Emmys

Who I would have picked: (If in RED, my choice did win!)


Best Comedy Series:
Modern Family


Best Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire

Best Mini Series or TV Movie:
*As I did not see any of this year's nominees yet, I cannot ethically choose one--however as Mildred Pierce has an excellent cast and is a remake of one of my favorite Joan Crawford films, I believe the right choice was made*

Best Lead Actor in Comedy Series:
Steve Carell

Best Lead Actor in Drama Series:
Michael C. Hall

Best Lead Actor in Mini Series or TV Movie:
*Based on what actor I like best from previous work*
William Hurt

Best Lead Actress in Comedy Series:
Laura Linney
*However, I like Melissa McCarthy, and have not seen Mike & Molly*

Best Lead Actress in Drama Series:
Mireille Enos


Best Lead Actress in Mini Series or TV Movie:
*Based on what actress I like best from previous work*
Kate Winslet


Best Supporting Actor in Comedy Series:
Eric Stonestreet

Best Supporting Actor in Drama Series:
John Slattery

Best Supporting Actor in Mini Series or TV Movie:
*Based on what actor I like best from previous work*
Paul Giamatti

Best Supporting Actress in Comedy Series:
Betty White

Best Supporting Actress in Drama Series:
Christine Baranski AND Margo Martindale


Best Supporting Actress in Mini Series or TV Movie:
*Based on what actress I like best from previous work*
Maggie Smith


Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series:
Real Time with Bill Maher AND Saturday Night Live

Documentaries

I know a lot of you aren't into documentaries, but I urge you to see what's out there; This genre of film is great of broadening your minds, and is also a great way to pass the time if you're bored!
So here's a list of some of my favorite documentaries (in no particular order), and I hope you'll give them a chance:

• Man on Wire- A glance at Phillipe Petit walking a high wire between the Twin Towers in 1974.
• The Last Waltz- Scorsese films The Band's last concert, featuring many guest singers.
• An Inconvenient Truth- Al Gore gives insight into global warming statistics.
• Monterey Pop- A look at the first major rock festival, that is unjustly rated way below Woodstock.
• Grey Gardens- A depressing but mesmerizing account of the introverted lives of Big and Little Edie Bovier Beale.
• Grizzly Man- Heartbreaking accounts of eccentric Timothy Treadwell, who was killed by one of the bears he studied.
• My Big Breasts and Me- What it's really like to have naturally big breasts, and the health hazards that are included.
• The Thin Blue Line- A documentary that investigated a murder case, arguing that the man charged with the crime was really innocent.

Lauren Bacall

Today is screen legend Lauren Bacall's 87th birthday. In celebration of this, I'd like to share with you some facts and trivia as shown on: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000002/bio

• Birth name is Betty Joan Perske
• Height 5' 8+1/2''
• Married to Humphrey Bogart from 1945-1957
• Married to Jason Robards from 1961-1969
• Shortly after Bogart's death, she announced her engagement to Frank Sinatra--who directly  backed out
• Her longtime friend Katherine Hepburn is her son Sam Robards' godmother
• In 1997 chosen by People Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World
• Once quoted [On Humphrey Bogart], "Was he tough? In a word, no. Bogey was truly a gentle soul."

Gary Oldman

      I'd like to talk about one of the most brilliant actors to be on the silver screen, Gary Oldman. Oldman has a diversity that not many actors have. He can portray a lovesick count with a taste for blood just as smoothly as a crazed assassin with a mad brilliance to his technique.
     Oldman happens to star in three of my all-time favorite movies: Bram Stoker's Dracula, Immortal Beloved, and The Scarlet Letter. Granted, they are all love stories; but each has an aspect of its story that makes it so much more complex and dark than you everyday love story, such as The Notebook.
      Bram Stoker's Dracula  was done, in every aspect of the film, superbly. This is surely Francis Ford Coppola's finest work; the casting of Oldman as Dracula led to the instant classic the film became. The fact it incorporates aspects of the real Vlad Dracula's life makes this movie even the more eerie.
       Immortal Beloved is a less known story, and is also based partly on fact. It follows the love life of composer Ludwig Van Beethoven, as found in a famous letter he wrote to his mystery love. This film is highly underrated, and for anyone who is in the slightest bit a history buff a real treat.
       For anyone who, like me, read The Scarlet Letter and despised it--don't let the anguish of the book influence whether or not you watch the film version. The movie is absolutely wonderful;with romance, violence, and realistic depictions of the lives of the puritans.
      Other movies which feature Oldman include Basquiat, The Fifth Element,Hannibal,and Red Riding Hood.

50/50

     So, have you heard of the new film starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt? It's called 50/50. The film centers around the protagonist Adam (Gordon-Levitt), who is a cancer patient in his late 20's, who is dealing with his condition with the help of his sidekick, Kyle (Rogen). Although the plot deals with a depressing issue, it promises to be an exquisite giggle producer. Dark comedy can be a dangerous genre to undertake; the comedy could be done in a tacky way, the content being expressed in a comical matter could offend viewers, and the wrong lineup of players could produce a box-office massacre.
     However, I strongly doubt that is the case with 50/50. Both headlining actors have been involved with films that could be considered dark comedy. In 2009, Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in (500) Days of Summer, a comedy about lead character Tom's pursuit of a girl he works with. Although the film would not normally be conceived as a dark comedy, when you consider the lingering feeling of reality involved with the characters' relationship, it cannot be called a romantic comedy or even just a comedy. Those genres tend to have a bubblegum ending and fairy tale expectations. Seth Rogen has appeared in a movie with a plot reminiscent of 50/50. 2009's Funny People, also took a dark comedy approach to terminal sickness. Although it had its humorous moments, I'm expecting more from 50/50.
       The film also includes such stars as Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Kendrick, Phillip Baker Hall, and Anjelica Houston. In all, this film promises to be a warm and comical tear-jerker and I am anxious to see it!

Catching Up

So I haven't posted in forever because I was without a computer all summer and then had to get settled into my new school; but I plan on posting regularly from now on....For this post I'm going to just list some of the newer releases that I'm wanting to see the most:

• Cowboys & Aliens
• The Rum Diary
• Forks Over Knives
• 50/50
• Our Idiot Brother
• The Help
• Straw Dogs
• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Don't be Afraid of the Dark
• Fright Night