:: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 ::

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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