My Top Ten of 2006

APOCALYPTO
THE DEPARTED
CASINO ROYALE
THE PROPOSITION
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
OMKARA
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH
INSIDE MAN
THE ILLUSIONIST
BABEL

There are quite a few films I missed this year, and still others that I have yet gotten a chance to see. This list will change sometime in late Feburary. Crappy movies may be released in January and February, but so do all the other films that everyone is talking about now, really I love it, I will finally get to see all the stuff that only screen on the coasts. So I look forward to catching DREAMGIRLS, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, THE PAINTED VEIL, CHILDREN OF MEN, NOTES ON A SCANDAL and of course my most anticipated film of 2006, PAN'S LABYRINTH.

I wonder what my list would look like had I seen everything....

Pan's Labyrinth
Apocalypto
Children of Men
United 93
The Departed
The Queen
Volver
Half Nelson
The Good Shepherd/Little Children
Letters from Iwo Jima

Movie Notes for "Apocalypto"

This is the longest I've gone without going to the movies in a very long time (more than two weeks!) My stress level was at a breaking point and I was so depresed, I never needed a movie more. But I finally caught Mel Gibson's Apocalypto on Sunday. I don't care what Mel has done, I believe he is a crazy bastard anyway, but he is also one hell of a filmmaker. Apocalypto offers what I like best about movies, it takes you places unimagineable. This ancient world was mesmerizing and wonderful. The cinematography was wonderful. This is a man who makes movies as if he would never get the chance to make them again. He puts everything into it, and the result is fantastic.

Oscar site update

Check out Rotten Tomatoes new 'Awards Tour' page. They have out done themselves this time. Way to go guys, I like it.

I know what I want for Chistmas

My Golden Globe Predictions

I have never choosen Golden Globe picks before the nominations come out. In fact I only try and guess the winner just before their name is called during the show. But I was bored today, I didn't put much thought to this, it took more time to type them out than to come up with the list, so here they are:

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Babel
The Queen
The Departed
Children of Men
Flags of Our Fathers

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Little Miss Sunshine
Dreamgirls
The Devil Wears Prada
Thank You for Smoking
Stranger than Fiction

Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Forest Whitaker
Peter O’Toole
Will Smith
Ryan Gosling
Leonardo DiCaprio

Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Helen Mirren
Judi Dench
Kate Winslet
Cate Blanchett
Penelope Cruz

Best Actor – Musical or Comedy
Jamie Foxx
Eddie Murphy
Steve Carell
Sacha Baron Cohen
Will Ferrell

Best Actress – Musical or Comedy
Beyonce Knowles
Jennifer Hudson
Meryl Streep
Annette Bening
Abigail Breslin

Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Jack Nicholson
Brad Pitt
Allen Arkin
Ben Affleck
Michael Sheen

Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Cate Blanchett
Rinko Kikuchi
Carmen Maura
Adriana Barraza
Shareeka Epps

Best Director
Martin Scorsese
Stephen Frears
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
Bill Condon
Clint Eastwood

Best Screenplay
Babel
Thank You for Smoking
The Queen
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine

Best Original Song
“Listen” –Dreamgirls
An Inconvenient Truth
Shut Up & Sing
Bobby
Charlotte’s Web

Best Original Score
Babel
The Good German
Notes on a Scandal
Little Children
The Queen

Best Foreign Language Film
Volver
Pan’s Labyrinth
The Lives of Others
Days of Glory
Water
Curse of the Golden Flower

Movie Notes

A couple of disapointments, good films but not great.

Flags of Our Fathers
was such a disappointment, it had a complete lack of focus, there was no clear direction for the purpose or meaning of the film, it tried to be and do too much. It was not clear which story Eastwood was trying to tell; what happened on Iwo Jima (that was done loudly, dramatically, and graphically), or what happened to three survivors from that famous picture(only briefly heart renching at the end, and only well acted by Adam Beach), a son’s search for his fathers unknown war experience(which should have been edited out of the picture, or it should have been the core plot of the film.), the propaganda of selling heroism for profit (the hardest part to watch a bit of history that, I'm sure is little known to viewers).
There are moments in the film that rang true which were quite moving, which is usually the same in every war film made, about actual events. But still something was lacking, and one is confused after viewing the film about what heroism actually is and what we thought it was and what we want it to be. I was just more confused than when I went in there and disappointed. B+

Babel
As soon as Babel was over I felt a sense of satisfaction that comes from seeing a good film, I liked it very much. But someone brought up some things about the film that I felt were valid criticisms that had me rethinking my opinion. There was no meaning to the story, he said, it meant nothing, it was about nothing, it does not resolve anything, and he said that he didn’t care about anyone, there was not enough character development to make him want to care. I totally have to disagree with him on this, I thought there was enough, at least for one story, I was able to get enough for only one character, and that was enough for me. I felt moved by the story in Japan and the two young brothers in Morocco. Both outstanding performance by But it makes the rest of the characters almost insignificant. I did not like the story line in Mexico, that hit too close to home for me and I found it to be almost unbearable. I could have done without the whole sequence. I also do not appreciate the anti-American slant of the film. Sadly I am afraid that is how the world views us already and I feel ashamed, because I tend to believe that the American press and American foreign agents helping people like the Joneses in Morocco and the boarder patrol could all be a form of reality that is or could be horribly true. Technically there was nothing wrong with the film other than Brad Pitts’ makeup, which was sometimes just horrible. Other than that it was a very well made film, it just didn’t have enough significance to be a great film. A-

Put "Letters From Iwo Jima" back on the short list

As Reported by Tom O'Neil at the Gold Derby, it is official Clint Eastwood's film "Letters From Iwo Jima" will be eligible for the Golden Globes and the Oscars this year. So it's back to the drawing board everybody. This could affect my short lists for Best Picture, Best Froeign Language Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound , Best Editing, Cinematography,

Oscar Central is Back

Hey, one of my favoite sites Mark Bakalor's Oscar Central has finally updated the site for this year's race. And as he says, Oscar Central correctly picked 19 out of all 24 categories last year, taking third place among 85 of the Best Oscar pundits. Nice try, but I got 20 out of 24 last year.

A Movie for distraction

To avoid what was to become a Repulican onslaught here in my state, we went to a movie last night. "Borat" was just the thing, laughter drowned out the death toll for change on the political specturm and the continued downward spiral of out way of life here in the Valley and the great state of Texas. Do I sound bitter? You bet!

Oscar Diary update

In the Best Picture category I am undecided about how long I can keep "Flags" in the top five, "Little Miss Sunshine," and "The Good German" could easily replace it, but I'm not ready to take it out just yet. I don't have much confidence in "Bobby" or "The Pursuit of Happyness," the former smells like "Crash," and I hated that film. I love the "Love Boat '68" tag, it seems fitting. I've never taken Will Smith seriously, so he will have to impress me.

In the Best Director race my other favorites are Stephen Soderbergh, Pedro Almodovar and Paul Greengrass, with the later having the less of a chance than the others.

I have a feeling that Leonardo DiCaprio in the "Blood Diamond" will not stand up to his performance in "The Departed," and yet he may still get nominated for it anyway. I really want to put Ryan Gosling in his place.

I don't anticipate much change in the Best Actress category. I think we will have to wait and see who the Academy favors Kate Winslet, Annette Bening or Penelope Cruz.

The supporting categories are always the toughtest for me, either there are too many to choose from (the men, usually) or not enough (the women, usually) and once I make my picks one or two performaces come up totally out of the blue. And don't forget this category frequently has suprises.

All the rest of my picks speak for themselves at this point we'll see how things look at the end of the month.

You can't always get what you want

Yeah! I got to see a movie saturday night. We wanted to see "Borat," but it was sold out so we had to drive across town to catch "Marie Antoinette," and what can I say ... ... ... ...? IT SUCKED! I so wanted to like this movie, but it stunk. It lacked any purpose or meaning, all it really said to me over and over again was these people got exactlly what they deserved! Boo! Boo!

Updates comming next week

Sadly I will not get to the cinema until Sunday night (maybe). I've got other stuff to do this weekend. Here are my choices for this week, I hope to catch at least two of them before next friday:

"Flags of Our Fathers"
"Marie Antoinette"
"Catch a Fire"
"Borat"
"The Science of Sleep"
"Jesus Camp"
"The Day the Earth Stood Still"

It's Sci-fi month at Cine El Rey, the old down town renivated theatre where my mother used to work as a teenager. Check out their web site at http://www.cineelrey.com/ it's because of this theater that we have not had to travel north to see films we couldn't see down here. The last three films are showing at the El Rey this weekend. I love this theatre!

I'm currently working on Oscar updates, which will include all the tech categories as well. I hope to post at the beginning of next week sometime.

Spreading the Rumors "Notes on a Scandal" trailer

Ooooooh! This is delicious!

Movie Notes "Man of the Year"

Good comedy, but no political satire:

Yes, this is the Robin Williams we all love, and with probably his best director, and the supporting cast? Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum and add the other great comedic political satirist, Lewis Black; just wonderful. I went to see Lewis Black and Robin Williams together on screen. Although, this film has writing credits going to Barry Levinson, but all I heard were old jokes from Robin and Lewis Black, they were just rehashing the same jokes from the last five years. Don't get me wrong it was funny, and the concept of Robin's character Tom Dobbs, a successful comedian running for president of the United States was funny, but I was expecting more from Barry Levinson, Robin Williams and Luis Black. More along the lines of 'Wag the Dog.' This was funny but it had no bite. I think that is where this fails as a movie for me, I enjoyed it but I wanted more, more meaning about how this reflects our own real political climate from five years ago and how we can laugh at it now.

"Goya's Ghosts" trailer on You Tube (click for trailer)

Thanks to Brinton over at the Oscar Breach for the heads up on this trailer. I saw the Spanish version last month, but this is much better. There is still no hint of a release date. IMDB has Warner Bros. Pictures with the limited theatrical release, but still no date. I can't wait to see this, three great actors, Milos Forman, a period film, one of the greatest artists and the spanish inquisition. Sadly it looks like I will have to wait and wait and wait....

My 50 Scariest Horror Films of all time

1. The Exorcist (1973)
Why? I had only recently gotten enough courage to watch this a few years ago when it was re-released. The stories people told of how scary this film was when it first came out are what made this the ultimate scariest film I thought that I would never see.
2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Why? I’ve never seen it. I used to run to the lobby at the theatre when the trailer was showing. This is the last of my childhood fears I have yet to conquer.
3. Psycho (1960)
Why? The first time I saw this, it was on cable, I was alone, by the time the film ended the house had gotten dark, and I turned on all the lights in the house and though I needed to take a shower before going to bed, it was the fastest shower I had ever taken.
4. Jaws (1975)
Why? I got to see this a the theatre the summer it was released with a bunch of my cousins, we sat up front but quickly moved back to sit with our parents, I sat next to my mother with my hands over my eyes most of the time asking “is it over?”
5. Halloween (1978)
Why? By the time this made it to the cable channel I was a teenager and to not have watched this film was so un-cool. I watched it late one night on cable, alone. I slept on the couch that night with the lights on.
6. Alien (1979)
Why? I had a chance to go see this film at the theatre when it was playing, it would have been my first rated ‘R’ film. I convinced everyone to see something else. I the trailer was terrifying.
7. The Shinning (1980)
Why? I did not watch this at the theatre and I only watch parts of it when it came to cable, it was some time before I got to watch this from beginning to end.
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Why? I was the given to the book to read and told not to read it before I went to sleep. They were right and the film was even better. My appreciation of horror films began in after seeing this film.
9. Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie Des Grauens (1922) Why? My ultimate horror image of vampires is Max Schreck as Count Orlok, he still lives in my nightmares.
10. Saw (2004)
Why? I got sucker punched when I watch this at the theatre. I was in a susceptible mood at the time. I actually screamed and jumped and squirmed in my seat.

and the rest

11. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
12. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919)
13. Freaks (1932)
14. Night of the living Dead (1968)
15. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
16. Poltergeist (1982)
17. The Haunting (1963)
18. Evil Dead II (1987)
19. Dracula (1931)/Dracula (1979)
20. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
21. The Birds (1963)
22. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
23. Horror of Dracula (1958)
24. The Evil Dead (1983)
25. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
26. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
27. Dawn of the Dead (1979)
28. Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (1931)
29. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)
30. The Omen (1976)
31. Salem’s Lot (1979)
32. The Mummy (1932)
33. The Fly (1986)
34. It (1990)
35. The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
36. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
37. Hellraiser (1987)
38. Carrie (1976)
39. Carnival of Souls (1962)
40. 28 Days Later (2002)
41. The Legend of Hell House (1973)
42. The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
43. Three Extremes (2005)
44. The Ring (2002)
45. Misery (1990)
46. Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
47. The Wolf Man (1941)
48. Scream (1996)
49. Suspiria (1977)
50. House on Haunted Hill (1958)


This is not a list of the best horror films, but of films that have scared the !*@#$ out me. I was not a fan of horror films as a kid or in my teens. My appreciation of horror films is something that I have cultivated over the last fifteen years or so.

Poor Audrey... that's just wrong.

Is it just me or is there anyone else out there who is as appalled as I am about the new GAP commercial featuring Audrey Hepburn in a old clip from "Funny Face," dancing to AC/DC's 'Back in Black?"

Who thought this was a good idea? I guess the beer commercials with John Wayne and James Cagney didn't enough of an out cry of "this is wrong!" Someone decided to do it again. Now I have never had a problem with GAP commercials before now and I don't even shop at the GAP anymore. So all I can do is bitch and moan and change the channel.

Film Diary Update

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE A
- This was the funniest and smartest movie I’ve seen this year. I do love dark comedies. They make me glad that my problems are not as bad as I thought, and they sure aren’t this funny. Wonderful performances and I have to admit I had yet to be won over by Steve Carell, but I guess I could be persuaded now. I don’t like “The Office”, it reminds me to much of my own work, and I have yet to see “The 40 year old Virgin.” What can I say it was just one of those things that we missed. Sometimes we avoid seeing the ‘popular’ movie, just because it’s ‘popular. Yes, we can be the biggest film snobs. This was a film that I will gladly see again.

OMKARA A-
- Yet again here is another excellent example of how wonderfully adaptable Shakespeare can be. I understand that this director also did Macbeth a few years ago, I would like to see that. Omkara is set among those involved in political warfare in the interior of Uttar Pradesh, Omkara “Omi” is a general or ‘strong arm’ for the local political faction taking control of the province. I like the violent and rural setting, too often I have seen Othello set at court. I like this better. I get the feeling that this is very similar to what life in India is really like, that it is this corrupt and dangerous. This is one of the best films I have seen this year. I have only one complaint with this film and that is the use of an everyday devise in this case modern technology, a cell phone is used to expose Dolly’s supposed infelditiy. Oh, all of a sudden this guy convientally looses his cell phone? I don’t think so. For me, in Othello the most anticipated part is when Iago reveals to Othello Desdemona’s supposed betrayal. I felt that the use of a cell phone was contrived and the writer found he was without a plausible way to move this along, it would have worked had he set it up before hand that Kesu was known to loose his phone often, then I would have believed that Langda took advantage of the of this flaw and some dumb luck opportunity.

THE ILLUSIONIST A-
- I liked this film for the performances and the mystery and the romance, but mostly for the magic. Ed Norton was excellent and Paul Giamatti was also, of course he almost stole the film from Ed Norton but then so did Rufus Sewell, I loved it when he was enraged, his accent would get thicker. This was a film that looked intriguing, I felt that we had stepped into an old photograph from the late 19th century. I loved the feel of being in an old world setting, that era seemed so simple and refined, yet full of wonderment. I like the illusionist says “…nothing is what is seems.” I will like to see how this film compares to “The Prestige.” I can’t wait.

THE PROTECTOR C
- I was very disappointed with this film, I had heard good things about, but I have since learned that about eight minutes was cut from the original and reedited. Believe me it shows. I loved Tony Ja’s first film, his martial arts ability blew me away, he did stuff I’ve never seen before, it was just amazing. This film lacked that quality and uniqueness. This was a bad martial arts action film all the way around. I could on and on but I really don’t want to relive it.

HOLLYWOODLAND B-
- I found this not to be much of a film mainly because of the script. The film itself is fine, I found the acting to be sincere and eye opening, everyone did very well, and I love the costumes, they were more than vintage, I can’t remember when period hair was done better for this era. The actors and costume and makeup people are to be commended, but, as for the meat of the film, the story, that left something to be desired, but this was a difficult story to tell and I think that it could have been done better. I found to the flaws to be in the Adrian Brody character, I did not believe that this bum of a detective and father could or would find the answers or the notoriety he was looking for. And that is the problem, how to present an unsolved mystery? You either solve it or supply more mystery. This still leaves the feeling of un-satisfaction and sadness. Although maybe that is what the director wants us to feel, I felt almost as bad as the kids did when Superman died, oops, I mean George Reeves.

Oscar Update

The Toronto Film Festival raps up tomorrow and more reviews and news will be coming that will influence my Oscar charts. I've already made some changes because of what has come out of Toronto so far. I can't wait for something else to open, it's silm pickens out there or rather down here.

I do have good news to share. I will have a new movie theatre to go to that will be even closer to my house than any of the others. The Alamo Drafthouse should open around Christmas time. Yes, that' s right the first Drafthouse outside of the central Texas. Although I would hope that they would show more of the type of films that show up in the Austin Drafthouses, but the reality is that we will be lucky if they have the lastest art house fair available. Hope the food is better than the last time we went to the Alamo Lake Creek in Austin back in March.

Film Diary Update

Here are the next two films after "Snakes." I still have five more reviews to get to in the next couple of days.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA - B-
- I am so glad that I got over my girlhood obsession with fashion. I would not want to be apart of that world at all. I think this was a great opportunity for Anne Hathaway to work with Meryl Streep, but I’m not sure she walks way better for it. Meryl wipes her off the screen in almost every scene. I sometimes wonder if they were even in the same movie. Meryl plays it so cold and cruel yet without being bitchy, she is truly the boss form hell. This is something that we have no seen on the screen for some time and never from Ms. Streep, this was a wonderful performance. Emily Blunt is the other standout here, we actually feel bad for her and yet we somehow sympathize as well, I think we have all been placed in that position at work at least once. She was bright and funny and she had a presence on screen that shined. I love Stanley Tucci, but I believe that anyone could have played this part as well. I don’t that the film was a funny as I had believed to be before I saw it and so I was disappointed, but I loved watching Ms. Streep and I do like Anne Hathaway, she is very appealing and I could identify with her completely. Overall the film was a minor disappointment on the humor side, yet I was satisfied. The test was for my husband who did not want to see this film, so he walked in expecting to hate it; he was surprised at how much he enjoyed it.

A SCANNER DARKLY - B+
- I would love to see this again, and I think had I not been so tired the night I saw this, I would probably still want to see this again, because a second and maybe third viewing is necessary. From what I understand Philip K. Dick is an acquired taste, and the only time a film adaptation has worked was with “Blade Runner,” I have to admit that I have never read his books, but I have heard that with this book Philip K. Dick goes deeper in conspiracy theory with this than with anything else before it. He weaves a tight loop in his plot that seems to go back on itself that it was easy to get lost. I think that is what happened to most people who saw this film and didn’t like it, because they didn’t get it. At first because I was so tired and I just wanted to get out of the house, I didn’t want to see this film, yet I was dazzled by the animation, the movement of shadow and light and the complexity of composition I kept wondering, ‘how did they do that?’ After I got over my distraction with the visual, I found myself asking questions about what was going on and I found I was intrigued and confused. By the time the film ended I was sadden that I had missed so much before I caught on and I wish to see this again someday.