list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around The Curious Case of Benjamin Button on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button/266479/default.aspx Title: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Year: 2008
Director: David Fincher
Plot: David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story, re-teams the director with Brad Pitt, who takes on the title role. What makes Button such a curious case is that when he is born in New Orleans just after World War I, he is already in his eighties, and proceeds to live his life aging in reverse. This sweeping film follows the character's unusual life into the 21st century as he experiences joy and sadness, loves lost and found, and the meaning of timelessness. Cate Blanchett co-stars along with Tilda Swinton, Elias Koteas, and Julia Ormond. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 67
Number of Lists: 44
Number of blog posts: 43
Number of discussion threads: 16
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:22:19 GMTThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button2008David Fincher<a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____89783/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Fincher</a>'s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story, re-teams the director with <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____56988/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Brad Pitt</a>, who takes on the title role. What makes Button such a curious case is that when he is born in New Orleans just after World War I, he is already in his eighties, and proceeds to live his life aging in reverse. This sweeping film follows the character's unusual life into the 21st century as he experiences joy and sadness, loves lost and found, and the meaning of timelessness. <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P___215038/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Cate Blanchett</a> co-stars along with <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____69397/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Tilda Swinton</a>, <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____39177/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Elias Koteas</a>, and <a href="http://www.spout.com/players/P____54232/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Julia Ormond</a>. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide67Tag Target (>10)4443163http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s266479.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/The_Curious_Case_of_Benjamin_Button/266479/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Brad_Pitt_roles_is_your_f/657/44182/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: CassieAnnette
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 10/13/2009 8:46:21 AM
Body: I loved him in Burn After Reading, Too funny. Sorry it took me so long to reply and that this is no longer open. [quote user="Risselada"] Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. & Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy [/quote]
]]>Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:46:21 GMTCassieAnnetteMovie Polls10/13/2009 8:46:21 AMI loved him in Burn After Reading, Too funny. Sorry it took me so long to reply and that this is no longer open. [quote user="Risselada"] Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. &amp; Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy [/quote] http://www.spout.com/blogs/evansredboy/archive/2009/10/6/44132.aspx Post By: evansredboy
Post To: evansredboy Blog
Post Date: 10/6/2009 2:08:28 PM
Body: David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful film about a man who is born old and goes through his life getting younger. Though it may seem this was not the familiar love story as Benjamin Button’s (Brad Pitt) life is adventurous after being brought up by a family who found him abandoned on a door step. He meets women, falls in love and fights in WW1. The story eventually turns to a love story where he meets Daisy (Kate Blanchett) when he is an old man and she is a little girl. Eventually their paths cross when they are the same age and fall in love again. Benjamin has to leave Daisy and his child when he feels that he cannot raise a child when he becomes a child himself. The acting by Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett is superb and the woman that raised Benjamin, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) also played a fabulous role. There was a strong use of narrative codes as actors perfected the smooth southern accent which appeals to many and also cemented the audience’s belief of the characters place of origin. The directing by David Fincher’s captures the quality of acting by all main characters. The sets created in the film throughout the 1930 -40s are magnificent and surreal. The camera work to capture the battle on the boat against the German U-Boat was a sheer thrill as you felt as though you were right there. This science fictional love story with the use of special effects that portrays a 70 year old Brad Pitt shows audiences how far we have come with film technology. The film is a love story with an all star cast but is not the typically Hollywood Classical as there was not a happy ending as Benjamin leaves his family in the end and develops dementia. The intertextual references made compare this film to Forrest Gump as a love story that coincides a person’s life time in the United States’ past. In Forrest Gump, the main character meets the love of his life throughout the film in different times and settings which is a similar story line in Benjamin Button. Overall I give The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, two snaps up with a twist as I felt as though I was part of Benjamin’s adventures and the visuals were stunning.
]]>Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:08:28 GMTevansredboyevansredboy Blog10/6/2009 2:08:28 PMDavid Fincher&rsquo;s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a beautiful film about a man who is born old and goes through his life getting younger. Though it may seem this was not the familiar love story as Benjamin Button&rsquo;s (Brad Pitt) life is adventurous after being brought up by a family who found him abandoned on a door step. He meets women, falls in love and fights in WW1. The story eventually turns to a love story where he meets Daisy (Kate Blanchett) when he is an old man and she is a little girl. Eventually their paths cross when they are the same age and fall in love again. Benjamin has to leave Daisy and his child when he feels that he cannot raise a child when he becomes a child himself. The acting by Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchett is superb and the woman that raised Benjamin, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) also played a fabulous role. There was a strong use of narrative codes as actors perfected the smooth southern accent which appeals to many and also cemented the audience&rsquo;s belief of the characters place of origin. The directing by David Fincher&rsquo;s captures the quality of acting by all main characters. The sets created in the film throughout the 1930 -40s are magnificent and surreal. The camera work to capture the battle on the boat against the German U-Boat was a sheer thrill as you felt as though you were right there. This science fictional love story with the use of special effects that portrays a 70 year old Brad Pitt shows audiences how far we have come with film technology. The film is a love story with an all star cast but is not the typically Hollywood Classical as there was not a happy ending as Benjamin leaves his family in the end and develops dementia. The intertextual references made compare this film to Forrest Gump as a love story that coincides a person&rsquo;s life time in the United States&rsquo; past. In Forrest Gump, the main character meets the love of his life throughout the film in different times and settings which is a similar story line in Benjamin Button. Overall I give The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, two snaps up with a twist as I felt as though I was part of Benjamin&rsquo;s adventures and the visuals were stunning. http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Brad_Pitt_roles_is_your_f/657/43933/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 9/17/2009 12:08:21 PM
Body: So I picked Chad from Burn After Reading. Of course! It's the Coen brothers duh! But really this is probably my favorite Brad Pitt role ever. It's hard to say, but Jeffrey Goines from Twelve Monkeys might still be my fave. Not that Brad wasn't already willing to make himself look silly on screen, but I still love how the Coens kind of subverted his image to make him such a spaztic dork. And what becomes of the character is such a shocker! "You think that's a Schwinn!" He was tons of fun in the recent Inglorious Basterds too I thought, even though Christoph Waltz definitely stole the show in that film. Those are actually the only two films I've seen on this list. I've been wanting to see Babel and The Assassination of Jesse James for quite a while though so I was curious to see how much votes they would get in this poll. But I was surprised to see that almost every category is getting an equal ammount of votes. I guess that means it's a pretty good poll then! Has anyone here seen Bejamin Button? I'd heard from a lot of people I trust that it wasn't that impressive. Anyone here have any opinions?
]]>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:08:21 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls9/17/2009 12:08:21 PMSo I picked Chad from Burn After Reading. Of course! It's the Coen brothers duh! But really this is probably my favorite Brad Pitt role ever. It's hard to say, but Jeffrey Goines from Twelve Monkeys might still be my fave. Not that Brad wasn't already willing to make himself look silly on screen, but I still love how the Coens kind of subverted his image to make him such a spaztic dork. And what becomes of the character is such a shocker! "You think that's a Schwinn!" He was tons of fun in the recent Inglorious Basterds too I thought, even though Christoph Waltz definitely stole the show in that film. Those are actually the only two films I've seen on this list. I've been wanting to see Babel and The Assassination of Jesse James for quite a while though so I was curious to see how much votes they would get in this poll. But I was surprised to see that almost every category is getting an equal ammount of votes. I guess that means it's a pretty good poll then! Has anyone here seen Bejamin Button? I'd heard from a lot of people I trust that it wasn't that impressive. Anyone here have any opinions? http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Re_Which_of_these_recent_Brad_Pitt_roles_is_your_f/657/43908/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 9/15/2009 4:04:38 PM
Body: Ok. Of those listed, I've seen: BabelThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonOcean's ThirteenTroy I have no intentions of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, because I hate Angelina Jolie that much. I went all pop culture and voted Rusty Ryan in the Ocean's movies because he's a perfect counter-foil to George Clooney's smarmy Danny Ocean. I enjoyed Benjamin Button immensely, but he was mostly CGI for that film (voice acting or no). I did not like Troy and didn't mind him in Babel; it just wasn't my favorite film. With that said, I'm looking forward to Assassination, Burn After Reading, and Inglorious Basterds. It seems he has some box office appeal for me :-)
]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:04:38 GMTpippin06Movie Polls9/15/2009 4:04:38 PMOk. Of those listed, I've seen: BabelThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonOcean's ThirteenTroy I have no intentions of seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, because I hate Angelina Jolie that much. I went all pop culture and voted Rusty Ryan in the Ocean's movies because he's a perfect counter-foil to George Clooney's smarmy Danny Ocean. I enjoyed Benjamin Button immensely, but he was mostly CGI for that film (voice acting or no). I did not like Troy and didn't mind him in Babel; it just wasn't my favorite film. With that said, I'm looking forward to Assassination, Burn After Reading, and Inglorious Basterds. It seems he has some box office appeal for me :-) http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Polls/Which_of_these_recent_Brad_Pitt_roles_is_your_favo/657/43906/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Movie Polls
Post Date: 9/15/2009 2:42:49 PM
Body: Please reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. & Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy
]]>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:42:49 GMTRisseladaMovie Polls9/15/2009 2:42:49 PMPlease reference this thread for the rules of this group. Please vote only once in each poll. Movies referenced in this poll:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert FordBabelBurn After ReadingThe Curious Case of Benjamin ButtonInglorious BasterdsMr. &amp; Mrs. SmithOcean's ThirteenTroy http://www.spout.com/groups/Criterion_Collection/Re_Benjamin_Button_Getting_Criterionized/115/41338/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: csprague
Post To: Criterion Collection
Post Date: 3/30/2009 2:23:56 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"] So apparently The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is getting released as part of the Criterion Collection. http://www.criterion.com/films/1584 Many will be ecstatic but I'm just hoping this leads to other David Fincher films being released on Criterion. [/quote] Hell yes! And I shall own it.
]]>Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:23:56 GMTcspragueCriterion Collection3/30/2009 2:23:56 PM[quote user="mercurial"] So apparently The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is getting released as part of the Criterion Collection. http://www.criterion.com/films/1584 Many will be ecstatic but I'm just hoping this leads to other David Fincher films being released on Criterion. [/quote] Hell yes! And I shall own it. http://www.spout.com/groups/Criterion_Collection/Benjamin_Button_Getting_Criterionized/115/41256/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Criterion Collection
Post Date: 3/26/2009 2:39:12 AM
Body: So apparently The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is getting released as part of the Criterion Collection. http://www.criterion.com/films/1584 Many will be ecstatic but I'm just hoping this leads to other David Fincher films being released on Criterion.
]]>Thu, 26 Mar 2009 06:39:12 GMTmercurialCriterion Collection3/26/2009 2:39:12 AMSo apparently The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is getting released as part of the Criterion Collection. http://www.criterion.com/films/1584 Many will be ecstatic but I'm just hoping this leads to other David Fincher films being released on Criterion. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/3/25/41251.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 3/25/2009 6:00:33 PM
Body: The new trailer for Where the Wild Things Are is such a phenomenon today that I’ve even seen celebrities excitedly Tweeting about it (and by celebrities, I mean specifically Rob Corddry). Actually, I think the majority of people I follow on Twitter have squeezed out a gushing statement in 140 words or less. That is, except me (don’t I technically follow myself?). Sure, I’m looking forward to the movie, as a fan of Maurice Sendak and a fan of Spike Jonze and a fan of Dave Eggers, but I don’t think the trailer looks that incredible. And the parts that do look really great remind me of how amazing the trailer for Benjamin Button looked. Remember what happened with that? Maybe it’s my usual distaste for computer-generated characters; yes, I’d honesty be happier if the Wild Things were made by the Jim Henson Company and all looked like Sweetums from The Muppet Show. I do believe the film includes “suitmation” and animatronics, in addition to CG, but much of what I noticed in the trailer was the computer stuff, and I’m sad to say that, unlike all the commenters at FirstShowing.net, I can’t yet label this as an “instant classic.” Let’s see if there are any bloggers who agree with me after the jump: Starting with those who disagree: “Absolutely brilliant…The Wild Things look great and real and not CGI,” writes Erik Davis at Cinematical. “Amazing…it looks like Spike Jonze has created the newest soon-to-be classic kid’s movie, right up there with The Goonies and The NeverEnding Story,” writes Alex Billington at FirstShowing.net. “Absolutely AMAZING,” writes Kristopher Tapley at In Contention. “God, this looks GOOD and very magically alive,” writes The Playlist. “This film looks like warm Krispy Kreme donuts taste,” writes Mark at I Watch Stuff. “As a professional movie blogger, I try to keep a level head and not geek out over the things that make me excited…But on the other hand, OMG OMG OMG!  *desperately fans face with hand*,” writes Vince Mancini before apparently passing out “in giant drool puddle with nerd boner tent in sweatpants.” “The most epic film of our time,” predicts Dan Hopper at Best Week Ever. “Pretty wonderful (and oh so melancholic/twee),” writes Alison Willmore at Indie Eye. “My inner 12-year-old is alive and well and all over this one,” writes Craig Kennedy at Living in Cinema. “The excitement is literally oozing out of me and smiles are filling my face as I write,” writes Gina Telaroli at TakePart. “It looks beautiful, magical and inspiring.” “This gives me a warm fuzzy feeling,” writes Kurt Halfyard at Twitch. “And it makes me want to run. Run. RUN.  With Joy.” “Holyohmygod is it awesome,” writes Dustin Rowles at Pajiba. “It makes me all fluttery and fuzzy. It’s seventeen kinds of heart-swelly.” “Goosebumples!” exclaims Adam B. Vary at Entertainment Weekly’s PopWatch. “Aside from the Urban-Outfitters-for-Kids vibe, we’re pretty psyched for this movie,” writes Richard at Gawker. Even Rodney at The Movie Blog is excited about the film, but he is at least “conflicted” about the trailer: “That music didn’t work for me.” And those who agree with me? Oh wait, there are none. As far as I know, Jeff Wells hasn’t watched the trailer, but then, he already wrote this today: I don’t want to see Where The Wild Things Are because I don’t like movies about kids…Kids need to grow up and grim up and learn the skills and disciplines that will allow them to survive. So enough with the Spielberg-aping films that portray a child’s world as a magical-fantastical kingdom in and of itself that adults might be able to learn something from. And with that curmudgeonly change of tone, here’s the trailer via YouTube: Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:00:33 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com3/25/2009 6:00:33 PMThe new trailer for Where the Wild Things Are is such a phenomenon today that I’ve even seen celebrities excitedly Tweeting about it (and by celebrities, I mean specifically Rob Corddry). Actually, I think the majority of people I follow on Twitter have squeezed out a gushing statement in 140 words or less. That is, except me (don’t I technically follow myself?). Sure, I’m looking forward to the movie, as a fan of Maurice Sendak and a fan of Spike Jonze and a fan of Dave Eggers, but I don’t think the trailer looks that incredible. And the parts that do look really great remind me of how amazing the trailer for Benjamin Button looked. Remember what happened with that? Maybe it’s my usual distaste for computer-generated characters; yes, I’d honesty be happier if the Wild Things were made by the Jim Henson Company and all looked like Sweetums from The Muppet Show. I do believe the film includes “suitmation” and animatronics, in addition to CG, but much of what I noticed in the trailer was the computer stuff, and I’m sad to say that, unlike all the commenters at FirstShowing.net, I can’t yet label this as an “instant classic.” Let’s see if there are any bloggers who agree with me after the jump: Starting with those who disagree: “Absolutely brilliant…The Wild Things look great and real and not CGI,” writes Erik Davis at Cinematical. “Amazing…it looks like Spike Jonze has created the newest soon-to-be classic kid’s movie, right up there with The Goonies and The NeverEnding Story,” writes Alex Billington at FirstShowing.net. “Absolutely AMAZING,” writes Kristopher Tapley at In Contention. “God, this looks GOOD and very magically alive,” writes The Playlist. “This film looks like warm Krispy Kreme donuts taste,” writes Mark at I Watch Stuff. “As a professional movie blogger, I try to keep a level head and not geek out over the things that make me excited…But on the other hand, OMG OMG OMG!  *desperately fans face with hand*,” writes Vince Mancini before apparently passing out “in giant drool puddle with nerd boner tent in sweatpants.” “The most epic film of our time,” predicts Dan Hopper at Best Week Ever. “Pretty wonderful (and oh so melancholic/twee),” writes Alison Willmore at Indie Eye. “My inner 12-year-old is alive and well and all over this one,” writes Craig Kennedy at Living in Cinema. “The excitement is literally oozing out of me and smiles are filling my face as I write,” writes Gina Telaroli at TakePart. “It looks beautiful, magical and inspiring.” “This gives me a warm fuzzy feeling,” writes Kurt Halfyard at Twitch. “And it makes me want to run. Run. RUN.  With Joy.” “Holyohmygod is it awesome,” writes Dustin Rowles at Pajiba. “It makes me all fluttery and fuzzy. It’s seventeen kinds of heart-swelly.” “Goosebumples!” exclaims Adam B. Vary at Entertainment Weekly’s PopWatch. “Aside from the Urban-Outfitters-for-Kids vibe, we’re pretty psyched for this movie,” writes Richard at Gawker. Even Rodney at The Movie Blog is excited about the film, but he is at least “conflicted” about the trailer: “That music didn’t work for me.” And those who agree with me? Oh wait, there are none. As far as I know, Jeff Wells hasn’t watched the trailer, but then, he already wrote this today: I don’t want to see Where The Wild Things Are because I don’t like movies about kids…Kids need to grow up and grim up and learn the skills and disciplines that will allow them to survive. So enough with the Spielberg-aping films that portray a child’s world as a magical-fantastical kingdom in and of itself that adults might be able to learn something from. And with that curmudgeonly change of tone, here’s the trailer via YouTube: Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40717.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:02:08 PM
Body: In episode #108, we posed a simple question: Which movie should be turned into a graphic novel? Your responses to the question became the fodder for a great conversation. Turning the typical page-to-screen progression on its head, we dig into the strengths and weaknesses of each medium. We discuss the possibility of seeing Mystery Train, Walkabout, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Zardoz, Hero, Die Hard, and Gangs of New York crammed into little action-packed drawings. We check in with Karina for a hindsight conversation about awards season. She poses the question: Who would win in a fight, Benjamin Button or Iron Man? The answer is as obvious as it seems, but not for the reason you think. Want to win a copy of Watchmen: The Official Film Companion? Send us an e-mail telling us what film you think has the best production design in entire history of cinema. It’s that simple. E-mail filmcouch [at] spout [dot] com. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 3:22 - From film to comic. 26:40 - The Oscars. What happened? filmcouch-110 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:02:08 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:02:08 PM In episode #108, we posed a simple question: Which movie should be turned into a graphic novel? Your responses to the question became the fodder for a great conversation. Turning the typical page-to-screen progression on its head, we dig into the strengths and weaknesses of each medium. We discuss the possibility of seeing Mystery Train, Walkabout, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Zardoz, Hero, Die Hard, and Gangs of New York crammed into little action-packed drawings. We check in with Karina for a hindsight conversation about awards season. She poses the question: Who would win in a fight, Benjamin Button or Iron Man? The answer is as obvious as it seems, but not for the reason you think. Want to win a copy of Watchmen: The Official Film Companion? Send us an e-mail telling us what film you think has the best production design in entire history of cinema. It’s that simple. E-mail filmcouch [at] spout [dot] com. (Subscribe to FilmCouch–Spout’s weekly movie podcast–in the iTunes store or to our RSS feed and an episode will download each Friday) 0:00 - Intro 3:22 - From film to comic. 26:40 - The Oscars. What happened? filmcouch-110 Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2009/2/27/40699.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 2/27/2009 6:01:44 PM
Body: Two more days until we find out who wins this year’s Academy Awards! Okay, so the exclamation point is more than forced. It’s been quite awhile since we’ve had even an ounce of excitement about the Oscars. But we mustn’t let predictability get us down. Sure, even the still-uncertain races (Penn vs. Rourke; Winslet vs. Streep; Man on Wire vs. Trouble the Water) are anything but interesting, because the everyman of 2009 couldn’t care less about who gave the year’s better performance and would probably be fine shrugging his shoulders at the TV screen in the event of a tie (or, better yet, irresolution). However, there’s one thing people keep forgetting about the Academy: they’re full of surprises. So, rather than just go with the easy, “predictable” predictions, we attempted to guess who and what will Crash the Oscars this year with a surprise victory — preferably the kind that adds an “ing” to “upset.” And once again, we’d like to extend the forecasting fun to you. What surprises do you expect and/or hope for? Or, if you’re down with the boring route, what “certain” winners do you truly believe in? And why? The most accurate comments will be reprinted in our final Oscar column on Monday. Best Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button If the Academy didn’t continually cause controversial commotion with Best Picture picks like Shakespeare in Love and Crash, we wouldn’t have very much to talk about the morning after, or years later. So, in a way it’s exciting and somewhat necessary to have the occasional baffling or infuriating upsets in the top category. The one film that would piss off more people this year than any other, even more than The Reader, is Benjamin Button, especially since it pretty much already had the (dis)honor of being an undeserving Best Picture winner 15 years ago. Best Director: Stephen Daldry (The Reader) If Benjamin Button is to win Best Picture, then Danny Boyle should probably still win Best Director, because often in the years of controversial Best Picture upsets the director’s prize still goes to the (critical) favorite. Think of Steven Spielberg in ’99 and Ang Lee in ’06. But just to prove the Oscars are completely out of touch, we have to go with the Academy favorites of Daldry and the Holocaust. Both Fincher and Boyle are Oscar newbies and may have their turn with some future, more lackluster effort. Best Actress: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) For this category, we’re looking to the 2008 presidential election. Let’s consider Meryl Streep to be the older, more experienced, and typically well-respected candidate, who will lose to the young novice in her very first bid. Where that puts thought-to-be-a-lock Kate Winslet in the analogy is not important. As long as people keep mentioning Obama in their reasoning for why Slumdog Millionaire will win Best Picture, it’s just as fair to recognize Hathaway as the most Obama-like choice for Best Actress. Best Actor: undetermined As much as a tie in this category would be a surprising and slightly satisfying turn of events (even though it would be more appropriate in the Best Actress race, since Streep will forever be compared to Katherine Hepburn, who tied with Barbara Streisand 30 years ago), we’re looking to another political race of last year for the Best Actor decision. All we’ll know Sunday night is that it’s still down to Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke. But don’t worry, we’ll find out who actually wins in a few months. Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler) Just as Judy Davis probably deserved the Supporting Actress Oscar more for her performance in a Woody Allen film 16 years ago, Penelope Cruz probably deserves it more this year, also for a Woody Allen film. But Tomei is the champion of Oscar surprises, and we could very well see a repeat of 1993. At least this time she’s a little more worthy. Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) Okay, there’s no chance of a surprise here. Because if the Oscar goes to anyone but Ledger, a crazed fan will likely blow up the Kodak. And the Academy must presume that Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister won’t conveniently have access to the detonator this time. Best Adapted Screenplay:  Eric Roth and Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Never mind the tremendous amount of work Roth put into expanding a very short story into a very, very long film. His and Swicord’s true triumph is in how they were able to rewrite Forrest Gump and repackage it well enough to fool $242 million-worth of moviegoers. Hollywood is surely obligated to reward the duo for pulling off such a double-tiered adaptation and such a well-played moneymaking scheme. Best Original Screenplay: Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter (WALL-E) Yes, a lot of people are predicting this to win the Oscar, and so it won’t be quite as much a surprise as a win for Frozen River would be. But the real shocker is going to be when Kung Fu Panda wins Best Animated Feature, a repeat of its glory at the Annies, and Academy logic once again goes completely out the window. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 27 Feb 2009 23:01:44 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com2/27/2009 6:01:44 PMTwo more days until we find out who wins this year’s Academy Awards! Okay, so the exclamation point is more than forced. It’s been quite awhile since we’ve had even an ounce of excitement about the Oscars. But we mustn’t let predictability get us down. Sure, even the still-uncertain races (Penn vs. Rourke; Winslet vs. Streep; Man on Wire vs. Trouble the Water) are anything but interesting, because the everyman of 2009 couldn’t care less about who gave the year’s better performance and would probably be fine shrugging his shoulders at the TV screen in the event of a tie (or, better yet, irresolution). However, there’s one thing people keep forgetting about the Academy: they’re full of surprises. So, rather than just go with the easy, “predictable” predictions, we attempted to guess who and what will Crash the Oscars this year with a surprise victory — preferably the kind that adds an “ing” to “upset.” And once again, we’d like to extend the forecasting fun to you. What surprises do you expect and/or hope for? Or, if you’re down with the boring route, what “certain” winners do you truly believe in? And why? The most accurate comments will be reprinted in our final Oscar column on Monday. Best Picture: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button If the Academy didn’t continually cause controversial commotion with Best Picture picks like Shakespeare in Love and Crash, we wouldn’t have very much to talk about the morning after, or years later. So, in a way it’s exciting and somewhat necessary to have the occasional baffling or infuriating upsets in the top category. The one film that would piss off more people this year than any other, even more than The Reader, is Benjamin Button, especially since it pretty much already had the (dis)honor of being an undeserving Best Picture winner 15 years ago. Best Director: Stephen Daldry (The Reader) If Benjamin Button is to win Best Picture, then Danny Boyle should probably still win Best Director, because often in the years of controversial Best Picture upsets the director’s prize still goes to the (critical) favorite. Think of Steven Spielberg in ’99 and Ang Lee in ’06. But just to prove the Oscars are completely out of touch, we have to go with the Academy favorites of Daldry and the Holocaust. Both Fincher and Boyle are Oscar newbies and may have their turn with some future, more lackluster effort. Best Actress: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) For this category, we’re looking to the 2008 presidential election. Let’s consider Meryl Streep to be the older, more experienced, and typically well-respected candidate, who will lose to the young novice in her very first bid. Where that puts thought-to-be-a-lock Kate Winslet in the analogy is not important. As long as people keep mentioning Obama in their reasoning for why Slumdog Millionaire will win Best Picture, it’s just as fair to recognize Hathaway as the most Obama-like choice for Best Actress. Best Actor: undetermined As much as a tie in this category would be a surprising and slightly satisfying turn of events (even though it would be more appropriate in the Best Actress race, since Streep will forever be compared to Katherine Hepburn, who tied with Barbara Streisand 30 years ago), we’re looking to another political race of last year for the Best Actor decision. All we’ll know Sunday night is that it’s still down to Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke. But don’t worry, we’ll find out who actually wins in a few months. Best Supporting Actress: Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler) Just as Judy Davis probably deserved the Supporting Actress Oscar more for her performance in a Woody Allen film 16 years ago, Penelope Cruz probably deserves it more this year, also for a Woody Allen film. But Tomei is the champion of Oscar surprises, and we could very well see a repeat of 1993. At least this time she’s a little more worthy. Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight) Okay, there’s no chance of a surprise here. Because if the Oscar goes to anyone but Ledger, a crazed fan will likely blow up the Kodak. And the Academy must presume that Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister won’t conveniently have access to the detonator this time. Best Adapted Screenplay:  Eric Roth and Robin Swicord (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) Never mind the tremendous amount of work Roth put into expanding a very short story into a very, very long film. His and Swicord’s true triumph is in how they were able to rewrite Forrest Gump and repackage it well enough to fool $242 million-worth of moviegoers. Hollywood is surely obligated to reward the duo for pulling off such a double-tiered adaptation and such a well-played moneymaking scheme. Best Original Screenplay: Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter (WALL-E) Yes, a lot of people are predicting this to win the Oscar, and so it won’t be quite as much a surprise as a win for Frozen River would be. But the real shocker is going to be when Kung Fu Panda wins Best Animated Feature, a repeat of its glory at the Annies, and Academy logic once again goes completely out the window. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/love/MemberTagFilms.aspxlove
Number of films tagged: 12478

Number of people who tagged: 338

Number of times used: 1480

]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT124783381480Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
Number of films tagged: 6289

Number of people who tagged: 227

Number of times used: 1139

]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:00:49 GMT62892271139Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/war/MemberTagFilms.aspxwar
Number of films tagged: 6177

Number of people who tagged: 179

Number of times used: 608

]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:16:35 GMT6177179608Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/romance/MemberTagFilms.aspxromance
Number of films tagged: 7163

Number of people who tagged: 169

Number of times used: 1005

]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:16:35 GMT71631691005Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
Number of films tagged: 6791

Number of people who tagged: 154

Number of times used: 980

]]>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:20 GMT6791154980Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/death/MemberTagFilms.aspxdeath
Number of films tagged: 4306

Number of people who tagged: 140

Number of times used: 526

]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:27:13 GMT4306140526Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fantasy/MemberTagFilms.aspxfantasy
Number of films tagged: 1044

Number of people who tagged: 128

Number of times used: 480

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:54:25 GMT1044128480Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sex/MemberTagFilms.aspxsex
Number of films tagged: 2414

Number of people who tagged: 126

Number of times used: 549

]]>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:42:22 GMT2414126549Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/relationships/MemberTagFilms.aspxrelationships
Number of films tagged: 203

Number of people who tagged: 74

Number of times used: 249

]]>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:40:59 GMT20374249Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/children/MemberTagFilms.aspxchildren
Number of films tagged: 212

Number of people who tagged: 66

Number of times used: 270

]]>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:28:15 GMT21266270Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/life/MemberTagFilms.aspxlife
Number of films tagged: 1082

Number of people who tagged: 52

Number of times used: 224

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:43 GMT108252224Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/childhood/MemberTagFilms.aspxchildhood
Number of films tagged: 499

Number of people who tagged: 38

Number of times used: 93

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:42:53 GMT4993893Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/touching/MemberTagFilms.aspxtouching
Number of films tagged: 87

Number of people who tagged: 36

Number of times used: 110

]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:29 GMT8736110Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/long/MemberTagFilms.aspxlong
Number of films tagged: 53

Number of people who tagged: 35

Number of times used: 63

]]>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:08:36 GMT533563Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/accident/MemberTagFilms.aspxaccident
Number of films tagged: 1329

Number of people who tagged: 27

Number of times used: 62

]]>Fri, 09 Oct 2009 03:32:36 GMT13292762Tag