Hey! This could be a blog one day!

Things are still hectic and crazy, hence the lack of posts. I saw Hot Fuzz the other day, which was enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed Timothy Dalton's over-the-top creepy performance.

EW is counting down the top 100 oscar snubs (100-75 first).

Awesome Michael Bay commercial.

Also, the fangirl in me is psyched that Ryan Reynolds will be in Wolverine, and they are FINALLY including Gambit (better step up Taylor Kitsch. That there's a role with many, many expectations.) Hee.

And Pathology might eventually be released. Stranger things have happened. This is one B-movie I'm definitely going to see when (ever) it opens. Between psycho pathologists and Milo Ventmiglia's lovely, floppy hair, I'm there.

A review of Hamlet 2. You might not want to read too far for fear of spoilers (I don't want to know too much about how he stages the sequel...), but this made me laugh out loud; "[Steve Coogan]’s got a live-in hanger-on (played almost silently by David Arquette)". The idea of David Arquette skulking around the house is just making me giggle.

Herb Gains' Watchmen thank you. The important part about this is not the thank you (although, awww...) or that principal photography wrapped. No the important part is that Watchmen won't be out till March, 2009. Why did I think it would be late this fall? Just because we've been waiting forever? Still, better that they take their time and get all the visuals correct...

Now I'm a sucker for Heist flicks, and did you realize there will be 6 (SIX!) coming out this year. Best described by the lead actor they are the Bank Job (Jason Statham), 21 (Jim Sturgess), Flawless (Michael Caine), The List (Ewan McGregor AND Hugh Jackman. Holy hell - how have I not heard of this before?!?), RocknRolla (Gerard Butler), and the Thomas Crowne Affair 2 (Pierce Brosnan). Awesomeness.

Speaking of hype, the pre-summer hype list. Extra-special-super-bonus points for including Snow Angels. The rest that I'm looking forward to? Be Kind Rewind, the Other Boleyn Girl, 21, Leatherheads, and Smart People. Of course, I can be swayed to a certain degree by reviews and word of mouth (I was looking forward to Jumper and look what happened there), but I bet that I'll probably catch those at least.

Ah.. home

Not so much a movie post, but this made me giggle. Leah Garchik has a column that's like an "overheard in SF/ the bay area" and these made me a bit homesick;

"How is it that I get set up on a blind date with the one guy in Santa Cruz that's a Republican?' (Woman on cell phone, overheard on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz by Amy Wolitzer.)

"I don't know if we'll get along. He's a liberal Democrat and I'm a communist." (Woman at Caffe Trieste, overheard by Donna Bero.)

"Yes, I told him I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend. I mean I live in San Francisco, don't I?" (Person on cell phone on Montgomery Street, overheard by N. Stricker.)

"Barack Obama. We've made it our new safe word." (Woman to woman, overheard at the bar at Cafe Rouge by Desmond Yen.)

Whoops

Yes, it's been 11 days. Between a demanding new temp job, the cold from hell, and not having my own computer, I simply can't update. I honestly don't think I'll be able to update regularly till I get my own laptop.

In movie news, I saw Across the Universe, which I loved, and... that's about it. And in other news... my mother is currently watching Finnian's Rainbow, which has got to be the most bizarre thing that has ever found its way to the screen. The 70s were weeeird.

Lotsa trailers

Whoops. So - I started compiling stuff a few days ago, and then I got a new job assignment and I've been too busy to catch up ever since.

First up, the trailer for the Happening. It actually looks like it could be genuinely scary. There's something about the visuals of watching multiple people throwing themselves off of a building that's prettydamn scary. Yes, it's M. Night Shyamalan, but maybe he's back to his Sixth Sense groove? And I do believe I saw Betty Buckley's name pop up in the casting, soo... good on ya Grizabella.

EEEE! More Sam roles coming this way. And thank the dear lord the beard was not because he was too lazy to shave. Plus we all know how well things turn out when you put Sam in space.

A completely Venom movie? I'm all for that. I think one of the big problems (of which there were many) in Spider Man 3 is that Sam Raimi really wasn't on board with the Venom idea, but fan clamour was too strong, so he kind of wedged Venom into the plot. Can we have Topher Grace again, please? He needs to be in more. Particularly as he has a Sean William Scott movie coming up. Poor thing. Plus I like a guy who can laugh at himself.

More Superbowl trailers. Iron Man, Wall E, and Leatherheads.

The 2009 Oscar nominees. And no, the strike still isn't over.

The top 25 romance films. I seriously do not get what people see in Casablanca. I just wanted to smack Ingrid Bergman throughout the entire film.

A whole bunch of Milk photos. Awww... home! Minus 30 years. And with James Franco.

Barackula! And if you haven't seen it yet, check out this music video.

Flawless trailer. I'm a total sucker for heist films. This one looks.. passable. I don't think the trailer is that exciting. Still, I like Michael Caine, particularly as he gets older - he seems to be having so much fun in every role (see particularly Children of Men).

Married Life trailer. I'm intrigued (although I dislike trailers that use quotes in the way this one does. I think it would have been more effective without them.) But it looks funny and noir-ish, and I like Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper and Patricia Clarkson. And Rachel McAdams, why are you platinum?

What does indie mean these days?

Cleolinda assembled the linkspam for the new Vanity Fair Hollywood issue. "Vanity Fair's 2008 Hollywood Issue Cover Shoot; Behind the Scenes at the 2008 Hollywood Issue Cover Shoots; Behind the Scenes of the Hitchcock Portfolio; Renee Zellweger's 'Vanity Fair' Hitchcock Homage: Emoting Like You've Never Seen Before (okay, I am really interested in seeing the Hitchcock homages); Vanity Fair's Hollywood Issue: 14 Years of Annie Leibovitz Covers." I LOVE the hollywood issue. I remember collecting them when I was young. In fact, I might just still have the 1997 one, because I thought Fairuza Balk was the coolest thing ever back then. and last year I bought an air freighted one in Scotland just to get my hands on it. I like the cover on this yeas, but must Ellen Page slouch?

In non-movie hilarity; Conan, Stewart, Colbert unite in mock feud. My whole family was cracking up watching this on repeat last night.

Ok - enough for now. I have to go do stuff.
Musica; Marilyn, My Bitterness - the Cruxshadows

Movie notes and fun stuff

There's going to be a one off installment of Dinner for Five tonight, which you can also see on the IFC wesite. The guests are Vince Vaughn, Justin Long, Peter Billingsley, and Keir O'Donnell. I'm going to watch, if only to see Justin Long and Vince Vaughn riff off each other.



Slate has a brilliant review of Meet the Spartans up.



While I already reported on Gentleman Broncos, here's another article extolling Sam's virtues as an actor. Of which there can never be too many.



Mmmmm.... Hugh Jackman on a horse.

I can has Arrested Development movie?!?!


New posters for Leatherheads. I'm trying to ignore Renee Zwelleger. Here's hoping they stick with the sporty one with john Krasinski on it.

New trailers for Prince Caspian and Wanted.



How to market the Dark Knight now. As it was pointed out, marketing had already begun to shift towards Harvey Dent. And again; yay for Cillian Murphy returning!!



WGA reaches more interim deals. Can they reach deals with everyone outside the AMPTP and then call off the strike?



The writer's strike... now with puppets!


The strike - over soon? And here.



Ah... hipsters and critics. So easy to know what their reactions will be.

The best 19 movies you didn't see in 2007. Saw the Assassination of Jesse James, Death at a Funeral, and Sunshine, and on my netflix queue are Across the Universe, Gone Baby Gone, Grindhouse, King of California, the Lookout, and the Nines. Speaking of Across the Universe, I cannot stop listening to this.

On a movie-aside, how awesome was Lost last night??? God, I wanted more. Waiting a whole week for a new episode is soo difficult. Not to mention, the rumors are there's a Desmond-centric episode a few weeks from now. (Also, did Henry Ian Cusick even get any lines last night? Or did they just keep cutting to him as the best looking man for a reaction shot?)

Cleolinda has thoughtfully scooped up all the LOST linkspam. Here it is; "‘Lost’ no more: Show returns for short run; One-Fisted Beer-Drinking, Cut From Tonight's Lost Episode; ''Lost'': Preseason cheat sheet; The Hater: Lost For Dummies; Everything You Need to Know About "Lost: Missing Pieces" Mobisodes; Lost Season 4 Oceanic Airlines adverts; Tidbits: ‘Lost’ star Garcia spills his take on the mystery; ''Lost'' star Emerson gets creepy; 5Top: Favorite ‘Lost’ characters; 'Last' man on 'Lost'; What could 'Lost' possibly do next? (Answer: "Anything"); Land Of The Lost Was Cooler Than Lost. "

Also, a good recap is to be found here.


And because it is too good to pass up; terrible, terrible CNN headlines. I personally can't stand CNN. BBC all the way. Oh, and, Neil Gaiman on why the people on Torchwood are too dumb to live. 'Tis true.

Awesome quote of the week; "Victims of stalking are not alone" - TX first lady Anita Perry, trying to establish a stalking awareness month.

I'm currently addicted to this. Favourites;

Office manager, on the phone: Which one of Mommy's boyfriends beat you badly enough as a child to turn you into the bitter, empty, hollow shell of a human being you are today?
Supervisor, to trainee: See? That's why we have to answer the phone quickly in this office: to keep the managers from picking up the phone. Ever.

Bartender #1: How many beers are in a six-pack?
Bartender #2: I work with a fucking idiot.

VP, using Instant Messenger: How do I type a smiley face that means, "I'll cut you."

Electrician: I think I may have made a mistake.
Owner of office: Ya think so? What gave it away, the flames?

Lawyer: Put your John Hancock on these documents, please.
Daughter: You sure this is legal? I mean, with me being your kid and all?
Lawyer: It is very legal. Far more legal than any of the drugs you have experimented with on my credit card.

This made me laugh the hardest I've laughed all week. And I've been reading Our Dumb World by the Onion (which is hysterical, aside from huge chunks of Africa, because what can you really say that's funny about Ethiopia? Madagacar, on the other hand, has a lemur as president.)

What's the most you ever lost on a coin blog?

I went to see No Country for Old Men yesterday and it was really good. I went in to it not knowing much about the plotline, and I'm not sure whether that helped me or not (particularly those rumors that some people weren't such big fans of the ending, thank you Josh Brolin).

The thing that has stuck with me is the pacing and timing of the film. It manages to be unhurried, yet suspensful at the same time. Even when you know that a character is bound to be shot in a scene, the masterful direction keeps the story tense (I think the Coens have a lock on best director). The pacing of the story also works well because No Country for Old Men is not so much a chase film as it is a character study. My feeling is that people going in for an action driven chase film were the ones who disliked the ending. However, the film is not truly about who wins, the good guy or the bad guy, which must necessarily ential a final showdown between good and evil. The film is far more nuanced. It is a meditation on how people cope with evil in the world. I got the same sort of feeling with some restless audience members in the Assassination of Jesse James; they thought they were getting a shoot-em-up western, instead of a character study.

The story is fairly straightforward. Josh Brolin's character, Llewelyn, comes across a drug deal gone bad and finds the money. While taking water to a dying man, he is discovered, and Javier Bardem's ruthless assasin (whose name, we only learn about halfway through the film) is dispatched to kill him. At the same time, Tommy Lee Jones' world weary sherrif, Ed Tom Bell, tried to find Llewelyn and prevent any more deaths.

My one complaint, and I do seem to be alone in this, is that Javier Bardem should in no way have a lock on best supporting actor. Yes, the scene between himself and a gas station attendent is highly memorable. His delivery and timing are impeccable. But I felt that much of his performance was very one note. His character simply doesn't have a lot of range. I much prefered Casey Affleck's take on Robert Ford, a character who evolves over time, and has a much broader range of emotions. Both performances are subtle, but I think Robert Ford is the more difficult and, to me, more memorable. AND not only was the haircut bad, it was distracting. Practically everytime he came on the scene, it pulled me out of the movie because it was so jarring. I can't imagine what make-up was thinking. There was no reason for it.

Speaking of comparisons between No Country and the Assasination, the cinematography in No Country for Old Men, also by Roger Deakins, is equally compelling. Assasination has lots of long, languid shots of the countryside, and old western towns framed like picture postcards. No Country is bleaker and harsher and it complemented the storyline perfectly. I absolutely loved the shot of the antelope running under the oncoming sotrm cloud.

On a western note, Garret Dillahunt, who plays the Sherriff's deputy in the film, looked incredibly familiar to me. Turns out he played Francis Wolcott in Deadwood and Ed Miller in the Assasination. And one final question, what exactly did Tommy Lee Jones see in the key hole? That scene confused me greatly.