Oscar Buzz Part II.

 Here are some actors and movies to keep an eye on for Best Actor and Best Picture:

BEST ACTOR

Richard Jenkins (The Visitor)- Thus far this has been my favorite movie of the year. And Jenkins' performance is one of the main reasons that I have given it that honor. Jenkins has had a bit of a coming out year (Step Brothers, Burn After Reading). But the job he did in this movie makes you wonder why we haven't seen much more of him. I think he should be on the ballot and he is also my pick right now to get the award. He steals your heart as he goes from an emotionless widower to a vibrant, African Drum playing, man. In a sense you watch Jenkins' character grow up again. If he is not on the ballot it would be a crime.

Will Smith (Seven Pounds)- Although he makes more money per movie then everyone else in Hollywood, the Fresh Prince is still looking for his first golden statue. Smith's role in Seven Pounds is the toughest of his illustrious career. He remains mysterious throughout the whole movie and keeps you wondering for all two hours. He is considered a longshot to win the award at this point but I still loved his work.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road)- He rekindled the "Titanic" chemistry he had with Kate Winslett and it may pay off big time. Especially with Sam Mendes (The Usual Suspects) behind the camera.

Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)- Mickey Rourke plays a wrestler who wants one last chance to be "The Main Event." Which is a coincidence because this was a desperate role for Rourke who has been off the map for quite some time. The movie is getting rave reviews from all over the country and this could be a second wind for Mickey.

Sean Penn (Milk)- I thought Sean Penn's portrayal of Harvey Milk was very good. I am not Penn's biggest fan (The Academy loves him) but, he really was good in this role. He did not overwhelm the movie or outshine the rest of the cast (Emile Hirsch's performance was the best in the film) but he did enough to turn some heads. 

Hugh Jackman (Australia)- The world's sexiest man turns up the heat in this Aussie-War-Romantic movie. I do not plan on seeing the movie but I have read all over the place that Jackman delivers a very strong performance.

Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon)- Langella has won 3 Tony Awards, including one as Richard Nixon. Langella finds a way to make the cold and brittle president sympathetic almost to the point where you feel bad for the man.

Steve Coogan (Hamlet 2)- Coogan is my dark horse pick for this award. He was brilliant in the lead role of the funniest movie I have seen in years. He plays a struggling art teacher. His portrayal is almost a sheer mockery of struggling artists. If you have not seen this movie, I suggest you do so ASAP.

Other Notables:

Viggo Mortensen (The Road)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)

Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Greg Kinnear (Flash of Genius)

For Best Picture, I am going to pick the Ten Best Movies I've seen this year...

1. The Visitor

2. Slumdog Millionaire

3. Gran Torino

4. Hamlet 2

5. Seven Pounds

6. Milk

7. The Wrestler

8. The Changeling

9. Burn After Reading

10. Tropic Thunder

Note: I did not see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Revolutionary Road, or Doubt yet so I could not include them in the list. However a lot of critics are picking them to take home some serious hardware in February.

Saint Agnes Elementary School.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you my Alma Mater Saint Agnes Cathedral Elementary School:
I was babysitting for my cousins today. At just after 3 PM I had to pick up the oldest one from his bus stop. You could see the excitement in his eyes from a mile away. So when he got all settled after school he was showing me all the stuff he got from his classmates before Christmas break. He then clasped his face in his tiny hands and said "Michael, guess who came to my class today." (I knew the answer, but I played coy) "Who??" I retorted as if I didn't know. (I knew) "Santa!!!!" (I was right) But what came after was the jewel of this whole conversation. Here is the dialogue:
My Cousin: "He had a naughty and nice list with him."
Me: "Oh really? Were you on the nice list?"
Cuz: "Yes I was..."
Me: "Was anyone on the naughty list?"
Primo: "Yes, two kids were, John S. and Matthew D. because they are the baddest boys."
Me: *sound of person picking jaw up off the floor*

So yes. St. Agnes decided they would teach too boys a lesson by putting them on the naughty list and coincidentally ruining their year, causing them to become alcoholics, or maybe Jewish.

Which got me thinking... why isn't there a naughty list for Channukah or however the hell you spell it? Then I remembered, you are all naughty because you killed the savior of the world.

Which got me thinking...in terms of assassinations, who was the most prominent figure to be killed. So here are my assassination power rankings:

1. Jesus Of Nazareth- The Juggernaut from the Holy Land had a future as bright as the sun. To this day he is the only known man to walk on water and that was taken from us. Other notable achievements: Turning water into wine, rising from the dead, multiplying loaves of bread.
2. Abe Lincoln- He really brought the Illnoise. In his spare time he liked to free captives and emancipate. He was a proponent of tall hats and "Lincoln style beards."
   
3. Socrates- Socrates was Sogreat. But he could have been greater if the Greeks were not so damn Gree(k)dy.
4. Martin Luther King The Sequel- He was the only person I know who could so vividly remember every detail of his dream and tell it to 10,000 people. I don't get it. I have had far weirder dreams then a multi-cultural game of hopskotch but I never got to tell the world about it. I blame affirmative action.
5. Tupac Shakur- Also rose from the dead but did Jesus one better. He made music and a movie.

Others Receiving Votes: JFK, William McKinley, John Lennon, Tom Cruise (A guy can dream right?), St. Paul, Aahliyah (don't you dare try to tell me it was an "accident")

Early Oscar Buzz.

The 2009 Academy Awards are two months away. This year's installment will be hosted by Aussie heartthrob Hugh Jackman. This show is hands down my favorite awards show. It may also be my favorite thing on TV for the whole year. I love every second of the Oscars. Right after Thanksgiving the buzz starts to build around certain movies that are strategically released very close to the ceremony. I try to see as many of these movies as I can. A movie is a beautiful thing. While you are watching a movie the real world takes a back seat and you are engulfed in the story. And the Academy Awards celebrates these films in extravagant fashion. So with that in mind here is my first attempt at predicting the nominees for the major awards. When the nominees are actually announced, I will do another post picking my winners.
Best Supporting Actor:
The Best Bet:
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)- Tragic death aside, Ledger's portrayal of the Joker could be the performance of the year. He brought the psychotic, make-up wearing killer to life. Ledger became the joker, it was as simple as that. He disappeared into his character like nobody I've ever seen. Ledger could be the closest thing to a shoo-in that you will get at this years awards.
Contenders:
Haaz Sleiman (The Visitor)- Although he is an unknown to many, Sleiman depicted a Syrian man who, along with his wife came to America and illegally stayed here. Sleiman's character can't help but make you fall in love with him. He is carefree and is always wearing a smile.
Josh Brolin (Milk)- Brolin had an interesting year. Since being apart of the Coen Brothers Best Picture winner, No Country For Old Men, he took on the task of playing George W. Bush in Oliver Stone's "W". His next role was in Gus Van Sant's picture Milk. Brolin could be apart of two Best Picture winners in a row and is also being considered for Best Actor for his portrayal of Dubya.
James Franco (Pineapple Express)- No I am not joking. Franco (also in Milk) did an incredible job playing a stoner in Judd Apatow's summer hit. He could also receive a nod in this category for Milk but it is more likely he'd get a nod for Express.
Robert Downey Jr. (Tropic Thunder)- After Ledger, Downey Jr's character could be considered the hardest to play. He played a Black man. Downey Jr's borderline racist portrayal could garner him some votes as the best actor in a supporting role.
Longshots:
John Malkovich (Burn After Reading)- Malkovich's zanieness+The Coen Brothers= A Shot at hardware.
Michael Caine (The Dark Knight)- With all the big names in Christopher Nolan's Batman series Caine is sometimes forgotten. I would not expect him to win, although he does deserve a nod.

Best Supporting Actress:
Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)- Even though Winslet was in almost every minute of this movie, she will not be considered the lead role because she will be nominated for her leading role in The Reader. The Academy does not like to nominate someone twice in the same category so Kate will just have to suffer here. She could possibly win Best Actress and Supporting Actress this year. She plays a wife in a stagnant marriage (Husband: Leo DiCaprio) in this story about making things work. It is directed by her husband Sam Mendes.
Penelope Cruz (Vicky Christina Barcelona)- Spanish actress, Spanish city. It was a great fit for Cruz since the movie was conceived. Not to mention she worked with the incredibly talented Javier Bardem (Best Supporting Actor 2008-No Country For Old Men).
Ahney Her (Gran Torino)- The young asian actress plays a teenager growing up in a very traditional Hmong family. The only problem is the lived in a very bad suburb of Detroit where gang violence runs rampant.
Amy Ryan (Changeling)- Although she maybe overshadowed by Angelina Jolie in this movie, Ryan's performance is as strong as anyone on this list.
Also Keep An Eye On:
Amy Adams (Doubt)
Meryl Streep (Mama Mia!)
Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)

Best Actress:
Angelina Jolie (Changeling)- Off screen weirdness aside, Jolie gives one of the most stirring performances of the year in Clint Eastwood's suspense filled thriller Changeling. It is by far the best performance of her career. She plays a mother whose son was abducted for her. The movie follows her in her frantic search for her young son.
Kate Winslet (The Reader)- Winslet plays a woman who is on trial for war crimes during WWII. She has a daunting task of making you feel for a Nazi sympathizer. It seems like Winslet is nominated for something every year and you can see why in any one of her movies.
Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married)- Hathaway plays a woman coming home for her sister's wedding. Seems simple enough, throw in the fact that her character was in and out of rehab for the past ten years and you have an intriguing role that caught the eye of many critics.
Meryl Streep (Doubt)- Streep is looking for her third Oscar in this category in this creepy drama. This movie could win in 4 separate categories and Streep is one of the favorites for best actress.


Part II:
Best Actor
Best Picture
Best Director


-Feel free to email me your own previews if you would like.

Some Incredible Unintentional Comedy.

I could not locate a link to this videos, so you will have to take my word for it.
On Wednesday December 17th I sat down to watch the news. I love Chuck Scarborough and I always thought he was the consummate news anchor so I flipped on NBC Newschannel 4. Scarborough was off for some unknown reason and a black man was his replacement. This guy was a good filler, he was professional, loquacious, and had flair. He was on a roll until we got to the end of the broadcast. He introduced a story like this.
"Some startling new news about cancer, here is so and so with the new study." At this point I am thinking that we will be hearing about how drinking tea or lemonade will reduce the risk of cancer in men. But I got a whole lot more than I bargained for. This reporter, who is caucasian, broke us a story about how African-Americans are 50% more likely to get cancer than white people. She went on for about 3-4 minutes about this story. At the end of the story the camera immediately panned to the black news anchor. He took it in stride and delivered the next story about a 65 year old woman with glaucoma who smokes weed. I loved every second of it.

Colonial Penn.

I was watching Steve Soderberg's movie Ocean's 11 last night on TBS. As the movie was coming to an end, the last commercial break aired. I thought about flipping to ESPNews for the 3 minute or so break. But then a certain commercial came on. It was an ad for Colonial Penn Life Insurance and it was Unintentional Comedic Gold. The commercial featured two old ladies sitting at a table watching TV. One lady says to the other "Turn it up, this is the commercial I was talking about." The other lady complies and Alex Trebek appears on the TV talking about Colonial Penn life insurance. He tells the viewers how anybody 50-85 years of age is accepted into the plan. There are no physicals or anything of the sort. These two ladies are so thrilled about this life insurance plan it got me thinking. This is commercial aired at 3:45 AM and was intended for 50-85 year olds who plan on dieing soon. That is what life insurance is all about. Their slogan could be this:
"Are you old? Do you think you may die soon? Has your ride on the life train pulled into its final destination? Well, why worry about funeral arrangements and those left behind when you pass away, call Colonial Penn." It makes you feel selfish for dieing. Another possible slogan could be:
"Don't be a dick when you die. Get Colonial Penn."
What a world we live in.

A Deal With Myself.

The New York Islanders stink. And since I am a superstitious young lad, I will be doing everything in my power to help them out of this funk. Therefore, I will not shave until they win two games in a row. Those of you who know me know that my facial hair does not grow in too fast. But I just need to do my part to help the team.

Cage Vs. Costner Vs. Reeves

I was walking through the hallway the other day and I heard someone talking about how Keanu Reeves sucks at acting. That person is correct. For the rest of my walk I was thinking about a dark time in my life. An unnamed soul said that Kevin Costner is the worst actor in the world. I wouldn't admit it until now, but that night I cried my eyes out. Then, I saw an incredible video shown to me by Mike Lynch (see link to his blog on the links section) that mocked Nic Cage. This got me thinking, if people think that these three actors suck why do I still love Costner's work? Well its simple:

• People will claim that Costner plays the same character in every movie, somebody who has something to do with baseball. BUT what they fail to realize is that Costner brings something new to every character. Ray Kinsella (Field of Dreams) was a baseball fan. Crash Davis (Bull Durham) was a Minor League ballplayer. Billy Chapel (For Love of the Game) was a hall of fame pitcher. Denny Davies (The Upside of Anger) is a former ballplayer turned DJ. Can you say diversity?

• Keanu Reeves does not play the same character in any of his movies but he seems like he does. I want you to watch The Devil's Advocate then watch The Replacements. I am pretty sure Kevin Lomax and Shane Falco are the same person, which got me thinking; Shane Falco's life has several missing pieces in it. In the movie they say that he blew the 1996 Sugar Bowl while quarterbacking THE Ohio State University Buckeyes. In Point Break, Falco's character was the QB at OSU. BUT after they mention that he blew the game and got drafted by Seattle in The Replacements they do not fill you in on the rest of his life. So I think that Falco wanted to change his life. He went to Law School and changed his name. He worked for the Devil, saw that it kinda sucked, and moved to the DC Area on a houseboat. And the rest as they say is history... Shane Kevin Lomax Falco led the Washington Sentinels to the playoffs.
• Nicolas Cage just sucks at acting in every movie he is in. I like some of the movies but he just sucks. And sucks bad.

So Here is my list of greatest actors of all time:

1. Morgan Freeman/Zach Braff
   
2. Kevin Costner
3. Morris Chestnut
4. Michael Caine
5. Casey Affleck
6. Don Cheadle
   
7. John Candy
8. Denzel Washington
9. Malik Yoba (Yule Brenner from Cool Runnings)
10. Gunnar Stahl (I would look up his name but I think I would rather like to think his name is actually Gunnar Stahl)

Honorable Mentions: Robin Williams, Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, Emilio Estevez, Donald Faison, Dustin Hoffman, Keanu Reeves, Helen Hunt, Robert De Niro, Danny De Vito, Alan Arkin