I've written that "The Artist" should not get the Oscar for Best Picture. I like that movie but Hugo is the better film. And of the nine nominees for Best Picture, it deserves the prize.
Hugo is innovative. The brilliant Martin Scorsese has directed a masterpiece. His vision of this film in 3-D has catapulted the 3-D medium to high art. And Hugo is no empty exercise in filmmaking. The movie has humor and heart. It's a loving valentine to the magic of movies. So Academy members, I urge you to vote for Hugo.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Why "The Artist" should not be Best Picture
Three years ago, The Hurt Locker went up against Avatar for the Academy Award for Best Picture. And The Hurt Locker won. By the reaction of rabid Avatar fans, you would have thought Hurt Locker's director Kathryn Bigelow shot Avatar's director James Cameron. Yet, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made the right decision.
So this year, why am I writing that, the nominated film, The Artist, should not win Best Picture? I mean I'll probably incur the wrath of The Artist fans just like the Avatar fans went after supporters of The Hurt Locker. First, I don't hate "The Artist." In fact, I rated it as one of the best films of 2011. Well, it's because the winner of the Best Picture Oscar must stand the test of time. While The Artist is passionate and entertaining, it's also conventional. We've seen the plot of this movie before with its story of the rise and fall of a silent film star. There's nothing new, bold or innovative about The Artist. So members of the Academy, please consider another film for Best Picture.
So this year, why am I writing that, the nominated film, The Artist, should not win Best Picture? I mean I'll probably incur the wrath of The Artist fans just like the Avatar fans went after supporters of The Hurt Locker. First, I don't hate "The Artist." In fact, I rated it as one of the best films of 2011. Well, it's because the winner of the Best Picture Oscar must stand the test of time. While The Artist is passionate and entertaining, it's also conventional. We've seen the plot of this movie before with its story of the rise and fall of a silent film star. There's nothing new, bold or innovative about The Artist. So members of the Academy, please consider another film for Best Picture.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on Newt Gingrich's debate attacks
Last week at a South Carolina debate, Newt Gingrich demolished CNN moderator John King over a question about the allegation that Gingrich wanted an open marriage with his second wife. Well, Jon Stewart of the Daily Show called out Gingrich's hypocrisy and Stephen Colbert also had fun with it. Check out the funny videos below.
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Monday, January 23, 2012
Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog at the 2008 RNC
Hey, it's a Presidential election year. And now that Newt Gingrich has won the South Carolina Republican Presidential primary, let's revisit Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog's report at the 2008 Republican National Convention. We run into some old friends such as Tim Pawlenty or TPAW and see Newt Gingrich. Plus get ready for some funny stuff from Anderson Cooper.
Part One
Link to Part One.
Part Two
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visits RNC by jgillardi
Part One
Link to Part One.
Part Two
Triumph the Insult Comic Dog visits RNC by jgillardi
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Underworld: Awakening 3D Review
Let me begin with the question of whether you should see Underworld: Awakening in 3D. I'm going to thank the directors Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein and whoever else for shooting this movie in 3-D. If you are going to release a film in 3-D, shoot it in 3-D. The result of shooting Underworld: Awakening was that the directors and director of photography were able to adjust the lighting for many of the dark scenes. You won't hear me complaining about this 3D movie being too dark.
But that being said, Underworld: Awakening 3-D effects are pedestrian. Yeah, I'm spoiled by Martin Scorsese's Hugo. Marlind and Stein just don't take full advantage of the medium. There's no emphasis on foreground and background. The CGI effects work though. That's just to say it is barely special in 3D. If you're a fan of the series, see this in 3D. If you don't care about the series, don't sweat the 3D version; feel free to see it in 2D.
Months after the events in Underworld: Evolution (2006), vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) finds that humans are hunting down Vampires and Lycans in the "Purge." While trying to rescue her lover Michael, she gets captured and frozen in cryogenic suspension at a biological research company called Antigen. Selene escapes and sees the visions by a little girl named Eve (India Eisley) who also escaped Antigen. She tracks down Eve and they flee to to a coven of Vampires. Selene and Eve find themselves hunted by Antigen.
It took four writers to compose the screenplay. They were Len Wiseman, John Hlavin
J. Michael Straczynski, and Allison Burnett. Yet the movie is only 88 minutes long. There's nothing in the story to make you root for anyone. For example, you will figure out who Eve is, long before Selene does. And there was no compassion among characters anywhere. I only felt sorry for Eve because she was a little girl. There were silly moments too. Seriously, humans defeating vampires? Feel free to comment on this but really. I mean vampires have that whole undead thing working. Plus they have superhuman strength. Then there was a "nuke the fridge" moment. A Lycan throws a elevator down a shaft at Selene. She fires her guns at the bottom of the elevator so when it hits her, the bottom of the elevator has been destroyed. Yeah, like that can happen with today's physics.
Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein's direction is also blunt and colorless like Selene's pale complexion. Hold on. It took two guys to direct this movie? It's only 88 minutes. Anyway, there's an attack by Selene on the Antigen headquarters. I'm thinking this could be a Matrix like moment. Instead, it's bland and unlike The Matrix, it lacks grace. And the Lycans move like fifties stop motion animation. Still, the movie wasn't boring just pedestrian.
Underworld: Awakening will please fans of the series, Twilight and vampire lovers. But it's nothing special, it's just a pleasant time waster. The grade is B minus.
But that being said, Underworld: Awakening 3-D effects are pedestrian. Yeah, I'm spoiled by Martin Scorsese's Hugo. Marlind and Stein just don't take full advantage of the medium. There's no emphasis on foreground and background. The CGI effects work though. That's just to say it is barely special in 3D. If you're a fan of the series, see this in 3D. If you don't care about the series, don't sweat the 3D version; feel free to see it in 2D.
Months after the events in Underworld: Evolution (2006), vampire Selene (Kate Beckinsale) finds that humans are hunting down Vampires and Lycans in the "Purge." While trying to rescue her lover Michael, she gets captured and frozen in cryogenic suspension at a biological research company called Antigen. Selene escapes and sees the visions by a little girl named Eve (India Eisley) who also escaped Antigen. She tracks down Eve and they flee to to a coven of Vampires. Selene and Eve find themselves hunted by Antigen.
It took four writers to compose the screenplay. They were Len Wiseman, John Hlavin
J. Michael Straczynski, and Allison Burnett. Yet the movie is only 88 minutes long. There's nothing in the story to make you root for anyone. For example, you will figure out who Eve is, long before Selene does. And there was no compassion among characters anywhere. I only felt sorry for Eve because she was a little girl. There were silly moments too. Seriously, humans defeating vampires? Feel free to comment on this but really. I mean vampires have that whole undead thing working. Plus they have superhuman strength. Then there was a "nuke the fridge" moment. A Lycan throws a elevator down a shaft at Selene. She fires her guns at the bottom of the elevator so when it hits her, the bottom of the elevator has been destroyed. Yeah, like that can happen with today's physics.
Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein's direction is also blunt and colorless like Selene's pale complexion. Hold on. It took two guys to direct this movie? It's only 88 minutes. Anyway, there's an attack by Selene on the Antigen headquarters. I'm thinking this could be a Matrix like moment. Instead, it's bland and unlike The Matrix, it lacks grace. And the Lycans move like fifties stop motion animation. Still, the movie wasn't boring just pedestrian.
Underworld: Awakening will please fans of the series, Twilight and vampire lovers. But it's nothing special, it's just a pleasant time waster. The grade is B minus.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Why Liberals Love Newt Gingrich
As Newt Gingrich is winning the South Carolina Republican Presidential Primary, it's being reported by MSNBC that Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is celebrating. One wonders why a liberal Democrat would celebrate the victory of a conservative Republican. Here's why.
It's clear that the Republican Party has moved so far right that it no longer represents a large portion of the population. Yes, they kicked ass in 2010. But that's because students and minorities don't vote in midterm elections. Once the conservative Republicans tried to cram down their right-wing policies, the populace arose in mighty democratic wave. Just ask Wisconsin governor Scott Walker who may get recalled and Ohio governor John Kasich who had an anti-union law passed only to see it repudiated.
Watching the GOP debates, one gets one thing from them. The Republicans are an angry and mean bunch. They've cheered for the death of an uninsured man, jeered a gay soldier and Fox News' Juan Williams for asking Newt Gingrich a question over his controversial remarks he made about African Americans and food stamps. Later, at a Gingrich event, a woman congratulated Gingrich for "putting" Williams in his place. I've previously argued that conservative Republicans have become racist.
Which brings us back to Newt Gingrich and his controversial remarks. In New Hampshire, Gingrich let this bomb fly that he would go to the NAACP and talk about "why the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps." Of course Gingrich doesn't let the facts get in the way, since most people on food stamps are white.
So why is Gingrich so popular among Republicans? I agree he excellent in debates if you like a guy who's mean and attacks his political opponent as the enemy of America. But he reflects the racial views of the Republican Party. For example, California Orange County Republican Central Committee member, Marilyn Davenport sent an email with a picture of Obama's head on a chimp. South Carolina GOP activist Rusty DePass said First Lady Michelle Obama to an ancestor of an escaped gorilla. Comparing African Americans to apes is another old racist theme. Then there is Gingrich himself bringing up the image of African Americans as welfare queens. Prior the food stamps comment, Gingrich said that President Obama may follow a "Kenyan, anti-colonial" worldview. Forget the fact that Obama spent very little time in Kenya and that was to merely visit.
But it's not just the Republican racial views that may be repugnant to most Americans. Gingrich puts down GOP rival Mitt Romney as a "Massachusetts Moderate." This absolutely works in favor of getting the nomination. The party has got rid of its moderates. Gone are the Gerry Fords, Nelson Rockefellers and even Barry Goldwaters of the party. They are replaced by the fundamentalist Tea Party. While a majority want to see a progressive tax plan, the party refuses to budge on any tax increase on the extremely wealthy to cure the budget deficit. While most woman want to maintain the right to choose, there are now Republicans that demand no exceptions ot abortion along with their anti-abortion stand. And while thousands decry the greed of Wall Street, the Republican Party wants to go back to the deregulation of the George W. Bush years. And Newt Gingrich is the party's true believer.
So that's why liberals are loving the fact that Newt Gingrich may be the GOP Presidential nominee. The Republicans have a candidate who is as far right as they are. And farther right away from the great portion of the population that doesn't see life they way the Republicans do. Gingrich as the Republican candidate can only lead to the reelection of President Barack Obama.
Here is the most recent piece by Jon Stewart of the Daily Show on the GOP's Newt Gingrich.
It's clear that the Republican Party has moved so far right that it no longer represents a large portion of the population. Yes, they kicked ass in 2010. But that's because students and minorities don't vote in midterm elections. Once the conservative Republicans tried to cram down their right-wing policies, the populace arose in mighty democratic wave. Just ask Wisconsin governor Scott Walker who may get recalled and Ohio governor John Kasich who had an anti-union law passed only to see it repudiated.
Watching the GOP debates, one gets one thing from them. The Republicans are an angry and mean bunch. They've cheered for the death of an uninsured man, jeered a gay soldier and Fox News' Juan Williams for asking Newt Gingrich a question over his controversial remarks he made about African Americans and food stamps. Later, at a Gingrich event, a woman congratulated Gingrich for "putting" Williams in his place. I've previously argued that conservative Republicans have become racist.
Which brings us back to Newt Gingrich and his controversial remarks. In New Hampshire, Gingrich let this bomb fly that he would go to the NAACP and talk about "why the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps." Of course Gingrich doesn't let the facts get in the way, since most people on food stamps are white.
So why is Gingrich so popular among Republicans? I agree he excellent in debates if you like a guy who's mean and attacks his political opponent as the enemy of America. But he reflects the racial views of the Republican Party. For example, California Orange County Republican Central Committee member, Marilyn Davenport sent an email with a picture of Obama's head on a chimp. South Carolina GOP activist Rusty DePass said First Lady Michelle Obama to an ancestor of an escaped gorilla. Comparing African Americans to apes is another old racist theme. Then there is Gingrich himself bringing up the image of African Americans as welfare queens. Prior the food stamps comment, Gingrich said that President Obama may follow a "Kenyan, anti-colonial" worldview. Forget the fact that Obama spent very little time in Kenya and that was to merely visit.
But it's not just the Republican racial views that may be repugnant to most Americans. Gingrich puts down GOP rival Mitt Romney as a "Massachusetts Moderate." This absolutely works in favor of getting the nomination. The party has got rid of its moderates. Gone are the Gerry Fords, Nelson Rockefellers and even Barry Goldwaters of the party. They are replaced by the fundamentalist Tea Party. While a majority want to see a progressive tax plan, the party refuses to budge on any tax increase on the extremely wealthy to cure the budget deficit. While most woman want to maintain the right to choose, there are now Republicans that demand no exceptions ot abortion along with their anti-abortion stand. And while thousands decry the greed of Wall Street, the Republican Party wants to go back to the deregulation of the George W. Bush years. And Newt Gingrich is the party's true believer.
So that's why liberals are loving the fact that Newt Gingrich may be the GOP Presidential nominee. The Republicans have a candidate who is as far right as they are. And farther right away from the great portion of the population that doesn't see life they way the Republicans do. Gingrich as the Republican candidate can only lead to the reelection of President Barack Obama.
Here is the most recent piece by Jon Stewart of the Daily Show on the GOP's Newt Gingrich.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Sex, Christians and Colbert
Stephen Colbert did a very funny video on a Christian online dating service. And he also covered a story about a pastor who is urging his married flock to have sex for seven straight days. Check it out.
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