with me, immediately bought tickets for next month. Buy yours here - both February and March are on sale now! And for the first time ever, these shows are being recorded for podcast! The August 7th show is online now. You can subscribe by clicking here.
If you're based in the San Francisco area or are looking for an excuse to take a trip there, the San Francisco Sketchfest next weekend will feature two Thrilling Adventure Hours and the cast list is unbelievable. Aside from the usual suspects, the shows will feature Neil Patrick Harris, Alison Brie, Colin Hanks, Danny Pudi, Donal Logue and more. To quote Workjuice Player & sweetheart Samm Levine "I don't know if it is sold out, but if not, buy a ticket, you won't be wrong...?"Click here to take Levine's advice.
For more info on the Thrilling Adventure Hour, head to the website here.
For more photos from the evening by Jonathan Reilly, including behind the scenes shots, click here.
Follow The Thrilling Adventure Hour on Twitter - @ThrillingAdv
And stay tuned here for interviews with some of the cast members, as well as a peak at the movie a bunch of the Workjuice Players made together, Drones. See full post
In Which I Briefly Talk About Being A Fan of Michelle Williams
I experienced a lot of loss after his death. I lost my city because of all the paparazzi descending upon us. I actually lost my journal during that time, oddly enough. I literally couldn’t hold on to anything. It felt as if things were literally slipping through my fingers. Things were just streaming away from me. I lost my sense of humor. I’m still sort of looking for that.
- Michelle Williams, in an interview w/ The Daily Beast
For some reason, I have always been very affected by Michelle Williams. As a youngin, I related to her on Dawson's Creek, Dick was my favorite movie for about a year, I admired her work in Station Agent & Brokeback, then was devastated by Wendy & Lucy. And Blue Valentine is one of my favorites of this year, seen it twice, and I'm still in awe of her honest work in it, from top to bottom. And for whatever reason, I've always been fascinated with her quotes about Heath Ledger. I loved their story too, they were my "favorite Hollywood couple" as shallow as that is, and I was bizarrely affected by his death as well as what it meant for my favorite couple - that they would never get the chance to reunite. And because losing someone close to me is just about my #1 fear, mostly because of its inevitability in one way or another, I can't stop reading about how she has dealt with her grief.
This quote in particular, from a recent interview with The Daily Beast really stuck with me. I highly recommend reading the rest, link above.
I really want her to get an Oscar nomination for Blue Valentine. I think that's my "District 9 for Best Picture!" of this year. Though it could also be my "Fantastic Mr Fox for Score!" of this year. We'll know on January 25th. But I really do think she is one of the most talented, classiest and stunning actresses of her generation. So much so that it warranted a blog post. See full post
Friday, January 7, 2011
2nd Annual Fangirl Awards - Info & Ballot!
Welcome to the Second Annual Fangirl Awards! Aka the Golden Fangirls aka The Fannies (yeah, we went there) aka whatever suits our fancy.
This year, the Fangirl Academy is 87 members strong and even more badass than before. These ladies are smart, informed & passionate and I'm so excited to be able to help get our opinions out in this way for the second year in a row. We have 39 categories, which cover mostly movies, but also TV, comics, video games, music & books with at least one category a piece.
The ballots are due on Friday, January 21st (two weeks from today) and the nominations will be announced Monday, January 24th, the day before the Oscar nominations are revealed. Academy Members can turn their ballot in as early as tomorrow or as late as the 21st.
Our mantra is have fun and nominate your favorites! I want Academy members to give some attention to the films they think are getting the shaft or continue to reward those films they love that are miraculously getting the attention they deserve. Most importantly - I want them to nominate what they WANT.
Here are the categories!
Film
Best Picture ** Best Actor ** Best Actress ** Best Supporting Actor ** Best Supporting Actress ** Best Director ** Best Screenplay (Adap.) ** Best Screenplay (Orig.) ** Best Score ** Best Romantic Chemistry ** Best Platonic (or is it?) Chemistry ** World I'd Most Like To Visit ** Best On Screen Animal (live action or animated) ** Best Voiceover (live action or animated) ** Epic Fail Movie (by @geekgirls) ** Best Fight/Battle Sequence (by @acorn_hat) ** Guiltiest Pleasure ** Best Animated Film (by @onnabugeisha)
Television
Best TV Show of the Year ** Best Actor in a Drama (any size role) ** Best Actor in a Comedy (any size role) ** Best Actress in a Drama (any size role) ** Best Actress i a Comedy (any size role) ** Best Romantic Chemistry ** Best Platonic (or is it?) Chemistry ** Guiltiest Pleasure
Film or Television
Most Romantic Line EVAR (by @that_sarah) ** Best Fan Outreach Endeavor (@caitlin_burns) ** Best Characterization of an Established Figure (by @pardonmysass) **
Any Platform (Film, TV, Video Games, Comics)
Most Overrated ** Most Underrated ** Best Villain (by @acorn_hat)
Misc.
Actor I'd Most Like to Marry 2010 Edition ** Actress I'd Most Like to Marry 2010 Edition ** Best Graphic Novel of the Year ** Best Comic of the Year ** Best Video Game of the Year ** Best Musician of the Year ** Best Book of the Year (fiction or non-fiction)
And your list of Academy members coming soon!! See full post
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Defendere Vivos A Mortuis
There are many zombie combat guides currently in circulation but there's only one that will actually help you fight and defeat a zombie and that's Roger Ma's The Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead.
As Muse mentioned in our holiday gift guide, this book is a must read for those of you invested in honing your zombie combat skills. Ma's book is not just some cute, flimsy manual; it's a legitimate guide to helping you kick some undead ass.
The Zombie Combat Manual prepares you for every type of zombie confrontation--with a complete analysis of how to fight every type of zombie in every type of situation. The guide gives readers a breakdown of zombie misconceptions, best weapons and combat techniques, and even shares firsthand zombie encounters and combat reports.
Let's face it, the end is nigh and we all need to be prepared for the inevitable. So get yourself a copy of Roger Ma's The Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead and also check out the Zombie Combat Club website for more info and tips. See full post
As Muse mentioned in our holiday gift guide, this book is a must read for those of you invested in honing your zombie combat skills. Ma's book is not just some cute, flimsy manual; it's a legitimate guide to helping you kick some undead ass.
The Zombie Combat Manual prepares you for every type of zombie confrontation--with a complete analysis of how to fight every type of zombie in every type of situation. The guide gives readers a breakdown of zombie misconceptions, best weapons and combat techniques, and even shares firsthand zombie encounters and combat reports.
Let's face it, the end is nigh and we all need to be prepared for the inevitable. So get yourself a copy of Roger Ma's The Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead and also check out the Zombie Combat Club website for more info and tips. See full post
Friday, December 17, 2010
All Things Fangirl Holiday Gift Guide 2010
Oops. Christmas is in a week. HOORAY FOR EXPEDITED SHIPPING!
This year's list is a mix of things I want, things I own, things I've already bought for my friends, and things I've seen on other gift guides that made me squee. So if you're stuck in your search for the perfect geeky gift for your fannish friends, look no further - we've got you covered.
Extra Lives by Tom Bissell
A must for any video game fan in your life, Extra Lives manages to alleviate any guilt one may feel dedicating hours upon hours to killing zombies, marrying NPCs & assassinating some Creed (just go with it). The book makes a clear & concise argument that video games are not only art, but are capable of telling stories more personally & profoundly than any other art form can. I read the book in three days, but it could have been one if I hadn't purposefully stopped myself. I couldn't recommend it more highly! Buy it here, $15
Time Traveler's Calendar
Pride & Prejudice Fleece Sweatshirt
I AM SO OBSESSED WITH THIS. I want this so bad. Like, beyond all wanting of anything. It's my favorite style of sweatshirt for one of my favorite books/love stories of all time. I ache with desire for this sweatshirt. ACHE. Buy it for me, or well, people you know in actual life, here - $42 (42! the meaning of life! it's a sign!). The fine folks that make this sweatshirt, Out of Print, make A LOT of awesome shirts & sweatshirts, all featuring "iconic & out of print" book covers. I highly encourage browsing their catalog!
Cinders At Home Cooking Clothes
A delightful Etsy shop featuring aprons, pot holders, and more made from classic geeky bedsheets & the like. My personal favorite was a Star Wars New Hope sweetheart apron that sold today...fingers crossed it's because someone bought it for me...that's TOTALLY plausible, right? But if you know someone who cooks and is fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mario, Zelda, etc. this is the Etsy shop for you. Click here to check out her goods - $16-$39
Sweet 80s Movie Print Set
If you are a fan of Retowhale on Etsy (we were all about her director coasters in last year's gift guide), you may want to check out her 80s Movie Print Set. The artwork is also available on coasters, but not in time for Christmas, I'm afraid. But if you are interested in her prints, she can get them to you by the 23rd if you order today, the 17th! Other available prints include Rushmore, Pulp Fiction & The Royal Tenenbauns. Click here to buy one - $24.
80s Filmography Shirt
A different kind of tribute to the films of the 80s, this time on a t-shirt, minimalist in style, and focusing on a broader range of genres. For your friend who identifies with being a geek, or at least film geek, but hasn't yet taken the step toward wearing it proudly, this shirt is a grade a geek garb gateway drug. What did I just type. I'm actually not even sure I can name all the movies on there, which means it's even cooler than I am. You should buy it. Here. $20. Hat Tip: Io9
Comic Wallets
Super cool shop that creates wallets out of comic book pages. Right now they have wallets made from 8 Marvel titles, 11 DC titles, plus Simpsons, Star Wars, Walking Dead, Scott Pilgrim, Transformers and more. The perfect gift for any comic lover whose wallet may be looking a little worn down. Buy them here, $10-$30.
Little Otsu Anything
Discovered the Little Otsu site thanks to the Tribeca Film Festival's Gift Guide and I absolutely adore everything they make - to do lists, planners, film notebooks, and so on. They're inexpensive, quirky, unique & practical. A great gift for the Type A geeks in your life. Check out all their items here - $10-$16
Game of Thrones/Walking Dead/Hunger Games/Green Lantern/Powers
We all have those friends that love to be up to date on whatever the next big Geek thing will be. Surprise that friend with not only your generosity, but your knowledge of both them & the geek world around you by tapping into the zeitgist with one of the books listed above. Game of Thrones for the fantasy film/tv lovers, Walking Dead for anyone watching it (so, everyone), Hunger Games for the sci fi film fans, Green Lantern TPBs, (the Geoff Johns era, staring with Secret Origin & Rebirth), for the superhero movie lovers, and if you REALLY want to be ahead of the game, some Powers books, for fans of either superheros or crime/mystery who don't even know yet how much they are going to love the forthcoming FX show. $10-$20, anywhere, just give em a google.
Eco Friendly Tote Bags
Celebrities, art, landmarks, subway stops, pets - the list of images printed on these tote bags goes on and on and on - 175 pages worth of on and on in fact, so if you're super stuck, this is the place to go. The Anderson Cooper bag featured above happened to crack me up, but it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of this sites' offerings. Click here to browse - $18.
Arclight Gift Card
Obviously this requires that the recepient live in Los Angeles, but for a film lover who isn't a journalist (and thusly on every screening list) - what's better than free movies at the best movie theater chain in the country? I mean, you know, I'll take one at least. Buy em here - $5-$200.
Lost Encyclopedia
We all have those friends who love Lost and will continue to love Lost, questionable final season or not (for the record, I loved it), for the rest of ever. This comprehensive encyclopedia is a wonderful addition to any Lost lovers collection and can maybe even help clear up any lingering questions...? I own it. I love it. Buy it here - $25.
Lego Hogwarts Set
A perfect gift for that geek couple in your life, with kid or without. If anyone says they don't like legos, they aren't a real person. Or a real geek. Or a human. Whatever, it's nonsense, is my point. This amazingly awesome I want it set is a great project for couples or roommates to work on while sipping on hot chocolate during the holiday season. Or while sipping on whiskey turning whenever. It's expensive, but it's LEGO HOGWARTS. Buy it here - $150.
Character Clinks
This gift would be geared towards your geek friends who happen also to be big into the wine scene and/or hosting events. The Clinks Etsy shop has plenty of fun wine (and beer!) clinks to make sure no one loses track of their drinks at a party. My favorite part of the Mad Men set is the inclusion of Dick Whitman. Loltown. Other sets include James Bond, Star Wars, and The Beatles. To check out the complete collection, head here - $17-$34
Zombie Combat Manual
I mean, you gotta be prepared right? If watching The Walking Dead is starting to make you question your ability to survive a zombie outbreak (please let their never be a zombie outbreak), pick up this book and get a learnin'. Buy it on Amazon - $11
Comic Location Art Prints
Wow. Gorgeous, right? I want this. I want this on my wall! But I can't put something like this on a wish list OR buy it for myself...I need to hope someone randomly comes across it and decides to get it for me. Such is the case with all decorative wall hangings I suppose. But man oh man do I love this. The artist, Justin Van Genderen, also made prints for Metropolis, New York & Neo Tokyo. See them all here. $18.
Back to the Future Card Game
For the film geek who is ALSO a board game nerd. Like me. Citadels is my jam. So Citadels + Back to the Future = let's DO this thing. Buy it here. $16 See full post
This year's list is a mix of things I want, things I own, things I've already bought for my friends, and things I've seen on other gift guides that made me squee. So if you're stuck in your search for the perfect geeky gift for your fannish friends, look no further - we've got you covered.
Extra Lives by Tom Bissell
A must for any video game fan in your life, Extra Lives manages to alleviate any guilt one may feel dedicating hours upon hours to killing zombies, marrying NPCs & assassinating some Creed (just go with it). The book makes a clear & concise argument that video games are not only art, but are capable of telling stories more personally & profoundly than any other art form can. I read the book in three days, but it could have been one if I hadn't purposefully stopped myself. I couldn't recommend it more highly! Buy it here, $15
Time Traveler's Calendar
This calendar takes 95 time travel occurrences and places them on a single timeline. Watch thousands of years of time travel take place over the course of 12 months!Yeah, that's a must own. And I own one. Buy one for yourself here, $20. Hat Tip: Slashfilm
Includes favorites such as Back to the Future, Terminator, Lost and Chrono Trigger!
Pride & Prejudice Fleece Sweatshirt
I AM SO OBSESSED WITH THIS. I want this so bad. Like, beyond all wanting of anything. It's my favorite style of sweatshirt for one of my favorite books/love stories of all time. I ache with desire for this sweatshirt. ACHE. Buy it for me, or well, people you know in actual life, here - $42 (42! the meaning of life! it's a sign!). The fine folks that make this sweatshirt, Out of Print, make A LOT of awesome shirts & sweatshirts, all featuring "iconic & out of print" book covers. I highly encourage browsing their catalog!
Cinders At Home Cooking Clothes
A delightful Etsy shop featuring aprons, pot holders, and more made from classic geeky bedsheets & the like. My personal favorite was a Star Wars New Hope sweetheart apron that sold today...fingers crossed it's because someone bought it for me...that's TOTALLY plausible, right? But if you know someone who cooks and is fan of Nightmare Before Christmas, Star Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Mario, Zelda, etc. this is the Etsy shop for you. Click here to check out her goods - $16-$39
Sweet 80s Movie Print Set
If you are a fan of Retowhale on Etsy (we were all about her director coasters in last year's gift guide), you may want to check out her 80s Movie Print Set. The artwork is also available on coasters, but not in time for Christmas, I'm afraid. But if you are interested in her prints, she can get them to you by the 23rd if you order today, the 17th! Other available prints include Rushmore, Pulp Fiction & The Royal Tenenbauns. Click here to buy one - $24.
A different kind of tribute to the films of the 80s, this time on a t-shirt, minimalist in style, and focusing on a broader range of genres. For your friend who identifies with being a geek, or at least film geek, but hasn't yet taken the step toward wearing it proudly, this shirt is a grade a geek garb gateway drug. What did I just type. I'm actually not even sure I can name all the movies on there, which means it's even cooler than I am. You should buy it. Here. $20. Hat Tip: Io9
Comic Wallets
Super cool shop that creates wallets out of comic book pages. Right now they have wallets made from 8 Marvel titles, 11 DC titles, plus Simpsons, Star Wars, Walking Dead, Scott Pilgrim, Transformers and more. The perfect gift for any comic lover whose wallet may be looking a little worn down. Buy them here, $10-$30.
Little Otsu Anything
Discovered the Little Otsu site thanks to the Tribeca Film Festival's Gift Guide and I absolutely adore everything they make - to do lists, planners, film notebooks, and so on. They're inexpensive, quirky, unique & practical. A great gift for the Type A geeks in your life. Check out all their items here - $10-$16
Game of Thrones/Walking Dead/Hunger Games/Green Lantern/Powers
We all have those friends that love to be up to date on whatever the next big Geek thing will be. Surprise that friend with not only your generosity, but your knowledge of both them & the geek world around you by tapping into the zeitgist with one of the books listed above. Game of Thrones for the fantasy film/tv lovers, Walking Dead for anyone watching it (so, everyone), Hunger Games for the sci fi film fans, Green Lantern TPBs, (the Geoff Johns era, staring with Secret Origin & Rebirth), for the superhero movie lovers, and if you REALLY want to be ahead of the game, some Powers books, for fans of either superheros or crime/mystery who don't even know yet how much they are going to love the forthcoming FX show. $10-$20, anywhere, just give em a google.
Eco Friendly Tote Bags
Celebrities, art, landmarks, subway stops, pets - the list of images printed on these tote bags goes on and on and on - 175 pages worth of on and on in fact, so if you're super stuck, this is the place to go. The Anderson Cooper bag featured above happened to crack me up, but it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of this sites' offerings. Click here to browse - $18.
Arclight Gift Card
Obviously this requires that the recepient live in Los Angeles, but for a film lover who isn't a journalist (and thusly on every screening list) - what's better than free movies at the best movie theater chain in the country? I mean, you know, I'll take one at least. Buy em here - $5-$200.
Lost Encyclopedia
We all have those friends who love Lost and will continue to love Lost, questionable final season or not (for the record, I loved it), for the rest of ever. This comprehensive encyclopedia is a wonderful addition to any Lost lovers collection and can maybe even help clear up any lingering questions...? I own it. I love it. Buy it here - $25.
A perfect gift for that geek couple in your life, with kid or without. If anyone says they don't like legos, they aren't a real person. Or a real geek. Or a human. Whatever, it's nonsense, is my point. This amazingly awesome I want it set is a great project for couples or roommates to work on while sipping on hot chocolate during the holiday season. Or while sipping on whiskey turning whenever. It's expensive, but it's LEGO HOGWARTS. Buy it here - $150.
Character Clinks
This gift would be geared towards your geek friends who happen also to be big into the wine scene and/or hosting events. The Clinks Etsy shop has plenty of fun wine (and beer!) clinks to make sure no one loses track of their drinks at a party. My favorite part of the Mad Men set is the inclusion of Dick Whitman. Loltown. Other sets include James Bond, Star Wars, and The Beatles. To check out the complete collection, head here - $17-$34
Zombie Combat Manual
I mean, you gotta be prepared right? If watching The Walking Dead is starting to make you question your ability to survive a zombie outbreak (please let their never be a zombie outbreak), pick up this book and get a learnin'. Buy it on Amazon - $11
Wow. Gorgeous, right? I want this. I want this on my wall! But I can't put something like this on a wish list OR buy it for myself...I need to hope someone randomly comes across it and decides to get it for me. Such is the case with all decorative wall hangings I suppose. But man oh man do I love this. The artist, Justin Van Genderen, also made prints for Metropolis, New York & Neo Tokyo. See them all here. $18.
Back to the Future Card Game
For the film geek who is ALSO a board game nerd. Like me. Citadels is my jam. So Citadels + Back to the Future = let's DO this thing. Buy it here. $16 See full post
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