Movie news on your iPhone today!
Advertisement
Sign in
Username   Password         Forgot password?
Wanna join? Sign up
Find movies you'll love

SpoutBlog on spout.com

  • Oscars: Best Picture Underdogs

    Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
    Under discussion:

    Bride Wars  (2009)

    I’m still catching up on RSS feeds after a week away, but as movie blog talk increasingly moves towards Oscar prognostication (because what else are we gonna talk about between now and Sundance –– Bride Wars?), I’m noticing a sort of two-headed theme emerge in the last week of the year. One the one hand: While Slumdog Millionaire, Milk and Benjamin Button all have their fans, no one seems crazy enough about the front-runners for the final two best picture slots (Frost/Nixon, Doubt and, um … Revolutionary Road? Maybe?) to label any of them as a lock; on the other: this year, to be contrarian seems to be equivalent to being populist.

    Factors A + B first resulted in a mostly-online push for a Best Picture nomination for The Dark Knight. It might have seemed laughable before the movie opened (a comic-book cape flick blockbuster annointed for all time as one of the five best films of the year? Please!), but the campaign has gathered so much steam that the film’s worthiness is now a non-issue; in fact, it’s currently comfortably lodged within the top five on the Gurus of Gold predictions chart at Movie City News.

    If it worked once, maybe it could work again. And thus, we find bloggers like Kris Tapley and Jessica Coen putting their weight behind a Wall-E Best Picture nod; AJ Schnack arguing that Man on Wire, one of the most popular and crowd-pleasing documentaries in years (not to mention the best reviewed film in any genre of this year) deserves the same; and, most interesting to me, David Carr arguing that Iron Man is more deserving of the Best Picture slot that may have already been ceded to The Dark Knight.

    I still haven’t seen Wall-E (I know, I know), but I could definitely get behind an Oscar fight between Iron Man and Man on Wire. Both films would have made my 2008 top 20 for sure, and either would be a less embarrassing film to laud than Benjamin Button.

    So what say you? What popular successes do you deem more worthy of a Best Picture nod than this year’s crop of humdrum prestige pictures?


    Originally posted on:SpoutBlog

  • New Year Wishes For 2009 From Lauren Wissot

    Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
    Under discussion:

    Walk on Water  (2004)

    In 2008 we began the year in entertainment by bidding a premature goodbye to hottie Heath Ledger, his death casting a shadow on summer blockbuster The Dark Knight; and ended it by delivering a fond farewell to “The Dark Angel,” the Marilyn Monroe of the fetish world, “Queen of Pin-Up” Bettie Page. In between we lost numerous other screen sizzlers: Charlton Heston, Paul Newman, Suzanne Pleshette, even Vampira! But since the New Year is a time to look forward as well as pay tribute to the sexy stars we leave behind, I’ve compiled my wish list for a very steamy 2009.

    1.  Woody & Bond Make a Porno

    In 2009 Woody Allen must continue his 2008 sexy success with Vicky Cristina Barcelona by directing a porn flick. Preferably starring Daniel Craig.

    Yup, 2008 was the year Woody Allen figured out that casting hot tamales like Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz can do wonders for your onscreen sex life. So now that the Woodman’s discovered the cinema equivalent of Viagra, it’s time for him to take the next step: toss that neurotic crutch into the Hudson (or Thames or Seine) and finally shoot his long-awaited, hardcore remake of Bergman’s The Passion of Anna.

    2. Lauren’s Israeli Hearthrob Must Come to the US.

    In 2009 Israeli actor Lior Ashkenazi (who made me believe in sexy miracles when I caught up with Walk On Water on DVD this year) must star in a small, independent, American film that will require him to do press in NYC – and grant me an exclusive interview in his hotel room.

    Ah, Lior Ashkenazi, Israel’s knockout brunette answer to Mr. Bond. A TV (“In Therapy”) and movie star (the aforementioned Eytan Fox flick) in the holy land, he’s a virtual unknown on these shores. Which means some savvy, Sundance-bound director in the market for a hypnotic leading man could probably pick him up at a reasonable price (then hopefully send him to me for free). And unlike, say, hard-body hottie Jason Statham, he can act and speak English at the same time.

    3. The Transporter must transport his own package off screen.

    In 2009 Jason Statham must stop acting and start stripping.

    It’s about time to break the news to Guy Ritchie and Luc Besson that (Br)it boy Jason Statham can’t actually, um, act. Which is fine since he’s got a bod that can do the talking for him. Sure, the modeling career made complete sense, but onscreen unless he’s flying through the air Hidden Dragon-style or wrangling a big fat fire hose, Statham can be upstaged by a hydrant. Perhaps he could check with Chippendale’s or with the Aussies to see if the Thunder from Down Under is looking for a tasty new boy toy.

    4. Baz Luhrmann must go full Brokeback.

    In 2009, Baz Luhrmann must follow up the epic Australia with a Brokeback Mountain style western starring Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

    I haven’t seen Australia, for though I’m a big fan of Hugh Jackman’s chest, I’m a bit burnt out on workaholic Kidman, not to mention nearly three hours of Luhrmann visuals strikes me as the equivalent of bingeing on everything in Willy Wonka’s factory, Charlie included. Which is why Luhrmann must switch to homo mode and make real use of hirsute Hugh and rough trade Russell – the Boy from Oz meets Cinderella Man – out in the outback at last.

    5. Arnold Schwarzenegger must turn The Wrestler into reality.

    In 2009, the Governator must pump himself back up to take on Mickey Rourke and Jean-Claude Van Damme in a Mr. Geriatric Olympia competition.

    Both Rourke and Van Damme made muscle-bound movie comebacks in 2008, so why shouldn’t the onetime Terminator also toss his “top” hat into the ring? And since no one wants Rourke’s face to have to face more plastic surgery, nor JCVD split and pull a groin muscle, the Gov’s sport of choice would be the safest bet. Besides, if Mr. Geriatric Olympia doesn’t work out, the former steroid boys could always call it a meta-competition.


    Originally posted on:SpoutBlog