“In former times we constantly made jokes about different races. You can only tell them today with one hand over your mouth otherwise you will be insulted as a racist. I find that ridiculous. In those earlier days every friendly clique had a “Sam the Jew” or “José the Mexican” – but we didn’t think anything of it or have a racist thought.”
Monthly Archives: February 2009
Quote of the Day: Oscars/ Movies are Art Edition
“I stay up to watch the show and I always felt that this was, this ceremony was a moment of unity for the world because art, in any form, is and has been and will always be our universal language and we should do everything we can, everything we can, to protect its survival.”
The Oscars: "Millionaire" is Golden
Unless you live under a rock, you know that tonight was the 81st annual Academy Awards. The winner, as predicted (and deserved), was “Slumdog Millionaire.” “Slumdog” took home an astounding 7 Oscars. In addition it took home awards for director Danny Boyle, screenplay, sound, original song (“Jai Ho”), original score, editing, and cinematography.
Movie Review: Frozen River
The first few shots and most of the rest of “Frozen River” brought “Fargo” immediately to mind. Those shots evoke an empty, frozen wasteland. It seems so empty that it could even take place on the surface of Pluto. But no, it is here on Earth. And it’s not in a small town on the border of Minnesota and North Dakota, but rather a small town on the border of New York and Canada.
Quote of the Day: Conan’s Farewell Edition
When "Push" Comes to Shove: The "Push" Title Confusion
In January, I blogged about an absolutely superb movie I saw at Sundance entitled “Push.” Not long after that movie swept the Sundance Awards, another movie entitled “Push” hit theaters. This movie wasn’t a realistic story of an inner city teen trying to break free from her horrible home. No, it was a pretty dumb fantasy about a bunch of teenagers with superpowers.
Your Last Chance to Watch: Late Night With Conan O’Brien
Don’t worry, Conan O’Brien’s not leaving the late night talkosphere forever, just his “Late Night” show. Tonight is Conan’s last night on “Late Night,” he’ll be taking over “The Tonight Show” for Jay Leno on June 1.
The Oscars: The (Predicted) Winners List
Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
Oscars: Who Got Robbed
Josh Brolin: “W.”
Sure, he deserved to be nominated for his creepy turn as Harvey Milk’s assassin, Dan White, but his best performance of the year was as former commander-in-chief George W. Bush. Brolin’s performance was more than just an imitation; it was a re-creation. Brolin brought out all of the small mannerisms of Bush from his Texas accent to the way he moves his hands. Most importantly, he brought a surprising layer of sympathy; portraying him as something deeper than just a man famous for uttering “is our children learning?”
“The Wrestler” By Bruce Springstein Some say that music can make a movie. In “The Wrestler,” this song, that played over the closing credits, encapsulated the entire movie in about three minutes. It’s a beautiful song about redemption that should have been a shoo-in in the Best Song category. For now, Springsteen will just have to live with his Golden Globe, victorious Super Bowl halftime show, and the Oscar he won in 1993.
“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” Despite approaching his mid 70s, Woody Allen still manages to make at least two movies a year. “Vicky Christina”’s story about two different kinds of love paid close attention to character and balanced a sense of humor without overdoing the drama. For achieving this, the “Annie Hall” scribe should’ve earned his 15th Best Screenplay nomination. “Gran Torino” Now, this is just perplexing. At the age of 78, Eastwood makes one of the best films of his career, and the Academy totally overlooks it. “Torino” is similar in theme to “Unforgiven” and “Million Dollar Baby” as it tells the story of a man coming to terms with old age and the idea of death looming around the corner. Eastwood deserved a nomination for his grunt filled performance as well as his dark directing, and the screenplay deserved a nod as well for managing to turn a dark concept into something surprisingly funny.
The Songs of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” A few months ago, I wrote a For Your Consideration column for the songs of “Sarah Marshall”: “Inside of You,” “Do Something,” and “Dracula’s Lament.” Of course, the Academy didn’t listen. These three hilarious songs are easily the most singable of any original song in a movie this year, and “Inside of You” even manages to outwit “J**z In My Pants” in ridiculous sexual innuendos. The Academy has never been too nice towards comedies. However, this year they were nice enough to recognize “Tropic Thunder.” Why couldn’t they go a little further and nominate another great example of comedy. I mean, there are still two empty spots in the Best Song category. Why keep them vacant?
The "Saturday Night Live" Experience: A Night in the Cold
This weekend, I was lucky enough to attend “Saturday Night Live.” Yes, I waited for an entire night in brutal cold weather so I could see a two hour show. Was it worth it? Despite a few poor sketches, yes it was.