Category Archives: Rantings

2012 Oscar Nominations: Hugo Vs. The Artist (nom, nom, nom)

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The 2012 Oscar Nomination are out. Some highlights and interesting bits:

  • There were 11 nominations for Hugo (more technical noms) and 10 for The Artist (more for acting noms). Both are up for Best Picture and Director.
  • Warhorse and Moneyball took 6 nominations each, while The Decsendents and The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo took 5 nominations each.
  • Pixar does NOT have a movie up for Animation Feature Film this year while DreamWorks has been nominated for two: Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots.
  • The Muppets are likely a shoo-in for Original Song with “Man or Muppet.”
  • The producers for The Tree of Life are “to be determined.” Are they in hiding someplace? They SHOULD be.

The carnage all happens on Sunday, February 26th, 2012 on ABC (and then we get on with our lives).

About Critique (Whether Food or Film)

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Film critics (like politicians, sadly) hold themselves in a higher regard. There is a certain mindset after you watch and articulate your feelings about hundreds or thousands of films. There are many books on the subject about what a critic should consider, but the privilege of the critic is in getting the experience itself.

I try to look at the finished product (“the whole being greater than the sum of the parts”), but I also take into consideration what it is that’s being promised. Like a great meal, someone has to plan out all the ingredients, assemble them, cook everything together, and present the end result; there’s effort there, and that effort should be acknowledged. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, and whether you’re critiquing food or film, an informed opinion will always be based on previous experience. However, if you offer me a steak dinner and serve me a cheeseburger, we’re going to have a problem. Likewise, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a good cheeseburger (because sometimes that’s exactly what you want).

Wanna See Something Really Scary? Censorship.

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No, the banner across the top isn’t real, but what if it was, and it was happening to all of your favorite websites? Welcome to American Censorship Day.

Film critique has its roots in the love of a medium: film. What if it was illegal to mention a movie except to give it a glorifying review? What if even mentioning the name of a film was itself a crime unless you paid for the rights (you know, like saying “Super Bowl” or calling the NFL the “No Fun League”)?

The loose language in two congressional bills, SOPA and PIPA, makes it easy to block web sites for percieved infractions (and VERY hard and costly to prove otherwise), having the potential to destroy the Internet through determent of posting anything that anyone might lay claim to. Anyone can demand that your favorite website be blocked for a perceived infraction, guilty until proven innocent. Anyone who knows anything about the way search engines work also knows that a website taken offline for even a little while can do irrepairable damage that may have taken years to build.

While the White House claims they will not sign these bills into law, lawmakers are already “rethinking” another way to get these voted in.

Don’t let that happen.

Golden Globes 2012 Winners!

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Here’s a few of my favorite highlights…

  • Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical – The Artist
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical – Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn
  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical – Jean Dujardin – The Artist
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television – Jessica Lange – “American Horror Story” on (FX)

See the entire list of winners at GoldenGlobes.org.

Online Film Critics Society 2011 Awards!

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The Tree of Life, which led the Online Film Critics Society nominations with seven, was the big winner at the 15th Annual Online Film Critics Society Awards. The film took home the prize for Best Picture as well as trophies for Best Director (Terrence Malick), Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain), Best Editing and Best Cinematography. No other film won more than one award.

The other three acting winners were Michael Fassbender winning Best Actor for his performance in Shame; Tilda Swinton’s work in We Need to Talk About Kevin won the award for Best Actress; and Christopher Plummer received the Best Supporting Actor prize for his work in Beginners.

The full list of winners of the 15th Annual Online Film Critics Society Awards:

Best Picture: The Tree of Life
Best Animated Feature: Rango
Best Director: Terrence Malick – The Tree of Life
Best Lead Actor: Michael Fassbender – Shame
Best Lead Actress: Tilda Swinton – We Need to Talk About Kevin
Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer – Beginners
Best Supporting Actress: Jessica Chastain – The Tree of Life
Best Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris
Best Adapted Screenplay: Tinker Tailor Solider Spy
Best Editing: The Tree of Life
Best Cinematography: The Tree of Life
Best Film Not in the English Language: A Separation
Best Documentary: Cave of Forgotten Dreams
Special Awards (previously announced): To Jessica Chastain, the breakout performer of the year, and to Martin Scorsese in honor of his work and dedication to the pursuit of film preservation

Founded in 1997, the Online Film Critics Society has been the key force in establishing and raising the standards for Internet-based film journalism. The OFCS membership consists of film reviewers, journalists and scholars based in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Asia/Pacific Rim region. For more information, visit the Online Film Critics Society at ofcs.org.

Online Film Critics Society 2011 Award Nominations!

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“The Tree of Life”, Terrence Malick’s exploration of suburban family life in the 1950′s, received seven nominations for the 15th Annual Online Film Critics Society awards. The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Malick), Best Supporting Actor (Brad Pitt), Best Supporting Actress (Jessica Chastain), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing and Best Cinematography.

Joining “The Tree of Life” in Best Picture are Michel Hazanavicius’ “The Artist”, Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants”, Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Drive” and Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo”. Malick, Hazanavicius, Refn and Scorsese were joined in the Best Director race by “Melancholia” director Lars von Trier.

“Drive” was the second most nominated film picking up six mentions including the aforementioned Picture and Director as well as Best Supporting Actor (Albert Brooks), Best Adapted Screenplay, Editing and Cinematography. Brooks was nominated alongside John Hawkes in “Martha Marcy May Marlene”, Nick Nolte in “Warrior”, Pitt and Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”. In Best Supporting Actress, the nominees were Chastain, Melissa McCarthy for “Bridesmaids”, Janet McTeer for “Albert Nobbs”, Carey Mulligan for “Shame” and Shailene Woodley for “The Descendants”.

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‘The Dead Matter,’ Haunted Cornfield Edition!

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Haunted attractions all over the world often borrow inspiration from things already deemed scary by the masses, particularly horror films. So is it any wonder that someone felt the need to adapt Midnight Syndicate’s The Dead Matter into just such an attraction? Here’s more:

The Dead Matter-themed haunted cornfield maze attraction opens in Iowa.
October 13, 2011 (Cleveland, OH) – Haunted Carter Farms, one of the oldest haunted cornfield mazes in America, has chosen to theme this year’s attraction after Midnight Syndicate Films’ 2010 dark fantasy horror film, The Dead Matter. The design of this season’s 5-acre maze blends cover art from the DVD and elements from Midnight Syndicate’s The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates CD. In addition to taking guests through scenes from The Dead Matter movie, haunt designers took themes explored in the film and developed their own additional original scenes. Music and several original props from the film will be featured in the attraction. The haunt is open every Friday and Saturday in October and Halloween night from 7:00pm to 10:30pm. Admission is $12. For more information visit: www.hauntedcarterfarms.com.

On a side note, The Dead Matter is also now available in Germany on both Blu-Ray and DVD through Euro Video. The version includes both English and German dubs as well as 5.1 mix. It is currently available at Amazon.de.

Official The Dead Matter website: www.TheDeadMatter.com
Haunted Carter Farms: www.HauntedCarterFarms.com
Euro Video: www.eurovideo.de
Midnight Syndicate Soundtracks: www.MidnightSyndicate.com

Effectiveness: PG-13 Thrillers Versus Rated R Horror

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The website Truly Disturbing recently posed a few questions: Are PG-13 horror films TRULY DISTURBING? When did PG-13 become the staple of scary movies? What ever happened to the time honored tradition of paying for one movie and sneaking into the forbidden R rated movie? Why are these silly films crammed down our throat?

Good questions, all, so here’s what I’ve observed.

First, a bit of definition. “Horror” films lend themselves toward showing what was promised (gore and graphic violence) and trying to exceed their R-rated expectation. “Scary” PG-13 films, hamstrung with censorship rules to protect children (sigh!), must play to what you can’t see to achieve the same effect, but can they?

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