Trailer Mashup of the Week

Ok, I planned on posting a trailer mashup a week, but I got real sick last week and it obviously didn't happen. So this week you get a double dose.

First up, Reservior Dogs and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yeah, you read that right.

This next one is so weird I just had to share it. Star Wars and The Departed.

~Lauren

The Films Of Series

Some of you may have seen Kees van Dijkhuizen's nicely edited montage of 2010 cinema. What you may not know is that he has been using his editing talents to create what he calls "The Films Of [ ]" series. Each month he focuses on a different director. Thus far his montage of David Fincher's films has been my favorite.

This friday he's unleashing "The Films of [Baz Luhrmann]." I'll continue to post the montages as they come.

~Lauren

Last Night Review

I recently saw Last Night staring Sam Worthington, Eva Mendes, and Keira Knightley. Here's the trailer in case you haven't seen or heard anything about this film.

The acting surprised me. I tend to be rather hesitant when it comes to Keira Knightley, but I thought she was turned out a honest and heartbreaking performance as Jo, a woman torn between her husband and the old flame with whom she never got a chance to have a relationship. Eva Mendes is an actress I generally see as a window dresser or relegated to poorly scripted and badly acted parts. It was refreshing to see her here. I was surprised by how well she turned out a decent, solid performance as the other woman in Michael and Jo's marriage. Sam Worthington also holds his own, possibly for the first time in his acting career, as Michael, a faithful husband facing the temptation to stray. Guillaume Canet steals the spotlight from Worthington, and this is unsurprising as he's clearly the superior actor. Canet and Knightley work well together.

Perhaps most intriguing is the way the film cuts back and forth between the two story lines. The editing between Michael's night and Jo's night is seamless, perfectly executed in all ways. When switching between story lines like this there can sometimes be an issue of balance, but the film never stumbles over this problem as it strikes a perfect balance between the two series of events.

Overall I liked the film and hope to see more from the film's first time director, Massy Tadjedin. The film lacks the dazzle and effects of a lot of films coming out these days, but there is something enjoyable about it's simplicity. Even the score, the work of Clint Mansell, was regulated to simple piano, a sharp contrast from Mansell's famous works for the films of Aronofsky. I highly recommend seeing this film if you get the chance.

~Lauren

Thoughts on Thor (WARNING SPOILERS)

Thor. I know it's been out for a few weeks now and has been lording over the box office. It is summer movie season after all. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the hell out of Thor. But honestly, there are a few linger thoughts I have every time I see a trailer on TV or hear about how much another friend enjoyed it.

Basically, I've come to the conclusion that it is a deeply flawed film that I have little desire to watch again. And yes, I know I'm going to be burned at the stake by some friends for everything I'm about to say. So what exactly is my beef with the god of thunder?

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Editing

I love the Bourne movies, but unfortunately so does everyone else. As a result, filmmakers look at the Bourne films and somehow come out with the assumption that what the audience loved was the shaky camera and quickly editing action scenes. These deluded filmmakers try to copy this effect, and in some cases they up the ante and make the camera shake more and dare their editors to make faster cuts. The result is the recent trend of action films with fight scenes that no one in the audience can see or understanding. We're left with the vague notion that the hero is fighting someone and that something cool probably happens, but before we can process that there is even a fight going on our hero is standing victoriously over his fallen foe. And it sucks. Thor does exactly this. Kenneth Branagh, who'd never directed a movie like this before, took this popular approach to his fight scenes, harassed his editor to make the cuts even faster, and viola. One of my friends had no idea what the hell was going on in the climatic battle scene. She was not alone.

The film's editor, Paul Rubell, is on my bad side not just for the fight scenes, but for the whole film. The man has edited some solid action films in the past (Blade, Transformers, Public Enemies, Collateral). The point is, he should know better. He should not be pulling out editing reminiscent of a Uwe Boll film. The editing was to quick, even on simple dialogue interactions. As a result, it took constant effort to process what was going on onscreen.

To give credit where credit is due, I don't blame Rubell entirely for the Asgard editing botch. The man was clearly trying to mask the sub par CGI. Still, he doesn't get a pass for making walking and talking difficult to understand.

Acute lack of and/or nonsensical character development

You know how sometimes you wonder what got left on the cutting room floor? Thor is one of those films that I'd love to hear got loads cut out. I'd love to hear that someone cut out lots of character development scenes that explained some gaping plot holes. Unfortunately, I doubt this happened.

First up, let's discuss Jane. Natalie Portman has proved she's worth her salt in the last year, so why is she so wasted in this movie. Black Swan marked her out as a talented actress, not a pretty face only to be used as window dressing (see Megan Fox in Transformers for an example of an actress being used as window dressing). Still, she's wasted in this role. Jane's sole purpose is to convince us that she's some paragon of goodness that Thor falls in love with instantly, or so I guess. The film lost me as to the nature of his interest in her. Sure, she's cute, and the film tells me she's supposed to be smart, but why does Thor, who clearly has banged every babe in his home world and then some, go all mushy for Jane? It feels like there is something missing here, because I honestly find Darcy a more interesting character than Jane.

My biggest issue with character development actually concerns Loki. Why was the whole he's an ice giant plot necessary? I could have totally bought him as evil/jealous of Thor without it. This sub plot was just not necessary, and as a result these scenes just ate up time that could have been spent looking at Thor or perhaps explaining the whole love affair between Thor and Jane.

Girl Porn

There is a lot made about the subjection of women in film for the male viewers gaze. TO be honest, this entire film felt like porn for girls. I'll be the first to admit that I spent every second of this movie drooling over Thor. Good lord that man's eyes....anyways, I suspect that all my female friends liked this movie simply because of how attractive Thor was. Of course, none of them will admit that this was the sole reason why they liked the movie, although they'll admit that it's part of their love for it. Of course, Natalie Portman seemed to have a similar reaction every time Thor touched her. There was a look on her face that seemed to say, "Oh my God this sex god of a man is actually touching me! Don't faint, keep it under control, remember my line!" Yeah, I suspect it wasn't difficult to act as though she was in love/lust with him. It certainly wasn't for any of the female audience.

I'm not saying there was anything wrong with the movie basically being about how attractive this man was, but I cannot allow an actor's hotness to solely determine how good a movie is. If that was the way Hollywood worked, Shoot Em Up would have been a great movie because of Clive Owen's good looks.

~Lauren

Trailer Mashups

For the record, I love trailer mashups. They can be immensely entertaining, and oftentimes surprisingly creative. My friends are tired of me showing them these mashups as I come across them, so I've decided to start posting a series of them. They'll come as I find them.

Up first is this gem. Home Alone and I Am Legend. This combination works suprisingly well.The editing of the clips results in some hilarious moments while still keeping true to the threatening nature of the world of I Am Legend.

~Lauren

And we're back, sort of

I know we've been spotty in the past, our posts popping up randomly without any warning, sort of like UFO sightings. I apologize.

The good news is that (1) it's summer movie season and (2) I've got a lot of time on my hands in the foreseeable future. As for Katie, you'll have to pressure her into writing more. She's about to be employed. My future has less certainty.

~Lauren

Oscar Picks

Here's my predictions for Oscars this year.

Best Picture: The Social Network

Best Director: David Fincher

Best Actor: Colin Firth

Best Actress: Natalie Portman

Best Supporting Actor: Geoffrey Rush

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo

Best Animated Film: Toy Story 3

Best Art Direction: Inception

Cinematography: Black Swan

Costume Design: The King's Speech

Documentary Awards: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Documentary Short Subject: The Warriors of Qiugang

Film Editing: Black Swan

Foreign Language Film: Dogtooth

Makeup: Wolfman

Score: Social Network

Original Song: Toy Story 3

Short Film Animate: Night & Day

Short Film Live Action: God of Love

Sound Editing: Inception

Sound Mixing: Inception

Visual Effects: Inception

Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network

Original Screenplay: The King's Speech

~Lauren

Twigman Awards

We are proud to announce the winners of this years Twigman Awards. This year we had some interesting films put out, and we were delightfully surprised by some we'd initially written off. To be honest, most of my favorite films were too obscure to qualify for the Twigmans, but this year we did have some of the better animated films in recent years.

Best Picture How To Train Your Dragon

I know that Toy Story 3 has gotten most of the attention this year in terms of best animated film, but I think that How To Train Your Dragon is every bit as magical. This film was a sheer delight. The dynamic dialogue, the well written characters, and the stunning animation set this film apart. Even the Academy was smart enough to recognize this film's brilliance in their nominations this year. I think it's fair to say that it doesn't stand a chance at the Oscars, but here we salute this film's excellence.

Best Director Christopher Nolan, Inception

Nolan's vision in Inception was breathtaking. He transported us into a new world. He brought together some of the most talented actors and actresses in the business and dazzled us with his vision. We watched Paris get folded onto itself, a man redefine his life, and a widower come to terms with his grief. Without Nolan this film would have never worked.

Best Actor Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network

Eisenberg nailed his performance of computer wiz Mark Zuckerberg. He was the socially awkward genius we all loved to hate, but he also managed to make something about Zuckerberg pitiable, and for that I say we should salute him.

Best Actress Emma Stone, Easy A

Emma Stone's performance in Easy A was an unexpected delight. Her turn as Olive was refreshing and enjoyable. I was ready to write this film off, but Emma Stone made Easy A fantastic. Her Olive was relatable and lovable, something rare in the days of High School Musical.

Best Supporting Actor Nicolas Cage, Kick Ass/The Sorcerer's Apprentice

Runner's up: John Malkovich in RED, Sharlto Copley in The A-Team

This was a particularly difficult choice this year, but no one is going to deny this was a good year for Nick Cage in supporting roles. His Big Daddy in Kick Ass was one of the greatest action heroes of the year, and his turn as a wizard in The Sorcerer's Apprentice was the best part of that film. While both Malkovich and Copley did great supporting roles, Cage did it twice.

Best Supporting Actress Chloe Moretz, Kick Ass

Watching Hit Girl kick ass to "Bad Reputation" was one of the most enjoyable moments of cinema in 2010. Her highly watchable performance was one of the most memorable roles of the year, if not one of the most controversial. While this year included several other roles for her in films such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, it was Kick Ass she'll be remembered most for.

Best Use of a Previously Written Song in a Movie "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien," Inception

I love Edith Piaf. I was a little hesitant when I first heard this song played in Inception, but I quickly got on board. Most people don't think much about this musical indicator that the dream is about to end, but the song adds a deeper meaning to the film that I'm not sure most people realize at first viewing. Next time you watch this film, keep in mind that Edith is saying that after a tumultuous and tragic life she has no regrets, and her life is starting anew.

Best Screenplay Toy Story 3

This script was brilliant. It had one of the best openings ever, and it stayed true to the tone of the previous two movies. We were introduced to a whole host of new characters, each more marvelous than the last. I was worried that this sequel would go the way of so many others and suck, but by the time we got to Buzz Lightyear's spanish mode no one had any doubts that this film surpassed Toy Story 2.

Best Costuming The Sorcerer's Apprentice

This year's costuming was kind of weak, but Nick Cage's getup in this film is worth remembering, if only for the importance of the pointy shoes.

Best Visual Effects Inception

Tron did a great job creating a new tech world for us to enjoy, but Inception turned a city onto itself. Besides, the zero gravity scenes were amazing in their simplicity.

Best Technical Explosion The Expendables

Sadly, the mushroom cloud of monkeys in Toy Story 3 does not count as a technical explosion, so I can't give that the Twigman this year, even if it was awesome. Still, we had several explosions this year in films ranging from Inception to Kick Ass. But let's face it, this clip is just awesome.

Best Pyrotechnics (The "Cody" Award) The Losers

Let's face it, fire is sexy. The Losers reminded us of this in this scene.

Best Drop of the F-Bomb Kick Ass

~Lauren

When trailer music goes bad

I've been trying to resist posting about the horrific second Red Ridding Hood trailer. Now, I know in the past I've talked about how the right choice of music in a trailer can make the trailer. The example I've cited before was the use of "The Day The World Went Away" by Nine Inch Nails in the Terminator: Salvation trailer. So you understand, given my love of NIN, how it pains me to witness its abhorrent use in Red Ridding Hood. The music selection in the first trailer, especially the use of Soulsavers as the opener, was well done. This one it's a hot mess. It turns the movie from feeling like a thriller into a campy mess. It completely destroys the tone. It left me with the same bitter taste in my mouth as when I watch a trailer that uses yet another Clint Mansell or John Murphy score.

~Lauren

The Eagle

Last night I went with some friends to catch The Eagle. I was actually kind of excited to see this film. I love Jamie Bell's career, and the trailer looked decent. To be fair, I went in realizing I'd probably be unable to keep myself from comparing it with 2010's highly watchable Centurion. That said, my overall impression is, on a scale of one to five, it's a 2 1/2 in terms of a well made film. In terms of watchablity on that same scale, it's a seven.

This film is nothing if not entertaining. Unfortunately, I can't really decide how much of the humor was intentional. What was supposed to be a story of male camaraderie in the face of certain death came off as a campy, thinly veiled homoerotic love story. The plot isn't terrible strong, nor is it historically accurate, not that we can expect movies to be terribly historically accurate in this day and age. Still, this movie does a lot of things right. The armor, the costuming on a whole, the tidbits of Roman culture, Jaime Bell's stellar performance...

Unfortunately, as an action movie, it falls short. I don't ask for much from an action movie. Granted, I'm a woman, so all I want are hot men and fabulous, gratuitously violent fight scenes. Something blowing up is always a bonus. There is a reason I lobbied for one of the categories in the Twigmans to be best technical explosion. Still, The Eagle fails to stand up to my standard. The editing on the fight scenes was atrocious. It was nearly impossible to follow what was going on. Indeed, I wasn't even sure who won the battles until it cut to the survivors laying out the dead. I knew there was a problem when my roommate leaned over and asked if Uwe Boll edited the fight scenes. The camera work throughout the movie continued to be nonsensical, as was it's bizarre use of eagle cries as sound effects. My favorite nonsensical moment was when an eagle cry sounded whilst the camera focused on a barn owl. Yeah, it was a lot of that.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

As for the ending, it felt a bit contrived, to the extent that it became a completely different movie altogether. Honestly, someone should have died. Preferably Channing Tatum. Also, I'd like to know who told the filmmakers that the Scottish Picts used to be Aztecs.

~Lauren

The Hollywood Foreign Press Are On Crack, Or Further Proof of the Lack of Great Movies in 2010

I know that it's been several weeks since the Golden Globe nominations were announced. I normally would have commented on this earlier, but this year I was so baffled it's taken me this long to put my shock into words.

Let's face it, the Hollywood Foreign Press doesn't know squat about Cinema. We all know the truth. They are a group of journalists (and it's my understanding that the word "Journalist" is used extremely liberally here) who banded together and somehow managed to convince the world they know about movies. They point of their awards isn't to honor movies and actors, but to allow the Hollywood Foreign press to party with the likes of Colin Farrell. I can't blame them. I'd want to party with Colin Farrell too. But let's face it. Normally the Hollywood Foreign Press pretends to pick good movies and generally makes sensible nominations. This year they've lost their damn minds.

It wasn't the strongest year for movies, it's true. But there were several indies that could have been nominated. Four Lions comes to mind. But no, they were ignored.

So this year's unforgivable offenders? How about we start with Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. I'l be realistic and admit that this isn't a category with a great deal of potential for great movies to be nominated. But...Red? Really? Don't get me wrong. I really liked this film. I thought it was fun, vastly entertaining. John Malkovich in particular shined. But nominating it for Best Picture? It has a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes for crying out loud. And then they add insult to injury and put Alice in Wonderland, Burlesque, and The Tourist in this category. Why not just man up and put The A-Team in there? It was miles better than any of their other choices.

As for the acting nominations, look no further for additional proof that these people have lost their minds. Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical nominee Emma Stone? What? If you have the guts to nominate Red for best picture, man up and nominate Helen Mirren. And why bother nominating Johnny Depp twice in the same category? Was I the only person on the planet who hated Alice in Wonderland? Was I the only one who thought it was overrated, poorly written, poorly acted, and relied far too much on visual effects? Where was Robert Duvall's nomination for Get Low?

Of course, the Hollywood Foreign Press's biggest sin this year was the complete shut out of True Grit. Fortunately the SAGs have already nodded to the Cohen Brother's film, and I don't doubt for a second that the Academy Awards are going to be all over this. Time will tell.

~Lauren

Trailer Watch

I know, I know, I dropped the ball again. I can keep apologizing but the truth is life gets in the way of blogging. Anyhoo...

The trailer for The Expendables hit the net a while back, but give it a chance if you haven't watched it yet. Personally, I think that the trailers for A-Team are better, but with this case, you can bet I'll end up seeing this eventually. Probably when my roomie (who owns The Condemned in case you need a reference) buys it.

The more I see of Salt, the more curious I get. The first trailer made me think that if they ever make "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago?" into a movie, Angelina Jolie was the perfect casting choice. This trailer makes this feel more like a solid film, although it seems to be trying a bit hard to sell itself as a sort of female Bourne.

I'll be honest. I love Liam Neeson. Generally, I like him in just about everything. I'm not to sure what I think about him in After. Life. He's creepy in this trailer, and I find it really disturbing. Still, promising looking trailer.

When I first heard about Splice, I was pretty darn excited. I remember seeing the concept art when it first hit the net. But now that the trailer's here, I'm pretty darn terrified. Still, this looks like one heck of a horror film.

In case you didn't know, there is another Resident Evil film coming up. Now, I personally thought that the last one was the best yet. I know a lot of people who will argue that with me, but hey, to each his own. Still, this is full of promising Jovovich butt kicking. Not too sure about this whole 3D thing though. I hate 3D. I wish this fad would die already.

Katie and I saw this trailer in theater in front of How to Train Your Dragon. We both had the same reaction - Beautiful visuals, but what the hell is it about?

Ok, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one I know who is excited about this, but come on, what's not to love?

I find myself oddly intrigued by the trailer for Malice in Wonderland. I like Maggie Grace. She was solid in Taken and appropriately unlikable in Lost. This could be interesting.

The cast alone makes me want to see The Other Guys. As a rule, I always support Samuel L Jackson in just about anything (he's from my hometown). The Rock? Yes. Marky Mark? Yes, but not sure about this haircut he's sporting. Ferrell? Yes. Count me in, boys.

~Lauren

The Dangers of Post Oscar Week

In the post Oscar haze, movie lovers around the world bask in the warm afterglow of cinderella stories, underdogs, and fabulous clothes. A joyous time full of Joan Rivers' comedic gold. A time when the reporters at Entertainment Tonight rejoice that they have an event they can stretch out through a full week of news segments.

However, there is an evil, dark side to this joyous period of cinematic bliss. Hollywood knows that it's intelligent audience members will be so caught up raving about Christoph Waltz's performance and rewatching the Best Picture Winner to notice that there's something foul brewing in Hollywood. This year was especially deadly since everyone not included in the last sentence was to busy bitching about how Avatar should have won. What is this danger you ask? Hollywood casting news.

That's right, you heard me. True, post Oscar casting can be a wonderful thing. Take Mickey Rourke's casting in Iron Man 2. You only have to watch the trailer to know that it's gold. But this year Hollywood has crossed a line.

We heard just before the Oscars about a certain Smurfs movie and the casting of Neil Patrick Harris. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Hey, he could work as a smurf." Except the problem is that he isn't playing a smurf. No, they've cast him as Johan. Yeeeaaaahhh. Now you see the problem. Of course, Hollywood tried to slip the worst news past us in our post Oscar bliss. Last week they announced more casting for the film, and readers, it ain't pretty.

Ready? Trust me, you aren't.

Brainy Smurf? Quentin Tarantino

Smurfette? Katy Perry

Grouchy Smurf? George Lopez

Gutsy Smurf? Alan Cumming

Now, I guess that someone out their will use the excuse "It's animated." Um, no, not excusable. Fortunately, everybody I just named is "rumored" with the exception of Tarantino, but that's cold comfort.

As for Tarantino...Dude, I like you. I like your acting, I love your scripts, I love your movies, and I've spent the last months of my life obsessively analyzing every darn detail of Inglorious Basterds, but this...this just feels wrong.

Not as wrong, however, as Katy Perry. I'll leave that one to Katie.

Also, Gutsy Smurf? It's been a while since I was a loyal subject of kingdom, but I don't remember any Gutsy Smurf. I'm declaring BS on that one until someone proves me wrong.

Uhh. Hollywood, why?

~Lauren

Best Trailers of 2009

Originally, I intended to make a "Best Trailer" Twigman Award, but in the madness of trying to put the Twigmans together, it got left off. Oh well, maybe next year. In the mean time, I'd like to take this time to talk about something which doesn't always get it's deserved recognition: The Movie Trailer.

What makes a good movie trailer? Or to say it another way, what sort of trailer makes a movie look good? Consider this youtube gem and what it says about movie trailers.

Amusing yes, but also very true.

However, some trailers stand out for their ability to make good movies look as good as they are, and even more impressive, truly crap movies look excellent. Take for example, this early teaser for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. I mean, that teaser makes the movie look kind of badass, unlike the official trailer which clued us into the fact that it was basically National Treasure with giant robots and therefore kind of lame. This is the power of trailers and teasers. They set the tone for the film. They get the audience excited. Thus, I now present to you to best trailers of 2009. (Please note, as epic as the Watchmen trailers were, they didn't come out in 2009 and therefore I can't talk about how brilliantly they marketed a terrible movie).

X-Men Origins: Wolverine trailer

Before the movie was leaked online, we had this trailer. I remember watching this and thinking, "This looks sweeeeet!" The trailer is somewhat misleading about what the movie is actually about, but it doesn't matter, because it markets this movie very, very well.

Star Trek trailer

The marketing team had to market this film so that it would appeal to fans familiar with the series and at the same time make it appeal to potential new fans unfamiliar with the source material. This trailer nailed it. Not only did it portray the film in a good light to Trekkies, but it made new people who never cared sit back and think, "Hey, this looks kind of cool. Maybe these geeks are onto something."

Up trailer #3

This trailer only hinted at the joy and fun of this film, but nevertheless it serves as a perfect set up to the film. It doesn't give too much away, but it gives enough to make us yearn for more for the adventures of the grouchy old man and eager young boy. Also, the talking dog "Squirrel!" moment became the most quoted part of this trailer. Everyone was going around quoting Doug. With just a few seconds, this trailer had us falling in love with a talking dog.

Inglorious Basterds teaser

This trailer gives viewers the idea that the movie is about Brad Pitt and his soldiers. This is untrue, as these characters are only a small part of the film, but it doesn't really matter. This teaser is pretty epic. The music, the clips, the use of Brad Pitt's monologue - it all builds perfectly. Even the use of blood splatter works to make this trailer. It leaves an impression, but most of all it leaves you thinking, "I cannot wait to see this film."

Terminator: Salvation trailer

This one is hands down the winner for best trailer of the year. This trailer was epic, breathtaking, stunning, cinematically orgasmic. The use of music, the way it all builds, is shear perfection. If it has one drawback, it's that after seeing the film we learn that the best moments in the film were in this trailer (generally a good trailer should hold some of the best moments back), but honestly, after watching this, who cares? This movie was a disappointment after the epic trailer, but with a trailer like this, it doesn't really matter.

Oscar Predictions and Wish list

For the record, what I think will win and what I wish would win are two very different things. One deals with the horrible reality of the Academy morons who vote for this stuff, and the other exists in a world where good, just things happen. You know, that world without Uwe Boll.

Lauren's Oscar Wish List

or "Things that would happen in a world where Hollywood burned Uwe Boll at the stake after he made his first film"

Best Picture - District 9

Best Director - Quentin Tarantino, Inglorious Basterds

Best Actor - Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Best Actress - Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds

Best Supporting Actress - Mo'nique, Precious

Best Animated Feature - Up

Best Original Screenplay - Inglorious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay - District 9

Best Foreign Film - The White Ribbon

Lauren's Oscar Predictions

Best Picture - The Hurt Locker (Dark Horse Pick Inglorious Basterds)

Best Director - Katherine Bigelow

Best Actor - Jeff Bridges

Best Actress - Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actor - Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress - Mo'nique

Best Animated Feature - Up

Best Original Screenplay - Inglorious Basterds

Best Adapted Screenplay - Up in the Air

Best Foreign Language - The White Ribbon

Best Original Score - Hans Zimmer

Best Art Direction - The Young Victoria

Best Cinematography - The Hurt Locker

Best Costume Design - The Young Victoria

Best Documentary - The Cove

Best Documentary Short - China's Unnatural Disaster

Film Editing - Inglorious Basterds

Best Makeup - The Young Victoria

Best Original Song - Crazy Heart

Best Animated Short - A Matter of Loaf and Death

Best Short Film - The New Tenants

Best Sound Editing - Up

Best Sound Mixing - The Hurt Locker

Best Visual Effects - Avatar

I think that covers it.

~Lauren

The Twigman Awards

We are proud to announce this year's Twigman Award Winners! We had a rough time deciding on some of these awards. We argued, we pondered, we watched some crap. (Gerard Butler, we need to have a talk.) Actually, a lot of the better films of the year were "mainstream," so there wasn't so much crap. We refused to sacrifice ourselves for you, our readers, and watch some of the more crappy movies of the year (Miss March); if we suffer through something, it's going to be our own fault, thank you. But the best thing about seeing a little bit of everything? We're totally prepped for both Oscar picking AND Twigman loving. Behold the final cut below.


Best Picture: District 9

Contrary to popular belief (especially if you check the box office receipts--I weep for American cinema), the finest cinematic contribution to science fiction was not that God-awful Avatar. Neil Blomkammp's District 9, featuring an intelligent script, a brilliant lead performance by newcomer Sharlto Copley, and stellar visual effects, dazzles (and, even better, fascinates) from start to finish. Unlike Avatar, rife with cliches and stereotypes, District 9 never panders to its audience. The political issues are complex and multifaceted, discussing questions of racism, immigration, and sexual orientation. Fully-developed characters exhibit enough unsettling flaws, positive attributes, and emotional rawness to ring true to reality. Beautifully constructed action setpieces keep the audience's attention. The surprise setting--Johannesburg, not New York or London--makes the film look far less like Hollywood's typical summery sci fi confections (I'm looking at you, Transformers 2) than most other blockbusters featuring extraterrestrials. Even though District 9 is an alien flick, in telling the story of one man's metamorphosis from simple government bureaucrat to suffering outsider (in faux documentary form, no less), it remains totally gripping and utterly believable. Bravo to all the first-time Oscar nominees that made this film an instant classic: it's proof that you DON'T have to spend a quarter of a billion dollars to make something truly memorable. Sit back and be wowed.

-Katie




Best Director: Neill Blomkamp, District 9

When a visual effects guy steps behind the camera as a director, the results are often (technically) disastrous. Blomkamp's prior credits include 3-D animator and visual effects departments for Dark Angel, Smallville, and Stargate: SG-1. Sure, District 9's look is effectively gritty, and the film features enduring images, but its success is dependent upon its thematic weight and its stellar performances, which Blomkamp achieved with the style and verve of a seasoned veteran. He brings his own script to astonishing, full-bodied life, turning deep existential questions into science fiction glory, a la Blade Runner or Children of Men. Competent and assured, Blomkamp structures his film as a documentary, offering a verisimilitude to the all-too-relevant issues at hand. This compelling film would be any director's masterpiece, but as Blomkamp's rookie project, District 9, with its unknown cast and shoestring budget, proves even more impressive.

-Katie



Best Actor: Sharlto Copley, District 9


District 9 has a brilliant script and some stunning visual effects, but without a great lead actor, the film could crumble under the sheer weight of its themes. Enter unknown South African Sharlto Copley, whose visceral, epic performance as Wikus van de Merwe offers the film a raw humanity. Playing a dense government bureaucrat, Wikus is charmingly oblivious, but never without darkness; try not to wince when he leads his team to a prawn's (human slang for the alien visitors) shack to abort alien spawn. However, as the film progresses and his physical transformation becomes more horrific, the truly great transformation is within himself, learning empathy through his shocking fate. Wikus elicits the audience's laughter, frustration, and even tears as he runs the gamut of human emotion unlike any performance of 2009: hopeful joy, selfish rage, and true sadness. Behind that goofy mustache, there's a complicated, real man. Sharlto Copley made quite the entrance.

-Katie


Best Actress: Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia

I know that Sandra Bullock is getting all the praise for her role in The Blind Side, but Meryl Streep's portrayal of Julia Child was outstanding. The voice, the body movements, the delivery...it's all magical. She blows Sandra Bullock out of the freaking water.


~Lauren


Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

In what will most likely be the most memorable performace of the year, Christoph Waltz conquers the silver screen as Hans Landa. This movie could not exist without this character and, most of all, Waltz performance. Need proof? Go watch the first scene of Inglorious Basterds and tell me otherwise. He's cunning, brilliant, devious, creepy, and even oddly charming at times. I know the "It's a Bingo!" line gets all the fame for his performance, but for me, this opening scene is his best. However, it's the little moments that solidify his victory. Take, for example, his remarks to Hugo Stiglitz's dead corpse. Or better yet, his Italian discussion with Raines and Co. Honestly, I have a hard time trying to decide which scene is creepier - the opening scene, or the scene when he questions Brigit. The bottom line is that every time this man steps onto the screen he has the audience tense up with real terror. He is the figure from our nightmares come to life, and he rules.


~Lauren


Best Use of a Previously Written Song in a Movie: "In the Air Tonight," The Hangover

I personally think poor ol' Phil Collins gets a bad rap anyway; there's a place in this world for upbeat pop. Fortunately, few would deny that this particular number is an 80's classic. Think Miami Vice: this song takes you to a very specific time and place, one where ice cream-colored suits and no socks was vastly cool for a cop. And that's awesome. But for our generation, this song will no doubt take us back to a disastrous Vegas hotel room, where a past-his-prime Mike Tyson air-drummed, howled, and slugged his way back into our hearts. (Sorry, folks, but tone-deaf singing and subsequently knocking a guy out will NEVER get old.) Because rocking out to this admittedly epic track is something we've all done at some time or other, the use of Tyson's top tune is comically absurd yet...something that doesn't surprise us. As Bradley Cooper's Phil would attest, Tyson and Phil Collins (God bless him) have still got it!

-Katie



Best Screenplay: Quentin Tarantino


Successful, well written and well thought out screenplays are rare in Hollywood. They don't always get optioned into movies and they're often destroyed on the cutting room floor. Tarantino's script is bold and daring. Let's face it, English is not the main language of the film. It's difficult enough to get an audience to watch a film with subtitles. Getting an audience to watch a film with subtitles for French, German, and Italian is so ridiculous that I'm sure most production companies laughed hysterically. But somehow, Tarantino pulls it off brilliantly. The tension he builds, the flawless switches from the multiple story lines, the fascinating characters - it all comes together brilliantly.

~Lauren



Best Costuming: Sherlock Holmes

Like Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes is much more concerned with giving off a vibe than with being 100% historically accurate. His vision is a fun, fast-paced, sexy version of an old classic (with a warm respect for the source material), with RDJ as a scruffy, eccentric Holmes and Jude Law as an elegant man of action. While their wardrobe is not precisely the height of Victorian fashion, they both manage to look stunning and true to their characters, complementing each other nicely.

-Katie


Best Makeup: District 9

We've already discussed Wikus's inner transformation, but in a sci fi blockbuster like this one, the outer transformation is almost as important. The imaginative folks at WETA worked their magic to change Wikus from bumbling human to repulsive alien in harrowing, horrific stages. Watch Wikus go Gregor Samsa with excruciating slowness, each new characteristic more shocking and gruesome than the last. The skin of his back peels away to reveal a crustacean-like exoskeleton. His arm becomes a hideous, unrecognizable claw. His eyes change into great golden spheres, marking his complete separation from the human race: he can now clearly see through the eyes of the suffering. It's all accomplished with great skill by the makeup artists.

-Katie



Best Visual Effects: Terminator: Salvation


This was truly an amazing year for visual effects. Between Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Avatar (though it pains me to say it), Star Trek, District 9, and even G. I. Joe. We've thought long and hard about this award. We know Avatar is going to win the Oscar, but for us, well, we take the time to kick back and look back at the little things.






I suggest you look at this video starting at 3:14. Remember these bad boys? EPIC! Little details like this are why we're giving this Twigman to Terminator: Salvation.

~Lauren




Best Technical Explosion: Terminator: Salvation


Last year with gave this to the hospital demolition in The Dark Knight. This year's had to be equally, if not more epic. There was only one choice - this entire fraking scene.








~Lauren




Best Pyrotechnics: Terminator: Salvation


This award could also be called the Cody award, in honor of the Tropic Thunder character and winner of last year's explosion. With that in mind, I tried to think of a Cody worthy explosion. You know, something worthy of the line "Mother Nature's gonna piss her pantsuit." Our winner can be seen in the last ten seconds of this youtube video.

~Lauren

Best Drop of the F-Bomb: All of District 9

Unlike our previous winner, we couldn't narrow our winner down to one unforgettable phrase. This year, it's all about delivery, and boy, does Sharlto Copley nail it. For those of you keeping count, District 9 offends with this four-letter word a whopping 137 times (thanks, Wikipedia). And while the sheer volume is impressive, the real magic of the f-word here is its pronunciation, transforming the schwa sound of the American pronunciation into the ever amusing "fook." And fortunately, most of its uses are completely warranted; Wikus definitely has reason to be swearing.

-Katie

Best Pop Culture Reference: "Are you ready to let the dogs out," The Hangover

For pop culture junkies like the two of us here, a respectful nod, a knowing wink, or an off-the-wall name drop is a glittering moment in any film. In 2009, the hit comedy The Hangover with hip references to the aforementioned Phil Collins and Rain Man, but it's Alan's strange hope that the guys are going "to let the dogs out" that stands out. Let us not forget "In the Air Tonight" and Rain Man are both emblematic works of the 80's; they're both far enough in the past to have attained classic status. The Baha Men's sporting events anthem "Who Let the Dogs Out?," however, cannot make such a claim on society. The song is a curse on the ears, but somehow, when the four dudes strut in slow-mo to its annoying chorus of "who, who, who?"...it's cooler than it's ever been, in all its ridiculous glory.
-Katie

You are DEAD TO ME.

Let us introduce this as the companion piece to The Twigman Awards. Whereas the Twigman Award recipients elicit cheering, laughing, and grinning from ear-to-ear, these folks and projects induce only frustrated sighing, forehead-smacking, and eye-rolling. For Hollywood first-timers, we can eventually overlook these mistakes and move on, particularly when these folks repent and make good films later in life. However, the people, movies, and departments you see below, carefully chosen by two ladies who suffered acutely at the multiplex in 2009, offered up their wooden, trite, dull worst. Some of these people got (deservedly) slammed in the press, while others were hailed as "visionaries" (seriously, Watchmen ad campaign?). We're correcting this right now. We not-so-humbly confer "Dead to Me" status upon the following no-talent, could-have-been, should-have-been, and what-the-hell-happened-here? stars of 2009.


1. James Effing Cameron, director and "writer" of Avatar

Do you recall those subpar prequels to the Star Wars trilogy? Does anyone remember how critics SLAMMED George Lucas for his feeble writing, lackluster directing, racial stereotypes, and heavy reliance on (stunning) visual effects? Then why the hell are we giving James Effing Cameron a pass for Avatar? Well, critics, maybe YOU are, but we're not standing for it. The irritating thing about James Effing Cameron is that Lauren and I know he's capable of better. This man made the first two Terminator movies, sci fi and modern action movie classics. Tough, violent, manly sci fi was finally marketable. The scripts are nowhere near flawless, but some of the best one-liners in the popular lexicon find their origins in those two flicks. But the time has come to say "hasta la vista, baby" to James Effing Cameron. I absolutely abhor Titanic; it's a supremely cliche romance centered on a repulsively ill-matched couple. We hoped that the incredibly arrogant Cameron would make a full recovery in his triumphant return to sci fi, but then, we got effing Avatar, an insipid, preachy, bloated bore of a film that had no message that we hadn't heard in a rousing number from Pocahontas. I would list every trite stereotype for you, dear reader, but I don't want this post to be six pages long. Yet everyone goes gaga over some 3-D and kooky creatures, completely ignoring that the film has no heart and is enacted by mannequins. Then he goes to the Golden Globes and accepts his award for Best Director (gag) in freakin' Na'vi, the made-up nonsense language from your loathsome excuse for a motion picture? Shame on you, James Effing Cameron. I wish your career would sink like the Titanic, but people apparently are blind enough to keep giving you their hard earned money. But you know what? You can't count me among them ever again; I am afraid you are DEAD TO ME, James Effing Cameron.



2. Hugh Grant, actor, Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Hugh Grant's career made a wondrous about-face in 2002, when he transformed from the mumbling, confused, adorable guy from dull chick flicks like Nine Months and Notting Hill (and even in the near-flawless Sense and Sensibility) into the snarky, self-obsessed man-child of About a Boy. He'd finally found his niche, showing off the sparkle and the edge that his performances had heretofore lacked. Having settled comfortably into this character, he repeated his success in a charming little romantic comedy called Two Weeks Notice (with his best leading lady, Sandra Bullock), then in a slightly less charming romantic comedy called Music and Lyrics...it's gotten very old, very fast. Then he signs on for this third-rate cinematic turd, a film featuring hackneyed gags, a paper-thin plot, and a shockingly irritating leading lady. I'm sorry, my beloved Hugh. I just can't keep forgiving you for things like this. Stop doing this to me, but since I know you won't...you're dead to me, dear. I'm so sorry.

3. Katherine Heigl, actress, The Ugly Truth

OK, Katherine Heigl, pop quiz: what movie have you done that HASN'T set back the women's movement twenty years? Is it (a) Knocked Up, (b) 27 Dresses, or (c) The Ugly Truth? The answer is (d) Stop making women look bad, Katherine Heigl. You've turned us all into up-tight, boring hags who can only be liberating by slumming with dopey stoners or self-centered douchebags. What exactly is your message, huh? At least Knocked Up had the decency to be a marginally funny Apatow flick, but what's your excuse for your latest? Did you just want to show Gerard Butler your rack? Well, congratulations, you pretty waste of space. You know, you're not a bad actress, and I think you have a great sense of comedic timing (for a woman; you have your limitations), but you pick keep selecting cringe-inducing material that cannot function on principle. When are you going to realize that the romantic comedy for guys is a FANTASY? It's the cinematic equivalent of a unicorn. So unless you start poaching some of Rachel McAdams's parts, you are dead to me.

4. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, actor, Race to Witch Mountain

Damn your impressive physique, boyish grin, and effortless charm, Dwayne Johnson. You're a delightful, funny guy. You left the ridiculous land of pro wrestling and broke into Hollywood, only to turn yourself into the Arnold Schwarzenegger of pitiful 90's family fare. You're built to be an action star, man. If you're not going to do that, start doing some grown-up comedies, for heaven's sake. I saw you on SNL back in the day, and you were top-notch. What the hell happened? I don't even know you anymore. This is really just the straw that broke the camel's back. The Game Plan? Really? Your game plan ought to be "fire my agent and revive my career." Like Hugh Grant's dismissal, this one's hard on me. But I no longer smell what the Rock is cooking because...he's dead to me.

5. Watchmen

I'm not even going to name names for this clustercuss of a movie, because everything about it, from the casting to the story to the acting to the soundtrack to the MAKEUP, is a total catastrophe. All I heard for months was how brilliant the graphic novel was and how epic the movie was going to be and blah, blah, blah. Well, let me tell you, I'm never reading it now. If this drab film is any evidence, then the graphic novel's a clunky, dreary mess, with no visible merits. Damn you, makers of the Watchmen trailer! Your selection of killer visual moments and a sweeping, eerie Smashing Pumpkins track showed such promise. But I should have known from your use of "Zac Snyder: Visionary Director of 300" that something what seriously amiss with this impossible adaptation. What theoretically should have been a gripping, complex graphic novel adaptation became this shell of a film, featuring the worst soundtrack of 2009 (My Chemical Romance and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" for a sweaty, awkward sex scene? What the hell, major studio?) and makeup so unconvincing that visual effects studios from the fifties would be laughing at them. To think that there's a longer, more drawn-out cut of this violent, unpleasant downer somewhere truly frightens me. When I left this film, I was told by one of my pals, "I didn't know I could hear someone walk angrily until now." You do now. Screw you, everyone involved. You are dead to me.

There are a few others to whom I'm issuing warnings. These folks better watch their step:

1. Amanda Seyfried: this bug-eyed freak better make something worthwhile, stat. Lauren swears she's talented. I've yet to see the evidence. Her work includes Dear John, Jennifer's Body, Mean Girls, and Mamma Mia! See what I mean?!

2. Shia LeBeouf: Between Indy 4 and Transformers 2, you are on thin ice, pal.

3. Sam Worthington: Avatar and Terminator: Salvation both blow, in large part because you have no discernible talent. You're not that attractive, and you can't cover up your Aussie accent. You better learn to act quick, and Clash of the Titans does not look promising.

4. Gerard Butler: Gamer and The Ugly Truth in the same year? Now that's just cruel, man. Don't make me spend that kind of money again, Mr. Butler. Unfortunately, I've seen the ads for The Bounty Hunter. Things don't look good for 2010.

5. Jennifer Aniston: With the exception of The Good Girl, your film roles generally display none of your acting range. Honestly, did you think Love Happens was going to work? It was even bad for a predictable rom-com. The only way you're getting out of the tabloids is by being a legitimate actress. Unfortunately, I've seen the ads for The Bounty Hunter. Things don't look good for 2010.

-Katie

Trailer Watch

I know, it's been a while. But hey, since we're on a role with blog posts anyways...ok, confession, it's midterm week and I'm having a hard time making myself study. You would too. Screw you 18th century lit. Anyways, I know it's been awhile so you might have already seen some of these. If not, enjoy.

Repo Man. Old story, but this time, with Jude Law and Forrest Whitaker. And lets on forget Liev Schreiber. I think it has potential.

In case you are living under a rock, this is a film which I'm pretty sure is going to be the best thing ever.

Ashton Kutcher is in a new movie called Killers which is basically him and Katherine Heigl trying to be Brad and Angelina in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Yeah, it looks as terrible as it sounds.

Edward Norton playing identical twins in a movie about pot? This has potential.

As far as Chloe is concerned, I love the cast, but I'm not sure.

Every now and then, a book series gets adapted in what is hopefully the right way. Get excited.

Ok, I can't wait to see The Ghost Writer. This movie seems exactly the sort of thing I love.

I'm not really sure what to make of The Losers. I can't shake this feeling that it wants to be The A-Team. See what I mean?

Now, as far as sequels go, I was unsure about Wall Street 2, but I think this trailer makes it look like it has potential. Time will tell.

As for remakes...screw you Hollywood for this crap.

~Lauren

Oscar Nominations - A Personal Reaction

This is a post I've been talking about writing for a month, but sadly I'm just getting to it. Here are the nominations, and here are my reactions.

Best Picture

Avatar

See upcoming post on Avatar for my reactions on this nomination.

The Blind Side

See my previous review for this one. I really can't think of a reason as to why this was nominated. This one took the spot that should have gone to Moon. Honestly, no way in hell this will win or deserves to win.

District 9

Brilliant, epic film. Thrilled it got nominated. Go scifi!

An Education

Good nomination, though expected.

The Hurt Locker

I also expected this to get nominated, and it's one of the ones I'm rooting for.

Inglorious Basterds

I have a feeling that if it weren't for this whole "ten nominations" crap this might not have gotten a nom, but yes, this one is well deserved.

Precious

Also expected.

A Serious Man

...Really? Where the hell did this nomination come from? Did anyone even see this movie?

Up

Yes!

Up in the Air

Again, expected

Best Director

Katheryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Good choice. If she wins, she'll be the first ever woman to win it.

James Cameron, Avatar

Expected. I kind of find it hilarious that this is turning into an "Ex husband vs Ex wife" contest. You have your oscar, Cameron. I'm rooting for your ex wife.

Lee Daniels, Precious

...What? Really? I'm pretty sure that this slot should have gone to Neill Blomkamp. Someone got robbed of a nomination and it was given to this guy? Fail.

Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Fine director. Not gonna win this year. Katie thinks he could be the Dark Horse. I disagree.

Quentin Tarantino

My pick for Dark Horse contender of the year. I'd be pleasantly surprised if he won.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

This year's The Wrestler - ish nom. Wonder if he'll loose unexpectedly to a gay performance. Doubtful, since it isn't Sean Penn this time around, but still...

George Clooney, Up in the Air

Expected. Probably won't win, but a deserved nomination.

Colin Firth, A Single Man

Could potentially pull a Milk on Jeff Bridges, but I doubt it.

Morgan Freeman, Invictus

Doesn't stand a chance. This nomination slot should have gone to Sam Rockwell for Moon.

Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

I really want him to win, but I still haven't seen Crazy Heart.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Really hyped for a win and an expected nomination.

Helen Mirren, The Last Station

Huh, surprising, haven't even heard of this movie. Guess that's what happens when you live in another country for five months with no internet.

Carrey Mulligan, An Education

Expected and deserved nomination.

Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

Expected.

Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Well deserved nom for a delightful performance.

Best Supporting Actor

I'm not even going to bother giving a reaction for each actor, cause if Christoph Waltz does not win this something has gone horrible wrong in the universe. His is the only performance that mattered.

Best Supporting Actress

Again, I'm not going to bother listing the nominations because Mo'nique will win and that's that.

Best Animated Feature

Normally, I don't feel like this a category with a great deal of competition. It normally goes to Pixar. But this year...holy crap.

Coraline

Not my fav, but nicely put together film.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Haven't seen it yet, but Katie swears it's greatest film of 2009, seconded only to District 9.

The Princess and the Frog

I actually kind of hated this. I felt like Disney was trying to rewrite it's fairy tale dogma and failed in a sort of split personality way.

The Secret of Kells

Bwahahahahahaha!....Oh wait, you're serious? Crap. You have to understand, I lived in Dublin this fall and was hanging around in my Trinity College bookstore waiting to buy a shirt so I'd have something to wear while doing laundry and discovered this dvd on display. I watched a few minutes of it while waiting in line to check out and thought "my God that's the cheesiest thing I've ever seen." Now I'm wondering if I should give it another chance.

Up

Win. That's all I have to say.

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker

Good script, but I'm kind of surprised it got nominated.

Inglorious Basterds

Winner. Juggles four different languages and makes some many different story lines flow seamlessly together. Winner.

The Messenger

Didn't see it, so no comment.

A Serious Man

Ditto.

Up

Good, but not good enough.

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9

Heck yes! Please win!

An Education

Hornby, I love you but this was not your best.

In the Loop

Out of the country and didn't see it. No comment.

Precious

Expected.

Up in the Air

Also expected.

Best Foreign Language Film

This is going to go to The White Ribbon. I don't care about the others.

Best Original Score

Avatar

Have you lost your freaking minds? Of all the scifi scores of the year, this is what you choose? Epic, idiotic fail. This should have gone to Moon, you assholes.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Understandable, but I doubt it will win.

The Hurt Locker

I've seen this three times and I can't remember a thing about this score. Fail.

Sherlock Holmes

You're serious? Really, you're not screwing around with me? Thank you! My God, it's a score by Zimmer that doesn't sound like Pirates. Please let it win. Please.

Up

Good, but after seeing Sherlock is nominated, I'm not pulling for it.

Best Original Song

...............Hear that sound? That's the sound of me muting my tv for these performances, since all of these sucked, except for Crazy Heart. They sucked so much I refuse to list them here. I'm just grateful you didn't nominate Avatar, cause then I'd have to sit you down and make you listen to that damn song until you understood your mistake and begged me to tear your ears off.

Best Documentary Feature

It's going to The Cove, end of story.

I'm skipping the short film nominations, since I didn't see any of them. Moving on...

Best Art Direction

Avatar

No.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Possible. I saw the concept art.

Nine

Please, no.

Sherlock Holmes

If this one it would sort of make my life.

The Young Victoria

Heartily approve.

Best Cinematography

Avatar

Please, no. Does not deserve.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Um, what? Where did this nomination come from? Oh, I see, this is here because you decided to completely shut out (500) Days of Summer, which so deserved to be nominated for this.

The Hurt Locker

I approve.

Inglorious Basterds

Again, I approve.

The White Ribbon

Ditto.

Best Costume Design

I don't care enough about this year's nominations to comment. They are all well deserved.

Best Makeup

None of these deserve to win. Star Trek got nominated for Spock ears and painting a chick green, for crying out loud. This should have gone to District 9. Fail.

Best Film Editing

Avatar

No

District 9

Yes

The Hurt Locker

Yes

Inglorious Basterds

Yes

Precious

Excuse me, but what the hell? Should have gone to (500) Days of Summer

Best Visual Effects

Avatar

Probably will win.

District 9

Deserves to win.

Star Trek

Doesn't stand a chance.

Best Sound Editing

Avatar

No

The Hurt Locker

Yes, please

Inglorious Basterds

Yes, please, but probably won't win

Star Trek

Huh?

Up

Yes, please

Best Sound Mixing

Avatar

No

The Hurt Locker

Yes

Inglorious Basterds

Yes

Star Trek

Feeling kind of neutral.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

You're kidding, right? You're not kidding? Morons.

That's it for now. Later in the week I'll post my list of predicted wins and my list of what, in an ideal world, should win.

~Lauren

Movie Review Marathon

So I've seen a lot of movies recently and haven't had the time to post reviews, but I'm feeling guilty so here are some brief, mini reviews. Enjoy!

Legion

Ok, sometimes biblical action movies can rock. Constantine, for all of its faults, is a flick I find vastly enjoyable. This may come down to my love for Keanu's terrible acting (say what you want, but I think that Point Break pretty much embodies the 90s). Of course, the flip side includes films like The Reaping. Yeah, bet you wish I hadn't just brought that bad memory up. Legion isn't quite as bad as The Reaping, but it's still not by any means a great film. Katie hated it. I think I feel a little less hatred towards it since I watched Gamer first (I'll get to that in a minute). There are a few decent action moments. There is a bit with an improvised flame thrower that may show up in next year's Twigmans. Still, it's a renter.

Gamer

I only just saw this one since when it came out I was living in the UK and movies cost roughly 20 US dollars and I could not afford that nonsense. I was having a hard enough time paying for food. So finally, I see it. Um, yeah. Ouch. This video clip pretty much says all that you can say about this film.

Yeah. That's the level of bad we're talking about. Gerard Butler, you are too good looking to keep making these awful movies. Between this and The Ugly Truth, I hate to say it, but you're starting to make me hate you.

An Education

I made sure to catch this one since it's up for Best Picture. I was really excited to see this one. I love Nick Horby's work, although Katie loves him more than I do. While this is a very nicely put together film and definitely something I would recommend, I doubt it will win best picture. Regardless, this is a nice little coming of age story with some excellent acting that I highly recommend.

The Blind Side

To be honest, I had no desire whatsoever to see this film. Really, I didn't. I didn't care about the hype. I'm burned out of the whole inspirational sports movie thing. This could have something to do with the fact that I have a running count of seeing Remember the Titans twenty-five times in my life (it was forced; there are some films I watch obsessively, but not this one). I had a similar reaction to all Disney films involving animals as central characters after my sister went through a Lion King 2 phase and watched it, I'm not kidding you, for nonstop three days straight until my mother pulled an intervention on her six-year-old. Finding Nemo restored my faith in animals. The Blind Side did not restore my faith in sports movies.

Granted, it's a nicely put together film that does inspire you to be a better person. I have a few issues with it since I'm from East Tennessee and hence view Memphis as the enemy (Tennessee interstate relations make an interesting sociological study). But honestly, this film is nowhere nearly good enough to merit a Best Picture nomination. As for Sandra Bullock's hyped performance, she'd good, I'll give her that, but I don't for a second think that her performance was the best of the year.

The Boondock Saints 2

Ok, for the record, I LOVE The Boondock Saints. Freaking love it. It's a movie I watch over and over again and laugh every time. I was thrilled at the prospect of a sequel. But then I saw it. Fail. I hate the character Romeo. Hate him. He irritates me to no end. The movie would have been about a billion times better if he wasn't in this. Also, I like Julie Benz, but I feel like they wasted her in this movie. First of all, i think she looks kind of crap, which is really hard to do with someone that attractive. Also, her southern accent seems supper gimmicky and distracts from every scene she's in. She's underused and underdeveloped. Basically, this movie should have been better than it is. It's watch-able I guess, but it's not a movie I'd buy and watch over and over like the first one.

Whip It!

This is another film I missed while living across the pond. For the record, I kind of adored it. I didn't expect to, since I kept hearing about how "Juno" it was. It isn't. It's nothing like Juno, a film which, despite what people tell me, I've never managed to sit through. I know, I know - I'm inhuman since I can't make myself like Juno. Anyways, Whip It! Like I said, I kind of adore this film. I think it's a delightful coming of age flick with some swell acting and some snappy lines. It's a film I can relate to pretty heavily. A teenage girl living in the middle of boring nowhere feels like her mother pressures her into being someone she's not sure she wants to be. One day she lucks out and finds something that she unexpectedly loves. This thing changes her life. And of course, her mother doesn't get it. Every teenage girl has this experience to some degree. I'm still stuck in this experience in many ways. Perhaps this is why I love this film, but you can't fault it for much. The script, acting, and directing are all solid. Go out and rent this if you don't believe me.

That's all for now!

~Lauren