Thursday, December 27, 2007

20:07 ("Zodiac") and the 8th Annual FB Awards

Screenshots from the 20th minute and 7th second of a movie.
Can't guarantee the same results at home. I use a VLC


It might be perverse to end a fun series like 20:07 on as sick and somber a note as Zodiac (2007) but the obsessive detailing of this particular blogging experiment does dovetail nicely with Fincher's lengthy minutae-loving procedural. So here we go, the final installment *sniffle*

Zodiac: Get on your stomach so I can tie your feet.
Victim #?: It gets really cold out here at night. We could freeze. You all done? You know, just because people are going to ask... was that thing even loaded?
And then a rather gruesome double homicide begins (again). One of the things that's most disturbing about Zodiac is that almost every single man in it (even this soon-to-expire one) shares one particular psychosis of the killer's: an absolute fascination with detail. This guy is being trussed up like a turkey and he's asking questions calmly, wanting to know the killer's history, correcting his own girlfriend, thinking about the temperature of the Bay area at night, and wondering about the practical aspects of how the masked man is committing his crimes. If this man weren't about to be killed, you could totally see him joining Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffallo and Anthony Edwards in their downward spirals of crime solving.

Creepy as hell this sequence is. And it doesn't even bother with typical violent filmmaking impulses. David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club) isn't concerned this time with making you jump or scream. He doesn't offer up lazy quick cutting to disorient you. The psychosis is disorienting enough. It's easy to make an audience jump out of their seats. Suddenly loud sound cues and quick edits with threatening blocking do the trick every time. It's hard to make a film that disturbs well beyond its running time. David Fincher, my hat is off.

So, um...(trying to shake it off) "HAPPY NEW YEAR" (?)
If you wanna keep me typing through 2008 and through another year of the Film Bitch Awards, it's as simple as this:





2008: I already have some ideas brewing (even a couple of rough drafts written) so hopefully you'll stick around. I've successfully become more than an awards man in the past few years but my traffic still paints the picture that many of you are only here for the circus that is Oscar season and my own awards. Where the hell do half of you go thereafter? Some of the best stuff @ the film experience is in the off season. That's when it gets more creatively random, more rangey in tone and topic, less "now" focused and more series driven: I've got more original content weekly (not just news regurgitation) than most blogs even attempt in patches. So I hope you'll reward me with your continued patronage --and tell your friends to read -- once the last movie award for 2007 is handed out. To keep the Oscar junkies in a perpetual high, I've decided to keep sunday's "naked gold man" series on a weekly basis... even once awards season wraps. We'll cover Oscar news as it develops every Sunday or revisit past Oscar years. But only on Sundays. There's more to the movies than the red carpet.

But speaking of awards... the tentative calendar
12/30 Cinematic Shame ~ Worst of the Year
12/31 Oscar Updates. Year in Review Best of Begins...
01/01 Underrated and Honorable Mentions
01/02 The Film Experience's Top Ten of 2007
01/02 The 8th Annual FiLM BiTCH Awards Begin This site's singular awards-giving jamboree, all January long. Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in so many categories you'll beg me to quit. Here's a sneak peek...

If you have any FYCs now would be the time. You can see previous years here
*

64 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, nice vid!

But, err... I hope the bit from Spider-Man 3 was a preview for the Worst of the Year? Cuz that movie sucked. A lot. :p

Oh, and FYC Atonement in all categories and Eastern Promises for Viggo and David Cronenberg. And Control. I loved Control.

Anonymous said...

hi,nat mark here in the uk i added u to my facebook,remeber? anyway i am here everyday i never ever miss 1 day well amybe on hols but when iwent to bacelona in october 2005 i checked in at the hi=otels internet cafe- sad.

zodiac is def one of my films of the year but for me it is jake g in the basement "are you sure no one else is the house"

Sid said...

Nat... please do watch Black Book before the FB awards begin!!! I absolutely want to see Carice Van Houten up there among the Best Actress nominees!

Catherine said...

Film Bitch awards on my (and Todd Haynes') birthday?!! Why, that's the bestest present ever!

Okay, I kid, but only slightly. ;) Looking forward.

Anonymous said...

fyc

pic - this is england
dir - david fincher
act - sam riley - control
actress - halle berry thing we lost in the fire
s/actor - stephen langham - this is england
s/actress - sigourney weaver - the tv set

Anonymous said...

fyc: Sacha Baron Cohen, Sweeney Todd, Best Actor in a Limited or Cameo Role

Anonymous said...

hmmmm. I thought the girls from death proof were all pretty awesome. James McAvoy was great in Hairspray and Enchanted. John C. Reiely was awesome in Walk Hard. Nikki Blonsky's unstoppable energy bosistered Hairspray. Thats all. Didnt see that many movies that came out this year.

Anonymous said...

FYC Diva of the year: Xerxes from 300

The Jaded Armchair Reviewer said...

FYC Best Line Reading: Sigourney Weaver in The TV Set

Watching your trailer, once again, I must lament: I'VE SEEN NOTHING! ;-;

Anonymous said...

Thanks for all your hard work this year Nat, fantastic site which is always a treat to read. Happy New Year!

Cengiz said...

FYC:

Best Body of Work- James McAvoy and James Marsden

Diva of the Year- Michelle Pfeiffer vs Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray vs. Stardust)

Best Scene- Judge Turpin gets his first shave (with his exposed neck out)

Best Line Reading-
"They're just kids, that's why we have to steer them in the white direction." Velma von Tussel

"Devil child, devil child!" Prudy Pingleton

Best Cameo (Male)- Sacha Baron Cohen-Sweeney Todd

Breakthugh Award- Ed Sanders-Sweeney Todd

Rob said...

fyc

Molly Shannon, YEAR OF THE DOG
Chris Cooper, BREACH
Sam Rockwell, JOSHUA
Sienna Miller, INTERVIEW
Kurt Russell, GRINDHOUSE
Jeff Daniels, THE LOOKOUT
Sigourney Weaver, THE TV SET
Amy Madigan, GONE BABY GONE
Allison Janney, JUNO
Marcia Gay Harden, THE MIST

Anonymous said...

FYC:

Best Intro - Zodiac. The choice to let "Hurdy Gurdy Man" bookend the film was a stroke of genius IMO.

Sexpot - "Lee" (Death Proof). My most vivid memories of this film are all in bright yellow.

Any category - Sunshine because it's totally awesome!

John P. said...

FYC: Martin Ruhe for best cinematography for Control.

Anonymous said...

FYC: A plea.

I'm pre-empting an 'also ran', dismissively throwaway comment about Cottilard at the semi-final stages, to include phrases along the lines of "supreme mimicry" and "series of wigs"... so I'd ask you to please spare the performance another look! Please don't allow your irritation at that mess of a timeline to cloud your judgement!

Also, FYC Imelda Staunton in Support for Harry Potter; Juliette Binoche in Support for Paris Je T'aime.

Oh, and one final FYC reminder for Viggo Mortens... wait, you really don't need one do you?!

Bring on another year!

Rob

John P. said...

Another FYC for best cinematography: Christopher Doyle for Paranoid Park.

Anonymous said...

P.S. I think mrripley might mean Stephen Graham for This Is England...?

If he/she does, then I couldn't agree more. It's easily the finest, most intense performance I've seen all year from an actor (in either category).

Rob

Brian Darr said...

For foreign film consideration: did you see Tears of the Black Tiger, the Regular Lovers, Offside, Syndromes and a Century, or Exiled? All technically 2007 releases and now out on DVD...

Cengiz said...

Oh and please, please, please try not to forget Laura Linney, like others have..sigh.

NATHANIEL R said...

yikes.

i haven't seen so many of these movies. this is actually my lowest movie count year since 1999 when i first started film bitching... oops.

i'll try to squeeze some last minute things in.

adam k. said...

OMG that video was amazing. Please do that every year (even though the best part was the clips of past winners, which I guess would stay basically the same).

Anyway, FYC:

BEST VILLIAN
Michelle Pfeiffer (Hairspray)
Michelle Pfeiffer (Stardust)
Imelda Staunton
Nicole Kidman
Tilda Swinton

YAY for badass fantasy witches (and Tilda Swinton).

Curious about Viggo vs. DDL.

also, FYC: Once for best picture (everyone else snubbed it, YOU can't snub it)

Kurtis O said...

Love the video!! I was wondering if you've seen "The Bubble," a little gay romance amidst the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and what you thought of it. I'm also curious to see where "Bug" lands among your awards (if anywhere), since you seemed to have love for that in the earlier half of the year. Happy Holidays!

Anonymous said...

FYI for Best Poster:

Black Snake Moan
Jimmie Carter: The Man from Plains

NicksFlickPicks said...

Watching Anton Chigurh sort of breakdance to "You Can't Stop the Beat" is maybe my favorite movie moment of the year. That song really is catchy to everyone.

Anonymous said...

you truly can't stop the beat

the beat goes on

on and on and on

keep it rocking baby till the night is gone

Anonymous said...

i can't wait to see what your picks will be. my one big fyc is nick cave & warren ellis for original score for the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford. that is easily my number 1 score for the past few years.

i also have to lobby on behalf of control, especially sam riley for best actor. and john cooper clarke for best cameo would be great.

Joe Reid said...

What Nick said. Love it!

Anonymous said...

Atonement
James McAvoy
Anamaria Marinca for 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days
Benicio Del Toro for Things We Lost In The Fire
Tommy Lee Jones for No Country For Old Men (In Lead)
Kelly Macdonald for No Country For Old Men
Atonement for best sound.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget about Ulrich Mühe in The Lives of Others. He's absolutely awesome.

Anonymous said...

Jo Hartley(the mother)-This is England (PLEASE,NAT!)

Alex said...

FYC:

Jennifer Garner, Juno

Anonymous said...

Breakthrough - Michael Cera in Juno and Superbad

Best Musical Performance in a Non-Musical Film - Michael Cera performing "These Eyes" in Superbad

Best Actress - Ellen Page in Juno (real original, I know)

Best Performed Line - "THUNDERCATS ARE GO!" by Ellen Page in Juno

Glenn Dunks said...

This is England - Pic, Dir, Screenplay, Costume Design

Ten Canoes - Dir

Jindabyne - Dir, Supp actress, Actress, Screenplay, cinematography, sound, score, editing

Control - Actor, Supp Actress, Cinematography

The Lives of Others - Dir, Actor, Screenplay, Cinematography

Ratatouille - Dir, Screenplay

The Simpsons Movie - Screenplay, ani

Planet Terror - Makeup, Score

Beowulf, Death Proof, Harry Potter, Hot Fuzz and Ratatouille for action sequence.

There. I think that's more than enough.

Anonymous said...

GREAT vid!!!! Can't wait for the awards!

Anonymous said...

FYC

* ACTRESS
Molly Shannon (Year of the dog)

* SUPPORTING ACTOR
Albert Finney (Before the devil knows you're dead)

* EDITING
Redacted

* ORIGINAL SCORE
Lust, caution

* HEROINE
Zoe Bell (Death proof)

...and "I'm not there" in all categories :)

Anonymous said...

FYC:

Best Picture: Zodiac

BEST DIRECTOR: Brad Bird, "Ratatouille"

BEST ACTOR: Chris Cooper, "Breach"

BEST ACTRESS: Molly Shannon, "Year of the Dog"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Irfan Khan, "The Namesake"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Imelda Staunton, "Harry Potter 5"

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Ratatouille

BEST INDIVIDUAL LINE READING: "I am Shiva, God of Death" - Tom Wilkinson in "Michael Clayton"

BEST CAMEO (Male): Craig Robinson, "Knocked Up"

BEST CAMEO (Female): Helena Bonham Carter, "Harry Potter 5"

BODY OF WORK: Christian Bale

Jason Adams said...

FYC Everyone in Once for everything. I've been converted, Nat.

NATHANIEL R said...

JA, i think you must be doing penance for those awful things you said about the god of musical theater ;)

Jason Adams said...

You know, I did pick Once to watch because of guilt from your comment on that post, so you're not wrong there. I certainly didn't plan on absolutely loving it like I did though. I've been listening to the soundtrack all night - specifically "Falling Slowly" which I swear I had on repeat for an hour and a half straight - and I almost feel like popping in the DVD and watching it again tonight. Anyway, this is the sort of penance I can deal with. ;) back at ya.

c.p. iñor said...

FYC

Best Picture
ATONEMENT
HAIRSPRAY
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
ZODIAC

Best Director
JOEL & ETHAN COEN
DAVID FINCHER
SARAH POLLEY
JOE WRIGHT

Best Actor
CASEY AFFLECK
VIGGO MORTENSEN
GORDON PINSENT

Best Actress
AMY ADAMS
JULIE CHRISTIE
NICOLE KIDMAN
LAURA LINNEY

Best Supporting Actor
CHRISTIAN BALE (INT)
JAMES MARSDEN (Hairspray)
The ZODIAC Men (Downey, Gyllenhaal, Ruffalo)

Best Supporting Actress
KAIRA KNIGHTLEY
MICHELLE PFEIFFER
SAOIRSE RONAN
MARLEY SHELTON!!!!!! (Please!)

Breaktrough
NIKKI BLONSKY
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE (Alpha Dog)

Anonymous said...

FYC: Nicole Kidman Best actress in Margot At The Wedding and Best supporting actress for The Golden Compass

Amy Adams Best Actress for Enchanted James Marsden Best Supporting Actor

Atonement for Picture, Actor(Mcavoy) actress(Knightley) and supp actress(pick one of the three Bryones all awesome!)

Sam Brooks said...

FYC Actress!

Helena Bonham-Carter - Sweeney Todd
Anamaria Marinca - 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Tang Wei - Lust, Caution
Mirjana Karonovic - Fraulein
Ludivine Sagnier - La Filee Coupee En Deux
Do-Yeon Jeon - Secret Sunshine
Parker Posey - Broken English

FYC Supporting Actress

Vanessa Redgrave - Atonement
Joan Chen - Lust, Caution
Marisa Tomei - Before The Devil Knows You're Dead
Jennifer Garner - Juno

Glenn Dunks said...

Can I FYC against someone? Marketa Irglova. I'm fairly certain she's the main reason I don't care for Once.

I'm glad you liked Black Book though! I hope to see it somewhere in the awards.

Slayton said...

FYC:

Best Actor:
Simon Pegg - Hot Fuzz
Chris Cooper - Breach
Glen Hansard - Once

Best Actress:
Parker Posey - Broken English
Tabu - The Namesake
Brenda Blethyn - Introducing the Dwights
Marketa Irglova - Once

Best Supporting Actor:
Nick Frost - Hot Fuzz
Paul Rudd - Knocked Up
Irfan Khan - The Namesake
Irfan Khan - A Mighty Heart

Best Supporting Actress:
Leslie Mann - Knocked Up
Saoirse Ronan - Atonement
Allison Janney - Juno
Jennifer Garner - Juno
Margo Martindale - Paris, Je T'aime
Emily Blunt - The Jane Austen Book Club
Sylvie Testud - La Vie en Rose
Tea Leoni - You Kill Me
Marcia Gay Harden - The Mist
Archie Panjabi - A Mighty Heart

Slayton said...

OMFG, A special award for the girls from Grindhouse! Zoe, Mary, Vanessa, Sydney, Rose, Marley, Rosario, Tracy, Jordan and... I guess, Monica!

Steven said...

FYC

Picture, Original Screenplay - Once, Ratatouille

Actress - Helena Bonham Carter (Sweeney Todd), Amy Adams (Enchanted)

Supporting Actress - Romola Garai (Atonement)

Supporting Actor - James Marsden (Enchanted, Hairspray)

Sweeney for all technical aspects

Original Score - Ratatouille

Original Song - "Falling Slowly" or anything else (Once), "That's How You Know" (Enchanted), "Le Festin" (Ratatouille)

Line Reading - "I try really hard, actually." (Michael Cera, Juno), "Giselle!" *bites fist* (James Marsden, Enchanted)

Actor in a Limited Role - Sacha Baron Cohen (Sweeney Todd)

Actress in a Limited Role - Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement)

Breakthrough - Ed Sanders (Sweeney Todd)

Ensemble - Juno, Hairspray

Diva/Villain - Michelle Pfeiffer, take your pick

Hero/Villain - Remy/Anton Ego (Ratatouille)

Sex Scene - Keira Knightley & James McAvoy (Atonement)

Musical Number - "Good Morning, Baltimore" (Hairspray), Sweeney's "Johanna" & "By the Sea" (Sweeney Todd), "Falling Slowly" (Once), "That's How You Know" & "Happy Working Song" (Enchanted)

Best Ending - Ratatouille

~Steven

Steven said...

O yes, and Black Book and The Lives of Others if they fit in anywhere. I don't know if they're eligible this year for FB...

~Steven

Lyn said...

I agree "Black Book" was fantastic. Who knew that WWII and the Holocaust could seem at once horrific, and like a thrill ride?

My FYC: I thought Nicole Kidman had one of the best line readings of the year in the Golden Compass. I'm going to fuck it up, but it's that line in her first scene, where she turns to the head of the college and says something like: "you really must grant me this one little thing".

I could take five paragraphs unpicking why it was such a good moment - but suffice it to say, it seemed dangerous / menacing when there was absolutely nothing to suggest this in her demeanor. Loved it.

John P. said...

Oh yeah, for your 'breakthrough year'/'body of work' or whatev award: Josh Brolin. No Country, Grindhouse, American Gangster, and In the Valley of Elah - not that all of those films are good, but it's nice to see someone who actually deserves it have their profile raised so abruptly.

Anonymous said...

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

J U L I A N N E
M O O R E

for

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR CAMEO ROLE

in

"I'M NOT THERE"

c.p. iñor said...

oh... and NAOMI WATTS for Best Supporting Actress in EASTERN PROMISES.

NicksFlickPicks said...

This isn't an FYC, but I love this final edition of 20:07, both because I'm crazy about this scene and because I love what you have to say about it. Can't wait to watch Zodiac again before making all my lists. (OK, I'll allow one FYC: John Carroll Lynch as the suspected killer... he's great, creepy, and mundane, and he did good things for Things We Lost in the Fire, too. Maybe now I won't just think of him as the mallard-postage-stamp guy from Fargo. Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Anonymous said...

FYC:

Best Actor: Glen Hansard - Once

Best Actor: Gordon Pinsent - Away From Her

Cameo: Harold Ramis - Knocked Up

Best Art Direction: Ratatouille

Best Score: Ratatouille

Best Casting: Superbad

Best Poster Design: The Savages

Best Sex Scene - The Simpsons Movie

Best Musical Number from a Musical Film: Going To Acapulco - I'm Not There

Best Character Intro: Girl - Once

Best Title Sequence - Superbad

Best Line Reading: Jonah Hill - Superbad: "I WILL!

Best Line Reading: Chris Cooper - Breach: "Pray for me."

Best Line Reading: Peter O'Toole - Ratatouille: Take your pick

Best Ending - Superbad

Best Scene: Falling Slowly - Once

Best Scene: Learning Teamwork - Ratatouille

Best Scene: In the mirror before she leaves for the last time - Away From Her

Anonymous said...

Best Musical Performance in a Non-Musical Film - Justin Timberlake "All These Things That I Done" - Southland Tales

Anonymous said...

FYCs:

Halle Berry, "Things We Lost in the Fire"
Marketa Irglova, "Once"
Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises"
Paul Rudd, "Knocked Up"
Marion Cotillard, "La Vie En Rose"
James Marsden, "Hairspray"
Albert Finney, "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead"
Cate Blanchett, "I'm Not There"
Bianca, "Lars and the Real Girl" (oooh someone do this, just b/c it would be awesome)
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster"
Marcus Carl Franklin, "I'm Not There"
Keri Russell, "Waitress"
Sacha Baron Cohen, "Sweeney Todd"
Elijah Kelley, "Hairspray"
Jonah Hill & Michael Cera, "Superbad"
Jennifer Garner, "Juno"
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"
Ashley Judd, "Bug"
Sienna Miller, "Interview"

lylee said...

Well, you know my big FYC by now: (drum roll) Mr. Langella.

Btw, noticed you saw "Starting Out in the Evening" :-) but didn't like it. :-( What did you think of it? Perhaps most importantly, what did you think of Langella?

Other FYC's: Tang Wei; Tony Leung; Amy Adams; Irfan Khan; Jennifer Garner AND Allison Janney; James Marsden. Oh yes, and Viggo, but him I think you have covered. :-)

lylee said...

Oh yeah, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, and Matthew Goode all deserve your consideration for "The Lookout," as well...

As for Best Pic, "Ratatouille," "Lust, Caution," and "Persepolis" are all running in my own top 3 right now..."Once" likely to be fourth, unless "There Will Be Blood" (or anything else I see in the near future) rocks my world...so give them some love, too, please!

Anonymous said...

fyc: Julianne Moore as best actress in a limited role for "I'm Not There" by Todd Haynes....!

NATHANIEL R said...

Nick, thanks for the note on ZODIAC. I did find it odd that nobody was discussing it.

anywho...

Glenn Dunks said...

Oh, Christina Ricci's "Are you a pervert" and Tilda Swinton's "You don't want the money" are my favourite line readings of the year. Bless em each!

Anonymous said...

FYC everything Control and Lust Caution!

Anonymous said...

FYC:

-- disregarding the movies you've watched and talked a lot about through the year, because I assume you will consider them anyway :) --

12:08 East of Bucharest, hands-down my favourite release this year.

Hot Fuzz, especially for screenplay and editing.

3:10 to Yuma, for adapted screenplay and various acting categories, maybe music.

Across the Universe and Perfume for anything visual.

Das Leben der Anderen for Ulrich Mühe (who I think was elligible last year, but since others have mentioned him, I must concur. Truly a performance for the ages.)

Moasey said...

FYC...

Pic: Once
Director: Sarah Polley, AWAY FROM HER
Actor: Gordon Pinsent, AWAY FROM HER
Actress: Nicole Kidman, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING
Supporting Actor: Steve Zahn, RESCUE DAWN
Supporting Actress: Kelly MacDonald, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Colin Low said...

FYC: Hairspray for
Best Director
Best Supporting Actor (James Marsden)
Best Costume Design/Makeup
Best Musical Number

FYC: Lust, Caution for
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actress (Tang Wei)
Best Costume Design
Best Production Design/Art Direction