Next years Oscars... Sorted.

[The Filth Wizard]

Guys.

The Hollywood machine may as well just give up now... studios, don't bother sending out your preview 'For Your Consideration' dvd screeners (they only end up on the internet anyway). The major awards have already been won by...

American Gangster.

This movie is a privelige to watch. For a movie a tick under 3 hours, I was left wanting more. It leaves you with chills, with a stupid smile on your face that won't disappear for an hour.

Ridley Scott, clear a spot next to the Gladiator Best Director Oscar... he's gonna have a new friend.

The Best Actor Oscar... who to? Rusty? Denzel? Who to pick when both men each raised the bar bringing their absolute best career moments? They are both momentously brilliant. I wish the academy would just call it a tie and give them both the nod but alas, no, it won't be. Denzel had more screen time, he will get the trophy. Rusty will have to satisfy himself with the Best Supporting Actor trophy (not literally, of course).

There is one scene, towards the end, where both men are sitting across the table from each other, that you just get chills. Remember how you felt when De Niro and Pacino finally met in the movie 'Heat'... times that by a million. Its magic.

And it even makes Virtuosity watchable

 

[Manbearpig]

OK TFW, just saw this movie yesterday.

First of all, my two fav films ever are probably The Godfather and Goodfellas (and Carlito's Way > Scarface FWIW). What I like about AG is that its not your typical drug merchant's rise through the ranks type story, where you know in the 3rd act he'll have some type of downfall, after the power's gone to his head etc. The movie is just clinical in the way it deals with everything, just as Frank Lucas is in running his business.

In terms of the performances, Denzel is the man for me. Some performances can be a bit like, oh, I'm watching Tom Hanks play a European guy at an airport, but this is like I'm watching a drug merchant called Frank Lucas. Hardly entered my head that it was Denzel Washington, despite the obvious resemblance.

I usually try and watch all the nominated films before award season, but getting a bit too old for that now. I'd definitely be surprised if Ridley didn't win Best Director, let alone Best Film.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Hey MBP, the funny thing is, I've changed my mind....

The Oscars WILL be scooped by No Country For Old Men with There Will Be Blood and Juno picking at the scraps.

I was absolutely wowed by AG, didn't think for a second it could be touched but, dear lord. 'No Country...' is a deadset masterpiece.

There will be plenty of nominations though for AG, I gua-ran-tee.

 

[Manbearpig]

Hey MBP, the funny thing is, I've changed my mind....

The Oscars WILL be scooped by No Country For Old Men with There Will Be Blood and Juno picking at the scraps.

I was absolutely wowed by AG, didn't think for a second it could be touched but, dear lord. 'No Country...' is a deadset masterpiece.

There will be plenty of nominations though for AG, I gua-ran-tee.

I'm a Coen fan from way back so I can't wait to see No Country For Old Men. Probably my next fav filmaker is PT Anderson, so also dying to see There Will Be Blood.

Usually I'd be all over these movies by now, but we've got a kid due any day now, so time's been an issue lately.

I'd be happy as though if the Coens won a few awards this year... be good to see if "Roderick Jaynes" get a editing nom like he did for Fargo too.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

I'm a Coen fan from way back so I can't wait to see No Country For Old Men. Probably my next fav filmaker is PT Anderson, so also dying to see There Will Be Blood.

Usually I'd be all over these movies by now, but we've got a kid due any day now, so time's been an issue lately.

I'd be happy as though if the Coens won a few awards this year... be good to see if "Roderick Jaynes" get a editing nom like he did for Fargo too.

If you are a long time Coen fan, this will blow you away... I would go as far as to say the movie is career-defining for everyone involved... its going to make a star out of Josh Brolin (who could, potentially, take out Best Actor and Supporting Actor for his roles in this and American Gangster), Javier Bardem is mind-bogglingly brilliant and the Coens haven't been this good since the Blood Simple/Millers Crossing/Barton Fink triple whammy (I miss Arizona from there on purpose... too different a style).

It's tops.

 

[year of the roo]

If you are a long time Coen fan, this will blow you away... I would go as far as to say the movie is career-defining for everyone involved... its going to make a star out of Josh Brolin (who could, potentially, take out Best Actor and Supporting Actor for his roles in this and American Gangster), Javier Bardem is mind-bogglingly brilliant and the Coens haven't been this good since the Blood Simple/Millers Crossing/Barton Fink triple whammy (I miss Arizona from there on purpose... too different a style).

It's tops.

Brolin sure is on fire. Quality performance in Planet Terror too. 2007 was very kind to him.

 

[Manbearpig]

Brolin sure is on fire. Quality performance in Planet Terror too. 2007 was very kind to him.

He'll always be Brandon Walsh (no, not the 90210 one) from Goonies to me.

He was super in American Gangster though. Very menacing.

 

[The Other Dean]

He'll always be Brandon Walsh (no, not the 90210 one) from Goonies to me.

I hear ya, Mbp.

On a similar note, I was more than a little disturbed to see the little sister from Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh" in "Superbad".

I haven't seen "American Gangster", but I definitely subscribe to the theory that pretty boys (for want of a much better term) often do their best work in menacing and/or bad guy roles. Denzel, while not exactly a "pretty boy", was fricken' excellent in "Training Day".

Case in point....I hate Richard Gere, but he was sen-fcuking-sational playing an evil, bent cop in "Internal Affairs".

 

[Gabbie]

I hear ya, Mbp.

On a similar note, I was more than a little disturbed to see the little sister from Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh" in "Superbad".

I haven't seen "American Gangster", but I definitely subscribe to the theory that pretty boys (for want of a much better term) often do their best work in menacing and/or bad guy roles. Denzel, while not exactly a "pretty boy", was fricken' excellent in "Training Day".

Case in point....I hate Richard Gere, but he was sen-fcuking-sational playing an evil, bent cop in "Internal Affairs".

Ahem - Denzel not a pretty boy you say unless you refer only to Training Day. IMO Denzel is not only a great acot but, hubba hubba.

Thanks for the reports on american gangster guys - my fav type of genre.

 

[Kangalicious]

Here in the Kangalicious household we can recommend Enchanted. Well, most of us can. I don't think my ten year old son will ever speak to me again. But Mr KL and I laughed all the way through.

Sure, it might not win any Oscars, but it won me heaps of brownie points with my 7 year old and her friends.

 

[NICK_ROOBOY83]

Guys.

The Hollywood machine may as well just give up now... studios, don't bother sending out your preview 'For Your Consideration' dvd screeners (they only end up on the internet anyway). The major awards have already been won by...

American Gangster.

This movie is a privelige to watch. For a movie a tick under 3 hours, I was left wanting more. It leaves you with chills, with a stupid smile on your face that won't disappear for an hour.

Ridley Scott, clear a spot next to the Gladiator Best Director Oscar... he's gonna have a new friend.

The Best Actor Oscar... who to? Rusty? Denzel? Who to pick when both men each raised the bar bringing their absolute best career moments? They are both momentously brilliant. I wish the academy would just call it a tie and give them both the nod but alas, no, it won't be. Denzel had more screen time, he will get the trophy. Rusty will have to satisfy himself with the Best Supporting Actor trophy (not literally, of course).

There is one scene, towards the end, where both men are sitting across the table from each other, that you just get chills. Remember how you felt when De Niro and Pacino finally met in the movie 'Heat'... times that by a million. Its magic.

And it even makes Virtuosity watchable

Oscars still happening?

 

[The Filth Wizard]

All the strikes will be sorted out before the Oscars... no doubt.

 

[Manbearpig]

The Golden Globes have been cancelled, but remember, that is like the Herald-Sun player of the year award, as they are voted by the Hollywood Foreign Press, where the Oscars are the Brownlow... well the Brownlow if it wasn't voted on by umpires, but the other players and coaches.

The Globes ceremony too doesn't have a host and all the music etc of the Oscars ceremony.

Even if the writers strike is still on, this one will still go ahead.

 

[Z_K]

So did Josh Brolin just do nothing between the Goonies (one of the great films) and about 18 months ago?

 

[Manbearpig]

So did Josh Brolin just do nothing between the Goonies (one of the great films) and about 18 months ago?

He did marry Diane Lane in that time... no mean feat.

 

[Z_K]

He did marry Diane Lane in that time... no mean feat.

Didn't know that. I have lots and lots of time for her. Good work if you can get it.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Brolin sure is on fire. Quality performance in Planet Terror too. 2007 was very kind to him.

He also filmed a movie called 'In The Valley Of Elah' with Charlize Theron I believe, that is getting some very good early buzz also.

 

[Manbearpig]

Didn't know that. I have lots and lots of time for her. Good work if you can get it.

She was in The Outsiders as a teenager in about '83, and she still looks exactly the same.

 

[NICK_ROOBOY83]

All the strikes will be sorted out before the Oscars... no doubt.

Hope so. Don't want to have a show without the stars.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

I haven't seen "American Gangster", but I definitely subscribe to the theory that pretty boys (for want of a much better term) often do their best work in menacing and/or bad guy roles. Denzel, while not exactly a "pretty boy", was fricken' excellent in "Training Day".

Just passing by and noticed this excellent thread. I might be wrong, but when you say "pretty boy" do you mean an actor who mostly plays 'good guy' roles? Denzel fitted this mold perfectly, as you said, when he did Training Day. I'll also put up Keanu Reeves in The Gift., which I saw just last night. Great movie in my opinion and one of his standout roles, seeing him as some redneck sumbitch, as it was a total reversal of his previous body of work.

Plus Cate Blanchette got to drive the car from the Evil Dead trilogy!


P.S Filth Wizard, why does Jesus look so pissed off?

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Just passing by and noticed this excellent thread. I might be wrong, but when you say "pretty boy" do you mean an actor who mostly plays 'good guy' roles? Denzel fitted this mold perfectly, as you said, when he did Training Day. I'll also put up Keanu Reeves in The Gift., which I saw just last night. Great movie in my opinion and one of his standout roles, seeing him as some redneck sumbitch, as it was a total reversal of his previous body of work.

Plus Cate Blanchette got to drive the car from the Evil Dead trilogy!


P.S Filth Wizard, why does Jesus look so pissed off?

Welcome Sicko... any fan of the Evil Dead is more than welcome.

And Jesus isn't angry, just cross

 

[Manbearpig]

Guys.

The Hollywood machine may as well just give up now... studios, don't bother sending out your preview 'For Your Consideration' dvd screeners (they only end up on the internet anyway). The major awards have already been won by...

American Gangster.

This movie is a privelige to watch. For a movie a tick under 3 hours, I was left wanting more. It leaves you with chills, with a stupid smile on your face that won't disappear for an hour.

Ridley Scott, clear a spot next to the Gladiator Best Director Oscar... he's gonna have a new friend.

The Best Actor Oscar... who to? Rusty? Denzel? Who to pick when both men each raised the bar bringing their absolute best career moments? They are both momentously brilliant. I wish the academy would just call it a tie and give them both the nod but alas, no, it won't be. Denzel had more screen time, he will get the trophy. Rusty will have to satisfy himself with the Best Supporting Actor trophy (not literally, of course).

There is one scene, towards the end, where both men are sitting across the table from each other, that you just get chills. Remember how you felt when De Niro and Pacino finally met in the movie 'Heat'... times that by a million. Its magic.

And it even makes Virtuosity watchable

Noms for Ruby Dee for Supporting Actress, one for Art Direction and that's it.

 

[Pykie]

Having been in the US for an extended period of time recently, I got the chance to see all the movies up for the Oscars this year.

There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Atonement and Sweeny Todd are all in a class of their own.

Paul Thomas Anderson has made his first masterpiece, and Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is worth the price of admission alone. if you like movies in the same mold as the Proposition, then this will easily become one your all time favourites.

No Country for Old Men is an excellent film, it helps when the movies are based on books of one of the best writers of the last quarter of a century. But the Cohens are excellent directers, coupled with some really great acting, Javier Bardem is truly amazing, and surely will go down as one of the great "villain" performances.

Atonement has a very clever plot, James McAvoy is very good in the film, a good follow up to his role in The Last King of Scotland. Kiera Knightly is also suprising good, but the writers here have done a really great job in the plot development.

Lastly Sweeny Todd. Well, I was fortunate enough to see all these in one of the best movie theatres in the world, so it was done due justice.
Its genre is just about as unique as you can get in modern films, a Muscial Horror that does the original and the broadway show justice. Johnny Depp, Helena Carter and Alan Rickman is a bloody good start to try and tackle this sort of challenge. Depp is very very good in it, and is terribly unlucky that Daniel Day-Lewis produced such a good performance in TWBB, as he would win the Best Actor Oscar most years. Very bloody, has some great dark humour about it as well.


These 4 movies could claim to be one of the best of the 21st Century, showing how really good this years list it, as good as any recently thats for sure.

The only dissapointment was that Russel Crowe and 3:10 to Yuma wasnt nominated for Best Actor/Best Picture to give it a bit of recognition. As it comes close to the best Western ive seen since the Man with no name Trilogy.

But it speaks volumes of this years nominations when movies like, American Gangster, In the Valley of Elah, The Bourne Ultimatum, Grindhouse, 3:10 to Yuma and Hot Fuzz cant get look ins at all. But probably also emphasis how important it is to release movies close to the Oscar nomination dates, taking nothing against Michael Clayton, but there were plenty ahead of it in my opinion.

 

[roobear]

Lastly Sweeny Todd. Well, I was fortunate enough to see all these in one of the best movie theatres in the world, so it was done due justice.
Its genre is just about as unique as you can get in modern films, a Muscial Horror that does the original and the broadway show justice. Johnny Depp, Helena Carter and Alan Rickman is a bloody good start to try and tackle this sort of challenge. Depp is very very good in it, and is terribly unlucky that Daniel Day-Lewis produced such a good performance in TWBB, as he would win the Best Actor Oscar most years. Very bloody, has some great dark humour about it as well..

Appreciate your post Pykie, but it has highlighted how closed-minded I am.

I went to see (the outstanding) American Gangster on the weekend, and part of my cinematic 'experience' was a 5 minute trailer for Sweeney Todd.

Well **** me if I've ever seen anything less likely to make me want to see a feature-length movie in my life. The cinema should have given me a discounted ticket for making me sit through the fricken preview. It almost made me want to go out and re-hire AI:Artificial Intelligence, something I have promised never to do without a $10,000,000 compensation payout in tow.

Glad you liked it, and like I said, I appreciate your post on all the movies coming up. But bloody hell, when JD started singing about 3 minutes into a trailer that already had me wondering who the frig pays for Tim Burton to come up with this stuff, that was the end of me.

 

[pharro]

There is one scene, towards the end, where both men are sitting across the table from each other, that you just get chills. Remember how you felt when De Niro and Pacino finally met in the movie 'Heat'... times that by a million. Its magic.

So I'm going to be left thinking "what was with that self indulgent scene that placed 2 renowned actors together for the first, but which was out of context of the internal logic of the story, and allowed the studio to market the film based on that scene?"