Freeky Fridays: Eine Kleine Joymusik

Taking a brief break from film to take part in a grand blog party called Freeky Fridays. Started by two sisters who are very near and dear to me, Freeky Fridays is a weekly prompt focused on positivity, good vibes, balloonity, named Freekware, a clothing line whose proceeds benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. And for why that is...well, that's not my story to tell. You can learn all about Freeky Fridays, Freekware, and its origins at Concrete Jane or Dr. Princess, sister bloggers and keepers of the flame. I really do ask that you read both sisters' posts so that you have a full appreciation of the legacy they're keeping.

Anyway. This week's prompt: If you were making a positivity playlist, what three feel good songs would you include?

It's a difficult question for me, really, since no matter how amped the disco beat may be, most of the songs I listen to are not uplifting. I'm not depressed all the time or anything, but some of the best songs are about longing and love lost and mistakes. I don't write the songs, I just listen to them. "Born to Run" came to mind, but I have a problem with categorizing "someday we'll escape this hell-hole" as feel-good. Goal-oriented, maybe, but not feel-good. My recent Roy Orbison kick offers nothing ("Only the Lonely", "It's Over", "Crying"...good God, and this before his wife and kids were killed). My favorite musicals are about sadness and regret: Follies, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd. And, of course, it would be difficult to place my favorite song of all time, the apologetic disco number "Everlasting Love", on a feel-good playlist, despite its upbeat tempo. Pledge that eternal love all you want, Carl Carlton, she still hasn't said she'll come back to you.

Then there's the fact that most of the music I listen to is by Philip Glass, John Adams, Alexandre Desplat; in other words, instrumental. Do these count as songs? Because I listen to them a lot more than I do anything with lyrics.

And only three? If I'm making a playlist, it's got to at least last me the twenty minute walk to Dunkin' Donuts and back. So, yes, I went for more than three. Indeed, I went and made the playlist:

1. Opening from Mishima - Philip Glass

You know, I've never seen this biopic, and I know the guy ritualistically killed himself or something. But this music feels like you've achieved the unachievable. The music reminds me of riding the monorail at Disney: those chimes of excitement when you catch a glimpse of the park, building up as it comes further into view, and that huge rush of bells when you see that EPCOT ball and the World Showcase, before calming down so you can disembark.

Eleven other tracks after the cut, including Hollmann Award winners, ELO and a very special final track...

The Hollmann Award Nominations!

Burt Reynolds here. And I want to take this time to talk to you about a very new development here at the Hollmann Awards. It’s called the technical awards. For the first time ever, six additional technical categories are allowing for a wider recognition of this year’s achievements in film. Of course, the sweeping epic I took part in, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, isn’t eligible for anything. Maybe next year, right? Please? Dear God, I haven’t had a hit in years. Fucking Robin Williams…

The nominees for Best Visual Effects:
Cloverfield
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Iron Man
Speed Racer

The nominees for Best Art Direction:
City of Ember: Donald Graham Burt, Production Design; Victor J. Zolfo, Set Decoration
The Forbidden Kingdom: Bill Brzesk, Production Design; Bin Lan/Yu Ci Wen, Set Decoration
Hellboy II: The Golden Army: Stephen Scott, Production Design; Elli Griff/Zsuzsa Mihalek, Set Decoration
Speed Racer: Owen Paterson, Production Design; Peter Walpole, Set Decoration
Synecdoche, NY: Mark Friedberg, Production Design; Lydia Marks, Set Decoration

The nominees for Best Hair & Make-Up:
Rick Baker/Michael Burke, Tropic Thunder
Judy Chin/Jerry DeCarlo, Synecdoche, New York
Mike Elizaldi, Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Mark Garbarino, The Forbidden Kingdom
Mark Jacyszyn/Harvey Lowry/Todd Tucker/Brian Sipe, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The nominees for Best Costume Design:
Kym Barrett, Speed Racer
Shirley Chan, The Forbidden Kingdom
Eiko Ishioka, The Fall
Michael O'Connor, The Duchess
Amy Westcott, The Wrestler

The nominees for Best Sound:
Cloverfield
The Dark Knight
Iron Man
Tropic Thunder
WALL-E

The nominees for Best Editing:
Kirk Baxter/Angus Wall, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Jon Gregory, In Bruges
Dan Lebenthal, Iron Man
John Ottman, Valkyrie
Lee Smith, The Dark Knight

The nominees for Best Cinematography:
Roger Deakins, Revolutionary Road
Claudio Miranda, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Wally Pfister, The Dark Knight
Harris Savides, Milk
Uli Simon, JCVD
Looks like a great show. And now, the face of the Hollmann Awards, Philip Baker Hall!



Jesus fuck, he’s never gonna let me go, is he? You host once, and suddenly you’re committed for life. Hopefully, it won’t be that long. So, goddamn it, the Big Ten.


The nominees for Best Original Song:
"Boats 'n' Hoes" - music and lyrics by Dale Doback & Brendan Huff, Step Brothers
"Jai Ho" - music by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar, Slumdog Millionaire
“Little Person” – music by Jon Brion, lyrics by Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, New York
"Pineapple Express" - music and lyrics by Johnny Colla & David Fredericks & Huey Lewis, Pineapple Express
"The Wrestler" - music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, The Wrestler

The nominees for Best Original Score:
Alexandre Desplat, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Michael Giacchino, Speed Racer
Dickon Hinchliffe, Married Life
James Newton Howard/Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight
Rachel Portman, The Duchess

The nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay:
Jeffrey Archer/Saul Dibb/Anders Thomas Jensen, The Duchess
Justin Haythe, Revolutionary Road
Peter Morgan, Frost/Nixon
Christopher Nolan/Jonathan Nolan, The Dark Knight
Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The nominees for Best Original Screenplay:
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, Burn After Reading
Charlie Kaufman, Synecdoche, NY
Mike Leigh, Happy-Go-Lucky
Jenny Lumet, Rachel Getting Married
Andrew Stanton, WALL-E

The nominees for Best Supporting Actor:
Ralph Fiennes, The Duchess
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
John Malkovich, Burn After Reading
Bill Nighy, Valkyrie
Gary Oldman, The Dark Knight

The nominees for Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, Doubt
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Samantha Morton, Synecdoche, NY
Susan Sarandon, Speed Racer
Tilda Swinton, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The nominees for Best Actor:
Colin Farrell, In Bruges
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Synecdoche, NY
Sean Penn, Milk
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler
Jean-Claude Van Damme, JCVD

The nominees for Best Actress:
Cate Blanchett, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
Sally Hawkins, Happy-Go-Lucky
Melissa Leo, Frozen River
Frances McDormand, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

The nominees for Best Director:
Darren Aronofsky, The Wrestler
David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Mabrouk El Mechri, JCVD
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight
Andy Wachowski/Larry Wachowski, Speed Racer

The nominees for Best Picture:
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, produced by Cean Chaffin/Kathleen Kennedy/Frank Marshall
The Dark Knight, produced by Christopher Nolan/Charles Roven/Emma Thomas
Speed Racer, produced by Grant Hill/Joel Silver/Andy Wachowski/Lana Wachowski
Synecdoche, NY, produced by Anthony Bregman/Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman/Sidney Kimmel
The Wrestler, produced by Darren Aronofsky/Scott Franklin

What a fucking treat. And now, this year's host, Betty White.




Now it's Rose's time to shine! See you in February, fleshbags!

[UPDATED: Producers nominated for Best Picture, as of 1/13/2017] 

Supporting Actress Blog-a-thon

Wow, is this late. But it took me a while who to do and what to say, all while getting ready for classes this week.

It's no secret that I freeking love Speed Racer. It made it to my Top Ten of 2008, I gave it four stars, I love it. I could reiterate all that I've already said about it, but in the end, it all comes down to how the movie just nailed the sentimental cheesiness of it all, without cynicism, without compromising the tone, without sacrificing the realism of the characters. And nobody does it better (makes me feel sad for the rest) than Susan Sarandon as Speed's mom.

Not Susan Sarandon

She certainly does not have an easy task. Mom doesn't even have a name. We know little about her except that she makes the best pancakes ever. Yet Sarandon -- and certainly, the Wachowskis -- work to make Mom a believable enough human being. That's saying a lot for a film that delights in its own cartoonishness. Certainly Sarandon herself said her part is just a series of scenes involving her making breakfast. But she really does invest quite a bit more in this character.

Mom really is the Perfect Mother, first of all. She's a housewife, and revels in it. No complaints, not even an underlying hint of resentment or desire for something more. This is her dream, and while it may not seem like much to you or I, she's genuinely happy. She takes pride in her pancakes, her children, her husband's work. She's supportive and loving, but she's also Mom. Like when she admonishes Spritle for his couch antics with Chim-Chim: it's a fine scene establishing both the playfulness of the children and her role as Mom. Sure, it's in her name, but if she doesn't do any mothering, how can we know for sure?

Sarandon's greatest triumph is in making Mom sentimental without being too grating. Her bedside talk with Speed is beautiful. Any actress could go for cheese here. Any actress could just say the words without a care, because it's a cartoon movie. But Sarandon means every word of it. She believes it, and so we believe it. When she compares his racing to an artist painting, it's a truly touching moment. Forget Racer X's odd but awesome "Racing changes us" speech; <i>this</i> is when we realize the impact this sport has on the family.

I'd have an Oedipus complex for sure

In fact, Mom is the character who best expresses the family's workings. In her first scene, called into a conference with Speed's teacher, she gives us all the elements we'll see in the rest of the family. First is that pride in racing as a family sport. The teacher is not amused, but Sarandon's Mom, while waxing apologetic, also has a gleam in her eye, a mischievous smile threatening at the corners. She can see that it's a flimsy excuse, but to her it makes sense: Pops builds cars, Rex races them, Speed adores it all. And while she may be a little concerned, a little embarrassed, she sees no problem in her son pursuing his passion.

Second is that somewhat frightening loyalty. Pops can't make it to the conference, and Speed's teacher disapproves. What's more, she voices that disapproval. And man, the look Sarandon has. This movie taught me what it meant to stare daggers at someone. Sarandon just absolutely nails it. It's a little scary because it really looks like she could kill, a lioness protecting her cubs. And husband. But it's also what we all hoped our moms looked like when teacher called them in. We all want our mothers to love us that much, and to be willing to strike. Sarandon's Mom doesn't strike, but there is an edge to her voice that makes things very clear.

And later, she will club that teacher to death with the trophy

(While we're on the subject, I also love that the teacher (Melissa Holroyd) doesn't care. She's seen it all, she knows the score. Fuck you, parents, you don't scare me. Nice.)

I guess I love the performance because it reminds me of my mother. We've had that bedside talk, where she encouraged me to get into theatre and film, because when she sees the things I do on stage, it just takes her breath away. She's said this, she really has. And I've seen her at a few parent-teacher conferences, and both her and my dad told off my vice principal in fourth grade. Never mind the situation, that's for a later date. But ol' Mom Racer is Mom Hollmann, so I know how true it rings. As Mae West said in <i>Sextette</i>, "It's real, baby, it's all real."

Top Ten of 2008

Yes, another year has come and gone. It's been one of "those" years for movies, a year where it seemed like everything was destined to make me sob. And the release dates were so wonky. What in the fuck was with the December glut? I spit at thee, studios. Well, no, I guess I don't, since I love your films. But I do shake my head.

This is my Top Ten of 2008, but again, it was one of "those" years. I will post them alphabetically, not in order of preference, for there is a HUGE chance that this year's Top Ten will actually wind up as the leading nominees for the Hollmann Awards.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
For making a ridiculous premise unbelievably real. For astounding me (AGAIN!) with the abilities of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. For making FX necessary. For referencing a recent disaster with taste. For reassuring me that David Fincher is one of the greatest directors working today.


The Dark Knight
For taking a comic book movie as seriously as I do. For making a superhero movie into the biggest hit of the decade. For providing material for one of the best supporting performances of the year (No, not Heath Ledger). For giving a great actor a phenomenal swan song. For feeling fresh and new after six viewings.


Frost/Nixon
For making Nixon a man, not a monster. For making me believe in the Ron Howard myth. For building off of a somewhat shallow script. For making the 1970s feel as pressing as tomorrow. For Michael Sheen's amazing TV Voice.


Married Life
For balancing comedy and drama effortlessly. For making the Other Woman more than a slut. For providing the most memorable score of the first half of the year. For realizing people can fall back in love. For Patricia Clarkson's sexy, sexy self.


Milk
For making the biopic formula feel new. For Sean Penn's smile. For reestablishing Gus Van Sant's greatness. For invoking the look and feel of a 1970s flick. For being unashamedly GAY.


Rachel Getting Married
For reflecting life so realistically. For making Rachel just as irritating as Kym. For making the music part of the action. For making me sob. For making Roger Corman an extra with a video camera.


Speed Racer
For willing to be cheesy. For being sincere despite it all. For giving me my childhood back. For capturing the spirit of the TV series. For making me sob for two hours.


Synecdoche, NY
For making me feel every emotion simultaneously. For that final monologue. For that magnificent ensemble of women. For putting all my hopes and fears up on the screen. For Dianne Wiest.


Valkyrie
For creating suspense when I knew the ending. For not caring about accents, just acting ability. For John Ottman's absolutely brilliant score. For a superb supporting cast. For making my heart beat dangerously fast throughout.


Vicky Cristina Barcelona
For reminding me why I love Woody Allen. For making me actually love the Spanish language. For giving its actresses great material. For the beautiful cinematography. For making Woody Allen seem young and hip and sexy.

Go, Speed Racer, Go!

In looking at the box office tallies for this past Mother's Day weekend, I've noticed something unsettling: Speed Racer is only #2. And while I'm a big fan of the #1 Iron Man, I can't help but be shocked and appalled at the lack of Speed love. True, #2 is not a shabby place to be, but good Heavens. Speed Racer, people.

I was a huge fan of the television series growing up. I had a few issues of the comic book series from the late 80s/early 90s. I knew everyone's name and relationship to Speed before checking out IMDb, and that is no small feat --even for my favorite superhero, Batman, I had to research Lucius Fox.

Naturally, I was excited to finally see it come to life, and on the IMAX, no less! But I had been hearing pretty tepid things about it, so I was worried. Did it fail to capture the show? Was more time spent on the visuals than on the story or characterization? Were the performances or, even worse, the screenplay, insincere?

No suspense here, folks: a big fat NO to all of that.

The Wachowskis found the heart and soul of the original series, recreating it tenfold for the motion picture. Yes, racing and cars and fantastic chase scenes and the Mach 5 and all that. But they nailed the true essence of the series: family. The bond between family members, both blood-related and pseudo-adopted (Sparky), is the driving force behind the storyline. Hell, that's why the Racer X/Rex Racer plot was such an important part of the series.

Speaking of which, let's get it out of the way now: Matthew Fox rocks. There could not have been a better choice for the role of Racer X. Fox is bad-ass, rattling off lines in a clipped, bad-ass tone, driving bad-assedly in a bad-ass car. This is the Racer X I remember, if just a tad more sentimental. And it works. I found myself tearing up in one of his last big scenes.

I found myself tearing up a lot in this movie, actually. It's sincere, is the thing. Susan Sarandon is the mom you always wanted your friends to have (because if she was your actual Mother, you'd go to hell for those thoughts). John Goodman's Pops is the quintessential dad. He loves his wife, protects his kids, and destroys would-be assassins with his fists of glory. At one point, Speed recounts a bonding moment with his father, and it's fantastic. The father-son relationship is perfectly nailed.

Emile Hirsch was good, too. He was. In both the script and the performance, there's no trying to make Speed out to be more than he is. He's not smart and he's a little naive. But he's also a damn good racer and a great guy. I'll say this: he's awfully quiet. I believe he even has fewer lines than Korean pop star Rain (who's great in this). But it's fine, because Speed doesn't talk, he drives. Excellent, brilliant, here's your Oscar.

Okay, maybe not for acting. Though let me just say again, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman. Campaign, please. If anything has a chance, of course, it's going to be the Visual Effects Orgasm of the Future. Trying to make a live action, is it possible? From the looks of this movie, I'd say yes, yes, yes! It's beautiful and wonderful, like cotton candy or Skittles. What a wonder! And the costumes! My esteemed editor wanted Trixie's wardrobe; I wanted Racer X's, maybe Speed's, too. And sure, Sparky looks like a dancer at a gay club for most of the film, but what's wrong with that? It's awesome.

Michael Giacchino's score, by the way. He really is shaping up to be one of the greatest composers of this generation. As if Ratatouille, Lost, and the thirteen minutes at the end of Cloverfield weren't enough, he makes Speed Racer his own, while also remembering to pay tribute to the original. How many times did I get goosebumps as I heard the faint traces of "Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer..."? Incredible!

Don't let this happen again, people. Make Speed Racer you're next assignment. Go out to the nearest cineplex and buy a ticket. Regular theatre, IMAX, it matters not. Speed Racer is a grade-A class act.