Saturday, December 12, 2009

Linkables

In case you're wondering... Golden Globe predictions tomorrow

Indie Wire the winners of the European Film Awards
Topless Robot Natalie Portman to produce and star in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Yes, they're making a movie from the gimmicky bestseller.
San Francisco Chronicle takes down Carey Mulligan and offers up Michelle Pfeiffer instead for Best Actress
YouTube toddler Hamlet with Brian Cox. So adorable


Anne Thompson on the f/x finalists for Oscar. She doesn't mention it but isn't it kind of weird that Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones didn't make it. I guess a lot of people (not just me) really do dislike the movie.
Quiet Earth spotlights an interesting-sounding gay Latin film playing at Sundance this year
Critical Condition on Mo'Niques non-campaign campaign for Oscar
Boy Culture salacious Steve McQueen/Paul Newman quote. Whaaaa? I guess it'll sell books
Cinematical offers up an unexpectedly rich "what if" regarding David Lynch
Ebert's Journal a new feature "foreign correspondents" Ali on 24 Hour Party People

Parting gift: The Boyfriend sent this to me from Pharyngula and, though it's not movie-related, I laughed so hard that I had a spring in my step all morning so I had to share it. A flow chart of the gay marriage debate... click to embiggen.


So so funny. I especially love the 14th amendment bit and that the actual quotes (denoted by the asterisks) so perfectly illustrate the unholy but enduring marriage of stupidity, homophobia and pious religiosity. Why were those three temperaments allowed to get hitched? And in a church no less! Isn't marriage supposed to only be between one man and one woman?

20 comments:

Greg Boyd said...

This so perfectly points out the flaws and the fallacies in the bigots' arguments. I laughed so hard! Great stuff.

Arkaan said...

I think it'll be funnier once it stops being real, but I did get a few snickers from it.

Ryan Ray said...

Mm, Darwin Porter mainly makes things up I think. I wouldn't take too much stock into the Steve McQueen/Newman thing.

steve said...

horray Mick

good article :)

Jude said...

The Chronicle's critique on Mulligan is all wrong. A performance isn't defined by one or two Oscar scenes, but as a whole!

Jim T said...

Britney. Looool

Why do we pretend that it is a matter of logic? People who are against gay marriage are just afraid or hate gays.

Jim T said...

Jude, although I liked Mulligan's performance a lot, the article wasn't only about that. The point there was that the role demanded no range. Which is true to some extend. I think Mulligan could play that role in her sleep. Pretty good though, I repeat.

adam k. said...

I am so in mourning for Tilda Swinton in Julia. Why is the OBVIOUSLY BEST performance of the year getting no traction?

Really, there's like no competition in my mind. It should be all about Swinton this year. And yet, it's... not. And just to rub salt in the wound, what I see as the clear second choice (of what I've seen), Abbie Cornish, is looking increasingly iffy as well. Beyond those two, they all kinda bleed together. I liked Mulligan, Sidibe and Streep just fine, but... meh.

Frustrating.

btw, I did Golden Globe predix a few days ago - just as positive Avatar news was starting to trickle out - and I'm still pretty confident in them.

adam k. said...

But on a happier note, I'm LOVING that this is looking more and more likely as Inglorious Basterds' oscar track:

Best Picture
Best Director
Best Original Screenplay (WIN!)
Best Supporting Actor (WIN!)
Best Editing
Best Makeup
Best Cinematography
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design

That's more noms than Pulp Fiction. It would be so gratifying...

Bryan said...

adam k. (and anyone else who wants to comment): given that you were "meh" about Carey's performance, I'm curious about how you feel about her future career. Do you think that she will be another Gwyneth or Halle (i.e., be another actress who had a critically lauded performance but has kind of gone off the radar since then)? Or do you see her becoming an annually-persistent, more "significant" actress, if you will?

Chris Na Taraja said...

I know an Adam who is dating a Steve, so there!!!

Chris Na Taraja said...

Ha! The best argument against the sacredness of Straight marriage is BRITTENY SPEARS. That's hysterical.

Runs Like A Gay said...

Brilliant flow chart.

I'm putting that up in the office.

Jack said...

You say you "really disliked" The Lovely Bones but you still gave it a C which would imply that you thought it was "okay". Wouldn't it?

NATHANIEL R said...

I gave it a C- which i was considering dropping to a D+ because even though I dislike it it gets even worse in memory.

NATHANIEL R said...

@adamk -- does this mean you prefer "Basterds" to Pulp Fiction?

@Bryan -- i think Mulligan has a huge career ahead personally. Paltrow is kind of a fluke I think, since not many actresses decide to become lifestyle gurus and hide their talent away. Though I guess many do decide to become moms and wives and hide their talent away... at least for awhile. Funny that no male actors ever have to do that.

Arkaan said...

adam K, the reason Tilda Swinton is being ignored is that others are better in better films. Right now, I'd rank her behind Mulligan and Weisz (The Brothers Bloom). And if Laurent is lead, place her ahead of Swinton as well. Swinton gives a fascinating performance, but it's not nearly as successful as the others (she just can't make the ending work, for one thing).

NATHANIEL R said...

Arkaan... are you trying to freak me out? I no we don't agree very often but your usually fairly smart about awards season.

Since when is awards traction a meritocracy? It never never never never never has been. The reason Tilda has no traction is that the films is: combative, unpleasant, tiny, barely got a release, barely made a dime, and the lead character is hugely unlikeable and not in a fun love-to-hate way.

Oscar has never never never gone for any of those things and that is the only reason a performance that brilliant has no traction.

But a meritocracy? You gotta be kidding me.

Arkaan said...

Oh I know. I'm just getting frustrated with adam k "Tilda is obviously the best" that I'm fully expecting to hear until March.

I agree with you entirely that merit is only a small part of the awards race, and of the multitudes of reasons Swinton has no traction, merit is not one of them. My point is that I can have seen the film and have a response based on merit that doesn't agree with adam's - a point he seems to be missing out on.

RJ said...

Still can't get behind Pfeiffer. Was not impressed by that movie.