Busy, Busy, Busy

Oh how the holidays can keep a boy busy. I'll get back to posting sometime this weekend.

10 Favorite Christmas Movies

It's Christmas Eve, and in celebration of my favorite holiday, here are my ten favorite Christmas movies. I didn't include any TV specials, but if I did A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas! would both place highly.

10. Love, Actually
9. The Fabulous Baker Boys
8. White Christmas
7. The Muppet Christmas Carol
6. Die Hard
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
4. Miracle on 34th Street
3. Edward Scissorhands
2. It's a Wonderful Life
1. Meet Me in St. Louis

Sunday Blessings - Javier Bardem

In today's edition of Sunday Blessings, we thank Jesus for Spanish actor Javier Bardem, one half of the hottest couple in Hollywood. That's right I said it. Cruise-Holmes and Pitt-Jolie don't have anything compared to Bardem-Cruz. I still haven't seen Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which, yes, I'm embaressed to admit. A Woody Allen film starring Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson - I should have been there opening night. Anyway, going back to just Bardem, I first took notice of him in Before Night Falls, the Reinaldo Arenas biopic by artist Julian Schnabel. Hollywood probably also first took notice of him in that film, as he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. I don't know how anyone could watch that film and not be sexually compelled by him. Oh, the charisma and starpower featured in that film, it'll make a grow man swoon. Of course I watched his subsequent films, as well as his earlier films, like Second Skin and Jamon, Jamon. Now Jamon, Jamon has some serious sexual magnetism between all the actors, which includes Cruz, and I highly recommend it to anyone. So, um, where was I going? Ah yes, No Country for Old Men. Everybody took notice of Bardem then. He became a household name, but not for a role that utilized his sexuality. His fame grew with his portrayal of a psychopath with a Dorothy Hamill haircut, and everyone I knew, who wasn't previously aware of Bardem, considered him a creepy actor. To which I always tried to steer them toward his earlier films. "Seriously, he's a sexpot! Believe me!" Upon seeing them, of course they agreed with me. Damn straight!

Let's All Thank Seann William Scott

For showing his ass in his upcoming film Balls Out: The Gary Houseman Story. You can see the actual pics of his butt from the film here. I don't know what the film's about, and I don't really care, because I'll go watch it even if it's a piece of crap. Seeing Seann William Scott play tennis in a jockstrap, with his ass hanging out, is worth the price of the ticket, and the pornstache he's wearing is an added benefit. It was if the director went in my head, took one of my fantasies and placed it on screen. Again, thank you Seann for letting us all see your ass.

New Oscar Predictions

With the Golden Globes and SAG nominations announced, plus all the critics awards, here's I how I see the Oscar race going.

Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Chris Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk

Actor:
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress:
Anne Hathway - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Cate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reder

Adapted Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Original Screenplay:
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
WALL-E

Cinematography:
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Revolutionary Road
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Editing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Art Direction:
Australia
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader

Costume Design:
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
The Other Boleyn Girl
Revolutionary Road

Make Up:
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
The Reader
Synecdoche, New York

Original Score:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Milk
Revolutionary Road
WALL-E

Original Song:
"Down to Earth" - WALL-E
"Gran Torino" - Gran Torino
"Jaiho" - Slumdog Millionaire
"Once in a Lifetime" - Cadillac Records
"The Wrestler" - The Wrestler

Sound Mixing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Iron Man
WALL-E

Sound Editing:
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Visual Effects:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls
Iron Man

Animated Feature:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

SAG Nominations and Chicago Winners

Sometimes the Screen Actors Guild provides surprises on nomination day, but this year, not so much. There's the continued clusterf*** over Slumdog Millionaire, with two nominations for the film, Best Ensemble (really?) and Best Supporting Actor, Dev Patel (isn't he the lead?). The rest of the ensemble nominations are for films aiming for Best Picture Oscar nominations. Couldn't the guild member's think outside the box? Where's the surprise nomination? Where's this year's Hustle & Flow, The Station Agent, or 3:10 to Yuma? Just because you love a film and think its amazing, doesn't mean it has the best ensemble performance. There's always talk about the Oscars adding a Best Ensemble category, but I'm kind of glad that they don't, because you know if they did, it would be the same exact linup as the Best Picture category.

The Nominations:

Ensemble:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire

Actor:
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress:
Anne Hathway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet - The Reader


The Chicago Film Critics Association also handed out awards today. More Slumdog! Zzzzzzz... Their winners were:
Picture: WALL-E
Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Actress: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Original Screenplay: WALL-E
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: The Dark Knight
Score: WALL-E

Yada Yada Yada...more critic awards

There's a number of Texas critics' awards groups. I don't understand why they just don't come together to form one Texas Film Critics Association. There's also the Toronto critics, who seem to be the only group to go off in their own direction, rather than following the consensus.

Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: The Dark Knight

Austin Film Critics
Picture: The Dark Knight
Director: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Adapted Screenplay: The Dark Knight
Original Screenplay: Synecdoche, New York
Cinematography: The Fall
Score: The Dark Knight


Top Ten:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. Milk
4. Synecdoche, New York
5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
6. The Wrestler
7. WALL-E
8. Frost/Nixon
9. Let the Right One In
10. Gran Torino

Houston Film Critics
Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Score: Miracle at St. Anna
Ensemble: Doubt

Toronto Film Critics
Picture: Wendy and Lucy
Director: Jonathan Demme, Rachel Getting Married
Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Actress: Michelle Williams, Wendy and Lucy
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt, Rachel Getting Married
Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married

And Then There Were These...

Southeastern Film Critics
Picture: Milk
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: Milk

Top 10:
1. Milk
2. Slumdog Millionaire
3. WALL-E
4. The Dark Knight
5. The Wrestler
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
7. The Reader
8. The Visitor
9. Frost/Nixon
10. Revolutionary Road

St. Louis Film Critics
Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Screenplay: Frost/Nixon (really?)
Cinematography: Australia
Special Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

San Francisco Film Critics
Picture: Milk
Director: Gus Van Sant, Milk
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (tie)
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Frost/Nixon
Original Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: The Dark Knight

San Diego Film Critics
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Actress: Kate Winslet, The Reader
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: The Visitor
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Production Design: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Frost/Nixon

Phoenix Film Critics Society
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Meryl Streep, Doubt
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: In Bruges
Cinematography: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Production Design: The Dark Knight
Costume Design: The Duchess
Score: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Visual Effects: The Dark Knight
Ensemble: Milk

Top 10:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
In Bruges
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
The Visitor
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Even More Precursors - BSFC, NYFCO, AWFJ

It's becoming a Slumdog Millionaire orgy. Yeesh. Also, what's with the ties? Just pick one winner and list the other as the runner-up. That way they both get mentions.

Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC)
Picture: WALL-E and Slumdog Millionaire (tie)
Director: Gus Van Sant, Milk & Paranoid Park
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk and Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler (tie)
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Milk
Cinematography: Paranoid Park
Editing: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Tropic Thunder

New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO)
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Ensemble: Milk

Top 10:
Che
A Christmas Tale
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ)
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky and Kate Winslet, The Reader & Revolutionary Road (tie)
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt
Adapted Screenplay: Frost/Nixon
Original Screenplay: WALL-E
Editing: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ensemble: Rachel Getting Married

Sunday Blessings - Christian Bale

This week's edition of Sunday Blessings is devoted to none other than Batman himself, Christian Bale, in honor of The Dark Knight's DVD release. Bale is one of those guys whose sexiness would actually make me giggle like a school girl if I were to ever see him in person. There's very few men who could do that to me. He just has this large, imposing presence about him, which probably explains his capability at playing Batman so well. Although, to be perfectly honest, the gruff voice he does while in Batman mode, starts to get irritating about halfway through the film. Just saying. I was of course well aware of Bale before he ever started doning the caped crusader's costume, having first taken interest in him in American Psycho. I genuinely love that film and his performace, still his best to date. You have to give the man credit for creating a character that you are both terrified by and sexually attracted to. You also have to appreciate his willingness to bare all - oh that ass and those six-pack abs, always in my mind. Since then, his performances have always been good, but none of them have reached the heights of American Psycho's Patrick Bateman. The body of course is still rocking, but I guess if you're going to save Gotham City you're going to need some muscle. This isn't Tim Burton's Gotham afterall, where Michael Keaton can save the day. Although, I actually do prefer Burton's Gotham to Nolan's, but whatever. Before I close out, let me put a wish out there. Last week's edition of Sunday Blessings featured Scott Caan. There was no real reason, I just find him hot, so I did a post about him. Later that week paparazzi photos of him changing into a wetsuit in public, with his naughty bits hanging out, surfaced on the internet. What are the chances and what a gift! Now I find the paparazzi disgusting, but I wouldn't mind if the same thing happened to this week's man. I'm just putting it out there. But anyway, praise Jesus!

Hugh Jackman to Host Oscars

Hugh Jackman will be the next Oscar host, and I couldn't be more excited, unless of course, it was announced that he would do the show in his underwear. Imagine the ratings for that spectacle. He did a great job hosting the Tonys a few years back, hell, he won an Emmy for it, and he's a talented song-and-dance man. One of the things people enjoyed most about Billy Crystal's hosting, was his opening song, where he'd poke fun at the films of the past year. Jackman could do just as memorable a job as Crystal, and he'd be able to dance while doing it. Overall, I think it's a good decision. I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to stare at the man for three and a half hours.

Golden Globes Here! Get Your Golden Globes!

The nominations were announced this morning, and as per usual, you never really know what surprises they're going to throw our way. Tom Cruise for Best Supporting Actor? Now I know they're a bunch of starf****ers, but still, did anyone actually predict that nomination? I doubt it. The surprise omissions this year are, of course, the lack of Best Picture nods for Milk and The Dark Knight. Those films were almost completely shut out, each receiving only one acting nomination, Best Actor for Sean Penn, and Besy Supporting Actor for Heath Ledger. I can kind of understand them not going for a blockbuster superhero movie, but the Milk snub is almost shocking.
Anway, the nods:

Picture, Drama:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Picture, Musical/Comedy:
Burn After Reading
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Actor, Drama:
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actor, Musical/Comedy:
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Colin Farrell - In Bruges
James Franco - Pineapple Express
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Dustin Hoffman - Last Chance Harvey

Actress, Drama:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Actress, Musical/Comedy:
Rebecca Hall - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Frances McDormand - Burn After Reading
Meryl Streep - Mamma Mia!
Emma Thompson - Last Chance Harvey

Supporting Actor:
Tom Cruise - Tropic Thunder
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Duchess
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Sam Mendes - Revolutionary Road

Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Doubt
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

NYFCC Winners

Announced today. So many awards are crammed into this week. Sally Hawkins wins her second critic's award in a row, and with the win for Best Director also, Happy-Go-Lucky is doing very well this season. Milk is all but locked up for a Best Picture nom at the Oscars, and Penelope Cruz seems to be the frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress prize.

Picture: Milk
Director: Mike Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Actress: Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Supp. Actor: Josh Brolin - Milk
Supp. Actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married
Cinematography: Slumdog Millionaire

BFCA Nominations

Broadcast Critics annouced their nominations yesterday. Hmm. Didn't expect the two acting nods for Nothing But the Truth. I guess their just hedging their bets. It's also not looking good for Kristin Scott Thomas who still hasn't received any mentions.

Top Ten:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire
Wall-E
The Wrestler

Actor:
Clint Eastwood - Gran Torino
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress:
Kate Beckinsale - Nothing But the Truth
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Meryl Streep - Doubt

Supp. Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey, Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
James Franco - Milk

Supp. Actress:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Vera Farmiga - Nothing But the Truth
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Ensemble:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Milk
Rachel Getting Married

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus Van Sant - Milk

Writer:
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionaire
Dustin Lance Black - Milk
Peter Morgan - Frost/Nixon
Eric Roth - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
John Patrick Shanley - Doubt

Composer:
Alexandre Desplat - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Clint Eastwood - Changeling
Danny Elfman - Milk
Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard - The Dark Knight
A.R. Rahman - Slumdog Millionaire

LAFCA Winners

Well, I was way off with these. It's interesting that for Best Picture they went with big studio pictures. The number of mentions for Happy-Go-Lucky is good news, since it needed a boost if it hopes to get Oscar nods. Never count out a Mike Leigh film.

Picture: WALL-E
Runner-up: The Dark Knight

Director: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire
Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight

Actor: Sean Penn, Milk
Runner-up: Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Actress: Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Melissa Leo, Frozen River

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Runner-up: Eddie Marsen, Happy-Go-Lucky

Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Runner-up: Viola Davis, Doubt

Screenplay: Happy-Go-Lucky
Runner-up: Synecdoche New York

Washington DC Film Critics Awards...zzzzz

No genuine excitement here, aside from the wins for DeWitt and Let the Right One In.

Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Actress: Meryl Streep - Doubt
Supp. Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supp. Actress: Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Original Screenplay: Rachel Getting Married
Ensemble: Doubt
Animated Film: WALL-E
Documentary: Man on Wire
Foreign Film: Let the Right One In
Breakthrough: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Art Direction: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I continue to find it interesting that the only technical award they hand out is for Art Direction.

Predictions for the BFCA, LAFCA, and NYFCC Awards

The big awards season really kicks into gear with the announcement of the Los Angeles Film Critics winners and the nominees for the Broadcast Film Critics Awards, followed by the New York Film Critics Circle winners on Wednesday. I thought I'd give a stab at predicting the nominees/winners, which should be difficult with regards to the LA and NY critics. The Broadcast critics, however, should be rather easy, since there only true purpose for giving out awards, is to predict the Oscar nominations. The fact that they almost blatently admit this astounds me.

LAFCA:
Picture: Milk
Director: David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Actress: Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Supp. Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supp. Actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Screenplay: The Wrestler

NYFCC:
Picture: The Wrestler
Director: Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler
Actor: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler
Actress: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Supp. Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supp. Actress: Viola Davis - Doubt
Screenplay: Milk

BFCA:
Picture/Top 10:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Gran Turino
Milk
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Clint Eastwood - Gran Turino
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk

Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood - Gran Turino
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress:
Anne Hathway - Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Ralph Fiennes - The Reader
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Screenplay:
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Slumdog Millionaire
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Wrestler

Sunday Blessings - Scott Caan

Today's edition of Sunday Blessings, in which we thank Jesus for blessing this Earth with a hot piece of man, features actor Scott Caan. Now, usually there's a particular reason for a Sunday Blessings selection, such as they have a new movie opening, or they have a show currently on the air, but with Scott Caan there's no genuine reason for focusing on him, other then the fact I find him hot. Yes, I find him hot. Scott is the son of actor James Caan, who was quite a looker himself, back in the seventies, and I first took notice of his appeal, after watching him in a series of god awful movies during the late nineties and early aughts - Varsity Blues, Boiler Room, Ready to Rumble. What exactly was this appeal? Umm...his ass, definitely his ass. Damn that man has a fine ass on him! Seriously, damn! It was featured in Varsity Blues and Ready to Rumble, as well as in a deleted scene on the Boiler Room DVD. Now you got to give him credit for being so easily willing to drop trough. Sigh. I don't even remember what those movies were about. Mostly I just made up my own story in my head for the films. As far as I'm conCerned, Ready to Rumble was about two cute guys, Scott and David Arquette, who enjoyed wrestling and were secretly in love with each other, and in the end Scott showed his rear. While the man has made a number of crap movies, he's also starred in some pretty good ones like Ocean's Eleven and Friends with Money, in which he shows he has some acting talent and comedic abilities. He should just stay away from doing anymore films featuring Jessica Alba or Paul Walker. Amen. Praise Jesus, especially for Scott's ass!

Current Oscar Predictions

These reflect how I currently see the race going, after this week's kick-off to the award season with NBR, the Indie Spirit noms, and the Satellight noms.

Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Milk
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Clint Eastwood - Gran Turino
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Chris Nolan - The Dark Knight
Gus van Sant - Milk

Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio - Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood - Gran Turino
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn - Milk
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actress:
Cate Blanchett - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
James Franco - Milk
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Kate Winslet - The Reader

Adapted Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Original Screenplay:
Gran Turino
Milk
Rachel Getting Married
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
WALL-E

Cinematography:
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Revolutionary Road

Film Editing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Art Direction:
Australia
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Revolutionary Road

Costume:
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
The Other Boleyn Girl
Revolutionary Road

Make Up:
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
The Reader
Synecdoche New York

Original Score:
Defiance
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Milk
Revolutionary Road
WALL-E

Sound Mixing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Iron Man
WALL-E

Sound Editing:
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Visual Effects:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Iron Man

Animated Feature:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

The Inconsistent Mary McDonnell

Yeesh. How can someone be so brilliant on one show, Battlestar Galactica, and so awful on another show, Grey's Anatomy. I guess you can partially blame it on the writers for not knowing what a person with asperger's syndrome actually acts like, but McDonnell has to take most of the responsibility since it's her job to create the character onscreen. She comes off as retarded more than anything, and a person with asperger's acts nothing like a retarded person. Battlestar Galactica cannot come back soon enough to wipe away my memories of her Grey's performance. Although, apparently the character is going to stick around for a while. Mary, Mary, Mary please work the kinks out of your performance, and maybe one day I'll forgive.

NBR "Winners" - Hilarity

The National Board of Review announced their winners today, and I got a definite chuckle out of them. Oh, NBR how you make me laugh! The winners are:

Picture: Slumdog Millionaire - I'm guessing a Best Pic Oscar nom is almost locked
Director: David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Actor: Clint Eastwood, Gran Turino - the Eastwood starf***ing continues
Actress: Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married - a needed boost
Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, Milk - could there be two Supp. Actor Oscar noms for Milk?
Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Original Screenplay: Gran Turino - more Eastwood starf***king
Adapted Screenplay: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Foreign Language Film: Mongol
Documentary: Man On Fire
Animated Film: WALL-E - yeah
Ensemble Cast: Doubt - "we have to give it something"

Breakthrough Actor: Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire
Breakthrough Actress: Viola Davis, Doubt - even though she's been in how many movies
Directorial Debut: Courtney Hunt, Frozen River - good for them, recognizing new female directors

Spotlight Award: Melissa Leo, Frozen River & Richard Jenkins, The Visitor - it's funny how some years they'll just make up an award to bestow upon performances they don't have the nerve to give the actual Best Actor/Actress award to

Top Ten: including two Eatwood films
Burn After Reading
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Defiance
Frost/Nixon
Gran Turino
Milk
WALL-E
The Wrestler

Brief Comments on the Grammy Noms

The Grammy nominations were handed out yesterday, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not really a big fan of the Grammys as an awards body. Out of the four main awards, Oscars, Emmys, Tonys and Grammys, there the biggest joke, with the Emmys often a close second. I may have my grudges against the Oscars and their chosen winners, but they sometimes get it right, making surprise decisions, and even when they don't, the winners still reflect the time period in which they won. That cannot be said about the Grammys. Seriously does anyone consider Herbie Hancock's album one of the best of last year, or does anyone actually think it's relevant to the current music industry? No, of course not, but it still managed to pull an Album of the Year win over Kanye West and Amy Winehouse, not to mention all the great artists who weren't even nominated. Anyway, this year's nominees for Album are Coldplay, Ne-Yo, Lil' Wayne, Radiohead and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. So I guess we can all assume Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will win this. Although, to be fair, their album did receive some great reviews, so it wouldn't be a total "WTF seriously" win. Is there anything I'm happy about, when it comes to this years nominees? Well I'm happy for the Duffy, Estelle, and Adele noms, but the three nominations that actually made me smile and chuckle were M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" for Record of the Year, Rufus Wainwright's Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall for Best Traditional Pop Album, and Kathy Griffin's For Your Consideration for Best Comedy Album. Those three made me happy.

Happy Belated Birthday to Woody Allen

I completely forgot Woody Allen's birthday was on Monday. For a man who just turned 73, he's still surprisingly active, making films that can receive kudos - Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Match Point. Allen is one of my favorite directors ever, right up there with Hitchcock, Wilder and Altman. So in honor of his birthday and career, here are my ten favorite Woody Allen films, all worthy of receiving a grade of A- or higher in my opinion.

1. Manhattan (1979)
2. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
3. Interiors (1978)
4. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
5. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
6. Annie Hall (1977)
7. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
8. Match Point (2004)
9. Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
10. Sleeper (1973)

Indie Spirit Nominations

The Independent Spirit Award Nominations were announced yesterday, with Ballast, Frozen River and Rachel Getting Married leading the pack with six noms apiece. The nominees for the main categories were:

Best Feature:
Ballast
Frozen River
Rachel Getting Married
Wendy and Lucy
The Wrestler

Best Director:
Ramin Bahrani - Chop Shop
Jonathan Demme - Rachel Getting Married
Lance Hammer - Ballast
Courtney Hunt - Frozen River
Tom McCarthy - The Visitor

Best Female Lead:
Summer Bishil - Towelhead
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Melissa Leo - Frozen River
Tarra Riggs - Ballast
Michelle Williams - Wendy and Lucy

Best Male Lead:
Javier Bardem - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Richard Jenkins - The Visitor
Sean Penn - Milk
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Best Supporting Female:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rosemarie DeWitt - Rachel Getting Married
Rosie Perez - The Take
Misty Upham - Frozen River
Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married

Best Supporting Male:
James Franco - Milk
Anthony Mackie - The Hurt Locker
Charlie McDermott - Frozen River
Jim Myron Ross - Ballast
Haaz Sleiman - The Visitor

Best Screenplay:
Sangre De Mi Sangre
Savage Grace
Sugar
Synecdoche, New York
Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Notable omissions include no Best Picture nod for The Visitor, no Best Female for Julianne Moore in Savage Grace, no Best Director for Darren Aronofsky for The Wrestler, and no Best Supporting for Josh Brolin in Milk. The biggest surprise, however, were the lack of Best Picture and Director nods for Milk, especially since Gus van Sant gets nominated for almost every movie he does. I suppose the people who decide the nominations could have felt the film would already receive attention by the Academy, and it didn't need the extra help. Although you would think that the indie community would have wanted to make a statement against Prop 8, by using the film. I don't know.

Is Batista Scary or Sexy?

Seriously. If I were to ever meet him in person, I don't know if I'd want to run away from him or jump in his arms. Maybe he's just scary sexy! If you've ever caught a glimpse of pro-wrestling on TV, you have to admit it's kind of gay, what with all the large muscley men wearing only little bikini briefs and tossing each other about. You have to wonder if a good chunk of its fanbase is a bunch of closet-cases fantasizing about Randy Orton or The Rock pile-driving them. I'm just saying... kinda gay.

Sight & Sound Top Ten

Sight & Sound Magazine has announced their Top Ten list and you can see it over at In Contention. The British film Hunger, by new director Steve McQueen, came in at number one. The list is based on release dates in the UK, which explains why There Will Be Blood is included, and as In Contention notes, it's interesting that only two American films made the list, There Will Be Blood and WALL-E. Hmm.

1. Hunger (Steve McQueen)
2. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson)
3. WALL-E (Andrew Stanton) - yay!
4. Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone)
5. A Christman Tale (Arnaud Desplechin) - I can't wait to see this, huge fan of Kings and Queen
5. The Class (Laurent Cantant)
7. Of Time and the Cities (Terence Davies)
8. Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh)
9. The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel)
9. Let the Right One In (Tomas Alfredson)

Golden Satellite Nominations - WTF?

The Golden Satellite Nominations were announced yesterday, and as per usual they were completely schizophrenic. There's rampant category fraud, glaring omissions, nominations for movies I've never even heard of, and they can't seem to decide on a specific number of nominees per category. The Satellites were at one time a fun awards body, who went their own way, recognizing worthy films that other groups would ignore, but now they're just - yeesh. Looking over the nominees, Lisa Kudrow was nominated for Kabluey and Mark Ruffalo was nominated for What Doesn't Kill You. Now I'm a big fan of both of these actors, and I haven't even heard of these films. Did they already come out? Are they being released later this month? I don't know. The film Choke got three nominations, including Best Picture, Comedy/Musical. Uh ok. Kung Fu Panda, a wonderful film, somehow got passed over for Best Animated Picture, even though there are six nominees in the category. Australia was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, but even people who liked the film concede its screenplay wasn't its strongest element. Looking at the other nominees in Best Original Screenplay, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Elegy had both been listed under that category last night, even though both are adapted works. This morning, however, they were moved to the Best Adapted Screenplay category, leaving only four nominees in Original Screenplay. Good job, Satellites! Then we get to the Best Supporting Actress category, which is usually good at predicting at least four of the future nominees for the Oscar. This year's nominations are odd and could indicate that the category will be all over the place with each awards group. Hurray for non-concensus. Anyway back to the category. The nominees:

Rosemarie Dewitt for Rachel Getting Married - ok, predictable
Penelope Cruz for Elegy - not for VCB, she's the lead in Elegy, category fraud
Angelica Huston for Choke - where'd this come from?, no further nominations I'm guessing
Sophie Okonedo for The Secret Life of Bees - really? I guess cause she plays retarded
Emma Thompson for Brideshead Revisited - ok, maybe some returning buzz
Beyonce Knowles for Cadillac Records - huh? is there something we don't know?

notable omissions: Viola Davis - Doubt, Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of..., Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler, Debra Winger - Rachel Getting Married

I wonder what the future holds for this category?