RIP Eartha Kitt

Read this to understand how great the woman was.

My Christmas Message

Well not mine, but stolen from my favourite Christmas story.

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas...
perhaps...
means a little bit more! "

May you all have the most wonderful holiday season!

All my love,

Michael

P.S. Posting will continue well after the festivities (like the 28th or something)

Best Actress Race

'State of Play' trailer

I mean oh dear. This looks like it is going to be an abortion of a movie. Too much is given away early, and I just do not remember so many gun fights and chase scenes in the original British mini series.

Entertainer of the Year

And who will argue?

'9' Trailer

Did you hear that sound? Did you? That clunking? Well that was the sound of my jaw hitting the floor.

Best Actress Race

Best Actress Race

Seasonal Song

Just a few of my favourite Christmas songs to help spread the cheer!





From Left to Right:

Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child
Nat King Cole – Oh Holy Night
Ella Fitzgerald – Christmas Song
The Ronettes – Frosty The Snowman
Judy Garland – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Madonna – Santa Baby
Vanessa Williams – What Child is This.
Barenaked Ladies feat Sarah McLachlan - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings
The Muppets and John Denver – 12 Days of Christmas

Tis the season

Best Actress Race

Where the stats are now.

Remember my geeky (sad) little numbers game with the precursors?

Well I thought I would let you all know where we are standing in term of our top ten contenders in the top six categories. To make a long story short..LIST TIME PEOPLE!!!

Best Picture:

1 - Slumdog Millionaire
2 - WALL-E
3 - The Dark Knight
4 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5 - Milk
6 - Frost/Nixon
7 - Happy-Go-Lucky
8 - The Wrestler
9 - Doubt
10 - Rachel Getting Married

Best Director:

1 - Danny Boyle
2 - Christopher Nolan
3 - Gus Van Sant
4 - David Fincher
5 - Ron Howard
6 - Andrew Stanton
7 - Stephen Daldry
8 - Jonathan Demme
9 - Mike Leigh
10 - Sam Mendes

Best Actress:

1 - Sally Hawkins
2 - Anne Hathaway
3 - Kate Winslet
4 - Meryl Streep
5 - Angelina Jolie
6 - Melissa Leo
7 - Kristen Scott Thomas
8 - Cate Blanchett
9 - Emma Thompson
10 - Michelle Williams

Best Actor:

1 - Sean Penn
2 - Mickey Rourke
3 - Frank Langella
4 - Richard Jenkins
5 - Clint Eastwood
6 - Leonardo DiCaprio
7 - Brad Pitt
8 - Dustin Hoffman
9 - Josh Brolin
10 - Michael Fassbender

Best Supporting Actress:

1 - Viola Davis
2 - Penelope Cruz
3 - Rosemarie DeWitt
4 - Marisa Tomei
5 - Kate Winslet
6 - Amy Adams
7 - Taraji P. Henson
8 - Alexis Zegerman
9 - Samantha Morton
10 - Anjelica Huston

Best Supporting Actor:

1 - Heath Ledger
2 - Robert Downey, Jr.
3 - Josh Brolin
4 - Philip Seymour Hoffman
5 - Dev Patel
6 - Michael Shannon
7 - Eddie Marsan
8 - Ralph Feinnes
9 - James Franco
10 - Brandon Walters

Best Original Screenplay:

1 - Milk
2 - Rachel Getting Married
3 - Synecdoche New York
4 - The Visitor
5 - Gran Torino
6 - In Bruges
7 - Happy-Go-Lucky
8 - WALL-E
9 - The Wrestler
10 - Frozen River

Best Adapted Screenplay:

1 - Slumdog Millionaire
2 - Frost/Nixon
3 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
4 - Doubt
5 - The Reader
6 - The Dark Knight
7 - Elegy
8 - Revolutionary Road

And do you know there are ever only eight mentioned!

The most surprising thing I would have to say is the very strong showing for 'Happy-Go-Lucky' and its makers and Andrew Stanton. Fingers crossed.

Best Actress Race

Best Actress Race

Where the girls are.

So once again bloggers across the world are having the same rant we have every single year.
this rant still never fails to upset, enrage and sadden us, even though it is something we all know as fact.
It seems it never changes. I mean EVER! Yet I still feel the fresh anger, especially as we are fully in awards season and can actually see it taking shape.

Yes there is a complete lack of female driven films this year. Out of 15 films vying for that elusive Best Picture nomination, only a handful are female driven films. ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’, ‘Changeling’, ‘Doubt’, ‘Rachel Getting Married’ and ‘Frozen River’ and this is stretching it a little. Other films like ‘Revolutionary Road’, and ‘The Reader’ are male/female driven.

The only real shot at the big 5 would be ‘Revolutionary Road’ (but lack of critical support means it is unlikely) and ‘Doubt’ which although swept the SAG’s still only has an outside chance at a nomination (‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ could surprise, as Leigh films can, but this is wishful thinking).

Why is this? Is Hollywood, in 2008 still a sexist industry?
It would seem so.
Pictures directed by women are reserved to either rom com summer flicks or small independent films that, aside from a few critic win and actress buzz, usually fail to get nominated for any of the big prizes aside from screenplay.
Since 2000 only 6 films have been mainly female driven (‘Chocolate’, ‘Erin Brockovich’, The Hours’, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, ‘The Queen’, and ‘Juno’) with only 1 win (‘Chicago’).

Sure gay men and women would flock to female driven pics like droves, but what about straight women? Are they just following men to the blockbusters? Do they only want to see rom coms?

Come on ladies! Treat your sex with respect. Remember Hollywood goes where the money is. Lets have 2010 filled with strong womens pics and lets say goodbye to the sausage fest we call the Oscars.

Just because

My God she was robbed. Who won't they give her a great role? Why do they give her ok roles that she then has to make great?



And just because I haven't said much about Toni lately here is her from 'Wild Party'

Best Actress Race

Best Actress Race

Best Poster Campaign EVER?

I know it is still 2008 but one of the most brilliant and striking poster campaigns I have seen in a long long time is the 'Coraline' alphabet posters. Each poster dedicated to a letter of the alphabet with a little rhyme in keeping with the dark of the story. Well done Focus!




Click here to see all the posters in their glory.