Fassinating Fassbender - A Michael Fassbender Fan Blog

A Shameful Sham

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:48:00 +0000

It's a shame!

In the days following the conclusion of my interest in the remainder of the awards season climax on this side of the pond, it allowed me to reflect a little bit more on what Michael Fassbender has accomplished. But first, I want to talk about the infantile and embarrassing articles that have been written by Americans about the "reason" why Michael was snubbed for an Oscar nomination last week. The childish taunts and mockings by "journalists" say more about them, and American's so-called puritanical fears of male nudity, than it does about Michael Fassbender. If you were to do a quick Google search on news about Michael Fassbender, you will see headlines that joke about Michael's nudity as being the reason for the snub, and high-school locker room language about his physicality. The headlines are designed purely to get visits to the website and to read a shallow article that has been written by someone who is absolutely clueless about Michael's cinema repertoire and true talents beyond the role that has gotten him the most fame this season. And to top it all off, I got an invite to follow a new tumblr blog that is strictly devoted to all forms of Michael in the nude, co-starring Fassbender Jr! No thank you!

I was so gung ho and anxious leading up to Tuesday morning last week, and then, we were all let down like a balloon that was suddenly popped by a hot sharp needle. Like many of you, I was upset, but then that upset turned into a mental exhaustion, and then that exhaustion turned into being angry at an injustice that was unfair and discriminatory and based on a sexist system of double-standards. Of all the years that I have been watching the race towards the Oscar nominations, I have never witnessed such a blatant act of exclusion, elitism, sexism, and plain old fashioned ignorance. Once I stepped away from the snub madness, I was able to say to myself in a calm manner, that this is just what it is, and Michael deserves better than this, and he will get his just rewards. I'm also relieved that he will not be the butt of jokes and snide commentary while he continued to actively participate in the soul eating campaign for a piece of gold plated metal. If Michael Fassbender were to ever truly be recognized and honored with an Oscar nomination in the future, it should come after some distance and time from the success of his work in Shame. The residue of the deliberate snub (because the film was NC-17 and showed male nudity - the two principle reasons why AMPAS didn't give Shame the time of day) will be a distant memory because Hollywood suffers from attention deficit disorder.

So, I'm glad for Michael's sake he doesn't have to deal with American media ignorance for the remainder of this winter and coming spring while Shame and his nudity is still on repressed gossipy tongues. Meanwhile, for the weekend of February 11-12th, there will be back to back opportunities for Michael to conclude his award collection season which started way back in September at the Venice Film Festival. I'm not going to make any predictions, I'm done with that. I just want to wish Michael the best of luck in having the Irish (Irish Film and Television Awards) and the British (BAFTAs) award him with their respective Best Actor trophy, and to show the Americans what a Best Actor nominee and winner really looks like.

To those of you regular Fassinating Fassbender contributors who missed out on participating in Plan B, or if you did not want to participate in it, I may have an alternative option for you to consider. It will be strictly dealing with me one on one in getting a birthday greeting to His Awesomeness. Just email me.

L'Uomo Vogue video

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:02:00 +0000

A regular poster, MLM, suggested that this L'Uomo Vogue video of Michael Fassbender be posted here to enjoy.

"I just picked up L'Uomo Vogue with Michael on the cover and I love the pictures. Very masculine and edgy look to the shoot. I think this video is worth posting, don't you agree? As you once said, if Michael couldn't act, he would had a great career as a male model. He is amazing in front of the camera and needs no direction."

George Tonight with Fassy!

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Wow, Michael looks divine in this Canadian TV talk show. Yes!!!

ps. comments are on moderation for a short while, thank you for understanding.

Plan B

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:10:00 +0000

CLOSED - Participation at MAX capacity! - While trying to stay positive and cheer leading on for the hopeful Oscar nomination for Michael Fassbender’s performance in ‘Shame’, I did have way in the back of my mind, the question, ‘What if he’s not nominated, what then’? About a week before the Jan. 24th announcement, I devised Plan B in the event of a snub, alas, that sadly came to fruition. However, in always trying to see the positive from a negative thing, I wanted to do something for us fans, and FOR Michael Fassbender, and the goal is to have it completed for his birthday, April 2nd.

Plan B will be a fun private project for a handful of serious and devoted fans of Michael who want to participate. As Michael’s birthday approaches, I will make public what this little project is, but for now, I would like to keep it under wraps.

How do you participate in Plan B? Please read carefully.

Firstly the project is open to the regular commenters here at Fassinating Fassbender: those who use a registered blogger username or post comments using one name regularly. I kindly request this because all participants will be on a first name basis as this project is unveiled and we will join in on group email discussions. Through many of your posts over time, you all have respected and supported each other and there is a nice community established here. If you are a private person, this project is not for you as this is an all hands-on-deck, and informal group project. This project will require you to be a part of a group of people who will each make one small monetary contribution towards the purchase of the gift in question. It's not my intention to deliberately exclude a lot of people who may be interested, but due to the intimate nature of private correspondence and information sharing this project entails, the persons who have demonstrated their support for this blog and Michael, are invited to consider participating. As pleased as I am to know that there are hundreds upon hundreds of lurkers, and the cool people who do post anonymously, the fact is that I do not know you like how I know the regular posters who have shown a vested interest in Fassinating Fassbender, by personalizing their contributions here.

If five people are interested, the cost will be divided evenly between the five of us; ten people, it’ll be divided evenly between the ten of us. The more the merrier! You will also need to mail to me a 3x5 handwritten notecard to be included along with the gift. This will be a thank you/birthday gift to Michael! You will be a part of making a key decision on the style of the object and the creative frills attached to it. So again, if you do not want to have email exchanges between other people you really don’t know, or make a donation, or snail mail to me a personal message to Michael, it’s ok, take a pass on this project.

To learn more about Plan B, please email me with the subject: Plan B, I'm in! to simonetvc@gmail.com, and by emailing me, you will be using an email address that will clearly identify you by your name or your regular commenter name.

Once I gather all the participants, the group of Plan B will receive further information about the project to proceed on. Please inquire only if you are comfortable with participating in this Michael Fassbender fan birthday gift project that will ask you to contribute funds via PayPal that won’t exceed $20 US – the more people, the less money needed. Through this project, we will learn more about each other, our names, and where we are located in the US/world. I gave a heads up to Troika yesterday, and I got a smile back, so we’re good to go!

Photo: Philip Sinden

Happy Fassy Day

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:47:00 +0000

Smile! Be Happy! Michael Fassbender is a great actor and a swell human being! That's why we ♥ him and stuff! Welcome to Happy Fassy Day!!!!!!!!

Well... [edited]

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

If only I were a naked female, I coulda been a contenda.

AMPAS has proven that they are out of touch, irrelevant, ignorant, and it discriminates against thought-provoking films and performances that have the bravery to bring to life a taboo topic that affects millions of people.

To Michael Fassbender, we are proud of what you accomplished with Shame, and we are thoroughly disgusted with AMPAS, and I for one will fucking boycott the Oscars this year. I have no care in the world to watch a ceremony that thinks so little about the challenging role that Michael brought to life that no other actor could have done.

Edited to add: I've been at work all morning and I had to do some courier duties. It was good to get outside into the fresh freezing Michigan air to decompress and think about this morning's fuckery from AMPAS. In my myopic view, I did not think about the other wonderful performances that were given the finger by AMPAS this morning, namely, Charlize Theron and Patton Oswalt of Young Adult, Tilda from We Need to Talk about Kevin, Elizabeth Olsen and John Hawkes 'Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks in Drive... just to name a few.

What I want to do is help ease the frustration and pain that many Fassinators feel at this moment, along with me, that Michael Fassbender wasn't the only one snubbed. Yes, his snub was significant to note because of all the praise and awards he has received in the past couple of months. Again, for AMPAS to not recognize him speaks volumes about their lack of maturity, their ignorance to mature themed Indies, discrimination against male nudity, and most importantly, how completely out of touch they are with reality, with real films that make people think and empathize with characters.

Go see a movie on Feb. 26th, don't watch the Oscars cuz I won't be there.

So on February 26th, instead of watching the Oscar broadcast, rent the DVD of one of the performances mentioned above, or go to the theater and watch films and performances that were snubbed by the academy. We don't need AMPAS to spoon feed to us what is award worthy, and which film and performances are must sees. They have proven that they are too stupid to see the forest for the trees. Critics on twitter are in shock by the blatant snubs of key performances, including Michael's, so we are not alone. Lower ratings this year will be our finger to AMPAS, and a memo to them to get a fucking clue about what should truly be honored with the highest achievement in the industry.

Lastly, in anticipation of this snub, I already have Plan B established. I will inform you all about it later this week; this is a group project and only serious participants need apply.

Keep posting your comments in this thread, there will be no more updates today. Thanks... and..

Fuck you AMPAS!

A case of Fassylism

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:48:00 +0000

Help me!

Read about it at the FF tumblr.

It will happen

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:38:00 +0000

This time tomorrow, we will know if Michael is an Oscar nominee.

I can't remember the last time I have been so excited and had so much personal time invested in celebrating the hopeful inclusion of an actor in the Oscar's Best Actor race. And I highly doubt I will do this for any other actor than Michael Fassbender. A lot of people strongly think he will be nominated, and a few think he will just miss the cut. But Newsweek thinks highly enough about him to include him with King Clooney in their Newsweek's Oscar Roundtable! Go read it all at Newsweek, and there are a few pictures and a short video clip of the roundtable.

Laughing over a bad golf joke eh?

Hey, I saw 'Haywire' Saturday night in a theater that was like 70% full. It was a very good movie, and the fight scenes were incredible. It's so cool to see a woman kick so much man ass in a film. The scene between Gina and Michael was the best fight scene of the movie because he was kicking her butt and she was knocking the crap out of him. Maybe he's as light in weight as he appears because she was manhandling him like he only weighed 100lbs. Michael/Paul looked really surprised and shocked in how Gina/Mallory was going toe to toe with him. And in the end, she had no pity for Paul. But... the lad did put up a good fight.

Now, I was surprised about one thing. In their hotel suite that Paul/Mallory shared as pretend husband and wife, Michael/Paul took a shower. And I'm starting to wonder if it is in Michael's contract that he must appear nude/near nude in all his films. He came out of the shower, all wet and with a towel barely covering his lower part... and it was not a quick glance. The man just cannot NOT look good on film... fully clothed like a GQ model, prancing around wet in a towel, or getting his ass whooped. He's flawless.

So, if you haven't seen Haywire, please go see it. And although Michael is in it for a short time, it is a meaty role however brief it is. The film is very tension filled and the plot is pretty radical for an espionage film.

Haywire Grade: B or 8/10

Source: Newsweek

No Guts, No Glory - Best Actor Oscar Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Last night, Michael Fassbender was at the lovely Hackney Picturehouse for a Q&A session about Shame. A lucky girl who attended the screening shared this image of Michael at twitter. It was a sold out crowd, and so far, the UK and Europe have been very impressed with the film and Michael's performance.

Tweetpic by @maggiegogler

This weekend is also the release of Haywire starring Gina Carano, with Michael in a 10-minute role... but a crucial role as it commences the drama that Gina's character has the deal with. It's predicted to have a $9 million weekend. I will try to see it tonight, but definitely on Sunday. BTW, I picked up my copy of W magazine and Interview. Michael should have been the cover of W, but Brad Pitt does look especially handsome.

If 'Shame' isn't playing near you, go see Haywire this weekend!

I found an Oscar predictions article as a re-tweet this morning and it is from Mark Harris of Grantland. His article is very insightful, but it doesn't appear he has high hopes for Michael Fassbender. That Damien Bichir guy keeps popping up... and you know what's scary about his performance? It's that many AMPAS voters may relate more to his character's personal plight about an illegal alien landscaper who works in LA. Dun, dun dun! I got $20 that says that 75% of AMPAS voters, use under the table illegal help in California. Along with a great performance, guilt trips could come into play in recognizing Bichir's performance and give him a proper nod. I have 'A Better Life' as #4 on my netflix queue and I may bump it up to the top spot so I can review it this week, especially if he's nominated on Tuesday.

Michael won 'Best British Actor' at London Film Critics' Circle this week.

Read Harris' article here and share your thoughts. I know some of you have been expressing your Top 5 all the long, but let's re-visit those Best Actor lists in this thread this weekend, and don't hold back. If you don't think Michael will make it, don't apologize or feel the need to censor yourself, this is a No Guts, No Glory Best Actor prediction and here is my final list:

Jean Dujardin

Brad Pitt

Michael Fassbender

Gary Oldman

George Clooney

The one thing I really like about Harris' article is that he points out the blatant love and crazed fanaticism for "King" George Clooney in Hollywood. It's really sickening that George is Jack Nicholson Part II, with the latter being a far more diverse and believable iconic actor. I just don't think Leo will get a nomination this year, I just don't sense it. And Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is such an incredible film, if the BAFTAs are 90% in the nomination vein as the Oscars, then the BAFTA lineup will repeat itself on Tuesday. Part of my DNA refuses to allow me to budge on removing Fassbender, but for other Oscar pundits, his name seems the most pliable and that is a concern to me. But, c'est la vie.

This man WILL be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar.

Young Michael Fassbender 1989

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:15:00 +0000

All this week we have been blessed with images of Michael winning awards and showing some sexy skin, and so to close out the week, we have tween Fassy pictures! This is so sweet and exciting to see, what a way to end a crazy week!

Source: Independent.ie

Michael won Best British Actor at London Film Critics' Circle Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Michael Fassbender won the Best British Actor award tonight at the London Film Critics' Circle Awards. He was also a double nominee this evening as he was nominated in the Best Actor category... the winner there was Jean Dujardin of The Artist! I knew Michael could not win both, and as a UK based actor, he is considered British, hence, his being listed in that category.

Congratulations Michael on winning another honor for your outstanding work in 2011!

The Late Show video of Michael Fassbender's appearance!

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:05:00 +0000

If you're like me and did not watch The Late Show last night, here is the complete program video of the January 18th show. As some have noted, the The Late Show is very different from the Charlie Rose show - you'll note it by the type of questions asked and Michael's comfort level. It's good to have seen him on both shows at this point in his career.

Some fans seem to be having difficulty grasping Michael's sudden appearance everywhere... it's called PUBLICITY for a major film that can give him an OSCAR nomination. Get used to it.

Here is the video LINK.

This short clip has Michael talking about Viggo.

Michael Fassbender has the nicest thighs, don'cha think?

Yeah, those jeans fit him like a GLOVE. Yeah.

Sources: The Late Show and Zimbio

#MichaelFassbender

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:50:00 +0000

If you’re on twitter, let’s unite to try to TREND Michael today. Tweet #MichaelFassbender in whatever creative way you want, and let’s get him in the top ten. Who knows, maybe David Letterman may point it out in the interview with Michael today!

Michael Fassbender is a Movie Stah!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:48:00 +0000

Just go here, I don't know what else to say. I give up.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

David Letterman Tonight!

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:02:00 +0000

Don't forget to watch The Late Show with David Letterman! Michael will be on tonight to promote 'Shame', and possibly 'A Dangerous Method' and 'Haywire'!

Also, the Charlie Rose show just put up last night's interview with Michael, so go here to check it out! I'm one of the few who don't watch TV, so I missed it last night. I will watch this when I get home. He looks good and very sophisticated.

ps. if you are on twitter, please follow me @fassfass I post a lot of links to articles and interviews on Michael which do not appear here at Fassinating Fassbender. And if you don't mind a few personal 'Simone' tweets, I encourage you to follow me. Thanks!

Michael wants that Oscar [edited]

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:25:00 +0000

No he didn't! Where the fuck is this from? He just had to go there!

See... I'm a nice person. I'm a good, law abiding citizen. I have maintained integrity in being the administrator of this blog. I have supported Michael Fassbender, I have defended him. I praise him for his brilliant talents and humanitarian ethics...

But then he pulls some fucking sexy goddamn shit like this... and my objectivity and professionalism is all fucked up!

What the fuck is this? It's beautiful! It's sexy... I, I have no words, I just fucking look at it, and yes, my fucking mind goes straight into the most ghetto of all gutters! Thanks a lot Michael fucking Fassbender for pulling out the Sexy Motherfucker card. Bastard! You did this on purpose! [This is from W magazine]

Fill in the blank game:
I would _____________ the _____________ out of him until _______________.

Me: I would tap the DNA out of him until the cops came and arrest me!

Let's have fun with this. Fuck it. :D

Thanks MiddleFrances - I was in class when you sent this!

For tankgirl's phone

Michael on American TV

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Michael on The Charlie Rose Show, TONIGHT!!!

This is exciting last minute news! Michael Fassbender will make an appearance on The Charlie Rose show, tonight at 11pm local time. The Charlie Rose show is a high-brow, high-quality talk show that features interviews, really interesting, sophisticated interviews with political figures, business people, diplomats, and entertainers. I am impressed beyond words how smart it is for Michael Fassbender to get a booking on this program, just coming off the Golden Globes, and just receiving a BAFTA nomination. Surely they will discuss Shame and the repercussions of the film facing the rare NC-17 rating, and the challenges of his role in Shame. Make sure you watch this, otherwise, you will be able to view Michael's interview online at the Charlie Rose website tomorrow!

Jan 17, 2012

Michael Fassbender

Jim O'Neill

And don't forget tomorrow night, Jan 18th
The Late Show with David Letterman

Michael nominated for a BAFTA

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:10:00 +0000

The BAFTAs announced this year's nominees and it appears they have a great fondness for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Artist - two films I really enjoyed. I saw TTSS on Saturday and it's great (saw The Artist again on Friday), and TTSS would be better with additional viewings because it's a very convoluted deep plot and has a million interesting characters. However, Shame was able to squeeze out just two nominations, Michael Fassbender for Best Actor, and Shame as Outstanding British Film. To my surprise, they nominated Carey Mulligan for 'Drive'. Really? She was good in it, but nominate her for Drive, but not Shame, and no nomination for Ryan Gosling of Drive? Something is terribly amiss, but, this is BAFTA.

Here is the full list of the BAFTA nominations at THR, but I will list just the few right here:

LEADING ACTOR
BRAD PITT Moneyball
GARY OLDMAN Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
GEORGE CLOONEY The Descendants
JEAN DUJARDIN The Artist
MICHAEL FASSBENDER Shame

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges
SENNA Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey
SHAME Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo,
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno,
Rory Stewart Kinnear

BEST FILM
THE ARTIST Thomas Langmann
THE DESCENDANTS Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
DRIVE Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
THE HELP Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo

So if I could take a gamble and make my predictions right now, I'm puzzled why BAFTA even bothered to nominated TTSS twice in the redundant category of Best Film/British Film - I absolutely believe that The Artist will win Best Film, and therefore, TTSS will by default win Best British Film. Due to the paltry nominations that Shame has received, it is not strong enough to win Best British Film, unfortunately. That leaves it's only possible win to be for Best Actor, Michael Fassbender, who has been kicking ass in precursor critics awards, on both sides of the pond, over all nominees, including Gary Oldman.

Now some may think Gary will win, and he could, he was great in TTSS, a very understated and subtle performance, but it was not as 'out there' challenging as Michael in Shame. And both gentlemen being UK citizens, I strongly feel that BAFTA will do the proper thing and give the award to one of them, with Michael having a tad bit of an advantage. Gary is an admired actor who for political reasons within the industry, has been overlooked for many of his performances. In a fair world, this man should have at least three Oscars and three BAFTAs, but he doesn't, and that sympathy along with such strong support for audience friendly TTSS in the UK and US, could give him the edge. But Michael Fassbender's performance in Shame is receiving overwhelmingly enthusiastic support in all of the UK/Ireland and Europe and again, his bravery in being in such a role and in a "divisive" film, should give him the edge, and out of respect to his boldness and artistic depth, he could win this award - which will be Shame's solo winning. Shame cannot go empty handed from the BAFTA, it's the most celebrated British production this year.

Of all five actors nominated, I will accept Dujardin, Oldman, or of couse, Fassbender as the winners - I have seen all their performances. I don't want this award to go to an American; yes, I'm against my kind, my countrymen in this category. The BAFTAs are suppose to focus on a more universal level of acting than the Oscars have been, and it would be a shame, pun intended, for that Clooney clown, or Pitt, to win this award, or even the Oscars (if this line up is replicated by AMPAS next week). Hands down, Fassbender is the best, but Dujardin either tying with him, or a close second, and then Oldman.

The awards will be given out on February 17th in London.

Reminder, Michael will gain more momentum if he wins the Best Actor at the London Film Critics Awards on Thursday, again, in London.

Congratulations to Michael on his BAFTA nomination, and good to luck him at the LFCA on Thursday!

BAFTA Nominations Tuesday morning!

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:56:00 +0000

The BAFTAs will announce their nominations Tuesday morning, Jan 17th at 7:40am. It's unclear if that is GMT, or EST - they need to be specific. I will be in route to work at that very hour if it's EST, but if it's GMT, upon waking up and checking online, I will be able to see the list of nominees prior to going into work. So I hope the latter scenario is accurate.

In any event, tomorrow is going to be exciting - go to http://www.bafta.org/film/awards/nominations-announcement,2537,BA.html to see the live update, or watch the updates and feedback on BAFTA's twitter feed @BAFTAfilm.

As per the longlist that was released last week, we anticipate seeing Michael Fassbender nominated in the Best Actor category. It is my hope that the film Shame receives a few nods as well.

In other news, make sure you are paying close attention to @HaywireFilm at twitter because they are giving away free movie passes to select theaters that will be featuring Haywire when it comes out this weekend. And yes, just as I'm typing this, I realize, cripe, I have a new Fassy movie to see! I've just been so busy with work, classes have started again, and my attention has been so focused on promoting Shame that I forgot that Jan 20th is just a few days away. So those of you who are lucky enough to be near a city and theater where free tickets are being given out - try to take advantage of it!

Lastly, although June 8th seems far away, it will be here in no time, and Prometheus promises to be an exciting film. When you have a moment, get acquainted with my newest affiliate partners at PrometheusNews.net. They will update their blog with all the latest information about Prometheus, co-starring Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, and Charlize Theron, just to name a few!

Michael at the Golden Globes

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I can't wait for Brendan and Michael to work together.

Last night, Fassinators across the globe had high hopes that Michael Fassbender would pull off his first major American award win at the Golden Globes, but it was not to be. As predicted, the Golden Globes gave the award to George Clooney, an actor they all love and have no shame in putting on kneepads to let him know this, as frequently as possible. I know a lot of fans were very, very disappointed, but this is far from over. The one really interesting thing that came out of the Clooney win, was that George, in his usual 'Let me make you laugh because you love me' moment, gave a giant salute to Michael Fassbender's performance in Shame. Although it made many of us wince, as well as Michael, it was funny. But what will come out of it is that A-LIST AMERICAN ACTOR/DIRECTOR GOD GEORGE CLOONEY gave America a reason to really go check out Shame now... to see why it's been proclaimed that Michael can probably golf with his hands tied behind his back! ;-) This my friends, is the benefit of Michael attending the globes and not winning the actual award, but he won recognition, got a hearty applause, and high-profile camera time. And he looked very handsome too. I'm sure Michael and George will work together one day, soon, I will put a bet on it.

The next step are the BAFTA nominations on Tuesday, tomorrow, and then on Thursday are the London Film Critics Award. Michael is expected to be nominated for a BAFTA, and there are strong predictions that he will win the LFCC. And while he's in London, he will attend the sold-out Q&A screening of Shame at the Hackney Picturehouse on the 20th! And then, next Tuesday, are the Oscar nominations. Some pundits don't think Michael will be nominated as they hold the SAG snub in high regard. But I know he will be nominated, and if Fox Searchlight can up their game a bit and promote Michael as much as they are promoting Clooney, Michael will have an even better shot.

In Hollywood, the old adage is that, as long as they are talking about you, it's good PR. In Michael's case, with Clooney's crazy on-stage comment about Michael, a LOT of people are going to be talking about him now, and will see Shame, and recognize the true brilliance of his performance, outside of his beautiful body, and properly award the right actor in February. The thing about the Golden Globes that I will say to close out this discussion, is that it is an organization that is highly scrutinized by bloggers and critics because it is the one award that is so easily bought by the studios (see the Weinsteins/Fox), and they have NO shame in showing it, and rewarding the actors/actresses and films of particular studios. It's a travesty really, I know some people who just refuse to watch it because it's so well established that the GGs are fraudulent. So don't fret and be upset that Michael didn't win the GG, and don't hate on Clooney, he's ok... just not all that. We Fassinators need to stay positive and support Michael in what will be a very long next 5-6 weeks.

Here are some photos of Michael from last night, I will post more at my tumblr later in the day. And finally, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the chat last night. It was a lot of fun and I had room for 50 participants and at one point, it was at maximum capacity, so I will have to purchase the 100 capacity option for the Oscars.

Golden Globes Coverage - Michael Fassbender at the GGs

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:43:00 +0000

Hi everyone, the chat room will be opening up at 7:30pm EST and we will just chit chat about the show, and all things Fassy! There will be some moments during broadcast that will allow us to see Michael in the audience, and it's going to be fun! I think that the Best Actor award will be announced, of course, closer towards the end of the evening, so, be prepared to stay up for a while.

If you're like me and don't have cable/satellite TV (by choice, as I don't watch TV), you can watch the red carpet and the Golden Globes at this link here. You will need to download a safe program (my Norton anti-Virus gave it approval to download), which will take just a few moments, and you will be able to see it streamed online, live.

It has been announced at twitter that Michael will be wearing Armani! He's worn Armani before, and he looked smashing! Check back here in about an hour and we'll get going!

chat closed = thanks for participating!

Preparing for The Golden Globes

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:17:00 +0000

My favorite picture from LAFCA last night.

Michael with 'The Descendants' screenwriter, Alexander Payne.


Winning the award for 'Best Actor' and 'Person Wearing the Shiniest Suit'.

Michael Fassbender looked like he enjoyed himself last night at the Los Angeles Film Critics' Award gala, he received a lovely plaque honoring his full body of work for 2011. That's even more complimentary than being singled out for one movie, but we know that Shame was the tipping point in the final months of 2011 to garner him respect and notice. I know that we have been a little bummed out in the past 24 hours with some award season rumors having some light shed upon them, but don't fret. We are all here to support Michael, wholeheartedly, no matter what. So stay chipper and positive, we will see this through to the end!

I have a few ideas rolling around in my busy mind, and I will share them with you in the coming weeks, after the AMPAS nominations. But before all that, I wanted to remind you about the Fassinating Fassbender Golden Globes Live Chat event, Sunday night, starting at around 7:30pm EST/4:30pm PST (or 12:30am GMT). The Golden Globes start at 8pm EST. I will be in the chat room along with other Fassinators, so please feel free to stop by. The chat will be open throughout the entire program. We will all discuss the Golden Globes of course, but if you have any questions you would like for me to try to answer, please share them at that time.

As a reminder, here are the nominees for Best Actor:

George Clooney – The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio – J. Edgar

Michael Fassbender – Shame

Ryan Gosling – The Ides Of March

Brad Pitt – Moneyball

Good luck to Michael Fassbender tomorrow night!

Photos: Zimbio

The Best Actor @LAFCA

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:22:00 +0000

Michael at the LA Film Critics Awards ceremony, Friday night to collect his Best Actor award!

"One guy locks his wife in the attic, one tries to figure out his dreams, one manipulates metal, the other manipulates himself.” - Michael @LAFCA

I participated in a live chat at The Hollywood Reporter with Scott Feinberg and asked him this question, which he kindly answered with a frank assessment.

Here is a follow up comment to my question, from Nina:

This non-Michael related question CAN be applied towards Michael's predicament:

Face to Palm

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:34:00 +0000

If I had a 'What The Fuck'? file, this information would be in there all by itself:

"After scoring big wins at the Critics' Choice Awards, "The Help," "The Descendants," The Artist," "Moneyball" and "Bridesmaids" may get more kudos love soon at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

That's because all 100,000 SAG members have so far received DVD screeners of all of those films."

No SAG nomination for Michael = No fuckin' wonder!

Read the rest of this exclusive report by Tom O'Neal at Gold Derby.

Question: Where was Michael 'CCMA'?

noreply@blogger.com (Simone) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 12:16:00 +0000

"Hi, Simone. What do you think of Michael's not attending Critics Choice Awards? Lots of fans on tumblr are curious and a bit worried about this situation. Someone allegedly working in a screener dist. company even seems to start a rumor again about Fox Searchlight not really supporting Shame in awards race and Shame team&McQueen being pissed off. (Something that we've heard before. Personally, I don't really buy it. McQueen cares that much about awards?) Anyway, I thought it would be nice of him to show up at the ceremony because critics had shown their appreciation of his great performance in Shame by giving Michael several critics awards wins. Well, there must have been a proper reason that he miss the occasion for. I just want to know your opinion.

p.s I always appreciate your great work and efforts in this wonderful blog. Especially, I love to read your insightful writings."

January 13, 2012 1:05 AM

Hello! A lot of people (esp. the majority of tumblr Fassinators) really aren't familiar with the awards season musical chair tactic of who shows up at which awards event. Not all nominees are available or interested in attending every ceremony, that is the norm. I have long suspected, however, that some nominees are given a 'wink' in advance to guarantee their attendance, and said wink informs the celebrity that of the five nominees, he or the other guy will be the winner. And looky who showed up last night, the two A-listers: Georgie and Bradley. Michael is extremely busy promoting Shame and doing interviews, as well as taking care of other business for his possible next project(s). So with that said, he cannot attend every event, especially if the odds are not in his favor. I believe that Fox Searchlight is doing a great job in promoting Shame and Michael Fassbender. I have been in contact with someone in the marketing department about advertising here at FF and I was told that the budget is very, very tight at the moment, however, if Michael is nominated for an Oscar, they will review advertising options with Fassinating Fassbender.

So their hearts are in the right place of course, they just don't have a lot of money. But with that said, since I visit websites that are awards oriented, I know for a fact that Searchlight is doing a lot of advertising for Michael at a lot of these very websites. I don't have any comment about the Shame screener rumor situation, I just know that the screeners went out in mid-December and again, Searchlight is putting all the stops on promoting this film and Michael - they believe in him. Sure, they also are promoting George's movie, but the reality of the situation is that George is a much beloved, respected, veteran A-list Hollywood star in a film that is doing very well, and he is receiving kudos for apparently achieving a career high performance. He doesn't need to be marketed as much as Michael does, because everyone already knows George, but, that shouldn't mean that Fox Searchlight isn't putting a lot of time and money into FYC advertising for George. It's a delicate situation, and I know some Michael fans may be concerned, but from where I sit, I see a nice support for Michael, considering who his studio is also supporting.

With this all being said, the Critics' Choice Movie Awards... whatever, just one of many events, and not that big an apple for us to be concerned about. Michael will be at the Golden Globes Sunday night, and he'll be at London Critics awards late next week, and if he's nominated for an Oscar, he'll definitely be there. It may seem that George is winning a lot, but Michael is too, and I'm 99% confident he'll be nominated. I refuse to believe that George will win his second Oscar... his performance, however "great" it was, does not overshadow, for the OSCAR, the accomplishments of at least five other actors, including one who will be receiving a possible third nomination, and currently Oscar-less. Don't fret over Michael not showing up last night, it's all good, he can't and won't win every award he's nominated for, and that just makes for an even more exciting nail-biter on Oscar night. Thanks for your question, and I appreciate you coming here for my opinion. :-)