ego much?

Today, James Cameron announced plans to write an Avatar novel. I just have to wonder what happens when he gets to the end of his VHS of Fern Gully 2. What happens after Pocahontas dies of small pox? Does James Cameron have the answer? Lets hope so.

Valentine's Day...budump-bump-chhh

pun me once, shame on you. pun me eight-bazillion times, shame on me.

growing anticipation

"...the two movies in question are a scrappy indie war drama and the most expensive movie of all time...'Does it feel like a David and Goliath story?'"- EW, 12/19 February 2010

So, the match is finally set. On one side we have the highest grossing movie of all time, blasting forth with undying spectacle. On the other, we have what could be, the lowest grossing best picture winner of all time; a gritty composition of raw talent. Honestly, who are you rooting for?

Oscar Noms

So this morning I rose in my typical annual excitement for the release of the 2010 Oscar nominations. Somewhat disheartened by the Academy's announcement to expand the Best Picture category and the incredibly lack-luster award season thus far, I was looking for something to really throw me for a loop. But in their ultimately more conservative fashion, they failed to provide not one shock or surprise. I will not say that I had guessed the nominees verbatum, but the 2010 list is full of the expected, shaped by the last few weeks of the award season and the box office returns of one single, undeserving film (which I will leave unnamed for the very purpose of limiting its already over-saturated exposure).

Best Picture:
I think just about everyone had guessed their core five films: The Hurt Locker, An Education, Up in the Air, Precious, and Avatar. But the other five remaining spots opened the category up for some mediocre contenders. So now we have what I would like to think of as the most over-hyped film of the year, Inglorious Basterds, and the inevitable addition of the most critically acclaimed picture of the year, Up. These were not surprising choices for me based on the repetitive tone of the season, but I was enthused by a single film that made it into the bunch: Niel Blomkamp's District 9.

Blomcamp Boom:
I am undoubtably biased in this subject, but the aknowledgement of Blomkamp's brilliant directorial debut is my glimmer of hope this season. With nominations in Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Editing, and Visual Effects, this low budget cinematic wonder is a true representation of award recognition at its finest. Now, I anticipate that it will likely be aligned with Avatar and continually compared within the scifi genre. Everyone will say that Avatarreigns superior within the list of generic conventions. However, I would like to argue in opposition to this gross assumption. District 9 poses a break from the genre in support of a greater message at hand. Though the film ultimately emphasizes a weaponry and space craft world of aliens and invasion, the metaphorical allegory for the state of South Africa is one that takes it beyond the space-spectacle. Now, Avatar on the other hand vomits genre convention and spits Disney plots in our face (I will not continue to rant in order to spare everyone the grief.) But Blomkamp's vision of a neo-contemporary world is one that promises his genius in years to come.

Bye-Bye Boys Club
My hat does go off to this years' set of nominees for ignoring the ever-present influence of the Hollywood "Boys Club." The small set of acclaimed directors tends to dominate the Best Picture and Director categories year after year. Names like Scorsese, Howard, Spielberg, and Eastwood, have repeatedly made it onto the nominations list out pure "tradition" with little question to the merit of the work. But this year, despite the typical inspirational drama by Eastwood, Invictus is missing from the Best Picture category and Clint from Best Director. And frankly, though I believe the film to be painfully formulaic, it certainly had more merit than some of the other nominees at hand (which shall remain unspoken). But recognizing cinematic merit in this case, over the name , shows progress. We have, for the first time in my lifetime, the real chance for a woman to take home the Best Director prize. Let's make it happen, rather than allow James Cameron's ego to get any larger.

Hopeful Surprises
Well as much as the nominations fail to impress me, I hope that as voting for these categories ensues, the Academy chooses to think beyond box office numbers and traditional award winners. Spice this thing up a bit, I need a little excitement, for without award season, all I have is terrible chick flicks and b wolf movies to entertain me...

snoozing through award season

Typically, I'm a total sucker for award season. I love nothing more than to attempt to guess winners based on the judging community and public hype. The thrill of the perfect guess, catered specifically to the award and cultural atmosphere is what gets me through the grey and wet Seattle winter. But this year, despite Oscar's wider pool of applicants, I'm pretty bored by the whole thing. I would argue that we haven't seen a season more predicable since Peter Jackson's epic (and rightfully won) sweep of the winter 2003 string of awards. However, unlike Return of the King's trilogy build up and scale of cinematic grandeur, we've been handed mediocre epic spectacle and a handful of film that possess individually appealing qualities.

We've got an actor here or there who did a pretty good job (i.e. Invictus, Precious and Crazy Heart). A handful of well written adaptations (i.e. Up in the Air, An Education). And a single film that seems to warrant the merit of the film community: The Hurt Locker. Frankly, this film has been taking up nearly every major award its been nominated for (save for the Golden Globes and their obsession with box office numbers), and rightfully so. But does it make for an entertaining season? No. Snooze. But honestly, I would rather The Hurt Locker snatch up every effing award it's nominated for, than allow Avatar to steal any other non-technical category. So as much as I'm pretty apathetic about this batch of films, I'll take what I can get. As long as Avatar fails, award season is a win.

But please, Oscar's, when you announce the nominees this coming Tuesday, spice it up a bit. Throw me some shocking results. Just get the ball rolling.

The Golden (dollar) Globes

Thanks, Golden Globes, for reminding me which films made the most money this year.

Sometimes, just for a second, I forget that awards can mean money over merit. But thanks, Hollywood Foreign Press, for reminding me to have no faith in the American film industry. In a world where Avatar can take home the best picture for pure box office gross makes me sick. Just when I think that hope can be restored in Hollywood, we see award season begin with a disgusting nod to the most gratuitous and overly spectacular movies of the year. This was nothing but numbers dominating talent. I'm not sure I want to be a part of a community where true films like Bigelow's The Hurt Locker fall because it didn't make a billion dollars in a matter of weeks. Awards are for recognizing cinematic talent, not for how much James Cameron can whip out his dick and wave it around in 3D.

fuck you, James Cameron.