Monday, January 28, 2008

Cloverfield

Let me just say that even though I left the theatre completely nauseous, Cloverfield was still an enjoyable thrill-ride experience. I really only have myself to blame for arriving at the theatre too late, thus missing the opportunity to sit far away from the screen and be relegated to the front rows of the Silver City cinema. I knew there was going to be shaky camera work but I thought I would be able to handle it. I thought wrong. It took about twenty minutes for the sickness to kick in. I was feeling hot in the air-conditioned theatre and my head was feeling light-headed. So for the rest of the 64 minutes I focused my eyes on the bottom of the screen and watched the plot unfold with my pupils extremely close to my top eyelids. Thankfully, this movie was short. And thankfully it was fantastic enough for me to put my eyes through the strain.

Normally, I am not a fan of shaky camera-work. I am aware that the filmmakers are trying to evoke a sense of urgency, but I usually feel they go overboard. I always mock the jittery camera motion found when Jason Bourne is writing a letter in The Bourne Supremacy. Oooo, look at him write that letter; it’s so intense. Now, I am aware that many people will compare Cloverfield to The Blair Witch Project with its real time digital filming. Luckily, Cloverfield justifies its camera work while Blair Witch does not. In Blair Witch, the kids are supposedly documentary filmmakers. What, they can’t afford a decent steady cam? Aren’t they professional enough not to run with the camera on? And if someone goes missing, shouldn’t you put down the camera and start looking for them? It didn’t work for me. In Cloverfield, they explain that it’s just a regular video camera used to tape some farewell speeches. They give the camera to a dude who doesn’t know how to use it properly, therefore leaves it on when walking and running. And finally, the guy filming clearly states that he needs to document everything, thus explaining why he doesn’t turn the camera off at any point. See? Justified.

But enough about shaky cameras, let’s talk about this wonderful concept concocted by JJ Abrams. It’s funny that his name is all over the project even though he didn’t technically write or direct it. That credit goes to Drew Goddard (Alias, Lost) and Matt Reeves (Felicity, The Pallbearer) respectively. Granted it was Abrams idea and boy was it a doozy. I love the fact that this monster movie is taken from one point of view. The audience only gets to see what the protagonists’ see. It makes for a wonderfully disorienting time of piecing things together and ramping up the suspense of the unknown. Even though, the film was shot under thirty million, it still has enough special effects to amaze audiences with spectacle and grossness. The glimpses of the big beastie does look a little to CGI’d but the creepy offshoots still make my skin crawl. And off course, the Statue of Liberty head was a great way to get the ball rolling, sort to speak.

I also appreciated the predominately no-name cast. This non-recognition allows you to be sucked into their story a little easier without having a “name-their-previous-movie” game playing in the back of your head. These actors are great at showing their emotions and fear and do their job well. The stand-out for me was the running commentary provided by the film’s inexperienced cameraman Hud, played by TJ Miller. Goddard gives Miller the perfectly dark one-liners to give the audience moments of comic relief. All the characters seem relatable in a hip sort of way; they are the kind of people you wouldn’t mind partying with on a Saturday night. But maybe that’s just me.

So, should you see the Cloverfield in the theatres? If you have an iron stomach, by all the means, enjoy. If you are like me and get a little queasy, I’m thinking you should rent it on DVD and be ready to pause when the camera motions get out of hand. Either way, you should definitely give Cloverfield a try; it’s wonderfully original and a great way to start the 2008 movie year.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Oscar Nomination Predictions 2008

Wow, did those Golden Globes suck. I miss the drunken acceptance speeches. Let’s only hope that the Oscars don’t fall victim to the same fate. Gil Cates, the producer, swears the show will go on, but that’s what they said about the Globes a week before the disastrous press conference format. In any case, I’m going to live in denial and assume that the Oscars will go according to plan. Last year, I tried to predict the Oscar nominees before they were announced (this year we’ll know on January 22), and I thought I would do it again this year. Bear in mind that this list is not based on my wishes but what I actually think will go down on Tuesday morning. I’ve also included my own pick if I could squeeze my own vote among the nominees. Here goes:

Best Picture
No Country For Old Men / Atonement / There Will Be Blood / Michael Clayton /

Sweeny Todd
For Your Consideration: Juno

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood) / George Clooney (Michael Clayton) / Johnny Depp (Sweeny Todd) / Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) / Denzel Washington (American Gangster)
For Your Consideration: Christian Bale (Rescue Dawn)

Best Actress
Julie Christie (Away From Her) / Ellen Page (Juno) / Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) / Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart) / Keira Knightley (Atonement)
For Your Consideration: Meryl Streep (Lions for Lambs)

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men) / Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War) / Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton) / Hal Holbrook (Into the Wild) / Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford)
For Your Consideration: Steve Zahn (Rescue Dawn)

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) / Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There) / Tilda Swinton (Micahel Clayton) / Ruby Dee (American Gangster) / Saoirse Ronan (Atonement)
For Your Consideration: Jennifer Garner (Juno)

Best Director
Joel & Ethan Coen (No Country for Old Men) / Joe Wright (Atonement) / Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) / Tim Burton (Sweeny Todd) / Sean Penn (Into the Wild)
For Your Consideration: Jason Reitman (Juno)

Best Original Screenplay
Juno / Michael Clayton / Ratatouille / I’m Not There / 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
For Your Consideration: Hot Fuzz

Best Adapted Screenplay
No Country for Old Men / Atonement / The Diving Bell and the Butterfly /

Charlie Wilson’s War / There Will Be Blood
For Your Consideration: 1408

Best Foreign Film
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days / The Kite Runner / Persepolis /

Lust, Caution / Paris Je T’aime
For Your Consideration: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (apparently not eligible)

Best Documentary
Sicko / The King of Kong / No End in Sight /
My Kid Could Paint That / What Would Jesus Buy
For Your Consideration: No idea

Best Animated Film
Bee Movie / Ratatouille / The Simpsons Movie
For Your Consideration: Anything but Shrek 3

Best Song
Despedida (Love in the Time of Cholera) / Grace is Gone (Grace is Gone) / Guaranteed (Into the Wild) / That’s How You Know (Enchanted) / Walk Hard (Walk Hard)
For Your Consideration: Tire Swing (Juno)

Best Score
The Kite Runner / Grace is Gone / Atonement / Into the Wild / Sweeny Todd
For Your Consideration: The Darjeeling Limited

Best Art Direction
Atonement / Sweeny Todd / Hairspray / Across the Universe / Zodiac
For Your Consideration: The Darjeeling Limited

Best Cinematography
Atonement / No Country for Old Men / Sweeny Todd /

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly / Into the Wild
For Your Consideration: Across the Universe

Best Costume
Atonement / Sweeny Todd / American Gangster / Pirates III / Hairspray
For Your Consideration: Juno

Best Make-Up
Sweeny Todd / Pirates III / Walk Hard / I’m Not There / Hairspray
For Your Consideration: Grindhouse

Best Editing
Atonement / The Diving Bell and the Butterfly / No Country for Old Men / There Will Be Blood / Michael Clayton
For Your Consideration: Hot Fuzz

Best Sound Editing
Pirates III / Atonement / No Country for Old Men
For Your Consideration: 300

Best Sound Mixing
Sweeny Todd / Hairspray / Across the Universe / Atonement / Transformers
For Your Consideration: 300

Best Visual Effects
300 / Pirates III / Transformers
For Your Consideration: 1408

So there you have it. Let’s see how close I am on January 22
(my birthday incidentally).

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Golden Globe Picks 2008

The Golden Globes are pretty useless. These awards are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press, which is comprised of about 90 entertainment journalists from around the world. So, in other words, less people than a Family Feud survey. They used to be the predictors for the Oscars but lately they’ve been all over the place. I don’t take my predictions all that seriously for this award show. Actually, the only reason to watch is to see drunken celebrities make funny speeches. It’s a lot more casual than the Oscars or Emmys. And because of the cursed writers strike, there won't even be a ceremony this year, only a measly press conference. And this is the year that Steven Spielberg was getting a special award, so that kinda sucks. Oh yeah, one cool thing about the Golden Globes is that it seems to be the only award show that gives a damn about motion picture comedies. You hear that Oscar? Anyway, here’s my picks (not predictions) for the Golden Globes. (If you care.)

Best Motion Picture – Drama
American Gangster / Atonement / Eastern Promises / The Great Debaters / Michael Clayton / No Country for Old Men / There Will Be Blood
My Pick: No Country for Old Men

Best Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical
Across the Universe / Charlie Wilson’s War / Hairspray / Juno / Sweeny Todd
My Pick: Juno

Best Actor – Drama
George Clooney (Michael Clayton) / Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood) / James McAvoy (Atonement) / Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) / Denzel Washington (American Gangster)
My Pick: Denzel Washington

Best Actress – Drama
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age) / Julie Christie (Away From Her) / Jodie Foster (The Brave One) / Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart) / Keira Knightley (Atonement)
My Pick: Julie Christie

Best Actor – Comedy/Musical
Johnny Depp (Sweeny Todd) / Ryan Gosling (Lars and the Real Girl) / Tom Hanks (Charlie Wilson’s War) / Philip Seymour Hoffman (The Savages) / John C Reilly (Walk Hard)
My Pick: Johnny Depp

Best Actress – Comedy/Musical
Amy Adams (Enchanted) / Nikki Blonsky (Hairspray) / Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeny Todd) / Marion Cotillard (La Vie En Rose) / Ellen Page (Juno)
My Pick: Tie - Ellen Page and Nikki Blonsky

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James) / Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) / Philip Seymour Hoffman (Charlie Wilson’s War) / John Travolta (Hairspray) /

Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)
My Pick: Tie – Javier Bardem and Philip Seymour Hoffman

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There) / Julia Roberts (Charlie Wilson’s War) / Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) / Amy Ryan (Gone Baby Gone) / Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)
My Pick: Cate Blanchett

Best Animated Film
Bee Movie / Ratatouille / The Simpsons Movie
My Pick: Ratatouille


Best Foreign Language Film
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days / The Diving Bell and the Butterfly / The Kite Runner / Lust, Caution / Persepolis
My Pick: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Best Director
Tim Burton (Sweeny Todd) / Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men) / Julian Schnabel (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) / Ridley Scott (American Gangster) / Joe Wright (Atonement)
My Pick: Ethan & Joel Coen

Best Screenplay
Christopher Hampton (Atonement) / Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War) / Ronald Harwood (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) / Diablo Cody (Juno) / Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)
My Pick: Diablo Cody

Best Original Score
Grace is Gone / The Kite Runner / Atonement / Eastern Promises / Into the Wild
My Pick: Atonement

Best Original Song
“Despedida” (Love in the Time of Cholera) / “Grace is Gone” (Grace is Gone) / “Guaranteed” (Into the Wild) / “That’s How You Know” (Enchanted) /

“Walk Hard” (Walk Hard)
My Pick: "Walk Hard"

Best TV Series – Drama
Big Love / Damages / Grey’s Anatomy / House / Mad Men / The Tudors
My Pick: Damages

Best TV Series – Comedy
30 Rock / Californication / Entourage / Extras / Pushing Daisies
My Pick: Pushing Daisies

Best TV Actress – Drama
Patricia Arquette (Medium) / Glenn Close (Damages) / Minnie Driver (The Riches) / Edie Falco (The Sopranos) / Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters) / Holly Hunter (Saving Grace) /

Kyra Sedwick (The Closer)
My Pick: Glenn Close

Best TV Actor – Drama
Michael C Hall (Dexter) / Jon Hamm (Mad Men) / Hugh Laurie (House) / Bill Paxton (Big Love) / Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors)
My Pick: Michael C Hall

Best TV Actress – Comedy
Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?) / America Ferrera (Ugly Betty) / Tina Fey (30 Rock) / Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies) / Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)
My Pick: Tina Fey

Best TV Actor – Comedy
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) / Steve Carell (The Office) / David Duchovny (Californication) / Ricky Gervais (Extras) / Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies)
My Pick: Steve Carell

Best TV Supporting Actress
Rose Byrne (Damages) / Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters) / Katherine Heigle (Grey’s Anatomy) / Samantha Morton (Longford) / Anna Paquin (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee) / Jamie Pressly (My Name is Earl)
My Pick: Jamie Pressly

Best TV Supporing Actor
Ted Danson (Damages) / Kevin Dillon (Entourage) / Jeremy Piven (Entourage) / Andy Serkis (Longford) / William Shatner (Boston Legal) / Donald Sutherland (Dirty Sexy Money)
My Pick: Ted Danson

Best TV Mini-Series
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee / The Company / Five Days / Longford /

The State Within
My Pick: The Company

Best TV Mini-Series Actress
Bryce Dallas Howard (As You Like It) / Queen Latifah (Life Support) / Debra Messing (The Starter Wife) / Sissy Spacek (Pictures of Hollis Woods) / Ruth Wilson (Jane Eyre)
My Pick: Bryce Dallas Howard

Best TV Mini-Series Actor
Adam Beach (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee) / Ernest Borgnine (A Grandpa for Christmas) / Jim Broadbent (Longford) / Jason Isaacs (The State Within) / James Nesbitt (Jekyll)
My Pick: Jim Broadbent

I’m assuming the press conference will still be shown on NBC on Sunday, January 13. If not, we’ll see the results in Monday’s newspaper. Yipee.

Friday, January 04, 2008

The Strike Continues

As I stated in an earlier blog, let the panic begin this January. Well, the time has come. For a refresher on what the strike is all about, just refer to this previous blog:
http://popculturepusher.blogspot.com/2007/11/strike.html
As for the other questions I get asked about the strike . . .

What’s the deal with the late night talk shows? David Letterman is back on the air with his writers. Because he owns his own show (through Worldwide Pants Inc.), he was able to make an independent deal with the WGA (Writers Guild of America). Letterman, therefore, is able to do monologues, written material and book big name guests who don’t have to cross the picket lines as scabs. The same goes for Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson since this show is also owned by Worldwide Pants. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, on the other hand, are owned by NBC-Universal who are too big to make a separate arrangement with the WGA. Therefore, Leno and O’Brien are not allowed to do monologue material (since they are WGA members as well), written material and should have a harder time booking guests as those who appear on their shows will be looked down upon by the WGA. Leno and O’Brien don’t want to go back to work but their contracts forces them to. Leno has made monologue jokes but the WGA is pretty ticked about it. O’Brien has been killing time by spinning his wedding ring and drinking water. Kind of funny is you ask me. Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly are also back at work and they are in the same boat as Leno and O’Brien. What’s interesting is that Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert return on Monday. Now, WGA rules stipulate that a writer cannot perform as previously written characters, so how is this going to affect Stephen Colbert who does his entire show in character? We’ll have to wait and see.

How many episodes are left of my favourite shows? Well, I’m not going to list all of them, but I will name the ones that I’m currently watching.
Finished Shows
These shows have no more episodes and will probably be off the air until next fall assuming that the strike ends in the next couple of months. Heroes, The Office, Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, 2½ Men & How I Met Your Mother
One Episode Left
30 Rock (airing Jan 10), CSI (airing Jan 10), Family Guy (airing Jan 13)
Chuck & My Name is Earl (sometime in early 2008)

Two Episodes Left
Back to You (airing in March) & Reaper (early 2008)
Three Episodes Left
House (airing in Feb) & Samantha Who? (ending Feb 18)
Five Episodes Left
Prison Break (ending Feb 18) & sadly Scrubs (ending Feb 14)
Six Episodes Left
Smallville (airing in early 2008)
Ten Episodes Left
Simpsons (animation scripts are written really early)
Pushed Back until the strike is over
24, Entourage, Mad Men

So what am I going to watch in the meantime? You mean other than the crappy reality shows that will infest the tube in the next months? Here are some scripted ones to watch for.

Lost – The season returns Jan 31 with eight new episodes. Unfortunately, it’s only half of the original episode order but the eighth episode is supposed to be a doozy. Looking at the trailers on the internet, it looks like a lot of great action coming our way. The season will end on March 20.

Battlestar Galactica – The fourth season returns soon with 10 episodes to show us. Now that we know who four or the five remaining Cylons are, things should get pretty interesting. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see episode 11 which was going to directed by series creator Ronald D. Moore (the episodes made by the creators are always full of new information and twisting plot developments).

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles – This new series takes place between T2 and T3. It looks pretty action-packed and they also have an attractive cast to work with. The series stars Lena Headey (300’s queen) as Sarah Connor, Thomas Dekker (Claire’s season one boyfriend on Heroes) as John Connor, and Summer Glau (Firefly’s River) as a terminator sent to protect the Connor clan. They have their complete order of 9 episodes and it starts Jan 13.

Eli Stone – This new series gets the advantage of premiering right after Lost. The story revolves around a lawyer who suddenly receives prophetic powers and decides to use them for good. John Lee Miller (Trainspotting, Smith) stars as Eli Stone but it’s Victor Garber (Alias, Justice) that will keep me coming back. They will be showing all of their 13 ordered episodes.

The Return of Jezebel James – This is the new series created by the people behind Gilmore Girls. Not that I watched that show. This one intrigues me because it stars Parker Posey (Christopher Guest mockumentaries) and Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under) and it should be fun to hear them talk really really fast. They only have 7 episodes and will be premiering in March.

That’s all I have on the TV front concerning the strike. Consider yourself informed.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

2008 Movie Preview

It’s the new year which means a new crop of movies. And if the writers strike continues, this may be the last batch of movie for a while. Anyway, I did some research and came up with a list of 25 films that I’m interested in seeing in 2008. My quick opinions are based solely on trailers, plot descriptions and director/actor pedigree. (All dates are tentative, especially the later ones). Looking at last year, I watched 20 of the 25 listed. (TV Set and Fan Boys didn’t come to my theatre, Chuck & Larry and Fred Claus looked too dumb up close, and Beowulf looked too CGI for my taste.) Let’s see what happens this year.

1. Cloverfield (Jan 18) – JJ Abrams action film shot ony from the video camera POV
2. Be Kind Rewind (Jan 25) – Michael Gondry of Eternal Sunshine fame, looks funny
3. Drillbit Taylor (Mar 21) – Judd Apatow comedy with Owen Wilson as a bodyguard
4. Leatherheads (Apr 4) – George Clooney & John Kransinski in football comedy
5. Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo (Apr 25) – Loved the first one.
6. Iron Man (May 2) – Comic-fan Jon Favreau directs. Comic-Con went nuts over this.
7. Speed Racer (May 9) – Only because it’s a Wachowski Brothers film.
8. Prince Caspian (May 16) – Love the trailer. Let’s go back to Narnia.
9. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22) – Duh!
10. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (May 30) – Apatow again. Veronica Mars stars.
11. The Happening (June 13) – I like M. Night Shyamalan. So sue me.
12. Get Smart (June 20) – This role fits Steve Carrell like a glove. Love the trailer.
13. The Love Guru (June 20) – Another Mike Meyers creation. I’m intrigued.
14. Wall-E (June 27) – It’s Pixar. Need I say more?
15. Hancock (July 2) – Will Smith as a loser superhero. Check out the trailer.
16. The Dark Knight (July 18) – Heath Ledger as Joker is creepy. (I just shivered)
17. The X-Files 2 (July 25) – I like the show. The gang is back in Vancouver.
18. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emporer (Aug 1) – Hi Brendan Fraser.
19. The Pineappple Express (Aug 8) – Apatow and Seth Rogen. C’mon.
20. Valkyrie (Oct 3) – Made by The Usual Suspects team. Plus Tom Cruise
21. Bond 22 (Nov 7) – Daniel Craig is back? Then so am I
22. Harry Potter VI (Nov 21) – Why stop now? Just a couple more to go.
23. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Nov 26) – Fincher/Pitt reunion
24. Yes Man (Dec 19) – Jim Carrey says yes to everything. Sounds Liar Liar worthy.
25. Star Trek (Dec 25) – JJ Abrams relaunches the franchise with new actors. Neat.


Of course, I’ll update my personal viewing season to season, based more on reviews, buzz and trailers, but for now, this will have to do. From a distance, it’s looks like another fine year of cinema. Let’s hope they stand up to the hype.