The Film Script in 2008

Okay, since we're still in the early stages of 2008, I thought I'd ask everyone what they want from "The Film Script" in '08.

Personally, I enjoy it the most when we get back-and-forth conversation going on here. And what tends to do that the most is "Top 7 Lists," "Inside the Screening Room's" or joint reviews, "Acting Tournaments," awards talk and any topic that asks a direct question or asks where such and such a quote came from.

I enjoy coming on here daily and seeing that something was written by someone. Even if it's just a short sentence or anything. Just keeping the lifeblood of this site running.

Starting, well, tomorrow, I'm going to start posting a weekly reaction to "Lost" on here, since I know that everyone who visits this site watches that. That should be something that will add some conversation. That will go up every Friday at least through the 8 weeks we get this season (and will continue once it returns).

Other than that can you guys think of anything in particular you want from the site? What you'd like added? What you guys like to discuss? I don't want anyone to feel pressure to write some real long topics or posts or comments... but just a few more words here and there would help. I think I might start going over to RottenTomatoes.com and lifting some topics from their forums... there are always interesting questions being posed over there. Same with the "Ask the Critic" questions from Entertainment Weekly. Gotta start throwing those up on the main page.

And instead of the "Month of Movies" topic, I think I'm just going to throw up a "Must See Movie of the Month: Cloverfield" post and see if anyone has anything to say about a particular movie instead of the entire month's worth... which really gets ridiculous when it's Veggietales and U2: 3D month. I'm gonna have more posts, but they're gonna be shorter posts. Short reviews. Short thoughts on upcoming movies. Etc. Just to get something new on this site.

We did pretty good in 2007 at least with me, Ty and Ted coming on here and talking. Then Kelly and Rebecca helped chime in towards the end of the year too which was great as well. Let's keep it up!

And two interesting notes:

1) This is the 'official' 100th Post for "The Film Script." Very cool guys.

and 2) Go to Google and type in "no country for old men script" and see what pops up as one of the first page's results. That's us on there baby, wooo! Of course people are accidentally coming here thinking I actually posted the script from No Country... but still, kinda cool.

A Mighty Heart (Michael Winterbottom, 2007)

There’s a recent upturn in filmmaking for these fly-on-the-wall films that seem to present real life events as they happened. Paul Greengrass is the biggest (and best) proponent of this (with United 93 and Bloody Sunday), but Michael Winterbottom does a good job aping the technique in A Mighty Heart. It’s all about the search for and tragic death of reporter Daniel Pearl, dealing primarily with his wife Marianne’s (Angelina Jolie) vantage point. The acting is well done and blends in with the other ‘real life’ characters portrayed in the story, but the filmmaking style itself is not conducive to rewatching – or entertainment for that matter. So while it is a lifelike retelling of an important tale, much as those Greengrass films, it’s not something you would generally want to revisit.

The Actor & Actress Medley (2007): Round Three

Well, Michael Cera finally got knocked off in Round Two... barely. Leaving the first and second seeds on the male side to go head-to-head. Meanwhile on the female side, the #1 seed continues to roll along while the 6th seed has emerged as a potential spoiler.

Let's see who the 2007 favorites really are...

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THE ACTOR AND ACTRESS MEDLEY (2007)
ROUND THREE

ACTORS

vs.

(1) Christian Bale vs. (2) Daniel Day-Lewis

ACTRESSES

vs.

(1) Maggie Gyllenhaal vs. (6) Kate Winslet

RIP Heath Ledger

1979-2008

Month of Movies: January 2008

Slim pickens this month. Not a single "Must See" film in theaters and only one I would really consider going out of my way to see (and even that one is doubtful). There are a few I'll catch up with on DVD, but really... this is why January is considered a 'dump month'.

MUST SEE - THEATERS

None

POSSIBLY SEE - THEATERS

Cloverfield - The pitch: you blend a Godzilla movie with The Blair Witch Project. Some cool visuals in the trailer, but I'm afraid it's a story devoid of any interesting characters. The one film that might lure me to theaters (it's probably best suited for the big screen), but there's only a small chance of that.

MUST SEE - DVD

Rambo - First Blood is the only good Rambo movie, still... Senior Citizen Rambo is kind of a funny concept. I'll check it out eventually. It can't get much worse than Rambo 2 or 3.

The Orphanage - This is probably the film I'm the most interested in for the month, but it's not one that I'll rush out to either. It's a horror film in the mold of The Others, presented by (but not directed by) Guillermo Del Toro. Definitely at some point.

4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - After The Diving Bell and the Butterfly it's probably the single foreign film I've heard the most about all year. It won at Cannes and I was shocked the Oscars left it off their foreign film short list (those in contention for nominations). Still... I've heard nothing but raves.

Cassandra's Dream - Woody Allen's latest. I'm sure if it was great it would have been bumped up to December to make a run at the Oscar's. It wasn't. Still, Colin Farrell in an Allen movie interests me. I'll catch up with it.

POSSIBLY SEE - DVD

Air I Breathe - Hadn't heard a word on it, but saw Kevin Bacon and Forest Whitaker in the cast list as I was researching January releases. Maybe.

27 Dresses - Kelly wants to see it. I don't. So... we'll see it. But not until DVD.

POSSIBLY NEVER SEE - DVD

Untraceable - Diane Lane thriller.

Mad Money - One of the oddest assortment of celebrities casts I've ever heard of... Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes and Ted Danson? Uh...

Teeth - Too weird for me.

Meet the Spartans - Too stupid for me.

U2 3D - Since I don't like U2... why would I?

One Missed Call - Gladly missed.

First Sunday - Nope.

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale - Might be interesting to check out Uwe Boll's latest (largely regarded the worst filmmaker in the world). Then again...

Pirates Who Don't Do Anything - A Veggietales Movie - Kiddie movie. No appeal.

The Actor & Actress Medley (2007): Round Two

Alright, back with round two. One more round after this to crown our Favorite Actor and Actresses of 2007... before getting into our favorite films of the year. A couple of surprises in Round 1... upsets if you will. I didn't think Ellen Page could take out Naomi Watts (tied for our top votegetter before the tournament started), but lo and behold that's why we vote. Also based on favorable reaction to the Giamatti pick, this round's pictures will be a little less 'glamourous.'

So as chachi put it in Round 1...

FIGHT!!!

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THE ACTOR AND ACTRESS MEDLEY (2007)

ROUND TWO

ACTORS

vs.

(1) Christian Bale vs. (5) Michael Cera

vs.

(2) Daniel Day-Lewis vs. (3) Robert Downey, Jr.

ACTRESSES

vs.

(1) Maggie Gyllenhaal vs. (7) Ellen Page

vs.

(5) Cate Blanchett vs. (6) Kate Winslet

Last Minute Golden Globe Predictions

Right before the 'show' goes on, I felt like I should throw up my predictions (you know, so I can brag later and all). Anyways, I probably should have done this a while ago and had everyone make their predictions and see who got the most correct... but that'll have to wait until the Oscars I guess.

For now -

The winners will be...


FILM

Best Motion Picture - Drama

Who will win - No Country for Old Men

Who should win - No Country for Old Men or There Will Be Blood

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Who will win - Juno

Who should win - Juno

Best Director - Motion Picture
Who will win - Ethan Coen, Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men
Who should win - Ethan Coen, Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men or Paul Thomas Anderson - There Will Be Blood

Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama

Who will win - Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Who should win - Daniel Day-Lewis - There Will Be Blood

Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy

Who will win - Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Who should win - Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Savages

Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
Who will win - Keira Knightley - Atonement

Who should win - Julie Christie - Away From Her

Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Who will win - Ellen Page - Juno
Who should win - Ellen Page - Juno

Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture

Who will win - Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There

Who should win - Cate Blanchett - I'm Not There or Amy Ryan - Gone, Baby, Gone

Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
Who will win - Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men

Who should win - Javier Bardem - No Country for Old Men

Best Screenplay
Who will win - Ethan Coen, Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men

Who should win - Ethan Joen, Joel Coen - No Country for Old Men

Best Original Score
Who will win - Dario Marianelli - Atonement
Who should win - Dario Marianelli - Atonement

Best Original Song
Who will win - "Grace is Gone" by Clint Eastwood and Carole Bayer Sager - Grace is Gone
Who should win - "Guaranteed" by Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild

Best Foreign Language Film
Who will win - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Who should win - Have not seen enough to warrant a selection, anything but The Kite Runner.

Best Animated Feature
Who will win - Ratatouille

Who should win - Ratatouille

TV

Best Drama

Who will win - "Grey's Anatomy"
Who should win - Have not seen enough to warrant a selection, but anything but "Grey's Anatomy" and "House"

Best Comedy or Musical
Who will win - "30 Rock"

Who should win - "Entourage" or "Extras" although "30 Rock" is a solid choice as well.

Best Actor in a Television Drama Series
Who will win - Hugh Laurie - "House"

Who should win - Have not seen enough to warrant a selection.

Best Actor in a Television Comedy or Musical
Who will win - Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock"

Who should win - Steve Carell - "The Office" or Alec Baldin - "30 Rock" or Ricky Gervais - "Extras" (hey, it's a strong category)

Best Actress in a Television Comedy or Musical
Who will win - Mary-Louise Parker - "Weeds"
Who should win - Mary-Louise Parker - "Weeds" or Tina Fey - "30 Rock"

Best Actress in a Television Drama Series
Who will win - Glenn Close - "Damages"

Who should win - Edie Falco - "The Sopranos" (although I really haven't seen enough to be sure about this)

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television
Who will win - "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee"

Who should win - Haven't seen any.

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television
Who will win - Jim Broadbent - "Langford"

Who should win - Haven't seen any.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television
Who will win - Bryce Dallas Howard - "As You Like It"

Who should win - Haven't seen any.

Best Supporting Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television
Who will win - Katherine Heigl - "Grey's Anatomy"
Who should win - Don't care, of the two I've seen (Heigl and Pressly), I wasn't impressed.

Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television

Who will win - Jeremy Piven - "Entourage"
Who should win - Jeremy Piven - "Entourage" (again, haven't seen enough to make a real solid choice)

There Goes His Career...

The Actor & Actress Medley (2007)

In honor of the NFL Playoffs starting this past weekend, I thought I'd get things going with our first ever act-off competition. In the comments section please indicate who you would vote for in each matchup, with just a short reason why and we'll see who makes it to round 2.

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THE ACTOR & ACTRESS MEDLEY (2007)

ROUND ONE

ACTORS

vs.

(1) Christian Bale vs. (8) Will Smith

vs.

(2) Daniel Day-Lewis vs. (7) Ryan Gosling

vs.

(3) Robert Downey, Jr. vs. (6) Paul Giamatti

vs.

(4) Matt Damon vs. (5) Michael Cera

ACTRESSES

vs.

(1) Maggie Gyllenhaal vs. (8) Charlize Theron

vs.

(2) Naomi Watts vs. (7) Ellen Page

vs.

(3) Natalie Portman vs. (6) Kate Winslet

vs.

(4) Rachel McAdams vs. (5) Cate Blanchett

Recent Watches: January 2008

Typical month. Starting out way behind, struggling to catch up, yada yada yada. Here's three capsules to start off with...

The Great Debaters. Denzel Washington’s directorial efforts tend to try and reflect his persona. They’re friendly, charming and want to make you feel good to watch them. The problem with them unfortunately is Denzel himself, well, Denzel the director. You can tell he has fallen in love with his own story… as he did with Antwone Fisher and he does again here with The Great Debaters. To a certain degree I can understand that a director has to be emotionally vested in a story to warrant the dedication it takes to transfer that story to the screen… but Denzel is speechifying the importance of education and knowledge here from the very first scene (no joke, Forest Whitaker is literally preaching about it from the first shot), but Denzel also wants to hint at racial issues and have an ever-so-slight dark side that our heroes can rise above and overcome. That way Denzel can stand in the back of the room, looking on proudly at all that he has accomplished by bringing this story to life. C+

Eastern Promises. A nurse helps deliver the baby of a dying woman and uses her diary to track down her origins, unknowingly leading herself right into the arms of the Russian mob. Seems like a straightforward storyline, but director David Cronenberg has the wonderful ability to immerse the viewer in the story. The atmosphere he creates, the tension he builds, and the performances he gets out of Naomi Watts, Viggo Mortensen, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Vincent Cassel are all top notch. There’s deception and hidden agendas, but also a brotherly bond between Mortensen and Cassel that seems bizarre but genuine. And I got caught up specifically in the plight of Mortensen, a driver trying to earn his stars and become a made man in the mob. Then there’s that brutal, gratuitously naked knife fight. In the hands of a less talented director, it could be painful to watch. Cronenberg just makes it painful to experience. A

For Your Consideration. This topic was ripe for ridicule. Hollywood, filmmaking, Oscar buzz and award nominations, stars begging for attention… given all the possibilities, I can’t even fathom how poorly done this movie is. I should never have started here as an entryway to Christopher Guest’s work, because it seems whatever remnants of a style he stole from Rob Reiner while working on the classic rock mockumentary This is Spinal Tap… has long since evaporated. And there’s hardly a laugh leftover. This is one of the worst, straight-faced satires I’ve ever seen. Eugene Levy is mugging again (see any incarnation of American Pie after the leads start refusing to show up). Plus, it gives work to two of the worst actresses in Hollywood… Catherine O’Hara and Jennifer Coolidge. Ricky Gervais shows up for a too-brief cameo but is mostly wasted. Honestly, it’s like these people know nothing about show business. D

Open Invitation: There Will Be Blood

Saturday night. E Street Cinema. Likely 6:30 p.m.

A "Film Script" open invitation. Who's in? Wooo!

Actor and Actress Tournament Nominations

Alright, I've tallied up the total nominations for the actor and actress tournaments and here are all the vote-getters. The top 8 from each side will face off in a head-to-head tourney until we have 5 votes, one from everybody who submitted a top 10 list, and the 8 possibles have been knocked down to 1. Our collective "favorite" actor and actress of 2007.

The actor tournament is set, with the top 8 already decided, but because of a 2-way tie for 8th place on the actress side, I have a poll already up to decide which actress sneaks in... will it be Charlize Theron? Or Elizabeth Banks? Vote soon! I have the poll closing soon so we can start on the tournament.

Thanks everybody for your submissions, without further ado... the rankings.

ACTORS

1 (tie). Christian Bale 3 votes, 21 points
1 (tie). Daniel-Day Lewis 3 votes, 21 points
3. Robert Downey, Jr. 3 votes, 18 points
4. Matt Damon 2 votes, 16 points
5. Michael Cera 2 votes, 15 points
6 (tie). Paul Giamatti 2 votes, 11 points
6 (tie). Ryan Gosling 2 votes, 11 points
6 (tie). Will Smith 2 votes, 11 points

--others receiving votes--

Denzel Washington 1 vote, 10 points
George Clooney 2 votes, 10 points
Johnny Depp 1 vote, 10 points
Jonah Hill 1 vote, 10 points
Brad Pitt 1 vote, 9 points
Ricky Gervais 1 vote, 9 points
Joseph Gordon-Levitt 2 votes, 8 points
William Hurt 1 vote, 8 points
Emile Hirsch 1 vote, 7 points
Matthew Fox 1 vote, 7 points
Casey Affleck 1 vote, 5 points
Clive Owen 1 vote, 5 points
Phillip Seymour Hoffman 1 vote, 5 points
Ray Winstone 1 vote, 5 points
Simon Pegg 1 vote, 5 points
Tommy Lee Jones 1 vote, 5 points
Viggo Mortenson 1 vote, 5 points
Will Ferrell 1 vote, 5 points
Nathan Fillion 1 vote, 4 points
Owen Wilson 1 vote, 4 points
Edward Norton 1 vote, 3 points
Leonardo DiCaprio 1 vote, 3 points
Neil Patrick Harris 1 vote, 3 points
Chiwetel Ejiofor 1 vote, 2 points
Russell Crowe 1 vote, 2 points
Steve Carell 1 vote, 2 points
Tom Cruise 1 vote, 2 points
Bruce Campbell 1 vote, 1 points
Kiefer Sutherland 1 vote, 1 points
Patrick Fugit 1 vote, 1 points
Paul Dano 1 vote, 1 points

ACTRESSES

1 (tie). Maggie Gyllenhaal 4 votes, 24 points
1 (tie). Naomi Watts 4 votes, 24 points
3. Natalie Portman 3 votes, 20 points
4. Rachel McAdams 2 votes, 19 points
5 (tie). Cate Blanchett 3 votes, 16 points
5 (tie). Kate Winslet 3 votes, 16 points
7. Ellen Page 2 votes, 15 points
8 (tie). Charlize Theron* 2 votes, 11 points
8 (tie). Elizabeth Banks* 2 votes, 11 points

--others receiving votes--

Kate Hudson 2 votes, 10 points
Maria Bello 1 vote, 10 points
Julia Roberts 1 vote, 8 points
Reese Witherspoon 2 votes, 8 points
Drew Barrymore 1 vote, 7 points
Scarlett Johannson 1 vote, 7 points
Gwyneth Paltrow 1 vote, 6 points
Jennifer Aniston 1 vote, 6 points
Cameron Diaz 1 vote, 5 points
Catherine Keener 1 vote, 5 points
Helena Bonham Carter 1 vote, 5 points
Jennifer Connelly 1 vote, 5 points
Kristen Bell 1 vote, 5 points
Rachel Weisz 1 vote, 5 points
Eva Green 1 vote, 4 points
Meryl Streep 2 votes, 4 points
Tina Fey 1 vote, 4 points
Jodie Foster 1 vote, 3 points
Kelly MacDonald 1 vote, 3 points
Joey Lauren Adams 1 vote, 2 points
Audrey Tautou 1 vote, 1 point
Camilla Belle 1 vote, 1 point
Joan Allen 1 vote, 1 point
Keira Knightley 1 vote, 1 point