quick update...

...home soooo soon. But I decided to randomly update my Oscar predictions...

Best Picture
Atonement
Juno
No Country for Old Men *
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

Best Director
P.T. Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Tim Burton, Sweeney Todd
Coen brothers, No Country for Old Men *
Sean Penn, Into the Wild
Joe Wright, Atonement

Best Actor
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood *
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
James McAvoy, Atonement
Denzel Washington, American Gangster

Best Actress
Julie Christie, Away from Her *
Marion Cotillard, La vie en rose
Keira Knightley, Atonement
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno
(I left out Blanchett for my own sanity.)

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James…
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men *
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War
Tommy Lee Jones, No Country for Old Men
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Cate Blanchett, I’m Not There
Kelly Macdonald, No Country for Old Men
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone *
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

Best Original Screenplay
Juno *
Knocked Up
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages

Best Adapted Screenplay
Atonement *
Charlie Wilson’s War
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

I´m not dead!

Just in Spain. :D :D :D Land of fantastic-ness, but no internet. I´ll be back for real in January, but probably pretty useless as I won´t have seen any of the big movies, dammit...

Oh how I love cracked.com.

Via them:
"[T]he Shrek franchise has always been one hell of a great time, the sort of movie you can take your parents to and all have fun watching, and this looks like no exception. If you're a Shrek-hater, there's clearly not enough actual misery in your life, and you're just picking things randomly to vent at. You need more hobbies."

Because...

Looking down this page, I realized there were only women in the pictures of the blog, and me gushing about their beauty (or in Keira's case, lack thereof). This will not do!

I want Scarlett's shoes.

And her hair. And her face wouldn't hurt either.

so

I'm off to Spain tomorrow to study abroad for a semester. I'm obviously excited. For my loyal readers (...?), I dunno about my posting schedule there, or even if the internet will work properly. If the internets is all crazy, I'll be back around January. If not, I'll try to post as much as I can...

See, I don't know why you'd ever want Keira when you could have

Her.

As a bonus, she can actually act too (yeah yeah, Keira was great in Pride and Prejudice, but I'm counting that as a fluke until I see her in Atonement)...

Please explain why anyone would think she's attractive.

At least she seems to have some sort of personality in this one and is kind of fetching. Actually, the more I look at it, the more it grows on me. Keira, see, you might actually be worth the hype I keep hearing about you if you'd just stop making that stupid face!

happy birthday Cameron Diaz!

Or maybe this was just an excuse to post this outfit which is FANTASTIC.

More stupid criticism

"If Brokeback Mountain wasn't about gays, it would have been totally ignored!"

Durrr. Everyone knows I'm not the biggest fan of Brokeback Mountain. I gave a rather maniacal giggle of joy when Jack Nicholson announced "Crash...whoah." But well, the fact that Brokeback Mountain was a gay movie, but with every cliche of a straight romance, is the entire point of the movie. It's a genius concept...but the script is so stupid and over-the-top and it's so endlessly miserable with no payoff/catharsis at all (others will disagree, but that's how I feel.) that it doesn't work.

Movies I am pretty ambivalent about

that everyone else seems to either love or despise.

I Heart Huckabees
Little Children (I err far more toward the side of positive)
Mulholland Dr.
The Terminal
Match Point
Punch-Drunk Love
Closer
The Cell

I'd like an otter, please.

His name is Odie and I am in love. (sorry, Jason)

those sort-of sexy lists

Top 10 of the '60s and '80s, prone to rapid change at any time.

1960s
1. The Graduate
2. 8 1/2
3. Belle du jour
4. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
5. Midnight Cowboy (I just rewatched this a few days ago. Wow. Those filmmakers were on drugs. Still a great movie)
6. Blow-up
7. Repulsion
8. The Apartment
9. To Kill a Mockingbird
10. La dolce vita

1980s
1. Amadeus
2. Raging Bull
3. Do the Right Thing
4. Tootsie
5. Hannah and Her Sisters
6. When Harry Met Sally...
7. Wings of Desire
8. The King of Comedy
9. The Shining
10. The Princess Bride

Let's all note that according to AFI, all of those movies except Raging Bull and Tootsie are apparently inferior to Sophie's Choice.

Random theoretical question.

So if we were lucky enough to live in a world where Kate Winslet was the one with the Oscar of the two in this above photo, and Cate Blanchett (rightfully) never had one, whose fanboys (as much as I hate that term) would be more annoying? I'm willing to bet Blanchett. Her fans are already way more so. Yeah, Winslet attracts way more psychos, but Blanchett's average fans are far more irritating; they give her nominations for any time she pops on screen (and no, I don't do that for Kate) and then deny their fanboy-ism. Dude, I'm proud to be a Kate Winslet fangirl. I wouldn't be one if I didn't think she was amazing. Just frickin' admit it already.

Also annoying: People who have Mulholland Dr. as their greatest movie of all time. Okay, it's a good movie. Those that dismiss it as utter shit or "an excuse to have David Lynch watch Naomi Watts touch herself" are d-u-m-b dumb. However, Mulholland Dr. is also one of few movies that are actually pretentious, as in it thinks it's way more important than it really is. It doesn't really say anything about Hollywood, which it's ostensibly trying to do. Also, the end just really bothers me... "it was all a dream!!!" This has been the lazy fallback of sitcoms for decades, but just cuz Lynch does it it's suddenly genius. Not to overly hate on Mulholland though. It's a B.

I have the most boring top 5 of the 90s ever.

Pulp Fiction
American Beauty
Schindler's List
Magnolia
Goodfellas

zzz. I swear I am not usually this boring. For example, you should see my top 10 of the '60s, as well as of the '80s. They're deathly sexy lists. In fact... I may post them right after this.

I have a SHAMEFUL soft spot for this movie

...much like its lead actress actually

Sarah Rose knows you're a beautiful person.
Sarah Rose knows you have an unusual talent.

Um, ew...?

http://www.fox.com/teenchoice/winners/

And I thought the MTV Movie Awards were bad. Yikes. They really like Sophia Bush don't they?

Another really stupid item of criticism

"Schindler's List shouldn't have ended the way it should have. It's so sappy!"

Okay. We live in a world rampant with people who would deny the Holocaust. In including the actual people in the film, Spielberg is, essentially, flipping these idiots the middle finger. He's saying, "This really happened." The fact that the past three hours were indeed based on truth and things the survivors went through only makes the (amazing, BTW) movie more potent.

Damn, bitch can sing.

I think if you told me that she was gonna win the Oscar in the future though, I would have asked you to hand me whatever you were smoking since it was pretty clearly potent.

oh my God, it's weird to watch Wedding Crashers

"I'm reading don't-kill-yourself books."

Resurrecting the Champ

So what the hell is that movie about? Cuz half the ads make it look like an inspirational sports movie and the other half make it look like a stalker film.

looking back at my year-in-advance Oscar picks

So, I Was Wrong.:
- Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
- Goya's Ghosts
- Milos Forman, Goya's Ghosts
- Robert De Niro, Stardust
- James McAvoy, Becoming Jane (he'll probably get in for Atonement... at least, that's what it looks like at this point)
- Glenn Close, Evening (lol)
- Jane Fonda, Georgia Rule (lololololol)

hah!

I maintain that, whether you're in a bad mood or not, one of the absolute best things to do for entertainment is to go and read comments under IMDb "Hated It" for your favorite movies. This is hilarious. Especially if Lost in Translation ranks up there among your favorite movies, as the criticism for this movie is so misguided. Because I have no life (I head off to Spain in a little less than a week for study abroad, whee, but I've got nothing to do until then) I collected stuff from just the first 7 pages... oh, the hilarity.




What actually happens? I had a day like this 3 weeks ago.
that's kind of the point of the movie

It reminded me of the worst excesses of 60's French New Wave. Long stretches of people staring. Long stretches of silence and monosyllables. More long stretches of loud noise and incomprehensible voices. Short cut-in scenes that advanced the story (what there was of it) and characters not a bit.
they're really not that bad. if you saw all that much french new wave, you should easily be able to deal with lost in translation.

Can I believe in a young woman who's supposed to be a recent philosophy graduate of Yale, who can't think of anything to do with her time but stare out the window of her expensive hotel?
sure you can. my boyfriend just graduated, and he totally connects to just... despite the fact that he's gotten a great education and he's got a job and what not, he just feels lost. I can't put that feeling in more articulate words. but most recent college graduates, even those that have jobs and whatnot, feel more than a little lost sometimes.

You're in a different country - go out, go sightseeing, try the local food, go shopping, learn about the country, or even go and spend the day at the hotel pool, reading a good book - don't sit there feeling sorry for yourself and look for someone to cheat with.
errr... they do all that. a lot.

Bill Murray looks utterly lost as if he has not been paid his salary for playing the part in the film.
um, that's kinda the point of his performance

directed with bland nothingness by a girl who, had she had different parents, nobody would blink twice about.
oh how i love this criticism. it's so legitimate.

The film shows two Americans having trouble relating to Japanese culture, perhaps this is because Japan IS A DIFFERENT CULTURE!!!! This film could have taken place in any country that doesn't speak English and the same feeling of isolation would have been prevalant.
well, yeah. that's one of the strengths of the film - it's so specific and personal yet feels like it could apply to anyone. look, i'm not saying i don't like it more because i do feel a connection to it, at times. but the fact that it works on both those levels is a miracle.

And by the way I went to Yale myself so there!
good for you. (go harvard)

I challenge somebody to find any shot in this movie of a japanese person (or perhaps apes in japanese costumes) who isn't acting silly or over the top, as part of a joke, a joke in which the japanese are the being punched by the line.
there are plenty, like the woman who tries to help charlotte with the flowers. the film treads the line with those L-R jokes, but it manages to err on the side of good taste. other than that? charlotte and bill are different. that's the point. they see things differently. i bet there could be a companion movie from the point of view of charlotte's japanese friends, in which charlotte and bob would look like bumbling fools.

This film just further proves that I simply do not understand film critics. Lost in Translation is horrible. What exactly is this thing supposed to be about? Nothing happens. The characters do not develop, change, or even engage in anything relatively interesting. I don't need a movie to enjoy a "snippet of life", all I have to do is look around me.
THE POINT.

Having two leads who speak English, but cant be bothered to say anything because there so depressed is ridiculous.
they don't say anything...?

If anyone here thinks that Godfather C's daughter isn't going to have all of hollywood praising her (whether she makes a good movie or not), they need to go see Tony Soprano's shrink. This praise that's sweeping the country is purely political to make the old man happy. I'm sure he has the power in tinseltown to make anybody have a bad day.
again, i just love this criticism. it's even better when applied to marie-antoinette.

That's my first major criticism of the movie; it settles into itself to a point where after a while you forget you're watching a movie, and it just seems like you're simply watching a fish bowl with two people in it; and although this is good in terms of realism, and I don't doubt that Sofia intended it that way; movies are supposed to be an escape from reality, and although some people would disagree; movies are also meant to be entertaining, and I for one don't watch movies to not be entertained; Lost in Translation fails in both of those respects.
for one thing, i don't really understand what this person is going on about, but if what i think is correct... well, yes. movies can be an escape from reality. but sometimes, movies try to emulate reality. that was lost in translation's goal, and it totally succeeded. as far as entertaining, well, that's everyone's own point-of-view, but i sure as hell thought it was.

And she, wandering around in her philosophical haze, could have come up with something more dramatic than visiting a Buddhist temple a couple times. How about a suicide attempt? A big fight with her husband when he's sucking up to the hot, blonde starlet? Something, anything!
the point of the movie isn't BIG EMOTIONS!!!!!, at least not in the usual oscarish way. yeah, these characters have strong feelings, but they deal with them in a totally normal way. people hold in their anger every day. people feel unsatisfied but certainly not depressed enough to commit suicide every day. arguments like this only add to lost in translation's strength.

Can't understand the enthusiasm for this boring travel log.I like Bill Murry in other films 'Ground Hog Day" ect. but this was so boring, watching someone pick his nose and comb his hair in a hotel room was, well, just too little. snore
a. again, THE POINT.
b. did he even do either of those?

I feel Sofia went above and beyond to make herself look like a victim when in fact she made herself look like an overly-sensitive snooty ivy leaguer whose problems are dwarfed by the average person's. "Oh no, I graduated from Yale but don't know what I want to do so I'll just follow my rich and successful husband to Japan and hang out there." Yeah, try getting laid off from your job and having to go home to your wife and kids. Try losing a loved one to a drunk driving accident. Try working two jobs to put yourself through community college. There are so many greater things to be upset about, but you don't see these people grasping for sympathy.
uh... sofia is never trying to say "what's happening to the protagonists in this movie is the absolute worst thing that could ever happen to a person." they don't even think it is, they're just not happy where they are. does this make them seem a little self-centered at times? yes, but it also helps in character development. it makes them (far) more realistic as people to not be happy perfect little chipmunks.

how on earth Copolla won Best Original Screenplay for a film without dialogue is beyond me
i think you should exaggerate some more

the "kinda missed the point, didn't you?" quotes of the day

"Dennis Hopper [Christian Bale] was so over-the-top in Blue Velvet [American Psycho]. He was utterly ludicrous!"

"My God, Lost in Translation is boring. Nothing happens in that movie."

The Nanny Diaries

Um, Scarlett, lovely, how is it that your talent seems to be diminishing with every performance? And how is it that Laura Linney is always the most incomparably awesome actress in the world, and gets no credit?

I think you know it's a bad thing when a film has you utterly yearning for the wit of The Devil Wears Prada...

Edit, January '08 (ha): You know what? This movie really isn't so bad. It's not The Devil Wears Prada, but it's not as bad as...well...no example is coming to mind right now. But it's not a horrible way to pass an hour and 45 minutes. Not highly recommended, but far, far from awful. Linney is fantastic, yeah, but it's not anywhere near her best performance, and Scarlett is fine, if not anywhere near great (or even all that good). She's more miscast than bad.

"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant."

The best song ever or the best song ever?

GARRRRR

Via Oh No They Didn't, via some other site:

Warner Bros wants Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street director Tim Burton to “butcher” his own film, according to a report from the Daily Mail. Apparently the early footage from the film was so extremely bloody that the studio executives have become a tad squeamish and are requesting the film to be re-cut. In its present form the film would merit an R-Rating, but Warner Brothers would prefer it to be released with a PG-13 MPAA tag.

Sweeney? PG-13? HEADDESK.

Wow, that's fucked up...

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/owen_wilson_hospitalized/celebrity/64164

I hope Owen's doing better. He isn't one of my favorite actors, but I've seen how suicide devastates those who knew the person. It's awful. Again, I hope he's better soon.

cuz apparently I can't talk about anything besides Harry Potter

I know this ain't exactly an original thought, but my God, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson really are like the worst actors ever (at least in the Harry Potter films), aren't they? And Daniel Radcliffe ain't a prize either (though he shocked me at how good he was in the fifth one)...

Tootsie

Okay so we all know Tootsie is awesome right. And if the answer is not "right," then you might as well not read my blog any more (not that anyone does to begin with but whatever). However, the movie gets a weensy bit... "ruined"... by the fact that it was made in the 80s. Like, you'll be watching some wonderful scene and out of nowhere, some gawdawful 80s song will come on. Gar!!!

Mini-rant.

Okay, so to preface this entry, the large majority of my home friends are excessively annoying. The minute I graduate from college, I'm gonna move in with one of my college friends in not-this-state (as much as I love NYC) or something. But anyway, a few days ago, we went out to celebrate a friend's birthday, and the subject of Harry Potter was brought up (of course; they all think it's flawless, eyeroll). They all kept bitching about the fifth movie and how it was bad because it "cut so much out."

Whoah.

Here is the main point of this entry: movies and books are different things. Shocking! I know! And yes, sometimes these two forms of art can combine. And when they do, and here is my second main point: movies do not have any sort of obligation to be exactly like the books they are adapted from. Should they completely change, well, that's kinda BS (though they wouldn't be claiming it was based on a book any way), but those that make the movies have the right to do that. It's crap that fans of books/comic books/whatever they adapted complain about what they left in and what they didn't, and judge the movies primarily based on that. Movies are completely different. Of course Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix couldn't put everything from the book in the movie. The book was...I don't even remember how many pages, 800+? 900+? 1000? The movie would have been ten hours long. In fact, it's a credit to the movie (or a detraction from the book, which is how I prefer to think of it...) that it's the shortest and best of the series (without leaving anything important out - maybe the locket could have been in there, but what would they have done? just shown them all holding a locket? that would have been tooooo obvious), while the book is the longest and absolute worst of the series. I mean, we are all fans of certain books or whatever, and I'm sure many among us has held his or her breath in the hopes that that movie based on that book you loved would turn out just as good. And I'm sure you all whined when whatever scene was cut out... but I'm also sure you appreciated the movie on its own terms (unless, say, that book was Bonfire of the Vanities, in which case you have every right to be upset).

I can't write. But my basic point is: movies and books are different. The directors, writers, and editors of movies have every right to cut out what they want from books, if they feel it will make their movie better.

teehee!

Being a teeny blonde thing myself, I obviously love these two.

a good thing for a certain Harvard-educated actress

I think it's really good for Natalie Portman that I can watch the third episode of Star Wars and think nothing more than "wow, Natalie Portman is really stunningly gorgeous." It's vaguely insulting that they had Keira Knightley as her decoy in the first one...

oh lord, Jake Gyllenhaal.

I always want to write some rant about Jake Gyllenhaal, about how he's a good actor but terribly overrated just because he's gorgeous...

And then he shows up somewhere looking like this. How can I argue with the Jake? How can I? I can just be grateful that whoever is up there lets people look like this grace our screens. Again, and for the billionth time, apologies to the boyf. He's hotter than Jake anyway ;)

happy birthday Rodrigo Santoro!

Oh... yum

news about two of my favorites today...

Murray May Face Swedish Golf Cart DUI
BILL??? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING???

Oscar Nominee Laura Linney Engaged
At least she's being sane...

today's IMDb poll is retarded.

Laura Linney is typecast as the "woman with issues"? Isn't virtually every good female role a "woman with issues"? That's what makes the roles good. They have issues that they have to sort out, and deal with. I mean, what if the characters had no issues? Then they'd be perfect. And that's not much fun for an actor, now is it?

oh, Scarlett.

(ignore the talentless thing on the right)
Scarlett, you know I'll love you forever. All it took was Lost in Translation. But, take it from one of your most ardent supporters: you were so much better when you were an actress and not a product of hype, like here in the despicable Ghost World (in which you were great). Your performances in Scoop and The Prestige were hardly bad, but when you're in 230580584698 movies like you were last year, I'd expect Girl with a Pearl Earring-level brilliance in at least one of them...

whoah!

I just saw a new and okay, probably more obvious trailer for Eastern Promises and now you can take it off of the list of movies that I'm not so excited for. Wow! It actually looks interesting, Naomi seems to be in awesome mode, and Viggo really could not get any better-looking, goddamn. Although I was amused that they said it was from the director of "The" History of Violence.

Cate looks a little deranged in this picture

Is it just me, or did Cate go from one of Oscar's most neglected to one of its most loved? Especially considering she's getting nuts buzz for both The Golden Age (though the backlash has started for that already, hooray!) and I'm Not There. I swear to God, if the Oscar Best Actress lineup has both Cate and Keira, no matter how good they are (though I shouldn't say that...), and no Julie Christie, I will cry. I will cry a lot.

...god, the Oscars. They make the most sane among us nuts.

uh, is it just me...

or does Alana Allen give one of the WORST PERFORMANCES EVER in Camp? Horrible unsympathetic character. But she could have played it so much better. So fake and obvious. Ugh.

I think the movie is both realistic (from a theater dork herself) and completely exaggerated. But it's got a cameo by God, so it's at least okay!

Those poor things known as "the nominations for musical/comedy"

So we can all agree that Musical/Comedy is a pretty ignored category through the years. So, here are my personal nominations in that category for every year. Note: I was pretty broad with my definition of "musical/comedy..." Here is where I'm willing to call utter fraud (Ray ain't a comedy, and it isn't really a musical, but... Lost in Translation's status as a comedy can be debated, but...). In order of preference.

2000
Best Picture
Best in Show
Wonder Boys
Nurse Betty
Dancer in the Dark
American Psycho (some kind of crazy and demented comedy, but a comedy.)

Best Actor
Christian Bale, American Psycho
Michael Douglas, Wonder Boys
George Clooney, O Brother, Where Art Thou?
John Cusack, High Fidelity
Samuel L. Jackson, Shaft (err...it's sort of a comedy, no?)

Best Actress
Renee Zellweger, Nurse Betty
There are no other okay candidates. Seriously. Bjork was awful.

Best Supporting Actor
Willem Dafoe, Shadow of the Vampire
Jeffrey Wright, Shaft (he should have been on my Gods of Acting post from yesterday. I'M SORRY, JEFF! :( )
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Almost Famous
Jack Black, High Fidelity
Robert Downey Jr., Wonder Boys

Best Supporting Actress
Parker Posey, Best in Show
Catherine Deneuve, Dancer in the Dark
Frances McDormand, Almost Famous
Frances McDormand, Wonder Boys
Kate Hudson, Almost Famous


2001
Best Picture
Moulin Rouge!
Gosford Park
Shrek
Zoolander
Bridget Jones' Diary

Best Actor
Ewan McGregor, Moulin Rouge!
Gene Hackman, The Royal Tenenbaums
John Cameron Mitchell, Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Ben Stiller, Zoolander
Ray Winstone, Sexy Beast (pitch-black comedy...)

Best Actress
Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge!
Renee Zellweger, Bridget Jones' Diary
Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde
Piper Perabo, Lost and Delirious (comedy...?)
Kirsten Dunst, The Cat's Meow

Best Supporting Actor
Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast
Steve Buscemi, Ghost World
Jim Broadbent, Moulin Rouge!
Will Ferrell, Zoolander
Luke Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums

Best Supporting Actress
Gwyneth Paltrow, The Royal Tenenbaums
Helen Mirren, Gosford Park
Maggie Smith, Gosford Park
Scarlett Johansson, Ghost World
Emily Watson, Gosford Park


2002
Best Picture
Chicago
Adaptation.
About Schmidt
Catch Me If You Can (another debatable comedy)
Secretary

Best Actor
Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt
Campbell Scott, Roger Dodger
Nicolas Cage, Adaptation.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch Me If You Can
Hugh Grant, About a Boy

Best Actress
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Secretary
Renee Zellweger, Chicago
Catherine Keener, Lovely and Amazing
Jennifer Aniston, The Good Girl
Jennifer Westfeldt, Kissing Jessica Stein

Best Supporting Actor
Chris Cooper, Adaptation.
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Punch-Drunk Love
Christopher Walken, Catch Me If You Can
John C. Reilly, Chicago
Ian Somerhalder, Rules of Attraction

Best Supporting Actress
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago
Meryl Streep, Adaptation.
Emily Watson, Punch-Drunk Love
Emily Mortimer, Lovely and Amazing
Toni Collette, About a Boy


2003
Best Picture
Lost in Translation
Finding Nemo
Big Fish
Love Actually
The Company ("musical")

Best Actor
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Robert Downey Jr., The Singing Detective
Paul Giamatti, American Splendor
Jack Black, School of Rock
George Clooney, Intolerable Cruelty

Best Actress
Scarlett Johansson, Lost in Translation
Jamie Lee Curtis, Freaky Friday
Renee Zellweger, Down with Love
Helen Mirren, Calendar Girls
Diane Lane, Under the Tuscan Sun

Best Supporting Actor
Bill Nighy, Love Actually
Hugh Grant, Love Actually
Albert Finney, Big Fish
Colin Firth, Love Actually
Geoffrey Rush, Pirates of the Carribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Best Supporting Actress
Catherine O'Hara, A Mighty Wind
Ellen DeGeneres, Finding Nemo
Emma Thompson, Love Actually
Laura Linney, Love Actually
Anna Faris, Lost in Translation


2004
Best Picture
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Mean Girls
Sideways
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Anchorman

Best Actor
Paul Giamatti, Sideways
Jamie Foxx, Ray
Jim Carrey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Bill Murray, The Life Aquatic...
Will Ferrell, Anchorman

Best Actress
Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Laura Linney, P.S. (comedy?)
Jennifer Garner, 13 Going on 30
Lindsay Lohan, Mean Girls
Holly Hunter, The Incredibles

Best Supporting Actor
Jude Law, I Heart Huckabees
Steve Carell, Anchorman
Thomas Haden Church, Sideways
Tom Wilkinson, Eternal Sunshine...
Topher Grace, In Good Company

Best Supporting Actress
Virginia Madsen, Sideways
Kirsten Dunst, Eternal Sunshine...
Rachel McAdams, Mean Girls
Natalie Portman, Garden State
Lacey Chabert, Mean Girls


2005
Best Picture
Pride and Prejudice
The Squid and the Whale
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Wedding Crashers
Broken Flowers

Best Actor
Steve Carell, The 40-Year-Old Virgin
Robert Downey Jr., Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Bill Murray, Broken Flowers
Terrence Howard, Hustle and Flow ("musical")
Joaquin Phoenix, Walk the Line

Best Actress
Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice
Lisa Kudrow, Happy Endings
Toni Collette, In Her Shoes
Radha Mitchell, Melinda and Melinda (half comedy's good enough, huh ;) )

Best Supporting Actor
Jesse L. Martin, Rent
Donald Sutherland, Pride and Prejudice
Jeff Daniels, The Squid and the Whale
Vince Vaughn, Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Jeffrey Wright, Broken Flowers

Best Supporting Actress
Laura Linney, The Squid and the Whale
Rosario Dawson, Rent
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Happy Endings
Isla Fisher, Wedding Crashers
Catherine Keener, The 40-Year-Old Virgin


2006
Best Picture
Marie-Antoinette ("comedy")
Borat
Dreamgirls
Volver
Little Miss Sunshine

Best Actor
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat
Peter O'Toole, Venus
Aaron Eckhart, Thank You For Smoking
Joe Cross, Running with Scissors
Will Ferrell, Stranger than Fiction

Best Actress
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Kirsten Dunst, Marie-Antoinette
Melinda Page Hamilton, Sleeping Dogs Lie
Catherine O'Hara, For Your Consideration
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Supporting Actor
Steve Carell, Little Miss Sunshine
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Greg Kinnear, Little Miss Sunshine
Stanley Tucci, The Devil Wears Prada
Woody Allen, Scoop

Best Supporting Actress (suck it Emily Blunt)
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stranger than Fiction
Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Kate Winslet, Romance and Cigarettes
Emma Thompson, Stranger than Fiction



YAY, DONE. And yes, I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel for some of these, but some are actually better than the corresponding categories in drama (Best Supporting Actress 04)

You know what I just realized?

The other two girls in Mean Girls don't get any attention at all, and that's sad. No, neither were nom-worthy (though I don't nominate Rachel or Lindsay either), but Amanda Seyfried and especially Lacey Chabert were better than most of the Oscar nominees (I'm looking at you, Sophie, Cate, and Natalie).

"writers' block"

So my five gods of acting, in picture form. Are they the five greatest actors who ever lived? No. But, they are the five that bring me the most joy whenever they are on screen, coupled with fantastic performances to boot.

Edit: Jeffrey Wright should be on there too! Sorry, brain fart. Blah

the dad, on Fight Club

Dad: So what happened to Brad Pitt at the end?
Me: Well, Edward Norton shot himself through the head to get rid of him.
Dad: Why? What?
Me: ...because Brad Pitt was the other part of his split personality?
Dad: Whaaaaaa????? But they were like, in the room together! At the same time! And Brad talked to him and stuff!
Me: ...

(I love my dad, or as I call him, the padge, mucho. But seriously.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDWARD NORTON!

One of the best working actors, and sexy as hell to boot.

happy birthday Bobby!

you only give, oh, five or so of the best performances ever in raging bull, taxi driver, the king of comedy, the godfather part 2, and the deer hunter. and i secretly looooved you in stardust! you're a king, at any rate.

I bet this was everyone's first thought seeing this picture

Ennis del Mar, totally fucked up by his relationship with Jack Twist, went irrefutably crazy and turned into a homicidal and demented man, prone to wearing bizarre makeup. One day on the street, he saw Jack's estranged sister who, in his dementia, he mistook for Jack. Life started to turn bad for the lovely young lass (okay, I don't know how she was young when Ennis was old. Whatever.) when Ennis, convinced she was Jack reincarnated, started to stalk her...

Stay tuned this fall for Brokeback Mountain 2: Fatal Attraction 2: Dead Ringers 2...

(omigod The Dark Knight CANNOT COME SOON ENOUGH)

hooray!!!

I love him. And it's his birthday. Yay!!!!

"OHHHHHH KELLY CLARKSON!!!!"

oh my god, i was JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS

no, that's not...what it looks like. But still.

happy birthday oh secret favorite.

Okay, he's definitely not my favorite favorite, but I do love me some Baffleck. He makes horrendous career choices, but when he's in good movies, he is indeed good. I give him a nom for Shakespeare in Love, shockingly enough, and wish I had room for him for Hollywoodland. Anyone that dislikes him nowadays is just picking on him; he makes actual decent career choices and is totally not a media whore any more. Happy birthday Ben! Your family is so adorable!

Okay, Anne. We have to talk.

Click here to see what inspired this (which is, indeed, the first thing that pops up when you Google Image Search Anne Hathaway). NSFW.

Anne. In interviews with you that I have read, one thing stands out to me: dear lord, do you want to be Lindsay Lohan. You're really trying to do that "Disney girl gone bad" thing, down to mimicking her candor and your whining that if we all saw what you did in college, you'd be in just as much trouble as her (yuh-huh). Except where Lindsay Lohan is gorgeous, somehow totally interesting, and actually talented (well, she was), you are bland, completely sexless, and talentless. Nobody makes much of a big deal whenever you flash your tits, which seems to be as often as possible, huh? Oh, too bad. Maybe if you weren't so intrinsically boring.

Go back to Disney (where you are actually at your best acting-wise since you don't try so damn hard) and keep your scary mouth away. Oh, and Becoming Jane was terribly boring and you certainly weren't doing anything to help.

Embarassing confession time!

I like Inside Man better than this movie. Yes, I realize that without the above movie, Inside Man would never exist. It's still so much more fun, while being smart too!

Oh, and I'm 20, and still enjoy playing Pokemon (it's actually a pretty complicated game, but the anime gives it a bad kiddie name). Suck it!

Happy birthday Steve Martin!

Love, love, love, love, love you in Roxanne!

Hitchy's b-day.

As you should probably know, today's the birthday of the master himself, Hitchcock. Is he my favorite director? No. But I'm certainly not going to pretend he's not one of the best directors of all time, and certainly an endlessly influential one. Just think of all the crap we would have been spared, had Psycho not existed. ;) Nah. Just kidding, Alfie. Love your cameos, love Vertigo (among others, obviously), in my top 10 of the best movies of all time.

I'm inspired by IMDb polls.

^ Because she is awesome, and her dress in this picture is totally awesome

So a few days ago, the poll was actresses without Oscar noms. Today, the poll is actors without Oscar noms. So, I was inspired: the Pulpy nominations of both the ladies and the gentlemen without Oscar nominations.

Scarlett Johansson
Best Supporting Actress 1998 - The Horse Whisperer
Best Actress 2003 - Lost in Translation *
A finalist for Ghost World, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and Match Point; semi-finalist for A Love Song for Bobby Long and Scoop; honorable mention for The Prestige (in which I liked her, so suck it)

Maggie Gyllenhaal
Best Actress 2002 - Secretary
A finalist for Happy Endings, Sherrybaby, and Stranger than Fiction; an honorable mention for World Trade Center and Trust the Man

Christina Ricci
Best Supporting Actress 1993 - Addams Family Values
Best Supporting Actress 1997 - The Ice Storm
Best Actress 1998 - Buffalo '66
A finalist for The Opposite of Sex (though she got a nom for Buffalo '66 the same year) and, currently, Black Snake Moan

Jennifer Jason Leigh
Best Actress 1989 - Last Exit to Brooklyn *
Best Actress 1994 - Ms. Parker and the Vicious Circle
Best Supporting Actress 1994 - The Hudsucker Proxy
Best Supporting Actress 1995 - Dolores Claiborne
A finalist for Single White Female

Tilda Swinton
none, a semi-finalist for The Deep End

Maria Bello
Best Supporting Actress 2005 - A History of Violence
A semi-finalist for The Cooler and an honorary mention for World Trade Center

Parker Posey
none; finalist for Best in Show and Waiting for Guffman

Rachel McAdams
none; finalist for Mean Girls and a semi-finalist for Red Eye

Claire Danes
none; finalist for Shopgirl and currently a semi-finalist for Stardust

Kirsten Dunst
Best Supporting Actress 1994 - Interview with the Vampire
Best Supporting Actress 2000 - The Virgin Suicides
Best Supporting Actress 2004 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Actress 2006 - Marie-Antoinette (likely, but I've change my Actress 2006 lineup a million times.)
A semi-finalist for Drop Dead Gorgeous, crazy/beautiful, and Dick

Ziyi Zhang
Best Actress 2000 - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Best Supporting Actress 2005 - 2046

Sarah Polley
Best Supporting Actress 1997 - The Sweet Hereafter *
A finalist for My Life without Me and (currently) for directing Away from Her

Thandie Newton
none

Emily Mortimer
none, a finalist for Lovely and Amazing and a semi-finalist for Match Point

Emily Blunt
needless to say, none...an honorable mention for The Devil Wears Prada

Gary Oldman
Best Actor 1986 - Sid and Nancy
Best Supporting Actor 1991 - JFK
Currently a semi-finalist for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Christian Bale
Best Actor 1987 - Empire of the Sun
Best Actor 2000 - American Psycho *
Best Actor 2007 - Rescue Dawn * (currently)
Finalist for The Machinist and an honorable mention for Batman Begins and The Prestige

Alan Rickman
Best Supporting Actor 1988 - Die Hard *
Best Actor 1991 - Truly Madly Deeply
Best Actor 1996 - Rasputin (if you count TV movies)
Best Actor 2004 - Something the Lord Made (if you count TV movies)
An honorable mention for Love Actually and, of course, as Snape.

Steve Buscemi
Best Supporting Actor 1996 - Fargo
Best Supporting Actor 2001 - Ghost World
Best Actor 2007 - Interview (currently)
A finalist for Reservoir Dogs

Ewan McGregor
Best Actor 2001 - Moulin Rouge!
A finalist for Transpotting and a semi-finalist for Down with Love

Alfred Molina
none, a semi-finalist for Boogie Nights and Spider-Man 2

Bill Nighy
Best Supporting Actor 2003 - Love Actually
A semi-finalist for Still Crazy

Cillian Murphy
none, a semi-finalist for Breakfast on Pluto and an honorable mention for 28 Days Later...

Paul Bettany
none, a finalist for Dogville and a semi-finalist for Master and Commander

Chiwetel Ejiofor
none, a finalist for Dirty Pretty Things

Daniel Craig
none, a finalist for Casino Royale

Andy Serkis
none, a finalist for Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Joseph Fiennes
none

Stellan Skarsgard
none

Peter Stormare
none

Robert Carlyle
none, a semi-finalist for Trainspotting

I love you, Colin!

You're so hot! Even when doing this! Love!

I just love her. I can't help it.

1. eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
2. the virgin suicides
3. marie-antoinette
4. interview with the vampire
5. crazy/beautiful
6. drop dead gorgeous
7. dick
8. spider-man 2
9. bring it on
10. spider-man 3
11. the cat's meow
12. spider-man
13. wimbledon
14. mona lisa smile
15. elizabethtown (i love ya, kris, but...worthy of a razzie)

Spider-Man 2 is perfect.

Suck it, every other action movie.

Overrated supporting actresses.

I just realized that for every year since 1998, I find an popular Supporting Actress choice to be either extremely overrated, or just plain bad. (Here's me being grumpy again.) So, here they are.

1998: Joan Allen, Pleasantville (you know how sometimes, you just don't see what other people see in a performance, and you can't really explain why? Yeah. That's the case here. So well-described, I know.)
1999: Thora Birch, American Beauty (as far as supporting actresses in that film go, Mena Suvari schooled her. Thora pouted a lot and was terribly boring, but she flashed her boobs at 16 so the guys liked her. Thora Birch is really a pretty awful actress; she doesn't add any depth to her performances, but because people tend to relate to her characters, they like her more. Except for Paradise, I've never liked her in anything.)
2000: Kate Hudson, Almost Famous (more ridiculously overrated than bad. I wouldn't have screamed and cried had she got the Oscar, though Harden was better.)
2001: Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind (utterly awful. Her Oscar win is a joke)
2002: Julianne Moore, The Hours (like Hudson, not bad, just ridiculously overrated. And lead. Can't touch Zeta-Jones or Streep as well as several others, way outclassed by Collette in the scene between the two, and wayyyy inferior to her turn in Far from Heaven. I've found more than one person that considers this the best performance of her career, and one of the best of all time...frightening.)
2003: Patricia Clarkson, Pieces of April (oh Patty. You're capable of so much more. Like The Station Agent and All the Real Girls this very same year.)
2004: Cate Blanchett, The Aviator (I'll never understand the praise for this. Shallow, empty, one-dimensional, and without an ounce of the fun Hepburn exuded.)
2005: Amy Adams, Junebug (good, yes. Better than a lot of other supporting actresses that year [Bello, Linney, Weisz, Williams, Zhang, Gyllenhaal, Johansson, Keener in 40-Year-Old-Virgin...], no. Heck, she wasn't even the best red-haired supporting actress that year; that honor goes to Isla Fisher. The way some people were calling this the "best performance ever" caused me to think this chick was so overrated. I still like her, though. She's adorable, and a great example of how an annoying performance can be good.)
2006: Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada (need I say more? [I will anyway] Remember how I was saying Cate was one-dimensional? Well, Emily might get away with it a little better, because her character isn't as well-written, but it doesn't mean she gets away with it. Not even people who are good at writing about movies can defend her properly. They're all just like "err...she's funny! And then her character gets desperate! Funny! Ha!" Emily's hardly alone, though; Blanchett in Notes [a blatant co-lead] and Kikuchi in Babel are also hideously overrated. Blanchett was both unspecific in her character choices and way over-the-top, and though I hate to simplify performances like this [though I did it for Thora up there, I suppose], all Kikuchi did was flash her vagina a lot and make odd faces.)


ranking these, best to worst:
Amy Adams
Kate Hudson
Julianne Moore
Joan Allen
Emily Blunt
Patricia Clarkson
Thora Birch
Jennifer Connelly

another IMDb thing

Some post asked me to rank the following actresses. So, I did.

Kate Winslet
Nicole Kidman
Julianne Moore (though she's greatly overrated by her fanboys)
Rachel Weisz (that's right. I ranked Rachel over Cate. I like her more, and her performance in The Constant Gardener is loads better than anything Cate's ever done. Ya'll can just deal.)
Cate Blanchett
Naomi Watts (I love her since re-viewing The Painted Veil and her baby. Though she still sucked in 21 Grams and King Kong)
Charlize Theron
Cameron Diaz (seriously. She can be brilliant)
Jennifer Connelly
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Katie Holmes
Kate Beckinsale
Eva Mendes

Movies I should probably be looking forward to a little more...

Or, "Why Justine [obviously not my real name] Doesn't Really Care That Much About the Prestige Picture Season of 2007." And yes, some of these were on my "most anticipated" list at the beginning of the year...

Atonement - I read the book, and it was really good, and I'm gonna mention that I sat next to Ian McEwan one time again, but when I heard they were gonna make it into a movie I was like "errr..." It could work. I mean, The Hours is basically just internal monologues, and the movie certainly has its strong points, but I'm just...more skeptical than a lot of people, let's put it that way. Plus, you can't get me excited about a movie starring Keira and James. You just can't. Not that it matters, because everyone else seems to have enough excitement to make up for my lack thereof. Both Keira and James could be awful and everyone will be like "ACADEMY AWARD" because people think they are attractive (James, yes; Keira, nooooo). And that picture above just makes me want to eat a cheeseburger. Oh, and buy that dress, because it is fantastic.

Silk - TWO movies starring Keira? Ew. AND Michael Pitt. James might be overrated, but at least he can act.

Lust, Caution - I used to like Ang Lee, and he's still very obviously a talented director. But, in the awards season of Brokeback Mountain, he kind of proved to me that he's an entitled and terribly whiny man. Seriously, if I wanted to hear entitled, whiny, and overly hostile people whining about movies, I'd just read my fellow bloggers (ZING). Plus, it just...meh...

The Darjeeling Limited - Love the title and the trailer, but Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman is like the unholy trinity of actors. Yuck.
Edit: OMG I just looked this up on IMDb and BILL MURRAY IS IN IT HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS??!?!!! You can take this off the list. It's probably just going to be a cameo but I will cry in joy anyway.

The Golden Age - Ugh, Cate. Go away. I'd rather have Keira win than Cate again, I think. Plus, judging from the trailer, she is ridiculously over-the-top and anachronistic. Yuck. While the first film was fine, it wasn't really screaming sequel, until Cate turned into the new Judi Dench (AKA: getting awards for doing things such as waking up and walking to the grocery store, even when she isn't deserving). On the other hand, if it gets Clive Owen or Samantha Morton an Oscar, I just might love this film forever.

Rendition - zzzz

Eastern Promises - I don't knoooow. A History of Violence was fantastic but this...just doesn't appeal to me.

I'm Not There - More Blanchett. Snore. Plus, Todd Haynes is terribly pretentious and his fans are annoying.

There Will Be Blood - Yeah, I know, Day-Lewis. But also, Dano. Based on his previous work, I just prefer PT in manic, gazillions-of-cast-members mode; Magnolia + Boogie Nights >>>>>>> Hard Eight + Punch-Drunk Love.

Sweeney Todd - Okay, the poster was awesome. And I am open to it being awesome. I don't like any of the three main players (its director, lead actor, and lead actress) but they are capable of being good to great. I just... would REALLY HATE to see it screwed up. It's maybe the best theatrical work from 1950 on.

Charlie Wilson's War - No matter how good it is, people are gonna say it sucks because it has Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts (cue all other bloggers: OMG HOW DARE THE ACADEMY LIKE PEOPLE I DON'T!!!!) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (OMG UGLY PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE ON CAMERA EW!). I can say it sucks because Mike Nichols AKA Mr. Faaaaantastic seems to have recruited the performers of two of the more overrated supporting actress turns in recent years, Amy Adams (who I still like) and Emily Blunt (who I don't); all he needs is Cate Blanchett for the trifecta. And, I don't know. It just doesn't appeal to me.

Lions for Lambs - Awful, boring trailers (not that I should hold that against it), and my God, MORE POLITICAL THRILLERS? They really don't appeal to me. Yes, The Constant Gardener was quite spectacular, but that was so much more than just a political thriller.

I'm such a cranky-boots today. I need a nap, or something. =/

Oh, Little Miss Sunshine.

You know you're one of my favorite movies from last year, right? Favorite, but not best? Seriously, you are really original, unlike, say, Garden State. And you don't try to bash me over the head with your quirkiness, unlike, say... well, Garden State again. So, why oh why oh why do you need to have the obligatory (and unfortunately Oscar-winning) "oh look! Isn't it funny when old people curse?!??!?!" character? Also, Paul Dano. Ew. I don't think I'm ever gonna warm up to him, which is why I'm not looking forward to There Will Be Blood all that much, but...

she is my secret favorite.

One of the most inherently lovable actresses currently working, along with, like, Kate Winslet, Rachel McAdams, and Emma Thompson.

I know you care intensely.

My winners for the honorary You Can Count on Me Award for the Movie with the Most Unfortunate Title.

2000: Well... You Can Count on Me. This title doesn't belong to a genius character study/family drama. It belongs to a Lifetime drama (though I'll admit, the way they use it in the film is brilliant. If there's one thing I hate, it's movies that make a point of having their characters say the frickin' title, something which bothers me every time I see Walk the Line. Yes, I know it's a song of his, do they really have to have poor Reese have some line that's IIRC "You better walk the line, John!!!" That was a long aside...). I read some blog entry once where the writer was moaning about how Spielberg had named his film Munich (this was obviously old) and how that was so boring and how Spielberg sucks (as I always say when people whine about Spielberg: oh, I'm so sorry that he's got more money and Oscars and respect and talent than you.). The writer then said something like, "what happened to the daring and fantastic film titles, such as You Can Count on Me?" and I was like "oh honey. No." And thus, the inspiration for this, uh, wonderful award was born.
2001: In the Bedroom. This...is a porno. Or crazy/beautiful, which is just awkward.
2002: Igby Goes Down. This...is also a porno. Or Morvern Callar, which makes me think "ooh, my cousin had that once. It hurts to pee for weeks."
2003: Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: I Think This Title Needs to be Longer
2004: Bad Education. This...is also also a porno.
2005: The Constant Gardener (pulling an upset victory against the perhaps more obvious candidate, The Squid and the Whale). That ain't a title for a political thriller, I'll tell you that.
2006: The Pursuit of Happyness. Yes, I know it's on purpose. But I'm an English minor (which is a scary thought when you look back at my "writing" on this thing). IT BOTHERS ME.
2007: I would say Ratatouille, were it not for that preview that taught you how to pronounce it. Brilliant. Instead, I'll have to go with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, because it's unfortunate to have to share a title with the worst book in history. Oh wait.

I can't help it.

I just love him (and apparently, so does whoever is in this picture. Is that Sharon Stone in Broken Flowers? I need to see that again). According to some biography I read of him online, he was one of the "world's biggest stars" in the early 1980s (though somehow I doubt this), when I was just a wee twinkle in the parentals' eyes, which makes me think I was born a few years too late. Ah, well.

happy birthday Eric Bana!

HOT.

she JUST GOT a star on Hollywood Boulevard?

I am hardly Michelle Pfeiffer's biggest fan (though just to make some of you happy: she totally deserved the Oscar for The Fabulous Baker Boys for sure, she is awesome in just the trailer for Stardust, and I totally covet that dress she's wearing above), but the fact that she JUST got a star is ludicrous. Shouldn't this have happened in like 1988? I mean, Britney Spears has one already...

Also, why is Jack Lemmon between Lassie and Kevin Costner? Neither is fit to surround his borderline-holy self.

I am pleased.

Way to go, IMDb voters.

My ranking:
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Scarlett Johansson (I know, I know. But I can't help it. I just love her. It's good will left over from Lost in Translation.)
Kirsten Dunst
Christina Ricci (I cannot put into words the joy the picture at the top of this page gives me.)
Maria Bello
Sarah Polley
Rachel McAdams
Ziyi Zhang
Parker Posey
Claire Danes
Emily Mortimer
Tilda Swinton (gar)
Thandie Newton (okay, so Emily was better in The Devil Wears Prada, as overrated as that performance is, than anything Thandie's ever been in. BUT AT LEAST THANDIE'S BEEN IN THE MOVIE BUSINESS FOR OVER, LIKE, A YEAR.)
Emily Blunt (HA.)

happy birthday Dustin Hoffman!!!

I didn't realize how frickin' old you are, but you're still one of my very very favorites!

PS. The Graduate is like the best movie ever!
PPS. So is Tootsie!
PPPS. So is Midnight Cowboy!
PPPPS. So is Marathon Man!
PPPPPS. Kramer vs. Kramer and Lenny and All the President's Men and Wag the Dog and I Heart Huckabees ain't too shabby either!
PPPPPPS. I may have a secret hidden spot for Hook but you didn't hear it from me!
PPPPPPPS. Rain Man not so much.

Fine, attempt to sue me through mail

I REALLY LOVE THIS MOVIE.

because random rankings are fun...

in blog/board world... I tried to be as objective as possible, which means you'll see actors and actresses I really like in the Overrated section and such... and note these are blogs/boards, not the Academy, in which case some of these would shift around a lot

Overrated
Johnny Depp
Cate Blanchett
Parker Posey
Emily Blunt
Anne Hathaway
Annette Bening
Gael Garcia Bernal
Keira Knightley
James McAvoy
Anthony Hopkins
Ben Kingsley
Marlon Brando
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jake Gyllenhaal
James Dean
Ryan Gosling
Heath Ledger (pre-BBM. Yeah, he was great, but dammit, you're a Pro-keback. Stop pretending you gave him the Oscar for Monster's Ball back in 2001.)
Ewan McGregor
River Phoenix
Joaquin Phoenix
Jim Carrey
Gary Oldman
Sean Penn
Audrey Hepburn (I LOVE her. but GREAT actress? no.)
Vivien Leigh
Julianne Moore
Uma Thurman
Diane Keaton
Rachel McAdams
Helena Bonham Carter
Eva Green
Susan Sarandon
Naomi Watts
Ziyi Zhang
Tilda Swinton
Thora Birch
Winona Ryder
Michelle Pfeiffer
Toni Collette (though I adore her to all hell)
Patricia Clarkson

Underrated
Kevin Bacon
Alec Baldwin
Richard Burton
Steve Buscemi
Steve Carell
Michael Caine
Russell Crowe
Tom Cruise (okay, he's BATSHIT CRAZY. But when he wants to be, he's a really terrific actor, and everyone forgot that)
Colin Firth
Topher Grace
Alec Guinness
Tom Hanks (nobody likes him just cuz he won two Oscars)
Ed Harris
Dustin Hoffman (everyone's like BLAH BLAH BLAH NICHOLSON or BLAH BLAH BLAH PACINO or BLAH BLAH BLAH DE NIRO and poor Dustin gets ignored)
William Holden
Jack Lemmon
Steve Martin
Robert Mitchum
Sidney Poitier
Alan Rickman
Tim Robbins
Rod Steiger
Bruce Willis
Jeffrey Wright, love of my life
Ben Affleck (you know what? HE CAN ACT. HE REALLY CAN.)
Ian Holm
Anthony LaPaglia
Zero Mostel
Bill Nighy
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Hilary Swank
Rosario Dawson
Jennifer Garner
LAURA LINNEY
Samantha Morton
Gwyneth Paltrow
Thelma Ritter
Elisabeth Shue
Judy Davis
Kirsten Dunst
Anna Faris
Mia Farrow
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Diane Lane
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Christina Ricci
Eva Marie Sant
Lily Tomlin
Dianne Wiest
Charlize Theron

Weirdly Both Underrated and Overrated
Al Pacino
Jack Nicholson
Robert De Niro
Nicole Kidman
Scarlett Johansson
Natalie Portman
Kathy Bates
Imelda Staunton
Frances McDormand
Catherine O'Hara
Judi Dench
Maggie Smith
Laura Dern
Katharine Hepburn
Gong Li

Worthy of the Worship
Liv Ullmann
Bette Davis
Kate Winslet
Ralph Fiennes
Daniel Day-Lewis
Helen Mirren
Meryl Streep
Edward Norton
Bruce Campbell
Robert Downey Jr.
Bill Murray
Liam Neeson
Paul Newman
Denzel Washington
Gregory Peck
Peter O'Toole
Jodie Foster
Glenn Close
Holly Hunter
Elizabeth Taylor
Reese Witherspoon

Happy birthday Charlize Theron!

You're obviously lovely and, based on what I've seen of you on the red carpet, I want to steal everything in your closet. Heck, I even loved this much-misaligned dress. Also, like anyone with any sense at all, I loved you in Monster, and pretty much anyone that's still whining about your win is probably jealous because you are pretty and young and have an Oscar already. Yay!

So, uh...

Has anyone out there even seen a Borne film? I love me some Damon, but...