Saturday, July 17, 2010

Major Emmy buzz?



I don't know much about the TV world, or the world of Emmy politics. It's a much bigger group of voters, so it's a lot more populist-based. But I just love any sort of awards shows, and with the Emmys coming at the end of next month, this is the next major one to await.

Since I don't really know what I'm talking about, I'll just post the predictions without much explanation. Kay? Okay.

Outstanding Comedy Series: Modern Family will be enough of the voting branch's cup of tea to upset Glee.



Outstanding Drama Series: Mad Men, though Dexter has gotten more popular this year.



Outstanding Made for Television Movie: Temple Grandin benefits from a safer and more PC subject than its closest lead performance-anchored competitor, You Don't Know Jack.

Outstanding Miniseries: The Pacific



Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Larry David benefits from veteran status and this being his last chance to win for this show, although it will be an upset over perpetual (deserved) favorite Alec Baldwin.



Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Michael C. Hall benefits from an increase in exposure to his show and a sentimental sweep of precursors (which just means the Golden Globes and SAG during Oscar season) prior to Cancer treatment.



Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: Pacino



Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Edie Falco is the (relative) newbie, has leftover love from her multiple-Emmy winning performance on The Sopranos and a surprise nomination for her show in Comedy Series. She's good.



Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Margulies is also in the newer show and hasn't won in a good 15 years. Should continue her winning streak from the Golden Globes and SAG.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Danes is as locked as Pacino.



Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: NPH benefits from being hella overdue, nominated twice this year, former host, beloved in the TV community and really the rest of aware America. Jon Cryer benefited from a really competitive and split category last year, Chris Colfer is too young and the Modern Family trio of guys are cursed to split votes.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: One of the Lost guys. Probably the one that hasn't won yet. Terry O'Quinn or something?

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie: I wouldn't know.



Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Jane Lynch, though a Krakowski upset would be delicious.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Hendricks, because her boobs are way bigger than Moss's.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Kathy Bates, since she's the only one in her category not facing competition from inside her own movie.



Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series: The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brian has too good of a story to pass up for the usual winner The Daily Show.

Outstanding Reality Competition Program: The Amazing Race always wins.

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality - Competition Program: Ryan Seacrest. This category is so dumb.



Outstanding Reality Program: They love them some Kathy Griffin.
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Monday, July 12, 2010

Five Films to Look Forward to this Oscar Season




So now that we've gotten through three of the possible contenders so far, here are five films that I'm looking forward to for the rest of the year. Whether they will be successful or not to the Academy remains to be seen, but they will be films you will hear of surely enough. So remember them now so that when they come out...you'll know who tipped you off!


Blue Valentine



Derek Cianfrance directs two of the most praised actors of their generation (Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams) as a John Cassevetes-esque portrait of the deterioration of a loving married couple. The cold color palette seen already oozes with the tragedy of this couple's love that, seems to me, is doomed from the start. The film has done very well in screenings at Sundance and Cannes, though director Cianfrance predicts it will be a divisive film (as he was aiming for). Pundits like Dave Karger who've seen the film predict that it will generally be too much of a bummer for major awards groups to latch on to in their prizes, but if it does well you can expect some major love for the two main leads and perhaps a shot at the major sweep (Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay) only seen at the Oscars three times before.


Rabbit Hole



Nicole Kidman is seeking a major critical comeback with adaptation of the 2007 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play by the same playwright. Helmed by director John Cameron Mitchell, who's been giving outstanding work in the indie world for the past decade, the film follows a couple, Kidman and Aaron Eckhart (pictured above), dealing with the death of their young son in a car accident. Similarly to Blue Valentine, this dark and bleak portrayal of a loving relationship is garnering buzz for both leads and stands a chance at being nominated for the major five as well (although adapted instead of original). Though, we can see from the past that generally plays adapted by the same playwright don't seem to reach their level of perceived potential awards wise (Doubt).


The Way Back



Peter Weir has gone 0 for 6 at the Oscars in the past 20+ years. If there's any film to immediately consider a frontrunner for BP, I'd say that this may just be the best bet. Overdue film veteran Weir has gotten his hands on a World War II epic starring Colin Farrel, Saoirse Ronan, and Ed Harris (another overdue vet who could use the film to finally get an Oscar). The film almost seems assured for BAFTA success, and very few doubts have been cast on the film.


Tree of Life



Terrence Malick is a master of the cinematic language, as he's shown in all four films he's ever made so far since the 70s. The Tree of Life marks his return after The New World was a critical disappointment when released five years ago (though in retrospect, respected). Very little is known of The Tree of Life, much like Inception, crowded in secrecy. What is known is that it's a 1950s period piece starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, following "a family with three boys in the 1950s...the eldest [of whom] witnesses the loss of innocence." What results is a fantastical dramatic sci-fi through the cosmos...or something, helmed by legendary cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki who seems secure to win his overdue Oscar this year for the film. The film may end up, like last time, going over the heads of critics and audiences. It could end up a fanboy beloved box office sensation and a revival of interest in Malick's career among the generation of movie fanboys (not that he doesn't have plenty of those already). Malick, like Weir, does not have an Oscar yet. And to many people, that's a damn shame. We'll see later this year if the Academy agrees, after years and years of this film's post-production postponing us from figuring out earlier (it's been slated for release as early as 2007).


Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives



Okay. So it seems like a silly title. But it won Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul his first Palme D'Or prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival after prior successes with his debut Tropical Malady (which mentioned this infamous Uncle Boonmee and his past-seeing powers) and Syndromes and a Century. His work is slow, offbeat, and experimental. It's not easy to get into him by any means. But once you do, he offers a sensory feast of an experience that you won't regret. His latest seems to be a crowning achievement of said experience, receiving unanimous praise from critics at this year's Cannes and the trailer showing some of Weerasethakul's most luscious scenery yet. Took years to make, and probably won't be available to us until early 2011, but it's still worth noting and could be a potential contender for Foreign Film on behalf of Thailand (not that it's the Foreign branch's cup of tea or anything).

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Brief update on the year thus far

Hello. Following Oscar season obviously the cinematic landscape has been rather dull. Certain genres do have some strong contenders already for this awards season, however. Animation, for instance, has never looked better so soon. Toy Story 3 has seemed to lock itself in place as the first of the trilogy to get the Best Animated Feature Oscar, although it already faces some good competition from the likes of How To Train Your Dragon and now Despicabe Me, all three being among the most well reviewed films of the year. Toy Story 3 being the second best reviewed film of all time, just behind it's immediate predecessor, seems to have also earned it a pretty safe slot in this year's Best Picture ten (as with Up last year, Pixar may well have earned itself a token spot in the top ten lineup of any given year from now on).
On the Documentary front, I have already seen two films this year worthy of nominations. The Oath is a troubling look at the state of the war on terror, its root causes, and where it stands now through the microcosm of one single enigmatic figure who was formerly on the frontlines alongside Osama bin Laden. Another, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, is an impressive look at a down and up period of a hardworking comedic icon. Both films premiered at Sundance and won prizes for cinematography and documentary, respectively.
Documentaries, however, are not expected to break through in the Picture lineup anytime soon (though Michael Moore may have been able to achieve the feat in his prime). Two real competitors are expected to come out soon, however. One in the form of a major summer blockbuster than can take a slot filled by District 9 last year, the other a indie family comedy in the vein of the likes of Juno and Little Miss Sunshine in the past. Christopher Nolan's Inception are his fanboys hopes of some sort of retribution for having missed out on a nod for The Dark Knight two years ago, which would have seemed like a sure thing along with WALL·E had they extended it to ten that year. With an all star cast with the likes of former nominees like Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Ken Watanabe, former winners like Marion Cotillard and Michael Caine, and surely future honorees like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Cillian Murphy, it appeals to fanboys across the board. Tracking seems to suggest that it could make similar business TDK did two years to the day of its release, when it smashed the record of opening weekend box office, and with the growing popularity of IMAX and 3D some say it could rival the numbers of Avatar's behemoth success late last year and early this year. I doubt it on that front, given its supposedly confusing-as-hell plot line having to do with the architecture of dreams, but its inaccessibility seems to have impressed critics so far with a fresh percentage rating in the 90s from rottentomatoes and seems promising to awards forecasters for the end of the year.
The other, much more traditional Oscar bait, comes in the form of The Kids Are All Right. Infamously often nominated but not rewarded actresses Julianne Moore and Annette Bening play a lesbian couple with three all star child actors (Mia Wasikowski and Josh Hutcherson) who go out and seek out their biological father (criminally underrated Mark Ruffalo). Premiering at Sundance to uproarious praise, the film seems to have the pedigree, acclaim, and exposure of an average indie Oscar vehicle. I'm thinking this is another one that will make it into the final ten with considerable ease.

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