Manny The Movie Guy2010-03-10T03:59:51ZMannyCopyright 2010, MannySPHPBLOG"Remember Me" Movie Review! How Many Kisses Does Robert Pattinson Get?
Confession Time – I was never a fan of Robert Pattinson. I am basing that assessment on the actor’s most famous role to date, the lovelorn vampire Edward in the “Twilight” films. I thought he delivered wooden performances in both movies.
But after watching Pattinson in the new film “Remember Me,” I can now honestly say, I’m intrigued by this actor. He carried the movie from its shaky start to its heart wrenching conclusion.
Unlike his “Twilight” co-star, Taylor Lautner, Pattinson is making brave career choices. While Lautner will soon be busy working on standard thrillers like “Abduction” or sure-fire blockbusters like “Stretch Armstrong,” Pattinson will bury himself in art-house films like “Bel Ami” and “”Water for Elephants.”
Taking a cue from Johnny Depp, Pattinson peppers his resume with iconic roles such as Edward, and memorable characters like the one he played in “Remember Me.” He stars as Tyler, a rebel with a cause who has serious daddy issues.
His father, Charles Hawkins (played perfectly by Pierce Brosnan), is a rich, powerful businessman who spends most of his time in the office and less with his family. After a tragedy separated the Hawkins, Tyler and his sister Caroline (the amazing Ruby Jerins), divide their time between their dad, and their newly-married mother (the underused Lena Olin).
Set in New York City in the summer of 2001, tragedy is at the center of “Remember Me.” In an unusual twist of fate, Tyler meets Ally (“Lost’s” Emilie de Ravin). She’s Tyler’s NYU classmate who’s also trying to cope with a tragic experience. Her father, played by Chris Cooper, is a protective cop from Queens who will do anything to keep his only daughter safe from harm.
In its simplest form, “Remember Me” features clichéd narrative about two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks. He’s from a wealthy family while she’s from a blue-collar background. But what sets this film apart is its unforeseen climax that you will remember for years to come.
Yes, the ending is commendable and director Allen Coulter (“Hollywoodland”) and screenwriter Will Fetters knew that their payoff would be talked about that all the necessary blocks were built around the finale, and gosh darn it, it worked! I just wished the filmmakers reached their conclusion quicker.
To be honest, the film could have benefited from some cuts. If the filmmakers excised unnecessary laborious scenes, especially the slow-building romantic angle in the beginning, “Remember Me” would have been a perfect movie.
One word of advice if you’re planning to see “Remember Me,” please avoid blogs, reviews, and reports revealing the film’s arc. You will enjoy the movie better if you walk into the theater without knowing anything about it.
But warts and all, I am recommending “Remember Me.” First, because of the 11-year-old actress Jerins, who stole acting thunder from Pattinson. There’s a scene in the film where her character experiences a tragedy while attending a pajama birthday party. In the hands of a less qualified actress, the scene would have been kitschy and corny, but Jerins showed deep understanding of her character.
Jerins is the heart of the film, and her scenes with Pattinson are vibrant and alive. As for Pattinson? It’s a pleasure to see the actor sans luminous vampire make-up. Pattinson blends well with all of his co-stars in the film. He’s a stubborn rebel when he’s around his dad, a loving boyfriend with Ally, and a caring older brother with his sister.
I’m also recommending “Remember Me” for its beautiful portrait of New York. The city becomes one of the film’s main characters. It’s a source of inspiration to some, and a hub of volatility to others.
As a whole, “Remember Me” is a heartwarming love story told against an unforgettable backdrop. It’s about loss, love, and redemption. Some people may find “Remember Me” too earnest, I call it profound. Trust me, the title will make so much sense after you’ve seen the film.
RATING:
“Remember Me” gets 3 out of 4 kisses]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100309-1927582010-03-10T00:00:00Z2010-03-10T00:00:00ZMy Fun One-on-One Interviews with "She's Out of My League" Cast! It's Raunchy, It's Funny!
First off, I truly laughed my booty off watching "She's Out of My League!" It's a feel good romantic comedy with a raunchy twist! Plus, it's nice to see Jay Baruchel morphing into a leading man, and getting a Hard 10 girl to boot -- Ms. Alice Eve!
I attended a press junket in New York City for "She's Out of My League," and I was so thankful! It's a fun movie, and the entire cast was sweet! So shameless plugging, don't forget to watch "She's Out of My League" this Friday, March 12.
Here are my fun interviews. First stop, Jay Baruchel
*** We talked about his involvement with the film, how it's nice to see the skinny kid from "Knocked Up" star in a leading man role. *** Baruchel said that his role is very similar to Lloyd Dobler from "Say Anything," to which I retorted, he's missing his boombox, BUT, he did have a hungry dog :happy *** What's a moodle? *** The film's "Beauty and the Beast" angle *** Working in Philadelphia *** Baruchel is having a magical year!
Then, we have the girls, Alice Eve and Krysten Ritter, we talked about:
*** Their roles, Alice as Molly and Krysten as Patty *** Eve called the romantic comedy genre the chocolate of the film world! *** Ritter's character -- the last time I spoke with her was for "Confessions of a Shopaholic" *** "She's Out of My League" is a Hard 10 of a movie, at least, Eve said so :happy
Then we have the super-funny troika of Mike Vogel, Lindsay Sloane, and Nate Torrence
*** This became a fun, free-for-all interview -- all three of them gave great, positive vibes that day! *** We managed to talk about their characters, Mike as Jack, the yoda-like sex guru of the group, Lindsay as Marnie, the ex-girlfriend of Baruchel's character, and Nate is Devon, the childlike member of the group *** Vogel confirmed his "Captain America" audition! He's got the good, old American boy looks, and I could see him as Steve Rogers aka Captain America!
HAVE FUN! :happy
]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100309-1618142010-03-09T00:00:00Z2010-03-09T00:00:00ZWatch the Super Top Secret "Tron Legacy" Trailer! But if you're not going to watch "Alice in Wonderland," don't worry, you can catch the trailer right here folks! It's intriguing, moody, and atmospheric, using a father-son theme. The music is by Daft Punk, and according to THR, they wrote a score just for this trailer!
Take a look, and marvel at the sight of the recently-crowned Best Actor Oscar, Jeff Bridges, reprising his role from the original film as Flynn, the computer programming genius.
]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100309-1607132010-03-09T00:00:00Z2010-03-09T00:00:00ZKathryn Bigelow Makes Oscar History, "The Hurt Locker" Tops 2010 Oscars!
It was Kathryn Bigelow's night at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Her film, "The Hurt Locker" took home six trophies including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. (photo courtesy of ABC.com)
James Cameron's "Avatar," nominated for 9 nods along with "The Hurt Locker" took home three trophies for Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction.
Bigelow made history by being the first woman to win the Best Director trophy. She called her winning the "moment of a lifetime," and it is indeed!
All in all, it was a fun night, for me at least (check out my minute-by-minute Oscar blogfest right here).
Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for "The Blind Side," Jeff Bridges took home the Best Actor award for "Crazy Heart," Mo'Nique received her first Oscar, winning the Best Supporting Actress trophy for "Precious," and Christoph Waltz went home with a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Inglourious Basterds."
I think the biggest upset was the Best Foreign Language category. It was being predicted between France's "Un Prophete" and Germany's "The White Ribbon." But in the end, Argentina's "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" took home the award! I was also surprised that "Precious" beat "Up in the Air" in the Best Adapted Screenplay category. Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner won the Writers Guild of America award, which signaled their lock in winning the Oscars, but, Geoffrey Fletcher took home the award for "Precious." (check out my complete 2010 Oscar predictions along with the full nominees right here, see where I failed!)
Congratulations to all the winners!
WINNERS OF THE 82ND ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS
Actor in a Leading Role
* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”
Actor in a Supporting Role
* Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
Actress in a Leading Role
* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side”
Actress in a Supporting Role
* Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
Animated Feature Film
* “Up” Pete Docter
Art Direction
* “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
Cinematography
* “Avatar” Mauro Fiore
Costume Design
* “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell
Directing
* “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow
Documentary (Feature)
* “The Cove”
Documentary (Short Subject)
* “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
Film Editing
* “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
Foreign Language Film
* “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina
Makeup
* “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
Music (Original Score)
* “Up” Michael Giacchino
Music (Original Song)
* “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
Best Picture
* “The Hurt Locker”
Short Film (Animated)
* “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin
Short Film (Live Action)
* “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
Sound Editing
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson
Sound Mixing
* “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
Visual Effects
* “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
* “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher
Writing (Original Screenplay)
* “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100308-0103022010-03-08T00:00:00Z2010-03-08T00:00:00Z2010 Oscars Blogfest -- Minute-by-Minute Look at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards! The Winners!!! The Losers!!! The Show!!! The Excitement!!!!
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards is about to start. My TV screen says, 26:47...okay, I love Sandra Bullock's look!
Ooooh, is that Zac Efron on the red carpet?
What's on Charlize Theron's boobs?
Just saw Mariah Carey...would love for her to present HA!
What's Kathy Ireland doing on the carpet? Enunciate it...wun-der-ful...
Okay, JLO looks hot!
Yay, 15 more minutes, hurry up!
Gabourey Sidibe is Precious! My friend Sue says Sherri Shepherd must cover her arms!
Taylor Lautner, twihards scream!
Meryl Streep is lovely!
THREE MORE MINUTES!!!!!
THE SHOW IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!!!
THE 82ND ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS
5:30 -- The nominees for Leading Actors and Actresses are on stage...Do you like George Clooney's hair?
I love Carey Mulligan!!! J'adore Meryl Streep!!!
5:31 -- Neil Patrick Harris displays his showtunes talent again! What is he supposed to be singing about? Oh, yeah, Old Hollywood!
5:33 -- Great kitsch stage, the only thing missing is Sonny and Cher!
A bit pitchy Harris...
5:34 -- Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin descend from the heavens!
5:36 -- Aw..."The Last Station's" Christopher Plummer is having a great time!
5:37 -- The damn, er, Dame Helen Mirren! Lots of talks about Streep..
5:38 -- The cast of "Precious!" Oh wait, all I could see was Sidibe, where's her fellow cast members?
5:39 -- Cute bit when Baldwin and Martin put on 3-D glasses to introduce James Cameron!
5:40 -- Kathryn Bigelow looks like a smart Celine Dion :happy
5:41 -- Quentin Tarantino and mentions of his "Inglourious Basterds"
5:42 -- What did Bullock do to herself? She looks fabulous!!!!
5:44 -- Penelope Cruz introduces the BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR nominees...
AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR GOES TO...CHRISTOPH WALTZ FOR "INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS" -- the first Academy Award and nomination for Waltz! Back in August, I told him he'll win the Oscars...and my predictions came true :) Check my interview with Waltz for "Inglourious Basterds" right here...
5:50 -- Ryan Reynolds introduces "The Blind Side" aka white folks doing good deeds for black folks, the end... " 5:55 -- Back from commercial break...Cameron Diaz and Steve Carell take the stage...Diaz makes a booboo -- calling Carell Jude, Jude Law!
The duo is presenting the BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM...
"The Secret of Kells" is still a big secret to you and me!
AND THE WINNER FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM IS "UP!" YAY!!! The first Academy Award for director Pete Docter...his first nomination was for the "Toy Story" screenplay...(check my fun one-on-one interviews with the "Up" folks right here)
6:02 -- Amanda Seyfried and Miley Cyrus present the BEST ORIGINAL SONG...AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ORIGINAL SONG GOES TO "THE WEARY KIND" BY RYAN BINGHAM AND T BONE BURNETT!
6:05 -- Captain Kirk aka Chris Pine introduces "District 9" as one of the nominated Best Picture films...
6:12 -- Tina Fey and Robert Downey Jr. on stage for BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY....Fey looks like Tarzan's Jane...
AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY GOES TO....MARK BOAL FOR "THE HURT LOCKER" YAY!!!
So far, Harvey Weinstein's smear campaign against "The Hurt Locker" hasn't worked! Oh and so far, I'm 4 for 4 with my Oscar Predictions, yay! (Check out my complete predictions right here)
6:16 -- Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick reminisce about John Hughes' awesomeness!
Do you feel that the Awards night is moving right along? I'm kinda loving it! Oh, 2nd glass of wine too :happy
6:21 -- Aw...all the Hughes actors reunite on-stage! TUBULAR! Ugh, whatever happened to Judd Nelson?
6:23 -- Samuel L. Jackson, of all actors, introduces "Up!" Profanity not included...
6:28 -- The two hotties Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana present the BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM...
AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM GOES TO..."LOGORAMA" FROM NICOLAS SCHMERKIN...
6:33 -- The nominees for BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT...AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT GOES TO "MUSIC BY PRUDENCE" BY ROGER ROSS WILLIAMS AND ELINOR BURKETT Did Burkett just cut off Williams? Wow!
6:36 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION) GOES TO "THE NEW TENANTS" FROM JOACHIM BACK AND TIVI MAGNUSSON
Okay, so far, I'm sucking in this segment. My pets, "The Last Truck," "Kavi," and "A Matter of Loaf and Death" did not win :oh
6:37 -- Ben Stiller enters in his blue "Avatar" make-up to present the BEST MAKEUP...I wonder if this is the segment that Sacha Baron Cohen was slated to present but was nixed at the last moment...Stiller stepped in...
AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST MAKEUP GOES TO "STAR TREK!"
6:43 -- Jeff Bridges introduces BEST PICTURE nominee "A Serious Man"
6:47 -- Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams present BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY nominees
6:49 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY GOES TO GEOFFREY FLETCHER FOR "PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE." SORRY JASON REITMAN AND SHELDON TURNER, THE OSCAR FRONTRUNNER.
Okay, so far, the Oscars, especially the last few categories, have become unpredictable. Most winners were upsets. Oooooh...exciting!
By the way, GREAT SPEECH MR. FLETCHER!
6:52 -- Queen Latifah presents the 2010 Governors Awards
6:54 -- I literally stood up to honor Lauren Bacall and Roger Corman!
6:57 -- Robin Williams presents BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS nominees...
6:59 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS GOES TO...MO'NIQUE FOR "PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL 'PUSH' BY SAPPHIRE!" I LOOOOOVE HER!!!!!
7:00 -- Way to go for Mo'Nique for thanking Hattie McDaniel - the first black performer to win an Academy Award. I'm tearing up :sad
7:01 -- Colin Firth introduces BEST PICTURE nominee "AN EDUCATION!"
7:05 -- The alluring Sigourney Weaver presents BEST ART DIRECTION
7:07 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ART DIRECTION GOES TO..."AVATAR" ART DIRECTION BY RICK CARTER AND ROBERT STROMBERG, SET DECORATION BY KIM SINCLAIR How cool that Weaver presents the award to the folks he worked with in "Avatar"
7:08 - If I hear one more reference to the line "I see you" from "Avatar," I'm going to throw my 3-D glasses across the room!
7:09 -- Baldwin and Martin are back on stage, then introduce the lovely Tom Ford and Sarah Jessica Parker...what's wrong with Parker's outfit? And doesn't she look horrible, face-wise? Okay, I'm done being catty, I still love her!
7:10 -- Ford and Parker present BEST COSTUME DESIGN...AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN GOES TO "THE YOUNG VICTORIA" BY SANDY POWELL, SHE PREVIOUSLY WON FOR "SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE" AND "THE AVIATOR"
7:11 -- Charlize Theron and her magical breasts outfit introduces BEST PICTURE NOMINEE "Precious!"
Coming up, "Twilight's" Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart -- TWIHARDS SCREAM!!!!
7:15 -- Baldwin and Martin return, this time with a spoof on "Paranormal Activity" -- it's their funniest bit of the night so far!
7:18 -- Here you go, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart introduce the Academy's homage to horror films! Stewart looks like she doesn't want to be there...
"Jaws" aka "Sea World!" Why do they always insist on showing the foot scene in "Misery" everytime they show the film? I know it's one of its iconic images, but, it still hurts!!!
7:21 -- Okay, I'm really enjoying this Horror Homage!
7:22 -- Zac Efron and Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick present BEST SOUND AWARDS -- EDITING AND MIXING -- Morgan Freeman's smooth, sultry voice narrates the BEST SOUND CATEGORY
7:23 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST SOUND EDITING GOES TO "THE HURT LOCKER" BY PAUL N.J. OTTOSSON Aw, my pick was "Avatar" in this category, but Ottosson gives such a heartfelt speech, I'm crying too, just like his wife...
Oh more upsets! The sound categories were traditionally reserved for special effects films like "Avatar" but gosh, it's "The Hurt Locker" through and through...
7:26 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST SOUND MIXING GOES TO "THE HURT LOCKER" BY CHRISTOPHER BOYES, GARY SUMMERS, ANDY NELSON, AND TONY JOHNSON
7:28 -- Elizabeth Banks introduces the Best Sci-Tech Awards, why were they playing "E.T.'s" theme?
7:29 -- John Travolta introduces the BEST PICTURE NOMINEE "Inglourious Basterds," I have a little, pleased smile on my face
By the way, it's not shaping up to be a good night for "Avatar"
7:35 -- Sandra Bullock presents the BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY award. AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY GOES TO MAURO FIORE FOR "AVATAR"
Yes we get it, James Cameron is visionary, but do we have to hear it every 10 minutes?
7:37 -- Demi Moore is HOT! Yes, this is the IN MEMORIAM part...let's pay tribute...Oh, James Taylor, yay! That's sad :oh
7:45 -- Jlo and my sweetheart, Sam Worthington, are introducing the BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE) nominees, and the nominated scores are being used for dance routines! What the heck was this dance routine for? I'm glad that they used the nominated scores though...
7:53 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE) GOES TO "UP" BY MICHAEL GIACCHINO
7:54 -- Bradley Cooper and Gerard Butler present BEST VISUAL EFFECTS nominees. AND THE OSCAR FOR VISUAL EFFECTS GOES TO "AVATAR!"
7:56 -- Jason Bateman introduces BEST PICTURE nominee "Up in the Air," I still loooove this film!
8:02 -- Matt Damon presents the BEST DOCUMENTARY category...AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY GOES TO "THE COVE"
8:06 -- Madea aka Tyler Perry introduces the BEST FILM EDITING category. Love the shot of Baldwin and Martin wearing Snuggies :happy
8:08 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST FILM EDITING GOES TO "THE HURT LOCKER" BY BOB MURAWSKI AND CHRIS INNIS -- FIRST NOMINATION AND WIN FOR BOTH
8:09 -- Please welcome Keanu Reeves, yes, Keanu! He's introducing BEST PICTURE nominee "The Hurt Locker"
8:15 Quentin Tarantino and Pedro Almodovar present the BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE category.
8:16 AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE GOES TO "EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS" FROM ARGENTINA...huh? What happened to the great "Un Prophete?" Or heck, even "The White Ribbon" from Germany?
I told you it's kinda, sorta unpredictable this year! Will "Avatar" win Best Picture?
8:19 "Titanic's" Kathy Bates introduces BEST PICTURE nominee "Avatar"
8:23 Michelle Pfeiffer, Julianne Moore, Vera Farmiga, Colin Farrell, and Tim Robbins present the BEST ACTOR category. Apparently, each of the stars have six degrees of separation with the nominee.
Pfeiffer with Jeff Bridges for "The Fabulous Baker Boys," Farmiga with George Clooney for "Up in the Air," Moore with Colin Firth in "A Single Man," Robbins with Morgan Freeman in the fantastic "Shawshank Redemption," and Farrell with Jeremy Renner in "S.W.A.T."
8:32 -- The lovely Kate Winslet reveals the BEST ACTOR winner! AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ACTOR GOES TO JEFF BRIDGES FOR "CRAZY HEART" -- it's his first Oscar! Yay! Okay Mr. Bridges, it's a bit long and laborious speech, but it's sweet.
8:38 -- Like in the Best Actor category, multiple stars introduce each nominee. Forest Whitaker with Sandra Bullock for their relationship from "Hope Floats," Michael Sheen with Helen Mirren for "The Queen," Peter Sarsgaard with Carey Mulligan for "An Education," Oprah Winfrey, yes Oprah (!) with Gabourey Sidibe for "Precious," and Stanley Tucci with Meryl Streep for "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Julie and Julia."
8:41 -- Sean Penn reveals the BEST ACTRESS winner! AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ACTRESS GOES TO SANDRA BULLOCK FOR "THE BLIND SIDE!" In one weekend, the actress received Worst Actress Razzie for "All About Steve" and Best Actress Oscar for "The Blind Side."
Her acceptance speech starts with "Did I really earn this or did I worn you down?" I think the Academy is honoring Bullock for her body of work, in 2009, she's the Star of the Year with the back-to-back success of "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side," yes, "All About Steve" notwithstanding.
I'm still not a fan of her performance nor the film (I love her though!), but I'm glad she won! If Julia Roberts could win for "Erin Brockovich," Bullock could to! Both decidedly romantic comedy actress received their awards for starring in non-romantic comedy movies!
8:51 -- Bullock did a great job with her acceptance speech!
8:53 -- Barbra Streisand presents the BEST DIRECTOR category! Will it be the first woman, or the first African-American to win? I vote for the first woman, Ms. Kathryn Bigelow!
8:54 -- AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST DIRECTOR GOES TO KATHRYN BIGELOW, HURRAY! I'M SO FREAKING HAPPY!!!!!
"It is a moment of a lifetime," Bigelow says. It is indeed!
8:59 -- Tom Hanks presents the BEST PICTURE winner! AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST PICTURE GOES TO "THE HURT LOCKER!" Yay! The film won 6 awards including best picture, director, original screenplay, film editing, sound mixing and sound editing. HURRAY!
I'm glad my picks for the Top 6 categories got the awards! And I'm happy that "The Hurt Locker" won Best Picture! "Avatar" must settle to be the world's biggest movie!
Until next year y'all!]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100307-1430582010-03-07T00:00:00Z2010-03-07T00:00:00Z"Alice in Wonderland" Opens with Wonderful $116.3 Million, Breaks Records!
Moviegoers followed Tim Burton and Johnny Depp into the "Alice in Wonderland" rabbit hole, putting the film on top with a mind-boggling $116.3 million opening!
According to Hollywood.com, "Alice in Wonderland" broke records, earning the following titles:
- Biggest non-sequel opening of all time - Biggest March opening of all time - Biggest first quarter opening of all time - Biggest 3-D opening of all time - Biggest IMAX opening of all time - Biggest career opening for director Tim Burton - Estimated worldwide total is $210.3 million
(Watch my review of "Alice in Wonderland" right here)
Meanwhile, "Brooklyn's Finest" from "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua debuted at No. 2 with $13.5 million. The cop thriller starring Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Don Cheadle, and Wesley Snipes offered viewers a gritty R-rated atmosphere away from the cartoonish "Alice in Wonderland."
Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island" followed closely at No. 3 with $13.3 million. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the thriller is closing in on the $100 million mark just after two weeks.
Here's the estimated Top 5 films for box-office weekend of March 5th:
Like a true champ, Sandra Bullock stopped at the Razzies and collected her worst-actress trophy for her romantic comedy "All About Steve." The actress also took home the worst screen couple award with her "All About Steve" co-star Bradley Cooper.
Bullock was the first acting winner to show up at the Razzies since Halle Berry won worst-actress for her pounce-perfect role as "Catwoman" five years ago.
"The Blind Side" star is being predicted to take home the Best Actress Oscar award tonight, so it's the best of both worlds for Bullock, the good and the bad, and she's taking everything in stride.
The actress was heard saying: "I think this is an extraordinary award...and I didn't realize that, in Hollywood, all you had to do was say you'd show up, and then you'd get the award. If I'd known that, I would have said I was appearing at the Oscars a long time ago."
Meanwhile, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" won the dubious worst picture of the year award, worst director for Michael Bay, and worst screenplay for Ehren Kruger, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
The poor Jonas Brothers were given the worst actors of the year award for their masterpiece, "Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience" and they weren't even acting in that concert special! :happy
In a special 30th Razzie-versary Awards categories, "Battlefield Earth" won worst picture of the decade, while Eddie Murphy was named worst actor and Paris Hilton worst actress.
Here's a complete winners list at the 30th Annual Golden Raspberry (Razzie) Awards (For nominations, click here):
Worst Picture of 2009: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen (Aka Trannies, Too) (DREAMWORKS/PARAMOUNT)
Worst Actress of 2009: Sandra Bullock ALL ABOUT STEVE
Worst Actor(s) of 2009: All Three Jonas Brothers JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3-D CONCERT EXPERIENCE
Worst Screen Couple: Sandra Bullock & Bradley Cooper ALL ABOUT STEVE
Worst Supporting Actress: Sienna Miller G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA
Worst Supporting Actor: Billy Ray Cyrus HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE
Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel (Combined Category for 2009): Land of The Lost (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
Worst Director: Michael Bay TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (AKA TRANNIES, TOO)
Worst Screenplay: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen WRITTEN BY EHREN KRUGER & ROBERTO ORCI & ALEX KURTZMAN, BASED ON HASBRO’S TRANSFORMERS ACTION FIGURES
Special 30th RAZZIE®-versary Awardz
Worst Picture of the Decade: Battlefield Earth NOMINATED FOR 10 RAZZIES® / "WINNER" OF 8 (INCLUDING WORST DRAMA OF OUR FIRST 25 YRS)
Worst Actor of the Decade: Eddie Murphy NOMINATED FOR 12 "ACHIEVEMENTS" / "WINNER" OF 3 RAZZIES® ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH, I SPY, IMAGINE THAT, MEET DAVE, NORBIT, SHOWTIME
Worst Actress of the decade Paris Hilton NOMINATED FOR 5 "ACHIEVEMENTS," "WINNER" OF 4 RAZZIES® THE HOTTIE & THE NOTTIE, HOUSE OF WHACKS, REPO: THE GENETIC OPERA]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100307-1317362010-03-07T00:00:00Z2010-03-07T00:00:00ZA "Precious" Spirit Awards Evening!
"Precious" topped the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards, giving its distributor, Lionsgate 5 trophies including Best Feature, Best Director for Lee Daniels, Best First Screenplay for Geoffrey Fletcher, Best Female Lead for Gabourey Sidibe, and Best Supporting Female for Mo'Nique, considered the Oscar frontrunner.
Here's the complete list of winners of the 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards (to see the nominees, click here):
Best Feature Precious Producers: Lee Daniels, Gary Magness, Sarah Siegel-Magness Lionsgate
Best Director Lee Daniels Precious Lionsgate
Best First Feature Crazy Heart Director: Scott Cooper Producers: T Bone Burnett, Judy Cairo, Rob Carliner, Scott Cooper, Robert Duvall Fox Searchlight
Best Screenplay Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber (500) Days of Summer Fox Searchlight
Best First Screenplay Geoffrey Fletcher Precious Lionsgate
John Cassavetes Award (For the best feature made under $500,000) Writer/Director/Producer: Lynn Shelton Humpday Magnolia Pictures
Best Supporting Female Mo’Nique Precious Lionsgate
Best Supporting Male Woody Harrelson The Messenger Oscilloscope Laboratories
Best Female Gabourey Sidibe Precious Lionsgate
Best Male Jeff Bridges Crazy Heart Fox Searchlight
Best Cinematography Roger Deakins A Serious Man Focus Features
Best Foreign Film An Education Director: Lone Scherfig Sony Pictures Classics
Best Documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil Director: Sacha Gervasi Abramaorama Films
2010 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD WINNERS BY DISTRIBUTOR Lionsgate 5 Fox Searchlight 3 Abramaorama Films 1 Focus Features 1 Magnolia Pictures 1 Oscilloscope Laboratories 1 Sony Pictures Classics 1 ]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100307-1308312010-03-07T00:00:00Z2010-03-07T00:00:00ZMy Complete, Fearless 2010 Oscar Predictions! From Best Short Film to Best Picture,Who Will Win at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards?
It’s shaping up to be a battle between “The Hurt Locker” and “Avatar” at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards! Both films lead the pack with 9 nominations each including Best Picture, but only one will remain victorious.
From Best Short Film to Best Actor, here are my complete, humble but truly fearless Oscar predictions.
BEST PICTURE
* “Avatar” James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers * “The Blind Side” Nominees to be determined * “District 9” Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers * “An Education” Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers * “The Hurt Locker” Nominees to be determined * “Inglourious Basterds” Lawrence Bender, Producer * “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers * “A Serious Man” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers * “Up” Jonas Rivera, Producer * “Up in the Air” Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“The Hurt Locker” – The thrilling Iraq War drama from director Kathryn Bigelow not only topped all the major guild awards including the Directors Guild, but it was also voted the Best Film at the 2010 British Academy Awards (BAFTA).
Oscar frontrunner “Avatar” will win all the technical awards including best visual effects, best sound editing, and best sound mixing.
BEST DIRECTOR
* “Avatar” James Cameron * “The Hurt Locker” Kathryn Bigelow * “Inglourious Basterds” Quentin Tarantino * “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Lee Daniels * “Up in the Air” Jason Reitman
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker” – Bigelow created one of the most thought-provoking films of 2009 with a very weighty Iraq War subject. After Lina Wertmuller in 1975’s “Seven Beauties,” Jane Campion in 1993’s “The Piano,” and Sofia Coppola in 2003’s “Lost in Translation,” Bigelow is only the fourth woman director to ever be nominated. And guess what? She will make history as the first ever woman director to win the award!
BEST ACTOR
* Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” * George Clooney in “Up in the Air” * Colin Firth in “A Single Man” * Morgan Freeman in “Invictus” * Jeremy Renner in “The Hurt Locker”
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
Jeff Bridges will nab the award for his Oscar-ready performance as a down-and-out country singer in “Crazy Heart.” My heart belongs to Clooney, but it’s Bridges’ time and the actor already won the Screen Actors Guild award. Plus, the Academy loves hard drinking country singer performances. Case in point is Robert Duvall’s 1984 Best Actor win for “Tender Mercies” where he played, you guessed it, a hard drinking country singer.
BEST ACTRESS
* Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side” * Helen Mirren in “The Last Station” * Carey Mulligan in “An Education” * Gabourey Sidibe in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” * Meryl Streep in “Julie & Julia”
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
Sandra Bullock will win for her do-gooder performance in “The Blind Side.” I’m not joining the Sandra Bullock for Oscar bandwagon but the actress already won support from her peers with a Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actress.
With “The Blind Side” and “The Proposal,” 2009 was Bullock’s year, and her possible Oscar win signifies that the actress is being honored for her body of work, “All About Steve” notwithstanding.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
* Matt Damon in “Invictus” * Woody Harrelson in “The Messenger” * Christopher Plummer in “The Last Station” * Stanley Tucci in “The Lovely Bones” * Christoph Waltz in “Inglourious Basterds”
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
Christoph Waltz – He simply gave the year’s most memorable performance as the ruthless Col. Hans Landa in “Inglourious Basterds.” Waltz has also been winning kudos from all the award-giving bodies including the Screen Actors Guild.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
* Penélope Cruz in “Nine” * Vera Farmiga in “Up in the Air” * Maggie Gyllenhaal in “Crazy Heart” * Anna Kendrick in “Up in the Air” * Mo’Nique in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire”
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
Mo’Nique for her unforgettable role as an abusive mother in “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire.” Like Waltz, Mo’Nique has been winning all the acting awards including one from the Screen Actors Guild.
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
* “District 9” Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell * “An Education” Screenplay by Nick Hornby * “In the Loop” Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche * “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher * “Up in the Air” Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Up in the Air” – Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner already won this category at the Writers Guild Award and that’s a great sign! Plus, the script is so well-written that we connected with Clooney’s character as the man who couldn’t connect.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
* “The Hurt Locker” Written by Mark Boal * “Inglourious Basterds” Written by Quentin Tarantino * “The Messenger” Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman * “A Serious Man” Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen * “Up” Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“The Hurt Locker” – Scriptwriter Mark Boal wrote from experience as he was a freelance writer who was embedded with a bomb squad. With “Avatar’s” script not even considered good enough for a nomination, this category belongs to Boal’s “The Hurt Locker.” And like “Up in the Air,” Boal already won the Writers Guild Award.
BEST ANIMATED FILM
* “Coraline” Henry Selick * “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Wes Anderson * “The Princess and the Frog” John Musker and Ron Clements * “The Secret of Kells” Tomm Moore * “Up” Pete Docter
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Up” – The Academy loves Pixar, you love Pixar, and I love Pixar! Besides, of all the films nominated, “Up” is the only one that truly made me cry, twice!
BEST ART DIRECTION
* “Avatar” Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair * “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro; Set Decoration: Caroline Smith * “Nine” Art Direction: John Myhre; Set Decoration: Gordon Sim * “Sherlock Holmes” Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer * “The Young Victoria” Art Direction: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Avatar” hands down! It’s the most beautiful film of 2009!
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
* “Avatar” Mauro Fiore * “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” Bruno Delbonnel * “The Hurt Locker” Barry Ackroyd * “Inglourious Basterds” Robert Richardson * “The White Ribbon” Christian Berger
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
This is a tough one. “The White Ribbon” beat “Avatar” and “The Hurt Locker” in the American Society of Cinematographers Awards. But the Academy has to honor “Avatar” somehow, so I think it will win this category. Plus, like what I said earlier, it’s simply the most beautiful film of 2009, even though it’s mostly made using computer-generated images.
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
* “Bright Star” Janet Patterson * “Coco before Chanel” Catherine Leterrier * “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” Monique Prudhomme * “Nine” Colleen Atwood * “The Young Victoria” Sandy Powell
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“The Young Victoria” – Oh those period costumes! The ornate outfits that Emily Blunt wore in the film beats the raggedy but original costumes in “Bright Star.”
BEST DOCUMENTARY
* “Burma VJ” Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller * “The Cove” Nominees to be determined * “Food, Inc.” Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein * “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers” Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith * “Which Way Home” Rebecca Cammisa
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“The Cove” – it’s a tense-filled documentary about the shameless, unnecessary killings of dolphins in a little cove in Japan. While I love “Food, Inc.” as well, “The Cove” will stay with you for years to come.
BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
* “China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill * “The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner” Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher * “The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert * “Music by Prudence” Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett * “Rabbit à la Berlin” Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant” – I’m so glad to have caught this film on HBO. It’s timely, it’s emotional, it’s riveting, the kind of recipe that makes Academy voters cry and vote!
BEST FILM EDITING
* “Avatar” Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron * “District 9” Julian Clarke * “The Hurt Locker” Bob Murawski and Chris Innis * “Inglourious Basterds” Sally Menke * “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” Joe Klotz
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
Once again, “The Hurt Locker” was chosen by the American Cinema Editors for their ACE Eddie Awards. But then, “Avatar” has a bigger chance in the Academy, because, like I’ve said, they must honor “Avatar” somehow. But I’ll side with the ACE folks here and choose “The Hurt Locker” as the winner! Those tense-filled scenes were mostly done in the editing room.
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
* “Ajami” Israel * “El Secreto de Sus Ojos” Argentina * “The Milk of Sorrow” Peru * “Un Prophète” France * “The White Ribbon” Germany
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Un Prophète” – Of all the films nominated in this category, the French “Un Prophete” is the best movie of the bunch!
BEST MAKEUP
* “Il Divo” Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano * “Star Trek” Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow * “The Young Victoria” Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Star Trek” – Are we even going to argue about this?
BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
* “Avatar” James Horner * “Fantastic Mr. Fox” Alexandre Desplat * “The Hurt Locker” Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders * “Sherlock Holmes” Hans Zimmer * “Up” Michael Giacchino
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO: “Up” – The music montage early in the film is one of the most profound, touching scenes I saw last year. Yes, I cried!
BEST MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
* “Almost There” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman * “Down in New Orleans” from “The Princess and the Frog” Music and Lyric by Randy Newman * “Loin de Paname” from “Paris 36” Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas * “Take It All” from “Nine” Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston * “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” from “Crazy Heart” Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)” – this song captures Bridges’ character in the film, and so it goes, Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett will take home the Oscar!
BEST SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
* “French Roast” Fabrice O. Joubert * “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell * “The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)” Javier Recio Gracia * “Logorama” Nicolas Schmerkin * “A Matter of Loaf and Death” Nick Park
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“A Matter of Loaf and Death” – Working for Nick Park – the Academy loves him, he already collected three Oscars for his “Wallace & Gromit” films. Working Against Nick Park – he already collected three Oscars! The Academy may say it’s an embarrassment of riches! So, look for “Logorama,” a brilliant f-you to corporate America for an upset.
BEST SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
* “The Door” Juanita Wilson and James Flynn * “Instead of Abracadabra” Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström * “Kavi” Gregg Helvey * “Miracle Fish” Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey * “The New Tenants” Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Kavi” – this touching slave trade film set in India has remnants of “Slumdog Millionaire.” And you know, that little movie stole Academy voters’ hearts last year. So this film will win, even though I enjoyed the quirkiness of “Abracadabra,” the suspense of “Miracle Fish,” the isolation of “The Door,” and the banter bent of “The New Tenants.” I just love short film, period.
BEST SOUND EDITING
* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle * “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson * “Inglourious Basterds” Wylie Stateman * “Star Trek” Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin * “Up” Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Avatar” – Motion Pictures Sound Editors honored Cameron’s masterpiece already at the Golden Reel Awards, BUT, and here’s a big but, “The Hurt Locker” was also honored by the Cinema Audio Society. See? They’re all torn as well, so when everything else fails, especially in the technical department, look for “Avatar” to take home the gold!
BEST SOUND MIXING
* “Avatar” Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson * “The Hurt Locker” Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett * “Inglourious Basterds” Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano * “Star Trek” Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin * “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Avatar” – it’s usually a pair, whichever film wins Best Sound Editing usually wins Sound Mixing. And “Avatar” sounds gorgeous, doesn’t it?
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
* “Avatar” Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones * “District 9” Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken * “Star Trek” Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
AND THE OSCAR WILL GO TO:
“Avatar” – definitely! The film will be remembered for years to come as the movie that changed special effects forever!
Come back here to join my live, minute-by-minute Oscar blog on Sunday, March 7 starting at 4:30pm Pacific. Grab your drinks and finger foods, we'll blog the Oscars until we're all drunk :happy]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100305-1840092010-03-05T00:00:00Z2010-03-05T00:00:00ZWatch My "Alice in Wonderland" Movie Review!
Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" is set to dominate the box-office this Oscar weekend! If you want to read my full review of the film, click here, or, you can watch my review of "Alice in Wonderland" below. Have fun!
Here's more info on "Alice in Wonderland" from Yahoo Movies:
19-year-old Alice returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen's reign of terror.
Genres: Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation Running Time: 1 hr. 49 min. Release Date: March 5th, 2010 (wide) MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar. Distributors: Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Distribution
Cast and Credits Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Johnny Depp, Michael Sheen, Christopher Lee Directed by: Tim Burton Produced by: Joe Roth, Richard D. Zanuck, Jennifer Todd]]>http://dgt1.net/manny/mblog/index.php?entry=entry100305-1612492010-03-05T00:00:00Z2010-03-05T00:00:00Z
