Features
Contact
AOL IM

2003 Milk Plus Droogies

Best Picture
Kill Bill Vol. I

Best Director
Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill Vol. I

Best Actor (tie)
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean

Best Actor (tie)
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation

Best Actress
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill Vol. I

Best Supporting Actor
David Hyde Pierce, Down With Love

Best Supporting Actress
Miranda Richardson, Spider

Best Screenplay
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation

Best Foreign Film
Irreversible

Best Cinematography
Harris Savides, Gerry

Members' Marquees

Critical Contacts

Lobby Reading

The Video Store

Reel Resources

The Blog Bijou

-213
-Admit One
-Artistic Delusions
-Belligerent Bunny's Bad Movie Shrine
-Beware of Blog
-The Brain Drain
Biancolo Notes
-The Big Ticket
-Bitter Cinema
-Black & White World
-Bull Durham's Hot Corner
-Brewed Fresh Daily
-Camille's Film Journal
-Chiragdshah
-The Chutry Experiment
-Cineblog
-Cineblog (II)
-Cine Club
-Cinecultist
-Cinegraphic.Net: The Avante-Garde Film and Video Blog
-Cinema 24
-CinemaMinima
-Cinema News
-Il Cinema Secondo (Italian)
-Cineaste (Russian)
-Cinematix
-Cinema Toast
-Cinetrix
-Columbina
-Concentrated Nonsense
-Confessions of an Indie Filmmaker
-Cult Movies I Dare You to Watch
-Cutting to the Chase
Cybersam
-Cynthia Rockwell's Waiting Room
-The Daily Despair
-The Daily Digest
-Day for Night
-Delta Sierra Arts
-Dinky's Docket
-Distorting the Medium
-Donald Melanson On Movies
-Electric Movies
-Fade In: Blog
-Feeling Listless
-Filmfilter (German)
-Filmgurlland
-FilmingtonBlog
-Filmtagebuch (German)
-Film Talk
-Five Easy Pieces
-Fluxblog
-Frank Booth
-Fringe
-A Girl and A Gun
-Glazed Donuts
-Greg.org
-GreenCine Daily
-Harlequin Knights
-Harrylimetheme
-He Loved Him Some Movies
-The Hobo Reviews
-Hot Buttered Death
-Iggy's Movie Review Weblog
-Iguano Film Blog
-In Development
-Indigoblog
-Ionarts
-Ishbadiddle
-Japanese Films' Journal
-Joe Sixpack's Film Blog
-Joe's Weblog & Film Project News
-Junk for Code
-Kumari's Movie Blog
-Lights Out Films
-Like Anna Karina's Sweater (Filmbrain)
-Listen Missy
-Loebrich.org
-Magnolia Girl
-Marley's Ghost
-Media Yenta
-Michael I. Trent
-Moovees.com
-Moov Goog
-Motime Like the Present
-MovieBlog
-Movie Boy
-Movie Criticism For the Retarded
-A Movie Diary
-The Movie Generation
-Moviehead
-The Movie Marketing Blog
-Movie Retard
-The Movie Review
-MovieTawk
-Moving Pictures
-Nando's Blog
-Netflix Fan
-Odeon
-Onethumbsideways
-Or Kill Me
-Out of Ambit
-Out of Focus
-Paolo - Cinema's Radio Weblog (Italian)
-Pigs and Battleships
-Plot Kicks In
-Pop Culture Junkies
-Popthoughts
-The Projector
-Qwipster's Movie Reviews
-Rashomon
-Rawbrick.Net
-Reel Reviews (Podcast)
-Reviews, Reviews, Reviews
-Salocin.com
-SciFiDaily
-The Screening Room
-Screen Watcher
-Shikaku
-Short and Sweet
-The Silver Screen
-Solipsist
-Stinky Cinema
-Sunset Blvd
-Tagline: A Movie Weblog
Talking Pictures
Tea for One
-Tofuhut
-Tom Vick's Asian Cinema Blog
-Trailer Park
-Truly Bad Films
Waste of Tape
-Wayne's Movie Blog
Whippin Picadilly
Wittgenstein's Bunnies
-Yay! Movies!
McBain Recommends
-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
-Kill Bill vol 2
Shroom Recommends
-Top 20 List
-Brothers
-Head On
-Moolade
Joker Recommends
-Top 20 List
-House of Flying Daggers
-The Aviator
-Bad Education
Yun-Fat Recommends
-Eight Diagram Pole Fighter
-Los Muertos
-Tropical Malady
Allyn Recommends
-Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
-Songs from the Second Floor
Phyrephox Recommends
-Top 20 List
-Design for Living (Lubitsch, 1933)
-War of the Worlds
-Howl's Moving Castle
Melisb Recommends
-Top 20 List
-The Return
-Spirited Away
-Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring
Wardpet Recommends
-Finding Nemo
-Man on the Train
-28 Days Later
Lorne Recommends
-21 Grams
-Cold Mountain
-Lost in Translation
Merlot Recommends
-Top 20 List
-The Man on the Train
-Safe Conduct
-The Statement
Whitney Recommends
-Femme Fatale
-Gangs of New York
-Grand Illusion
Sydhe Recommends
-In America
-Looney Tunes: Back In Action
-Whale Rider
Copywright Recommends
Top 20 List
-Flowers of Shanghai
-Road to Perdition
-Topsy-Turvy
Stennie Recommends
Top 20 List
-A Matter of Life and Death
-Ossessione
-Sideways
Rodney Recommends
Top 20 List
-Chicago
-The Pianist
-Talk to Her
Jeff Recommends
-Dial M for Murder
-The Game
-Star Wars Saga
Lady Wakasa Recommends
-Dracula: Page from a Virgin's Diary
-Dr. Mabuse, Der Spieler
-The Last Laugh
Steve Recommends
-Top 20 List
-Princess Raccoon
-Princess Raccoon
-Princess Raccoon
Jenny Recommends
-Mean Girls
-Super Size Me
-The Warriors
Jason Recommends
Top 20 List
-Old Boy
-Million Dollar Baby
-Head On
Lons Recommends
-Before Sunset
-The Incredibles
-Sideways

Powered by Blogger Pro™



links open windows

(c)2002 Design by Blogscapes.com



The Blog:
Saturday, March 06, 2004
 
Droogies Shortlists

Final voting won't be till March 22; but, in the meantime, here are all the shortlists. They're listed alphabetically by name or film title. Some categories had a tie, so have six nominees instead of five.

Best Screenplay: (counted by Copywright)
All The Real Girls (screenplay: David Gordon Green; story: Paul Schneider)
Bad Santa (written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa)
In America (written by Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan)
Kill Bill: Vol 1 (written by Quentin Tarantino; writing credits: Uma Thurman, Quentin Tarantino)
Lost in Translation (written by Sofia Coppola)
Whale Rider (novel: Witi Ihimaera; screenplay: Niki Caro)

Best Cinematography: (counted by Steve)
Harris Savides for "Gerry"
Eduardo Serra for "Girl with a Pearl Earring"
Robert Richardson for "Kill Bill, Vol. 1"
Lance Acord for "Lost in Translation"
15 separate people for "Winged Migration"

Best Actor in a Supporting Role (counted by Joker)
Kevin Bacon, in Mystic River.
Nick Nolte, in Hulk
David Hyde Pierce, in Down With Love
Tim Robbins, in Mystic River
Seann William Scott, in American Wedding

Best Actress in a Supporting Role (counted by Copywright)
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog
Sarah Bolger, In America
Patricia Clarkson, The Station Agent
Holly Hunter, Thirteen
Miranda Richardson, in Spider

Best Actor in a Leading Role (counted by Syd)
George Clooney, Intolerable Cruelty
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Bill Murray, Lost in Translation
Sean Penn, Mystic River
Sean Penn, 21 Grams

Best Actress in a Leading Role (counted by Stennie)
Keisha Castle-Hughes, The Whale Rider
Zooey Deschanel, All the Real Girls
Samantha Morton, In America
Charlize Theron, Monster
Uma Thurman, Kill Bill, Vol. 1
Naomi Watts, 21 Grams

Best Foreign Film (counted by Lady Wakasa)
Divine Intervention
Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary:
Irreversible
Triplets of Belleville
Whale Rider

Best Director (counted by Shroom)
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
David Gordon Green, All the Real Girls
Gaspar Noe, Irreversible
Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill, Vol. I
Gus Van Sant, Gerry

Best Picture (counted by Joker)
All The Real Girls (David Gordon Green)
Demonlover (Olivier Assayas)
Gerry (Gus Van Sant)
Irreversible (Gaspar Noe)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (Quentin Tarantino)
Lost In Translation (Sofia Coppola)


 
2003 Droogies -- Best Director


Almost forgot to tabulate these today, but luckily I remembered before I left for Starsky & Hutch and the Cinematheque. Not surprisingly, the Best Director nominees almost completely mirror the Best Picture nominees, save one notable omission (Olivier Assayas did not receive one vote). And the nominees for Best Director of 2003 are...

Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation
David Gordon Green, All the Real Girls
Gaspar Noe, Irreversible
Quentin Tarantino, Kill Bill, Vol. I
Gus Van Sant, Gerry

Peter Weir was the next closest vote-getter. Pretty much everyone else got a handful of votes.


Monday, March 01, 2004
 

Darwin at the Movies



Thurs, Feb 12th, 2:15 AM

Just got back from Bertolucci's The Dreamers with a group of friends, and I'm stumped. Masterful cinematography with decadently beautiful youths boinking in various settings; but somewhere between a third and halfway through I realized that something else was going on. And, despite the obvious "trapped in their own world" angle, I don't quite know what it was. We talked afterward, but everyone was still mulling over what we'd just seen (and the booze didn't help). Unfortunately, no one else saw much logic. We all liked it, though; I think the negative reviews were overblown.

Thurs, Feb 12th, 11:00 PM

Spoke with the sister and b-in-law tonight, and mulled a bit more. You know, the only other Bertoluccis I've seen were The Last Emperor - right after it won the Oscar - and The Sheltering Sky on a very small tv. I know nothing about Bertolucci. Feeling like this is really holding me back. Also feel kinda stupid.

Sat, Feb 14th, 11:30 PM

Went to the video store; contrary to the stereotype, the kid behind the counter helped a lot and we found Last Tango in Paris, Stealing Beauty, and Little Buddha. Managed to get Tango in.

Okay, this puts things into perspective big-time. It's not exact, but one reviewer was right to call Dreamers "Tango revisisted" - there are definite demons Bertolucci is exorcising in both movies.

The sex looms large in both, but it's used as a weapon, a punishment. The wielders are fractured, wounded people. Paul bobs helplessly in the wake of his wife's suicide; combined with his natural violent tendencies, he dominates Jeanne to work through his grief. Isabelle and Theo are also traumatized by separation - in their case, the operation that separated them as cojoined twins. (Probably not possible in real life, but we're in Movie Land.) They're busy taking the trauma out on each other; and, with Matthew as catalyst ratcheting up their conflict, learning the many means by which humans torture each other. (Sibling rivalry to the nth degree.) Theo is right to say, "I'm no sadist, but..." And, seeing Isabelle's attraction to Matthew, Theo transfers his sibling attraction/conflict to her new fascination. While Isabelle and Matthew screw around the apartment, Theo is visible at the edges of the screen - and all the cracked eggs in France can't disguise the fact that he wants to trade places with Matthew. Theo and Matthew argue over movies and guitarists, sans Isabelle. Theo digs through the garbage to "provide" for Isabelle, but Matthew is the one who salvages and splits the banana. Theo seems to have experience in the outside world that Isabelle doesn't, but Matthew is the one to introduce her to the outside. This can't end well, and we see the apartment itself fall apart as the situation deepens. Theo repeatedly tells Matthew that this arrangement isn't forever, and his ambivalence leads him to choke Matthew. The one bright lining is that as a catalyst, Matthew walks away relatively undamaged in the end.

One question: what does happen in the tent? They fall asleep drunk but clothed; the scene cuts to the parents discovering them asleep / passed out and naked. Was anything resolved in there? Given their actions at the demonstration, I'm thinking yes...

Sun, Feb 15th, 4:30 PM

Stealing Beauty: similar themes to Dreamers, and the same beauty in the shots, but not the same kind of story; my first evidence of Bertolucci's range. One striking line that shows up in both movies: as the couple is about to have sex for the first time, the boy tells the girl he needs her help. Matthew speaks almost the same exact line in Dreamers. Again brings up the thought that B is working through something in his movies. (Oh, and Liv Tyler - she shoots well, but I'm thinking she's not really naturally beautiful.)

Sun, Feb 15th, 11:00 PM

Little Buddha. This is what I remember Last Emperor being: wonderful cinematography, a tale of an old and honored culture, the sweep of history, a few child actors thrown in. Some really wonderful construction: I really really really love how the story of Siddhartha Gautama plays out (Keanu - who knew you had it in you?) More proof of versatility, although not much in common with Dreamers. Although... Dreamers carries three story threads: the sexual situation, the homage to classic films, and the social chaos outside. But the threads abruptly come and go, leaving the question of why they were there in the first place. The cinematic subtext seems undecided whether to lead into a plot escalation or to reflect B's thoughts about his craft (and younger life). The street protests come, then disappear, then come back - but are they there for contrast? As influences on Bertolucci's outlook? They sure don't seem indispensible - any socially chaotic period could work just as well.

Little Buddha doesn't have this problem. Its threads- Jesse's parents' disbelief, his father's work situation, the long-term effects of the boy's new identity - are much smoother. They don't really matter in this film, their untidiness doesn't drag down the story.

Weds, Feb 19th, 9:05 PM

Went to see The Dreamers again, loaded with much more ammunition. Of course, everything I thought I understood just went out the window - seems I didn't get anything. WTF. What is this movie about?!?!?!

Sun, Feb 22nd, 6:45 PM

Just sat through the 311 minute director's cut of 1900 with a friend. Yes, Bertolucci can tell a solid story - even if it takes 5-1/2 hours. There's the expansive cinematography: lush countryside, lots of yellows and reds; and omigod - Donald Sutherland, Robert De Niro (and his pet mole), Gerard Depardieu (or at least his visual presence), all very very young. An Italian history of the first half of the twentieth century, loosely told as contradictions: Upstairs / Downstairs, good guys / bad guys, Communists / Fascists. And the length is no hindrance because the plot is plenty rich. B picks up and drops threads seamlessly - there has to be chaos in a film covering this period of Italian history, and the thread device exploits it well. Even the overdone bits can be forgiven. It felt like this movie develops a lot of the bits and pieces that B almost didn't have time for in a mere two hours. And interestingly, during this film I got that something-bigger's-going-on feeling again.

Ended up discussing my Dreamers reaction with the friend. I may have picked up more than he did - or I could be just hallucinating. But in a 1966 interview, B spoke of his overall goal "to arrive at the point at which one can live for dreams, can think cinematographically, eat cinematographically, sleep cinematographically." I still think B's letting off a lot of personal steam through his movies. Too often he's sorting through the same themes of conflict, especially between classes, family, friends, and/or lovers; loss of sexual innocence; the contradictions of Communism. These things reappear too many times to be mere throwaways. The details are undoubtedly different and ultimately unimportant; the point is whether he's purposefully blurring celluloid and cellular matter. And maybe on some level he's the one living in the apartment, in his own world...

I do have a much better appreciation of Bertolucci than before, and the crash course was fun. B is in his 60s now. If I'm right, the next ten years could be his most interesting, watching to see if he comes to some kind of resolution or continues staging battles in his head.

Then again, I might see another Bertolucci film and decide I've missed the boat, and will never understand. I haven't seen any of his early stuff...



Sunday, February 29, 2004
 

Oscars



I'm opening up a thread to discuss tonight's Academy Award's telecast. Anything Oscar-related you want to talk about, talk about it here.


 
2003 Droogies -- Best Director


I've taken over the Best Director category. Since it has been delayed, voting will end at midnight, March 5th (I'll be counting them on the sixth, so the only timezone that matters to me is the date stamp on the comments). Everyone knows the drill by now. Enjoy.


 

Foreign Droogies



MILK PLUS, Feb 29 -- It's official : from twenty-seven entries, the five nominees for the Best Foreign Film Droogies are:


  • Irreversible: 15 points

  • Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary: 14 points

  • Whale Rider: 11 points

  • Divine Intervention: 10 points

  • Triplets of Belleville: 9 points



Others with honorable showings include:


  • Friday Night, Resurrection of the Litle Match Girl: 8 points

  • Millennium Mambo: 7 points

  • The Man Without a Past, Millennium Actress, Vibrator, Winged Migration: 5 points

  • The Man on the Train, The Son: 4 points

  • Dirty Pretty Things, Fulltime Killer, Secret Things: 3 points

  • The Barbarian Invasions, Nowhere in Africa, To Be and To Have, Unknown Pleasures, Zatoichi: 2 points

  • Batang West Side, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Ichi the Killer, Love Actually, A Thousand Months: 1 point



The power of weighted votes avoided a massive tie.



Okay, now off to work on next year's Droogies.