Movie Shorts

Short Films that became Full length Films

9. If you plan to go to the film then watch the short after the film. It contains spoilers.

9

District 9
This one adds to the film.

District 9

Summer Movies

It has been a long time since either of us have posted. I will take the responsibility for that. I have become weary of movies or rather I have been worn down by the mediocrity of what passes for a movie. I am so tired of walking out of the darkness and being completely unmoved by a film. I want to dance the dance of idiots because I thought the film was great or I want to do the stomp of a curmudgeon because the movie was horrible. I want to be moved either high or low by a film.

The summer was not all bad:

Julie and Julia


There was no way that I was going to go to yet another Nora Ephron movie. I swear that she speaks in "code" that no man can truly understand. She trades on all that I despise about the difference in men and women. NO MORE EPHRON FILMS EVER was my creed. So what was I doing in Julie and Julia? Well it is because my pal, my friend, Dolly doesn't like horror movies so Dolly and the lovely wife picked. Did I have a good time? Yes but I left the film hungry as will everyone else. Meryl Streep has gotten better as an actress and while I didn't completely lose myself in her Julia, I did find myself rejoicing in the obvious delight of the performance. Streep and Tucci are one of the most believable couples on screen. I delighted that a film could show that a couple can remain completely and totally in love for a lifetime. Amy Adams was sweet and charming. This is the first thing that I have liked her in. UGH! This review sounds almost like I am channeling my inner "chik". I think I will go eat some butter.

District 9


This is perhaps the best movie of the summer. One of the best sci-fi mainstream movies in a long while. I thought that perhaps P. Jackson was going to be safe as a producer but instead he produced this. A movie in the tradition of all great sci-fi movies. One that shows the human condition through a fun romp. There are all kinds of political connections that one can make about this movie. I will leave that to the viewer. It is at times a creepy sci-fi film and at other perhaps the most macho (but with brains) film of the season. I look forward to seeing what Blomkamp will do. I hope he stays in this tradition and show that genre movies have both brains and heart as well as cojones. I realize that I am vague but let us say it is in the tradition of "Night of the Living Dead" and the original "War of the Worlds". Bravo

Watchmen.. to see or not to see... now there is the rub

...oh what to do? Should I go and see Watchmen or not? I am sure that it will be a travesty of one of my favorite books. The movie will be Watchmen lite or Watchmen distilled down to it's simplest core for all the stupid people in the world. Books rarely make good movies especially ones as complex as Moore's Watchmen. I know that if looks fantastic with pulls straight from Gibbon's art but looks are not everything. Frak! I am sure the lovely wife wants to go. She has been trying to get through the book.

There is a whole list of movies that I take great pride in not seeing and for having valid reasons for not seeing them. Topgun, Scarface, ..... If I think a movie is going to suck or I think it is going to frak up the source material then don't I have a ethical obligation to skip it (check other post for my concept on source materials). Will Watchman join those movies that I have gladly skipped? Will it join those movies that I saw and hated (or at least dislike) although everyone else seemed to like them? Will it join those movies that I saw and thought were okay but nothing else (Forrest Gump anyone?)? or will I be spitting venom because I saw it and just F@@@ing hated it.

I was all ready to go see Watchmen the movie until I saw the preview where the director says "It is realley a simple story". What? Did he read the book or just look at the pretty pictures.

Hollywood's motto "Distill everything to it's easiest and simplest point"! McBeth is just a story of manic depression. Patton is just a story about mania. Ugh......... Does everything has to be a reduction of intellect?

2008 was a shity year

Well, for me it was.
Of the 34 films nominated for an Oscar this year I've only seen 15 of them.
13 of them were never shown on any movie screen within a 100 mile radius of where I live, probably longer, since the next biggest city is over 2 hours away.
This is the first time in a very long time that I have not seen all or most the Best Picture nominees at the theatre before The Oscars. But alas my weekends of late have been filled with other obligations. When was I going to get the the theatre at 10:30 at night to see 'The Reader' for it's only showing before it left?
Films like 'Milk,' 'Frost/Nixon,' and 'The Reader' did not show for more than two weeks. Sadly, it seems I have even less time to sit at home to watch movies I rented on DVD.
Woeisme.
There has got to be a better way.
It seems someone I know is not interested in going to the movies as much any more.
I may just have to watch them alone, I watch all my favorite TV shows alone, why not my movies as well.
nobody is reading this stuff anyway, but me, so what the hell ...

My Final Picks

BEST MOTION PICTURE
My Predicted Winner
Slumdog Millionaire
My Alternate
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

BEST DIRECTING
My Predicted Winner
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
My Alternate
David Fincher – The Curious Case of Benjamin Buton

BEST ACTOR
My Predicted Winner
Sean Penn – Milk
My Alternate
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler

BEST ACTRESS
My Predicted Winner
Kate Winslet – The Reader
My Alternate
Meryl Streep – Doubt

SUPPORTING ACTOR
My Predicted Winner
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
My Predicted Winner
Viola Davis – Doubt
My Alternate
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
My Predicted Winner
Slumdog Millionaire
My Alternate
The Reader

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
My Predicted Winner
Milk
My Alternate
Wall*E

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
My Predicted Winner
Wall*E

CINEMATOGRAPHY
My Predicted Winner
Slumdog Millionaire
My Alternate
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

ART DIRECTION
My Predicted Winner
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
My Alternate
Changeling

FILM EDITING
My Predicted Winner
Slumdog Millionaire
My Alternate
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

COSTUME
My Predicted Winner
The Duchess
My Alternate
Revolutionary Road

MAKEUP
My Predicted Winner
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
My Alternate
Hellboy II

ORIGINAL SCORE
My Predicted Winner
Slumdog Millionaire
My Alternate
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

ORIGINAL SONG
My Predicted Winner
Slumdog Millionaire - Jai Ho
My Alternate
Wall*E – Down to Earth

SOUND MIXING
My Predicted Winner
Wall*E
My Alternate
The Dark Knight

SOUND EDITING
My Predicted Winner
Wall*E
My Alternate
The Dark Knight

VISUAL EFFECTS
My Predicted Winner
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
My Alternate
Iron Man

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
My Predicted Winner
Waltz with Bashir
My Alternate
The Class

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
My Predicted Winner
Man on Wire
My Alternate
Trouble the Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
My Predicted Winner
The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
My Predicted Winner
Spielzeugland (Toyland)
My Alternate
Auf der Strecke (On the Line)

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
My Predicted Winner
Presto
My Alternate
La Maison en Petits Cubes

and the nominees are...

As of January 14…
BEST MOTION PICTURE
Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)
Milk (Focus Features)
The Dark Knight (Warner Bros.)
The Curious Case of … (Paramount Pics)
Frost/Nixon (Universal Pictures)
Alternate
Doubt (Miramax Films)
Gran Torino (Warner Bros.)

BEST DIRECTING
Danny Boyle – Slumdog Millionaire
David Fincher – The Curious Case of …
Gus Van Sant – Milk
Christopher Nolan – The Dark Knight
Ron Howard – Frost/Nixon
Alternate
John Patrick Shanley – Doubt
Dark Horse
Jonathan Demme – Rachel Getting Married
Longshot
Clint Eastwood

BEST ACTOR
Sean Penn – Milk
Clint Eastwood – Gran Torino
Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler
Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon
Richard Jenkins – The Visitor
Alternate
Brad Pitt – The Curious Case of …
Dark Horse
Leonardo DiCaprio – Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTRESS
Kate Winslet – Revolutionary Road
Meryl Streep – Doubt
Anne Hathaway – Rachel Getting Married
Angelina Jolie – Changeling
Melissa Leo – Frozen River
Alternate
Kristen Scott Thomas – I’ve Loved You So Long
Dark Horses
Sally Hawkins – Happy-Go-Lucky
Longshot
Michelle Williams – Wendy and Lucy

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Heath Ledger – The Dark Knight
Phillip Seymour Hoffman – Doubt
Dev Patel – Slumdog Millionarie
Josh Brolin – Milk
Robert Downey, Jr – Tropic Thunder
Alternate
Michael Sheen – Frost/Nixon
Dark Horse
Ralph Fiennes – The Reader

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Kate Winslet – The Reader
Viola Davis – Doubt
Marisa Tomei – The Wrestler
Taraji P. Henson – The Curious Case of …
Alternate
Amy Adams
Dark Horse
Rosemary DeWitt – Rachel Getting Married

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of … - Eric Roth
Doubt – John Patrick Stanley
Frost/Nixon – Peter Morgan
The Dark Knight
Alternate
The Reader – David Hare
Dark Horse
Revolutionary Road – Justin Haythe

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Most Likely
Milk
The Wrestler
Wall*E
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rachel Getting Married
Alternate
The Visitor
Dark Horse
Happy-Go-Lucky
Longshot
Burn After Reading

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Wall*E
Waltz with Bashir
Kung Fu Panda
Alternate
Doubt

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of … - Claudio Miranda
The Dark Knight – Wally Pfister
Revolutionary Road – Roger Deakins
The Reader
Alternate
Australia
Dark Horse
Defiance – Eduardo Serra
Longshot
Changeling – Tom Stern

ART DIRECTION
The Curious Case of …
Hellboy II
Revolutionary Road
The Dark Knight
Australia
Alternate
The Reader
Milk
Dark Horse
Indiana Jones 4
Longshot
Synecdoche, New York
Changeling
The Fall

FILM EDITING
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of …
The Dark Knight
Frost/Nixon
Milk
Alternate
Indianan Jones 4
Dark Horse
Quantum of Solace
Longshot
Wall*E
COSTUME
The Curious Case of …
Revolutionary Road
The Duchess
Australia
The Reader
Alternate
Changeling
Dark Horse
Milk
Longshot
The Fall
The Other Bolyen Girl

MAKEUP
The Curious Case of …
Hellboy II
The Dark Knight
Alternate
Tropic Thunder
Dark Horse
The Reader
Longshot
Synecdoche, New York

ORIGINAL SCORE
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of …
The Dark Knight
Wall*E
Revolutionary Road
Alternate
Milk
Dark Horse
The Reader
Longshot
Changeling

ORIGINAL SONG
The Wrestler - The Wrestler
Wall*E – Down to Earth
Slumdog Millionaire - Jai Ho
Bolt - I Thought I Lost You
Gran Torino - Gran Torino
Alternate
Quantum of Solace - Another Way to Die
Dark Horse
Cadillac Records - Once in a Lifetime
Hamlet 2 - Rock Me Sexy Jesus
Longshot
High School Musical 3: Senior Year - A Night to Remember

SOUND MIXING
Wall*E
Iron Man
The Dark Knight
Hellboy II
Indiana Jones 4
Alternate
The Curious Case of …
Dark Horse
Defiance
Longshot
Cloverfield

SOUND EDITING
Wall*E
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Hancock
Indiana Jones 4
Alternate
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Dark Horse
Defiance
Longshot
Quantum of Solace

VISUAL EFFECTS
The Curious Case of …
Hellboy II
The Dark Knight
Alternate
Iron Man
Dark Horse
Australia
Longshot
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Man on Wire
Trouble the Water
Encounters at the End of the World
Pray the Devil Back to Hell
I.O.U.S.A
Alternate
The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)
Dark Horse
Standard Operating Procedure
Longshot
Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FEATURE
Waltz with Bashir
The Class
The Baader Meinhof Complex
3 Monkeys
Alternate
Departures
Dark Horse
Everlasting Moments
The Necessities of Life
Longshot
Revanche
Tear This Heart Out

..."biggest surprise of the year"...

I have to admit that I finally agree with the mystery quoted critics on the tv ads for Valkyrie. The ad states that it is the biggest surprise movie of the year and I completely agree. No. I actually do agree..... I was surprised that it didn't completely suck. It was a average movie going experience when I thought it was going to just completely suck. Too bad that it was being pointed out to be a great film for the year is actually just an average popcorn experience. Too bad for the movie going audience and for students of history both. Average...... Have all the Wolfgangs died and we are left with are the "Tonys"?

Mediocrity...how you have baffled us with your averageness. What a completely neutral and neutered muse you are! Alas.............................................................................................................................................................

As if things couldn't get worse

It just makes me so mad!
I've looked at Movie City News Awards Watch page where they have a scoreboard of Top Tens for 2008, and out of the top Ten of all 221 top ten lists, we've only seen 4 and one of those we had to travel over 300 miles to see.
Here's their list of complied top tens
1. Wall*E (we saw it here the week it came out)
2. The Dark Knight (seen here)
3. Slumdog Millionaire (not shown down here, and it won't be shown unless it gets a Best Picture Oscar Nomination)
4. Milk (has YET to open here, may not if it doesn't get a Best Picture Oscar Nom)
5. The Wrestler (has also yet to open here, and won't if Mickey doesn't get a Nom)
6. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (seen it)
7. Happy-Go-Lucky (not shown here, we won't be so lucky, I will never see it on a big screen)
8. Rachel Getting Married (dido)
9. Man on Wire (doc's don't show here)
10. Let the Right One In (Both Will and I are calling this THE BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR) we traveled to Austin for Thanksgiving and were glad to have something to see.

And to just to make me feel worse. . .
only 5 of the top 30 films have shown down here
7 of the top 40
10 of the top 50
24 of the top 100

and most sadly of all we've only seen 19 of the top 100 films on that list.

A dud of a year!

I can't remember when I've gone the the movies less. I hate the stupid movie-multi-plexes. Where we live, within a 15 mile radius, there are 3 multi-plexes with 44 screens showing only 14 movies. 14!
And that is the number one reason why we don't go to the movies that much anymore. Out of those 14 movies, we've only seen three, we only WANTED to see three. There were times this year where we didn't go to the movies because there was nothing to watch. Yes, our taste has gotten "pickier" but we would sometimes be willing to go to a film that we knew would dissapoint simply because we didn't have anything better to do. But, life and all things that seem to "happen", you know the unexpected stuff sometimes gets in the way. It had me depressed many times this year, sometimes more than the other stuff. Espeically when I use movies to forget the other stuff for awhile.

I hate living down here sometimes. It really sucks! Nothing happens.