Our monthly compendium of stuff that didn’t get a full post, for one reason or another.

There’s just more month left in the decade (unless you’re one of those weirdos who complain, “the decade begins with 1…”), meaning it’s not too early to start looking back. The 00’s were a decade that likely will never be remembered as a particularly good one for American film; we put it somewhere between the 50s and maybe – maybe – the 80s in terms of total quality work produced. The amount of dumb, cynical, artless trash far outweighed the good, but then again that’s sadly, probably true of any given time period.

Anyway, here’s our monthly roundup of items of interest that didn’t deserve or receive a full blog post. All our opinions are our own, and all graphics are stuff we found lying around the Internet.

1. This month’s hysteria regarding the release of The Twilight Saga: New Moon came with an earnest attempt at a backlash dogging its wake, as critics from every corner of the media – and especially online – did their best to counter-shout the series’ fans. Not to defend the sparkly vampires, but anyone decrying the phenomenon shouldn’t feel surprised at its popularity. Vampires are a steady, resurgent franchise in American culture, and it makes sense that a version catering to the American Idol generation would surface sooner or later. If Twilight is superficial, mawkish, and clumsily obtuse, it’s only giving its audience what they’ve come to expect from pop entertainment.

2. While we’re on the subject of pop culture and what’s wrong with it, two news items this past week about David Hasselhoff and Donny Osmond underscored a major reason for the current media malaise. Celebrities don’t burn out anymore. They fade… and fade… and fade away. The proliferation of cable channels and other media outlets means everyone gets camera time long after their 15 minutes have worn off. Except all that detritus has become dead weight, with the chances for the emergence of new talent becoming that much more remote. Much like pop music at the end of the 1980s, the film and TV industries are in desperate need of fresh air, the sooner the better. More than that, the industries have got to stop cashing in on the past because it’s cheap and safe.

3. Someone else said – but we’re happy to originate the idea – that George Clooney has two screen personae: there’s the talented ensemble actor, the guy that does offbeat work like O Brother, Where Art Thou and The Men Who Stare At Goats, and there’s his American Leading Man Mode that you see in stuff like Michael Clatyon and the Ocean’s saga. We’re looking forward to this month’s Up In The Air because it might present the first combination of the two while finally getting Gorgeous George the widespread critical respect he’s deserved for years. Here’s the trailer, in the unlikely event you haven’t seen it yet:

Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela

4. Another pervasive trailer this month previewed Clint Eastwood’s new Invictus, about the true story of South African president Nelson Mandela’s attempt to bring the post-Apartheid nation together via the 1995 Rugby World Cup games. While the idea of Matt Damon playing a rugby champion isn’t really surprising, the casting of Morgan Freeman as Mandela is one of those lightning-strike “why hasn’t this happened already” castings that happen every blue moon or so. It also makes us wish by free association that Steven Spielberg would make his Liam Neeson-starring biopic of Abraham Lincoln already. Still and all, props to Freeman for taking the role and props to Eastwood for tackling such unexpected (for him) material.

Burrows to join L&O: CI

5. This time last year we bitched that the USA Network couldn’t nail down a premiere for its Law & Order: Criminal Intent franchise. Now the show’s reportedly getting an all-new cast when it returns “early” next year. Series regulars Vincent D’Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Eric Bogosian and Julianne Nicholson will all depart after the series’ ninth season opener. Saffron Burrows (The Bank Job) replaces Nicholson, while Bogosian will be replaced by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (The Perfect Storm). The newer, streamlined show will feature returning star Jeff Goldblum in every episode.

Though we like Goldblum as an actor and in his L&O: CI role, we also remember that his last effort at headlining a detective show lasted seven weeks, even with Graham Yost (Band of Brothers) as showrunner.

6. Elsewhere on basic cable, TNT announced early they would picking up broadcast rights to Southland, the promising cop drama that NBC stupidly cancelled in October. Possibly as a way to afford the ensemble cast, the network has dropped their original series Raising The Bar from its schedule, with a second season for Dark Blue, its other cop show, stuck in limbo. Meanwhile their new Men of A Certain Age drama premieres next Monday. Anything with Andre Braugher or Scott Bakula has got our attention for at least a few weeks, and this has them both.

Renner in The Hurt Locker

7. Already one of the year’s – if not the decade’s – most highly praised dramas despite only a limited release last summer, The Hurt Locker premieres on DVD and Blu-Ray January 12. The gritty drama co-stars Jeremy Renner, one of the most promising young actors around right now following his superb performances in ABC’s The Unusuals and onscreen in 2007’s The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford. We’re glad his turn here is getting him some attention.

We value our female readership, and stuff like this never hurts.

8. You know it’s close to December when three of the top ten films have Oscar bait written all over them. The Blind Side currently makes the most money (despite scathing reviews), while Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire and The Road are both still building momentum. In light of the sweeping changes made to the Academy’s voting process this year, however, it’s still too early to guess which film has the inside track towards Best Picture. If we had to suppose, we imagine Rob Marshall’s Nine will take the statue. It’s got a shitload of razzle dazzle (remember Marshall’s Chicago won in 2003), a screenplay co-written by the late Anthony Minghella, and a broad cast of flashy actors like Daniel Day-Lewis and Nicole Kidman. In years past such a combination would be like crack for Academy voters, but the new rules could change things up.

Watch the embedding—proof HD Trailer for Nine here, much of which looks an awful lot like an Oscar ceremony musical number.

Thanks for reading. We were a day late posting this, and we apologize for the delay – real life’s been pimp-slapping our writing time lately. We’ll be back later this week.

- Michael Kabel

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

In the past, there have been many December blockbuster hits including the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. This December seems to be the month of potential blockbuster hits with Academy Award winning directors behind them. Plenty of promotion has gone into James Cameron’s latest film “Avatar” which is an action/fantasy film starring Sam Worthington (“Terminator Salvation”). Clint Eastwood’s latest film “Invictus” has some Oscar buzz to it and it stars Matt Damon and Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman. Peter Jackson directs the screen adaptation of “The Lovely Bones” which has also garnered some Oscar buzz and it is definitely one of my top picks to see this December.

Rob Marshall (“Chicago”) brings “Nine” from stage to screen with an all-star cast including Academy Award Winners Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Academy Award nominee Kate Hudson. Another film that has Oscar buzz surrounding it is “Up in the Air” starring Academy Award Winner George Clooney. Before Robert Downey Jr. reprises his Iron Man role this summer, he first tackles on the role of “Sherlock Holmes”, which looks fun and action packed. Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell, and Kate Beckinsale star in “Everybody’s Fine” which is probably the only film that takes place during the Holiday season. In terms of family films, there’s “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel”.

My spotlight picks of the month are “The Last Station” and “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”. “The Last Station” is a historical drama based on author Leo Tolstoy’s life and the cast is top notch. The film stars Christopher Plummer (“The Sound of Music”), James McAvoy (“Atonement”), and Academy Award winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen”). “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is Heath Ledger’s (“The Dark Knight”) final film and looks to be quite a show. Well that’s my December overview, click on the link below to check out the rest of the movies coming out in the next month.

**NOTE: Theatrical Release Dates are subject to change.**
Source: Comingsoon.net

December 2
• Before Tomorrow (NY)
• Made for Each Other (NY)

December 4

• Across the Hall (NY, LA)
• Armored
• Brothers
• Everybody’s Fine
• The Last Station (NY, LA)
• Paa (limited)
• Serious Moonlight (NY, LA)
• The Strip (limited)
• Transylmania
• Until the Light Takes Us (NY)
• Up in the Air (limited; expands: Dec. 11; wide: Dec. 25)

December 11

• A Single Man (NY, LA, SF; expands: Dec. 25; expands: Jan.
• Invictus
• The Lovely Bones (limited; expands: Dec. 25; wide: Jan. 15)
• My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (NY)
• Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year (limited)
• The Slammin’ Salmon (limited)
• Yesterday Was a Lie (limited)

December 12

• Ricky (NY)

December 16

• Town Called Panic (NY)
• Crazy Heart (NY, LA)

December 18

• Avatar (conventional 3D theaters and IMAX 3D)
• Did You Hear About the Morgans?
• Nine (NY, LA; wide: Dec. 25)
• The Young Victoria (limited; expands: Dec. 25)

December 23

• Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel
• Police, Adjective (limited)

December 25

• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (limited)
• It’s Complicated
• Sherlock Holmes

December 30

• The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (NY, LA)
• The White Ribbon (NY, LA)

The guys at the Awards Daily blog (http://www.theoscarigloo.blogspot.com/) do a great job throughout the year of trying to predict the Oscar race.  Being in the UK, predicting the Oscars is much more difficult mainly because most of the likely runners and riders don’t enter cinemas until after the Oscars are long since past.  However, in other ways it makes things easier because all I have to go on in a lot of cases is the trailer and the buzz.  So, here it goes … and I expect to have a red face come Oscar time.

#1 Up In The Air (dir: Jason Reitman) – Jason Reitman’s third feature follows hot on the heels of 2007’s Oscar nominated Juno and captures the zeitgeist of our credit crunch affected time.  Lead actor George Clooney managed to lead previous corporate drama Michael Clayton to a Best Picture nomination two years ago as well.  At this point, it must be the frontrunner although the difficulty of categorising it as a drama or comedy may hurt its chances.

#2 Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (dir: Lee Daniels) – A hard hitting drama usually sneaks into the Oscar final reckoning and having the vocal support of Oprah Winfrey can’t hurt, nor can performances from Mo’Nique and Gaby Sidibe that are being touted for nomination.  My question is this: is it too bleak to win the top prize?

#3 Nine (dir: Rob Marshall) – Marshall has form with musicals at the Oscars with previous film Chicago named as 2002’s Best Picture and this could be the feel good film to beat this year.  The set piece trailers are infectious and if the rest of the film matches up, this could be one.  The starriest cast of the year with former Oscar winners Daniel Day Lewis, Sophia Loren, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotilliard and Penelope Cruz as well as decidedly non-Oscar winners Kate Hudson and Fergie.  But is it too lightweight and passe?

#4 An Education (dir: Lone Scherfig) – A beautiful luminious film with a superb central performance from Carey Mulligan and a quality script from acclaimed author Nick Hornby.  I suspect that this film is this year’s Atonement, likely to be nominated a lot but not to win the big prize.

#5 The Hurt Locker (dir: Kathryn Bigelow) – Still buzzed from the first half of the year, this appears to have become the Iraq war film of choice and Jeremy Renner is a dark horse for a Best Actor nomination.  Superb direction means it will probably make it … if enough people remember it.

#6 A Serious Man (dir: the Coen Brothers) – One of the Coen Brothers’ most personal film translating the biblical story of Job and channelling Kafka showcases a great lead performance from Michael Stuhlbarg and the writing for which the Coen brothers are rightly known.  Now part of the establishment expect to see them again.

#7 Up (dir: Pete Docter) – One of the anticipated beneficiaries of the expansion from 5 to 10 Best Picture nominations is Pixar as Wall-E was widely thought to be the number 6 or 7 choice from last year.  Whilst Up is not quite Wall-E, its touching opening 30 minutes should deliver it to the big show.

#8 The Lovely Bones (dir: Peter Jackson) – The initial reviews have not been quite as glowing as one might have expected, this grand literary adaptation from former Oscar winer Peter Jackson should still make it, particularly if Stanley Tucci and Saoirse Ronan’s performances continue to garner rave reviews.  It has definitely dropped down the pecking order though.

#9 A Single Man (dir: Tom Ford) – Fashion designer Tom Ford’s debut feature is an adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s novel of the same name and features a feted performance from Colin Firth and multiple Oscar nominee Julianne Moore.  The trailer looks beautiful and this with the performances could just push it into the final 10.  Something from Venice usually makes it and this is as good a bet as any.

#10 District 9 (dir: Neill Blomkamp) – A real outsider but one populist film will make it in the Top 10, the question is which one.  My money is on District 9 because it is so different to the usual alien invasion films and made a lot of money.   A long shot but I would like to see it there.

“Armored” – A crew of armored transport guards engage in a heist against their own company. Stars Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, and Fred Ward. Pushed back from its original release date of 9/18. Opens December 4, 2009

“Brothers” – Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire are brothers. When Maguire goes off to war and is presumed dead, Gyllenhaal helps out his brother’s family and falls in love with his sister-in-law (Natalie Portman). When Maguire is found and returned home, family dynamics and loyalty come into question. Opens December 4, 2009

“Everybody’s Fine” – Robert De Niro is a father who, upon realizing his late wife was his only connection with his children, sets out to reunite with them. Also stars Drew Barrymore, Sam Rockwell, and Kate Beckinsale. Opens December 4, 2009

“Invictus” – Clint Eastwood-directed movie about how Nelson Mandela joins forces with the captain of the South African rugby team and rallies behind them as they go for the 1995 World Cup Championship. Stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. Opens December 11, 2009

“The Lovely Bones” – Peter Jackson (“LOTR,” “King Kong”) movie based on the Alice Sebold novel about a girl who views life after death –literally. Stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci, and Susan Sarandon. Opens December 11, 2009

“The Princess and the Frog” – Disney’s re-imagining of “The Princess and the Frog,” taking place this time in Louisiana. Opens December 11, 2009

“Crazy Heart” – Jeff Bridges is a country singer who has lived more than the song. When a journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal) interviews him, he opens up to her in hopes for redemption. Opens December 16, 2009

“Avatar” – James Cameron has spent the last 4 years working on this one: a complete CG movie filmed in IMAX 3-D. Tickets are on sale now! Opens December 18, 2009

“Did You Hear About the Morgans?” – Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker are a couple headed for separation until they witness a death and are put into the Witness Relocation Program where they have to spend time with each other. Opens December 18, 2009

“Nine” – Daniel Day-Lewis plays film director Guido Contini who is struggling between personal and private life while making his current picture. He tries balancing between his wife, mistress, mom, a movie star muse, and others. Opens December 18, 2009

“Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakuel” – The Chipmunk voices are back, but Jason Lee isn’t. Opens December 23, 2009

“The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus” – Long-awaited Terry Gilliam movie about a traveling magician who sells his daughter’s soul for magical powers and the person who is trying to get her soul back. Heath Ledger’s last performance on film. Opens December 25, 2009

“It’s Complicated” – Alec Baldwin is Meryl Streep’s ex-husband and Steve Martin is Baldwin’s friend who falls in love with her. Romantic comedy directed by Nancy Meyers. Opens December 25, 2009

“Sherlock Holmes” – Guy Ritchie directing a ‘Sherlock Holmes’ movie with Robert Downey, Jr. as the detective and Jude Law as Watson. Also stars Rachel McAdams. Opens December 25, 2009

“Up in the Air” – George Clooney is a jet-setting corporate hatchet-man who is required to spend more time at home just as he falls in love with a woman and is close to his goal of 5 million frequent flyer miles. Also stars Vera Farmiga and Jason Bateman. Opens December 25, 2009

“The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond” – Bryce Dallas Howard plays Fisher Willow, a Memphis debutante who falls for a farmer’s son (Chris Evans) and tries to pass him off as a socialite. When a diamond comes up missing, their relationship is further strained. Based on a screenplay by Tennessee Williams. Opens December 30, 2009

Este musical conta a história de Guido Contini, um cineasta que procura encontrar o equilíbrio entre a vida pessoal e profissional, com um sem fim de relações: a mulher, a amante, a musa, a agente e a mãe. Além de ter um  grande elenco e já é apontado como um dos principais candidatos aos Óscares!

Estou ansiosa para ver este filme! Estreia em Janeiro de 2010 e vou certamente vê-lo no cinema

Vaya elenco de chavalas para Nine….No obstante creo que Fergie tiene menos dotes para la interpretación que Stallone

Jazz2nite

On Saturday i went with a friend, B, to check out the Wellcome Collection’s new exhibition: Eight Rooms, Nine Lives. This is part of their season looking at Identity and Identification – of obvious interest to me as a trans person, especially as one of the ‘rooms’ was devoted to April Ashley, one of Britain’s most famous trans women.

As it happened, although Ashley’s room was interesting – especially the footage of her being interviewed by Michael Parkinson, it was the one which focused on the actress Fiona Shaw which made the greatest impression. It was supposed to demonstrate the multiple identities that an actor takes on; and, to this end, there were four or five TV screens on which you could watch Shaw playing various roles: for instance a mad woman in Gormenghast and a rather overwrought lady in an Ibsen play.

I can’t honestly say that i looked at these and saw someone changing their identity; but they were thrilling performances – Shaw is a true virtuoso. The standout was her portrayal of Richard II. For some reason though this only worked for me as an audio experience: if i looked at the screen there was no magic; but if i looked away and just listened I got goosebumps. It was that powerful.

I don’t think the issue was the ‘cross-gender’ casting – after all, her voice is just as female as her appearance; but rather that the physical aspect of her acting style is overdramatic. She has a tendency to gesture abruptly and stare wildly. Yet this exaggeration doesn’t carry through to her voice, so as long as you don’t look at her you aren’t bothered by it.

Not surprising then that the other exhibit which made a great impression on me was also audio-only. This had Shaw and her mother reciting a poem together. The idea here was to examine similarities and differences in their voices. For me, however, it was the relationship between them that was captivating: identity is interesting, human relationships are fascinating.

Other rooms focused on people such as Alec Jeffreys, who pioneered DNA testing, and Samuel Pepys - although in truth this room was really an exploration of diarists more generally. Some of these were interesting, but not always for reasons related to identity or identification (an old computer made you think of how technology had progressed, the cover of an old novel caused you to reflect on how illustration styles have changed). Only one disappointed where I’d been expecting great things: Claude Cahun, a French photographer obsessed with androgyny. The endless self-portraiture was exhausting and really rather boring: self speaking to self in a vacuum.

Overall, it was an interesting exhibition, if a bit uneven. B commented to me that she felt there was a lot of padding – exhibits that were very similar or of little relevance – and i agreed with her. I was also disappointed with the presentation. The rooms were little more than wooden partitions; little attempt had been made to make them feel like rooms or individual spaces of any kind.

More satisfying than the the exhibition is the book, ‘Identity & Identification’*, which has been published to accompany it. In it you find interviews with people as diverse as the singer Billy Bragg, the Jewish-British journalist Jonathan Freedland, the philosopher Julian Baggini, trans woman Roz Kaveney and the Somali-Dutch former politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Each interview is a thoughtful exploration of the person’s identity and in the case of the philosophers and scientists of identity as a concept and neurological phenomenon.

The depth and subtlety of the interviews is wonderful. Reading through them it came to me that identity is rather like an iceberg: we conceal more than we show. I can see two obvious reasons for this: the first is that aspects of our identity may rest on things which we feel might be contested or not understood by others; the second is that we take much of it for granted, so don’t think to ‘perform’ it. Unless asked, we may not even be aware of why it matters.

There’s a beautiful example of this in Jonathan Freedland’s interview. He says he identifies as Jewish, male and British in that order. When asked why he has singled out the fact that he is male, Freedland replies:

I suppose because i think it goes to something quite psychological – the inner voice as it were… And that, to me, feels like such a male voice.

As soon as i read his words i realised that this is also true for me – so true that i’d never even noticed. Fascinating from a trans point of view but also illuminating in a broader sense: we only really come to understand who we (feel we) are when we engage with others. Human relationships: not just more interesting than identity then, but essential to it.

All in all: 7/10 for the exhibition; 9/10 for the book of the exhibition.

* Identity & Identitification: ISBN 978-1-906155-86-5 (Black Dog Publishing)

Fergie inspirou-se no cinema italiano e nas suas protagonistas femininas para preparar o papel de uma prostituta no musical “Nine”. A cantora dos Black Eyed Peas confessou que foi para as audições já dentro da personagem.

“Vi todos os filmes do Fellini e estudei as actrizes italianas, como andavam e a forma como falavam com as suas mãos”, disse Fergie ao site WENN. “Nunca cruzava as pernas quando me sentava porque essa não seria a forma como a Saraghina [a sua personagem no filme] se sentava. Ela não é uma senhora. Eu passei a andar de uma forma diferente da minha. Tentei tornar-me italiana, tentei tornar-me a Saraghina.”

“Nine”, realizado por Rob Marshall, chega aos cinemas norte-americanos a 25 de Dezembro. Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz, Daniel Day-Lewis, Kate Hudson, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard e Sophia Loren são alguns dos nomes de um elenco cheio de estrelas.

Ficam algumas imagens do filme.

期待之一
《Avatar》《阿凡达》

观众对于《Avatar》的期待已经日渐涨高。詹姆士 卡梅隆过去辉煌的作品表（终结者，泰坦尼克号，异形），《Avatar》精彩的预告片，关于史上最高电影budget的八卦和迷雾。等等等等，有关《Avatar》的新闻在上映临近的时候，成指数级增长中。究竟电影本身，能不能担待得起如此的前期风声，我心里还是有些打鼓。但是是好是坏，都要到银幕上一见分晓。十二月十八日，《Avatar》不见不散。（到时候我回中国了，所以其实到1月份才看得到）

在今年的圣诞档期电影中，说起来只有Avatar一部，给我不折不扣“大片”的感觉。值得一提的是一干实力演员，在圣诞期间也纷纷推出作品。阵容不可小觑。

首推《Nine》

我一直在想《Nine》和费里尼的《八部半》，不知道有没有联系。还是一句话，看过才知道。
关于一个导演，在他生活中诸多女人和创作的苦闷，灵感的漩涡里周旋的故事。亮点在于这个导演的扮演者是丹尼尔 戴刘易斯Daniel Day-Lewis，而那些“女人们”，则包括尼可基德曼Nicole Kidman，佩内洛普克鲁兹Penélope Cruz，凯特哈德森Kate Hudson，马里昂 寇提拉德Marion Cotillard，朱迪 丹奇 Judi Dench，索菲亚 罗兰Sophia Loren。甚至连黑眼豆豆的女主唱 Fergie，都在里面表演了一把。看到这个卡司，有没有被震住？要知道除了Kate Hudson以外，其他每一位主演都有至少一尊奥斯卡金人在手。就连Kate Hudson，也在22岁的时候就拿到过奥斯卡最佳女配角的提名。如此高奥斯卡密度的电影，可以说是前无古人。预告片也极为惊艳，一瞅就是瞄着奥斯卡去的。是为今年期待之二。

期待之三
《The Road》

根据畅销书改编，后世界末日题材。男主角维格 蒙坦森Viggo Mortensen（指环王，暴力史）。我没法描述为什么这部片子是如何吸引我。但是如果你看过预告片的话，就会感觉这是一部故事，拍摄，表演，都极为扎实的片子。沉甸甸的很有分量。我想我会至少读读那本书。

期待之四
《Broken Embraces》

阿尔莫多瓦Pedro Almodóvar再次启用佩内洛普克鲁兹Penélope Cruz。我是从《关于我母亲的一切》《对她说》之后，开始爱上这位西班牙导演几乎每一部作品的。他的故事总有些奇异，有些边缘。取材非常宽泛，总变性人到斗牛士，从小店主到名演员。无论他讲述的是平凡抑或扭曲的人生，你总是无法忘记那一个个小人物对生活的热情和乐观，和命运周旋的小小机智与幽默。如此得怪异，却又爱得如此充沛。笑中带泪，也许可以他是我们这个年代的卓别林。所以他的新片，一定不能错过。

期待之五
《It‘s Complicated》

梅里尔斯特里普的爱情喜剧。她从来也不是经典的爱情喜剧女主角。到老了，反而总是俏皮得可爱。假日里看这样轻松的片子，总不会错的。

期待之六
《A Single Man》

预告片很怪异，很艺术，无法辨识剧情。。。我觉得不会让人失望

期待之七
《Sherlock Holmes》

应该说这部电影无甚惊喜，剧情桥段都十分老套。可是有小罗伯特 唐尼Robert Downey Jr.在撑着场子呢。如钢铁侠那般，俗至谷底的美国英雄片，有他挑逗观众，都显得趣味盎然了。更何况福尔摩斯这样经典的侦探片，还有悬疑故事来提味呢。
唯一可惜的是一代美男裘德 洛Jude Law，江河日下了。

Meu sangue anda coagulando mais rápido por conta de Nine, musical que estreia em 2010 e tem no elenco a maravilhosa Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sophia Loren, Kate Hudson, Fergie e Marion Cotillard.

O trailer já está correndo a web e só aguçou ainda mais a minha curiosidade. Be Italian!

PS1: 15 de Janeiro. Preparem-se.

PS2: Segundo a Ana Maria Bahiana, que já teve a sorte de ver, “num ano paupérrimo é um prazer ver um tributo a um cinema feito com a alma, num tempo em que cinema valia a pena”.

PS3: Na próxima quarta-feira, o GNT exibe o encontro da Oprah com todo o elenco de Nine. Tô em B-O-L-A-S!

PS4: Elas também estão na capa da Vogue.

Já estão rolando listas por aí dos filmes favoritos ao Oscar 2010, cedo né? Mas é importante lembrar que no ano que vem a Academia irá indicar 10 filmes ao total, daí todo mundo a se perguntar: Hollywood vai conseguir produzir 10 filmes arrasa-quarteirões de público e crítica? A reposta a isso pode vir das famosas “zebrinhas” que sempre aparecem na premiação, caso de Pequena Miss Sunshine e Juno.

Aqui no Brasil fica difícil de fazer previsão, uma vez que os filmes sempre demoram um pouco mais a chegas às salas de exibição brasileiras, mas pelos traillers que já caíram na rede eu faço minhas apostas em Precious, Nine e Brothers.

Precious é o segundo filme do diretor Lee Daniels (ele foi produtor de Monster Ball que deu o Oscar de melhor atriz a Halle Berry, lembram?) e conta a história de Claireece Precious Jones ( Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe) uma adolescente obesa, analfabeta e grávida do segundo filho gerado pelo incesto cometido pelo próprio pai.  A vida da menina muda quando ela conhece a assistente social da escola, interpretada pela Mariah Carey. Precious já levou o prêmio de melhor filme em Sundance e ganhou ajuda de Oprah Winfrey para ganhar mais espaço nos cinemas.

Outro que promete arrasar é Rob Marshal (de Chicago) em seu musical Nine, cheio de oscarizados como Nicole Kidman, Penélope Cruz e Daniel Day-Lewis, o filme é baseado no espetáculo musical adaptado do clássico filme de Federico Fellini 8 e 1/2 e tem tudo para levar muitas estatuetas. Eu que não gosto de musicais confesso que tô louco pra assistir!

Por último o drama Brothers, refilmagem do filme dinarmaquês de mesmo nome, do cineasta Jim Sheridan (Em nome do pai), conta a história do triângulo amoroso vivido por Natalie Portman, Jake Gyllenhall e Tobey Maguire. Quando o personagem vivido por Tobey é dado como morto na guerra do Afeganistão, seu irmão (Jake) passa a cuidar da mulher (Natalie) e dos filhos do casal. Tudo muda quando o militar retorna ao lar. Tá com carão de Oscar hein.

Agora só nos resta esperar e fazer nosso bolão!

FRom: http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/11/gamble-on-american-idol-sex-and-the-city-slot-machines.html

If you’re over 21, you can now play slot machines based on two of your favorite shows, “American Idol” and “Sex and the City.”

Both slots were new releases at the 2009 Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. In “American Idol,” slot players can trigger a bonus round that lets them become one of three judges — Simon Cowell, Kara DioGuardi or Randy Jackson — and then plays video clips of past contestants, good AND bad.

According to Sphere.com, Paula Abdul was the lone holdout participant even BEFORE she announced she was leaving the show. Innnteresting.

Meanwhile, the “Sex and the City” slot machines are subtitled “Change of a Dress.” Clever, no? They feature bonus rounds that include video clips of all four women plus Mr. Big.

International Game Technology spokeswoman Julie Brown told Sphere, “There’s shoes and purses and lots of bling and big bonuses and the music track, and it’s a very interactive game.”

Speaking of Mr. Big, Chris Noth helped unveil the “Sex and the City” slot machine in Las Vegas. Video below.

Arriverà  il 22 gennaio sui nostri schermi Nine (in uscita nelle sale americane il 18 dicembre), il nuovo musical di Rob Marshall (regista di Chicago), ispirato al capolavoro di Fellini 8 1/2. E’ la storia del regista Guido Contini, interpretato da Daniel Day Lewis (che rifà Mastroianni), e del suo rapporto con le donne che lo circondano. Marion Cotillard, nell’originale Anouk Aimée, è la moglie produttrice; Nicole Kidman (nuova Claudia Cardinale) è la musa; Penelope Cruz (Sandra Milo) la prostituta della sua infanzia; e Kate Hudson (Rossella Falk) una giornalista americana di moda. Sophia Loren, voluta a tutti i costi da Marshall, interpreta la madre deceduta e Judi Dench fa la costumista e confidente. Nel cast anche Elio Germano, Valerio Mastrandrea, Ricky Tognazzi, Martina Stella e Giuseppe Cederna. Il film, in realtà, è tratto da una piéce teatrale di Broadway del 1982, a sua volta ispirata a Fellini e vincitrice di 5 Tony Awards. Vogue ha dedicato al musical, già in odore di Oscar, la copertina di novembre (foto), con un servizio fotografico firmato da Annie Leibovitz. Qui potete vedere il video del backstage.

After waiting so long for even one poster for Nine, yet another has been released! Which I think is just great, the world premiere for Nine is in London next week on the 3rd of Decemeber. So it will be interesting to see which of the actors/actresses attend the premiere.

More than 20 people charged in connection with violence at a football game between West Ham and Millwall appear in court…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: english football results. The blog is also related to: division 1 soccer.

KATHY GRIFFIN D-LISTED CONTEST

Facebook: Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc

GET d-listed!!

If you LOVE Kathy Griffin and love “Sex and the City” this one is for you! NealBinNYC (www.nealbinnyc.wordpress.com) and On Location Tours (www.screentours.com) are looking to see who the BIGGEST KATHY GRIFFIN FAN is out there! We are looking to see who can upload the MOST CREATIVE KATHY GRIFFIN FAN VIDEO.  Yes, it can be outrageous, -but it has to be FACEBOOK appropriate!

One grand prize WINNER will live life on the D-LIST!  The winner will receive TWO FREE TICKETS for the Official Sex and the City Hotspot Tour (http://www.screentours.com/tour.php/satc/) and have their video appear on a DVD we are sending to Kathy G. and her people!  The tour of Sex and the City Hotspots includes more than 40 locations from the hit TV show and movie!  See where Carrie and Co. live, shop, drink and dine.  Locations include Magnolia Bakery, Charlotte’s art gallery, and the bar owned by Aidan and Steve in the show.

To enter you must be in the New York City area and also have Facebook to be eligible.

Contest directions:

NealBinNYC (www.nealbinnyc.wordpress.com) and On Location Tours (www.screentours.com) are looking to see who the BIGGEST KATHY GRIFFIN FAN is out there!

We are looking to see who can create the MOST CREATIVE KATHY GRIFFIN FAN VIDEO.  Yes, it can be outrageous, -but it has to be FACEBOOK appropriate!

On your Facebook page, please upload any original videos (you can enter as many as you like) explaining why you’re the ultimate Kathy Griffin Fan and why she belongs back on the D-list in New York City!  Tag “Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc” in your videos.   The winner will be judged on who has the most creative video.   The judges will be staff members from On Location Tours as well as Neal B.

The contest will ends MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009 at 8:00 pm EST.  The winner will be contacted that night no later than 9:00 pm via their Facebook e-mail and also the winner will be announced on the Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc  Facebook page.

D-LIST IT UP!

can’t wait.

Han aparecido en la red tres posters promocionales de la pelicula mas esperada en diciembre: Nine, dirigida por Rob Marshall la mente maestra detras de Chicago, lo que todos quieren ver es el duelo de divas, aca las actuaciones de Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, PENElope Cruz y la legendaria (por la edad XD) Sophia Loren, lo que me sigo preguntando es porque carajos Kate Hudson y la Vergie estan en la pelicula, ni son cantentes ni mucho buenas actrices…

click en las pics para agrandar