Earlier today, for the third time, I worked as the director of photography for Art Center College of Design’s alumni profiles project, headed by writer/producer David S. Harris. These two-minute video profiles were commissioned by the college’s admissions department for the school’s new website. Among those interviewed on camera for the project were media designer Laura Crawford, her partner, industrial designer Delna Balsara, illustrator Demetrius May, and writer/director Michael Sucsy. Sucsy recently wrote and directed Grey Gardens (2009), starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange, based on the iconic 1975 Maysles brothers documentary Grey Gardens. In all, fourteen alumni profiles have been commissioned, and are set to appear on Art Center’s website in January 2010.

Demetrius May

Michael Sucsy

Delna Balsara

Alternando su reciente faceta de documentalista con la de productor de cine y realizador de TV, el maestro del costumbrismo contémporaneo, el futuro ganador del Cecil B. DeMille en los próximos Golden Globes, el gran Martin Scorsese, se prepara para una grata sorpresa. Y la sorpresa es su regreso al género del terror y el suspenso.

Para los que no recuerden Cape Fear y su magnífico DeNiro, Martin Scorsese en 1991 adaptó la novela de John D. MacDonald y junto a él, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange y la jovencita Juliette Lewis armaron lo que para mi es un claro ejemplo de suspenso donde el cruento enfrentamiento entre DeNiro y su abogado defensor, Nolte, nos dejó petrificados en nuestras sillas. Para ese entonces Juliette Lewis caracterizaba a una jovencita casi de la misma edad mía; en ese entonces no concebía muy bien la diferencia de edades y pues me parecía un acto de seducción medianamente normal. Vista uno o dos veces después, el acto pedófilo se hizo más evidente y alimentó mi morbo en esta peli en particular. No hay cabida para ser tan macabro como lo fue DeNiro y tan genialmente malvado como Scorsese para lograr esta factura. La maldición de Scorsese, y de paso la de DeNiro, era la de arrasar en nominaciones y no ganar absolutamente nada (una gran injusticia con este par de monstruos), esta no fue la excepción. Qué buen guión, qué buena factura, qué actuaciones, etc… Y nada. Al final la revelación de Lewis y su virginal papel, le conllevaron dos premios y una nominación a nivel independiente.

Scorsese se prepara para un nuevo atardecer, de la mano de un reparto sencillamente impresionante, de Robert Richardson veterano de mil batallas en cinematografía al lado de Oliver Stone, el mismo Scorsese y recientemente visto en los basterdos de Tarantino, y de Thelma Shoonmaker editora que no sólo es una ganadora impresionante de óscares sino casi la mano derecha de Scorsese en todo su portafolio de largometrajes.

Apunta a ser escalofriante, impresionante, tenebrosa, ojalá muy gore y de una factura impecable. Que se lleve sus buenos premios y que Scorsese como es caballero repita Oscar como es debido.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Teddy Daniels)
Mark Ruffalo (Chuck Aule)
Ben Kingsley (Dr. John Cawley)
Michelle Williams (Dolores Chanal)
Max von Sydow (Dr. Jeremiah Naehring)
Jackie Earle Haley (George Noyce)
Elias Koteas (Andrew Laeddis)
John Carroll Lynch (Deputado Warden McPherson)

*No encontré el papel de Patricia Clarkson en IMDb y no lo he podido encontrar en ningún otro lado :-S

I bought some DVD’s the other day. One of them was the 1979 movie All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse (Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Lenny). The movie is Fosse’s semi-autobiographical story about a director/choreographer/dancer’s life and career. The film was inspired by a period from Fosse’s life, when he tried to edit his film “Lenny” while staging his 1975 Broadway musical “Chicago”. It’s the story of Joe Gideon, a chain-smoking, workaholic choreographer and theater director who sleeps with all of his dancers. He wakes up everyday with Vivaldi blasting through his cassette player. He has his daily dose of Visine, Alka-Seltzer and Dexedrine and heads to work. His lavish lifestyle is taking him to an early grave, and even though his daughter and ex-wife try to pull him back from the brink, it seems to be too late. Gideon is already flirting with the angel of death, played by Jessica Lange. His condition gets worse and is admitted to a hospital with a severe case of angina. Gideon is bedridden, but it doesn’t stop the cigarettes, women or champagne from flowing. Gideon is playing with death until a massive coronary stops everything. The backers for the broadway play that Gideon is directing have to decide what to do with the production. They realize that the only way they could make a profit with the play is if Gideon were to die and they could cash the million dollar insurance.

All That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of the dancer, choreographer, and director's life and career. The film was inspired by Fosse's manic effort to edit his film Lenny while simultaneously staging his 1975 Broadway musical Chicago.

I love musicals. That didn’t sound right… I like musicals that are good. Some are not, and I don’t like them at all. My wife thinks I’m completely gay for watching musicals. I think it’s a genre like any other, and a movie isn’t judged buy its genre, but whether it is good or not. All That Jazz featured an amazing performance from Roy Scheider, great dance scenes, cool 70’s camerawork and… –Well, I can’t think of anything at the moment, but overall a great movie. My rating is a solid 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe even 4 stars. Two thumbs up, if that’s any easier to interpret. Let’s call it 7/10 points and a must see for anyone who likes Roy Scheider or musicals.

Cast

Little Edie…………….Drew Barrymore

Big Edie……………………Jessica Lange

Jacqueline Kennedy………Jeanne Tripplehorn

Phelan Beale……………………….Ken Howard

George ‘Gould’ Strong…………..Malcom Gets

Julius ‘Cap’Krug………………Daniel Baldwin

Albert Maysles……………………….Arye Gross

Ah, I really want to avoid comparing it to Braveheart, but okay: You know how there’s a drinking game in Braveheart where every time someone says “Freedom!” you take a shot? The drinking game in Rob Roy is “Honor.”
…

image from http://www.allposters.com/-sp/-Posters_i414131_.htm

Robert Roy MacGregor (Liam Neeson) wants to improve his village’s life in the craggy area of Scotland that they live in, so he decides to take out a loan from a local noble Montrose (John Hurt). This would have gone swimmingly except for Montrose’s new house guest Archibald Cunninghamn (Tim Roth) is short on cash and an evil bastard.

My various points on this movie:

1) Costumes are awesome. The year is, I think, 1714, so you’re hitting the movie right between the Restoration-era fashion and the beginning of the Rococo fashions. While not so important for the ever-kilted Rob Roy, it’s really cool to see the costumes that Montrose and Cunningham have to pull off. Two of my favorites are actually this one of Cunningham’s:

image from http://www.justpressplay.net/

And I really wish I could show you the Duke of Argyll (Andrew Keir), but I can’t find any good images of it online.

2) Casting.

So yeah, okay, I saw this movie because of Tim Roth (shut up!) but the casting as a whole is really great. Liam Neeson plays Rob as very much the honorable hero, especially as a great leader whose main concern is the safety of his village.  This makes him a great foil to Cunningham, who spends his time wrapped up in his own problems.  Jessica Lange (who I love) is really top-notch as Mary, Rob’s wife.  This is increasingly apparent from oh, let’s say the halfway mark onwards.

…

Reading into the subplot, this is a grand movie to watch for experiencing English abuse of Scotland, but in a more subtle, personal way than, say, Braveheart.  It’s really clear that Rob Roy represents Scotland, who is just working hard to get by while Cunningham is England, a literal bastard who can only think of thieving as a means of getting by.  What’s interesting to note in this interpretation is that they are both controlled by two men who hold greater power.  Montrose holds sway over Rob Roy because without able to pay him back, he’s in debt.  More so, Montrose houses Cunningham and makes his life difficult little by little.  The Duke of Argyll comes in as a player for Rob Roy by the third act, but you see him periodically throughout the film as an antagonist to Montrose.  The Grumpy Old Men of this movie, if you will.

It’s an epic costume piece, probably one of the best made in the ’90s.  For those of us who like to watch movies in order to travel, this is a great example as such.  The Scottish highlands look absolutely stunning and the three hundred years trip backwards in time is done very well.

Also, well… swordfights!  I like me some swordfights, don’t you?

One last note: I always forget that this was the role which earned Tim Roth his Oscar nomination until I watch the movie again.  It’s not so much Cunningham’s character– he’s really just the Spoiled Rich Kid Villain– but how Tim Roth plays him.  And he plays him well.

Music Box

Pais: US
Año: 1989
Género: Intriga. Drama
Duración: 123 min.
Dirección: Constantin Costa-Gavras
Guion: Joe Ezsterhas
Música: Philippe Sarde & Joele Van Effenterre
Producción: Carolco Pictures

Reparto:
Jessica Lange, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Frederic Forrest, Lukas Haas, Michael Rooker, Donald Moffat, Cheryl Lynn Bruce.

Descripción:
Un inmigrante húngaro (Armin Mueller-Stahl), residente en Estados Unidos desde el final de la II Guerra Mundial, es acusado de ser un criminal de guerra nazi. Su hija Ann (Jessica Lange), una abogada de prestigio, convencida de su inocencia, decide defenderle.

Críticas:
Película de denuncia de Costa-Gavras, en la que hace su debut americano el actor alemán Armín Mueller-Stahl, de la antigua cantera de Fassbinder. Nominada al Oscar y al Globo de oro a la mejor actriz principal, ganó el Oso de oro del Festival de Berlín a la mejor película. Fue producida por Irwing Winkler (“De-lovely”).

La acción tiene lugar, en 1988, en una gran ciudad de EEUU y en Budapest. Narra la historia de un exiliado húngaro, Mike Laszlo (Armin Mueller-Stahl), que lleva 37 años viviendo en el país. Es viudo, padre de una hija, Ann Talbot (Jessica Lange) y de un hijo, Karchy (Michael Rooker), y abuelo de Mikey Talbot (Lukas Haas). Acusado de ser un criminal de guerra durante la II GM, es reclamado por Hungría para su procesamiento. Su hija, abogada de prestigio, asume la defensa en el proceso de extradición, tras algunas dudas inciales. La película muestra la existencia activa de tramas de apoyo a antiguos criminales, que facilitan a la abogada, en América y en Budapest, informaciones de gran valor para fundamentar la defensa. Como en otras obras del autor, la película evoca una película de Hitchcock, en este caso “La sombra de una duda”. El film reflexiona sobre la conveniencia de olvidar los crímenes del pasado o de perseguirlos, denunciarlos y castigarlos, con el apoyo de la justicia. Para el autor no hay prescipción social posible de las atrocidades de lesa humanidad, aunque los verdugos vivan ocultos tras máscaras de bondad y de integración social. Los crímenes se sitúan en los años 1940-45, pero la película se refiere a todos los crímenes de guerra y crímenes de Estado de todos los tiempos (Chile, Argentina, Bosnia, Kosovo, etc.).

La música, original de Philippe Sarde, colaborador frecuente del autor, se basa en una partitura orquestal excelente, interpretada por la Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Hungría. La fotografía refuerza el clima de suspense de la acción y describe los sombríos presentimientos de la protagonista. El guión corre a cargo del húngaro Joe Ezsterhas, colaborador habitual de Gavras. La interpretación de Lange es excelente y muy meritoria la de Mueller-Stahl, que borda la imagen de ambigüedad de víctima/verdugo. La dirección denuncia delitos abominables que han quedado impunes por ocultación de pruebas y, en ocasiones, gracias al apoyo cómplice de oscuras mafias de apoyo.

Película de intenso dramatismo, bien construída y bien interpretada, emocionante y con valores documentales de gran interés sobre una realidad de vieja y nueva actualidad.
–
Magnífica intriga.
Una magnífica intriga (como si de una caja de música se tratara, la película ofrece suspense, misterio, interés por ver que contiene esa caja), servida por el griego Costa Gavras, en la que éste, sin abandonar su senda política logra un notable trabajo. Trata la historia de una abogado (Lange) quien defiende a su padre (Mueller-Stahl) en el juicio sobre su colaboración y asesinatos con el nazismo. Ësta se cree al principio de forma obstinada y ciega en la inocencia pero a medida que va introduciendo su cabeza en la cloaca del caso va viendo una luz dolorosa, tan irrefutable como hostigadora (spoiler). Muy bien desarrollada y contada (que yo sepa es casi lo único considerable hecho por Eszerthas en Hollywood), sin necesidad de recurrir a lo frenético o a lo efectista al uso del grueso de producciones de este tipo, se trata de una magnífica película dónde la hermosa secuencia final deja el sabor del cine doliente, que reconforta en el dolor de una memoria traumatizada por tanto desalmado y mediocre, pues es una secuencia sintética que no entiende el concepto real y universal de Justicia, de padres ni de hijos, solo de que cada cual pague por lo que hizo. Algo tan fácil como lo más díficil.

Su padre fue un vil y asqueroso asesino.

Datos Técnicos:
Tamaño:  1.45  Gb
Duracion: 02:00:28
Vídeo codec: Xvid (doble pasada)
Resolución: 704 x 288  Bitrate: 1461 Kbps. Qf: 0.288
Audio codec: Mp3 Cbr
Bitrate Castellano/Inglés: 48000Hz  128 kb/s total (2 chnls)
Subtítulos : [Castellano - Inglés]

Capturas:

]]> http://quixotando.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/mary-ellen-mark-seen-behind-the-scene-4/ Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:59:37 +0000 Georgina Spiggott http://quixotando.wordpress.com/2009/11/14/mary-ellen-mark-seen-behind-the-scene-4/

Elliott Gould & Alan Arkin no set de Pequenos Assassinatos (Little Murders) - Kiamesha Lake, EUA, 1970

Jeff Bridges no set de Nada a Perder (American Heart) - Seattle, EUA, 1991

Henry Fonda & Katharine Hepburn no set de Num Lado Dourado (On Golden Pond) - New Hampshire, EUA, 1981

Courtney Love no camarim de The People vs. Larry Flynt - Los Angeles, 1996

Técnicos e extra no set de Satyricon - Roma, Itália, 1969

Tiny durante as filmagens de Streetwise - Seattle, EUA, 1983

Johnny Depp no set de A Lenda do Cavaleiro sem Cabeça (Sleepy Hollow) - Surrey, Inglaterra, 1999

Jessica Lange & Dustin Hoffman no set de Tootsie - Hurley, EUA, 1982

Brad Pitt & Cate Blanchett no set de Babel - Marrocos, 2006

Marlon Brando no set de Apocalypse Now - Pagsanjan, Filipinas, 1976

      Al observar este cuadro de Edward Hopper me vino a la memoria la novela de James M. Cain, El cartero siempre llama dos veces (The postman always rings twice que no sé por qué este título siempre me resultó de una sonoridad redonda en inglés).

     Nick Papadakis, inmigrante de origen griego de mediana edad, es propietario de una gasolinera y una fonda situada en un solitario paraje de California. A ella llega Frank Chambers, un joven vagabundo que deambula por el país sin oficio conocido. Nick contrata a Frank como ayudante. Cora es la mujer de Nick, una joven sensual que no se entiende muy bien como ha podido casarse con Nick si no es para asegurarse una posición económica. Frank y Cora se enrollan. Deciden asesinar a Nick para vivir juntos quedándose con el negocio.

    Como datos curiosos cabe decir que la novela fue juzgada por obscenidad en Boston. Luchino Visconti rodó Obsesión inspirada en ella; y Albert Camus reconoció que encontró también inspiración en esta novela  para su obra El extranjero.

     Hay una primera versión cinematográfica del año 1.946 dirigida por Tay Garnett y protagonizada por Lana Turner y John Garfield.

     Y en 1.981 se hizo una segunda versión, esta vez dirigida por Bob Rafelson e interpretada por Jessica Lange y Jack Nicholson. De esta segunda versión destaca la escena de contenido sexual que tiene lugar sobre una mesa de cocina llena de harina. Esta tórrida escena ha pasado a ser uno de los iconos míticos del mundo del cine.

     Todos los elementos y personas que rodean a este post tienen para mí un gran interés. Hace años me pulí una gran cantidad de libros de la llamada “novela negra” formada por autores como  Erle Stanley Gardner,  Raymond Chandler,  Dashiell Hammett …

 Mi primer encuentro con el cartero fue viendo la película de Rafelson. Ni mencionar el impacto que me causó Jessica Lange (intelectualmente hablando, por supuesto). Creo que después leí la novela. Y un día en televisión repusieron la película en blanco y negro de 1.946. Esta versión quizás es superior a la más moderna.  Garfield es un actor muy interesante; la Turner en cambio nunca ha sido una de mis estrellas  de cine clásico preferidas.

       Y Hopper es un pintor que me apasiona, con sus personajes estáticos, ingrávidos, apeados del tiempo y el espacio. El cuadro de la gasolinera es fantástico. El segundo cuadro es más flojo, pero su contenido es congruente con este post y por eso lo inserté.

Aqui não temos um mero criminoso. Mas um psicopata. O desejo de vingança e a vingança como meio efetivo de redenção. Um tribunal de exceção em que juízes e criminosos são indiferenciáveis.

Como em tão pouco tempo pode evoluir uma premissa relativamente simples para uma espécie de estudo filosófico em alta voltagem.

Bem conveniente, acima de tudo, para um diretor sempre dedicado aos assuntos da fé que não poderiam levar a outro lugar que não fosse a um amoral radicalismo.

O que é humano está solto no mundo. No zoo exótico dos seres humanos alguns são atingidos por anti-revelações. A procura do homem por Deus pode ser o estranho mapa aonde o fiel radical nada mais pode encontrar senão a tragédia sempre anunciada. Mas nunca a ser evitada por causa do temperamento do mórbido personagem eleito.

É sempre bom ver temas recorrentes permearem a obra de um cineasta. Ver que o veículo para tanto se dá através de um filme produzido décadas antes só aumenta o charme deste irresistível filme sobre um psicopata.

Big Fish | Tim Burton, 2003

Tim Burton is one of my favorite directors because he is great at making the kind of movies he makes, and doesn’t let go of that. However, if you were to ask some film connoisseurs what they think Burton’s best film is, they’d respond with one of the two films that marked a departure from his dark story telling, Ed Wood and Big Fish. I would agree with those that think that the latter is indeed his best.

Big Fish tells the story of the life of Edward Blood. When he was young (and played by Ewan McGregor), he was a hot shot in his small town, so he decides to see the world, only to get sidetracked by the person he would marry. His older self (played by Alber Finney) is dying of cancer, and his son desperately want the true version of all the stories he has told him throughout his life. Throughout the movie Edward’s version of his life is told, and in the wonderful end we get to decide whether we like his version or the true version.

What Burton does best is create  movies that rely more on their visuals than the story. This time, he has a great story to work with that only relies on his style for about 25% of the movie. For the rest, we get to see him brach out and just focus on the characters rather than the elaborate sets. Yes the movie is beautiful, but the most touch scenes (aside from the end) are ones that rely on the connection between two characters in a barren room, and he handles those perfectly. In the end, great visuals are used, but he still focuses on the characters, which was the right call. None of these scenes would have worked without the actors

Ewan McGreagor and Albert Finney are great at capturing the charm in Edward Bloom. However, Finney stands out because he also has to show us the Edward that is dying and has to stop being charming when his son tries to get the truth out of him. There are also great supporting performances from Jessica Lange, Danny Devito, Steve Buschemi, and Helena Bonham Carter. Also, I will forever love this movie for introducing me to the great talent that is is Marion Cottillard.

On the technical side, it is as beautiful as any other Burton movie. The sets, the costumes, the cinematography, the make-up, all great. I must single out the music. Danny Elfman’s score is among the best of the decade (and deserved to win an Oscar), and Pearl Jam’s original song, “Man of the Hour,” packs a great emotional punch as it plays after that great finale.

Big Fish is one of the top 10 movies of the decade. It’s great story and themes combined with Burton’s vision makes this an unforgettable experience.

Quando você se achar um lixo, lembre-se da Drew e repita:

I’M NOT JOSY GROSEY ANYMORE!!!

Sim, porque a gente sente muita Vergonha Alheia sempre que assiste Nunca Fui Beijada e nunca admite (sic) que se identifica com todo o romantismo da Josie,

nem quando a gente vibra com os olhares subversivos do Sam…  

… ou se imagina em um baile tão rufus!  quanto aquele.

PS1: O tema ‘Melhores Casais” não é tudo?

PS2: E a gente A-D-O-R-A a Drew desde que…bom, isso fica para outro post.

PS3: Eu ainda não vi, mas já baixei, Grey Gardens, filme pelo qual ela e a Jessica Lange concorreram (a última ganhou) ao Emmy.

PS4: Os próximos filmes dela são Whip it!, com a Juliette Lewis e Ellen Page, e Everybody’s Fine, com o Robert De Niro.

PS5: E que tal a Jessica Alba de Disco Barbie?

PS4: Quer ver o final? (tum-tum, tum-tum).

Mother wanted me to come out in a kimono, so we had quite a fight.
– Little Edith Bouvier Beale

This past September, the HBO movie Grey Gardens was nominated for sixteen Emmys. It won six Emmys including, Best Actress Jessica Lange, Best Supporting Actor Ken Howard and Best Television Movie. It deserves it.

This movie expands the world of Edie and Edith Beale (Drew Barrymore, Lange), the reclusive relatives of Jackie O that were captured in the Al and David Mayseles’ 1975 documentary. The structure of the movie is set up as the brothers filming the staunched women and it flashes back to 1936 where the Beales were at the top of high society.

Edith and her husband Phelan (Ken Howard) only wanted to have Edie to find a suitor to have a stable life on her own. Edie doesn’t want to be somebody’s wife. She wants to be a famous actress and dancer on Broadway.

During the summer, the Beales go to their vacation house, Grey Gardens to get away from hustle and bustle of New York City. Edith retreats from her marriage to take up singing with music teacher Gould Strong (Malcolm Gets).

The relationship between Edie and Edith comes to a head when Phelan wants to move the family back to the city. Edith wants to stay in Grey Gardens, because the house is under her name. She will not leave or sell the house to anyone.

After the next couple of years when the trust fund runs out, the house goes into disarray when the servants had to be let go and there is no one to take care of the house.

Edie’s life doesn’t fair any better in the big city. She is living off the allowance from both of her parents. She still hasn’t found a suitable husband. Phelan wants to cut her off. She takes a job as a model where she meets the married Julius Krug (Daniel Baldwin) and has an affair with him.

After the relationship ended, Edie is sent to Grey Gardens where the two Edie spend the next couple of decades in squalor. The health department for Suffolk County wants to condemn the house for unsanitary conditions for piles of trash, the stench of cat urine and feces, etc.

When the news comes out about the recluses, Jackie O (Jeanne Tripplehorn) visits Grey Gardens to see for herself the state that her aunt and cousin are in. After her visit, she orchestrates the clean up of Grey Gardens when the Maysles brothers, Al and David (Arye Gross, Justin Louis).

Ultimately, the message of the movie is how your decisions affected the people in your life and your own. The movie is filled with bitterness and resentment with the decisions that Edie and Edith made during their lives.

This was a fascinating exploration of the Beales. The way that Drew and Jessica transformed themselves was a thing of beauty. I thought I saw the actual people. I have seen the documentary but not the sister film, The Beales of Grey Gardens. It was nice to see the duo is happier times, but the middle of the movie delved into melodrama when Edie moves back into Grey Gardens. I won’t spoil it, but you will know it when you see it.

Judgment: A bubbly romp that makes you want to spend more time with Beales.

Rating: ****

So I really did not look at my ticket well enough as the night flight from Zuhrich to New York turned out to be a morning departure.  So with a fourteen hour layover this traveler thought it was perhaps right to get a hotel room.  So after taking the tram shuttle to the gate and making it through passport control into the main airport he went to the hotel reservations desk and witht he intention of staying in downtown Zuhrich.

Then upon finding it was cheaper to stay at the airport Ibis he went over there with the free bus in order to save about forty swiss francs.

The woman at the desk who booked him into the hotel was nice but he thought that he still had enough time to take a train into Zuhrich and then cab it back from downtown but that was before he got to the hotel.  First he got reprimanded by the Somali shuttle van driver for climbing into the vehicle without permission but then met a  nice couple returning to the U.S on seperate flights.  He saw the train which he could have taken into town while leaving the airport and upon arriving at the hotel got his room but they refused to take or even exchange U.S money thought the bartender took euros in the lobby bar.

So after going up to my small but ample room and still wanting to go out I ventured to the Esso next door and hoped that I could buy a train ticket with my gas card which didn’t work there.  Then I decided to hoof it as far into town as I could get.  After passing the usual airport nothingness i began to get into the northern fringe of Zuhrich though by the time i made it to the Swissotel and begged the front deskman to do change money for me which when he finally did it seemed too late to take the train into downtown and so I walked looking at the quaint architecture and finally settling into a restaurant open late for a couple of kebabs.

Then after taking many I-phone pictures of the a train station, a tunnel, houses , and the Swiss I went back to the hotel and watched a bio on Prince Albert of Monaco followed by a circus where crazy horse drawn clown vehicles circled the ring.  I enjoyed very much switching channels between French, Italian, and German on Swiss television.  I also shaved and then went to sleep (the bed was quite comfortable and i felt very safe).

In the morning I received the wake up call brought my bag down checked out and then appeared for the overpirced breakfest buffet (but as everybody kept saying this was Switzerland). I then paid and caught the quite reliable shuttle van to the airport and and then there some great fun began.

The people at check in who I thought were airline employees were security so I guess accordingly I was perhaps a bit too jovial. They asked what I was doing in Switzerland and I said connecting flights from Dubai and they said where is my luggage and I said it was checked through and this they wrote down and replied with wasn’t it and then hey said it might be indicating that I had to receive the bag there and recheck it even thought the airline said it was checked through and the claim ticket attested to that nonetheless they said when I asked where it was to paraphrase perhaps lost and found.  They then asked for my hotel receipt from Dubai which I could not furnish but i did have plastic electronic door key from the Hotel Delman in the Emirate and upon producing that the supervisor said shouldn’t I have returned it to the front desk..Eventually this ordeal was over my passport got a sticker and I was onto flight check-in and I asked to locate my bag which was indeed checked through.

Afterwards I had a much needed cappucino and told the barista my ordeal and he said laugh it off as some people on a power trip. I then made it through security looked at the surrounding countryside through the large windows in the departure gate wing and eventually boarded the plane.

On the way back over to the US this tired flier had an entire back row to himself and watched the HBO movie version of “Grey Gardens” starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange as the two Edith Bouvier Beales and the soloist starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.

Going fowards a bit I then worked two day on the double decker bus and then Senator Edward Kennedey died. I got off the night before the last day of the wake and I drove up to the John F. Kennedy Presidential library at the the University of Massechussettes Boston campus on the back bay staying over night at a hotel in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on the way up.  I met a lot of great people got in and shook the hand of Jean kennedy Smith the last remaining JFK generation sibling (children of joseph and Rose Kennedy) and she said “hi i’m the sister) (of course Eunice had dided a few days prior).. I signed the registry I thought I should go as it was the passing of a whole U.S political dynasty and I recite Ted’s closing words to “the dream shall never die” speech everytime I pass Madison Square with the microphone on the Double Decker bus. I also shook the senator’s widow Victoria’s hand as she entered the building and of course saw the honor gaurd and the coffin.  My I-phone had died on the way up but to take pictures of the family at such an event might have been in bad taste anyway.

After attending the wake I drove over to Castle Island which this traveler had never remembered seeing before.

Sometime after this I saw three biggies with my groups on the tour bus starting with director  Oliver Stone on East forty ninth street in the Turtle Bay section of Manhattan where he was posted filming his sequel to “Wall Street” startring Michael Douglas (reprising his role as Gordon Gekko) and Shia LaBeouf.   There was a detour and the buses were forced to take third avenue from forty second to forty ninth thus bypassing the United Nations complex on first avenue and forty ninth street  between second and  third (the street Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis,  Steven Sondheim, and Erfem Zimbalist Jr.  once lived upon).  Oliver Stone this erstwhile man with a  handheld microphone attached by chord to momma bus spotted the provocative social legislator standing right at the police barricade pointed him out to the tourists (who were oh so appreciative) and immediatley went into the voice of George Plimpton saying Oliver ! Oliver! Olive {for once he had been with the late sportswriter at the night club Life after GP had read from his Capote tome for his series “The Literary life” and after George asked if he could get a tour he asked the owner Roy Stillman if he wouldgive Gerge a tour and George and Roy started making small talk and Roy indicated that he had seen him here for a party for Oliver Stone and George had said “ah yes Oliver” and all these years later at a different time I was able to repeat this line]

Readers please sit back down now (even though this writer is in Florida in sight of the calcified alligator skull [[which upon further investigiation was found out to be a well studied and almost consumate replica]] and in the red, yellow, and brown Marriot courtyard lobby).   The next sighting was again witha double decker and it was perfectly set up.

We had left the South Street Seaport stop and headed past Schemerhorn Row (a former fish chandelry some of whose structures date back to circa 1807 but on the net I could only find a date firmly established for them starting in 1812) and coming up about to the Cafe Paris (circa 1873 and where Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, and Teddy Roosevelt at one time or another had all once eaten and where they had thrown a big party the night of the opening of the establishment’s neighbor the Brooklyn Bridge) in the cobble stone area between many buildings once visited by a transported Spock and Captain James Kirk on the original Star Trek series was a film set.  Then within the mass of crew was aman in a suit.  Then this tour guide, this urban scout was able to differentiate and say there is a film set ahead the man in the suit is the celebrity look.  Getting up closer it was a done up Matt Damon (I had known he was around as another tourist on another bus had shown me a picture of him on a digital camera speaking after receving some award or citation from Mayor Bloomberg on the steps of City Hall).  I was able to say to the tourists ladies and gentleman Matt Damon and have him not look up.  He heard the intro of course went about finishing what he was doing and after a delay looked up at the bus waved and then walked onto his next piece of business.

Next on the Manhattan Comprehensive all day tour going past the San Remo on Central Park West on a beautiful sunny day and giving the list of famous residents of the Emory Roth Building Victor Emanuel style celebrity tower multi tiered birthday cake Bono from U2, Billy Squier, Steven Spielberg .. right on the name Steve Martin there he was the back of his head and of course with the information flowing and the look I knew it was him he turned around  with a big smile but didn’t wave and went back into the second of two entrances along the avenue.

At some point this blogger realized that he wanted to see Jude Law in Hamlet on Broadway.  So he walked over to the Broadhurst theater where it is playing until December 6, 2009 and all seats were $116.50.  I said “no seats would be at the tkts booth?” and the woman at the ticket window returned the  no “and probably not for the entire run”.  I winced at the cost and walked away.

Later I made jokes about it in front of the Standard and Poors ( or the lack of standards and now we’re poor) building coming by on the red double decker bus after saying” this is where they say over croissants and coffee in the morning … to bbb or not to bbb” ..”now you can hear Jude Law say that on Broadway for a hundred and sixteen fifty and I will say it as part of the price of your bus ticket”.  Then one day coming off my second downtown and landing in front of the tkts booth in Times Square across from our stop at forty seventh and seventh there it was on the board only one performance for the Thursday matinee Hamlet.  The tickets at tkts are no longer exclusively fifty percent off and this matinee was thirty percent off ($83) and with the service fee eighty seven. I jumped at the oppurtunity having read glowing review after glowing review.

And boy were those reviewers right Jude Law in Hamlet is a tour de force!  First of all his physical presence the way he is able to move his frame to extend for all the remonstrations, the introspection, and action in this Shakespeare play which is above all else about the whole deck of cards.

Sure we travel with him back to remember how many figures of speech come from this great work:” this mortal coil… neither a borrower or a lender be….to be or not to be…Alas poor Yorick I knew him well”.  Alas the staging is spartan but not so stark as to replace artifice  His star in the heavens is justified bravo!

starting to reread Dorian Gray…might start over a second time rereading it in order to put little asterisks* by the good parts and critical comments in the margins…cause this time its MINE, not a library book.
love him.
apparantly they made a Dorian Gray movie….?

i dunno, it looks epic and sexy and romantic and all, but it doesnt seem like they stuck to Wilde’s original dialogue. we’ll see, im not all that excited about it.
WHATEVS prince caspian, you are a FAR cry from the dorian of my dreams.
if anything you look more like oscar wilde honestly…

……………………………………………..

but speaking of forever young and the beauty of youth…
im pretty sure im behind on this but have you heard of Tavi, the style rookie?
very intelligent and detailed blogger, this girl is cute to the maxxx, and 13 yrs old…
and goes to fashion week and has been on the cover of POP twice…
this is her blog…this is her flickr…
shes so imaginative and fun. everyday is for costumes and layers and layers and diy!

……………………………………
ps: i think my fall look is going to be “fashion recluse, danes to silverstone“…

that gets bigger…its an important graphic. little edie, angela from my so called life, and cher from clueless (aduh!)…all divas, all layers, mixing graphics etc.

grunge socialite daddy’s girl turned hermit/aspiring angst urban professional/dramatic at heart, jaded sweetheart attempting lift-off <—-all me

pps: the hbo grey gardens was pretty amazing. drew barrymore and jessica lange were awesome! costumes were lovely…and the characters were neither bastardized nor reinvented…the story was touching and sad without being over the top dramatic. much better than i had feared …
.…………………………………..
bonus: color theory obsession incarnate, Heal’s pantone kitchen sets, for my future barbie dreamhouse….

img src craftzine

2005: Broken flowers di Jim Jarmusch

Bill Murray è diventato (dopo Lost in translation) specialista del silenzio, dell’immobilità e dello sguardo nel vuoto.

Un Bill Murray stanco e disilluso, splendidamente passivo, dall’espressione surreale e dalla recitazione minimalista come non mai, stranito, attonito, circondato da un vuoto che gli viene da dentro… troneggia nell’undicesimo film (Gran Prix a Cannes) di Jim Jarmusch, bandiera del cinema indipendente, uno degli autori più venerati dai cinefili europei (ma anche dagli attori americani: ne è dimostrazione il cast stellare di questo film).

Dedicato a Jean Eustache (giovane genio francese morto nel 1981) per La maman et la putain, un classico sull’incomprensione fra uomini e donne, Broken flowers (in origine “Dead Flowers“, fiori morti) è una commedia originale, stralunata, agrodolce, malinconica e ironica nello stesso tempo, la cui trama ricorda Non bussare alla mia porta di Wim Wenders  (un uomo solo di mezza età alla ricerca d’un figlio mai visto).

On the road sulle strade degli States ricercando la giovinezza, un se stesso che non c’è più, le briciole. di una vita forse mancata.

“Il viaggio che compie –ha dichiarato Bill Murray in una intervista- è una ricerca di identità: non smette mai di porsi domande, di avere dubbi. Sul suo passato e sul presente. Sui suoi rapporti con le donne. Su ciò che è. Un percorso che non interessa tanto per le risposte che offre, quanto per gli interrogativi che pone“.

Un uomo che tenta (forse) un nuovo inizio mentre tutto gli parla di fine: nessuna delle donne amate lo rimpiange, nessuna oggi lo vorrebbe, per tutte è un importuno. La conclusione amara è che, dopo aver perso il futuro, non ha più nemmeno un passato. Una storia sulle occasioni perdute, sull’amore che non abbiamo dato, sulla solitudine di chi è sfuggito alle responsabilità.

Jarmusch e il suo magnifico cast lavorano sulle allusioni e il non detto (nessuna concessione a effetti speciali o virtuosismi registici), Murray è insuperabile nel ritratto di una immobilità materiale ed esteriore, a cui corrisponde una anche morale ed interiore: una recitazione sottotono veramente magistrale.

Giustamente un critico ha detto: “Broken Flowers è la prova di un cinema intelligente ma divertente, d’intrattenimento ma anche di spessore e di pensiero, di idee che non hanno bisogno di gigantismi produttivi e fiumi di soldi”.

Protagonista da 10 e lode, cast di contorno di lusso (Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Tilda Swinton, Julie Delpy).

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2005: Don’t Come Knocking di Wim Wenders

Stranamente (a mio parere) alla critica il film non è piaciuto.

L’America, con i suoi vasti cieli azzurri, i brandelli di nuvole candide e le pianure polverose, l’America degli enormi spazi feriti da una modernità degradante, l’America dei suggestivi panorami che si alternano a ridondanti insegne di casinò, l’America che passa con troppa disinvoltura dal western alle slot machines… è la vera protagonista di questo film che ha visto tornare a Cannes la coppia (Wim Wenders regista, Sam Shepard sceneggiatore) che nell’84 vinse la Palma d’oro per Paris Texas.

“E’ la storia di un uomo che ha perso il centro della propria vita, il filo della propria esistenza. E’ una storia sulla solitudine e sulle relazioni familiari”, ha dichiarato Wim Wenders.

Tema portante del film è infatti la perdita delle radici e dell’identità, lo spaesamento di fronte ai propri errori ed alla propria coscienza, il rimpianto delle occasioni perdute e di incontrare l’amore troppo tardi… La storia narrata però è l’aspetto meno interessante (anche perché varie sono le incongruenze del racconto e soprattutto perché i vari personaggi appaiono con poca anima e non coinvolgenti): abbiamo un attore specializzato in western, decaduto sino a interpretare per pochi soldi film miseri (un emblema del declino della cultura, del sogno, dell’Impero americano?), che decide di lasciarsi tutto alle spalle.

Ciò che veramente colpisce in Non bussare alla mia porta è il senso di solitudine dell’uomo davanti ai grandi spazi e il ritratto, allucinante e desolante, della provincia americana: squadrata, silenziosa, sempre simile a se stessa. E ciò che rimarrà nello spettatore all’uscita dalla visione è lo splendore delle immagini viste, un vero prodigio operato dalla fotografia di Franz Lustig che si rifà alla pittura paesaggistica, all’uso sapiente della luce artificiale e naturale (sempre fredda e tagliente), allo spazio quasi metafisico di quel cantore dell’America che fu Edward Hopper (che con i suoi quadri ha enormemente influenzato tanto la fotografia, il cinema, la pop art…).

Da sottolineare infine l’ottima prestazione dell’intero cast: Sam Shepard ricorda molto Gary Cooper (…quale complimento migliore?), Jessica Lange è come al solito di una bravura eccezionale, Tim Roth è ironico ed enigmatico al punto giusto, Eva Marie Saint segna un gradito ritorno e interpreta magistralmente il personaggio più riuscito del film.

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There are moments in our lives when we feel as if there is no one to turn to. Or, perhaps, there are people to turn to, but deep within ourselves we know that they would never truly comprehend what we are going through. It’s not always easy to ascertain that which is genuine from that which is fake. It’s rather like lab-created gems. There are many jewels that are the product of a laboratory instead of nature. Yet they appear so authentic that even a jeweler is unable to tell the difference at first glance. These jewels that are “created” by lab technicians are not so different from some people. True caring and compassion are qualities that have always been  rare. But in a world where instant gratification has become more of an addiction than even a habit, authentic individuals are oftentimes scarce.

This is why I stress the importance of always being yourself and of never letting society or the group of people whom you associate with dictate your opinions, your thoughts, or your actions. To a certain extent, you have to exploit yourself  in order to completely embrace life. You must exploit your own potential before anyone else does, for, at the end of your existence here on earth, the person who is going to be left with regrets will be you. The actress Bette Davis once said, “Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” And Davis demonstrated her steely determination by fighting relentlessly for the roles she got. At her prime, she was the highest paid woman in America, and, during a time when the entertainment industry was dominated by men, Davis set the stage for the powerful leading actresses who have followed in her footsteps such as Meryl Streep, Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon, and Jodie Foster.

In keeping with Bette Davis’ personal motto, what would you attempt to do if you knew with absolute certainty that you simply could not fail? Would the choices you’re making in your life right now be different than they are? If you have any role models or people whom you look up to, whether dead or alive, do you think that they allowed themselves to become overcome with feelings of self-doubt? Or did they live fearlessly?

I have always admired the dancer Isadora Duncan, who dared to be herself both in her career and in her personal life. She was an original, and she was proud of it. It’s true that Isadora did not always use the wisest judgment. But at least she pursued her dreams and made them into a reality by her willingness to take risks and fly in the face of convention. Who wants to conform to what society tells us we should be? In an era when women who had children out-of-wedlock were branded and crucified, Isadora held her head up high and bore two children by two separate lovers. While this lifestyle isn’t something I’m condoning, what I do admire is Isadora’s determination to hold onto her self-respect in a world in which everyone was attempting to take it away from her. Her self-worth was innate and not dependent on anyone else. This is why Isadora followed her heart and married a Russian poet who was eighteen years younger than she was.

Even in today’s much more liberal and open-minded world, much of Isadora’s behavior would be considered reckless.  Yet, are we to only admire those who live by the standards that we hold dear? I think it’s important to find people whom we look up to or who inspire us for different reasons. We should never emulate another person entirely, for, if we do so, then we are cutting short our own uniqueness.

I have been candid about the fact that I believe in God, but even if you don’t, perhaps a part of you still senses that there is a Divine Force at work in the universe. And perhaps you believe that this Divine Force created and molded each of us in a specific way. Whenever we try to be like another person or envy someone else because of his or her special attributes or capabilities, we are negating our own worth. There is positively no way that I can place enough emphasis on embracing that which is exclusively yours. And your potential is your most valuable commodity.

Many people believe that an icon like Madonna is not a role model–that her fame has been centered around the wrong values and principles. However, I think it’s much easier to make judgments about other people and their lives than it is to see ourselves clearly. We attach labels to those whom we do not approve of. Then we wonder why someone decided to label us or our actions in a certain way. Only when we let go of labels and stop being so judgmental will we be free to be ourselves. As I’ve said in other blog posts, we can put ourselves into a prison of our own making if we so choose. That prison can be made up of negative and destructive thoughts such as hate, anger, fear, and resentment. The moment that we allow ourselves to judge another person, we are actually judging ourselves. Rather than focusing on the ways in which someone else falls short in our mind, we should focus instead on how we can improve.

The great Russian author Leo Tolstoy once said, “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” Who can be naive or delusional enough to imagine that they can make such an impact on the world that they are able to alter it in a significant way? Although I began my work as the Success Diva with the objective of reaching out to others and making a genuine difference in their lives, I am still aware that unless I pay enough attention to developing myself and exploiting my own potential, I will never accomplish anything meaningful.

Even though the word “exploit” has negative connotations, I am using it in a broader sense to fully embody the idea of using every bit of your potential for all its worth . . . and then some! Opportunities do not always come knocking on the door of your world. Sometimes, you have to seek them. And there are moments when you must grab something that looks like a possibility and make it into the chance of a lifetime.  Never hesitate to take the blessings that are brought into your life. If you do not make use of them, someone else will.

In the Bible, Jesus tells the parable about the talents (in this instance, a talent was a weight of precious metal) a master gave his servants as he was going to leave on a journey. When he returned, the master greatly rewarded the man who had used and multiplied his talents. He was told, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” On the other hand, the unwise servant who had buried the one talent he was given–who had dug a hole in the ground and buried it–had even that taken away by his angry master. Even if you don’t believe that the Bible is the Word of God or anything more than a myth, you can still relate to the concept that that potential which we cultivate. invest, and use is increased rather than diminished.

Life can be like this. For when we allow our potential to drown in the ocean of petty worries and other peoples’ opinions, it is the same as if we never had that potential in the first place. As my friend and mentor, Denis Waitley, says in his book Seeds of Greatness, we have the power within ourselves to achieve virtually anything. “We all have the power within,” Denis writes, in the chapter “The Seed of Purpose”. “There is a potential gold mine inside each of our goals.” What Denis says is true, even if you think it seems hard to believe.

Not only is there a gold mine inside of your goals, but there is a gold mine inside of you. The very fact that you are reading this blog indicates that you have already won. Even at this moment, you are a winner for yov have been brave enough to seek ideas about how you can improve yourself and your life. You have chosen to stop living by default and to begin living on purpose . . . like a boat that has finally found a clear-cut direction.

I have spoken about the Yellow Brick Road that will take you to the Emerald City of your dreams. Well, the path that will take you to that road is strewn with obstacles. There are distractions and day-to-day worries, in addition to people who will attempt to sabotage your efforts, whether they intend to or not.  Even those who are closest to us and claim to have our best interests at heart cannot always be expected to see our dreams and goals for us. You must capture your vision yourself . . . and only you should be the person to exploit your own potential. It’s almost a law of nature that only two options are possible. If we do not exploit our potential, either it goes to waste or someone else will exploit it for us.

I have emphasized the importance of working together as a team and surrounding yourself with those who share similar vantage points to yours. This is crucial if you want to achieve ultimate success or happiness. However, in the end, it still comes down to you making full use of your potential. You cannot ever become entirely dependent on anyone or anything else. You make the magic happen in your life. As I said from the beginning, it really is all about you for no one can live your life for you.

Have you ever seen an episode from the old TV program, “This is Your Life?” If so, do you remember how the most noteworthy moments in the life of whoever happened to be honored were flashed on the screen? Did you ever wonder, “How would my life look if this documentary were about me?” When I was growing up, I recall speculating as to what significant accomplishments might be mentioned. Having been trained to be a concert musician, nearly all of my daydreams, when I was a little girl, included the creation of  award-winning musical recordings and international concert performances. I always had the tendency to dream big, in shades of bright colors, rather than shades of gray or black and white. At this point, it amazes me to remember how grand many of my fantasies were. But, dreaming extravagantly is a wonderful way to prepare you to embrace your potential.

If you do not believe you’re capable of something remarkable, how will you ever attempt it? Claude Bristol’s book The Magic of Believing really does illuminate the importance of believing in yourself unlike nearly any other book I’ve ever read. And what is exploitation of your potential but one more step past believing in yourself? On many occasions, the only true difference between someone who lives a life in obscurity and someone who accomplishes things that bring them a tremendous amount of recognition is belief. I use the word “belief” in its most profound sense for it is something beyond mere self-confidence. It is an innate sense of trust in yourself–faith in your ability to make the most out of your life and to maximize your abilities.

Although we have been conditioned by society and often also by the environment in which we have been reared to subscribe to the idea that our capabilities are limited, we were all born with the capacity to do nearly anything. The depth of the potential that is inherent in each of us is something that many people never become fully cognizant of. For, on a conscious level, it seems impossible to imagine that we can  achieve things that we would call extraordinary if we haven’t seen them being accomplished by those around us. 

When we hear stories of those who have surmounted monumental odds to achieve recognition, renown, and in many instances “celebrity” status, there is sometimes a tendency to tell ourselves that these people were somehow special and set apart from the rest of humanity, whereas we are “ordinary” mortals. In doing this, we are automatically placing limitations on our potential that aren’t really there. Yet, when you subscribe to a false idea for long enough, you will soon begin to imagine that it’s true.  It’s rather like wearing fake diamonds for an extended period of time. After awhile, you may barely be able to ascertain the difference between a real diamond and one that has been created by a lab technician.

So, instead of suppressing your potential by telling yourself lies about what you can’t do, embrace and exploit that potential for all it’s worth. I dedicate this particular blog post to my friend Elizabeth, who first used the phrase, “exploit your potential”. Elizabeth, you are one of those rare persons who lives life fearlessly and is forever true to herself. Thank you for coming into my life.

May you continue to embrace every moment . . . and to live with passion, courage, enthusiasm. . and belief in Yourself!

Until soon,

Your Success Diva

If you want to Live Without Limits, make sure you sign up for Success Diva’s newsletter. Mailings are every 2-3 days, depending on my schedule.

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If you would like my input on a specific situation or problem in your life, do not hesitate to write me at successdiva7@yahoo.com Alternatively, you can find me as Alexis Wingate at Facebook. Just send me a personal message, and I will respond at my earliest convenience.

This page and all written material at the Success Diva pages is written by Alexis Wingate. All rights are reserved. (C) Copyright by Alexis Wingate. The Success Diva

I don’t usually watch the Emmy Awards. I don’t have anything against them; it’s just that I don’t watch many network shows. The last show that I can say I was a big fan of was the original Law & Order, however since Jessie L. Martin left and Sam Waterston was promoted the series hasn’t been the same and I haven’t really watched it. My sister turned me on to Rescue Me, but I have to wait until the DVDs come out or watch it on Hulu.com because I don’t get the FX Channel. And my guilty pleasure is Smallville on Fox.

But I did see two extraordinary made for television films and a supporting roll performance that I was hoping would be recognized by the Academy of Television Arts & sciences.

The supporting roll was Michael J. Fox’s recurring portrayal of Dwight on Rescue Me; a embittered, drug-addicted, booze drinking, paraplegic. This character was so outrageous, so out there, so not Michael J. Fox. I knew the first time I saw the character that Fox would be up for a nomination. So when he won the Emmy, I was really happy. If anyone is not sure what acting is, check out Fox’s Dwight on Rescue Me.

The two films I saw and was rooting for couldn’t have been more different, Taking Chance and Gray Gardens. Taking Chance received seven nominations including one for Outstanding Made for TV Movie and one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Kevin Bacon, as Lt. Col. Mike Strobl. This is one film that should be required viewing in all American high schools.

Taking Chance

I was really hoping that if the film itself didn’t win an Emmy, that at least Kevin Bacon would have won for his exceptional and distinguished portrayal of Lt. Col. Strobl. Needless to say I was very disappointed that Taking Chance failed to win an Emmy for any of the seven categories it was nominated for.

Borrowing from the Taking Chance website, the following is a synopsis of this compelling, touching, and very educational film:

In April 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl, USMC, came across the name of 19-year-old Lance Corporal Chance Phelps, a young Marine who had been killed by hostile fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Strobl, a Desert Storm veteran with 17 years of military service, requested that he be assigned for military escort duty to accompany Chance’s remains to his family in Dubois, Wyo.

Witnessing the spontaneous outpouring of support and respect for the fallen Marine – from the groundskeepers he passed along the road to the cargo handlers at the airport – Strobl was moved to capture the experience in his personal journal. His first-person account, which began as an official trip report, gives an insight into the military’s policy of providing a uniformed escort for all casualties. The story became an Internet phenomenon when it was widely circulated throughout the military community and eventually reached the mainstream media.

‘Taking Chance’ chronicles one of the silent, virtually unseen journeys that takes place every day across the country, bearing witness to the fallen and all those who, literally and figuratively, carry them home. A uniquely non-political film about the war in Iraq, the film pays tribute to all of the men and women who have given their lives in military service as well as their families.

Gray Gardens
Years ago I saw a documentary about two eccentric women, mother and daughter, living in squalor, and who were related to Jacqueline Bouvier. I was a huge fan of the film and didn’t really believe there was any reason to watch Gray Gardens with Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymoore. But I fell in love with Jessica Lange when I saw her play Patsy Cline in Sweet Dreams back in 1985, a portrayal so well done; she received her fourth Academy Award nomination. She lost that year to Geraldine Page for The Trip To Bountiful, which I also loved. So I watched Gray Gardens because Jessica Lange was in it and was absolutely blown-away.

The film went way beyond the documentary as far as the history of the two women, but it was uncanny, almost creepy how Lange and Barrymoore captured the essences of Big Edie and Little Edie, as if they were actually channeling the two.

Gray Gardens received 10 nominations including one for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, which it won; Lange and Barrymoore both received nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, but only one could win. I was excited that both actresses were recognized for their work; however I would have picked Drew Barrymoore to win the prize. Jessica Lange was wonderful as Big Edie, but I thought the part of Little Edie was much harder to capture, much more of a complicated part. But I’m happy at least one of them won.

I don’t quite get the nomination for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie that the film received. For the most part Little Edie had no hair and Big Edie’s hair was just a jumbled mass of gray hair. I also don’t get how Gray Gardens failed to win the Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or special award?

Borrowing from The Gray Gardens website, here is a synopsis of this five-star film:

In 1973, filmmakers Albert and David Maysles entered the strange world of “Big Edie” and
“Little Edie” Bouvier Beale, two charming eccentrics who were relatives of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.
Spending six weeks with the reclusive mother and daughter who chose to live in squalor and almost total
isolation in a decaying, 28-room mansion in East Hampton, the Maysles captured their day-to-day life in its
raw, uncensored, captivatingly honest moments for a documentary entitled “Grey Gardens.” Little did
anyone know that the 100-minute documentary would catapult the two women from virtual obscurity to
cult status as their legacy grew in depth and stature over the years.

Thirty-five years later, using the documentary as a framework, director-writer Michael Sucsy’s original
story for GREY GARDENS offers a wry, behind-the-scenes look at the Beales and their unique
mother-daughter bond.

Told over the span of four decades, the film focuses on their glamorous and well-heeled lives long before
the making of the documentary and on the circumstances behind their riches-to-rags story.

Drew Barrymore stars as “Little Edie” and Jessica Lange stars as “Big Edie” in GREY GARDENS.
Directed by Michael Sucsy from a story by Sucsy and teleplay by Sucsy and Patricia Rozema, this
HBO Films production recounts the early years of the mother-daughter duo, as well as chronicling the
making of the iconic documentary by the Maysles brothers. Malcolm Gets and Daniel Baldwin co-star,
with Ken Howard and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Rachael Horovitz and Michael Sucsy
are executive producers; David Coatsworth produces.

Drew Barrymore on Parade Magazine is astounding how she can transform from a granny in the Emmy winning Grey Gardens with Jessica Lange, into  a roller blading Venice  Beach babe, before you can say “ET go home.” She’s  so versatile.

Une vieille légende veut que le téléphone des actrices américaines cesse progressivement de sonner à partir de leur quarantième anniversaire, jusqu’à ne plus sonner du tout lorsqu’elles atteignent le cinquantième. Selon cette même légende, il n’y aurait de place à Hollywood que pour une seule actrice cinquantenaire.

En regardant les Emmy Awards dimanche soir, j’ai réalisé que cette légende n’était pas du tout une légende.

C’est Jessica Lange qui a remporté l’Emmy de la meilleure actrice dans un téléfilm pour son interprétation apparemment grandiose de Big Edie Bouvier Beale dans l’adaptation (supposément excellente) par HBO de Grey Gardens. Je suis ravi pour Jessica (qui ferait bien de mettre la pédale douce sur le botox tout de même), et MERCI HBO, vous êtes les meilleurs du monde, heureusement que vous êtes là pour rehausser le niveau de la télé, et blablabla… Mais juste une question: pourquoi est-ce qu’on doit se manger des connasses inutiles et interchangeables comme Katherine Heigl, Michelle Monaghan ou Jessica Biel au CINEMA pendant que JESSICA LANGE croupit à la télé?

Déjà, pourquoi ce film n’a-t-il pas été distribué au cinéma comme cela était prévu à l’origine du projet? Parce qu’aucune des deux actrices principales ne fait bander John Q. Public? Mais depuis quand le cinéma est-il sommé de ressembler à un dépliant Playboy? Et pourquoi ne mettrait-on pas plutôt les pétasses derrière le petit écran pour occuper le chaland pendant qu’il bâfre sa pizza, et les grandes actrices dans des grandes salles, comme il se doit?

Et surtout, pourquoi Robert de Niro, complètement sénile et jouant avec les deux mêmes grimaces depuis une bonne quinzaine d’années, se voit encore offrir des premiers rôles à plus de 65 ans? Pourquoi Anthony Hopkins et Morgan Freeman, tous deux en pilote automatique depuis un bail, sont-ils aussi sollicités, malgré leur 72 ans d’âge?

Les grandes actrices ayant dépassé la cinquantaine ne manquent pas; ce qui manque, ce sont plutôt les rôles. Jugez par vous-même: dans la même catégorie, face à Jessica, Ripley herself, Sigourney Weaver, dont le dernier grand rôle remonte à 1997 dans The Ice Storm (allez, 1999 dans Galaxy Quest si je suis d’humeur généreuse) et la légendaire Shirley MacLaine, qui n’a véritablement été bien utilisée qu’une fois ces 20 dernières années (In Her Shoes, en 2005). Je les entends déjà pleurnicher quand elle aura passé l’arme à gauche, ces hypocrites:

Shirley MacLaine était unique, irremplaçable, l’une des dernières vraies stars du grand Hollywood! Quelle perte pour le 7eme Art! Jamais personne ne lui arrivera à la cheville!

ALORS PROFITEZ-EN PENDANT QU’IL EST ENCORE TEMPS ET FAITES-LA TOURNER BORDEL!

Vous me direz, ce sont des telefilms, des one-shots, presque du cinéma finalement. Mais quid des séries?

Dans les catégorie actrice de séries, une hécatombe de déesses que le cinéma a perdu:

Glenn Close, qui, après avoir régné sur les années 80 avec la Streep (5 nominations aux Oscars en 7 ans), n’a plus jamais retrouvé de rôle à sa mesure, se laissant peu à peu enfermer par Hollywood dans des emplois de gorgones démoniaques de plus en plus stéréotypés, jusqu’a ce que la chaîne FX ne lui construise une série un cercueil dans lequel elle pourra continuer à jouer la gorgone démoniaque jusqu’à la fin de ses jours. En montant sur scène chercher son deuxième Emmy pour Damages, Glenn a clamé fièrement que ce personnage était probablement le rôle de sa vie (note à Glenn: revoir Les Liaisons Dangereuses).

Face à elle, entre autres, Sally Field et Holly Hunter. HOLLY HUNTER. Savez-vous seulement ce que cette femme est capable de faire? Avez-vous vu Broadcast News, Arizona Junior, Thirteen, Crash, Living Out Loud, LA PUTAIN DE LEÇON DE PIANO??? Une actrice de cette trempe obligée de jouer une série de deuxième ordre pour ne pas pointer au RMI, ça ne fait mal au coeur à personne, quand cet abat-jour de Jennifer Aniston enfile autant de comédie romantiques qu’elle le désire sur grand écran?

Idem dans la catégorie comédie, où ma jubilation de voir gagner Toni Collette, l’une des toutes meilleures actrices contemporaines, qui me ravit depuis à peu près quinze ans, fut fortement tempérée par le fait que depuis que sa série, United States of Tara, a démarré, elle n’a plus aucun projet ciné. D’autant que si elle est effectivement spectaculaire dans ce rôle de femme aux multiples personnalités, la série elle-même, crée par Diablo Cody, l’auteur très en vogue de Juno, ne vole pas très haut. Il est rassurant de voir que la télé américaine est là pour offrir des rôles complexes à de actrices singulières, mais pourquoi n’est-ce pas le cinéma qui s’y emploie?

Du côté des seconds rôles, des lumières du théâtre qui n’intéressent pas grand-monde à Hollywood (Cherry Jones, Janet McTeer, Kristin Chenoweth) et encore une flopée des grandes actrices de cinéma criminellement sous-employées (Dianne Wiest, Marcia Gay Harden), à l’image de la lauréate du prix du meilleur second rôle pour un téléfilm, Shohreh Aghdashloo. Qui est cette personne au nom imprononçable, me direz-vous?

Une actrice iranienne, qui fut brièvement une star dans son pays en tournant notamment avec Kiarostami, avant que la Révolution des barbus mal lavés ne la contraigne à fuir pour l’Angleterre en 1979. Ca n’est qu’en 2003 qu’elle refit surface, dans House of Sand and Fog (jamais distribué en France, forcément), où elle était phénoménale en épouse éplorée de Ben Kingsley. Après sa nomination à l’Oscar du second rôle plus que méritée, j’ai attendu en vain la suite. Miniscules rôles de-ci de-là, et finalement récupérée par la télé, d’abord dans 24 Heures, puis dans ce House of Saddam qui lui a valu un Emmy.

Regardez cette femme. Dites moi si elle n’est pas belle, sexy, élégante, et si elle n’a pas une des voix les plus magiques qu’il vous ait jamais été donné d’entendre.

Si j’ajoute à tout cela qu’elle a un talent immense, et vous pouvez me croire sur parole, vous allez me demander: pourquoi ne l’ai-je jamais vue au cinéma?

Réponse: parce qu’elle a 57 ans.

Numa cerimônia super dinâmica e ótimamente apresentada, os 61st Primetime Emmy Awards fizeram bonito esse ano. Quem achava, como eu, que os premiados seriam uma repetição do ano passado e que a cerimônia seria uma chatisse quebrou a cara. Neil Patrick Harris foi a melhor escolha possível pra ser apresentador, o moço carregou a cerimônia nas costas, algo semelhante ao Hugh Jackman no Oscar esse ano, mesmo não vendo How I Met Your Mother, torci por ele. Uma das melhores sacadas foi a apresentação dos vencedores por gênero: Comédia, Reality, Filme/Minissérie e Drama, respectivamente. As barbadas ficaram por conta das principais categorias da noite, com a premiação consecutiva de Mad Men em Melhor Série – Drama e em Melhor Roteiro – Drama; 30 Rock em Melhor Série – Comédia, Melhor Ator – Comédia e Melhor Roteiro – Comédia; Glenn Close em Melhor Atriz – Drama; Bryan Cranston em Melhor Ator – Drama; The Amazing Race em Melhor Reality Show de Competição e The Daily Show with Jon Stewart em Melhor Programa de Variedades. Os demais prêmios foram ótimas surpresas e alguns já esperados…

Gostei bastante dos premiados nas categorias cômicas, principalmente as vitórias de Kristin Chenoweth e Toni Collette, vibrei tanto quanto as duas aqui. 30 Rock faturando 3 prêmios do field foram esperados e merecidíssimos, visto que eu acertei as categorias que a série ganhou. Completando os vencedores tivemos The Office ganhando Melhor Direção – Comédia e Jon Cryer como Melhor Ator Coadjuvante, uma grande surpresa que deveria ter acontecido há muito tempo atrás, gosto bastante dele na série mas peguei uma birra imensa com ele devido às suas declarações homofóbicas feitas para chamar atenção justamente da Academia.

Nas categorias de Filme/Minissérie os mais premiados foram Little Dorrit e Grey Gardens, empatados com 3 prêmios cada. A minissérie britânica faturou os Emmys de Melhor Direção, Melhor Roteiro e Melhor Minissérie, enquanto o telefilme da HBO faturou as estatuetas de Melhor Atriz (infelizmente, com Jessica Lange), Melhor Ator Coadjuvante (merecidamente, com Ken Howard) e Melhor Filme Feito Para TV. Completando os vencedores, dois atores que não conferi em seus respectivos traballhos, mas que gosto muito: Shohreh Aghdashloo por House Of Saddam e Brendan Gleeson por Into The Storm.

E finalmente no field mais importante da noite não tivemos muita surpresas. Mad Men saiu triunfante ganhando dois prêmios e os atores principais do ano passado repetiram o feito esse ano e mostraram o quanto são bons, Glenn Close e Bryan Cranston mereceram demais suas vitórias! O quesito surpresa ficou por conta de três categorias. Em Melhor Ator Coadjuvante ganhou, finalmente, Michael Emerson por Lost, um prêmio pra lá de atrasado, mas está em ótimas mãos, visto que Michael entregou um ótimo trabalho nessa temporada da série. Mais surpreendente que o prêmio anterior foi o prêmio de Melhor Atriz Coadjvuante dado à quem ninguém apostava, Cherry Jones, a veterana dos palcos faturou a estatueta por intrepretar mais um dos presidentes de 24. E por fim, ER faturou seu último Emmy com Melhor Direção pelo season finale da série, fator homenagem conta às vezes.

Esse ano ainda contamos com um prêmio de votação pública, o de Breakthrough Performance, algo como melhor momento da temporada e quem ganhou foi True Blood com a cena do encontro de Bill e Sookie. Durante toda a premiação fiquei com o pensamento de que a ATAS devia se arrepender amargamente de não ter dado o devido valor à True Blood. Anotem aí, True Blood vai ganhar o Emmy de Melhor Série – Drama ano que vem. Vai ficar gravado aqui e eu vou provar ano que vem quando isso acontecer!

Bem, é isso pessoal! Se acabou mais uma temporada de Emmys e agora só ano que vem! Agora os Oscars, além de GGs, SAGs, BAFTAs, entre muitos outros prêmios de cinema! E eu estarei aqui pra comentar tudo!

See you guys!

Here are all the winners from last night’s Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Drama Series
“Mad Men” (AMC)

Outstanding Comedy Series
“30 Rock” (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Glenn Glose, “Damages” (FX)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner, “Meditations in an Emergency,” “Mad Men” (AMC)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Rod Holcomb, “And in the End,” “ER” (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Cherry Jones, “24″ (Fox)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
Michael Emerson, “Lost” (Fox)

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
“Hugh Jackman Opening Number,” The 81st Annual Academy Awards (ABC)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Directing for Variety, Music or Comedy Series
Bruce Gowers, “American Idol” (Fox)

Outstanding Miniseries
“Little Dorrit” (PBS)

Outstanding Made for TV Movie
“Grey Gardens” (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens” (HBO)

Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Dearbhla Walsh, “Little Dorrit” (PBS)

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Andrew Davies, “Little Dorrit” (PBS)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm” (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Ken Howard, “Grey Gardens” (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Shohreh Aghdashloo as Sajida in “House of Saddam” (HBO)

Outstanding Reality Competition Program
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)

Outstanding Host for a Reality or a Reality Competition Program
Jeff Probst, “Survivor” (CBS)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Jeffery Blitz, “Stress Relief,” “The Office” (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Toni Collette, “United States of Tara” (Showtime)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men (CBS)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Matt Hubbard, “Reunion,” “30 Rock” (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies” (ABC)

Lukas Eggen

2009 Emmy Nominados y Ganadores

Asi es amigos,en el dia de ayer tuvimos la gran ceremonia de entrega de los tan esperados Premios Emmys 20o9

Para el Oscar de la TV las mejores series del año fueron las mismas de 2008. Hubo pocas pero notables sorpresas, “Grey gardens” tuvo una victoria discreta y Neil Patrick Harris brilló como anfitrión.

Ya el hecho de que series como “Flight of the Conchords” o “The big bang theory” fueran nominadas al Emmy era una señal de que la conservadora Academia de Artes y Ciencias de la Televisión intentaba darles una oportunidad a los nuevos y escondidos talentos de la pantalla chica estadounidense. Pero una cosa es abrirse en las nominaciones y otra muy distinta hacerlo a la hora de los ganadores. Anoche, en la 61° entrega del Oscar de la TV, los premios a las mejores series del año recayeron en las mismas de 2008: “30 Rock” en comedia y “Mad men” en drama.

Alec Baldwin, Bryan Cranston y Glenn Close repitieron sus triunfos. Toni Collette confirmó su status de favorita por la comedia “United States of Tara” y el reality “The amazing race” se llevó la estatuilla por séptima vez. Y eso que la noche partió con sorpresas: Kristin Chenoweth ganó por una serie ya cancelada y Jon Cryer lo hizo en su cuarta postulación. Pero de ahí en adelante, la lógica predominó. “Grey gardens” ganó como Mejor Telefilme y Jessica Lange se impuso ante su coestrella Drew Barrymore, pero el triunfo de la cinta de HBO fue discreto: no arrasó, y la miniserie “Little Dorrit” la opacó.

Neil Patrick Harris despejó las dudas sobre su papel como anfitrión -luego de recibir críticas tibias por su trabajo en los premios Tony- y en la ceremonia del Nokia Theater brilló e hizo gala de su carisma y buen humor incluso cuando perdió su nominación por la serie “How I met your mother”. Momentos emotivos, pocos: la presencia de Michael J. Fox (que la semana pasada ganó por su rol invitado en “Rescue me”) y el clip a los fallecidos en el año que homenajeó a figuras como Paul Newman, Farrah Fawcett, Walter Cronkite, Patrick Swayze y hasta Michael Jackson.

Este año, los organizadores del Emmy aumentaron el número de nominaciones en un intento por cubrir la gama de ofertas en los más de 120 canales de cadenas y cable en Estados Unidos. La decisión puso caras nuevas entre los candidatos, como la irreverente serie animada “Family Guy” y el drama sobre poligamia de HBO “Big Love”.

Los Invitamos a revisar a los nominados y los Grandes ganadores de este Jornada,que grandes sorpresas no trajo. Ademas, dar una mirada a estas imagenes de la ceremonia y sus Invitados.

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy

Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock

Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock

Kevin Dillon, Entourage

Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother

Rainn Wilson, The Office

Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men — Winner

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy

Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies — Winner

Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds

Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama

William Shatner, Boston Legal

Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal

William Hurt, Damages

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Michael Emerson, Lost — Winner

John Slattery, Mad Men

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama

Cherry Jones, 24 — Winner

Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy

Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy

Dianne Wiest, In Treatment

Hope Davis, In Treatment

Rose Byrne, Damages

Outstanding Actress, Mini-series or Movie

Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens

Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens — Winner

Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel

Sigourney Weaver, Prayers for Bobby

Chandra Wilson, Accidental Friendship

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Mini-series or Movie

Len Cariou, Into the Storm

Tom Courtenay, Little Dorrit

Ken Howard, Grey Gardens — Winner

Bob Newhart, The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice

Andy Serkis, Little Dorrit

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie

Shohreh Aghdashloo, House of Saddam — Winner

Marcia Gay Harden, The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler

Janet McTeer, Into the Storm

Cicely Tyson, Relative Stranger

Jeanne Tripplehorn, Grey Gardens

Outstanding Miniseries

Generation Kill

Little Dorrit — Winner

Outstanding Actor, Mini-series or Movie

Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance

Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind

Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm — Winner

Kevin Kline, Cyrano de Bergerac

Sir Ian McKellen, King Lear

Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption

Outstanding Actor, Comedy

Tony Shalhoub, Monk

Steve Carell, The Office

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock — Winner

Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords

Outstanding Actress, Drama

Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters

Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Glenn Close, Damages — Winner

Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Holly Hunter, Saving Grace

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Actor, Drama

Simon Baker, The Mentalist

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad — Winner

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Hugh Laurie, House

Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Outstanding Actress, Comedy

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine

Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Toni Collette, United States of Tara — Winner

Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds

Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program

Outstanding Series, Comedy

30 Rock — Winner

Family Guy

Entourage

The Office

Flight of the Conchords

Weeds

How I Met Your Mother

Outstanding Series, Drama

Breaking Bad

Damages

Dexter

House

Lost

Mad Men — Winner

Big Love

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program

Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

Tom Bergeron, Dancing with the Stars

Heidi Klum, Project Runway

Jeff Probst, Survivor — Winner

Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race

Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio, Top Chef

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart — Winner

Late Show with David Letterman

Real Time with Bill Maher

Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

The Amazing Race — Winner

American Idol

Dancing with the Stars

Project Runway

Top Chef

Outstanding Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow

Dirty Jobs

Dog Whisperer

Intervention — Winner

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List

MythBusters

Oustanding Made for Televison Movie

Coco Chanel

Grey Gardens — Winner

Into the Storm

Prayers for Bobby

Taking Chance

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Brenda Blethyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Carol Burnett, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Ellen Burstyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit — Winner

Sharon Lawrence, Grey’s Anatomy

CCH Pounder, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Edward Asner, CSI: NY

Ernest Borgnine, ER

Ted Danson, Damages

Michael J. Fox, Rescue Me — Winner

Jimmy Smits, Dexter

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Jennifer Aniston, 30 Rock

Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory

Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live — Winner

Gena Rowlands, Monk

Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock

Betty White, My Name Is Earl

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Alan Alda, 30 Rock

Will Arnett, 30 Rock

Beau Bridges, Desperate Housewives

Jon Hamm, 30 Rock

Steve Martin, 30 Rock

Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live — Winner

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special

Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger

Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut a Bitch

The Kennedy Center Honors — Winner

Ricky Gervais: Out of England — The Stand-Up Special

Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America

CATEGORIAS SECUNDARIAS – TÉCNICAS

Mejor Reality Show: Intervention

Mejor Programa Animado (de menos de una hora):South Park

Mejor Programa Animado (mas de una hora): Destination Imagination

Mejor Serie No Ficcion: American Masters

Mejor Especial de No Ficcion: 102 Minutes That Changed America

Mejor Programa para Niños: Wizards of Waverly Place

Mejor Comercial: Heist, Coca-Cola

Mejor Cinematografía en una Miniserie o Película para TV: Little Dorrit, Pt. 1

Mejor Cinematografía para Serie de una hora: The Tudors

Mejor Cinematografía para Serie de media hora: Californication

Mejores Efectos Especiales para Miniserie, Pelicula de TV o Especial: Generation Kill

Mejores Efectos Especiales para Series: Heroes

Mejor Vestuario para Programa de Variedades / Música: So You Think You Can Dance

Mejor Vestuario para Serie: Pushing Daisies

Mejor Vestuario para Pelicula de TV, Miniserie o Especial: Little Dorrit

Mejor Maquillaje con Máscara para Pelicula de TV, Miniserie o Especial: Grey Gardens

Mejor Maquillaje para Pelicula de TV o Miniserie: The Irena Sendler Story

Mejor Maquillaje para Serie: Pushing Daisies

Mejor Maquillaje para Serie (multicámara): MadTV

Mejor Peinado para Serie: Mad Men

Mejor Peinado para Serie (multicámara): Dancing with the Stars

Mejor Peinado para Película de TV o Miniserie: Grey Gardens

Mejor Título de Presentacion: United States of Tara

Mejor Actuación Vocal: Dan Castellaneta, The Simpsons

Mejor Coreografía: 81st Annual Academy Awards y SYTYCD

Mejor Dirección Musical: Streisand: The Concert

Mejor Composición Musical para Serie: Legend of the Seeker

Mejor Composición Musical para Miniserie, Película de TV o Especial: Into the Storm

Mejor Elenco de Serie – Drama: True Blood

Mejor Elenco de Pelicula de TV, Miniserie o Especial: Little Dorrit

Mejor Direccion de Musical o Variedades: American Idol

Mejor Direccion Artisitica – Miniserie: Little Dorrit

Mejor Guión – Miniserie: Little Dorrit

Mejor Música Original y letras:: 81st Annual Academy Awards

Mejor Guión Programa Musical o Variedades:: Jon Stewart

Mejor Guión en Serie Dramatica:: Mad Men

Mejor Dirección en Serie Dramatica:: E.R.

(Source: Yahoo!)