"Piranha 3DD" Has A Full Trailer

I was a big fan of the first "Piranha 3D;" which I thought struck the appropriate balance between being sincerely-bad and self-consciously bad. The sequel (which apparently can't decide whether or not to actually open in theaters) seems to be leaning more on the "self-conscious" side; with David Koechner as sleazebag entreprenuer who turns what I'm assuming was supposed to have been a family water park into Hooters-style operation with strippers as lifeguards and David Hasslehoff (as himself) paid to lounge around in his "Baywatch" getup, only to see the place invaded by the prehistoric piranha from the first film.

Christopher Lloyd and Ving Rhames are back, the later presumed dead at the end of the first film but evidently back and sporting bionic legs outfitted with anti-piranha weaponry. I'll say this, I admire their lack of shame...

More Like It

The new (final?) "Avengers" trailer has more action, more character-interaction and more "holy crap!" money shots, still playing hide-and-seek with the villains... though the post-credits beat has a pretty "WTF?" reveal.

Argue about what "that thing" is after the jump:



Well, that must be "The Leviathan" from those script-pages everyone was flipping out over a few months back. Question is, is that "something?" Fin-Fang-Foom? Giganto?

BMC MOVIE OF THE WEEK: PHASE IV

SYNOPSIS

“Saul Bass had a fascinating career as an animator and as designer of title sequences for a number of notable films, including Psycho, Vertigo, Anatomy Of A Murder and Seconds. However, Phase IV was his only credit as director of a feature film. A visually inventive science-fiction story, Phase IV concerns a group of research scientists working in the Arizona desert who find themselves confronted by an Army of super-intelligent mutant ants. The results are more intelligent than the description would lead you to believe, and Nigel Davenport and Michael Murphy turn in good performances as the embattled men of science.” ~ Rovi’s Allmovie Guide

February 26, 2012: First Sunday of Lent (Year B)

In 1971, the Academy Award for best feature length documentary went to The Hellstrom Chronicle, a film which utilized groundbreaking macrophotography to document the epic struggles which occur every day in the insect world. But as fantastic as the imagery was (and still is to this day actually), what really turned the Hellstrom Chronicle into a cult classic was the script penned by legendary screenwriter David Seltzer (The Omen, Prophecy). Rather than go with the staid voiceover so typical of other documentaries, Seltzer instead had the film narrated by a fictional near-manic entomologist named Dr. Nils Hellstrom who bleakly informed the audience that he was morally compelled to present the results of his years of study of insects, despite the ridicule and harm it would inevitably bring to his career. You see, after decades of observing the highly organized societies established by insects, Hellstrom had come to the inevitable conclusion that the greatest threat to humanity wasn’t nuclear war or environmental disaster, but the barely noticed bugs crawling beneath our feet. In short, if the insects were ever to declare war on mankind… mankind was hosed.

And that’s basically the idea behind Phase IV, which begins with a vague, undefined event in space that has a profound affect on the intelligence of the ant population in the American desert.The change goes relatively unnoticed by the scientific community for awhile, but after various species of ants which would normally be hostile too one another begin to work together and make things hard for some of the local ranchers, the government takes notice and decides to send in a pair of scientists to investigate what is going on. Now, if this were any other old bug invasion flick, this would be the point at which the movie became nothing more than a series of scenes involving people fighting an advancing horde of creepy crawly things. But that’s not how Phase IV creeps and crawls. You see, while the poster (above) may have promised carnage, what the movie actually delivers is a back and forth chess match wherein the men study and test the ants, and the ants in turn do the same to the men, may the smartest minds win.

And for my tastes, that’s what makes Phase IV so darn good. Take for instance the sequence which begins with the ants chewing through some of the generator wires in an attempt to cripple the scientists’ computer systems. The head scientist responds by coating the landscape with a new form of insecticide to prevent the ants from coming in too close. After an initial retreat, the ants send back scouts to retrieve some of the poison so that the queen can analyze it and produce offspring resistant to the toxins. Once enough of the new eggs have hatched, the ants then begin to construct… Okay, I know it sounds a lot less exciting than watching ants crawl all over Suzanne Somers, and in lesser hands, maybe it would be. But the combination of Saul Bass’ direction, Dick Bush’s cinematography, and Desmond Briscoe’s somber score produces something special. Rather than being a snooze fest, the scene I just described actually becomes mesmerizing. For almost five full minutes the camera follows a series of worker ants as one by one they transport a single piece of the dried poison through their tunnels, each wrenching the deadly package from the clenched mandibles of its dead predecessor, each knowing they too will perish before the task is complete. It’s all shot in glorious macro close-up and plays out to the strains of a mournful adagio that adds just the right touch of pathos to the workers’ sacrifice. On paper, it’s just a few ants crawling and dying. Onscreen, it’s practically impossible to turn away from.

Look, I enjoy watching William Shatner over emote to tarantulas as much as the next guy, but Phase IV just has so much more going for it in the ideas department than most of the other bug movies combined. While it never dwells overlong on any one topic, it still manages to touch on everything from game theory to class warfare to man’s place in the universe. Plus, Phase IV does make you wonder, even if just a little, if something like this scenario could be how humanity finally meets its end. As an inveterate sci-fi fan, I realize the honor of mankind’s destruction usually falls to asteroid collisions, global pandemics, alien invasions, and things like that, but as The Hellstrom Chronicle (phony baloney though it was) so duly pointed out, insects outnumber us and are far more organized.  So why should an apocalypse by ants be out of the question? It’s as good a guess as any.

Now, of course, someone out there is probably thinking, “Hey, what about the Bible? Doesn’t it tell us exactly how the world will end?” Well, kind of. Remember, this week’s first reading only tells us how the world’s grand finale WILL NOT occur, “that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.” But notice that it never actually gets around to saying how it WILL. And as for the verses we find scattered throughout the rest of scripture that do address the end times, let’s just say they can be a little vague. Oh sure, it’s pretty clear that at the very final moment there’ll be a big blow-out between Jesus, Satan, and their two respective forces. As the Catechism explains it, “On Judgment Day at the end of the world, Christ will come in glory to achieve the definitive triumph of good over evil which, like the wheat and the tares, have grown up together in the course of history.” But as for the events leading up to the big finish, that’s a bit more sketchy.

So, assuming something obvious like a militant uprising of ants doesn’t occur, how will we know the end is approaching. Well, skipping over all that pre-tribulation rapture nonsense that’s been all the rage amongst some evangelical protestants for the past couple of centuries (another post for another time), about all we can really say the Bible tells us about the end times is that there will be wars and rumors of wars, some natural disasters, and that the Church will be persecuted, undergoing a trial that will shake the faith of many believers. Which, when you stop to think about it, pretty much sounds like most any time in Church history. Which is sort of the point. As Jesus tells us in this week’s gospel, "THIS is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." You see, its been the end times since Jesus ascended into Heaven some 2,000+ years ago, and it could remain the end times for who knows how long. "Of that day and hour no one knows” Jesus once said, “neither the angels of heaven nor the Son, but the Father alone."

So, what to do until the final cosmic throwdown actually does role around? Well, these end times, the Catechism reminds us, are “a time still marked by ‘distress’… a time of waiting and watching”, but also, “according to the Lord, the present time is the time of the Spirit and of witness.” Which means, basically, that rather than spend too much time sitting around fretting about the details of Armageddon, we should just get down to the daily tasks of repenting, believing, and witnessing which God has given us. And you know who already understands the importance of taking care of what needs to be taken care of, don’t you? The dang blasted ants. That’s why the Bible tells us in Proverbs to “go to the ant, O sluggard, study her ways and learn wisdom.” Come on, folks. Get busy. Don’t let the ants prove themselves smarter than us.

"Cowboy Ninja Viking" Is Your Next Funny-Name Theatrical-Failure

Deadline reports that Universal is setting up a feature-film adaptation of the 2009 Image comic "Cowboy Ninja Viking," (which I bet get's retitled as just "C.N.V.") a riff on the Bourne setup of highly-trained, mentally-reconditioned assassins with a high(er)-concept twist: The brainwash-ees are mental-patients with Multiple Personality Disorder, the supposed benefit being that each individual personality is trained in a different discipline; hence the title character alternately has the "powers" of a Cowboy, a Ninja and a Viking (there is, apparently, also a Pirate Gladiator Ocenaographer.)

Y'know, because both "Snakes on a Plane" and "Cowboys & Aliens" were both massive, runaway boxoffice hits and all...

Hollywood? As someone who is pretty-much THE target audience for the "Ha-Ha-That-Sounds-Like-A-Fake-Thing-But-It's-A-Real-Thing-So-I-Guess-Maybe-It's-Awesome" genre you haven't figured out isn't working for you yet, lemme help you out here:

MOST OF THE AUDIENCE THAT FINDS "MEME"-STYLE HUMOR LIKE THIS TITLE FUNNY ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE *NEVER* GOING TO PAY FOR IT OR ANY OTHER MOVIE YOU MAKE. YOU MAY AS WELL JUST CALL IT "PIRATE TORRENT DOWNLOAD."

Thank you for your time.

Cannes 2012

Today is the best day to start to talk about the 2012 Festival de Cannes as the poster was released a few moments ago.

Cannes will be 65 this year and to celebrate the occasion pays tribute to Marilyn Monroe who has been selected as the icon for the 2012 Festival and as you can see is the object of a beautiful piece of work.

From the press announcement: "Fifty years after her death, Marilyn is still a major figure in world cinema, an eternal icon, whose grace, mystery and power of seduction remain resolutely contemporary.

Each of her screen appearances sparks the imagination. The Festival poster captures Marilyn by surprise in an intimate moment where myth meets reality – a moving tribute to the anniversary of her passing, which coincides with the Festival anniversary.

She enchants us with this promising gesture: a seductively blown kiss.

The Festival is a temple of glamour and Marilyn is its perfect incarnation. Their coming together symbolises the ideal of simplicity and elegance."

Bronx agency, Paris, created the poster from a photo by Otto L. Bettmann and will produce all the graphics for the 2012 Festival.

On other news one of my favorite contemporary Italian directors will be the President of the Jury, I'm talking about none other than great Nanni Moretti.

Accepting the invitation, the Italian actor and director said: “This is a real joy, an honour and a tremendous responsibility to preside over the jury of the most prestigious festival of cinematography in the world, a festival that is held in a country where film has always been treated with interest and respect.

As a director, I was always very moved when my films were presented at the Festival de Cannes. I also have very happy memories of my experience as a jury member during the fiftieth anniversary season, and of the attentiveness and passion that went into the jury’s viewing and discussion of all the films.

As a spectator, fortunately I still have the same curiosity that I had in my youth and so it is a great privilege for me to embark on this voyage into the world of contemporary international film.”

In less than what we can think of, May 16 will be here and the mother of all Festivals will once again start for the glory of extraordinary Cinema. Festival will run from May 16 to 27 and will keep you all up-to-date with the announcements that I know will start to pour next month. Excellent, I survived to live another great party. Yay!

Cheers!

Avengers Get Butt-Ugly New Poster

Marvel has been hyping a new "Avengers" trailer set to debut Wednesday all week/weekend (the screening prints of "John Carter" are starting to ship this week, so one imagines the trailer will be attached to that) and to go along with it here's a new, not-terribly-good poster.

Yeah... not very good - it's like they looked at every tired post-2000 poster cliche (for superhero movies or otherwise) and decided to use them all: Over-glossy Michael Bay "sheen?" (which doesn't match the crisp natural-daylight cinematographer we've seen so far) Check. Cap and Iron Man sans masks? Check. Dirt and embers flying around everywhere? Check. Obvious photoshop-collage with zero attempt to match light-sourcing? Check. Nobody seems to be looking-at or reacting to the same events (Cap and Widow are completely chill, something on the right is VERY disconcerting to Thor, Hulk and Hawkeye MIGHT be looking in the same general direction, none of them are noticing the giant explosion)

Check. I'm kinda wondering what's with the (by now) familiar-looking blue light-beam coming out of what I assume is Stark Tower, but otherwise? Bleh. If not for the five pretty-good feature-length trailers that preceded it, you'd have to say this movie has a pretty underwhelming ad-campaign (though at least it's not the disaster that Disney's fumbling of "John Carter's" promotion is shaping up to be...)

Big Picture: "I Don't Know"

What some people don't know can fill a warehouse. What MovieBob doesn't know can fill about five minutes.

EDIT: I would be remiss not to re-mention that this week's show comes with a shout-out to Linkara and his impressively-mounted "History of Power Rangers" project.

The Escapist : The Big Picture : I Don't Know

Le Havre

My first and spontaneous reaction to this movie is that is very strange to watch an Aki Kaurismäki movie and understand what actors say instead of reading subtitles. Not that his movies have lots of dialogue, nor this one, that has but the essential words to guide you into this deadpan faces performances (typical) that with very slight expressions tell everything that characters are feeling in a lovely story (non-typical) that absolutely melted my heart all the way to tears when the movie was over. Yes, also thought that probably I’m the only person that could cry with a Kaurismäki movie.

Then, also spontaneously my first thoughts were to how marvelous is the use of light in this movie and in most Kaurismäki movies, as most of his Finland set movies light allows us to feel the cold both from weather as from situations. Here in lower than Finland geographical setting he does exactly the same but with the use of light eventually what we see in the screen, the weather and the complete film experience becomes warm, very warm. Exceptional. I know the story also helps, but is the use of light what really warms the story, that’s it according to me.

Then you have the most carefully crafted production design, amazing visual compositions, many scenes that look like and thus become awesome photographs, great actors performances –yes most if not all scenes with deadpan faces and almost expressionless body language- that tell all with small, very small details, plus a masterful direction that allows flawless fluidity of story and film. Marvelous.

Literally film tells a story about immigration of the not legal kind, but actually according to me is a very simple story with a clear message and morale: do good and you will receive good. A message executed in the most unusual way you can think of, unless you’re very familiar with Kaurismäki storytelling style and still, maybe, you will also find some oddity that probably comes more from the non-Finland setting.

Kaurismäki movies fascinate and mesmerize me, Le Havre is no exception but this movie had the immense power to make me feel beyond what his other films have done and for this I’ll be grateful as feeling intense (warm) emotions in such a dry environment is kind of explosive. Thanks master filmmaker and can’t wait for your next film.

As we know film is Finland submission to Oscar, had its premiere at 2011 Cannes where was in competition for the Palme d’Or and won the FIPRESCI prize, continued to collect honors up to winning the most prestigious Prix Louis Delluc among other accolades. All honors are more than well-deserved.

I was thinking how could be the experience of watching this film when never seen a Kaurismäki movie before; if that’s your case I strongly suggest you do not start with this movie, watch first any other set in Finland Kaurismäki film and then watch this one, I am sure you will enjoy this movie a lot more if is not your first experience with Kaurismäki narrative and visual storytelling style.

Love the movie and thanks to Cannes 2011 also the director –he’s so funny, exactly like his films that have that kind of humor that travels more to the dark and sarcastic side- but I know that this kind of movies is not for all audiences and believe that his films are an acquired taste that once you taste them and like them, you will strive to have more and more.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

TGO: "Why Do You Love Video Games?"

Quick head's-up for those who don't always follow The Other Blog, but the NEW "Game OverThinker" is out (for ALL audiences) and I have to say I'm especially proud of this one and the overwhelmingly positive reaction it's been getting so far - especially considering this started out as a "replacement episode" to make sure I kept on schedule despite my brief illness throwing a wrench into production:

Brad Pitt's Gargantua Memory

The lone bright-spot of the otherwise excerable 2012 Oscars was when Brad Pitt momentarily broke up the gooey solemnity of the evening's weirdly-unfocused "Stuff You Like About Movies I Guess I Dunno Look We Had Like A Month To Throw This Shit Together After Ratner & Murphy Imploded Hey Look Popcorn Girls" theme by waxing straight-faced nostalgiac about an obscure giant monster movie in one of the interstitials. The movie? "War of The Gargantuas" - but, then, "Big Picture" fans already knew that:

The Escapist : The Big Picture : The War of the Gargantuas

Yeah, sorta "scooped" on this by BAD - but then again this episode IS from last October...

SHORT FEATURE: MOVIE: THE MOVIE

It probably won’t surprise anyone that the best thing about the Academy Awards last night wasn’t actually on the Academy Awards, but happened a little later. (For my Baptist readers, be warned, this has an ad for vodka preceding the clip. For my Catholic readers, sit back and have a drink, the clip starts in about 60…)

If only this were real, it might just be the movie that would make me willing to shell out 30 bucks for tickets and snacks and the opportunity to sit in an auditorium full a bunch of attention deficit teens armed with cell phones.

Now some might say there’s just too many genres represented in Movie: The Movie, too which I could only respond, “Please, I’m a Bible reader.” You see, while a lot of people who never actually crack open the good book think of it as nothing more than a big “how to” manual, the fact is the Bible is an assortment of books collected over centuries containing a myriad of genres.

Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. breaks them down this way:

Major Genres within the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament):

• Foundational Myths & Legends - stories about the origins of the world, the first generations of humans, or the early years of a nation, intended to provide a foundational world-view upon which people base their communal and individual lives (Gen, parts of Exod, Num, Deut)
• Legal Codes - collections of laws and instructions by which the people are to live (Lev, parts of Exod, Num, Deut)
• Genealogies - lists of inter-relationships between peoples, either of successive generations or of different nations (parts of Gen, much of Num)
• Annals - semi-historical narrative accounts of select events in a nation's life, focusing especially upon political and military exploits of its leaders, since usually written under royal sponsorship (Josh, Jdg, 1 & 2 Sam, 1 & 2 Kings, etc.)
• Prophetic Books - collections of the oracles or words of God spoken to the people through human intermediaries (prophets) and the symbolic actions they perform at God's direction for the people's benefit (Isa, Jer, Ezek, etc.)
• Psalms/Odes/Songs - poetic lyrics of songs/hymns intended for communal worship and/or individual prayer (Ps)
• Prayers/Laments - words addressed by people to God, esp. reflecting situations of crisis or lament (Lam)
• Proverbs - generalized sayings and aphorisms containing advice on how to live well: "do good and avoid evil" (Prov)
• Wisdom Literature - various types of inspirational stories that encourage people to live wisely (Job, Wis, etc.)
• Apocalypses - symbolic narratives that interpret historical crises through God's eyes to provide hope for a better future (Dan)

Major Genres within the New Testament:

• Gospels - proclamations of the "good news" about Jesus intended to establish and/or strengthen people's faith in him; quasi-biographical, semi-historical portraits of the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus (Mark, Matt, Luke, John)
  • The NT Gospels contain many sub-genres of literature (see below)
• Acts - a partial narrative account about the beginnings and the growth of early Christianity; not a complete history of the early Church, since it focuses only on the actions of a few missionary leaders (Acts)
• Letters - real letters addressing practical and theological issues relevant to particular communities (esp. Paul's)
• Church Orders - collections of instructions for the practical organization of religious communities (1 Tim, Titus)
• Testament - a document that gives a dying person's last wishes and instructions for his/her successors (2 Tim & 2 Peter)
• Homily/Sermon - an exegetical sermon that cites and interprets older biblical texts in reference to Jesus (Heb)
• Wisdom Collection - a collection of general instructions on how to live an ethical Christian life well (James)
• Epistles/Encyclicals - more stylized works in letter format; "circular letters" intended for broader audiences (1 & 2 Peter)
• Apocalypse - a vividly symbolic narrative that "reveals" God's views about a historical crisis, in order to provide encouragement for a difficult present and hope for a better future (Rev)

Smaller Genres and Sub-Genres within the New Testament:

• There are many other smaller genres found within the various biblical books.
• For example, the NT Gospels contain narrative materials, discourse materials, and some mixed genres:
  • Narrative genres include the following:
    • genealogies
    • narrator's introductions, transitions & summary passages
    • miracle stories
    • call & sending stories
    • conflict or controversy stories
    • vision reports
    • legends & myths
    • etc.
  • Discourse genres include the following:
    • parables & allegories
    • hymns & prayers
    • laws & legal interpretations
    • short exhortations: individual sayings or proverbs
    • longer speeches: discourses or monologues
    • etc.
  • Mixed genres include
    • longer narratives that contain extended dialogues
    • "pronouncement stories" or "apothegms" (short narratives that climax in a short saying or proverb)
• Many of these sub-genres can also be further sub-divided; for example:
  • "Miracle stories" can include healings, exorcisms, restoration miracles, nature miracles, etc.
  • "Psalms" include enthronement psalms, processional songs, individual laments, hymns of praise, etc.
  • "Sayings" include legal sayings, eschatological sayings, prophetic sayings, wisdom sayings, "I am" statements, etc.
• The above lists are not comprehensive, but include only the more prominent categories of biblical literature.

So, pretty much something for everyone no matter what their taste (though, to be honest, most of the good sex and violence is located in the Annals). So the next time you’re in the mood for something specific, don’t rule out the Bible. It’s got you covered.

84th Academy Awards Winners

Winners are in *Blue.

--//--
2/20
Yes is true, I got really upset and disgusted with these nominations (LOL!) but as the awards ceremony is next Sunday I better fix the post to keep it “clean” in the database. This year will go into my cinema history as the year that Academy members had no clear idea of what to do as only thinking that their minds got cloudy makes me feel a bit at ease or ease enough to write the proper post. Sigh.

To check the list at the official site go here.

Best Picture
*The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Alexander Payne
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Stephen Daldry
The Help, Tate Taylor
Hugo, Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
Moneyball, Bennett Miller
The Tree of Life, Terrence Malick
War Horse, Steven Spielberg

Animated Feature Film
Une vie de chat (A Cat in Paris), Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli, France, Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium
Chico & Rita, Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal and Tono Errando, Spain and UK
Kung Fu Panda 2, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, USA
Puss in Boots, Chris Miller, USA
*Rango, Gore Verbinski, USA

Foreign Language Film
Rundskop (Bullhead), Michaël R. Roskam, Belgium
הערת שוליים (Footnote), Joseph Cedar, Israel
W ciemności (In Darkness), Agnieszka Holland, Poland
Monsieur Lazhar, Philippe Falardeau, Canada
جدایی نادر از سیمین* Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (Nader and Simin, A Separation), Asghar Farhadi, Iran

Directing
*Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Martin Scorsese for Hugo
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life

Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis in The Help
Rooney Mara in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
*Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn

Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in The Artist
Jessica Chastain in The Help
Melissa McCarthy in Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer in Albert Nobbs
*Octavia Spencer in The Help

Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir in A Better Life
George Clooney in The Descendants
*Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Gary Oldman in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt in Moneyball

Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh in My Week with Marilyn
Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Nick Nolte in Warrior
*Christopher Plummer in Beginners
Max von Sydow in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Cinematography
The Artist, Guillaume Schiffman
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jeff Cronenweth
*Hugo, Robert Richardson
The Tree of Life, Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse, Janusz Kaminski

Writing Adapted Screenplay
*The Descendants, Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash
Hugo, John Logan
The Ides of March, George Clooney , Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
Moneyball, Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan

Writing Original Screenplay
The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
Bridesmaids, Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
Margin Call, J.C. Chandor
*Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen
A Separation, Asghar Farhadi

Film Editing
The Artist, Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants, Kevin Tent
*The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
Hugo, Thelma Schoonmaker
Moneyball, Christopher Tellefsen

Art Direction
The Artist; Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2; Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
*Hugo; Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
Midnight in Paris; Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
War Horse; Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
*Hugo, Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
Real Steel, Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Sound Editing
Drive, Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Ren Klyce
*Hugo, Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
War Horse, Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
*Hugo,Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
Moneyball, Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
War Horse, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Costume Design
Anonymous, Lisy Christl
*The Artist, Mark Bridges
Hugo, Sandy Powell
Jane Eyre, Michael O'Connor
W.E., Arianne Phillips

Makeup
Albert Nobbs, Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
*The Iron Lady, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music - Original Score
The Adventures of Tintin, John Williams
*The Artist, Ludovic Bource
Hugo, Howard Shore
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Alberto Iglesias
War Horse, John Williams

Music - Original Song
*Man or Muppet from The Muppets, Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
Real in Rio from Rio, Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Documentary
Hell and Back Again, Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner, USA, UK, Afghanistan
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front, Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman, USA and UK
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, USA
Pina, Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel, Germany, France and UK
*Undefeated, TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas, USA

Short Film Live Action
Pentecost, Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane, Ireland
Raju, Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren, Germany and India
*The Shore, Terry George and Oorlagh George, UK
Time Freak, Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey, USA
Tuba Atlantic, Hallvar Witzø, Norwegian

Short Film Animated
Dimanche (Sunday), Patrick Doyon, Canada
*The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, USA
La Luna, Enrico Casarosa, USA
A Morning Stroll, Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe, UK
Wild Life, Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, Canada

Short Film Documentary
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin, USA
God Is the Bigger Elvis, Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson, USA
Incident in New Baghdad, James Spione, USA
*Saving Face, Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, USA and Pakistan
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen, UK and Japan

Actress is the only category that I really care and this year got really messed with a nominee that truly doesn’t belong there considering not only her performance but also comparing her performance with the likes of Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin, Charlize Theron in Young Adult, and even Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene. But most important for me is that IF Academy members would have seen Noomi Rapace in the original Män som hatar kvinnor they will never even consider Mara performance as near to what Lisbeth Salander should be and is in the screen. Sigh. Still I know that there are two actresses with possibilities Viola Davis and Meryl Streep; wish Davis wins as even when Streep performance is very good she should not get an award for such a bad movie that not even her great performance can save. I really disliked The Iron Lady.

I know that everyone is expecting The Artist to win and according to the multiple honors that have already collected around the world, it would not be a surprise if a French film wins the top award. Yesterday the film won a Goya and I was laughing hard when Spanish people twitted about Spain giving an award to a French film when France is their enemy; I know is not really funny but at least the Spaniards, the British admit is a French movie while the Americans tend to “believe” is an American movie just because Weistein has the distribution rights and does great movie marketing. Sigh. The other movie that maybe has a change is The Descendants and to be honest I believe this movie gives viewers a better cinematic experience than The Artist.

Two pieces of fun Oscar trivia.

Ms. Streep’s nomination cemented her position as the most-nominated actor in Academy Awards history, with 17 nominations — far more than the next-most nominated, Jack Nicholson and Katharine Hepburn, with 12 each. Ms. Streep last won an Oscar in 1983, for best actress for “Sophie’s Choice,” and she was previously best supporting actress in 1980, for “Kramer vs. Kramer.”

Kenneth Branagh is the first actor to be nominated for five Oscars in five different categories, as pointed out by Mark Harris. Branagh's been nominated for Best Director (Henry V), Best Leading Actor (Henry V), Best Live-Action Short Film (1992's Swan Song), Best Adapted Screenplay (Hamlet), and now Best Supporting Actor for My Week With Marilyn.

Last, one piece about remakes that I regret that filmmakers try to improve on what Selznick knew since the late thirties. Sigh

In 1936 the Hollywood mogul David O Selznick bought the Swedish movie Intermezzo, signed up its star Ingrid Bergman and remade it in 1939 under the same title with Bergman repeating her original role in an otherwise British and American cast. During pre-production he sent a three-page memo to his chief producer about such adaptations. "I want to impress on you strongly," he wrote, "that the most important saving to be effected in remaking foreign pictures – a saving that more than offsets the doubtful foreign markets that have been used up by the original version, and that makes these remakes uniquely desirable – is in the shooting, by actually duplicating, as far as possible, the [earlier] film." And he added: "Granted a good cast, direction as good as Molander's on the original, a somewhat faster tempo than his, for I think the pace is much too slow for an Anglo-Saxon audience, and some cuts – we can duplicate the picture."

Oscar

We're about five to six hours away from the bi-annual spectacle of Hollywood lavishing an embarassing amount of praise onto a Harvey Weinstein pickup that nobody will care about within a month. I'm thinking I'll live-tweet the Oscars this year (unless circumstances don't permit it) so if you're not already following my Twitter @the_moviebob now would probably be a good time...
I think what annoys me so much about the impending coronation of "The Artist" isn't the film itself - as I've said elsewhere, it's just an inoffensive little ball of feel-good nothing - but that it's not even the best of the nominees at the things it does do: It's not the best paean to Silents, that's "Hugo" (flawed but ambitious beats well-executed mediocrity.) It's not the best harmlessly-silly romantic comedy about The Good Old Days, that's "Midnight in Paris" (which unlike "Artist" also manages to be ABOUT SOMETHING.)

"Moneyball" and "Descendants" are better "Older Gentleman Evaluating Life Choices" movies, "Tree of Life" wrings waaaaay more out of recreating the mid-50s than "Artist" gets out of the 20s... hell, I'd go so far as to say that "War Horse" does a better job channeling John Ford and Walt Disney than "Artist" does channeling it's grab-bag of Silent influences (it also has a more likable Silent Protagonist than Benigni Dujardin, though to be fair that horse wouldn't have been as funny in the OSS movies...) Honestly, the only nominees I can say it's definitively superior to are "The Help" and "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close;" and at least both of those had a touch more ambition to them, conceptually.

Oscar livestream

Will be sharing different livestreams for you to choose and enjoy



Ustream with three channels here

MTV will broadcast red carpet live





Will check this one later.  THIS ONE WORKS HAS ABC Show.

Seems is raining right now check OTRC live streaming...

I'm looking for a feed where NO ONE TALKS!!! That's the one I really like to watch... but surely will find it later (think I bookmarked in the other machine).

Pre-show in Dailymotion

I can't believe is not butter Toast to the Red Carpet live

Pop Sugar

Very Late Oscar (sort of) Predictions

Due to popular demand (LOL) will do some predictions for tonight but we all know that one movie could also sweep the awards which has become sort of annoying and well, yes, boring especially if you’re one of the many people that believe that movie not necessarily deserves all honors that have been collecting. I am one that thinks exactly that.

Don’t get me wrong movie is nice but IF I wanted to enjoy a silent movie there are so many that I can watch that are extremely superior to this year “popular” silent movie, so being silent is not the issue to deserve honors. Then think about performances, not bad in this movie but if I want to watch silent performances –based on expressions- there are SO many that will simply blow mine (and yours) mind, one fast example: think Chaplin. Then think tech specs, well yes in these elements The Artist is obviously superior to any silent movie, dah! So all the honors the movie has been collecting strongly suggest “nostalgia”, honoring “times that are long gone” and probably will never comeback –when cinema was kind of “innocent” and suddenly what started in USA spill its magic into UK and France as both Academies gave top honors to a movie that celebrates “old” Hollywood and tangentially “old world cinema”. Old is good this year in Hollywood and no surprise as just remember the average age of Academy members that vote in these awards or think Billy Crystal.

Well let’s get into looking at my crystal ball. To clarify, will win is what I predict will win; should win, is the one I think should win from nominees, and my vote goes to could come from nominees or any other movie that I believe was relevant in each category.

Best Picture
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Descendants
My Oscar goes to: I think I have not seen it yet… (let’s hope is Le Havre)

Best Animated Feature Film
Will Win: Rango
Should Win: Rango
My Oscar goes to: Un vie de chat (A cat in Paris) which I enjoy so much that seemed quite short in length.

Foreign Language Film
Will Win: A Separation
Should Win: A Separation
My Oscar goes to: Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia) which is the best movie I have seen from past year up to today.

Directing
Will Win: Michel Hazanavicius
Should Win: Michel Hazanavicius – just for daring to do the movie
My Oscar goes to: Nuri Bilge Ceylan for returning to his marverlous style and doing an outstanding masterpiece

Actress in a Leading Role
Will Win: Viola Davis or Meryl Streep
Should Win: Michelle Williams
My Oscar goes to: Michelle Williams for her incredible performance as MM.

Unfortunately the Academy members will not dare to give Michelle Williams the Oscar this year just because she played a “sacred” icon and they will not give anyone a reward for playing a Hollywood icon. But you’ll see that her next good role will mean Oscar for her. Was reading about Rooney Mara nomination by some academy members, their reasoning is that they’re impressed by the “change” Mara went to become Lisbeth and as stated by many, it is OBVIOUS that none of those Academy members have seen Noomi Rapace doing the same role, but ignorance should not excuse their lack of world cinema exposure, sigh. Instead of Mara, great Tilda Swinton should have been nominated, period. I can’t give my Oscar to Meryl Streep as even if she has a good performance in The Iron Lady, she could not save the movie, gosh that was a really bad movie and I hate it.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Octavia Spencer
Should Win: Jessica Chastain for so many good roles in one year that’s truly amazing!
My Oscar goes to: yep, Jessica Chastain especially in Take Shelter but including all her other appearances.

Actor in a Leading Role
Will Win: Jean Dujardin
Should Win: George Clooney (if he’s going to be honored with Oscar then this is the role for which he should get the honor)
My Oscar goes to: as much as I think I could not think about one male performance that particularly impressed me; surprised me, ah! Brad Pitt in Moneyball. See Gosling was really good in Drive but I expect that performance from him, so it’s not surprising.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Will Win: Christopher Plummer
Should Win: believe it or not, the best of the group is Jonah Hill
My Oscar goes to: not Plummer, he was the best in Beginners but his performance is not as good as Hill or Nolte, for example. One that impressed me was Albert Brooks in Drive, and I’m NO Brooks fan, but he was good.

Cinematography
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: NONE of the nominated and especially NOT The Tree of Life as its celebrated Big Bang too long scene looks and feels like MANY I have seen in Natgeo or similar TV channels.
My Oscar goes to: I’m very visual and the movie that gets my Oscar is Bal (Honey) that I know is too old for this year but truly deserves the top honor in the world. Okay this year stays in Turkey with Bir Zamanlar Anadolu’da (Once Upon a Time in Anatolia).

Writing Adapted Screenplay
Will Win: The Descendants
Should Win: The Descendants
My Oscar goes to: The Descendants

Writing Original Screenplay
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: A Separation
My Oscar goes to: A Separation for such a universal story so well developed.

Visual Effects
Will Win: no idea, but surely not the one I like
Should Win: The Planet of the Apes
My Oscar goes to: the outstanding visual effects in The Planet of the Apes that so effectively show amazing ape emotions by facial expressions. Great!

Film Editing
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Descendants or Moneyball

Art Direction
Will Win: no idea (but I predicted Hugo elsewhere)
Should Win: the only movie I have NOT seen Harry Potter

Sound Editing
Will Win: no idea but I predicted Hugo
Should Win: Drive

Sound Mixing
Will Win: no idea but predicted Hugo
Should Win: Transformers maybe? Is the only nominated film where sound is essential part of the movie.

Costume Design
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: Jane Eyre

Makeup
Will Win: The Iron Lady
Should Win: The Iron Lady

Music – Original Score
Will Win: The Artist
Should Win: The Artist (music is very good in this movie)

Music – Original Song
Will Win: The Muppets or Rio (lol!)

Documentary
Will Win: Pina HAS TO WIN!
Should Win: Pina
My Oscar goes to: Pina (absolutely one of the best documentaries I have ever seen)

Short Film Live Action
Will Win: Pentecost
Should Win: The Shore

Short Film Animated
Will Win: La Luna
Should Win: maybe The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Short Film Documentary
Will Win: no idea but let’s hope The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom wins
Should Win: Lucy Walker – she’s such a great filmmaker

So these are my “crazy” predictions for this year where fate says that The Artist could (and will) sweep all the awards in the world including the Oscars… don’t you think that France is really “sorry” for not sending The Artist as their foreign language film? Oops, now I remember that “silence” is not a foreign language for the Academy, lol! But one thing I’m absolutely sure, SILENCE is what many Hollywood films need nowadays.

27th Film Independent Spirit Awards Winners

Following the awards by twitter has become one of the most fascinating activities in this award season as you can really laugh hard with all the things people write; this time I followed #spiritawards and the best tweet just happened a few seconds ago and reads "Complete list of Harvey Weinstein Award winners" (LMAO) Oh Gosh, HW is either loved or hated (more the later) but is so funny all the stuff (industry) people say in twitter about him. No, will not watch tonight as jokes are too gross for me (don't enjoy American humor) so this will be all for me and the Spirit awards. Winners are in *BLUE and will be at official site here soon.

--//--

11/29/2011

A few minutes ago organizers announced the nominees selected from 277 submissions; this annual celebration honors artist-driven films made with an economy of means by filmmakers who embody independence and originality. Here are the nominees.

Best Feature
50/50
Beginners
Drive
Take Shelter
*The Artist
The Descendants

Best Director
*Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Mike Mills for Beginners
Jeff Nichols for Take Shelter
Alexander Payne for The Descendants
Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive

Best First Feature
Another Earth, Mike Cahill
In the Family, Patrick Wang
*Margin Call, J. C. Chandor
Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sean Durkin
Natural Selection, Robbie Pickering

John Cassavetes Award (given to best feature for under US$500,000)
Bellflower, Evan Glodell
Circumstance, Maryam Keshavarz
Hello Lonesome, Adam Reid
*Pariah, Dee Rees
The Dynamiter, Brad Inglesby

Best Female Lead
Lauren Ambrose in Think of Me
Rachael Harris in Natural Selection
Adepero Oduye in Pariah
Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene
*Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn

Best Male Lead
Demián Bichir in A Better Life
*Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Ryan Gosling in Drive
Woody Harrelson in Rampart
Michael Shannon in Take Shelter

Best Supporting Female
Jessica Chastain in Take Shelter
Anjelica Huston in 50/50
Janet McTeer Albert Nobbs
Harmony Santana in Gun Hill Road
*Shailene Woodley in The Descendats

Best Supporting Male
Albert Brooks in Drive
John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene
*Christopher Plummer in Beginners
John C. Reilly in Cedar Rapids
Corey Stoll in Midnight in Paris

Best Screenplay
Joseph Cedar for Footnote
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist
Tom McCarthy for Win Win
Mike Millsfor Beginners
*Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash for The Descendants

Best First Screenplay
Mike Cahill, Brit Marling for Another Earth
J.C. Chandor for Margin Call
Patrick deWitt for Terri
Phil Johnston for Cedar Rapids
*Will Reiser for 50/50

Best Cinematography
Joel Hodge for Bellflower
Benjamin Kasulke for The Off Hours
Darius Khondji for Midnight in Paris
*Guillaume Schiffman for The Artist
Jeffrey Waldron for The Dynamiter

Best Documentary
An African Election, Jarreth Merz
Bill Cunningham New York, Richard Press
*The Interrupters, Steve James
The Redemption of General Butt Naked, Eric Strauss and Danielle Anastation
We Were Here, David Weissman

Best International Film
*A Separation, Asghar Farhadi, Iran
Melancholia, Lars von Trier, Denmark, Sweden, France and Germany
Shame, Steve McQueen, UK
The Kid With a Bike, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgium, France and Italy
Tyrannosaur, Paddy Considine, UK

To check the official announcement go here and to check nominees in all categories download file at the bottom of announcement. As a summary, leading the pack Take Shelter and The Artist with 5 nominations each; Fox Searchlight takes 14 nods followed by Sony Pictures Classics with 9.

My biggest surprise is Glenn Close NOT being nominated for Best Actress, which makes me wonder IF she’ll make it to an Oscar nod; still Janet McTeer got a nomination for a supporting role. A lot less surprising as Hollywood does not really “like” Woody Allen is the absence of top nominations for Midnight in Paris as film gets nods for cinematography and best supporting male. Last, I’m VERY surprised that Malick’s latest got no nominations at all, but as I’ve been saying, I didn’t enjoyed much his latest movie; still is very surprising that NY did nominate film while LA did not. Okay also not nominated, George Clooney but somehow I’m glad as gives opportunity to more interesting actors to be nominated.

There are several –if we compare nominees to previous years- Cannes films in this year Spirit nominations starting with a French movie (ok, has some USA producers) The Artist, followed by Drive, Hearat Shulayim (Footnote) and Take Shelter; plus four more in the Best International Film category. As we know Cannes credentials mean a lot in the cinema world, with the exception of the American industry, so believe that this credential doesn’t assure much in American Indies awards.

Most interesting for me are the nominees in the John Cassavetes Award as there are two lesbian interest films that have become notorious not only because story/performances but also for "unexpected" quality that seldom populates the genre. Circumstance is must be seen for me as story, performances, situation, cinematography, and more seem to be quite out-of-the-ordinary and let's hope gets this honor.

Awards ceremony will be on February 25, 2012 as a daytime luncheon in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica and the premiere broadcast will air later that evening at 10:00pm ET/PT on IFC.

Oscar Poll

Which movie will win Best Picture?


Which movie will win Best Foreign Language Film?

Escape to the Movies: "Act of Valor"

I liked it.
"Intermission" sez The Oscar Are Going To Suck.

The Escapist : Escape to the Movies : Act of Valor

37th César Awards Winners

Award ceremony was not much entertaining as I really don’t like French humor but I did laugh a few times, enjoyed each time Kate Winslet was on stage, and simply loved Annie Girardot homage that made me recall movies that maybe I should revisit again. As we know the big winner is The Artist that won many awards but in general, awards were dispersed and given to several films including Angèle et Tony that had 100% effectiveness as got 2 nods and won 2 awards.

To check winners in all categories go here.

Best Film: The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius
Best First Film: Le cochon de Gaza (When Pigs Have Wings), Sylvain Estibal
Best Animated Film: Le Chat du Rabbin (The Rabbi’s Cat), Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux
Best Foreign Film: Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (Nader and Simin, A Separation), Asghar Farhadi

Best Director: Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist

Best Actress: Bérénice Bejo in The Artist
Best Supporting Actress: Carmen Maura in Les Femmes du 6e étage (The Women on the 6th Floor)
Best Female Newcomer: (tie)
Naidra Ayadi in Polisse, Maïwenn
Clotilde Hesme in Angèle et Tony

Best Actor: Omar Sy in Intouchables (Untouchable)
Best Actor Supporting Actor: Michel Blanc in L'exercice de l'Etat
Best Male Newcomer: Grégory Gadebois in Angèle et Tony

Best Writing Original Screenplay: Pierre Schoeller, L’Exercice de l’Etat
Best Writing Adapted Screenplay: Yasmina Rez et Roman Polanski, Carnage
Best Cinematography: Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist
Best Editing: Laure Gardette and Yann Dedet, Polisse
Best Original Music: Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Best Sound: Olivier Hespel, Julie Brenta and Jean-Pierre Laforce, L'exercice de l'Etat
Best Costumes: Anaïs Romand, L'Apollonide, souvenirs de la maison close
Best Production Design: Laurence Bennet, The Artist

Best Documentary: Tous au Larzac, Christian Rouaud
Best Short Film: L'accordeur, Olivier Treiner

List has only winners as this year I'm lucky enough to have seen almost all honored films; with a few exceptions, Cesar films are Cannes movies thus must be seen for me.

Takedown

Lawrence O'Donnell doesn't rate among my favorite MSNBC personalities - he's kind of sanctimonious and a scold, and doesn't really "fit" super-well with the "Poly-Sci Debate Club Running The Asylum" vibe the network has been building for itself ever since Rachel Maddow replaced Olberman as the star attraction. Not as bad as Sharpton, though. (And now you know what Bob's editing-background-noise is.)

But, credit where it's due, O'Donnell's Thursday night piece-by-piece dismantling of Internet obsession Ron Paul's bogus "libertarian" credentials was delightfully necessary:



Aaaaaaand there's an "American Bob" I no longer need to write. Good show.

Of course, since it's coming from MSNBC - clearly a tool of the Illuminati/Trilateral-Commission/Bilderberg/Bohemian-Grove/Zionist/Reptilian Globalist-Conspiracy if ever there was one! - Paul's followers will merely pack on another layer of foil and disregard it out of hand. Well said, though.

Greenberg

Sacrificial Lamb

I liked how my off-the-cuff comment to this Jeff Wells' thread about a potential Rick Santorum presidential candidacy being a sign that the GOP is essentially conceding the 2012 election to Obama (re: let the "true believer" with no real shot run and lose, regroup for the likely-open spot in 2016, tell the religious-right to please stand-down and zip-it for a change because "their guy" so clearly failed last time) so I'm reposting here. Slow news day:

"The thing is, The GOP isn't REALLY as "split" on this stuff as it sometimes seems. Social-conservatism doesn't fit with The Right's professed ideal of anti-nanny-state "rugged individualism;" but the actual percentage of the "movement" - especially at the power-brokering level - that buys into it is tiny, and most of THEM are younger people and loner types.


By and large, it's a movement chiefly of old white moneyed men (and those whose fortunes are tied in with the same) who prize economic liberty (re: "The Free Market") above all else because it's best for their business interests; and whether or not they "believe" in social-con ideals they SUPPORT them as policy because it's also good for business: enforcing "live clean, marry young, move to burbs, pump out brats" as the ONE "good" standard of living is tailor-made to produce a booming population of prefab consumers; while social-liberalism doesn't, at least not quite as effectively.


It's also the case that even the ones who DO subscribe to some malformed version of Objectivism/Libertarianism only really see it in their own terms: The "Cowboy" ideal - emphasis on BOY: They're all about the INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM!!! of adult white men to drive whatever car they want, build whatever size house they want, shoot whatever animal they want, etc... but that same freedom can't POSSIBLY be extended to, say, WOMEN. Absurd! If women had the same level of Individual Freedom they did, who would stay at home and keep up the house so they'll have TIME to go live the Cowboy Ideal!? If women were as free to not have children as men are, who will pump out the kids needed to replenish my menial-labor staff and consumer base!?"

Had it slipped into my mind at the time, I might've added my own emerging calculation that the entirety of humanity would improve immeasurably if we were all having a lot more sex (or whatever fires your engine, really) but a lot fewer children.

Bile

I didn't like "American Pie" when I was of the exact age it was supposed to be relevent to me - but then, high-school movies aren't actually for High Schoolers but for grade-schoolers who fantasize about being High Schoolers so... whatever. I'm 31, I'm sure there are 20-and-under folks with really fond, life-changing memories of these movies. At least, that's what this "American Reunion" trailer is banking on...

Y'know, my problem with this isn't that the original was only 13 years ago. My problem is that the THIRD movie - which was also about them all being adults wistful about their high-school days - was barely NINE years ago.

Also, I've got to ask... these movies are largely being made by people much older than the characters themselves; but am I the only one who notices how incongruous the whole "mid-30s adulthood grind" thing mus feel compared to what seems to be the REAL situations of the generation that graduated when these kids are supposed to have? I mean, did no one writing this look at the current economy, demographic studies, the THOUSANDS of books written about "Boomerang Kids" etc and pick up that Generation Y is by-and-large NOT at the "world wear rat-race" point that they (the writers/producers) may have been? I mean, Jim is married, has kids and a house of his own in his mid-30s!? Dear lord, what's he got to be weary about - compared to the rest of his generation his fucking SUPERMAN!!!"

Sanctum

LIFE’S LIKE A MOVIE: INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE

ADVANCED WARNING: SKIP READING THIS POST IF YOU DON’T WANT TO LISTEN TO ME INDULGE IN A BUNCH OF NAVEL GAZING. BUT IT DOES HAVE A POINT. I HOPE.

I doubt if too many people reading this blog don’t already know the plot of Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. Just in case, though, let’s summarize. The story kicks off after everyone’s favorite adventuring archeologist receives his father’s diary under mysterious circumstances. Following the clues contained in the book, Indiana manages to track down his missing dad and the two are soon involved in a series of adventures which ultimately leads them to the final resting place of the Holy Grail. The action scenes are great as usual and the interplay between the Jones’ is a blast, especially since the elder Jones approves of very little of his son’s actions, especially his choice to use the alias Indiana instead of his given name.

Now I’d love to say this post was about to segue into describing how I was preparing to embark on a series of globetrotting adventures involving ancient religious relics but, alas, that’s not the case. Instead, the only reason this movie came to mind recently was because of one thing…

Yep, the diary Indiana receives that once belonged to his father. Sorry, no Nazis, no zeppelins, no mystical knights still alive since the days of the Crusades. Just the book.

But to explain why I’ve had that on my mind, I’ll have to give you a little boring background on myself. See, I’ve made no big secret that there were times in my past when I wasn’t exactly living the Christian life, but I have managed to spare everyone all the messy details. And I’m not about to get too deep into them now. But I will say that many years ago I was involved in a relationship that I was way too immature to be in, and that it ended badly, especially for the girl. Don’t get me wrong, I was never violent or anything like that (I’d eat a bullet before I hit a woman), but I was a completely self-absorbed teenager oblivious to how my actions harmed others. I don’t want to say too much more, only that for a long time after that relationship was over, the poor girl still pursued me, even after I’d begun dating my future wife. I won’t say she was a stalker, because that’s too harsh and implies danger. Let’s just say she was obsessive, and because of that, I had to keep a low profile for awhile. So as you might imagine, when I started interacting on the Internet, I was very careful about handing out personal details, never stating exactly where I lived and almost always using aliases. It’s a practice I continued even after I thought it unnecessary because, not only did it give my wife peace of mind, but aliases on the Net can take on a life of their own. Take EegahInc for example. More than once I’ve left a comment on someone else’s blog only to get the response, “Hey, it’s the B-Movie Catechism guy!”

So when I was recently approached by a Catholic website that wanted to feature some of my writing, I had to give it a little thought because it would mean using my real name. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. And that was when my mother called and said she was mailing me this…

Back in 1984, a few years after my family had left its decadent days behind it and started going to church, my father was looking for something to carry in his shirt pocket to replace the ever-present pack of cigarettes he was giving up. So for Father’s day, I bought him this. Honestly, I never gave it another thought, but according to my mother, he carried this little book with him every day until he died some 18 years later, often bringing it out to discuss the wondrous things Jesus had done for him whenever the opportunity presented itself. I was never as close to my father as my older brothers were, so the fact that he kept something I gave him on his person at all times is a bit… overwhelming.

But to get to the point, on the night he entered the hospital for the final time, this pocket testament went missing. My mother figures it just got misplaced in the rush to try and save him, and in the days following his death, nobody really gave it any thought. That was ten years ago. A couple of weeks ago, there was a knock on the door at my mother’s house and there stood a man who used to do yard work for my father after he got too ill to do it himself. He explained how he had been having a conversation with a woman when she asked him if he still knew how to find my mother. You see, she had come into possession of something she thought my mother might want and asked him if he would deliver it. And so ten years after it disappeared, this little book of my father’s, dirty and much the worse for wear and having passed through who knows whose hands, had found its way home. And after holding it and crying over it for hours, my mother finally got up and called me, saying she couldn’t explain why, but she knew God wanted me to have it.

I’ve got it next to me right now. It’s just one of those little pocket King James New Testaments with Psalms that you can pick up anywhere. No big deal. But thumbing through it, I can’t help but notice the verses my father had highlighted, most of which I assumed he would use to share the story of his conversion. But then I ran across these from II Timothy 2: “And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all [men], apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.” I had to think about those verses for a minute, because those aren’t ones you’d read to a non-believer. Those verses are speaking to someone who has already accepted Christ, instructing them to be gentle and respectful with non-believers when we evangelize.

And we are supposed to evangelize, through our words, our deeds, and the way we carry ourselves during our day to day lives. But given the no-longer-hidden war on religion which has begun in earnest, a lot of us are going to have be a little more public with our faith than we have been in the past. Now more than ever, it’s important that the world see our faces. Oh, there’ll be much derision, sure. And probably some outright hatred. But it will all be to the greater glory of God in the end. And that’s why my father highlighted those verses, not for others but for himself, for when he faced times like these when evangelization isn’t all that appreciated. And, just maybe, for me to find all these years later right when I needed to. Thank you, daddy.

And with that, I have only one other thing to say…

Hi, my name is David Ives. I’m a Christian. And God has done great things for me, even though in my days I’ve been mean and selfish and hurt others who in no way deserved it. He brought me out of that. That’s just how much He loves me. And He loves you just the same. I’d be happy to talk to you about it sometime if you want.

My Week with Marilyn

I never met Norma Jeane Mortenson or as the myth says, the one character she became when there was a camera in front of her. I have seen all her movies, including the very last one when I was a kid and was not supposed to be in the theater as movie was for adults only; but I was there. I probably had a crush as I couldn’t understand how in the big screen there was someone so beautiful. Suddenly I stopped watching her movies and she became a souvenir as many I have inside my brain. That’s it until I saw this movie.

I am impressed as saw Marilyn Monroe, not the actress, not Norma Jeane, but a Marilyn that surely is fictitious but so credible, so Marilyn that makes you feel for her and her particular troubles while filming the movie with none other than great Lawrence Olivier as this is also a movie about a movie with a few (nice) distractions about the life of young Colin Clark in his first ever film related job.

After watching The Iron Lady and hating the film I was really concern as this one is also a BBC production that many have spoken not nicely about it. Well, let me say that film is normal, what I can call a regular BBC production BUT film becomes mesmerizing, intriguing, emotional, puzzling because the beyond extraordinary performance by Michelle Williams. Williams is SO good that she has my vote for Oscar as her performance and portrait is by far the best of all nominated actresses. I know Marilyn is a Hollywood icon and the conservative Academy members will not dare to give Williams the Oscar for portraying Marilyn; but she will get it for this role and many more that she will do in the future, I know.

I assure you that if you have no expectations and you know Marilyn from her movies you have to enjoy this simple (not-complex), direct (not-layered), story about a young man that “helped” her to overcome the rejection she felt from Lawrence Olivier, who insisted she acted just like him, while she acted just like her and both had very different styles.

I do recommend the movie but I have seen many BBC productions so I’m very familiar with their particular “seal” or style and this movie doesn’t escape from it, which I believe is not bad (au contraire is good) is just that is not a flashy production even when tells about a very flashy American actress. Have to praise performances by great Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Emma Watson, Toby Jones and most of all Kenneth Branagh that also did a credible (yet surely fictitious) Lawrence Olivier.

Watch movie, don’t skip it, it’s worth watching for the awesome Michelle Williams performance, truly spectacular. Bravo Ms Williams.

Big Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC