03.05.06
Oscar Results
It is 11:40 Eastern Standard Time here in Athens, OH, and this year’s Academy Awards have come to a close. So what is the outcome of the 2005 Oscars? Let’s break it down.
Biggest Shocker
Let me take this moment to give the finger (as a friendly gesture of course), to those that had the nuts to say Crash is one of the worst films this year. I realize the Academy isn’t the most reliable source for appointing the most original films of the year, but this time around, they done good. While everyone was expecting Brokeback Mountain (or Gay Cowboys Eating Pudding to South Park fans) to take home the gold not only in the Best Picture category, but in others, Crash came through in the end with the grand prize. I big hearty congratulations to Paul Haggis for getting this thing made. Now let’s hope that Hollywood doesn’t come out with too many desperately bad hyperlink dramas with ensemble casts.
Most Cliched Acceptance Speech
Is it just me, or does Reese Witherspoon take home honors for being the most superficial this evening. She reminded me of a sketch comedy actor spoofing a drama queen giving an acceptance speech. I can’t really say I am surprised. After all, the star of Legally Blonde 2: Red White and Blonde and Sweet Home Alabama won a flippin Oscar. If Crash didn’t come through in the end, I may be building a bomb shelter for fear of the apocalypse. Anyway, I’ve always had little faith in Reese Witherspoon. Her performance in Walk the Line is acceptable, but I still expect little from the chick flick hot item.
Most Modest, Heartfelt Speech
Robert Altman accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award after a slightly annoying, yet undeniably cute, introduction by Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin. There was speculation that Altman, a director against the superficial Hollywood scene, would have some bold things to say to the Academy. Yes, I hoped to see Bob Altman give the bird to every glossy, money-grubbing prick in the industry. However, the man delivered a very kind speech and expressed appreciation for his honor, and he did it with honest gratitude. Combining this respectable speech and the fact that I love his films, I really wish I could have a beer with Robert Altman right now.
Comedy Relief of the Evening
So Robin Williams and Jim Carrey were getting annoying every year with their clownish screaming and exaggerations. Luckily, the ceremony planners have the brains to bring in the new wave of funny. Will Ferrell and Steve Carrell gave unforgettable presentations for Best Makeup with Ferrell donning layers of brown toner and Carrell caked in pale makeup. If this isn’t the end of it, Ben Stiller presented Best Visual Effects wearing a green tight outfit under the assumption that his body would be washed out from greenscreen technology. Then, of course, there is the host of the evening Jon Stewart. Not bad Stew! A lot of his hosting duties were accompanied by Daily Show humor and the voiceover of Steven Colbert. Still, it was a breath of relief to have Coemdy Central crossed with network TV.
The “What The Hell Is He Doing There” Award
Gary Busey!! What is that cokehead doing there?
What Next?
I am sure 2006 will show a slate of promising projects. My money is on Snakes on a Plane. What do you think?
01.21.06
Back-Breaking Drama at Its Finest
After hearing the hotshot New York/LA critics bragging for months about how astonishing Brokeback Mountain is, I finally had the opportunity to catch a screening in Columbus. Everyone cannot stop raving about this movie, which means my expectations of discovering overrated material have built up. I plopped myself in the theater seat with high expectations and sat through the entire duration of the film. Is it all it is really built up to be? You bet your ass! (Not a gay joke).
Mountain is the story of Jack Twist (Jack Gyllenhaal) and Ennis Delmar and the bond they form while sheep-herding together on….Brokeback Mountain. After a few passionate trysts out in nature, the men return to reality and have to face the pressures of society. Their predicament: the men are emotionally connected. Despite the heterosexual marriages they form in order to abide by societal norms, Jack and Ennis realize that they can only find fulfillment and happiness in one another.
Ang Lee has directed a fine love story. The concensus among critics is that Brokeback is just as legitimate as any well-written romantic drama, and they are absolutely right. Lee does not rely on fast-paced spectacle in telling this story. He takes the time to observe these two men over a long span of time. The strength of their relationship is not strongly expressed through their happy time together, but through the discontent they feel when they are apart.
No other actor stresses this miserable attitude than Heath Ledger as Ennis. Ledger proves his acting skills as an isolated man’s man who can’t find stability in his life. If he goes with Jack, who truly makes him happy, he will live in fear of outlying homophobic forces. While Jack is more willing to leave it all behind to be with the man he loves, Ennis cannot untangle his insecurities. Ledger gets inside this character (once again, not a gay joke) and accurately portrays sadness and heartbreak.
Brokeback Mountain is a critically-accaimed picture that truly is what it is cracked up to be. It took home the trophy for Best Drama at the Golden Globes last week, and I am sure it has a shot at big Oscar. Ledger is a shoe-in for a best Actor nomination, and Michelle Williams (as Ennis’s neglected wife) will surely be acknowledged for her supporting role. For hard-hitting drama, a beautifully-crafted love story, and rich character portrayal, Brokeback Mountain is a wonderful flick and surely makes my Top Ten of 2005.
Grade: A
01.04.06
Bring’n It Like Dunst
Spending time reading over the latest rumors from around the web has got me thinking about the upcoming year. All in all, I found 2005 to be a relatively disappointing year for flicks and I’m about ready to get on with the new shite.
So, what is on everyone’s must-see list for this year? I’ve gotta say Malick’s New World has me almost completely uninterested, something about a legion of foreign actors leading an American folklore flick that doesn’t have me on the edge of my seat. If the buzz is any indication, though, I’m the only person in the country that feels that way.
Once upon a time I had high hopes for All the King’s Men. With the talent of Sean Penn, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, and Mark Ruffalo, I couldn’t imagine how it could go wrong. Apparently something did though as it failed to make the expected end of 2005 deadline. Hopefully, the delays are well-deserved and we’re all served a healthy cinematic platter whenever it gets released.
On the comedy front, I think I’m alone again here but For Your Consideration, the next Eugene Levy/Christopher Guest mockumentary, seems quite promising. I know, I know, we’ve seen it before and we saw it before that too but the addition of The Office (the better one…you know, where they had accents) frontman, Ricky Gervais, is enough to get my ass in the seat.
If there was only one movie I could see this year it would have to be Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain. It’s been six years since Requiem for a Dream convinced filmgoers around the world never to use heroine and I couldn’t be more excited for a follow up. Following Rachel Weisz’s performance in The Constant Gardener and Hugh Jackman’s role in…well. Whatever, Weisz is turning into a phenomenal talent and I hear Jackman can sing pretty well. But did I mention Aronofsky is directing it?!?
Another return this year that excites me in more ways than I can explain is the Wachowskis V for Vendetta. It’s time for the Wachowskis to get back to Bound and their initial Matrix zone and harness the talent and beauty that is Natalie Portman.
So, what’s on your agenda this year? Can’t wait for The Da Vinci Code? Southland Tales? Scary Movie 4? Let us know what we need to see.
01.14.06
DVD/Multi-Plex Mania (cont.)
Posted in DVD, box office, comments, movie news at 8:25 am by Ben
To further the discussion of releasing DVD and in Theaters simultaneously, I think it comes down to two primary aspects: money and the movie going experience.
From a financial point-of-view, releasing a movie in both markets is an experiment worth trying. With the box-office in a steady free fall, the benefits of theater distribution are slowly dissipating. It’s an expensive process…the cost of creating 35mm prints of a film reach in the millions alone and adding in distribution deals with theater chains and promotions easily exceeds the amount many films cost to make in the first place.
Then the film actually reaches theaters and can be made or broken by the audience reaction. Stealth is an excellent example. Sure, it was a bad idea in the first place but this sorry excuse for a film was made on a production budget of $135 million. Once released in theaters it went on to fall out of the box office top 10 within two weeks, earning only $32 million in its entire theatrical run.
When released on video, however, Stealth was a completely different story. In it’s opening weekend on video it debuted at #3 on rental charts, renting over 7million copies in one week alone. Nearly 8 weeks later, it still rents over 1 million copies a week, on average.
Taking into consideration the significantly less expensive process of digitizing film and producing DVD’s, this is a much more financially sound process for studios to undertake.
Now, for the movie going experience. In my opinion, simultaneous release still leaves open the possibility of catching your favorite flick in theaters, which can be both a positive and negative experience. My fear is that if the video release of films proves more financially beneficial for studios than the theatrical release, the studios will release fewer and fewer films in theaters to maximize their gains, after all this is almost strictly a business to them. While I do agree that negative theater experiences are becoming more predominant, a positive theater experience remains one of the most enjoyable escapes available and, all in all, I would hate to be refused the opportunity to see great films in theaters.
Who knows what will actually come of this experiment. We’re all painfully aware of how slow Hollywood is to break out of their conservative and antiquated system, so perhaps this will disappear faster than it ever came about. I guess we’ll have to stick around to find out.
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