"Prince Caspian" Trailer

Ohhhhhhhh Ahhhhhhhhhhh

The Best Supporting Actress Race

My Daemon

I was so happy with the result of this. Judging by my answers I thought I would get something like a slug or a aphid.
Imagine my surprise when I get allocated the lovely Azaria.
Go to The Golden Compass website to find out your daemon!

Puurrrrrrrrrrrrr

I love my Box. Lets remake MADONNA!

This week I am going to look at four of the better Madonna covers.

For such a huge star, Madonna actually has very little songs of hers covered, which seems a shame. I guess it is because the originals are always near perfect so why mess.
The are trillions of cheap dance remakes out there, but what about real artists going and remaking her music. Not a lot I am afraid.
Here are two that I actually do not hate, and even like very very much:

1 .I totally love Groove Armada.

They created on of the best dance songs of 2007, and now they have decided to take on Madonna’s high school dance classic “Crazy for You”.
In doing so they have created a soulful, funky and extremely different re-imagining of the song that knocked “We Are The World” from the number one spot back in 1984.


2 .Not really a Natasha Bedingfield fan, but have to say was very impressed with her cover of “Ray of Light”. She made it different enough to separate it from the Queens original masterpiece.
Natasha even said that she never thought Madonna was a strong vocalist until she tried to sing this song in the studio and realized how difficult it was.

Good for her.

On the other hand Madonna herself does very few covers. When she does she is usually deeply criticized when she does, but usually they have been pretty darn good. My favourite two of her career have been.

3 . “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore” – People either love it or hate it. The people who hate it go on about how Madonnas voice is too raw for the song and not powerful enough to get across the emotion.
I say pah! Her voice is raw, true, but this is a girl-done-wrong song. She is passionate, angry and hurt and it all come out in her vocal performance.

4 . “I Want You” released as a single and it did not do well at all. I can understand why. This was before “Ray of Light” and Madonna teamed up with the hottest trip-hop/electronica group around Massive Attack.
The result is sexy, sultry musical magic about the frustration of yearning for that unrequited love. You can almost imagine her fudding herself off while singing this. HOT!!

The Best Supporting Actress Race

This is Wonder Woman??

"The Justice League" film has cast the woman of wonder and this is her..


Some Australian supermodel called Megan Gale. Not very exciting, in fact disappointing. Lets hope she can act 'cause this is an iconic role that should not be messed up. Funny how Wonder Woman fought for the equality of women around the world, and they cast a supermodel. Would she be proud?

The Best Supporting Actress Race

"Charlie Wilson's War" Reviews

"Charlie Wilson's War" has been the big ole question mark of the season. Is it any good? The trailer left me, well, mixed. Tom and Philip looks a hell of alot of fun. Juiia just looked a little deranged (come on...am I the only one who sees Amanda Lepore?)
The film has been reviewed, and not by some AICN fanboy, this time Variety has chimed in and so has The Hollywood Reporter.

Both are extremely promising, and both single out it girl, Amy Adams. Julia get good noticed as does Tom and Philip. The script is raved about so expect Aaron Sorkin to be nominated. Not sure if it can crack Best Actor, Supporting Actress, Supporting Actor and most importantly Best Picture, we will see when more reviews come in and the Box Office has been calculated.

For Andra

8 "Sweeney Todd" clips for you my love!









And to remember the original

I am thief!!

I am stealing from Sasha Stone over at Oscar Watch ooops. Awards Daily, but since I linked her, it is ok.
I did this mainly for my friends to are not as obsessive as me, but find the whole game funny.

Advance word is in...

"The Golden Compass" is another 'meh' movie. Meaning that it is ok, spectacular FX but the story is a bit of a mess. The advance praise for Kidman is wonderful, but in order for a fantasy film to get an Acting nomination the film needs to be a critical darling (like "Star Wars" and "LOTR" were), which this will not be.

Next time love.

The Best Supporting Actress Race

In fitting

Independant Spirit Award Nominations!

The anti Oscars have piped in and kept Cate where she belongs!

2008 SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS by category
BEST FEATURE (Award given to the Producer)
* Executive Producers are not listed.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Jon Kilik

I'm Not There
Producers: Christine Vachon, John Sloss, John Goldwyn, James D. Stern

Juno
Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason Novick, Russell Smith

A Mighty Heart
Producers: Dede Gardner, Andrew Eaton, Brad Pitt

Paranoid Park
Producers: Neil Kopp, David Cress

BEST DIRECTOR

Todd Haynes
I'm Not There

Tamara Jenkins !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Savages

Jason Reitman
Juno

Julian Schnabel
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Gus Van Sant
Paranoid Park

BEST FIRST FEATURE (Award given to the director and producer)

2 Days in Paris
Director: Julie Delpy
Producers: Julie Delpy, Christophe Mazodier, Thierry Potok

Great World of Sound
Director: Craig Zobel
Producers: Melissa Palmer, David Gordon Green, Richard Wright, Craig Zobel

The Lookout
Director: Scott Frank
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Laurence Mark, Walter Parkes

Rocket Science
Director: Jeffrey Blitz
Producers: Effie T. Brown, Sean Welch

Vanaja
Director: Rajnesh Domalpalli
Producer: Latha R. Domalapalli

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000; award given to the writer, director, and producer)
* Executive Producers are not listed.

August Evening
Writer/Directpr: Chris Eska
Producers: Connie Hill, Jason Wehling

Owl and the Sparrow
Writer/Director: Stephane Gauger
Producers: Nguyen Van Quan, Doan Nhat Nam, Stephane Gauger

The Pool
Director: Chris Smith
Producer: Kate Noble
Writer: Chris Smith & Randy Russell

Quiet City
Director: Aaron Katz
Producers: Brendan McFadden, Ben Stambl
Writers: Aaron Katz, Erin Fisher, Cris Lankenau

Shotgun Stories
Writer/Director: Jeff Nichols
Producers: David Gordon Green, Lisa Muskat, Jeff Nichols

BEST SCREENPLAY

Ronald Harwood
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Tamara Jenkins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Savages

Fred Parnes & Andrew Wagner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Starting Out in the Evening

Adrienne Shelly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Waitress

Mike White
Year of the Dog

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Jeffrey Blitz
Rocket Science

Zoe Cassavetes
Broken English

Diablo Cody (Of course)
Juno

Kelly Masterson
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

John Orloff
A Mighty Heart

BEST FEMALE LEAD

Angelina Jolie (hmmmmm….no Nicole)
A Mighty Heart

Sienna Miller
Interview

Ellen Page
Juno

Parker Posey
Broken English


Tang Wei (Nice little shout out)
Lust, Caution

BEST MALE LEAD

Pedro Castaneda
August Evening

Don Cheadle (Yay!!!)
Talk To Me

Philip Seymour Hoffman
The Savages

Frank Langella (Double Yay!!!)
Starting Out in the Evening

Tony Leung
Lust, Caution

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE

Cate Blanchett
I'm Not There

Anna Kendrick
Rocket Science

Jennifer Jason Leigh
Margot at the Wedding

Tamara Podemski
Four Sheets to the Wind

Marisa Tomei (Hmmmmmm! Could shake things up)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead

BEST SUPPORTING MALE

Chiwetel Ejiofor
Talk To Me

Marcus Carl Franklin
I'm Not There

Kene Holliday
Great World of Sound

Irrfan Khan (FAN-BLOODY TASTIC!! Boo for Tabu)
The Namesake

Steve Zahn (They went for him, but not Bale???)
Rescue Dawn

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Mott Hupfel
The Savages

Janusz Kaminski
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Milton Kam
Vanaja

Mihai Malaimare, Jr.
Youth Without Youth

Rodrigo Prieto
Lust, Caution

BEST DOCUMENTARY (Award given to the director)

Crazy Love
Director: Dan Klores

Lake of Fire
Director: Tony Kaye

Manufactured Landscape
Director: Jennifer Baichwal

The Monastery
Director: Pernille Rose Grønkjær

The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair
Directors: Petra Epperlein & Michael Tucker

BEST FOREIGN FILM (Award given to the director)

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Director: Cristian Mungiu
(Romania)

The Band's Visit
Director: Eran Kolirin
(Israel)

Lady Chatterley
Director: Pascale Ferran
(France)

Once
Director: John Carney
(Ireland)

Persepolis
Directors: Vincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi
(France)

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD
(Given to one film's director, casting director and its ensemble cast)

I'm Not There (And so it begins)
Director: Todd Haynes
Casting Director: Laura Rosenthal
Ensemble Cast: Cate Blanchett, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Marcus Carl Franklin, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Bruce Greenwood

The Making of "Sweeney Todd"

Already calling it a master piece, eh? Big words.
To be honest if I went for a shave and the barber said "I can guarantee the closest shave you will ever know" in the way
Johnny does here, I would be running "Scooby Do" cartoon fast! So if someone gets in the chair after that, then my belief will be squashed.
Just a small gripe.

My other one is that there is no mention of the music.

A nice rave for our Nicole

I do love the woman, she may not always make the best decisions when it comes to her roles (usually the 'pay cheque' rolls) but she consistently challenges herself with the lower key material she chooses.
Looks as though she has another role to do so. This time in the mega blockbuster fantasy "His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass"


The Guardian has reviewed it and says this:

"This is the very best sort of part for her: statuesque, elegant, seductive, with a hint of cold steel. In many ways, it's her juiciest character since the sociopathic meteorologist in To Die For."

He goes onto say:

" But it certainly looks wonderful, with epic dash and a terrific central performance from Nicole Kidman, who may come to dominate our children's nightmares the way Robert Helpmann's Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang once did ours."

May be too early to start screaming about possible nominations, but with the possibility of Cate 'I'm a greedy little Oscar whore" Blanchett going to lead for "I'm Not There", there is a space for a star in Supporting Actress.
Read the full review here

Mini Review - "Ratatouille"

I have finally seen “Ratatouille”.

What is it about Pixar? They just seem to create masterpiece after masterpiece.

From the open shot in the country kitchen to the touching review read so eloquently by Peter O’Toole at the end this movie was one of the most wonderful, moving and funny films I have ever seen.

Brad Bird should really direct every movie. He was able to capture taste and smell like so many have tried to, but failed.

The script, the set design, the cinematography, the acting and the direction were all superb

To put it simply this movie is pure magic and should there be another film this year as good or better, well, I will be one happy boy.

There is nothing more to say.

A-