This was a excellent year for movies which means a lot of movies have been nominated . there is no one movie thats has swept the nominations . this meant i had a lot of scrambling around to do in order to see as many as i could . of the 30 films nominated in the major english language categories , i was able to see 26 of them and if it werent for vancouver theatres trying to stop afternoon matinees , i would have seen the other three . it was also a weird year in that for the first time i have not seen any of the nominess for Documentary (short or long) *weep* , Visual Effects, Short Films (live & animated) *weep* , Makeup and worst of all , Foreign Film *sob uncontrolably* . so with apologies to the nominees in those categories , lets begin handing out the Mooscar Statuettes...........................
Best Animated Feature Film - where was the simpson's movie ??? if there was ever a tribute to the great animators of the past this was it . Flushed Away was also a whole lot better than the bland Ratatouille . despite these omissions and the academy's wish to award the technology and not the soul of the animated film , they did nominate the film that was easily the best of the year . clever , imaginative , moving and educational . the Mooscar goes to........Persepolis
Best Sound Editting - This is always a hard category for me to pick . there was no film that didnt sound great in this list , but if pressed , i'll have to say the Mooscar goes to........Let There Be Blood
Best Sound Mixing - ditto this category , its hard to pick , because they all sounded great , but due to the complex nature of the different stunts and sounds , i think this Mooscar goes to.........The Bourne Ultimatum
Best Musical Score - all good scores here , but one clearly stood out to me , for the innovative percussive sound created that helped move along the movie by using an old typewriter , this Mooscar goes to............... Atonement
Best Song - with apologies to August Rush and Enchanted (which makes up 80% of this categories nominees) , i just cant imagine a song more deserving than my choice . there hasnt been a song that has been this important to its film or so emotional or involving in ages . if you havent seen it , you should . this Mooscar goes to.............."Falling Slowly" from 'Once'
Best Art Direction - apologies to The Golden Compass . this is another tough category to pick . maybe because it fresh in my mind , but there was a dark creepiness in this film from start to finish . a lot of this mood came from the scenery and decor . starkly dark and filthy , this Mooscar goes to............ Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Costume Design - this was another hard one to pick and in the end i chose the one that wasnt period cliche . i mean really , a lot of these costumes , though well tailored , werent anything you hadnt seen before . i have to choose so for the appropriate yet creepy period costume this Mooscar goes to....................Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Film Editting - I find that the winner of this category is often my choice for best film . there is not a bad film in this list and the editting in all of them is exceptional . in the end it came down to a toss up between The Diving Bell and The Butterfly (excellent film that almost no one saw) and my personal favourite film of the year (another film that more people missed out on) . without a doubt this Mooscar goes to..............Into The Wild
Best Cinematography - Wow is this a tough category to pick . what an amazing five choices that cover five distinctly different film styles . i had to give this one some thought , but for the innovative importance to its story , this Mooscar goes to...........The Diving Bell & The Butterfly
Best Original Screenplay - as i say every year , the list of best screenplay noiminees , is always a fascinating selection of movies you really should check out . they dont often win the Mooscar or the Oscar for best film , but they will give you hours of excellent cinematic pleasure . this year was no exception . with the possible exception of ratatouille (how did it get a screenplay nomnation ????) i also have to apologise for not seeing Lars and The Real Girl and Savages . this really now is a two horse race . michael clayton was a good movie but not a great one . to me a lot of the movie was probably enhanced during editting (the final rewrite) so i have to give the edge to a funny , orignal and charming , truly original screenplay . This Mooscar goes to............Juno
Best Adapted Screenplay - wow this was tough . i keep thinking that i'm dissing the coen brothers , but i'm really not . no country for old men was a great film , but taken literally the best adaptation for a screenplay in my mind needs to go to the most innovative . the gritty There Will Be Blood and the clever twist of Atonement were also worth an award . some people say Away From Her is a leading contender , but like the movie, the script was terribly over written and unoriginal . for sheer innovation , this Mooscar goes to.............The Diving Bell & The Butterfly
Best Supporting Actress - this was one of the simpler choices for me . firstly kids shouldnt win oscars . ruby , amy and tilda turned in solid performances , but they were just simply outclassed by the best actor on the planet . for her excellent portrayal of bob dylan in an excellent movie that a lot of people missed , this Mooscar goes to............. Cate Blanchett for 'I'm Not There'
Best Supporting Actor - This category is a really tough choice . any of these actors deserves an opscar for their performances . i almost went with hal holbrook for Into The Wild , cuz i luvvvvvvved that film , but once i thought about the pure portrayal of cold , dispassioante evil incarnate of one performance it was really a no brainer . without a doubt this Mooscar goes to..........Javier Bardem for 'No Country For Old Men'
Best Actress - apologies to laura linney but the movie stayed at an out of the way art house with lousy sound and uncomfortable seats . right away i have to eliminate the favourite , julie christie was good , but it was a one note performance albeit a good one . i have to eliminate cate blanchett too (a shocker cus shes the best actor on the planet imo) . this award came down to two choices . both nominess had their ordeals to deal with , but in my mind one showed significantly more emotional range than all the others . this Mooscar goes to...................Ellen Page for 'Juno'
Best Actor - This is probably the easiest choice of them all . there is not a bad performance among the five , but only one held your attention so vividly . years from now when they show flashback clips of this era it will be javier bardem's supporting performance in No Country For Old Men and this performance that takes a tough movie to watch and makes it absolutley rivetting . This Mooscar goes to............Daniel Day-Lewis for 'There Will Be Blood'
Best Director - First of all , Where is sean penn's name ???? other than that this is without a doubt the toughest category to choose a winner . you have a legal thriller , a couple of gritty masterpieces , an innovative french film and a charming comedy . it really could be given to any of these depeneding on which kinda genre you like best . its really a toss em kinda choice . it would be so much easier to pick if Into The Wild was nominated , cuz to me the best film is always directed by the best director , but if i am forced to pick from these five its a tossup between juno , diving bell and the coens..........*FLIP*......*Consult the Magic Ball*,,,,,,, The Mooscar Goes to.............Julian Schnabel for 'The Diving Bell & The Butterfly'
Best Film - another tought choice if you have to work off this list . Atonement , There Will Be Blood & Michael Clayton were all really good films . you cant go wrong by seeing any of them . i just happen to like No Country For Old Men and Juno better . if you use these nominations , i really think that juno left the best Impression in me . its a funny , warm and satisfying film that i was really happy that i had seen . the thing is , was it the best film i saw in the last year ?? hmmmmmm . for the first time ever i have to go off the board and go with my heart and what i belive was a masterpiece . This Mooscar goes to.........Into the Wild
well thats it for this year . one of the best years for american film in a long long time . lets hope that this year will also bring us cinema of such high qulaity . that would be great . as for this list , remember that its just one moose's opinion and whatever you do , dont use it in any oscar pools !! i'll be lucky to get five right . this is my list of who i liked , not who i think will win . using this list for betting is the quickest way to throw your money away .seriously
alrighty , its not too long until the Oscar's begin . Jon Stewart's hosting . it should be funny even if they only had a week and a half to write it . hopefully Stephen Colbert will make an appearance
Enjoy The Show !!
oooo its the night before the Mooscars and by bookmarks menu is getting crowded . i guess its time to post some links...................
That Other Movie Award Show - a complete list of the nominees for the Oscars
Harvey Krumpet - a cool animated film with links to parts 2 & 3
The Theoi Project - everything you ever wanted to know about greek mythology in one place
Runnin With the Devil - david lee roth without any music behind him . maybe i can sing after all !!
Beat Box Bassett - an app that is worth the slow page load
How Grandma Sees the Remote - this reminded me of my mum lol
Can You Name the US Presidents ?? - i got all but 4 (dangit chester alan arthur ! lol)
Siren - a cool animated short film from Hungary
Vista Sucks ! - a funny & true response to the latest operatin system from microsoft
The Sweater - a sweet animated short about growing up in quebec
Paper Pilots - design and fly your own paper planes and use them for battle
Become an M&M - design your chocolatley soul and cover it with a hard candy shell
Haluz 2 - this is a really cool looking point & click game
NLOS Cannon Challenge - a cool game if you are good at trajectories
Unflattering Candidates - a bipartisan look at how bad a pic some people can have taken of them
Soukous Radio - this could be pretty cool , a new site dedicated to playing african fusion music . i'm definitely going to give it a listen
Moose A. Moose - Everywhere I Go - a happy song from a fellow ungulate
Rube Goldberg Catalogue - be careful not to knock anything over !
Tea Candle Art - i love the music while you watch this
Library of Congress Webcasts - have a look around , lots of neat stuff for anybody's taste
SXSW - torrent links to the annual south by southwest music showcase . coooooooool
How to Behave on an Internet Forum - the funny rules about posting your opinions
Boldly Go Where Nerds Have Gone Before - all the original start trek episodes are now online
Human Space Invaders - uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh uhhh
Mooscars tomorrow
Enjoy !!
i think i'm kinda finished checking out oscar nominated films for this year . there is still an off chance that i will see The Golden Compass or The Savages , if time or theatre scheduling permit . if i dont , i think i have it mostly covered . though it saddens me that i did not see and of the nominees for documentary or foreign film *weep* . hopefully i'll be able to catch them soon on video . i have to say that 2007 was a really good year for movies . i saw some really good ones and i look forward to an equally good 2008 . here's what i saw most recently.............
Charlie Wilson's War - this was a really good film . when i first heard about it i thought it might be a tad preachy , but its a rather amusing look at how america first militarily got involved in afghanistan in the 1980s . tom hanks plays an unknown texas congressman who finances the war . between drinks and women , you get an idea of how the american governement works and how simple choices can lead to more trouble down the road . mike nichols directs an excellent cast which includes philip seymour hoffman and julia roberts . the movie is both entertaining and informative and just enjoyable to watch . check it out .
The Diving Bell & The Butterfly - this was one of the best films of the year with no doubt . it is certainly the most original . it follows the true story of a totally paralysed former fashion magazine editor , who can only communicate by blinking his one good eye . one for yes , two for no . now try getting throught the emotional impact of never being able to walk again . now write a novel about it . he really did and this movie is shot mostly from his perspective . right from the beginning you get a glimpse of the nigtmare he was forced to live . the movie is in french with subtitles , but if you really want to see groundbreaking cinema , dont miss this one , its excellent
Flushed Away - why are people making such a fuss about ratatouille ?? if you want a animated movie about a rat and you dont want a lame disney/pixar story , check this one out . Flushed Away has a better story , more imagination and is much funnier. its from the animation team that brought us Wallace & Grommet , so you know that there will be really good animation . it certainly is funnier . skip that other one , this is the animated rat that you want to see
Gone Baby Gone - this is a perfect example of nepotism gone wrong . casey affleck just isnt heroic . hes great at playing weak tormented souls , but a tough guy ? c'mon . against a really good cast , affleck stands out as being out acted and for me he was so totally unbelievable in the part that i never became a fan of the movie . you always had the feeling that if he had tried to act like a tought guy , he would be smacked upside the head . there are however some excellent acting performances from ed harris , morgan freeman and an excellent nominated performance from amy ryan . its a shame that affleck stands out as being so weak . its too bad his big brother , ben affleck , who is the director couldnt have casted someone else in the part , cuz it could have been an excellent film .
Firewall - this is an old film that didnt get very good reviews when it came out , but while sis was here last week she recommmended it , so we checked it out . it has a kidnapping , a ransom asked and it has harrison ford . what else do you need ? its not the greatest film ever made , but its a great movie for curling up on the couch, turning off your brain and enjoying the ride . filmed in an around vancouver , it has great scenery , good acting and lots of well paced action . a perfect popcorn movie and its probably in the cheapo weekly rental aisle by now too
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - johnny depp can sing ! he can also be really creepy as a barber who kills clients so his wife can turn them into meat pies . why you ask ? well he has his reasons and you'll have to enter the sombre and bleak world of victorian london to find out . tim burton does an excellent job of creating a palpable sense of darkness which just makes the movie so creepily enjoyable . i could not keep my eyes open during the throat slashing parts, but there was only about a dozen or so of those with plenty of songs to keep you occupied when no one was being killed . the movie moves best when depp is on the screen . he is great in this , but when hes not there , the movie kinda drags in a couple of places . it is worth it to see though . it has gore , but it is by no means a slasher/horror film . its stephen sondheim ! check it out
Michael Clayton - in the mood for a legal thriller ? this is a pretty good one though i'm surprised it was nominated so many times . its a good film with some good acting performances from george clooney , tom wilkinson and tilda swinton and a lot of suspense , but i think it was a tad over editted . i like a good non linear storyline as much as the next guy , but this one was a bit overdone . it got in the way of the story rather than enhanced it . less would have been more imo . its a good film though . check it out
In The Valley Of Elah - this film isnt what i thought it would be . i had thought it takes place in iraq , but it doesnt . though it refers to an event in iraq , the movie takes place in texas , where a father played by tommy lee jones tries to discover the clues as to why his son has been killed . he must fight both civilian and military bureaucracy to get to the facts and its a good story . though it does tend to have scenes that seem to be too long too often , there is some good acting from jones, susuan sarandon , charlize theron and good crop of young actors . jones is particularily good . i'm just surprised he was nominated for this role and not his performance in No Country For Old Men . its good that he got nminated though . he had a great year and is deserving . this movie is not preachy about the war in iraq . its an interesting story that you should check out
well that could be it for rivulets for a while , but ya never know . if i do go see more films , you'll find out here . The Oscar's are this sunday , so you know what that means . Yep , its also the day for the 2008 Mooscars !! . i've pretty much decided who got my vote in a rough draft , but i will post the final winners on sunday morning . just remember , dont use my choices for your oscar pools . you will lose !! i never do well in oscar pools lol
Enjoy !!
February 13th . unless something drastic happens in the next24 hours , it look like my date for valentine's will be my mum and sister.....*sigh*..... thats just so sad . oh well , theres always next year...............
Happy - from the geeks to all of you with or without dates
Valentines
Day
Cool Pic - space shuttle docking
100 Photoshop Tutorials - for creating beautiful art
Solar - cool video of the sun's activity
We Got an A !! - how did your flag do?
10 Gnomes - are you ready to go gnome huning ?
Whats a Ho ?? - technincally he was right lol
If Banner Ads Were Truthful - soooooo true
Duelling Billboards - funny video
Eddie Izzard's lego Death Star Canteen - eddie is pretty funny . add lego and its even funnier
Books From the Past in either english or welsh
Idiot Thief - the narration is very funny
Cult Movie Theatre - Cult Videos Galore
Wikimedia Commons Pics of the Year - cool stuff
Kick a Migrant - a video game that isnt what it seems to be
Penn & Teller - a very cool demonstration of sleight of hand . one of my fav routines of theirs
Commercial Photography - funny pics
DIY Air Brush - cooooool
Christopher Walken - The Three Little Pigs - must watch funny video
The Three Little Bops - classic warner brothers animation
The Strangest Things in Space - cool astonomy
The Folly of Attacking Iraq - a bit of history not mentioned by the current american administration
Geeky Eye Exam Chart - can you read it ?
Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase - a very cool artistic video
Flight Patterns - abeautiful aviaton video
Sports Illustrated Bikini Issue 2008 - a link for the boys
Happy Valentines Day !!
Enjoy !!
I'm ever so slowly making my way thru this years nomination list . luckily early dvd relases will let me see a few films later this month so i wont have to when sis is here (well maybe one , but thats a theatre scheduling prob , not mine lol) . here a couple i saw in the last couple of weeks...............
Juno - this movie rocks ! its by far trhe most entertaining of this years movies . if you have had a bad day, check this one out and you will leave with a smile on your face . well acted , written and directed , with a really good soundtrack to boot . its also one of the best that was filmed in vancouver that actually looks like vancouver . it would be great for homesick vancouverites . a lot of it was filmed within 10 minutes of where i am . this is a fun , funny and excellent movie . do not miss it
Surf's Up - like ratatouille , this is a competently animated kids movie that is fun , but not earth shattering . i'm just not sure why each was nominated for an oscar . sure the technology is getting better , but the story was rather banal and dumbed down . wouldnt it be nice to see someone use this technology with a great story . wouldnt that be something . this movie is good but not great , but its a kids movie .
Away From Her - what a piece of crap . if you have ever wondered what its like to watch someone be institutionalized for alzheimer's disease and want to see the story play out in the most painstakingly long way , this is the movie for you . the over written script that plays out foreverrrrrrrrrr . what was weird to me was why julie christie was nominated and considered by some to be the oscar favourite . shes plays the part in one note . that single note is fine , but there is certainly no range throughout the movie as her disease pregresses . if you had to pick a performance to nominate from this film , i'd have gone for gordon pinsett's , but i wouldnt expect him to win for it . if you have someone in your life going through this terrible disease , maybe you might want to check it out . if not , you will thank me for steering you away from it .
There Will Be Blood - this is an intense movie . it follows the life of an inscruopulous oil man in the early 20th century as he rises from prospector to oil baron . daniel day-lewis is very good as the ruthless man , who spurns his family and society in order to get what he wants , at any cost . it is by no means the feel good movie of 2007. this is as gritty as it comes . it starts gritty and it keeps the grittiness coming right up until the very end . its the odds leader for best film and i'm not sure if i agree just yet . its a good film but has its flaws . paul dano's performance especially stood out as a poor one . talk about an acting performance being blown away by a far superior one . day-lewis will win the oscar for sure . as for the film , if you are in the mood for gritty , do not miss it . is it the best film ? i'll think about it and let you know at the mooscars
Across The Universe - piece of crap #2 ! when i went into the video store , the clerk had it playing and i asked him how it was and he looked up at me and without a beat said , "no soul" . was he ever right . this movie is bloody awful . the acting is weak . the songs are boringly presented . if it wasnt for the short scene with eddie izzard , this movie would have been a complete waste of time . it was billed as being visionary and amazing , but i have no idea where any of that was in this movie . i can't imagine a die hard beatles fan or someone new to their music liking this film . the dumb story is based on lines from the songs , whether or not the whole song provides the intended mood for the story . do yourself a favour and pass on this one . no soul at all
24 Hour Party People - this movie is one that the video store guy recommended instead of across the universe (i rented both) and it is a far superior film . it basically encapsulates the manchester england music scene from the birth of punk to the end of acid house and the rave culture . this is where a lot of the best british music of that era came out of . bands like joy divison , happy mondays , stone roses , buzzcocks etc all came out of manchester . this movie could be a matter of taste choice . if you like these bands definitely check it out . if you havent heard of them , give it a try anyway , its a fascinating look at underground music culture before popularity kills it . the moivie has a very cheeky sense of humour and an excellent soundtrack . very cool
more rivulets soon......enjoy !!
i just have time for a few links today , which may have to last for a while . sis is flying on from england this week for a quick visit , so i wont have too much time to be on the puter . i'll try to squeeze in a rivulet post before saturday , but if i dont , there may not be a post until the end of the month............
Monitor Cleaner - cuz sausages are always best viewed with a clean screen
Free Writing Courses - judging by my recent posts , i should be taking some of these classes
THX Eyes - best viewed with the speakers cranked up
Fail ! - humourous pics of failure
Christopher Hitchens on Free Speech - love him or hate him , he has some interesting things to say
NANO - nikon presents an infinite yardstick for the universe . very coooooool and educational
Skeletons of Cartoon Characters - kinda creepy but not too creepy
The Beatnix - Stairway to Heaven - fab zeppelin
Smoke on the Water - the japanese version
Exercises for the Web Surfer - i tried a couple of these stretches and did they ever feel great
Packing Tape Art - its amazing what this guy can do with a roll or two
Frozen Grand Central - this would be a pretty freaky performance art piece to stumble upon
The Undersea Internet - a cool map of the ocean cable system
Hey Jimmy ! - jimmy kimmel gets a message from his girlfriend and matt damon
EyeScapes - heres lookin at you kid
2008 Oscar Nominated Shorts - all the nominated animated shorts films
Iguanabes - they are soooooo posey
The Singing , Ringing Tree - that could make some really spooky noises on a stormy night
IQ Quiz - do not try to take this if you are just out of bed and havent had any coffee yet lol
Funkytown - a site devoted to a disco anthem . they even have Flamingo Kvintetten 11's version lol
Today is the Day - a bizarre photodiary story
Hammertime ! - you cant touch this
"Smokestack Lightning" by Chester Arthur Burnett - you may know him better by the name Howlin Wolf
100 Things to Do With Google Maps - theres all kind of stuff to check out
Objective Ministries 4 Kidz - a christian brainwashing site that is anything but objective . sadly its bigoted and ignorant . i do however want to get a mr gruff t-shirt lol
Beck - Guess I'm Doing Fine - i love this song and i hope that you are doing fine too
Seeya in a couple of weeks
Enjoy !!
