Duck Amuck

Duck Amuck (Chuck Jones, 1953)

Genius, hilarious, classic...

No! Not Jeff!

I'm still dissappointed they kicked off Jeff on last night's episode of Top Chef. I found him entertaining, and completely adorable. Oh well, I'm now rooting for Carla, who seems to be bat-s*** crazy, and I love her for it. I think everybody knows, however, Stefan is going to win this. It was kind of obvious from the beginning, the show was setting up the friendship/rivals duo of Stefan and Fabio, and would have them face off in the finale. Stefan seems to be the better of the two, therefore, he will win.

Did I Miss Something?

So last night, I was all set for the return of Life on Mars, which had been off the air since November. The series left off with a nail biter, where Sam discovered an address hidden in his paperwork, he went to the sight and found a dilapidated cabin/shack. He then entered the cabin/shack, answered a ringing phone in the building, and a man on the other end, told him to go into the basement to find answers. Sam started to head into the basement and the episode ended there. I, of course, was expecting last night's episode to start off at that point. Nope. The episode had nothing to do with the previous. It was its own storyline. Huh? I looked it up online, and apparently they switched episodes. Last night was episode 9 and next week will be episode 8. I guess the network did this, in order to capture more viewers following Lost, and they didn't want to have an open storyline where new viewers couldn't follow. But here's the problem. Next week the episode will start off where the previous episode had ended, and new viewers will really be confused, unless they totally rework the epsiode and somehow tack the end of epsiode 7 to the beginning of episode 8. I don't know. I'm still waiting for closure!

Memo to Hollywood...

Give Sigourney Weaver more film rolls! Seriously! Over the weekend I watched the Lifetime television movie Prayers for Bobby, starring Dame Weaver, and it reminded me of the greatness of this actress. The movie was crap - it was unfocused, amateurish, melodramatic and laughingly bad in some moments, but Weaver did the best with what she had. In particular there was a moment where she meets her character's dead son's former gay lover and the camera lingers on her. In that brief moment, she expresses disgust, resentment, sadness and even catharsis, in one pained look without saying word. I wished the material had been better and allowed her to delve into those mixed emotions, rather than go the route of having her cry, yell at her husband, cry, forgive her husband, cry, get closure, and cry. Hollywood, please, I beg of you give her better roles. Streep isn't the only great older actress.

SAG Awards - "I Didn't Even Buy a Dress!"

Oh Meryl, you make everything more entertaining! By far the best thing about last night's Screen Actors Guild Awards was Meryl Streep's acceptance speech. Wit, sarcasm, over-the-top enthusiasm - it was all there. I particularly loved her shout out to co-star Viola Davis. "My God, would someone giver he a movie!" You gotta love Streep. The rest of the winners were predictable Heath Ledger wins Supporting Actor, Kate Winslet wins Supporting Actress, and Sean Penn wins Lead Actor. The big award of the night, Best Ensemble, went to... Slumdog Millionaire? Really? Ok seriously, no one should refer to this movie as an underdog ever again. It's a giant awards juggernaut! It will win the Oscar for Best Picture and probably have a decent sized sweep of the other categories. This awards season has become quite boring. Although I suppose the acting categories still have some excitement. With Kate Winslet out of the picture, who will win Supporting Actress? I really could see either Davis, Cruz, or Tomei winning the prize. Will they give the Best Actress to Winslet, or will Streep be the upset? Is Best Actor going to Rourke or Penn, or as I think Langella? Supporting Actor is the one acting category that seems like a complete lock, with Ledger winning, but if there's one awards group that would snub his performance, it's the Academy. If that happens, I'll feel really bad for the actor who does win it.

Sunday Blessings - Chris Evans

After continuosly seeing the god-awful commercials for the upcoming movie Push, I caved in and decided to do a posting on the star of the film Chris Evans. Yes, the movie looks horrible and yes, it looks exactly like last year's release Jumper. I, of course, never bothered to see that film, nor will I ever see Push, but it does have one thing Jumper didn't and that's Chris Evans. He is definitely more appealing as a lead than Hayden Christiansen. Unlike Christiansen, Evan's proved that he can actually act. He demonstrated some decent comic timing in Not Another Teen Movie and was the best thing about Fantastic Four. The man's also a lot hotter than Mr. Christiansen. Sure he has the whole dumb jock persona, which isn't typically the type of guy I go for, except for maybe Seann William Scott, but I still completely go for him. It's really all about the body. I know that sounds completely superficial, but this post isn't about finding the perfect guy. It's about objectifying hot men! Anyway, I wish Evans would do the sort of roles Mark Wahlberg is good at. Wahlberg's almost over-the-top masculitnity works best as part of an ensemble and in comedies. He was genius in I Heart Huckabees. I think Chris Evans would do well if he did the same. So Mr. Evans, please try avoiding the leading man actions roles. Oh and make sure you're shirtless for at least one scene in every film you're in. Thanks. Praise Jesus!

Oscar Nominations (continued)

Cinematography:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Well I thought this is where Australia would make an appearance, with all its sunsets and landscapes, but it wasn't the case. DP Mandy Walker has a vagina, and apparently, the cinematography branch doesn't like those. I'm also surprised Revolutionary Road got snubbed, with Roger Deakins getting nominated for The Reader instead. I kept suspecting Changeling might get a nod, but not enough to change my predictions. I'm guessing this is one of the categories the Academy will award to Benjamin Button.

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

This category should have been easy to predict. 4 of the Best Picture films plus an action movie; in this case Iron Man. I thought Milk would be the Best Picture nominee to miss out, with waning support for the film. Of course The Dark Knight wasn't nominated for Picture, so that took the action film slot, and The Reader was the Best Picture nominee to miss out. I really didn't think Milk would have as much support as it did. Slumdog's ADD editing obviously wins this category.

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

Surprisingly, the Slumdog love didn't spill over into this category, and where did that Duchess nomination come from? Huh. I think they'll award this to Benjamin Button, just like cinematography.

Costume Design:
Australia
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
Milk
Revolutionary Road

No Sandy Powell. Seeing as how they love her, I thought the Academy would nominate The Other Boleyn Girl. Maybe a lot of people actually forgot the movie came out this year. I'm completely surprised by the Milk nomination, since they never actually go for 70s period wear. Also, yay for Catherine Martin getting nominated for Australia. I knew that film would show up somewhere! I could see this going to either The Duchess (very showy), Revolutionary Road (love for the designer), or Benjamin Button (tech sweep for the film).

Make-Up:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army

All year I thought Hellboy would make it, because of residual love for Pan's Labyrinth, but in the last couple of weeks I second guessed myself. I shouldn't have. Will they actually award Benjamin Button, even though a lot of its effects are CGI? I'm not entirely sure.

Original Score:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Defiance
Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Yeah, no John Williams nod for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crap. Woopee!! I have no idea who will win this. Slumdog Millionaire?

Original Song:
"Down to Earth" - WALL-E
"Jaiho" - Slumdog Millionaire
"O Saya" - Slumdog Millionaire

No nomination for Springsteen's "The Wrestler." I really believe the music branch of the Academy is insane. I'm guessing the song suffered because it played over the end credits of The Wrestler, and for the past few years, the music branch has really only been nominating songs that play throughout the films. Even though I haven't heard the song yet, I'm delighted M.I.A. is now an Oscar nominee, for co-writing "O Saya." Now I'll get to see her perform at both the Grammys and the Oscars.

Sound Mixing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

Sound Editing:
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E
Wanted

Who could have predicted the two nominations for Wanted? And Slumdog for Sound Editing? Really? Oy. My guess is either The Dark Knight or WALL-E will win both of these.

Visual Effects:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man

I think Benjamin Button takes this in a cake-walk. Although it could lose. Stranger things have happened at the Oscars.

Animated Feature:
Bolt
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E

Why did I change my preditions at the last minute? I knew Bolt would get in over Waltz with Bashir. It's more their style. Now I know this wouldn't completely be accurate because of branches voting independently of each other and different rules for different categories, but if Waltz with Bashir wins Best Foreign-language Film, it would appear that the Academy thinks Bolt is superior to any foreign-film from last year! That is hilarious.

Oscar Nominations

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

They didn't go for The Dark Knight, showing the one genre the Academy won't take a chance on, is the superhero movie. Fanboys everywhere must be screaming and crying. Believe me, you'll never hear the end of it, since it's "the greatest film in the history of cinema, ever, and if you don't think so, you're an idiot and an a**hole, Dark Knight rules!!!" In it's place is The Reader, so I suppose we should never again discount a Stephen Daldry film.

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Stephen Daldry - The Reader
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Gus Van Sant - Milk

A 5/5 match with Picture. Chris Nolan gets snubbed along with his film, and there's no surprise lone director nod for Aronofsky or Leigh. Boring. Daldry has directed only three films, and each one has garnered him an Oscar nod for Best Director. The other two films were The Hours and Billy Elliot.

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

Yay! Eastwood didn't get nominated! This makes the race more interesting. Will it be Penn or Rourke who wins the award. I'm going to go out on a limb and say Langella gets the surprise win. He's a veteran actor, who has never previously been nominated, and he plays a famous person whom more people are familiar with than Harvey Milk. Plus Penn and Rourke might cancel each other out, with the same kind of voters divide between the two.

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

Wow. Winslet gets her nomination for The Reader in the correct category. Leo makes it in, but doesn't knock out Jolie to get the nomination. Instead, Hawkins is shut out of the race. I thought all the critics awards would have boosted her into the final five. I guess they didn't want to snub the Jolie two years in a row. It's surprising the two performances that won Best Actress at the Golden Globes weren't nominated - Hawkins and Winslet in Revolutionary Road. I think Winslet is a surer bet now for the win. Which is hilarious when you think back to her guest appearance on Ricky Gervais' Extras, and her monolgue about making a Holocaust film to win an Oscar.

Supporting Actor:
Josh Brolin - Milk
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road

Shannon makes the cut, shutting out Dev Patel in the process. The Academy does love their crazy. The other four nominations were expected. It's nice to see them honor RDJ's comedic turn. Of course, Ledger will win this, though there is a little less certainty now, with The Dark Knight's Picture and Director snubs.

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benajmin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

With Winslet in Best Actress, there was enough room for both Adams and Henson to receive nominations. I didn't think Adams would get a nod, as I thought the Academy wouldn't give a film four acting nods, without nominating it for Best Picture., but I was wrong. This race is now exciting. Will the winner be Cruz or Davis, or will Tomei be a surprise underdog?

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

All expected. Slumdog will win. Duh.

Original Screenplay:
Frozen River
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Milk
WALL-E

Wow, this really was a ten film race. Out of those ten films, I thought Frozen River and In Bruges had the least chance, believing the Academy would more likely go with Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Wrestler, The Visitor, Burn After Reading or Rachel Getting Married. Leo's performace is probably most responsible for the film getting a nod here. Milk seems like the obvious front-runner. If there is an upset, I'd guess it would be WALL-E pulling it off.

more about the tech nominations to come later...

I Can't Wait! I Can't Wait!

Is It Just Me...

I've never actually watched the show before, but after seeing all the previews and advertisements for the new season of The Bachelor... is it just me, or does the new Bachelor look like a gay porn star? I'm not saying he's gay or anything, just that he sort of looks like a star of an adult film of the gay kind.

Final Oscar Nomination Predictions

With Oscar nominations being announced on Thursday morning, here are final predictions. While the Best Picture lineup seems like a complete lock, there still remains a lot of unknowns. Aside from Rouke, Langella and Penn, who will be nominated for Best Actor? I think Pitt, Eastwood, Jenkins and DiCaprio are all still in the mix. Streep and Hathaway are the only two locks in Best Actress, so who gets the other nominations? Will Best Director match Best Picture 5 for 5, or will Mike Leigh or Darren Aronofsky get a lone director nod? What about Best Original Screenplay? Milk is really the only lock in that category, and there are about 8 other films jockeying for the other four slots. Just how big will the Slumdog Millionaire love be, and did Revolutionary Road gain any kind of traction? Will the Academy actually go for a superhero flick, and what about Gran Turino and its sudden huge popularity? All shall be revealed in two days time.

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

Director:
Darren Aronofsky - The Wrestler
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight

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

Actress:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
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:
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Kate Winslet - The Reader

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

Original Screenplay:
Happy-Go-Lucky
Milk
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
WALL-E
The Wrestler

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

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

Art Direction:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Costume Design:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Duchess
The Other Boelyn Girl
Revolutionary Road

Make Up:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Reader
Tropic Thunder

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

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

Sound Mixing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Slumdog Millionaire
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
Hellboy 2: The Golden Army
Iron Man

Animated Feature:
Kung Fu Panda
WALL-E
Waltz with Bashir

It's Inauguration Day. Yay!

Guild Noms: Visual Effects

The Visual Effects Society (VES) announced their nominations today, and Iron Man was in the lead with 5 nominations. Now, there are a number of categories at the VES awards, but the one that is probably most representative of the Oscar Best Visual Effects category is Outstanding Visual Effects in an F/X Driven Movie. The five nominees are The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Cloverfield, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, and Iron Man. Of those films, Iron Man and Benjamin Button seem like locks for Oscar nods, but what about the third nomination? Neither Prince Caspian or Cloverfield qualified in the bake-offs, so that leaves Hellboy 2. But will that really get a nomination? Australia, Journey to the Center of the Earth and The Dark Knight also qualified in the Oscar bake-offs, and The Dark Knight could receive the third nomination. The VES distinguishes between CGI/digital effects (Visual Effects) and in-camera effects (Special Effects), and Dark Knight was nominated in the Special Effects category. So, I don't know? I'm going to go with Hellboy 2, just because the Academy seems to really like their CGI, but watch The Dark Knight get the nod. If it did receive the nomination, though, it would be worthy.

Sunday Blessings - Jamie Bamber

In honor of Battlestar Galactica's return, I've decided to devote Sunday Blessings to star Jamie Bamber, who plays Lee "Apollo" Adama on the program. Now, I picked Bamber, but I could have just as easily gone with Tahmoh Penikett, Michael Trucco, or James Callis... or Alessandro Juliani or Callum Keith Rennie, not to mention the women on the show. My God, that show has a hot cast! Okay, maybe not so much Edward James Olmos, but the rest of the cast. I decided to go with Bamber, just because of the overall improvement of his acting, since the beginning of the series. If you look back at the 2003 miniseries, which started it all, his acting abilities weren't that great. He was more of a pretty face. However, towards the end of the third season, when Apollo was working with Baltar's lawyer, and through the course of the fourth season, Bamber has really grown into his charater. I still wouldn't consider it a brilliant performance. It doesn't reach the stature of Mary McDonnell's or Katee Sackoff's performances; in general the women of Battlestar Galactica seem to dominate the show, but his performance is quite good, and he has really nailed down the American accent. When the show does go off the air, I hope he finds some decent work, preferably on television. He's proved he is capable. Plus, it would be a shame to waste such a pretty face. Praise Jesus!

Iron Man 2 Rumor...

Emily Blunt as Black Widow? Yes, please! (Variety article)

FRAK!

I seriously love this show!

I Love Damages

"When I am through with you, there won't be anything left."

Oh, how happy I am to, once again, hear those opening lyrics each week. After a full year off the air, Damages returned last week, and the first two episodes of the second season have reminded me why I love this show. Is it realistic? No. Over-the-top? Probably. Gimmicky? Yeah. But I still eat up every second of it. The unexpected plot twists that come out of nowhere, the use of cliches which are then undermined, the bluring of fiction and reality, as expressed through fantasy sequences, plot lines that seem to lead no where, then ultimately have importance, but not in the way you thought - all of it, I adore. The show is brilliant as a puzzle or mindf***. It makes you try to figure it out, and at some point you've got an idea of where it's going, only to have the rug pulled out from under you. I'm just saying, any show that can make go, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" while doing jazz hands, like last nights episode did, is doing something right. And of course, there's Patty Hewes. I love that a show was built around Glenn Close, and while the role can at times come off as a dragon-lady, I think there is something deeper to Patty, which Close easily pulls out of her. As for the rest of the cast, Rose Byrne seems to have improved since the beginning of the first season, and William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden are good additions. I'm most excited about Harden. When she's given a good role, I love her, and Claire Maddox appears to be a kind of role she's never played before. The only iffy new cast member is Timothy Olyphat; I still don't know what's going on their. Also, Anastasia Griffith is listed at the beginning of the show, as a regular cast member, and I had no idea who she was. Then I looked it up on line, and Griffith plays Katie Connor, sister of Ellen's murdered fiance David, who had a recurring role last season. Now Anastasia Griffith hasn't appeared in the first two episodes, but I'm interested in the season's plotline, which would require her to be a regular cast member. Hmm?

BAFTA Noms...Excuse Me While I Puke

The BAFTA noms came out today and eh......ahhhhhhhhhhh......ehhhh? Slumdog Millionaire is everwhere with 11 nods, even in the acting categories, which every agrees is not their best asset. It was as if collectively the group went, "I love this movie so let me nominate it for everything, so everyone knows I love it! I LOVE SLUMDOG! YEAH!!!" Happy-Go-Lucky was completely snubbed. No Eddie Marsan, no Mike Leigh, no Sally Hawkins. You're a British film group, shouldn't you be honoring the best of British cinema. Happy was a respected film by a highly regarded British auteur and features what many consider to be one of the best performances of the year, and you completely ignore it. Mamma Mia! got an Outstanding British Film nomination over Happy-Go-Lucky! How? That movie was bad! AHHHHHH!
I'm done. Here are the noms:

Best Film:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Outstanding British Film:
Hunger
In Bruges
Mamma Mia!
Man on Wire
Slumdog Millionaire

Director:
Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Stephen Daldry - The Reader

Clint Eastwood - Changeling
David Fincher - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard - Frost/Nixon

Original Screenplay:
Burn After Reading
Changeling
I've Loved You So Long
In Bruges
Milk

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

Leading Actor:
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon
Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Sean Penn - Milk
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Leading Actress:
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
Kristin Scott Thomas - I've Loved You So Long
Meryl Streep - Doubt
Kate Winslet - The Reader
Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Supporting Actor:
Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder
Brendan Gleeson - In Bruges
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt
Heath Ledger - The Dark Kngith
Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Freida Pinto - Slumdog Millionaire
Tilda Swinton - Burn After Reading
Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler

Music:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Mamma Mia!
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Cinematography:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Reader
Slumdog Millionaire

Editing:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
In Bruges
Slumdog Millionaire

Production Design:
Changeling
The Curious Case of benjamin Button
The Dark Kngith
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

Costume Design:
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Revolutionary Road

Sound:
Changeling
The Dark Kngith
Quantum of Solace
Slumdog Millionaire
WALL-E

Special Visual Effects:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace

Make Up & Hair:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
The Duchess
Frost/Nixon
Milk

Guild Noms: Costume Designers

The Costume Designers Guild handed out their noms earlier today, and somehow Slumdog Millionaire got a nomination. Really? Okay, yes i get it! You love the movie, but just because you love a film, does not mean it deserves to be nominated in every category. At this rate, come nomination morning, it'll rack up 14 nods. Well, not really; I don't see how it could get more than nine. The Academy will probably ignore it in the Costume and Art Direction categories. Anyway...... Australia is snubbed again. It's like the plague, no one wants to go near it. Even though Australia was a critical and box-office disappointment, I thought it would manage to pick up some nods. Memoirs of a Geisha anyone? I still believe it will show up somewhere at the Oscars - Cinematography, Costume, and Art Direction are all possible. The Golden Compass, was in the same place last year, and received two nominations, going on to win Best Visual Effects. So for the crew of Australia, keep hope alive. I also think the Academy will go for The Other Boleyn Girl, even though the CDG didn't. The Academy loves them some Sandy Powell, and really, who doesn't? Velvet Goldmine for life! Oh, and one last comment - How is Iron Man a Contemporary film, but The Dark Knight a Fantasy film? Eh.......?

Nominations:

Contemporary:
Iron Man - Laura Jean Shannon & Rebecca Bentjen
Mamma Mia! - Ann Roth
Sex and the City - Patricia Field
Slumdog Millionaire - Suttirat Larlarb
The Wrestler - Amy Westcott

Period:
Changeling - Deborah Hopper
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Jaqueline West
The Duchess - Michael O'Connor
Milk - Danny Glicker
Revolutionary Road - Albert Wolsky

Fantasy:
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - Isis Mussenden
The Dark Knight - Lindy Hemming
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - Sanja Milkovic Hays

Guild Nominations: Editors

The American Cinema Editors announced their nominations announced their nominations yesterday, and, well, the five pictures nominated in the drama category are the same five films nominated by every other group. It's really becoming redundant. Have some imagination, people! Oy. I expect four of these five making it to an Oscar nomination, and the fifth slot going to a film that wasn't nominated here at all. My guess, Iron Man. Let me just add, how the hell did Mamma Mia! get a nomination in the comedy category? It's editing was horrible. Shouldn't editors know good editing. I mean really.

The Nominees:

Drama:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Angus Wall & Kirk Baxter
The Dark Knight - Lee Smith
Frost/Nixon - Mike Hill & Dan Stanley
Milk - Elliot Graham
Slumdog Millionaire - Chris Dickens

Comedy:
In Bruges - Jon Gregory
Mamma Mia! - Leslie Walker
Tropic Thunder - Greg Hayden
Vicky Cristina Barcelona - Alisa Lepselter
WALL-E - Stephen Schaffer

The Golden Globes

I did very well in my predictions, missing only the two lead actor categories. In Drama, I had predicted the award going to Sean Penn, but it went, in fact, to Mickey Rourke. I wasn't sure if the Hollywood Foreign Press would get behind him or just think the nomination was enough of a recognition. Rourke's acceptance speach was the best of the night, I believe, at least among the film winners. For a while there, I was worried that the TV stars were going to keep outdoing the movie stars, with their speaches. With regards to Actor in a Comedy/Musical, I highly doubt anyone predicted Colin Farrell. I had predcited Dustin Hoffman, since he's a respected actor, and they haven't awarded him in a while. My second guess would have been Bardem, because of continued love from last year and support of the Woody Allen film, and I thought Gleeson had a shot, since the group really liked the movie and he was a respected, British character actor. In no way did I think Farrell would win, even though a lot of people have been saying it's one of the best, if not the best, performaces he's ever given. I just thought that since he's no longer the it-boy, and it's too soon for a so-called "comeback," they would have passed him over, but I was wrong. I seriously need to In Bruges now. The other big shocker of the night was Kate Winslet winning both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. I'm guessing she's now a lock in both categories. A Supporting Actress Oscar nod for The Reader was pretty much expected, but the Best Actress nod for Revolutionary Road was kind of shaky. I'd now consider her the frontrunner for Supporting Actress, but Actress, on the other hand, is still completely up in the air. It's exciting. The Academy could surprise us, and throw us a shocker, by nominating her in Lead for The Reader, which would actually be the correct category placement. What would happen then? Also can everyone now accept that Slumdog Millionaire is now the frontrunner, and not the underdog. Seriously. Unless there's a huge shock, it's going to win Best Picture at the Oscars, so stop calling it an underdog!

The Winners:

Picture, Drama: Slumdog Millionaire

Picture, Comedy/Musical: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Actor, Drama: Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler

Actor, Comedy/Musical: Colin Farrell - In Bruges

Actress, Drama: Kate Winslet - Revolutionary Road

Actress, Comedy/Musical: Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky

Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader

Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire

Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Score: Slumdog Millionaire

Song: "The Wrestler" - The Wrestler

Foreign-language Film: Waltz with Bashir

Animated Film: WALL-E

P.S.: On a completely shallow note, can I just add something about Sting and Bruce Springsteen. For two men approaching sixty, they are damn hot. I'd still do either one of them, or both of them together. Now there's a fantasy!

Sunday Blessings - Henry Rollins

Last week I went outside the box and devoted Sunday Blessings to actor Jason Schwartzman. This week I'm going back to a traditional pick, choosing a large, muscled man(hey, what can I say, I have a type), but I'm still deviating from the norm. I'm devoting today's edition of Sunday Blessings to punk icon and current talk show host, Henry Rollins. Yeah, that's right Henry Rollins. Now you may be thinking that he's too scary and angry. Well, on stage, yes he is, but that's half the appeal. The other half of the appeal is the witty, sensitive side of him which comes across in his interviews and stand-up routines. Ok, his rocking body is also an important feature when talking about his attractive qualities. I remember back in the early nineties, when I was a wee lad, seeing his video for "Liar" on MTV. He appears in a cop uniform and a superman costume, and he's often half naked, parading around in just shorts, which is his perferred attire when performing. How I was smitten with this angry, screaming man. I doubt it was his intent, but that video was seriously homoerotic. Although, isn't his whole persona kind of homoerotic? I'm just thinking to myself here. The one drawback of Rollins' career and existance, however, is that the lead singer of every wannabe punk rock band tries to be him. Seriously, if you've ever been to a small, punk show, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's like, "Yeah, you're exactly like Henry Rollons, well, except for the rocking body, sex appeal, wit, originality, and you know, talent. Other than that, you're just like him!" Yeesh. But anyway, let us all praise Jesus for gifting us with Henry Rollins' hot body. Amen

Predicting the Globe Winners

The Golden Globes ceremony airs tomorrow night, and with its arrival, the awards season begins to become clearer. Which films have the necessary momentum to capture Oscar nods, and who are the frontrunners when it comes to the acting categories? Seriously! Who are the frontrunners? I mean, yeah, Heath Ledger is completely locked up for the Oscar in the Supporting Actor category, but the rest of the acting categories are still up in the air. So, here are my predicitons for tomorrow's ceremony.

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

Prediction: Slumdog Millionaire. Its only real competition is Benjamin Button, but I think the Globes will want to award an international film and cheer on the "underdog." Slumdog will then steamroll its way to the eventual Oscar win, all the while being called the underdog.

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

Prediction: Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The category is interesting this year, as none of the nominees have a chance at a Best Picture Oscar nod, which actually makes it more fun. I'm going with Vicky, because I'm sure the Hollywood Foreign Press would like to award Woody Allen, since it has been a while. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they awarded it to Mamma Mia!, even though the movie was crap.

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

Prediction: Sean Penn. He's in a biopic. He plays a homosexual. Cha-ching! Although, this was the only nomination the film got, so maybe there's not much support behind it. If Penn loses, expect Langella to pick it up. Afterall, he also plays a real life person, and one who is more famous than Harvey Milk. He just lacks the "brave" aspect of playing a homosexual.

Best 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

Predicitions: Eh...Meryl Streep? I'm ignoring all the online buzz about Hathaway having a star next to her name on the Globes' website, and going with Streep. I could just as easily see Winslet or Hathaway winning. The Best Actress category is so exciting this year. As of yet, no frontrunners have emerged. If Hathway does win this, I think she could take that title, since the Oscars do love their fresh young things in this category.

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

Predicitions: Dustin Hoffman. Like Best Picture, this category is fun, as none of the nominees have a real chance at an Oscar nod. I picked Hoffman by a process of elimination. No way are they awarding Pineapple Express an award. Gleeson isn't famous enough. Farrell is, well, Farell. So, that leaves Bardem and Hoffman. Hoffman has the long career, and Bardem was just awarded last year, therefore I'm giving it to Hoffman.

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

Predictions: Sally Hawkins. Hawkins is the only one with a real chance at an Oscar nod. She's also got all the critics behind her. Now if Streep doesn't win in the Drama category, I think she might win here. She is Meryl Streep and "she's singing and dancing to ABBA, oh my god, me and my friends use to do that, oh my god, she's having so much fun, oh my god, I'm having so much fun, oh my god, she was in Sophie's Choice, oh my god, I love her!"

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Best Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Best Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Best Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Best Original Song: "The Wrestler" - The Wrestler
Best Foreign Film: Waltz with Bashir
Best Animated Film: WALL-E

Guild Noms: Art Directors Guild

Those wacky production designers gave us a couple of surprises. No love for either of the Kate Winslet period pieces (The Reader, Revolutionary Road), nor was their love for Baz Luhrmann's spectacle (Australia), but the guild did find room to honor the Eastwood, with nods to Changeling and...Gran Turino? Really? Eh. Anyway, I do love that they nominated WALL-E. Though the Oscars will never do so, the ADG does actually recognize the work of art directors/production designers within animated films. Art direction/production design isn't just about building sets. It's about conceptualizing and designing the world that exists within the film, and WALL-E deserves some recognition for the designs of the space cruise ship, the desolate, future Earth and WALL-E himself. Good job ADG! Looking ahead at the Oscars, I still think at least one film, which didn't receive an ADG nom, could make the Oscar short-list, even though the ADG recognized 15 films in total. Don't count out Australia and The Reader just yet, one of them could still make it.

The Nominees:

Period Films:
Changeling - James J. Murakami
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Donald Graham Burt
Doubt - David Gropman
Frost/Nixon - Michael Corenblith
Milk - Bill Groom

Fantasy Films:
The Dark Knight - Nathan Crowley
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crap - Guy Hendrix Dyax
Iron Man - J. Michael Riva
The Spiderwick Chronicles - James Bissell
WALL-E - Ralph Eggleston

Contemporary Films:
Burn After Reading - Jess Gonchor
Gran Turino - James J. Murakami
Quantum of Solace - Dennis Gassner
Slumdog Millionaire - Mark Digby
The Wrestler - Timothy Grimes

A Slumdog Orgy: The BFCA Winners

The BFCA awards were on last night, and I tuned in and out. They're really a boring awards show. For all the criticism the Oscars get for their overlong ceremony and unnecessary tributes and performances, at least they're exciting. The only really excitement came with the Best Actress category, where there was a tie between Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. I wish Streep had actually been there, as you know she would have given a great speach about having tied with her former Devil Wears Prada co-star. Anne Hathaway probably gave the best speach of the night. You just felt so happy for her. As for the rest of the awards, the BFCA went gaga over Slumdog Millionaire, bestowing it five of its honors. Apparently that's their prediction for the Best Picture prize at the Oscars, since predicting Oscar noms and wins appears to be their only purpose. With all the noms and wins, can people now stop refering to Slumdog as the underdog and the little film that could. It's the frontrunner; it's an awards juggernaut. The only film that has a serious chance at beating it is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Maybe The Dark Knight is an underdog for the prize, but I still doubt the Academy would go for a superhero film.

The Winners:
Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Director: Danny Boyle - Slumdog Millionaire
Actor: Sean Penn - Milk
Actress: Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married & Meryl Streep - Doubt (tie)
Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight
Supporting Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader
Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire
Score: Slumdog Millionaire
Song: "The Wrestler" - The Wrestler
Ensemble: Milk
Younger Actor: Dev Patel - Slumdog Millionaire
Action Film: The Dark Knight
Comedy Film: Tropic Thunder
Animated Film: WALL-E
Foregin-language Film: Waltz with Bashir
Documentary: Man on Wire

Guild Noms: DGA

The Directors Guild announced their nominations yesterday and...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....huh, what? I'm sorry; I just fell asleep from reading the nominations. It's the same list as the PGA, and about every other group. No excitement. The DGA is often a better indication of the Best Picture lineup than of the Best Director lineup come Oscar time, so expect these five films to be the Best Picture nominees. I doubt, however, that all five of these directors will receive a nod. One of them will probably be left off, and while Ron Howard would make the most sense for a snub, I'm fearing it might be Gus Van Sant. If one of them is left off you can expect the fifth slot to go to either Mike Leigh for Happy-Go-Lucky or Darren Aronofsky for The Wrestler. I can't decide. Then again, this could be a year where the Best Picture and Director categories match up, or it could be like the past few years where a film, which is nominated by all the precursors and guilds, gets snubbed for Best Picture by the Academy, like Into the Wild and Dreamgirls. I'm hoping this is the case.

Guild Noms: Cinema Audio Society

The Cinema Audio Society, which represents the sound designers, released their noms today, and Slumdog Millionaire got a surprising nomination. The film has become something of a juggernaut, with every guild group bestowing it a nomination. I don't think it will translate into a nomination with the Academy, but I could be wrong. If Finding Neverland and Shakespeare in Love managed to receive nods, so could Slumdog. I also think Quantum of Solace could miss out on a nomination, since the Academy completely ignored Casino Royale, even though it was completely worthy of a few nominations...Daniel Craig, Best Actor nod, should have been. I expect The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to take its place come Oscar time, and if Slumdog doesn't show up, Indiana Jones will fill its seat. Although, with the new Indy movie missing a nod from the sound guild, and not making the cut for the Visual Effects bake-off, maybe the industry realizes what a crap movie Crystal Skulls was, and it won't receive any nominations, save for the inevitable John Williams score nod. Take that Lucas and Spielberg!!!

The Noms:
The Dark Knight - Ed Novick, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo
Iron Man - Mark Ulano, Christopher Boyes, Lora Hirschberg
Quantum of Solace - Chris Munro, Mike Prestwood Smith, Mark Taylor
Slumdog Millionaire - Resul Pookutty, Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke
WALL-E - Tom Meyers, Michael Semanick

Guild Nominations: Writers and Cinematographers

The Writers Guild and the American Society of Cinematographers announced their nominees today, with each group continuing the love-fests for Slumdog Millionaire, The Dark Knight and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. There were no real surprises with the ASC noms, but the Writers Guild shook things up within the Original Screenplay category. Rachel Getting Married, WALL-E, and Happy-Go-Lucky all failed to make an appearance. One could overlook the WALL-E snub, since it's an animated film with little dialogue, and the Happy-Go-Lucky snub, since its a British film and might not have qualified - I'm not exactly sure. There both probably safe for an Oscar nom, as Pixar has a good track record in the category, and I doubt the Academy would overlook a Mike Leigh film. The snub for Rachel Getting Married, however, indicates some trouble for the film's screenplay chances. Perhaps there is a growing support for The Wrestler, and that will take the fifth spot over Rachel. Although the Academy's writing branch does like dramadies, so maybe it still has a good shot, and WALL-E will be the film left off the final list. Who's to know; who's to know?

WGA:
Adapted Screenplay:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Slumdog Millionaire

Original Screenplay:
Burn After Reading
Milk
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
The Visitor
The Wrestler

ASC:
The Curious Case of Bejamin Button - Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight - Wally Pfister
The Reader - Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
Revolutionary Road - Roger Deakins
Slumdog Millionaire - Anthony Dod Mantle

Tech Bake-Offs: Best Makeup Category

The makeup category has been wittled down to seven films, and the only surprises within the bunch are the inclusion of The Wrestler and the exclusion of Prince Caspian, especially considering the first Narnia film won the prize. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button made the cut, which wasn't necessarily expected, as the makeup branch has weird and inconsistent rules about when CGI is used in conjunction with makeup. The Hours had previously been disqualified for using CGI, but then Star Wars: Return of the Sith qualified and got a nomination, so you never really know. However, since it did qualify, you can bet Benjamin Button will get the nomination and probably win. As for the other two nominations, I can see them going to any of the other films, except for The Wrestler, which I think falls into the same predicament Monster was in, where everyone ignores the makeup work and attributes it to the actor's performance. At least there's no travesties when it comes to this list, like in past years when Norbit and Click received nominations, but still the makeup branch refuses to go outside their comfort zone. It's all about prosthetics, and fat suits and aging effects. There's no recognition of period work or glamour, and let's not forget the makeup award also honors a film's hairstylist, but the branch always seems to forget this. I'm still insensed over the snub of Marie Antoinette two years ago, and its brilliant hair and wig styling. Hmph.

The Qualifiers:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
The Reader
Synecdoche, New York
Tropic Thunder
The Wrestler

PGA Nominations - YAWN!!!

So begins the onslaught of the guilds handing out their nominations, with the Producers Guild starting us off today. Their nominees are, well, lacking any sort of excitement. I mean really! It's the same five films being recognized everytime. I thought their might have been some excitement added to the race, with WALL-E getting a nod from the guild, or maybe a bigger surprise with Revolutionary Road, The Wrestler, or Happy-Go-Lucky getting mentioned. Nope. None of that. No excitement here. Expect the same five films to be nominated for the Directors Guild Award, at which point we can be almost certain of the Oscar Best Picture line up.

Nominees:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Cean Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall
The Dark Knight - Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
Frost/Nixon - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard
Milk - Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks, Michael London
Slumdog Millionaire - Christian Colson, Paul Ritchie

New Oscar Predicitons for the New Year

Very few changes actually. Best Actress is increasingly exciting, since really the only lock is Meryl Streep. Any of the other women can be snubbed. I'm still wondering how big or small Doubt and Gran Turino will be come nomination day, and I'm starting to worry about Milk's prospects. Is it really a lock for Best Picture and Director? Also, is Happy-Go-Lucky going to surprise with its number of noms? I think it might. As I keep saying, never underestimate a Mike Leigh film. Vera Drake pulled off those surprise writing and directing nods, after having had a poor box-office run and seemingly lack of excitement for the film. Maybe Leigh can pull off the lone director nod. Anyway, here's what I'm currently thinking:

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
Milke Leigh - Happy-Go-Lucky
Christopher Nolan - The Dark Knight

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

Actress:
Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins - Happy-Go-Lucky
Angelina Jolie - Changeling
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
Eddie Marsan - Happy-Go-Lucky

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 Reader

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
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

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

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

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

Make Up:
Hellboy R: The Golden Army
Synecdoche, New York
Tropic Thunder

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

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

Sound Mixing:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
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

Teddy Thompson - A Piece of What You Need

I bought this album just this past week, and I love it. I'm advising everyone to go out an buy it or download it. His lyrics are so witty and clever, and his voice is haunting. Go and purchase it, seriously!

Sunday Blessings - Jason Schwartzman

That's right, you read the title correctly. For this week's edition of Sunday Blessings, I'm devoting the post to Jason Schwartman. I know he's not everyone's cup of tea, and yes, I realize he's not the sexiest person around, but I find him completely adorable. I thought he was adorable in I Heart Huckabees, and Shopgirl, and his short-live television series Cracked Up, and...well, okay, maybe not in Marie Antoinette -for some reason he seemed kind of off putting in that film - but I did find him adorable, once again, in The Darjeeling Limited, which he actually co-wrote. I just watched it on cable, either Starz of HBO, I can't remember, and I thought it was a really good film, so I decided to do a posting on one of its cast members. Owen Wilson was all banged up in the film, so I wasn't going to choose him, and Adrien Brody just seemed like an obvious pick. I mean, yes, he's utterly hot, and I would pounce on the man in a second, but again too obvious. That's how I came up with Schwartzman. What do I like about him, you may ask. Well, the nose, I love a prominent honker, the short height- I likes my men below 5'10'', and the general hairiness - fur, it keeps you warn. I also just find him cute in general. However, I do wish he'd cut his hair; it looks better short. So there you have it, Jason Schwartzman is the focus of this week's Sunday Blessings. Praise Jesus!