Here Comes a New Year...

What's your biggest movie wish? (I haven't given 2011 that much thought yet but I'm hoping that the Pedro/Antonio reunion is worth the wait.)
*

Merry Christmahanakwanzukkah. It's an Open Thread.

We've hit some roadblocks and posting may be light for the next few days. Or heavy. You never know. It's the holidays. So let this be an open thread. What's on your mind? To you readers who are starting your festive travels today, be safe. If any of you are offline this week have a great time.

thanks for visiting and making this place so festive in the comments, just like it's the holiday season every week of the year. xoxo.
.........-Nathaniel 

p.s. Check out these auteur-themed cards starring Martin Scorsese & Mike Leigh. So funny.

p.p.s. In case you didn't see it, AMPAS posted a reminder list of eligible films at their official site.
*

What are you seeing this weekend?

Do share in the comments -- or maybe you're just Christmas shopping?

Sorry I've been away: internet connectivity problems today. Have you already started your holiday break?

I must see several movies this weekend and over the holiday week so as to finalize all the year in review goodies and listicles, the 11th annual Film Bitch Awards are right around the corner. The new website is on the way too though I'm having a few engineering snafus -hence the delay. Ack! Where are my magical elves to fix it?

Resist The Tide

Quick...  In this day overflowing with critics awards (Los Angeles finally wrapped up), share a movie thought that has NOTHING to do with this year's critics awards or Oscars.

What's on your mind?

(My brain was just in 1961 fantasyland with Natalie & Warren, left. This is one of my brain's favorite places.)
*

You Were Saying...? (Extended Thoughts on Previous Topics)

I pray my occasional 'look at these comments!' posts don't come off as desperate. I'm just a very chatty person, what can I say? Since we are all becoming cyborgs, comments feel closer to conversation all the time. One day we will all forget how to speak. We will grow extra sets of fingers for more typing speed. Evolution will shrink our hands so that we can text with greater ease on our tiny devices.

First, I wanted to thank everyone who offered up music suggestions ♪ ♫  in the Grammy Awards post. I've already started investigating your recommendations since I usually have at least one "music of the year" or "music video of the year" posts in late December.  Keep 'em coming.

Last year about this time the public was going wild for The Blind Side and I included an "Overheard" conversation about it. Broooooke recently discovered the year old post and feels bad that Sandra got such flack for winning because the performance (if not the film) holds up. I would love to include more of those overheard posts but I'm telling you it is SO hard to eavesdrop in NYC. You're oft thwarted by noisy subway trains and traffic and whispering (damn you quite people in noisy cities!). Just last week two older men in suits right next to me on the subway were discussing the Oscar race. I was dying to eavesdrop but alas... major subway noise and then my stop.

A related note on Sandra B: Rebecca finds it odd that people lament the Academy's refusal to give older women the Oscar in the Annette Bening post but also bitch about Sandra's win. Sandra was 45 when she won. But more on this age & oscar topic this week ~ Article in Progress. 

Viggo & Fassy on the set of A Dangerous Method

Patrick F recently declared it a life goal to see all of Viggo Mortenson's movies. I was just thinking about Viggo yesterday and how long it took him to get really famous. It was a by-association thought. I was watching Fish Tank (so good, right?) and dreaming about seeing Viggo and Michael Fassbender as Freud & Jung in A Dangerous Method or The Talking Cure or whatever David Cronenberg is calling that psychiatric bio these days. They seem like such ideally paired co-stars to me.

Cal read the whole Undertow interview -- that's the Peruvian Oscar submission -- and loves that more Latin American movies are getting international attention "Before it was only Argentina and Brazil." Troia recently saw the movie, too, and thinks it one of the most moving of 2010. I bring this up now after the fact because I'm assuming we're going to hear about the foreign film finalists from AMPAS any day now. I love following the foreign film race but I'm not sure about this whittling down process where suddenly 50+ movies are evicted in the last month before the actual nominations. Imagine being on the campaign trail and then >boom< 'Sorry, you're out before nominations are even announced.' My current 9 predicted finalists are here but this category often holds surprises so no one knows anything.

That Helen Mirren "women in hollywood" speech sure has been making the web rounds (though there weren't many comments here on it.) Still, Manuel recalls the first time he saw the delightful Helen Mirren (Prime Suspects) and was hooked ever after. Mirren only gradually entered my consciousness. The first thing I remember seeing her in is White Nights (1985) where she met her future husband, the director Taylor Hackford. I was kind of in love with Mikhail Baryshnikov at the time (she played his wife) and I only remember two things about the movie today.

1. A shot of Misha stretching to warm up where he lays his head against his entirely vertical leg. As if this is something the human body is supposed to be able to do! 
2. This scene where Misha dances for her and she cries from the beauty of his movement. Or at least that's how I remembered the reason for her tears.

Why the Misha love? Blame childhood in the 1970s. It's probably impossible to imagine for anyone born in the 90s when the only people constantly discussed seem to be reality TV show stars but yes... a ballet dancer was once mega-famous to the point where teenager had posters of him on their walls. I wonder if Black Swan will inspire a mini-fad of renewed interest in ballet? If so that'll sure help Benjamin Millipied from Black Swan.

Odes to Emaciation: Christian Bale's Insane Actorly Commitment

I was just about to go into several interesting comments from the latest link roundup but I could do this all day and I have to move on. See.... in about 4 or 5 hours things start getting really crazy with the awards calendar... but maybe Sheila isn't the only one who is less than excited to see the madness begin. She writes

Ahh, these bullshit awards leave me cold. Why do people fawn over them so? Think of all the past great performances that were left out and you get the message. It's all about timing, timing, timing, especially now...

Timing is indeed the magic element. She's not far off with one key example: Christian Bale's "posterboy routine for committed actors" is finally catching up with him in terms of awards heat. 
Are you as chatty this morning? If not, have another cup o' joe.

Comment Party. "We've Got Choreography!"

Which Academy Awards category that doesn't exist should?
...Stunts? Ensemble? Casting? Which nonexistent category do you wish they'd invent?

You know that if they still had Best Dance Direction (1935-1937 RIP) or some such choreography prize, that Benjamin Millipied who dances, acts, and choreographs Black Swan (as well as romancing Natalie Portman offscreen) would be in the running for an Oscar.

For more on Millipied, check out his Out Magazine interview.

“My curiosity goes a lot further than just the ballet world... my body has a certain amount of knowledge that has nothing to do with ballet.”

Given his modelling, off ballet interests, Portman dating, and now acting, maybe we'll be seeing more of him after Swan? For someone who can leap so high in the air, Millipied's official site is weirdly horizontal --- scroll scroll scroll across not up or down.
ANYWAYYYY.. Oscar categories that don't exit. Discuss.
*

Off Screen Break. What's Going On?

Because sometimes, taking a wee break from the silver screen, helps you appreciate the movies more.

EW Lady Gaga is insane. Promises "Born This Way" is 'best album of the decade'. So no sophomore slump then, Gaga?
YouTube Madonna opening her Hard Candy gym in Mexico. I wish I could work out there. I obviously need some sort of dominatrix to push me if I'm ever going to get in shape. (sigh)
AV Club Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark first preview "no one broke their wrists or feet or died." Seriously, why do people keep hiring Julie Taymor and throwing money at her? How long will this Broadway musical have to stay open to even break even? 2018?
Band of Thebes best LGBT books of the year?
Vulture Hilary Swank developing a reality tv game show? Bizarre.

Or you can just consider this an OPEN THREAD. Lots of movie awards news popping up, yes, but WHAT ELSE are you thinking about right now? I'm watching Pee Wee Herman on Broadway as you read this! I know you are but what am I?
*

Which movie job...

...would you most like to be trudging off to this morning, instead of your actual job?



What would a two-minute montage of your day job look like? Would it be this sparkly?

*

Which movie weapon...

... would you want in a fight? And no, I won't tell you who your opponent is before the battle. Go.

Just some examples. Don't feel like you have to wield them.

*

Which movie star's face...

...are you most fascinated by at this very moment? Tell us in the comments.

There can be more than one of course but at this very moment I'd have to go with Julie Christie. I was bored of my desktop image a week or two ago so I switched it to this (from Don't Look Now, 1973) and I can't stop staring at the screen. I fear Julie herself will have to snap her fingers to wake me from this hypnotic trance.
*

Love 'em and Leave 'em? A Brief Memory of Russell Crowe.

Have you ever loved a performance so much that your subsequent disinterest in the same actor is actually hard to wrap your head around? That's me when it comes to Russell Crowe.

I love everything about him in L.A. Confidential... but in particular the way he looks at Kim Basinger. God, the way he looks at her. It's just riveting. He easily made my Best Actor shortlist in 1997. For the record it went like so...

• Russell Crowe, LA Confidential
• Johnny Depp, Donnie Brasco
• Christopher Guest, Waiting for Guffman
• Ian Holm, The Sweet Hereafter *winner*
• Mark Wahlberg, Boogie Nights

I'd probably rejigger to make Christopher Guest the winner now that it's been 13 years (yes, Guffman arrived in '97 even though it's listed as '96 everywhere) and that performance is still the most hilarious I think I've ever seen.

But I'm veering off topic. Damnit.

Back on. I watched a few key Confidential scenes after reading Craig's Take Three: Kim Basinger this weekend and fell for Crowe's "Bud White" (great character name) all over again. Before L.A. Confidential hit I had only seen him in the Australian movie Proof (1991, not the Gwynnie Paltrow movie -- this one is more interesting) and in the western The Quick and the Dead (1995). And after L.A. I rented another Australian movie The Sum of Us (1994) and also loved him there.

So back in 1997 I assumed he was totally my new favorite actor. He became everyone else's favorite actor (at least for a few years)... but weirdly not mine. Not mine at all. So now when he has a new movie out (like The Next Three Days) it almost doesn't register with me.

<--- Crowe in Proof (1991).

I lost interest so quickly.

Have you ever had that happen to you with an actor / actress that you just really thought was going to be a personal fav? Does it mean that we let external forces get in the way? Does it mean we never loved the actor/actress but just the role they won / did justice to? Or maybe it's a complicated mix of all sorts of things like media saturation, public persona, film choices, personal quirks.

I'd love to hear stories if this has ever happened to you...
*

Quick...

...what's the last movie you watched and what did you think of it? (We have to live through you at the moment because we're too busy to see a movie *sniffle*. We hate when this happens.) 
*

Open Thread (and brief announcement)

What's on your (cinematic) mind? We're always curious.

P.S. I'm working on behind the scenes stuff today. You may have noticed the "contributors" field expanding the past few days. I am taking my first ever real vacation starting next Tuesday. Nathaniel (c'est moi) will be offline actually (gasp!) for a week. I've never even tried that before. I'm so scared. A week without the internet? Aahhhh. When I get back I'll be completely rejuvenated and ready for the best season of Oscar coverage and year-end festivities ever. That's the plan at least.

It's Election Day in the US. Which film director...

...did you vote for as Governor of Movies*? (Or Minister of Movies if you prefer)

I hope you chose carefully. They'll be bossing your cinema around for the next four years!

*Obviously, this is a write-in ballot situation only. I didn't see candidates listed anywhere in my voting guide.
*

Which movie...

...most reminds you of a happy night in your life? (It doesn't even have to be a happy movie to do so.)

Comment Party in Aisle 3

What we're (still) talking about in case you haven't been paying attention. Comments are like blog oxygen. They're like applause for desperate performers. Don't sit on your hands. Type! Consider this a whip cracked. You know you like that.

Andrew answers a question we asked back in the Oscar's Favorite Foreign Film Directors article: why wasn't Akira Kurosawa's Ran nominated for Best Foreign Film in 1985?

Manuel wonders why no one is remembering Olivia Williams (The Ghost Writer) and Danielle thinks I'm underestimating Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) in the Lead/Supporting Actress thread. Do you?

Dana Andrews has nightmares in The Best Years of Our Lives.
But boy is that movie a dream.

Classic Film Boy has astute thing to say about Best Picture winner The Best Years of Our Lives "When the realism of war began showing up in films like Platoon or Saving Private Ryan, it gave me new respect for what Best Years did with the Dana Andrews character..." That comment thread was so interesting and we genuinely appreciate your feedback on those convos. They go from three-way movie to cinematic orgy once you join in.

Guy is not a fan of the French Oscar submission Of Gods and Men and neither is Dave, who is reporting from the London Film Festival.

Numerous commenters took me to task for a mistake in the David Fincher Acting Hierarchy. I stand corrected. The screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker did not play the infamous "Sloth" in Se7en. He's just one of the other dead bodies, the poor sap. David the Movie Geek also let me know I forgot Zach Grenier (pictured left from Fight Club) who is also in Zodiac. Oops. Sorry Zach. I shall add you when I get a free moment.

Tangent! "Zachary" is my favorite male name. I am jealous of all of you who have it. Don't you love your name?

Anonymous (leave your names, people) agreed that Kristin Scott Thomas is excellent in Nowhere Boy and scorchinghot in Leaving (Partir). But do you think she should've won that Burn After Reading role?

What are you seeing this weekend?

I'm curious as always.

(working on Oscar revisions. may next week be less difficult!)

Open Thread

What's on your mind apart from Oscar (see post below for that discussion)? Planning to see anything this weekend?
*

What Were We Talking About?

When Sam Mendes and Maggie Gyllenhaal had lunch recently in NYC, what do you suppose they were talking about? I hope Maggie was saying "sorry about being such a one-dimensional cartoon in Away We Go -- but you weren't helping, mister man!"

What were they talking about? What were we talking about? What are we still talking about? (That actress list fo' sure and also the August: Osage County casting)  Here's some recent comments on older posts that I wanted to call your attention to. Yes, I read everything! Thank you to everyone who comments. It makes the work of writing of the blog more like fun.

silencio actually loves Perfume Story of a Murderer more than Se7en  in the serial killer genre. I don't hear that often. Truth (I haven't seen it. Shhhh). But it's funny that silencio should mention it since I have been thinking about Ben Whishaw all week. I'm fond but his part made-a me crazy in Julie Taymor's Tempest (for a few reasons... not really his fault. More on that later). How come I haven't seen Perfume?

Robby notices how many Oscar nominees are dropping off lately. Trust when I wrote that "still with us!" list in July I REALLY did not intend it as a morbid countdown. I just wanted to honor people while they were still with us. But yes it's already really out of date. Rough month of RIPs.


Kevin thinks the death of P.T. Anderson's The Master ought to free him up to do a musical. Wouldn't that be great?



Jordan ranks David Fincher's films and is fond of the Modern Maestro series as a whole. I didn't mean to scare y'all with saying that it's wrapping up soon. Robert is staying with us. I love the column too but it's time to switch it up after a short break.



james t rediscovered the huge voice / brilliance of Ellen Greene in Little Shop of Horrors and pointed me to this Patrick ♥ Wilson / Carrie Underwood version (what the he--uh?) I included an Ellen Greene version too (from the Tonight Show) because I can never get enough of her as Audrey and I'd never seen this clip... apparently Siskel & Ebert talked her up on the Tonight Show too back in the day.



And finally, I was pleased to see that in the Tangled post, there were quite a few people popping in to express their love for the music of Hunchback of Notre Dame. I'm glad I wasn't alone in thinking that Judge Frollo's songs really are special in that movie.

My point is this: Thanks for visiting The Film Experience every day! It was our biggest September over and I suddenly feel very enthused about the rapidly approaching awards season.

Consider this an open comment thread!
What's on your movie-lovin' mind?
*

Which movie...

...have you (or had you) borrowed for the longest without watching. Maybe a friend loaned it to you or it clogged up your Netflix queue or you paid a zillion late fees back in the days. Did you ever get around to watching it?

*