Reelin' in the Years

Anna Kendrick was on a plane and Up in the Air after winning the National Board of Review's best supporting actress prize

2009-12-04T11:50:53-05:00

No sooner had end credits rolled on Jason Reitman's superb dramedy Up in the Air than I knew Anna Kendrick will be a major player this award season.

Kendrick, 24, nearly accomplishes what seems impossible -- upstaging George Clooney -- playing Natalie Keener, a type A-to-Z personality throwing a huge wrench into the life of Clooney's compulsively frequent flier.

Apparently the National Board of Review agrees. Kendrick was honored Thursday as 2009's best supporting actress for her performance, while Up in the Air was voted best picture, Clooney shared best actor honors with Morgan Freeman (Invictus) and Reitman's screenplay co-written with Sheldon Turner won.

Friday morning, Kendrick called the Times five minutes earlier than planned (that's so Natalie). After congratulations, the first question for her was a no-brainer:

When did you find out about the NBR award, and how did you celebrate?

I was on a plane from JFK to LAX that was delayed, so we're sitting on the runway and Jason called to tell me. I was trying to be quiet around all the other passengers. Sigourney Weaver was on the plane and I was trying to not disturb Miss Weaver with my good news.

We had a little cocktail party planned last night, anyway, and a Q&A, so I actually got to see George and Jason as soon as I got off the plane, so that was great. They're so, so sweet. George is constantly telling people that I steal the movie but that's just a mark of what a gentleman he is.

Jason told me he wrote Natalie with you in mind after seeing you in Rocket Science. What's it like to be part of someone's creative process like that?

I was so thrilled and completely bewildered that I didn't know what to say. I was so in the mode of trying to prove that I wasn't out of my league that I'm not even sure what I said. I tried to play it cool, like that kind of thing happens all the time.

Did that help you play Natalie's internal insecurities?

Yeah. I'm basically completely out of my element in the movie. As much as it was this incredible, supportive environment, there was part of me wondering if I'd be fired every day. It definitely helped.

You play a uptight person here, Bella's pushy conscience of sorts in the Twilight movies, and I remember your little Lady Macbeth in Camp. Is that what filmmakers see in you, or is it you?

There are so many times in my life when I wish I was more assertive, or stood up for myself more, really say what's on my mind. So, I kind of revel in playing these characters who are so self-assured and ambitious. I like exercising a part of myself that I don't get to do in real life.

I have to ask, as everyone does, I'm sure: What's it like working with Clooney?

It's amazing. He's the kind of guy who understands the effect he has on people and goes out of his way to make you feel like he's not George Clooney. He's just this goofy guy you're going to be working with.

He's also a notorious prankster on the set. But I read that you're disappointed that you were never a target.

So many people have asked what pranks he pulled on me and I don't have anything to say. When I saw him at the premiere in L.A., I was like: "Damn you for not pulling a prank on me. You screwed me, Clooney."

What makes Jason so good at what he does?

Jason sees humanity in all people. The amazing thing about him is the way he finds good in people who aren't understood by all people; a tobacco lobbyist (Thank You for Smoking), a pregnant teenager (Juno), people who fire people for a living in this movie. He wants to find heart in those people and comes from the compassion in him. It doesn't hurt that he's a freakin' genius.

Are a superstitious person?

Not really. Sometimes I don't talk about roles before I start. I didn't tell anybody about Up in the Air for, like, weeks. I sat on it for ages because I feel as soon as you start celebrating, something can go wrong.

So, I shouldn't mention the O-word (Oscar)?

Oh, um, probably not. (Laughs)

Friday Fromage: Christopher Jones goes Wild in the Streets then off the rails

2009-12-04T07:44:31-05:00

It isn't often that I get a chance to watch our weekly wheel of cheese just days before posting. But Princess Di and I spent Tuesday night "researching" 1968's counterculture howl Wild in the Streets, TiVo'd from the MGM channel, so check your guide for repeats.

Plug this baby into a double feature with Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (which ran on IFC last night) and you'll have a classic evening of cinetrash.

Wild in the Streets stars James Dean lookalike Christopher Jones as rock star Max Frost, who's enlisted by a crafty politician (Hal Holbrook) to court America's youth, many of whom aren't old enough to vote anyway but that's part of the far-out fantasy here.

Max worms his way into the system, getting the voting age lowered to 14 then getting elected president. Of course, dosing old timers with LSD on election night helps, keeping them tripping and away from the polls

Cheering on Max is his bandmate, Stanley X, played by young Richard Pryor. The soundtrack offers juicy slices of '60s rock, including the earworm Shape of Things to Come that eventually ended up in a Target ad. Wonder what Max would think of that?

Max's first presidential decree is that everyone over 30 will be rounded up -- including his mother (Shelley Winters, a dead ringer for my mom) -- and housed in retirement compounds where more acid will keep them docile. Any resemblance between these compounds and Nazi death camps is purely intentional.

Jones has a crash-and-burn biography worth checking out: born into poverty to a mother soon institutionalized for mental illness, thrust into the Actors Studio thanks his Dean resemblance where he clashed with legendary teacher Lee Strasberg but married his daughter Susan (maybe for spite), becoming a shooting star with Wild in the Streets, leading to starring in Ryan's Daughter, the final film from directing legend David Lean, who had to dub Jones' mumbled dialogue and ruin the movie.

There are also connections to Manson family victim Sharon Tate, whose murder drove Jones into semi-seclusion, emerging only once on screen afterward. Jones turned down the role of "Zed" in Pulp Fiction (you know Tarantino would love this guy) but took a role in 1996's shambling Mad Dog Time as a favor to Wild in the Streets co-star Larry Bishop (son of Rat Packer Joey Bishop... oh, how the wheel of cheese turns).

Enjoy!

Hollywood's worst movie ideas of 2009 (don't worry, they're fake but funny)

2009-12-03T07:55:00-05:00

If you're one of those folks who loves griping about Hollywood sequels and remakes, remember that things could be worse.

Studios could produce any or all of the bogus ideas offered by the funny folks at HollywoodRoaster.com, a movie spoof site featuring such "news" as a Nigerian screenwriter unable to convince studios that his e-mail query isn't a scam, and proof that 2012 director Roland Emmerich is a mostly computer generated image, rather than human.

Hollywood Roaster recently posted its 2009 Turkey List of script proposals (or specs) that are so dumb (and phony) that it's a wonder that we haven't seen one or two in production yet.

A few examples:

SWEATSHOP STEVE by Steve Defrona -- A laid-off factory worker disguises himself as a 12-year-old Mexican boy so he can work at a sweatshop in El Paso’s garment district. AGENT: William Morris Endeavor. STATUS: Available.

SPITTOON BOY by Emery Donald-Vershook -- When a traveling theatre company arrives in town, a 10-year-old boy who works as a spittoon cleaner in 19th century Kansas realizes his true calling as an opera singer. STATUS: Available. A Brilliant Wind producing.

JUNK IN THE TRUNK by Elmore Dugrot -- Animated tale of an overweight elephant that goes on a diet to snag the male elephant of her dreams, but eventually meets a rhinoceros that accepts her for who she is. Kirstie Alley attached to voice lead role. STATUS: Unavailable. Pixar producing.

DIRTY 130 by Eric Roth -- The oldest man on Earth turns 130, and the world bands together to throw him a birthday party he’ll never forget. The Hangover meets The Bucket List. AGENT: Creative Artists Agency – Craig Gering. STATUS: Unavailable. MGM.

FARMAGEDDON by Bobby Markum -- Animated tale about a ragtag group of farm animals that band together to save the planet from aliens. AGENT: Creative Artists Agency. STATUS: Unavailable. Twentieth Century Fox.

There are a couple dozen more to be found at the link above but you get the idea.

Please remember that these specs are all fake as Tiger Woods' wholesome image. Don't want anyone's head to explode out there.

More awards news: Disney's Princess and the Frog leads Annie nominations; are Up's Oscar hopes deflating?

2009-12-01T13:27:58-05:00

I know, I know. The only Annie you care about has no retinas and a dog named Sandy.

But for animators, the Annies are just about the only chance their work has for recognition. Heck, I didn't even know they've been handed out for 36 years. You remember Robin Hood when he was a fox, and Charlotte's Web before Dakota Fanning, right?

Anyway, to the surprise of nobody, this year's Annie nominations for movies are dominated by Disney with eight nods to The Princess and the Frog, opening Dec. 11.

Funny that the L.A. Times story on this non-event doesn't count the three nominations for the Disney/Pixar production Up when noting the Mouse House grabbed 17 nominations (the other nine are for the upcoming ABC-TV special Prep and Landing.)

Wonder if this is a sign that Disney will be more interested in promoting Princess and the Frog for Academy Award consideration than a fine movie made by geniuses who Disney bought out when they couldn't beat them at the animation, box office or awards games?

Pixar and Disney play nice together in public but there have been reports of behind-the-scenes jealousies. You can imagine that Disney executives (who recently have been changing positions like a Nebraska Ave. hooker) are itching to prove they can win Academy Awards without Pixar's help.

If you're interested, a list of Annie nominees can be found here.

Precious, (500) Days of Summer, The Messenger, Paranormal Activity among Spirit Award nominees announced today

2009-12-01T11:59:27-05:00

Now we're getting somewhere with the just-started-and -never-seems-to-end awards season, with today's announcement of nominees for the 25th annual Spirit Awards honoring the best in independent filmmaking. (Thanks, IndieWire.com!)

Most of the films cited are still too off the beaten path for Oscar voters to acknowledge but the Spirits have been a boon to future Oscar winners/nominees Pulp Fiction, Juno, Monster and The Wrestler.

The inner city coming of age drama Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire tied with The Last Station for the overall nomination lead with five each. Precious co-stars Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique earned acting nominations. The Last Station chronicles the final days of Russian author Leo Tolstoy and his wife, played by Spirit nominees Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren.

In addition to those two films, best feature nominees include (500) Days of Summer plus two films about the immigrant experience in the U.S., Amreeka and Sin Nombre.

Best first feature nominees include (500) Days of Summer, The Last Station, The Messenger, Adventureland and The Vicious Kind .

Finalists for the John Cassavetes Award for best movie made for under $500,000 include A Single Man, Crazy Heart, The Messenger, Easier with Practice and the year's most heralded piece of shoestring cinema, Paranormal Activity.

Check the complete list of nominees here.

The Spirits will be presented March 5, two days before the Oscars show. For the first time, the Spirits won't be held under carnival tents on a Santa Monica beach, which made my two visits so much more fun than the Oscars' cattle herding for media types. You can still expect a party, though, aired live and uncensored on the IFC channel. (And if you've ever seen one before, you know how much could be censored if someone wanted to.)

Let the games begin: The Hurt Locker, Food, Inc grab Gotham prizes

2009-12-01T08:28:01-05:00

The Gotham Independent Film Awards aren't exactly a barometer of how the Oscars and Golden Globes will go but they're the first semi-major movie awards of 2009 and therefore deserve a little attention.

Kathryn Bigelow's Iraq War thriller The Hurt Locker grabbed two Gotham prizes Monday night, for best picture and best ensemble cast (Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, Guy Pearce, David Morse and Evangeline Lilly). Bigelow also received a career tribute, honoring her role as one of Hollywood's few successful female directors, and often in action flicks like The Hurt Locker, Point Break, Blue Steel and Near Dark that are traditionally male-propelled.

The nutrition documentary Food, Inc. was named the year's best cinema verite (didn't those Gothamites see The Cove???)

The Hollywood Reporter story notes that Independent Spirit Award nominees will be announced later today, and The Hurt Locker is guaranteed to not be among them. Why? Because it was eligible under their rules last year, with Renner and Mackie earning acting nods and no other nominations for the movie.

Last night's movie: The Young Victoria (aka Buckingham Palace 90210)

2009-12-01T07:31:49-05:00

I'm not a big fan of what I call corset-and-crumpet movies. You know, those grandiose British period pieces, typically based on a Jane Austen novel or a history book and starring Keira Knightley (who really should eat something more substantial than crumpets).

But let's toss a mild huzzah (that's "booyah" in ye olde English) at The Young Victoria, a flick that might improve if Victoria (fetching Emily Blunt) showed off her "secrets" a little. But no sex, please, they're British.

As the title suggests, this movie is about Queen Victoria when she was young, about ages 17-20, and just getting the hang of the whole empire control thing. She's a bit saucier as played by Blunt than Dame Judi Dench in Mrs. Brown but I'd like to see a movie showing how an ingenue transformed into a crone.

Vicki, as she'll always be to me now, is a pawn in palace intrigue after the death of her king father (Jim Broadbent, wonderful as always). Plotters skulk, suitors have stings attached, and Vicki holds steady. Well, except for crushing on her cousin Prince Albert (Rupert Friend, avoiding the can) who becomes her husband, ruling partner and co-parent of royalty in most European nations. That's strong genetics, if somewhat incestuous.

Blunt is solid in the title role, becoming more impressive as Vicki's backbone stiffens. You'll hear her name bandied about during awards season, for sure. What I like about The Young Victoria, though, is how it humanizes its central characters thanks to a succinct screenplay by Oscar winner Julien Fellowes (Gosford Park). Hey, they're just like you and me, except royal and flirting within the family. The sets, costumes and music (including an emo end credits song by Sinead O'Connor... where has she been?) are contenders, too.

The Young Victoria doesn't open locally until Dec. 25, and only at Tampa Theatre as far as we know right now. But I watched the screener DVD early -- I love checking the mail each day this time of year -- to prep for a possible telephone interview Friday with one of the film's producers, someone named Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. She'll have some interesting insights into the story, and I haven't had a brush with a duchess since last visiting a drag nightclub in Ybor City.

Meanwhile, enjoy the preview trailer and keep a stiff upper lip.

Movie of the morning: A Single Man; plus The Messenger doesn't know the way to Tampa Bay

2009-11-30T07:53:24-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. Now its back to the homestretch of 2009 award contenders, starting this morning with Tom Ford's A Single Man (not to be confused with Joel and Ethan Coen's A Serious Man unless it's also exceedingly dull).

Like several of the latecomers noted in my holiday movie preview, A Single Man doesn't have a Tampa Bay arrival date, since it's one of those arty films from a small distributor that works better in regard to award strategy with a slow roll-out, sustaining awareness through the Oscars in March, 2010.

That's also the reason why The Road is only showing at Hyde Park's Cinebistro at this time (and only on 110 other screens in the U.S.). Such movies won't be blockbusters by any stretch of imagination, but manufacturing the appearance being an "event" for moviegoers to seek out can eventually lead to more tickets sold and award nominations/top-10 lists garnered.

A Single Man has a lot of buzz going for Colin Firth's portrayal of a gay man in 1962 Los Angeles whose lover is killed in an auto accident. Julianne Moore is also getting some love as his sympathetic (and glamorously pathetic) friend. Fashion designer Tom Ford makes his filmmaking debut so A Single Man should be suitably classy.

You can't figure out such details from the preview trailers, a wordless pastiche of images including the most closeups of eyes that I've ever seen in a two-minute clip. I'll learn this morning if Ford has any other emotive tricks up his starched sleeve.

One piece of bad news making perfect sense: Oren Moverman's effective wartime drama The Messenger will not open this Friday in select theaters as previously announced. I believed all along that was a mistake since the similarly themed Brothers is set to open nationwide the same day. Pitting them against each other would be box office suicide since there won't be much box office for these movies to share, anyway. Awards? Maybe.

The Messenger stars Ben Foster (keep an eye on this guy during the awards season) and Woody Harrelson (ditto) as soldiers assigned to the U.S. Army's Casualty Notification program; they inform survivors when loved ones are killed in combat. One widow (Samantha Morton) gets a little extra sympathy beyond duty. I've been a fan of The Messenger since its debut at the Sarasota Film Festival eight months ago, so any move protecting its chances of being noticed are fine by me.

Brothers stars Tobey Maguire as a Marine declared missing in action in Afghanistan. His grieving wife (Natalie Portman) gets comforted a bit too intimately by his alcoholic brother (Jake Gyllenhaal). Brothers will open Friday in a limited number of theaters but a screening hasn't been set and deadline's a-comin'.

My money is on The Messenger as the movie that'll be remembered after this distribution skirmish. Check out the trailer and see why:

Friday Fromage: Thanksgiving leftovers with a mulleted mutant turkey in Blood Freak

2009-11-27T09:39:28-05:00

You know I couldn't let a Friday slip by with a little Fromage for everyone. Especially the Friday after Thanksgiving when a little slice of heathen called Blood Freak is sitting in the fridge ready to share.

Blood Freak poses the age-old question: What happens when a burly guy eats a whole roasted turkey contaminated with a mad scientist's latest serum? Answer: He transforms into a burly bad guy wearing a ratty old turkey mask who carves on humans, presumably in revenge for his peeps (or gobbles).

The burly guy is Steve Hawkes (real name: Steve Sipek) who lives in Loxahatchee, FL and operates an animal sanctuary. I don't know if it includes turkeys but he owns tigers, a link to Sipek playing Tarzan twice in movies (Tarzan and the Brown Prince, Tarzan and the Golden Grotto) In 2004, one of his big cats named Bobo was confronted by Palm Beach Sheriff's deputies and killed. That isn't the worst thing that ever happened to him. Here's a little background, courtesy of SeacoastOnline.com.

Blood Freak is a gory as it is goofy, so be prepared for hilariously fake bloodlettings. Enjoy!

Happy Gilmore's golf swing leads to a lawsuit; lawyer exclaims "You can do eet!"

2009-11-24T07:47:22-05:00

Just to remind you that stupidity is contagious, a Nova Scotia golfer using Adam Sandler's running start golf swing in Happy Gilmore has been sued by a golfing partner. Seems that the plaintiff was struck by the ball hit awry, which led to him losing his job as a woodsman.

A woodsman? Maybe he should be using his irons.

According to Hollywood Reporter -- must've been a slow show biz news day -- Travis Hayter "tried to impress his golfing buddies during a bachelor party outing that included beer, tequila, and marijuana."

No. Really?

The ball reportedly bounced off the plaintiff's wrist and chest, permanently damaging his radial nerve that, as we all know, is crucial to woodsman activities.

We expect Hayter to fall back on the Padraig Harrington defense evident in the video clip posted above. During an episode of Sports Science, Harrington -- a PGA pro who should know better -- declares the Happy Gilmore shot to be legal, if not entirely safe.