tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-360904092024-03-07T11:02:35.241-05:00stpfilmSusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-74979738252180877822008-12-09T20:02:00.003-05:002009-05-04T23:25:25.666-05:00Michelle Williams and the Ellipses of Wendy and Lucy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDrjaZ_319C99law8c85rfkC-SaNd5OOBtsya62GeQPeG8oyvN3AyRG_xNyN6sSDzt2lSuSp5icBrGA5JMqcNaiadFRcJGLkVKipYjpjqXRrqdt119TSbbX9P0_QQpv5ghWHniA/s1600-h/Michelle_Williams_Wendy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjDrjaZ_319C99law8c85rfkC-SaNd5OOBtsya62GeQPeG8oyvN3AyRG_xNyN6sSDzt2lSuSp5icBrGA5JMqcNaiadFRcJGLkVKipYjpjqXRrqdt119TSbbX9P0_QQpv5ghWHniA/s320/Michelle_Williams_Wendy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277994671952967362" /></a><br /><br />In the melancholy world of Wendy and Lucy, meaning is conveyed more through looks and gestures than words.<br /><br />That’s key, given the plot turns on the relationship between down-on-her-luck Wendy, subtly portrayed by Michelle Williams, and Lucy, a lean and tan mutt with soulful brown eyes.<br /><br />We can’t know the full story between the two, but their affection is palatable.<br /><br />The simple narrative offers only hints at who Wendy is. Like the mysterious bandage she wears around her ankle, we don’t know what’s underneath it or how she got it, just as we don’t really know how Wendy got to this moment in her life, or where she’ll end up. Like life and the character, the bandage is complicated.<br /><br />“It’s sort of like Wendy herself,” Williams says. “It’s the physical manifestation of something that’s never really revealed—like a question on top of a question.”<br /><br />Williams, 28, prompts us to seek answers as she taps into the soul of Wendy and her wounds in a remarkable performance.<br /><br />Read the rest at <a href="http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=4706#more-4706" target="new window">Awards Daily</a> or <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/12/michelle-williams-and-ellipses-of-wendy.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-18741733829180012672008-12-01T20:33:00.005-05:002009-05-04T23:23:52.815-05:00Doubt's Beautiful Ambiguity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a6t417grXWD2JfaGsM0wq9BLBowXT0iQ4sxCQn1iQfkY_xRakly1RUHhwCgh7x_usBSXwIK00TqPSnHWGf4PhSUpcbcSEdEvbMottgzxX8F5vi0fmSkPq3B9t6rNgxtge4mLPA/s1600-h/MerylDoubt.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_a6t417grXWD2JfaGsM0wq9BLBowXT0iQ4sxCQn1iQfkY_xRakly1RUHhwCgh7x_usBSXwIK00TqPSnHWGf4PhSUpcbcSEdEvbMottgzxX8F5vi0fmSkPq3B9t6rNgxtge4mLPA/s320/MerylDoubt.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275000010825929906" /></a><br />At a recent SAG screening of <span style="font-style:italic;">Doubt</span>, writer/director John Patrick Shanley said the film—based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play—is about “the pain and experience of being alive, and that you can’t be certain and yet you have to live.” No doubt about it.<br /><br />The story takes place in 1964 at Catholic school in the Bronx, where a nun grows suspicious that a charismatic priest has developed an inappropriate relationship with a student. <br /><br />Beyond the plot machinations of his story, Shanley said the setting—which he experienced first-hand during his youth—was about a feeling he had, going back to that time, that the world of that Bronx Catholic school was disappearing. “A real impetus for writing the play was to celebrate and mourn—I had a moment of beautiful pain about this world,” he said. <br /><br />Those of you who are unfamiliar with the source material should stop reading here if you want to be completely spoiler-free.<br /><br />Read the rest at <a href="http://www.awardsdaily.com/?p=4454#more-4454" target="new window">Awards Daily</a> or <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/12/doubts-beautiful-ambiguity.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-28987973035733849412008-03-25T18:43:00.004-05:002008-11-12T20:31:40.828-05:00American Song and Dance<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONh5UJ981TuBHswjnSuWjGtLAsyFS0oa7JpLrOSFlFILkNrOteC3OublOR-TMFRjNVmpt5Q5IIg2E9TsWmINI-CY6zRP6nKYH8TRXSCr4NT0qigKtR0xffBtCb3HIpEG6b3Mbsg/s1600-h/AmericanInParis.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181833113336897922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONh5UJ981TuBHswjnSuWjGtLAsyFS0oa7JpLrOSFlFILkNrOteC3OublOR-TMFRjNVmpt5Q5IIg2E9TsWmINI-CY6zRP6nKYH8TRXSCr4NT0qigKtR0xffBtCb3HIpEG6b3Mbsg/s400/AmericanInParis.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">All the talk of musicals over at </span><a href="http://www.filmexperience.blogspot.com/" target="new window"><span style="font-size:85%;">The Film Experience Blog</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> this week motivated me to re-post this review I wrote of <em>An American in Paris</em>.<br /></span><br /><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043278/" target="new window"><em>An American in Paris </em></a>is not a great movie. Rather, it is a great musical. Perhaps the best pure musical ever made. And I admit I'm fudging the language a bit, because I would consider that other Gene Kelly movie (you know the one) to be the greatest movie musical. Period.<br /><br />But this Kelly romp somehow manages to out-dance and out-sing that classic. The ballet finale of the film brings forth all of the romance and power, transforming a lukewarm, by the numbers romantic-cliché plot into a chill-worthy finish.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37UI8twnn4IsuDioTaaWVejbKd6pYeB2VhudLeLT9EF9LR5y3HwTWVF3PhO5M3oRvhihaNS3PBDZeZkgpesiuaH03q0FBqaeSAIcl23Bu_yI3JhtqJ3_YW0Oc8IFPtGpj57KfNw/s1600-h/kiss.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37UI8twnn4IsuDioTaaWVejbKd6pYeB2VhudLeLT9EF9LR5y3HwTWVF3PhO5M3oRvhihaNS3PBDZeZkgpesiuaH03q0FBqaeSAIcl23Bu_yI3JhtqJ3_YW0Oc8IFPtGpj57KfNw/s320/kiss.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181833847776305554" /></a><br />Still, it nearly loses its way to that dazzling climax. The story and dialogue are to the film as "story and dialogue" are to a porn film: Just there to set up what we really want to see. Instead of the sex of a skin flick, <em>An American in Paris </em>is an orgasmic feast of musical genius: The Gershwin songs, Gene Kelly's dancin' shoes, Leslie Caron's dancin' legs, Oscar Levant's fancy fingers on piano, and Georges Guetary's suave singing.<br /><br />The flimsy plot follows Kelly's former GI, Jerry Mulligan in Paris after WWII. Mulligan, an eager painter, falls hard for Caron's shop girl, Lise. Naturally, there are complications. The melodrama is pretty standard. If it weren't for the music, I don't think I could endure scenes like the one where Lise pleads with Jerry that they should enjoy the time they have together, not worry about when they are apart. (He's getting "sponsored" by society gal Nina Foch; she's being prepped for marriage to Guetary.)<br /><br />Despite Caron's amateurish performance (this was her first film, she would improve a great deal), there are moments to recommend the film that aren't set to music. Notably, some snappy dialogue here and there, (mostly provided by the priceless Levant). Kelly always manages to be charming, even when he's being a bit creepy, like when he first meets the shy Lise. Guetary and Foch are both good as love's also-rans. While the outcome is never truly in doubt, they are both likable and sympathetic. Hell, I think Guetary is 10 times sexier than Kelly (until Kelly dances).<br /><br />Also of note is the Oscar-winning art and set direction. Making the most of the Paris setting and wild party scenes like the Arts Ball. The vibrant colors out-do <em>Moulin Rouge!</em> (and <em>An American in Paris </em>was released in 1951).<br /><br />In the end, it's the music that wins the day (and in my humble opinion won the Oscar for Best Pic). The main narrative is peppered with classics including "Our Love Is Here To Stay," "I Got Rhythm," and "'S Wonderful."<br /><br />The high-point though, already touched on above, is the "An American in Paris Ballet" at the end of the film. This 18-minute musical interlude, choreographed by Kelly, is bursting with color, imagination, beauty, energy and eroticism. The blandness of the Kelly/Caron romance, unable to flourish through dialogue, is made lush and ripe as they replay their courtship in dance. It contains one of the most romantic and beautifully sensual moments ever filmed, as they dance in shadows and fog on a fountain to the gorgeous Gershwin music. Heaven on earth.<br /><br />Those who don't like musicals will probably resist the overall charms of the film. But they will miss out in seeing one of the finest examples of how the musical could transform the medium, bringing forth feeling that could not be expressed as deeply with simple words.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*This review originally ran on the web message board Moviola at ezboard.com.</span>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-27818537919141591592008-03-25T15:36:00.007-05:002008-11-12T20:31:41.647-05:00Fillin' In at The Film Experience Blog<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrmA7wckA2HH8JbJusXwlpI67s0Y3eJx_SjOOELBLKIVOyvcWIli-oCCwXGLN1zpf1EpHcyumEy7Bg7CsBtTo0M-KwW9HyiJcDrP3o47HBqPofUn6knKqJz-4qI3jd2Q6rGDOjA/s1600-h/Lulu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIrmA7wckA2HH8JbJusXwlpI67s0Y3eJx_SjOOELBLKIVOyvcWIli-oCCwXGLN1zpf1EpHcyumEy7Bg7CsBtTo0M-KwW9HyiJcDrP3o47HBqPofUn6knKqJz-4qI3jd2Q6rGDOjA/s400/Lulu.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181786671855526194" /></a><br />So I just completed a week-long stint guest-blogging for Nathaniel over at <a href="http://www.filmexperience.blogspot.com" target="new window">The Film Experience Blog</a>.<br /><br />During the week I shared blogging chores with JA of <a href="http://mynewplaidpants.blogspot.com/" target="new window">My New Plaid Pants</a> and Thom of <a href="http://www.planetfabulon.com/" target="new window">Planet Fabulon</a>.<br /><br />I didn't get to post as much as I would have liked to (thanks to a bad cold), but I did share my thoughts on the following topics:<br /><br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2008/03/adaptation-anticipation-dark-shadows.html" target="new window">The <em>Dark Shadows </em>Adaptation</a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuly0GVRa5cIiDiP8gfCnXxYSpCuXapIY4JnFhI_c7ZvKlUgXFm3XLdFJfoVUkv-55vNsq91GhddTWgDHFz6bRsJUMkTnZYA6WOESuwZbF-JQvuV5mSwGNw8JajFNTCAT-vYTXA/s1600-h/Dark_Shadows-Angelique.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpuly0GVRa5cIiDiP8gfCnXxYSpCuXapIY4JnFhI_c7ZvKlUgXFm3XLdFJfoVUkv-55vNsq91GhddTWgDHFz6bRsJUMkTnZYA6WOESuwZbF-JQvuV5mSwGNw8JajFNTCAT-vYTXA/s320/Dark_Shadows-Angelique.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181786946733433154" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2008/03/ticket-to-heaven.html" target="new window"><em>Top Hat</em></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYRZiz70NCQ7CEZhJI92r9bCR5OzBnem1BmAM-uJNwZrRBVcAmx49OCmYEP7EiK7ihVM8PY0j5QEMnS4jP0MJrJZ-aIIhTtG1C4Wp-NEKuj2zKuMoa8SNjiiRG_AQP9cRr6KlQQ/s1600-h/TopHat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcYRZiz70NCQ7CEZhJI92r9bCR5OzBnem1BmAM-uJNwZrRBVcAmx49OCmYEP7EiK7ihVM8PY0j5QEMnS4jP0MJrJZ-aIIhTtG1C4Wp-NEKuj2zKuMoa8SNjiiRG_AQP9cRr6KlQQ/s320/TopHat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181788308238066034" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2008/03/adaptation-anticipation-jonathan.html" target="new window">The <em>Jonathan Strange </em>Adaptation</a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUX9YReVqGGBNpWxdm3wNxdgOGoFwcloiixxDMK6ei59H-41Kfm1FjJ6mnbGjIMSZb1mHNL4c8U9DWvmO4scCpkof0Xf1DSgs6Vnuejw4pTgJAXw7mjhHs9wS_pNb80Cy39Arssg/s1600-h/1582346038.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUX9YReVqGGBNpWxdm3wNxdgOGoFwcloiixxDMK6ei59H-41Kfm1FjJ6mnbGjIMSZb1mHNL4c8U9DWvmO4scCpkof0Xf1DSgs6Vnuejw4pTgJAXw7mjhHs9wS_pNb80Cy39Arssg/s320/1582346038.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181787354755326290" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2008/03/top-ten-movie-hookers.html" target="new window">Top Ten: Movie Hookers</a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatUhaMs6-bUQ1Om6-pp_IEHtYstsfNPCPs9Jnt4FjuhyphenhyphenkZpAPd0OLY5sIEtzVTirVGV7yf5PBGgiXEXn4vQsI98MWoFaa4tnEOysacBqjqikmrmcHTk7fJk9q8KdbvX1bUg-d_g/s1600-h/bailing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatUhaMs6-bUQ1Om6-pp_IEHtYstsfNPCPs9Jnt4FjuhyphenhyphenkZpAPd0OLY5sIEtzVTirVGV7yf5PBGgiXEXn4vQsI98MWoFaa4tnEOysacBqjqikmrmcHTk7fJk9q8KdbvX1bUg-d_g/s320/bailing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181787668287938914" /></a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-91999524992457027692008-02-23T11:17:00.005-05:002009-05-04T23:19:08.022-05:00The Poscar Ceremony<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55B2ZLmm6g0wRR4FdiXqHhu0Ahq-Op-VgvK6MkWufGDhrh42PJzfoFiWQFrIpEw9luwZgUkdYgEx73m-PMP8NbvvBNudH-_OicOTZu51iXQiogEGBr-iGAexYDosgCKDSbw4nig/s1600-h/Brolin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55B2ZLmm6g0wRR4FdiXqHhu0Ahq-Op-VgvK6MkWufGDhrh42PJzfoFiWQFrIpEw9luwZgUkdYgEx73m-PMP8NbvvBNudH-_OicOTZu51iXQiogEGBr-iGAexYDosgCKDSbw4nig/s400/Brolin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170210796658126882" /></a><br />The “big night” has come and gone. No, not that “big night,” the other “big night.” Last Saturday I presented the Poscars at an exclusive, invite-only soiree on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.<br /><br />For the five of you sitting on the edge of your seats awaiting the results, I present the first ever “PoscarCast Semi-Live Blog.”<br /><br />Saturday, Feb. 17, 2008, 5:45 PM: Let the cheap beer, one-pound Sumo Burgers and milkshakes flow as I wait for the nominees to stroll up the “Cold Concrete” and into Big Nick’s famed burger joint.<br /><br />My carefully planned Poscar look is inspired by two finalists: a bath towel to honor clothing nominee “Viggo Mortensen’s Bath Towel” and an Anton “Chigurh-Chic” hairdo.<br /><br />Read the full post <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/02/poscars-ceremony.html">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-2626698741778409522008-02-12T17:36:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:17:55.201-05:00Kazakhstan Gets its Glory with Mongol<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqVA-8Aiir5vqeFYf8D0uXIZB9vNXYua66QY1Ac3yA8GAjlY2uIJvkfqURNmHOn0esz-Cr3oGjTZ5nr8l8X8QzrdGvm2cnKemfGwTrsyatwOBEzF473ZnHOnmkYKmJNc5f-XuSw/s1600-h/Mongolhorse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiqVA-8Aiir5vqeFYf8D0uXIZB9vNXYua66QY1Ac3yA8GAjlY2uIJvkfqURNmHOn0esz-Cr3oGjTZ5nr8l8X8QzrdGvm2cnKemfGwTrsyatwOBEzF473ZnHOnmkYKmJNc5f-XuSw/s400/Mongolhorse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166226986857820146" /></a><br />A year ago, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s Oscar-nominated Borat made Kazakhstan the butt of a massive joke. The “glorious nation” was not amused.<br /><br />In true cinematic fashion, this year’s Oscars offer a chance for redemption. For the first time ever, the country has a Best Foreign Language nominee with Mongol.<br /><br />Russian director Sergei Bodrov says he personally liked Cohen’s film—which skewers pretty much everyone who gets in the way, but Kazakhs didn’t appreciate the joke.<br /><br />“People in Kazakhstan were very upset, they took it really personally, they couldn’t believe how it was possible to make this kind of movie,” he says. Among the character sins committed against them, the film portrays Kazakhs as urine-drinking, incestuous racists. Borat put the country on the map, but not in a positive way.<br /><br />“For them [Mongol getting the Oscar nomination] is a big deal. It’s good for the Kazakhstan film industry and for the country,” Bodrov says.<br /><br />Read the rest full post <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/02/kazakhstan-gets-its-glory-with-mongol.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-86022867175172288942008-02-06T17:52:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:16:10.559-05:00The Second Annual Poscars<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMez2PQuetVHdtzM9PqsALEinbylb8ggINQMWGwK7oJXVxj3qf0JxxJWf83-3CfdOoJFFkrxPbvWzcp4RRhC13NGprD-3L56hZlaRVj34n_dzJ2n_A57oWkX7Fs0nYslh1vEFiQ/s1600-h/divingbell5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMez2PQuetVHdtzM9PqsALEinbylb8ggINQMWGwK7oJXVxj3qf0JxxJWf83-3CfdOoJFFkrxPbvWzcp4RRhC13NGprD-3L56hZlaRVj34n_dzJ2n_A57oWkX7Fs0nYslh1vEFiQ/s400/divingbell5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5164004555621420930" /></a><br />By Susan Thea Posnock<br /><br />Even as the fate of this year’s Oscar ceremony hangs in the balance between the glitzy and the clips-y, fans of the former can breathe a deep sigh of relief: The Second Annual Poscars will take place as scheduled.<br /><br />For those of you who don’t know, the Poscars are the Oscars’ more prestigious and self-indulgent, “father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.” An “expert panel of judges” gives them out. (Translation: Me and me alone, displaying my omniscient power.)<br /><br />I’d also like to note that Sasha Stone graciously allows me to present my views at her site, but the rumor that she and I are the same person is completely untrue—though I’m flattered by any confusion!<br /><br />I make the rules and therefore can bend them to my will. Last year I nominated three contenders in each category, but this time I’ve widened the field to include as many as five. This year I’ve also added several “Honorary Poscars” to ensure the “Poscarcast” runs the requisite three and a half hours.<br /><br />Read the rest <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/02/second-annual-poscars.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-48936857325069108312008-01-29T19:58:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:14:18.035-05:00In Search of a Masterpiece<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzrWYfng-2BCm7aT8MBook8Mg1kFg8BuT6tA0XYUDkOUV8_3ekOXUBDQrilWpfHR0hfMC4coPLiaqrAq8pbXG_EuuhiqlafL-pxB4OL2v9tzux6VMyQSIuUMVXrK7f3q-uQo9GQ/s1600-h/Searcher.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzrWYfng-2BCm7aT8MBook8Mg1kFg8BuT6tA0XYUDkOUV8_3ekOXUBDQrilWpfHR0hfMC4coPLiaqrAq8pbXG_EuuhiqlafL-pxB4OL2v9tzux6VMyQSIuUMVXrK7f3q-uQo9GQ/s400/Searcher.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5161065728544100210" /></a><br />Once upon a time in the far off and whimsical land of Jersey—the “New” version—a young girl dreamed movie dreams and begged her parents to take her to see Rocky as often as they could stand it. She and her older brother would listen to Bill Conti’s glorious theme and reenact the final, tear-jerking moments, complete with a gut-wrenching yelp of “Adriaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!!!!!” It was, in her 6-year-old opinion, the BEST MOVIE EVER.<br /><br />A year later, she changed her mind, having been introduced to a new man—we’ll call him “Han” for short—and Star Wars ruled the day.<br /><br />Years have gone by. The young girl is in her thirties and has loved many films and performances since those heady days of cheering for the contender. But her affection for him (and Han) lingers.<br /><br />Of course, I’m referring to myself. And as I observe the debates over this year’s five Academy Award Best Picture nominees, I think it’s important for all of us to remember that inner film geek and how we got here in the first place. I’d guess a lot of us have “first film loves” that we cling to, even as our tastes have matured. I know that the Oscars are all about rewarding the “best” NOW, but I also think that whatever the film, it’s important to understand that our perceptions and feelings aren’t static. Despite this, most film reviews are the artistic version of a phone call to a friend after a first date. It’s all about snap judgments—over praise or dismissal in an instant.<br /><br />Read the rest <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/01/in-search-of-masterpiece.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-50869467931781692862008-01-29T19:57:00.000-05:002008-01-29T22:03:52.450-05:00Talking STPRecently, I had a chance to TALK film online versus just writing about it when my friend Nathaniel at <a href="http://www.filmexperience.blogspot.com" target="new window">The Film Experience</a> asked me to participate in an Oscar nominations discussion as part of his new podast feature. Joe Reid of <a href="http://www.lowresolution.blogspot.com" target="new window">Low Resolution</a> also pitches in.<br /><br />The segment follows an interview Nat conducted with 12-time sound Oscar nominee Greg P. Russell, who is up for another sound Oscar this year for the <em>Transformers</em>.<br /><br />Download the conversation <a href="http://www.thefilmexperience.net/misc/Film_Exp_2.mp3" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-67619657751117711442008-01-17T11:55:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:12:05.542-05:00Marisa Tomei Shares Pieces of a Part<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIX8NnaefXOZDew1STV1al50EbdQn-F3-zMPeEWbpFF17fOLOQPztMmllr0-OLX4N1Ok-JoIwfPXtDSil06Se4R2Y6ij8VIVYVCcBoVFMdVWWgjEcZIHhJw58kNFp0EpDNkNKRgw/s1600-h/376tomei.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIX8NnaefXOZDew1STV1al50EbdQn-F3-zMPeEWbpFF17fOLOQPztMmllr0-OLX4N1Ok-JoIwfPXtDSil06Se4R2Y6ij8VIVYVCcBoVFMdVWWgjEcZIHhJw58kNFp0EpDNkNKRgw/s320/376tomei.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156491302261156562" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">By Susan Thea Posnock</span><br /><br />A performance is in many ways a collection of fragments: Take one versus take five; an edit here or there; a close-up versus a long shot. The filmmakers decide what the audience will see onscreen. Yet elements that don’t reach the final cut can still inform it.<br /><br />For actress Marisa Tomei, some of her personal pieces in this process are literally collecting dust. That’s because with each role, she keeps a black-and-white composition notebook. It’s her way of finding time to “daydream” about the person she must become.<br /><br />“I’ll have ideas or images or the timeline of the character’s personal history, or just questions [in the notebook],” she says.<br /><br />Once she moves on to the next persona, she throws the books down into her basement. Who knows, maybe that’s one reason Tomei, who turned 43 in December, looks so damn good. Perhaps those notebooks are a kind of “Picture of Dorian Gray.” In addition to the immortality offered by movies, her filmography lives on, discarded but not destroyed in those books.<br /><br />Read the full post <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/01/marisa-tomei-shares-pieces-of-part.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-36137933353003238432008-01-17T11:50:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:09:22.053-05:00Lovemadness, Puerto Rican Style<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0PEuC9lDd-kc-xMAJDVFT22x-nQeRFIjMrBZ9k_S9J4yp5kMwzb0HSS-RAPtSxjFcIxIkezRq3mw8guAEfLlbeGcrgxLxOPEiDYFZkJoA2Wy_pBeJXErw2uSUKmnFeyxdnp4-w/s1600-h/silvia-brito-chavito-marrero-miguel-angel-alvarez-in-a-scene-from-carlitos-ruiz-ruiz-maldeamores.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0PEuC9lDd-kc-xMAJDVFT22x-nQeRFIjMrBZ9k_S9J4yp5kMwzb0HSS-RAPtSxjFcIxIkezRq3mw8guAEfLlbeGcrgxLxOPEiDYFZkJoA2Wy_pBeJXErw2uSUKmnFeyxdnp4-w/s320/silvia-brito-chavito-marrero-miguel-angel-alvarez-in-a-scene-from-carlitos-ruiz-ruiz-maldeamores.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156490069605542594" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">By Susan Thea Posnock</span><br /><br />Early on in <span style="font-style:italic;">Maldeamores (Lovesickness)</span> I realized I wasn’t watching a conventional take on romance. In place of bright-eyed, beautiful protagonists who have a “meet cute” and then pretend to hate each other for an hour, the film—which is the official Oscar foreign language entry for Puerto Rico—features stalkers, adulterers and most compelling and surprising of all, old folks.<br /><br />It was written by Carlitos Ruiz Ruiz and Jorge Gonzales. Ruiz co-directed with his wife, Mariem Perez Riera and his brother Luillo Ruiz is the producer. It features an ensemble led by Luis Guzman, who plays a cheating husband, a part that was written for him. Actor Benicio Del Toro served as an executive producer and it was one of the first independent films to receive funding from the Puerto Rico Film Commission’s new incentive law.<br /><br />This isn’t a <span style="font-style:italic;">Sleepless in Seattle</span> version of “love in a movie,” but a messy, heightened mixture of love, sex, and hate—blended together with a strong dose of humor. It shows how the onset of these emotions can afflict people of all ages, but it was the septuagenarian love triangle I found most intriguing.<br /><br />Read the full post <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2008/01/lovemadness-puerto-rican-style.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-42738933251234407822007-12-12T20:00:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:08:05.466-05:00Finding Viggo Mortensen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOwKT3yDN6CmNbth8OQ9EsOxSdmJY0v3Tx_TwhjEqKrhwYewBO5LqgQorVNV4cD06QiBAIprajr8FlTLxNjQz_nQlrmUnPKcbvIc7mBYYBLAGhi4C4TkNA0Dwmxc-oM5TAgml4Q/s1600-h/DF00109R.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOwKT3yDN6CmNbth8OQ9EsOxSdmJY0v3Tx_TwhjEqKrhwYewBO5LqgQorVNV4cD06QiBAIprajr8FlTLxNjQz_nQlrmUnPKcbvIc7mBYYBLAGhi4C4TkNA0Dwmxc-oM5TAgml4Q/s320/DF00109R.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5143257747407540498" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">By Susan Thea Posnock</span><br /><br /><p>Viggo Mortensen is missing. Yes, that actor on the screen looks like him—and he certainly possesses the same quiet assurance when he speaks and physicality when he fights. But more like a magician than actor, he has disappeared into the world of <em>Eastern Promises</em>. </p><br /><p>As much as I’ve admired his work before—in movies like my beloved <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> trilogy, <em>A Walk on the Moon</em> and <em>A History of Violence</em>—I wasn’t quite prepared for the total character immersion displayed in the film, as he morphs into Nikolai, the enigmatic driver/undertaker/protector of Kirill, (Vincent Cassel), the “prince” of a London-based Russian crime family. </p><br /><p>The story follows Anna, (Naomi Watts) a midwife of Russian heritage, as she investigates the diary of a young girl who dies during childbirth. It reveals a London underworld of drugs and prostitution as a form of modern slavery. Mortensen’s morally ambiguous character both warns Anna off and pulls her into this world.</p><br /><p>Mortensen and I chatted on the phone for a little over 20 minutes Friday night. I found him polite and soft-spoken, yet at the same time very talkative, with his answers going far longer than I thought they would. Anyone who recalls my obsessive <em>Rings</em> column, “Diary of a Hobbit Fiend,” will be surprised to know that I managed to keep my fangirl impulses in check, squelching the near constant urge to coo: “Viggo, I love you!” </p><br /><br />Read the full post <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/finding-viggo-mortensen.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-85699022817508387132007-12-11T22:32:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:06:52.313-05:00Nikki Blonsky Graduates<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXIUcmdgP35KDpJq-43KQ6mhi0q_LWAHwM0V0HHBbq3lcciw4plHl7fhVcOQ4mc3Jb4SsclV4g0YTbXiAWtZBhbAHfpcUd9oewOVGoHnKI9GSkwVvyAFGEOMULmPoCvCfx69hnA/s1600-h/HS_01693F.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXIUcmdgP35KDpJq-43KQ6mhi0q_LWAHwM0V0HHBbq3lcciw4plHl7fhVcOQ4mc3Jb4SsclV4g0YTbXiAWtZBhbAHfpcUd9oewOVGoHnKI9GSkwVvyAFGEOMULmPoCvCfx69hnA/s320/HS_01693F.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142925493032489186" /></a><br /><p>Less than two years ago, Nikki Blonsky was singing for tips at an ice cream shop and performing in high school musicals. Today, she’s one of the stars of the ultimate high school musical for the current generation, <em>Hairspray</em>, matching upbeat song verses and dance steps with John Travolta, the star of the ultimate high school musical from my generation, <em>Grease</em>. </p><br /><p>Plus, she’s busy winning the onscreen heart of Zac Efron, star of the actual <em>High School Musical</em>, while overcoming the nastiness of Michelle Pfeiffer—herself a veteran of the ultimate bad high school musical, <em>Grease 2</em>. </p><br /><p>Like Tracy Turnblad, the character Blonsky plays, there were twists and turns on the road to achieving her dream. </p><br />Read the full post <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/nikki-blonsky-graduates.html" target="new window">here</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-29537564256640464402007-11-12T16:23:00.000-05:002008-11-12T20:31:45.427-05:00No Country Nightmares<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWOSl44L2HZNjRpeUD_c8SZsyk0_db8WxIoG2O3K7AykuCOD8_md7YlTH9M8M5ynMFSCgg5gqNsoUy7xWkrh9wscf8OThHdIIQh55FgNn26f83yMktP1EcVNPx1MJshGQAyrRzw/s1600-r/0649_7115.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xB8c_41iNb5ZRlk3dy5iMRXhEbdNQHeRBf1ewogsHiHmYvM7pCClbQaS-X0EWQHIxrFMcmYIX0kiCcB9tNJocPZNEGpySDLf6dhI1YTISassXvzwgk0l_BYbFCf4UO6rXa5jrQ/s400/0649_7115.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139950897467527346" /></a><br />No Country for Old Men is a violent poem and wayward adult fairytale that held me in its grip from start to finish. My heart never stopped racing, even in the film’s more quiet moments. When it ended—yes, that ending that has confounded some—chills washed over me. I couldn’t move or speak. I wanted to be comforted (or to help comfort) Tommy Lee Jones’s solemn and reflective sheriff. To have him protect me from the big bad wolf who stalked my nightmares.<br /><br />The wolf—fully embodied by Javier Bardem’s Chigurh—with his twisted honor and menacing benevolence, prowled through my mind. His presence would infect my mood for days to come.<br /><br /><a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/waking-nightmare-of-no-country-for-old.html" target="new window">Read the full post at the STPFilmArchive.</a>. This article originally appeared on Awards Daily.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-82474701022403014182007-11-09T16:29:00.001-05:002009-05-04T23:04:05.639-05:00Oscar Season is Here!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5WywsQXtRRgbwOREUfpYe8KefdnhlqEFsfMQNeJfJZWmoufHTv-XLTvudIWscLgob0XbiJoYC-zV6wFE_6Q5hT5mhaApnyB1rJe3aZ7QvEsWNw3wEYOFsZOMtMWfHsvE9v5BVA/s1600-h/Brolin.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5WywsQXtRRgbwOREUfpYe8KefdnhlqEFsfMQNeJfJZWmoufHTv-XLTvudIWscLgob0XbiJoYC-zV6wFE_6Q5hT5mhaApnyB1rJe3aZ7QvEsWNw3wEYOFsZOMtMWfHsvE9v5BVA/s400/Brolin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5131098349383118562" /></a><br />Almost a year after tackling the lovely Kate Winslet at a <em>Little Children</em> screening party (I still think back fondly to the moment she whispered conspiratorially in my ear), history repeated itself Wednesday night as I took part in another round of celebrity-cornering with Nathaniel R over at <a href="http://www.filmexperience.blogspot.com" target="new window">The Film Experience</a>. (You can read his take on the evening <a href="http://www.filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/11/bardem-schmardem-celia-weston.html" target="new window">here</a>.)<br /><br />For my take, which originally appeared on Awards Daily, go <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/no-country-geeks-and-fans-who-love-them.html" target="new window">here</a>.<br /><br />Other recent film writing:<br /><br /><a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/film-faces.html" target="new window">Film Faces</a> (Originally posted on Awards Daily.)<br /><br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/10/tuesday-top-ten-wigs.html" target="new window">Top Ten Movie Wigs</a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-15510874848625446942007-08-28T14:25:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:02:47.032-05:00PosMeter: Geeks, Nannies and “Dumbledore” cinema<strong>1. McLovin:</strong> <em>Superbad</em>’s side story involving supergeek Fogell (played by newcomer Christopher Mintz-Plasse) got me reminiscing about how this particular character—the geek who is so fully self-assured in his geekiness that he’s actually (to some degree) cooler than the marginally geeky leads—shows up regularly in film. From Jerry Lewis in anything to Charles Martin Smith in <em>American Graffiti</em> to <em>Napoleon Dynamite</em>, geeks (or nerds) are part of movie history. <br /><br /><a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/posmeter-geeks-nannies-and-dumbledore.html" target="new window">Read the full post here.</a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-63948730270810683212007-08-21T09:27:00.002-05:002009-05-04T23:01:24.219-05:00PosMeter: Can this actor be saved, “Bestest," and Nothingness…<img alt="Cuba_IMG_2368.jpg" src="http://www.awardsdaily.com/Cuba_IMG_2368.jpg" width="485" height="323" /><br /><strong>1. Oscar Drop:</strong> When it comes to the post-Oscar decline, it’s hard to come up with a past winner who has had a more dramatic plunge than the likable Cuba Gooding Jr. It’s one thing to be in sub-par films, but <em>Daddy Day Camp</em> looks “direct-to-video” bad. To be fair, I haven’t seen the film, but a <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/daddy_day_camp/" target="new window">Rotten Tomatoes score of 2 percent</a> doesn’t make me want to run out to the theater. It’s depressing when one considers the potential Gooding once had in films like <em>Boyz N the Hood</em>. The bright spot on the horizon is <em>American Gangster</em>, in which he plays heroin pimp Nicky Barnes (who has his own doc coming out, as per Rollerboy’s <a href="http://www.awardsdaily.com/2007/08/mr_untouchable.html" target="new window">earlier post</a>) opposite leads Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. <br /><br />It sounds like a huge improvement over the roles Gooding has been getting since he peaked in 1996 with <em>Jerry Maguire</em>. Despite the dismal depths he’s sunk to, I think he’s always had talent and presence. Here’s hoping this is a real return to form and not just a caricature. <br /><br /><a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/posmeter-can-this-actor-be-saved.html" target="new window">Read the full post here.</a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-20433316255137676092007-08-13T23:13:00.002-05:002009-05-04T22:59:16.431-05:00PosMeter: Vampires, Hobbits and Action Distraction<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l_SkQv5q99lJsbUpgHdvzQ6j7q28DtzKZ4fACPOgaYtFRecUXuNcpB8eTwLm7alOIRiA_wxp9SIo6ZyGJOGHh8W8IxKhm7v-kl6fCQYN5OBVj11E-v4IkrgZ16RlP6RjPwficQ/s1600-h/1376-1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l_SkQv5q99lJsbUpgHdvzQ6j7q28DtzKZ4fACPOgaYtFRecUXuNcpB8eTwLm7alOIRiA_wxp9SIo6ZyGJOGHh8W8IxKhm7v-kl6fCQYN5OBVj11E-v4IkrgZ16RlP6RjPwficQ/s320/1376-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5098404888265737202" /></a><br />1. Depp Shadows: Now that Johnny Depp is involved in the development of a feature based on spooky soap <em>Dark Sha</em>dows (as reported the end of July in <em>Variety</em>), I’ve finally gotten around to viewing the 60’s cult phenomenon. Depp, who has said he was obsessed by the series and its infamous vampire Barnabas Collins as a child, will likely take on the role of his toothy antihero. After watching a number of episodes on DVD, I think the show’s mix of camp and pathos makes it ripe with cinematic possibilities. Depp, whose stylistic tics range from brilliant to annoying, is the perfect actor to resurrect the iconic Barnabas. I just wonder if he’ll intentionally flub some of his lines as a homage to Jonathan Frid (pictured), who originated the role and often seemed to stumble on the clunky dialogue.<br /><br /><a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/posmeter-vampires-hobbits-and-action.html" target="new window">Read the full post here.</a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-71789555024798497632007-08-09T23:10:00.001-05:002008-11-12T20:31:47.395-05:00No Oscar Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYNhupDlkcoh04RJRx5w5Z0KYeq497li30rWQB2j0DSAP09gWkxvfDGNwey9viWR3Ref1M5b01lZQ0G2B0Wi6LU6rocedhzfF4z35YktiObKKfR0bCgF46vSPxsfj03nZRqbQiw/s1600-h/bale_tank.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYNhupDlkcoh04RJRx5w5Z0KYeq497li30rWQB2j0DSAP09gWkxvfDGNwey9viWR3Ref1M5b01lZQ0G2B0Wi6LU6rocedhzfF4z35YktiObKKfR0bCgF46vSPxsfj03nZRqbQiw/s320/bale_tank.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5096921247647908834" /></a><br />This week Nathaniel at <a href="http://www.filmexperience.blogspot.com" target="new window">The Film Experience Blog</a> focuses his regular feature "Tuesday Top Ten" on those actors and actresses who, despite a good mix of fame and ability, have never been nominated for an Academy Award.<br /><br />He writes:<br /><br /> <blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">One of the most common delusions of fans is "one day [my favorite actor] will be nominated for an Oscar!" The reality is that statistics are against it. Even actors with massive careers (Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, Richard Gere, Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey) might go without...even when they manage to get close by either<br /><br /> a) snagging Oscar bait roles or<br /> b) finding regular precursor attention @ the Golden Globes.</span><br /></blockquote><br />Indeed, Oscar can be very fickle, as his list aptly demonstrates. I mean, Donald Sutherland has never been nominated?<br /><br />In addition to Sutherland, who was last snubbed for his fine turn in 2005's Pride and Prejudice, Nat points out some other serious non-nominated offenders. These include Dennis Quaid, Marilyn Monroe and Steve Martin. He doesn't even bother listing foreign language non-nominees, noting:<br /><br /> <blockquote><span style="font-style:italic;">...it's always believable that they'll be snubbed -- sorry Isabelle Huppert. Everyone knows you rule but Oscar is a slow reader and you have cooties (i.e. subtitles)</span></blockquote><br /><br />Others he doesn't mention include John Cusack, Ewan McGregor and Kevin Bacon, all of whom I think have been at least deserving of a nomination--if not the win--throughout their careers.<br /><br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/08/top-ten-oscar-nominationless.html" target="new window">(Read the full post at The Film Experience Blog.)</a><br /><br />To follow the discussion at AwardsDaily.com, where I first linked this, click <a href="http://www.awardsdaily.com/2007/?p=278" target="new window">here.</a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-3541094590561068312007-07-05T21:32:00.002-05:002009-05-04T22:57:09.746-05:00The First Real Taste<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBtu397HZhUF_ep7PNG7l2UKfwSc7DUc2Ev0VtUIl9hK9YOUJT6GTrlfhCh4cIjAeZkOpJOVa_dV_14hyphenhyphenU2LT49nNT6jfvIL-R_O491dBoew9nqrbBhERu36QjObRodVpo5bHyg/s1600-h/RAT_111.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBtu397HZhUF_ep7PNG7l2UKfwSc7DUc2Ev0VtUIl9hK9YOUJT6GTrlfhCh4cIjAeZkOpJOVa_dV_14hyphenhyphenU2LT49nNT6jfvIL-R_O491dBoew9nqrbBhERu36QjObRodVpo5bHyg/s320/RAT_111.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083907405416805906" /></a><br /><br />You know what it’s like. You’re watching and perhaps being entertained by a movie, but you’re not enveloped by it. Then something happens—a shot, a line, a kiss, a sigh—and you are magically and profoundly transported to a place deep inside yourself. <br /><br />Up until seeing Ratatouille this week, I hadn’t experienced that kind of sucked-from-your-seat moment in the cinema this year. It could be the first true Oscar contender of the year—not surprising given it comes from Pixar and the creative mind of Brad Bird, auteur of the Oscar-winning hit The Incredibles and the critically beloved, if under-seen The Iron Giant.<br /><br />A film that shares its predecessors’ wit and anarchic spirit, it is a scene toward the end that really resonates. If you haven’t seen it yet, there are semi-spoilers after the jump.<br /><br /><a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/12/first-real-taste.html" target="new window">Read the full post here.</a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-54049589099562286482007-04-19T12:48:00.000-05:002008-11-12T20:31:48.120-05:00Are you Film Experienced? I am, now.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMt7VFXvIhOBODmendN0v8oUCiv3J1NJfPp5hbevrv5qNGXdenDKw5jo66IN0LvH8lUmiNsJrUM_GQ2Gh6z30UPKflKHDWlu5xHjxnyPScAkipz1-VftOA1GowhYq7I0zYlUn9Q/s1600-h/hipshipshooray.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMt7VFXvIhOBODmendN0v8oUCiv3J1NJfPp5hbevrv5qNGXdenDKw5jo66IN0LvH8lUmiNsJrUM_GQ2Gh6z30UPKflKHDWlu5xHjxnyPScAkipz1-VftOA1GowhYq7I0zYlUn9Q/s320/hipshipshooray.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055204306454842562" /></a><br />Just completed a brief, very enjoyable guest appearance at <a href="http://www.filmexperience.blogspot.com" target="new window">The Film Experience</a>, among my favorite film blogs on the net. <br /><br />Here are direct links to my posts:<br /><br />My April 13 intro:<br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/04/fan-of-film-experience.html" target="new window">Fan of The Film Experience</a><br /><br />April 14 on B Movie Musicals:<br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/04/madcap-musicals.html" target="new window">Madcap Musicals</a><br /><br />April 15 on actor Michael Biehn:<br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/04/actor-resurrection.html" target="new window">Actor Resurrection</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpZEGk5z1UFgaXPiSEIXaDocyswJwihvGzdFjie4Fk4mMA9ganC5gV4lMXVT0fAiMC76jS-jjfqnzmw5cCTqXFlodpNwIGpqpu2PlxiZEDJE8EbJdzn6LWOUlg2cuvtSaBGaa4A/s1600-h/han_solo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpZEGk5z1UFgaXPiSEIXaDocyswJwihvGzdFjie4Fk4mMA9ganC5gV4lMXVT0fAiMC76jS-jjfqnzmw5cCTqXFlodpNwIGpqpu2PlxiZEDJE8EbJdzn6LWOUlg2cuvtSaBGaa4A/s320/han_solo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5055203576310402210" /></a><br />April 17:<br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/04/top-ten-most-lovable-movie-cads.html" target="new window">Top Ten: Most Lovable Movie Cads</a><br /><br />And finally, <br /><br />April 18:<br /><a href="http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/2007/04/three-film-wishes.html" target="new window">Three Film Wishes</a><br /><br />Hopefully I can keep the momentum going and start posting regularly at <a href="http://www.oscarwatch.com/" target="new window">Oscarwatch</a> very soon.<br /><br />Stay tuned...SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-50629471380918007032007-03-21T17:05:00.000-05:002007-05-21T17:06:25.197-05:00Maggie G in Encore MagazineMy earlier OW interview with Maggie Gyllenhaal has been tightened up for a piece in <a href="http://www.encoremag.com/content/viewarticles.php?idarticles=57" target="new window">Encore Magazine</a>.SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-42371439542523690772007-03-02T17:08:00.000-05:002008-11-12T20:31:50.101-05:00Oscar Addiction 101<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcU9gxOVajVH_PVfatw0aAWBhVou0kuYMOZXTTrtygRPifnFUBK9u3EM3KKlMtJgHUhB9-4k3l9jyKeq0FLvcntAFB82jqGe6JXacpzSTb2BEqRrCuac5ugDCatnIKGCKYosUhA/s1600-h/NYET13701231429-big.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcU9gxOVajVH_PVfatw0aAWBhVou0kuYMOZXTTrtygRPifnFUBK9u3EM3KKlMtJgHUhB9-4k3l9jyKeq0FLvcntAFB82jqGe6JXacpzSTb2BEqRrCuac5ugDCatnIKGCKYosUhA/s320/NYET13701231429-big.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037777999824687746" /></a><br />By Susan Thea Posnock<br /><br />The transformation is complete. After years of following the Academy Awards on a recreational basis, the Oscars have officially consumed me. I even know the exact moment it happened: Standing in front of the partygoers at Nathaniel of The Film Experience's annual Oscar bash as Effie from Dreamgirls, just moments before Jennifer Hudson would go on to win her Oscar for the role.<br /><br />Read the full post at the <a href="http://stpfilmarchive.blogspot.com/2007/05/oscar-addiction-101-archive.html" target="new window">STPFilm Archive</a>. Originally posted on OscarWatch (now Awards Daily).SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-12337200459327683772007-02-28T00:48:00.000-05:002008-11-12T20:31:50.238-05:00Favorite Films<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaXhEqywpT1kTu07W50mQPwx_hQcTVlDgIrTfBCk8xvzQO3wL504iIVJQMkLj41TrFRqsqaGK1rScGRBFHpqnz85qG6lSr0V50eBCrkOq4FDOVu7orEUmLmlgLZv_Z5_berq6nw/s1600-h/CharlieChaplinCitylights2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaXhEqywpT1kTu07W50mQPwx_hQcTVlDgIrTfBCk8xvzQO3wL504iIVJQMkLj41TrFRqsqaGK1rScGRBFHpqnz85qG6lSr0V50eBCrkOq4FDOVu7orEUmLmlgLZv_Z5_berq6nw/s200/CharlieChaplinCitylights2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036454112266815138" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://stpfilm.blogspot.com/2007/02/favorite-freakin-movies-of-all-time.html" target="new window">Read the full list here...</a>SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36090409.post-7841082920620001542007-02-25T14:13:00.000-05:002008-11-12T20:31:50.297-05:00Posnock Predictions<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6TG2DnGK3aZssWM4nHJqRMV1VGMSbxJaDR_yGEv52xkPfpuYquexuWM1J2v49ErHVIJAPStKEJdKBJJ1YZjN2WQcQe9Oj8jhg3BsmS5uPkIZRTXdHTTlh4KAaKQwPFkAidgaQQ/s1600-h/little-miss-sunshine-6.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6TG2DnGK3aZssWM4nHJqRMV1VGMSbxJaDR_yGEv52xkPfpuYquexuWM1J2v49ErHVIJAPStKEJdKBJJ1YZjN2WQcQe9Oj8jhg3BsmS5uPkIZRTXdHTTlh4KAaKQwPFkAidgaQQ/s200/little-miss-sunshine-6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5037844924005094066" /></a><br />By Susan Thea Posnock <br /><br />Note: I went 12/24 -- yikes!!!!<br /><br /><br />Now that <a href="http://www.awardsdaily.com/oscarwatch2006/2007/02/susan_p_gives_out_poscars.html" target="new window">my favorites</a> are out of the<br />way, time for some last minute Oscar predictions. <br /><br />I'll preface my picks by noting that I considered 2006 a rather tepid year in film. With the exceptions of <em>Volver</em> and <em>The Departed</em>, I don't have intense rooting interest tonight. At least not compared to the emotional investment (some would call<br />it "insanity") I had during <em>The Lord of the Rings</em> years. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.awardsdaily.com/oscarwatch2006/2007/02/posnock_predictions.html#more" target="new window">Read the rest at Oscarwatch.com</a><br /><br />(Note: This post is currently missing!)SusanPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09247068663993460537noreply@blogger.com0