25 April 2008

"Did Colonel Carl Jenkins just steal my car?"

wide:

Baby Mama: Original

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay: Not original

Deception: Original

limited:

Deal: Original

Rogue: Original

Then She Found Me: Not Original

Bomb It: Original

Roman de Gare: Not Original

Standard Operating Procedure: Original

The City of Your Final Destination: Not Original

Without the King: Original

the score:

week: 7-4
year: 100-45

wide:

week: 2-1
year: 29-25

note: the bad news is that my job editing html all day makes me really not want to work on this thing. The good news, however, is that I've been fired, so next week I should be a lot more entertaining.

18 April 2008

"Oh wow! This orange is delicious. It is literally to die for." -man enjoying a free sample who does not know what "literal" means.

wide:

88 Minutes: Al Pacino is the pits. Original

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Based on the tragic dating history of the screenwriter. Like every romantic comedy. Original

The Forbidden Kingdom: Based on the legend of the Monkey King. Not original

limited:

Expelled No Intelligence Allowed: Ben Stein is allowed... what does that tell you? Original

Anamorph: Wasn't this a saturday morning cartoon? No? I'll be damned. Original

First Saturday in May: If you can just remember that this documentary is about the Kentucky Derby then you can remember when the Kentucky Derby happens. Very helpful. Original

Kiss the Bride: Or don't because you are not attracted to her because you are coming to grips with being a gay man in a romantic comedy of the gay type. Original

Life Before Her Eyes: school shooting survival guilt. Not original

Pathology: With the "commit the perfect murder" dare, another game of truth or dare goes too far. Or something. Original

Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden: Finally, we got Morgan Spurlock on the case! Your ass is grass, Osama. Original

Zombie Strippers: need I say more? Based on the Booker nominated novel by A.S. Byatt. Original

the score:

week: 9-2
year: 100-41

wide:

week: 2-1
year: 27-24

11 April 2008

"Oh man, those first 400 bites of dirt were not so good. Maybe the next one will be better."

wide:

Prom Night: "I heard prom night was the bomb night with a hoodrat you can squeeze tight." "Alas, Skee-Lo, you were misinformed." Not original

Street Kings: The widest release this year to feature so many fake named people. Cedric the Entertainer, The Game, Common, and some ass who calls himself Keanu, I assume having adopted and misspelled the name of his favorite Mortal Kombat character. Not original

Smart People: Based on the prominent mustacio of Thomas Hayden Church in the previews, I am forced to assume that this film was financed by the mustache lobby to change the mustache's image from child molesters, villains, and the monopoly guy to "smart people." Original

limited:

Bra Boys: Think "s'up, bra," not "boy, I sure like wearing slinky bras." Documentary about, get this, a notorious surf gang. Australia is living Point Break. Original

Dark Matter: Dissertation gets passed over for Nobel, dissertation author kills. Based on a true story (?!) from University of Iowa. Not original

Dhamma Brothers: Alabama prison plus ancient meditation program equals irresistible documentary topic. I don't blame you, Andrew Kukura, Jenny Philips, and Anne Marie Stein. Original

A Four Letter Word: I cannot compete with this IMDB summary: "When Luke enters the gay bar flanked by his sidekicks, he doesn't know that he is about to meet his match-in hot macho man Stephen." Original

Never Forever: Couple can't have child, so naturally the wife decides to have a hot naked affair with a migrant worker. Original

Super High Me: With a title that creative, is it any wonder that the movie is about a guy smoking a lot of pot? Original

The Visitor: Spoiler: the visitor is the guy who lives there. Original

Young and Restless in China: either a documentary about young people in China or a documentary about the hopefully-real Chinese version of the similarly titled soap. Original

Young @ Heart: I hate the title of this movie so much that I want to destroy it. How's this, old people in the movie singing U2's "One" in a triumphant acapella old person unity moment, "One" is about a transvestite with HIV confessing to his alienated and hateful father! Bam, how're those conservative Christian morals now! Original

the score:

week: 9-3
year: 91-39

wide:

week: 1-2
year: 25-23

4 April 2008

"Sweetie! Isn't that the guy from Depeche Mode?"
"No way, where? Oh, holy crap, he's with a girl!"
"Oh yeah, that guy's totally straight. I saw a whole thing about him on the VH-1. "
"But he's the guy from Depeche Mode! That's impossible!"

wide:

Leatherheads: How can George Clooney get away with playing a football player? By making a football movie set in the primordial past. Renee Zellweger plays a stegosaurus. Original

Nim's Island: Movie about a novel and a novelist and a little girl based on a novel by a novelist who is not the same as the novelist in the movie. Think Jumanji. Not original

The Ruins: Another in a long string of anti-spelunking films. Hollywood hates caves! Not orignal

limited:

Shine a Light: Because We Were Just Kidding About That Last Waltz Being the Last One is a terrible title. Scorsese becomes the second person to shoot the ridiculous flouncing of Keith Richards in as many years. Original

Flight of the Red Balloon: Yep, it's that movie. Again. Not Original

Grizzly Park: Fake named writer/director Thomas Skull does some typical horror. Original

Meet Bill: Aaron Eckhart wears a suit. Original

My Blueberry Nights: Wong Kar Wai directs an English language picture. Original

Sex and Death 101: The writer/director and Actress from Heathers reunite. "You like a sex crime?" - Borat. Original


the score:

week: 6-3
year: 82-36

wide:

week: 1-2
year: 24-21

If for no other reason,

I support Hillary for this.





MUSIC: maps and atlases: the ongoing horrible

28 March 2008

"Business is booming. Business of givin' you the business..."

wide:

Stop-Loss: The main character's name is (a) Private Khan, (b) Major Caesar, (c) Lieutenant Pharaoh, (d) Sergeant King, (e) Captain Lord, (f) Admiral President? Original

Run, Fat Boy, Run: We switched Simon Pegg's long time filmmaking partner Edgar Wright with delicious Folgers Crystals. Let's see if he notices. Original

Superhero Movie: goddammit. Not original

21: Blackjack, sure, but it's also the drinking age. Coincidence, I think not. Not original

limited:

The Cool School: Documentary about the LA art scene (<--most pretentious sentence ever). Original

My Brother is an Only Child: Hopefully not because I am a ghost. Not original

Aleksandra: Sokurov! Original

American Zombie: A movie about zombies living in LA seems like it shouldn't be considered Original

Chapter 27: Mark David Chapman. Not original

Who's Your Monkey: Also known as "Throwing Stars." Tagline: "Don't stop 'till you drop." Your guess = good as mine. Original, I guess

Flow: For Love of Water: documentary. original

Shotgun Stories: Three feuding brothers who are apparently named Son Hayes, Kid Hayes, and Boy Hayes. I wish I were kidding. Original

the score:

week: 7-5
year: 76-33

wide:

week: 2-2
year: 23-19

note: The wide release pictures have gotten through another month without being mostly unoriginal. Can they survive April?

(answer to Stop-Loss quiz: D)

terrible movie idea

Henry Rollins and Noam Chomsky in a small room with a list of complicated topics to discuss. Consider using boi-oing spring sound effect every time some one says something really simple and obvious as though it is an astounding revelation.

Consider splicing in comments from Weird Al or Alice Cooper.

Alternative to spring noise: pop-up text. Example:

NOAM CHOMSKY

When people wash their hands with antibacterial hand soap, they are destroying skin cells that could, at some point, be used to create a human being, but there are no pro-life protests when I wash my hands--

(pop-up: This is true. There are also no pro-choice advocates who favor Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal as a practical solution to overpopulation.)


NOAM CHOMSKY (cont'd)
--so clearly the answer lies somewhere between washing my hands and killing kindergarteners.

MUSIC: tom waits: big joe and phantom309

Note: the above Chomsky line is paraphrased from the documentary Lake of Fire. I am certain that statement about the crux of the abortion issue lying between hand washing and killing children is accurate (and stupid), though I believe he actually called the children in his example three-year-olds.

21 March 2008

Romans go home!

wide:

Drillbit Taylor: Having seen Superbad, there is a strong temptation to declare this one unoriginal. Finally, a Judd Apatow movie that everyone else also thinks is unfunny. Original

Shutter: I don't remember if the spooky, dark-haired, ethereal little girls were actually present in the previews for Shutter or if I just got it mixed up with the dozens of Japanese horror remakes of the last ten years. The curveball here? This is a Thai horror remake. The not-curveball here? It sucks. Not original

Meet the Browns: Tyler Perry's latest movie strikes me, on the surface at least, as no less unoriginal than Drillbit Taylor, but this picture uses characters introduced in other Perry movies or plays. Seth Rogen's latest, on the other hand, just has characters that are pretty much the same as characters introduced in the other Rogen movie. Therefore, Rogen gets originaled and Perry gets Not original.

limited:

Planet B-Boy: Documentary about break dancing all over the world. Features many very premium dancers. Original

Irina Palm: A woman is forced to degrade and humiliate herself in order to help her grandchild. The bleakness is ramped up and the cruelty to fellow humans is exaggerated beyond reality. Behavior becomes a caricature and everything is terrible. Twist: not Lars von Trier related. Original

Love Songs: Musical interpretation of lovers in Paris. This is all I know. Original

Boarding Gate: I had more fun writing this when I had Michael Madsen confused with James Marsden. Despite the superior work of the former, though, this apparently sucks. Original

Fade: The synopsis reads like that Stephen King movie Thinner where a gypsy curse essentially gives a guy tapeworms to death, except with sleepiness. Some guy on IMDB thinks it's pretty hot stuff, though. (note: several guys on IMDB think Bar Starz is hot stuff, too). Original

Under the Same Moon: The story of a young Mexican boy crossing the border to join his mother in America. Original

the score:

week: 7-2
year: 69-28

wide:

week: 1-2
year: 21-17

Talent 6

I just did a general search on an internet job board for anything with the keyword "editor." The vast majority of the results so far have been from a company called Talent 6.

First point - Talent 6 seems to be looking for people to be film extras. This relates to the keyword "editor" somehow?

Second point - Talent 6 is posting one of two different ads all over the country. Call me crazy, but I doubt the $300 a day promise holds up very often in Cicero Illinois, Valdosta Georgia, or Anchorage Alaska.

I imagine I have more experience than most people my age at looking at internet job boards. I spent nearly four months looking for work after graduation, and during that time I got exactly one interview. I was offered a position working the night shift behind a hotel desk. It was a 30 minute drive from my house (my parents' house), it ran from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., it paid 8 dollars an hour, it offered no benefits, and one of the questions I was asked at my interview was "how do you feel about plunging toilets?"

I turned that one down and spent another month on the job boards, scouring. I posted a sort of open cover letter on Craigslist in about 45 different towns, and someone in Cincinnati read it. I was offered a job a little under four months from graduating - a six month contract.

I was looking for what was coming next before I was two months in. I liked the work well enough, but I was alone and miserable in Ohio. When I left they gave me some freelance work because they liked me and I liked them, but it didn't last. I spent four months before that job, and four months during that job looking for work.

I had two months of freelance work and after that I was one year out of graduation with eight months of experience, no prospects, and ten months of playing the job boards. I thought I had a job in sunny California, but that evaporated. My lady and I moved in with my brother to save some money, and I got unemployment.

Since September I have been steadily searching. Resume's updated, cover letters crafted meticulously, contacts made and feelers stretched out.

I had my very first interview this morning.

This one is for a temporary contract position scoring student writing tests. I have been led to understand that, should I pass muster, I might be able to get 6 weeks of work between now and June at the rate of $350 or so a week, gross. Did I mention this position requires a college degree? It's sort of a grad student and retiree gig, and it is the only interview I've had since October of 2006.

I haven't been picky, either. I applied to Borders and Harris Teeter and Barnes and Noble. I know the economy is laughably bad right now, but this is just absurd.

So if you have any leads, you know... I'm all ears.

MUSIC: guided by voices: little whirl

14 March 2008

"If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominoes should fall like a house of cards. Checkmate."

wide:

Horton Hears a Who: Watch your back Disney, the shittying-up-classic-children's-stories-with-animation-and-lame-contemporary-jokes industry is getting more and more crowded. Not original

Never Back Down: Djimon Hounsou, why? I hate to say that combining Fight Club and The Karate Kid makes a movie that's original, but there you are. Original

Doomsday: In the latest in the 28 (somethings) later series, years have passed and London has been forced to completely wall itself off from the hordes outside. After the zombies die off, the wall remains between the civilized city and the chaotic world of the survivors, who have developed an immunity to the disease as well as an anarchic Beyond Thunderdome-esque society. In an effort to judge the safety of the outside world many years after the Rage Virus has petered out as well as to retrieve, let's say, the notes of a pathologist who carefully documented her own infection and resistance, some broad in a bitchin' Camero has to venture beyond the wall. With her is a team of gun toting guards with 'tudes and possibly 'staches, one of whom has been ordered to make sure that, should any trace of the virus remain, none of them return. Wait, what? That's not necessarily the actual plot? And it's not a sequel? Or a remake? Or a car commercial? You've gotta be kidding me. Original

limited:

War Made Easy: "Learn history. Then change it." Documentary. Original

Heartbeat Detector: Based on the book by Francois Emmanuel, this has something to do with Big Business and Nazis. Not the metaphorical Big Business Nazis hippies are always on about. Not original

Sputnik Mania: Documentary. Original

Flash Point: A slightly tweaked sequel to S.P.L.: Sha po lang. I'm calling it Not original

Funny Games: Remake. See here. Not original

Sleep Walking: Directorial debut of Bill Maher, but not that Bill Maher. Original

Dying to Live: A documentary nominally about the director's own open heart surgery. Original

Chaos Theory: False Alarm! There is no Jeff Goldblum! Everyone just cool out, no Jeff Goldblum. Original

On Broadway: Is it just me, or is Will Arnett in absolutely everything lately? In the last year I count nine movies and two TV episodes. I mean, he's got two movies opening TODAY (making three for the month which is not even half over). Original

Blind Mountain: The tiny synopsis I found made me think of Dogville. If that's your thing then by all means, check it out... also, stay away from me and my family. Original

Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise: Documentary about Meat Loaf and, apparently, his search for paradise. Original

the score:

week: 10-4
year: 62-26

wide:

week: 2-1
year: 20-15

7 March 2008

"Never trust a man in a blue trench coat. Never drive a car when you're dead."

Wide:

10,000 B.C.: From the same asshole who brought you The Day After Tomorrow and Godzilla. It's sort of like the story of Moses mixed with the aforementioned movies and The Flintstones. Sound stupid? You bet! Original

The Bank Job: Hopefully the first in a series of ______ Job movies that will strive in vain to avoid jokes like this. Based on a true story (?). Not original

College Road Trip: Finally the deep and long-standing friendship between Martin Lawrence and Donny Osmond has been brought to the big screen. Original

Limited:

Bar Starz: Did anyone see the Chappelle Show episodes where, Chappelle being absent, some of his backing performers functioned as painfully unfunny MCs between outtake-quality skits? This movie was made by those guys. Original

Cheung Gong 7 hou: Co-written by, directed by, and starring Stephen Chow. Some kind of a toy is involved. Original

Married Life: based on a book called Five Roundabouts to Heaven. Not original

Snow Angels: The new David Gordon Green picture (that's an endorsement in and of itself). Based on a novel of the same name. Not original

Paranoid Park: Gus Van Sant strikes back! Odds on male-male kiss: 1:1. Based on a novel of the same name. Not original

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: From the director of the third Crow movie comes the fourth literary adaption in a row! It's almost like I planned this (By almost, I mean it would have worked better if I switched this one with the Van Sant picture). Not original

Girls Rock! If Jesus Camp left a bad taste, maybe it's time to give girl's rock and roll camp a try. Documentary. Original

Fighting for Life: A documentary following American military doctors in Iraq. Original

the score:

week: 6-5
year: 52-22

wide:

week: 2-1
year: 18-14

29 February 2008

"have you no shame? Get your dead ass up and fight me."

Wide:

The Other Boleyn Girl: Fake British Accent Off! Not original

Semi-Pro: Fake Seventies Hair Off! Original

Penelope: Fake Absurd Nose Off! Not original

Limited:


The Unforeseen: Documentary about development and sprawl in Austin, TX. Original

City of Men: Not a sequel to City of God, but almost. Original

EDIT: Jesse has caught on to the fact that this is a film adaptation of a Brazilian TV series. I know that the series was created by the same man who made City of God but whether the series was a spin-off or sequel depends on what source I look at. Either way this is based on the TV series of the same name, so Not original.

Chicago 10: Documentary about the Chicago Seven... and three more, I gather. Original

Chop Shop: Thankfully, this is not related to Barber Shop or Beauty Shop. Original

the score:

week: 4-3
year: 46-17

wide:

week: 1-2
year: 16-13

note: My bet for when the unoriginal overtakes the original in wide releases is by the end of March.

22 February 2008

"You eat other people's lunches? Stop it!"

Wide:

Charlie Bartlett: This movie is a little too broadly unoriginal to get labeled as such. As Roger Ebert points out, it is derivative of every teen movie from the 80's you still like. Also, extra unoriginal points for casting Robert Downey Jr. as a depressive alcoholic. Original

Be Kind Rewind: I have been told that when a movie wants to include spoofs and riffs on a whole lot of other movies you can't expect anything better than Epic Movie and its ilk. Michel Gondry heard that too, and here is his answer. I don't know if it's great, but I know it's better than anything Jason Friedberg has been a part of. Not Original

Vantage Point: Spoiler Alert! William Hurt was cast as the president specifically to suggest the success of the attempted assassination. You heard it here first. Original

Witless Protection: Actual Character Names: Larry, Elmer, Gus, Tater, Wilford, Rondog. The release of this movie and a film about presidential assassination at the same time seems to be a not-so-subtle suggestion. Original

Limited:

The Signal: Actual Character Names: Random Body, Deranged People, Random Body, Dead People At Party, Screaming Man, Struggling People, Severed Woman, Chainsaw Man, Hedge Clipper Steven. Also, the premise of this "greatest cult film of all time" seems to involve a TV signal that inspires people to kill. If you're a fan of seeing people fake-killed in absurd and unpleasant ways, by all means... Original

The Duchess of Langeais: Balzac novel. Not Original

Cover: Not a lot of press or information (Coverage... he he) for Cover. Original

State Legislature: Another of Wiseman's informatively-titled documentaries. This one's about the Idaho State Legislature. Original

The Score

week: 6-2
year: 42-14

Wide


week: 3-1
year: 15-11

Note: Sunday Night is the Oscars, and the Oscar score this year for full length features in contention is 20 original and 24 not. Also, the worst Oscar nominee this year (and maybe ever) is Norbit.

15 February 2008

You boys like Mexico?!

Wide:

The Spiderwick Chronicles: Arachnids are used to melt wax. Not Original

Definitely, Maybe: Perhaps, possibly... did you say Ryan Reynolds? Abso-fucking-lutely not. Original

Step Up 2 Da Streets: Because tru thugz h8 titles without numberz. Not Orignal

Jumper: Atrocious wig. Also, no emperor/Obi Wan to kill/mangle Samuel/Hayden. Based on a novel (!) Not Original

limited:

Diary of the Dead: Sort of a BlairWitcherfield of the Living Dead. Not Original

Jodhaa Akbar: My Star Wars joke quota has been reached for the week. This is about an Indian Ruler. Not Original

Genghis Khan: To the Ends of the Earth and Sea: The title would have been shorter if it weren't for Pirates. Not Original

Vexille: Animated film built around the absurd premise that by 2077 U.N. weapons inspectors will be worth a damn. Original

The Caretaker: "A group of teenage boys out to give their girlfriends a good scare on Homecoming night, which also happens to be Halloween, head to an abandoned house in an out-of-the-way grapefruit orchard where they uncover the story of a real life urban legend, known as The Caretaker" -- OFFICIAL WEBSITE The part of this that's original is "grapefruit orchard" and "Caretaker." This is horror film as madlib. (I mean this in the least positive way possible) original

the Score:

week: 3-6
year: 36-12

Wide:

week: 1-3
year: 12-10

Note: I am sure that the movie about Akbar or the movie about Genghis Khan are not only better, but more original in their execution and storytelling than The Caretaker. The two former films, however, are retellings of history while the latter is a nominally original waste of celluloid.

8 February 2008

"we are powerful despite our injuries."

wide:

Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins: James Earl Jones hasn't appeared in a theatrical release in almost eight years. His presence is not indicative, at this point, of quality. Not terribly, but officially original.

Fools Gold: There was a line in another movie with Matthew McConaughey and Donald Sutherland that seems appropriate here. It starts with "yes," and ends with "hell!" Original.

Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland: According to previews, a portion of this film is a reenactment of Swingers, which makes this movie about as original as every party I went to in my first two years of college. Like the other wide release concert-type film this year, this movie has a title that is frankly ridiculous. Nominally original.

Limited:

The Hottie and the Nottie: Starring Paris Hilton. Tagline: "That's Hot. That's Not." goddammit. Cliche and shitty. Original

A Walk to Beautiful: Documentary about Ethiopian women injured in childbirth. Original.

In Brughes: I can find no link between the writer-director and Guy Ritchie. This surprises me. Original.

How to Rob a Bank: The guy from Terminator 3 and the Swimfan costar. Also, the main character is named "Jinx" Taylor (and he is not a cat). A quick peek at rottentomatoes will reveal it to be terrible. Original.

Spiral: Telemarketing. Original.


The Score:

week: 8-0
year: 33-9

Wide:

week: 3-0
year: 11-7

This is the first all original week. I find this hard to believe. If anyone catches wind of some of these being secret tricksy remakes like Mad Money let me know.

Also, this might be the worst week of releases I've seen this year. The highlight is Vince Vaughn using his name to get some B-list comedian friends some attention. Any promise of the limited releases is mitigated by a Paris Hilton vehicle and the presence of Erika Christensen.

Kerbrag

(the comic book onomatopoeia for bragging)

MUSIC: the pogues: sunny side of the street

1 February 2008

Belly up to the buzzsaw.

Wide:

Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert: Generally I think concert films count as documentaries and documentaries count as original, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception. TV show inspired concerts are out. Also, I recommend that if a local theater actually displays the entire title of this film on the marquee you should never go to that theater again. Not Original

The Eye: Remake of Hong Kong's Jian Gui. Also, it stars Jessica Alba as a concert violinist who sees dead people (or something). If Jessica Alba or derivative horror remakes do it for you, by all means check this out. If, however, the concert violinist angle piques your interest, you should probably steer clear of this one. Not Original

Strange Wilderness: Happy Madison has produced the following films which do not star Adam Sandler: Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, The Animal, Joe Dirt, Master of Disguise, The Hot Chick, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Grandma's Boy, The Benchwarmers, and Strange Wilderness. You've been warned. Original

Over Her Dead Body: Remember Ghost or Just Like Heaven or even Hello Again? The writer of this picture probably does, and, according to summaries and reviews, you will too if you watch Over Her Dead Body. Grudgingly Original

Limited:

Caramel: Sex and the City in Beirut? That comment should be considered alongside the several comparisons being drawn between this film and those of Pedro Almodovar. Lebanon's official selection for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. Original

The Witnesses: The War on Aids? As much as America loves to declare war on things, this is a French picture. By all accounts, it's a good and important one, so it's no surprise that I won't be able to see it until a DVD release. Original

Praying With Lior: Lior is an oddly named young man with Downs Syndrome who is touted as having a close connection to God. This is a documentary about Lior and those around him as he moves toward his bar mitzvah. Original

Vivere: From IMDB: "On Christmas Eve, Francesca sets out for Rotterdam in order to find her little sister, who has run off with her musician boyfriend. On the way, she picks up Gerlinde, a heartbroken older woman at the end of her rope." Original

The Silence Before Bach: This sucker is tough to categorize or really think about without seeing it, but since it is at least nominally a Bach biopic (as near as I can tell) it gets the unoriginal label.

Build a Ship, Sail to Sadness: Scottish musical travelogue about a mobile disco. Super-8 pseudo-documentary. Original

The Score:

total:
week: 7-3
year: 25-9

wide:
week: 2-2
year: 8-7

Since the originality of films receiving only limited release keeps the ratio high, I thought I would start keeping track of the originality of wide release films throughout the year. This is both to more accurately represent the films that most of us actually get a chance to see in theaters and to make my hypothesis about how many unoriginal things come out look stronger.

updated template...

lost all comments....
counter thing-y gone, too...
oxygen low....
running out of time...

Ignorance is bliss

I didn't know who John Gibson was until a few days ago. Now I do. What a dick.

I can't say it would surprise me if nothing was done about this. Fox news: ignorance and hate.

MUSIC: beirut: the penalty

Mandated

This is obligatory, so here we go:

I'm calling Picture and Director for No Country for Old Men.

The three best movies I saw this year were No Country, There Will Be Blood, and Zodiac.

Blood wins for actor.

Julie Christie is my guess for actress, but I'll hedge and say it could go to Cottillard or Linney as well. I haven't seen Juno, and the way it's advertised and put forward decreases my desire to do so. Blanchett does good work, but she didn't get an oscar for playing Elizabeth the first time, and this second film is, by all accounts, a lot worse.

Javier gets a statue, and maybe Cate gets one too. I really don't know about the actresses.

I'm going to go with Paul Thomas Anderson for adapted screenplay, and Tony Gilroy for original. This is the academy throwing a bone to the writer/directors that won't get the big prize.

Persepolis will not beat Ratatouille, but wouldn't it be nice?

If Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova don't get an oscar I will become enraged and possibly overthrow the academy. By the way, a lot of the songs in Once were created originally for this picture.

Taxi to the Dark Side wins documentary.

Also, I would like to mention that if that trailer put you in the mood for Czech, this is a good place to soak up some of that culture and actually understanding it.

Also, while I'm out linking stuff all over the place, let me mention someone I'm in love with who has things to say that are not all about movies.

MUSIC: What's the best album of the year? The first track is