...is no more. It would seem that the Tories axing a project that brought money into the UK at a time like this seems pretty dumb, and there will no doubt be many more stupid things in the months and years to come from that bunch of diddies, but Time Out argues it could mean a greater role for the remaining BFI or the creation of a new body.
As long as we continue to see films like In The Loop it doesn't matter what the group is called so fingers crossed the right decision is arrived at and British filmmakers aren't made to suffer.
It's the thirtieth anniversary today of what surely is the funniest film of all time Airplane! (it is and don't call me Shirley). But did you know that it's effectively a remake of a disaster movie called Zero Hour!? A-ha, it is and here's a video that compares scenes from both movies:
So if anyone tells you that there is never merit in remaking something you now have the perfect ammunition beyond the usual suspects (The Thing, The Fly). Airplane!, not only the greatest comedy ever, the greatest remake as well.
(thanks to Ken Plume for the link, follow him on Twitter at @KenPlume he's great and does a lot of interesting podcasts with many famous names, plus he's a comedy Anglophile so he's totally up with the hip Brit scene)
Its reported today that the script for this upcoming flick which started filming yesterday was left in a greasy spoon type of cafe by mistake and found by a fan.
some interesting points about this story:
The guy that found it never read it cos he is a fan and wanted to enjoy it at the cinema (or on dodgy pirate (no pun intended) DVD depending on his chosen form of movie watching)
and
its going to be titled On Stranger Tides which is something i never knew and is about Jack Sparrows search for the fountain of youth, which considering i am reading about this and passing judgement in the form of this blog on my 29th birthday today seems quite apt.
However the mindblowing element of the story is the fact the script was 194 pages long!
194 pages, now at the rule of thumb is that script pages usually are a page a minute making this one over 3 hours of script and that isnt taking into consideration the probable one page synopsis of 5 minute action set pieces or the fact that the last two in the franchise have been frankly shabbily edited.
Could this be shaping up as a 4 hour family film? Probably not but the film is scheduled to be released next May so plenty of time for fans to get their arse in training to be sat down for most likely 3 and a bit hours. Oh and no doubt it will be 3D, but that really has no relevance.
Yup, not long to wait for the next instalment of Cinematic Titanic, Danger On Tiki Island. It's another live DVD, which I personally welcome as the previous two, East Meets Watts and Alien Factor, are the best things they've done so far. Here's the trailer:
Also included is the Titans first DVD extra, a documentary about their live shows. You can get it on 15th June either on DVD or to download here. Expect a review soon after I've gotten my copy in the post, which has been surprisingly quickly in the past.
So rest in peace goes to both Gary Coleman and Dennis Hopper, two maverick types:
These things tend to come in threes and we've just lost two mental bastards so the likes of Nic Cage, Joaquim Phoenix and Werner Herzog should probably avoid taking a shower or getting shot at until the weekend is out.
Hollywood, California and studio execs at all the major movie players are looking at ways to increase revenues during such a hard financial time. Whilst 3D, and in particular James Cameron's Avatar, has proved a worthy money spinner this is still not enough to keep Tinseltown's party thriving. Execs have realised that profits on 3D films could be doubled if there was more of a "wow factor" for the audience.
Explains one Splice source; "The problem with 3D so far is that although it flies out right at your face so does the rest of reality. Plus reality has form and doesn't suffer from things being cut in half in mid-air by dodgy framing. As such many people simply respond to 3D with a 'meh'."
The studio execs have identified a simple fix to this situation. They plan to lobby governments around the world hard to make reality 2D. Says the shadowy source; "If reality is all flat and stuff suddenly a 3D movie is the most incredible thing ever! think about it, nothing in your life sticks out whatsoever and then you go to see a film for some escapism and BLAM! the film vomits from the screen in your general direction. Profits should increase at least two-fold".
The film studios won't find it easy to make this flat experience a reality if previous form is anything to go by. A move to have reality sepia toned when colour was introduced ended in disaster when two people in the small Iowa town used as a test case died thanks to being elergic to the cuttlefish juice added to the town's water supply. The experiment involving individual pyrex bubbles that cut out exterior noise around the introduction of sound had even greater tragedy surrounding it. Any flattening procedure will have to be proven non-fatal.
Double effort this week as missed out last week. Though in now way does that mean double amounts of links, on the contrary in fact.
LINKS
Vinny Jones wants Beckham to star in a Escape to Victory remake, which must mean he is lined up to be in it too. Whats the worst aspect of this scenario? Vinny want Beckham in the Bobby Moore role apparently which must mean Vinny is in line for the John Wark or Russell Osman one. (actually, having seen Beckham in the Smithy Sport Relief skit i have no fears over this at all, i thought he was pretty good in it) http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/mar/23/escape-to-victory-remake-david-beckham
Kevin Smith has been getting a bit of hassle from the critics about his new film which coupled with his problems in the air the other week has led to this article having a look at his lately rather angry and vitriolic twitter account. http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2010/mar/24/kevin-smith-twitter
Ten first viewings for this guy so heres briefly what i thought. Stop-Loss was pretty decent, Adventurelnad was terrific, much better than Superbad which it was plugged as being a semi follow up, its better but aslo totally different. I liked it a lot and feel that Red's review last year was a bit harsh. everyone to their own opinion though. Cop Out was not bad, but i should have a full review in the near future on this site. Made of Honour is an insult to my Scottish sensibilities and also my intelligence. The Goods has some funny moments but both that and Made of Honour left me thinking that maybe i could write a green lit film if these not only get made but released. An inconvenient Truth was certainly interesting and M:I3 was certainly entertaining. Doctor Strange is one of the animated movies Marvel were putting out before Disney bought them up, dunno if anymore will be made or whether it will just be straight up every character in the cannon will get a live action effort. Bull Durham was immense and i am now getting into the mood for the new baseball season, more ball films to be watched in the next few weeks. Finally the new Terminator film had all the same things that the new Star Trek film had but whereas in Star Trek it was good in Terminator it wasnt so good. the links like repeated lines from T1 and T2, "follow me if you want to live" seem forced and fake. Also who would have thought someone would do a Michael Beihn impression playing a young Kyle Reece. it was like Ewan MacGregor doing an Alex Guiness impression in Star Wars Prequels.
Well you'll probably already know that it was the BAFTA awards last night and the results threw up a few surprises (some even pleasant).
Well the camera man was either in the know and thought it'd be a giggle to cut to Jimmy Cameron at every possibility or he did what I did and made an ass out of you and me. It seemed Avatar was obviously going to sweep this like all the other big awards shows. But no! In what was either a move to award the more deserving film (out of those nominated) or an attempt to get people talking about that awards that pops up between the Golden Globes and Oscar's big night they went and gave Best Film to Hurt Locker and Best Director to Kathryn Bigelow. Avatar deserves any technical awards it gets but incredible effects a great film does not make so it's good to see something far more worthy win. That said this isn't a Hollywood bash and as such the big money maker isn't necessarily going to get its back slapped until it's red raw. On other words don't be shocked if Avatar still scoops the wee golden man.
Rather more predictable was the awarding of the main acting awards to Brits, although that's not to say they don't deserve awards. Again don't expect this to be a marker of big Oscar night shocks, although some of those would be nice. It was good to see some love for Moon, an outstanding little film that will hopefully find a few more viewers thanks to the BAFTA bump. And great to see Christoph Waltz win Supporting Actor. There may have been many things wrong with Inglourious Basterds but he wasn't one of them turning in a delicious wee turn as an absolute bastard, surely everyone's favourite way to act.
best photo ever below. then a few links and some trailers. something to read ye know?
LINKS
Had planned on linking to the Kevin Smith is too fat to fly stuff which happened last saturday which i found out about on Monday. i listened to his Podcast to find out what happened, you can too by going here and just go to Smodcast #106. if your in any doubt that you may be in the wrong place, its called Go Fuck Yourself, Southwest Airlines so its pretty self explanitory.
If you listen to that and find you actually care what happened next then just google it, really, every man and his dog has an opinion. I will point you in this direction, which is a article about it which i am assured by fat burd pals that it is well written. Hmmm.
Excellent blog about Hollywood hating redheads. Whether or not its true, what cant be argued is that in regular life redheads are always a instant aye or no. there is no maybes. Nicola from Girls Aloud? no. Christine Hendricks from Mad Men? aye. See what i mean?
In totally holy fook can this be true news, its been reported that Marty Scorsese might remake Taxi Driver with Lars Von Trier. Good grief, I have saw The Idiots and heard about Antichrist, the thought of where this might go is mindboggling.
Tim Burtons latest is due out soon. A Johnny Depp chain of command of his mad characters like the Morgan Freedman one above would be interesting, where would the Mad Hatter fit in? and to link the both here is an article about the evolution of the Alice story which frankly is nuts.
Baftas tonight, will Red give us a beat by beat report ala my Golden Globes effort?
TRAILERS
Here are some trailers that appeared on my TV this week, must be out in next few weeks over in US, dunno whether that means they are a bit away from UK release or not, nowadays there sometimes is no difference. first up Brooklyns Finest which is directed by Antoine Fuqua who did Training Day which instantly got me excited about this then i checked back and Training Day was 2001, he has done some stuff i have never fancied seeing since then. Regardless, this looks good. Then there is the Jennifer Aniston/Gerard Butler love vehicle The Bounty Hunter which is sort of like Midnight Run i guess and finally Defendor which was shown and picked up at TIFF last year which i sometimes mention i was at. Woody Harrleson plays a reluctant superhero in this Canadian film which was filmed in Hamilton which i was in a few weeks ago, it was dark though, i dont really know much about it. Casey Jones from the Turtles is in it too.
First time seen all those, Fahrenheit is alright, White Palms is an excellent sports film, Balls of Fury isn't and Ashes and Diamonds came in a box which said Arthouse Essentials whichj probably should have put me off but I am glad it didnt.
finished that Fake! book too. It would make a right good film i think.
Thankfully after what can only be described as a painful lay-off for fans of Cinematic Titanic the releases have started flowing again. Following the bloody brilliant East Meets Watts we're getting another live one, Alien Factor. From the looks of the above trailer and reports from those lucky enough to see them in person doing this this should be another winner. And even better, it's out next week!
Valentines Day links and trailers (mostly trailers today actually) that will no doubt have nothing to do with Valentines Day.
LINKS
Who knew Pixar trailers had so much in built detail in them for us folks watching. Read this to find out all the little treats for the eagle eyed.
News is coming out that Superman is getting Chris Nolan onboard for a reboot (film word of the decade) and that Batman 3 seems like go, does this just get the Justice League mongerers salivating though?
new muppet movie? Featuring the writing talent from Forgetting Sarah Marshall? Sounds good? Here is a blog about the poor state of posters, and the UK Whip It poster in particular. Keeps me in mind of The Informant! poster, which readers may know, I bang on about quite a bit.
Want to see how the weather in your hometown on any given day measures up to a particular planet in the Star Wars universe? Look no further.
Now is a free paper distributed in Toronto every week, this week there is a nice article about how telly is better than films these days, it has a point I guess.
and finally, this is not exactly film based but no doubt it will be in the next few years!
Comic book writer Mark Millar is auctioning off the name of his villain for his new book, if I had the dosh then Ruud Kerouac would be getting bidded up. A villains’ name if ever there was one.
TRAILERS
Lots of new trailers went live thsi week, Get Him To The Greek up first and it looks awesome, surely a redband (love the redband) trailer will appear soon. Below that is The Killers which might be a pretty good date movie, romance and guns? then there is M. Night's return with a live action version of a cartoon called Avatar which now cant be called Avatar and so goes by its sub-title The Last Airbender which just means that the word bender is in your head while watching. Finally we have Toy Story 3 which is dissected in a link above. if the trailer link works that is.
Read the graphic novel of the Wolverine: The End series of comics. Not as good as Origins i think.
So that's a big fat zero about Valentines Day then? figures.
Awrite muckers, Red here and I'm ignoring Love Day as well. The films about it are shite, and not just the mushy yins that the ladies like. The horror films based around it are shite as well. So let's ignore it and look at what else is happening this week, that's right, Pancake Day:
Ah Pingu I'll never outgrow you.
Oh aye and it's also Chinese New Year which means I won't be getting my weekly takeout for dinner for the next fortnight. Ah well I'll just have to watch some Chinese films to make up for it.
I'm recommending you check out the movies of Zhang Yimou, who'll you'll know as the director of Hero. But before he went all kung-fu he made some absolutely gorgeous dramas about Chinese life. Trust me that isn't as boring as it sounds. Some of the films are a bit difficult to get a hold of but Red Sorghum and The Road Home are highly recommended.
The finest of his films though is the epic, funny and tragic To Live. Seriously hunt this down, it's one of the best films of the 90's.
Here is some more links to some articles and other such stuffs online (trailers or such like) that tickled our movie fancy this week and are perfect fodder for a lazy Sunday in front of the computer. Enjoy.
LINKS
As Red posted this week Oscar noms are out and here is a look closer at the main catagories, help you work out your choices for your pool.
Jeff Bridges has picked up awards already and could be a shoe in for Oscar glory too, heres an article on the Dude.
Snubbed by the Oscars was Watchmen shamefully, but no matter a sequel is in the offing it would seem. I havent read the graphic novel, though i am sure Red has, but im sure the film tied up the story that was in it. Will they make up something new? Is this sacrelidge?
Coen favourite and by extension I would say Splice favourite Steve Buscemi is getting a rare leading role this year in Saint John of Las Vegas. Read all about it here.
Have you ever seen Man on the Moon with Jim Carrey about And Kaufman? Remember Tony Clifton? read on for your entertainment.
and Sports movies, dont you just love them? Here is a look at the must haves when making a good one.
TRAILERS
I have just discovered that there is something called red band trailers and that there is loads of them over the years. Its just a trailer for a movie with usually some swearing and they are awesome. could fill up here with loads from down memory lane but instead here is the red band trailers of trailers o posted a few weeks ago. Cop out and Kick Ass, Cop Out looks much better with some cursing thrown in. Also a further red bander in She's Out Of My League which i think looks ok.
ON RUUD'S TV THIS PAST WEEK
First episode in final series of Lost (if anyone reads this and has some theories please post them in the comments, cos i am stumped mostly) Dont Mess With The Zohan Eastern Promises Cool Runnings Junior (not the Arnie pregnant nonsense from years ago rather a Canadian doco about junior hokcey team in the Quebec league. Really interesting.
Red here. Check this wee interview with Armando Iannucci about In The Loop being the sweariest film ever to be Oscar nominated.
Avatar deserves any technical award it gets but it's a pretty poor film. It'll probably get best picture and Cameron will probably get his director nod. His involvement in the development of the tech used means he deserves something but Bigelow probably deserves the director nod for Hurt Locker. The direction really is brilliant, as is much else in the film. It would be a deserving big winner on the night.
Nice to see Up get a best picture nod but that's only because of the extended list this year. Animation is still considered a secondary film form to mainstream Hollywood fare but that's to be expected. Up has no chance of winning best picture so expect it to get best animated, or the Pixar award as it should be known.
Oh and nice to see a nomination for In The Loop in adapted screenplay, it doesn't count as an original because it's based on the TV show The Thick Of It. It won't win, it's way too sweary. The greatest shame is that unlike the best song nominees they don't get to perform a bit at the awards ceremony itself. The Oscars could do with some Peter Capaldi shouting F, Star, Star, Cunt!
Anyway we'll do our usual way off predictions game then it's time for the best awards of the season The Spliceys!
Here is some more links to some articles and other such stuffs online (trailers or such like) that tickled our movie fancy this week and are perfect fodder for a lazy Sunday in front of the computer. Enjoy.
LINKS
Not much this week, mostly Miramax related stuffs.
Disney closed down the mini mega studio Miramax this week, sad news indeed for any film fan especially those who grew up with their films basically forming the background of their life (Red and myself in particular) here is a lookback by the Guardian and also one by Eye Weekly and a even further lookback to the first day of the first film at EW.com. RIP Miramax. Like to think something will appear from either of us, but dont count on it. soz.
Back to Sundance which draws to a close this weekend, heres a look at whats been happening.
Empire magazine have announced the results of their poll which counts down the top 50 worst films this week. how many have you seen? i have only seen 8. Im particularly happy that The Sweetest Thing features, as i thought it was horrible but my girlfriend thinks it rocks. i feel somehow vindicated.
(Red here, the list has some worthy shite on it but as always when the public vote for stuff it has too many recent films and it's a bit too populist. Spiderman 3 and Transformers 2 are indeed dreadful but do they genuinely belong on this list? The problem is most people haven't really seen truly terrible cinema of the level of Roger Corman or Coleman Francis so their films don't appear. Corman could fill the list himself! Plan 9, The Room and the Uwe Boll films are of this level I'm talking about but they are only the popular peak of awful cinema. Batman and Robin at number 1 though might be the best shout of the whole thing.)
and
Edge Of Darkness out this week sees a return to the big screen of Mel Gibson, here is a look at the projects he could have made his return with however, all totally serious.
TRAILERS
Zoe Saldana is my burd du jour and the trailer for The Losers which shows her in hot pants at some point is here. Also a trailer for Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe together again in Robin Hood and lastly Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps which is a silly title but still a good short trailer.
ON RUUD'S TV THIS PAST WEEK
The Bands Visit which was a funny wee Isreali film about a Egyptian band lost in Isreal. The tail end of the Lost season 5 in preperation for the final season starting this week!
and I have started reading a book called Fake! by Clifford Irving which is the biography of a famour art forger called Elmyr De Hory, which in turn is the subject of a Orson Welles doco from 1974 called F for Fake actually. The author himself actually went to prison for forging letters to write a autobiography of Howard Hawks which ended up being a hoax. This actually led to another film, The Hoax in 2007 starring Richard Gere as Irving. Funny how things work, i just saw the book sitting and thought it look interesting, never knew anything about it. Click on both the author and the subjects names to read their Wikipedia entries. Very interesting.
Red here with a wee video that Empire linked to via their Twitter. Some bloke made this jaunty wee tune out of music, speech and sound effects from Up:
If you don't smile after that then I just give up...
Here is some more links to some articles and other such stuffs online (trailers or such like) that tickled our movie fancy this week and are perfect fodder for a lazy Sunday in front of the computer. Enjoy.
LINKS
Here goes nothing; lets start with Spiderman, the story has been covered a bit on Splice in past few weeks and now we have a new director. If movies were fitba then tabloid writers would have a field day with the new mans name.
Sundance Film Festival started on Thursday just passed, and taking its bow there is our blogs namesake Splice starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley. Its actually a Canadian film and is mentioned here alongside the other Canuck fare the Utah filmlovers are getting to see over the festival.
I actually didnt know Sundance was this week until i read this preview of what to look out for there in the excellent free paper Eye Weekly as i made my way home on the streetcar so i then went looking for the British perspective to go with the canadian one i read and found it.
In fact the British view is actually a good base to follow the festival all the way through, looks like the blog will be updated regularly.
Last bit of Sundance stuff here is this link to a clip from the new Chris Morris film Four Lions which i actually laughed out loud at but resisted the urge to cut the phrase down to three letters.
Staying on film festival mode, last week I was trying to encourage Red to put Splice about at the Glasgow Film Festival, so far he hasnt told me he has or he hasnt so we still live in hope. If he hasnt yet, maybe this look ahead at the fest will whet his appetite.
Award season is upon us, the Golden Globes have came and went and now the Bafta Nominations are out, still to come are the Oscars and the curtain will come down with the Spliceys, its sure to be a entertaining few months.
The award ceremonys are revelling in the last year of film however there is a season of films on at the TIFF Cinematique for the next few weeks. I still have a few free passes left so have a look at this and tell me what to go see.
And finally, some news to make Big Red smile, Bruce Campbell related you understand.
TRAILERS
Featuring in this weeks trailers is Shutter Island which was supposed to be in last week but I ended up putting Extraordinary Measures in twice. Then here is Legion which is a kind of sci-fi horror type fantasy thing which has been on my TV for weeks now and I think looks cool. After that a quick teaser for Buried which looks interesting and ties into the Sundance stuff in the links as it is being shown there sometime in the next week. And finally MacGruber which is a redband trailer, which i never knew existed, that means there is swearing in it and swearing is funny.
ON RUUD'S TV THIS PAST WEEK
The burning embers of the final episodes of Conan O'Brians tenure as host of The Tonight Show which featured a strange final credit singing of Freebird by Will Ferrell with the Tonight Show band and Conan on guitar and what looked like Beck and Ben Harper also. Very weird. still not sure what the pregnant woman thing was about.
Here is The Golden Globes Ceremony: a commentary from a film fan watching a ceremony for the first time.
Ok so I flick it over and I have missed the opening credit sequence, I am thinking was there one or was it just a voiceover to introduce the host Ricky Gervais. I am pretty sure I have only missed maybe two minutes so its not like the Oscars all music and dancing. Though I haven’t ever watched the Oscars either (but I will this year) so I don’t even know if that’s what happens in that. What I will do is assume all I missed was a voiceover intro and our host making his way to the front of the stage to speak to his audience. So Ricky cracks a few gags, a good NBC one in particular and then were straight into awards.
Best supporting actress kicks it all off, I posted a link to the nominations the other day so I wont go through with a dry run down of all nominees and the eventual winner for every award because I have neither the time nor the patience and if your reading this neither will you I expect. So Monique won for the Precious based on a book called Sapphire by someone or other won it. Her speech was quite nice, how she spoke about her husband was touching. When reading the nominations there was no clips, just straight out with the winner. This could all be over sharp if that’s how it goes. But I like clips.
I forgot TV awards were involved in this, now up is best actress on TV in a comedy or something. Whoever the girl is that is presenting with Lost’s own Jack Sheppard is making a big mess of her spiel. As the nominees appear on the screen it comes to my attention that Edie Falco is stunning, but she doesn’t win. Toni Collette wins for I don’t know what. She is quite a good looking lady too actually, I only really remember her as the hippy mother in About a Boy. Hmmm. Ok it’s a break now, 16 minutes in and two awards. The ad breaks have me wondering if its all live, I would think it is live, but what do they do in the ad breaks? But while I think about this it comes back on and its been a short break, the likes of which north american TV ordinarily never sees, so I will say yes, its live.
Out comes the fellow who plays Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory, that character is worth watching a TV show for alone, I hope he wins something though I have no idea if he is nominated, he probably isn’t. him and someone else are presenting best actor or maybe supporting actor in a TV show. John Lithgow gets it from under Ari Gold and Ben Linus. Its best actor in a TV series or TV movie I think actually. Michael C Hall must be ill, he is shown in the audience here, it appears Lithgow is in Dexter now. Im so far behind with that, I have only seen series one before STV basically humped it and never showed series 2 and it appeared on ITV4 but wasn’t advertised. I will catch up but probably with a boxset, which disappoints.
Paul McCartney (is he knighted? Should I have Sir in there, I should just have written Macca) cracks a terrific joke I think about how he is now known as that guy from rock band. That’s a funny joke I think. He is out presenting best animated flick and whats going through my mind is the frog chorus for some reason
This award has clips, yeah! Up wins which is kind of predictable. I have no doubts that its awesome but Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs looks interesting and maybe a film like that winning would make others think that maybe Pixar hasn’t got it sewn up and cool stuff like that might get made. I actually like Bolt! but it came out the year before in the US and last year just in the UK and probably isn’t able to qualify. Plus others might think its shite. It has just occurred to me that I think Mo’Nique is the only winner to thank god, that’s kind of refreshing. If its true that is. Anyways its another break, I hope Ricky Gervais makes another appearance when it comes back, seems a waste to have a host that doesn’t feature much.
As it comes back the kind of pan around the room and it makes me think it looks a little like the Lakeside where the BBC’s darts is held every new year. It just doesn’t really look that fancy, its just a big room with big tables, I am not even sure if the tables are for films or TV shows to sit together. I would guess it is but what if you straddle two nominees? What a decision to make, I guess I would pick the one that’s expected to win the most, glory hunting if you will.
So what happened next is this, I am taking notes using my mobile phone, however midway through this note my phone went on the blink ad the note wiped so for 15 minutes my extensive musing are gone. So I will try fill in some details from memory. Michael C hall wins for Dexter in the best actor in TV drama category, no mention of the fact he is wearing a hat on the commentary, I just I don’t remember hearing he was unwell. Regardless, get well soon and well done on the win tonight. Ok best actress in the same category goes to Julianna Margulies for a show I haven’t even heard of. This show she is apparently great in is exec produced by the Scott Bros (Ridley and Tony) so it must have some merit. Other things that happened in this missing link were Kate Hudson came out and showcased a clip of 9 which is in the running for best film in a comedy or musical. Is she still with A-rod I ponder. I don’t really like him.
Meryl Streep makes a speech for winning an award, Best Actress in a comedy/musical maybe? I am trying my best to keep up with all the categories and it’s a break again. A chance to breath. Before every break mostly Avatar is mention for the viewer to tune in and see if it wins for whatever award its up for. Why is it only that film is being mentioned ad nauseam? Is ita link between nbc and the studio. Keeps me in mind of when movie stars like Ben Stiller were on Conan on the same channel promoting the film the week before it came out and they weren’t even in it, it was supposed to be funny, I found it weird.
But back to the Globes, were 71 minutes in and Helen Mirren is presenting Precious to the audience for the best film award its up for, sneaking suspicion its not comedy/musical. The camera shows the representatives of that filma nd I have to say the director of the film has the best facial hair at the awards by some distance.
Sam Worthington and the blue girl from Avatar are presenting best actor in a TV movie or mini series to Kevin Bacon for whatever it is he was in, because guess what? I haven’t seen it. Drew Barrymore wins the female version of the same award and waffles a speech. Anna Paquin however ahs a revealing low cut top on. Which by the power of the internet I should be able to show below
Viola!
Its just mentioned where the awards are held. The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. I have never been so cant really pass comment. My dad has been to where the Oscars ate held though. He claims its in a shopping mall. Might well be. Cameron Diaz intro’s a clip for the other Meryl Streep film that’s award nom worthy, the one where she is having an affair with her ex husband, its name escapes me. I should have a catch up of whats happened so far but it all moves so fast. Gerard Butler is now out with Jen Aniston who out of a lot of smoking ladies on show is by far the smokingest tonight, wow. They give the best screenplay to Up in the Air writer and director Jason Reitman who in his speech says that Quentin should have won, I have seen Inglourious Basterds and Up in the Air and though I liked Tarantino’s film and the script rocked, I think the right one won regardless of what Reitman says. His speech is actually a little soppy and leads me to wonder what I would do if I won. I would no doubt be like I am when im drunk and Scotland win or Killie win and I call everyone brother because of the shared experience of it all, no doubt it would be embarrassing for all.
Mr Demi Moore and Mrs Ben Affleck (a wee curveball to keep you awake) award best actor in tv comedy or whatever to Alec Baldwin for 40 Rock and he isn’t there, the first not to be present to pick up his award, there is no live to video of him or anything, rather Kutcher (Mr Demi Moore) picks it up for him, which seems a bit disappointing. couldn’t one of his brothers came in his place, in fact isn’t one of his brothers on celeb Big Brother? You think they discuss such things when they talk? Like would Alec tell of his filming with Meryl Streep this year and his successful TV show and basically a successful time in his career and he asks his brother and he says he slept in the same room as fallen rap star Sisqo and the Basshunter, plus the guy that shagged Jordan years ago. I hope they do talk like that. I wonder what the situation is with getting your award after the event, is it mailed? At this point you know what it is so do you open it or do you just leave it in the box after signing for it and stick it in the ikea unit at your front door that the house phone sits on? Hmmm, that’s something to ponder.
Ok best drama series now and Mad Men wins, I am particularly happy about this as I actually watch this show. John Hamm has a stunning beard I se as he appears on the stage as does the weasly Peter character from the show. He doesn’t actually look so weasly in real life, its that kind of acting then that wins awards! Christine Hendricks is also up on the stage, I mean the whole cast is, she rocks my socks I have to say.
I am thinking that no one is visibly drunk yet, though I may not know how to spot a drunken Hollywood celeb. One would like to think that the casts of some of these shows meet at one cast members house beforehand to drink a carryout so they are half stewed in preparation of the night ahead. It makes sense that they would do this. Though its probably free booze at this bash so maybe that negates the need for a carryout session.
I just missed five minutes while I attended to another matter, I come back and the German chap who is so excellent in his role as the eager Nazi in Inglorious Basterds is winning the awards for best supporting actor. A splendid choice I say regardless of who he was up against, he was pretty damn awesome. Its another break now and the announcer is telling me that Robert De Niro and Leo Di Caprio are coming up to honour Martin Scorsese with the Cecil B. DeMille award. I hope there is a montage of clips from his classics in amongst this, those types of montages are great. The show returns from the break and there they are, Marty’s two boys. They each say there piece and then there is the mantage, its immense, I instantly feel the urge to go through the Scorsese canon right here and now. His speech itself is great, a humble man who knows his stuff when it comes to film. Thanks to you tube, here is that segment from Bobby D and Leo’s arrival to the end of Marty’s speech. TV gold I think.
Another break and it returns with Jodie Foster presenting the clip from the Hurt Locker. After that Gervais returns claiming to be boozed up and beer in hand, but its only to set up a great Mel Gibson gag as he is coming out next to give out an award. He takes it in good humour the ol Jew hating drunk that he is! Ha! Gibson is presenting best director and the winner is…..James Cameron. Does that mean Avatar automatically wins best film? Oh I hope not. James Cameron has some really bad hair right now I should mention.
Also Jason Reitman looks gutted to have lost as well, I actually like that though, looks like he really wanted to win. Moving on with the awards, Jack Bauer is presenting best tv comedy, I hope for entourage to win. Its Glee though. Fuck!
The Glee disappointment is followed by another break but not before avatar gets another wee plug. After the break the guys from The Hangover present a clip for The Hangover funnily enough as its in the running for best comedy/musical I think. I hope that wins, I loved The Hangover, such a good movie. Actually, the next award being given out is that very category and The Hangover wins. Well that’s just excellent, a worthy winner I say, nice when something quite edgy wins I think. The Governor of California is here and he is showing the clip from AVATAR! He also cracks a nice NBC joke which are always nice in these Tonight Show war times.
Moving on as I smell the end, Mickey Rourke hands out best actress in a drama to Sandra Bullock, Rourke looks pretty awesome by the way and Sally Hawkins, whom I don’t actually know, gives Robert Downey Junior best actor gong (comedy/musical) for Sherlock Holmes over Matt Damon for The Informant! Two points about that, first the mysterious Sally Hawkins is wearing what looks like a Airdrieonians away strip with a diamond on the front and secondly I am so unimpressed by the fact Damon never won. I have said in this very blog that I was tipping Damon for award glory and to see him lose isn’t nice. Though Downey Jnr is a class act and his speech is the best of the night which makes up for it.
Ok here we are at the final stretch. Clooney is beaten out by Jeff Bridges in best actor, shame for clooney who was great in Up in the Air but smashing for Bridges who is excellent in everything really and I think I might be correct in thinking this is his first award. Its nice, his speech is rather good too.
Last of all best film. The nominees? Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Up in the Air (please let it win) Inglourious Basterds. The winner is….Bloody Avatar. Balls.
So that’s it, that’s my first experience watching The Golden Globes, it was odd. Really wasn’t as glamorous as I had hoped and seemed kind of dry. I mean the awards shows I generally watch are the British Comedy Awards and the Brits. The brits has music which breaks things up and the comedy awards is manic chaos (though nothing like what it used to be) and it has clips. The Globes was more bang bang bang with the awards I felt. Also the pans round the crowd shoed the great and the good in Hollywood and there is so many faces I didn’t know. Must be all the husbands and wives. All in all the three hours didn’t seem wasted at all, it passed quite quickly. Bring on the Oscars!
For a full list of who won what since my account may not be worth much click here.
Now Spidey 3 was shite, but a lot of that now is clearly thanks to studio intervention. This thing looks like it's going to be entirely the result of studio minds clashing. In fact it appears that rebooting superhero franchises is the done thing in Hollywood right now with Fantastic 4 supposedly getting redone, Superman definitely getting one and Hulk having already had one and might be getting another. Looks like lukewarm reviews from the geek community is now enough for studios to totally shake up any comic book property. Expect Thor's reboot to be announced about two weeks after it comes out.
Turns out one of Splice's favourite* actors Nic Cage is in massive debt. Maybe he felt a duty to personally refund all those punters who went to see The Wicker Man remake.
Failure to pay taxes could see him facing jailtime. Anything that stops anysort of sequel to Bangkok Dangerous is welcome if you ask me.
Of course if he doesn't then he's probably going to have to raise some major cheddar to pay off his creditors. That would mean making a ton of films in as quick a time as possible, suggesting the name Nic Cage being attached to a film means it's less likely to be quality like Raising Arizona or Leaving Las Vegas and more likely to be of the level of Splice's favourite** film of whatever year it was released, Next.
Obviously this situation has to be monitored closely. That pert of our brains that tries to comprehend Nic Cage's success depends on it.
*Sometimes I get my words mixed up, favourite means you think he's an overacting, lucky hack who owes much of his career to who he's related to, doesn't it?
** Favourite in this context I'm trusting means most shambolic pile of bum leakage.
