A school boy named Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) is given a project to complete by his social studies teacher Eugene Simonet (Kevin Spacey). His task is to come up with a plan that will change the world through direct action.
On his way home from school later that day, Trevor notices a homeless man, and decides he's going to try make a difference in his life and takes him home with him.
Trevor then comes up with a plan to ‘Pay it Forward’ by doing a good deed for three people who must in return each do good deeds for three other people.
The movie is based on a book by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and is one of my favourite movies of all time.
Free to air channel e-tv had it on this afternoon, and I again (must be the 10th time) balled my eye balls out watching the end. But not just the end, the idea of it all…
A little boy in search of hope is inspired by his teacher to change the world. His own life is troubled with his father gone, and a mom who works a lot and has a drinking problem…which means Trevor’s gotta take care of himself.
Trevor loves his mom, and wants her to overcome her problems, but he knows its something she can’t do by herself. So ‘Pay it Forward’, Trevor’s concept, doing something for somebody that they can’t do for themselves (Some intervention is definitely needed in my life right now) is born.
The end is heartbreaking…Trevor tries to help out a friend who is being attacked by bullies. He tries to fight them off…but can’t. One of the boys pulls out a knife…
*sniff sniff.
And stabs Trevor…and he dies. How very sad...
As a side note. I’m really looking forward to Will Smith’s movie Pursuit of Happyness…I just love this touchy feely types.
Sunday 28 January 2007
Wednesday 24 January 2007
Oscar Nominations
Oscar Nominations
I have never been interested in the British royal family and could not give a damn what they get up to and what they are thinking.
I saw the queen and all I can say is that Helen Mirren was good (given that I do not know the queen and have had little opportunity to see her in action. All I have to say is that I think it is much easier to portray a real character than to figure out how to make a fictional character real.
So having said that I think there should be a separate category for true life portrayals and fictional ones.
Also saw Blood Diamonds in the past couple of days apparently, Leo has the most authentic South African accent. And it is true. It was very clever the way they worked in the my broer and my chinas into the dialogue. Except, the character that Leo plays is from Zim, hhhmmm. Was a good movie and can’t really say anything bad about. You can’t say anything bad about such movies, movies like Schindler’s list and Hotel Rwanda etc. It is just bad taste.
Courtesy of http://www.oscar.org/
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson” (THINKFilm)
Peter O’Toole in “Venus” (Miramax, Filmfour and UK Council)
Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland” (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children” (New Line)
Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed” (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz in “Volver” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
Helen Mirren in “The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)
Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox)
Kate Winslet in “Little Children” (New Line)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Best animated feature film of the year
“Cars” (Buena Vista) John Lasseter
“Happy Feet” (Warner Bros.) George Miller
“Monster House” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Gil Kenan
Achievement in art direction
“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Art Direction: John Myhre Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
“The Good Shepherd” (Universal) Art Direction: Jeannine OppewallSet Decoration: Gretchen Rau and Leslie E. Rollins
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Art Direction: Eugenio CaballeroSet Decoration: Pilar Revuelta
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista)Art Direction: Rick HeinrichsSet Decoration: Cheryl A. Carasik
“The Prestige” (Buena Vista)Art Direction: Nathan CrowleySet Decoration: Julie Ochipinti
Achievement in cinematography
“The Black Dahlia” (Universal) Vilmos Zsigmond
“Children of Men” (Universal) Emmanuel Lubezki
“The Illusionist” (Yari Film Group) Dick Pope
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Guillermo Navarro
“The Prestige” (Buena Vista) Wally Pfister
Achievement in costume design
“Curse of the Golden Flower” (Sony Pictures Classics) Yee Chung Man
“The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox) Patricia Field
“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Sharen Davis
“Marie Antoinette” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Milena Canonero
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Consolata Boyle
Achievement in directing
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese (Martin needs one of these)
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears
“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass (too soon)
Best documentary feature
“Deliver Us from Evil” (Lionsgate)A Disarming Films Production Amy Berg and Frank Donner
“An Inconvenient Truth” (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions)A Lawrence Bender/Laurie David ProductionDavis Guggenheim (Yes? Pick up after yourselves people!!!)
“Iraq in Fragments” (Typecast Releasing)A Typecast Pictures/Daylight Factory Production James Longley and John Sinno
“Jesus Camp” (Magnolia Pictures)A Loki Films ProductionHeidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
“My Country, My Country” (Zeitgeist Films)A Praxis Films Production Laura Poitras and Jocelyn Glatzer
Best documentary short subject
“The Blood of Yingzhou District”A Thomas Lennon Films ProductionRuby Yang and Thomas Lennon
“Recycled Life”An Iwerks/Glad Production Leslie Iwerks and Mike Glad
“Rehearsing a Dream”A Simon & Goodman Picture Company ProductionKaren Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Two Hands” A Crazy Boat Pictures Production Nathaniel Kahn and Susan Rose Behr
Achievement in film editing
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Stephen Mirrione and Douglas Crise
“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Steven Rosenblum
“Children of Men” (Universal) Alex Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.)Thelma Schoonmaker
“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Clare Douglas, Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson (Not!)
Best foreign language film of the year
“After the Wedding” A Zentropa Entertainments 16 ProductionDenmark
“Days of Glory (Indigènes)” A Tessalit ProductionAlgeria
“The Lives of Others” A Wiedemann & Berg ProductionGermany
“Pan’s Labyrinth” A Tequila Gang/Esperanto Filmoj/Estudios Picasso Production Mexico
“Water” A Hamilton-Mehta Production Canada
Achievement in makeup
“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Click” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) David Marti and Montse Ribe
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Gustavo Santaolalla
“The Good German” (Warner Bros.) Thomas Newman
“Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Philip Glass
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Javier Navarrete
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Alexandre Desplat
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth”(Paramount Classics and Participant Productions) Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge
“Listen” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry Krieger and Scott CutlerLyric by Anne Preven
“Love You I Do” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry KriegerLyric by Siedah Garrett
“Our Town” from “Cars”(Buena Vista)Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Patience” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount)Music by Henry KriegerLyric by Willie Reale
Best motion picture of the year
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) An Anonymous Content/Zeta Film/Central Films ProductionAlejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik and Steve Golin, Producers
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.)A Warner Bros. Pictures Production Nominees to be determined (gotta be?)
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)A DreamWorks Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures ProductionClint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz, Producers
“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)A Big Beach/Bona Fide ProductionNominees to be determined
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)A Granada ProductionAndy Harries, Christine Langan and Tracey Seaward, Producers
Best animated short film
“The Danish Poet” (National Film Board of Canada)A Mikrofilm and National Film Board of Canada ProductionTorill Kove
“Lifted” (Buena Vista)A Pixar Animation Studios Production Gary Rydstrom
“The Little Matchgirl” (Buena Vista)A Walt Disney Pictures ProductionRoger Allers and Don Hahn
“Maestro” (Szimplafilm)A Kedd ProductionGeza M. Toth
“No Time for Nuts” (20th Century Fox)A Blue Sky Studios ProductionChris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier
Best live action short film
“Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)”A Peliculas Pendelton and Tus Ojos ProductionJavier Fesser and Luis Manso
“Éramos Pocos (One Too Many)” (Kimuak)An Altube Filmeak ProductionBorja Cobeaga
“Helmer & Son”A Nordisk Film Production Soren Pilmark and Kim Magnusson
“The Saviour” (Australian Film Television and Radio School)An Australian Film Television and Radio School ProductionPeter Templeman and Stuart Parkyn
“West Bank Story” An Ari Sandel, Pascal Vaguelsy, Amy Kim, Ravi Malhotra and Ashley Jordan ProductionAri Sandel
Achievement in sound editing
“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Sean McCormack and Kami Asgar
“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Lon Bender
“Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount)Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)Alan Robert Murray
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista)Christopher Boyes and George Watters II
Achievement in sound mixing
“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista)Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Fernando Camara
“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Ivan Sharrock
“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer and Willie Burton
“Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount) John Reitz, Dave Campbell, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) Paul Massey, Christopher Boyes and Lee Orloff
Achievement in visual effects
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista)John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall
“Poseidon” (Warner Bros.)Boyd Shermis, Kim Libreri, Chaz Jarrett and John Frazier
“Superman Returns” (Warner Bros.)Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover and Jon Thum (Nooooooo!)
Adapted screenplay
“Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (20th Century Fox) Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan MazerStory by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips
“Children of Men” (Universal)Screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by William Monahan
“Little Children” (New Line) Screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta
“Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Patrick Marber
Original screenplay
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)Written by Guillermo Arriaga
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)Screenplay by Iris YamashitaStory by Iris Yamashita & Paul Haggis
“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)Written by Michael Arndt
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse)Written by Guillermo del Toro
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)Written by Peter Morgan
I have never been interested in the British royal family and could not give a damn what they get up to and what they are thinking.
I saw the queen and all I can say is that Helen Mirren was good (given that I do not know the queen and have had little opportunity to see her in action. All I have to say is that I think it is much easier to portray a real character than to figure out how to make a fictional character real.
So having said that I think there should be a separate category for true life portrayals and fictional ones.
Also saw Blood Diamonds in the past couple of days apparently, Leo has the most authentic South African accent. And it is true. It was very clever the way they worked in the my broer and my chinas into the dialogue. Except, the character that Leo plays is from Zim, hhhmmm. Was a good movie and can’t really say anything bad about. You can’t say anything bad about such movies, movies like Schindler’s list and Hotel Rwanda etc. It is just bad taste.
Courtesy of http://www.oscar.org/
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
Ryan Gosling in “Half Nelson” (THINKFilm)
Peter O’Toole in “Venus” (Miramax, Filmfour and UK Council)
Will Smith in “The Pursuit of Happyness” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Forest Whitaker in “The Last King of Scotland” (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
Jackie Earle Haley in “Little Children” (New Line)
Djimon Hounsou in “Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)
Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Mark Wahlberg in “The Departed” (Warner Bros.)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penélope Cruz in “Volver” (Sony Pictures Classics)
Judi Dench in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
Helen Mirren in “The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)
Meryl Streep in “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox)
Kate Winslet in “Little Children” (New Line)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Cate Blanchett in “Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight)
Abigail Breslin in “Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)
Jennifer Hudson in “Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)
Rinko Kikuchi in “Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)
Best animated feature film of the year
“Cars” (Buena Vista) John Lasseter
“Happy Feet” (Warner Bros.) George Miller
“Monster House” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Gil Kenan
Achievement in art direction
“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Art Direction: John Myhre Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
“The Good Shepherd” (Universal) Art Direction: Jeannine OppewallSet Decoration: Gretchen Rau and Leslie E. Rollins
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Art Direction: Eugenio CaballeroSet Decoration: Pilar Revuelta
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista)Art Direction: Rick HeinrichsSet Decoration: Cheryl A. Carasik
“The Prestige” (Buena Vista)Art Direction: Nathan CrowleySet Decoration: Julie Ochipinti
Achievement in cinematography
“The Black Dahlia” (Universal) Vilmos Zsigmond
“Children of Men” (Universal) Emmanuel Lubezki
“The Illusionist” (Yari Film Group) Dick Pope
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Guillermo Navarro
“The Prestige” (Buena Vista) Wally Pfister
Achievement in costume design
“Curse of the Golden Flower” (Sony Pictures Classics) Yee Chung Man
“The Devil Wears Prada” (20th Century Fox) Patricia Field
“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount) Sharen Davis
“Marie Antoinette” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Milena Canonero
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Consolata Boyle
Achievement in directing
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Alejandro González Iñárritu
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Martin Scorsese (Martin needs one of these)
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.) Clint Eastwood
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Stephen Frears
“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Paul Greengrass (too soon)
Best documentary feature
“Deliver Us from Evil” (Lionsgate)A Disarming Films Production Amy Berg and Frank Donner
“An Inconvenient Truth” (Paramount Classics and Participant Productions)A Lawrence Bender/Laurie David ProductionDavis Guggenheim (Yes? Pick up after yourselves people!!!)
“Iraq in Fragments” (Typecast Releasing)A Typecast Pictures/Daylight Factory Production James Longley and John Sinno
“Jesus Camp” (Magnolia Pictures)A Loki Films ProductionHeidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
“My Country, My Country” (Zeitgeist Films)A Praxis Films Production Laura Poitras and Jocelyn Glatzer
Best documentary short subject
“The Blood of Yingzhou District”A Thomas Lennon Films ProductionRuby Yang and Thomas Lennon
“Recycled Life”An Iwerks/Glad Production Leslie Iwerks and Mike Glad
“Rehearsing a Dream”A Simon & Goodman Picture Company ProductionKaren Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Two Hands” A Crazy Boat Pictures Production Nathaniel Kahn and Susan Rose Behr
Achievement in film editing
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Stephen Mirrione and Douglas Crise
“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Steven Rosenblum
“Children of Men” (Universal) Alex Rodríguez and Alfonso Cuarón
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.)Thelma Schoonmaker
“United 93” (Universal and StudioCanal) Clare Douglas, Christopher Rouse and Richard Pearson (Not!)
Best foreign language film of the year
“After the Wedding” A Zentropa Entertainments 16 ProductionDenmark
“Days of Glory (Indigènes)” A Tessalit ProductionAlgeria
“The Lives of Others” A Wiedemann & Berg ProductionGermany
“Pan’s Labyrinth” A Tequila Gang/Esperanto Filmoj/Estudios Picasso Production Mexico
“Water” A Hamilton-Mehta Production Canada
Achievement in makeup
“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
“Click” (Sony Pictures Releasing) Kazuhiro Tsuji and Bill Corso
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) David Marti and Montse Ribe
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) Gustavo Santaolalla
“The Good German” (Warner Bros.) Thomas Newman
“Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Philip Glass
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse) Javier Navarrete
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada) Alexandre Desplat
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
“I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth”(Paramount Classics and Participant Productions) Music and Lyric by Melissa Etheridge
“Listen” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry Krieger and Scott CutlerLyric by Anne Preven
“Love You I Do” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount) Music by Henry KriegerLyric by Siedah Garrett
“Our Town” from “Cars”(Buena Vista)Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“Patience” from “Dreamgirls”(DreamWorks and Paramount)Music by Henry KriegerLyric by Willie Reale
Best motion picture of the year
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage) An Anonymous Content/Zeta Film/Central Films ProductionAlejandro González Iñárritu, Jon Kilik and Steve Golin, Producers
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.)A Warner Bros. Pictures Production Nominees to be determined (gotta be?)
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)A DreamWorks Pictures/Warner Bros. Pictures ProductionClint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg and Robert Lorenz, Producers
“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)A Big Beach/Bona Fide ProductionNominees to be determined
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)A Granada ProductionAndy Harries, Christine Langan and Tracey Seaward, Producers
Best animated short film
“The Danish Poet” (National Film Board of Canada)A Mikrofilm and National Film Board of Canada ProductionTorill Kove
“Lifted” (Buena Vista)A Pixar Animation Studios Production Gary Rydstrom
“The Little Matchgirl” (Buena Vista)A Walt Disney Pictures ProductionRoger Allers and Don Hahn
“Maestro” (Szimplafilm)A Kedd ProductionGeza M. Toth
“No Time for Nuts” (20th Century Fox)A Blue Sky Studios ProductionChris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier
Best live action short film
“Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)”A Peliculas Pendelton and Tus Ojos ProductionJavier Fesser and Luis Manso
“Éramos Pocos (One Too Many)” (Kimuak)An Altube Filmeak ProductionBorja Cobeaga
“Helmer & Son”A Nordisk Film Production Soren Pilmark and Kim Magnusson
“The Saviour” (Australian Film Television and Radio School)An Australian Film Television and Radio School ProductionPeter Templeman and Stuart Parkyn
“West Bank Story” An Ari Sandel, Pascal Vaguelsy, Amy Kim, Ravi Malhotra and Ashley Jordan ProductionAri Sandel
Achievement in sound editing
“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista) Sean McCormack and Kami Asgar
“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.) Lon Bender
“Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount)Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)Alan Robert Murray
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista)Christopher Boyes and George Watters II
Achievement in sound mixing
“Apocalypto” (Buena Vista)Kevin O’Connell, Greg P. Russell and Fernando Camara
“Blood Diamond” (Warner Bros.)Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer and Ivan Sharrock
“Dreamgirls” (DreamWorks and Paramount)Michael Minkler, Bob Beemer and Willie Burton
“Flags of Our Fathers” (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by Paramount) John Reitz, Dave Campbell, Gregg Rudloff and Walt Martin
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista) Paul Massey, Christopher Boyes and Lee Orloff
Achievement in visual effects
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” (Buena Vista)John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and Allen Hall
“Poseidon” (Warner Bros.)Boyd Shermis, Kim Libreri, Chaz Jarrett and John Frazier
“Superman Returns” (Warner Bros.)Mark Stetson, Neil Corbould, Richard R. Hoover and Jon Thum (Nooooooo!)
Adapted screenplay
“Borat Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (20th Century Fox) Screenplay by Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham & Dan MazerStory by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines & Todd Phillips
“Children of Men” (Universal)Screenplay by Alfonso Cuarón & Timothy J. Sexton and David Arata and Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
“The Departed” (Warner Bros.) Screenplay by William Monahan
“Little Children” (New Line) Screenplay by Todd Field & Tom Perrotta
“Notes on a Scandal” (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Patrick Marber
Original screenplay
“Babel” (Paramount and Paramount Vantage)Written by Guillermo Arriaga
“Letters from Iwo Jima” (Warner Bros.)Screenplay by Iris YamashitaStory by Iris Yamashita & Paul Haggis
“Little Miss Sunshine” (Fox Searchlight)Written by Michael Arndt
“Pan’s Labyrinth” (Picturehouse)Written by Guillermo del Toro
“The Queen” (Miramax, Pathé and Granada)Written by Peter Morgan
Sunday 21 January 2007
Sci Fi freak...
I am my father’s daughter! We share a lot of the same qualities and one of them is the love of ideas! Included in that is the love of the Sci Fi genre. Our bonding times were spent watching Star Trek and debating the philosophical conundrums that Captain Jean-Luc and Janeway (Not Kirk, but this is a bitching session for another time) found themselves in. It was the ultimate and it was one of the things that made me want to be an astronomer! It is the reason I chose Philosophy instead to explore all the possible ideological premises there was to life and its goings on.
I am a trekkie, yes I am, I believe my dad is one as well. We love (present tense) Star Trek and other Sci Fi movies Spielberg came up with. I remember when I was young, other than Star Trek, I had a VHS copy taped off Mnet version of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and it was, I think, one of my most valued possession. Don’t really know what happened to it. I never had ET on tape, although I did watch it with dad and it always gets me a little emotional simply because of the time it takes me back to.
Tonight Mnet is screening one of the movies that my family watched together and had the crap scared out of us. My dad, I think having lived through the time when HG Wells produced the story for radio and had the UK believe that they were under attack from aliens, was the only one in the family who did not have the crap scared out of him. I think that was one of the first Sci Fi series we watched together.
Whenever I remember moments with my dad I always remember the great movies we watched together. I remember Back to the Future and how we debated the laws of time travel, I remember Star Trek and why I always liked the Borg even though they were the arch enemies of the Star Ship enterprise and, which ever captain was heading it at the time; I remember Star Gate and the Outer limits. I remember reading the Time Machine and thinking how incredible it was. Most recently though, I remember Contact. Now this is my ultimate Sci Fi thriller and I have not found another movie that brought up the emotions this movie brought out in me. So when I feel a little home sick I stick in the Contact DVD and feel sorry for myself (hey, it could be worse…)
War of the Worlds takes me back to my (anything is possible) childhood and Steven Spielberg manages to take me back there. Now, as it is being screened on Mnet tonight, even though I do not have a decoder, and that I am in Cape Town and my Dad is in Soweto, I feel close to him, I am sitting opposite him and enjoying the genius that was HG Wells with him. What got me, out of the whole movie, was how the the simplest solution tends to be the best one. It made total sense that the aliens would be killed off by bacteria which humans had adapted to over the couple of thousand of years we have inhabited earth. Ahhh! Occam's razor. It rules.
Any, live long and prosper
Brokensword
I am a trekkie, yes I am, I believe my dad is one as well. We love (present tense) Star Trek and other Sci Fi movies Spielberg came up with. I remember when I was young, other than Star Trek, I had a VHS copy taped off Mnet version of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and it was, I think, one of my most valued possession. Don’t really know what happened to it. I never had ET on tape, although I did watch it with dad and it always gets me a little emotional simply because of the time it takes me back to.
Tonight Mnet is screening one of the movies that my family watched together and had the crap scared out of us. My dad, I think having lived through the time when HG Wells produced the story for radio and had the UK believe that they were under attack from aliens, was the only one in the family who did not have the crap scared out of him. I think that was one of the first Sci Fi series we watched together.
Whenever I remember moments with my dad I always remember the great movies we watched together. I remember Back to the Future and how we debated the laws of time travel, I remember Star Trek and why I always liked the Borg even though they were the arch enemies of the Star Ship enterprise and, which ever captain was heading it at the time; I remember Star Gate and the Outer limits. I remember reading the Time Machine and thinking how incredible it was. Most recently though, I remember Contact. Now this is my ultimate Sci Fi thriller and I have not found another movie that brought up the emotions this movie brought out in me. So when I feel a little home sick I stick in the Contact DVD and feel sorry for myself (hey, it could be worse…)
War of the Worlds takes me back to my (anything is possible) childhood and Steven Spielberg manages to take me back there. Now, as it is being screened on Mnet tonight, even though I do not have a decoder, and that I am in Cape Town and my Dad is in Soweto, I feel close to him, I am sitting opposite him and enjoying the genius that was HG Wells with him. What got me, out of the whole movie, was how the the simplest solution tends to be the best one. It made total sense that the aliens would be killed off by bacteria which humans had adapted to over the couple of thousand of years we have inhabited earth. Ahhh! Occam's razor. It rules.
Any, live long and prosper
Brokensword
Sunday
So I woke up today, late. I always wake up to the sound of the radio and today it was Jeremy Maggs on a Sunday morning, preceded by the weekend AM Live on SAFM. Did not really want to get out of bed so I grabbed the Film Finesse I had picked up when I went to go see Running With Scissors and went through that. Also went through the Saturday Argus which is a waste of valuable time. The only section I read is the Personal Finance as it is my job to keep up with what journalists think about the financial industry.
Today on this Sunday 21 January (THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR!), it is 33 degrees in Cape Town and there is no way I will venture out into the sun for more than an hour. I have The Grooms Men to take back to the video store (Edward Burns has never really regained the glory of the Brothers McMullen) and need batteries for my TV remote control so unfortunately, I have to leave the flat.
Whilst going through the Film Finesse I find out that there is a movie possibly worth watching. The guy that did Finding Never Land had also done Stay and I have not seen that yet. At this point in my leave from work there is not that much I have not seen! So it is either read or rent out a TV series (what is the M-F-ing plural of series?). So I ventured out into the 33 degree heat of Cape Town and get this hopeful, possibly engaging movie, I have not had that in a while! So Stay it is.
But I went to the video store with the intent of getting Grey’s Anatomy, the last few episodes (as I am really not interested in seeing what happens in between, just want to know what the fuss was about in the second season finale aired recently on Mnet). But guess what, the final episode is the only episode on the DVD! I can not have that. Now, I am a very good customer ( prostituting myself between the two rival video stores in Greenpoint), they should be able to let me have the finale for free if I take out the previous three or four episodes on my last unit of my contract! Yes? No! The video shop clerk did not have the power, the power I hold over the owner of the shop when he is around and he gives me movies for free! Damb it!
So the clerk tells me, why not pay R30 and I can get two new movies and one old and keep them for 2 days! Now, I am already starting to sweat and I feel the sweat come down my not so perky breasts and I give in, It is just too hot to ague!. So I come out with the last 2 discs of Grey’s Anatomy and Stay. Next, the walk to the market to get my cheap AA batteries so that I do not have to get up every 2 minutes to change the channel 9in this overbearing heat!). (PS there is really no point to this story, just want to share my Sunday afternoon.)
To cut the story short (there really isn’t any interesting thing that happened in between) I watched Stay and it was not all that bad.
DVD’s and commentaries on DVD’s are very important. I was watching this movie and trying to figure out the what hell the story is and I just could not get it. Lucky for me there are commentaries and they can tell me what to think, blow for blow, scene for scene. Having watched the commentaries I would really recommend this movie.
Although, watching it, I could not help but think of Bruce Willis and Hayley Joel Osment. And it was something like that. Would not want to reveal the twist but if you are down and out and looking for something almost worth watching this is it. But you have to watch the commentary, and not the true life stories of near death experiences. Have these people not heard about how the powerful the mind is? There are no near death experiences, all there is, is the brain and the more fertile it is, the freakier your near death experience is. The dark tunnel and with light at the end is just boring now! Let’s have something more interesting like STAY!!!!!
My Sunday afternoon flowed into my most favourite series. West Wing. Who does not love this? As a communications practitioner (that almost sounded like a real profession) I luuuurrrrvvvvv the West Wing. I always dream that I would be the future advisor for Thabo Mbeki and we would have morning meetings at the Union Buildings and figure out what to do about Zimbabwe etc.
Nice to dream. So, I am back at my flat, which is cool and quite and a good sanctuary. There is no way I am getting out again today! It is just way too hot. So will watch the X Men, shove in Grey’s Anatomy and have a relaxing Sunday afternoon/ Evening.
By the way, did anyone get to see the comet?
Brokensword
Today on this Sunday 21 January (THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR!), it is 33 degrees in Cape Town and there is no way I will venture out into the sun for more than an hour. I have The Grooms Men to take back to the video store (Edward Burns has never really regained the glory of the Brothers McMullen) and need batteries for my TV remote control so unfortunately, I have to leave the flat.
Whilst going through the Film Finesse I find out that there is a movie possibly worth watching. The guy that did Finding Never Land had also done Stay and I have not seen that yet. At this point in my leave from work there is not that much I have not seen! So it is either read or rent out a TV series (what is the M-F-ing plural of series?). So I ventured out into the 33 degree heat of Cape Town and get this hopeful, possibly engaging movie, I have not had that in a while! So Stay it is.
But I went to the video store with the intent of getting Grey’s Anatomy, the last few episodes (as I am really not interested in seeing what happens in between, just want to know what the fuss was about in the second season finale aired recently on Mnet). But guess what, the final episode is the only episode on the DVD! I can not have that. Now, I am a very good customer ( prostituting myself between the two rival video stores in Greenpoint), they should be able to let me have the finale for free if I take out the previous three or four episodes on my last unit of my contract! Yes? No! The video shop clerk did not have the power, the power I hold over the owner of the shop when he is around and he gives me movies for free! Damb it!
So the clerk tells me, why not pay R30 and I can get two new movies and one old and keep them for 2 days! Now, I am already starting to sweat and I feel the sweat come down my not so perky breasts and I give in, It is just too hot to ague!. So I come out with the last 2 discs of Grey’s Anatomy and Stay. Next, the walk to the market to get my cheap AA batteries so that I do not have to get up every 2 minutes to change the channel 9in this overbearing heat!). (PS there is really no point to this story, just want to share my Sunday afternoon.)
To cut the story short (there really isn’t any interesting thing that happened in between) I watched Stay and it was not all that bad.
DVD’s and commentaries on DVD’s are very important. I was watching this movie and trying to figure out the what hell the story is and I just could not get it. Lucky for me there are commentaries and they can tell me what to think, blow for blow, scene for scene. Having watched the commentaries I would really recommend this movie.
Although, watching it, I could not help but think of Bruce Willis and Hayley Joel Osment. And it was something like that. Would not want to reveal the twist but if you are down and out and looking for something almost worth watching this is it. But you have to watch the commentary, and not the true life stories of near death experiences. Have these people not heard about how the powerful the mind is? There are no near death experiences, all there is, is the brain and the more fertile it is, the freakier your near death experience is. The dark tunnel and with light at the end is just boring now! Let’s have something more interesting like STAY!!!!!
My Sunday afternoon flowed into my most favourite series. West Wing. Who does not love this? As a communications practitioner (that almost sounded like a real profession) I luuuurrrrvvvvv the West Wing. I always dream that I would be the future advisor for Thabo Mbeki and we would have morning meetings at the Union Buildings and figure out what to do about Zimbabwe etc.
Nice to dream. So, I am back at my flat, which is cool and quite and a good sanctuary. There is no way I am getting out again today! It is just way too hot. So will watch the X Men, shove in Grey’s Anatomy and have a relaxing Sunday afternoon/ Evening.
By the way, did anyone get to see the comet?
Brokensword
Saturday 20 January 2007
How soon is too soon?
9/11 movies
I have so far seen two 9/11 movies, United 93 and World Trade Centre. I am sure there are more out there. I am just wondering, is it too soon? Movies are suppose to provide some entertainment value and I suppose some have educational value in them but who does not know what happened that day? The event was caught, blow by blow on all the news channels. I remember I had a day off from the restaurant that I was waitressing at and was watching the whole event unfold on CNN. There was no way of escaping it. Do we really need movies to dramatise this when the media showed all the possible angles there was to see of the event?
World Trade Centre took it from the view of the rescuers that went to the towers. United 93 from air traffic control and United Airline 93 that did not hit its target. Both were done well with sensitivity. But who does not know that this was unexpected and horrible and tragic. Do we need movies to tell us how the people that were involved felt? For me I find it cheap. Trading what was experienced for what Hollywood thinks we should feel about it. Packaged with the correct emotions, timelines and endings. I am sure for those directly involved, there probably is no ending there is a different outcome every time they dream about it or think about what they could have done differently.
The most interesting part in the United 93 DVD was is the bonus features where the real life relatives of the victims get to meet the actors that played their husbands, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers. Saying how much the actors looked like their deceased relatives etc. I suppose what was important was that they did not want the memory of their loved ones to fade and that was the main reason they agreed to share their memories. Those private memories would be sacrificed so that the world would not forget.
Too soon? I think so.
Brokensword
I have so far seen two 9/11 movies, United 93 and World Trade Centre. I am sure there are more out there. I am just wondering, is it too soon? Movies are suppose to provide some entertainment value and I suppose some have educational value in them but who does not know what happened that day? The event was caught, blow by blow on all the news channels. I remember I had a day off from the restaurant that I was waitressing at and was watching the whole event unfold on CNN. There was no way of escaping it. Do we really need movies to dramatise this when the media showed all the possible angles there was to see of the event?
World Trade Centre took it from the view of the rescuers that went to the towers. United 93 from air traffic control and United Airline 93 that did not hit its target. Both were done well with sensitivity. But who does not know that this was unexpected and horrible and tragic. Do we need movies to tell us how the people that were involved felt? For me I find it cheap. Trading what was experienced for what Hollywood thinks we should feel about it. Packaged with the correct emotions, timelines and endings. I am sure for those directly involved, there probably is no ending there is a different outcome every time they dream about it or think about what they could have done differently.
The most interesting part in the United 93 DVD was is the bonus features where the real life relatives of the victims get to meet the actors that played their husbands, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers. Saying how much the actors looked like their deceased relatives etc. I suppose what was important was that they did not want the memory of their loved ones to fade and that was the main reason they agreed to share their memories. Those private memories would be sacrificed so that the world would not forget.
Too soon? I think so.
Brokensword
“This is my masturbatorium!”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha – You HAVE to watch Running with Scissors.
IT is by far the freshest, funniest movie I’ve seen in a very long time.
I don’t want to spoil it for you. All I’m going to say is – there are crazier people than I am out there. Okay, so maybe I should be making fun. Madness IS a real disease…
The book is based on the author’s real life story as the son of John Robison and Margaret Robison who sent Burroughs to live with her psychiatrist’s crazy family.
Burroughs’ book got him a lawsuit in which the family that he writes about (psychiatrist’s family) says that the book defamed them, especially the psychiatrist Dr Rodolph Turcotte (referred to as the Finch family in the movie).
Even more controversy around his book, Vanity Fair alleged that Burroughs fabricated large parts of his memoirs, including details about his electroshock therapy. Whether it is a true story or not does not take away from the fact that the movie was absolutely brilliant - there was never a dull moment.
I was completely smitten with the movie.
It gets 5 out of 5 spoons.
Yeh!
Heartwarmer.
IT is by far the freshest, funniest movie I’ve seen in a very long time.
I don’t want to spoil it for you. All I’m going to say is – there are crazier people than I am out there. Okay, so maybe I should be making fun. Madness IS a real disease…
The book is based on the author’s real life story as the son of John Robison and Margaret Robison who sent Burroughs to live with her psychiatrist’s crazy family.
Burroughs’ book got him a lawsuit in which the family that he writes about (psychiatrist’s family) says that the book defamed them, especially the psychiatrist Dr Rodolph Turcotte (referred to as the Finch family in the movie).
Even more controversy around his book, Vanity Fair alleged that Burroughs fabricated large parts of his memoirs, including details about his electroshock therapy. Whether it is a true story or not does not take away from the fact that the movie was absolutely brilliant - there was never a dull moment.
I was completely smitten with the movie.
It gets 5 out of 5 spoons.
Yeh!
Heartwarmer.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Nothing is sacred… and that’s okay
Okay, I was supposed to go watch The Queen today but saw that Borat was still showing at the Labia.
I have not been to the Labia in a very long time. I think the last film I saw there was A Brief History Of Time, a documentary based on the Stephen Hawking book of the same title.
Now one of the first places that I visited when I first came to Cape Town was the Labia. It was there where I went to see the not so latest releases on the big screen. Mostly I went there because they had a student discount on movies and if you know me, discount or sale or concession, means a great deal.
I love the Labia, (both, but what I am referring to hear is the cinema complex on Kloof Street that has been there forever). It is an independent, so not Ster Kinekor nor Nu Metro. I remember when I went there, people could smoke in the cinema and it was like those long gone days when cinema was for the discerning few who knew about art and giving birth to it. I thought I’d be some kind of an artist back then. Ohh how time can make a liar out of any of us.
Ten or so years later and the Labia has not changed much. Whilst waiting for Borat to introduce himself a few of the single women like me reached into their hand bags for their snacks, one woman pulled out a Woolworths sammie and another a pie (probably a stake and kidney). I was home. Or as close to it as I can get in this god awful Cape Town. The cinema house itself was intimate, just as I remembered it. Full of cheap skate sixty somethings who, I think, I will be like when I am sixty 9or fifty, or forty or now), single, no nonsense and hungry. Ahhh solitude.
Anyway, given this audience, conservative, old age and women, I was surprised at their sense of humour. You have to have a good dollop of this to enjoy this Ali G character. It went far (portraying Jews as devils that you have to feed money to to appease them, ,take note, Sacha Baron is Jewish!) and it went further (singing the American anthem using the Kazakhstan anthem words) and even further (naked men wrestling naked, one tall and skinny and one short and fat) and it was funny! It was hilarious. Reference to one of my previous posts and you will notice that Borat got a Golden Globe for best Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhst. How the hell is this possible? Maybe Americans are trying to do reverse psychology on us, they give this movie props, at the same time thinking, oh my god, he is terrible and right?!
What ever its motive, it is funny, it is tastefully disgusting (NOT), it is what it is, Ali G at his best. Booyakasha! Will try and watch the Queen soon.
I give it three spoons.
Brokensword
Okay, I was supposed to go watch The Queen today but saw that Borat was still showing at the Labia.
I have not been to the Labia in a very long time. I think the last film I saw there was A Brief History Of Time, a documentary based on the Stephen Hawking book of the same title.
Now one of the first places that I visited when I first came to Cape Town was the Labia. It was there where I went to see the not so latest releases on the big screen. Mostly I went there because they had a student discount on movies and if you know me, discount or sale or concession, means a great deal.
I love the Labia, (both, but what I am referring to hear is the cinema complex on Kloof Street that has been there forever). It is an independent, so not Ster Kinekor nor Nu Metro. I remember when I went there, people could smoke in the cinema and it was like those long gone days when cinema was for the discerning few who knew about art and giving birth to it. I thought I’d be some kind of an artist back then. Ohh how time can make a liar out of any of us.
Ten or so years later and the Labia has not changed much. Whilst waiting for Borat to introduce himself a few of the single women like me reached into their hand bags for their snacks, one woman pulled out a Woolworths sammie and another a pie (probably a stake and kidney). I was home. Or as close to it as I can get in this god awful Cape Town. The cinema house itself was intimate, just as I remembered it. Full of cheap skate sixty somethings who, I think, I will be like when I am sixty 9or fifty, or forty or now), single, no nonsense and hungry. Ahhh solitude.
Anyway, given this audience, conservative, old age and women, I was surprised at their sense of humour. You have to have a good dollop of this to enjoy this Ali G character. It went far (portraying Jews as devils that you have to feed money to to appease them, ,take note, Sacha Baron is Jewish!) and it went further (singing the American anthem using the Kazakhstan anthem words) and even further (naked men wrestling naked, one tall and skinny and one short and fat) and it was funny! It was hilarious. Reference to one of my previous posts and you will notice that Borat got a Golden Globe for best Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhst. How the hell is this possible? Maybe Americans are trying to do reverse psychology on us, they give this movie props, at the same time thinking, oh my god, he is terrible and right?!
What ever its motive, it is funny, it is tastefully disgusting (NOT), it is what it is, Ali G at his best. Booyakasha! Will try and watch the Queen soon.
I give it three spoons.
Brokensword
Thursday 18 January 2007
Miami Vice...BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Decided that I'd go down to the video store and pick out a movie.
Miami Vice was one of the four movies I'd picked out.
There is a reason I picked it out. It wasn't cause I REALLY wanted to watch it, I knew it would be the one the lover picked out.
Funny thing is he complains about my choice in movies BEFORE he's watched them. And AFTER - he's all praises.
Miami Vice was/is a REALLY bad movie.
The acting is unbelieveably bad. I can't believe how bad Jamie Fox is in this movie. The dude just can't play cop. He just can't.
The editiing is also so, so bad. The camera work - the shots. I was like, what were these people thinking.
Half the time you can't here what the characters in the movie are saying because they have such heavy accents.
The story line was bad. All of everything was just really bad
Miami Vice was one of the four movies I'd picked out.
There is a reason I picked it out. It wasn't cause I REALLY wanted to watch it, I knew it would be the one the lover picked out.
Funny thing is he complains about my choice in movies BEFORE he's watched them. And AFTER - he's all praises.
Miami Vice was/is a REALLY bad movie.
The acting is unbelieveably bad. I can't believe how bad Jamie Fox is in this movie. The dude just can't play cop. He just can't.
The editiing is also so, so bad. The camera work - the shots. I was like, what were these people thinking.
Half the time you can't here what the characters in the movie are saying because they have such heavy accents.
The story line was bad. All of everything was just really bad
Wednesday 17 January 2007
2007 Golden Golbes Winners and Nominees
2007 Golden Globes nominees
Curtesy of : The Associated Press
Picture, Drama: Babel, Bobby, The Departed, Little Children, The Queen
Actress, Drama: Penelope Cruz, Volver ; Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal ; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby; Helen Mirren, The Queen ; Kate Winslet, Little Children
Actor, Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed; Peter O'Toole, Venus; Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness; Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Picture, Musical or Comedy: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, The Devil Wears Prada, Dreamgirls, Little Miss Sunshine, Thank You for Smoking
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, Running With Scissors ; Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine ; Beyonce Knowles, Dreamgirls ; Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada ; Renee Zellweger, Miss Potter
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan; Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Aaron Eckhart, Thank You for Smoking; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots; Will Ferrell, Stranger than Fiction
Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, Babel; Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal; Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada; Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls; Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland; Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls; Jack Nicholson, The Departed; Brad Pitt, Babel; Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Director: Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers ; Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima ; Steven Frears, The Queen ; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel ; Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, Babel ; Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children ; Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal ; William Monahan, The Departed ; Peter Morgan, The Queen
Foreign Language: Apocalypto, USA; Letters from Iwo Jima, USA/Japan; The Lives of Others, Germany; Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico; Volver Spain
Animated Film: Cars, Happy Feet, Monster House
Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, The Painted Veil; Clint Mansell, The Fountain; Gustavo Santaolalla, Babel; Carlo Siliotto, Nomad; Hans Zimmer, The Da Vinci Code
Original Song: A Father's Way from The Pursuit of Happyness; Listen from Dreamgirls; Never Gonna Break My Faith from Bobby; The Song of the Heart from Happy Feet; Try Not to Remember from Home of the Brave
TELEVISION
Series, Drama: 24, Fox; Big Love, HBO; Grey's Anatomy, ABC; Heroes, NBC; Lost, ABC
Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, Medium ; Edie Falco, The Sopranos ; Evangeline Lilly, Lost ; Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy ; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Actor, Drama: Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy ; Michael C. Hall, Dexter ; Hugh Laurie, House ; Bill Paxton, Big Love ; Kiefer Sutherland, 24
Series, Musical or Comedy: Desperate Housewives, ABC; Entourage, HBO; The Office, NBC; Ugly Betty, ABC; Weeds, Showtime
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives ; America Ferrera, Ugly Betty ; Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives ; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine ; Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock ; Zach Braff, Scrubs ; Steve Carrell, The Office ; Jason Lee, My Name is Earl ; Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Miniseries or movie: Bleak House, PBS; Broken Trail, AMC; Elizabeth I, HBO; Mrs. Harris, HBO; Prime Suspect: The Final Act, PBS
Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Gillian Anderson, Bleak House ; Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris ; Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I ; Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act ; Sophie Okonedo, Tsunami, The Aftermath
Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Andre Braugher, Thief ; Robert Duvall, Broken Trail ; Michael Ealy, Sleeper Cell: American Terror ; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tsunami, The Aftermath ; Ben Kingsley, Mrs. Harris ; Bill Nighy, Gideon's Daughter ; Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Emily Blunt, Gideon's Daughter; Toni Collette, Tsunami, The Aftermath; Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy; Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trail ; Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I ; Justin Kirk, Weeds ; Masi Oka, Heroes ; Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Curtesy of : The Associated Press
Picture, Drama: Babel, Bobby, The Departed, Little Children, The Queen
Actress, Drama: Penelope Cruz, Volver ; Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal ; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby; Helen Mirren, The Queen ; Kate Winslet, Little Children
Actor, Drama: Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed; Peter O'Toole, Venus; Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness; Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Picture, Musical or Comedy: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, The Devil Wears Prada, Dreamgirls, Little Miss Sunshine, Thank You for Smoking
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Annette Bening, Running With Scissors ; Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine ; Beyonce Knowles, Dreamgirls ; Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada ; Renee Zellweger, Miss Potter
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan; Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Aaron Eckhart, Thank You for Smoking; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots; Will Ferrell, Stranger than Fiction
Supporting Actress: Adriana Barraza, Babel; Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal; Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada; Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls; Rinko Kikuchi, Babel
Supporting Actor: Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland; Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls; Jack Nicholson, The Departed; Brad Pitt, Babel; Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Director: Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers ; Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima ; Steven Frears, The Queen ; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel ; Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Screenplay: Guillermo Arriaga, Babel ; Todd Field and Tom Perrotta, Little Children ; Patrick Marber, Notes on a Scandal ; William Monahan, The Departed ; Peter Morgan, The Queen
Foreign Language: Apocalypto, USA; Letters from Iwo Jima, USA/Japan; The Lives of Others, Germany; Pan's Labyrinth, Mexico; Volver Spain
Animated Film: Cars, Happy Feet, Monster House
Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, The Painted Veil; Clint Mansell, The Fountain; Gustavo Santaolalla, Babel; Carlo Siliotto, Nomad; Hans Zimmer, The Da Vinci Code
Original Song: A Father's Way from The Pursuit of Happyness; Listen from Dreamgirls; Never Gonna Break My Faith from Bobby; The Song of the Heart from Happy Feet; Try Not to Remember from Home of the Brave
TELEVISION
Series, Drama: 24, Fox; Big Love, HBO; Grey's Anatomy, ABC; Heroes, NBC; Lost, ABC
Actress, Drama: Patricia Arquette, Medium ; Edie Falco, The Sopranos ; Evangeline Lilly, Lost ; Ellen Pompeo, Grey's Anatomy ; Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Actor, Drama: Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy ; Michael C. Hall, Dexter ; Hugh Laurie, House ; Bill Paxton, Big Love ; Kiefer Sutherland, 24
Series, Musical or Comedy: Desperate Housewives, ABC; Entourage, HBO; The Office, NBC; Ugly Betty, ABC; Weeds, Showtime
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives ; America Ferrera, Ugly Betty ; Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives ; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine ; Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock ; Zach Braff, Scrubs ; Steve Carrell, The Office ; Jason Lee, My Name is Earl ; Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Miniseries or movie: Bleak House, PBS; Broken Trail, AMC; Elizabeth I, HBO; Mrs. Harris, HBO; Prime Suspect: The Final Act, PBS
Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Gillian Anderson, Bleak House ; Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris ; Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I ; Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act ; Sophie Okonedo, Tsunami, The Aftermath
Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Andre Braugher, Thief ; Robert Duvall, Broken Trail ; Michael Ealy, Sleeper Cell: American Terror ; Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tsunami, The Aftermath ; Ben Kingsley, Mrs. Harris ; Bill Nighy, Gideon's Daughter ; Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Emily Blunt, Gideon's Daughter; Toni Collette, Tsunami, The Aftermath; Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy; Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip; Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Thomas Haden Church, Broken Trail ; Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I ; Justin Kirk, Weeds ; Masi Oka, Heroes ; Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Tuesday 16 January 2007
The Departed, part deux
I hate to say it but as big as Leonardo DiCaprio is, and as well loved by those dealing with their pubescent stage in life, he is one m-f'ing great actor.
I recently wrote that it did not get any better than this with the all star cast of The Departed and evidently, it does not, having now seen the movie.
Now I am not really into the cop/mobster movies, especially the ones with Al Pacino! So Al Pacino is not in this one, yeahey! I am sure it could have easily gone the other way, cast him instead of Jack Nicholson! Thank goodness for me they went with good ole Jack. Now I would not have imagined, Thee Joker, as a mobster but apparently Jack Nicholson has other talents that are not restricted to comedy (As Good As It Gets) or comic strip character (previously mentioned, Thee Joker!) or insane people (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). We know that he can be scary but as a mob boss??? He almost made me shit my bloomers.
Now this is, as they say, a tour de force of a movie. I suppose Martin Scorsese had something to do with that. So kudos for the movie and everyone in it, except for Matt Damon maybe. Hhhmmm. Not sure about him. Now I am not very well schooled in the different decrepit accents of the various American cities, but whatever Damon was trying to do with his accent, I just did not get it. Is he a good one though? His characters in the Oceans movies and Good Will Hunting really did not require much of him and now that I get to see him in a role where he could easily show his thespian abilities, I did not see it. Matt, you should do a nice gay movie so that I can get any respect for you. Leo did it. You should too. And Stuck On uou does not count bra!
Back to Leonardo, oh Leonardo, I first fell for you in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and you had me with that infectious laugh and twisted finger thing you did to portray the mentally challenged. He is an incredible actor and if that takes me down a notch in the serious film watching club then so be it. He is great and no one can convince me otherwise. It was also very interesting to see him as a regular guy you know? How many present day type movies has he done? I really could not think of a film of his where he is in present day and sane and wears low cut jeans to show off his oh so sexy (however, not six pack) tummy. I remember Celebrity but that was a Woody Allan (I think) artsy Fartsy flick. I did not see the Beach. I remember him in Gangs of New York and Catch Me If You Can and Aviator. Incredible performances!
Now the movie itself, the Departed is really your usual Gangster Movie. ‘Sleepers’ kept coming up in my mind as I was watching it and that was also a good m-f'ing movie wasn’t it? One colleague of mind told me how violent it was before I saw it but this is justified. It is no Passion of the Christ in its depiction of violence but you gotta love the scene where Leo punches Matt Damon when they finally get together on a roof. That I have not seen before and it was hectic. Showing the vibrations of a punch (several) was awesome!
The departed is your usual gangster movie with your Shakespearian ending where everybody dies (so to ruin the ending but hey) and good triumphs over evil. And good has never looked this pretty.
Go see this one; it will blow you away, literally!
Brokensword
I recently wrote that it did not get any better than this with the all star cast of The Departed and evidently, it does not, having now seen the movie.
Now I am not really into the cop/mobster movies, especially the ones with Al Pacino! So Al Pacino is not in this one, yeahey! I am sure it could have easily gone the other way, cast him instead of Jack Nicholson! Thank goodness for me they went with good ole Jack. Now I would not have imagined, Thee Joker, as a mobster but apparently Jack Nicholson has other talents that are not restricted to comedy (As Good As It Gets) or comic strip character (previously mentioned, Thee Joker!) or insane people (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). We know that he can be scary but as a mob boss??? He almost made me shit my bloomers.
Now this is, as they say, a tour de force of a movie. I suppose Martin Scorsese had something to do with that. So kudos for the movie and everyone in it, except for Matt Damon maybe. Hhhmmm. Not sure about him. Now I am not very well schooled in the different decrepit accents of the various American cities, but whatever Damon was trying to do with his accent, I just did not get it. Is he a good one though? His characters in the Oceans movies and Good Will Hunting really did not require much of him and now that I get to see him in a role where he could easily show his thespian abilities, I did not see it. Matt, you should do a nice gay movie so that I can get any respect for you. Leo did it. You should too. And Stuck On uou does not count bra!
Back to Leonardo, oh Leonardo, I first fell for you in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and you had me with that infectious laugh and twisted finger thing you did to portray the mentally challenged. He is an incredible actor and if that takes me down a notch in the serious film watching club then so be it. He is great and no one can convince me otherwise. It was also very interesting to see him as a regular guy you know? How many present day type movies has he done? I really could not think of a film of his where he is in present day and sane and wears low cut jeans to show off his oh so sexy (however, not six pack) tummy. I remember Celebrity but that was a Woody Allan (I think) artsy Fartsy flick. I did not see the Beach. I remember him in Gangs of New York and Catch Me If You Can and Aviator. Incredible performances!
Now the movie itself, the Departed is really your usual Gangster Movie. ‘Sleepers’ kept coming up in my mind as I was watching it and that was also a good m-f'ing movie wasn’t it? One colleague of mind told me how violent it was before I saw it but this is justified. It is no Passion of the Christ in its depiction of violence but you gotta love the scene where Leo punches Matt Damon when they finally get together on a roof. That I have not seen before and it was hectic. Showing the vibrations of a punch (several) was awesome!
The departed is your usual gangster movie with your Shakespearian ending where everybody dies (so to ruin the ending but hey) and good triumphs over evil. And good has never looked this pretty.
Go see this one; it will blow you away, literally!
Brokensword
Monday 15 January 2007
Anybody in Cape Town that has DSTV
Arwards Season
Anybody in Cape Town that has DSTV... and is also mad about awards season. That reacts to them like soccer fan would react to a chiefs vs pirates match...
I am a charity case who needs a place to watch the awards. The Golden Globes are on Tuesday 16 January and anyone brave enough, please invite me to watch at your digs?!
I await responses :)
Brokensword
Anybody in Cape Town that has DSTV... and is also mad about awards season. That reacts to them like soccer fan would react to a chiefs vs pirates match...
I am a charity case who needs a place to watch the awards. The Golden Globes are on Tuesday 16 January and anyone brave enough, please invite me to watch at your digs?!
I await responses :)
Brokensword
Lost the taste for snoek fish
Do you remember the dried out very salty fish? Well, took a trip to the west coast, had to come back a day early ‘cause it just was not happening.
Anyway, I’d always heard about this Bokoms that was supposed to be this west coast delicacy and I get there, get the Bokoms and guess what, it is the snoek fish that we use to buy at the corner shop for a few rand back in the day.
This made me realise that as far apart as we are, we really do the same ole things and, a rose, by any other name, still smells as pungent!. Snoek fish stinks. Had it in the car the whole 5 hour drive (took a few detours) from Lamberts’ Bay to Cape Town.
I had expected a whole new world experience, a taste of something I had not tasted before but alas, what you can get in the middle of Orlando (Soweto) in the spaza shop is just as readily available in the middle of a wilderness conservation area.
Lambert’s Bay is not all bad though. Just as you get the old decomposing dog on the streets of the location, one can get a similar experience along the ‘pristine’ coast lines of the Atlantic Ocean. Only there it is decomposing seals and sea birds along the coast line.
Anyway, to get back to the subject of this particular post, I think I could do a nice road movie of the Western Cape. Imagine, you live in Cape Town, are originally from Soweto, want to explore the country and find out more about the people and its fauna and flora. Yes, documentaries have been made (Lebo Mashile does an excellent job every week) but I cannot think of a feature film on the diversity and oddities of our different and odd little towns right here in SA. I sure Wim Wenders would be interested, just got to put together a screenplay.
Moving on, this would be a comedy, to beat the likes of Muriel’s wedding and Pricilla, Queen of the Desert. I see a scene where I (it would have to start me!) walk into a restaurant where I order a bacon egg and cheese BURGER. Only to be brought bacon, egg and (heavily processed) cheese ROLL. What happened to the patty? Surely the definition of a burger is that it must include (whether soya, or horse?! based) some kind of a patty! Not in the west coast folks. And this was an up market restaurant with table clothes and all!
Another scene, a total opposite would be driving to the oh so larnie spa in the middle of a nature reserve. The least they could do, for having a R3000 a night hotel/spa in the middle of nowhere is have the road, leading up to that heavenly place, stared for goodness sakes. By the time you get there you have been so stirred and shook you can’t see straight. I swear I thought the clouds were coming together like in a scene of War of the Worlds. Was very disappointed though to find out that after driving 2 hours at 20 kilometres per hour that massages were only for the German tourist who could afford the bloody R3000 per night.
Alas, I will try (not) and find the time to do this screen play and send to Wim Wenders and Miramax. They should be interested. It will be a killer. I have a title already, Fuck Sushi, try some Bokoms, it has more character.
The West Coast is an interesting place and I do not think that a movie, even ‘Forgiveness’ has captured it in 8mm. A most beautiful place but for me, a single desperate black female, searching for the truth out there, it did not offer much. Will go back for a second take, maybe with another single desperate black female for a second opinion. Then maybe a South African version of Thelma and Louise could be born?
Lekker ry hoor,
Liewe Brokensword!
Anyway, I’d always heard about this Bokoms that was supposed to be this west coast delicacy and I get there, get the Bokoms and guess what, it is the snoek fish that we use to buy at the corner shop for a few rand back in the day.
This made me realise that as far apart as we are, we really do the same ole things and, a rose, by any other name, still smells as pungent!. Snoek fish stinks. Had it in the car the whole 5 hour drive (took a few detours) from Lamberts’ Bay to Cape Town.
I had expected a whole new world experience, a taste of something I had not tasted before but alas, what you can get in the middle of Orlando (Soweto) in the spaza shop is just as readily available in the middle of a wilderness conservation area.
Lambert’s Bay is not all bad though. Just as you get the old decomposing dog on the streets of the location, one can get a similar experience along the ‘pristine’ coast lines of the Atlantic Ocean. Only there it is decomposing seals and sea birds along the coast line.
Anyway, to get back to the subject of this particular post, I think I could do a nice road movie of the Western Cape. Imagine, you live in Cape Town, are originally from Soweto, want to explore the country and find out more about the people and its fauna and flora. Yes, documentaries have been made (Lebo Mashile does an excellent job every week) but I cannot think of a feature film on the diversity and oddities of our different and odd little towns right here in SA. I sure Wim Wenders would be interested, just got to put together a screenplay.
Moving on, this would be a comedy, to beat the likes of Muriel’s wedding and Pricilla, Queen of the Desert. I see a scene where I (it would have to start me!) walk into a restaurant where I order a bacon egg and cheese BURGER. Only to be brought bacon, egg and (heavily processed) cheese ROLL. What happened to the patty? Surely the definition of a burger is that it must include (whether soya, or horse?! based) some kind of a patty! Not in the west coast folks. And this was an up market restaurant with table clothes and all!
Another scene, a total opposite would be driving to the oh so larnie spa in the middle of a nature reserve. The least they could do, for having a R3000 a night hotel/spa in the middle of nowhere is have the road, leading up to that heavenly place, stared for goodness sakes. By the time you get there you have been so stirred and shook you can’t see straight. I swear I thought the clouds were coming together like in a scene of War of the Worlds. Was very disappointed though to find out that after driving 2 hours at 20 kilometres per hour that massages were only for the German tourist who could afford the bloody R3000 per night.
Alas, I will try (not) and find the time to do this screen play and send to Wim Wenders and Miramax. They should be interested. It will be a killer. I have a title already, Fuck Sushi, try some Bokoms, it has more character.
The West Coast is an interesting place and I do not think that a movie, even ‘Forgiveness’ has captured it in 8mm. A most beautiful place but for me, a single desperate black female, searching for the truth out there, it did not offer much. Will go back for a second take, maybe with another single desperate black female for a second opinion. Then maybe a South African version of Thelma and Louise could be born?
Lekker ry hoor,
Liewe Brokensword!
Friday 12 January 2007
Your best African flick
I was listening to the radio last night and the topic of discussion on 567 was African movies.
A very interesting discussion and it got me thinking about how allergic I tend to be towards South African movies. How unpatriotic! But somehow I just can not help it. I do not like our own movies. Not that I am into the mainstream formula Hollywood flicks either, I am not… maybe… we… I will watch anything by Steven Spielberg, does not matter what it is and I suppose you can not get more Hollywood than Steven Spielberg. Shit, there goes my high ground.
But what is my issue with South African movies? I love Australian/New Zealand movies (whale rider had me doing the ugly cry), I love Asian movies and Mexican and and and. I loved City of God, I love Robert Rodriguez, I love Pedro Almodóvar. I will not watch National Lampoon movies, I will not watch Saw III, I will not watch James Bond. What the fuck am I saying, I can actually, watch anything if I am not paying for it and have no choice.
I find it difficult to pay to watch SA movies. I need to examine this more fully and hopefully change this and start supporting our home-grown ‘local is kreker’ movies.
I mean, I would consider Cry the Beloved Country as my favourite African movie, but how African is it with James Earl Jones and Richard Harris? I suppose I love the movie because I love the book. Iqopo is one place I need to visit before I die!
I was not blown away by Tsotsi (and I did pay to see this one), I was not blown away by Sarafina, I still have not seen yesterday (has it been on sabc yet?). Anyway, you get my drift.
In the radio show last night they were saying how the past few years have been really great for SA cinema with 6 movies coming out of 2006 (this is suppose to be plenty). But they said that we have a lot to look forward to with these new releases coming out. I will make a point to see at least one, and pay for it myself. And it will not be a Leon Schuster movie.
Brokensword
A very interesting discussion and it got me thinking about how allergic I tend to be towards South African movies. How unpatriotic! But somehow I just can not help it. I do not like our own movies. Not that I am into the mainstream formula Hollywood flicks either, I am not… maybe… we… I will watch anything by Steven Spielberg, does not matter what it is and I suppose you can not get more Hollywood than Steven Spielberg. Shit, there goes my high ground.
But what is my issue with South African movies? I love Australian/New Zealand movies (whale rider had me doing the ugly cry), I love Asian movies and Mexican and and and. I loved City of God, I love Robert Rodriguez, I love Pedro Almodóvar. I will not watch National Lampoon movies, I will not watch Saw III, I will not watch James Bond. What the fuck am I saying, I can actually, watch anything if I am not paying for it and have no choice.
I find it difficult to pay to watch SA movies. I need to examine this more fully and hopefully change this and start supporting our home-grown ‘local is kreker’ movies.
I mean, I would consider Cry the Beloved Country as my favourite African movie, but how African is it with James Earl Jones and Richard Harris? I suppose I love the movie because I love the book. Iqopo is one place I need to visit before I die!
I was not blown away by Tsotsi (and I did pay to see this one), I was not blown away by Sarafina, I still have not seen yesterday (has it been on sabc yet?). Anyway, you get my drift.
In the radio show last night they were saying how the past few years have been really great for SA cinema with 6 movies coming out of 2006 (this is suppose to be plenty). But they said that we have a lot to look forward to with these new releases coming out. I will make a point to see at least one, and pay for it myself. And it will not be a Leon Schuster movie.
Brokensword
Wednesday 10 January 2007
Remember the Titans makes me feel all warm inside
By now, everybody should have seen this movie.
It was playing on etv (SA television) last night and I stayed up for it.
Caught it in the middle.
It's not the best movie I've seen or anything, but it just makes you feel good. Like a single person can change the mindset of hundreds - merely by leading by example or something like that.
That a bunch of football players could bond, forgetting the whole problem of racial inequalities, fall in love with one another and then inspire the whole town to do the same. Just makes you think of the endless possibilities out there.
Was reading one of the other blogs (http://dneo.gustoprojects.co.za/), and she had a post up quoting Oprah after she launched her leadership school in South Africa.
"What I learned at a very early age was that I was responsible for my life. And as I became more spiritually conscious, I learned that we all are responsible for ourselves, that you create your own reality by the way you think and therefore act. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because you are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.”
ps. I just loved the little girls in the movie. Quite amusing indeed.
Heartwarmer
It was playing on etv (SA television) last night and I stayed up for it.
Caught it in the middle.
It's not the best movie I've seen or anything, but it just makes you feel good. Like a single person can change the mindset of hundreds - merely by leading by example or something like that.
That a bunch of football players could bond, forgetting the whole problem of racial inequalities, fall in love with one another and then inspire the whole town to do the same. Just makes you think of the endless possibilities out there.
Was reading one of the other blogs (http://dneo.gustoprojects.co.za/), and she had a post up quoting Oprah after she launched her leadership school in South Africa.
"What I learned at a very early age was that I was responsible for my life. And as I became more spiritually conscious, I learned that we all are responsible for ourselves, that you create your own reality by the way you think and therefore act. You cannot blame apartheid, your parents, your circumstances, because you are not your circumstances. You are your possibilities. If you know that, you can do anything.”
ps. I just loved the little girls in the movie. Quite amusing indeed.
Heartwarmer
Sunday 7 January 2007
Stomp...so that was it?
Do you remember a couple of years ago when Stomp broke into the American theatre scene (originally a UK production) and it was thee thing. I saw snippets of it here and there I think mostly on the variety shows like in living colour?
Well it is almost over twenty years later and finally, us South Africans get to see what the fuss was about 20 years ago. yippee. So I went to go see the matinée show yesterday at the Artscape.
Now, what I had scene previously of Stomp was a huge sexy cast, mostly black male with out-of-this-world dance rhythms and drumming. It was hard core and it was real. To choose to be creative (making music out of everyday objects) in a harsh unforgiving world type-of-thing was the story. Because this is how it started isn’t it? The creators were originally buskers in the UK trying to make a living on the streets by entertaining passerbys?
Now enter Stomp 20 years later and as in many things, it has been tweaked to appeal to a larger audience. The thing with that though is if you want to please 5 year olds and 15 year olds and 25 year olds and 55 year olds in the same audience, chances are none of them will be pleased.
The show was not bad and you have to give (is it) props to the poeps? It was well done and all and all. And one can see why it has been so successful. The kids enjoyed the beginning, the brat behind me stopped asking its mother questions about a third of the way through, finally, hopefully realizing that there actually is no plot for her to figure out in this show. She sat back and enjoyed the dancing and percussion.
The Brokensword that I am, I needed the hard core black dudes, I needed the attitude, I needed well, something to move me. See the thing that just did not help was that the cast was mostly made up of one very tall lanky awkward dude who could not crouch to save his life, two fat dudes who could hardly lift their legs to do the stomp, a nerdy looking dude with glasses and a beanie who provided comic relief.
There were only two black chicks and one black dude who were convincing to me and there was this one white dude who played the lead and he was not too bad either.
All in all this was a commercialized version of Stomp and I can not say this for sure as I did not see the original some twenty years ago. Even the audience got to be part of the show, being prompted to provide some of the percussion by clapping.
A few people stood and applauded at the end, which goes to show that this show still has major appeal!, but not for me. The row in front of me stood and I could not remain sitting because I could not see so I had to stand too. This is how standing ovations are made!
Brokensword
Well it is almost over twenty years later and finally, us South Africans get to see what the fuss was about 20 years ago. yippee. So I went to go see the matinée show yesterday at the Artscape.
Now, what I had scene previously of Stomp was a huge sexy cast, mostly black male with out-of-this-world dance rhythms and drumming. It was hard core and it was real. To choose to be creative (making music out of everyday objects) in a harsh unforgiving world type-of-thing was the story. Because this is how it started isn’t it? The creators were originally buskers in the UK trying to make a living on the streets by entertaining passerbys?
Now enter Stomp 20 years later and as in many things, it has been tweaked to appeal to a larger audience. The thing with that though is if you want to please 5 year olds and 15 year olds and 25 year olds and 55 year olds in the same audience, chances are none of them will be pleased.
The show was not bad and you have to give (is it) props to the poeps? It was well done and all and all. And one can see why it has been so successful. The kids enjoyed the beginning, the brat behind me stopped asking its mother questions about a third of the way through, finally, hopefully realizing that there actually is no plot for her to figure out in this show. She sat back and enjoyed the dancing and percussion.
The Brokensword that I am, I needed the hard core black dudes, I needed the attitude, I needed well, something to move me. See the thing that just did not help was that the cast was mostly made up of one very tall lanky awkward dude who could not crouch to save his life, two fat dudes who could hardly lift their legs to do the stomp, a nerdy looking dude with glasses and a beanie who provided comic relief.
There were only two black chicks and one black dude who were convincing to me and there was this one white dude who played the lead and he was not too bad either.
All in all this was a commercialized version of Stomp and I can not say this for sure as I did not see the original some twenty years ago. Even the audience got to be part of the show, being prompted to provide some of the percussion by clapping.
A few people stood and applauded at the end, which goes to show that this show still has major appeal!, but not for me. The row in front of me stood and I could not remain sitting because I could not see so I had to stand too. This is how standing ovations are made!
Brokensword
Thursday 4 January 2007
I lurved Friends With Money
I absolutely loved Friends With Money. I watched it last night with some friends - and I just couldn't stop laughing.
I think it's a great movie for men and women. There are so many moments in there where I just felt - that is so fucken true.
The character that Jennifer Aniston plays (Olivia) is obsessed with this dude that she slept with for two months. The dude's a married man, and she just keeps stalking him. She calls him and hangs up, and sometimes she just drives up to his place and watches him from her car.
This one time she calls him and actually talks to him, and dude's like - "don't ever call here again" and hangs up.
She calls back, and the wife answers. And Olivia's like, "this is Olivia, can I speak to your husband".
And the wife is on some, "Olivia, Olivia who slept with my husband Olivia?"
And Olivia's like yeh.
Wife says, "Olivia why don't you get your own fucken husband and stop bothering mine" - and she hangs up.
Punchline: Olivia says, "I would if I could bitch.".
I thought that was so classic. I was sympathetic. Like peops who have love affairs with married men, probably just do it cause they really, really can't find a single man for themselves.
And then there's the character that Frances McDormand plays. I loved her (Jane). She's just stopped trying to look good...even stopped washing her hair cause she figures no hair shampoo is going to make it look the way she wants it to look. At 42, she's used a lot of those shampoos and none of them have made her look the way she's always wanted it to look.
Plus at that age, she figures she's just waiting to die. She gets irritated with people stealing 'her' parking space, and pushing infront her at department stores. She's just an angry woman...feeling unattractive and all. I loved her.
Errbody should watch this movie - had a lot of laughs. And felt like I should have watched it with the lover because there are so many things that he doesn't get, that I tell him he needs to get - and watching that movie would have made him see it.
Catherine Keener plays a character of a wife, whose husband just don't seem to care about her. There is one scene where she hurts her foot, and screams "ouch." Husband is in the other room, can here the scream but says nothing.
Keeners character Christine then says to husband - "it would be nice if you asked me if I was okay". You know - just to show he cares.
Husband reckons Christine is out of her mind, if she wanted to let husband know that she was alright she should do her, "ouch!" and then say, "don't worry honey I'm fine".
The whole movie is just excellent.
I give it four spoons.
I think it's a great movie for men and women. There are so many moments in there where I just felt - that is so fucken true.
The character that Jennifer Aniston plays (Olivia) is obsessed with this dude that she slept with for two months. The dude's a married man, and she just keeps stalking him. She calls him and hangs up, and sometimes she just drives up to his place and watches him from her car.
This one time she calls him and actually talks to him, and dude's like - "don't ever call here again" and hangs up.
She calls back, and the wife answers. And Olivia's like, "this is Olivia, can I speak to your husband".
And the wife is on some, "Olivia, Olivia who slept with my husband Olivia?"
And Olivia's like yeh.
Wife says, "Olivia why don't you get your own fucken husband and stop bothering mine" - and she hangs up.
Punchline: Olivia says, "I would if I could bitch.".
I thought that was so classic. I was sympathetic. Like peops who have love affairs with married men, probably just do it cause they really, really can't find a single man for themselves.
And then there's the character that Frances McDormand plays. I loved her (Jane). She's just stopped trying to look good...even stopped washing her hair cause she figures no hair shampoo is going to make it look the way she wants it to look. At 42, she's used a lot of those shampoos and none of them have made her look the way she's always wanted it to look.
Plus at that age, she figures she's just waiting to die. She gets irritated with people stealing 'her' parking space, and pushing infront her at department stores. She's just an angry woman...feeling unattractive and all. I loved her.
Errbody should watch this movie - had a lot of laughs. And felt like I should have watched it with the lover because there are so many things that he doesn't get, that I tell him he needs to get - and watching that movie would have made him see it.
Catherine Keener plays a character of a wife, whose husband just don't seem to care about her. There is one scene where she hurts her foot, and screams "ouch." Husband is in the other room, can here the scream but says nothing.
Keeners character Christine then says to husband - "it would be nice if you asked me if I was okay". You know - just to show he cares.
Husband reckons Christine is out of her mind, if she wanted to let husband know that she was alright she should do her, "ouch!" and then say, "don't worry honey I'm fine".
The whole movie is just excellent.
I give it four spoons.
Wednesday 3 January 2007
What is your favourite medical drama series
What is your favourite medical drama series?
I used to love Chicago Hope when Mandy Patinkin was in it. ER did not grab me even with the ‘oh so dreamy’ George Clooney in it. It did have its moments but I was a Chicago Hope number 101 101 fan! Now we have another ‘suppose to be dreamy’ doctor on Grey’s Anatomy. I still need to learn more about this series as I am NOT completely sold on it. The second season finale aired a couple weeks ago and everybody was talking about it and I just did not get it?!. Mainly because on that same night on the SABC channel, Will kissed Taye Diggs! on Will and Grace. And I thought the topic of conversation would be around that! Damn you DSTV!
Now as I am not DSTV’d, I have to rely on whatever is currently showing when I visit my parents. My take on these medical serieses/i (what is the plural of Series anyway?) may not be a wholly complete one. Thus my conclusion that you get medical dramas and then you get medical soap opera dramas like Grey’s Anatomy!
I don’t remember much about Chicago Hope but I definitely know that the character of Mandy Patinkin was it for me! And then he died, ohhhhh Mandy, and you came and you gave without taking…. Is there a DVD that I could buy, and where? Please let me know I am serious!
Anyway, my favourite medical drama at the moment is (drum role…. because there are just too many medical dramas out there) HOUSE!!!
I think the key to a successful one (for me any way) is not just about the characters or the script, but both! Casting also goes a long way. I am sorry, that pouting-lips-blue eyed-gorgeous- stuid woman on Grey’s Anatomy (I think she is Dr Grey) just does not do it for me! I do not care even if Ophra thinks she is the cat’s pajamas!
Now, Dr HOUSE, oh man House! I was watching an episode where he tells the story of how he has the limp and he is giving a lecture to ‘would be doctors’. Mind bending intrigue is what it was! Three patients walk into a hospital and they are complaining of a pain in their leg. Amazing story telling there! ‘House's ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner returns – not for House but to get help for her ailing husband. While House decides whether or not to take her case, Cuddy forces him to present a lecture to a class of medical students. As he weaves the stories of three patients who all present with a similar symptom, House gives a lecture the students will never forget.’ Go to http://www.tv.com/house/three-stories/episode/402736/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;21 for more or just buy the damn DVD. The way in which the story is woven is just pure genius! Now I was watching it with the folks and they got and me stuck on ‘doctors can be wrong?!’
Anyway, love the medical drama but leave out the melodrama for soap opera will you. House rules!!!
Brokensword
I used to love Chicago Hope when Mandy Patinkin was in it. ER did not grab me even with the ‘oh so dreamy’ George Clooney in it. It did have its moments but I was a Chicago Hope number 101 101 fan! Now we have another ‘suppose to be dreamy’ doctor on Grey’s Anatomy. I still need to learn more about this series as I am NOT completely sold on it. The second season finale aired a couple weeks ago and everybody was talking about it and I just did not get it?!. Mainly because on that same night on the SABC channel, Will kissed Taye Diggs! on Will and Grace. And I thought the topic of conversation would be around that! Damn you DSTV!
Now as I am not DSTV’d, I have to rely on whatever is currently showing when I visit my parents. My take on these medical serieses/i (what is the plural of Series anyway?) may not be a wholly complete one. Thus my conclusion that you get medical dramas and then you get medical soap opera dramas like Grey’s Anatomy!
I don’t remember much about Chicago Hope but I definitely know that the character of Mandy Patinkin was it for me! And then he died, ohhhhh Mandy, and you came and you gave without taking…. Is there a DVD that I could buy, and where? Please let me know I am serious!
Anyway, my favourite medical drama at the moment is (drum role…. because there are just too many medical dramas out there) HOUSE!!!
I think the key to a successful one (for me any way) is not just about the characters or the script, but both! Casting also goes a long way. I am sorry, that pouting-lips-blue eyed-gorgeous- stuid woman on Grey’s Anatomy (I think she is Dr Grey) just does not do it for me! I do not care even if Ophra thinks she is the cat’s pajamas!
Now, Dr HOUSE, oh man House! I was watching an episode where he tells the story of how he has the limp and he is giving a lecture to ‘would be doctors’. Mind bending intrigue is what it was! Three patients walk into a hospital and they are complaining of a pain in their leg. Amazing story telling there! ‘House's ex-girlfriend Stacy Warner returns – not for House but to get help for her ailing husband. While House decides whether or not to take her case, Cuddy forces him to present a lecture to a class of medical students. As he weaves the stories of three patients who all present with a similar symptom, House gives a lecture the students will never forget.’ Go to http://www.tv.com/house/three-stories/episode/402736/summary.html?tag=ep_list;title;21 for more or just buy the damn DVD. The way in which the story is woven is just pure genius! Now I was watching it with the folks and they got and me stuck on ‘doctors can be wrong?!’
Anyway, love the medical drama but leave out the melodrama for soap opera will you. House rules!!!
Brokensword
Tuesday 2 January 2007
Deja Vu is a joke
Just came back from the cinema – decided on déjà vu…eish.
The action is thrilling and all and all, but you can almost figure out what’s going to happen at least 45 minutes in to the movie.
That’s crucial for me.
I want suspense damnit.
The whole movie is just mediocre really. Whoever came up with the story line was just too damn lazy. The idea is good enough. You know, the whole notion of time travel. But how time travel is possible in this movie is just dumbass. It just don't add up.
Through satellite tracking????…basically the latest satellite technology allows the FBI to be able to see into the past. They can only go four days back in time – not a moment sooner or later. What's crucial is that you can just decide you want to see what happened at 2am, or 4am, or 5pm...you have to wait for the day (past) to play itself over again. You can't fast forward. The existance of PVR technology makes this movie look dumb.
Anyways, so Denzel figures that he can use this technology to go back in time and save the world…
The story goes something like this. An ATF (bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms - something like that) agent travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered, falling in love with her in the process.
There is a scene where Denzel is trying to keep the satellite signal and is looking through a lens (that allows you to see the past) with the one eye, and with the other eye – he’s trying to maneuver his way through traffic in present time (he’s driving). The scene is insulting because you know that hand/eye coordination can't be that good even for an ATF agent.
Out of five spoons – I give it one and a half. Purely because some of the action is fun. And the effects are great. (The director, Tony Scott is the same guy who did Man on Fire which I liked – déjà vu just don’t compare)
Heartwarmer
The action is thrilling and all and all, but you can almost figure out what’s going to happen at least 45 minutes in to the movie.
That’s crucial for me.
I want suspense damnit.
The whole movie is just mediocre really. Whoever came up with the story line was just too damn lazy. The idea is good enough. You know, the whole notion of time travel. But how time travel is possible in this movie is just dumbass. It just don't add up.
Through satellite tracking????…basically the latest satellite technology allows the FBI to be able to see into the past. They can only go four days back in time – not a moment sooner or later. What's crucial is that you can just decide you want to see what happened at 2am, or 4am, or 5pm...you have to wait for the day (past) to play itself over again. You can't fast forward. The existance of PVR technology makes this movie look dumb.
Anyways, so Denzel figures that he can use this technology to go back in time and save the world…
The story goes something like this. An ATF (bureau of alcohol, tobacco and firearms - something like that) agent travels back in time to save a woman from being murdered, falling in love with her in the process.
There is a scene where Denzel is trying to keep the satellite signal and is looking through a lens (that allows you to see the past) with the one eye, and with the other eye – he’s trying to maneuver his way through traffic in present time (he’s driving). The scene is insulting because you know that hand/eye coordination can't be that good even for an ATF agent.
Out of five spoons – I give it one and a half. Purely because some of the action is fun. And the effects are great. (The director, Tony Scott is the same guy who did Man on Fire which I liked – déjà vu just don’t compare)
Heartwarmer
The Departed - it does not get better than this
How many big names can you cram into one movie, that is if you are not Robert Altman or Woody Allen, or Steven Soderbergh… Okay, I am realising the big names thing has been done before. But to have Martin Scorsese directing these guys, this is a dangerous mix of Hollywood testosterone. It is probably worth seeing if only to see the interaction between Jack, Leonardo and Matt. Whooa!
Brokensword
Brokensword
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