The Movie Thread

[RGMike]

As we all remember, I predicted Jamie Foxx would win Best Actor even before Ray opened, but rather than be satisfied with going one-for-one, here are a few more predictions -- feel free to disagree.

Actress -- Imelda Staunton. I'm out on a small limb here; many have hyped this as a Swank/Bening rematch/horserace. And if Being Julia were a better movie, they'd probably give it to Annette this time. I see enough of a split for Staunton to sneak thru, especially if enough voters have seen Vera Drake.

Supp Actor: Morgan Freeman. He's beloved, this is his 4th nom, and the Million Dollar Baby juggernaut (M$B as the trades abbreviate it) seems to be gathering steam at the right time.

Supp Actress: Cate Blanchett.  This one's close between her and Virgina Madsen, but this is probably their best way to throw something to Aviator.

Screenplay (Orig): Eternal Sunshine; it's closest competition is Aviator.

Screenplay (Adapted): Sideways better win this one, though if they REALLY love M$B...

Song: Everyone seems to be picking that drippy ballad from Polar Express but my pick, "Accidentally In Love" -- the only Counting Crows song I've ever liked -- was a huge hit. And Shrek 2 ain't winning...

...Animated Film: The Incredibles.

Director: Eastwood. I really think they just like him more than that  Scorsese fella from Noo Yawk.

Picture: M$B (I just love typing "M$B"). It's peaking at just the right time, and that ridiculous "controversy" led by Michael Medved (the nelliest heterosexual in America) will actually help.

Oh and I think they'll throw Passion of Mel the Cinematography prize as a see-how-we-love-the-red-states-too statement.

[Gazoo]

I wish I could play along -- but I only saw three movies last year: Super-Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, and A Home At The End Of The World.  Needless to say, I'm the most ill-equipped voter imaginable.

I did see Ray last week, leaving Ray himself as the only person who hasn't.  Amazingly good, though the end came rather sudden and simplistic.  I guess there was no other way to bring it to a close, though.

[ggould]

I wish I could play along -- but I only saw three movies last year: Super-Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, and A Home At The End Of The World.

I saw F911, SSM, and have not even spun the Netflix DVD of Ray yet that's been in my house for a couple of weeks! Maybe we're even, I saw The Incredibles.  I'm usually pretty out of touch on Oscar night.  We almost saw Sideways tonight, but I had to go to the office.

[princessofcairo]

I wish I could play along -- but I only saw three movies last year: Super-Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11, and A Home At The End Of The World.

I saw F911, SSM, and have not even spun the Netflix DVD of Ray yet that's been in my house for a couple of weeks! Maybe we're even, I saw The Incredibles.  I'm usually pretty out of touch on Oscar night.  We almost saw Sideways tonight, but I had to go to the office.

i haven't even received ray from netflix yet. it's at the top of my list, but there are only so many copies available, and people like geoff who rent movies then keep them around the house for several weeks prevent me from seeing it.

the only movie i saw that's been nominated is maria, full of grace. i did manage to break my normal "one movie a year" theatre schedule last year. i saw:

- team america, f**k yeah.
- the fallen. or forgiven, or missing. whatever crazy julianne moore flick that was.
- badasssssss
- fat albert
- a very long film
- mean girls
- man on fire (let the mutha burn, damnit)
- kitchen stories (should be nominated for something, somewhere - one of my top three foreign flicks)
- the day after tomorrow

i think that's it.

i do have a rental recommendation, though: rabbit-proof fence. awesome true story.

[ggould]

i haven't even received ray from netflix yet. it's at the top of my list, but there are only so many copies available, and people like geoff who rent movies then keep them around the house for several weeks prevent me from seeing it.

Well, we saw it tonight, and it'll be in the mail Monday!  I can't see it as best picture, but then I didn't see the others, so who knows?  I kind of want to see Sideways, partly to see Sandra Oh.  I saw her in this Candian flick Last Night (http://imdb.com/title/tt0156729/     yeah, I'm obsessed with anything relating to my favorite TV show, Due South)  It was pretty odd, pretty cool.

[RGMike]

i saw:

- badasssssss.

Best Overlooked Movie of 2004.  The cinematography certainly deserved a nom, that guy did amazing work on a small budget.

[Anonymous]

Well Mike, except for where you got all mushy & picked Imelda Staunton I'd say you were a helluva prognosticator.  Swank was an upset winner last time, but she was the closest thing to a lock this time around.  The only major movie I saw already was Sideways & it got the one award we both thought it would, so I could only base my picks on what others were saying & on past Oscar history, but you did much better than I.  If the DGA hadn't already picked Eastwood I would have said Scorcese was a lock, but historically there's like a 96% correspondence between the DGA pick & the Academy pick.  So go figure, poor guy is 0-6.  

You know who else is shaping up as a tragic Susan-Lucci-figure besides Scorcese?  Kate Winslett.  She's the first actress to receive 4 noms before age 30 (an age she'll hit in October), but that also makes her the first actress to go 0-4 before age 30.  At this rate she'll tie Deborah Kerr's career 0-6 mark of futility for actresses before she's 35 and surpass the record 0-7 mark shared by Richard Burton & Peter O'Toole before she's 40.  Lovely girl though, just lovely.

Note to POC, did you see Jenny Lumet in the opera box with her mom & sis during the presentation to her dad?  Va-va-voom!

[RGMike]

Note to POC, did you see Jenny Lumet in the opera box with her mom & sis during the presentation to her dad?  Va-va-voom!

yes -- poc and I watched together and we were both like, "Who IS that???"  She had enough cleavage for 3 women.  

Loved Irish Greg's line this morning about how they paired Salma Hayek & Penelope Cruz to prove that they really are 2 separate women.

and for those who missed it -- the Razzies were also given out this weekend:

http://www.razzies.com/asp/directory/25thWinners.htm

[princessofcairo]

Note to POC, did you see Jenny Lumet in the opera box with her mom & sis during the presentation to her dad?  Va-va-voom!

yum, yum, indeed.

i kept waiting for salma to grab penelope's ass. but maybe that ole lesbian bed death has already set in.

i thought chris rock was out of control. in a good, weird way. no one escaped his fiery tongue! only it was terribly harsh. hilarious, but ouch!!!! i'm glad he dissed halle berry. ha!

best eye-candy (and dressed):
prince
samuel l.
johnny depp
jenny lumet
salma hayek
a meaty julia roberts
al pacino
morgan freeman

worst:
renee welldigger
that woman who didn't win for art direction because she was wearing gold lame


oh - and the teasing about vitamin c presenting was just wrong. chris rock is no substitute for mrs. douglas.

[RGMike]

too late, of course, but this Oscar Drinking Game was posted on Slate.com. Think how hung-over we'd be if we'd played...

The idea is one drink per infraction execept where noted:

•   Every Michael Moore and/or Mel Gibson reference.

•   Every Brad/Jennifer/Angelina reference.

•   Every poor schlub who, just as he is about to get his chance to say thank you after the first guy droned on for a minute, doesn't even get a second at the microphone before the band drowns him out.

•   Every time someone mentions how wonderful The Movies are as an institution.

•   Every male winner who thanks his wife for being "beautiful", rather than intelligent, loyal or supportive.

•   Every person named during the Necrology who you forgot was dead.

•   If booing is audible when Reagan's death is mentioned, chug, because we'll have two weeks of conservative complaints to endure.

•   Every losing nominee who pretends to look happy as someone else goes up to the stage.

•   Every actor you spot with odd facial hair he has obviously grown for a current movie role.

•   Every time ABC promotes Desperate Housewives in some way.

•   Every time Chris Rock mentions a black person, and then they cut to a shot of the first black person they find in the audience.

•   Chug if during or immediately after the Counting Crows performance, they cut to one of Adam Duritz's many ex-girlfriends.

•   Chug when Chris Rock makes fun of any ABC programming.

•   Every shot of or reference to the guys from Ernst & Young.

•   The Mary Steenburgen Memorial Shot: Every presenter who's announced as an Oscar nominee or winner and you can't remember for what.

•   Every time there's an inexplicable cut to Jack Nicholson.

•   Every shot of one of Rock's former SNL castmates, but drink everything in the entire neighborhood if they show Rob Schneider.

• Drink if you can't figure out a damn thing Prince says when presenting an award.

• Chug if Rock brings up Pootie Tang.

My feeling is that THIS WILL KILL US ALL.

[princessofcairo]

yeah, we would have been wasted.

sideshow bob has many ex-girlfriends?

mary steenburgen was nominated?

[RGMike]

mary steenburgen was nominated?

she won for Melvin and Howard.

[RGMike]

the Clint and the Babs:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050228/ids_photos_en/r714529292.jpg

[urth]

Note to POC, did you see Jenny Lumet in the opera box with her mom & sis during the presentation to her dad?  Va-va-voom!

yes -- poc and I watched together and we were both like, "Who IS that???"  She had enough cleavage for 3 women.  

Anyone know of a photo of her online? I watched the first hour or so (thru best supporting actress), ducked out for dinner, and made it back just in time for the necrology and the big guns.

[princessofcairo]

the Clint and the Babs:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050228/ids_photos_en/r714529292.jpg

have they ever been that close before?

melvin and howard? never heard of it. adding it to netflix....