Sicko

I'm stepping away from the Oscars for a moment. I just watched the movie Sicko by Michael Moore. If you only watch one movie this year, and if you haven't seen this yet, then by all means, rent it and watch it. It will make you think, it will make you wonder...it will make you angry.

We live in the greatest country in the world, so why are we ranked so low when it comes to health care? You have to wonder.

Oscar Fashions: Couples

Yeah, I'm posting about the Oscars again. Why? Because I can. :-)

Even those years when I'd stopped watching the Oscars, I'd flip through magazines or surf the 'net checking out what people wore to the show. I love the whole red carpet fashion show thing, and not just the Oscar version. All the awards shows are fair game when it comes to rating the fashions. And it still amazes me how horribly wrong some choices are. Many of these celebrities use stylists to get them all glammed up for those special occasions, and many of those stylists should be drawn and quartered. (And the celebrities who went along with their choices should be banned from red carpet events until they take some sort of style class or something.)


So, for today, here are some 2009 Oscar fashion winners in the couples category (Beware, some of these will appear on both the winners and losers lists):

I love this picture of Brad and Angelina. In most photos, they are posing and seem so serious. This one is such a spontaneous image full of humor. It's a great shot of one of the most beautiful couples at the awards. And Angelina's jewelry is beautiful. Great shade of green.

Another beautiful couple, Diane Lane and Josh Brolin. I have to admit, as wonderful as she looks, Diane will be on both my good and bad lists. I'm not the biggest fan of the regular neck tie style tux, but sometimes it works. Josh certainly carries it off well.

Another great couple; Robert Downey, Jr. and his wife Susan. Again, the neck tie style tux, and again, it works. Susan is a producer on Robert's upcoming Sherlock Holmes movie. I am so looking forward to that one. And don't they make a beautiful couple. I love her hair. The only thing that could have made them better was if Robert was sporting the little goatee-moustache he had in the movie Iron Man. That is such a sexy look on him.

Not a real-life couple, but a couple in the movie Slumdog Millionaire and on the red carpet, Dev Patel and Frieda Pinto make an attractive pair at the awards. I'm not usually a fan of single-sleeve dresses (kind of like the neck tie tux thing) but I love this dress. It was gorgeous. I can't believe all the people I've heard on E! and the TV Guide Network who talk about it being a poor choice. I really thought she was beautiful in this dress.

And I think this is my favorite couple. Why? Well, not just because I'm a Star Trek fan (which I am) or because they both look pretty dapper (which they do - even with the regular neck tie) but because of what they represent. George Takei and his partner of over 21 years Brad Altman were married in September of 2008.

What About Eartha?

I have to say, I am disappointed. I watched the Oscars on Sunday, as you know if you've read my last two posts, and as usual they had the little montage paying tribute to those in the movie industry who passed during the year since the last Academy Awards show. I thought someone was missing, but wondered if maybe I had just missed a face or two on the screen. So, I hit play on the DVD (yes, I recorded it) and it appears I was right. No Eartha Kitt.

I wonder how they could have missed someone of Eartha Kitt's caliber. Yes, I know she was known more for her sultry singing voice, but she had parts in over 60 different television shows, movies and cartoons. She is known to generations of viewers...even to children today as Yzma in The Emperor's New Groove, its sequel and the television spin-off.

Now, I know timing is often a factor. Roy Scheider died on February 10, 2008, but did not make last years tribute montage for the 80th Academy Awards broadcast on February 24. He did make it to this year's video. Ms. Kitt however passed on December 25th, plenty of time to have her among the others lost to Hollywood in the memorial montage. So, what's the deal?

And I have to wonder if certain people are left out on purpose. Actor Brad Renfro died on January 15, 2008 and was left out of the memorial last year. He wasn't a legend by any means, but that doesn't mean the potential wasn't there, and that the movies and television shows he worked on weren't worth seeing. (His first role was in The Client with Susan Sarandon.) I think the story of his death was "lost" when Heath Ledger died exactly one week later. A sad, obscure ending to a tragic life.

But, I digress. I wonder who else may have been missed this year. Eartha was a legend, and her fans will always remember her, even if the Academy does not.

Oscar Backlash?

It seems everything turns into a controversy of some sort, and why should the Oscars be any different. It's true you can't please all the people all the time. There will always be people who think this movie was no where near as good as they're saying, this actor deserved the award more than the other one, etc. This year's issue seems to be with the movie Slumdog Millionaire.

This "little" movie from India picked up 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture...and therein lies the problem it seems. Many are not happy with this one winning top honors. (Well, some posting on the internet anyway.) They are saying it just shows how out of touch the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences really is that a movie given only limited release in the US, a movie that didn't make much money and wasn't seen by much of anybody here, won big.

Me? I say more power to it. The Oscars have never really been about what was popular in the past year or what made the most money. If those were deciding factors, movies like The Dark Knight, Iron Man or Transformers would all be vying for the top honor. Small movies often garner high praise on Oscar night since the voting is done by industry "insiders" such as actors, producers, directors, etc. They look at more than just box office receipts when casting their votes. And what better way to discover new movies you wouldn't normally have seen than by looking at who won big and using that as a guide. (Although, some movies I've seen for that reason have been a disappointment, and I'm especially thinking of Crash here.)

If the gold statues were given out by us regular people, Heath Ledger would have won for Brokeback Mountain, Paul Newman would not have had to wait until a dismal movie like The Color of Money before getting one and Woody Allen wouldn't have 3 to his name. (Can you tell I'm not a fan?)

But, that's why we have The People's Choice Awards.

Oscar Recap

The show is over. All the gold statues have been given out. The winners are happy and the losers...well, I hope people feel that there are no losers. When they say it's an honor to be nominated, it's very true. Just watch most any movie trailer and notice how it seems to give a bit more weight to a person's name, and the movie, when the words "Oscar nominee" are spoken before their name.

Last night's show started out pretty well. Hugh Jackman sang and danced his way through some pretty amusing economy friendly props, pulling Anne Hathaway up on stage to stand in as Richard Nixon at one point. The jokes weren't bad, pointing out at one point the way the nominations showcased actors who played a diverse range of characters (Kate Winslet being English and playing a German, Robert Downey, Jr. being American playing an Australian who played an African-American), and then commenting on the fact that he (Jackman) is Australian who played an Australian in a movie called Australia...and he was hosting the show.

For the most part, the winners were pretty predictable. Heath Ledger received his much deserved Academy Award for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight. (His father, mother and sister accepted it on behalf of his little girl, Matilda. I just love that name.) Penelope Cruz won the Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in Vicky Christina Barcelona, a movie I have to say I probably won't see since I'm not a Woody Allen fan. (I think he's kind of overrated.) Best Actor went to Sean Penn for his role of Harvey Milk in the movie Milk. (Penn's second Oscar.) Best Actress went to Kate Winslet for her role in The Reader.

I was glad to see Heath Ledger win, but a small bit disappointed in the others. (Not that they didn't deserve the recognition, I just tend to like the "underdog" as it were.) I would loved to have seen Mickey Rourke pick up an award for his role in The Wrestler. But, even if he didn't take home the gold statue, he truly was one of the biggest winners of the evening, earning acknowledgement from winners, presenters and the host throughout the night. His comeback is truly a great story.

For Best Actress, I would have loved to see Melissa Leo win for Frozen River simply because I'm a fan from her days on the TV show "Homicide: Life in the Street." For Actress in a Supporting Role...well, I haven't seen any of the movies, but I think I would have loved to see Taraji P. Henson win this one, simply from what I've heard about her and her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Slumdog Millionaire won Best Picture honors, and since I have yet to see any of the nominated films, I can't really comment on this. I do have to say that it's nice to see small films such as this one win, and no one really complains when they do. It's like the little film that could...they come up from behind and trudge up the hill to the ultimate prize.

The Oscars will be talked about incessantly for weeks to come, as they are every year. The fashions will make news and postings, and this blog will be no exception. And next year, we'll gear up to start it all over again.

At the end of the telecast, scenes from upcoming movies were shown, and I have to say I'm looking forward to the coming year in movies. There will be so much to talk about, and I just love to talk. :-)

The Oscars

Tonight's the night. Hollywood is holding its collective breath. Who will win the coveted gold statue? Of course, most people, me included, think Heath Ledger will get the Best Supporting Actor Oscar tonight, and that is as it should be. His performance was pure perfection.

Then of course there is the movie Slum Dog Millionaire, which is basically the little movie that could. I haven't seen it yet, so I can't say if it's as good as the hype, but the buzz certainly is good. I don't think anyone will be very surprised, or even disappointed, if this one wins Best Picture. But, considering it's going up against movies like Milk and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I think it has its work cut out for it.

This year marks the first time since I was a kid that I will actually sit and watch an awards show. (Well, I at least plan to. I tend to go to bed early, so this may be a fight.) I used to watch all types of awards shows...Oscars, People's Choice, Grammys...but I guess I grew out of them. And to tell you the truth, they got kind of boring. Stale, if you will.

I have high hopes for the Oscars this year. Hugh Jackman is hosting, and he really is a great showman. (Not to mention just plain yummy to look at.) Let's hope he can perk this show up a bit this year.

Tune in tomorrow.....

Ghost Town

Last night I watched the movie Ghost Town starring Ricky Gervais, the star and creator of The Office (British Version). If you've seen his stand up, or his show, you know how funny this guy can be. And if you are a fan, you will not be disappointed with this movie.

Gervais plays a dentist who, to put it mildly, really doesn't like people. He goes way out of his way to avoid interaction with others. (Kind of odd considering his profession.) While undergoing a simple medical procedure, Bertram Pincus (Gervais) dies for 7 minutes. As he leaves the hospital, he starts seeing dead people. Of course, once all these people realize someone can actually see them, they start bugging him, demanding he help them out.

Greg Kinnear plays Frank Herlihy, a man who was killed several months earlier when he was hit by a bus. He enlists Pincus' help to keep his widow (Tea Leoni) from marrying a man he feels is after her money. What follows is some times embarrassing, often funny as heck. Gervais has an interesting comedic timing that serves him well in this movie. And when you watch this on DVD, make sure you take the time to watch the outtakes as well. They really are worth the time.

If you're looking for something funny, something to just sit back and enjoy...this is a great pick. If you're looking for some big profound statement on death and dying...well, you may find that here as well. This movie may not be quite a 10, but it comes darn close.

Death Race

Years ago we were graced with an interesting if odd little movie called Death Race 2000. It's not one of my favorites, but then, I haven't seen it in quite some time. Maybe it's actually better than I remember.

In 2008, we were graced with an interesting if action-packed big movie called Death Race. If you're a Jason Statham fan, you'll like this movie.

In the original 1975 version, the race was a cross-country affair where the contestants actually earned points for running down pedestrians. (Wonder if the creators of the Grand Theft Auto video games were fans of this movie.) The main driver decides it's probably a wrong thing to do...an attack of conscience I reckon.

The Jason Statham vehicle (pun not intended - entirely) is a bit different and has a much bigger budget. Statham is framed for the death of his wife and ends up in prison where the warden (Joan Allen) runs a very popular auto race viewed by millions of Americans - an escape from their desolate lives of economic upheaval and unemployment. Competitors (inmates sentenced to life) die regularly, as that is the main goal of the race - kill as many as possible. Anyone who wins 5 races, and survives of course, is given a full pardon.

This movie is full of action, and a small bit of a plot in which Jason Statham wants to get the heck out of prison and be reunited with his daughter. I have to say, if you like his other movies, you'll like this one was well. Statham is the king of action movies right now, and this is another jewel in his crown.

Yes, there is a plot, albeit a small one. If you're looking for a big thought-provoking movie, watch something else. If you're looking for gratuitous violence and mayhem, check this one out.

Besides Allen and Statham, this movie costars Ian McShane, Tyrese Gibson and a host of others you will probably recognize but not really remember where you know them from. Also, listen closely to the voice of the driver Frankenstein at the beginning. David Carradine played the racer Frankenstein in the original Death Race 2000 and he provides the voice here.

Small plot, lots of action - a good way to just kill some time.

Kevin Spacey

Instead of looking at a particular movie or television show today, I'm going to focus on a particular actor.

Kevin Spacey is one of the greatest actors out there. He is extremely versatile and picks roles not just for the money and/or fame they can bring him. Looking at his resume is like reading a list of some of the most interesting characters ever to grace the screen.

Over the years, Kevin has had roles in nearly 60 movies, television shows and video games. The Internet Movie Database lists his first role as that of a subway thief in the Jack Nicholson/Meryl Streep movie Heartburn (1986). From there he has played tough guys, corrupt cops, teachers, comic book villains...you name it, he has probably played it.

One of my favorite Kevin Spacey movies is The Life of David Gale. This movie blew me away. Spacey plays a death row inmate, a man who was a vocal activist against capital punishment, who convinces a reporter to look into his case...of course stating his innocence. The twists at the end of this movie are one thing, and his portrayal of a man willing to sacrifice everything to take a stand against the death penalty is at times heartbreaking.

Going in a whole other direction, Spacey plays crooner Bobby Darin in the movie Beyond the Sea. He does his own singing in this one, and who knew he had such amazing talent in that area. He sings, he dances...he produced, directed and wrote the movie...and he even wrote a song in the movie. Talk about multi-talented. This movie was about as close to perfection as you can get.

Another favorite of mine is K-PAX about a man who claims to be from an alien world (called K-PAX) and the psychiatrist who begins treating him (Jeff Bridges). I think this is the first movie of Spacey's I saw, and I was hooked. He was so good as the "alien" Prot, you find yourself hoping he's telling the truth and is from another planet.

I love how Spacey approaches acting in general. In the movie Se7en, he told them not to give him credit because moviegoers would spend the time waiting for him to show up. You had no idea he was the bad guy until he finally shows up toward the end. Worked perfectly.

And his private life is just that...very private. He says he tries to keep it that way as the less people know about him personally, the easier it is for them to believe he is the person they are watching on the screen. And ya' know what...it's true.

Besides winning two Oscars so far (Supporting Actor in The Usual Suspects, and Best Actor in American Beauty), he has won two Emmys (among other awards) and been nominated for the Golden Globe, the Grammy and many others. He is also a Tony Winning Broadway actor and has been named Artistic Director of the Old Vic Theatre in London, England. And though all of his movies haven't been the best in the world (and I'm thinking of Superman Returns here), his roles have been nothing but perfection.

Being a member of NetFlix, I have a nice list of Kevin Spacey movies just waiting to grace my mailbox. Movies I haven't seen yet, such as 21 and Hurly Burly, and movies I love to watch over and over such as The Usual Suspects and The Ref (another one of my absolute favorites), sit patiently waiting for me to reel them in. And I tingle with anticipation at the prospect of seeing each and every one of them.

Memoirs of a Geisha

After having read the book Memoirs of a Geisha, I had high hopes for the movie. You'd think I would have learned by now that reading the book first is not a good idea.

OK, it's not that this is not a good movie. It really is a good movie. I'm a fan of Michelle Yeoh, and she did a great job as Mameha. And Ziyi Zhang's portrayal of Sayuri was spot on. Kôji Yakusho was good as Nobu as well, but I was disappointed they took away part of that character's "handicap" as that was really what made him the person he had become in life. The acting was wonderful and the visuals were beautiful. I love the narration aspect of it. For some reason narration movies really appeal to me.

I was a bit disappointed by the elements that were missing in the movie. If I hadn't read the book and known the background of some scenes, I think I would have been a bit confused by them. I know I would have at least had a different idea as to why certain things were happening.

I know that it is virtually impossible to bring a book to the silver screen without making changes and leaving some things out. Movies would be way too long if they contained every detail of the novels they were based upon. That being said, this really is a good movie. If you haven't seen it, it's worth renting. Just be warned, if you've read the book, it's not quite the same. If you haven't read it, you will want to after seeing the movie.