A few titles to put me back in my box!
Posted by sarahc in New Releases on March 10th, 2010
I’m going to have to make yet another confession here (seriously, I should just title this blog: Confessions of a Geekaholic): Cameron Diaz is one of my least favourite actresses. My favourite role of hers is hands down Shrek and that’s thanks largely to the fact that I don’t have to see her onscreen and that she turns into a green ogre somewhere along the way. But hey, before you think I’m being way too harsh (which I am), I do have to give credit where credit is due.
This is bearable...
And why would I say this? Well, Diaz’s latest flick shows off her acting gusto because she isn’t forced to act outrageously out of her mind. Gone are the days where Diaz is forced to put a weird substance in her hair that makes it stand up ridiculously (There’s Something About Mary) or where she breaks out into song (My Best Friend’s Wedding)… now she’s a real actress (she’s gone all Pinocchio on us!).
Not so bearable...
Then again, she is given a helping hand in The Box by one of my favourite actors, James Marsden (yep, I was onto this hunk way before he became ‘famous’ in X-Men… I’m talkin’ way back in time when he made Gossip starring alongside Katie Holmes). Not to mention, I am into the whole supernatural genre more so than anything lovey dovey or pointlessly silly.
To open or not to open... that is the question!
When I watch one of these kind of flicks, I can’t help but question what I’d do in a similar situation. In other words: if a box showed up on my front doorstep, would I open it knowing that while it will bring me great things, someone else will die? Gotta say, I’d probably open it and think about the consequences later but hey, maybe that’s just the recklessness in me. As much as it pains me to say it, I really enjoyed The Box and even found myself sympathizing with Diaz (oh my…).
You had me at hello... sniff, sniff
Speaking of actresses that don’t exactly float my boat (don’t you just love rhyming?) let me turn my attention to Renee Zellweger. What is it about her that I struggle a little to swallow? Hey, don’t get me wrong, she’s a fine actress who’s shown a lot of versatility portraying everything from an excessively kind single mother with a massive “thang” for Tom Cruise (before he jumped on Oprah’s couch) in Jerry Maguire to a wannabe stage star matching it alongside Catherine Zeta Jones in Chicago.
Interesting...
Yep, Zellweger’s a great actress but she doesn’t warm my heart like Sandra Bullock or Drew Barrymore do and I blame the gossip mags! I don’t want to see any more pictures of Zellweger exercising obsessively (look at the arms, I hate the veiny arms!) and then reading she’s bingeing for another Bridget Jones’ Diary a week later.
Motherly? What the?
Whew! Thanks for putting up with my whole Dr. Phil moment so that I can get on with saying something about Case 39, the actual film I began talking about (can you believe that I’ve been accused of babbling in my time?). Before I saw this flick, if you’d said to me that Zellweger could really nail a mothering kind of role, I’d tell you that maybe you’d been channeling Bridget Jones and had one too many liquor-laden chocolates for your own good (my, is that too harsh?).
But as much as it pains me to say it (and it really does – again!), she’s incredible as a case worker who takes in a 10-year-old that even her parents have attempted to harm (creeeeeepy!). Of course, there’s more to the story than meets the eye when little Lillith (Jodelle Ferland) turns out to be one very disturbed child (seriously, she’s as bad as the little horror in Orphan). How’s Emily going to get out of this one? Case 39 is a ripper of a film and even features the very fantastic Bradley Cooper who steals the show in a terrifying bathroom scene (you’ll think twice the next time you take a shower).
I always enjoy seeing a father showing emotion
Speaking of ex-Bridget Jones’ Diary actors, Colin Firth also has a new flick out by the name of Genova (funnily enough, it’s set in Genova, Italy as in pizza and pasta!). While this is a very strong film, it didn’t exactly leave me feeling terribly happy… I needed my Sorbent tissues more than I needed my popcorn through this movie (and that really is saying something!).
Pondering...
Joe (Firth) has just lost his wife and his two daughters, Mary (Perla Haney-Jardine) and Kelly (Willa Holland), are struggling big time after losing their mother. In a bid to help his daughters begin to recover from their loss, he accepts a job in Genova, Italy which immediately works wonders as Kelly finds that Italy is quite the place for ‘discovering her sexuality’ (in my books, that means bonding with hot Italian stallions!). But Mary continues to struggle to cope and is a little freaked (and rightly so) out when she begins seeing the ghost of her mother. I know I’d be scared stiff…
So there we have it: the excitement of this week’s new releases is over for yet another week. I’m done for now but you’ll want to buckle up because on Friday, I’m getting into some television action that’ll rock your socks off!
Steve Martin Survives!
Posted by sarahc in Announcements on March 9th, 2010
Usually on a public holiday, I’d be moping around the house wondering what I’m going to do until it’s time to eat, drink or sleep again. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of sitting back on the couch and watching the Oscars and as I suspected, Alec Baldwin was fed pre-ceremony and didn’t gobble up Steve Martin. And I have to say, I really enjoyed the two teaming up together… they may have been competing with their wisecracking but at the end of the day, it was quite funny.
"I want the spotlight more on me!"
Another thing I have to poke fun at is how stuffy James Cameron seems to be. You’d think that with all of his billions, he could see the funny side of Ben Stiller dressing up as one of his Avatar characters in order to present the award for Best Makeup. Smile James… your face won’t crack! Oh, and as usual, cutting people’s acceptance speeches off is always quite humourous (especially when it’s more than one person and the other people don’t get to speak because someone else is a mic hog!).
It's okay Ben, I thought it was funny.
Now, with these kind of things, you can’t really escape the urge (the guilty urge) to talk a little about the red carpet. Credit must go to Sandra Bullock for her stunning gown (although, the red lipstick was a little like she was trying to channel vamps from Twilight) and surprisingly, Miley Cyrus who looked, dare I say, elegant (shock, horror!). Although, some are saying she looked horrid and had very visible tan lines so I guess we’ll say that that one’s a matter of opinion.
Elegant or inappropriate? You decide!
As always, it’s way more fun to have a go at the people who got it so terribly wrong. Let’s start with someone who always seems to find her way into the ‘tacky’ column of Oscar comments for the same two (very big two) reasons: Mariah Carey. We know this vixen just loves posing for the cameras and can I just say… she’s getting very good value for money, showing off what she considers her best two assets. Charlize Theron was also wearing something quite ghastly that seemed to zero my eyes onto her chest and considering I’m female, I don’t want to be looking there. A couple of other noticeable shockers were Zoe Saldana (who looked alarmingly like her Avatar character) and a pink Vera Farmiga (I just didn’t know where to look there were so many ruffles and waves – yuck!).
Stare if you dare!
Well, considering it’s the Oscars I’m talking about, I should probably speak a little about who won what and how right or wrong I was.
"I'd like to thank everyone who didn't vote for my ex-husband..."
I didn’t tip The Hurt Locker to win best film which irritates me a little because… well, I don’t like being wrong! I would’ve thought that Avatar would’ve done enough to win this gong but hey, it didn’t and I just loved seeing James Cameron’s face (next to wife number 100000, may I add) when his ex’s film was honoured.
Onto what I got right (and isn’t it more fun to witness me reveling in my glory?). I said it was time for someone with a little oestrogen to be on stage accepting the award for Best Director and I was absolutely correct. Yep, Kathryn Bigelow (looking a little shocked), pranced on that stage and accepted what she deserved not because she was a female, but because she was best in her category (I felt the urge to sing that song: “Sisters are doing it for themselves…”).
Are you offering that to me? Why thank-you!
The Best Actor in a Leading Role award went to Jeff Bridges as I suspected and I was happy for the poor guy… nominated so many times and finally, he takes home that golden puppy. Well done! Emerging victorious in the Best Actor in a Supporting Role was Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds. Pretty predictable but I won’t back another winner up my belt.
"It's all mine!"
And now onto someone I’ve been backing for a while now (I even threatened to call the Oscars one massive joke if she didn’t win but thankfully, I won’t have to)… Mo’Nique. It was a fine performance and good on the woman for thanking the Academy for making the award about the performance and not about the politics. I can’t help but wonder if Precious (which is a great film, very worthy of its success) would’ve gained much attention without the backing of a certain someone by the name of Oprah. Hmm… things to ponder!
"I prefer this to that Razzie thing"
I’m going to finish on me tipping another winner… Sandra Bullock (who weirdly, also won the Razzie for Worst Actress). We can never accuse her of being a ‘fluff’ actress ever again thanks to her role as a feisty mother set on making a difference in The Blind Side. Believe me, she carried this film by herself and was a deserving winner (although, this doesn’t change the fact that the red lipstick was horrid!).
There we have it… the Oscars have come and gone for another year. I’ve already started looking towards next year (I’m trying to get Sarah Michelle Gellar nominated for something… anything!). I’ll be back tomorrow with this week’s awesome new releases.
Is Baldwin going to gobble up Martin?
Posted by sarahc in Announcements on March 5th, 2010
With Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting the 2010 Oscars, how these two are going to perform together is almost as intriguing as the awards themselves. I know that at least one of our staff members thinks that Baldwin just might take a chomp out of Martin if he gets a little hungry along the way. While I can’t say that I think Baldwin will mistake Martin for a Maxibon, I do have my suspicions that the stage simply won’t be big enough to fit the both of these egos. And with Baldwin, there’s always the chance that the cops may be called or that he’ll lose control and shoot his mouth off (who could forget the “rude little pig” remark that he spat at his daughter?). Only time will tell but until then, I’m going to have a stab at who I think will emerge victorious.
Steve Martin couldn't be this tasty, could he?
Could there be any more juice in the Best Picture category? Not only do we have the babies of an ex-married couple going head-to-head in James Cameron’s Avatar and Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker, but now something else has added a little bit of fuel to the fire. One of The Hurt Locker’s producers, Nicolas Chartier has been banned from the Oscars after sending out emails, urging academy members to vote for his movie. Usually, I’m all for getting what you want, however you want but this is the Oscars so maybe Chartier should’ve thought twice (or been a little bit smarter about how he went about getting what he wanted. Hey, just putting the thought out there).
Sam Worthington's Avatar for top honours? With those looks, he ain't too fussed either way!
Okay, I sure have gotten sidetracked here but back to the actual award. I’m pretty sure it’s a two horse race between the biggest movie in history (Avatar) and one of the few movies about the Iraq war that people have flocked to see (remember, The Hurt Locker only got a cinema release in Australia after its box-office success in the US). With ten movies nominated, it’s a tough category to pick and every one of these movies is definitely worthy of the gong (come on, balloons were used to make a house fly in Up and hey, ick factor aside, An Education was wonderfully done considering the notion of a much older man romancing a 16-year-old girl didn’t make me want to hurl). I’m going to put my faith in Avatar based on the fact that it has two things that certainly excite me: Sam Worthington and blue creatures!
Is it just me or does Jeff Bridges look a bit like Nick Nolte?
I guess the next logical talking point now would be to talk about who will be crowned Best Director. But hey, since when did I ever do anything logical? That said, I’m going to jump into my thoughts on the Best Actor award. When I read that Jeff Bridges has been nominated but denied Oscar glory five times in the past, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the poor guy. Then I thought of George Clooney and his sincere attempts to sell me coffee (Nescafe, I believe) and I was swayed. That said, I still reckon Bridges will emerge victorious and even I’ll say that his performance as a broken-down country singer in Crazy Heart was fantastic so I’ll give him this one (aren’t I generous).
Look at Goldy Locks!
Moving onto the Best Actress accolade and after seeing Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side, I just can’t see how she could possibly be beaten. Her performance as a feisty do-gooder Christian woman who gives a poor boy a chance at living up to his potential, is phenomenal. And hey, so was seeing Bullock with that blonde tint in her hair (personally, I think she looks better as a brunette). The only person I can see trumping Bullock is Meryl Streep whose portrayal of Julia Child in Julie & Julia was pretty impressive (I just think it takes less ability to act like a joyous French cook than to carry an entire film like Bullock did). Carey Mulligan’s chances to cause an upset for her role in An Education aren’t bad either but let’s face it, this ain’t the BAFTAs!
Why the sour face?
Claiming the award for Best Supporting Actor in pretty much every other awards ceremony has been Christopher Waltz for Inglourious Basterds. Therefore, it’d be a pretty stupid person (which is usually me) to bet on anyone else winning this one but not even I’m going to fall into this one, this time! With Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Matt Damon and Christopher Plummer also nominated, there certainly is some stiff competition for Waltz to overcome but I’m pretty confident that he’ll manage to do so.
There's no doubt about it, she's one tough woman!
Now I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it until the Oscars is over. If anyone else but Mo’Nique wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, I’ll be flabbergasted (yes I will!). I know this next point is completely off topic but before she found success as a comedian, Mo’Nique was actually a phone sex operator (hey, don’t ever say I never give you anything!). Believe me, she’s every bit as monstrous as she’s supposed to be as the abusive mother of Mary (Gabourey Sidibe) and has you wanting to jump into the screen and put her abuse to an end. In my opinion (although it may sound harsh), the other nominees are simply making up the numbers but kudos has to go out to Anna Kendrick (yep, the Twilight chick) for her performance in Up in the Air (yep, taking the attention away from George Clooney is no small feat!)
I don't want to be mean here but once upon a time, someone did quite well for himself!
And for the big finish! James Cameron versus Kathryn Bigelow (aka: ex-husband versus ex-wife). With all of the hype surrounding this match-up, I’d find it highly comical if one of the other nominees did topple this feisty duo. After all, it’d be a brave soul to completely discount Quentin Tarantino out of anything. That said, I’m going to place my bet of Bigelow. It’s time for a female winner and quite frankly, I’ve taken it a bit against Cameron that he’s had so many wives (five of them… yes, five!). You’d think that after your second or even maybe third wife, you might be questioning whether the whole marriage thing is for you. Then again, maybe not.
Well, that’s me done for now. Check back on Tuesday to see how I did with my predictions. Bonjour!
It really is a Thriller!
Posted by sarahc in New Releases on March 3rd, 2010
While I don’t really like to publicly admit this, I’m a little bit of a closet Michael Jackson fan. In fact, one of my earliest childhood memories is fighting over the Thriller video (yep, on VHS not DVD) with my older brother (I’m not tellin’ who won. All I’ll say is that I have a scar on my forehead for a reason and it ain’t self-inflicted).
And we were under the impression that staring was rude!
What really makes me laugh about anything to do with Michael Jackson is that I just can’t get past those shameless impersonators parading themselves on television. And I’m talking the complete package: white glove, glittery jacket, white socks coupled with black pants that are a fraction too short… need I go on? I could go on forever but at the end of the day, not even I can deny the fact that Michael Jackson is a legend when it comes to music. That’s one thing that no one can take away from the man!
Open wide...
So when I got my hot little hands on a copy of Michael Jackson’s This Is It, I completely understood why people around me had been gushing over it when they saw it at the cinemas (seriously, my 10-year-old cousin was ready to lift up her sleeves and have it out with me when I said something slightly negative about the man). Look, I’m not obsessed with Jackson, the Jackson 5 or even his intriguing personal life (I’m not exactly Supernanny, ready to swoop in and give parenting tutorials but I’m guessin’ dangling a child at a height isn’t good) but as an entertainer, he’s second to none.
No, I ain't no Supernanny!
Featuring the last ever footage of this musical genius on stage and in action, there’s no denying that Michael Jackson’s This Is It, is great viewing.
If we looked like this, we wouldn't mind full length mirrors either!
And while I’m at it, appreciating the fine art of performance, I’m going to throw in a little word for Mao’s Last Dancer, a flick that really exceeded my expectations. I have been know to scamper away from any flick loosely tying acting together with singing and dancing (and no I didn’t appreciate the mother/daughter bonding session complete with Pierce Brosnan screeching as though he were in pain in Mamma Mia! In fact, it’s really worth seeing just for comical reasons… oh, how cruel I’m becoming in my old age!). So if I enjoyed it, it really must be good.
Look at that steely gaze!
Anyway, back to the point… based on Li Cunxin’s autobiography, Mao’s Last Dancer is one of the best Aussie flicks I’ve seen in quite a while. Not only does it capture the grace and style of the talented performers on screen, there’s an element of drama that keeps you hooked throughout. I also quite enjoyed the historical back drop as well as the story takes place during Mao’s Cultural Revolution. Quality stuff!
Behold: the hair!
You know, the word ‘sarcastic’ has been used to describe me quite a bit throughout my lifetime and here, I just can’t help myself. Bruce Willis donning fake hair in Surrogates looks so real and awesome I had myself thinking “is he really a bald man?” Yep, that was sarcasm at its best straight from my mean little mind. Why do movie producers continually try to put hair on this poor guy? It looks bad… it looks like the fake hair I used to play with as a kid when I used to have to pretend to enjoy playing with Ken and Barbie. In fact, I was so distracted by the fake hair during this flick that I wanted to jump into the screen and touch it to feel if the texture was the same as my old dolls (note: my brother hi-jacked these dolls and got a sick satisfaction out of cutting their plastic limbs off for some unknown reason).
See how he looks better with no hair?
Whew… I’ve vented and can now concentrate on what is actually a really good sci-fi flick. One thing you can always count on Bruce Willis for is to play an action hero and here, he’s perfectly cast as the macho Tom Greer (argh, why does Germaine Greer keep on poppin’ into my head at this point?). But this is the clincher… sure, he’s a tough guy but he’s also sensitive. It’s a perfect blend… like chocolate and ice-cream.
Is it just me or does he look like Stone Cold Steve Austin?
Ever imagined living as an ideal representation of yourself? Surrogates makes this possible because in this movie world, sensory simulators are used by people to control robotic surrogates who are the perfect version of themselves. And all from the comfort of their own home! But as usual, it’s not all sunshine, rainbows and lollipops…
I gotta get me one of these babies!
Are you excited (wow, how random am I?). If you’re not, you will be on Friday because I’ll be taking you through a few of my hot Oscar tips. Not following? The Oscars are on this Sunday (in the US) and I’ll be putting my neck on the line (again!) with a few of my predictions on Friday. Until then… play nice!
xoxo Gossip Girl signing in…
So, you know how we all have our guilty pleasures in life? Well, one of mine happens to be Gossip Girl. You know, when The OC and even Dawson’s Creek ended, I was thinkin’, “how on earth am I going to get my trashy TV fix now?” Lucky for me, by the time I’d saved up enough to own and then watch Dawson’s Creek and The OC on DVD, the world gave me the gift of Gossip Girl.
All work and no play makes Sarah an angry little girl
I have to admit, I have no patience for the TV networks and their tendency to switch their programming at their will (don’t even get me started on what Channel 10 did with Nurse Betty and Dexter: what a joke!). So with Gossip Girl, I didn’t even try to keep up with it on television because I knew I’d be buying these bad boys on DVD.
We never used to dress like this at my high school
I’m going to just come out and say this next bit and try not to sound too ashamed when I say that most of my wage each week is spent on DVDs (not clothes or shoes like most girls my age). So, what did I do on pay day last week? I invested in Gossip Girl: Season One and Gossip Girl: Season Two. Hey, who needs food and clothes when I have a gazillion hours of Gossip Girly goodness (and that’s not even counting the Special Features!).
It’s hard for me to put my finger on why I love this show so much and I’m certain it’s impossible to do so in just one sentence. That said, I’m going to start at the beginning to try and determine just why these obscenely rich kids have caught my attention.
No self-esteem issues here, that's for sure!
First off, let me explain who Gossip Girl is. Basically, she offers commentary online about the lives of everyone in the show (she doesn’t mince her words and uses abbreviations such as ‘B’ for Blair and ‘S’ for Serena). If the voice sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the one and only Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars behind the mic.
The face behind Gossip Girl
Now, enough dallying about. Onto the show! Played by Blake Lively, Serena van der Woodsen (whew… what a name!), former ‘it’ girl who suddenly disappeared to complete a short stint at a boarding school where no one knew she existed, reappears and not everyone is happy. And by ‘everyone’, we really mean biatch (can I say that?) Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester… yes, that chick who also sings in that Good Girls Gone Bad song they play on Video Hits). Seriously, this chick could give Joan Collins’ character in Dynasty a run for her money.
Love the hat!
But hey, it’s not as though Blair doesn’t have her reasons as we soon find out later in season one (Serena’s got a massive secret that involves Blair’s beau and I’m guessin’ you can fill in the dots). Although, Blair is cruel to the core at times and she completely frowns down upon those she views as ‘beneath her’ such as Dan (Penn Badgley), Serena’s new love interest who happens to stem from a more modest background than everyone else in Gossip Girl (apart from his own father and sister, Jenny of course). Seriously, she even has the nerve to utter ‘ew’ any time Dan comes in her vicinity and let’s just say, she doesn’t approve of his dress sense.
Do I really need to say anything?
Here’s where I’m going to really exercise some creative control (it’s my blog after all) and say that I have a little crush on Dan. Sure, he might not be as good looking as Nate (Chace Crawford) but he’s so much more. Most importantly, he can string a sentence together and he’s thoughtful. Now, I could launch into a whole ‘Nate’s bad because blah blah blah’ speech but my venomous words are saved for the one and only arrogant repugnant rich kid, Chuck (Ed Westwick). He pays his way out of everything and to give you just a glimpse as to his attitude, when asked why he should be accepted as a college usher, he replied “I am Chuck Bass”. Enough said!
Chuck makes me want to chuck up!
If I go any more into season one and continue with season two, I would be robbing you of the experience of watching this juicy show right through without knowing what’s about to happen. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be left marveling at just how spoilt some kids are. Although, I wouldn’t mind having a little bit of what these brats have minus the domineering parents. I’m going to end by paying tribute by letting you know what’s coming up Gossip Girl style: S talks new releases on Wednesday.
1,2,3,4; I declare a movie war
If you’ve been paying attention to the movie awards season, you’ll have been hearing quite a bit about Kathryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker. And why not, it’s a fantastic look at the high pressure life of bomb disposal soldiers in the Iraq War. Oh, and the good news is that it finally comes to cinemas out here (took you long enough). But it got me thinking, what other war films are worth checking out.
This gives new meaning to the term "up close and personal"
And when it comes to war films, you really are spoilt for choice; it seems that ever since man first learnt to hold a camera, they’ve been pointing them at guns. It makes sense, as these top notch war films prove.
What's he looking at we wonder?
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
You probably all know the theme tune (you know, it’s got the whistling in it), but there’s more to enjoy about this classic Brit World War II flick than just the jaunty song. Based loosely on the torturous construction of the Burma Railway, this serves as a reminder that there are very real consequences to war; in this case the treatment and suffering of Prisoners of War. Even in the more conservative 1950s, we can see that being captured by the enemy is no picnic. Oh, did I not mention that this film is an out and out classic – it won seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director (David Lean) and Best Actor (Alec Guinness), and no-one can call themselves a true movie fan without having seen this. Wet your war movie whistle with this one, and you won’t look back.
We get the feelin' he's angry!
Another World War II epic (and at over four hours long, it’s certainly an epic), but one from the other side of the conflict is Das Boot (The Boat). Set entirely on a German U-boat submarine, this sparse film crackles with equal amounts of tension and tedium, as the sub moves from conflict to patrol in the murky depths; in that respect it reminds us a little of Jarhead. But while this movie is long, it’s never tedious for the viewer, as a host of respected German actors bring the submarine to life. Yes, it’s not a film that you can pop on for a quick entertainment blast, but if you’re in for the long haul this delivers the goods.
Is that Legolas from Lord of the Rings? Really?
Based on a true story, Black Hawk Down might be the definitive example of the modern war film; flashy, confronting, disorientating, loud and fast-paced – much like real modern war. Helmed by Ridley Scott, and with a huge cast (including Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom and in his breakout US role, Aussie Eric Bana), this follows the extraction effort to get the injured crew of a damaged Black Hawk helicopter out of the Somalian city of Mogadishu. While there’s a lot going on, Scott keeps such a tight rein on the action that you’re never confused as to what’s happening; and the battle scenes are nothing short of jaw-dropping (this is a movie to show off your Blu-ray system). While it does feel like a videogame at times, that probably says more about the nature of modern conflict than it does about this film.
If there’s ever a film to deal with the after-effects of war, this is it. The Deer Hunter follows the sagas of three friends from small-town America who sign up for the Vietnam War, unaware of the horrors they are about to witness. Once they arrive however, Mike (Robert De Niro), Steven (John Savage) and Nick (Christopher Walken) realise that they’ve stumbled into a hellhole. As the war progresses, none of them will emerge from Vietnam the same person. Downbeat, melancholy and arguably depressing, Michael Cimino’s film nonetheless won five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. While it’s identifiably a film of its time, its power hasn’t diminished one iota.
They look wet...
Four great films, but there are plenty of others that deserve mention too; make sure you check out Gallipoli, The Battle of Britain, Three Kings, Enemy at the Gates, Apocalypse Now and The Thin Red Line, to name just six.
We’ll be back on Monday with more movie ramblings.
Even in death, Jigsaw proves deadly!
Posted by sarahc in New Releases on February 24th, 2010
Call me stuffy, but I don’t see anything wrong with sticking with something that is doing the job for you. And that kind of thinking brings me to Saw VI. Sure, we’ve all seen it before, we all know what to expect but hey, like the Final Destination series, we all love it and just can’t get enough.
Show us your pearly whites!
Six installments later and I think I know this Jigsaw dude pretty well. He’s fascinated by torture, likes to play sadistic games with his victims and never ever ever dies (a little like Michael from the Halloween series: decapitate him and he still comes back!).
What's that on your face?
This time, most of the horrific behaviour revolves around a health insurance company that denied Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) a second chance at life (aww… aren’t we all just feeling sorry for the poor fella?). Enter Hoffman (played by Costas Mandylor. Remember him? He’s the detective who wants Jigsaw’s title now that he’s dead and all…) and Jigsaw’s widow (Betsy Russell). They’ve got their hearts set on making William Easton, the man in charge of claims for the insurance company, feel the pain (literally) that he caused the loved ones that Jigsaw left behind. From here on in, Saw VI utilises a heap of its old tricks: a maze of Jigsaw’s machines are used for the most brutal and gory torture methods possible. One piece of advice, this is not the kind of flick to be enjoyed on a full stomach!
He's obviously fascinated by whatever he's looking at...
Now, I have been called immature in my time so the word ‘moon’ doesn’t necessarily immediately lead me to thinkin’ about a film featuring Kevin Spacey’s voice. Usually, this means something slightly ruder to me and involves someone else (never me), bearing a little more of themselves than I care to see if you get my drift!
Is it stuffy in there?
Anyway, Moon is also a film and a pretty awesome one at that! For three years, Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) has been all alone on the moon which has really gotten him down (believe me, I know what it’s like to be all alone for a long time… I called it high school). Moving on… Sam’s only friend is the artificially intelligent GERTY robot (Spacey) who provides him with company as he works for a business that believes it holds the key to solving the world’s energy crisis. Thankfully for Sam, his contract is coming to an end and he is just busting to see his wife Tess (Dominique McElligott) and his daughter, Eve (Kaya Scodelario). Two weeks out from his long awaited return to Earth, Sam is feeling strange (some of us feel this way all the time): there’s the visions and the weird sounds. And then a routine task goes terribly bad… one thing’s for sure: someone’s been lying to our friend Sam (Uh-oh!).
Even though I’m a gal, I love a little bit of sport in my life. No, scrap that! I need a little bit of sporting action or else my world just isn’t complete. And no, I’m not talking about the fiascos surrounding sport such as the Tiger Woods debacle (trust me, he’s had enough action lately for all of us) or that whole John Terry scandalous soccer affair deal.
Weird...
Speaking of soccer (see how I linked that there… sometimes, I even surprise myself!), The Damned United is a nice little ride back in history to 1974. Brian Clough (Michael Sheen) had just begun his doomed 44 day tenure as the manager of Leeds United who at the time were the reigning champions of English football. Yep, Clough lasted just 44 days (and the ‘days’ isn’t a mistake… even I lasted longer at Donut King which is really sayin’ something). It seems there was a lot of back stabbing at play. You see, Leeds was previously managed by Clough’s bitter rival, Don Revie (Colm Meaney) and let’s just say that the Leeds players were still ‘Don’s boys’. Whew… and people say us women can make life tough!
Gotta love that slicked back look!
You know, call me shallow but there’s nothing I enjoy more than a movie like The Damned United where there’s a little bit of trouble brewin’ in the background… Not that I condone that sort of behaviour of course. Oh well… Friday we take a more in-depth look at The Hurt Locker.
The results are in…
Posted by sarahc in Announcements on February 22nd, 2010
Cast your mind back to last Friday. Do you recall someone doing something rather egotistical and publicly posting their predictions for the BAFTA awards? Yep, that was me and while I could just shrink into a hole and hide away given the fact that the winners were announced yesterday and surprise, surprise, I wasn’t exactly one hundred per cent correct, that would be denying you the glory of rubbing it in my face. But don’t get carried away because I was right about a few of them…
Clearly, this was taken before the ceremony...
I’m going to start in a blaze of glory with a category I correctly tipped. Did I not say that Kathryn Bigelow would be waving that BAFTA in James Cameron’s face come Sunday? Well, I did and erm… she did so hah! One for me… it’ll be interesting to see if Bigelow’s momentum for directing The Hurt Locker carries all the way through to the biggest award of them all: the Oscars! Something tells me Bigelow is more than ready to crash that Oscars boy’s club that everyone keeps on talkin’ about!
"What's this I hear about blue creatures?"
Now for a category that didn’t exactly go my way. So I tipped Avatar to win best film. Why? Well I thought that Bigelow would be happy with trumping her ex-hubby for the directing award and that she would let him reign supreme for Best Film. And then there was that little consideration that Avatar is the biggest film in history to also take into account. It seems that none of that matters because The Hurt Locker overcame both Avatar and Up in the Air to claim victory. Oh well, I can’t always be right, can I?
Someone's very happy with themselves...
I’m going to have a look at the next couple of awards together, mainly to detract away from the fact that I was so terribly wrong. But before I go on, I think the next two winners were only on stage thanks to this being the BAFTAs. Now, if you get my hint, I’m pretty much indicating that there may have been a little bias at play here when the awards for Leading Actor and Leading Actress went to Colin Firth for A Single Man and Carey Mulligan for An Education. Look, there’s nothing wrong with a little but of favouritism, it happens everywhere (have you ever heard John Newcombe commentate the tennis? You’d think Lleyton Hewitt had won the past thousand Grand Slam titles as opposed to Roger Federer). Personally, I don’t think Jeff Bridges or Gabourey Sidibe should be worried because their performances in Crazy Heart and Precious respectively will stand up for themselves come Oscar time.
How did An Education get beaten for Best British Film?
Let’s switch back to a couple of categories where I can happily say “I told you so!” Yep, Christopher Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) and M’onique (Precious) emerged victorious in their respective supporting actor and actress categories. Just let me revel in the delight of being right…
It's no Brady Bunch, that's for sure!
And now my reveling is over and I’m going to have to switch back to being wrong (a feeling I am probably going to become more accustomed to as I grow older). I tipped the BAFTA for Best British film to go to An Education. And why? Well, there was the amazing cast (Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard) and the picturesque setting so how could I go so horribly wrong? Hmm… I didn’t even really consider Fish Tank and maybe I should’ve because it won…
Did something crash the BAFTAs?
So, there we have it… another year of the BAFTAs (come on, why the long, complicated name? How British…) is officially over. Congrats to the winners and a big pat on the back to the losers (don’t worry, you still have your money… and your fame… and your talent!).
The wait is almost over!
Posted by sarahc in Announcements on February 19th, 2010
Now that the Brit Awards are over (by the way, did you see that thing that Lady Gaga was wearing on her head? I think it weighed more than her), it’s time to turn our attention to the other cool awards ceremony those Brits host, the BAFTAs. Once again, it’s time to put my predictions hat on and let you in on who I think will be bathed in glory (yes, I realise that after posting these on a public blog, I could be looking like a right old git come Monday, to use an English expression).
Are blue creatures enough to win James Cameron a BAFTA?
We may as well cut the nonsense and dive straight into the most highly contested and scrumptiously controversial category: Best Film. Let’s have a look at the contenders shall we? We’ve got Avatar, the highest grossing film in history, An Education, a creepy flick about a much older man seducing a 17-year-old girl, The Hurt Locker, about the war in Iraq, Precious which saw Mariah Carey salvage some acting dignity after the disaster that was Glitter and Up in the Air, starring George Clooney which usually means automatic success. So who will win? My bet is on Avatar: it’s not the most successful film in history for nothing!
If you're going to be involved in war, you may as well look good while you're at it!
Given the fact that the gong for Best Director will see an ex-husband and wife go head to head for The Hurt Locker and Avatar, you’d think that there’d be a bit of spite flying here. But no, James Cameron has come out and said he’d be okay with Kathryn Bigelow trumping him for the Best Director Oscar so then why would he feel any different about her stealing a BAFTA from right underneath his nose? It’s easy to forget that there are actually other contenders in this category! I’m not brave enough to ever completely count out Quentin Tarantino who’s nominated for Inglourious Basterds but I think it’s time a woman got a little bit of credit for her work in Hollywood so I’m going to put my money on Kathryn Bigelow to be waving that award in her ex-hubby’s face.
Considering that I am talking about the BAFTAs here, I’m going to have to devote some time to deciding which flick is worthy of the Outstanding British Film award. The contenders? There’s An Education, Fish Tank, In the Loop, Moon and Nowhere Boy. My prediction? An Education is a shoe in with Nowhere Boy snapping closely at its heels but can I just say one thing? Aaron Johnson, the actor who plays John Lennon looks nothing like him. He’s way better looking. No, scrap that! He’s outrageously better looking, sort of like when Julia Roberts was cast as Erin Brokovich.
Come on, does he look like John Lennon to you?
Okay, I realise I’m getting distracted here by my need to be a little bit sarcastic and nasty so I’ll get stuck back into the BAFTAs by discussing the leading actors and actresses who’ll be attending a rather large after party to celebrate their wins. Jeff Bridges will be emerging successful for his role in Crazy Heart and rightfully so given the fact that he carries the flick all by himself. While it does pain me to say that I won’t be seeing George Clooney for a few minutes up on stage, in a stylish suit, maybe throwing something in about Darfur during his acceptance speech, I can’t deny that Bridges certainly deserves the award. As for leading actress honours, I’m going to favour Gabourey Sidibe for her breakout role in Precious. Wishful thinking? Going against Meryl Streep is always a risk but come on, it’s time for new winners!
Gotta love the hat!
And what would a film be without a couple of decent supporting actors and actresses? Yep, nothing! The competition for Best Supporting Actor is pretty tough as always. There’s a man who’s had a recent stint in the hospital (Alex Baldwin for It’s Complicated), a guy who always puts in a stellar performance even when you’d expected him to be overshadowed by higher profile co-stars (Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones) and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (I know nothing about him so I can’t really come up with anything remotely witty). We all know about my growing appreciation for Tucci but I’m going to put my money on Waltz for this one, even though it hurts to. Best Supporting Actress can only go to one woman: Mo’nique for Precious. If I hear that someone else wins… there’ll be trouble!
Scary!
Well… am I right, am I wrong? Only time will tell but I need to get something out of my system: where was Sandra Bullock’s nomination for The Blind Side? Do I sense a little snobbery? I think so!
Watch me flip it with Whip It
Posted by sarahc in New Releases on February 17th, 2010
Call me mad but I don’t really associate the words ‘whip it’ with a movie. When I hear these two words I’m thinkin’ more of a chocolately dessert or if I’m in one of my ‘silly’ moods, I start having thoughts about things that I could never mention right now here if you get my drift (yes, naughty bad, bad thoughts!). Moving on… the awesome Drew Barrymore has added a new meaning to my list of what ‘whip it’ could possibly be referring to and luckily for all of us, it’s a movie!
You just gotta love that helmet!
Despite her relative youth, Barrymore has done a lot of things during her time: she’s seen an alien in E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial, fought alongside Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu in Charlie’s Angels and gotten married a couple of times here and there. Well, now she’s also gotten into the whole directing gig and thankfully for everyone, her debut flick is no flop.
The three muskateers...
Ellen Page rose to stardom in the critically acclaimed Juno but if you’re a cynical movie lover (like me), you might have been thinkin’ she was a one hit wonder (and come on, that long-winded interview with Oprah could’ve single handedly sealed the deal!). But in Whip It, she turns in yet another stellar performance as she oozes cynicism and captures her teenage character effortlessly. In fact, I really identified with Bliss (Page’s character) and remember having similar thoughts as a teen. Heck, beauty pageants weren’t ‘my thing’ and I could think of better things to do than try to fit in with the ‘cool’ kids. Although, this is where I’m going to have to admit that the comparisons end between Bliss and I.
I think she wants them to bring it on!
Surprisingly, I never signed up for Roller Derby because I saw it as a way out of my suburban nightmare. Oh, and I can’t say that I had a mother who wanted to paint my face, frock me up and parade me on stage like Brooke (Marcia Gay Harden), Bliss’ mother. Oh well, this is why we go to the movies… to see something different. And boy, is Whip It different! Yes, Barrymore’s mandatory appearance does come and go but she at no point tries to overshadow the story or her much-younger and lower profile co-stars.
Check out that outfit... and people have been known to criticise my fashion sense!
Moving onto someone who knows all too well how to play a cynical character. Yes, it’s the wonderful Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm, this time starring in Whatever Works. Now before I get stuck into the flick itself, I really need to take this opportunity to air one problem I have with David: he has a very weird way of eating. He shovels food into his gob at a rate quicker than Fat Bastard and the thing is, he’s so thin so frankly, something’s not adding up. The scene where he and Melodie (Evan Rachel Wood) are walking down the street eating the muffins really gets to me for some reason… okay, now I’m finished venting so I can move on.
Look at the face!
Boris (David, who sooo doesn’t look like a Boris) is a bit of a ranter, he opens his mouth and spits out a whole lot of guff about religion, relationships and so on to anyone who’ll listen (he reminds me of the people you meet on the train who talk… and talk… even when you put your earphones on). Eventually, he meets up with Melodie and the two hit it off despite having little in common but when her parents rock up… yep, there’s trouble in sight! Of course, it’s very entertaining trouble but there is a lot of fireworks nonetheless!
Finally, I’m going to talk about a movie that was very interesting indeed, mainly because I quite enjoyed watching a heap of people that were actually crazier than I am. Yes, the appropriately named Shrink stars Kevin Spacey as a psychiatrist who actually has more problems than the people he’s treating. One warning, there’s a whole load of pot in this movie as in every scene, Spacey is smokin’ it (if there was one thing that truly was surprising in the whole film it was that he didn’t try his hand at something a little harder….).
Someone's a little fed up I'd say...
Throughout Shrink, we meet a heap of people with a load of problems including a cameo by Robin Williams who plays a character who thinks he could either be a sex addict or an alcoholic (I know, I’m quite confused by this as well). There’s also Kate (Saffron Burrows) who’s dissatisfied with her existence as a trophy wife… now, call me shallow but if I was cashed-up and living comfortably, I could not care! To be brutally honest, Shrink isn’t exactly American Beauty but then again, there was only one of those!
This looks painful!
That’s all I’ve got in me for today, hope you’ve enjoyed my ramblings and I’ll be back Friday with my highly anticipated (er… maybe not) BAFTA predictions.