:: Sunday, December 05, 2004 ::

It's been a long while since I posted anything at the ElectricMovies blog, and that's because, frankly, I rarely was writing about movies for the longest time, and then I stopped going to movies in a theater. The price just got to be too high. Eight bucks for a matinee, and they show REAL LOUD commercials. Well, the reason for this particular post, is that I am trying to establish comments on these Blogger blogs, and each time I attempt it, I never see the comments section, like on Xanga, where I now have the main blog, WhenWordsCollide, for AllThingsMike. I have attempted to write movie reviews there as well, but have only penned a few. It' s OSCAR season again, though, and you know me, I always begin talking about my Oscar Picks. This year it's "The Passion of Christ" and "Ray" so far. I'm not putting up links right now. I never knew if this blog was even being read anyway. Here goes. Are there comments?

:: Michael Nyiri 4:08 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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One of the Films which need to be released as a special edition DVD: "Santa Sangre" directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky (El Topo), and starring his son Axel as Fenix, a traumatized mental patient whose life, told in alarmingly bright Mexican colors, is a sad tragedy of circumstance, starting when he is a "circus boy" with a knife throwing father and a religious fanatic mother. This is one of those "lost films" which used to wow my friends when I would show them the laserdisc, which I still have.

I've seen most of the summer blockbusters so far. Backwards from last week:
"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" 8 of 10 on the Mikometer. The best in the series so far, and Dumbledore has such a small presence the viewer doesn't even miss Richard Harris. Emma Thompson is deliciously funny. David Thewlis is eerily creepy. The kids are not "outgrowing" the series yet, but are getting there fast. The hippogriff is the best digital character since Gollum.

"The Stepford Wives" remake by Fozzie Bear, er, I mean Frank Oz. The best thing about this film is the credit sequence, which uses old 50s advertisements and trade show films showcasing "modern kitchens" with shiny new appliances and models dressed in gowns. The movie itself is flat, uninteresting and a waste of time. All the actors, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Glenn Close, Peter Bart, Jon Lovitz, and Christopher Walken, are all slumming terribly, and with all the acting talent, it's a damn shame that the film works so poorly, or, really, not at all. The original was always "lacking" but at least it had the ending of the book. This one changes not only the ending, but the name of the character "Diz" whom I thought was being played by Walken. He's even boring in this film.
Having one of the couples be "gay" and the "prissy" one (Bart) becomes the "stepford wife" is rather in bad taste and isn't funny to boot. 4 of 10 on the Mikometer.

"The Day After Tomorrow" Roland Emmerich's latest attempt to cinematically destroy the world, is more of the same in tone and execution, but special effects have gotten better since his last effort "Godzilla" and you really "see" New York freeze, Los Angeles decimated by tornadoes, Tokyo being hit by hailstones the size of soccer balls, and Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sela Ward, and Emily Rossum ("Mystic River", "Songcatcher") trying their hardest not to crack a smile as the northern part of the United States becomes increasingly colder. According to the film, global warming causes "super storms" which are like "ice hurricanes" overtaking the Earth with little time to prepare or survive. This being an Emmerich picture, a lot of strategically placed plot points keep the action moving, and I wasn't bored, like, say, with "Stepford Wives" which I wanted to see. No, that's not true, I wanted to see "Day After Tomorrow", the previews looked great, and the imagery did not disappoint. I'll even buy the DVD. Cheesy Science Fiction Film like "The Core".


:: Michael Nyiri 11:20 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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I went to the theater for the first time in months last Saturday. I want to see the upcoming summer releases: "The Day After Tomorrow", "The Stepford Wives", "Spiderman II" and went this past weekend to see "Shrek 2" but the theaters were packed, mostly with kids, so I bought a ticket (Matinee prices at the AMC are now $8:00 a ticket, it's getting ridiculous to think I get the used DVD's a few months later for $9.99 at Hollywood Video.) for "Troy" a movie I didn't really care to see.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Even though the "gods" are not represented, they are mentioned. Wolfgang Petersen ("Das Boot" , "The Perfect Storm") directs. The cast is tremendous, and the dialogue does Homer proud. Brad Pitt plays Achilles. Sean Bean (from the first "Lord of the Rings" movie) plays Odysseus. Brian Cox (the "original" Hannibal Lecter) plays Agamemnon. Paris is played by Orlando Bloom (also "Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Carribean") Saffron Burrows , Brendan Gleeson, are also in the cast. Hector is played by Eric Bana (last year's "Hulk") Helen is newcomer Diane Kruger.
At first I didn't think she was beautiful enough to "launch a thousand ships" but I warmed to her after a while.
The set design and production values are befitting for a 200 million dollar movie, and both the individual fight scenes and the battle scenes are beautifully photographed. Roger Pratt ("Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", "The Fisher King" and "Twelve Monkeys" for Terry Gilliam) lensed the film. Nigel Phelps, who did a similarly good job on "Pearl Harbor" did the production design.
I can't get over how much I love this movie.
It is long, but not boring. It plays as if it is historical drama, and the principals do mention the gods but they don't make an appearance. Petersen is not going for a Ray Harryhausen ancient Greece. Each bit of business is historically accurate, and the folks who made this movie are well versed in the mythology, and the history.
Brad Pitt, who hasn't starred in a movie since "Ocean's 11" which was an ensemble piece, is magnificent as Achilles, and some poeple in the audience were actually shocked when he dies in the end, and it is with an arrow through his ankle. All the nunaces of the epic poem "The Illiad" are touched upon, and people who know the mythology will not be disappointed, but people who don't will be able to follow the story.
9 of 10 on the Mikometer.
Only trouble with not personifying the Gods, is that the sequel has already been written, Homer's "Oddysey", and it is filled with beasts like the Cyclops and mermaids like the Sirens, so I don't see how they can turn that story into a historical drama.
The Trojan Horse makes a fantastic appearance, and the city of Troy and it's sacking are similarly fantastic.
I don't think I have been so pleasantly surprised by a film since I saw "The Fifth Element".
Next week": Roland Emmerich's "The Day After Tomorrow", the "global warming film". Previews are magnificent.
:: Michael Nyiri 9:37 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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Whether to see "Van Helsing" hasn't been a big priority, but I do admire that director Stephen Somers (The "Mummy" remakes.)is a fan of the original Universal Horror films and has had a hand in the release of three really great box sets including a lot of the old B&W Frankenstein, Dracula, and Wolfman films. By the look of the previews for "Van Helsing" in which star Hugh Jackman looks like he's slumming in between XMen films, and Kate Beckinsale looks like she's making a career out of appearing in bad horror films. (she's not a vampire out to kill werewolves in this one, she's out to kill the vampires.) The set design and CGI is very "busy" and I didn't like the looks of the previews. I do like the set design and cinematography of the original Universal Horror films, however, and the transfers are for the most part well done in the DVD sets. The packaging is tremendous. I wanted to get the "gift set" but I needed to buy these films pronto and Universal made the mistake of not making enough of the gift sets (they include busts of the three principal "monsters" as well as the DVDs.) so I couldn't get the gift set from either DVD planet or Best Buy. Circuit City didn't even stock the sets.
I'm in the middle of the Frankenstein films, and even though it is relatively easy to laugh at Boris Karloff's big lug, especially after having been ruined by Mel Brook's "Young Frankenstien" in college, I still savor the camerawork and especially the moody sets, all filmed on the Universal backlot, and seen on the tram tour.
Each set comprises four films on two DVD's and Steven Somers had a lot to do with the fact that the films were released. I don't even have laserdiscs of these so having 12 or thirteen of these films in the DVD library is a welcome addition.
I still don't know about Van Helsing. Probably will finally see it in a theater, but can't believe it raked in 54 mil in it's opening weekend.



:: Michael Nyiri 1:23 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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Where to begin?
I've been "offline" for quite a while owing to a nasty virus that settled in my puter, and even when active, I've been posting poems to ElectricPoetry and not concentrating on the movie blog. I have been watching films, albeit not too often in the theater. "Girl With a Pearl Earring" a DVD rental, was a very fine film, filled with period detail of Dutch life in the 15th Century. It was directed by Peter Webber, who has a credit directing a TV movie version of "Stepford Wives." (I'm anticipating the muppet, er, I mean, Frank Oz's retelling of the original movie this summer, love the idea of Christopher Walken as Diz.) I admit I only watched "Pearl Earring" for Scarlett Johannsen and Colin Firth. I'm in love with Scarlett and have been following her career since the excellent "Ghost World" and the Coen's "Man Who Wasn't There". Needless to say she became a major player with "Lost in Translation" last year. She is remarkable as the Girl, Griet, who is a servant for Johannes Vermeer, the Dutch Master painter, played with understatement by the gloriously gifted Colin Firth. Not only does dear Scarlett look like the girl in the painting, the various scenes are inspired by Dutch paintings of the period, much like the cinematography in Ridley Scott's first feature, "The Duellists" and Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" was inspired by paintings.
The plot is about how this waif/servant girl fits or more properly fails to fit in with the household, and the end result is the creation of the painting. A wonderful film, and an acting powerhouse.
Colin Firth is becoming one of my faves. I saw the DVD of "Love, Actually" for the first time the other day, and it has become one of my all time favorite romantic comedies. I was entrhalled with the section concerning Colin Firth's Englishman and his Portequese maid/lover. So much so that I rented another Firth starrer, with Heather Graham and Minnie Driver called Hope Springs which was directed by Mark Herman who directed "Brassed Off" and "Little Voice" both very well done films. "Hope Springs" is set in America, and not England and concerns the travails of Colin's character who is escaping his ex girlfriend in England (Driver) who follows him to the picturesque New England town of Hope Springs to get him back, but after he has already fallen in love with "caregiver" Mandy, played by Graham. I was delighted with the proceedings in this film as well.
I'd like to spend hours talking about "Love, Actually", which plays sort of like an English "Playing with Hearts". Bill Nighy, Hugh Grant, a lovely lass named Martine McCutcheon, Emma Thompson, the aforementioned Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightley, I'm sure I've left some other wondrous performance out. The film is filled with many stories which take place around Christmas time, and the viewer doesn't get confused or bored. Each story line is interweaved beautifully, and director Richard Curtis, who wrote "Briget Jones' Diary" and "Notting Hill" introduces the deleted scenes which couldn't fit in the movie, but which enrich the story of Liam Neeson's recently widowed father.
This is a film worth watching more than once.

:: Michael Nyiri 1:00 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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I've been so busy "online" with Poetry and haven't updated Movies except to finally add a still from "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" for the main page. I've been similarly busy with "making" my own little "internet movies", like the latest MikeVideo (No link yet, except to the latest download: "Beach Dreams". I wanted to write about the "Oscar Party" I attended, but that was Feb. 29th, and it's now, (heavens!) April 11th, Easter Sunday morning. The "Oscar Party" was fantastic. Debbie, Jim Zabel's sister (Jim supplies the soundtrack to my latest MikeVideo) and her husband, a retired drama professor, invite their friends to a party complete with a "pot" which the winner takes home. This isn't the most important part of the party, it's a time for old friends to get together, but it helps to "intensify" the atmosphere, especially in a predictable Oscar telecast (I'm sure glad it was predictable, as I finally got my "best Pix choice back again.) . I liked the telecast myself, and viewing it in a social atmosphere was a real treat. The food was stupendous. We had all kinds of different dishes to chow down on, including crab cakes, two different "designer" pizzas, and and some cheescake that melted in my mouth. This was a while back, now, and I still remember the food. That's always the mark of a great party as far as I'm concerned.
Sadly, I didn't "win" the party prize. But I had a great time. Hearing "Return of the King" several times (a tie for record of noms/wins with Ben-Hur I believe, at 11.) I thought "King" broke a record, but it didn't.

I've watched lots of films since I've written, as well, and some of them were, from the theater pictures first:

"The Passion of the Christ" director Mel Gibson, 10 of 10 So far perhaps the Best Picture Winner for 2004. An emotional tour de force which shows the Pain of the Passion in excruciating detail. (Better than "Braveheart with Jesus" which I first uttered when I heard about the making of the film. A reverent look at the "Gospel Truth" of Jesus' Crucufixion, which at over two hours, with sproadic flashbacks, gets painful. A magnificent film, with stunning visuals, and a heart wrenching portrait of Jesus by Jim Cavieziel from "The Count of Monte Cristo".

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" a somewhat disappointing Michael Gondry film with Jim Carrey 5 of 10 Charlie Kaufmann did the screenplay. I wanted to like it more than I did.

The New "Dawn of the Dead" by newcomer Zack Snyder. 6 of 10 I'm a big fan of the original movie but I went for Sarah Polley, Mekhi Pheiffer, and my fave Ving Rhames in the cast, but the dead move too quickly in this version, and the original, by Romero is a classic. My favorite part was hearing the song "All the people who died, died" at the end of the end credit sequence. That was always one of Bob's favorite songs. There are some real good sequences. But the original is more disorienting, and this one is more of a roller coaster. I won't discount that it is a fairly well made film, full of action and suspense, but too much shakycam and digital fast mo for me.

"Spartan" the new David Mamet film. 7 of 10 Wasn't "prime Mamet" as far as I am concerned. Val Kilmer (a favorite, never miss him, and particularly like the noir "Salton Sea". stars. The plot is a "political thriller" but it looks like a low budget TV movie and isn't that intriguing.

Lots of rentals and DVD purchases. Even got the "Airport" "Quadrilogy" for thirty bucks. Cheeseball American Cinema at it's worst. The second and third are eminently watchable. Last movie viewed on DVD, the deplorable "Duplex" by Danny DeVito, with a powerhouse cast, some good laughs, and an awful script. I'll go into detail on some of the rentals in another post.

Need to see films in a theater right now? Certainly not "The Alamo." Do want to see "Hellboy".


:: Michael Nyiri 9:58 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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Tomorrow, Sunday, The Oscars.
I hadn't put a picture up in a while, and the page was starting to look barren, so in honor of the oscars, this is the poster for the 1962 event.
They were on Mondays then. And in April.
Remember?
:: Michael Nyiri 6:59 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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Finally caught up with "Something's Gotta Give" this past weekend. Title is always confusing me, becuase of course, there is already a 1962 movie called "Something's Got to Give" which of course was the unfinished film Marily was working on at the time of her death. "Something's Gotta Give" is Nancy Meyer's humorous and touching take on middle age romance, with Jack Nicholson, who's getting better as he gets older, and Diane Keaton, who is now (along with Charlize Theron) my pick for Best Actress this Sunday night. Diane is lustrous, exciting, and still beautiful. (Major female stars of the seventies, as they age, usually pile on the botox and collagen, to somewhat startingly frightening effects. Witness Goldie Hawn, for example, who tends to look these days like the character she played in Zemeckis' "Death Becomes Her". But Diane Keaton has "aged well" and still looks beautiful. I've always said that Susan Sarandon is the most beautiful 53 year old gal I've ever loved, and Diane Keaton certainly gets my vote for the most beautiful 58 year old.
The film is one I would recommend to anyone, but especially to aging boomers like me. It rekindles one's belief in romance. It's funny. It's warm and has a feel good feeling to it. Something that most major films in 2003 certainly didn't offer.
"Monster" for instance, with the aforementioned Theron, is almost too painful to watch. The denoument of "Cold Mountain" is really chilly. And even though "Mystic River" is a great work of art, it isn't light comedy that's for sure.
"Something's Gotta Give" gets a 9 of 10 on the Mikometer.
:: Michael Nyiri 8:54 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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Oscars this Sunday.

Actor in a leading role
Sean Penn in "Mystic River" (Warner Bros.)

Actor in a supporting role
Tim Robbins in "Mystic River" (Warner Bros.)
(Should have won a nomination and the best performance is Andy Serkis in "Return of the King"

Actress in a leading role
Either, or perhaps a tie:
Diane Keaton in "Something's Gotta Give" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Charlize Theron in "Monster" (Newmarket Films)

Actress in a supporting role
Renée Zellweger in "Cold Mountain" (Miramax)

Animated feature film
"Finding Nemo" (Buena Vista)

Art direction
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line)
Art Direction: Grant Major
Set Decoration: Dan Hennah and Alan Lee

Cinematography
"Cold Mountain" (Miramax) John Seale

Costume design
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line) Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor

Directing
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line) Peter Jackson

Film editing
"Seabiscuit" (Universal/DreamWorks/Spyglass) William Goldenberg

Makeup
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line)
Richard Taylor and Peter King

Music (original score)
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line) Howard Shore

Music (original song)
"Into the West" from "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line)
Music and Lyric by Fran Walsh and Howard Shore and Annie Lennox
Should win:
"A Kiss at the End of the Rainbow" from "A Mighty Wind" (Warner Bros.)
Music and Lyric by Michael McKean and Annette O'Toole

Visual effects
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line) Jim Rygiel, Joe Letteri, Randall William Cook and Alex Funke

Adapted Screenplay
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line) Screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson

Original Screenplay
"Lost in Translation" (Focus Features) Written by Sofia Coppola


Best picture
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (New Line)
A Wingnut Films Production
Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, Producers


This time I have most of them. Trust me. The beginning of a winning streak. You can bet on it. Go ahead.
:: Michael Nyiri 6:38 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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I just rented "Open Range", as it has been "rented out" at Hollywood Video. This is one I will eventually own. I watched the "shootout scene" in toto twice over the past two days. This is a magnificent film, and a great western, with nods to everyone from Sergio Leone, to Clint Eastwood, to John Sturges, to John Ford, to Sam Peckinpah. Kevin Costner is fantastic, and he did win an Oscar, it might be remembered, for "Dances with Wolves". Kevin, as Charlie Waite, Robert Duvall as "Boss" Spearman, Annette Bening as Sue Barlow, Michael Gambon, Michael Jeter. The cast is magnificent. The scenery, shot by James Muro, who steadicamed on "Titanic", and "X2" among other films, is lush and painterly. The production design, by Gae Buckley, always lets the viewer know exactly where he is in regards to location in the town. It seems somewhat futile to mention this, but why didn't "Open Range" get nominated for any Oscars. Kevin is a past winner. The film is much more than the "standard oater". I am always looking for good westerns, and this shall be a classic. I can't get enough of "Open Range." My roommate even liked it, and he doesn't like anything.
:: Michael Nyiri 8:26 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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Much has been said about the fine film "Bend It Like Beckham" which I finally got around to seeing. I love sports movies which take me somewhere I haven't been, because I don't particularly like sports. This is more a "culture clash" movie, and ties in with my Bollywood tastes, being the tale of 'Jess' Bhamra, a Indian girl living in England who happens to be a fantastic soccer player, but is stuck in a "traditional" family, who do not think it proper for her to pursue her dreams. Directed by Gurinder Chadha, this is a heartfelt movie which, like "Real Women Have Curves", takes the viewer into a foreign subculture, and immerses us in this culture. It's also a neat sports movie, and Keira Knightly is more stunning here than in "Pirates of the Caribbean. "
:: Michael Nyiri 4:14 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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I don't think I can honestly call myself a "movie buff" after seeing the documentary "Cinemania", one of the gems I picked up through Netflix. Jack, Eric, Bill, Roberta, and Harvey are the true "movie buffs" or "cinemaniacs". Not satisfied with "real life", this group of eclectic cinefiles forsake human relationships, family, work, etc. for the hectic life of a true cinemaniac. The documentary follows these people, who harbor a need to see at least three to five movies a day, in theaters, and not on video. Thier tastes are eclectic. They like foreign films and classic b&w's but they see them in art theaters in New York City. I don't even think there could be this subculture in L.A. We don't have enough theaters showing classics on a regular basis, besides Landmark theaters, the Bing, and the Egyptian. New Yorkers have quite a pallete to choose from, and this is a film I couldn't take my eyes off of. Roberta, the only female, is an outspoken individual, who gets impressively peeved if anyone "misunderstands" or "disagrees" with her tastes. Harvey collects film soundtracks on vinyl, but doesn't have a turntable on which to play them. Jack is the "main narrator" and seems to be the most "sane" (that's the best way to put it.) But all these guys are pretty weird. Harvey, for example, knows the running time of every film he sees, and gets upset at the projectionist when the film runs over or under. Don't even think of digital video with these folks. I was awestruck at this document of a subculture I guess I knew existed, but didn't really know about. I recommend it highly for anyone who considers themselves a movie buff.

:: Michael Nyiri 5:00 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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This past week I saw a couple of John Frankenheimer flicks which I Tivo'd from Turner Classic Movies. "Birdman of Alcatraz", which is probably thought of along with "The Manchurian Candidate" when the director's name is mentioned. And "The Young Savages" sort of like "West Side Story" without the dancing and music. "Savages" is from 1961, and "Birdman" from 1962. Both star Burt Lancaster. Both are excellent. I hadn't seen "Birdman" since I was a kid. "Savages" tells an inner city youth tale, from a book by Evan Hunter, who wrote the similarly themed "Blackboard Jungle". Burt gets to laugh in "Savages" Hahahahaha. But as lifetime prisoner and bird buff, he's mostly very serious. Frankenheimer started as a television director, and his "signature" shot would have to be where one character is in almost closeup near the front of the screen, and another or a group of others is behind, yet still in focus. He likes to frame from below eye level, with the camera looking "up" at it's subjects. He also filmed wild car chases, but there aren't any in either movie I just lensed. "Birdman' looks wonderful in letterbox, even though it is only 1:85 to 1 because of the framing. Burt's performance is mannered, and wonderfully bristly. He's a D.A. in "Savages" in which he chews a bit more scenery.

I also saw "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" with Spencer Tracy as James Doolitle, and starring Van Johnson, Robert Walker, Don Defore and Phyllis Thaxter. Robert Mitchum shows up as another pilot. Just as exciting as I remember. The "real" footage and the staged footage, in b&w WWII era films (this one from 1944, and propaganda all the way) are matched rather well. It has one of moviedom's most quoted lines. "Why are you so cute?" " Because I had to be" spoken by Phyllis and Van.

I never tire of seeing the old b&w films on my "silver screen". One of the main reasons why I keep ahold of the "square" bigscreen television is for the old square gems of the silver screen.

Oscar fever is now upon us. I've now read two articles in the LA Times about Andy Serkis since the noms. One mentioned that there had been some buzz in the Hollywood community about nominating him for best supporting actor (I'm giving the nod to Tim Robbins in his absence) and one was a plug for a book he wrote about the experience of "acting" Gollum. I can hardly wait for the first nominated performance that was done in the computer. That will legitamize the process.
:: Michael Nyiri 7:30 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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The Globe went to: "Lord of the Rings:Return of the King". Is it too early to think I might have chosen the oscar winner this year after three misses???? I won't venture a guess. Not this early. The nominations were just announced.
Picture: "THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING", (my choice. Now to write the "big article" for the website. Peter Jackson's greatest hour.) "LOST IN TRANSLATION", (I kinda thought this was the best of the year so far when I saw it a long time ago. It still holds up, and got the Globe for comedy/musical.) "MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD", (This one shouldn't have received so many nominations. A good film, but I still have to see this one again. It didn't impress me as much as, say, the TV miniseries with Kenneth Branagh about the Endeavor in Antarctica.) "MYSTIC RIVER", (My first real favorite this year, but like "LA Confidential", when it was up against "Titanic", the other movie is my favorite to win, even though I admire both. "SEABISCUIT" (I'm glad this early gem is included. A worthy pick.)
Of course this means "Cold Mountain" was shut out this year. It gets noms for Best Supporting Actress in Renee Zellweger, who won a Globe, and is my favorite for the supporting category. It also got a cinematography nom, but not much else. The surprise is Keisha Castle-Hughes for "Whale Rider" as actress instead of Nicole Kidman, but Nicole has been an Oscar staple for a while, and she won already. I'm very upset that since "Lost in Translation" is all over the noms, that Scarlett Johannsen is absent from both actress or supporting actress. Best Actor: I'm still bucking for Sean Penn, who got the Globe. I'm glad to see Dimon Hounsou as a supporting nom although I haven't seen "In America" yet. Tim Robbins, who was also nominated, got the Globe.
I think I 'm most surprised at the amount of noms given to "Master and Commander" but the academy loves Russell Crowe. They gave him an Oscar for "Gladiator". They gave best pic to "Gladiator".
Another disappointment. Neither "Millennium Actress" nor "Tokyo Godfathers", the two films by Satoshi Kon, were nominated for Animated Feature. We know "Finding Nemo" will get the award, but I find it very disappointing that Kon was shut out. I haven't seen "Godfathers" but "Actress" is not only great anime, it is a wonderful movie. I still have to see "Monster" for Charlize Theron's performance.
:: Michael Nyiri 6:57 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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Ann Miller 1923-2004

The Good Fairy, 1935
The Devil on Horseback, 1936
New Faces of 1937, 1937
Stage Door, 1937
The Life of the Party, 1937
Tarnished Angel, 1938
Room Service, 1938
Radio City Revels, 1938
You Can't Take it With You, 1938
Too Many Girls, 1940
Hit Parade of 1941, 1940
Melody Ranch, 1940
Go West, Young Lady, 1941
Time Out for Rhythm, 1941
True to the Army, 1942
Priorities on Parade, 1942
What's Buzzin', Cousin?, 1943
Reveille With Beverly, 1943
Carolina Blues, 1944
Jam Session, 1944
Hey, Rookie, 1944
Eve Knew Her Apples, 1945
Eadie Was a Lady, 1945
The Thrill of Brazil, 1946
The Kissing Bandit, 1948
Easter Parade, 1948
On the Town, 1949
Watch the Birdie, 1950
Two Tickets to Broadway, 1951
Texas Carnival, 1951
Lovely to Look At, 1952
Kiss Me Kate, 1953
Small Town Girl, 1953
Deep in My Heart, 1954
Hit the Deck, 1955
The Opposite Sex, 1956
The Great American Pastime, 1956
Mulholland Dr., 2001
She was 80, and my room-mate, for one, thought her "selective memory" of MGM life in the forties and fifties was a pain in the "a". As many of the MGM stars got older, they seemed to be cheerleaders for the system, and began to believe their own version of history. Ann was one of the biggest mouths when it came to this, but I never cared. I "remember" her from her films, listed above. I haven't even seen them all, but I recently viewed "Easter Parade" and "The Opposite Sex" again, and every time I see an Ann Miller movie I fall in love with the image of this tall, leggy, dancing machine. Energetic, brassy, in-your-face, and sublimely beautiful, she was an "older woman" when I began my love affair with her as a child. One more icon of "Old Hollywood" has passed from existence, and the memory of that existence exists in the individual films. I think I might pull out my laserdisc of "Small Town Girl" and pay tribute to this old "trouper" who might have degenerated into Bette Davis Blathering if she had survived much longer. So what if my room-mate is one of her detractors. He has a selective memory as well. Ann is a Goddess of Dance and will be missed. Au Revoir, and Goodnight to a classy dancing lady.


:: Michael Nyiri 7:33 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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The Thin Man
After the Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man
Another Thin Man
The Thin Man Goes Home
Song of the Thin Man
I have now seen all of "The Thin Man" movies. (Thanks to Tivo.)
From the young couple first seen in 1934 to the aging but still cuddling lovebirds seen in the swing era "Song", Nick and Nora Charles fit stars William Powell and Myrna Loy like snug underwear. By the last film, which lampoons both itself as a series and the movies in general, sort of like self aware action films starring people like Will Smith today, there are several in-jokes and subtle asides that the genre was slowly fading out. I wish we could have seen a noir Nick and Nora next, but I believe "Song" was the last. This series is absolutely delightful, as are the two leads. After three or four movies, the series essentially became like a television series today, each film being an episode. I was hit with the realization while watching the first film, set and filmed in 1934, that all the drinking being shown was really rather bold in a country which had only recently been relieved of Prohibition. There is even one episode where Nick goes "straight". I love the conceipt that everywhere Nick goes he runs into old jailbirds whom he "sent up the river". The way in which the feel and the look of the films, which doesn't really vary very much since they are all shot on the MGM back lot, echoes the times changing, even though the films appear very much to be alike. I thrilled seeing William Powell age both in the role and literally.
These films are classics. I have never seen them all, and thanks to Tivo and Turner Classic Movies, my favorite TV channel, I have now experienced the complete set. (I always wanted the laserdisc box set but put it off, and I don't think they're all on DVD.) I'm also attempting to see the complete Andy Hardy on TCM, and have seen about five.

:: Michael Nyiri 10:55 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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I got the following two images from "One From The Heart" from the official website. There are more large images, and a host of video clips from the restored version of the film at: http://www.onefromtheheartmovie.com/index.html

Teri Garr as Frannie leaves Frederick Forrest on a wet Vegas night. (Indoors, just like in Oz.)

Frannie is living it up on the strip at the start of her date with "fantasy lover" Ray. (Raul Julia) (And we're still indoors on Fremont Street. In one shot in the film, you can actually see the roof of the soundstage, but I'm probably the only one that noticed, and it doesn't ruin the illusion....
:: Michael Nyiri 5:56 PM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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At a New Year's party, I gave my picks for Oscar. Here they are:
Best Picture: "Lord of the Rings:Return of the King"
Best Director: Peter Jackson: "LOTR:ROTK"
Best Actor: Sean Penn: "Mystic River"
Best Actress: Scarlett Johannsen: "Lost In Translation"
Best Supporting Actor: Andy Serkis: "LOTR:ROTK"
Best Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger: "Cold Mountain"
Costume design, set decoration and art direction to ROTK.
Cinematography: John Seale: "Cold Mountain"
Editing: Annie Collins & Jamie Selkirk: "ROTK"
I seem to have been blown away by the last installment of the Rings trilogy, but still have to emphasize that I am in fact "awarding" the entire trilogy, which is one seamless work, and not a series of three films shot over time. If only because of this accomplishment, Jackson and company should be "awarded" not only with the millions in box office revenues that are coming their way (third week at number one.) but with recognition by the Academy.

:: Michael Nyiri 6:58 AM Leave a Comment on this Post ::
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