Ten TV Shows I'm Watching

Tuesday Top Ten: For the listmaker in me and the listlover in you

The days of Tivo / DVR have finally defeated me and I now find myself regularly watching television... even if I'm not really writing about it yet. No longer dependent on air times, I actually enjoy it --occasionally. Let's not get crazy! These are the (still running) shows I'm into...

10 (ok 12) Shows
I can sometimes be found watching Desperate Housewives.
Not by choice!

12 Top Chef (Bravo)
My hesitation with this show was always: you can't taste the food. That's still a problem. You can hear the singing and watch the dancing and consider the clothing on various other game shows. You can't taste food if it's on your TV. Licking the screen doesn't won't help. That said, I watch it sometimes. Padma Lakshmi's weirdly droning voice doesn't even bother me anymore. Her skirts do. They are so tight I fear they run afoul of safety condition requirements for the kitchen. The sexy rump is sure to distract the chefs and they're working with fire. I've only got to keep one hand on the remote.

11 Make Me a SuperModel (BBC/Bravo)
I was stunned to discover that America actually did this show better than Britain (we usually mess up transfers) not that it isn't still stoopid. That said: pretty people being very pretty (and often naked) is good disposable TV ... with less of the rampant delusion and repetition that ANTM's 209th cycle will bring you. Plus: it's unisex. I'm for that (see also: #1)

10 Moonlight (CBS)
This is my guilty pleasure. Only there's little pleasure and lots of guilt. It's really terrible. It's so terribly written I've considered writing down the names and... um... doing something with the names. Voodoo dolls maybe? Gift baskets full of garlic?

You don't really need sunglasses to watch this show. You need earplugs.

But you're aware of my soft spot for the vampiric. And bad acting aside, I like both leads for some reason. I even hate the bad '80s inspired set design. Why am I watching this? What's wrong with me???

09 Step it Up & Dance (Bravo)
As a big fan of Showgirls, dance heavy musicals and "body flight" (thanks Strictly Ballroom), this was a natural fit for me. However... I'm considering dropping it from my DVR. For a show on Bravo it sure does feel homophobic. Every f'ing week the judges bitch that certain male dancers are too feminine and praise the"masculine" ones for just that even as they acknowledge their bad technique. We get it. You're the type of fags who write "straight acting" in their 'what are you looking for?' dating profiles. Issues!!! Please keep those between you and your therapists, judges. Please and thanks.

08 Big Love (HBO)
I don't have HBO so I have to wait for the DVDs but I think it's a strong show and definitely a unique one. I'm especially fond of Jeanne Tripplehorne's work (who'd have thunk it back in the Basic Instinct bad-acting days?) It's disappointing that she's not nominated for Best Actress @ the Emmys. But then Emmys and disappointment go hand in hand. It's the law.

07 Weeds (Showtime)
Mary Louise Parker forever! Billy Crudup's life choices confuse me.

06 Torchwood (BBC)
It appeals to the same geek pieces of me that Buffy bulls-eyed, only its not as strong thematically or as consistent in its quality. That said, it's fun, weird, genre-loving and unapologetically queer... a thrilling combo that nothing else on TV can claim.

The team (sniffle) as it was. Two of them died in the season finale.

05 Brothers & Sisters (ABC)
All of its weaknesses are still present (hysterical drama and overdone comedy even at times it should pull back, so many characters that not all of them get interesting stories, boring business deals, Calista Flockhart's story lines if not Calista Flockhart) but the most important selling point of any scripted show is characters the audience falls in love & comfort with and wants to spend time with every week. And on that count it's grade "A"

04 Project Runway (Bravo)
This used to be the best thing on television but there were times during this past season that I just wanted to scream. Couldn't they have just one episode where they just make pretty dresses instead of fulfilling some random stupid gimmicky corporate-sponsored "challenge" So maybe it's jumped the shark. I'm definitely worried about the move to Lifetime. We'll see. It's "on notice"

03 30 Rock (NBC)
The only show on television that makes me laugh so hard that I have to hit pause once or twice to recover. I am a Krak addict. They don't use Ms. Jane Krakowski enough... but the rest of the show is hilarious enough to compensate.

02 Pushing Daisies (ABC)
When is this coming back on? I'm dying here. I need its whimsy and its anti-depressent pies in my tiny unmusical life.

01 Battlestar Galactica (Sci-Fi)
One of the greatest shows of all time. Why? Oh I don't know... endlessly fascinating characters, brilliant rug-pull plotting, intellectual and emotional rigor. Take your pick. Even when it errs or tries too hard you can always be sure that it's trying. More movies and TV shows should. Not for this show any coasting. It wants to be great. It often is.

If you're still not watching, I may never be able to convince you. Your loss. Do you happen to vote on the Emmys? You'll start with the miniseries on DVD if you're finally ready to be sucked into its intergalactic maelstrom.

And you?

Do you watch any of these shows? Would you like to see a weekly television column here? Which shows are you faithful to week in and week out? And which are you running out of patience with? I'm full of questions.
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Rainbow and the City

With summer movie season now starting I've nearly dangerous bloodhype levels. I can't look at one more commercial or poster. There's like a biweekly remix of the The Dark Knight trailer at this point (and the movie is still two months away). I want to see all the movies right now, before i'm sick of any of them --like Sex & The City: The Movie. Must crash this party before I see one more gown...


Too late! Speaking of crashing this party, if you wanna win tickets to the NYC premiere (May 27th) and an after party (SJP and her galpals probably not included... or under heavy protective posse surveillance), click on over to Modern Tonic where you can enter a contest to do just that. Just thought I'd let you know even though that means more competition for yours truly. I'm self-sacrificing like that.

Cellulink

Go Fug Yourself Sharon Stone: Fug or Fab?
Movie Morlocks celebrates old movie marquees. Love these photos
Hollywood Ink The Tentpole of Dumb
Modern Fabulousity has a terrific post on great moments you can currently experience on the Broadway stage. It's a smart witty guide to the main stem whether you've seen the shows already or not. Use it to choose. Tony nominations coming soon...

My New Plaid Pants celebrates the Clooney on his birthday
The Guardian meets with Liza Minelli
Fabulon celebrates "Dame Angela Bassett"
Slant a roundup of their Tribeca coverage

Lustrous Silvery Metal Turns Gold

As I predicted Iron Man grossed $100 mil on opening weekend. Total worldwide cume as I type this is already past $200.


Some initial much lower estimates claimed that Iron Man was not the household name that Spider-Man or Batman were and are and couldn't therefore gross in their level. But what people rarely considered in opening weekend monetary terms is that Iron Man is super accessible. You don't need that familiarity. Think about it: It's not magic. It's not a mutation. No radioactive arachnid required, no fake science like cosmic or gamma rays to be explained. His story needs little of the conventional suspension of disbelief required for superhero movies... just the amount you need for big action movies. It's the story of a guy building a weapon. Iron Man is a machine. It's almost like hearing about a movie starring a robot. .. and robots have been hugely popular in the movies since the days of the silents. Hello Metropolis.

The box office success should lift second tier Iron Man up in the overall ranks of comic heroes though still below the top 4 that are unarguably and instantly recognizable to all generations: Marvel's Spider-Man and DCs big 3: Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman. I'm glad he'll be getting a sequel (currently expected in 2010) because I liked the movie but it was longer on origin story than it needed to be which makes the urge to rewatch less intense. But all told, a fun night at the movies as you already know. (I'm late to this one since I was unavailable over the weekend)

On the plus side: superb casting of the principles (especially our man Tony Stark), Robert Downey Jr knows to play this like he aint even trying... though obviously he's doing a lot for the film, terrific visual effects, the "cameo" by S.H.I.E.L.D. and highly enjoyable chemistry --more Tony & Pepper please! On the down side: muddled politics, a complete waste of Terrence Howard, a so-so climactic battle (Iron Monger's bark was way worse than his bite) and that tease of a coda.

All in all a solid superhero film but nothing that won't be supplanted as "the best ever" by collective short term memory as soon as the next solid and entertaining superhero film opens. For what it's worth: Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, X2 and Superman 2 (and whichever Batman installment you're in the mood for today) remain the seemingly unbreakable top five of "best" as this genre goes.

Regarding that post-credit Iron Man coda: Seriously, you naughty naughty corporations. Don't bait me with movies you're not ever going to deliver! There's not going to be an Avengers film (already announced for 2011) or a Justice League film (already on indefinite hold). I don't believe it. I know you hear differently elsewhere. But as ever I must ask: What is the financial upside for the studios? You think more people would go just because two superheroes were in a movie rather than one? Why pay 5 to 7 A list salaries when you can pay 1 or 2 and sometimes you don't even need to pay that (Superman Returns)? Show me an instance in any superhero franchise where adding characters also added to the revenue. Didn't the Batman and Spider-Man films get more and more crowded as they went? Did their profits also increase? No. The box office is still going to be in the $200 range... $300 to $400 if you make pure mainstream magic (like Spider-Man). Five heroes won't quintuple your profit but it sure will triple your budget.

Here's a chart of the box office performance of superhero movies (not adjusted for inflation). Spider-Man is on top. Right where he should be given that his films (#3 excepted) are the best. And if you're really a bean counter here is Marvel's current financial report.

index of reviews or back to the main blog for fresh postings or peek at any of the labels belows for more on these actors and topics...
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Vanity Fair's Hollywood ~ Episode 6 (2000)

Missed other episodes? See: 1995 , 1996, 1997, 1998 , 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005

In 2000, Vanity Fair recovered from the grungy altogether dull 1999 cover with a pared down (only 9 people) lustier version of Young Hollywood which they called Splendor in the Grass. Speaking of Splendor (61)... none of these hopefuls will be able to stand next to Natalie Wood & Warren Beatty in the pantheon of movie stars but you can forgive them for dreaming. That's what Tinseltown is about.


This cover is the one with the least variance in age. They could have called it 20something. We didn't know it at the time but this would mark the end of the "up and coming" VF lineups. They'd start experimenting with the format thereafter. Yes, this was the last consecutive year in which the pictorial spread was meant to represent future A-Listers... (i.e. young actors with great publicists). Is it because their lineups had been getting progressively more speculative and therefore disappointing or would it have happened anyway?

Penelope Cruz , turning 26, had the press both legitimate and otherwise in the beginnings of a frenzy having just co-starred in Pedro Almodovar's Oscar winning All About My Mother and expected to become a big star with her first headlining gig in an English language movie (Woman on Top) and future gigs wherein she had been cast opposite three leading Hollywood stars (Matt Damon in All The Pretty Horses, Johnny Depp in Blow and Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky). Her profile raising relationship with Cruise was just around the corner. Audiences didn't warm to her as quickly as the tabloids (and Vanity Fair) but her ubiquity paid off and she became a big star. It took another 8 years and another reteaming with Pedro (in his biggest US hit Volver) to win her true respect Stateside though she was already a superstar in Spain.

Wes Bentley and Mena Suvari both 21, were white hot after Oscar's Best Picture of 1999, American Beauty. They're pictured here with their Beauty co-star Thora Birch (who was conspicuously absent from this 'new stars!' focused cover even while her co-stars got the actual cover). Big things were expected from all. Mena surprised new fans by marrying the much older cinematographer Robert Brinkmann this year (21 is very young for a Young Hollywood member to settle down). But since Mena came to embody the heteronormative "schoolgirl" fantasy for millions of moviegoers, she still enjoys relatively high levels of fame from this movie (and perhaps American Pie --also in 99) alone. Nothing she's done in the decade since accounts for her continued Q rating.

Wes, who won ever more critical acclaim for Beauty, kept a low profile thereafter appearing in at most one film a year for a few years and until 2007, in which he suddenly had roles in four films (Ghost Rider was the biggest hit among them), he had disappeared altogether from screens.

Marley Shelton 26 had been busy for the two years prior to this cover co-starring in films like Never Been Kissed, Pleasantville and The Bachelor. When this cover arrived she was enjoying frequent employment and the following year, 2001, four movies arrived featuring the blond beauty including the teen girl crime comedy Sugar and Spice and Bubble Boy with Jake Gyllenhaal who had already carried a film (October Sky) when this cover arrived. Why wasn't he on it? Big things didn't materialize for Marley but her funny trembling performance in Grindhouse: Planet Terror (2007) will hopefully renew interest.

A fashion shoot with Shelton & Klein during this same time period

Chris Klein was 21 and had been plucked from high school obscurity for Alexander Payne's Election. Hollywood immediately latched on to him casting him in several projects including American Pie, Rollerball and We Were Soldiers over the following few years. Like Bentley he disappeared round about 2002 for a few years. In fact this absence from screens coincides oddly with his entire three year engagement to Katie Holmes (called off in 2005). The career was much quieter upon his return but could get noisier. He has four films due out soon including the videogame adaptation Street Fighter.

Selma Blair about to turn 28 was the oldest actor on the cover and was at the time the lead on a short lived sitcom called Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane (she was Zoe). Her career has been low on buzz but long on employment. Blair has stayed mostly in supporting roles and even though she's been typecast as the stuffy girlfriend/spouse, she's been featured in a wide range of projects from John Waters comedies (she's hilarious in A Dirty Shame) mainstream rom-coms (Legally Blonde), controversial indies (Storytelling) and superhero films (Hellboy and its sequel arriving any moment now).

Paul Walker 26 was roughly in the same position as Shelton. Though featured in several movies prior to this cover he hadn't yet staked his claim to fame. He would become the second biggest star here even as his projects rarely inched above the B level. It would take The Fast and The Furious the following year to raise him to the status he currently clings to tenaciously despite only mild hits afterward. Though Hollywood doesn't usually have a lot of use for the pretty boy blondes (DiCaprio and Pitt being the A list exceptions) he has managed keep himself viable for leading man roles as he enters the prime age for them in Hollywood (It skews older than actresses of course). He's returning to the role that made him famous (another sequel to The Fast and the Furious) which is probably not a good idea at he enters his mid 30s. He needs a film with more weight if he wants to attract meatier projects and keep the leading man status going well into his 40s.

Jordana Brewster (had to look up her name) was turning 20. She still routinely makes Hot 100 lists of lustworthy celebrities but otherwise there's not much going on in her career. Even in the early Aughts when people barely knew he she was the media was pushing for major stardom. After the surprise smash The Fast and the Furious she returned to college and has only appeared in four movies since 2001.

Sarah Wynter 27, was virtually unknown when this cover was published, having done only TV guest spots and a couple minor film roles. One assumes she snagged the cover for her upcoming role opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger (pre-Governator) in The Sixth Day (2000). None of her subsequent films (Bride of the Wind, Farewell My Love among them) were hits and she turned to television with recurring roles on 24, The Dead Zone and Windfall

median age: 24. Youngest: Jordana Brewster was still 19 when Leibovitz shot this cover. Oldest: Selma Blair was the granny here (nearly 28). Her career isn't exactly A-list but I bet a lot of actors would kill for it: steady employment, always around in some way or another.
collective Oscar noms before this cover: None
collective Oscar noms after this cover: Only one but it was thrilling/deserved: Penélope Cruz in Volver (see: previous posts)
fame levels in 2008, according to famousr, from most to least: Paul Walker, Chris Klein, Mena Suvari, Selma Blair, Jordana Brewster and Marley Shelton (Cruz and Wynter are not listed on the website --I think they would safely be first and last among this line-up)
see also: 1995 ,1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
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Bai Link

A Socialite's Life Bai Ling rubs up to Jason Statham on the set of Crank 2. This is the first time that I can honestly relate to her crazy ass.
Rob Scheer welcomes Downey Jr back
Burbanked has a great personalized story about sound advice given for making it in Hollywood
The Moment "Very" free association on Sex & The City
Vonnie K has a million screencaps of Wings of the Dove (1998) and I'm suddenly in love with the movie all over again
Lazy Eye Theater in awe of Paul Rudd's career. Hasn't seen I Could Never Be Your Woman.
Ferdy on Film The Dance Movie Blog-a-Thon (all week long)
Everything I Know... the latest rumor about Hugh Jackman's eventual return to Broadway.

Quantum Mechanix has Battlestar Galactica propaganda. I love it. [src]
Dear Jesus celebrates the pee-pee in motion pictures
The Passionate Moviegoer on Vertigo's journey from flop to masterpiece (and other films that've made the switch)
Low Resolution on Iron Man
Variety on Scott Rudin's support of a great new Norwegian film Reprise
Time unveils the "100 Most Influential" -congrats TFE favs Mia Farrow and Brad & Angelina
FilmMaker Magazine wraps their Tribeca journey

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Bet'cha thought I was gonna post a pic of Gael García Bernal...

okay okay, you were right. I can't resist. But he has to share the holiday with other famed Mexican stars. I've only been to Mexico once (Los Cabos, for a little vacay) but after seeing Mexican movies hog the world cinema lineup at the IIFF I figured we'd celebrate.

clockwise from top left: amazingly prolific Marío Almada, Dolores Del Rio started om the silents and was the first Mexican movie star to enjoy international fame, one of the world's greatest actors Gael García Bernal (Bad Education, Amores Perros), Hollywood's current favorite Mexican Salma Hayek and heartthrob Diego Luna (Y Tu Mama Tambien, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. He'll be in Gus Van Sant's Milk later this year)

clockwise from top left: Two time Oscar winner Anthony Quinn (La Strada, Lust for Life, Zorba the Greek, Lawrence of Arabia), "The Three Amigos" brilliant Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, Y Tu Mama Tambien), miserabilism spokesperson Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel, Amores Perros) and the fantastical Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth, The Devil's Backbone), WrathfulRicardo Montalban, Mulholland Dr's Laura Harring who should work a whole lot more --come on Hollywood!-- and Oscar nominated Adriana Barraza (Babel).

Naked Gold Man: And We're Off! Are We?

Restoring the Sunday Oscar series (or: season 2. episode 1) in which we pen the the Oscar focused topics into Sundays so as to prevent Oscar fatigue before the pre season madness begins...

Where are the future Oscar nominees?

Last year by this time -- 4 months and one week into the year-- we had seen three of our eventual Oscar nominees, and two of them were biggies: Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress candidates (Away From Her) and [gulp] a Make Up nod (Norbit). Apart from Iron Man's visual f/x (you can probably ink that down) and maybe sound... is there anything out there that AMPAS could remember by year's end? Will Iron Man's jet-pack ignite the very earliest of the early bird nods? What else is there?

Best Picture, Director, Screenplays? Zilch. The Academy has previously shown a liking for the great playwright Martin McDonagh who wrote and directed the crime comedy In Bruges but despite winning somewhat surprised fans, it didn't make enough waves. Stop-Loss (my review) had the heavy-weight topic you need for awardage but not the reviews or audiences. That's a no go, too.

Performances? There's two leads playing (or about to) that we could conceivably see as eventual Oscar ...um... Indie Spirit nominees? Richard Jenkins for The Visitor and Famke Janssen for Turn the River (see previous post) will have their fans but Oscar bids remain far fetched. Even to make it all the way until the Spirits, they'll need a committed team and a heap of luck. We'll see.

Otherwise
Young @ Heart is a real crowd pleasing documentary but it's always risky to assume that any particular film will show up in the documentary race... it's not always even clear which films will prove eligible. I suppose Horton Hears a Who could land itself in the animated feature three-spot but the year is young and much ballyhooed contestants are still to come.

Finally, there's the off chance that an early contender could score in Costume Design. That branch of the Academy isn't as beholden to the rest of the competitive Oscar field as some others. To paraphrase Fleetwood Mac 'they can go their own way... go their own waay--ayy-aay'... The candidates thus far: Louise Frogley did 20s work on Leatherheads. George Clooney loves her --she's provided his threads in five films already. On the other hand, the Academy has yet to notice her strengths; There's period gowns and even a lingerie fashion show from Michael O'Connor (never nominated) in Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day; Most likely given previous track records, AMPAS could opt for the great Sandy Powell's royal and elaborate gowns from The Other Boleyn Girl...Best Most Costume Design!

Slave driving two-time Oscar winner Sandy Powell forces ScarJo to mend her
own gowns on the set of The Other Boleyn Girl.

Do you see any early birds within Oscar's eventual nominees or do you think Iron Man's cocky "oh yeah. I can fly" visual and/or sound effects will be the only contender from 2008's releases to date?

Wherefore Art Thou, Michelle?

I swear I'm not going to post about Michelle Pfeiffer every single day during the filming of Chéri. I'm not. To you non pfanatics who faithfully read The Film Experience, I salute you for your time-tested patience. If you are a pfanatic here's your chance to stare at the screen goddess on a lonely balcony for 4 minutes. Waiting for her Romeo no doubt. This looks to have been shot during the primping, blocking and filming of what we assume will be (at most) a 15 second shot in the actual film.



Michelle is looking very breasty in a nightgown while she gazes into the sky.

One assumes the character of Lea, a former courtesan, will do a lot of waiting around haughtily/gorgeously/sensationally for her troublesome young lover Chéri (Rupert Friend, Keira Knightley's man, pictured left, who you'll remember from Pride & Prejudice as the pretty but loathsome sister-stealing Mr. Wickham).

Would that this were a musical and Michelle/Lea could suddenly lift both arms heavenward on the balcony of the Casa Rosada and sing "Don't Cry For Me (Mon Cher Chéri)" I'll bet the evident backlighting here is going to beautify the shot considerably. Darius Khondji, Evita's own Oscar-nominated cinematographer in fact, does DP duty here. Ouiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.

Festival's End

Days 7 & 8
Nathaniel, concluding his report from the Indianapolis International Film Festival. I'm back in New York, sweet bustling megalopolis o' mine. I have to say a big thank you to the IIFF volunteers, particularly festival director Brian Owens who invited me. He took his long-time film obsession and really built something from scratch that more and more people come to enjoy annually and which continues to expand the cultural landscape of his home city. That's quite something. Well done.

Here's what went down as far as awardage goes from the three juries and audience.

American Spectrum Grand Jury Prize Feature -Pop Skull (trailer) directed by Adam Wingard is the first horror film to win the grand jury prize in this film festival's history. Hopefully Nick will give us more info on this particular competition.
Documentary Jury Grand Prize -Beyond Belief directed by Beth Murphy
is about two American widows who travel to Afghanistan after losing their husbands in the 9/11 attacks.
Audience Award Narrative Feature -Mongol directed by Sergei Bodrov
This was one of the Oscar nominees last year as you know and will be opening on June 6th. Though it was definitely a handsome production it's still maddening to think about ---all the nominees are --given that the great 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days didn't even make the finalist list for that category. (Yes, it's going to be really hard to let that one go) Mongol, a bio on the early years of Genghis Khan, has strong technical merit and it sure is epic. Yet, for all the blood and guts I think it played like comfort food for the festival audiences who had been wading through a sea of tiny budgeted slow paced films before its premiere late in the festival.
Audience Award Documentary -Trying to Get Good directed by Doug McIntyre & Penny Peyser is a jazz documentary about Jack Sheldon

You can see more jury prizes at the official site and festival goodies at the IIFF blog

World Cinema -My Section
I saw several good films that I'd recommend people see but few came without drawbacks or a shortfall that would make me hesitate before shouting "BEST". In the end, and I've heard this from other juries too, we ended up going with a compromise choice that shocked all of us in how comfortable we were arriving at it. You see, it's the furthest thing from a comfortable film. Our Grand Jury Prize went to a Russian entry from Aleksei Balabanov called Cargo 200. Plot descriptions don't do it justice but the title refers to the coffins that transported unfortunate Russian soldiers back from Afghanistan in the 80s. That said it's not a war film. We never meet a soldier and the film follows several disparate characters of various political and spiritual persuasions that all become entangled in the dead of night at a remote house where an ex con sells grain spirit. Bad shit goes down. It's partially a pitch black comedy, partially a political scream and partially... well, it's a wholly challenging film. Yet at the end of our deliberations the mutual admiration was clear: it was the cinematic vision that made it to the screen with the most force and the least compromise. So that's where our top prize went.

Our jury also gave a prize to the soulful lead performance from the Mexican family drama Burn the Bridges. Irene Azuelas (pictured) wonderfully plays a young woman who clings to her dying mother and wandering brother with self-negating and stubborn passion. Bridges was generally well liked among our jury (Cargo 200 being more divisive) but we all agreed that Irene was the key to the latter film's success. The other film that was warmly regarded by all was another from Mexico, It's Better if Gabriela Doesn't Die, which is about the writer of an outlandish telenovela and the cop who loves his show a little too much. That film was a hit with the audience, too. I think it stumbles drunkenly in its last act but it was the most purely enjoyable film in the world cinema section so the urge to hand it something didn't surprise or upset me.

I was halfheartedly pushing for something for the Italian film In Memory of Myself, which is about novice members of a Catholic monastery. I was caught up in its quiet spell, oddly menacing score, and especially its hypnotic choreographed camera movements. The other jurors thought it flat. Fair enough... it was a little sealed off and opaque. There was a faction of festival volunteers who were hoping we'd award the Spanish film In the City of Sylvia, another divisive entry, but we didn't bite. I'd write about the film but I fear sudden narcolepsy (...and I can sit through slow movies. I saw the four hour La Belle Noiseuse in theaters and two of those hours, I swear, were just Michel Piccoli sketching!) and besides, Nick already said it all in his review. We rarely see completely eye to eye on movies but "what he said" exactly in this particular case.

For short films our Grand Jury Prize went to the brief but elliptically potent drama Ten to Two which is about a sad day in the life of a driving instructor. Our jury also dug Spider (which won the audience award) and the exquisitely photographed but puzzling Son. [A notable aside: Son stars Nathalie Press (My Summer of Love) who also played a troubled mother in the Oscar-winning short film Wasp. So if this film ends up nominated you'll know she's an golden talisman for short filmmakers.] Finally, for animation we unanimously got behind Lapsus (pictured) which is about a curious nun of limited vocabulary. You can watch the first 50 seconds of this hilarious short on YouTube. It only gets better from there. Too bad ya can't see it all. Finis.

"ohmygodohmygodohmygod"

Quote of the Day

You've written a French film --you need an American director.

~Warren Beatty to the screenwriters of Bonnie & Clyde as told in Mark Harris's addictive tome Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of New Hollywood. It's no surprise that it's a real page turner for Oscar fanatics. I can't read it fast enough.

I Dream of Glenn

Mobile post sent by nathanielr using Utterz. Replies. mp3

Five-Twelfths Of Oh-Eight Equals...?

Howdy, y'all. JA from MNPP here, contributing a lil' conversation to The Film Experience whilst Nat's off rubbing elbows and nobbing hobs with the Indianapolis elite.

So it's May 2nd, and with today's release of The "Robert Downey Jr. Is Really Worth The Insurance Costs, Guys" Movie, it marks Summer Movie Season. Cue shit blowed up real good. Not to knock The Cinema of Sweaty Season - did I mention I'm typing this from the spot I've been camped out at for three months waiting for Speed Racer to open next week? Christina Ricci is Trixie, yall! - but as I feel my gears snapping into place for "Must Try And Enjoy Mindless Entertainment For What It Is" Mode, I find myself having a realization - I haven't exactly been working on "Prove Those Debt Collectors Wrong About Your Film Studies Degree" Mode, meaning I haven't been seeing too much to be proud of so far here into 2008.

We're five months into the year! It's nearly halfway over, and looking at the list of new movies I've caught in the theater so far... it's a little on the dire side. I don't mean to call 2008 a wash quite yet but, if the Oscars were tomorrow, what would my Best Picture nominees be? Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Cloverfield? Blurgh. (mind you I liked both of those films)

I know, I could be better about seeking out the more obscure gems that get the raves. I do live in NYC after all, and have easy access to a constant stream of, let's say, the more intellectually alive sort of film-making I'm calling out 2008 for a supposed lack of. This is my own doing, this cage of popcorn hell I find myself ensconced in, staring at a Summer ahead of only more of the same.

But in order to be more positive (yay positive!), here are five things - in no specific order - that I have seen in theaters so far this year and have really fallen in love with. And I hope you'll share in the comments what you've enjoyed so far of this year's cinematic offerings to get me to shut up on a sorry state that really never was.


Colin Farrell in In Bruges and Cassandra's Dream - Farrell was the MVP of both of these pics in my opinion, and it served as a more-than-welcome one-two punch reminder of just how talented an actor he can be. I loved In Bruges altogether, and even against the hysterically profane fun Ralph Fiennes was having I came out of the theater quite taken with Farrell's work. I had a lot more trouble with Cassandra's Dream as a film, but again thought Farrell stole the show.


Jena Malone and Laura Ramsey in The Ruins - I know, scoff if you must; get it all out of your systems. The Ruins was a bit of a let-down from the high expectations I had going in having been a fan of Scott Smith's relentless novel, but Malone and Ramsey are shockingly excellent here. Selling genuine terror is as tough a job as any actor gets, and both actresses are so good at what they're selling that there are moments when it's hard to look at the screen. I was especially taken with Malone's performance because it was so unexpected - I've seen Jena Malone in many roles over the years, and she crafts an entirely different person in this film than I've ever seen come from her, without once feeling disingenuous. Quite simply, I thought it was one of the best horror performances I've seen in years.


Fear(s) of the Dark - An animated horror anthology film that I caught a special screening of earlier this year, it has no release date plans that I can see - anybody know's any info, let me know. Fear(s) is funny and terrifying and visually stunning; I can't heap enough high praise on this one. Seek it out if you can. Charles Burns, y'all.


Josh Pais as the gynecologist in Teeth - A sentimental fave. That's him playing peekaboo behind a thoroughly flummoxed - and really terrific - Jess Weixler as the toothy-crotched lead. I've become a big fan of Pais ever since he played Molly Shannon's sour boss in last year's Year of the Dog, and whenever he pops up onscreen I smile. Add to that smile a tug-of-war with the mystical beast known as the Vagina Dentata, and it was meant to be. Love. This flick's out on DVD next week and definitely worth a rental; much fun.


Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Stop-Loss - I wish he'd had more to do in the film; hell, I sorta wish the film had been about him and not Ryan & Abbie's "Everything You Need To Know About The Home-front" Tour '08. But as usual, when Joe's on-screen there's no looking away. Okay, I might've not been looking at him when Channing Tatum was in his underwear rolling around in the dirt, but that was totally cheating on Mr. Tatum's part.

Alright y'all - your turn! What's been 2008's cinematic highlights so far?
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Now Playing on 36,000 Screens

Patrick Dempsey is McDreamin' about that hot rod red. In theaters everywhere!

I kid. I kid. Iron Man is opening (in case you just woke up from a year long coma) but it's only playing at 4,000+ screens. God, it'll take forever until it makes its way to your tiny neighborhood multiplex. If you don't feel like rockin and rollin with Marvel Comic's latest cash cow you can always check out buzzy leftovers from last year's festival circuit: Son of Rambow and XXY, finally making their way to the US. There's also that Patrick Dempsey / Michelle Monaghan romantic comedy Made of Honor but I'm guessing that if you've seen its trailer + episode of Grey's Anatomy + My Best Friend's Wedding, you've already seen it and enjoyed it more than you will this time... guessing!

Coming Soon ~ Film Group Experience

Tune in or really commit and play along!


I'm not going to have much time to post over the next few days as the festival ends & partying and travel back to NYC begin, but I'm giving you the heads up on some upcoming topics. And a calendar to live by! (I'm imagining you all chanting "So say we all" -don't disappoint me) I know I haven't always been the most punctual writer in terms of my promises but I keep on trying and I have my strengths --f'rinstance: when have you ever had to go a day without something to read or look at on TFE?

Cast This
Each month I'll give you the title of the book I'm going to read and on the last Thursday of the month you can discuss with me and throw casting ideas about! It's a cinematic twist on the book club. If you are illiterate and come here for the pretty movie star pictures, you'll have to stare dumbly at the screen one day a month. My apologies.

May's book: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
This was recommended by a couple of readers as a "can't miss" and up for both a Hugo and a World Fantasy award in 2001. So let's take them on their word.

Requested Retrospectives
I'll do my best to stay on track. A calendar for you and me. Here are the tentative dates by which I will discuss movies and hopefully completely clear my backlog of promises so we can start fresh by fall. If you screen these prior to the post/review/discussion, I guarantee: more fun. Plus, it's a good incentive to stop putting off seeing something you've always meant to. You're not alone: the three movies with the asterisks here I have never seen.

5/12 The Piano (1993) netflix / greencine / blockbuster
5/15 Network (1976) netflix / greencine / blockbuster
* 5/19 Abba: The Movie (1977) netflix / blockbuster
5/26 Moulin Rouge! (2001) "An Object of My Obsession (Pt 3)"
5/29 Cast This: The Curse of Chalion (i.e. book club)
* 6/02 A Touch of Evil (1958) netflix / greencine / blockbuster
* 6/09 Julia (1977) netflix / blockbuster
6/12 Maurice (1987) netflix / greencine / blockbuster

Play along. But be patient if I run late. Normal blogging will also occur (duh)

[P.S. These aren't blog-a-thons in the traditional sense but if you happen to write about these in time or in conjunction with the discussions here, let me know and I'll link up under "further reading" -Nathaniel]

Happy May Day!

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Your horoscope for the day: Refrain from traveling to isolated islands and investigating staged child murders, if at all possible. If a naked woman enters your hotel room and begins to dance in an odd, jaunty manner, pack up your belongings and leave immediately. And under absolutely no circumstances should you climb into the belly of any giant statues made out of sticks.

Happy Pagan-hunting!
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Javier Bardem in Nine

If you've always wanted to see Javier Bardem doing his best Marcello Mastroianni only with musical numbers you're out of luck. The Oscar winner has dropped out of Rob Marshall's upcoming movie musical adaptation of Broadway's Nine (itself an adaptation of Federico Fellini's 8½) at a very late stage. [src]

I don't mean to be alarmist but I'd bet a significant dollar amount that you'll see at least a few of the big name women in his orbit do the same. Who drops out next... Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz or Sophia Loren?

2007 offered plenty of options for fans of the musical genre but 2008 and 2009 look comparatively bare. Someone make a good one quick!