Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 27.5 - The Oscar Episode

Did you find yourself pining for hatter's take on the Oscar nominations? It's okay...I really didn't either. But if you're interested, here they are!

And check it out - we managed to get things in under eighty minutes this time.

Listening back to some of this, it's amazing to think about how much can change so quickly in the Oscar race. You'll hear Marya mention what it could mean "if Tom Hooper were to win the DGA award". Now that it's happened, bits of this conversation...recorded just four days ago...could go very differently. C'est la vie!

Here's the Oscar episode...



(Go here or to iTunes if the embedded player doesn't start)

Here's what's in store in episode twenty-seven-point-five...

Runtime
70 minutes, 31 seconds

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Q & A with this episode's guest, Marya Gates from Cinema Fanatic. (2:25)
3. Rundown of the nominees for all acting categories, screenplay, directing and best picture (8:35)
4. Films & performances not nominated (45:39)
5. THE SOCIAL NETWORK vs. THE KING'S SPEECH (51:00)
6. 1980...1990...2000...2010? (59:56)
7. Early predictions (64:53)

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Doubleback: NOWHERE BOY

I first remember excitedly talking about this film around this time last year. Strangely, its theatrical release came & went without a glimpse from yours truly. It be's that way sometimes.

NOWHERE BOY is the story of a young John Lennon (Aaron Johnson). He's a teenaged hellion who has little use for school, and is living a simple life where he is being raised by his aunt Mimi (Katherine Scott Thomas). Early on in the film, he's thrown a curve as he catches a glimpse of his birth mother...a woman he doesn't really know. he soon finds himself torn between a kinship with his flighty mother, and his love and respect for the aunt who has cared for him all this time. Adding to the distraction is the fact that he's taken a shining to music, where he's getting by with a little help from his friends.

As a person who idolizes John Lennon, you'd think that this film would get me drunk with fanboy love. Yet I sadly sit here quite sober. It's not that the film did anything wrong...it's just that it didn't seem anxious to do anything particularly special. It's all told on a small scale, content to play things safe and never attempting to elevate itself to something special. This isn't a good idea, since half of this film was telling me things I already knew.

In short, as a bio-pic, the movie doesn't succeed, since you wouldn't care a lick about what happens if you don't know who young John goes on to be.

While I don't think the world needs another rock biography, the movie might have worked better if it had stuck to the musical anger and taken the emphasis off John's family. It's here where the film is filled with the greatest amount of joy - fitting since that seems to be the mood shared by John and his new mates Paul and George. We hear track after track of the music that inspired them to pick up guitars, and immediately understand the attraction. Of course the hitch there is that for anybody interested, these tales are already legend.

But in a cute move, that legend is actually never directly addressed. The word "Beatles" is never uttered once (and wryly dodged in the film's final scene), and not one note of their music is ever played. It's John's story, not theirs, and at the age we meet him and the rest of his friends, they were still a far cry from creating anything that would cement their iconic status. Thus the film is right to omit their music. Actually, that's a lie. We do hear precisely one note of Beatles' in the film. (Three guesses which song).

The film has glimmers of charm, but never fulfills its promise. It made for a decent enough rental, but felt ultimately disappointing for what it could have been. In short, it's a sorry excuse for the story of "The Clever One".

Days of The Week (Films Watched 1/22 - 1/28)

Turned into a rather busy week with a few nights at the bar catching up with friends, and a rare mid-week recording of The Matineecast. Thus no trips to a theatre this week, but hey...one week out of the year won't kill me

And even though most of these were mulligans, it made a pretty good dent in the to-watch pile...which just leads to the acquisition of more movies. It's a vicious cycle.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Never Seen
STRANGERS ON A TRAIN - One of my favorite Hitchcock films...interesting since I turned around and gave it away.
NOWHERE BOY - I should be writing something about this, so keep your eyes open. Ineteresting, if uneven.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Watched Before
REAR WINDOW - aka "DISTURBIA 1.0"
TOY STORY 3 - Got misty again. Shut up.
M - Such a splendid classic.
SHUTTER ISLAND - Only the second time I've seen it, and lordy does it ever get better with subsequent watchings!
DAYS OF HEAVEN - A new favorite and the best classic I saw last year.
PONTYPOOL - Like a zombie-esque version of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Liked it then, still like it now.
ROPE - Begin the week with Hitchcock, end it with Hitchcock.


Boxscore for The Year
16 First-Timers, 22 Re-Watched
38 Movies in Total

How's about you - seen anything good?

Just Like Starting Over

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 1 - 28 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

Wanna hear something sick? I've been quite a social butterfly this week...to the point that Lady Hatter has expressed feelings of loneliness. And even with all the running around town, glancing at what will be listed on tomorrow's "Days" post for the films watched this week, I still haven't lost a step with the pace I've set for the year. Seriously...how has my brain not exploded yet?

It's sorta scaring me a little...like clearing up all the beer bottles around the apartment and then realizing just how many you yourself drank that night.

Are there support groups for people like me?

While I seek help, perhaps you should seek entertainment from thise who have a better grasp on moderation.


For your listening and reading enjoyment, I give you...

Seems like nobody really wants to close the book on 2010. Four of the flock got together on the most recent LAMBcast to rhyme off their favorite films...case you didn't already read it on their websites, or hear it on their podcasts, or find out someplace else, or...

Blake is at Sundance. Who else is jealous??

Tonight I'm checking out INCENDIES: Canada's pony in the race for the Best Foreign Film Oscar. If Joel's review is to be believed, then I'm in for awesomeness.

This week, I had the pleasure of meeting yet another Toronto movie blogger - the oh-so-charming Kiva from Diegetic Sound. She's seen yet another movie up for Best Foreign Film. Take a gander at her thoughts on DOGTOOTH.

Anomolous Materials want to know what scares you? (Besides Jonah Hill in HD)

And finally, Nick's 60/60 project took a turn for the odd...the very odd.

Enjoy!

Hey Man, Nice Shot

With the announcement of the Oscar nominees, I find myself reflecting on 2010 at the movies. As a guy who sees much of the world through a camera lens - though admittedly not as much as he once did - I find that certain images get burned into my brain.

So in no particular order, here are ten of my favorite shots from the films of 2010...

How's about you? What are some of your favorite images from the year?

Debate Exposes Doubt (SOURCE CODE Trailer)

As if hoisting a pint or two with one or two dozen other movie bloggers wasn't enough to make my head hurt for one Wednesday morning on a monthly basis.....last night we took the whole mad experiment and added live bagpipes.

Yes really.

So if you'll pardon me for one day - please talk amongst yourselves.
Not quite so loudly though.
A little quieter.
That's better...

While you're being so kind, permit me to as you one more favour. Might I persuade a few of you to go see this film for me? See, I was quite a fan of Duncan Jones' feature debut MOON. However, were it not for his name being attached to this film, I wouldn't have the slightest interest in it.

So would some of y'all mind being my canary in the potential crap coal mine? Go see this opening weekend and let me know if it's any good?

83rd Oscar Nominations

It's one of my favorite days of the year. Nominees in the top eight categories coming up. Nominees in all other categories after the jump just as fast as I can type...

Best Picture:
127 HOURS
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
THE KING'S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOY STORY 3
TRUE GRIT
WINTER'S BONE

Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN
The Coen Brothers, TRUE GRIT
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Tom Hooper, THE KING'S SPEECH
David O. Russell, THE FIGHTER

Best Actress:
Annette Benning, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE
Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER'S BONE
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE

Best Actor:
Javier Bardem, BIUTIFUL
Jeff Bridges, TRUE GRIT
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Colin Firth, THE KING'S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 HOURS

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, THE FIGHTER
Helena Bonham Carter, THE KING'S SPEECH
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER
Hailee Steinfeld, TRUE GRIT
Jackie Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM

Best Supporting Actor:
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER
John Hawkes, WINTER'S BONE
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING'S SPEECH
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN
Mark Ruffalo, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Best Original Screenplay:
ANOTHER YEAR
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
THE KING'S SPEECH

Best Adapted Screenplay:
127 HOURS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOY STORY 3
TRUE GRIT
WINTER'S BONE

Best Animated Feature:
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
L'ILLUSIONISTE
TOY STORY 3

Best Art Direction:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
HARRY POTTER
INCEPTION
THE KING'S SPEECH
TRUE GRIT

Best Cinematography:
BLACK SWAN
INCEPTION
THE KING'S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TRUE GRIT

Best Costume Design:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
I AM LOVE
THE KING'S SPEECH
THE TEMPEST
TRUE GRIT

Best Documentary Feature:
EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP
GASLAND
INSIDE JOB
RESTREPO
WASTELAND

Best Documentary Short:
KILLING IN THE NAME
POSTER GIRLSTRANGERS NO MORE
SUN COME UP
THE WARRIORS OF QIUGANG

Best Editing:
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
THE KING'S SPEECH
127 HOURS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Best Foreign Film:
BIUTIFUL
DOGTOOTH
IN A BETTER WORLD
INCENDIES
OUTSIDE THE LAW

Best Make-Up:
BARNEY'S VERSION
THE WAY BACK
THE WOLFMAN

Best Original Score:
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
INCEPTION
THE KING'S SPEECH
127 HOURS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Best Original Song:
"Coming Home" COUNTRY STRONG
"I See The Light" TANGLED
"If I Rise" 127 Hours
"We Belong Together" TOY STORY 3

Best Animated Short:
NIGHT & DAY
THE GRUFFALO
LET'S POLLUTE
THE LOST THING
MADAGASCAR (A JOURNEY DIARY)

Best Live Action Short:
THE CONFESSION
THE CRUSH
GOD OF LOVE
NA WEWE
WISH 143

Best Sound Editing:
INCEPTION
TOY STORY 3
TRON: LEGACY
TRUE GRIT
UNSTOPPABLE

Best Sound Mixing:
INCEPTION
THE KING'S SPEECH
SALT
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TRUE GRIT

Best Visual Effects:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
HARRY POTTER
HEREAFTER
INCEPTION
IRON MAN 2

Elsewhere: Guest Podcasting on The Demented Podcast and Reel Insight

It was a day spent chattin' movies with three friends within the community...though it took places via two separate chats.

First up was Nick Jobe from Random Ramblings of a Demented Doorknob. He was kind enough to guest on my show back in November, and was a good enough sport to endure my rantings on a film franchise near & dear to his heart. (Sidebar: i still contend that i caught him completely unawares). This weekend it was time for me to return the favour and do a guest spot on his show, The Demented Podcast.

Even though guesting on his show involves doing almost as much prep work as I do for my own, and the game he plays is every bit as hard as it seems...it was a lot of fun! so do give a listen to my appearance on The Dark Ramblings.

Then, being the complete whore that I am, I decided that once in a day just wasn't enough. Thus I poured a second cup of tea and sat down to join Rachel and Jess for an episode of Reel Insight.

This too was a lot of fun since it was my second appearance on the show, and given that both ladies have been prior guests on The Matineecast it was a third time talking with each. I think you can hear a chemistry there...but I'm biased.

Finally pulling back the curtain on why I've been watching so many Colin Farrell movies lately, Episode 31 is a reel hoot with discussion on the aforementioned Irishman, TV's "Community", and a little bit more about my experience watching THE ROOM.

Thanks to Rachel, Nick, and Jess for inviting me on their shows and shootin' the breeze...it sure did hit the spot on a bitterly cold weekend.

You Give Love a Bad Name (Reactions from a Midnight Screening of THE ROOM)

I'm not exactly one for "so bad it's good"...but once in a while a piece of crap film becomes so legendary, it just must be seen. Such was the case with THE ROOM, a steaming opus from a writer/director/actor/producer named Tommy Wiseau.

Luckily, I was invited to experience this tripe full-bore at a local cinema here in town...and what I experienced was indeed rather legendary. Full thoughts after the jump.

First a synopsis for the uninitiated. THE ROOM is a 2003 drama that feels like a rejected submission to "The Red Shoe Diaries". It's the story of Johnny (Wiseau), his fianceefuture wife Lisa, and Johnny's best friend Mark. How do you know Mark is Johnny's best friend? They'll tell you...specifically...over and over again. For utterly unclera reasons, Lisa isn't fulfilled by her relationship with Johnny and has decided to fill the void by hittin' it with Mark. This seems to shock the holy hell out of Mark, since he acts pretty darned surprised every time she makes a move.

If a love triangle isn't enough for you, fear not: subplots abound. For starters there's Lisa's mom, who comes and goes scolding her daughter about what she is and isn't capable of, and how lucky she is to have Johnny. Oh yeah, and did I mention? Lisa's mom has breast cancer. But it can't be that important in the world this film inhabits since it's mentioned once - rather offhandedly - then dropped, and never brought up again.

Still not enough? Well there's also Denny...a young man who lives nearby. He wanders in and out of Johnny and Lisa's place with Urkel-like abandon, and exists perfectly at the apex of wholesome, creepy, and simple. I'm not sure what had me more perplexed about Denny - his brazen jumping into foreplay between Johnny and Lisa, or his absurd encounter on a rooftop with a drug dealer.

Peppered with redundant exterior shots, some of the unsexiest love scenes you'll ever see, random moments of tossing a football, and characters who appear out of nowhere without introduction...the film quite simply defies belief. Like I said - a steaming opus.

The film on its own will leave you mouth agape, not believing that all these people were able to create this with a straight face...but it gets infinitely more fun when watching it with the right crowd.

Lady Hatter and I braved an especially cold night, and ventured to The Royal Theatre here in Toronto for an interactive midnight show. You see in the seven years since its release, THE ROOM has achieved a particular level of notoriety...to the point where it has joined films like THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW in gaining cult audiences that love to play along with the insanity. How big of a cult? Enough to sell out this midnight showing and leave scores of would-be patrons to be turned away at the door.

Those that got in weren't content to watch and laugh. Nay - they come prepared. For instance, one odd inclusion in the film is a framed photo of a spoon on an end table inside of Johnny & Lisa's front door. Anytime this oddity is visible in the shot (which is often), the crowd started hollering "S-p-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-n!!!!" and tossed plastic spoons into the air. Not only does this never get old, but after two or three instances, there were enough spoons collecting at my feet to allow me to join in. Gotta tell ya - I won't soon forget the sight of a virtual blanket of plastic cutlery covering the aisle on my walk out.

Those brutal sex scenes I mentioned? Those get greeted with audience members holding lighters up in the air like Wiseau had just launched into "Freebird". Hell, even the crummy songs that get played under the scene are fodder for the audience to sing along with. When they're not saying lines along with Johnny ("You're tearing me apart!"), they're heckling the movie's increasing absurdity. Random characters are greeted with "Who the fuck are you!?"...while repeated sweeping shots across the Golden Gate Bridge prompt responses of "Go! Go! Go!".

The oddest thing? Even though the omnipresent buzz of the crowd drowned out the dialogue more often than not, I can't say I missed a damned thing. That's right gang - I couldn't hear half of what was going on, but still had a blast. How many movies can you say that about??

Between the absolute ridiculousness of the film itself, and the overflowing joy coming from the crowd on hand, it was impossible not to get caught up in THE ROOM. Would I ever sit at home and watch this again on dvd? Not on your life.

Would I ever brave bitter cold and sleep deprivation to watch this with a packed house? You better believe it.

Days of The Week (Films Watched 1/15 - 1/21)

Looks like I kept up the pace again this week...which frightens me when I project the math over 52 weeks.

The slight difference this week? Lots-o-new-stuff. Last week brought me seven-of-ten rewatches, whereas this week, seven of the nine were new. Go figure.

Screenings
THE ROOM - Oh. My. God!

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Never Seen
THE RECRUIT - Not bad...for a popcorn flick.
CASSANDRA'S DREAM - Joins MATCH POINT and VICKY CRISTINA as modren Woody films I dig.
HART'S WAR - Noticing a trend yet?
PLEASE GIVE - Thanks for the recommend Whitney.
CYRUS - Riley & Hill should never be seen in the same hi-def shot.
DOGTOOTH - So very disturbing. (Hey Toronto folk - this one's playing at The Royal starting on 1/28)

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Watched Before
THE AMERICAN - Every bit as glorious as I remember.
IRON MAN 2 - This I actually liked a little more the second time around.


Boxscore for The Year
14 First-Timers, 14 Re-Watched
28 Movies in Total

How's about you - seen anything good?

Talk About The Passion

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 1 - 21 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

That there is the new doofy - whaddaya think?

I'm actually rather excited today. On the one hand it's Friday, which as usual means I'm headed to the theatre...on the other hand, it's not just any old screening. As of right this moment I'm fourteen hours away from a Rocky Horror-like interactive screening of THE ROOM.

On the one hand I find myself rather afraid, but the part of me that's looking forward to a laugh is pretty darned excited. To those of you who have seen it (especially in a theatre) is there anything I need to know? beside getting good & drunk beforehand??

Beyond that, I'm not sure what else is on tap for me movie-wise this weekend. Tomorrow most likely won't allow much time for watching, what with two podcasts to record and all. Perhaps by Sunday I'll finally convince Lady Hatter to see RABBIT HOLE. If not, I might just head to The Lightbox alone. Sad, ain't it? Anyways, enough about me.


For your listening and reading enjoyment, I give you...

Just in case you didn't get enough of Andrew on the most recent Matineecast, take a listen to the latest episode of the Row Three Cinecast where they get into spoilerific discussions on THE GREEN HORNET and BLUE VALENTINE.

Audio content not good enough for you? Want some video content?? Steve the Cynic has you covered. For the love of all that's good and pure, someone please help him get organized!

Looks like I'm not alone with my movie-centric brainwaves. Univarn gets fixated on the most random details from some pretty crap films.

One dvd I'm looking forward to seeing in the near future is ANIMAL KINGDOM. Marshall watched it this week, and says it's pretty swell!

Given that it was an argumentitive week here at The Matinee (in a good way!), it's apropos that Darren is also raising the argument that THE 300 is, in fact, not racist.

Finally, Rachel covers just some of the reasons why I prefer the theatre experience (except I don't have a toddler).


Enjoy!

When You Say Nothing At All

As I write this, it's closing in on one in the morning. I don't really want to go to bed yet because I've just watched a rather unsettling movie. I'm not afraid of having nightmares or anything...I just need to give my brain a chance to stay curled up in a fetal position a little longer. I thought about writing about the film (DOGTOOTH if you're curious)...but then I wondered if it might be better not to.

I've been hearing this movie mentioned for more than six months now, and I only paid enough attention to know that I'd be shocked by whatever I saw. I easily could have learned more - hell, the entire plot is listed on Wikipedia - but I deliberately chose not to. I wasn't exactly trying to avoid "spoilers", I just felt an odd desire to go into this film knowing as little as possible.

The decision paid off, as I found the film equal parts shocking, fascinating, and indelible. Did all of this come from avoiding details and just letting it play? Perhaps. Maybe in this instance it worked out better not to seek the details, and instead to just let it play.

As I thought about this idea further, I got to thinking about the top films I saw this year. Of the five movies I thought were tops, three of them were films I went into stone cold - no trailers, no reviews. Did 127 HOURS, BLACK SWAN, and WINTER'S BONE affect me that much more because I hadn't watched clips over and over? Is it possible that if I took more steps to avoid details before seeing a film, that more films would be that much more enjoyable??

I realize asking these questions as a person who takes time each day to specifically discuss the details seems hypocritical, but it can't all be co-incidence, can it? Would BLUE VALENTINE have rocked me as hard as it did if I fully knew what I was getting into? I doubt it. Even though I've become a lot better at finding the films that stand a better chance of speaking to me, maybe I'd get just that little bit more from them if I concerned myself less with the details and just trusted a few people - including many of you who read this site - when you say "Just watch it".

What about you folks.....what are your habits like with going into a movie blind?

The (K)Night Starts Here (Hathaway & Hardy's Roles in Batman revealed)

Today is a particularly happy day for me - it's the end of an era.

It seemed as though ever since the second the credits rolled on those first screenings of THE DARK KNIGHT, rumours ran wild...I'm talkin' Snooki at Spring Break after a six of Red Bull and eight Jaager bombs wild about who the next villain would be and who would play them.

Phil Seymour Hoffman, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Rachel Weisz, Marion Cotillard, etc, etc, etc

Remember those days? Well today my friends they finally end as Warner Bros has made the announcement of who the villains are, and who will play them:

Tom Hardy will play Bane.
Anne Hathaway will play Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman).

Hardy was already cast, but word was mum on who he'd play. Hathaway was mentioned in recent weeks as in consideration for an undisclosed part.

I'm curious how these two characters will work in Nolan's Bat-universe, especially where Bane is concerned. But for now, I'm just satisfied that all the absurd ideas can end.

Thoughts on this bit of news all you bat-fans?

King of The Road (RUBBER Trailer)

Back during the year-end Matineecast, Lady Hatter added this film to her top five in a special jury prize spot. If she hadn't, I would have, since it's just that awesome and original.

This movie is going on-demand soon and will hit theatres in April. For the love of God, be sure to see it.

Poor Little Rich Boy (CITIZEN KANE vs. THE SOCIAL NETWORK)

It's been a SOCIAL NETWORK week. It feels like the film is on everyone's lips thanks to a theatrical re-release, its debut on blu-ray, and a few more awards in the last ten days. And with all of that came someone repeating something I first heard upon the film's debut last fall:

"THE SOCIAL NETWORK is this generation's CITIZEN KANE".

No.
No it's not.
Not even close.
Really, sit down now - you're embarressing yourself.

The comparison has got my back up since the first time I heard it. So to put a dagger in it once and for all, I watched the two films back to back. And while there are similarities between the stories, those differences that set them apart are glaring. Take a look at my findings after the jump.

Let’s begin by looking at what Mark and Kane do. With Facebook, Mark is out to distinguish himself by creating something big. His ultimate idea involves ingenuity, and relies heavily on being adopted by a larger collective. He isn’t interested in telling people what to do: He's more interested in having them be able to connect with each other while they do whatever it is they were going to do. On the whole, Mark's personality is rather absent from his contribution.

Kane on the other hand builds an empire that is all about ego. He is less an entrepreneur than a mogul. He is a man whose main outlet – his newspaper – gives him a soapbox to declare his opinions (for better or for worse). In fact, this channel is a dangerous in the hands of a man like Kane. This is after all a man who tells his reporter that if he provides the prose poems, that he can supply a war. In fact, Kane eventually quite bluntly states to his first wife, that people will think what he tells them to think.

Where Kane’s path further splinters hard from Mark’s is where his political aspirations come into play. In the course of THE SOCIAL NETWORK, Mark never attempts anything so ambitious and grand. He does what he does to make a name for himself, but in the short window of time in which the film takes place, he never comes anywhere close to the power grab that Kane makes with his run for state governor.

This is a key difference, as it’s the scandalous failure of this run for office that really turns the tide on Kane’s legacy.


Let’s move to why Mark and Kane do what they do. The catalyst of Mark’s story is one part ingenuity and two parts venom. Mere moments after he is dumped, he trots across the Harvard campus, fires up his blog and publishes his angriest rantings about Erica for all to see. Seemingly resentful not only of Erica but of women everywhere, he creates The Facemash. It’s the roughest of drafts really, but it's what gets him noticed, what gets him talking to the Winklevoss twins, what sparks the Facebook idea in his head, and what sends him down the road to a successful enterprise.

While Kane’s journey doesn’t start from such a bitter beginning, it is no less misguided. Kane is handed a fortune through his inheritance. His properties include oil wells, gold mines, and real estate, but none of that interests him (Why would it? He didn’t have to work to build it). When he comes of age and is allowed to actually take control of his holdings, he gravitates towards the newspaper only because he thinks “It would be fun to run a newspaper.” Mark is involved in Facebook’s every nuance because it's his baby. Kane is merely is playing paddleball with his contribution to the world...all the while spending the money it brings him.

In a neat twist, both Mark and Kane are fueled by outside influences. For Mark, it’s the arrival of Shawn Parker who almost goads him into changing the world the way he did with Napster. For Kane though, it’s his estate’s custodian Mr. Thatcher…a man who stepped in as a parental figure when he was least needed. A man who ultimately asked Kane in his later years what precisely he would have liked to have been. Kane's answer is cold and to the point: “Everything you hate.”

Mark might have been sparked by jilted feelings, but eventually he got over it and remorse crept in. Kane was bitter…about a lot of things…for a very long time.


Where the parallels of the two films really end is the ultimate fate of our heroes. As he sits alone in that deposition room, Mark makes another attempt to make amends with Erica. He sits there refreshing the web page over and over, waiting for his request to get accepted. A little sad sure, but not ultimately what he’ll go down in history for. Indeed, as the story ends Facebook is massively successful (“They don’t have roads in Bosnia, but the have Facebook?”). He is so rich that he can weather two separate lawsuits that will take millions out of his pocket – lawsuits that we’re led to believe he will settle. And as the final crawl tells us, his vision will still make him wildly rich. He got it all, except for that one girl.

Kane’s fate is far more tragic. As the newsreel tells us, the man outlived his power. At his peak, he was raking in a fortune, ran a news syndicate that was influential, and stood on a political precipice that included him being poised to be governor, with the American presidency within sight. He lost it all, because for Kane power wasn’t enough. He always felt some gaping hole that only love could fill, but it had to be love on his terms. So even with a dutiful wife at home and an adoring son, he gets brought down by a cute-but-talentless chanteuse…who at just the right moment in just the right way, gives him a glimmer of what he really wants. A glimmer that still doesn't turn into the real thing for Kane.

Mark had everything, but still pined for Erica. Kane had more than everything (he made sure of that by buying what he didn’t have), but none of it was enough. He was pulled from a happy childhood and loving parents far too early, and it forever skewed his outlook on how to live and how to love. That, my friends, is a sad fate that Mark Zuckerberg comes nowhere near within THE SOCIAL NETWORK.


Indeed, both Mark and Kane achieved more that what most of us will do with our lives, but are still left incomplete. However, it’s only one facet in two very different stories. If we were going by the measure of never achieving "that one thing", then one could say that Charlie Brown is like CITIZEN KANE. Linus spends every Halloween night waiting in vain for The Great Pumpkin, and Charlie Brown wants nothing more than to talk to the Little Redhead Girl. Neither one of them gets what they, want, but you don't hear them getting compared to a cinematic masterpiece.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK is about the human drama that comes with building something up; CITIZEN KANE is about the tragedy that occurs when one doesn’t know what to do once it’s built. There are similarities - many more that I never got to - but for this vast difference in direction, and of course for the unknowable legacy THE SOCIAL NETWORK will have as it ages, it must be declared: the two films tell very separate stories.

Midnight Radio: The Matineecast Episode 27

Couples night has ended here at The Matineecast, it's time to get back to a little one-on-one. However, much like the 2010 wrap-up episode with The Frankly My Dear crew, this episode features a guest I've been looking forward to talking with for a while now.

Admittedly, this episode is one of my longer ones, with more than half of it happening during the top five section. While I could have cut it down a little, I decided to leave it be for three reasons.

For starters, I was having a lot of fun talking to this episode's guest and I think that comes through in the conversation. Secondly, it's fitting that when you get two Chatty-cathy-podcasters together, that a lengthy episode is the result. Third, given that my guest's shows tend to run a little long it seemed apropos. If ya get bored, there's always the skip button.

Here's the Vladimir Guerrero episode...



(Go here or to iTunes if the embedded player doesn't start)

Here's what's in store in episode twenty-seven...

Runtime
81 minutes, 56 seconds

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY - Q & A with this episode's guest, Andrew James from Row Three & The Row Three Cinecast (2:34)
3. COME TALK TO ME - Where we drool over all the great films coming out this year (10:20)
4. THE NEW SLANG - Review and reaction of THE FIGHTER (17:07)
5. THE BEST OF YOU - Andrew and I have a somewhat long discussion about brother movies (36:36)

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Review: GREEN HORNET * * 1/2

A story is a living, breathing organism. It's a product of a particular ecosystem. While it can thrive within that particular circle of life, it won't necessarily be able to acclimate itself to being yanked out of a habitat where it works and supplanted to a completely different one.

In other words, taking a 1930's radio character and building a new millennium film around him isn't as easy as it might seem.

THE GREEN HORNET is the story of billionaire partyboy Brit Reid (Seth Rogen). As the film begins, his father - one of the last independent news paper publishers with integrity - dies a suspicious death. Brit is lift rudderless, barely knowing what day it is, let alone what his father would do on that day to keep his newspaper running. His selfishness isn't all bad though - it leads to him seeking out the member of his father's staff who made a particularly awesome cup of coffee: his mechanic, Kato (Jay Chou).

In talking with Kato, he discovers that he is wildly talented and imaginative...and that neither one of them liked Brit's father. This pushes them to reap some vengeance through vandalism, but the whole plan takes a turn. While they are out executing their plan, they stumble into an innocent man getting assaulted. Without thinking twice, they spring into action...Kato a bit more than Brit...and save the man's life. However, that story isn't the news - their act of vandalism is, and with that a new criminal has been born.

Brit sees this as an opportunity to finally do something with his life. He convinces Kato to team up with him and work to pose as villains just long enough to infiltrate the city's underbelly. Once they get inside, the plan is to use that access to bring the whole crime syndicate down - a plan that slowly pisses off the city's biggest crime boss Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz).

Crazy as the plan is though, it works...and sources of crime and mischief seem to be falling one by one. Just another day's work for The Green Hornet and Kato.
In the past, I've described director Michel Gondry as the sort of guy who colours with every crayon in the box. With that in mind, what seems to hold THE GREEN HORNET back is the feeling that he was handed an eight-pack to work with, rather than the sixty-four-pack he's used to. You know...the one with the crayon sharpener attached to the box? Using those eight primary colours, he's able to give us glimpses of creativity...such as he does when we see how Kato visualizes his attack method. The problem is that those eight colours can only do so much with this treatment of the property.

Considering that the character of The Green Hornet began as a radio serial, I'd wager that Gondry could have done a lot with the property if taken down a different avenue. Unfortunately, the story written by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen has no use for that avenue...it's too busy guiding the pulp fiction character down their usual boulevard of snark. This script, and all its moments of schluby cleverness is a complete mismatch for the story. Put it all together, and you've given the film a lot to overcome.

Interestingly, certain elements of the movie do work...in a manner reminiscent of a guy getting a girl's number despite being surrounded by his five douchebag friends. For starters, Jay Chou is badass as Kato - mask on and off. In a manner that would make Bruce Lee proud, he plays the planning moments with a calm charm, and the action scenes with cold intensity. If THE GREEN HORNET leaves me with one bright spot, it's that I'll get to see more of Chou in the near future.

The other bright spot comes courtesy of Christoph Waltz, who seems to understand what sort of movie this should be more than anybody else on the screen. Playing the villain with a Woody Allen-esque nerosis, insecure about his image and method works better than anything else in the film. It allows him to have fun with it, and put a memorable spin on what would otherwise be a boring big-bad.

While performances like Chou and Waltz gave me enough to enjoy in the film, I can't help but wonder what could have been. This movie isn't "another comic book film", and wasn't ever going to be. It's a character from a bygone era, a story that used to have to pause for Ovaltine ads. Perhaps the story would have been better served as a 50's period tale...infusing the film with an L.A. CONFIDENTIAL look and style.

Of course, many other stories from the era tried going that route and failed...so perhaps the better idea is to leave this type of source material alone and move on to new ideas.

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions to THE GREEN HORNET.

Days of The Week (Films Watched 1/8 - 1/14)

Case you missed it last week, this is the new weekly series on The Matinee. It'll post on Saturday nights to go along with my "Today, I Feel Like This" series.

I'm keep tabs on the movies I watch, and this week things didn't slow all that much. Here's the weekly watchlist, with a thought or two on each...

Screenings
BLUE VALENTINE - Loved it.
THE GREEN HORNET - It was OK.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Never Seen
AMERICAN OUTLAWS - PVR'd from TV actually. Had to crack a grin at how amateurish it seemed.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Watched Before
BOTTLE ROCKET - On the run from Johnny Law ain't no trip to Cleveland.
DO THE RIGHT THING - Holds up far better than I'd have guessed.
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE - Gotta love cuddling up with your spouse for a beautiful film about infidelity.
GIMME SHELTER - Played so loud I'm surprised I wasn't evicted.
THE SOCIAL NETWORK - The store finally got some stock.
CITIZEN KANE - Check in Tuesday to see why.
MINORITY REPORT - Damn has it ever aged well!

Boxscore for The Year
7 First-Timers, 12 Re-Watched
19 Movies in Total

How's about you - seen anything good?

New Soul

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 1 - 14 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

My friends, today is one of my favorite days of the year. That gauntlet that I mentioned this time last week? It ends at six o' clock tonight and things go back to normal. I'm not quite as gassed or frustrated as I have been in past years, but still, it'll be nice for it to end.

And of course, we must celebrate with movies!

This weekend could be a two-fer at the movies for me, with GREEN HORNET and Narnia both being potential watches. Or I could see one of the two. Or I could see neither. Don't you just love options?

For even more options, there are still plenty of dvd's in the to-watch pile to sift through...which is actually rather handy during these bitterly cold days here in the city. Allows me to avoid the bitter cold and still scratch stuff off the watch-list. Again...options...gotta love 'em.


For your reading and listening fulfillment, I give you...

You gotta admire a podcaster not satisfied with the status quo. More to the point, you really gotta admire two of 'em. I can hear lots of little tweaks in the Simon & Jo film show over the last few months, and they've all pushed it towards being an even better listen. Not sure I've told him so out loud, so there it is. Now go listen.

Pretty sure I'm gaining a reputation as "The guy who loves the classics". To that end, I can't sum up my love for them any better than Simon at Four of Them did this week.

Speaking of, one of these days I think I'd like to start hosting a movie night. if I do, I might be tempted to follow Phil's lead and start with a humdinger.

Before we completely close the book on 2010, Norma Desmond takes one last look at ten of the best scenes the year had to offer.

This week's longevity award has to go to Seven Dollar Popcorn, who celebrates his fifth blog-a-versary this week. Drop buy and give him a huzzah, won't you?

Wide Screen World made me feel 18 again by talking about the Kevin Smith neo-classic CHASING AMY.

Oh and last but not even close to least, I realize that this is a movie blog, but when someone hands you something this delicious to try, how can you not reciprocate with some linkage? Thanks Danger.

Enjoy!

What's My Age Again?

Two weeks ago I left a pair of movie tickets at home.

On New Year's weekend, I was meeting up with Bob from Eternal Sunshine to watch LAWRENCE OF ARABIA at The Lightbox. After 30 minutes on the subway and walking through downtown, the fact that I didn't have the tickets to the movie I was on my way to see dawned on me - a mere one block away from the theatre.

While I knew I had no chance to turn around, get the tickets and make it back in time for the show, I didn't sweat it too much. While I faced the bummer of now paying for a pair of tickets I'd once had in my hand for free, there were plenty of tickets to be had...and $15 didn't seem like such a harsh penalty for such silly forgetfulness.

I bring this up, because I'm noticing more and more how my brain works...and it almost scares me. (More after the jump)

That same weekend, I won Kai's game on The MILFcast. Three times during this game I was able to name a movie after being told the year and genre. Why? Because I seem to have some strange well in my brain for the years movies were released. Then there's Jess' Movie Mashup game (or Quotable Quotes on the podcast with Rachel for that matter)...all of which seem to set off the lightbulb over my head with alarming speed.

But why would that scare me? It scares me because my movie-encyclopedia-like brain doesn't work that way across the board.

Without checking I could name you the nine actors who played the main soldiers in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN...but I have a better-than-average-chance of forgetting my wallet at home most days.

I could tell you all five films that were nominated for best picture in 1994...but Lady Hatter has to ask me to take out the recycling at least three times before it gets done.

And I could recite Jack Nicholson's entire "You can't handle the truth" monologue at my very groggiest...but if not for Susie Q reminding me, I'd most certainly forget what I'm supposed to buy from the supermarket on the way home.

In short, my short-term memory sucks. It sucks for most day-to-day chores. It sucks for making sure I have what I need before I walk out the door. It sucks for remembering people's names moments after they've introduced themselves. I'm not at the point of needing to tattoo my body with phrases like "Got your cell phone?" and "We're out of kitty litter"...but some days I feel like I'm not far off.

It's not even a question of remembering something I care about versus something I don't: the Lawrence tickets proved that. Furthermore, I'm not put off by picking up groceries or taking out trash. I am put off by upsetting my wife when I forget to do these things.

Part of me almost worries that there's something wrong with my brain...but I don't think it's anything that couldn't be fixed with a better routine, or at least a few exercises. When I start forgetting the names of the Corleone children, then it's really time to worry. For now though, i'll say that winning dvd's from Kai sure is nice, but I'd give 'em all back if it meant that remembering my phone and wallet when I walk out the door could be more of a given.

Girl Anachronism (Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander)

I'm not usually one to post set photos or the like, but this one got my attention.

While I found The Milennium Trilogy to be an entity of diminishing returns, there's no denying that I found the first movie darkly fascinating. So when word came down that David Fincher will be remaking it for release later this year, I was intrigued.

Recall that I'm one of those who liked what Matt Reeves did with LET ME IN, and you'll get an idea of my mindset with a domestic GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.

Then today, we got this first real glimpse of Rooney Mara (last seen on telling Jesse Eisenberg where to shove it at the beginning of THE SOCIAL NETWORK) in full Salander mode.

What do we think folks? Does this stand a chance at succeeding on any level?

I Love L.A. (BATTLE: LOS ANGELES Trailer)

Springtime action films are either a lot of fun (read: THE MATIRX, 300) or particularly dumb (THE CORE, DRIVEN). While some out there might believe that I've lost the ability to have any fun at the movies, I think that this particular walk through Apocalypseland looks like it could be pretty darned cool.

Anybody with me?

And Then... (DGA Award Nominees)

Nominees for the final Oscar precursor were announced yesterday - the shortlist for the Director's Guild of America awards. The Five directors nominated were:

Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN

David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

Tom Hooper, THE KING'S SPEECH

Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION

David O. Russell, THE FIGHTER

So when it comes to the Oscars, two things are certain - these five listed films are locks for Best Picture nominations, and one of these five will ultimately take the prize. Sure, five more will be nominated but over the last twenty years no film has taken Best Picture at the Oscars without its director getting a DGA nomination too. (Hell, only three times in twenty years has the DGA winner not gone on to take the Oscar for Best Director).

Some thoughts with this last little bit of clarity...

The late charge of TRUE GRIT has officially ended. The film is a solid late-season offering, and could still go home with an award or two. But barring a wicked about-face by the Academy, and its directors forsaking David O. Russell for The Coens, it has taken its final ride.

Speaking of David O. Russell, welcome to the party! O. Ruseell was reportedly moved to tears at the news of his nomination. Given the fact that the man's last project was yanked from under him, and that for THE FIGHTER this auteur was more of a hired gun, this had to be catharsis. Perhaps if an Oscar nomination does indeed follow, he'll have that much more clout in securing his next film.

Under the category of "so much for that", no love for two stellar bits of directing this year by women, with Debra Granik and Lisa Cholodenko both left at the kids' table.

And finally for those who are fans of new blood in this tired old Oscar game, it should be noted that four of the five presumptive nominees for Best Director will be first timers (David Fincher you will recall scored a nod two years back for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON).

So there you have it, your presumptive Oscar nominees for Best Director, and the five films with the best odds-on chances of taking Best Picture.

Thoughts?

Elsewhere: Guest Podcasting in MILFcast's Game

So there's Kai, trying to figure out a time when seven different podcasters could all be in once place at one time (it can be hard enough co-ordinating two, let alone seven). And I had to go and open my big mouth and suggest we all turn on our mics on New Year's Day.

Believe me - the lack of energy is palpable. But the results are...well...they're somethin!

Click on over to The MILFcast, and listen in as I try to compete in the Tournament of Champions for Kai's wacky bit of film trivia known simply as "The Game".

Review: BLUE VALENTINE * * * *

When we're young it can feel like love can conquer all. As the years go on we become jaded into believing that less and less. What's interesting is that when we're older, love can conquer even more as the love we feel becomes based more on true devotion, and less on lustful attraction. At that point, it's less a question of whether or not love can conquer all, but instead whether or not you want to give it the chance to conquer.

BLUE VALENTINE is the story of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams). When we meet them at the beginning of the film, they have clearly been married for a few years. They live an unglamorous life where Dean is a house painter and Cindy is a nurse. There is a frost that has permeated their relationship with one-another, but hasn't trickled over on to their relationship with their six-year-old daughter Frankie.

While we aren't entirely certain how they got here ("here" being an existence where they disagree on how to prepare breakfast and escape to corny motels for an attempt at physical intimacy), we are certain of their beginnings. Through flashbacks we see the innocent way in which they met while Cindy was a college student and Dean was a grunt at a moving company. Back then they shared a charming kinship. What happened to that kinship? Well...what often happens to that kinship?
BLUE VALENTINE feels like a very honest film. It's not out to make us feel goopy-in-love, and it's not out to make us feel maudlin with pity. It's only out to make us feel. By not spelling out who Cindy and Dean are, nor how they've arrived at this point in their marriage, it trusts us to pick up on what we most need to know: this relationship is broken. What's most interesting is that before any voices are raised or arguments sparked, it trusts us to notice subtleties...like a lack of warmth, an absence of intimacy, and not so much as a nod goodbye as one of the two pulls away for their drive to work.

Making this jagged little pill that much harder to swallow is the look back to Dean and Cindy's beginnings. At just the right moments, the film takes us from a divisive incident in their present, to a contrasting moment of connection in their past. Their attraction is one centred on a goofy charm, and "what the hell" outlook on life. They begin, as many of us do, believing that nothing was impossible so long as they had each other...and indeed it gets put to the test early. Is it depressing to see such loving determination worn down to a nub? You bet.

The film never actually shows us the tipping point, but it's clear to see that somewhere along the way, these two people fell out of sync, and either they didn't realize it, or didn't happen to tell one-another. Watching what's become of them is what gives BLUE VALENTINE it's authenticity.

Fights between adults like Cindy and Dean aren't always screaming matches. Often, they're terse conversations in a car about a detail one person thinks is important and the other doesn't. It's these moments that dot real-life stressed relationships. Before the broken plates, before the streams of tears, before the vicious yelling...it all starts with terse conversations. The heartbreaker is by the time we see this particular moment, things are clearly much too fractured to reset.

BLUE VALENTINE isn't the sort of film I'll watch repeatedly, or even seek to own, but it is one that I won't soon forget. It filled me with with pathos and waved a big red warning flag of what not to do in my own marriage. What I won't soon forget though, is an innocent question about her parents Cindy poses to her grandmother:

How do you trust your feelings when they can just disappear like that?

It's a valid one, and a question that's at the heart of the whole story. The answer is that you can't: that's why they're emotions and not truth. What Cindy doesn't understand is that as time goes by it falls on our shoulders to see past our feelings, as positive or negative as they may be, and seek out the truth that will tell us who our partners are...why we loved them once...and why we still do.

What did you think? Please leave comments with your thoughts and reactions to BLUE VALENTINE.

Days of The Week (Films Watched 1/1 - 1/7)

There's a new weekly feature in town, and given its nature, I thought I'd start posting it on Saturday nights to go along with my "Today, I Feel Like This" series.

This year I wanted to keep tabs on precisely how many movies I watch, even though I think I might be frightened by the results. So here's the weekly watchlist, with a thought or two on each...

Screenings
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - Much as I already loved this film, seeing in 70mm brought it to whole new level.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Never Seen
MIRRORMASK - On loan from Danger Girl and suggested by Nick. Not bad and awful pretty.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES - Way more chick-flicky than I should be allowed to watch.
ALEXANDER - That's four hours I'm never getting back
ONDINE - Uneven, but comes with a lot to love.

Blu-Rays/DVD's I've Watched Before
THE NEW WORLD - Been on a bit of a Terrance Malick kick lately
NIGHT OF THE HUNTER - One of those classics I think more people need to watch.
A SINGLE MAN - That kid from ABOUT A BOY sure did a good job of growing up.
SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - Still awesome.

Boxscore for The Year
4 First-Timers, 5 Re-Watched
9 Movies in Total

How's about you - seen anything good?

Wake Up Exhausted

Today, I Feel Like This...

Everybody's Talkin' 1 - 07 (Chatter From Other Bloggers)

First-things-first: enquiring minds on The Matineecast want to know...

Which films coming up in 2011 are you most looking forward to seeing???

I call this part of the year the gauntlet. It's my busiest time at the office, and this year it feels even more off-kilter with it coming so hard on the heels of the holidays.

Thus it gives me great pleasure to play Wolfman Jack, and spin all the top hits of the blogosphere for you listeners out there in blog-readin'-radioland.


For your reading fulfillment, I give you...

Danger Girl pointed out that I shamed anyone who wasn't listening to Frankly My Dear, but that I seldom linked to them. So really, shame on me. Gonna try to start linking to one podcast during these weekly round-ups, so as one last thanks for being such stellar guests, The Franklies new episode is this week's 'Must Listen'.

Univarn seems to be on quite the roll of contemplative posts these days. Yesterday he wondered if he was missing something when it came to mass critical appeal.

BLUE VALENTINE is opening in Toronto this weekend, and I'm sorta looking forward to finally giving it a look...especially after Black Sheep gave it such a good review.

Anomolous Materials wonders which fictional world y'all would like to live in (I for one would love to train and fly dragons in Berk).

Gotta love when real life catches up to sci-fi: Vance has decided to compare the year 2010 to the film 2010.

Meanwhile, Ruth at Flixchatter has decided to greet the new year with randomness.

Enjoy!

Shut 'Em Down

Saw this one coming a few miles down the road - my local Blockbuster closed on the weekend.

Now before I go any further, allow me to state for the record that this will not be a post bemoaning the death of this corporate entity, nor its place in our moviewatching habits. For me, the fact that I frequented this particular franchise was a matter of convenience - it's a seven minute walk from my front door.

What I am curious about, is how a behemoth like Blockbuster managed to drop the ball so badly when it came to the one service it was in business for. Who in their ivory tower didn't notice that customers were increasingly turning to services that would save them the drive to a brick & mortar shop...and later allow them to directly stream content? Did eighteen different VP's believe that a service like "Instant Watch" was just a fad??

In Canada there is another corporate giant that rents dvds, but I don't see them shuttering the same way Blockbuster did. The reason is that they have something that Blockbuster never did- other options. See this particular giant is also a mobile, cable, and internet provider. So when customers stopped making the drive just to get movies, they just started giving some floor space to their other services. Why not, right? Pay your cable bill, buy an iPhone, and rent a few blu-rays all in one stop.

Want some baseball tickets? No problem - we own an MLB team too!

But back to Blockbuster...

I do realize that I sound like a fossil bemoaning the closing of a brick & mortar movie outlet closing up. The thing is that my particular location was actually staffed by a rather energetic crew. I didn't know any of 'em by name or anything...but they knew their stuff, a handful were even TIFF enthusiasts, and were always rather courteous (a rarity in retail these days). So if anything, I feel bad that they'll have to find other jobs.

The amusing thing in all of this is the fact that many of Toronto's boutique "mom & pop" dvd rental shops are doing just fine through all of this. If anything, I'd wager they're picking up new business. I'll probably start frequenting one as it's also a seven minute walk...just in the opposite direction. This of course is ironic since many of these types of stores were forced out of business many moons ago when monoliths like Blockbuster started popping up all over the place.

So long Blockbuster...can't say I'll miss you and all your crazily priced deals. But thanks for the cheap dvd's in the closing sale!

Mixed Bizness (WGA Nominations announced)

Yesterday, hot on the heels of the Producers' Guild announcing their 2010 nominees, the writers had their say. Here's who they dubbed as the cool kids for the last year at the movies...

Original Screenplay
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
PLEASE GIVE

Adapted Screenplay
127 HOURS
I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
THE TOWN
TRUE GRIT

Deeper insight into the potential nominees for Oscar's best screenplay categories, right? Not so fast. The WGA has some pretty steadfast rules about which scripts are eligible and which are not - rules that don't carry over to the Oscar race.

Some screenplays that didn't qualify included ANOTHER YEAR, BLUE VALENTINE, THE GHOST WRITER, THE KING'S SPEECH, TOY STORY 3, and WINTER'S BONE.

As you peruse that list of nominees that did make the cut, keep in mind that last year for instance the following films were deemed ineligible: INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, AN EDUCATION, IN THE LOOP, and DISTRICT 9. All four of those were in fact nominated for best screenplay Oscars, edging out WGA favorites like AVATAR, STAR TREK and JULIE & JULIA.

I guess the point is that along with the fact that the WGA has some strict guidelines, they also tend to have a slightly different headspace to them (but then who can understand writers anyway.....hey, wait a second...).

So while this is interesting in the way it's not exactly the most dependable batch of tea leaves. That said, you might recall that yesterday I said that at the moment there were eight locks for Best Picture nominations. Not for nuthin, but all seven eligible films are WGA nominees.

Thoughts?

Same Kooks (PGA Award Nominees Announced)

Some hold position, some gain ground, and one slips. The Producers Guild of America announced their year-end award nominees this morning, and the list looks strikingly familiar...

127 HOURS
BLACK SWAN
INCEPTION
THE FIGHTER
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
THE KING'S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK
TOY STORY 3
TRUE GRIT
THE TOWN

With this list, I'd wager that it's safe to say that the list of locks for Best picture nominees has grown. After The SAG Nominees last month, I noted that FIGHTER, KING'S SPEECH, and THE SOCIAL networks were three certainties.

Now, I'd venture that it's safe to say BLACK SWAN, INCEPTION, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT have joined that list. I'm equally impressed with the late charge by TRUE GIRT and would count it as a gimme as well. TOY STORY 3 might not be a certainty for me, since I'm unsure of how much love The Academy truly has for animation...but regardless it's stock continues to increase.

Where things get interesting is in the dogfight for for nine/ten spots. Between THE TOWN, 127 HOURS, and WINTER'S BONE...someone will miss the dance. (If I'm putting money down? 127 misses the cut). If I haven't said it already, I'll mention it here...I'm OK with THE TOWN taking that "BLIND SIDE-Tenth seed".

Later today we'll get a bit more insight as to where Hollywood's head is at this year with the Writers' Guild nominations, but they have disqualified many of the usual suspects so there's a little less certainty there. (Look for coverage of that tomorrow).

Thoughts?

The World at Large (Hatter Takes in 70mm)

Life at large gets back to normal today, which is to say that my time off for Christmas and New Years is officially over. All of that gift-giving and over-eating was a lot of fun, but what excited me most about seven of ten days off was the chance to soak up some movie-goin'. As luck would have it, this all co-incided nicely with TIFF's 70mm programme and while it wasn't my intention at first, I found myself watching all three of the films The Lightbox brought in.

My thoughts on the big-time experience after the jump.

First up, I ventured off alone to see Jacques Tati's PLAY TIME, which was the biggest x-factor for me since it was the only one of the three films I'd never seen before. It was actually a bit of a challenge, since I walked into it blind and really had no idea what sort of story Tati was about to tell me...which is the catch, because it's the film doesn't exactly tell "a story" so much as it guides us through a series of vignettes of varying length and scale. I got into it after a moment or two, but suffice it to say that I wasn't prepared for that.

For this film, the 70mm decision is all about capturing detail. There are many shots that look down long corridors...across wide boulevards...over massive office floors. On regular film stock, many details in the distance would just be blurry smudges. In 70mm, you can see that a man walking towards the camera is wearing brown shoes while he's still a good thirty yards away.

The crazy side effect of this - and the style of the film in general - was that there was many-a-time where I didn't know where to look. For PLAY TIME, Tati had a lot of balls in the air and if anything I want to watch it again just to focus on some other elements of the stunt he's pulling off.

I had company for the second film of the 70mm trilogy, as Lady Hatter and Danger Girl joined me to watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. The cool thing for this night was that we arrived a bit earlier and were able to nab "the good seats". Like many theatres, Lightbox Cinema one is divided in two, with a main bank of stadium seats, an aisle, and then another half dozen rows that are too close for comfort. The front row of that upper bank is a prime spot - the screen fills your vision, there's nobody blocking your vision with a huge head, and a wicked amount of legroom.

This was my first experience with a film that had an overture that plays with the curtains closed (and likewise an intermission). Those eerie ominous strings sure did set the stage for the eerily abstract nature of what was to come. While the use of 70 mil in PLAY TIME was all about picking up nuance, 2001 was purely interested in scale. And if there was any doubt that it worked the audible "W-o-o-o-o-a-a-a-a-h-h-h" Danger Girl uttered during the opening shots erased them in a hurry.

As Douglas Trumbull's words echoed in my ear, I quickly understood what he meant when he said that the cinematic language of 2001 was dependant on a giant screen and the engulfment it provides. From the sprawling plains during the dawn of man, to the vast emptiness of the lunar surface...I just felt dwarfed during every scene.

I still don't completely "get it"...but in this instance, I equate it to listening to Pete Townshend play live in a world class concert hall, and he's playing a song where I don't understand the lyrics.

Finally, I met up with Bob to make good on something I'd suggested almost a year ago. See, when I discovered that Bob's unseen classic/essential was LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, I suggested that he wait. I very easily could have handed him my dvd copy, but instead I told him to keep his eyes out for a showing on a big screen.

Alas, his time had finally come.

With Lawrence, we were treated to another sampling of yesteryear moviegoing with yet another score that played with the curtain shut, and an intermission. A much-needed intermission at that!

LAWRENCE might actually be the hybrid of 2001's immensity and PLAY TIME's detail. On the one had, we were completely surrounded by that vast desert that Lawrence, Ali and the arabs spend so much time marching through. Seeing it for the first time on a big screen, it finally dawned on me that many of the dunes and rock formations that backdrop the scenes are about the size of Dodgers Stadium. But along with that was the chance to see those long shots of figures coming from the horizon for all they were worth.

Twice within the film, characters look to the vast horizon line...and in each instance, David Lean lets the camera roll as a figure slowly makes their way through blurry waves of heat. You'll swear they're coming from half a mile away. On dvd, you can't see where they come from...they just suddenly appear. But in 70 mil, you can see them from the start of the shot. They begin as precious little more than a black pixel...but they are there...and seeing them make that long walk from nothing makes it all the more impressive.

On the whole, it was a very illuminating week of watching. In each case, seeing these films in this format gave me a new appreciation for them. And while 70mm presentations are rare, they aren't as rare as IMAX films which depend entirely on the size of the venue. Check 'em out if you ever get the chance.