DVDs this Week – June 9th
Picks of the Week
Juno – The indie darling of this year that’s much better than the now-naysayers would like you to think. Any Juno backlash should be counteracted by a) Ellen Page’s amazing performance as well as the turns from Michael Cera, Allison Janney and JK Simmons, b) The whipsmart script that never gets too enamoured with itself, and c) the fact it features Cat Power singing ‘Sea of Love’ and Michael Cera and Ellen Page singing at each other at the close. Lovely.
AND…
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Just the most moving and honest piece of cinema to be released over here this year. Julian Schnabel’s adaptation of Jean Dominique Bauby’s memoir written while suffering from locked-in syndrome is an astonishing achivement of acting, writing and cinematography. Also, Max von Sydow as Bauby’s father delivers the most crushingly emotional scene of the year and yet, never once is the film mawkish. Brilliance.
Also out:
Curb Your Enthusiam Season 6 – Still delivering great moments here and there but this one’s time has passed and the genius of the first three season broadened to create just a very good sitcom rather than a work of misanthropic art.
Cloverfield – I mentioned this last week but it is a decent little monster movie and worth a watch even if the cast bland it to the max.
The Edge of Heaven – Can’t wait to see this, Fatih Akin’s follow-up to Head On looks like just wonderful.
Dirty Harry Collection – Full box set of all the terrific Harry Callahan films including the truly masterful original.
Dan in Real Life – Decent if deeply unspectacular Steve Carell vehicle in which he is good despite having to share the screen with Dane Cook.
War Inc – No cinema release for this little one starring John Cusack and seemingly some sort of comment on the war-as-business debate. Looks pretty uninspired.
Jesus Camp – Excellent if one-sided portrayal of a Christian camp for young children that features some truly satisfyingly horrifying scenes for us atheists.
Battle for Haditha – Nick Broomfield’s outstanding semi-documentary piece on Iraq’s My Lai.
Tony Jaa 2 Pack – Ong Bak and Warrior King in one handy boxset for those days when all you want to do is watch someone kick someone else really, really hard. No plot but the kicking, oh, the kicking.
Region 1:
Jumper – Shitty, Hayden Christensen starrer saved fully in my book due to the presence of Rachel Bilson.
The Bucket List – Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman celebrate being old with hilarious/cringey results.
DVD Round-Up
Pick of the Week: Damages – Complete First Season
A ridiculousy entertaining, drunkenly convoluted and mean-spirited corporate thriller in which Glenn Close does her best bitch and Ted Danson turns the sleaze up to eleven. It starts slightly annoying but once you’re in, its quite a ride.
Also out:
St Trinians – I’ve not seen it but I really feel like it can’t possibly be worth its RRP even if The Daily Star gave it away free.
The Lookout – Neat thriller from Out of Sight-writer Scott Frank starring the ever-excellent Joseph Gordon Levitt.
30 Days of Night – Bloody graphic novel adaptation with a non-promising cast (Josh Hartnett and Melissa George) but an eminently promising director in David Slade (Hard Candy).
Silent Light – The new film from Carlos Reygadas, the director of the uncompromising and somewhat uncomfortable Battle in Heaven.
Lonesome Dove – Larry McMurtry’s beloved novel got an elegant adaptation but feels staid and irrelevant in a post-Deadwood age.
Nirvana on Film – A visual feast of grunge-nihilism and little-boy-lost promos from the most important rock band of the 1990s (take that Shed Seven!)
Ten Commandments: The Musical – I have no idea about this movie although I imagine what the tin says it what it does. More importantly though, it’s a religious musical starring Val Kilmer.
Region 1:
Juno – Very nice special edition of one of the strongest movies of this year (UK releases)
Blast of Silence – Classic idiosyncratic noir from Allen Baron which should really be seen my more folks.
American Dad: Season 3 – The best season yet of the ever-improving McFarlane creation which, whisper it, is sometimes better than Family Guy.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead – Flawed Sidney Lumet character study with a brilliant performance from Philip Seymour Hoffman at its core.
Nightlinking
REM songs this week folks.
Pitchfork reviews the new REM. Doesn’t hate it.
The AV Club has a list of fictional drugs.
Viral marketing is hurting girls who are actually called Sarah Marshall.
Take a tour of Scranton’s office.
James Wood comments on the art of Richard Price’s prose.
The BBC interviewed Goodfellas-basis Henry Hill recently.
Entertainment Weekly list the twenty scariest movies ever.
Liz Phair is reissuing Exile In Guyville.
The Hold Steady are profiled on PopMatters.
Jezebel asks what the least mood-inducing books are?
The debate on Michael Haneke continues.
The Guardian comments on ‘Rickrolling’.
Nickelodeon is gearing up to challenge High School Musical.
Diablo Cody’s comedy pilot is moving closer to probable.
The final trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV is available.
The Killers will headline Reading and Leeds.
Portishead are planning another record after Third.
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin play a session for Daytrotter.
Kiefer Sutherland is to direct the new Feeling video.
Hash Link
Air is releasing a ten-year anniversary edition of Moon Safari.
The Shins, Rilo Kiley and a host of others are designing T-shirts for charity.
Jamie Lidell has announced a world tour.
The AV Club pays tribute to Morvern Callar.
How much has Iraq truly cost?
Barack is using the insults to gain further in his lead.
Slate has a feature of Jeff Mangum, ‘The Salinger of Indie Rock’. It also has the application form for American Gladiators.
Diablo Cody is going to tell another part of her story.
Coldplay new record is allegedly going to be ‘more experimental’. Which wouldn’t really be tough would it?
Sasha Frere Jones wasn’t too happy about Once winning an Oscar.
Deschanel and Dano are to be in Gigantic.
Here’s a list of the most mysoginistic films ever.
Goldfrapp contribute a guest list to Pitchfork.
A Heroes soundtrack with Wilco and Dylan is coming. Hopefully no dialogue snippets.
Bill Maher discusses Nader running on The Huffington Post.
Prince Harry is fighting the Taliban. Yeah, he’ll be chuffed that one’s leaked.
A top debater deconstructs Obama versus Hillary in Cleveland.
Crazy Mahmoud said today that Iran is number one.
The Dodos do a session for Daytrotter.
Bush has endorsed the Democratic candidates… by criticising them.
Check out the new Get Smart trailer.
Oscar Predictions: Betty, Tommy ‘n’ Johnny
So Betty and Tommy need to keep their spirits up and predict what will happen with the Oscar show tonight, trying desperately to keep up with me in the predictions race (which I am winning thanks to the Golden Globes). These are all set out at will win / want to win. Enjoy their losing after the jump.
Oscar Predictions: Screenplays
Adapted Nominees: No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Atonement, The Diving Bell and the Butterly, Away From Her
So Sarah Polley is likely a no hoper in this one even though her adaptation of the Alice Munro short story is pitch perfect. It all depends on what exactly this is judged on. Is it judged on which is the best overall screenplay or which one best captures the essence of its source material?
In that sense, No Country For Old Men is by some distance the best adaptation, being as it is very faithful to the book while still managing to have a Coen’s stamp all over it. The Diving Bell too captures the essence of the novel and Atonement does an admirable job of adapting a book which uses a number of tricky, specifically literary devices.
There Will Be Blood isn’t really an adaptation, more it takes inspiration from Upton Sinclair’s novel and weaves its own patterns around the philosophy.
Who Will Win: No Country For Old Men
Who Should Win: No Country For Old Men or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Dark Horse: Away From Her
Original Nominees: Juno, Michael Clayton, Ratatouille, The Savages, Lars and the Real Girl
So I’ll pretty much shove me money on the table and say that Diablo Cody will take this one. Juno’s script crackles with intelligence and a cheeky wit that the cast revel in. It thoroughly deserves what will likely be its only triumph of the night.
The Savages and Lars and the Real Girl are no hopers almost, I would perhaps give The Savages a minor, very outside chance if the judges were feeling particularly interested in mean folk. Michael Clayton and Ratatouille could both easily nip in but Clayton is probably lacking in too many really great lines, relying a little too much on quiet set-pieces and dense plotting. It would still be quite a worthy winner though. Ratatouille though would be an extremely deserving winner, although the triumph probably comes more in the quality of direction than directly from the script.
Who Will Win: Juno
Who Should Win: Juno
Dark Horse: The Savages
BAFTA Nominations 2008
More awards nominations! This time for the BAFTAs 2008. Atonement has a massive FOURTEEN nominations… really should watch that now, shouldn’t I? I really think This Is England should win for Best British Film, and I’m happy Juno‘s Ellen Page has nods, and Diablo Cody is in there too. You can watch the Press Conference with all the announcements here.
The ceremony will be on Sunday Feb 10th at the Royal Opera House in London, and the show will be presented by Jonathan Ross.
Okay, I warn you – it’s a long list. More follow under the cut…
FILM
AMERICAN GANGSTER – Brian Grazer/Ridley Scott
ATONEMENT – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster
THE LIVES OF OTHERS – Quirin Berg/Max Wiedemann
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN – Scott Rudin/Joel Coen/Ethan Coen
THERE WILL BE BLOOD – JoAnne Sellar/Paul Thomas Anderson/Daniel Lupi
BEST BRITISH FILM
ATONEMENT – Tim Bevan/Eric Fellner/Paul Webster/Joe Wright/Christopher Hampton
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM – Frank Marshall/Patrick Crowley/Paul L Sandberg/Paul Greengrass/Tony Gilroy/Scott Z Burns/George Nolfi
CONTROL – Orian Williams/ Todd Eckert/Anton Corbijn/Matt Greenhalgh
EASTERN PROMISES – Paul Webster/Robert Lantos/David Cronenberg/Steve Knight
THIS IS ENGLAND – Mark Herbert/Shane Meadows
LEADING ACTOR
GEORGE CLOONEY – Michael Clayton
DANIEL DAY-LEWIS – There Will Be Blood
JAMES McAVOY – Atonement
VIGGO MORTENSEN – Eastern Promises
ULRICH MÜHE – The Lives of Others
LEADING ACTRESS
CATE BLANCHETT – Elizabeth: The Golden Age
JULIE CHRISTIE – Away From Her
MARION COTILLARD – La Vie en Rose
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY – Atonement
ELLEN PAGE – Juno
McLinky
Um, hello there Zac Efron, on the cover of Details magazine, looking all sexy… we like the stubble. We do. And the interview is interesting too. He’s not all looks you know. (First Image: JustJared.com)
Do you care about Coldplay’s new album track titles? YES! Kinda? Maybe? A little… Well they’re here if you do.
No surprises here. Britney didn’t turn up to her latest custody hearing.
The Golden Globes were a nonevent due to the WGA Strike – Atonement managed to scoop the big prize. Maybe I’ll give it a watch now…
The Brit Awards nominations will be announced at 9pm tonight. By Reggie Yates. Apparently! We’ll have a list up here sometime shortly after 6.45!
The jewels of Sundance Film Festival, to The AV Club.
PopMatters is celebrating wonderful writing on its service all week. Keep checking back.
Pitchfork loves Magnetic Fields’ conceptual new noise-pop record.
Opinions on Juno do battle on Slate.
A guide to all things comic in the online sphere. Here.
Diggin…
What are you diggin right now, Beth?
Music: I have been listening to Charlotte Gainsbourg’s enchanting album 5.55, in preparation for our trip to Paris later this year. It’s gorgeous…
Also the mostly-upbeat stylings of my Xmas present McFly’s Greatest Hits have been on my iPod and I’ve been marvelling about the fact that the American version of 5 Colours In Her Hair is much better than the UK one.
Finally, I’m loving M. Ward feat Zooey Deschanel and their song When I Get To The Border… as linked to by Sam yesterday.
Electricity & Lust 
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