Tis the Season
The fall TV season is almost here, and I’m attempting to figure out my schedule. The new shows seem to have more potential this year, but who knows how I’ll feel about them after they premiere. I’ve also added a few older shows onto my TV schedule since I spent a lot of time catching up this summer. So here’s my possible schedule with the reasons as to why I’ve chosen these shows:
Mondays:
- 8:00 – The Secret Life of the American Teenager (season ends September 7th): This show is so trashy and you could get drunk within the first 5 minutes if you took a shot every time someone said “sex”, but man, is it addictive. I love it even though I want to punch some of the characters every week.
- 8:00 – Heroes (September 21 through December): Why haven’t I given this up after I claimed I would after Seasons 2 and 3? Two words: Zachary Quinto. Once he leaves, I leave, and I pray that he leaves soon cause it does not look like the quality of the show is getting any better. Can we please go back to Season 1 and stop after that? I do want to see what happened to my buddy, Zeljko, as well as see how creepy Robert is going to be. But I’m definitely fastforwarding through the Claire scenes which always make me want to throw my laptop across the room. This show has been delegated to Hulu viewing.
- 9:00 – Gossip Girl (September 14): Chuck and Blair are finally together, a good amount of the characters are now students at my alma mater, and Chuck may be bi. Guilty pleasure.
- 9:00 – Greek (begins August 31): In my eyes, ABC Family can do no wrong, and this is the show that got me hooked. College was never this exciting for me so it’s nice to live vicariously through the characters.
- 9:00 (?) – Make It or Break It (returns January 2010): I’m not sure what day and time ABC Family will put the new season on, but this is where Season 1 was. Not as trashy as The Secret Life but just as entertaining. I’m still upset that Peyson was the one who got hurt and cannot compete as a gymnast anymore. Way to crush a fictional character’s dreams, ABC Family.
- 9:30 – Big Bang Theory (September 21): Apparently this is me in male form so I should start watching.
- 9:00 – Trauma (September 28): San Francisco represent!!! (Give me a job!)
Tuesdays:
- 8:00 – 10 Things I Hate About You (returns January 2010): I was skeptical when I heard that they were making the movie into a series since the movie is my favorite teen flick ever. But I love the show. It’s funny and the young cast clicks.
- 8:30 – Ruby & the Rockits: I had no idea whether I would like this show when it premiered, but it makes me laugh every single week. ABC Family, you have taken over my life.
- 8:00 – V (November 3): A scifi mystery with Juliet from Lost and a mini Firely reunion? Count me in.
- 10:00 – The Good Wife (September 22): Nurse Carol back on TV with Detective Logan and Logan Echolls in a story about a wronged wife.
Wednesdays:
- 8:00 – Parenthood (spring): Maura Tierney and Peter Krause in one show will make up for my ER and Dirty Sexy Money withdrawal.
- 8:00 – Mercy (September 23): A new hospital show that may lower my ER withdrawal. The commercials make it seem entertaining.
- 9:00 – Glee (September 9): I was unsure about the pilot after seeing the commercials ten thousand times, but I loved it. It has comedy and musical performances and a great cast. I cannot wait for the soundtrack (listening to their version of “Gold Digger” cheers me up). It kind of makes me wish that my high school had a glee club. Not that I’d join or anything since I have stage fright, but still that’d be cool.
- 9:00 – Human Target (spring): Jackie Earle Haley on my screen every week? Sweet.
- 9:00 – Criminal Minds (September 23): I’ve watched a few episodes over the summer and it’s an entertaining procedural. Plus it has Fat Tony.
- 9:00 – Modern Family (September 23): The commercials make me laugh specifically when the dad sings High School Musical.
- 10:00 – CSI:NY (September 23): The best of the three CSIs.
- 10:00 – Eastwick (September 23): I haven’t seen many commercials for this and I’ve never seen the movie so I’ll watch the pilot and go from there.
Thursdays:
- 8:00 – Flash Forward (September 24): The freshman show I’m most excited about. A great cast and an intriguing, mystery filled premise. Lost 2.0. Plus it has Shakespeare, Penny, Peter Griffin, ADA Carver, Norrington, and Sulu.
- 8:00 – Vampire Diaries (September 10): There is a serious amount of vampire overload in popular culture right now, and this is unfortunately adding to it. I do, however, love Ian Somerhalder since he played Boone on Lost (hated him on Smallville though. Boo to Batman wannabes). Honestly, anything is better than Twilight.
- 9:00 – Supernatural (September 10): I started watching this show at the beginning of August and finished the series in less than a month. It’s extremely addicting with a fun story, and I love the family dynamic and the boys’ banter with each other. Now with the apocalypse, Lucifer (aka Mark Pellegrino aka Jacob from Lost), the 4 Horsemen (one of whom is my buddy Titus), and angels, it’s going to get even crazier. Thanks to ONTD and their Supernatural posts/gifs for getting me hooked!
- 9:30 – Community (September 17): The most promising of the new comedies. I do enjoy Joel McHale on The Soup every week so here’s hoping his humor translates well in primetime.
- 9:30 – 30 Rock (October 15): My favorite comedy on television. If I could choose one moment to demonstrate its brilliance, I’d choose this: Werewolf bar mitzvah, spooky scary. Boys becoming men, men becoming wolves…
- 9:00 – Burn Notice (returns in winter): Another show I got into this summer and devoured all of the episodes. Very fun and full of action.
- 10:00 – Private Practice (October 1): Violet better not die now that she’s chosen Pete. And I’m still mad at Cooper for choosing to go see whiny Charlotte instead of walking into Violet’s house and seeing that she was being cut open by a crazy patient who wanted her unborn baby.
Fridays:
- 8:00 – Smallville (September 25): MY FAVORITE SHOW IN THE WORLD. I am very angry that the CW moved it to Fridays and split up the epic Smallville/Supernatural pairing. I’m still entertained every week (minus the Lana episodes), and the show has gotten even better now that Clark is closer to becoming Superman. This season, we get the JSA, Roulette, Metallo, the Wonder Twins, Speedy, and Clark and Lois growing even closer; yes, I know that they’re canon and there’s no way they wouldn’t end up together, but I still become excited when they have moments on the show.
- 8:00 – Law & Order (September 25): This show will never die, and if they keep the cast they currently have, I’d be fine with that. Lupo and Cutter, how did Law & Order survive without you?
- 9:00 – Southland (October 23): A sophomore show I like that actually survived. It took over ER’s time slot, and even though it hasn’t taken over ER’s spot in my heart, it’s a well-written character driven show. You actually care about the ensemble of characters.
Sundays
- 8:00-10:00 – Animation Domination (September 27): The Simpsons has been a part of my life since 1989. Hopefully The Cleveland Show is as funny as Family Guy . Family Guy has been so-so lately, but I still laugh at least twice every episode, and American Dad has grown on me this past year purely because of Steve and Roger.
- 9:00 – Three Rivers (October 4): I miss ER and loathe Grey’s Anatomy so hopefully this medical drama will fill in that gap.
Lost, Friday Night Lights, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Goren and Jeff Goldbum means I’ll watch every week) are returning in 2010, and Venture Brothers returns in 2009 so they’ll eventually be added to the list. Lost is my second favorite show on TV, and I become even more addicted with each week and season. This season will be its last, and I’m hoping that they answer all of the questions I’ve had since Season 1. As long as there’s a lot of Ben, Richard, Desmond, Miles, Lapidus and angsty Jack and his infinite well of tears, I’ll be happy. I started watching Friday Night Lights this summer because of Taylor Kitsch and was drawn in by the relationships and the heart. If I had HBO, I’d throw True Blood, Entourage, and Boardwalk Empire (aka the show that makes me squeal every time it’s mentioned) in there. So there is my fall TV schedule. We’ll see if anything falls off. And RIP Kings, Life on Mars, ER, Dirty Sexy Money and Pushing Daisies. You’ll be missed.
And I know that everyone is expecting me to comment on the news that Disney has bought Marvel. I’ll just say this: As long as they don’t mess with the characters, comic book stories, and movies, I’ll be happy. No turning The Hulk into a cuddly green monster. No making the X-Men into PG teens and kids (they’re all adults now. Let them live adult lives). No making Daredevil burst into song about his horrible string of relationships (although that would be very entertaining. I need a Daredevil musical, NOW). No Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus casting please. Don’t cast Disney stars just for the sake of casting Disney stars. Only do it if they fit the part and will do the job well (which is highly unlikely). Please let Deadpool be as crazy as he is and let the violence and humor run wild. The Pixar/Marvel collaborations, however, will surely be sick. These are two of my favorites companies, and although I am a little scared of what’s to come, Disney has a history of letting their companies do their own thing (Pixar, Miramax, etc). Plus, Disney knows better than to mess with the formula. Marvel movies make a ton of money, and if they start turning out a G rated Avengers, they’ll most likely lose money. So don’t fix what’s not broken, Disney. At least they’ve confirmed that they’re not making any changes to the movies in development or filming (Iron Man 2 and 3, Spidey 4, Captain America, Thor, The Avengers). So good luck, Disney and Marvel!!!
R.I.P. King of Pop
On June 25, 2009, a musical icon died in LA. At 50 years old, Michael Jackson left this earth and left a legacy in music and pop culture that probably won’t be surpassed anytime soon. It was a celebrity death that is affecting people around the world. For my dad’s generation, it was Elvis Presley. For me, it’s Michael Jackson. It was one of those situations where I will remember exactly where I was and what I was doing. Princess Diana’s death: at my aunt and uncle’s house in Pacifica for my grandmother’s birthday party. September 11, 2001: I had just gotten up to get ready for school and turned on my radio. Marlon Brando’s death: my dad had called to wake me up for the day and told me the news which then caused me to start crying while lying in bed. Heath Ledger’s death: sitting at my computer between classes at NYU and checking Yahoo before reporting it to every one of my friends. Michael Jackson’s death: getting ready to leave work for the day.
Headlines had been popping up all over the internet right before I left work about how Michael Jackson had been rushed to the hospital. Originally, everyone at work thought it was a hoax or nothing serious. It was until a coworker yelled out, “Michael Jackson died” that we expressed our shock and disbelief. At that time, it was only being reported on TMZ which is not the most refutable source on the internet. But CNN, Yahoo, and the TV news stations started reporting it immediately after and the text messages started coming in droves. It seems that everyone had heard at the same time and had to express their opinions. It was the hot topic on BART, and when my train was stranded at Daly City for 20 minutes, it was all people could talk about it. Coupled with Farrah Fawcett’s passing earlier in the day, celebrity deaths were the topic of the day. World affairs, the economy, all forgotten.
I couldn’t believe it and part of me still can’t believe it. This was an artist I had grown up on, one I distinctly remember listening to and watching videos of since I was little. His biggest album, Thriller, was released before I was even born, but those songs are some of the most played on my IPod and sung by me in the shower. I walked home from BART blasting Michael’s songs on my IPod then arrived at home and spent the next hour and a half watching his music videos on Youtube. It seems that most of my time over the past few days has been spent listening to his music, downloading this music, reading news about him or celebrity reactions to his death, and watching his music videos. Radio stations have been playing his music nonstop; VH1, MTV, and BET have dedicated hours to his music videos; and his songs, albums, and music videos have taken over the Top 10 lists on ITunes. His albums are selling out all over the world. Thriller already holds the record for most records sold, with Jackson’s passing, it will break that record by an even greater number.
Now I’m skipping over the weirder and crazier aspects of Jackson’s career. That’s not the Michael I currently want to remember or celebrate. Besides it seems like that’s all CNN, FOX News, and all the other news stations can talk about so it’s been already covered extensively. No, what I want to remember is the Michael Jackson I grew up with. The Jackson 5 and “ABC” and little dancing Michael. Watching Captain Eo at Disneyland multiple times as a child and being creeped out by the evil queen reaching out at me in 3D; dancing around to and singing “Another Part of Me” as an adult and searching for Captain Eo in its entirety on Youtube. Thinking “Thriller” was an insanely good video and then later appreciating it even more for what it did for the music video business and the fact that it has both Vincent Price and dancing zombies. Thinking the “You Are Not Alone” was a kind of annoying song and creepy video in 1995 and still believing that in 2009, but hey, I still sing the chorus aloud whenever I can. Loving “Bad” the song, loving “Bad’ the music video, loving “Fat” by Weird Al, loving it even more because Marty Scorsese directed the video and Wesley Snipes randomly pops up in it. Being able to recognize the beat of “Beat It” and random dance moves from the video and getting West Side Story flashbacks. Playing “Billie Jean” so many times that it has entered my Top 25 Most Played list on my ITunes – I’ve now recognized it as my favorite Michael Jackson song of all time (plus, I wish I could touch things and make them light up). Not getting into “PYT” until this year and now blasting it whenever I can. Naming “Black and White” as the most remembered MJ music video from my childhood due to the Macaulay Culkin cameo. Coming to appreciate “Remember the Time” as a great song and great video. Still loving “You Rock My World” 8 years later and being able to fully described the music video, a few dance moves, and the various cameos (creepy guy from The Untouchables gets his comeuppance in it, cementing its greatness). As you can see, a lot of his music has been a part of my life.
I didn’t realize how many random dance moves I knew from the music videos until I started rewatching them these past few days. Now I’m finally going to try and achieve my goal of learning the entire “Thriller” dance as well as the dances for “Beat It”, “Bad”, “Remember the Time”, and “You Rock My World”. I’m going to continue blasting his music and singing along (I’m currently playing “Rockin Robin” on my computer). This is how I’m going to honor the King of Pop. R.I.P. Michael Jackson.
More Than Meets the Eye
I saw Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen in IMAX tonight (IMAX is always the way to go with these movies although $17 is a little steep), and frankly, I loved it. I tried to stay away from a lot of reviews and comments since I didn’t want to be spoiled or think that I’d be disappointed because other people were. I did read a few though, and I couldn’t believe that people were complaining about the quality of the movie. Hello, it’s a Michael Bay film! What were they expecting? Obviously, this movie wasn’t going to be an Oscar caliber film. It’s a summer action movie which will rake in the money and set records. With Michael Bay films, the moviegoer should only go in expecting lots of things blowing up and fights. And that’s what we got. We also got to see the characters grow a little, comedy, and a lot more robots (I wouldn’t be able to tell you what most of their names were. Unlike most geeky things, I was not a part of this fandom before the first movie). Also, I’m tired of fanboy complaints about the lack of plot and character development. If I remember correctly, these same fanboys were complaining in 2007 about how the first Transformers focused too much on plot, the human characters, and character development – they wanted more robot fights. Well, congrats, that’s what you got. But heaven forbid you all accept it and enjoy the movie. No, you have to complain on the internet like you do about everything else. I should have learned my lesson from The Dark Knight, The Incredible Hulk, Watchmen, and Wolverine and just have stayed away from fanboy reviews. Go cry to someone else. I, however, was a content moviegoer and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a little longer than it needed to be, but it was worth it. T:ROTF had everything I wanted and expected: action, comedy, robot fights, an old crotchety British robot, things going boom, lots of Shia, less Megan Fox, and lots of comedic Turturro (who also showed his butt in this movie which means I’ve seen a lot of Turturro this month). That means I was able to experience both Turturros this month: comedic Turturro in Transformers and dramatic Turturro in Pelham 123. I love celebrating the month of Turturro. Anyways, I loved Transformers and am telling all of my friends to see it and enjoy themselves. Everyone deserves to have fun at a summer popcorn flick.
According to the news today, the Academy Awards will now have 10 Best Picture nominees. I’m still not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I feel like 10 is too many. It would have been better if they had upped it to 6 or 7. Plus, what if the year doesn’t have 10 great, Oscar-worthy films? Have there been any yet? Here’s hoping “Shutter Island”, “Nine”, and “A Serious Man” live up to the hype. On the other hand, it would enable more quality films to be recognized. And maybe more comedies and animated films will join the fray. It would be nice for the Academy to actually give them the praise they deserve like the Golden Globes do. It would have been better if they had started this new tradition last year; that way, Wall-E, The Dark Knight, and In Bruges all could have been nominated and could have possibly won. Heck, just let me be an Academy member and I’ll vote for all of these great films.
It was all Jacob’s fault
I thought that the worst thing that could happen after watching the season finale of Lost Season 5 was that I’d be upset about one of my boys dying (they were all still alive by the end of the episode. Whoot! Now bring on Season 6 in 2010). Instead, I ended up stuck in my own bathroom for an hour.
I headed to bed around 12:20 a.m. after reading other people’s comments on the finale. What I should have done, like a normal person that has to get up at 6 a.m. for work, was headed to bed directly after Lost at 11 p.m. Instead, I was a nerd and wanted to read my fellow nerds’ opinions. After brushing my teeth, I went to open the bathroom door, and it was stuck. I thought it was just normal stuck, and turned the knob and jiggled. The knob could turn perfectly, but the door would not budge. The lock was jammed into the door frame. Surprisingly, I remained calm, but that may have been cause I was a mix of exhausted and hyped up. I banged on the door to wake my parents to help. Both my mom and dad woke up and we tried to open the door with tools. We even unscrewed the doorknob, but, even though the knob came off, the lock was still jammed. We attempted to take the hinges off of the door, but the hinges had been painted over so it was like we were just taking the paint off of the door. My dad called a few locksmihs, but they were either unable to come to our area or were not 24/7. So there was only thing left to do – call the SSF Fire Department.
Unlike a locksmith who probably would have taken forever to get there, the firemen came right away. They followed my mom’s request and didn’t turn on their lights or sirens (as if I wanted the neighborhood to know what was going on). The 3 firemen tried to open the door by trying to get the lock out, but to no avail.. The guys were really nice. They asked if I was ok which took me a few seconds to answer cause I was tired and the loud fan that turns on with the light in the bathroom was on so I couldn’t hear anything very well. Honestly, all I had been doing in there while waiting was sitting or plucking my eyebrows. Eventually they sent my dad and the smallest firefighter, Jimmy, out into the backyard where Jimmy climbed up a ladder, unscrewed the screen on the bathroom window, and shimmied through our tiny bathroom window and dropped into the shower. I didn’t think anyone was capable of fitting through that window (I sure can’t), but Jimmy was able to pull himself in lengthwise and not hurt himself. SSF trains their firemen well. I stood there and watched the firemen try the lock again then Jimmy took off the hinges from the door by hammering a screwdriver up them. The door popped open, the lock popped out, and now we have a doorless bathroom which is going to be a lot of fun when one of us needs to pee or take a shower. The firemen were happy to see that I was ok, my parents were happy to see that I was ok, my mom was happy to see the firemen, and Joe might have slept through most of it. Exhausted and estatic that I wouldn’t have to sleep in the bathroom, I headed to bed at 1:55 a.m. How I’m going to survive the day at work, I have no idea. At least I have the Smallville season finale to look forward to tonight. And I’m going to blame this whole thing on Jacob from Lost, with his all-encompassing power and knowledge that allows him to figure out who will come to the island but apparently does not prevent him from getting shanked by Ben or save me from the bathroom. Thanks to my parents and the SSF Fire Department!!!
Shows, Shows, Everywhere A Show
This week marks the end of two of my favorite shows currently on TV. One has been a part of my life for a number of years while the other has only been here for less than a year. Life on Mars has its series finale on Wednesday while ER has its series finale on Thursday. ER has lasted 15 seasons and multiple cast changes while Life on Mars was only given one season and two casts.
First, ER. I know that I am going to sob through the three hour finale on Thursday. I began watching it religiously during Season 10 after my parents had stopped watching it a few years before (Season 10 being Parminda’s first season). With the constant reruns on TNT, I was able to make my way through the previous seasons and enjoy my buddy, George Clooney, on a daily basis. I think the reason I love ER so much is because I am extremely invested in the characters and their stories whether it be the Chief of Medicine or the patient who comes in for 5 minutes of an episode. Each has a different story and all are well-developed. I am so glad that a good amount of the previous actors and actresses have stopped by the ER this past season to remind us of how much has changed over the 15 years as well as how much has stayed the same. From Dr. Doug Ross to Dr. Benton to Dr. Greene, we’ve seen them all appear again and interact with the new cast members. Even my favorite ER doctor of all time, Dr. Carter, is back as a full-time cast member to say his goodbyes. I am so glad that the little intern that could is back as the amazing doctor he has grown into. Thank god, the writers have decided that he is going to survive his kidney failure. I don’t think I could handle Dr. Carter dying in the end. Some other highlights this season for me have been Neela and Ray finally getting the ending us Roomies fans have waited for for 4 years (now go get married and have babies!) and watching Archie Morris grow into a respected man and doctor. Dr. Morris started as an annoying, slightly funny, kinda stupid doctor, but he has become one of my favorite characters. Watching him deal with Dr. Pratt’s death earlier this season was tough, but we all knew how he felt since we had grown to love Dr. Pratt as a friend too. Thank you, ER for a great 15 seasons.
Life on Mars ends its first and only season on Wednesday, and the producers have promised that all will be answered in the finale. We will finally know why Sam has been sent back to 1973 and whether he’ll stay. Is it a dream? Is it an experiment? Is he dead? All I know is that it will be very well-written and acted. This was the only new show I watched this season, and ABC of course decided to squash it. They already cancelled two of my other favorite shows in the same year, Dirty Sexy Money and Pushing Daisies, so of course, they had to cancel this one before it established a permanent fan base. ABC needs to learn to give its quirky and different shows a chance. They all can’t be formulaic like Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. Another part of me is happy that LoM is ending after one season. That way it can’t get all muddled in its own mythology (cough, Heroes, cough) and can end the way the producers want it to, the way fans will enjoy. So thanks, Life on Mars for making my Wednesday and Thursday nights more interesting. (And thanks, Jason O’Mara, for taking a picture and talking with me in NYC in October!)
One more thing. I urge you all to watch Kings, Sundays at 8PM on NBC. This is another well-written, thought provoking drama that is not being fully embraced by the mass audiences. I’m worried that NBC will cancel it before its 13 filmed episodes air or right after they do. Please, give it a chance and give it a second season. NBC doesn’t need another night of Leno; it needs more good dramas like Kings. So please watch it and email NBC to let them know how much you like it.
81st Academy Award Nominations
BEST PICTURE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
FROST/NIXON
MILK
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Winner)
BEST DIRECTOR
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON – David Fincher
FROST/NIXON – Ron Howard
MILK – Gus Van Sant
THE READER – Stephen Daldry
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – Danny Boyle (Winner)
BEST ACTOR
Richard Jenkins for THE VISITOR
Frank Langella for FROST/NIXON
Sean Penn for MILK (Winner)
Brad Pitt for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Mickey Rourke for THE WRESTLER
BEST ACTRESS
Anne Hathaway for RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Angelina Jolie for CHANGELING
Melissa Leo for FROZEN RIVER
Meryl Streep for DOUBT
Kate Winslet for THE READER (Winner)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Josh Brolin for MILK
Robert Downey Jr. for TROPIC THUNDER
Philip Seymour Hoffman for DOUBT
Heath Ledger for THE DARK KNIGHT (Winner)
Michael Shannon for REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams for DOUBT
Penelope Cruz for VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (Winner)
Viola Davis for DOUBT
Tarija P. Henson for THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Marisa Tomei for THE WRESTLER
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
FROZEN RIVER
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
IN BRUGES
MILK (Winner)
WALL-E
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
DOUBT
FROST/NIXON
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Winner)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
CHANGELING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
THE READER
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Winner)
BEST FILM EDITING
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
THE DARK KNIGHT
FROST/NIXON
MILK
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (Winner)
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – “O Saya”
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE – “Jai Ho” (Winner)
WALL-E – “Down to Earth”
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
BOLT
KUNG FU PANDA
WALL-E (Winner)
The Oscar nominations were announced bright and early this morning, and I am still hyped up 12 hours later. Oscar nomination day is one of my favorite days of the year, and this year is no different. And of course, I have some opinions on the nominees and the snubs.
Best Picture: This is the first year ever that I have seen all 5 nominees even before the nominations were announced! Usually I’ve seen 2-3 by this time and then try to see the others before February. Last year, I had seen 3 out of 5 by this time (No Country for Old Men, Juno, Michael Clayton), saw 1 immediately afterwards with my roommate (There Will Be Blood), and refused to see the last one (Atonement). I’m extremely proud of myself for having seen all 5. As for who I would like to win? For me, it’s between Slumdog Millionaire and Milk. Slumdog was very entertaining and a feel-good movie with great acting and directing and phenomenal editing. Milk was amazing as well: great acting by everyone as well as a well-written and interesting script. Sean Penn and Josh Brolin embodied their parts perfectly. Plus I was born and raised in the Bay Area. =) Hopefully one of those two win. Frost/Nixon is my 3rd choice although I think it has a better chance of winning Best Actor. Benjamin Button and The Reader are tied for 4th place. Benjamin Button was very entertaining but not as good as the other nominees. The Reader had a great story and sensational acting, but again, I don’t think it is as good as Milk and Slumdog. The biggest snubs have to be The Dark Knight and Wall-E. TDK was one of the best movies of the year according to both critics and fans, but apparently not for Oscar voters. Wall-E is one of the best animated movies I’ve seen in years. The first half of the movie was all about 2 robots with barely any talking, and I wasn’t bored at all.
Best Director: Gus Van Sant or Danny Boyle, no question. David Fincher should have been nominated for Zodiac last year, The Reader is more about the acting, and I love little Ronnie Howard, but he has an Oscar already.
Best Actor: I’ve been saying for months that this race would be a battle between Sean, Mickey, and Frank. It’s between those 3. They all had amazing performances (I haven’t seen The Wrestler yet but have heard good things). I love Brad, but I loved him more in Burn After Reading this year. And congrats to Richard Jenkins for being nominated! Snub: Leo DiCaprio for Revolutionary Road – I had read the book before seeing the movie and he embodied Frank Wheeler and made you feel for him while at the same time you were disgusted with him.
Best Actress: Meryl or Kate. Meryl or Kate. MERYL OR KATE!!! I would love if Kate finally got her Oscar. Meryl is her biggest competition. She blew me away in Doubt. I don’t know anything about Melissa Leo (dark horse contender), and when I think of Angelina Jolie in The Changeling, all I can think of is “I want MY son back!”. And please Academy, do not give it to Anne Hathaway. One performance does not make you a good actor (cough, Jamie Foxx and Mira Sorvino). I’m hoping she’ll be like Eddie Murphy and be a front runner who has their award dreams crushed because of a crappy movie they did that comes out during the awards season (Bride Wars and Norbit). And the lucky winner gets to be given the award by Daniel Day Lewis so it’s like they’ve won twice. If I won, I’d hug him and the Oscar and not let go.
Best Supporting Actor: My favorite category. I’ve seen all 5 performances, but I nearly went crazy when I saw that Josh Brolin was nominated. He is one of my favorite actors, and his bromantic buddy Javier won this same award last year so it must be destiny. In Milk, you could see Dan’s struggle with his upbringing and his fascination with Harvey. Josh did an amazing job. For me, it’s between Josh and Heath Ledger who received this nomination on the 1 year anniversary of his death. If Heath wins, I hope it’s because of his performance and not because they feel they have to give it to him because he died. He WAS The Joker just like Josh WAS Dan White. So here’s hoping one of them wins so I can celebrate.
Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis or Tarija P. Henson are my choices. For such small parts in their movies, they were powerhouses. Please don’t give it to Penelope. I couldn’t stand the smaltziness of Javier handing it to her. Plus she wasn’t as good as the others.
Best Original Screenplay: IN BRUGES!!! IN BRUGES!!! IN BRUGES!!! It’s a travesty that none of the actors got nominated, but I’ll take this as consultation prize. Thanks Academy.
Best Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire. Although The Dark Knight should be here as well.
Best Animated Feature: Wall-E. If anything else wins, then the Academy Awards voters are idiots.
Best Original Song: I want Jai Ho to win. But all 3 songs are great. And I can’t wait for the Bollywood dancing during the Slumdog performances. I would have loved it if a song from Forgetting Sarah Marshall was nominated – the Academy Awards would gotten 10 times cooler in my book. Biggest snub was Bruce Springsteen’s “The Wrestler” since that’s won a ton of awards already.
So there you go. Not as many surprises this year as in past years, but it should be a good show. I would have loved it if a comic book movie had been nominated for Best Pic (TDK or Iron Man), but maybe someday one will. And this is the first year in 3 years that my favorite movie of the year hasn’t won Best Picture. 2006 had The Departed and 2007 had No Country for Old Men (oh man, there was a lot of screaming and dancing when those 2 movies won their various awards). TDK was my favorite for 2008, but it wasn’t nominated. What can you do? Maybe one day I’ll be an Academy member so I can make my voice heard. And I already know this year’s awards show viewing won’t be as fun as last year’s with the No Country lovin’, the Brolin/Bardem bromance, the nerdgasm caused by Marty giving the Coens their Oscar, the tequila, and the constant shouting in our suite of “I’VE ABANDONED MY CHILD! I’VE ABANDONED MY BOY!” every time DDL or TWBB was mentioned. Man, that was a great show.
Him?
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b70046_inside_scoop_on_arrested_movie_deal.html
Dear Michael Cera,
Now we all know that you are the lone main cast member holdout for the Arrested Development Movie. You previously made comments during the Nick and Norah interviews that you didn’t understand why fans wanted the movie since they had 3 perfect seasons to watch and it might ruin the series. So it obviously has to be you since everyone else interviewed about the AD Movie has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. You could pull out the line that “Maybe it was the other George Michael. The singer-songwriter”, but COME ON!!! We know it was you so fess up and do the dang movie.
Now I can understand why you may not want to do the movie. AD ended in 2006 and you’ve built up a pretty good movie career since then. But you do realize that the AD fans have been some of your biggest supporters and went to your movies purely because you played George Michael? One of the reasons I went and saw Juno in theaters was because both you and Jason Bateman were in it and the small possibility of a Michael and George Michael Bluth reunion on screen was too tempting to pass up (unfortunately that didn’t happen and I was subjected to a cute story with extremely annoying dialogue). I was super excited when you guest starred on Veronica Mars (another great show cut down too soon) in 2006 with Alia Shawkat because of the potential George Michael/Maeby scenes. Now I actually saw Superbad cause it looked hilarious and having you in it was an extra bonus. I paid to see Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist because of you but moreso for the fact that it was filmed all around NYU and I was excited to see all my old haunts. And do you remember that one time you were filming on 10th Street and Broadway in 2007 and all the NYU kids passed by and watched? I was one of those kids and as much as I wanted to yell “MICHAEL CERA, I LOVE YOU!!”, I didn’t because I had a cold and would have sounded like a man. Now I’m kind of glad I didn’t since you may be preventing my dream of seeing an Arrested Development Movie. If you were filming near me now, my shouting wouldn’t be as nice. In fact, it might go something like “MICHAEL CERA, YOU WEINER!!! JUST FILM THE DAMN MOVIE!”
Michael, why can’t you give back to the fans who made you who you are? Honestly what did you do before Arrested Development? Nothing that was well-known. We, the fans, made you. THE FANS. And we continue to go to see your movies even though you play basically the same character in every single one. Yes, that’s right: THE SAME CHARACTER. You have been unable to show any range beyond playing a paler version of George Michael Bluth. A nerdy shy mumbler? Yea, we’ve seen it all before. Actually pre-Superbad, we had seen it exactly 53 times and loved you for it. So go back to the character that started it all and make us happy. Don’t make me boycott your future movies over this slight. Don’t make me curse your name forever and ever. It would just cause us even more pain.
Please Michael Cera, do it for the fans. Do it for us crazy Arrested Development fans who quote lines every time someone mentions the show. Those of us who have watched all 3 seasons over and over because we still can’t get enough. Those of us who pulled a Lucille Bluth and drank while sitting through the new 90210 for Jessica Walter, did the chicken dance whenever Will Arnett guested on 30 Rock, and watched anything with Jason Bateman just to try and get over the pain of losing Arrested. Do it for the fans then continue on your movie star path. We won’t object as long as we get to watch 90 more minutes of the Bluths.
Finally, don’t make us call J. Walter Weatherman to teach you a lesson.
Sincerely,
Christina
Life on 30 Rock in Smallville’s ER
It’s now mid October which means the new seasons of TV shows have premiered and taken over my life. Unlike last season with Gossip Girl, Private Practice, and Dirty Sexy Money, I only have one new show to add to my list of TV to watch (I’m not counting Pushing Daisies since that premiered last season and I watched all 9 episodes in September). That new show? Life on Mars, Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC (seriously-watch it). I have never seen the British version so I have nothing to compare the US version to which means I can watch it without being conflicted. The US version is amazing – great cast, interesting premise, amazing music, and a good mix of humor and drama. Plus I kinda love Michael Imperioli (CHRISTOFUH!!!) and Jason O’Mara while I have a respect for Harvey Keitel especially when he’s not naked (watching The Piano in the Bobst library was not fun). Only 2 episodes have premiered and I’m already hooked. I feel bad since I can’t contribute to it’s ratings due to the fact that it’s on at the same time as ER’s final season and I don’t have a Nielsen Box – I deserve a Nielsen Box due to all the TV I watch. I add ratings to a lot of shows, thank you very much – so I’m hoping people continue to watch it on Thursday nights and make sure it gets a full season pickup. And hopefully I’ll be able to stalk this set and Gossip Girl’s set when I’m in NYC next week. Fingers crossed. As for what I watch every week? Here’s the rundown. And if you think it looks bad, you should have seen it years ago when Buffy, Angel, Veronica Mars and Arrested Development were also there (and when I used to watch Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, and House before I became bored with them) – a ton of shows conflicted which explains the huge amount of VHS tapes I now own. Enjoy!
Monday: Gossip Girl (8:00), Heroes (9:00) [Kyle XY will hop in here when it premieres in January]
Tuesday: Greek (9:00 – season ending soon so that spot will be vacant), Without a Trace (10:00)
Wednesday: Pushing Daisies (8:00), Private Practice (9:00), Dirty Sexy Money (10:00), CSI:NY (10:00 – I watch online) [Add Law & Order in January as well]
Thursday: Smallville (8:00), 30 Rock (9:30), ER (10:00), Life on Mars (10:00 – I watch online) [Lost will pop up in here when it comes back in January]
[Friday: Law & Order: Criminal Intent in November]
Sunday: The Simpsons (8:00), King of the Hill (8:30), Family Guy (9:00), American Dad (9:30)
Burn After Reading
I have been extremely excited for Burn After Reading for quite some time; possibly ever since the time they were filming in Brooklyn in 2007. As with No Country for Old Men in 2007, this became my most anticipated movie of Fall 2008, and it did not disappoint. The movie was hilarious and shocking, and the cast was amazing. I have to pick Brad Pitt as my favorite performance in the movie; he was dimwitted but sweet and funny. (And yes, I did get excited over the one scene Brad and George share. I love my Ocean’s boys!) The Coens are great at taking an object and making people believe it’s important when, in reality, it means nothing at all and just causes people to act without thinking. I loved the fact that I had no idea where the movie was going and how it would end; I was able to sit back and enjoy it. I would highly recommend Burn After Reading. Hopefully my level of excitement and happiness will simmer down soon; but then again, my No Country excitement stayed high for quite a long time.
I also was able to get a Burn After Reading poster from the movie theater earlier in the day. My dad and I saw Righteous Kill in the afternoon (another good movie), and they were taking down the posters for the movies that were released this week. I asked what they would do with them, and one of the workers said they donate them but asked which one I wanted. After I said Burn After Reading, she called her manager and was able to get permission to give it to me. Now I have a Burn After Reading poster on the wall by my bed to commemorate the movie experience.
And yes, I did get excited when George and Tilda were at the Blue Water Grill in the movie. I even pointed out where I sat the one time I went there. I’m still mad that I had class and work the day they were filming in Union Square.
CELEBRATION
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/volleyball/news?slug=ap-vol-us-brazil&prov=ap&type=lgns
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GOLD MEDAL US MEN’S VOLLEYBALL TEAM!!!
WHOOOOOO!!!! Thank you nbcolympics.com for giving me live updates so I could freak out and cheer once they won it. I cannot wait to actually watch the match tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Congratulations to Hugh and the team!!! You guys deserve it!
