...me, with 17-24, not great (I think my personal best was 22) but enough to win my Oscar pool in a year where no one film dominated, except perhaps Inception in the below-the-line categories. Tom Hooper's win and Roger Deakins' loss were sore points, mitigated by the shut-out of the overrated and overnominated True Grit and the near-checkmating of the puzzlingly embraced Black Swan. The King's Speech beating out The Social Network means more bleating and posturing from the near-dead Harvey Weinstein (that he's recutting the film to earn a yet more lucrative PG-13 after his bold no-cuts stance on Blue Valentine is outrageously schizophrenic hypocrisy) but it's not a Crash/Brokeback Mountain fiasco.
Otherwise a nice night to be out again with my peeps (first time since 2008) and no major complaints about the elegant and dark-toned, to the point, pro forma telecast, which did fit in more names than usual for the In Memoriam tribute (sorry, Tura Satana!).
My losses: Best Director (grrr), Animated Short, Live Action Short, Cinematography (double grrr), Costume Design, Score, and Sound Mixing.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
My Oscar ballot
You'll find one up at Popdose. As for my picks:
Picture: The King's Speech
My Preference: The Social Network
Actor: Colin Firth
Actress: Natalie Portman
(My Preference: Annette Bening)
Supporting Actor: Christian Bale
Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo
(My Preference: Amy Adams)
Director: David Fincher
Adapted Screenplay: The Social Network
Original Screenplay: The King's Speech
(My Preference: The Fighter)
Animated Feature: Toy Story 3
Foreign Language Film: In a Better World
Documentary Feature: Inside Job
Documentary Short: Strangers No More
Animated Short: Day & Night
Live Action Short: Na Wewe
Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Costume Design: The King's Speech
Editing: The Social Network
Makeup: The Wolfman
Original Score: Inception
Original Song: "We Belong Together"
Sound Editing: Inception
(My Preference: Unstoppable)
Sound Mixing: The King's Speech
(My Preference: Inception)
Visual Effects: Inception
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Popdose: Thelma and Louise on Blu-ray
Twenty years later and on the road again with Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. That Thunderbird never looked better.
Live Design: Other Desert Cities
Visit with Linda Lavin and the actress formerly known as Stockard Channing (all that work, sigh) today through Feb. 27 at Lincoln Center.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Popdose: Unknown quantities
Liam Neeson in a new thriller, and an emotional rollercoaster for the characters in Mike Leigh's Oscar-nominated Another Year.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Popdose: John Williams, Woody Allen
Two items of note this week (this week, sigh): A tribute to John Williams on his 79th birthday, with my two cents on his score for The Fury, and my review of the new Blu-ray of 75-year-old Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Remembering John Barry
Popdose recollects. I wanted to write something more heartfelt than a couple of comments--he was my favorite living composer, though he had been silent for 10 years--but as you may have guessed something happened in the chasm between posts. And that something is that we welcomed my son, Ryan, on Jan. 15. He's as delightful as his big sister Larissa but integrating another member into the household has been challenging. What this means for the blog (a hair under five years old now) and my writing/reviewing career in general I can't say, though long-time browsers will note the falloff that occurred when I became a first-time parent. With two to corral, well, we'll see...but in any event enjoy the YouTube links I provided. Barry was a legend, and his death leaves me even more reflective as I contemplate my new arrival and all he brings.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Centennial + 1 celebration
Delighted to update this year-old post. TCM celebrates Luise Rainer, 101 and still going strong, tonight.
Popdose: Notable DVDs in 2010
In which I assess the state of the market, and tick off a few worthwhile releases, but mostly just spotlight the cover art from the Warner Archive's welcome release of The Green Slime.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Popdose: Bitter Feast on DVD
Yum yum! A new foodie horror film from Larry Fessenden and company (The House of the Devil, I Sell the Dead).
Monday, January 03, 2011
OFCS winners announced
The Online Film Critics Society continues the coronation of The Social Network. An OFCS win, Oscars likely--what more could Mark Zuckerberg want? Maybe not the attendant bad press, but $50 billion from Goldman Sachs and the Russkies should salve the pain.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Popdose: The Gloom-O-Meter
In which I take the emotional temperature of several so-called "holiday" movies, including a pair of particularly downbeat Ryan Gosling titles, Blue Valentine (pictured) and All Good Things. Cheer up, mister!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
The National Film Registry strikes back
...with The Empire Strikes Back, Airplane!, and Saturday Night Fever all making the grade this year. Does this mean George Lucas can't tamper with future Empire incarnations anymore?
Monday, December 27, 2010
OFCS nominees announced
That would be my peeps at the Online Film Critics Society. Social Network, Toy Story 3, etc. Glad to see A Prophet (pictured) up there for best film not in the English language; in any language it's tops.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Popdose: Lead reads
New books that can still be picked up in plenty of time for Christmas--why not give the gift of Hammer horror this season?
Friday, December 17, 2010
Popdose: Remembering Blake Edwards
Days of wine and roses, and glow in the dark condoms, with the director of Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Pink Panther, and Victor Victoria.
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