Wow! I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last post. Things have finally settled enough for me to have some time to write ... and of course now I can't think of a bloody thing to write about! So I think I'll just ramble a little and see what comes to mind ...
Actually, I saw a commercial earlier this morning on HIFI promoting their movies. The Godfather, Coming To America, The Thin Red Line, and one of my personal favorites, Moulin Rouge! One of my favorite songs from that film is the Elephant Love Medley. I used to sing it all the time -- well, who am I kidding? I still do! It's a collection of love songs that Christian and Satine sing to each other at a point in the film in which he's trying to convince her to follow her feelings and love him, which she doesn't want to do because she is a prostitute. I know lots of younger people who know Moulin Rouge! and the Elephant Love Medley, but some of them aren't even aware of the songs as a whole, as performed by the original artists. So I was thinking, now might be a bit of an opportunity for anyone under the age of, let's say ... 20? ... to discover the original versions of some of the songs they love. For the rest of us, it's just a chance to hear some of our favorite music from years gone by; a greatest hits love song playlist, if you will.
First up: The Beatles, "All You Need Is Love"
This is Christian's opening statement. It's all-encompassing. When he sings the chorus from this song, he is basically telling Satine that when she opens herself to love and its endless possibilities, the world will become wonderful and magical. It adopts the Beatles' original intention of World Love and transfers it to the romance -- in essence, condensing a message intended to unite all the souls of the world in peace and harmony into a simple, pointed mantra designed to bring love and light into a human's life. Which, if you think of it, is one and the same. John, Paul, George & Ringo wrote this song in 1967 -- smack dab in the middle of the Summer Of Love. And while their message to the world turned out to be a bit of a pipe dream, its meaning still echoes through the generations, giving hope to optimists, young people who haven't yet been crushed by life's realities, and the simply naive -- of which, I proudly call myself the first and last!
The second song is KISS' "I Was Made For Lovin' You"
Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of this song. Disco KISS has always rankled me a little bit, but thankfully in the Elephant Love Medley, it just kind of blends in with the rest of the songs. Christian tells Satine they were made for each other, to which she replies that a relationship is impossible unless he pays her -- that's all she knows. He's having a tough time breaking down her barriers. It plays off the duality of black and white that both their characters and, to a more subtle extent, KISS' makeup and wardrobe represent.
Next we have "One More Night" by Phil Collins.
Here Christian sings the title notes; however, instead of "one more night" he says "just one night" -- just give me one night with you and I will show you what true love really is. The man is completely besotted with her, but she is still hung up on the sexual aspect of it, as she replies "there's no way if you can't pay." It's a very 80s song, complete with saxophone solo and keyboards; you don't even have to download it off iTunes to listen to it; just visit any supermarket! This is swiftly followed by "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" by U2.
This is a very interesting choice for Christian to sing. The symbolism is incredibly significant here. U2 wrote the song about the Civil Rights movement in the United States, and more specifically, it details the shooting of Martin Luther King. Christian is basically setting himself up as a martyr here, as the late Reverend was (Dr. King was a Christian leader -- again with the heavy-handed allegory). And like Dr. King, whose efforts slowly began to change the hearts and souls of his antagonists who were set in their bigoted ways, Christian is slowly thawing Satine's resolve. Notice how when she responds to him this time she says "you crazy fool ... I won't give in to you" -- almost as if she's trying to convince herself to keep control of her emotions.
Next, Christian sings "Don't Leave Me This Way." This is one of a couple of songs on here that were hits by more than one artists. It was first performed in 1975 by Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes, which was swiftly covered by Thelma Houston the next year. Ten years after that, The Communards did a version. Theirs is the one I'm most familiar with, so that's the one I'm linking to. You can find them all on YouTube, though.
Continuing the martyr theme, Christian tells Satine he can't survive without her love. She replies not in the same tune, but with a completely different one, "Silly Love Songs" by Wings.
By now she's definitely weakening in her resolve. She tells him he's being silly, that love songs are love in general are silly. He replies that it's everywhere, and besides, what's so wrong with that? It's interesting how Baz Luhrmann and company turned one of the catchiest, upbeat pop songs of the 1970s into a minimalistic, slowed down dialogue that explores and actually give depth and heart to Paul McCartney's sometimes inane lyrics. By the end of this snippet, Christian realizes his persistence is starting to pay off, so he launches into another song:
Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong"
Christian is so taken by the fact that he's wearing Satine down that he jumps on top of the elephant's head in what for me is the most epic, magical moment of the song, as the music swells and the camera revolves around him in the most awesome way imaginable. He's in love, and dammit he feels like he's on top of the world where he belongs! Satine still has her hesitations, telling him he's acting like a fool, and she doesn't want to throw her life away for one perfect day.
David Bowie, "Heroes"
Christian replies that it's not about throwing your life away, it's about living in the moment. And what artist knows more about living in the moment than David Bowie, who's gone through how many looks now? Troubadour, Ziggy Stardust, crooner, Weimar, New Wave, steampunk ... the man constantly changes his look and sound. Christian is trying to convey the same message to Satine: it may not last, and while we may not be able to control our destiny, we have power over the here and now. We can be heroes just for one day. And taken one day at a time, we can be heroes forever and ever. By the end of this segment of the Love Medley, Satine has finally drank the Kool-Aid, and she's just as vociferous as Christian by the time it segues into:
Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You"
Yes, I know Dolly Parton originated the song in 1974, but Whitney's version is the one everybody knows, and is referenced in the film. This is a purely magical moment of Moulin Rouge!, with the camera swirling and the lights flashing all around. They have finally found true love together, and all we can do is just sit back and savor the moment as our two lovers unite in song. If you choose to look at it in a Freudian way, this can be considered the sexual climax of the song, as the camera, lighting, and actors (not to mention the music) all flow together in a giant orgasm of sensory experience. After this comes the post-coital bliss, as it were, with a reprise of:
Elton John, "Your Song"
Everything comes full circle, as Satine reprises "Your Song," which Christian sang to her when he first revealed his love with her. "How wonderful life is," she says ... as he joins her and they sing together "now you're in the world." Then it gets all crazy with the man in the moon doing a whole bunch of operatic shit from no song I've ever heard of, but you get the point. And that, my friends, is the story of the Elephant Love Medley as told through the music's original artists. Before I go, here is a little bonus video: "Love Is Like Oxygen" by Sweet, which Christian references (but doesn't sing) at the very beginning of the song.
Well, it seems I didn't have nearly the amount of time I thought I had, so my goal of an in-depth analysis of all the Oscar nominees has to fall by the wayside in favor of more pressing real life events. In a way it's a good thing, as I've only seen five of the nine best picture nominees -- I have been holding back my writing in order to hopefully get a chance to see more but, alas, 'twas not to be. So without further ado, a quick rundown of the rest of my picks -- who I think will win, and who I want to win.
BEST PICTURE 12 Years A Slave. I know Gravity and American Hustle have a lot of heat, but 12 Years just screams out "OSCAR!!!" any which way you look at it. It's a period piece history lesson that Oscar always seems to latch on to. Now as mentioned previously, I've only seen five of the nominees: American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Gravity, Her, and The Wolf Of Wall Street. My favorite of all of these was Wolf, but it doesn't stand a chance in hell of winning. No, this one is going to 12 Years -- although I think this is one of those years where picture and director will split the vote (which seems to be happening more and more often these days). Because ...
BEST DIRECTOR Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity. Usually picture and director are one and the same. This year, though, Cuarón's work on the project has been so universally recognized for his technological aptitude that I can't see anyone else getting this prize for. If there's a category for Safest Oscar Prediction this year, this is it.
BEST ACTOR Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club. I love Leo. He's always been a terribly underrated performer, and even though he already has a not-too-shabby four nominations, he could easily have twice that in my opinion. He would be getting my vote for best actor, just for the Quaaludes scene alone! Now I haven't seen McConaughey's film, and apparently he's fantastic. So fantastic that he's another pretty much sure thing. Some people are mentioning Bruce Dern as a kind of career award, but I've noticed that people who get career awards most often get them in the supporting categories (unless you're Paul Newman). Can't see that happening here. McConaughey will start the Dallas Oscars Club right here.
BEST ACTRESS Amy Adams, American Hustle. This one seemed at one point to be heading Cate Blanchett's way, but her buzz seems to have cooled off a bit. That being said, I think hers is a fantastic performance. I would not be disappointed if she won it. Streep and Dench are pretty much bystanders in this race, and I can picture Bullock winning out only if Gravity pulls a Titanic and sweeps pretty much everything it's nominated for. I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm going to predict Amy Adams to win for American Hustle. It's not her best performance ever, or even this year (her role in Her was phenomenal in its understatedness), but this is her fifth nomination in nine years (and her first leading actress nod). What's impressive is that none of the other nominated performances (for Junebug, Doubt, The Fighter and The Master) are similar -- no going back into her bag of tricks. And when you throw in stuff like Enchanted, let's face it, the girl has range and talent up the wazoo. So yes, I'm predicting Amy Adams to win best actress this year.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club. Just going to go on record here: Michael Fassbender is AWESOME!!! That being said, I have still not seen 12 Years A Slave, so I can't comment on his performance. But if he won, I would do a jig. Just saying. As for the race itself, Leto will join McConaughey in the Dallas Oscars Club. Actually, since supporting awards are always rattled off before the leads, perhaps it should be the other way around. Either way, both men are walking out of the venue with little gold men in their pockets.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Lupito Nyong'o, 12 Years A Slave. I know, I know. Everybody's talking about Jennifer Lawrence doing the back-to-back thing. She's a great actress, and I'd love to see her get up on stage and start babbling because quite frankly, she's one of the coolest and most refreshing people Hollywood has at the moment. But this award is always one of the big shockers of the evening. I think it's because it's almost always the first award given, and because the Oscars start after 8:30 and don't finish until 'round midnight, a little bit of glamour and/or controversy to start the show always helps. So often this award is given to someone who, in a bit of an upset, comes out of nowhere to win. 1992: Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny) beats out Judy Davis, Joan Plowright, Vanessa Redgrave AND Miranda Richardson. 1996: Juliette Binoche (The English Patient) beats out huge favorite Lauren Bacall. 2000: Marcia Gay Harden (Pollock) beats out Judi Dench and Frances McDormand. Then there are the ones who are pretty much new to acting: Anna Paquin, Jennifer Hudson, Octavia Spencer. What I'm leading to is that Lupita Nyong'o is going to win here, Lawrence and all her awesomeness be damned.
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Spike Jonze, Her. Oscar loves spreading the wealth lately, and this is pretty much the only shot Her has at winning. Plus, you have to admit, it's original! (screenplay attached in link)
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY John Ridley, 12 Years A Slave. Speaking of spreading the wealth, there are three other best picture nominees in this category. None of which will win. Next.
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Steven Price, Gravity. See comments from February 1st for in-depth analysis.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG "Ordinary Love" from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. I know, here I am singing "Let It Go" in my sleep and still I pick this one. Same as best score, see February 1st comments for more.
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Emmanuel Lubezki, Gravity. Once you realize what Lubezki and Cuarón achieved, you'll understand why this is a no-brainer. Roger Deakins will have to wait for his 12th nomination for another shot at winning. BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Catherine Martin (art direction) & Beverley Dunn (set decoration), The Great Gatsby. Say what you will about the much-maligned Gatsby, it was certainly a feast for the eyes. You could see 12 Years A Slave get the Lincoln-ish "didn't see that one coming" toss-off here, but I'm pretty sure this award will go to Jimmy Gatz. BEST COSTUME DESIGN Catherine Martin, The Great Gatsby. Ditto. BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Adruitha Lee & Robin Mathews, Dallas Buyers Club. This one SHOULD go to Stephen Prouty for Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, but this is another category in which if there's a best picture nominee, it WILL go to that film, regardless of whether or not it should. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, David Shirk & Neil Corbould, Gravity. Smaug is fantastic, but this is Gravity's year in all the technical categories, so for the next few categories, you will indulge me, please, if I am a bit brief ... BEST SOUND EDITING Glenn Freemantle, Gravity. BEST SOUND MIXING Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead & Chris Munro, Gravity. I actually thought Captain Phillips' sound mix was really good, and if it wins ANY awards, it will be one of the sound ones. But it won't. BEST FILM EDITING Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger, Gravity. So there you have it. All the other awards: animated feature, foreign language film, and all the documentaries and short films, I've already written about. But let's tally up the results for my predictions. Gravity -- 7 awards (out of 10 nominations) 12 Years A Slave -- 3 awards (out of 9 nominations) Dallas Buyers Club -- 3 awards (out of 6 nominations) The Great Gatsby -- 2 awards (out of 2 nominations) American Hustle -- 1 award (out of 10 nominations) Her -- 1 award (out of 5 nominations) Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom -- 1 award (out of 1 nomination) Captain Phillips and Nebraska (6 nominations each), The Wolf Of Wall Street (5 nominations) and Philomena (4 nominations) will all go home empty-handed. Enjoy the Oscars, everybody!
So here we are again, with part two of my Oscar predictions. This time I'll be focusing on four more categories: best animated feature film, best foreign language film, and the two music categories, best original score and best original song. A little controversy when it comes to the latter, but more on that later. I know it's only a couple of days after the first posting, but seeing as for the most part the best picture nominees are absent from these categories, it was a safe bet I won't be seeing any more of them in the limited time I have left before Oscar time. So without further ado, our four categories for this evening (again, with a link to the trailer, and the description from Oscar's web site.
Best Animated Feature Film
The Croods(Kirk De Micco & Chris Sanders, directors): The Crood family lives in a prehistoric world filled with dangerous
animals and unsettling changes. When they encounter a young man named
Guy (Ryan Reynolds), a member of a more evolved group of humans, only teenage daughter
Eep (Emma Stone) is willing to listen to his warnings that the world as they know it
is ending and the Croods will need to alter their way of living if they
are to survive.
Despicable Me 2(Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud, directors): With the formerly villainous Gru (Steve Carell) now a doting father to his three
adopted daughters, the talents he once employed for evil are largely
wasted in his new role as a jam and jelly maker. When he is approached
by Lucy Wilde (Kristen Wiig), a secret agent from the Anti-Villain League, Gru finds
not only a new focus for his abilities but a possible romantic interest
as well.
Ernest & Celestine(Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar & Benjamin Renner, directors): Beneath a village inhabited by bears lies a subterranean community of
mice who steal from their ursine neighbors and particularly value their
teeth. When Celestine (Pauline Brunner), an orphaned mouse studying dentistry but dreaming
of art, meets a sensitive, talented bear named Ernest (Lambert Wilson), the interests
they share lead to a bond between them that challenges the traditional
enmity between their species.
Frozen(Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee, directors): Sisters Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) enjoy an idyllic life in the enchanted kingdom
ruled by their parents until Elsa's magical ability to create ice and
snow around her proves a threat to those she loves. Emerging for her own
coronation after several years of self-imposed isolation, Elsa flees
her home in distress when her uncontrollable powers transform the
kingdom into a frozen realm.
The Wind Rises(Hayao Miyazaki, director): As a boy, Jiro Horikoshi (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) dreams of someday building the planes that his
poor eyesight will never allow him to fly. After training as an
engineer, Jiro puts his talents to work for Mitsubishi and becomes a
leading innovator in aviation design, while Japan moves through the
turbulent events of the 1920s and '30s that will carry it closer to the
Second World War.
It seems that every year in this category, the Academy chooses to nominate -- along with the usual obligatory box-office hits -- a couple of left-field films, usually smaller films from other countries which are more often than not animated in the traditional style. Think A Cat In Paris, Chico & Rita, The Illusionist, The Secret Of Kells, Persepolis and The Triplets Of Belleville, just to name a few. This year we have three blockbusters (The Croods, Despicable Me 2 -- whose predecessor was not even nominated in this category in 2010, even though there were only three nominees -- and Frozen) along with the "underdogs" as I like to call them (Ernest & Celestine and The Wind Rises). Common sense would have it that this award should go to Frozen -- setting box office records everywhere, it has become the most popular Disney animated movieever, passing Finding Nemo and The Lion King in worldwide box office sales (not adjusted for inflation, mind you). However, never one to stray from the norm, I shall suggest an alternative for you: The Wind Rises. What's this, you say? A traditionally animated film winning best animated feature? It's only happened once in the twelve years of the category's existence -- in 2002 with Miyazaki's own Spirited Away. Every other time, a CG animated film has taken the top prize. But keep this in mind: Miyazaki is revered by many in the animation industry, and The Wind Rises is his swan song -- and a very personal film for him, to boot. While Frozen is more than likely going to be the winner, I am going to stray a little out of the comfort zone and predict The Wind Rises to glide to the podium in a startling (to casual observers) upset.
Best Foreign Language Film
The Broken Circle Breakdown(Belgium; Felix Van Groeningen, director): As bluegrass performer Didier (Johan Heldenbergh) and his girlfriend Elise (Veerle Baetens) face a family
tragedy, the history of their relationship in its early days is
revisited. Reluctant at first to let adult responsibilities alter the
carefree nature of their lives, Didier and Elise learn that love can
sometimes bring both intense joy and great sorrow.
The Great Beauty(Italy; Paolo Sorrentino, director): Jep Gambardella (Toni Servillo) is a well-known journalist whose success has placed him
at the center of Rome's decadent social world. But Jep is also the
author of an acclaimed novel, written years ago, and he remains haunted
by the career he failed to pursue when he chose the seductive ease of
his current life.
The Hunt(Denmark; Thomas Vinterberg, director): The devastating effects of false accusations of child molestation play
out in the life of an innocent kindergarten teacher. Lucas's (Mads Mikkelsen) rapport
with the children in his class has led one little girl, Klara (Annika Wedderkopp), to
develop a crush on him, but her embarrassment when her feelings are
revealed leads her to claim that he exposed himself.
The Missing Picture(Cambodia; Rithy Panh, director): Few images exist of the brutality unleashed on Cambodia by Pol Pot and
the Khmer Rouge following the Kampuchean Revolution in 1975. Using clay
figures to stand in for himself, his family and the many Cambodians
whose lives were destroyed during the years that followed, Rithy Panh
recreates a dark and bloody period in his country's history.
Omar(Palestine; Hany Abu-Assad, director): When a trio of young Palestinians decides to kill an Israeli soldier,
one of them, a baker named Omar (Adam Bakri), is arrested and beaten by Israeli
intelligence agents. Told that he will be given his freedom if he
assists in capturing the man they believe to be the shooter, Omar
rejoins his friends and begins to suspect that there is an informant
among them.
The foreign language film category is always a crapshoot. In 2009, everyone thought Michael Haneke's The White Ribbon was a shoo-in to win; we were all blindsided when The Secret In Their Eyes from Argentina won. Same thing happened three years earlier, when Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth, which had already won three Oscars in the competitive categories and had been nominated for six in total, lost to The Lives Of Others from Germany (which, admittedly, was an amazing movie). In 2004, the Hitler biography Downfall (from which so many YouTube parodies were born) was passed over in favor of The Sea Inside. In 2001 the much-beloved five-time Oscar nominee Amélie was beaten by No Man's Land (which, if you haven't seen it, you owe it to yourself to search it out and discover it. Brilliant, brilliant film). And that's just what's happened in this young century. Simply put, you never know what's going to happen here. If I was to lay odds on this category, the front-runner would probably be The Hunt, followed closely by The Great Beauty and Broken Circle Breakdown. The Missing Picture and Omar most probably won't factor into the equation here, although they both look interesting. I'm not really interested in either Broken Circle Breakdown or The Great Beauty, but The Hunt looks fantastic. So based solely on what looks interesting to me and what I think actually stands a chance of winning, I'm going with The Hunt on this occasion. Besides, Denmark's done quite well at the Oscars over the past 10 years (four nominations, one win), so add that to my list of reasons.
Best Original Score
William Butler & Owen Pallett, Her. Sound clip: "Photograph"
John Williams, The Book Thief. Sound clip: "The Book Thief"
Of all these scores, John Williams' music for The Book Thief is far and away my favorite of them all. Will he win? It's possible. He's much beloved by the Academy. His work here, along with Steven Price's for Gravity, are the only two that scored both Golden Globe and Oscar nominations. And although he's been nominated 49 times (taking the golden boy home an Olympic-sized FIVE times!!!), he hasn't actually won since Schindler's List 20 years ago. It's possible the Academy may decide recognition is due once again. But let's take a look at the other nominees, shall we? Thomas Newman has been nominated for the 12th time for Saving Mr. Banks, and has yet to win. Will this finally be his chance at Oscar glory? I highly doubt it. It seems to be a nice score, yet there has been an incredible backlash against his movie over the past couple of months. Then there's Alexandre Desplat for Philomena. I quite enjoyed what I've heard of his score; he's had six nominations since 2006, and yet hasn't won. He could possibly be a contender, especially with the Weinsteins backing him; they probably know Philomena hasn't a chance in hell of winning best picture, and it doesn't look like Judi Dench has enough steam to take over the best actress slot, so, as Oscar seems to like spreading the love in recent years, this may very well be their best chance to honor the film. Steven Price is a first-time nominee for Gravity. His only other feature film credits as composer are The World's End and Attack The Block. But while his experience may not be John Williams-esque, it's impossible to deny that Gravity would have been anywhere near the success it was without his atmospheric music backing it up. And then there's Her, which is scored by Canadian group Arcade Fire (well, by one of its members, William Butler, and an associate, Owen Pallett; it's performed by Arcade Fire). It's a wispy score, nice to listen to but not too memorable. I don't think it'll get any recognition in this category, as Spike Jonze pretty much has Best Original Screenplay locked up IMHO. So this leaves us with three viable candidates: Desplat, Price and Williams. Even with the Weinsteins behind him, I just don't see Desplat winning this year. Price seems to be the odds on favorite here, and Oscar has been known to give the award to relative newcomers (Ludovic Bource, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, AR Rahman, and Gustavo Santaolalla, anyone?). And while his score suffers in comparison to Williams' when it comes to just sitting there and listening to the soundtrack, as I mentioned before his score is not just a score, it's the soundscape for the whole film. So as much as it saddens me to say this, I don't think John Williams will take home his sixth Oscar this year. I'd LOVE it if he does (and if you haven't read the book The Book Thief, please do -- it's amazing). But I think Price's work here is just too much a part of his film's success to overlook here. Steve Price for Gravity it is, then. Best Original Song
"Happy" from Despicable Me 2. Music & lyrics by Pharrell Williams. Performed by Pharrell Williams.
"Let It Go" from Frozen. Music & lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez. Performed by Idina Menzel.
"The Moon Song" from Her. Music by Karen O; lyrics by Karen O & Spike Jonze. Performed by Karen O.
"Ordinary Love" from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. Music by Paul Hewson, Dave Evans, Adam Clayton & Larry Mullen; lyrics by Paul Hewson. Performed by U2.
I know what you're thinking. "Damn, that Matt Easterbrook's a good-looking guy!" Correct! And that's not all. You're also thinking, "Wait a minute; aren't there usually five nominees in this category?" Right you are! There WERE originally five nominees in this category. The fifth nominee was to have been the title song from the movie Alone Yet Not Alone. Quite frankly, the movie looked like a steaming pile of monkey dung, and the song wasn't much better. It beat out "Atlas" by Coldplay, "Sweeter Than Fiction" by Taylor Swift and "Young And Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey, among others. And therein lay the controversy. You see, "Alone Yet Not Alone" was written by Bruce Broughton and Dennis Spiegel. Broughton was a former Academy governor, who apparently e-mailed voters in the musicians' branch as a sort of grass-roots campaign. The Academy, after a couple of weeks of the controversy, decided to disqualify the song from nomination; in their own words, Broughton's actions were "inconsistent with the Academy's promotional regulations".
This is the part I really have an issue with (please indulge me while I hop onto my soapbox). Apparently it's okay for the studios to spend millions of dollars in the trade magazines plastering "For Your Consideration" advertisements all over the pages, and yet one man (who just happened to have a few contacts in the industry) writes a song for a small, overlooked-by-the-studios Christian film, e-mails a few people to let them know the song exists, and now HE'S the one getting vilified??? What kind of bullshit is that? Don't get me wrong, the song made me vomit, and I would quite frankly rather spend two hours getting a wasabi enema than even consider watching said movie. But to disqualify Broughton and Spiegel from their nomination simply because they didn't have a $15 million awards budget and had to go basically door-to-door as it were soliciting votes makes me sick. It's like your local Green Party candidate. You know his party doesn't have any real national support, and you know he's not going to win, but you don't kick him off the ballot just because he doesn't have a staff of 250 people working 24/7 cold-calling everyone in the riding. The Academy has revealed themselves once and for all as a bunch of hypocritical pussies and money-grabbers (I know, everyone knows it's all a bunch of hokum anyway). I highly doubt they'll re-instate "Alone Yet Not Alone," but if they do eat the crow they've been feeding everybody else, I'll be the happiest guy in filmdom. And then I'll proceed to tear another strip off of that god-awful, fetid song. Moving on! The soapbox is packed up and stowed away, and it's time to focus on the remaining four nominees. The only song of the remaining four I didn't care for is "The Moon Song" ... again, too wispy for my liking. "Happy" was very cute, but I don't think it stands a chance at winning here. No, the two heavyweight contenders in this category are "Let It Go" and "Ordinary Love." News flash: I love Disney. I love musicals. I love Broadway songs and singers. So I don't think it will surprise you when I say that my favorite of all these songs is "Let It Go." I hear that song and it just lifts me. When Idina Menzel changes key towards the end and sings the last verse of the song, I can feel my heart soaring along with the song. The animation is superb as well, but I'll admit, I'm hearing this song in my head probably every day. From what I hear, many other people are as well. Chances are within five years Frozen will be a hit Broadway show. It would only make sense that such a beloved song should win the top prize in its category at the Oscars, right? COME ON, PEOPLE!!! This is the Academy we're talking about!!! Why listen to the hopes and prayers of millions and millions of unadulterated, screaming fans when you can make a political statement that will be forgotten in five months? Nope, the Oscar this year will go to U2 for "Ordinary Love." Now to be perfectly honest, I really like "Ordinary Love" -- I think it's one of the catchiest and most memorable things U2 have put out in the past 10 years or so. But that's not the reason it will win Best Song at this year's Oscars. Here are your reasons.
U2 is The Biggest Band In The World.
Bono is a noted humanitarian and has won all sorts of awards and prizes. He's been nominated for a Nobel, won Time Magazine's Person of the Year, the NAACP's Image Award and been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (does this make him Sir Bono?) Damn, says the Academy, we're late to the party once again. Better make up for it here.
It's the Academy's chance to honor the late, great Nelson Mandela. Has nothing to do with the song. Really, it has nothing to do with Mandela when it comes right down to it. Quite simply, it's all about How It Makes The Academy Look. And if it makes the Academy look like they're paying tribute to a great man, in that direction the vote will go.
Final score: "Ordinary Love" 1, "Let It Go" 0. Also: "Corporate Palm-Greasing" 1, "Any Semblance Of Sportsmanship" 0.
Hello again, everybody! Sorry I haven't written in a while, but things in my life are quite hectic at the moment. I have a little bit of time right now so I thought I'd get a head start on my Oscar predictions, rather that doing it all in one fell swoop towards the end of February (which, let's face it, would be night on impossible as we're moving at that exact time).
I'm doing something different as well this year, as I'm including EVERY category. In the past, I've focused on the top eight (picture, director, acting and writing), as well as the music, cinematography, production design, costumes & makeup, visual effects, both sound awards, and editing. Eighteen, in total. Now I'm including the other seven awards in my predictions. It may make my average better or may bring it down, but I thought I'd give it a shot. It's also a little bit of a stall tactic, as I've only made it to three of the best picture nominees so far (Captain Phillips, Wolf Of Wall Street and Her). Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I'll get to at least a couple more nominees so I can at least pretend to seem to know what I'm talking about, and we'll go from there. But for now, I give you: THE BATHROOM BREAK AWARDS!!!
First off is Best Documentary Feature. Here are the nominees, with the descriptions taken from the Academy Awards website and a link to the theatrical trailer if available:
The Act Of Killing: In the wake of the deaths of nearly a million opponents of Indonesia's
political regime, the heads of the country's death squads are celebrated
as heroes. Challenged to examine their actions by creating films about
the killings, the men produce elaborately staged movies that reenact the
mass slayings.
Cutie And The Boxer: The 40-year marriage of painter Ushio Shinohara, known for his boxing
paintings, and his wife, Noriko, who gave up her own career as an artist
to focus on her husband, has become the subject of a series of comic
strips drawn by Noriko. As the 80-year-old Ushio finds his own artistic
reputation fading, Noriko's fame continues to grow.
Dirty Wars: One of the least-known components in the war on terror, the Joint
Special Operations Command conducts its work in secret and seemingly
without limitations. With no existing record of their actions or
personnel, the JSOC carries out strikes against those deemed a threat to
U.S. security while remaining entirely outside the scope of public
knowledge.
The Square: The events that have shaken Egypt since 2011 have taken the country from
a revolution aimed at ending political oppression to the overthrow of
the new president, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. At the center of
the story is Cairo's Tahrir Square, the gathering place for protesters
and the site of many of the period’s most dramatic moments.
20 Feet From Stardom: Background singers heard on many of the 20th century's greatest songs
have made a crucial contribution to the world of pop music while
remaining unknown to listeners. The singers take center stage for an
in-depth look at their role as supporting figures in the complex process
involved in creating the finished recordings.
All of these films seem quite impressive upon first glance. This is a category that often goes to something dealing with social or political issues. But there are three films here that deal with war and/or revolution, so they may very well cancel each other out. Cutie And The Boxer looks cute, but I have a hunch that this year's documentary feature award will go to 20 Feet From Stardom. It's basically a love letter to those who ply their craft as background performers, who keep on chooglin' while others get the recognition. It's easy to see why the technicians and tradespeople in the Academy would vote for this, and of course for performers, Stardom is something that may touch close to home. Although they all seem to be quality films, look for the one about showbiz to take home the top prize on Oscar night.
Moving on, we next have Best Documentary Short Subject.
Cavedigger: New Mexico environmental sculptor Ra Paulette carves elaborately
designed and painstakingly executed sandstone caves, driven by an
artistic vision that often brings him into conflict with his patrons.
Facing Fear: As a gay 13-year-old, Matthew Boger endured a savage beating at the
hands of a group of neo-Nazis. Twenty-five years later, he meets one of
them again by chance.
Karama Has No Walls: When protesters in Yemen added their voices to those of other nations
during the Arab Spring, the government responded with an attack that
left 53 people dead and inspired widespread sympathy throughout the
country.
The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life: At 109, Alice Herz Sommer is the world's oldest pianist…and its oldest
Holocaust survivor. At the heart of her remarkable story of courage and
endurance is her passion for music.
Prison Terminal: The Last Days Of Private Jack Hall: In a maximum security prison, the terminally ill Jack Hall faces his
final days with the assistance of hospice care provided by workers drawn
from the prison population.
This is an eclectic group, to say the least. I'm thinking the Academy will memorialize The Lady In Number 6. It's the heavyweight of the bunch, its director, Malcolm Clarke, having already won an Oscar. Not only that, it seems right up the Academy's alley, covering both performance arts and the Holocaust (both always strong documentary bets on Oscar night). To me, Facing Fear seems the most interesting, although I can't see the Academy leaning that way ... and don't count out Karama Has No Walls either, as it could potentially get the "war documentary" vote if 20 Feet From Stardom wins best feature doc. But feel free to put your money on The Lady In Number 6 -- I'm fairly certain this one's a winner.
Keeping things short, next we have Best Short Film (Animated).
Feral: A wild boy who has grown up in the woods is found by a hunter and returned to civilization.
Get A Horse!: Mickey Mouse and his friends are enjoying a wagon ride until Peg-Leg Pete shows up with plans to ruin their day.
Mr. Hublot (trailer #1; trailer #2): The eccentric, isolated Mr. Hublot finds his carefully ordered world disrupted by the arrival of Robot Pet.
Possessions: A man seeking shelter from a storm in a dilapidated shrine encounters a series of household objects inhabited by goblin spirits.
Room On The Broom: A genial witch and her cat are joined on their broom by several friends as they set off on an adventure.
First off, I couldn't find the trailer for Possessions anywhere. And Hublot has two trailers because they're both 20 seconds long and I couldn't decide which one to show. I think it's a given that this one's going to Get A Horse! Walt Disney himself voices Mickey -- FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE!!!! No, actually, it's just archival voice material he recorded 84 years ago. But the film itself starts off as a circa-Steamboat Willie type thing, with 1920s style scratch animation, and then completely throws you for a loop. And that's all I'm saying!!! But make no mistake, Get A Horse! will ride to the podium on March 2nd.
Last on the docket: Best Short Film (Live Action).
The Voorman Problem: A psychiatrist is called to a prison to examine an inmate named Voorman, who is convinced he is a god.
Take your pick with this category. I have no clue what's going to happen here. The Voorman Problem is the only one with recognizable actors: The Hobbit and Sherlock's Martin Freeman, and Tom Hollander (Pirates Of The Caribbean series). It's also the only one in English. That gives it a leg up on the competition. However, Anders Walter, who directed Helium, is a five-time nominee, and won for Election Night (Valgaften) in 1998. It also -- to me, anyways -- looks like the most interesting one. And Aquel No Era Yo looks very well-made too -- it could potentially sneak in there. But as I have to choose only one, and I figure it will be one of these two, I'm going with Helium. It just piques my interest a little more than the others.
Well, there you have it. The beginnings of my predictions for this year's Oscar awards. Next time around, Best Animated Feature and Best Foreign Film. Stay tuned ...
Over ten years ago when I was still writing movie reviews, one of the more popular reoccurring features was my Oscar predictions. Every year, about a week or so before the Oscar ceremony was televised, I would go through each and every category and predict who I thought would win. Success rate? Usually anywhere between 60 to 80%, depending on the year. This year, I thought I'd get the ball rolling a little bit earlier. I'm going to attempt to predict the Best Picture nominees that will be appearing on Academy members' ballots beginning Thursday morning!
Firstly, I have to keep in mind that there will be more nominees in the category than in the past. Up until five years ago, there were five best picture nominees. That's it, that's all. There had been no change in that since 1943, when there were usually about 10 nominees per category. Now, in the years since 2009 when the change was implemented, there have been 10 nominees twice (2009 & 2010), and 9 nominees twice (2011 & 2012). I'm going to go with 10 nominees, not only to increase my chances of success but also because the playing field is a little stronger. Of which, more later.
It's universally acknowledged that the Golden Globes are a precursor to the Oscars. After doing a little bit of research, I have found that since the expansion of the best picture roster, all the Best Motion Picture (Drama) nominees have been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, with the exception of one -- The Ides of March in 2011. That can be excused, however, due to the fact that for some reason that year's Globe Drama category held six nominees instead of the usual five. The other five in the category that year made it.
So who was nominated for best drama this year at the Globes? 12 Years A Slave won, besting its competitors Captain Phillips, Gravity, Philomena and Rush. So I'm just going to automatically throw those ones in there. If there's one I'm not sure of, it would be Rush. Ron Howard is one of those directors who is all or nothing. He has films the Academy deigns to recognize, such as Frost/Nixon, Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, and Apollo 13. On the other hand, even though his movies are often hits with audiences, he sometimes finds himself shut out of awards races -- witness his Dan Brown adaptations (Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons), The Missing, The Dilemma, Ed TV and Ransom. But it's been a few years and since he hasn't been recognized by Oscar voters since Frost/Nixon in 2008, I think his film will show up on the shortlist -- or should I say longlist -- of best picture nominees. It'll probably end up with four or five nominations -- picture, supporting actor, sound mixing, sound editing and film editing.
As for the others, 12 Years A Slave is a shoo-in, and Captain Phillips and Gravity are pretty much locks as well. What about Philomena, you ask? Well, it's a British tearjerker starring Judi Dench, produced by the Weinstein Company. After that, it's simple mathematics. Even though you've never heard of it, get ready for the onslaught -- it will be nominated for best picture, I guarantee you!
This is where it gets a little tricky. The past couple of years, two of the Best Motion Picture (Comedy or Musical) nominees have also gotten top-tier Oscar nods -- the winner of the Globe category and one other. In 2010, it was only the winner in the Globe Comedy/Musical category who was recognized. And the year before that, when Oscar's roster was expanded, none made it through to the Oscar shortlist. That's right, you heard me: zero, zilch, nada. But as mentioned before, the playing field is a little stronger this year; you don't have a dud like The Tourist filling up space just because you need to fit five nominees into the Globes' Comedy/Musical category. They're all pretty strong, not only because they've been rocking the vote, so to speak, but because they all -- ALL, I tell you -- are directed by Oscar heavyweights. Joel and Ethan Coen (Inside Llweyn Davis)? Check. Spike Jonze (Her)? Check. Alexander Payne (Nebraska)? Check. David O Russell (American Hustle)? Double check. Hell, you've even got the creme de la creme of American auteurs, Martin Scorsese (The Wolf Of Wall Street). Could all of these be nominated for best picture at the Oscars? It's quite possible. But I'm going to pick three of them. That means, by sheer means of elimination, that two will not make my list of Best Picture Oscar predictions. The most likely film NOT to be nominated for Best Picture is Her. Screenplay and Actor, most probably. But I just can't see it as being an Academy favorite -- probably a little too odd for the retired 75-year-old actor or set dresser who makes up 40% of the people who actually vote on these things. Of the others, American Hustle and Wolf Of Wall Street look like a cinch. Since Gangs Of New York in 2002, four out of Marty's five feature films have been nominated for Best Picture (Gangs, The Aviator, The Departed and Hugo). The only one that wasn't was Shutter Island, which quite frankly was good enough to be a best picture nominee, only it was released in the no-man's-land of February. And of course David O Russell mixed and matched the casts of his best picture nominated Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter, and he seems to be Oscar's go-to faux-indie director as of late. Which leaves Nebraska and Inside Llewyn Davis. While both could conceivable get through and make the top slot (and I wouldn't be totally surprised if this happens on Thursday), I'm going to jump on my psychologist's chair and guess that that Inside Llewyn Davis will be on the outside looking in. Please, allow me to explain why. Nebraska is about a son trying to reconnect with his father, who he barely knows, on a road trip from Montana to Nebraska. It's about two people who never really made it in this world -- the father, a senile alcoholic Vietnam vet, and the son, who's stuck in a dead-end job he can't stand. Llewyn Davis is about failure as well -- artistic failure. And therein lies the rub. He gives his heart and soul to his art, neglecting everything else -- and gets nothing for it. Now think about who's voting for the Oscars. People in the Hollywood industry. Working or retired artists and professionals -- in the case of Oscar voters, mostly successful professionals. Llewyn was a hit with critics because it spoke to them. Let's face it, many film critics are failed writers/actors/directors. They love art and have artistic intent and integrity, and yet were unable to succeed in their first career choices. This is not something I think Academy voters want to think about. It may hit a bit TOO close to home for some of them. And for the others, I think there will be a certain denial involved -- "It's okay to support a film featuring a loser, an unqualified non-success in life -- as long as it has no relation to anything I'm familiar with; then it's too much to think about!!!" I'm quite certain Inside Llewyn Davis resonated a lot more with the critics than it will with Oscar voters, and for that matter I will leave it off the shortlist. Nebraska it is. So now we have eight nominees. But through the years there have always been a couple of best picture nominees that the Golden Globes have out-and-out missed. Last year it was Amour and Beasts Of The Southern Wild. The year before that it was Tree Of Life and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. The year before that it was 127 Hours, Toy Story 3, True Grit and Winter's Bone. What do all these movies have in common? They were either completely shut out of the Golden Globes, or only got a couple of nominations. So now, my predictions for the final two slots in the Oscar race: The Butler and Saving Mr Banks. I know what you're thinking. Wow, those are some pretty tame choices. No August: Osage County? That has Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Chris Cooper, Ewan McGregor, Benedict Cumberbatch!!! How could that not possibly get a best picture nomination? I'll tell you, my friend -- for the same reason that Doubt -- with an all-star cast including Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams and Viola Davis -- wasn't nominated. It was a showcase for great performances (Doubt got four acting nods, and a writing one to boot) but didn't have any obvious all-encompassing, overarching themes. None that had a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, anyways. Okay, well what about Dallas Buyers Club? It won two Globes, for goodness sake!!! So did Dreamgirls. And Walk The Line. And Closer. Do you want me to go on? I'm sure McConaughey and Leto will both get nods in their respective acting categories, but I just can't picture a whole bunch of key grips and gaffers and sound technicians prefering this over, say, Saving Mr. Banks. Regarding which, I think Tom Hanks has a little bit of a saviour complex going on. Fifteen years ago he saved Private Ryan. Now he's saving Mr. Banks. Give him another couple of decades and he'll probably be starring in Saving Ira's Dentures, the whole plot of which features him turning his nursing home upside down looking for his teeth. Hey, if Redford can put on a one-man show at the ripe old age of 77, there's no reason Tom Hanks can't do it either! At any rate, Saving Mr. Banks is the type of showbiz movie that Hollywood voters prefer over fare such as Inside Llewyn Davis. They're set in the same time period, but Saving focuses on movies, and a much-beloved one at that; not only that, Tom plays one of the most beloved American icons of all time (just don't ask Meryl Streep), Walt Disney (and trust me, if his performance in Captain Phillips wasn't going to get him a shoo-in best actor nomination, he would get recognized for Saving Mr. Banks based on name recognition alone). Throw in the whole "triumph over adversity" angle that Oscar always seems to masturbate over, and you have yourself the ninth best picture nominee. And joining it: Lee Daniels' The Butler. This is a movie that had a huge amount of buzz back in late summer / early fall, and then it just seemed to fall off the face of the earth. Nevertheless, I'm predicting it will get in due to three main reasons. 1) It was released in theatres in August, and just came out on Blu-Ray a couple of weeks ago. This will garner it votes from many people who don't get out much, just by the dates of its releases. 2) It has a big cast of actors who have done a wide range of movies. Forrest Whitaker, Oprah, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding, Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, James Marsden, Vanessa Redgrave, Alan Rickman, Liev Schreiber, Robin Williams and Clarence Williams III -- and that's just the above-the-title cast. Also in the cast: Mariah Carey, Minka Kelly, Elijah Kelley, and David Oyelowo. I can easily see a recently-retired Teamster sitting at home saying "Hmmmm ... I worked with Cuba Gooding Jr on Chill Factor -- he always had time to say hi to me. I think I'll vote for The Butler". Trust me, sometimes these things work this way. Last but not least, 3) it's a historical movie featuring real characters, a triumph-over-adversity storyline, and drama inherent in its civil rights setting. Think of it as The Help II: All The Man's Presidents. I've called this one as a best picture nominee from the start, and I'm not going to give up on it now. In fact, the only way I can see The Butler NOT getting nominated is if the Academy voters figure it's too similar to 12 Years A Slave, and choose to disregard it thusly. Because like Solomon Northup's story, Cecil Gaines' tale also focuses on black people. Too similar, you see. All those black people. Harumph!!! Howard, bring me another mint julep!!! Sorry, got sidetracked for a minute there. So there you have it: after much long-winded consideration, these are my predictions for the 10 best picture nominees at the Academy Awards. Can't wait until Thursday to see if I am right! American Hustle The Butler Captain Phillips Gravity Nebraska Philomena Rush Saving Mr. Banks 12 Years A Slave The Wolf Of Wall Street
Sorry it's taken so long for me to start writing. Between packing for the upcoming move, taking the Jeopardy Online Test, and rehearsing for a play (and auditioning for another one) -- oh yeah, and the requisite 40 hours per week at work -- this week's been fairly busy.
I have found time to indulge in one of my passions, however, and that is reading. One of the great things about the written word is that it can transport you anywhere, to any place in time, and you feel like you know that world; that you belong -- nay, that you ARE part of that world. Right now I have three books on the go: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (book two of the Chronicles of Narnia series, the whole of which is my bedside reading for the foreseeable future), The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (an autobiography about a man and his mother who being a sort of book club as it were, discussing their favorite works of literature while she undergoes chemo for Stage Four cancer), and most recently The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, which is in theatres as we speak.
Apparently there has been a slight rise in the amount of people reading thanks to e-readers and tablets. While I'm thankful that people are able to indulge their imaginations in any way shape or form, there's still something about holding a book in your hand that's comforting. And yes, slightly magical. I realize that physically, it's one and the same no matter whether it's old-school or electronic. The words on the page (or screen) are reaching your brain and stimulating the various imagination impulses. I get that. But holding those words in the palm of your hand, the touch and the smell and sheer tangibility of a bound and printed book is, for me at least, far superior. It could be a paperback hot off the press, with that new book smell and a flashy movie-poster style cover. It could be a musty old tome, one with thick pages that you know were bound before the age of mass-production, the ones whose pages from the side and top look almost corrugated, like the tops of the old potato chip bags we ate when we were children. And the smell -- ah, the sweet heavenly smell when you open a book for the first time, having no idea where the journey will lead you but projecting a sense of serenity and trust in your new-found literary friend as you deeply inhale the wonders of the written word.
The smell of a book that's been collecting dust on the shelves of a used bookstore or library for decades is a sensory treasure that's all-too rarely discovered these days. And their covers, sometimes sun-dappled and cracked, sometimes damp and musty -- the gilt-edged hardbacks that have long-ago been stripped of their jackets (some may have never had any) -- all are a part of the wonderful physicality of reading. Just as a mother protects its young, so too does the cover of a book; no matter how long it's been neglected by the rest of humanity, its story is there to be experienced by you and your imagination. You possess it. You live through its pages. Many others have done so in the past, and many more will do likewise in the future, but for the time it takes to finish the tale, that story is yours and yours alone. Its world is your world. Its characters are your friends. And just as the most important people and places in your life will always be with you, so too are your favorite books, with their characters and settings that stay with you forever. They are, in a word, unforgettable.
