Shooting From The Hip At The Globes

Well the announcements from the Hollywood Foreign Press are here and without much thought here are my picks for the Golden Globes.

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Revolutionary Road

Best Actress Film - Drama
Meryl Streep - Doubt

Best Actor Film - Drama
Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
In Bruges

Best Actress Film - Musical or Comedy
Sally Hawkins - Happy-go-lucky

Best Supporting Actress Film
Amy Adams - Doubt

Best Supporting Actor Film
Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight

Best Animated Feature
Wall-E

Best Foreign Film
The Badder Meinhof Complex

Best Director Film
Sam Mendez - Revolutionary Road

Best Screenplay Film
Simon Beaufoy - Slumdog Millionare

Best Original Score Film
Hans Zimmer - Frost/Nixon

Best Original Song
"Once in a Lifetime" - Cadillac Records

Best TV Series - Drama
Mad Men

Best Actress TV - Drama
Sally Field - Brothers and Sisters

Best Actor TV - Drama
Hugh Laurie

Best TV Series - Musical or Comedy
30 Rock

Best Actress TV - Musical or Comedy
Tina Fey - 30 Rock

Best Actor TV - Musical or Comedy
Alec Baldwin - 30 Rock

Best Mini-series or Film for TV
John Adams

Best Actress Mini-series or Film for TV
Laura Linny - John Adams

Best Actor Mini-series or Film for TV
Paul Giamatti - John Adams

Best Supporting Actress in Series, Mini-series or Film for TV
Dianne Wiest - In Treatment

Best Supporting Actor in Series, Mini-series or Film for TV
Tom Wilkinson - John Adams

There you have it my gut check of winners. Feel free to tell me I'm wrong but this just my be a perfect list.

Grammy What?

I don't put much stock in awards, especially ones that have a prime time special to announce the nominees, so why do I care about the Grammys? The new talent.

It's easy to see that people get nominated because they have a name, Paul McCartney "That was me" shaking my head, But artist like Adele, Duffy, M.I.A., The Mars Volta, Raphael Saadique, etc. may have been around but never got the exposure they deserved. So for the undeserving, Metallica, to the perennials, John Mayer, we get a glimmer of what awards should be...The most deserving artists of the year get recognized. Sorry Wild Sweet Orange, your debut may be great but I'll see you in five years in the best new artist category.

If only the best get recognised, no one will tune in to the awards "show," Because the the best hasn't reached the main stream yet. Then Coke won't have an audience to pimp its product and isn't that what it's all about, marketing.

So, you'll have to have the average and the "has beens" to get in the audience. So you'll see the Eagles, Al Green, and Jay-Z and they may win but should they?

Even though it's flawed maybe the Academy Awards can take a hint from the Grammys. Take a chance on something, dare I say, independent. A picture without a distributor or even "stars." You may say that I'm a dreamer... Oh wait, Carol King's "You've got a friend" won 1971. Imagine that.

Prediction: Coldplay - Viva La Vita - Wins 5 out of 7
Buddy Guy is a lock.

The December Greed

Well here we are. Officially in December and we are in a recession (for real now), transition in government power, and a war. We need Christmas more this year then most. But that is not for a few more weeks. So, we get the joy of spreading out the credit cards to buy crap for others that they really don't need.

I know there has been countless movies on the true meaning of Christmas (List later this month) but some how we keep forgetting. We still go beyond our means to buy a bread maker for Aunt Sue(who will only use it once). What is the solution...I don't know. I like getting stuff for people. And I feel like a heel if I don't get anything for others.

Maybe make a pact with your family not to by anything for each other. Those over 16 that is; you can't really explain to your 5 year old niece that Christmas is not happening this year cause of a national recession, they won't get it. So, while money is on the brain I leave you with the top 5 movies about greed.

5. Blood Diamond
4. Spirited Away
3. Enron: The smartest guy in the room
2. There will be Blood
1. Wall Street

Happy Shopping

Giving Thanks, Blogging, AdSense, and Film?

One of the great tools offered to anyone that has a blog is google AdSense. Anyone anywhere can get some benefit from modern marketing. I blog about media, movies, film production. I get to talk about what I like. It's fun and informative to others. So, how does one benefit?

Visitors click on sponsored ads on the blog or website and the publisher gets a few cents from the clicks.

Can you do this? Sure. Just have a subject you like to talk about and try to be niche. But, as one of the blogs I like, LeShock Value, you can hit on a little bit of everything. To start one you can go to www.blogger.com and join blogging sites such as http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/

So, Thanks for visiting. Have a look around feel free to comment.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving here are the top five films associated with Turkyday.

5. Pieces of April
4. Dutch
3. For Your Consideration
2. Hannah and Her Sisters
1. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

The Skinny On Shorts

If you read this blog you already know my take on short films, but, if you are going to make one... Make It Short!

In my youtubeing I have found countless "one trick pony's" that have no clue when to quit. I know that most people are amatures on the tube but if you are going to make something for the web, less is more.

Two minutes or less. You can even go two and a half but no more. Get in, do your thing and get out. You don't want to hang around after a prostate exam and some of these shorts are a pain in the ass.

If you are making a comedy, make it funny. A thriller, make me jump. A drama, have emotion. I know that these are crazy things to ask but achieve your objective.

And yes you can do it in two minutes. I found this in five minutes of youtube searching.



Simple and effective. One concept, executed.

This movie sucks?

Apparently Twilight a big thing. From what I gather this movie based on a successful book series that young girls and their mom's like. So why should I care? More over why should you care?

The story revolves around a Vampire that becomes protective over a teen girl that other Vampires want to eat. That's about it. I'm sure people will tell me I'm off base but I can not see this being good in any way. That last good Vampire flick was The Lost Boys everything else has been moving light and I don't expect much from this Twilight except that it may be dimmer then the rest.

If middle aged women want to fantasize about undead men sucking and eating them. They should take a look at the zombie that sleeps next to them for that cheap thrill.

As for the young girls...wait a few years and continue to read your goosebumps.

Middle aged women and teen girls are notorious for wasteful spending but this demographics judgement on the quality literature and entertainment have been abysmal. They are the same people that keep Paris Hilton a house hold name and can't get enough of TMZ.

So in "honor" of the latest installment, I give you five Vampire flicks you should see.

5. Blade
4. The Lost Boys
3. Interview With a Vampire
2. Dracula (1992)
1. Nosferatu

D.C. Flick

With politics being on many peoples minds these days, I started to think about political movies. There have been many. From moving optimistic nostalgia to glossy "comic" groaners, Washington has as many insider movies as Hollywood (thank you Arron Sorkin). The following are ten hits and three misses made in the name of the U.S. political game.

Must See:

10. Wag The Dog - Media and politics are inseparable. This comic gem has a sobering message about perception and manipulation.

9. Dave - The synopsis may make you roll your eyes. A man who looks like the president actually becomes president. But, it's execution exceeds expectations.

8. The Contender - One of the better political thrillers in recent memory. That's all I want to say. just see it.

7. Charlie Wilson's War - Worth it if only to see Philip Seymour Hoffman.

6. Why We Fight - A worth while documentary on the political machine.

5. John Adams - A great mini-series on the founding of our county ( I know not a "movie" but it must be seen.)

4. All the Presidents Men - Investigative journalists deal with the dark side of politics and brings down a presidency. Oh, yeah it's true.

3. 13 Days - One of my favorites. It's hard to find another movie that shows different political agendas with such conviction.

2. Dr. Strangelove - One of the greatest satires ever made.

1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - If you believe in hope and pure ideals you need to see this movie. Think of it as soap for the political soul.

Avoid for your own sanity:

3. Head of State - What the F*%&? No. Not funny not even socially aware.

2. The Distinguished Gentleman - Eddie doesn't even accidentally get it right.

1. 1776 - Politics + Musical = Pain

Happy Birthday Kristie!