Cross-talking about the new show "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23" (on ABC) with Les Chappell of ahelplesscompiler.wordpress.com:
Me: I thought the bitch character (can't remember her name) was unusually cartoonish but I was
thinking "By golly, it's so crazy it just might work" like those 1950's
movie executives. On the one hand, her desire to ruin the lives of
innocent midwesterners moving to NEw York City in an effort to set them
straight is a poor choice for a defining trait of a character because
it's so thin and baseless in any which number of ways. This isn't
Pushing Daisies or Once Upon a Time so I expect more realism. However,
she's so unwaveringly outrageous that I think she could be TV's next Sue
Sylvester. Then
again, I'm not sure I know of a show where one of the two leads is the
over-the-top X factor. That's a delicate balance to hold.
Les: I don't think she was
purposely trying to ruin their lives, she just used that as a flimsy
justification for stealing their money. I do think they maybe went too
over-the-top in her bitchdom, but for now I'm excusing that as a pilot
thing they'll tone down in upcoming episodes. Also, the character was named Chloe.
Me: Don't get me wrong, the one's
roommate is nuts while the other one's sane has been done before. Two
and a Half Men, the short-lived Tony Shaloub-Neil Patrick Harris vehicle
Stark Raving Mad are the first two to come to mind and neither of them
had roommates insane as advertised (Remember, Charlie Sheen's offscreen
antics don't count) but I think Chloe is more the equivalent of Zach
Galifianakis in The Hangover: Someone who's just so ridiculous that
they're best used in the background rather than driving the plot forward
Les: I think I have more
confidence in Krysten Ritter to drive a sitcom than you do - I didn't
find her over-the-top ridiculous, just portrayed as meaner than she
actually is. I think in a few episodes it'll settle into more of an Odd
Couple sort of thing and they'll move closer to each others' poles and
even out. Plus, the Beek from the Creek adds a hell of a lot of humor to
things.
Me: While other tv reviewers feel
they can distinguish themselves through being thorough in their
research, I prefer the opposite. I like to research as little as
possible, for authenticity's sake and out of laziness, but thanks for
the assist. Chloe it is! Back to the
review and I'm sorry to take up your valuable facebook wall real estate
with my shennanigans but I'm kind of on a roll and the inspiration to
write has just sort of struck me here and now, so I'm just going to
continue reviewing if that's allright with you. In response to you, I
disagree: Her M.O. was lulling Midwesterners into her apartment and
making them miserable so they'll leave and go back to the Midwest. She's
in it for the money, but she's also doing it out of a deluded sense of
chivalry. I mean this is a deluded character that if she existed in real
life might qualify for an episode of Ripley's Believe it Or Not or one
of those wierd world of crime museums. Not only that, I think that's the
source of her humor. I kind of hope
they tone it down, but I think it's too late to really change directions
two episodes in because there's not much else about her but that. She
sort of spends an inordinate amount of time doing that so it almost is
the equivalent of a career for her and defines her relationship with at
least two other characters already.
Les: I didn't get the chivalrous
vibe from her - not to say that's a wrong theory, but I got nothing in
the way of being helpful from her. She's got as the Beek put it pirate
morals. And I really don't think she's that extreme - I could find
people like her easily amongst Portland's population.
Les: Oh, and two episodes in?
There's a ridiculous amount of time left to adjust. It usually takes
comedies at least half a season to get the calibration right.
Me: And how about the James van der
Beek factor. I read a review the morning the show premiered (the only
one I read, I'm weak) that lamented the use of J vdB because bringing in
a star to play a slighter more degenerate version of themselves
is too "been there done that." I've seen it done with one-off guest
roles in Extras and Curb Your Enthusiasm and presumably it's been done
in Entourage, but I think there's a major difference between that and
having James van der Beek be a fabric of the show week after week. I'm
guilty of not subscribing to Showtime and thus never having seen
Episodes but I also believe Matt LeBlanc and his degenerating was the
purpose of the show, and here James van der Beek is like 3rd-billed.
That seems a much better fit
Les: I skipped Episodes because everyone said it was awful, though apparently
Matt LeBlanc was the best part of the show. I think the Beek isn't a big
enough star for it to be too distracting, and this is something he's
done on Funny or Die videos before so he
knows how much he can get away with. And agreed, if he's part of the
show's universe on a regular basis that's different from a cameo here
and there on some other shows. My concern would only be if every episode
focuses on "Dawson's Creek" references and him either cashing in on or
trying to escape the fame of it. (And really, all I want is for him to
act on his apparent feud with James Franco he mentioned in episode two
so Franco can make an appearance channeling the way he was in 30 Rock
S4. "I'm the actor James Franco! And I'm in love with and common-law
married to a Japanese body pillow!")
Me: Oh I totally forgot about
Franco's love with a body pillow. With Kevin's body pillow girlfriend
and van der Beek's rivalry with Franco, that's two distinct reasons to
bring Franco on the show himself. I'm guessing he's already slated to
appear a few episodes down the line and this is very weak foreshadowing
Les: If it brings James Franco in, I don't care if it's weak foreshadowing. All Franco, all the time.
Me: Also, they have a weird
neighbor with a Lars and the Real Girl thing going on and who has an odd
juxtaposition of being an out-and-out pervert and seemingly an
acceptable member of society. He's kind of the wacky guy I expect to be
in a sitcom but not the guy who's being
asked to carry the plots. Add him and Mark's girlfriend who's so thin
that she can only make love underwater (Maybe Niles' ex-wife picked up
this guy on the rebound?), and it seems as if the show is aiming for the
most offbeat characters it can think of. It's the humor of wackiness,
agree?
Les: Again, it's a pilot, it's
trying a few things out. The masturbating neighbor, the obsessive girl
down the hall, the banker turned barista - if the showrunners are smart
they'll find a way to give them more depth or phase them out gradually,
and if they're not they'll stay as they are. It could be a "New Girl" or
an "Are You There, Chelsea?"
Les: But anyway: I like Krysten
Ritter, I like this version of himself VDB's playing, I like Drema
Walker, and I think the show's funny enough I'll add it to the comedy
rotation. ABC's got a good track record of comedies that start out rough
and get better ("Happy Endings" and "Cougar Town") and what I saw makes
me think this one could slide in alongside those two.
Me: I don't think Happy Endings
started out anywhere near as ambitious as this. It was an unremarkable
Friends clone that found its grove (although for the record, not with
me, I'm just acknowledging its success). This is a high concept show
with balls-to-the-walls ambition. It reminds me in how far out in left
field it is with Knights of Prosperity which ABC failed to nurture. I get a good feeling from
this show as well. I like it but I think for it to have legs, it's going
to have to smooth out its edges in the opposite direction of Happy
Endings: It has to tone down its more outrageous characters
Les: I really don't get the
left-field, high-concept vibe from this you're getting. It's a classic
Odd Couple scenario with both sides of the equation modernized.
Showing posts with label Guest Blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guest Blogger. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Guest Post - Ellen Wernecke - Book Adaptations from AFI's top 100
Today, I'm pleased to welcome a guest post from pen pal and valuable member of my writing support circle Ellen Wernecke. Wernecke, a New York-based writer, is a book critic who writes for Soda Pop Journal, Publisher's Weekly and the AV Club. The AV Club is the Onion's sister publication which means she has the awesome perk of having her name appear in every single hard copy of the Onion (in fine print) in the credits. In fact, Ellen has been known to tear the newspapers out of New Yorkers hands when they're reading the Onion to show them that she's in the credits (oh wait, that would be me if I ever got into the Onion or AV Club)
In the interim, you should check out Ellen's blog next week where I will be writing a guest post later this week in which I will opine about film adaptations from the Modern Library list of the 100 greatest books ever written. You should also check out Ellen's blog if you are into books or if you were curious to know what would happen to a white girl from Wisconsin if she suddenly started thinking she was a rapper.
Ellen is going to opine on five films from AFI's list of top 100 films from which she already read the book:
"Criteria: Each movie had to be based on a book (eliminated: "Citizen Kane") which I had to have read (eliminated: "The Godfather," "The Grapes of Wrath," etc.) as well as seen the movie (eliminated: "Apocalypse Now") and are ranked in descending order of where they appear on the AFI List:
"Gone With The Wind" (1939) -- Margaret Mitchell's Depression-era bestseller, considered by some to be far too sympathetic to the antebellum South (and point taken), became a bloated, splashy old-Hollywood movie that is yet impossible to forget. Vivien Leigh's splashy outfits (the curtains!) and Clark Gable's parlor sneer bring to life the book that a 2008 poll found was America's second-favorite book, after the Bible. You might lose feeling in your extremities after its nearly four hours are up, but frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
"The Wizard Of Oz" (1939) -- Because even in this era of big-budget special effects, I bet you can all remember the first time you caught your first glimpse of Oz in Technicolor. One of the few books where it's okay for me that book and movie are inextricably linked and I can't imagine one without the other. Ebook supremacists be damned, I can still remember the gilt lines on my hardcover copy of THE WIZARD OF OZ, wide-eyed in wonder at this crazy world L. Frank Baum conjured up out of flat Kansas, and I felt the rush of early book lust upon learning about the many sequels he wrote to his most famous work.
Schindler's List" (1993) -- If "Gone With The Wind" represents old-Hollywood excess, "Schindler's List" represents its reincarnation as the late '80s/ early '90s Oscar prestige pic. While Keneally's novel-based-on-true-events is a clear and suspenseful narrative of Holocaust heroism, it feels impossibly dry and disconnected from real life compared to the movie Stephen Spielberg famously turned in to finish his film degree. And yet, I won't say it's too much. The mismatch of print and text reflect differing approaches to the material, neither of them wrong.
"To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962) -- I arrived late to this Gregory Peck-starring domestic and courtroom drama, but for all that what I like about the movie is the same as what I like about the book: Both capture the texture and the darkness created when things happen around children that they don't understand, but want to, and the struggle for adults near them between protecting and teaching them. The flight of Scout is so funny and terrifying at the same time. (Credit where credit's due, Mary Badham also gives one of the least muggy, most natural kid performances of that era.)
"All The President's Men" (1976) -- This is a complete nostalgia pick for me because of fond memories watching it with my dad when I was 10 or 11. No matter how many times I watch this movie my stomach knots up in tension during the second half, and I already know how it ends. I knew how it ended before we even sat down to watch! It gets me every time. This is probably the closest adaptation on this list because the journalists profiled more or less wrote themselves (and, hopefully, were thrilled to be played by the dream team of Hoffman and Redford)."
In the interim, you should check out Ellen's blog next week where I will be writing a guest post later this week in which I will opine about film adaptations from the Modern Library list of the 100 greatest books ever written. You should also check out Ellen's blog if you are into books or if you were curious to know what would happen to a white girl from Wisconsin if she suddenly started thinking she was a rapper.
Ellen is going to opine on five films from AFI's list of top 100 films from which she already read the book:
"Criteria: Each movie had to be based on a book (eliminated: "Citizen Kane") which I had to have read (eliminated: "The Godfather," "The Grapes of Wrath," etc.) as well as seen the movie (eliminated: "Apocalypse Now") and are ranked in descending order of where they appear on the AFI List:
"Gone With The Wind" (1939) -- Margaret Mitchell's Depression-era bestseller, considered by some to be far too sympathetic to the antebellum South (and point taken), became a bloated, splashy old-Hollywood movie that is yet impossible to forget. Vivien Leigh's splashy outfits (the curtains!) and Clark Gable's parlor sneer bring to life the book that a 2008 poll found was America's second-favorite book, after the Bible. You might lose feeling in your extremities after its nearly four hours are up, but frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.
"The Wizard Of Oz" (1939) -- Because even in this era of big-budget special effects, I bet you can all remember the first time you caught your first glimpse of Oz in Technicolor. One of the few books where it's okay for me that book and movie are inextricably linked and I can't imagine one without the other. Ebook supremacists be damned, I can still remember the gilt lines on my hardcover copy of THE WIZARD OF OZ, wide-eyed in wonder at this crazy world L. Frank Baum conjured up out of flat Kansas, and I felt the rush of early book lust upon learning about the many sequels he wrote to his most famous work.
Schindler's List" (1993) -- If "Gone With The Wind" represents old-Hollywood excess, "Schindler's List" represents its reincarnation as the late '80s/ early '90s Oscar prestige pic. While Keneally's novel-based-on-true-events is a clear and suspenseful narrative of Holocaust heroism, it feels impossibly dry and disconnected from real life compared to the movie Stephen Spielberg famously turned in to finish his film degree. And yet, I won't say it's too much. The mismatch of print and text reflect differing approaches to the material, neither of them wrong.
"To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962) -- I arrived late to this Gregory Peck-starring domestic and courtroom drama, but for all that what I like about the movie is the same as what I like about the book: Both capture the texture and the darkness created when things happen around children that they don't understand, but want to, and the struggle for adults near them between protecting and teaching them. The flight of Scout is so funny and terrifying at the same time. (Credit where credit's due, Mary Badham also gives one of the least muggy, most natural kid performances of that era.)
"All The President's Men" (1976) -- This is a complete nostalgia pick for me because of fond memories watching it with my dad when I was 10 or 11. No matter how many times I watch this movie my stomach knots up in tension during the second half, and I already know how it ends. I knew how it ended before we even sat down to watch! It gets me every time. This is probably the closest adaptation on this list because the journalists profiled more or less wrote themselves (and, hopefully, were thrilled to be played by the dream team of Hoffman and Redford)."
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Nick Lazo adds Never Back Down to his top ten list
James Baradinelli of Reel Press says of Never Back Down: "This movie isn't bad just because it follows a formula slavishly but because it does so without verve or passion."
On the other hand,
Armond White of New York Press says of Never Back Down: "Maybe it’s just a genre picture, but scene after scene in Never Back Down displays vitality and wit. This is the year’s first good-looking and fully enjoyable American movie."
So who to believe? How about Nick Lazo, resident film industry insider, who recently submitted a top 10 list. Nick Lazo was the assistant to the director (which is nowhere near as prestigious as assistant director, mind you) for the film "Never Backs Down.":
NICK LAZO NEVER BACKS DOWN
After submitting my “Top 10 Movies of 2008” piece (which was, yes, three films light), I realized that I left an 8th film off the list: The 2008 MTV Movie Award winner for Best Fight, Never Back Down. Orrin has suggested that I recount a few of my experiences with you here, and in an effort to redeem myself for leaving my very first Hollywood job off my top 10 list, I shall comply.
In the summer of 2007, just after I finished my four-year stint at James Madison University, I had the privilege of working in the camera department of the film Get Some (NBD’s original, working title) in Orlando, Florida. It was hot, it was tiring, and it was AWESOME.
I was in charge of “digital video,” which meant researching consumer video cameras, hiring high school look-a-like videographers, and shooting the fights from strategic places in the crowd. (Some of that footage ended up in the final cut—see if you can spot it!) I acted as a liaison between the Property, Editorial and Camera departments, making sure that all the cameras actors were holding/operating were setup correctly and functioned property, getting tape stock to the camera assistants and the processing facility in Miami, and that the editors were receiving all of the DV footage along with their film dailies. It was quite the challenge, and needless to say, I learned a lot.
At the end of principle photography I was offered a job assisting the director of the film, Jeff Wadlow, in LA. Fast forward one week and I’m living in Los Angeles, working through post-production of a major motion picture. To say I was lucky would be an incredible understatement.
The post-production team quickly became my family, and for 10-14 hours a day my small (though private) office was my home. Those eight months are some of the fondest in my memory, and the number of stories, inside jokes, $400 lunches and last minute preview fiascos are too numerous to recount here. What I will say is that Never Back Down was the experience of a lifetime. Watching the movie, after nearly 20 screenings, still makes for a fun evening with friends, and I’d suggest it to anyone looking for an entertaining way to spend the night.
Never Back Down has kick ass fights, hot ladies, and one hell of a supporting actor in Djimon Hounsou. What more can a movie lover ask for?
Never Back Down
On the other hand,
Armond White of New York Press says of Never Back Down: "Maybe it’s just a genre picture, but scene after scene in Never Back Down displays vitality and wit. This is the year’s first good-looking and fully enjoyable American movie."
So who to believe? How about Nick Lazo, resident film industry insider, who recently submitted a top 10 list. Nick Lazo was the assistant to the director (which is nowhere near as prestigious as assistant director, mind you) for the film "Never Backs Down.":
NICK LAZO NEVER BACKS DOWN
After submitting my “Top 10 Movies of 2008” piece (which was, yes, three films light), I realized that I left an 8th film off the list: The 2008 MTV Movie Award winner for Best Fight, Never Back Down. Orrin has suggested that I recount a few of my experiences with you here, and in an effort to redeem myself for leaving my very first Hollywood job off my top 10 list, I shall comply.
In the summer of 2007, just after I finished my four-year stint at James Madison University, I had the privilege of working in the camera department of the film Get Some (NBD’s original, working title) in Orlando, Florida. It was hot, it was tiring, and it was AWESOME.
I was in charge of “digital video,” which meant researching consumer video cameras, hiring high school look-a-like videographers, and shooting the fights from strategic places in the crowd. (Some of that footage ended up in the final cut—see if you can spot it!) I acted as a liaison between the Property, Editorial and Camera departments, making sure that all the cameras actors were holding/operating were setup correctly and functioned property, getting tape stock to the camera assistants and the processing facility in Miami, and that the editors were receiving all of the DV footage along with their film dailies. It was quite the challenge, and needless to say, I learned a lot.
At the end of principle photography I was offered a job assisting the director of the film, Jeff Wadlow, in LA. Fast forward one week and I’m living in Los Angeles, working through post-production of a major motion picture. To say I was lucky would be an incredible understatement.
The post-production team quickly became my family, and for 10-14 hours a day my small (though private) office was my home. Those eight months are some of the fondest in my memory, and the number of stories, inside jokes, $400 lunches and last minute preview fiascos are too numerous to recount here. What I will say is that Never Back Down was the experience of a lifetime. Watching the movie, after nearly 20 screenings, still makes for a fun evening with friends, and I’d suggest it to anyone looking for an entertaining way to spend the night.
Never Back Down has kick ass fights, hot ladies, and one hell of a supporting actor in Djimon Hounsou. What more can a movie lover ask for?
Never Back Down
Friday, January 30, 2009
An attempted top 10 from veteran movie assistant (to the) director Nick Lazo
My friend Nick Lazo was a fellow student at JMU's film studies program who had interned at Mirage Productions (his grandmother was friends with late producer/director/writer Sidney Pollack, see last post) and has taken film courses at the prestigious USC school of film. Last I heard, Nick had worked as an assistant (to the) director of the marginally unsuccessful film "Never Back Down" (you notice he didn't put that on his list as best films of 2008). I asked Nick to share his top 10 list, while I catch up on a couple more films to formulate mine:
Speaking of people named Nick, I had the recent idea to interview distinguished journalist and broadcaster Nick Clooney. You might know him as the uncle of Crossing Jordan/Twin Peaks actor Miguel Ferrer or the father of George Clooney, but he is also the author of a number of books, one of which "The Movies that Changed Us" is one of the better books I've read about film. He is the scholar-of-residence this year at American University and is teaching a class entirely based around his book. I talked to his media contact and in my pitch, I mentioned this blog, so I imagine
he will be reading this entry at some point and judging it's quality on whether Nick's entry will be good enough, so here goes:
Nick's introduction:
I have never blogged before. I feel like that’s an important fact to disclose. I’m sure there are a great many insightful writers and political scientists and experts on the migration patterns of the Mandarin Duck that have an enormous wealth of knowledge they simply must blog about, and good for them. Their voices (probably) deserve to be heard. Mine, on the other hand… I don’t know. Decide for yourself.
2008 was a pretty good year for the movies. I enjoy going to the cinema, sitting in a sold-out crowd, greedily wolfing down handfuls of popcorn before the previews even start. It’s an experience, and one that I enjoy as frequently as possible. I saw a lot of really good stuff this year, and my friend Orrin asked if I’d share some of my opinions with you. I’m not sure if I’ll make it to 10 films, but we’ll see how it goes.
So let’s begin, shall we! Here they are, in no particular order: Nick Lazo’s Top 10 Movies of 2008! (If you’re expecting deep critical prose, please skip to the end.)
1) MILK.
This one won me over with the trailer. Huge font, a powerful operatic score, and an elegant one-word title. I thought the acting was first-rate (James Franco is one of my favorites; did everyone see Freaks and Geeks?), and the fact that the production moved into the Castro in San Francisco like they did… Well, authenticity paid off in a big way. I’m only sorry the movie didn’t come out sooner, as it may have helped California’s failed “No on 8!” campaign. Bummer City.
2) SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
I want to travel to India. This deep-seated desire of mine may have skewed my viewing of Danny Boyle’s intricate tale of love and luck, but that’s fine by me. This is the only movie on the list I didn’t see in a theater (it was watched in two parts from my best friend’s couch: Part 1 – before Subway sandwich; Part 2 – after Subway sandwich). I don’t regret this choice (especially when considering the intermission), but I’d pay to watch this again.
3) THE DARK KNIGHT.
I don’t really mind that this wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. That’s fine by me. I got my mind stimulated and still had the popcorn. Not too much else I need to say here.
4) FROST/NIXON.
I love Ron Howard. I saw him once in a Digital Intermediate facility. He ordered a carrot juice from Cynthia, the wonderful woman in charge of the kitchen. Seemed like a nice guy. Oh, and I really enjoy a good political piece, even when I know the ending (see All the President’s Men if you haven’t already).
5) IRON MAN.
Awesome, with a capital “A.” I recently got a look at the Blu-Ray disc, and after five hours of bonus features I’d only scratched the surface of what Iron Man has to offer its fanatics. Great movie.
6) WANTED.
“What the fuck have you done lately?”
7) MAN ON A WIRE.
I love to learn, and learning while I watch a movie is wonderful. Man on a Wire teaches its audience about passion, about drive, and about the intrinsic need some of us have to do something the majority will find inconceivable. It’s about risks, and the fantastic results of taking them.
So there you have it, Nick Lazo’s Top 10....errr....7 Movies of 2008. I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing. Maybe I could get into this blog thing after all. And for those of you looking for deep critical prose, apologies for wasting your time.
Cheers!
Since Nick didn't complete his contractually obligated 10 films of the year, I get to chose for him.
8. The Love Guru-It might have won Razzies for worst film ever, but Nick felt it was Oscar-worthy.
9. 27 Dresses-It won chick flick of the year at the teen choice awards, but Nick loved it anyway
10. Pineapple Express-Nick said he loved James Franco and Freaks and Geeks, seems like a logical place to go
Speaking of people named Nick, I had the recent idea to interview distinguished journalist and broadcaster Nick Clooney. You might know him as the uncle of Crossing Jordan/Twin Peaks actor Miguel Ferrer or the father of George Clooney, but he is also the author of a number of books, one of which "The Movies that Changed Us" is one of the better books I've read about film. He is the scholar-of-residence this year at American University and is teaching a class entirely based around his book. I talked to his media contact and in my pitch, I mentioned this blog, so I imagine
he will be reading this entry at some point and judging it's quality on whether Nick's entry will be good enough, so here goes:
Nick's introduction:
I have never blogged before. I feel like that’s an important fact to disclose. I’m sure there are a great many insightful writers and political scientists and experts on the migration patterns of the Mandarin Duck that have an enormous wealth of knowledge they simply must blog about, and good for them. Their voices (probably) deserve to be heard. Mine, on the other hand… I don’t know. Decide for yourself.
2008 was a pretty good year for the movies. I enjoy going to the cinema, sitting in a sold-out crowd, greedily wolfing down handfuls of popcorn before the previews even start. It’s an experience, and one that I enjoy as frequently as possible. I saw a lot of really good stuff this year, and my friend Orrin asked if I’d share some of my opinions with you. I’m not sure if I’ll make it to 10 films, but we’ll see how it goes.
So let’s begin, shall we! Here they are, in no particular order: Nick Lazo’s Top 10 Movies of 2008! (If you’re expecting deep critical prose, please skip to the end.)
1) MILK.
This one won me over with the trailer. Huge font, a powerful operatic score, and an elegant one-word title. I thought the acting was first-rate (James Franco is one of my favorites; did everyone see Freaks and Geeks?), and the fact that the production moved into the Castro in San Francisco like they did… Well, authenticity paid off in a big way. I’m only sorry the movie didn’t come out sooner, as it may have helped California’s failed “No on 8!” campaign. Bummer City.
2) SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.
I want to travel to India. This deep-seated desire of mine may have skewed my viewing of Danny Boyle’s intricate tale of love and luck, but that’s fine by me. This is the only movie on the list I didn’t see in a theater (it was watched in two parts from my best friend’s couch: Part 1 – before Subway sandwich; Part 2 – after Subway sandwich). I don’t regret this choice (especially when considering the intermission), but I’d pay to watch this again.
3) THE DARK KNIGHT.
I don’t really mind that this wasn’t nominated for Best Picture. That’s fine by me. I got my mind stimulated and still had the popcorn. Not too much else I need to say here.
4) FROST/NIXON.
I love Ron Howard. I saw him once in a Digital Intermediate facility. He ordered a carrot juice from Cynthia, the wonderful woman in charge of the kitchen. Seemed like a nice guy. Oh, and I really enjoy a good political piece, even when I know the ending (see All the President’s Men if you haven’t already).
5) IRON MAN.
Awesome, with a capital “A.” I recently got a look at the Blu-Ray disc, and after five hours of bonus features I’d only scratched the surface of what Iron Man has to offer its fanatics. Great movie.
6) WANTED.
“What the fuck have you done lately?”
7) MAN ON A WIRE.
I love to learn, and learning while I watch a movie is wonderful. Man on a Wire teaches its audience about passion, about drive, and about the intrinsic need some of us have to do something the majority will find inconceivable. It’s about risks, and the fantastic results of taking them.
So there you have it, Nick Lazo’s Top 10....errr....7 Movies of 2008. I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing. Maybe I could get into this blog thing after all. And for those of you looking for deep critical prose, apologies for wasting your time.
Cheers!
Since Nick didn't complete his contractually obligated 10 films of the year, I get to chose for him.
8. The Love Guru-It might have won Razzies for worst film ever, but Nick felt it was Oscar-worthy.
9. 27 Dresses-It won chick flick of the year at the teen choice awards, but Nick loved it anyway
10. Pineapple Express-Nick said he loved James Franco and Freaks and Geeks, seems like a logical place to go
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Guest blog: Academy award predictions by Anthony Gullino
Honestly guys, I have failed as a film critic this year. I caught up on films and increased the number of films I have watched from John Huston, Terry Gilliam, Tim Burton, Johnothan Demme, Billy Wilder, Wes Anderson, Mike Nicholls and a few others on home video and have seen 30+ films this year, but a great number of those films came out earlier in the year and are what I'd call summer fluff.
So, I thought I'd call upon Anthony Gullino, an acquaintance of mine who is a former film critic for the Dusquene University student newspaper and intern at the Pittsburgh film office, to contribute to my his predictions:
Ok gang. The new year is here, and the award season is upon us. Many critics groups have already handed out their prizes for the best in film of 2007 (notably, No Country for Old Men took the top prize from the National Board of Review). I'd feel confident in saying right now that No Country is a lock for a Best Picture Oscar nomination and a frontrunner for the win.But before we can get to the Oscars, the Golden Globes come first. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the group who decides the Globs) announced their nominees for this year's awards early Thursday morning. The Golden Globes honor both film and television, but in this blog, I'll look at the film nominations only. So.. here they are!
Best Picture - Drama
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
No, your eyes do not deceive you. The HFPA nominated SEVEN films in the Best Picture - Drama category, as opposed to the usual five. (Ok, they nominated six in that category for the '04/'05 awards). I think this one is a four-way race. Michael Clayton, Eastern Promises and The Great Debaters are far off the pace for the win. At this point, all signs would point to No Country as the frontrunner. But there is something to be said for the fact that Atonement was the most nominated of all the films (with seven). I expect buzz to grow significantly for There Will Be Blood once it opens nationwide. And never count out a box office smash like American Gangster.
Best Picture - Comedy/Musical
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
This is a pretty open race with no real surprises here, except perhaps the exclusion of Waitress. Based on what the buzz is now and the recent critics awards, I'd say that this one is between three: Charlie Wilson's War, Juno and Sweeney Todd. The reception for all three of these has been overwhelmingly positive. That's not saying that Across the Universe and Hairspray have no shot whatsoever, but I think their only prize is the nomination itself.
Best Actor - Drama
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster
The only surprise here is Mortensen's inclusion. And the biggest injustice is the exclusion of Emile Hirsch for his dazzling performance in Sean Penn's Into the Wild. Out of the five, I think this one is between Clooney and Day-Lewis. Again, if Atonement's seven nominations are any indication of growing momentum for the film, we could see it sweep. But for now, I'll put McAvoy on a second tier with Washington, with Mortensen just off the pace from the other four.
Best Actress - Drama
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement
Right now, this one is Christie's to lose. She and Marion Cotillard (who is nominated in the Comedy/Musical category, even though her film is neither a comedy nor a musical) have been receiving all of the critics awards, and they have the most buzz. Who could be the spoiler in this one? Only Knightley. Blanchett has more attention for I'm Not There, and Foster and Jolie have absolutely no shot. Sorry ladies.
Best Actor – Comedy/Musical
Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks – Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages
John C. Reilly – Walk HardI think it's safe to say this award is Depp's to lose. His stiffest competition could come from Hanks, but overall, Sweeney Todd is receiving much more praise. Reilly's nod is a bit of a head scratcher, but he's always been excellent, so in this case, he's being awarded for his talent rather than the movie itself (probably). And I must say, what an inspired and delightful choice they made in nominating Gosling.
Best Actress – Comedy/Musical
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Marion Cotillard – La Môme
Ellen Page – Juno
This one goes to Cotillard, almost definitely. Not only was she triumphant as the late singer Edith Piaf, but the film is French, and this is the Hollywood Foreign Press after all.
Still, surging support for Juno puts Page right in this race. I think it's also safe to say that Adams and Blonsky, though both fantastic, are not in the running here. But within this category lies what is perhaps the biggest shocker of this year's crop of noms: NO LAURA LINNEY. Linney has been receiving rave reviews for her turn in The Savages (Some critics call it her career best performance), and her less buzzed about co-star Hoffman was nominated. If Linney is snubbed by the Screen Actor's Guild, then it's safe to say she's out of the Oscar race. But I wouldn't count the lovely Linney out quite yet.
Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta – Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
This one pretty much looks like a no-brainer. This is Bardem's to lose, and I'd be shocked if he did lose. The one performance that could cause an upset is, shockingly, Travolta. It's unlikely, but if anyone is going to upset the frontrunner, it will be John Travolta in drag. Ugh.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett – I'm Not There
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
This is such a tough category to predict. There are three strong contenders who could all win this one: Blanchett, Ryan, and Swinton. For months, Blanchett had enormous (and deserving) buzz for her mind blowing portrayal of Bob Dylan. But once the critics started handing out their awards, Amy Ryan gathered up a few awards and some serious momentum. Still, we can't count out Tilda Swinton. Buzz for Michael Clayton has been mounting since the nominations were announced, and if the HPFA loves it enough to reward Clooney, they may just reward his co-star too. Roberts and Ronan – no shot here.Well thanks for reading my rambles.
So, I thought I'd call upon Anthony Gullino, an acquaintance of mine who is a former film critic for the Dusquene University student newspaper and intern at the Pittsburgh film office, to contribute to my his predictions:
Ok gang. The new year is here, and the award season is upon us. Many critics groups have already handed out their prizes for the best in film of 2007 (notably, No Country for Old Men took the top prize from the National Board of Review). I'd feel confident in saying right now that No Country is a lock for a Best Picture Oscar nomination and a frontrunner for the win.But before we can get to the Oscars, the Golden Globes come first. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the group who decides the Globs) announced their nominees for this year's awards early Thursday morning. The Golden Globes honor both film and television, but in this blog, I'll look at the film nominations only. So.. here they are!
Best Picture - Drama
American Gangster
Atonement
Eastern Promises
The Great Debaters
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood
No, your eyes do not deceive you. The HFPA nominated SEVEN films in the Best Picture - Drama category, as opposed to the usual five. (Ok, they nominated six in that category for the '04/'05 awards). I think this one is a four-way race. Michael Clayton, Eastern Promises and The Great Debaters are far off the pace for the win. At this point, all signs would point to No Country as the frontrunner. But there is something to be said for the fact that Atonement was the most nominated of all the films (with seven). I expect buzz to grow significantly for There Will Be Blood once it opens nationwide. And never count out a box office smash like American Gangster.
Best Picture - Comedy/Musical
Across the Universe
Charlie Wilson's War
Hairspray
Juno
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
This is a pretty open race with no real surprises here, except perhaps the exclusion of Waitress. Based on what the buzz is now and the recent critics awards, I'd say that this one is between three: Charlie Wilson's War, Juno and Sweeney Todd. The reception for all three of these has been overwhelmingly positive. That's not saying that Across the Universe and Hairspray have no shot whatsoever, but I think their only prize is the nomination itself.
Best Actor - Drama
George Clooney - Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood
James McAvoy - Atonement
Viggo Mortensen - Eastern Promises
Denzel Washington - American Gangster
The only surprise here is Mortensen's inclusion. And the biggest injustice is the exclusion of Emile Hirsch for his dazzling performance in Sean Penn's Into the Wild. Out of the five, I think this one is between Clooney and Day-Lewis. Again, if Atonement's seven nominations are any indication of growing momentum for the film, we could see it sweep. But for now, I'll put McAvoy on a second tier with Washington, with Mortensen just off the pace from the other four.
Best Actress - Drama
Cate Blanchett - Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie - Away from Her
Jodie Foster - The Brave One
Angelina Jolie - A Mighty Heart
Keira Knightley - Atonement
Right now, this one is Christie's to lose. She and Marion Cotillard (who is nominated in the Comedy/Musical category, even though her film is neither a comedy nor a musical) have been receiving all of the critics awards, and they have the most buzz. Who could be the spoiler in this one? Only Knightley. Blanchett has more attention for I'm Not There, and Foster and Jolie have absolutely no shot. Sorry ladies.
Best Actor – Comedy/Musical
Johnny Depp – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Ryan Gosling – Lars and the Real Girl
Tom Hanks – Charlie Wilson's War
Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages
John C. Reilly – Walk HardI think it's safe to say this award is Depp's to lose. His stiffest competition could come from Hanks, but overall, Sweeney Todd is receiving much more praise. Reilly's nod is a bit of a head scratcher, but he's always been excellent, so in this case, he's being awarded for his talent rather than the movie itself (probably). And I must say, what an inspired and delightful choice they made in nominating Gosling.
Best Actress – Comedy/Musical
Amy Adams – Enchanted
Nikki Blonsky – Hairspray
Helena Bonham Carter – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Marion Cotillard – La Môme
Ellen Page – Juno
This one goes to Cotillard, almost definitely. Not only was she triumphant as the late singer Edith Piaf, but the film is French, and this is the Hollywood Foreign Press after all.
Still, surging support for Juno puts Page right in this race. I think it's also safe to say that Adams and Blonsky, though both fantastic, are not in the running here. But within this category lies what is perhaps the biggest shocker of this year's crop of noms: NO LAURA LINNEY. Linney has been receiving rave reviews for her turn in The Savages (Some critics call it her career best performance), and her less buzzed about co-star Hoffman was nominated. If Linney is snubbed by the Screen Actor's Guild, then it's safe to say she's out of the Oscar race. But I wouldn't count the lovely Linney out quite yet.
Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Javier Bardem – No Country for Old Men
Philip Seymour Hoffman – Charlie Wilson's War
John Travolta – Hairspray
Tom Wilkinson – Michael Clayton
This one pretty much looks like a no-brainer. This is Bardem's to lose, and I'd be shocked if he did lose. The one performance that could cause an upset is, shockingly, Travolta. It's unlikely, but if anyone is going to upset the frontrunner, it will be John Travolta in drag. Ugh.
Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett – I'm Not There
Julia Roberts – Charlie Wilson's War
Saoirse Ronan – Atonement
Amy Ryan – Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton – Michael Clayton
This is such a tough category to predict. There are three strong contenders who could all win this one: Blanchett, Ryan, and Swinton. For months, Blanchett had enormous (and deserving) buzz for her mind blowing portrayal of Bob Dylan. But once the critics started handing out their awards, Amy Ryan gathered up a few awards and some serious momentum. Still, we can't count out Tilda Swinton. Buzz for Michael Clayton has been mounting since the nominations were announced, and if the HPFA loves it enough to reward Clooney, they may just reward his co-star too. Roberts and Ronan – no shot here.Well thanks for reading my rambles.
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