HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOTSTUFF!

yup, Ewan McGregor is hot (and 36?!). Watch Moulin Rouge! and worship him all over again.

Also, it's Christopher Walken's birthday (he's not quite so hot...to say the least). His performance in The Deer Hunter is one of my favorites ever, and... well... his performance in that "Weapon of Choice" video from a few years ago! YouTube it.

people, people, people.

I like it too, but can we all please stop pretending West Side Story is perfect?

oh my gawwwd

Look at who's (supposedly) directing this.

The X-Men series just got interesting again!!!!

a little late, but you know.

ruling "runway" - and the year

the top 20 performances of 2006, in my very humble opinion, because I still have not seen a single 2007 movie apart from, ugh, Epic Movie. Maybe some day I'll actually explain my choices:

20. Adriana Barraza in Babel
19. Alec Baldwin in The Departed
18. Claire-Hope Ashitey in Children of Men
17. Matt Damon in The Departed
16. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed
15. Helen Mirren in The Queen
14. Naomi Watts in The Painted Veil
13. Clive Owen in Inside Man
12. Forest Whitaker in Last King of Scotland
11. Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat
10. Shareeka Epps in Half Nelson
9. Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls
8. Hugh Jackman in The Fountain
7. Laura Dern in Inland Empire
6. Penelope Cruz in Volver
5. Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson
4. Mia Kirshner in The Black Dahlia
3. Kate Winslet in Little Children
2. Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal
1. Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada

Wish I had room for you guys: Clive Owen, Children of Men; Daniel Craig, Casino Royale; Catherine O'Hara, For Your Consideration; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby; Cate Blanchett, The Good German; Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls; Robert Downey Jr., A Scanner Darkly; Steve Carell, Little Miss Sunshine; Michael Sheen, The Queen

not like i have anything better to do

"dogville" haunts.

sure, why not: the top 10 male and female performances of the new millennium.

Male
10. Campbell Scott as Roger Swanson in Roger Dodger
9. Russell Crowe as John Nash in A Beautiful Mind
8. Hugh Jackman as Tomas/Tommy/Dr. Tom Creo in The Fountain
7. Ryan Gosling as Dan Dunne in Half Nelson
6. Heath Ledger as Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain
5. Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho
4. Tom Wilkinson as Matt Fowler in In the Bedroom
3. Bill Murray as Bob Harris in Lost in Translation
2. Jack Nicholson as Warren Schmidt in About Schmidt
1. Clive Owen as Larry in Closer
Oscar nominees: 7 (Crowe, Gosling, Ledger, Wilkinson, Murray, Nicholson, Owen)
Oscar winners: 0 !

Female
10. Scarlett Johansson as Charlotte in Lost in Translation
9. Catherine Zeta-Jones as Velma Kelly in Chicago
8. Laura Linney as Sammy Prescott in You Can Count on Me
7. Nicole Kidman as Grace in Dogville
6. Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada
5. Ellen Burstyn as Sara Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream
4. Kate Winslet as Clementine Kruczynski in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
3. Uma Thurman as The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo/etc. in Kill Bill
2. Naomi Watts as Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn in Mulholland Dr.
1. Jennifer Connelly as Marion Silver in Requiem for a Dream (not kidding. You know how the NY Times [dumbly] called Watts in 21 Grams the "best sufferer ever on screen" or something like that? Not true at all. For that performance, just look here.)
Oscar nominees: 5 (Zeta-Jones, Linney, Streep, Burstyn, Winslet)
Oscar winners: 1 (Zeta-Jones)

aargghhh

Dear Grindhouse,
You are 185 minutes long. I am sure you are awesome. However, I do not have time in my busy schedule for THREE HOURS of awesome right now, or any time soon. AAARRGHHH!!!
Love, me

happy birthday hot stuff!

"Vegas baby, Vegas!"

Happy birthday Vince Vaughn!

top 10 performances in martin scorsese films

the reason i can't hate deniro, "hide and seek" be damned

martin scorsese directs what may be my favorite kind of performances: alpha males practically shattering the ceilings of their respective sets. mm. at least two of these performances will go down in history forever. my 10 favorite performances in martin scorsese films:

10. Willem Dafoe in The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
9. Matt Damon in The Departed (2006)
8. Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed (2006)
7. Joe Pesci in Goodfellas (1990)
6. Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More (1973)
5. Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver (1976)
4. Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York (2002)
3. Robert DeNiro in The King of Comedy (1983)
2. Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver (1976)
1. Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull (1980)

happy birthday to a motherfucking genius (the language is in his honor)

we get it, quentin, you like uma

"Normally, both your asses would be dead as fucking fried chicken, but you happen to pull this shit while I'm in a transitional period so I don't wanna kill you, I wanna help you. But I can't give you this case, it don't belong to me. Besides, I've already been through too much shit this morning over this case to hand it over to your dumb ass."

Yeah, Quentin Tarantino is one of the most annoying people ever put on planet Earth. But you know what? He's also one of the most talented directors ever put on planet Earth, so it sort of balances out. Whatever you want to say about him, you can't deny that he has the ability to take tons of shit from other things and make them truly his own. Pulp Fiction is the best movie ever with the best screenplay ever. I do not exaggerate that statement. Plus, he's the only one who knows what the fuck to do with Uma Thurman (see the picture above, which still cracks me up. Uh, Quentin, her face is up there.). My ranking of his movies:

1. Pulp Fiction (A+, and my favorite movie ever.)
2. Kill Bill (A+ together, an A for both volumes)
3. Jackie Brown (A-/A)
4. Reservoir Dogs (A-)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Now get cranking on some more movies. Can't fuckin' wait for Grindhouse!!

the nanny diaries

THIS CANNOT COME OUT SOONER. ScarJo + La Linney + some random guy who probably can't act but is there to provide The Hot = yes please!!!

it's just wrong how hot he is

even with a horrible mustache

not that you asked, but

oh my god i am excited for revolutionary road.

and the best performances of both:

Jack:
1. The Departed
2. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
3. Catch Me If You Can
4. The Basketball Diaries
5. The Aviator
6. Blood Diamond
7. Romeo and Juliet
8. Marvin's Room
9. The Beach
10. Titanic
11. Gangs of New York
12. Celebrity
13. The Man in the Iron Mask
Genius in the top 5, solid in the top 10, eh below that. Oh and did I mention he's reeeeaaaally hot?

Rose:
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Holy Smoke!
3. Heavenly Creatures
4. Iris
5. Sense and Sensibility
6. Little Children
7. Hamlet
8. Hideous Kinky
9. Quills
10. Jude
11. Romance and Cigarettes
12. The Holiday
13. Finding Neverland
14. Titanic
15. All the King's Men
16. The Life of David Gale
Genius in the top 11 (!), quite good to at least okay after that.

the one actor i don't get that whole "hotness" thing for

this picture makes me laugh. but seriously, he looks like a weird monkey thing or something. and, as an actor, he is overrated. i can't deny how goddamn good he is in bad education though.

"technically speaking, the procedure IS brain damage..."

we're all going to be eternal sunshining it up soon, apparently.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH JESSICA PARKER!!

an extremely happy birthday to the amazing life force behind my favorite tv show ever. may you get an oscar nomination this year for spinning into butter, since that role is baity as all hell and i know you're gonna rock it.

something new to appreciate.

the exact moment "just like honey" kicks in in this masterpiece.

so, scarlett - should she win my best actress award in 2003? hmmm

walking back to you

is the hardest thing that

i can do.

i can do

for you...

I could die of happiness...

Click me and you might too.

OH MY GOD.

I forgot it was God's birthday yesterday. I thought it was today.

I am so, so, so sorry Stephen. Please forgive me.

happy birthday to MY GIRL!

just in case you forgot what a really great oscar dress looks like

Reese Witherspoon is fuckin' awesome.

Seriously, you should think so too (if you don't, she will probably come cut you, anyway). I have absolutely no shame in saying she is one of my favorite actresses. Seriously. The Man in the Moon, Freeway, Pleasantville, Election, American Psycho, Legally Blonde, Vanity Fair (she's good, the film really isn't), all capping off with a well-deserved Oscar for Walk the Line. Love her. And I love her even more because I don't think she's the least bit pretty but do you ever see her looking anything but incredible at awards shows? No. No, you don't. Cuz bitch knows how to dress herself.

Happy birthday Reese!

I Hate Huckabees

Um...wow!

(Please note, the title of this entry? Not true. I like the movie. But that clip. Holy shit. There's also one of Lily Tomlin FLIPPING A SHIT while shooting.)

what a hottie!

MATT DAMON!
(that movie was so stupid)

weirdest compliment ever

"you know, if things get hard for you, you can sell your hair. because it's really pretty."

top performances of the '90s

he's pissed off cuz he knows he was robbed.

to go along with the '80s one.

Male
10. Tom Cruise as Frank T.J. Mackey in Magnolia (1999)
9. Edward Norton as Derek Vinyard in American History X (1998)
8. River Pheonix as Mike Waters in My Own Private Idaho (1992)
7. Kevin Spacey as Verbal Kint in The Usual Suspects (1995)
6. Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth in Schindler's List (1993)
5. Ian McKellen as James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998)
4. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
3. Jack Lemmon as Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
2. Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994)
1. Kevin Spacey as Lester Burnham in American Beauty (1999)
Oscar nominees: 8 (all except Pheonix and Lemmon)
Oscar winners: 3 (Spacey x2 and Hopkins)

Female
10. Victoire Thivisol as Ponette in Ponette (1997)
9. Kate Winslet as Ruth Barron in Holy Smoke! (1999)
8. Jodie Foster as Ellie Arroway in Contact (1997)
7. Sarah Polley as Nicole in The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
6. Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson in Fargo (1996)
5. Hilary Swank as Brandon Teena in Boys Don't Cry (1999)
4. Holly Hunter as Ada in The Piano (1993)
3. Emily Watson as Bess in Breaking the Waves (1996)
2. Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
1. Elisabeth Shue as Sera in Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Oscar nominees: 6 (not Thivisol, Winslet, Contact Foster, and Polley)
Oscar winners: 4 (McDormand, Swank, Hunter, Foster Silence)

stuck in my head

all that i am
all that i ever was
is here in your perfect eyes
they're all i can see.
i don't know where
confused about how as well
just know that these things will never change for us at all

if i lay here.
if i just lay here.
would you lie with me and just forget the world?

more very happy birthdays

Okay, if anyone could beat the birthday of Bruce Willis yesterday it's the two who have birthdays today. An extremely happy birthday to Spike Lee (pictured above), a top-ten director of mine and a genius. Yes, his filmography is incredibly uneven, but when he's made, among others, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, 25th Hour, When the Levees Broke, and Inside Man, you can ignore the occasional She Hate Me.

The other birthday today? Holly Hunter. Bleeping genius actress, totally deserving of all the kudos she got for The Piano. Also worthy: thirteen, Raising Arizona, Broadcast News, Living Out Loud...and actually, like 90% of her work. She's a genius.

...I used "genius" too much in this entry. BUT IT'S DESERVED!

life mystery solved.

an example of a good scene. because they're NOT TALKING.

So, I discovered my problem with Brokeback Mountain.

Brilliant acting (except Anne Hathaway), stunning cinematography, solid other techs, strong directing...

almost RUINED by a God-awful script. Seriously, people, do you think that script was good? The acting out the horrible lines were good, sure. But...okay...take "I wish I knew how to quit you!" The overexposure doesn't help. But that's an awful line. People don't talk like that. And yes, I know, it's a movie, I'll give it that. It's still a terrible line. Masterfully delivered by The Gyllenhaal, but an awful line. The best scenes in the film are the ones with no dialogue. Also, however amazing the actors are, they can't conjure up any real emotions in me because of the script, which demands the audience fill in the blanks - and not in a good way*. I'll admit I cried like a fuckin' baby during Crash. Manipulative? Whatever, it worked. Brokeback, even with its twinkly twee little score, couldn't get me to do much but sit there and check my watch multiple times. It's not a horrible film but sorry, guys, this is one I don't, and will never, "get." B-

* I'm not an idiot, contrary to what you might think. I don't mind movies not spelling it out for me - lord knows I'd actually prefer it. But I don't think movies should require me to do all the work. What I mean by this, is that Brokeback seems to throw random unfinished sentences at me ("Jack, I swear..."), and then demand that I find some kind of meaning out of them. Some apparently did. Good for them. I've seen indication that the movie is more poignant for people in a divided relationship (where, you know, the two people are separate...I guess...)...but you know what? I've done that divided relationship thing, and for a few years. I still can't connect to Brokeback Mountain. I can connect to hundreds of other movies with situations nothing like my life at all.

What it boils down to is, God, I wish I knew everyone knew how to quit this movie.

or maybe i am trendy

after all, I did discover "Cupid's Chokehold" and LOVE it like 3 days before it BLEW UP.

HOORAY!

hottest. balding. man. EVER!

so you know how yesterday I went on about how I love Bruce Willis? Well, today's his BIRTHDAY!!! YAY!!! Watch all of his seventeen thousand movies (okay, fine, if you have limited time you only have to watch Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, and Fast Food Nation, which you probably haven't seen and in which he has a wonderful cameo) and shave your head in his honor. YAY BRUCE WILLIS!!!

Also, you should still watch this. It bears repeating, because it is just so silly...

I'm not trendy.

...so is it wrong that I think Spring Awakening is craaaap? I'm not a good hip little college student. I should be crucified.

I love Bruce Willis...

Quick! Before the YouTube police get to it!

realization.

boys, we won't make you happy, because all our songs are *terrible*

Dreamgirls is a great movie.

Dreamgirls is a terrible show.

pleased.

Please notice the film that is winning this poll. It is the correct answer.
(in case it changes, it is Lost in Translation)

like mark wahlberg...

Colin Firth is hot and I just noticed it!!

Also, 10 best male performances of the '80s, off the top of my head:
1. Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull
2. F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus
3. Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet
4. Colin Firth in Apartment Zero.
5. Forest Whitaker in Bird
6. Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers
7. Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot
8. John Hurt in The Elephant Man
9. Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie
10. Paul Newman in The Verdict

and why the hell not, female too (wow, the 80s were lousy for women...unless your name happened to begin with "m" and end in "eryl streep")
1. Meryl Streep in Sophie's Choice
2. Meryl Streep in A Cry in the Dark
3. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons
4. Jennifer Jason Leigh in Last Exit to Brooklyn
5. Meryl Streep in Silkwood
6. Sigourney Weaver in Aliens
7. Sissy Spacek in The Coal Miner's Daughter
8. Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People
9. Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple
10. Meryl Streep in Out of Africa

For the Love of Theater.

"on behalf of all of those theatre educators i'd like to say thanks... to all of you who put aside your needs for the good of the show. and thanks to all of you who conned your best friend into trying out for the show because we needed more boys. or skipped gym to help paint the set. or got so frustrated during rehearsal that you thought about walking out forever, and came back because you knew it was the right thing. thanks to all of you who went to home depot at 11 p.m. to get the 1 1/2-inch casters. or went to cvs an hour before the show to get safety pins and 9 volt batteries. or struggled at rehearsal with a dance step, but kept on smiling and moving your feet. or brought brownies to rehearsal. special thanks to all of you who saw the costume, hated it, said nothing and wore it anyway. thanks to all of you who thanked the techs and the orchestra after a rehearsal. thanks to you who comforted someone backstage. thanks to you who saw the cast list, found your name somewhere on the list of townspeople and said, 'i'm going to make this the best mrs. townsperson i can.' thanks to you who came to that endless rehearsal when all your friends were hanging out. or fought through a calendar thick with sat prep and ap review and music lessons and family events and sports practices to be at rehearsal — because you knew it was too important to miss. and thanks to those of us who cry at the end of the closing-night performance because it was all so exhausting and so inspiring and so frustrating and so wonderful that something deep inside knew that this is truth and this is meaning and this is a living dream. the good news is that it doesn't end. all of it stays with you — it stayed with me, and my dear colleagues... and what of those who sing in choirs, or simply sing their children to sleep — this is a magical art form...who knows? maybe some day musical scores will have the same value as test scores! hold on to those dreams…"

Disgusting.

The Blandshitt continues her goal of ruining every film I see from 2006 on by being in...every film from 2006 on.

ew.

Ohhhh IMDb...

...apparently, if you like Match Point, you'll love Love Actually!

beyond the British thing, WTF do they have in common? At all?

happy birthday david cronenberg!

you crazy crazy genius you. celebrate by watching the best movie of 2005, the incredible a history of violence.

in praise of Ben Affleck

...really. I adore him.

1. Hooottttt. Hot hot hot hot hot. Hottttttt.
2. He is no longer a joke (especially since he stopped dating Jennifer Lopez).
3. He is fantastic in Hollywoodland, totally deserving of all the praise he gets.
4. His script for Good Will Hunting really is great.
5. Sure he was in Daredevil (and Pearl Harbor and Gigli...okay the man makes some bad career choices), but he was also in Shakespeare in Love.
6. ...and he was GREAT in Shakespeare in Love!
7. He is part of my favorite Hollywood couple. Seriously, him and Jennifer Garner are adorable, have one of the cutest babies I've ever seen (seriously, I hate babies, but Violet is so darn cute), and seem totally normal and in love. If they break up, I will cry.
8. Gigli isn't that bad. Okay, it's bad, but it is far from the worst movie ever.
9. I like how he is best friends with Matt Damon. That's adorable.
10. Don't you just want to go get a beer with him? I think if I could be friends with any guy in Hollywood, it would be him.

Love ya Ben.

when it rains, it pours.

After a week of watching shit like Derailed on TV and desperately wanting to buy Sherrybaby or Scoop or The Prestige or whatever to watch on demand, now Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is on. This AND Moulin Rouge! the night before? Movies, you are too good to me.

random delight.

Moulin Rouge! has been on IFC twice tonight.

I have watched it both times.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS MOVIE AND ALL ITS INSANITY

performances in which chloe sevigny does not suck

Boys Don't Cry (I might nominate her). The Last Days of Disco (I would not nominate her but it is a very crowded year).

...please note that originally, I had a picture from The Brown Bunny of Chloe (you know what she was doing) and the caption was something like "doing what she does best" but that was really crude so I won't show it. (Clearly, I'll just talk about it. Ha.)

Derailed

um, if i kiss you, that means i don't have to keep trying to hide my accent, right?

I'm watching it for the first time.

OMGCLIVEWHATAREYOUDOING

happy birthday michael caine!!!

one of my very favorites. :) I have no idea how he got that Oscar in '99 (the worst of the nominees by miles) but his speech was absolutely fantastic and his win in '86 was not a travesty and he should have won all the way back in friggin' 1964, so we will excuse him. Anyway, in 2006 he proved he still rocks with The Prestige and Children of Men, and is it totally wrong that I want to see the approximately sixteen thousandth remake of his career with Sleuth in 2008 (that said - why does Jude Law keep getting his old parts? Jude Law is ten quadjillion times hotter than Michael Caine ever was)?

Yay Michael! May you live another 72 years.

AAAHH!!!!

So I was just watching the "Comedian at the Oscars" skit on YouTube for the like fifteen hundredth time (I'm on break. I'm bored. Don't judge), and I just realized that Clive Owen is sitting next to Helen Mirren's husband (Taylor Hackford; a mediocre director, but he did a good job if not Oscar-worthy on Ray and it's cute that he and Helen have matching Oscars. Let's hope Sam & Kate can accomplish that soon). AAH! Time to rewatch that clip like 30 more times.

best performances...

...of a current god.

1. "I Want Love" music video (2001)
2. Chaplin (1992)
3. Natural Born Killers (1994...the movie is one of the shittiest I've ever seen though)
4. Less than Zero (1987)
5. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
6. A Scanner Darkly (2006)
7. Short Cuts (1993)
8. 1969 (1988)
9. The Singing Detective (2003)
10. Wonder Boys (2000)

go Robert GO. be famous.

I can't pretend I watched his work when he was on "Ally McBeal" but he was supposedly great there. And please don't remind me that I STILL need to see Zodiac.

Top 10 Performances in Mike Nichols Films.

Mike Nichols is, in my opinion, the best "actor's director." Especially lately, he has been directing actors, some of whom are established as the best actors in the world and some of whom are complete unknowns, to miraculous performances. However, his talent in directing actors has been present since his debut as director, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton give two of the best performances ever. He is also responsible for a good deal of Meryl Streep's best work, which says a lot. I cannot wait for Charlie Wilson's War except for the fact that I'll have to stare at overrated Emily Blunt and Amy Adams' faces. Ew. Anyway.

10. Meryl Streep in Postcards from the Edge (1990)
9. Meryl Streep in Silkwood (1983)
8. Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate (1967)
7. Emma Thompson in Wit (2001)
6. Al Pacino in Angels in America (2003)
5. Meryl Streep in Angels in America (2003)
4. Richard Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
3. Jeffrey Wright in Angels in America (2003)
2. Clive Owen in Closer (2004) (OK not as good as Burton. But let me be biased)
1. Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

people are dumb.

...so people are SURPRISED at how well 300 did? It was basically advertised as the Sin City of 2007, and Sin City did really well. It wasn't opening against anything major, and all the things that did well in previous weeks (Ghost Rider, Wild Hogs) had awful word-of-mouth and thus awful box office legs. It had a good ad campaign. How is this a surprise?

great commercial.

directed by the people who brought you little miss sunshine. and ohmygod could patrick wilson be any better-looking?!?!

the top 10 moments in borat

...god this movie is funny

10. on the elevator ("i will not move to a smaller room")

9. car shopping ("where is the pussy magnet?")

8. jewish bed and breakfast ("the jews have shifted their shapes!")
7. driver's ed ("i'm not used to that, but that's okay!")
6. the opening ("i like you. i like sex. IS NICE!")

5. pamela anderson ("paMela, i no find you attractive any more...NOT!")

4. dog kennel (deleted scene) ("how do i cook this?")

3. humor coach ("this suit is blacknot.")
2. naked wrestling (...no quote needed?)
1. manners/dinner in the south ("the host wipe the anoose of the guest?")

some great lines:
"we should have stayed in new york. at least there are no jews there."
"go ahead, make my day, jew."
"i could not concentrate on what this old man was saying."
"i get ipod, he get ipod mini. haha! everybody knows ipod mini is for girls!"
"i did not come here to argue with a man dressed as hitler."
"no, it's a tortoise...in a shell"
"why you call police? the retard escape?"

happy birthday paul haggis

...because it's not like anybody else is going to say it.

oh, and to quote dodgeball, "fuckin' chuck norris."

new obsession?

"Visual effects: They enable us to see aliens, experience other universes, move in slow-motion, or watch spiders climbing high above the city landscape. (beat) For me, just a typical weeknight in the mid-Nineties."

home for a week.

who knows when updates will come...

my real best actor winner for '01

...oh man i've seen so much traffic

Oscar rankings

Oh boy. Well, with the 2006 Oscars come and gone, there are obviously a whole new batch of winners (lists are from best to worst. sometimes all the choices in the category are good. sometimes all the choices in the category are bad. often, some are good, some are bad.). Here are my rankings for the Oscar winners in major categories (IE, those I care about, IE, like, not sound mixing or whatnot). If there are parenthesis next to a winner's name, it indicates a nominee in that category that was my winner for the year. If there is a name in parenthesis that is starred, it indicates my winner in the category for the year who was not nominated. Anyway, this is how I feel right now. It may change in like 2 minutes.

Best Picture
1. The Departed
2. Chicago
3. Crash (A History of Violence *)
4. Million Dollar Baby (Sideways / Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind *)
5. Gladiator (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon / Requiem for a Dream *)
6. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Lost in Translation)
7. A Beautiful Mind (Moulin Rouge!)

Best Director
1. Martin Scorsese for The Departed (Darren Aronofsky for The Fountain *)
2. Peter Jackson for Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Sofia Coppola for Lost in Translation)
3. Stephen Soderbergh for Traffic (Ang Lee for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
4. Ang Lee for Brokeback Mountain (George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck. / David Cronenberg for A History of Violence *)
5. Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby (Martin Scorsese for The Aviator / Quentin Tarantino for Kill Bill, Vol. 2 *)
6. Roman Polanski for The Pianist (Rob Marshall for Chicago / Spike Lee for 25th Hour *)
7. Ron Howard for A Beautiful Mind (David Lynch for Mulholland Dr. / Baz Luhrmann for Moulin Rouge!)

Best Actor
1. Denzel Washington, Training Day (Russell Crowe, A Beautiful Mind)
2. Forest Whitaker, Last King of Scotland (Ryan Gosling, Half Nelson)
3. Sean Penn, Mystic River (Bill Murray, Lost in Translation)
4. Jamie Foxx, Ray (Clive Owen, Closer - nominated but in supporting)
5. Russell Crowe, Gladiator (Christian Bale, American Psycho)
6. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Capote (Heath Ledger, Brokeback Mountain)
7. Adrien Brody, The Pianist (Jack Nicholson, About Schmidt)

Best Actress
1. Charlize Theron, Monster (Uma Thurman, Kill Bill, Vol. 1 *)
2. Helen Mirren, The Queen (Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada)
3. Reese Witherspoon, Walk the Line
4. Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby (Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
5. Julia Roberts, Erin Brockovich (Ellen Burstyn, Requiem for a Dream)
6. Nicole Kidman, The Hours (Julianne Moore, Far from Heaven)
7. Halle Berry, Monster's Ball (Nicole Kidman, Moulin Rouge! / Naomi Watts, Mulholland Dr.*)

Best Supporting Actor
1. Tim Robbins, Mystic River
2. Chris Cooper, Adaptation.
3. Benicio del Toro, Traffic (Mark Ruffalo, You Can Count on Me *)
4. Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby (Clive Owen, Closer)
5. Jim Broadbent, Iris (Ben Kingsley, Sexy Beast)
6. George Clooney, Syriana (Jake Gyllenhaal, Brokeback Mountain / Michael Peña, Crash *)
7. Alan Arkin, Little Miss Sunshine (Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls / Clive Owen, Inside Man *)

Best Supporting Actress
1. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chicago
2. Rachel Weisz, The Constant Gardener (Maria Bello, A History of Violence *)
3. Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls (Mia Kirshner, The Black Dahlia *)
4. Renee Zellweger, Cold Mountain
5. Marcia Gay Harden, Pollock (Jennifer Connelly, Requiem for a Dream *)
6. Cate Blanchett, The Aviator (Virginia Madsen, Sideways)
7. Jennifer Connelly, A Beautiful Mind (Kate Winslet, Iris)

Best Original Screenplay
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Lost in Translation
3. Talk to Her
4. Crash (The Squid and the Whale)
5. Gosford Park (Memento)
6. Little Miss Sunshine (Volver *)
7. Almost Famous (You Can Count on Me)

Best Adapted Screenplay
1. The Departed
2. Sideways
3. Traffic (The House of Mirth *)
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Mystic River)
5. The Pianist (Adaptation. / 25th Hour *)
6. Brokeback Mountain (A History of Violence)
7. A Beautiful Mind (In the Bedroom / Lantana *)

Best Cinematography
1. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (The Cell *)
2. Road to Perdition
3. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Girl with a Pearl Earring)
4. The Aviator (House of Flying Daggers / Collateral *)
5. Pan's Labyrinth (Children of Men)
6. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (The Man Who Wasn't There / In the Mood for Love *)
7. Memoirs of a Geisha (Brokeback Mountain / March of the Penguins *)

Best Art Direction
1. Pan's Labyrinth (The Science of Sleep *)
2. Moulin Rouge!
3. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
4. The Aviator (The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou *)
5. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (The Cell *)
6. Chicago (Gangs of New York / Minority Report *)
7. Memoirs of a Geisha (Good Night, and Good Luck.)

Best Costume Design
1. Marie-Antoinette
2. Moulin Rouge!
3. The Aviator
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (The Last Samurai / Kill Bill, Vol. 1 *)
5. Chicago (Gangs of New York)
6. Gladiator (Quills / The House of Mirth *)
7. Memoirs of a Geisha (Pride and Prejudice)

Best Original Score
1. Brokeback Mountain (possibly Munich)
2. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Requiem for a Dream *)
3. Frida (Catch Me If You Can)
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Girl with a Pearl Earring *)
5. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
6. Finding Neverland (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban / Birth *)
7. Babel (NOT ORIGINAL!!!) (The Good German / The Fountain *)

whew

Random list.

18 films that hit the 180-minute mark that are nevertheless worth it, in roughish order.

18. Giant
17. A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies
16. Malcolm X
15. Barry Lyndon
14. The Last Emperor
13. Andrei Rublev
12. Once Upon a Time in America
11. The Deer Hunter
10. Titanic
9. JFK
8. Short Cuts
7. Lawrence of Arabia
6. Das Boot
5. Apocalypse Now
4. The Godfather Part II
3. The Seven Samurai
2. Magnolia
1. Schindler's List

happy birthday!!

I love my favorite obscure and somewhat creepy sex symbol.

Also, happy birthday to Rachel Weisz, whose win for The Constant Gardener was one of the best in a while. May she continue to do stuff like that and The Fountain, and not The Mummy 3.

tu vuo fa l'americano

could they be any better-looking?

also, the movie: wow. it's minghella's most difficult film, for sure - it takes at least an hour to have some semblance of a plot beyond "italy is pretty!!" - but once it does, it becomes a hitchcockian masterwork. plus, jude law + matt damon ass. if you're like me and just rewatched babel this weekend and realized that a) it really was a spectacularly made exercise in cruelty, more so than even a von trier film, and thus worthless and b) rinko kikuchi spent all the damn time naked and after a while it got tiresome, then the talented mr. ripley ends up seeming like...a nice break. even though it's not a break at all (i mean, it's no love actually).

Year-in-advance Oscar predix...LOL

Yeah, on Oscar night in 2008 I'm going to look at these and laugh my ass off. I mean, did anyone think, at this point last year, that Martin Scorsese was finally going to win Best Director for a remake of Infernal Affairs? If you're saying yes you're a filthy liar.

Best Picture
Atonement
Charlie Wilson's War
Goya's Ghosts
Lions for Lambs
Reservation Road

Best Director
David Cronenberg for Eastern Promises
Milos Forman for Goya's Ghosts
Mike Nichols for Charlie Wilson's War
Robert Redford for Lions for Lambs
Terry George for Reservation Road

Best Actor
Russell Crowe for American Gangster
Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp for Sweeney Todd (siiiigh)
Tom Hanks for Charlie Wilson's War
Denzel Washington for American Gangster

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett for The Golden Age
Julie Christie for Away from Her
Angelina Jolie for A Mighty Heart
Sarah Jessica Parker for Spinning into Butter
Meryl Streep in Lions for Lambs
(a note: Yeah, I know Marion Cottillard is getting hyperbolic reviews for La Mome. But I just don't see her getting nominated for an Oscar. It reeks a little of Isabelle Huppert in The Piano Teacher.)

Best Supporting Actor
Robert DeNiro for Stardust
Philip Seymour Hoffman for Charlie Wilson's War
James McAvoy for Becoming Jane
Clive Owen for The Golden Age
Tom Wilkinson for Michael Clayton

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams for Charlie Wilson's War
Glenn Close for Evening
Jane Fonda for Georgia Rule
Scarlett Johansson for The Other Boleyn Girl
Nicole Kidman for His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass *
* = Ian in Lord of the Rings?

Best Original Screenplay
Cassandra's Dream
Goya's Ghosts
Leatherheads
Lions for Lambs
Rendition

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Gangster
Charlie Wilson's War
In the Valley of Elah (Paul Haggis LOL)
The Other Boelyn Girl (I hope this film isn't big cuz it's kind of a bitch to spell...unless it gets my girl ScarJo a nom.)
There Will Be Blood

Best Art Direction
Becoming Jane
Goya's Ghosts
Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End
Stardust
Sweeney Todd

Best Cinematography
In the Valley of Elah
Lions for Lambs
Lust, Caution
My Blueberry Nights
Rendition

Best Costume Design
Evening
The Golden Age
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass
The Other Boleyn Girl
Stardust

Best Editing
American Gangster
Charlie Wilson's War
In the Valley of Elah
Lions for Lambs
Reservation Road

Best Original Score
Cassandra's Dream
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass
The Kite Runner
Lust, Caution
Michael Clayton

yeah, that's about it. And no, I can't see I'm Not There getting any Oscar traction at all, no matter how good it is/the performances in it are. Maybe it'll get a nomination here and there, but I seriously doubt it. After all, the Academy failed to embrace Safe or Far from Heaven. I can't wait to laugh about all this a year from now...when I'm Not There will probably just have won Best Picture and Ben Affleck will have won Best Director for Gone, Baby, Gone and stuff like that...

this is so awesome

click me

i saw neither zodiac nor black snake moan this weekend. siiiigh

a moment from the red carpet

Jodie Foster: So, we really should be in more movies, huh?
Elisabeth Shue: Yeah, no kidding.

oscar hangover

...do you think Kate Winslet secretly hates Sam Mendes?

Let's hope I can see Zodiac this weekend!! Jake + ROBERT DOWNEY JR.!!! + Mark + Fincher + fantastic reviews that make it sound super great = yes!

no other news.

happy birthday ron howard, you are a fine director (note: fine. not genius. not horrible) and a wonderful person. that said, please don't remake cache.