Things i wish had happened at the Oscars

I love the fact that The Kings Speech won Best picture, best director, best screenplay and best actor (definitely best actor). But there is always that part of me that roots for the underdog, the underdog being Toy Story 3. If it had won i would have been ecstatic as i thoroughly enjoyed the movie, but yes, at the end of the day The Kings Speech is far more 'oscary'.

Now i'm going to tell you who i thought would win, who did win and who a hoped would win.

Best Picture
What i thought would win: The Kings Speech
What won: The Kings Speech
What i hoped would win: Toy story 3.
My reasons: TS3 is a personal favorite of mine because i loved the way it tapped into so many different types of emotions and the way it could be scary and heartwarming. *sigh*, i suppose i'll have to wait a bit longer to see an animated feature win top honors.

Best Actor
Who i thought would win: Colin Firth, The Kings Speech
Who won: Colin Firth
Who i hoped would win: James Franco, 127 Hours.
My reason: i think James Franco is a great actor, i first saw him portray James Dean so perhaps thats why i like him so much, but still, it was a great performance. But Colin Firth won, and quite deservedly, but, you know, underdogs RULE!! He''l get his Oscar someday.

Best Actress
Who i thought would win: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Who won: Natalie Portman
Who i hoped would win: Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole.
My reason: The performance was solid and wholly good. Natalie Portman deservedly won but i suppose i hoped that Kidman would win because she is an Aussie, and i always barrack for the Aussies.

Best Director
Who I thought would win: Tom Hooper, the Kings Speech
Who did win: Tom Hooper
Who i hoped would win: Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
My reasons: since i picked The Kings Speech to win best picture, naturally i also picked Hooper to win best director, for obvious reasons- he deserved it. Darren Aronofsky's amazing visuals in Black Swan seemed pretentious to some, while artistically brilliant to others. I thought he did a marvelous job.

Best Supporting Actor
Who i thought would win: Geoffrey Rush, The Kings Speech
Who did win: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Who i hoped would win: Geoffrey Rush
My reasons: he's an Aussie. I think that Christian Bale was great in The Fighter, but i thought and hoped that Geoffrey Rush would win. Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! oi! oi! oi!

Best supporting Actress
Who i thought would win: Amy Adams, The Fighter
Who did win: Melissa Leo, The fighter
Who i hoped would win: Jackie Weaver, Animal Kingdom
My reasons: not only is Jackie Weaver an Aussie she was also bloody good! She was the underdog in Oscar Race because she appeared in a non-american film and the other nominees had names that were a bit bigger than hers. Honorable mention to Helena Bonham Carter as well, i thought she was pretty good in The Kings Speech.

Best animated film
What i thought would in: Toy Story 3
What won: Toy Story 3
what i hoped would win: Toy Story 3.
My reasons: its just so damn good!

I'll stop there, because i'm not well versed on the other categories and don't want to start prattling on about things i don't understand.

"Timing isn't my strong suit" King George IV (Colin Firth), The Kings Speech.

Clue (1985)

Clue is a 1985 comedy/mystery/crime based on the classic board game Cluedo. As someone who is a fan of a couple of the actors in it i sincerely hoped it was good, and it was! I never really warmed to playing Cluedo when i was younger (my older siblings had lost most of the pieces) but this movie has certainly gotten me interested in playing the game.

it stars Tim Curry as Wadsworth, Eileen Brennan as Mrs Peacock, Madeline Kahn as Mrs White, Christopher Lloyd as Prof Plum, Michael Mckean as Mr Green, Martin Mull as Col Mustard, Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet and Colleen Camp as Yvette.

Basically its about one night where 6 people have been invited to dinner at a mysterious mansion where they are greeted by Wadsworth and Yvette. They all have been given a codename and are asked not to reveal any personal information. This is more than a little weird. A mysterious Mr Boddy is also part of the scheme, but he gets killed early on and then there is chaos.

i was pleasantly surprised that i was interested in the plot and who did it as much as i was in how funny it was. A welcome bonus that a comedy could not only make you laugh but make your mind tick as try to figure out 'who dunnit'. The deadpan delivery of lines coupled with the bizarre situation and the slapstick was the most entertaining part of the film. Tim Curry is, as always, a delight to watch, Christopher Llyod is just cool in everything and Madeline Kahn plays a good Mrs White. Colleen Camp as Yvette was a surprise though, i'd never heard of the actress but since i liked the character so much ('flames on the side of my face' see the film and you'll get the reference) i feel inclined to see what else she has been in.

A downside of the movie was that it had a slow start, but other than that i found it solid. I recommend it to any lover of dark comedy, the actors, mystery with some fun thrown in or who loves movies that portrays the 50s in a satirical light. All in all i have to say that i enjoyed the endings (yes, plural) the most, Wadsworth reenacting the crimes was a delight, especially when he slaps Mrs Peacock in the face.

"they all did it, but if you want to know who shot Mr Boddy, i did. In The hall, with the revolver. OK, chief take em away! I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife" Mr Green (Michael Mckean), Clue

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Audrey Hepburn as Holly

How a book consisting off around 111 pages was stretched into a 2 hour movie i shall never know. However, i am glad it was. i saw this film as a fan of the actors in it (George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn) but stayed for the surprisingly well thought out characters.

Down on his luck writer meets Holly Golightly, a 'society girl' and falls in love. Hollys a bit, erm, odd though and doesn't really seem to have that much of a direction. Sort of like many people i have encountered, who want money and diamonds but haven't much idea how to get them, but for someone without much direction, she does get them. Of course, by giving 'company' to the rich. This is really about their romance.

While differing in many places (especially the end) from the book i have to say that this is a good watch for an afternoon. I think it's a bit overrated but the script and good performances reminded me why it is considered a classic. The description of Holly is different in the book but while reading it all i could see was Hepburn, although author Truman Capote visualized Marilyn Monroe in the role. When i pause for thought i see 2 different versions of Holly, Hepburn's and what i think Monroe would have been like. i have to say i think the dynamic would have been different but not horrible. I can see why he would have wanted Monroe for it, but i'm glad Hepburn won out.

The iconic LBT (little black dress) was popularized by Audrey Hepburn in this movie, along with the big sunnies, i have to say that i am guilty of owning an LBT and similar sunglasses. I think it adds a bit of class. When i think of fashion (especially 50s fashion) i think of two people: Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. If i thought of mens 50s fashion my first thought would be James Dean and Marlon Brando. anyway, without Hepburn the LBT may not have been as popular, for which i am certainly grateful because, to be quite frank, i don't really like any other dresses.

One gripe i had about the film was Mickey Rooney. I'm sure i'm not alone on this one, he was annoying and over the top, but his time on screen is quite brief in proportion to the rest of the movie, so i think that things could have been worse.
Another gripe (that doesn't reflect poorly on the movie but i don't get why they changed it) was that the film was set in 1960(ish) but the book (or novella) was set in 1943, which i think added something to it. still it was a minor difference that didn't even really matter that much.

"thats right. I'm just CRAZY about Tiffany's!" Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn), Breakfast at Tiffany's 

What's up doc?

This post isn't a bout the famous Bugs Bunny line, no it's about the 1972 film starring Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal and Madeline Kahn. The strangeness, the hilarity and the absurdity of the script would be nothing without the these 3 wonderful actors and their supporting cast, including Kenneth Mars (Franz Leibkind in the original Producers).

The basic plot is there are 4 overnight bags that are all identical, one has a top secret government files, another is full of rocks, the next one is full of jewels and the last one has underwear and other stuff in it. The basically, well, theres a bit of a mix up. In the middle of it all we have O'Neal as Howard 'Steve' Bannister, a musicologist who needs his rocks for a theory he has, who seems to have attracted the attention of Streisand's character Judy, who insists on calling him Steve and follows him around. We also have Howard's fiancée' Eunice (Kahn) who is so... weird. But all are hilarious.

This was the film debut of Madeline Kahn (who is perhaps best remembered for her frequent roles in Mel Brooks classics such as Blazing saddles and Young Frankenstein), since i like Kahn's movies i was very delighted to see that she started out in films as, well, tremendous. Barbra Streisand didn't want to do the movie, (she didn't think it was funny), though i respect Streisand, i think she was out of her mind for thinking the script wasn't funny. O'Neal was funny and while best known for his serious role in Love Story and maybe for more recently playing Brennan's father in Bones is a pleasure to watch. Plus there no denying that he was good looking when he was young.

I love slapstick comedy, screwball comedy and classic comedy, so naturally i loved this! It's hard not to draw parallels between a certain other screwball comedy by the name of Bringing up baby, i love both and could never decide which one is better, although BuB may have a leg up since without it there would be no What's Up Doc? in the first place.

It's fast, witty, outrageous, absurd and highly entertaining, i recommend it, but be warned: you need to watch it at least twice so you get the full experience.

"I am not 'A' Eunice Burns, i am THE Eunice Burns!" Eunice Burns (Madeline Kahn) Whats Up Doc?

Worst movie ever made? #99

Tattle Tale. Okay, it's a TV movie but it was pretty horrible and i felt i had to tell someone. It's not well known, but the people in it may be familiar:
C. Thomas Howell- Starred in Soul Man, ET and Red Dawn. Now you'd think with these good titles (Soul Man, while being controversial is actually very funny) behind him then he would have had the sense not to appear in this horrific movie. His characters name is Bernard Sprat.
Ally Sheedy- The woman who penned a bestseller when she was 12 starred in popular teen movie The Breakfast Club, sci fi thriller Wargames and St Elmos Fire stars as Laura Perot, Bernards ex-wife.

The plot is quite simple: Ex wife (Sheedy) makes up a bunch of BS to get her 'tell all' book published in an attempt to cash in on an affair with a dead man who had a lot of power. Ex husband (Howell) finds out she wrote him as a mean and abusive man when she was the one who was a bitch to him. So he and a friend (Amanda Elwes) plot to out Sheedy as a fraud. But, of course, this is harder than first thought.

The normally good actors were quite bad in this movie. Sheedy was over the top, but i imagine that had her character been real then her portrayal wasn't far off, but the character is still annoying. A good point though is that the (very few) chuckles that i got out of the scenes were due to her character.
Howell looked bored. Which i can certainly understand, the script is poor, the direction senseless and his shared scenes were either stolen from him due to him being asleep or they weren't worth stealing anyway.

i bought this for $3, it was worth 1. I tried to watch it again as i have a rule of not passing judgement on a movie until I've seen it more than once,i got 20 minutes into the movie and turned it off, knowing i wouldn't change my mind. The whole thing played like a filmed high school production. Not good. I'm dreading having to put a quote from this movie at the bottom as i never want to hear/see this movie a again. You know what? i'll just quote one of the other films i mentioned in this post. Because they were all way better.

"Mum! Dad! theres something i have to tell you... i'm black" Mark Watson (C. Thomas Howell), Soul Man

To fast to live too young to die

This post is about James Dean (*obviously). I was prompted to post this because he was brought up in quite an unlikely place today at school, it was during History and we are soon to be learning about 'Youthquake' and my teacher wants to show us a little 1950's youth movie named Rebel Without a cause. which, according to her, well i'll quote her:
"It's very famous but probably no-one in here has seen  it (this is where i started to think it must be Rebel without a cause) it's called Rebel without a cause ("I've seen it!" i said, trying to show how i'm a bit different to everyone else) and it starred James Dean who was a big famous icon in the mid 50's and wrapped himself around a tree when he was 20something (i mumble, and she says without looking at me as she knew who it was) how old was he? (i say 24) he only made 3 movies. that was how big an impact he made"

The people in my history class, well most of them, have closed minds when it comes to movies, they'll only watch new movies or horror movies, because they think that following the masses is 'cool'. I've got news for them, thats not cool, James Dean was cool. He and Steve Mcqueen were the essence of 'cool.' So anyway this announcement got me hyped for this class, to be honest i thought history would be boring but if i get to watch one of my favorite movies then i'm all for it. I don't think my class will really understand and respect it the way i do but you never know. I hope so.

In one of the best known trivia in movie history the 3 young stars of this iconic film all met with tragic ends: James Dean at 24, car accident, Natalie Wood at 43, drowning and Sal Mineo at 37, murder. Of course, they were all well respected actors and shouldn't just be remembered for dying young, Rebel without a cause is one of the finest of all of the actors' careers. The film gave James Dean iconic status (partly because it was released barely a month after his death), Natalie Wood forged an adult career by being in this film and Sal Mineo got his big break. Dennis hopper also appears (with little to no lines but still if you look you can see him) in the film. So it's pretty special.

"Please lock me up, i'm gonna hit somebody and i don't want to" Jim Stark (James Dean) Rebel Without A Cause. 

Sunset Blvd and why i don't like William Holden.

I recently watched the 1950 movie Sunset Blvd, i thought it was a great movie with an entertaining script and a well thought out character in Norma Desmond (played with precision by Gloria Swanson). BUT, i never warmed up to the William Holden character, perhaps I've never been a fan of him, I've seen him in a few other movies and it never seems like he plays anyone differently, or even that well, i'd even go so far as to say that he was a wooden actor. Of course this is just an opinion, he may seem wooden to me but may seem absolutely wonderful to someone else.
I suppose he wasn't meant to be the greatest actor in the world nor the best looking (don't get me wrong he wasn't ugly) but in Sunset Blvd i found that i didn't like him at all, he couldn't 'hold'a scene, you know how the actors back then  (and now) had to be able to dominate a scene and have a presence? You know, like Bogart, Clift, Dean and Brando? Well Bill Holden didn't have that, his scenes were easily stolen by Gloria Swanson, Erich Von Stroheim and the trees in the background. I hope it doesn't come off as though i hated his character, his character had really good lines and Holden delivered them well, but i simply didn't warm to him and the parts where Holden had to show emotion were fails on his part. Overall the movie was pretty good and i'm even considering buying it, maybe i'll change my opinion about him the next time i watch it.
There are some great cameos from Buster Keaton, Cecil B Demille and Hedda Hopper as well, which makes this movie a treat for any classic film buff.
It is also extremely quotable, i had a hard time choosing which line to end the post with, everyone knows the 'pictures that got small' line and the infamous 'close up' line. so In the end i went for a memorable and perhaps even tragic line that (to me) sums up how delusional the character of Norma is.

"The stars are ageless aren't they?" Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) Sunset Blvd.