A Few More Film Reviews To Come

Saw The Simpsons Movie and Hot Rod, both on a portable DVD player while travelling to White Water in Branson, Missouri. And when I returned home that night, I went out on the town and caught a late showing of the newly-released StepBrothers. I will post reviews for each of those films as soon as procrastination takes a backseat to work ethic. But to cut suspense, here's how I rate them each:

The Simpsons Movie - 7 out of 10
Hot Rod - 4 out of 10
StepBrothers - 5 out of 10

Again, I repeat: Reviews will be posted.... sooner or later. :)

"Knight" Night Showing

Saw The Dark Knight at a midnight (well, 12:01 A.M.) showing last night. It was great. Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was easily one of my favorite cinematic villains of the decade if not of all-time. He should most certainly receive an Oscar nomination; a win will rely on who he is pit against this year. But for now, he remains the one true Supporting Actor contender thus far.

A film review later.

Shreveport vs. Dubya

I know that this isn't the most late-breaking news story, but I did want to bring this about to your attention: The cast of Oliver Stone's W. was involved in a bar brawl down in Shreveport, Louisiana, where the film is being shot. Here's very short coverage from the Shreveport Times:

Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Wright, actors filming Oliver Stone's W in Louisiana, were among the cast and crew members arrested after a barroom tussle, reports the Shreveport Times. The busted thespians had interfered with police attempts to subdue a fellow patron, and were charged with interfering with police. Brolin was released after paying $334 bail.
A Shreveport police spokesman said one thing has been unusual about the bust: publicity. “I’ve heard from National Enquirer, Entertainment Tonight, Extra, the New York Post and a few other national outlets. Lots of people have called.”

I wonder, could this not only hurt the film's supposed bad reputation, but also damage Brolin's chances at the Oscars this year. As you may have noticed, I am at the moment predicting that he will be nominated for his role in the Gus Van Sant film Milk. Assuming the performance will be Oscar-worthy, could Brolin's badboy antics cost him in the awards season?

For more on bad boy antic aftermath, see Russell Crowe.

Movie Review: "Halloween"

Directed by Rob Zombie

Written and Starring... ah, who cares....

TRICK OR SUCK!

Yes, I know. The title to this article is a terrible attempt, neither funny nor effective, devoid of any effort both in terms of logistics and creativity. In other words, it is exactly like the film I am reviewing today: Rob Zombie's butchered remake of the horror classic "Halloween".

John Carpenter's original was called a "tour de force", "an absolutely merciless thriller", and "a completely immersive, visceral dynamo of stylistic belly-jiggling and spine-shivering." And while I do try extremely hard to avoid comparing films to the originals or the books from which they are adapted, with this particular one, such assessments are unavoidable.

The trailer for this film proclaimed quite proudly the statement "Rob Zombie unleashes an extreme vision of terror and reinvents a legend", and to be quite honest, I got a little excited. Honestly, I watched the promos, and a little bit of pee came out. I say that not to get graphic, but to explain to you that my expectations were actually quite good; I was looking forward to being scared out of my mind. I'm not even that big of a horror fan, but I like to be petrified as much as the next. And yet, having seen the picture now, I realize that, by saying that Rob Zombie "reinvents a legend", they actually meant that he just rewrote the first half of the film.
The movie opens with a younger Michael Myers (little Daeg Faerch), ten years old. He wears a freaky-looking clown mask (he apparently has a fetish for covering up his face... therapy, anyone?). In one hand, he holds his pet rat; in the other, a small knife. The next time we see him, he is washing blood off of his hands, and the rat is nowhere to be seen. "What's the matter, baby?" his mom asks. "[Rat's name] died," Michael replies. "I had to flush him."

For the first thirty to forty-five minutes, Rob Zombie takes his time trying to explain why Michael is the way he is; and to be quite honest, the explanations don't satisfy. He wears masks because he thinks he's ugly, he kills things because it makes him feel superior, and he goes wild one night and kills three people for... uh... well, we never really know why. Oh yeah! I remember now: because they are 'meanie faces'. Michael is then arrested, and thrown into a psych ward, where a Dr. Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell of "A Clockwork Orange") continuously visits him, trying to look into the mind of this demented child, but eventually decides to step off for a while and write a book about him instead.

17 years later, however, Myers gets fed up with incarceration, goes on a rampage, and kills several of the prison wardens before breaking out and fleeing back to his hometown of Haddenfield, with only one thing in mind: finding his little sister. Why? Who knows? Does he want to kill her, the last of his bloodline? Does he want to run away with her to make sanctuary? Does he just want to check up on her and make sure she uses protection when out with the boys? I don't know, and I don't think Rob Zombie does either.

And that's only the first half of the film; the second is made up of nothing more than mindless killing after mindless killing after mindless killing after... you get the picture. And not even the murders are satisfying. After being stabbed, almost every victim gets their own little 'crawl away from the killer in desperation' moment, only to have Michael come up behind them and finish the job.

Oh, and speaking of Michael... from the time he escapes from the mental facility to his final scene in the film, the masked monster doesn't say a word. Not a darned thing. It's as if Zombie humanized him in the movie's first act, only to later transform him back into the faceless death-dealer from the other eight "Halloween" movies that we are all familiar with. So much for giving him a back-story we could almost sympathize with, Rob; way to waste your time with that one, bub.

To say the acting is bad is an understatement... actually, describing it as such is almost a blessing, because it undermines the fact that almost no one in the cast actually acts, instead just reading their lines off glibly (and no, I don't mean that in a good way). In fact, one character's death (the psych ward janitor Ismael Cruz, played by Danny Trejo) almost brought tears to my eyes... not only because he was the only character I could actually begin to sympathize for, but also because he was the only actor in the entire cast who actually seem to know what he was doing. And when he was bumped off, well, the rest of the 'acting' brought a different kind of tear to my eye.

Last year, I gave the title of Worst Movie of the Year to another little horror remake named "Black Christmas". This year, I think that title goes to Rob Zombie's 'reinvention' of the legendary horror blockbuster of the 70's. Here, the director attempted to put method behind the madness... but in doing so, he only made the pay-off, the string of murders in the second half, that much more unintentionally hilarious.

I could easily make some trick-or-treat analogies right now, saying something like, I expected a nice terrifying bag of candy corn that ended up sucking as badly as a razor blade in a caramel apple, or some clever little thing like that. But instead, I will suffice, and simply state: This is the most terrible piece of shlopp (censored for the children) I have seen this year, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

1 out of 10

P.S.
leg·end - [lej-uhnd] -n(1) a nonhistorical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical.

clas·sic - [klas-ik] -a(1)of the first or highest quality, class, or rank.

In layman's terms, "no touchie" and "no remakie"... you only end up making a fool of yourself. Rob Zombie can concur with that.

Movie Review: "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"

Directed by Tim Burton

Written by John Logan (based on Stephen Sondheim's musical)

Starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter

Having just arrived back home from the opening day matinee showing of Tim Burton's "Sweeney Todd", there's only one thing I am sure of: It's bloody great.

The story behind the Sweeney Todd myth sparked in the 1800s, when a urban legend, about a demonic barber screaming for blood, spread through London like wildfire, reaching the ears of the masses by, more or less, word-of-mouth. It wasn't long after its conception that many newspapers began publishing chapters of the Todd-tale in their "penny dreadfuls" (small newspapers that cost only a penny, and worked like multiple installments for a novel... oh never mind).

Speed ahead a hundred years, and Christopher Bond has adapted the legend into a stage play, mixing a complex revenge plot into the madness. Move ahead to the 1970s, a young talented musician named Stephen Sondheim, at the peak of his power, sees Bond's play, and thinks to himself, "This would make a good musical."

And apparently, it does. Winning what was at that time an unprecedented amount of Tony awards, Sondheim's musical was so phenomenal that the very thought of it stuck with film director Tim Burton, up until last year, when he and his production team set about making this thing, which, hundreds of years after the initial plot's creation, is one of the best films of 2007.

Quick stage setting: Benjamin Barker is a barber in London, where he lives with his beautiful wife Lucy and their baby daughter Johanna. However, unbeknownst to him, a corrupt judge by the name of Turpin watches them from afar, concocting a plan that will send Benjamin away and leave his wife ripe for the taking. And with the help of lawman Beadle Bamford, he does just that, imprisoning poor Barker on false charges, and exiling him to Australia for life. But fifteen years later, Anthony Hope, a young sailor, finds Barker, recently escaped from prison, adrift on a plank in the middle of the ocean. Bound for London anyway, Anthony is more than willing to transport the awry fellow there as well.

In fact, that's where the film begins, with the ship drifting into the London harbor. But, much like the dirty, dingy, drearily dark streets of the city, Barker's life in general has forever transformed in his absence; his whole world has become, for lack of a better phrase, jacked up. Turpin raped Lucy, after which she poisoned herself, leaving little Johanna with no option but to fall under the adoptive care of the evil judge himself. Yep, things are in the crapper for poor ol' Benji Boy. So what does he do? He kills a bunch of people, is what he does! You think I'm joking? Well, I'm not. By the end, the body count is high, and half of the cast is ka-poot.

Oh, and while speaking of the cast, I should say, it could not have been better. Johnny Depp works wonderfully as the brooding vengeful anti-hero, using his skills as an actor to help show emotion even while hittin' the notes with surprisingly substantial ease. Helena Bonham Carter plays Mrs. Lovett so that you don't know what is going on in her character's head, making her that much more ambiguously brilliant as a character. Alan Rickman is completely dry (I mean that as a compliment) as the wicked Judge Turpin, and, with Depp at his side, performs "Pretty Women", one of the most darkly ironic duets I have ever seen put on film. Timothy Spall as Bamford is phenomenally slimy and conniving, and also one of the best bits of casting in this film. Sacha Baron Cohen is absolutely hilarious as the crafty, but ultimately doomed, rival barber Senor Pirelli; the moment he appeared on the screen, people were already laughing. And the younger actors (Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener, and Ed Sanders) all three make great debuts in this film, though some critics have shrugged off their characters as mere plot devices.
But it isn't just the actors whose works shines through this dark, dark piece of work; Dante Ferretti's production design, spliced into the same pie with Colleen Atwood's costumes and make-up devices, blend the movie's world with such Burtonistic (copyright 2007 Doc McPhearson) qualities, that, especially in moments like the "By the Sea" daydream, each one of them is destined for Oscar nomination no doubt.

Okay, I have to stop now. Seriously. No matter what I say, I feel as if I'm leaving something out. Look, if you take nothing else from this review, take this: strongly consider seeing this film. It is a fantastic adaptation of a even more fantastic Broadway musical. Please, understand, that while it will not be Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury singing these songs, the movie does the material justice in terms of both the actors, technicals, and screenwriting that could have been done, I believe. True, it shaved off several things here and there, most noticeably the entirety of the chorus lines. But with Burton behind the camera, Depp in front of it, and Sondheim's fingerprints on every gorgeously gothic frame, you could not ask for a more perfect team in this violent, but oh so intimate, picture.

9 out of 10

DISCLAIMER: I don't think I mentioned, there's a lot of blood in this movie. Like, a lot a lot. However, it is absolutely unrealistic, used as almost a romanticized quality, adding to the melodramatic film of the material. But still, please, don't take any children to this thing. The therapist's bill will eat you out of house and home.

NOTE: I wrote this review a month or so before the Oscar nominations were announced that year. And I have to boast for a moment, that Costume and Art Direction were two aspects I expected to be nominated; sure enough, they were. In fact, the film's Art Direction won the darn thing. ... Okay. I'm done bragging.

Movie Review: "No Country For Old Men"

Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

Written by Joel & Ethan Coen (based on the Cormac McCarthy novel)

Starring Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and Tommy Lee Jones

If you have read any other reviews concerning this film, then I'm sure mine won't be the first to tell you that this violent flick is a return to form for the Coen brothers, after their wondrously boring "The Ladykillers." There, they remade a classic, threw in a crew of desperate misfits, and half-as... sorry, kids.... half-butted a heist plot. Yet here, the director duo pulls straight from the pages of the Cormac McCarthy novel a story of such intensity, and yet such profound universal themes, that at times, this film seemed to, at least for me, transcend the genre of 'thriller.'

Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin) is a good ol' boy from Texas who, one day, while out hunting himself some deer, stumbles upon a drug deal gone terribly wrong. Vehicles are abandoned, the money's gone, the drugs are untouched, and everyone involved seems to be dead. All but one, as Moss soon discovers, finding the poor fellow sitting up in the truck's front seat, a bullet wound to the chest.

"Auga," the man asks desperately.

"Ain't got no water," Moss replies indifferently.

Forgetting about the survivor for a second, Llewellyn begins asking the same question that you're probably asking yourself: Where the heck is the money? Why, under the shade of a nearby tree of course. Two million dollars, nestled right into a little briefcase, no strings attached; I mean, after all, everyone who knows about it is dead, right? Right?

Wrong. What first begins as a split decision made on momentary greed soon evolves into a deadly manhunt. Set on Moss's trail is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a character that is for sure going to be written down as one of the most heartless villains in cinematic history. A man who decides his victim's fate upon the flip of a coin toss, Chigurh (or "Sugar", as Moss dryly calls him) is a living, breathing Angel of Death, armed with an air tank and a cattle stungun, both of which he uses with savage precision. His first objective is the retrieve the money; however, he tends to get bored, and sometimes kills innocents on a simple whim. And as Chigurh's employers know, another corpse leads to just another complication in this mess...

...Which forces them to hire Carson Wells (Woody Harrelson), a cocky bounty hunter who claims to know "everything there is to know" about Chigurh; on paper, he seems like the perfect person to send when you need the reins pulled on a bit. As he'll soon find out, though, the rider isn't always as in control of the horse as he may think.

But wait, there's more. Unaware of all the rest of the botchery that I've described above, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (the wonderful Tommy Lee Jones) is put in charge of investigating the aforementioned drug-deal- gone-bad. Yet, upon discovering Moss's truck at the scene, the poor exhausted sheriff is involuntarily thrown into the boiling mix as well.

And what results is a picture based around not only devastating confrontations , but also those who stumble upon the gruesome aftermath. Each character resembles a single thread, and when certain threads entangle, no good can come of it. One particular shoot-out between Moss and Chigurh lasts ten minutes, kills two innocents, and spans across a good stretch of an entire rural town, with neither man leaving unscathed.

Seeing as how I have little writer in me, I would feel weird not mentioning the film's screenplay. I have to say, after watching the film, I immediately returned home and began reading the book. Sure enough, I soon discovered that, much to my own pleasure, the Coens had done almost a page-for-page adaptation of McCarthy's novel, while still managing to make the brilliant country-fried dialogue that they are so infamous for mold perfectly into the shape of things. It will certainly, if there is any justice left in the Academy, win Best Adapted Screenplay at the '07-'08 Oscars.

Everything about this film just works so freakin' well. From the direction, to the editing, to the cinematography, to the acting (Bardem will almost definitely win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work here), to the home-cooked screenplay that has both the sustenance of McCarthy and the irresistible hint of Coen-pepper mixed in so naturally that it fits like glove. And the ending... at first I hated it. Despised it. But then, upon reflection, I realized, it actually sealed the deal for me; this is not only about blood and money, guns and chase scenes, but also the inevitability of death. "Ya can't stop what's comin'," an old friend tells Ed Tom at one point. "It ain't all waitin' up on ya."

"No Country For Old Men" is a wonderfully powerful novel, a quick enough read, and one that is far more complex than it at first appears. And actually, in some ways, the film version in itself is a provocative piece of literature, to not only be absorbed, but devoured. It is one of the best films of the year, if not the best. I recommend it to anyone and everyone... provided that you're at least 18 years of age.

10 out of 10

Movie Review: "Donnie Brasco"

Directed by Mike Newell

Written by Paul Attanasio (based on the novel "Donnie Brasco: My Undercover Life in the Mafia" by Joseph D. Pistone)

Starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp

The film opens in a small coffee shop, where a young jeweler disrespects an aging hitman. The young man is Donnie Brasco (Johnny Depp); the older fella, Lefty Ruggiero (Al Pacino). And though they don't exactly start off on the right foot, what begins as a slight confrontation slowly transforms into one of the oddest cinematic friendships I have ever witnessed.

Based on a memoir of sorts, and inspired by true events, "Donnie Brasco" tells the story of Joseph D. Pistone, an FBI agent who takes up the profile of Brasco in order to infiltrate the Brooklyn mafia crime network. Unfortunately, what sounds good on paper ends up taking much more of a personal toll on Pistone than he probably ever imagined. His children give him the silent treatment, his wife feels neglected and lonesome ("I pretend I'm a widow," she confesses to him), and his own fellow agents are more concerned with gathering information than they are with pulling him out of harm's way.

So when Lefty arrives into Pistone's life, and folds him into the warmth of his embrace, it's not surprising at all that the young man might actually enjoy being under the wings of this weathered dragon. Acting as a teacher of sorts, Lefty shows 'Brasco' the ropes of organized crime, from the chain-of-command to the difference between "friend of mine" and "friend of ours."

The real trouble starts when some people start getting whacked, and others start getting promoted. For example: Brasco and Lefty's boss, Sonny Black (played relentlessly by Michael Madsen), is one of the first men to be "upped," and though most men only dream of being pushed up the food chain, Sonny realizes that this higher position also comes with a financial staple, adding to his duties a monthly payment of $50,000 to the guy above him. A new job, a new burden, and he needs a new medium through which to make that kind of money. Donnie pitches him some ideas, among them a club in Florida that he thinks might give the group a new base to work from. But when that falls through, Black and his followers have no choice but to suspect an informant in their outfit. And Donnie... well, no doubt he starts to do more than sweat.

This is a story set in a world in which men kill one another not for revenge, but because they're told to. "There are rules to be followed," Lefty says after pulling a job on a crew member. "He's a rat because Sonny says he's a rat." And in this framework, men are no longer living breathing beings, but rather tools through which to make money, and occasionally clean house. At one point, Lefty even says quite plainly, "I'm just a spock on a wheel." Yeah, Brasco thinks, you and me both, pal.

I have read, as I'm sure many of you have as well, numerous reviews in which the critics subtitle this film "The Good-Fellas Companion Piece." After all, both dealt with organized crime families, and both had protagonists that, as a result of their actions, ended up in the witness protection program. However, even with that linearism in mind, I find myself disagreeing with such an oversimplification. Whereas Scorsese showed the nitty-gritty of the network's dealings, director Mike Newell sets the betrayal and brutality into the background, and instead brings to the forefront our leading men and the bond that they so delicately share. Sure, there are murders, and a plenty-bloody saw session (you'll see what I mean) afterwards; yet it is still unarguable that "Brasco" is the far more intimate of the two.

I'll admit, there is one thing that both films have in common: They both of them definitely deserve more than one viewing.

7 out of 10

Beginning Banner

New news, readers. I've started using the cheap-o art application known as Microsoft Paint, and made a very (and I mean very) generic banner for the blog. Hope you guys can bear with me as I improve my art skills and toy with the banner's design.

Just remember; even when the banner looks crappy, it will get better. You have my word... kinda.

Interesting Adaptations

As a writer by hobby, one of the forms that I enjoy investigating is that of the screenplay. And while there are several original ideas that I have for screenplays, there are also many films and novels that I would like to adapt to the screen.

For one, there is Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby, a novel that I posted a review for only yesterday. Also on my adaptation wish-list are the following: Will Weaver's Claws, centered around a young boy from suburbia whose perfect life is shattered when he discovers that his father is having an affair; Lawrence Watt-Evans' Dragon Weather, an epic tale of vigilante justice that flows through the same vein as The Count of Monte Cristo; Watt-Evans' two follow up sequels, Dragon Society and Dragon Venom; Neil Simon's not-so-loved play God's Favorite; and many more that I can't really remember at the moment.

Among the films I would like to remake or reboot, the old 1967 Billy Jack film Born Losers. It's a terrible movie, but it could really be rebooted into a heck of a violence satire.

This Blog's Title

Just thought I should let you all know, I will be constantly changing the displayed title of this blog. Right now, it's "The Blogtastic Blogathon!" After tomorrow, who knows. But in the end, this blog will always stay at blogman9000.blogspot.com.

Cheers,
Davis

Book Review: "Lullaby" by Chuck Palahniuk

First, there was Fight Club, a sarcastic dark comedy about a man who creates a secret life for himself, through fight clubs and crime networks across the country. David Fincher made it into a sleeper hit back in 1999, starring Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.

Then came Choke, another dark comedy about another secretive man, this one a sex-addicted con-man who fakes choking to death, and then pressures his rescuers for sympathy (and cash). Actor Clark Gregg just made his directorial debut adapted the novel; it was recently picked up by Fox Searchlight at the Sundance Film Festival.

And it is the opinion of this reviewer that the third Palahniuk adaptation should be that of Lullaby, a book that is not nearly as known as the aforementioned pair, but is, in my opinion, just as original.

Reporter Carl Streator, our narrator and anti-hero, is given an assignment by his chief editor: investigate the phenomenon known as S.I.D.S. (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). "It's the kind of piece you do for awards," the editor says. "The type of story that every parent is too afraid to read and too afraid not to read." But then, Carl discovers a pattern: the night before the baby dies, the parents happen to read it a particular poem, the African culling song on the 27th page of Poems and Rhymes from Around the World. And the trick of the culling song is, it kills whoever may be listening at the time, adult and child alike. As Carl dives deeper and deeper into his journalistic exploration, he begins to unravel the mystery of the culling song. And with the help of haunted-house realtor Helen Hoover Boyle, her secretary Mona, and Mona's conspiratory boyfriend Oyster, he hopes to destroy every copy of the song, and put the curse to rest forever.

For those who have had the privilege of reading some of Palahniuk's other work, you may make the assumption that many of his same signature elements are here: sarcasm, conspiracy, and maybe even the twinge of overexcessive dialogue here and there. Nevertheless, it is the author's talent in balancing the human and supernatural equally that make this novels such a joy to read. Sure, it could never happen... but if it did, this is how it would play out. It is, in a sense, both parable and satire in the same moment; Palahniuk's characters are crafted in such a way, that they humor you and entice you simultaneously. It's a twisted, memorable number.

However, in the same instance, Lullaby is not a perfect piece either. For example, the book begins with a prologue that I found completely unnecessary. It is obviously meant to introduce us to both Helen and Mona, but they are both characters that we will run into later down the road. There is absolutely no insight given in this first bit that the reader couldn't discover from the rest of the novel. Also, aside from the four main book-burners I mentioned earlier (and perhaps one perverted ambulance technician I failed to mentioned), the remainder of the character list is just gravy; none of the supporting characters are sympathetic, nor are they as naturally-written. In the end, we don't give a crap what happens to them, and I for one had a problem with that.

Apart from its flaws, though, Lullaby is a dementedly fun ride. It made me laugh, and cringe, and gag... but never did it make me yawn.

I sure hope that this novel gets its silver screen due one of these days.

***1/2
(3.5 Stars)

"Burn After Reading" trailers

Here's a few nice little trailers that I stumbled upon while web-surfing earlier today. The first is the teaser trailer, the second is the Uncensored Red Band version. Both make this newest Coen Bros. project look extremely crafty and, of course, darkly humorous.


Teaser Trailer:




Red Band Trailer:

Roeper and Phillips review The Dark Knight: "The Best Superhero Movie Ever Made"

I thought you comic book geeks, and Batman enthusiasts, out there would appreciate this. Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips (who has stepped in for Roger Ebert long-term) call The Dark Knight a "near masterpiece," with Ledger's performance hailed as iconic, and one of the best villains of the decade. According to them, this is a top-notch crime thriller first, an impressive comic book adaptation second, one that should warrant Best Picture consideration.

Sweet.

Oscar Predictions (July 8th Edition)

These are my current Academy Award predictions, complete with who I think may be the Alternate (or "next-in-line") for each award. At this point, I have seen almost none of these films, so this is entirely speculation.


Best Picture

Changeling
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Revolutionary Road
ALT: WALL*E


Best Director

Clint Eastwood, Changeling
David Fincher, Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
Baz Luhrmann, Australia
Sam Mendes, Revolutionary Road
ALT: Ridley Scott, Body of Lies


Best Actor

Benicio Del Toro, Che
Leonardo DiCaprio, Body of Lies or Revolutionary Road
Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Sean Penn, Milk
ALT: Richard Jenkins, The Visitor


Best Actress

Sally Hawkins, Happy Go Lucky
Angelina Jolie, Changeling
Nicole Kidman, Australia
Meryl Streep, Doubt
Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road
ALT: Julianne Moore, Blindness or Savage Grace


Best Supporting Actor

Josh Brolin, Milk
Robert Downey, Jr., The Soloist
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
Michael Sheen, Frost/Nixon
ALT: Ben Kingsley, Transsiberian


Best Supporting Actress

Amy Adams, Doubt
Kathy Bates, Revolutionary Road
Cate Blanchett, Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Kate Winslet, The Reader
ALT: Tilda Swinton, Burn After Reading


Best Original Screenplay

Burn After Reading by Joel & Ethan Coen
Changeling by J. Michael Straczynski
Happy Go Lucky by Mike Leigh
Milk by Dustin Lance Black
Synedoche, New York by Charlie Kaufman
ALT: Vicky Cristina Barcelona by Woody Allen


Best Adapted Screenplay

Body of Lies by William Monahan, based on David Ignatius's novel
Curious Case of Benjamin Button by Eric Roth, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story
Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, based on his play
Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan, based on his play
Revolutionary Road by Justin Haythe, based on Richard Yates's novel
ALT: The Reader by David Hare, based on Bernhard Schlink's novel

My Ten Most Anticipated Films This Year

Well....

The title of this post pretty much explains it all. The following are the top ten films that I simply cannot wait to see. Here's the list, in alphabetical order:

Body of Lies
Burn After Reading
Changeling
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Dark Knight
Doubt
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Revolutionary Road
W.

EDIT: Now, I've received quite a few responses asking me to elaborate as to why these are the ten that make my list. And in response, I wanted to edit this post and indulge those interested as to why exactly these ten are the ones I'm most pumped for.

BODY OF LIES - Martin Scorsese's The Departed was my favorite dramatic film of 2006-07 (followed closely by Pan's Labyrinth)... it was also my predicted winner for Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award. Come Oscar night, Departed not only won Screenplay, but also Editing, Director, and -- most importantly -- Best Picture of the Year. And the man behind the crime thriller remake, was a Mr. William Monahan. Despite his involvement in the flop Kingdom of Heaven, Monahan has always shown a talent for the nitty-gritty foul mouthed sting of quick-wit dialogue; and according to those fortunate enough to pre-read the shooting draft of Monahan's Body, he still has that magic touch. Not only that, but with Leonardo DiCaprio becoming one of the most overdue actors in the Academy, this could be the film that finally brings him Oscar gold. This film could be a heckuva political thriller.

BURN AFTER READING - After making masterpieces like Fargo, and stinkers like Lady Killers, the Coen brothers finally took home Screenplay, Director, and Picture last year, with their adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men. And now, the two brothers are once again tackling the dark comedy that made their earlier films such independent successes. The screenplay has already made it onto the 'Net, and the raves are flying. And with a cast of Oscar winners like George Clooney (Supporting Actor, Syriana), Frances McDormand (Actress, Fargo), Tilda Swinton (Supporting Actress, Michael Clayton), and Brad Pitt (producer, Departed), there is absolutely no reason why this newest escapade can't gain the Coens another slew of major kudos.

CHANGELING - Based on a True Story. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Angelina Jolie's newest Oscar bait. 'Nuff said.

CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON - With the teaser now across the WWW, speculation is already surrounding the idea that this film will be the one for which David Fincher finally gets his long-awaited Director nomination. Not only that, but the Make-Up in the trailer alone looks worthy of a nice little golden boy.

DARK KNIGHT - After the runaway hit that Batman Begins was, Christopher Nolan once again takes Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) to the darkest corners of Gotham. The late Heath Ledger also makes a much-buzzed appearance as infamous villian The Joker. And according to insiders, the posthumous Supporting Actor Oscar is already Ledger's for the taking.

DOUBT - After winning the Tony Awards for Best Play, Actress, and Featured Actress, there is no reason why the film adaptation should not be coming about. And with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis at the helm of the cast, this truly seems like a must-see piece of dramatic filmmaking.

FROST/NIXON - After being snubbed for his screenplay The Queen, Peter Morgan brings his theatrical play Frost/Nixon to the silver screen. And with Frank Langella and Michael Sheen reinhabiting their stage characters, and Ron Howard in the director's chair, this film could be a truly enticing project.

MILK - Gus Van Sant returns to the forefront with this story of greed, homosexuality, politics, and assassination. Sean Penn leads, with Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin -- both of whom had a great year in 2007 -- and James Franco supporting. We'll see how this fares.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD - Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the more overdue actors working today. Kate Winslet is one of the more overdue actresses. The last time they joined forces, Titanic took the Oscars by storm. And now, with American Beauty director Sam Mendes (who also happens to be Winslet's husband) behind the camera, one wonders just how good this film can really be.

W. - I'm not yet sure if they are pushing this as a satirical comedy, or a biographical drama. Either way, the choice of Josh Brolin in the role of the current POTUS intrigues me, maybe even enough to play $8.50 to get into the theater and see it first-hand.

The First Post

Hi, guys (and girls). I'd like to skip the formalities first off, and just say that my name is C.S. Davis, or, if you'd like, "Davis" for short. This being my first blog, I want to make sure not to put my entire autobiography on the first post; not only would that be overwhelming, but it would also be just a little bit foolish. However, as the blog lives on though (as I hope it will), I may eventually expand my user profile and include more personal info. But until then, "Davis" will suffice.

Now, enough about me... let's talk a little about this blog. It is the intention of this blogger to utilize this spot for multiple purposes: (1) As a writer by hobby, I may use this blogspot to bounce around ideas for novels or screenplays, hoping for a little feedback from all of you folks. (2) Because I am both an avid film buff and book worm to boot, I will constantly post reviews for, and begin discussions about, novels and movies that I have stumbled upon. And (3), because cinema runs in my veins (wow, weird visual there), I will occasionally make comments and/or predictions in terms of the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, and other accolades that my favorite films may garner.

So there you have it; the blog's credo in a nutshell.

As you've probably noticed, this blogspot is oddly titled "Blogasaurus Rex." Now whether or not you wondered why that is, I'll tell ya... The choices for a blog are infinite, so many options running through my head at once. "Blogzilla," "BlogMan," and "That One Blog" all came to mind at some point. Unfortunately, all of those web addresses were taken. So as a compromise (is there such a thing as a self-compromise?), I entitled this blog "Blogasaurus Rex" with a web address of "BlogMan9000." Trust me, guys... it's for the best, though a new title is definitely at the top of my agenda.

Well, here it is... Post #1 for the BlogMan9000 blog. Thanks for reading, and I hope to deliver much more insightful entries as the time passes.

Cheers,
Davis