Randomness: Mad Hatters, Wolf Men, Born Stars, Sad Texans

• I didn't cover the new DVD releases last week but Alice in Wonderland and The Wolfman (previously reviewed) debuted and I figured 'Why hold a poll to see which movie you want me to cover when I know that Tim Burton's blockbuster will win?' I'll write about that one (finally) soon. In the meantime, now that you've had a chance to look at Benicio all hairy, what say you? This morning I was suddenly wishing Johnny Depp had played the werewolf and Benicio the Mad Hatter. Mixes up expectations a little, no? In both cases the casting felt a little too "spot on", which is why it's so weird that Benicio was so terrible (and terribly bored) while playing wolf. And maybe the Depp / Blunt pairing might've been a truer bodice ripper?
  
  
• From here on out the DVD reader request poll will be bi-weekly (starting next week) so that I can keep up with the reviews. Previously: An Education. Next: The Road and Alice in Wonderland.
  
  
• Streep at 60 the series returns this afternoon. I hope you'll have plenty to say about one of her craziest star turns.
  
  
  
• Today is the 88th anniversary of Judy Garland's birth (née Frances Gumm). Since Judy G is one of my ten favorite stars of all time, you know that the first thing I did this morning was click on over to Nick's Flick Picks to see him wrap up his Best Actress project with A Star is Born (1954). Oh, the torture! He's making us wait a little.
  
  
  
• Confession: I've been on a TV binge lately. Maybe it's those upcoming Emmy nominations (July) haunting me and convincing me to get caught up on Dexter, United States of Tara, Nurse Jackie, Glee (I continue to be madly in love with Lea Michelle's voice. I could listen to her all day long.) and Friday Night Lights. Regarding the latter: I know that it's not an Emmy favorite but that's just one more knock against their validity as an institution. Last week's episode "The Son" had me crying harder while watching television than I have since Buffy's "The Body" some years ago. Some fans and media types are trying to energize a Zach Gilford for Best Supporting Actor campaign but Emmy, as my wisest TV guru friend Joe Reid reminds me, has a really tough time noticing a show ever if they don't notice it right from the start. And if Emmy can't see that FNL's lead actress Connie Britton is consistently worthy of the actual statue (I'm talking even better than great movie actresses gone TV like Holly Hunter and Glenn Close on their respective shows and skyscrapers above some other regulars), well... how would they notice a supporting actor? Emmy's loss. With the exception of Mad Men, there's not a better drama on television.
  

Sound off on all of this randomness in the comments. Surely you have feelings to share, be they of the couch potato, lycanthropic or friend-of-dorothy variety.
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The Twilight Saga as interpreted by the Cannes Film Festival

Behold, the Cannes jury!

from left to right: Tim Burton (Jury President and Johnny Depp's #1 Fan), Alberto Barbera (Italian film festival biggie), Victor Erice (Spanish Director of the acclaimed Frankenstein picture The Spirit of the Beehive), Giovanna Mezzorgiorno (Award-winning Italian actress, Vincere recently boosted her international profile), Emmanuel Carrere (French writer), Alexandre Desplat (composer and last minute juror... this man must never sleep or have several clones of himself given his workload), Benicio del Toro (Oscar winning Puerto Rican actor and werewolf), Shekhar Kapur (Indian director of Elizabeth fame), and Kate Beckinsale (British hottie, vampire who hates werewolves).

Danger! Benicio's getting way too close to Beckinsale.


You know Tim Burton wants to direct this battle. Or at least art-direct the buildings and landscapes surrounding the battle. And though Desplat sorta already scored it (The Twilight Saga: New Moon) he'd have to toss that out like a temp track and find Danny Elfman for the real thing.

This jury is positively supernatural... frankenstein, werewolves, vampires.

<--- But monster mash aside, Kate Beckinsale knows how to make an entrance, doesn't she? It looks like she's stepping out of a technolor musical and floating seamlessly onto the most prestigious of film festival red carpets. Or like she's a model in one of those color fashion interludes in a black and white comedy like The Women (1939), maybe.

Hot Link Injection

I Need My Fix pics from the Shutter Island premiere. Scorsese gets the stars out
Worth 1000 "Mate a Movie" contest. Fun entries my favorites being Lt. Aldo Raine of the Na'Vi tribe and a Coen Bros/ The Wolfman mash-up
/Film An Avatar novel to tide you over until the sequel?
Studio Daily Lance Acord, one of the best living cinematographers (Where The Wild Things Are, Marie Antoinette), speaks
In Contention concludes its annual opinionated shots of the year column
MTV Movies Oren Moverman (The Messenger) moving on from depressed soldiers to depressed rock stars. A Kurt Cobain biopic is next
Upper Playground 'The Lost Art of Inglourious Basterds'. Mmmm, movie artwork.

Finally, today is Molly Ringwald's birthday -- happy 42 -- and since I grew up idolizing her (ohhh, the 80s!) I had to share this great print celebrating The Breakfast Club. It's going for $10 a pop. Isn't it fine?


I should also note that the Oscars will have a tribute to John Hughes this year. That should be fun but I think it's kind of a bummer that the BFCA already went there. And it's a little suspect since I remember my young self being h-o-r-r-i-f-i-e-d when they passed Mr. Hughes over for screenplay nominations for this immortal film. Among others. He was never nominated for an Oscar.

What are you seeing this weekend?

Bollywood's My Name is Khan? Benicio as The Wolfman (my review)? Percy Jackson & The Uma: With Snake Hair? And don't you think it's weird that they're opening Valentine's Day on the 12th. It's as if they're announcing that it only has three days of business in it tops and then its one for the dumpster. Maybe you're just enjoying a long weekend sans cinema. Or are you catching up on Oscar films or classics on DVD?

What will it be. Share in the comments. I think I'm watching The Lost Weekend for the next BPFTOI episode. And maybe The Hurt Locker again.

Off With Your Head!

Press play. It magically provides your soundtrack for this post.

Four hundred and twenty-three years ago this very day, Queen Elizabeth had the deed done.

Mary Queen of Scots' head would roll. Which in movie-land means that Cate Blanchett (at her most blustery) ordered Samantha Morton right out of her own movie, Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Such a shame since that movie really needed another actress capable of going head-to-head (I apologize!) with the diva at its center.

Lords knows Abbie Cornish wasn't doing it. I'm so pleased that she rocked Bright Star, thoroughly redeeming herself after that early "what's the fuss?" stage.

Anyway, my point is this: I l o v e Samantha Morton. Don't you?

And I hate it when people I love or people I'm totally curious about are suddenly written out of the movie I'm watching. Has that ever happened to you?

You may be asking yourself "Why the hell is Nathaniel talking about decapitations?" and that's a perfectly sensible question. But you'd be thinking gory thoughts too if you'd just watch The Wolfman (more on that Thursday) which loves to separate heads from bodies. Ewww.

P.S. I want Karen O to score more movies. Awesomeness

P.P.S. Even though I realize now that Helena Bonham-Carter is playing the Red Queen rather than the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland I'm glad she screams "Off with her head". You shouldn't mess with the classics.

P.P.P.S. I apologize for bringing up Elizabeth: The Golden Age. So uncalled for!
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I Want to Link to There

Your Internet Movie Rule: Robert De Niro is...
Sunset Gun Kim Morgan talks to Tarantino
<--- Empire what film will director Bryan Singer do next? I'm just going to admit it: I don't really get his career. It seems so directionless despite a collection of generally good films
MNPP Michael Fassbender Four Times (he's fast becoming someone I totally care about!)
A Blog Next Door with a surprise observation about Adaptation (2002)
Coffee Coffee and More Coffee on the import/export game, the shrinking market for foreign films and how Hollywood doesn't play fair
INF "Aniston: Zellweger Stole My Man" I've never made a secret that I'm not a fan of Jennifer Aniston and her trademark 'abandoned woman' victimhood. On the other hand, I think all tabloids, celeb mags and gossip blogs ought to pay her tithing each year, you know?
If Charlie Parker... frames within frames. Lovely


Did you see The Wolf Man trailer? Benicio Del Toro plays the fuzzy wuzzy. I'm so pleased to see Hugo Weaving again (see previous post) but was it really a good idea to cast Anthony Hopkins in this? Seems like the choice is too obvious, too directly reminiscent of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).



Topless Robot expresses what I suspect will be widespread feelings about this film before it opens. Poor lycanthropes. They never get any respect when it comes to monster movies. It's gotta be vampires, don't it?

2009 Oscar Predictions, The Costumes. The Screenplays.

Chapeaus, Gowns and Suits. Oh my!

Three time Oscar winner Milena Canonero doing The Wolf Man duty. Black is the new Black.

Oscar's technical branches are more similar to the acting branch than most people realize. The costuming branch is no exception. They have their pets who can't thread a needle without getting nominated, and other designers who they strangely ignore repeatedly despite fine work. And like Oscar's acting branch they have "hooks" that they fall for with great regularity. Certain time periods are baitier than others and so forth. Iconic gowns help but are no guarantor. And like the acting branch, they tend to prefer realism and authenticity to leaps of imagination and genre stylization. Most of the time anyway... they don't have quite as many genre prejudices.

Best COSTUME DESIGN Predictions feature the usual suspects: Sandy Powell, Colleen Atwood and Milena Canonero. Between them they have 7 Oscars (gasp). They can't be stopped! Well, actually I'm predicting a Powell snub this year. But I ♥ Sandy Powell truly, madly deeply. My love can't be stopped.

Also posted: Predictions in Original and Adapted Screenplay.
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