NewMexiKen saw In the Valley of Elah week before last — I watched it twice. Had I seen the film before the Oscars, I would have selected Tommy Lee Jones for best actor hands down.
This is a moving, meaningful and must-see film.
Speaking of movie reviews, here’s an excerpt from David Denby:
Yet “The Dark Knight” is hardly routine—it has a kicky sadism in scene after scene, which keeps you on edge and sends you out onto the street with post-movie stress disorder. And it has one startling and artful element: the sinister and frightening performance of the late Heath Ledger as the psychopathic murderer the Joker. That part of the movie is upsetting to watch, and, in retrospect, both painful and stirring to think about.
. . .The thunderous violence and the music jack the audience up. But all that screw-tightening tension isn’t necessarily fun. “The Dark Knight” has been made in a time of terror, but it’s not fighting terror; it’s embracing and unleashing it— ….
“The legal definition of torture has been much aired in recent years, and I take “Mamma Mia!” to be a useful contribution to that debate.”
It took Leno a few more words:
“Here’s an amazing story of survival. Did you hear about this? This guy cut off his own arm using just a pocket-knife. What happened was — he had it around his girlfriend at a theater showing ‘Mamma Mia’ and he couldn’t take it anymore. He left the arm there. The arm is still there.”
Below is a link to the award-winning 2004 documentary Paper Clips, the story of a middle school in a small town in Tennessee that began a project to teach its homogenous student body about diversity and the Holocaust. It’s really quite interesting, in the documentary way.
I recommend you take the time to view it, though it is 82 minutes.
The video is made possible through a new web service called SnagFilms that features documentaries in full for free, though with some annoying but quite brief advertisements. It looks promising.
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was published on this date in 1951. It’s sold about 60 million copies since. The following is excerpted from a longer piece today at The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor.
Salinger’s division hit the beach in the fifth hour of the invasion, and for the next several months Salinger saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the war, including the Battle of the Bulge. Between 50 and 200 soldiers in his division were killed or wounded every day. At the end of the war, Salinger checked into an Army general hospital in Nuremberg, suffering from a nervous breakdown. He spent several months recuperating.
It was after Salinger’s release from the hospital that he sent out for publication the first Holden Caulfield story narrated by Holden Caulfield himself, a story called “I’m Crazy.” It was published in Collier’s in December of 1945. One year later, in 1946, The New Yorker finally published “Slight Rebellion Off Madison,” which they had been holding onto since before the war began. J.D. Salinger had finally become a New Yorker writer, something he’d been dreaming of for more than a decade.
Major John Glenn, USMC, set a transcontinental (Los Angeles to New York) speed record of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds on this date in 1957. Average speed: 723 mph.
Will Ferrell is 41 today; Barry Sanders is 40.
Two Hollywood greats, Ruby Catherine Stevens and Virginia Katherine McMath were born on July 16th.
We know Stevens better as Barbara Stanwyck, born in 1907, she was a four time best actress Oscar nominee. Anthony Lane wrote an excellent review of Stanwyck’s work last year for The New Yorker.
And we know McMath better as Ginger Rogers, born in 1911, and an Oscar winner for best actress for Kitty Foyle. This from the abstract of a 1995 New Yorker item by Arlene Croce about Rogers.
Ginger Rogers was a star because she was unique and representative at the same time; she was complicatedly iconographic. Her very name tells us all we need to know. First of all, it’s euphonious (those three soft “g”s), and then what the first name specifies–something delicious–the last name, a half rhyme, pluralizes.
Apollo 11 left Florida for the moon on this date in 1969.
Those who have seen Field of Dreams or read the book on which it was based, Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella, will remember the character “Moonlight” Graham, played by Burt Lancaster in the film.
Archibald Wright Graham (1876-1965) was an actual player, and a doctor. Graham played in one game for the New York Giants on June 29, 1905 (in the movie it was the last game of the season in 1929). Graham played two innings in the field but never batted in the major leagues; he was on deck when his one game ended.
… was born on this date in 1863. Was Hearst the model for Charles Foster Kane? Here is what Orson Welles had to say in 1975 (written to promote a book about Hearst and actress Marion Davies).
When Frederick Remington was dispatched to the Cuban front to provide the Hearst newspapers with sketches of our first small step into American imperialism, the noted artist complained by telegram that there wasn’t really enough shooting to keep him busy. “You make the pictures,” Hearst wired back, “I’ll make the war.” This can be recognized not only as the true voice of power but also as a line of dialogue from a movie. In fact, it is the only purely Hearstian element in Citizen Kane.
There are parallels, but these can be just as misleading as comparisons. If San Simeon hadn’t existed, it would have been necessary for the authors of the movie to invent it. Except for the telegram already noted and the crazy art collection (much too good to resist), In Kane everything was invented.
Let the incredulous take note of the facts.
William Randolph Hearst was born rich. He was the pampered son of an adoring mother. That is the decisive fact about him. Charles Foster Kane was born poor and was raised by a bank. There is no room here for details, but the differences between the real man and the character in the film are far greater than those between the shipowner and the newspaper tycoon.
And what of Susan Alexander? What indeed.
It was a real man who built an opera house for the soprano of his choice, and much in the movie was borrowed from that story, but the man was not Hearst. Susan, Kane’s second wife, is not even based on the real-life soprano. Like most fictional characters, Susan’s resemblance to other fictional characters is quite startling. To Marion Davies she bears no resemblance at all.
Kane picked up Susan on a street corner—from nowhere—where the poor girl herself thought she belonged. Marion Davies was no dim shop-girl; she was a famous beauty who had her choice of rich, powerful and attractive beaux before Hearst sent his first bouquet to her stage door. That Susan was Kane’s wife and Marion was Hearst’s mistress is a difference more important than might be guessed in today’s changed climate of opinion. The wife was a puppet and a prisoner; the mistress was never less than a princess. Hearst built more than one castle, and Marion was the hostess in all of them: they were pleasure domes indeed, and the Beautiful People of the day fought for invitations. Xanadu was a lonely fortress, and Susan was quite right to escape from it. The mistress was never one of Hearst’s possessions: he was always her suitor, and she was the precious treasure of his heart for more than thirty years, until his last breath of life. Theirs is truly a love story. Love is not the subject of Citizen Kane.
Susan was forced into a singing career because Kane had been forced out of politics. She was pushed from one public disaster to another by the bitter frustration of the man who believed that because he had married her and raised her up out of obscurity she was his to use as he might will. There is hatred in that.
Hearst put up the money for many of the movies in which Marion Davies was starred and, more importantly, backed her with publicity. But this was less of a favor than might appear. That vast publicity machine was all too visible; and finally, instead of helping, it cast a shadow—a shadow of doubt. Could the star have existed without the machine? The question darkened an otherwise brilliant career.
As one who shares much of the blame for casting another shadow—the shadow of Susan Alexander Kane—I rejoice in this opportunity to record something which today is all but forgotten except for those lucky enough to have seen a few of her pictures: Marion Davies was one of the most delightfully accomplished comediennes in the whole history of the screen. She would have been a star if Hearst had never happened. She was also a delightful and very considerable person.
Walter Lantz was born on this date in 1899. Lantz was the creator of such animated characters as Andy Panda, Chilly Willy, Wally Walrus and the greatest cartoon character of them all, Woody Woodpecker. Lantz was nominated for the Academy Award 10 times. He received the Academy’s Life-Time Achievement Award in 1979.
Click on the image above to visit lantz.toonzone.net for audio and video clips and lots of other goodies.
A very cool T-shirt design.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar takes exception to the sexism in Horton Hears a Who (the film).
What’s especially insidious here isn’t just that the subplot was written and approved and filmed, but that since the movie has come out, there hasn’t been a popular outcry about it. That we don’t even ask why, in the years it took to make the movie, no one along the line said, “This isn’t a good message to send to our kids.” Is it because sexism is so ingrained in our society that we don’t even flinch at it when it’s shoved in our faces?
Go read what he has to say.
And click here to see a mighty big rocking chair!
Henry Aaron began his Major League career on April 13th in 1954.
Sidney Poitier won his Academy Award on April 13th in 1964.
Tiger Woods won his first Masters on Sunday, April 13th, in 1997.
What will this April 13th bring?
“[T]he nicest man to work with that ever lived in movies.”
Orson Welles about Charlton Heston, quoted by Manohla Dargis in The New York Times.
The other day NewMexiKen linked to Yahoo’s selection of The 10 Most Historically Inaccurate Movies.
Then yesterday in Sideline Chatter Dwight Perry suggested a few more: The BALCO documentary “Honey, I Shrunk the Slugger,” and “Tampa With Success: The Year The Rays Won The World Series.”
Now I have some of my own.
“The UnNatural” — Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds pursue the home run record.
“Field of Bad Dreams” — The story of Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs.
And the remake of “North Dallas Forty” — Jessica Simpson visits Tony Romo and takes an IQ test.
Gone with the Wind would make my list, but doesn’t crack Yahoo’s 10 Most Historically Inaccurate Movies. Still, an amusing list.
Thanks to Debby for the link.
Jill, official older daughter of NewMexiKen, reports:
I was just reading a short article about Leslie Mann, the wife of writer/director Judd Apatow. She played the uptight sister in Knocked Up. The two met in 1996 and married in June, 1997.
At the end of the article is a quotation from Apatow, saying of their relationship, “At its core, that’s what Knocked Up is about: It makes no sense that this woman likes this guy. And that’s the story of Judd and Leslie.”
I then thought, “Isn’t their older daughter around ten years old?” I checked, and the daughter was born sometime in 1997.
So they weren’t dating long, and she got pregnant, and they got married. And she is a blond hottie who had a rising career. And he’s a kind of shlubby guy who hadn’t really hit it big yet. And they had a girl.
So why did nobody bring this up in ANY of the articles about Knocked Up?
I’ve talked to a number of people now about the Best Picture Oscar-winner No Country for Old Men and pretty much without exception women dislike it and men like it. And the ending seems to particularly fall into this polarity.
Is my sample just too small?
This is kind of cool — a graphic representation of The Ebb and Flow of Movies: Box Office Receipts 1986 - 2007.
Kottke has some issues with the Tilda Swinton character in Michael Clayton: “She was the only prominent woman character in the movie and was the only character who was insecure, emotional, and tentative. None of the other main characters appeared unsure of themselves for even an instant, not even the crazy guy.”
He has more.
According to a report in the Santa Fe New Mexican, four Oscar-nominated movies were filmed in New Mexico, including the best picture, No Country for Old Men. The others were 3:10 to Yuma, In the Valley of Elah and Transformers.
Did you notice by the way that 98-year-old Robert Boyle won an honorary Oscar and was escorted to the podium by two beautiful movie stars. Who says this is no country for old men?
Oh, and by the way my readers at The Albuquerque Journal, now that you’re the only newspaper in town, how about convincing your bosses to do something. Why can’t the Journal web site be as pretty as The New Mexican’s?
1 Comment | Show Comment | 
Print This Post
The Daily Howler seems to have liked this movie.
We rarely use the term “work of art” around here. But what else can you possibly say about a film as great as 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days? We strongly suggest that you go see it—and we’ll suggest that you go at a time when there will be people in the hall. We’ve never seen a film reach out and grab the throat of an audience in quite the way this brilliant work did. Seeing this film with a group really matters. You may be slightly cheating yourself if you attend the Tuesday matinee—or if you see it at home, alone.
There was a fuss when this film wasn’t included among the foreign language Oscar nominations. It won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Not playing in Albuquerque currently. Seven theaters are showing Jumper though.
Below are the five polls on the Oscars we’ve run this week. You can see you have some heavy favorites — “No Country for Old Men,” Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem. Rudy Dee is your favorite for best supporting actress. The only close race is for best actress with Julie Chrisitie edging ahead of Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard and Cate Blanchett. Thanks for participating.
Personally NewMexiKen selected “Juno” for Best Picture, George Clooney and Marion Cotillard for best actor and actress respectively, and Saoirse Ronan and Tom Wilkinson for the best supporting roles. (I’m playing the long shots.) I also think the Coens will win the director’s award, and Cody Diablo and the Coens the screenplay awards.
Update: My long shots weren’t such a good idea, eh? Well, except for Marion Cotillard.
[POLLS REMOVED. BEING CONSOLIDATED ON ONE PAGE.]
“On Saturday, Hollywood’s biggest names made their way to the Kodak Theater one by one, in 15-minute increments, to walk on stage and practice their lines.”
Strange because I’ve been watching the Oscar telecast over at least 40 years and I never once thought the presenters had ever, ever practiced their lines.
The Reel Geezers rundown the categories (in two parts). Very, very entertaining.
Today is the last of NewMexiKen’s five polls leading up to Sunday’s Oscar presentations. This poll will run until the awards program begins Sunday evening.
You are asked which film you think will win. You do not have to have seen the movies to vote.
Sunday I’ll have the results of all the polls and my picks — and ask for yours.
[POLLS REMOVED. BEING CONSOLIDATED ON ONE PAGE.]
Today is the fourth in NewMexiKen’s five polls leading up to Sunday’s Oscar presentations. Like the previous polls, this poll will run for one day (until Saturday morning).
You are being asked to pick who you think will win. You do not have to have seen the movies to vote (I’ve seen just two of these performances). And, if you haven’t voted, you may still do so in the earlier polls.
Sunday I’ll have the results of all the polls and my picks — and ask for yours.
[POLLS REMOVED. BEING CONSOLIDATED ON ONE PAGE.]
Today is the third in NewMexiKen’s five polls leading up to Sunday’s Oscar presentations. Like the previous polls, this poll will run for one day (until Friday morning).
You are being asked to pick who you think will win. You do not have to have seen the movies to make a pick (I’ve seen three of these performances).
[POLL REMOVED. BEING CONSOLIDATED ON ONE PAGE.]
As this is written there have been 12 votes in the poll for Best Supporting Actress.
And, as this is written, there have been 17 votes for Best Supporting Actor.
“The 80th Annual Academy Awards will be presented Sunday. But how well do you remember the 65th through 79th editions? * * * * You have 5 minutes.”
Another great challenge from Mental_Floss.
The movie, “Love Ranch” directed by Taylor Hackford, starring Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci, is hosting a free boxing event on Monday February 25 at Tingley Coliseum on the Expo New Mexico grounds. Doors open at 7 am. Come early as seating may be limited. Step back into the 70s, catch Hollywood’s eye and be part of the filming. Come looking your 70s best. Special prizes will be awarded for best 70s hair, best 70s wardrobe and best 70s car. The boxing event will consist of three bouts over a 12-hour period starting at 8 am. Willy Villanueva will headline against Lorenzo Estrada, Archie Ray Marquez against Ceasar Valenzuela and a final bout with Joe Cruz against Jose Garcia. “Love Ranch” will be filming a staged boxing match at the same time, with stars Sergio Peris-Mencheta and Bo Brown as they face off in a climatic scene with Joe Pesci and Helen Mirren. Those in attendance will be part of the filming.
“‘Love Ranch’ is a fictional story that draws on many truths about Nevada’s extremely successful Brothel Industry. Charlie & Grace Bontempo (Joe Pesci & Helen Mirren) are a husband/wife team who own and run one of Nevada’s first legalized brothel ranches.”
Today is the second in NewMexiKen’s five polls leading up to Sunday’s Oscar presentations. Like yesterday, this poll will run for one day (until Thursday morning).
You are being asked to pick who you think will win. If you don’t know, like Anton Chigurh you can always flip a coin.
[POLL REMOVED. BEING CONSOLIDATED ON ONE PAGE.]
As this is written there have been 16 votes in the poll for Best Supporting Actor.
NewMexiKen is going to run a series of polls this week on the Oscars. Each will run for about 24 hours — the last for best picture will run a little longer. Not sure we can expect many votes in these polls, so yours will count all the more.
I’m a little uncertain how to phrase the poll. Part of me wants to ask “Who do you think should win?” But I’m going to start with “Who do you think will win?”
We’ll start with Best Actor in a Supporting Role. You do NOT have to have seen the films to vote. (I’ve seen just two of these performances.)
[POLL REMOVED. BEING CONSOLIDATED ON ONE PAGE.]
I will post the results as each poll gives way to the next. Sunday I will post all the results and my own picks — and invite you to post yours. The Oscars are awarded Sunday evening.
10 Comments | Show Comments | Print This Post
We saw La Vie En Rose this evening and it’s better than any of the five films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. And Marion Cotillard in the lead as Edith Piaf — Bravo! A magnificent performance.
Don’t miss this extraordinary film.
Roger Ebert has a good review.
Atonement is an interesting if depressing story told with some good acting. Beyond that
it is sooooooooooooooooooooooo sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow
and
draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn outttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
and
self-indulgent.
Indeed, at times I assumed the title “Atonement” came from what the audience was doing — atoning for some horrible misdeed by sitting through the movie.
(OK, not quite that bad.)
NewMexiKen has seen all five. I still pick Juno to win the Best Picture Oscar.
“No Country for Old Men”: 1-3
“Michael Clayton”: 6-1
“There Will Be Blood”: 7-1
“Juno”: 8-1
“Atonement”: 40-1
For educational purposes only.
I am, by the way, putting my money on “Juno.” The other four are very depressing, so I’m figuring it’s one of those years the comedy might win.
The San Francisco Chronicle has an article describing how some people are offended by a bit of dialogue in Juno, the best picture nominated film.
NewMexiKen has seen the film twice and enjoyed it immensely both times, including the offensive line.
In one scene, the title character sarcastically tells the rich suburban couple hoping to adopt her unborn child, “You shoulda gone to China. You know, ’cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those T-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events.”
What do you think? Insensitive writer and director or too sensitive audience?
3 Comments | Show Comments | Print This Post
NewMexiKen wouldn’t want to dis a career as an archivist like I had, but it occurs to me every once in awhile — like while watching the Grammy Awards show — that I should have given more thought to being a rock god.
There was a group of about 20 British school kids (13-15 year olds) on the plane last night from Atlanta to Albuquerque. They were flying from London to Taos for a week’s skiing. Privileged brats. (Though the U.S. is cheap these days if we’ll let you in.) Personally, I’d have given a visa to Amy Winehouse instead.
(While I think of it, I saw Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke on DVD last week with Jill. This is Lee’s four part documentary on New Orleans and Katrina. After the first two parts, we wondered what could be added, but actually it’s pretty riveting over the better part of the full four parts. I strongly recommend you see the film — if only to better understand what happened in light of so much contemporary news that got it wrong and the overall chaos. It will make you very disappointed in our country.)
Aretha, honey, no one loves you more than I do, but you’ve got to consider Jenny Craig or something.
This photo has nothing to do with anything, but I suggest it’s worth seeing and reminding ourselves every day until November.
Dylan has been right about so much, and certainly not least with: “I was thinkin’ ’bout Alicia Keys, couldn’t keep from crying.” She is something.
I saw an ad today for a wireless SD memory card for digital cameras. Move photo files from your camera to your computer via your home wireless network. 2GB for $100, so it’s pricey, but that will change. It’s called Eye-Fi.
I’d like to point out that the video for the Record of the Year was posted here nearly six weeks ago — Rehab.
1 Comment | Show Comment | Print This Post
From the Hollywood Stock Exchange:
AwardOptions allow traders to buy and sell the Oscar nominees with exclusive Hollywood Derivatives centered around the 80th Academy Awards.
Five HSX AwardOptions will be issued for the nominees in this category. Each AwardOption is offered at H$5.00. The AwardOptions will halt trading at 4 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 24, in preparation for the awards ceremony to be held that evening.
The AwardOption for the winner in this category will cash out at H$25.00, while those failing to win will delist at H$0.00.
Right now No Country for Old Men, the Coens, Daniel Day-Lewis and Julie Christie seem to be the favored investments.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Powered by WordPress.
