Box - Love my box

Here is some new music for my Box

First up we have Justin Nozuka with “After Tonight”. Justin Nozuka was born in New York to a Japanese-born father and American-born mother. His parents divorced at age 3 and at 8 he and his family moved to Toronto, Canada. His debut album Holly was produced by Bill Bell. Canadian artist Damhnait Doyle from a song writing workshop he attended also introduced him to Universal Records. He recorded three tracks through Universal with Bill as producer, and following this, Universal requested to sign Justin to their label, but he decided he wanted to "record an album on my own, with my own freedom"

Second up is the hotly tipped Newton Faulkner with his cover of Massive Attacks “Teardrop”.
Newton has recently been signed by Sony BMG records and on the 30th of July 2007 he released his debut album Hand Built By Robots. He supported James Morrison on his February UK tour and Paolo Nutini on his UK tour in April. In June 2007 Newton's second single "Dream Catch Me" was selected Jo Whiley's 'Pet Sound' on her daily Radio 1 show. This gave the track much exposure and was highly commented on by text and email on Jo's show each day.

Third up we have the little Swedish girl Robyn who has hooked up with Kleerup for “With Every Heartbeat”
It had its physical single release in the UK on 30 July 2007. It was named as both Jo Whiley's and Scott Mills' "Record of the Week" and has been A-Listed on BBC's Radio 1. "With Every Heartbeat" became the biggest hit of Robyn's career in the UK, becoming her first top five hit, second top ten and fourth top forty hit of her career. The song charted inside the top five on downloads alone the day before the song's physical release.

My room does not have a view of an Oscar

Long time since I updated my poll and the results are here from my fourth poll.
I asked who you felt deserved the Best Actress Oscar back in 1986. The results were surprising!! Very surprising!
I was expecting the eventual Oscar winner to be victorious, but hindsight has made people see another in a far more flattering light.
These polls I do really do open up my eyes.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a awards ceremony where movie fans and bloggers were able to correct the Academy’s mistakes?

So in descending order:

5) With 0% of the votes we have Tess Harper - Crimes of the Heart

4) With 0% of the votes we have Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - The Color of Money

3) With 6% of the votes we have Piper Laurie - Children of a Lesser God

2) With 37% of the votes we have Dianne Wiest - Hannah and Her Sisters

1) With a whopping 57% we have Maggie Smith - A Room with a View.

What more can I say really. It is Maggie Smith.
The actual real reason for my silence is the HORRIBLE fact that I have yet to see this film, and it is not available to rent here in the UK. For shame of me. I was all ready for a Diane Wiest review.

Can anyone out there right a review of this performance to justify it winning my poll??? Be my guest blogger!!
So far you will have to make do with Jose's review here

Well let us move onto Best Actress 1987. Tough year as we have some CLASSIC performances. The ladies you have to choose from are:
Cher in Moonstruck as Loretta Castorini
Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction as Alex Forrest
Holly Hunter in Broadcast News as Jane Craig
Sally Kirkland in Anna as Anna
Meryl Streep in Ironweed as Helen Archer


VOTE AWAY!!!

Lars and the Real Girl trailer

You can file this under wacky movies ideas, but I have the feeling this is going to work as the underlying story is really rather tragic. The film is about a delusional young guy who strikes up an unconventional relationship with a doll he finds on the Internet. This could have gone the blow up doll sex farce route, but thankfully it appears to handle the subject matter with tact and restraint.

It is really nice to see Emily Mortimer and Patricia Clarkson again. I have missed those two dependable gals.
This could actually be a nice little showcase for Mortimer (from the trailer) as she hasn't had much chance to express herself since "Lovely and Amazing".
This will also give ole Ryan Gosling yet another chance to wow us all with his considerable talent. Still not sure about him in "The Lovely Bones" but then again Peter has yet to stear me wrong.

Be Kind Rewind trailer

If just for the "Driving Miss Daisy" part at the end.
I love Michel Gondry and this looks set to be yet another movie that is beloved. Silly premise, but the talent behind it should ensure that this is a nice big hit. I for one cannot wait. I expect this to do well at the box office, and depending on critical responce, this could even see some awards notice....like the Golden Globes. Nice to see Mia back too.

Can I buy your screenplay?

When asked about Disney's adaptation of his and brother Hal's best-selling The Dangerous Book for Boys , Conn Iggulden says that he'd like it to be ''something like Jumanji, if you remember that film with Robin Williams. That would be absolutely brilliant, but I really don't know. My brother and I are going to be consultants on it apparently, I'm still trying to work out what that means. We'll find out.''
What that means my dear, is that the studio with distract you with booze and food while they make an abortion of your book. If you complain they will spin your complaint until you forget, and end up agreeing with them while your bottle of Cristal sits on ice, and a high class prostitute (Jr. Executive) sits on your lap.

Who's That Girl, a second look.

"Madonna is sexy and funny - a very engaging comedian" Vincent Canby - New York Time


So when I was thinking about contributing to Nat’s Action Heroine Blog-a-thon, my initial reaction was to do Madonna in “Who’s That Girl”.
This never saw fruition as I felt it was stretching the subject but also because I did not own the DVD to watch it again.
Now I do.

I tentatively put it into my DVD player and prepared to cringe, thinking my memory was completely made up, fake memories downloaded to make me think Madonna had real comedic gifts.
I did cringe.
The movie is terrible, but it is not Madge’s fault at all. In fact she is the one thing that saves it and in fact, makes the whole thing watchable.
I know every single critic panned it on it’s initial release, and I am not saying this is a revelation of a comedic performance. What it is, is a dedicated one.

She has totally invested herself in the role, getting into the skin, albeit shallow skin, of the thinly written character. She changed her walk, her mannerisms, even her accent to portray Nikki Finn, ex con freshly out of jail for a crime she didn’t commit and looking to clear her name. Upper class executive, Loudon Trott (Griffin Dunne) is assigned (for reasons that become clear later) to be her escort to the bus that will take her home. Of course that doesn’t happen as planned.

The whole film is supposed to be a throw back to the great screwball comedies of the past, and while the film fails by trying to be too out there, and setting up too many hurdles and ‘funny’ set pieces, it has it's best moments when Madonna is on screen.
Honestly it is true.
She is charismatic, cute, and frequently hysterical in this. Nothing ever felt forced, even when she had some of the most dire lines to say, she managed to make them work for the character.
So why did VERY few critics see this at the time?

The film came out in a time when she started to get a lot of harsh critical reaction. Lets face it, when stars rise there comes a point in their career where the media does everything in their power to help them crash and burn while filming and snapping pictures. This is never more true than it is today, but Madonna as basically gone through this her whole career (25 years peeps!)
I am sure every journalist was looking to thrash the sh*t out of her for her performance in “Who’s That Girl”. And boy did they, but it was completely unfair when you look back at it.

Perhaps if the critics had seen the potential that lay in the performance and encouraged it, she would have approached her other roles with the same determination she did this.
Sure "Evita" and "A League of Their Own" were successes, but there is an ease to her performance in this movie, a total lack of vanity. Here her face moves differently, and her whole body language is different as if (SHOCK!! GASP!!) you are watching some one other than Madonna.

I know this will be met with A LOT of laughs, but I urge you to just check out the movie and take a look at her, there was so much potential in her as an actress.
Yes she has mainly failed when it comes to film work, but there are moments like this where she showed that she had true potential. If you don’t believe me check out her stint on “Coffee Talk”. (remember live TV is HARD)
The woman has comedic gifts. Although she was almost upstaged by her eyebrows.

Reservation Road trailer!!

Well here we have another Joaquin Phoenix movie. But this time with a whole pile of new co-stars including Oscar winners (don’t you just love how this title in front of actors names tends to only appear in trailers for movies with a fix on the golden guy) Mira Sorvino and Jennifer Connelly, and Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix.
What is most exciting is that this looks like the film that will finally get Mark Ruffalo the awards notice he has deserved for a long time now.

Also Terry George has already found favor with the Academy, so expect this to do well, especially if the critical reaction is as strong as I imagine it will be.

The film is a drama that revolves around two fathers whose families and lives tragically converge with the death of a child. In the aftermath, Ethan and Dwight each react in unexpected ways as their families struggle to cope and an emotional reckoning looms.

Judging by the trailer (never a good thing to judge by) this looks like the type of heart breaking story that the Academy will eat up. Two lost men and two long suffering wives, and the death of a child. What surprised me was the restraint in the trailer.
This looks a lot more like a character study than an emotional awards baiting roller coaster, and that suits me just fine. It will give the talented actors a chance to get under your skin.

Here is hoping this is a return to form for Connelly who has not impressed me since her raw performance in “Requiem for a Dream”. We also get to see if talent runs in the family as Elle Fanning attempts to sh*t all over her sisters legacy ( I love a rivalry, even a made up one)

Weekend of Fun

So I will not be blogging this weekend as much as I am off to Brighton for gay pride. it is by far the best pride celebration and me and 4 friends are catching the gay train express all the way down.

Should be back to blogging very soon. In the mean time check out AMAZING trailers for ""We Own The Night", ""Rendition" and the wonderfully head trippy ""The Nines".

Oscar is comming!

Jared Leto is Mr. Nobody

And I am not being mean.

Jared Leto and Sarah Polley will star in Mr. Nobody, a romantic drama from writer-director Jaco Van Dormael.
The story, said to be inspired by the so-called ‘butterfly effect', is about Nemo Nobody who leads an ordinary existence at his wife's side, Elise, and their 3 children until the day when reality skids and he wakes up as an old man in the year 2092.
At 120, Mr. Nobody is both the oldest man in the world and the last mortal of a new mankind where nobody dies anymore. But that doesn't seem to interest or bother him very much. The only questions that preoccupy him in the present is whether he lived the right life for himself, loved the woman whom he was supposed to love, and had the children whom he was meant to have... now his purpose is to find the right answer.

The film will be the Belgian Dormael's first English-language feature project.
His last movie, 1996's Le huitieme jour was a Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm nominee. Shooting is scheduled to begin next week.

Now this sounds like it could be interesting. Leto has not impressed me since “Requiem for a Dream” so lets hope he is up to the challenge, as this sounds like it could be a very difficult role to wrap your head around. As we saw in “Panic Room” he does have a tendency to over-act (my word was he ever annoying in that movie). Let us hope it is more along the lines of Hugh Jackman in “The Fountain” (although my doubts are high)

Polley on the other hand is one of those actresses that hardly stumble. Although she tends towards rather sad and quiet material, she has a face that I could watch for days, so I am looking forward to seeing what she does with the material.
Since the very brief plot outline makes it sound like it could be a weepy, expect her to be restrained enough to really tug at the heart strings with emotional honesty (“My Life Without Me” still haunts me). Plus she is having a stellar time this year, with her directing debut garnering raves.
It is only a matter of time before she is justly rewarded by her peers.

No End in Sight trailer

I sometimes feel that this is the end of the world. I see no way out of the mess we are in. Then I see things like this (thanks to Sasha Stone) and it gives me hope that there is at least a dialogue being permitted, no matter how small, and no matter how few people it is between.
I also feel documentaries like this need to be played on national US TV networks and not theaters. If this makes it into a movie theater, do you think Mr. and Mrs. Middle America are gonna fork out $$$ for it, or the latest blockbuster?
A shame, but at least it can still get made.

Madonna album track list (rumored) !!!

Still apprehensive but still, a new Madonna album is always an exciting thing, even if it is not her best. It will still be played by me for months on end. Any news is good news, so from the site of Perez Hilton (I am addicted to this site)

Just file this under unsubstantiated and possibly true but fun reading material either way. It gives us a sense on where things are going.

Here is some info on the songs Madonna has reportedly been working on for her new album!

ALL tracks are in DEMO stages and unfinished. The Candy Store clip that leaked is an EARLY demo, and the song went through a dramatic change, apparently.

Here is the LATEST list of the 2007 RECORDING SESSIONS:

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01. Sleep Deprivation
02. Turn It Up
03. Going Down
04. Little Thang (feat Justin Timberlake)
05. It’s The Beat
06. Tight Fit
07. Black
08. Off The Hook (feat Timbaland)
09. Candy Store (feat Pharrell)
10. Eleven Minutes
11. Do I Care
12. Freelancer.34
13. U n M
14. Starlight
15. Hit It Hard
16. Got This Down Right


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Now, here is some additional info on the album:

*** SLEEP DEPRIVATION is a favorite by both Madonna, the producers and the label. VERY LIKELY to become a single. Apparently it’s ‘’revolutionary and fierce'’.

*** GOING DOWN has really raunchy lyrics, and it started as a joke. Timberlake worked on it with Madonna.

*** The rumored title PRETTY LITTLE THANG is in fact called LITTLE THANG and it includes a verse by JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE. It’s a ‘’midtempo summer jam with a fresh beat'’

*** BLACK is the rumored track called WIZZLE, and it’s ‘’organic, crazy and it will rumble your worlds'’

*** The rumored track called THE BEAT GOES ON is actually called IT’S THE BEAT.

*** OFF THE HOOK is the Timbaland collaboration. Two were recorded, another one he’s saving for his next solo record. Single possibly, the executives loved it.

*** CANDY STORE probably WONT be on the record, along with HIT IT HARD and DO I CARE. Apparently, Madonna is ‘’over them'’.

*** FREELANCER.34 is ‘’very experimental'’ and still completely unfinished. Might become a sort of intro or outro to one of the songs.

*** U n M is another label favorite, supposedly it’s something very new for Madonna.

Oh what a circus

Benicio del Toro is starring as Argentine communist revolutionary Che Gueverra in an upcoming movie directed by Steven Soderbergh.
The film reunites del Toro with Soderbergh for the first time since Traffic, which earned the actor a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of a Mexican police officer.

It will be interesting to see how well this picture does. Del Torro is a very capable actor, so no doubt he will be high on the list Best Actor Oscar predictions.
Sad thing is, that when films like this get announced, they are automatically thought of as awards calibre before they even begin shooting.
That is a lot to live up to.
What I will looking forward to is seeing how his two co-stars fair up, as they are both Oscar nominees as well.
Lets hope it is not all about the Benicio and Julia Ormond and Catalina Sandino Moreno will be the surprise attention getters.

The ever different Johnny Depp

The delectable Johnny Depp is keeping himself VERY busy as of late. He has just signed on to channel Hunter S. Thompson once again in Warner Independent's adaptation of "The Rum Diary." Bruce Robinson will write and direct the adaptation, which Film Engine is also producing.

From Variety:

Depp will play Paul Kemp, a freelance journo writing for a rundown newspaper in 1950s Puerto Rico and surrounded by a bunch of lost souls bent on self-destruction. The journo was 22 when he wrote the autobiographical novel and had yet to develop his trademark gonzo style. It was written in 1959 but not published until 1998.

Johnny had previously starred in the bigscreen adaptation of Thompson's psychedelic-soaked adventures chronicled in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," published in 1972.
He has just finished work on "Sweeney Todd" and has already packed hi schedule with high profile films.
Next up is the fantastic Mira Nair’s adaptation of "Shantaram," the novel about an Australian drug addict who resumes his life of crime after escaping to India.
Infinitum and King are producing that project with Plan B. The novel is supposed to be brilliant, so that is something I am going to need to add to my Amazon wish list.

Depp has also announced that he wishes to make the big screen adaptation of the 1960s supernatural soap opera “Dark Shadows”. The series featured vampires, monsters, witches, werewolves, ghosts, and zombies. Depp has mentioned in interviews that he is obsessed with “Dark Shadows” and that when he was a kid he wanted to be Barnabas Collins, the vampire patriarch of the series, originally played by Jonathan Frid.

Johnny as a vampire. I am so there. I only saw a few episodes of the show, but have always had very fond memories of what I remember. Is it me, or does having Johnny attached to a film these days, carry a kind of president, like insurance that the film will be either good, or a box office success?

Star Wattage in spades

There is something about her that makes me sit up and notice, makes me want her (as a gay man that is a HUGE achievement). Perhaps it is just her striking looks, and ample sex appeal. I am not sure, but what I do know is I constantly root for this woman. I want her to succeed as an actress.
Behind the exotic beauty there lies a very sharp and intelligent thespian.
Every role she has played, even over the top ones, has been thought out. She knows when to hold back and when to go for it with gun a-blazing.

I am of course talking about Rosario Dawson.

I first noticed her in her 1995 debut “Kids”, and she stood out from many of the other cast members with her natural way in front of the camera.
Her resume reads like a series of near misses, what were you thinkings and nearly theres in terms of the quality of the film. Performance wise she usually transcends the crap, and compliments the successes.

Her upcoming films are a little sparse what with the upcoming “Poor Things” in limbo due to Lindsay “Selfish Bitch” Lohan being arrested. (I understand there are a lot of pressures being a child star in the spotlight, but so many other actors are able to adjust. Not only have you messed up production on a film that people were excited about, but you are also uninsurable in Hollywood. Uninsurable = No Career you stupid cow)

Back to Dawson.
One film that could get her the major attention she deserves is “Descent”. She plays college co-ed who is brutally raped, and tries to rebuild her life, and exact revenge.
Sounds a little ‘been-there-done-that’ but if advance reviews are anything to go by, she carries the movie completely.
I am not saying this is Oscar worthy yet, but it could be something along the lines of “Sherry Baby” which got it’s star major notice, and a lot more work. She has the looks, but far more importantly she has the talent. Perhaps it is those looks that hold her back in the casting process, who knows.
This film interests me greatly, but until it is released and we have a better idea I won't put my eggs in her basket yet. Here is the trailer.

Exclusive "Iron Man" footage

If you are interested.

Footage from the "Comic Con" trailer for the upcoming film, "Iron Man" has been posted on YouTube. I expect the studio to release something better quality soon.

Fugly is the new pretty.

If you haven’t checked them out yet, you so need to.
We all love celebrity fashion mistakes, but these two girls (Jessica and Heather) say what we are not witty enough to even think. I love my daily dose of their scathing critiques and many times laugh out loud at what they write.
They should really be invited to host all red carpet events from now on! Someone hire them!!

This is one of those sites that is really worth delving deep into and checking out the archives. Especially Sharon Stones (pictured) page.

For now check out this hysterical look at the Becks and Posh party hosted by the gay midget and his contractual bride.