Starring: Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn, Imeldaa Staunton, April Lee Hernandez
Directed by: Richard LaGravenese
Leave it to Hilary Swank. Even when her film's pace lags behind its cliches, she sparks this true story, about a California teacher who sparks her students, with the passion the subject demands. Erin Gruwell (Swank), wearing pearls, yet, seems helplessly ill-equipped on her first day at Wilson High School in Long Beach. The time is just after the Rodney King riots. Racial tension is high. But Erin, inexperienced and hopelessly naive, thinks she really can teach English to a class of blacks, whites, Latinos and Asians, most of whom are involved with gangs.
The school authorities, repped by a ramrod Imelda Staunton, merely expect Erin to warehouse these alleged no-hopers, played with feeling by a cast of newcomers, who move their desks to segregate themselves into racial groups. Erin must learn their ghetto reality before she can reach them, which she does by assigning The Diary of Anne Frank and getting them to write letters to Miep Gies (Pat Carroll), the woman who helped the Frank family hide from the Nazis. Miep's visit to Erin's classroom is the film's emotional highlight. But Erin's most notable accomplishment was to persuade her students to write their own stories of persecution. These journals were published in 1999 as The Freedom Writers Diary, which writer-director Richard LaGravenese (Living Out Loud) used as his source material. Erin's dedication helped end her marriage -- Patrick Dempsey, a.k.a. Grey's Anatomy's Dr. McDreamy, plays the whiny husband -- but started young lives on a whole new course. Corny? You bet. And worse when the plot veers into the glitz of a Dangerous Minds and the sappiness of a TV After School Special. But the movie, which Swank helped produce by using her clout as a two-time Oscar winner, gets to you.
Watch the trailer
Feb 26, 2007
Movie Review: Freedom Writers
Latest Movie: Live on Mars
Sam Tyler (John Simm), a cool, sharp young detective, is working hard to keep the streets of 21st century Manchester safe from crime. But his world is turned upside down when the hunt for a serial killer becomes a personal vendetta after Maya (Archie Panjabi, The Constant Gardener), his girlfriend and colleague, goes missing. Desperately afraid she has been kidnapped by the killer, he sets out to find her, only to become involved in a near-fatal car accident. When he wakes, he finds himself in a different era - 1973. Is this reality, madness or a dream? Sam struggles to understand what is happening to him.
Disoriented and traumatized, 21st century Sam is completely bewildered by his new environment. As all attempts to return to his own time fail, Sam falls back on what he knows best - his job. Each episode features a different case, some of the toughest Sam has ever tried to solve - partly because of what seems like archaic police procedure. This is a world without cell phones, where cops rely on paperwork and memory instead of computers, there's no DNA profiling and what forensics do exist take two weeks to process.
Furthermore, his 1973 colleagues are insensitive, unreconstructed cops who regularly intimidate witnesses and are happy to nail suspects irrespective of whether they have evidence. Sam's new boss is hard-nosed Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), the antithesis of everything Sam believes in. He gets results by trusting his gut instinct and, all too often, sheer brute force. Most of his team have similar attitudes towards their work including detective Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) who is suspicious of Sam and his 'new-fangled' ideas. At least detective Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster, Clocking Off), despite being clueless, is more affable and keen to learn.
The only person in this alien world who reaches out to Sam is a young police officer, Annie Cartwright (Liz White, The Street), an educated and open-minded woman who helps Sam in his quest to find the truth about his new circumstances, as well as battling to lock up the criminals of 1970s Manchester.
In the first episode, it becomes clear to Sam that the killer who is holding Maya in 2006 started his killing spree here and now in the early '70s. Could catching the perpetrator be Sam's key to returning to the future?
What the critics are saying:
"Leave it to those wily Brits to solve one of TV's most pressing mysteries: How do you keep the crime procedural fresh? Simm easily navigates the gritty cop plotlines and the mystical sci-fi elements, thanks to his distinctly British regular-bloke appeal. And his crackling chemistry with gruff boss Gene Hunt only adds to the series' charm. It's Quantum Leap meets The Streets of San Francisco - with nary a C, S, or I in sight. Grade: A-" (Entertainment Weekly, 07/28/06)
Life on Mars can be seen as a witty response to the modern police procedural, with its emphasis on cutting-edge forensic science and impossibly good-looking rainbow casts. (Los Angeles Times, 07/21/06)
The Brits, actually, have the right idea here with their penchant for short-order series, such as BBC AMERICA's upcoming Life on Mars... (Variety, 07/12/06)
"No matter how many cop shows you've seen, you haven't seen one quite like Life on Mars (***1/2 out of four, BBC America, tonight, 10 ET PT). And you really should." (USA Today, 07/24/06)
Surreal and harrowing, a version of this wildly original show is being developed by David E. Kelley for American TV. It's easy to see why. Heat index: 9 (out of 10)" (TV Guide's Roush Review, 07/24/06)
Latest Movie: HEX
Set in a remote British boarding school, Hex is the story of Cassandra "Cassie" Hughes (Christina Cole), a shy social outcast who discovers she has unique powers that provide a terrifying link to the past.
Longing to be popular, but only truly loved by her lesbian roommate Thelma (Jemima Rooper, Kinky Boots), Cassie goes to great lengths to be accepted by the "in crowd" at her cliquish English boarding school, Medenham Hall. Thelma, who couldn't care less about being ostracized, is appalled at Cassie's attempts to fit in with the superficial classmates who treat them so badly.
While stopping for a cigarette in one of the old buildings on campus, Cassie's future is forever altered when she unearths hidden ancient artifacts - a discovery that leaves her cursed with supernatural powers that have their roots deep in Medenham Hall's history. As she begins to recognize the extent of her new abilities, Cassie is bewildered and terrified by the visions that haunt her. She soon discovers that there are certain advantages to being a student endowed with mystical powers, when she learns how to manipulate the people and situations around her.
However, Cassie realizes that her new gift comes with a price. Her tragic fate is sealed with the appearance of Azazeal (Michael Fassbender, Band of Brothers), the leader of a group of fallen angels who were banished from heaven for tasting the pleasures of mortal women. Azazeal kidnaps Thelma in a bid to get to the one human sacrifice he's really concerned with, Cassie. But when Cassie confronts him and demands to see her friend, it's Thelma who pays the ultimate price.
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Movie Review: The Prestige
The Science of Magic Deception and Misdirection Fuel Prestige
A magician never reveals his tricks -- or so it is said. Thus, it stands to reason that the rivalry between magicians would be highly competitive, at the very least. In The Prestige>, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale play men whose friendship is torn apart, turning them into rival performers. Set in late 1800s London, the story weaves illusion, misdirection and human drama together in the cutthroat world of magic. Rupert Angier (Hugh Jackman, right) celebrates the success of his new magic trick with his ingeneurThe Prestige. (Buena Vista Distribution, 2006) (Michael Caine) and his assistant (Scarlett Johansson) in the thriller.
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Written by: Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, based on the novel by Christopher Priest
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Piper Perabo, Andy Serkis, and David Bowie.
Time passes and Angier discovers that Borden has a new trick called "The Transported Man" that allows him to pass seemingly instantaneously from one cabinet to another onstage. Angier becomes obsessed with discovering the secret of the trick. His desperation leads him to deception, kidnapping, and eventually a long trip overseas to visit Nikola Tesla, the inventor whom he believes helped Borden create his trick.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, who also helmed such films as Memento and Batman Begins, The Prestige is a beautiful looking film that moves with a fluid grace. The film's one stumbling block is the backwards way it is told: Borden is reading the journal of Angier who is reading Borden's journal. Signposts (a limp, a child's age, the journals) help to place key moments in time throughout the film. Though this seems horribly complicated, the manner in which the story is told is essential to keep the audience (and the characters) guessing. The "turn," as it is called in magic, must not come too soon.
Jackman and Bale both give outstanding performances. Though they engage in a bitter rivalry, the two actors do not overdo the emotions underlying the characters. Tempting though it might be, they do not inflate their villainy to melodrama proportions. Both characters are obsessive with their art and their secrets. At different points in the film, it is difficult to sympathize with these men.
Michael Caine is Cutter, Angier's ingeneur -- the man who creates the illusions. Caine is intriguing and adds clout to the film. His work has, for years, become a mark of greatness. As Cutter, he plays the wise sage, but also helps introduce the world of magic to us through a demonstration to a child.
Scarlett Johansson, in one pivotal scene, expressed so much through her eyes that I thought it was the greatest acting I had seen this year. On the other hand, seemed a bit out of place. She is pretty enough to be a magician's assistant and she is certainly talented, but she seemed awkward in a period piece, as if she never quite adapted herself to her character's time period.
The surprising performance, for me, was seeing David Bowie as the inventor Nikola Tesla. Underneath the makeup, it was impossible for me to see Bowie. His performance was top notch, conveying an air of mystery for a man who -- historically speaking -- is still a mystery to many people.
Like magic, film is an illusion that tricks a willing audience and leaves us filled with the wonder of possibilities. The final reveal of The Prestige was both surprising and expected -- as any good trick should be.
* (source: www.filmguru.net)
Red Carpet Coverage: The Arrivals, Hour Two
What is SHE Wearing!? The Evil Beet Takes a Look at the Stars
Hour two of E!'s red carpet coverage kicks off with Jennifer Hudson, whose ensemble would be arguably appropriate had Dreamgirls been set on Mars. Since it was set in Detroit, she just looks awful. I don't even understand what's happening. The brown dress is poorly fitted enough as is, but she's chosen to top it with a silver cropped jacket (and I hope she didn't think this was a capelet) with the largest collar in the world. Ryan asks her who she's wearing. "George Jetson," she says. No, that didn't happen, but it should have. Ryan actually never asks her who she's wearing. That was a nice thing to do for the designer. I mean that.
Steve Carell with Nancy Walls (one strap, no necklace). He thinks The Departed is going to take Best Picture. Nancy pretends to look for Abigail Breslin in her purse. First genuinely funny moment of the red carpet thus far.
LEO!!! OMG OMG OMG IT'S LEO!!! Damn, he is hot. Aw, he came with his mom, since he's single after his split from model Bar Rafaeli late last month. Leo! I AM SINGLE TOO! I HAVE CHICKEN WINGS! COME OVER! He went a little crazy with the self-tanner, as Leo is wont to do, but I can be okay with that. I LOVE YOU, LEO!!!
Ryan's talking to Djimon Hounsou, looking very cool in dark glasses. Cut to footage of him being hot in a Janet Jackson video from a hundred years ago. He did a Paula Abdul video, too, I guess. Giuliana chimes in from the sky box to confirm that he's wearing Calvin Klein underwear, as he's doing a campaign for them right now. Man, they had to pull out all the stops to make that interview interesting.
I think Ryan's supposed to be interviewing Helen Mirren right now, but she's talking to another reporter, so we go up to Giuliana in the sky box so Ryan can berate her for talking about underwear at the Oscars. "Did you have a better question lined up, Barbara Walters?" says Giuliana, except she doesn't say that at all. Instead we talk about "panties" for a full minute while we wait for Helen Mirren.
Helen shows up, holding a union jack. She's wearing a flesh-colored, beaded scoop-neck. No necklace. Sexy but very age-appropriate, and she looks beautiful. She says that she thinks the queen of England has seen her film, but she'll never know officially. Ryan asks her if she brought the flag herself, and she says she "knicked" it, which I think is British for "stole," but I don't have anyone to text for confirmation. Google Translate is no help. Ryan forgets to ask her what she's wearing. He's getting tired, I guess.
Ha! We come back from commercial to Jay Manuel freezing a shot of Jessica Biel's face, circling it on the screen, then drawing a big line through it. "No," he says. "This isn't working." Jay also says that Rachel Weisz should have ditched the necklace. I totally called that one. I should host this show.
Celine Dion. A very simple green dress. No necklace. Hair down. I dig it.
Anne Hathaway. Valentino strapless, no necklace, but she's making up for it with about twenty bracelets. ("I decided since it's my first Oscars, I'd just wear every single diamond I could find.") I don't know why I always want to hate her, but she's kind of likable right now. Ha! Ryan turns to the sky box to talk crap about her dress with Giuliana, then realizes she's still standing right there. Awkward. No one liked the dress. Anne Hathaway is sad now.
Forest Whitaker. I like how Ryan always starts these interviews with, "We're live on E! right now." It's kind of like saying to the subjects, "Please don't cuss or talk about the dude you saw me making out with last night." Forest has prepared a speech for if he wins. Ryan asks him if he thinks he'll win, and he skirts the question entirely. The interviews with boys are boring.
Gwyneth Paltrow. I think they employed the spider from Charlotte's Web to make her dress. That or Zac Posen. It's orangish, very thin and very complicated. It's backless, and her stylist has clearly instructed her to keep her hair tossed over her shoulder, running down her front, to show off the back of the dress. This occupies a great deal of her time and focus.
Beyonce. I can't tell if her dress is white or lime green (it's Armani, and Beyonce eventually identifies it as "mint green"), but it has this strange line of pearl-like stones in floral patterns running diagonally across her chest. I commend her for taking a risk, but I don't like it. She has such a perfect face, and this distracts from it.
Cate Blanchett. I don't know what it is about her face, but she always looks to me like she just got done crying. Tonight is no exception. A very tight-fitting, black-and-silver Armani Prive. I never realized what a stunning hourglass figure she has. I love it because she's not a straight line -- girl's got hips -- and she's showing it off. No necklace. She doesn't expect to win tonight -- she thinks it will go to Jennifer Hudson.
Eddie Murphy, with Tracey Edmonds. Suck on that, Scary Spice. It's pretty crappy of him to show up here with Tracey, after just having dumped Mel B., who's pregnant with his kid, and then going on record stating he's not even sure it's his. One classy move after another for Mr. Eddie "Norbit" Murphy. Tracey looks uncomfortable, like she knows how much this sucks. Also, her dress is made of giant mirrors. Ew, I'm glad when they go away.
Kate Winslet. More lime ("mint") green, Valentino this time. One strap, no necklace. She admits smugly that she's the most-nominated actress of her generation, which I'd typically give her crap for, but in her case it's well deserved. Also, she corrects Ryan on his pronunciation of Ricky Gervais's name, and I love her for that.
Queen Latifah. Very simple black dress, no necklace. It's possible the dress is more interesting in person, but on camera it is a little too simple. Coming from me, that's saying something. Girl's got titties, though.
Meryl Streep wearing something she borrowed from Billy Madison's Miss Lippy. The devil may wear Prada, but Meryl Streep is wearing a bathrobe. With huge, awful, orange beads and gigantic metal jewelry. Ryan doesn't ask her who she's wearing, because he's trying not to throw up on her.
Nicole Kidman. Bright red halter dress, which would be so perfect except for this huge looped bow sticking out from the right side of her neck. It's like she's in mourning over the loss of her conjoined twin. Like any minute she'll bust out with, "If Natalie were still attached to me, poor dear, this is right where we'd put her head."
We're wrapping up E!'s coverage, and Ryan didn't get to interview everyone, but they showed a few folks who deserve mention here. Reese Witherspoon looked phenomenal in Nina Ricci. She's lost about 100 pounds since her divorce, although she didn't need to, but she is radiant in a trailed purple strapless (no necklace), with super-long hair and bangs. Eat your heart out, Ryan Phillippe. Abigail Breslin goes fairy princess-style in an adorable pink dress with a floral top and just the right amount of makeup. She is wearing a necklace, but I'll let that one slide, because she's like four years old. Jada Pinkett Smith sports a fitted gold Carolina Herrera, which is a thousand percent better than that awful hot-pink thing she wore to the SAG awards.
Now, I have a feeling people are going to give Kirsten Dunst a hard time for her cap-sleeved white vintage Chanel, but I thought she looked very beautiful and old Hollywood. I would ditch the feathers at the bottom, but, beyond that, I felt it was perfect for her. Cameron Diaz's hair, makeup and jewelry were great, but I didn't love the white asymmetrical Valentino on her. I guess she pulled it off as well as anyone might have, but I haven't been enjoying her taste in dresses since her split from JT.
So, in summary, as you prepare for prom (and, really, girls, it's February, so if you're preparing for prom already -- and I know some of you are -- get the hell over it and do your math homework): dark and strapless, form-fitting, and no necklace.
This wraps up our red carpet coverage. Stay tuned for Laremy's coverage of the Oscars, and check back tomorrow for all the dirt on the after parties!
The Evil Beet
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Celebrity gossip with an evil twist. Read More......
Oscar Photo Gallery: The Stars Arrive
The Red Carpet at the 2007 Academy Awards
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Emily Blunt and Michael Buble
Read More......
Oscar Winners 2007
WINNER: The Departed
WINNER: Martin Scorsese, The Departed
WINNER: Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
WINNER: Helen Mirren, The Queen
WINNER: The Departed
BEST ORIGINAL SONG: "I Need to Wake Up" - An Inconvenient Truth; "Listen" – Dreamgirls; "Love You I Do" – Dreamgirls; "Our Town" – Cars; "Patience" – Dreamgirls
WINNER: "I Need to Wake Up" - An Inconvenient Truth
WINNER: Little Miss Sunshine
WINNER: Babel
DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Recycled Life, Rehearsing a Dream, The Blood of Yingzhou District
WINNER: The Blood of Yingzhou District
WINNER: Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls
WINNER: The Lives of Others
WINNER: Pirates of The Carribean: Dead Man's Chest
WINNER: Pan's Labyrinth
WINNER: Marie Antoinette
WINNER: The Departed
WINNER: Happy Feet
WINNER: Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine
WINNER: Dreamgirls
WINNER: Letter From Iwo Jima
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM: Binta and the Great Idea, One Too Many, Helmer and Son, AThe Saviour, West Bank Story
WINNER: West Bank Story
ANIMATED SHORT FILM: The Danish Poet, Lifted, The Little Matchgirl, Maestro, No Time For Nuts
WINNER: The Danish Poet
WINNER: Pan's Labyrinth
WINNER: Pan's Labyrinth
This is part of Film.com's coverage of the 2007 Academy Awards. For more Oscars articles, analysis, news, and red carpet photo galleries, visit our Oscars page. See our picks here.
Read More......Oscars Live Diary
Film.com Gives You the Oscars Play-by-Play, from Red Carpet to Night's End
2:59:51 PM: Ok, first correction, they aren't here. They're in LA. Hosting the Oscars. At least Ellen is. Ryan Seacrest is now introducing the cameramen and tech crew. Sidenote: this could be a long night.
3:04:57 PM: James MvAvoy is on the red carpet speaking with RS. McAvoy was the actual lead in The Last King of Scotland, though Forest will be claiming the Oscar for lead later this evening. Lastly, McAvoy will be presenting the Sound Mixing Oscar, aka the "who are those guys?" Oscar.
3:06:40 PM: It's the guy from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy! I thought they had all been cast to the wind, but one survived. His name is Jay Manual and he'd like to talk to you about Ryan Seacrest's water bottle. I am not lying.
3:08:26 PM: Michael Sheen from The Queen has a five head. For those of you new to my style, that's a very large forehead.
3:09:01 PM: Ok, I stole that last line from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Maggie Gylenhaal is conducting a super awkward interview with Ryan. For the record, that's his personal style!
3:10:39 PM: Little comments are streaming across the bottom, text messages from fans. It's like Wolf Blitzer's Situation Room except there isn't a situation and it's not in a room.
3:21:08 PM: I've been counseled that if I keep up this pace my diary will be 8k words and when the people show up at 6pm I'll be about 94 posts into it. So it's going to get a little more sporadic until we get closer... so for the next few hours maybe only refresh every ten or so. Sorry guys, but it's for your own good.
3:32:34 PM: What do the celebs do until the show starts? Get plastered? Do they show Moonlighting re-runs in the theatre? Sword Swallowing? They've got 2.5 hours left until the show starts and I'm worried about them.
3:37:54 PM: J-Hudson looks like she's waiting for the alien invasion.
3:49:06 PM: Jodie Foster won't be staying for the entire show. She's got to beat traffic. See, they're not so different from you and me.
3:54:51 PM: They won't let Jessica Biel take her phone into the Oscars? What? Is this Russia?
3:59:36 PM: Shocker! American Idol is rooting for Jennifer Hudson!
4:07:13 PM: Leo D. brought his mom, but she doesn't do press. I like her vibe.
4:09:26 PM: Wow, Djimon Hounsou appeared in a Paula Abdul video. It's amazing he survived that.
4:11:44 PM: Jackie Earl Haley drove a limo and appeared in MacGyver before getting nominated in Little Children. Again, survival was not probable.
4:15:36 PM: Our first weird montage of the night! A black and white dealie that turns out to be an ad for toothpaste.
4:20:11 PM: E! is using the Glam-A-Strator. Good name for it guys, nice job marketing squad. I would have gone with the "annoyance cam."
4:22:53 PM: Celine Dion is here! Finally, we can start The Oscars. She was in that great film...
4:24:22 PM: Anne Hathaway just ridiculed Seacrest for crying during Devil Wears Prada. Ouch, Ryan, Ouch.
4:28:46 PM: Alan Arkin HATES Ryan Seacrest.
4:31:48 PM: Paltrow on being told she's live on the E! network. "Oh, great." Say that with the inflection of saying "Pass the salt" and you'll get the drift.
4:34:08 PM: So where will the shocker come this evening? Best Supporting Actor? Best Picture? One of them is out there folks, something that will make us collectively say "hmmmmm."
4:36:32 PM: Seacrest just asked Cate Blanchett "So, you think Jennifer Hudson is a good actress?" This really happened. Oddly enough Blanchett said "Egh, she's fair."
4:43:45 PM: Seacrest just called Ricky Gervais "Ricky JARVASE." Then he'd tried to play it off like Winslet was putting on an accent. Very brutal. Someone should make Ryan watch TV or Movies before handing him a pre-show host gig.
4:46:27 PM: Queen Latifah is sporting Lane Bryant this evening. No, honestly, I can't even hate, I love me some Queen L.
4:48:15 PM: What would the fashion police do if everyone looked good? Would they transition into actual police work?
4:52:12 PM: E! is bailing. We're headed to ABC. I think the Oscars stand a decent chance of starting soon.
5:02:06 PM: I can't get enough of the fashion talk. It's just my favorite thing in the world.
5:08:59 PM: For instance, Penolope is wearing Versace. How awesome is that?
5:10:32 PM: Wait, Will Smith actually learned to do a Rubik's Cube in a minute for Pursuit of Happyness? If this is true it makes him much smarter than anyone I've ever interviewed in Hollywood.
5:16:47 PM: Blanchett did one scene for Babel 70 times. The obvious question: Why was it so bad then?
5:19:59 PM: The ABC gal in the purple dress is ROUGH.
5:21:16 PM: Lisa to the Ling. She needs much more in the way of screentime. Someone 86 purple dress.
5:24:02 PM: Here we go! It's starting! I'm so excited I just passed out!
5:24:21 PM: I'm back.
5:28:38 PM: This is a good opening montage of the nominees. Hey now, someone over at Oscar is under 85!
5:31:56 PM: Peter O'Toole can just barely clap. Someone give him his damn Oscar!
5:32:58 PM: Ellen is wearing red velvet. My drapes look exactly like her.
5:34:52 PM: Ellen calls it "The Most International Oscars Ever." While this may be true I'm pretty sure Zaire isn't in the house. And a bunch of old Americans are taking home awards this evening. So there Ellen! Overall grade for the opener: B.
5:37:44 PM: Ellen takes a shot at Peter O'Toole. Wrong on so many levels. If he could stand he'd admonish her in the sternest of British terms.
5:43:09 PM: Art Direction: Pan's Labyrinth. Good on ya! Fantastic Art Direction all the way around.
5:43:35 PM: Really, it was a very creepy movie. So if that's direction, I like where their head is at.
5:45:51 PM: Every year they force some poor starlet to attend the tech awards. This year it was Maggie G. Next year it will be Dre. Everyone has to take their turn at the sad table.
5:50:02 PM: Ferrell rocks it. He rightly calls the Oscars on hating laughter.
5:50:36 PM: Jack Black! Okay, this is officially the best skit ever.
5:52:43 PM: Can we cancel the Oscars and have Ferrell, Black, and C. Reilly do a three hour show instead?
5:54:14 PM: Pan's wins another one for Makeup.
5:54:24 PM: If you are keeping track at home no other film has won an Oscar. Not EVEN ONE.
5:55:36 PM: Ouch, they just played the Pan's makeup crew off. Hey guys, we need to give Scorcese a 45 minute slot later.
5:56:26 PM: Little Will Smith just left Abby in the dust! Hey kid, she's got a dress on, don't run to the microphone!
5:57:40 PM: Animated Short goes too... The Danish Poet. I should have known, I liked it the very least of the group.
6:01:09 PM: West Bank Story wins Live Action Short and I'm totally good with that. It was a fun little romp. PS- Jack Nicholson showed up with a shaved head.
6:04:18 PM: I hate the Andy Garcia commercial. I get it, you drive a Caddy, so what?
6:05:38 PM: Also the Bank America commercial. I get it, you're a bank. Move on.
6:08:59 PM: An orchestra of people making noises with their mouths comes on stage to illustrate how noises are made. Goodness, can the real orchestra play these people off?
6:11:16 PM: Sound Editing: Letters from Iwo Jima. Survey says: Consolation Oscar because this film will never be heard from again.
6:13:42 PM: For Sound Editing the one guy didn't get to talk because the other guy took up all the time. So uncool, like the dude at work who punches you in the face. I hate that guy.
6:15:27 PM: Sound Mixing: Dreamgirls. Can you feel that? It's called momentum. So actually I guess you would have heard it.
6:17:08 PM: If you win an Oscar(r) in a group make sure you get to the microphone first. Otherwise you are doomed.
6:18:17 PM: Best Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin! Get some of that my brothers!
6:21:14 PM: I really think Murphy got punished for Norbit. Hey fella, no more bad movies please!
6:25:26 PM: Dove commercial = rough. Stop this pain. Stop it right this instant.
6:27:17 PM: Why do they not sing the National Anthem at the Oscars? Better yet, why DO they sing the National Anthem at sporting events? It's all very confusing.
6:29:46 PM: The Cars song is performed followed by the Melissa Etheridge one. You will never ever get this time in your life back. I pray you're discovering cold fusion while watching.
6:39:02 PM: Ellen is doing a good job. She's got a vanilla sense of comedy that everyone can enjoy. Even bad people.
6:40:10 PM: Winner for Animated Feature Film: Happy Feet.
6:43:35 PM: Right now some sort of montage to writing is happening. Even as a writer I find this HELLA boring. C'mon guys, you couldn't show the glamorous side of attaining a belly?
6:48:47 PM: Adapted Screenplay: The Departed. Not shocking at all, the Marty love commences right about .... now.
6:50:06 PM: Ok, so this guy is going to get played off for sure. Slow speech, bumbling around, no point. He deserved it.
6:58:53 PM: The winner for Costume Design is: Marie Antoinette. Nice, I think that deserved it.
7:04:26 PM: Sherry Lansing wins which kills my pool. I totally had Obama.
7:10:35 PM: Pan's wins for cinematography and all of a sudden we've got 3 Oscars for the little Spanish film that could.
7:12:12 PM: They are playing off everyone tonight, but they are doing it with a kinder gentler piano riff. Classy Oscar, way to change it up to not hurt feelings.
7:14:56 PM: I'm getting tuckered and I think we have a few hours left. Someone get me some red bull and a motrin.
7:17:22 PM: It's Visual Effects time and it's Pirates by a landslide.
7:19:14 PM: That may have been the easiest one of the evening. No one even saw Poseidon.
7:21:46 PM: Another montage, this one to foreign films. Oscar hates you. Just so you know.
7:24:23 PM: The montage is still going strong. When you scream out for mercy Oscar might listen. Until then you just keep crying.
7:25:18 PM: Best Foreign Film: The Lives of Others!
7:27:13 PM: Hey now, Pan's couldn't get out of the foreign category and the MO is stopped.
7:28:08 PM: The Lives of Others guy is hyperventilating. Pan's is down!! Someone call a doctor!
7:31:00 PM: It's Supporting Actress time. Gotta go to Hudson right? Here it comes...
7:31:51 PM: J-Hud takes it and we're back on track. PS- She will never be heard from again.
7:33:00 PM: Unless there is another role that calls for a world class singer. But as Moulin Rouge and Chicago are out of play she's hurting. They played her off!!! NICE.
7:36:57 PM: Just saw an ad for Dancin' wit' da stars! Heaven's to Besty, it's coming back, and clearly it's coming back better than ever!
7:39:28 PM: The Blood of Yingzhou District wins for documentary short and I am sitting pretty in the office pool. Warm up that gift certificate guys!
7:41:32 PM: Documentary Feature is up next and you know Al Gore is taking this home... I mean, should I even wait to post it?
7:42:36 PM: Seinfeld is working it. Has he ever hosted?
7:44:28 PM: An Inconvenient Truth wins. The Earth keeps spinning.
7:44:54 PM: Oh wait! Global Warming is bad, doh, strike that Earth spinning as per normal line, nothing is normal, let's all make a change!
7:45:28 PM: Let's face it, the Live Diary is environmentally friendly. No paper, no CFCs, I may give myself a beer award right now.
7:47:56 PM: Oh man, they are doing another LIFETIME award!! How can this be? These awards take a lifetime. Thankfully Clint provides some entertainment by having a stroke during the speech. No wait, he only flubbed a line. Sorry, my bad there.
8:04:12 PM: Babel wins Best Score, this could be the first of many.
8:06:56 PM: They are giving Oscar (r) Prez Sid only 60 seconds this year. Clearly they read my live diary last year where I pummelled him.
8:09:04 PM: Best Screenplay is up next and I think this will be a good indicator of Best Picture chances.
8:10:39 PM: Little Miss Sunshine wins the Screenplay award and gains momentum. It is the 14th film this evening to gain momentum.
8:17:54 PM: J-Hud is in the mix singing her song for the hit movie Dreamgirls. We need Celine Dion back, stat. No, wait, Beyonce is here instead. Whew, close call.
8:18:58 PM: J-Hud is just barely staying inside that dress. Hey, does anyone know where I can buy a melon?
8:20:27 PM: So Beyonce and J-Hud have moved on to the hit song "Listen." They are both singing to this one poor guy who clearly doesn't listen (or get to move).
8:25:23 PM: Best Song is up, I'm guessing "Listen."
8:25:48 PM: WOW! "I Need to Wake Up" wins and Dreamgirls loses! The "Come to My Window" chick takes it home and yet another film gets deflated. Did they split the vote? We will never know because THE ACADEMY is super secretive.
8:35:11 PM: Michael Mann's tribute to America is actually pretty good. Let him do one montage a year from here on out. No one else though, that's it.
8:38:55 PM: Film Editing goes to The Departed. Is this an upset? Not sure, but I kind of thought Babel had this.
8:40:32 PM: Right now five films have multiple Oscars. This is a VERY fragmented field. That's tremendous insight from your loopy diary man.
8:41:22 PM: Death MONTAGE time!
8:42:32 PM: The problem is this montage doesn't have everyone. What about the grips? The best boys? Craft services? The website guys?
8:48:14 PM: I'm giving Ellen a very solid grade. She's at a B+ and if she dances out of rhythm again I'm considering an A.
8:48:56 PM: Phil Hoffman looks homeless.
8:49:18 PM: Mirren wins for The Queen. They are still announcing the noms but I wanted to break the story.
8:52:10 PM: I bet they wouldn't play Mirren off even if she starting setting people on fire.
8:58:00 PM: Reese Witherspoon looks like she got punched in the face. Two black eyes.
9:00:19 PM: Whitaker wins and we've gone chalk except for Arkin. The only drama left is Best Picture.
9:01:47 PM: We've turned off the no rambling sign and Forest is off and running.
9:02:57 PM: I believe Forest said he is taking his Oscar to the afterlife. Just try and stop him.
9:04:06 PM: I wonder if Marty will win? Let me think there... oh, yes, he will. Why? Because it's time to say "sorry" for the last 30 years! Our bad Marty! PS- Marty wins.
9:06:55 PM: So whoever wins Best Picture will be the big winner this evening because no one has four Oscars yet. There was no king this year, only a bunch of pretenders.
9:09:58 PM: BEST PICTURE TIME. We've waited four hours...
9:10:31 PM: The Departed takes it and we DO have a king. It got four big ones.. and the Best Picture. So I order Babel to go home, sans supper.
9:12:12 PM: It's all over, I'm headed home to get on an IV. Thanks for reading party people.. it's been good times all the way around.
Check back soon for the next installment
---------------
Laremy
(Live Diary Reprinted Courtesy of RopeofSilicon.com)
Weekend Preview: Virginia Madsen Alert!
Virginia Madsen alert! By a weird coincidence, the beautiful and mesmerizing actress stars in both of this weekend's major releases, though, alas, she's stuck playing the dutiful wife in both. The Astronaut Farmer is a charmer of a movie, though, about a former astronaut turned rancher (Billy Bob Thornton) who's building a rocket in his barn, much to the chagrin of the federal government. It's The Right Stuff meets Field of Dreams, and it's wonderful. The same cannot be said of The Number 23 [my review], which is a disaster of absurd proportions, though Madsen and Jim Carrey -- as her husband, a man obsessed with the weird coincidences involving the titular number -- do as much as they can with the poor material they're stuck with.
Not screened for critics alert! The Abandoned is the 2,983,901st movie of 2007 to be released sight unseen by the likes of yours truly. You have been warned. And while Reno 911!: Miami wasn't entirely withheld from critics (there were a few reviews up at Rotten Tomatoes before public screenings began on Friday, which means at least a couple critics saw it in advance), Fox didn't exactly go out of its way to let us know about screenings. My requests for info about opportunities to see the film went suspiciously unanswered. Take from that what you will.
Cute guys with accents alert! Welsh hottie Ioan Gruffudd -- late of the terrific made-for-cable movies about Horatio Hornblower -- time-travels back to the same era, the early 19th century, to play the British abolitionist and politician William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace, opening in limited release today. If you're into historical drama or just into Ioan, check it out: it's good stuff. And Scottish cutie James McAvoy -- who deserved an Oscar nom alongside his Last King of Scotland costar Forest Whitaker -- takes a lighter turn in the comedy Starter for 10, opening in a very limited release (20 screens). I haven't seen this one yet, but plan to soon. I loves me a Scottish accent.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
MaryAnn Johanson
author of The Totally Geeky Guide to The Princess Bride
minder of FlickFilosopher.com
Alternative DVD Picks | 2/23/07
This week some big name titles (like The Prestige ... go get it!) were released, but a couple of them left me a little underwhelmed. If you didn't care for some of those titles, here are some alternatives.
Babel leaving you unenthused? Check out director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's previous films, 21 Grams and Amores Perros. Babel is actually a pretty good flick, but if you are really looking for an introduction to Inarritu's small but impressive library, start with Amores Perros. I've read a couple of knuckle-headed people accuse Babel of being a rip-off of Crash. It isn't. If anything, Crash is a rip-off of 21 Grams and Amores Perros. All films contain multiple stories surrounding an accident. But nobody made a film to match Amores Perros' entertainment value or power.
I have yet to see For Your Consideration, Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy's latest mockumentary, and to be honest, I'm a little hesitant. I have not heard good things, and this coming from big fans of Guest and Levy's previous films. I would suggest you play it safe and check out Waiting For Guffman and Best In Show, two of the funniest movies you are likely to see.
The only problem with these two movies is trying to figure out which one makes your gut bust more. Guffman holds a special place in my heart because back when I was a young'un and participated in some high-school plays, I experienced a lot of what Guest mocks in his film. The tension between the music director and the theatre director ... the serious lack of talent (yours truly included) ... the missing budget ... the D.Q. (Dairy Queen) .... We never quite had a Corky St. Clair directing our play, but it sure was close. And no, he didn't own an Andrew McCarthy bobblehead. Or a Remains of the Day lunchbox. Don't get it? Then check this movie out now!
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Dre writes five times a week for Film.com, covering movies and DVD with his Floridian flare. E-mail him! (source: http://www.film.com/story/alternativedvdpicks22307/13576994?listid=11597476&genre=dvd)
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