2008 EMMY PICKS (DRAMA)

With the Emmys just a couple of weeks away (Sunday September 21st, 8/7c on ABC), I thought I'd offer my thoughts on each of the big races. This week: the contenders for drama. Who will win, who should win, and who was overlooked?

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA

William Shatner, Boston Legal

Ted Danson, Damages

Zeljko Ivanek, Damages

Michael Emerson, Lost

John Slattery, Mad Men

This is one of the closer races of the night. Danson and Ivanek were both big stand-outs this year for their critically-acclaimed roles on Damages, but many would argue that a win for Emerson has been long overdue considering his dependably spine-chilling work as Benjamin Linus on Lost. Then again, John Slattery could ride to victory in a potential avalanche of Mad Men wins, and don’t ever rule out William Shatner, who’s been an Emmy darling ever since reviving his career as Denny Crane on Boston Legal.

Who will win: As much as it pains me to say it, I’m going with the Shat. This wouldn’t be the first time he’s beaten out a more deserving field, and the fact that the category is so crowded with talent means that there’s no clear front-runner to challenge him.

Who should win: There’s a strong case for any of the other four, but my vote would go to Ted Danson, who went toe to toe with Glenn Close in some of the most gripping television of the year.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA

Candice Bergen, Boston Legal

Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters

Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy

Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy

Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

Two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest is the only “new” nominee here, as Bergen, Griffiths, Wilson, and Oh are all repeat nominees from the last few years. None of the four of them have won, mind you, at least not for these performances (Bergen won five Emmys for Murphy Brown, but has lost twice for Boston Legal). Notably absent: last year’s winner Katherine Heigl of Grey’s Anatomy, who officially pulled herself out of Emmy consideration, publicly citing a lack of good material, a rather ungrateful “fuck you” to the very same writers who helped her get her Emmy in the first place.

Who will win: My pick is Dianne Wiest, the only one of the bunch who hasn’t lost an Emmy race for the role she’s nominated for. None of the other four had a strong enough year to break their Emmy cold streaks.

Who should win: Julie Benz of Dexter, who wasn’t even nominated. Her work as a serial killer’s unsuspecting yet underestimated girlfriend is subtle and brilliant but constantly overlooked.

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS, DRAMA

Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Glenn Close, Damages

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Holly Hunter, Saving Grace

Last year’s winner Sally Field gave us another consistent year as the lovably meddling matron of the Walker clan on Brothers & Sisters, but an unconvincing attempt to revitalize her character’s love life with guest stars like Danny Glover and Chevy Chase will probably hurt her chances of a repeat. Hargitay has proven she can triumph, but is probably a long shot for a second win, while Holly Hunter’s award is probably the nomination itself. The Closer’s Kyra Sedgwick has been a familiar face in this category but has never been able to, um, close the deal.

Who will win: Glenn Close. She was absolutely electrifying on Damages, and without much stiff competition, should have a clear path to Emmy victory.

Who should win: No one else came close to Glenn this year.

OUTSTANDING ACTOR, DRAMA

James Spader, Boston Legal

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Hugh Laurie, House

Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Take perennial spoiler James Spader out of there, and this is a dream category. Don’t get me wrong - his work on Boston Legal is guilty fun, but the other five are in an entirely different league. Cranston reinvented himself with the wonderfully addicting Breaking Bad, Hall was murder as serial killer/good guy Dexter, Laurie was his fantastic self on House despite a bobbled cast shake-up, Gabriel Byrne was brooding, understated perfection on In Treatment, and Jon Hamm came out of nowhere to breathe life into one of the most interesting characters on television right now, Mad Men’s Don Draper.

Who will win: Jon Hamm. Not even Spader can prevent the Emmy voters from getting this one right – Hamm was simply too good to ignore, ushering in the next great American drama.

Who should win: Jon Hamm. It’s a true testament to how good he is on Mad Men to say that he has a clear path to the Emmy over the likes of the overdue Laurie, the breathtaking Hall, and the ever-surprising Cranston.

OUTSTANDING SERIES, DRAMA

Boston Legal

Damages

Dexter

House

Lost

Mad Men

Glad to see Lost nominated after returning to form with a stellar fourth season. Likewise for Dexter, which accomplished something in its second season that I didn’t think it could: topping the quality of the first season (here’s to hoping they can pull a hat trick with season three, starting up in a few weeks). I’m also happy to see that Damages made the cut, but incredibly bummed (although not surprised) that Boston Legal and House both made it in over The Wire's final season.

What will win: Unless Lost pulls a surprise upset, this should be Mad Men’s night. It’s the only show this year that stepped up to the plate and showed that it could fill the void left by The Sopranos, and Emmy voters will be eager to say thanks.

What should win: Mad Men. Say hello to the newest Emmy dynasty, folks.


Agree? Disagree? Pissed that Friday Night Lights was shut out? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned next week for my take on the comedy match-ups.

For a complete list of 2008 Emmy nominees, click here.

Aaron Sorkin writing Facebook Movie

ANDY:

If you didn't think it could get any worse than "Studio 60", think again.

Aaron Sorkin has announced (via FB of course) that he's "just agreed to write a movie for Sony and producer Scott Rudin about how Facebook was invented."

To prep for the script, he's set up a Facebook group to collect stories, get feedback and get an understanding of the FB culture. The most amusing part are some of the comments that people are writing on the group's wall. A taste:


Be Aaron's friend here

THIS JUST IN: VIN DIESEL'S BROTHER

This isn't made up. The other day I spoke with a colleague at work who was talking about one of his Wife's former work mates. It Turns out one them was not only the brother of Vin Diesel, but Vin's ALBINO, TWIN, FILM EDITING brother. I investigated and it was totally true. Truth is truly stranger than fiction. Check out those digs.I really have to say I think I like this guy alot more than his brother.
Get a load.

FAST AND FURIOUS

Pierce Hammerstein.

I was in the middle of in sitting Kingdom of the Crystal Skull when I thought "Speaking of Franchises, what happened to The Fast and the Furious?." Justin Lin must've been thinking the exact same thing. I just saw the trailer and I have to say my favorite thing of all time is that the movie is just called Fast and Furious. being that quite honestly that is what the dudes who see this movie will actually call it, no matter what it was named. Like when the last one came out, this didn't happen:

Dude 1: Man, I'm bored, what do you we do now?
Dude: You must have forgotten my friend that 2 Fast and 2 Furious sequel, Fast and the Furious:
Tokyo Drift comes out tonight. Don't worry I already bought tickets!

But went probably more like the following:
Dude 1: I wanna see Fast and Furious.
Dude2: Let's go.
So its nice to see a movie accomodate its key audience. Btw thats the wrong poster up top, but I thought about it and realized it doesnt matter.

NEWSFLASH! Woody Allen is Funny

HANK:

Woody Allen wrote a fantastic piece for the NY Times which appeared yesterday. It's called "Excerpts from the Spanish Diary" here's a couple of my favorite parts:

JUNE 15

Work finally under way. Shot a torrid love scene today between Scarlett and Javier. If this were a scant few years ago, I would have played Javier’s part. When I mentioned that to Scarlett, she said, “Uh-huh,” with an enigmatic intonation. Scarlett came late to the set. I lectured her rather sternly, explaining I do not tolerate tardiness from my cast. She listened respectfully, although as I spoke I thought I noticed her turning up her iPod.

JULY 15

Once again I had to help Javier with the lovemaking scenes. The sequence requires him to grab Penélope Cruz, tear off her clothes and ravish her in the bedroom. Oscar winner that he is, the man still needs me to show him how to play passion. I grabbed Penélope and with one motion tore her clothes off. As fate would have it she had not yet changed into costume, so it was her own expensive dress I mutilated. Undaunted I flung her down before the fireplace and dove on top of her. Minx that she is, she rolled away a split second before I landed causing me to fracture certain key teeth on the tile floor. Fine day’s work, and I should be able to eat solids by August.

For some reason, I've been a little hesitant about seeing Allen's movies recently. But this piece is making me want to go see Vicky Christina Barcelona.

Read the whole thing here.

AWKWARD

ZACH:

Ummm...maybe Nike should think about pulling this advertisement for the US Softball team. If you're not aware, they finished the Olympics with the silver medal in softball. Watch this Nike spot and, um, it's just too awkward for words:

What Makes the Olympics Great

HANK:
Phelps, Bolt, now USA basketball. Okay, it's great to see Olympic athletes compete. It even brings a swell of unironic patriotism to my eye to see us take the 4x400 relay. But, it's moments like Team USA's celebration early this morning that make the Olympics great. I won't recap the game. There are others out there who do that far better than I do. I'll just remind everyone of the times when Kobe looked like the most selfish person on the planet, that 'Mello looked like he couldn't win a 21 tournament, that they called Lebron "LeBronze" (which is pretty lame), and that Team USA looked like, well, a bunch of whiny losers sulking over a third place trophy. And, sure, who didn't expect them to win? But as one of my idols Tony Kornheiser always intones - "the toughest thing to do in sports is win when you're supposed to." It's a comment that's always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Living up to expectations should be what atheletes do, but come on, Herm Edwards - "Hello! You play to win the game."

Okay, cliches aside. Because if there was one thing about this celebration, this win, it wasn't cliched. Or old hat. To see Kobe and D. Wade, two NBA finals winners, beam...and I mean BEAM...after downing Gasol and the Spaniards was phenomenal. The stoic visage of their NBA selves were down, and you could tell, their hearts were pounding in their chest. It was really wonderful to watch and in an age where emotion's been struck from professional sports (re: Tiger) it's been great to see world-class athletes like Phelps and Team USA exhilirated by pure emotion after accomplishing what they were meant to.

SEE THIS MOVIE: BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA

Pierce Hammerstein.

The Dark Knights been toppled, the warring comedies are winding down and grab bag yard sale leftovers are about to his theaters to kill time till the late year Oscar bids start popping up. If you want to do yourself a massive favor, skip trying to enjoy Death Race on an ironic level, stay home and check out this little gem I just came across.
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia(1974) If Wes Anderson had art directed a script that was written by Quentin Tarentino and was helmed by say The Coen Brothers you'd have something that might vaguely resemble this messy, bleak-oddly poetic- and grandiosly arcane film.
In short, A Lounge pianist must hunt down and claim the bounty of a wanted man who-as it happens-is already dead. The concept alone deserves some sort of reward.
The film reeks of Spaggetti western , b flick glory, yet in inexplicably reaches for a more lyrical tone in the midst of severed heads, bounty hunters fully automatics and swinging machetes. It's a film that even reaching 40 still blows away any faux grindhouse film Rodriguez could attempt to conceave. I'm sure hell announce hes remaking it sometime soon though.Anyways, the ending might be jarring, even bleak but it aint about the destination, its about the gruesome blood stained drug addled journey.

Sam King Films

HANK:

Sam King's a painter whose process has been evolving over the years. He also co-runs my favorite painting blog MWCapacity. Tonight, he's premiering some new things in Fayetteville, AR. They're process films. Essentially, what Sam does is tape parts together and take a still image, then edit the stills together into small films with some vocal or musical accompaniment. They're pretty astonishing. Junk is the best expression of the process to date. Take a couple seconds and look them through. My image, voice, and words make an appearence in "Eternal Striver"

JUNK


Junk from Sam King on Vimeo.

ETERNAL STRIVER


Eternal Striver from Sam King on Vimeo.

ANDY'S DREAM


Andy's dream from Sam King on Vimeo.

5-3-08


5-3-08 from Sam King on Vimeo.

Frost/ Nixon Trailer

ZACH THAT:

Do I smell Oscar?

Anthony Lane on the Olympic Games

HANK:

Anthony Lane, who's probably my favorite critic out there, recently contributed a "Letter from Beijing" to the New Yorker recapping, in a way that only Lane can, the political and social significance of the first week of the Olympic Games. If you've been glued to the games like I have and have that uneasy feeling that things aren't always what they seem, then this is a must read. Here's a tasty tidbit:

"China supports a population of 1.3 billion, and the knowledge of that resource was never far away; indeed, the whole evening became an exercise in number-crunching, as mass art was constructed from a mass of humanity. One townful of men and women would race on, swarm into a shape, and race off, to be replaced by the next; if, deep below the spectacle, there was an unspoken suggestion that it would be an extremely bad idea to go to war against this nation, it never rose to the surface, although one aerial travelling shot of fireworks exploding in sequence along the street leading up to the stadium, displayed for us on screens inside, was a ringer for bombing-run footage from the Vietnam War.
The obvious precedent for Beijing was the Berlin Olympics, in 1936. Both were showcases for a muscle-flexing nation, although Hitler made an elementary error when he chose not to dress his young National Socialists in lime-green catsuits laced with twinkling fairy lights. By a careful choice of color scheme, China was able to draw the sting from any accusations of militarism, while rarely permitting the result to slide into camp."

For the whole thing, go here.

What's your take on the games so far? What do you think about Lane's assessment? I find it startlingly right on.

Tropic Thunder vs. Pineapple Express

Two of the supposedly biggest comedies of the summer squared off last weekend, and I got to see both. So let's stack it up:

We've got the Apatow production that was written by and stars the overrated Seth Rogen (yeah, I'm officially sick of him). He likes to brag about how he wrote these scripts in high school and Hey! Guess what? It shows. Every moment of Pineapple Express felt like a cheap version of another film, and I know all films are kinda that way, but this was the worst I've seen in a while. In fact, if you gave me a week, I bet I could remake the film scene for scene, constructing it only out of the scenes it ripped off.

The film is lazily bad to begin with, Seth Rogen writing in a plush 18-year-old blonde to play opposite his 25-year-old stoner slob who dresses in costume to hand out court summons, then says (get ready for it!), "You got served." Holy shit, if I found out my sister was dating this character I'd put a baseball bat to his mouth before getting a chance to think about it.

Speaking of violence, that brings me to the rest of the film. When the third act strikes, it moves from lazy to aggressively bad. By now the screen is filled with the usual Apatow suspects who mill around camera whether or not they actually need to be there. The insult really comes when the film tries to slump into a meta-film commentary. The type of concept that films like Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and even Adaptation had pulled off with such great care, forming their films within a coherent aesthetic, is attempted here slovenly and in vain. The faux-ultraviolence comes off as absurd, unfunny, and shitty. Nothing remotely clever is attempted in the climax, and the violence feels like a crutch. This movie didn't really look too great in the trailers, and the full movie managed to confirm my fears. I will say the saving grace is Danny "Foot Fist Way" McBride, who stole the show here and in Tropic Thunder. Which brings me to the next film.

Tropic Thunder. Let's pretend I'm in charge. Take the official poster and replace Stiller, Black, and Downey, with McBride, Cruise, and... McConaughey. You heard me. These are the reasons why this film needs to be seen. Maybe not McConaughey, but this Cruise cameo folks have been talking about? I'll say first, it's not a cameo, it's a full role, a role I didn't see coming and couldn't prepare for. Cruise, who plays a hardcore power producer, spews some of the most crass, unclever dialogue, but still manages to put me in convulsive laughter in the process. But the scary thing is this, Cruise doesn't mug for the cameras here. He's not playing silly. There's something terrifyingly deadpan about his psycho business man. I am dead serious when I say that had this this character been pasted into some Ridley Scott vehicle or other straight-faced film, people would be whispering Oscar right now. Forget Collateral, this is Cruise's first transformational role since Born on the 4th of July.

Overall, Tropic Thunder wins in my book because, instead of trying to defend any notion of its own sincerity, it kicks it in the back, sending it right off the ledge, leaving only total absurdity and nonsensical laughter.

Pineapple Express 3.5

Tropic Thunder 7.0

Empire Movie Quiz

ZACH:

Empire has put together a pretty clever movie quiz where they show you a single letter and based off the font/color you have to guess the corresponding film.  I've set the bar at 41/45...I'm a movie poster freak it seems.  I allowed myself two guesses before having to reveal the answer. Post your score in the comments...you're on the honor system, no cheating.

Take the Quiz HERE

Bottle Rocket Criterion DVD (Blue Ray)

ZACH:

Yes, it's officially been made official. Criterion dropped a peak inside the Bottle Rocket Blue Ray today and I'm more than ready for it to be November already. From Criterion:

SYNOPSIS

Wes Anderson first illustrated his lovingly detailed, slightly surreal cinematic vision in this witty and warm portrait of three young middle-class misfits. Fresh out of a mental hospital, gentle Anthony (Luke Wilson) finds himself once again embroiled in the machinations of his best friend, elaborate schemer Dignan (Owen Wilson). With the aid of getaway driver Bob (Robert Musgrave), they develop a needlessly complex, mildly successful plan to rob a small bookstore—then go “on the lam.” Also featuring Lumi Cavazos as Inez, the South American housekeeper Anthony falls in love with, and James Caan as local thief extraordinaire Mr. Henry, Bottle Rocket is a charming, hilarious, affectionate look at the folly of dreamers. Shot against radiant southwestern backdrops, it’s the film that put Anderson and the Wilson brothers on the map.

SPECIAL FEATURES

- DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY EDITION FEATURES:
- New, restored high-definition digital transfer supervised and approved by director Wes Anderson and director of photography Robert Yeoman
- Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack
- Commentary by director/co-writer Anderson and co-writer/actor Owen Wilson
- The Making of “Bottle Rocket”: an original documentary by filmmaker Barry Braverman featuring Anderson, James L. Brooks, James Caan, Temple Nash Jr., Kumar Pallana, Polly Platt, Mark Mothersbaugh, Robert Musgrave, Richard Sakai, David and Sandy Wasco, Andrew and Luke and Owen Wilson, and Robert Yeoman
- The original thirteen-minute black-and-white Bottle Rocket short film from 1992
- Eleven deleted scenes
- Anamorphic screen test, storyboards, location photos, and behind-the-scenes photographs by Laura Wilson
- Murita Cycles, a 1978 short film by Braverman
- The Shafrazi Lectures, no. 1: Bottle Rocket
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by executive producer James L. Brooks, an appreciation by Martin Scorsese, and original artwork by Ian Dingman


FILM INFO

1996
91 minutes
Color
1.85:1
Anamorphic
English

ABOUT THE TRANSFER

Bottle Rocket is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Black bars at the top and bottom of the screen are normal for this format. Supervised and approved by director Wes Anderson and director of photography Robert Yeoman, this new high-definition digital transfer was scanned on a Spirit 2K datacine from a 35 mm interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System

A Dark Knight and His Minions

EOGHAN:

Other sources have complained about the rabid and weird responses The Dark Knight generated around the time of its release. We Watch for You’s ZACH has now become embroiled in such a kerfuffle, thanks to a post he wrote arguing that, while the film is pretty good, it’s not a masterpiece. Somebody at a blog called “Comic Impulse” took exception to Zach’s argument.

What follows is an edited and annotated transcript of the first main point Zach made, the Comic Impulse’s response, and Zach’s response to the response:

Zach:

“In a two and half hour film, it is impossible and ridiculous to try to show his [Dent/Two-Face’s] transition into this evil figure and follow it all the way to death. This is one of the reasons why the third act dragged and lost me. We don’t have to see Two Face go on a killing spree, kidnap kids, and die…save that for the next film, give us his struggle between these two sides, develop the comic book character that was so interesting and full of lovable evil. Rather, he hijacks the story and muddles the entire film, with Nolan having too many packages and not enough time to put bows on each one.”

Comic Impulse (CI):

“IF YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT A MOVIE WHERE TOO MANY VILLAINS TOO LITTLE TIME TRY SPIDERMAN YOU STUPID IDIOT. . .OR IF YOU MUST PICK A BATMAN MOVIE. HOW ABOUT BAT MAN AND ROBIN. DON’T PICK THE DARK KNIGHT. THIS WAS A PERFECT AND DELICATE BLEND OF USING A CONCEPT OF LIGHT AND DARK BEING BLENDED TOGETHER THROUGH CHAOS (TO QUOTE MY BOY NATE). ALSO ZACH STATES THAT YOU DON’T GET TO SEE HARVEY DENT FALL OR STRUGGLE WITH DARK SIDE. AGAIN I ASK : ARE YOU SERIOUS? LIKE MAYBE WE WEREN’T WATCHING THE SAME MOVIE BUT BY IT’S SELF DID IT SHOW THAT HARVEY WASN’T ALL THERE AND IN FACT WAS TEETERING ON THE EDGE OF JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE. ALSO ANY READER OF A BATMAN COMIC WOULD KNOW THAT DENT HAD ISSUES, ALWAYS HAS HAD ISSUES. THERE IS NO REASON TO DIVE DEEPER INTO HIS STORY ABOUT HIS OTHER SIDE ANY MORE THAN THE MOVIE ALREADY DID. IT DID A GOOD JOB OF LETTING SOMEONE WHO MIGHT HAVE NEVER READ THE COMICS KNOW. . .HEY, HE MIGHT NOT BE ALL THAT GOOD ON THE INSIDE. SO TRY AGAIN ASS WIPE!”

Zach’s retort:

“IF YOU'RE GOING TO RIP ME APART, AT LEAST BE FAIR AND REPEAT MY POINTS AS THEY WERE WRITTEN FOR YOUR READERS. MY COMPLAINT WITH DENT IS THE FACT THAT HIS STORY SHOULD HAVE STOPPED AFTER HE WAS HOSPITALIZED AND HAD THAT EPIC SCENE WITH THE JOKER. THERE IS NO POINT RUSHING THROUGH DENT INTO TWO FACE AND SEEING IT ALL THE WAY TO DEATH IN LESS THAN 45 MINS. I THINK MOST OF YOUR COMIC BOOK READERS WOULD AGREE THAT HIS STORY COULD HAVE CONTINUED INTO THE THIRD FILM AND THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST AS HAPPY. IF YOU'RE MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT DENT IS NOT REALLY DEAD AND HE IS COMING BACK FOR THE THIRD THEN THAT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ARGUMENT...IF THIS IS TRUE, THE END OF TDK MAKES NO SENSE THEMATICALLY.”

My take:

I did not completely agree with Zach’s take on Two-Face; i.e., that the additional, fleshed out villain cluttered a movie that should have focused more on the struggle between the amoral Joker and Batman. In my opinion, the film is about the conflict between the two of them, and the rest of the movie, including Two-Face, falls under this. The Joker creates Two-Face: Dent has been a battleground between good and evil, between Batman and the Joker, even if Batman doesn’t realize this is something he must try to fight for until the end, and the Joker wins, until the very last moments. Dent is hope; the Joker works to destroy that, Batman to maintain it.

This said, Zach’s is very legitimate point. That Spiderman 3 was a bigger mess does not change the fact that The Dark Knight was trying to juggle several narrative lines and may have become muddled. No one is arguing that Spiderman 3 is the best film of all time.

In the end, CI’s main point seems to be that Zach is not a comic book expert. The assertion that the mythology of the comic books somehow excuses omissions or slips in the film is inadequate. Sure, the greater structure of the Batman universe ought to be taken into account, but the quality of an individual work within the network of Batman-related narratives can be judged on its own merits. The Godfather II, to use an example being tossed around, transcends Mario Puzo’s source material as well as the greater sphere of Mafia lore from which it originated. The Godfather, like the Dark Knight, can be analyzed through the lens of dramatic and narrative convention and technique, an artistic ancestry that’s been around for a few thousand years and out of which the comic book form is a recent and contingent branch.

Content aside, though, this exchange is interesting chiefly because it is a great example of the ways in which the Internet and fandom can create a perfect storm of pseudo-anonymous animosity. In what other sphere is it okay to call someone a “stupid idiot,” an “ass-wipe,” a “dick-weed,” etc. because that person thinks a movie would be 7/10 rather than a 9.5? To imply a connection between homosexuality and… being in disagreement with the author / not reading comic books?

Straight from the annals of Comic Impulse:

“. .PLEASE I CHALLENGE YOU TO RETORT. . .YOU PROBABLY DON’T HAVE THE BALLS SINCE THEIR ALWAYS IN YOUR BOYFRIENDS MOUTH"

“REASON # 5 YOUR A FUCKING RETARD. . .GO READ A GOOSEBUMPS BOOK AND WATCH CASABLANCA YA QUEER”

At least there were no death threats, like there were on the Rotten Tomatoes comment board. What say we up the level of discourse a bit?

PDF SCRIPTS

ZACH:

Are you like me and love reading screenplays?  Well, the one person out there nodding their head might find this cool website helpful, PDF MOVIE SCRIPTS.  They seem pretty cutting edge with the scripts they have available for download including Pineapple Express and Jurassic Park 4! Enjoy.

Paul Thomas Anderson Revue, Reviewed

EOGHAN:

“You know what I love? FLEA MARKETS.”

Last night, August 6th, I was among the audience at the Largo for the second and final night of comedic sketches co-written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Magnolia) and starring Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen . The show, really a staged reading, comprised about a dozen vignettes, all funny, some hilarious, dealing with the failures and kooky successes of coupledom.

In one piece, two drunk lovers, fawning over each other, both want to say something, and they agree to speak simultaneously:

“I want to have a threesome.”

“I hate your family.”

The house came down.

In another, a first date grows intimate as two strangers discuss their respective “humping” of stuffed animals/pillows as adolescents. The date is a success.

These two bits, representing opposite moments in a relationship, the former the collapse of connection, the latter its formation, are both seriously funny and weirdly sincere. As was the entire revue.

Rudolph was impressive, pulling off subtlety in addition to some satisfyingly broad grimaces, and Armisen was solid as well. And, lest we forget we are in the same territory as Magnolia, Jon Brion, Anderson’s oft composer, provided off-kilter counterbalance to the performances with his live accompaniment. You can catch Brion at the Largo just about every Friday, apparently.

A few pieces petered out after their punchlines were delivered, marring otherwise brilliant builds, as when Rudolph describes, to her eager husband, in a striking version of dubbed English, her exploration of the flesh while traveling “the Orient,” but then proceeds to talk about an electric bill for a bit too long. Overall, though, these missteps were minor.

There may never be a chance to see this, but, should an opportunity present itself, I highly recommend exploring the lighter side of the man who brought us Daniel Plainview. Turns out he can do guffaw-inducing comedy better than most. Maybe he's what SNL needs.

8.3

Nolan set to Remake "The Prisoner"

PIERCE:

Bad news for people who love bad news; Christopher Nolan just signed on to direct the film version remake of BBC cult television series The Prisoner. Everyone rejoices. I wonder which young hollywood actor will create the redefining role for the Guardian?

"THE CONVERSATION" TV SERIES

ANDY:

Variety is reporting that AMC is in negotiations to develop a new original series based on the 1974 film "The Conversation":

Producer Tony Krantz, who has attempted to turn "The Conversation" into a TV vehicle for more than a decade, has retained scribes Christopher McQuarrie ("The Usual Suspects") and Erik Jendresen ("Band of Brothers") to pen a new script.

The TV project will be set in the early 1970s -- emulating the time period of the original thriller -- and center on electronic surveillance expert Harry Caul, played in the film by Gene Hackman.

"It gives us an opportunity to look back at the 1970s through the filter of 2009," Krantz said. "The issues of privacy and individuality, and issues of spying and listening, are as relevant now as they've ever been. This is the perfect vehicle to tell those stories."

Perfect vehicle, huh? I wonder if they said the same thing about that "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" TV show too.

OK... As much as I hate to admit it, this has the small potential to become a really cool show if they just use the film's premise as a jumping off point and quickly go into a new sort of direction. So far, I've liked AMC's two other series so we'll have to see if lightning can strike a third time.

I kinda doubt it though.

POSTER WATCH

PIERCE:

Walking down Broadway this morning, I glanced at an epilepsy-inducing repetition of posters for the upcoming film Pineapple Express. Something that had been nagging me in the back of my mind came bubbling to the surface like some back ground noise that you suddenly realize is the reason you're irritated. It dawned on me I had seen this poster a hundred other times, except each other time it read for a different movie. Really? I'm a fan of minimalism, but all the recent posters using this style seem to be copping out big time.

Pineapple Express Review

ZACH:

Being called the Casablanca of pot comedies is not necessarily high praise considering the quality of most pot-related films of the past (with the exception of Dazed and Confused). The film is as simple as it comes: a process server (Seth Rogen) witnesses a murder and goes on the run with his dealer (James Franco).

With the straightforward plot, the film takes on way too many stories and characters to give them the attention they deserve. Everyone has their mini problems: Rogen is dating a high school girl who he keeps letting down and Franco wants to find a friend…how touching. These two problems don’t really add anything to the film; rather, just when you’re accepting the fact that this film is nothing more than a fun joy ride, these plots pop up and suck all the funny out of the film. Rogen is typical Rogen, a yawn for me, while Franco runs the show with his lovable, often confused, pothead act.

My favorite part of the movie was any scene featuring Danny McBride as Red. After seeing The Foot Fist Way (the best comedy of the year), I've been telling anybody with ears that he is the next big comedy superstar. His performance in this film confirms my notions and I can't wait to see him again in two weeks when Tropic Thunder hits the screens.

It’s hard to write a long review for this film because there isn’t much there. The laughs are great and they come often, but check story sense at the door. It’s just episodic event after episodic event, adding up to an entertaining journey that struggles to find its own voice. This is disappointing considering the previous works of David Gorden Green. I feel like Green fell into the Apatow world and made the same mistake all Apatow films are guilty of: the use of the one-liner joke. Yes, this is why I didn’t like Superbad, that damn rolling off of somewhat perverted, oh, you crossed the line jokes. I’m all for witty dialogue, but I follow the school of thought that great lines should come out of reactions to plot and situations. Green, like Apatow, places his characters anywhere and lets them foam at the mouth with often hilarious, yet shallow dialogue without telling the cast and crew that maybe we should move on.

When leaving the theaters after one of these films, the conversation is never about the twists and turns, structure, or interesting photography (if you want bland photography see any of Apatow’s films). It’s all about quoting your favorite ball joke. With all this said, I enjoyed the film and recommend it to people for a bunch of laughs, but, in the end, there is nothing special about Pineapple Express.

6.6

WATCHMEN/RANT

PIERCE:

I'm either going to get a lot of flack for this, or a lot of folks are going to agree. Or both. Or neither.

So..."Where do we...begin?" The surely-to-be-soon-overly-quoted line by the Joker aptly states what's happening /about to happen in the comic book film world. I'll go ahead and waste words reiterating what everyone already knows; that if The Dark Knight continues barreling along at the same rate, it'll soon give Titanic a run for its money. The thing is, before people even had a chance to ponder what could come after this dark, heady, character-driven film, viewers caught a preview of what has been considered the "most important Graphic Novel ever written." There is a geek standard for that type of description, but that's not what I'm talking about; Time magazine placed this in the top 100 greatest books ever written. So when the preview to Zach Snyder's nervously anticipated Watchmen trailer finally aired, most people's fears were laid to rest, right? I mean everything looked solid, he did that other comic book 300, didn't he?

Maybe not, and I think (pray I'm wrong) the problem will be this: Zach Snyder thinks he's making a superhero film. We saw in the trailer a lot of masked/caped people swooshing, gliding, and strutting across the screen in slick, stylish slow motion. It looks cool,
but unfortunately if you READ Watchmen you're given something more this: A Salinger-esque, irony ridden, dialogue-driven tale that paints the portrait of a doomed group of former "superheroes" as ultimately a sad joke. Who also are spending 90% of the time NOT in costume. One character is actually modeled around that very idea, and his death forms what drives this plot. It was one of the first pieces of work to truly turn the notion of superheroes on its head. I didn't catch any of that in this trailer. I saw the caped costumes, which looked awesome, but which are also in error, given that the costumes were all supposed to have an endearingly embarrassing element to them (this version may actually just go a little too far past in the other direction though... heh).

Anyways, to top it all off, the trailer featured a song by Billy Corgan. This song I didn't recognize, and I soon found out why when I realized it was written for the BATMAN AND ROBIN movie, the one that sort of ended comic book movies for a while. That bad omen of a song wouldn't be sooo bad, if only Alan Moore the author hadn't fleshed out this damn book to the point where the book, actually had its-yes-own soundtrack. A damn good one to boot. The lyrics of various/amazing songs are woven into the themes of this book, from Bob Dylan, to Nat King Cole, to Hendrix and Simon and Garfunkel, to name a few. This movie is going to be a @#$ing chore to make, honestly. I didn't mention the labyrinthine plot, or that Alan Moore also wrote this comic specifically to do things that only comics, not movies, can achieve.

Believe it or not I'm not naysaying this movie, I just feel as if I'm the only one not so hot for it yet. This lists only half the things Snyder is up against. Finally I want to state this ISN'T fanboy gripe--I could care less that Watchmen is Graphic Novel form--but rather from someone wanting to make sure really seriously good book gets made right.

I'll keep my proverbial fingers crossed on it and keep watching to see what happens. Either way, they have my ticket sale...

Snag Films

ZACH:

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