Yes, a shameless glimpse of Jennifer's not-surprisingly-hot body

When you've got nothing but two pretty good trailers for a Tuesday, you might as well go ahead and sell it with a headline like that.

Anyways, first up is a glimpse of what it girl Diablo Cody has been doing since "Juno." Actually, she also wrote a series for Showtime (I think) called "The United States of Tara," which may or may not still be on the air. I watched one episode and just wasn't terribly impressed.

This, however, looks like it has real potential if you like humor and horror, and you can put me down for both. There's not much else I can say to sell this, so here's, yes, Megan Fox, Amanda Seyfried and even Adam Brody in the trailer for "Jennifer's Body." Enjoy.



This next one, though it will almost certainly never play anywhere near my little corner of the world, looks even better. Starring Patton Oswalt and written by Robert D. Siegel (who, with "The Wrestler," wrote easily one of my favorite movies of 2008), "Big Fan" is about the danger of being, well, a big fan. I'm not sure this is the right word, but enjoy, and have a perfectly passable Tuesday. Peace out.

For "Redbelt," thankfully "everywhere" does indeed mean everywhere

This post was initially meant just as a celebration of the fact that for once, as promised, a movie that's supposed to open "everywhere" this week will indeed make it out to one multiplex in my little burgh: David Mamet's "Redbelt."

How cool should "Redbelt" be? Well, even with Tim Allen in it, a David Mamet flick starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as a martial artist would already have me hooked from the start. Throw in the surprising fact that Mamet is himself a purple belt in jujitsu and you've definitely got what I'll be doing for a couple of hours Saturday afternoon.

Besides, I can't think of too many actors who can list four flicks on the rather long and broad list of my favorites, as Ejiofor can do in his still rather short career. For the record, those four would be "Dirty Pretty Things," "Serenity," "Children of Men" and "Talk to Me." If you've never seen "Dirty Pretty Things," I can't recommend the rather gritty thriller about organ smuggling that also stars adorable Audrey Tautou highly enough.

But, along with the wide release of "Redbelt," there's a lot of other news out there today that at least warrants a brief mention.

Yet another "Jane Eyre"?

First up is Ellen Page, who always generates a few more hits to this rather lightly visited site whenever I mention her name but also just makes me smile whenever I get to bring her up, even when it's for something as potentially meh as this.

Having backed out of going to Hell with Sam Raimi, Ms. Page has now signed for yet another version of "Jane Eyre." Now, I understand that Charlotte Bronte's novel is an attractive target which offers plenty of opportunity to get decked in period garb, but didn't we already have one of these in the last 10 years? Indeed, Franco Zeffirelli made a more-than-slightly appealing version with the delightful Charlotte Gainsbourg in 1996.

No director has yet been attached for this BBC Films adaptation set to begin shooting in Fall, and as snarky as I've been here, I'm sure I'll at least tune in to this one on DVD for the presence of Ellen Page alone.

Yes, Atom Egoyan is still working

It seems like forever since I've heard anything about Canada's greatest filmmaker (at least in my often misguided opinion), but he's indeed about to return very soon with a flick titled "Adoration."

It's not set to be released (and probably not very widely at all) until the Fall, but it will first get a premiere May 22 in competition at Cannes. The flick, starring Rachel Blanchard and Scott Speedman, is described as a "contemporary drama" about a teen who creates a false Internet persona and goes in search of a family secret.

I'm not sure when I'll ever be able to see this, but it's just good to know that Atom Egoyan is still working and apparently thriving.

More from Buckley in the works

After the success of "Thank You for Smoking" I just assumed there would be a run on the works of Washington satirist Christopher Buckley, but it unfortunately never really happened. His books may not be the most intellectual thing out there, but as far as wry commentary on D.C. culture and entertaining writing go, it just doesn't get much better at all.

There was some rumbling that Whit Stillman (remember him?) would indeed make a comeback by making his first film in 10 years in adapting Buckley's "Little Green Men," but I can't find any evidence that that's moving forward. Now, however, GreeneStreet Films has optioned "Boomsday," Buckley's very funny novel about a D.C. lobbyist who casts herself in the center of a firestorm after she half-jokingly blogs about a solution to the stress that retiring baby boomers will place on the Social Security system: A voluntary suicide program for the aging.

Now, I'm rapidly getting to the age where I shouldn't find that funny any more, but I did when I read the novel and I still do now, so definitely bring this one on.

A tease about "Iron Man 2"

An "Iron Man 2" with Jon Favreau on board to direct was already pretty much a foregone conclusion before Marvel penciled it in Monday morning for a 2010 release. No firm word yet that Favreau will direct the sequel, but I can't imagine why not, and here's what Tony Stark himself had to say about a possible sequel in Entertainment Weekly:

There's this idea of Terrence [Howard] putting on a suit and coming back as War Machine, who is pretty iconic in the Iron Man and Marvel universe. Just seeing where it can all go, but grounding it in a very modern mythology. I see it as greatest dysfunctional family story ever told.... In The New York Post a couple days ago, [there was a cartoon] of Iron Man suited up, and he's telling the governor even his super-powers can't get him out of the budget problem. That was what Jon was hoping for and excited to see the most, the idea that Tony Stark and Iron Man can become part of the cultural fabric. When we heard posters were being defaced to promote political or social ideas, he just got such a hoot out of that.

It would indeed be great to see Terrence have a lot more to do in the second installment, and you can read all of EW's interview with Robert Downey Jr. here.

Proof, in case I needed it, that my movie tastes are often just juvenile

I had no idea that "Superbad," easily one of my favorite movies of 2007, would still be up for kudos, but it seems that the esteemed voters on the MTV Movie Awards indeed have yet to have their say.

And "Superbad," not surprisingly, is the big winner in nominations with five. Along with best picture, it also nabbed "breakthrough performer" nods for veryfunnymen Michael Cera, Jonah Hill and McLovin. Hill (but not Cera, WTF!?!) is also nominated for comedic performer of the year. Cera and the aforementioned Ellen Page, however, did each pick up performer of the year nominations (and, this being MTV and all, best kiss) for "Juno," so I guess it's all good.

Now, just how silly are the MTV Movie Awards? Well, in the category of best picture, "Juno" and "Superbad" indeed have to share space with not only "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Transformers," but also "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." I haven't seen the latter, so I can't really say for sure, but I'm fairly certain it wasn't the best movie of 2007 by any conceivable standard. MTV does, however, have a lot of fun with this, and you have to at least respect that.

If you wanna show some love for "Superbad" or "Juno," you can vote for the nominees here through May 23. The show, rather unfortunately hosted by Mike Myers, will be broadcast live at 8 p.m. June 1.

And now, in closing, here's the trailer for "Redbelt," which I'm hoping will be a surprise box-office contender in its first week of wide release. Peace out.

An animated "Arrested Development" reunion?

Just in case you think you had a bad Monday, perhaps we should start with a bit of perspective: In executing its previously announced plans to nuke New Line Cinema, the kind folks at Warner Bros. fired 450 New Line staffers in one day Monday. What a way to start the week ...

But, in much lighter and better news, "Arrested Development" creator Mitchell Hurwitz is teaming up with some old friends for his upcoming Fox animated series, which has been picked up for this fall.

Though the cast doesn't - yet, at least - include the sublimely funny David Cross, it will feature two Bluth brothers - Michael and Gob - and bumbling attorney Barry Zuckerman. Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler will join Cheri Oteri, Will Forte, Regina King, Nick Kroll, Tom Kenny and Maria Bamford in providing voices for "Sit Down, Shut Up."

And what is that? Well, as one fairly polite but anonymous reader has clarified for me, it's based on a live-action show from New Zealand - not Australia, as the trades still insist on saying. The story centers on staff members at a high school who are preoccupied with their own needs and agendas, which means the students come second.

Given Fox's track record and Hurwitz's luck, I give this no more than two seasons at best, but I'll definitely tune in for the whole run. And after that, we'll get that "Arrested Development" movie, right?

DVD pick of the week

Believe it or not, my pick is not "Juno," though I still have nothing but love for that flick. I've heard the complaints that it's all too smug and hip, but I've seen it twice already and it made me smile each time - and yes, I'll watch Ellen Page in just about anything - so that's all I really need to know.

But my pick instead is a real treasure trove from the Clash. Now, people can argue about who the "greatest rock band in the world" is, but the only thing I know for sure is it certainly isn't the Rolling Stones. Just to provoke a response, I often try and tell people it's the Drive-By Truckers, but if we really have to pin this silly label on anyone, I'll just say this: For the way-too-brief time that they reigned, the Clash were just easily the coolest band on the planet.

And, if you were to give me a time machine chance to go anywhere in the world, anytime, I have to say - as shallow as this might be - I'd definitely pick the day in 1982 when the Who and the Clash took on Shea Stadium. Since I've yet to find such technology for such silly use, I guess this week's DVD release, "The Clash Live: Revolution Rock," will have to do for now.

Here's a track listing for the flick, directed by longtime Clash collaborator Don Letts:

1. Complete Control
2. I Fought The Law (London Lyceum '79)
3. Police & Thieves (Munich '77)
4. What's My Name (Manchester Elizabethan Suite '77)
5. Capitol Radio One (Manchester Elizabethan Suite '77)
6. White Riot
7. I'm So Bored With The U.S.A (Manchester Apollo '78)
8. London's Burning (London Victoria Park '78)
9. 1977
10. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais (Glasgow Apollo '78)
11. Tommy Gun
12. Safe European Home (London Music Machine '78)
13. London Calling (Bonds International Casino '81)
14. Clampdown (Lewisham Odeon '80)
15. The Guns Of Brixton (Fridays '80)
16. Train In Vain (Lewisham Odeon '80)
17. This Is Radio Clash (Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder '81)
18. The Magnificent Seven (Tomorrow Show With Tom Snyder '81)
19. Brand New Cadillac (Tokyo Sun Plaza Hall '82)
20. Should I Stay Or Should I Go (Shea Stadium '82)
21. Know Your Rights (US Festival '83)
22. Career Opportunities (Shea Stadium '82)

Now that's a friggin set list!

"Iron Man" will kick serious ass

Based only on the few clips I've seen and, much more so, my simple desire for Jon Favreau to really kick summer off with a winner, I'm thoroughly convinced that the above sentence will be true. And, for those of you too old to tune in to Nickelodeon, here is a clip shown on the channel over the weekend which at least proves that Robert Downey Jr. will be very funny in it. Peace out.

Oscar predictions: Just how wrong can I be?

On the odd chance that I somehow do get these mostly right, be assured that I did indeed type this in early Tuesday morning, well before the actual nominations were announced on the TV. And though I have no idea which celebrity will help with the announcing, here's hoping it's someone with even a tenth the charm of last year's Salma Hayek (and please, God forbid, not John Travolta in a fat suit and drag.)

So, without further ado, here are my predictions for seven of the top categories, along with, in some cases, which names you would be hearing if I ruled the world.

Best Picture
"There Will Be Blood"
"No Country for Old Men"
"Atonement"
"Sweeney Todd"
"Juno"

If I ruled the world: My picks for the top five movies of 2007, whittled down from the top 10, are: "Into the Wild," "No Country for Old Men," "Once," "Ratatouille" and "The Savages," and as I've stated in this space many times, my imaginary vote would be loudly for "Ratatouille" as the big winner.

Note: Unlike the academy, I always think the directors of all the Best Picture nominees should be automatically nominated for Best Director, so I would predict the nominees will be Paul Thomas Anderson, Joel & Ethan Coen, Joe Wright, Tim Burton and Jason Reitman.

Best Actress:
Keira Knightley, "Atonement"
Helena Bonham Carter, "Sweeney Todd"
Ellen Page, "Juno"
Julie Christie, "Away from Her"
Laura Linney, "The Savages"

If I ruled the world: Marketa Irglova's sublime performance as "The Girl" in "Once" would definitely be on the above list.

Best Actor:
Daniel Day Lewis, "There Will Be Blood"
Johnny Depp, "Sweeney Todd"
James McAvoy, "Atonement"
Denzel Washington, "American Gangster"
George Clooney, "Michael Clayton"

If I ruled the world: It's hard to argue with Lewis, who I'd have to call the prohibitive favorite in this category, but I'd also love to see Emile Hirsch in "Into the Wild," Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men"(supporting actor my ass!), Chris Cooper for "Breach" and, yes, why not Micheal Cera for "Superbad" on this list too. Comedies need love too, after all.

Supporting Actress:
Saoirse Ronan, "Atonement"
Kelly Macdonald, "No Country for Old Men"
Ruby Dee, "American Gangster"
Amy Ryan, "Gone Baby Gone"
Allison Janney, "Juno"

If I ruled the world: I think this is easily the strongest category this year, and can't quibble with any of these if they are indeed the nominees. My money would be on Ruby Dee to win, but if there could be more than five nominees I'd love to see Catherine Keener for "Into the Wild" and Jennifer Jason Leigh for "Margot at the Wedding" each get some props.

Supporting Actor:
Hal Holbrook, "Into the Wild"
Phillip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War"
Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men"
Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton"
Paul Dano, "There Will Be Blood"

If I ruled the world: I'd have to predict Bardem will win this one fairly easily, but I'd still say no one defined the role of supporting actor better in 2007 than Holbrook, who just took over "Into the Wild" for the short time he was on screen. I would also nominate Robert Downey Jr. for "Zodiac" and, heartily, Peter O'Toole for the voice of Anton Ego in "Ratatouille."

Adapted Screenplay:
"There Will Be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson (novel by Upton Sinclair)
"No Country for Old Men," Joel & Ethan Coen (novel by Cormac McCarthy)
"Atonement," Christopher Hampton (novel by Ian McEwan)
"Into the Wild," Sean Penn (novel by Jon Krakauer)
"Kite Runner," David Benoiff (novel by Khaled Hosseini)

If I ruled the world: Though it won't happen, I'd love to see some love for Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud for adapting Satrapi's graphic novels into the fine flick "Persepolis."

Original Screenplay:
"Juno," Diablo Cody
"The Savages," Tamara Jenkins
"Michael Clayton," Tony Gilroy
"American Gangster," Steven Zaillian*
"Waitress," Adrienne Shelly
* This was actually adapted from a newspaper article by Mark Jacobson, so may not qualify in this category.

If I ruled the world: A final plea, sure to fall on deaf ears, for some recognition for "Ratatouille," here for the often-magical script by Brad Bird.

And there you have it. I'll update this today if I have time, but if not, please feel free to add your two cents in the comments, and believe me, no amount of venom for the Academy is forbidden today. Peace out.

Atonement: The power of secrets and lies

Before diving any further into Joe Wright's often very challenging movie about the novel by Ian McEwan, let me predict that you will hear the word "Atonement" more than any other when the Oscar nominations are announced Tuesday morning. That's not really an assessment of how much I liked the movie (which I mostly did), just an observation about what we can expect very soon (and why, of course, it was given a not-at-all-coincidental wide release this week.)

If I was unable to fall in love with the movie, that fact comes from the built-in structure of both the novel and the flick. I won't spoil the major twist, which feels perfectly natural in McEwan's book but a little forced at the end of a two-hour movie, but I will say that by design it gives a remoteness to the love story at the tale's core (the love story which, of course, gives them a double dose of movie-poster eye candy with Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, even if this movie in so many ways belongs to young Saoirse Ronan as Briony Tallis.)

The movie is at its strongest in the first 45 minutes or so, when Wright almost perfectly captures the atmosphere that nurtures all the best and worst aspects of Briony's budding creativity. Though the almost constant clacking of typewriter keys turns into a gimmick far too quickly, it's easy to see how she could be led to (willfully?) misinterpret what she saw one evening at the manor house where she was raised, an act of betrayal which will permanently alter the lives of her sister Cecilia (Knightley) and Robbie (McAvoy), the son of a family servant who lusts for Cecilia (and, in particular and understandably, a certain part of her anatomy.)

I don't want to give away any more than that, because much of the magic of this opening portion comes in discovering through whose eyes you're watching it all unfold. At its best, in particular with the closing shot of Robbie returning home with the defiant twins in tow, it's as good as and strongly invokes Jean Renoir's "Rules of the Game."

It's at this point, when the flick shifts to the wartime lives of Cecilia, Robbie and Briony, that it develops a rather severe distance (again, much of that can be credited to what we learn at the end, but I stlll found it to be a drag on the viewing experience.) There's just, as hard as Knightley and McAvoy tried, a lack of passion to the tale that prevents you from growing more attached to either of them, or to Briony (who will be played by two more actresses as the story continues.)

Which isn't to say there aren't some stunning visual sequences in the second half, particularly the five-minute-or-so scene on the beach at Dunkirk, where Robbie and two of his fellow soldiers arrive in pretty rough shape. It's probably the most impressive set piece of 2007 (though I still prefer the arrival of Remy in the kitchen at Gusteau's in "Ratatouille"), and rivals what Alfonso Cuaron put together at that burned-out building in "Children of Men.") Just as an aside, I was waiting to see if Wright would let the black soldier in their ragtag group have any lines at all, which made me laugh way louder than I should have when he finally gets to utter his two-word, dead-on assessment of their rather dire straits.

In all, I would urge that you don't let any of my qualms let me stop you from seeing this fine flick, the kind of satisfying fare for adults (an impressive 50 or so of whom turned out for my 11 a.m. showing Friday morning) that we just don't get often enough for me. And as far as the Oscars go, it hopefully sets up a great battle royale in the category of Best Supporting Actress between Amy Ryan for "Gone Baby Gone," Kelly Macdonald for "No Country for Old Men" and young Ms. Ronan for her superb work here (and hopefully an appearance from Allison Janney for "Juno" too.) My heart's with Macdonald and my money's on Ryan, but I wouldn't count out Ronan either if "Atonement" goes on the awards roll I'm expecting.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have some bills to pay, some grocery shopping to do and then a John Sayles (huzzah!) movie to watch at my local multiplex. Peace out.

Among the many things I'd enjoy watching Ellen Page do ...

... taking to the rink for a little roller derby action is definitely one of them, even if it is in a movie directed by Drew Barrymore (a cheap shot, I concede, since as far as I know this would be Ms. Barrymore's first directing gig. Perhaps she's the next Akira Kurosawa, but ... well, I'll just drop that and move on.)

Young Ms. Page, sure to be an Oscar nominee for "Juno" when the nominations are announced next Tuesday, will lace up her skates to play yet another spunky teen in Barrymore's "Whip It," the story of a girl named "Bliss" who turns her back on a life of beauty pageants in Texas to join a female roller derby team.

Sound like it's cut directly from the "Juno" formula? Well, there are plenty of more connections. Mandate, the studio that bankrolled Jason Reitman's flick, is also putting up the money for this one. And, just as "Juno" had the somewhat unique (yes, I know something can't be "somewhat unique," but bear with me) cache of being written by former stripper Diablo Cody, this one has a script penned by an actual former roller derby star, Shauna Cross, a k a Maggie Mayhem.

Even if it does sound more than a bit familiar, and now-20-year-old Ms. Page will at some point have to stop playing teenagers, it's hard to argue with the enthusiasm she expressed for all this silliness: "I can't wait to kick ass on wheels!"

If you're gonna make a porno ...

Well, even if Joel Siegel might try to tell you otherwise, Kevin Smith doesn't actually make pornographic movies, but he now has at least one former porn star for his next flick, "Zack and Mirni Make a Porno," and one "The Office" star as well. (Wow is that a lot of times for some variety of the word "porn" to appear in one sentence. If anyone finds this site while looking for actual pornography, please accept my apologies and move on.)

Smith had already announced Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks (double huzzah!) would be playing the leads in his next flick, set to begin production today, and now Craig Robinson (Darryl on "The Office"), former porn star Traci Lords, Ricky Mabe, Jeff Anderson (a k a Anderson regular Randal Graves) and Katie Morgan (HBO's "Katie Morgan: A Porn Star Revealed") have been announced to round out the cast.

I realize a lot of people are just tired of Kevin Smith (my brother calls him a "tool"), but I still find him almost always very funny, and that's good enough for me.


R.I.P. Brad Renfro

No matter how this story eventually unfolds, it can really be nothing but sad.

Actor Brad Renfro, who starred in "The Client" when he was just 10 years old, was found dead in his Los Angeles home early Tuesday at the none-too-old age of 25. I'm not exactly Sherlock Holmes, but I suspect drugs had more than a little bit to do with this.

In his short and rather troubled life, Mr. Renfro did manage to star in at least two movies I really like, Bryan Singer's "Apt Pupil" (when he was still just a kid) and "Ghost World" (even if by then he already did have a rather dead look as the convenience store clerk and boy toy of Enid and Rebecca.) He also was the main star of my favorite Larry Clark movie, the rather criminally underappreciated "Bully."

He had recently completed shooting something called "The Informers" with Winona Ryder and Billy Bob Thornton. R.I.P. Mr. Renfro.

A serious Oscar dis for "Persepolis"

Any chances that "Ratatouille" would somehow sneak into the final five for Best Picture (which I would wholeheartedly endorse) when the Oscar nominations are announced Tuesday seem even bleaker now that the other truly great animated movie I saw this year, the French flick "Persepolis," has failed to make the cut down to nine in the Best Foreign Language Film category. (Maconites, however, take note: When I mentioned this as a possible selection for the Macon Film Guild later this year, Camp Bacon confirmed that it is indeed already on their radar, so stay tuned.)

Also surprisingly slighted was "The Orphanage," Spain's entry and the very stylish and mostly enjoyable horror flick directed by J.A. Bayona (I guess "Guillermo del Toro presents" just didn't have quite the pull that marketers had hoped for.) I'd recommend catching this one in theaters while you still can.

And here are the nine that did make the cut: "The Counterfeiters" (Austria); "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" (Brazil); "Days of Darkness" (Canada); "Beaufort" (Israel); "The Unknown" (Italy); "Mongol" (Kazakhstan); "Katyn" (Poland); "12" (Russia); and "The Trap" (Serbia).

It pains me to admit that I have seen exactly none of these, so if you have, please let me know if they're worth adding to my DVD viewing list. Peace out.

Salma Hayek, the bearded lady?

When I saw the name Weitz attached to a children's story, I first thought New Line had finally had the stones to announce that filming would begin on "The Subtle Knife," meaning a continuation of the "The Golden Compass" trilogy. No such luck, however.

Instead we get something at least as good. It seems like forever since I've seen Salma Hayek in a movie. In fact, I can tell you the last time, and it was a true oddity. As fun as it was to see her with Penelope Cruz as two bank-robbing "Banditas," that movie wore out its welcome fairly quickly even though I got it for free on DVD.

Now, however, she's teaming up with one half of the "Pie" brothers, Paul (not Chris, note) Weitz, for something that sounds like a lot of fun. "Cirque du Freak" is apparently the first work in a series of children's novels by Darren Shan titled, appropriately enough, "The Saga of Darren Shan."

In the flick, John C. Reilly (huzzah!) will play a vampire who drafts a 14-year-old to serve as his assistant. The youngun (Darren Shan, I would have to presume) turns into a half-vampire and becomes a catalyst in a battle between vampires and the rival Vampanese. And, perhaps most importantly, la bella Ms. Hayek, fresh off her maternity leave, will play Madame Truska, the bearded lady. If anyone knows more about the plot for this than what little I do, please fill me in.

A fairly obscure British children's novel being developed by a Weitz? Sounds like we've been down this road before, but without having any real knowledge of the source material I can only guess this one doesn't have any of the religious baggage that doomed "The Golden Compass" out of the gate. Besides, anyone who's been here before knows I'm a big fan of vampires, John C. Reilly and Salma Hayek, so if you can get all three, I can only say bring it on!

Bale on the hunt for Depp?

With this news I have to say Michael Mann's "Public Enemies" has just about shot to the top of the list for coolest movies coming in 2009 (which, admittedly, isn't all that long just yet.)

With Johnny Depp already announced as John Dillinger in Mann's pic about the FBI's battle with the notorious American gangsters of the 1930s, now comes word Christian Bale will most likely join the hunt as FBI agent Melvin Purvis. I'm already behind today because I agreed to let myself sleep in a few more hours than usual, so I'll just let you all digest how cool that could be without any further comment.

Friday fun with pictures

Before I wrap things up with another plea that everyone go see "The Orphanage," "Juno" (if you haven't somehow already) or anything else this weekend except "The Bucket List," here are a couple of fun pictures I came across this morning.

The first is from the site Egotastic, which is rather singularly obsessed with pictures of women in (and sometimes out of, don't say I didn't warn you) bikinis. This however, which came under the headline "Natalie Portman has big fake breasts," is a picture of her from Wong Kar Wai's "My Blueberry Nights," which I'll probably never get to see before it hits DVD. Staring at Ms. Portman's new additions (which Egotastic says aren't really breast implants) is Norah Jones, if I'm not mistaken. Enjoy, and to find more, click here.


Tom Hanks had already generated some needed good karma from me with his great performance in this year in "Charlie Wilson's War," but now he's definitely back on my good side thanks to his choice of attire for the London premiere of that flick Wednesday night. Revealing himself to be, as all good people should, a football fan, Hanks donned an Aston Villa scarf to show his support for the Birmingham squad. How much of a fan he really is, who knows, but it's hard to argue with his quote from the red carpet: "Anybody can root for Chelsea for god's sake!" Now, if you'd just show some love for the MLS too, then I'd really be happy. Peace out.

Jane Austen's got the cure for your TV blues

I have to confess it's been years since I've tuned in regularly for PBS' Masterpiece Theater, but given the ongoing writers' strike and the show's revamped formula, I think I'll definitely be returning starting this Sunday.

What's new? Well, first of all, the programs will be hosted by "X-Files" and Masterpiece Theater ("Bleak House") alum Gillian Anderson, which I have to say is at least a slight improvement from previous host Russell Baker (and a definite improvement from the past few years, which, if I'm not mistaken, had no host at all.)

Secondly, for the first series of shows beginning Sunday, it will be all about Jane Austen, which is just fine by me. It's a bit hard to tell, but I believe the order goes like this: Emma, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion (still my favorite Austen work), Pride and Prejudice and finally Sense and Sensibility. These aren't the Hollywood versions, but instead four new adaptations and two previously aired works (the only one I've seen is Pride and Prejudice, and though I know the ladies are rather devoted to Mr. Firth's Mr. Darcy, I just prefer Joe Wright's movie version instead.)

Check your local listings, of course, but in Georgia at least it airs at 9 p.m. Sundays (finally, a workout for my DVR, since I'll be watching "The Wire" whilst taping both that and Masterpiece.) Tune in for a definite alternative to the reality TV onslaught that's already started and will soon turn into a deluge.

Download Fox Searchlight scripts

I usually spend my brief lunch half-hour-or-so reading Chris Cillizza's fantastic The Fix political blog, but today I just might have another option.

Fox Searchlight has put the scripts for six (which may be all) of its 2007 releases up for download here, and it shows just how strong a year the studio had. Available for your perusal are the scripts for three movies that made my top 10 ("The Savages," "Once" and "Waitress"), two that just missed the cut ("Juno" and Mira Nair's charming "The Namesake"), and one I'd have to unfortunately call a failure, Wes Anderson's "Darjeeling Limited."

Speaking of "Juno," a quick visit to Variety, which somehow tracks daily box-office numbers, shows that Jason Reitman's little flick was actually at No. 1 for Tuesday, taking in $1,445,349 to National Treasure's $1,314,178. It has netted more than $54 million so far, and should approach the magical $100M with a few more weeks of wide release. Congrats! I think I'll be devouring Diablo Cody's script along with my soup this midday.

And kudos to Amy Ryan too

It was great to see Amy Ryan return on "The Wire" Sunday, even if it looks like her man McNulty may implode any day now.

If you haven't seen her performance in "Gone Baby Gone," do so as soon as you can. You can believe all the hype: If there is indeed an Oscars ceremony this year, there's no way in the world she shouldn't be taking home a Best Supporting Actress Oscar (unless it's main instead of supporting - I have trouble telling how they judge these things.)

And now she's joining the cast of Paul Greengrass' Iraq war thriller, which begins shooting today in Spain and is inspired by Rajiv Chandrasekaran's book "Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone".

Greengrass and Brian Helgeland turned that nonfiction work into a fictional thriller set in the "Green Zone," a walled and fortified area where U.S. troops stay during the Iraq occupation. Matt Damon plays an officer who teams with a senior CIA officer to search for evidence of weapons of mass destruction, Ryan will play a New York Times foreign correspondent sent to Iraq to investigate the U.S. government's WMD claims, and Greg Kinnear plays another CIA officer.

It seems like stars of "The Wire" are popping up everywhere on the big screen, which I don't see how I'll ever consider to be anything but a great development.

"Sweet Land" in Macon this Sunday

Given the mostly pathetic wide-release lineup this week (with Juan Antonio Bayona's "The Orphanage" a clear exception - go see that one if you like stylish and smart horror), the Macon Film Guild has a definitely welcome other option on the slate this weekend.

Director Ali Selim's "Sweet Land," based on a Will Weaver short story, tells the tale of a German mail-order bride who travels to Minnesota to marry a Norwegian man during World War I. Her nationality, naturally, is an issue for the assembled locals, but I'm sure everyone eventually learns to get along. Sounds a little sappy for my tastes, but both of my parents soundly endorse this one, and that's good enough for me.

It's showing this Sunday at 2, 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Douglass Theatre in downtown Macon, and if you turn out for the 2 p.m. show I'll definitely see you there. Peace out.

The Savages are a clan you'll definitely want to get to know

It feels like forever since I've even bothered to write anything for this space, even if it's just been less than a week off. But now, after a sojourn to the city and (of course) a movie a day, I'm back and hopefully with some new vigor to start the new year (and as for early-morning motivational music to get back in the groove, you can't do much better than the Hold Steady's "Separation Sunday," which my brother just passed on to me.)

The flicks I managed to take in ranged from the epic ("There Will Be Blood") to the magical ("Persepolis") to the mildly disappointing ("The Orphanage.") I'll start today, however, with the one that has lingered longest in my mind, making it my favorite for the week, Tamara Jenkins' "The Savages."

I'm hoping against hope that this little flick has enough star power (Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman) to let it play very wide very soon, because it deftly deals with a subject which, even if we never encounter it ourselves, feels universal and perfectly natural (and surprisingly entertaining too.)

From the outset, what sets Jenkins' movie apart from other family comedy/dramas is its tone, which despite its often depressing subject matter never gives in to cloying sentiment and instead mines the most uncomfortable situations for the humor we all need to deal with life.

But I guess a word or two about the actual plot would be in order, since I can't imagine too many folks have had a chance to see this one yet. Linney and Hoffman play a slightly estranged brother and sister who are barely dealing with their own lives when they get a call from the daughter of their father's girlfriend. It seems that the girlfriend has died (in a very funny way), leaving their father (played with defiant fire by Phillip Bosco), who they haven't spoken to in many years, all alone in Sun City, Ariz., and unable to care for himself, suffering as he does from dementia.

His disgusting but, given the circumstances, perfectly understandable act of bathroom rebellion will make you cringe and laugh all at once, and Jenkins finds even more humor in the never-anything-but-natural rapport between a brother and sister who have yet to find much satisfaction from a world to which they feel very little attachment. As they slowly lose their father (I really don't think I'm giving too much away here) but grow closer to each other, the movie become more and more sad but all the while more effecting as it goes.

I had to look up Jenkins' name at the IMDB to find out I hadn't seen any of her previous movies, the most well-known of which is probably "Slums of Beverly Hills." With "The Savages," she's clearly taken on a subject she knows well (and I'd have to imagine dealt with herself) and turned it into one of the most endearing movies of 2007.

She's also coaxed two top-notch performances out of Linney and Hoffman. The latter will be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his very funny work in "Charlie Wilson's War," but if Ms. Linney doesn't get a Best Actress nod for her work here there is something seriously wrong with the whole process. And, if not for "Juno," this could certainly take the "little indy" slot in the Best Picture gang and be a worthy contender.

We're clearly entering the dark time of the movie year. Though "Juno" is finally playing wide enough to reach my little corner of the world this week, the only new movie opening in wide-release world, "One Missed Call," carries with it perhaps the worst tagline of all time: "What will it sound like when you die?" Sheesh. Hopefully Jenkins' little movie will step into this coming black hole and provide some welcome relief from the wave of mediocrity (or worse) that's clearly coming. Peace out.

Golden Globes: Great comedies get no respect at all

If one thing is clear after Thursday's Golden Globe nominations, it's that the Hollywood foreign press must just be a fairly humorless bunch.

Now, I'm glad to see that "Juno" made the final five, and I can only assume that "Charlie Wilson's War" will have its funny moments (and enough Tom Hanks smugness to make me want to jump out of my chair and just smack the screen), but how in the world can you have a category called "Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" and not include more of the funniest movies of 2007? (The other nominees were all musicals, "Sweeney Todd," "Hairspray" and "Across the Universe.")

Perhaps the answer is simply to give musicals a category all their own (which might have meant a much-deserved nomination for John Carney's just-perfect "Once.") That's probably too much weight for musicals, but something has to be done to balance the scales in comedy's favor.

Had there been a comedy category, here are the five movies that would have been my nominees:

Hot Fuzz
The Wayans brothers have apparently watched this pitch-perfect spoof of action movies and decided they can do one better. I have nothing but doubt about that, 'cause for my money Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are the masters, and this is the single funniest movie of 2007.

The Simpsons Movie
So what if this was just a 90-minute episode of the TV show? It proved that, with 15 years or so of experience it is indeed possible to come up with a plot and enough jokes to sustain 90 minutes of high entertainment (though why they can't reliably do that from week to week for only 30 minutes anymore is beyond me.)

Superbad
I just watched this again last weekend, and it was at least as good as it was the first time. Jonah Hill and Michael Cera were just as funny as I remembered, but this time the story of the two cops who refuse to grow up, played by Seth Rogen and Bill Hader, just really made me laugh out loud.

Shoot 'Em Up
The beauty of a category for comedy would be if a movie this sublimely silly could really be nominated for anything. If you haven't seen this cartoon-like bullet ballet, rent it immediately. Paul Giamatti, Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci clearly all had fun making it, and as long as you can handle jokes about a baby in extreme peril I guarantee you'll have fun watching it.

And yes, Juno
What's it gonna take to get this little charmer to play wide? I just assumed that a cast this packed with stars would guarantee it a wide ride, but I guess I'm wrong yet again. I suppose that means I'll have to watch Will Smith and his dog walk around for a couple of hours, but I can't really say I'm looking forward to it.

I have a feeling "Walk Hard" might just make a sixth entry to this list, but that's the top five for now (and that means the very funny "Knocked Up" just missed the cut.) As for the rest of the Golden Globe nominations, I could have predicted that my favorite, "Ratatouille," wouldn't be able to make it out of the animated movie ghetto, but there's another, bigger snub that just can't go without mention.

I had to read the list three times to make sure I hadn't missed what must surely be the multiple mentions of "Into the Wild." I had my qualms with the story of Christopher McCandless as told by Sean Penn, but there's no denying it's one of the most powerful movies of 2007, and yet beyond two deserved nominations for Eddie Vedder's songs it was just royally snubbed.

Now, I haven't seen "Atonement," "The Great Debaters" or "There Will Be Blood" (though I'm certainly hyped to do so soon), but how in the world could you have seven nominees for Best Motion Picture - Drama (the other four were "American Gangster," "Eastern Promises," "Michael Clayton" and "No Country for Old Men") and not include "Into the Wild"? Sheesh.

I certainly also would put Emile Hirsch in the top five for Best Actor - Drama (the anointed five are George Clooney, "Michael Clayton," Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood," James McAvoy, "Atonement," Viggo Mortensen, "Eastern Promises" and Denzel Washington, "American Gangster".) His portrayal of McCandless was close to extraordinary.

Much more disturbing was the omission of Hal Holbrook from the Best Supporting Actor category (the big five are Casey Affleck, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men," Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Charlie Wilson's War," John Travolta, "Hairspray" and Tom Wilkinson, "Michael Clayton") I can see the merit in all of these except for Travolta's turn in the fat suit (which I didn't see since, having already seen "Hairspray" in two very satisfying formats, I saw no reason to see it re-created once again), but Holbrook's performance was just on a whole other level. If the definition of supporting actor is the person who has the most impact on a movie in a short period of time, then no one fits this better than Holbrook as Ron Franz, the wizened gent who made a last-ditch but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to save McCandless from himself (I don't cry at the movies very often at all, but that moment got me, which says quite a bit.)

But, enough about that. I'm off to see "I Am Legend," and hoping that I'm wrong about how much it's going to suck. Have a perfectly enjoyable weekend.

An animated Best Picture: Why in the world not?

Allow me to warn you now: Though I won't mention it every day, this marks the beginning of my own personal campaign, just in case anyone's listening, to get a Best Picture Oscar nomination for Brad Bird's "Ratatouille." Not Best Animated Picture (which, with "Persepolis" out there it might not even win anyway), but the best darn movie of the year.

Before we delve into the history, let's take a look at this year. Personally, I have four of the five slots filled for what I consider to be the best movies of this year: "No Country for Old Men," "Juno" (which I just gushed about yesterday, if you care to scroll back), "American Gangster" and, yes, "Ratatouille."

It's all open for the fifth slot, with two strong contenders up this week (and not "The Golden Compass," though I am hoping that one doesn't somehow just suck): Mira Nair's "The Namesake," which I'm expecting to get from the Netflix today, and Jon Carney's "Once," which is being screened this Sunday at the Douglass Theater by the Macon Film Guild (so be there!). Still to come with high hopes are "I'm Not There," "There Will Be Blood" and perhaps a few other surprises.

But, of course, this is all about the charms of "Ratatouille." For perspective, here's what I had to say shortly after watching it for the first time:

"Ratatouille," the story of Remy, the rat who just wants to cook, is much more "Babe: Pig in the City" than "Babe" in tenor and tone. And that's just fine by me. ...

But then, and in wonderfully abrupt fashion, director Brad Bird injects "Ratatouille" with another element we've been missing in animated flicks for a long time: Magic. I had seen the best nine minutes of "Ratatouille" beforehand on YouTube, but that still didn't take away from the thrill of discovery when Remy first scampers up the rooftop to find Paris in front of him. It's a vista that would make Hayao Miyazaki smile broadly. ...

And next, from when he's looking down on the kitchen at Gustave's with his guardian angel, the late Gustave (Brad Garrett), to when he falls through the window and lands in the chaotic kitchen's sink, it's as exhilarating as any animated sequence since "Fantasia." And no, I'm not exaggerating here; it's just that good. ...

So, in the end, how good is "Ratatouille"? Well, Brad Bird directed my single favorite animated flick in "The Iron Giant," and I have a strong feeling that, once I see "Ratatouille" a few more times, it will hold almost as lofty a place in my heart. If you haven't seen it, do so right away. ...

Very high praise, I concede, but having watched it twice now I stand by every word, and would only add that Peter O'Toole as the dour food critic Anton Ego is thoroughly deserving of a Best Supporting Actor nomination (though the award should just be given now to Hal Holbrook for his incredible work in "Into the Wild.")

And let me just state for the record that anyone who doesn't think "cartoons" are worthy of such high praise just watches movies in an entirely different way from me, and I dare say doesn't get nearly as much enjoyment from them as I do. "Ratatouille" is both entertainment and art of the highest order. 'Nuff said.

There have been two animated Best Picture contenders in the past, and a third that certainly should have been in the game.

In 1992, the nominees were: "Beauty and the Beast," "Bugsy," "JFK," "The Prince of Tides" and "Silence of the Lambs." Though "Silence" was a darn fine flick, I was rooting for "Beauty and the Beast" to win in this era before animated movies even had their own category.

In 1996, we had "Apollo 13," "Babe," "Braveheart," "Il Postino" and "Sense and Sensibility." Though winner "Braveheart" certainly had its visceral charms, "Il Postino," "Sense and Sensibility" and, yes, "Babe" were all better movies. I understand that "Babe" is just too sappy for many people, but it remains one of my favorite flicks, and would have been a worthy Oscar winner.

And, in 2005, a strong year for movies, Brad Bird's "The Incredibles" certainly should have been a contender. The nominees were "The Aviator," "Finding Neverland" (wtf!), "Million Dollar Baby," "Ray" and "Sideways." I would have taken "The Aviator" off of that list (certainly at least over winner "Million Dollar Baby"), but would still submit that Bird's flick was better than any of them.

So, will "Ratatouille" get the same shaft? The short answer is probably, but I'm still hoping it backs in to at least get nominated for Best Picture. It's got my vote, which, as far as I know, doesn't yet count for too much at all.

An early contender for favorite movie of 2008?

When I first saw the preview for Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind" on the big screen (in front of "Margot at the Wedding," I believe), it just made me smile and laugh from start to finish. I'm a little skeptical still that they can sustain the gag - Jack Black and Mos Def (huzzah!) remaking all the movies at a video store after the tapes get "magnetized" and erased - for an entire movie. But it's clear that Gondry just loves making movies, and it looks like this flick is infused with that spirit. Here's the poster (click to view much larger) for what should be a very fun flick, set to come out, I think, in January. Enjoy, and have an entirely bearable Tuesday.

Believe the hype: "Juno" is as good as it gets

Just to get this out of the way before we get started, I did indeed like "Juno" at least as much as I expected to, so now bear with me while I explain why.

The surprising key to making this overly familiar story seem so new (along with the simply remarkable Ellen Page) was the music, which not only gives it a feel-good vibe from the outset, but also sets the tone for exactly what screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman have accomplished here. Like the songs of Kimya Dawson that dominate the infectious soundtrack, "Juno" traffics in the realm of the precious, teetering on the brink of being too cute and too hip for its own good but never quite falling over the edge. And it's music, in the form of a very important truth about Sonic Youth (which Juno learns much earlier in life than I did), that's the funniest life lesson learned in this very smart flick.

And the dialogue by blogger-turned-screenwriter Cody creates a kind of music of its own, devoid of the pop-culture crutches that populate most hipster movies but sure to leave a new wave of catchphrases in its wake. Of all the jokes, the one that had me laughing the hardest was a simple one about the name of Juno's younger sister, which you won't hear from me (but think about her age and her name, and I guarantee you'll laugh loud enough to startle whoever's sitting beside you.)

The template here will be clear early on, because what Cody and Reitman have essentially done is make a John Hughes movie for the 21st century (and yes, along with being "up the pole," Page's Juno does also become obsessed about who her baby's daddy, veryfunnyman Michael Cera, is going to take to the prom.)

Though Jason Reitman (son of Ivan and director of 2005's "Thank You for Smoking") mostly stays out of the way and lets Cody and Page dominate the flick, he does put his stamp on one key scene. As our heroine briefly considers having an abortion in one of the movie's best scenes, he makes it clear just how much this is a scared and still-young girl having to make a decision she's definitely not ready for.

And young Ellen Page, who is in just about every frame of this cautionary tale (or, as Juno puts it, "cautionary whale"), completely sells you on the character of Juno, who acts much more confident than she really is. Michael Cera, given the very funny moniker "Bleek," does his best as the straight man once again (and the young man who happens to impregnate Juno), but this is definitely her show. Of the supporting players, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons were very funny, but this is a women's show from the start, and Allison Janney and Jennifer Garner both outshine their male counterparts, especially Janney as Juno's tart-tongued stepmother.

It is kind of disturbing that, though I have no babies of my own crawling around, I can now declare two of my favorite movies (this one and "The Snapper") are about pregnancy. I guess it's just such a bizarrely human event that no matter how much quirk you pile on top, and Cody does lay it on pretty thick here, you can still with the right touch make a movie that connects with viewers of all kinds.

And just so this isn't a complete love letter to the makers of "Juno," I do have one quibble/warning to share. Anyone who's seen the trailer and is looking forward to seeing Rainn Wilson, be advised that he only appears in one scene at the very beginning, and all his best lines have already been revealed in the trailer.

And, in the interest of full disclosure, Fox Searchlight did provide these rather nifty "Juno" t-shirts after the screening. You'll just have to take my word for it that I would have given this such a glowing review even without this surprise bit of bright orange swag. Peace out.

"Juno" for free? I'm there, and you could be too

If I had to estimate, I'd say no more than one in 10 of the e-mails I get at work are of any use at all, but on Friday I got the best one I have in many months. Here is an excerpt:

I know you're out in the middle of nowhere, but I also know that you're somewhat obsessed w/ Juno. A couple chances to check it out in ATL before it opens. Now you gotta ask yourself -- Are Michael and George Michael worth it? Is Ellen Page worth it? I think we both know the answers to those questions.

Yes, I do know the answer to that, so after getting this e-mail from Jeremy J, always a welcome friend to this blog, I went to the list of screenings and in fact RSVP'd for a Sunday afternoon one at my favorite ATL theater which has since been filled. If you missed out on this golden opportunity from Fox Searchlight, fret not: There's about 100 or so promotional screenings left around the country, before and after it opens Wednesday.

If you're anywhere near Atlanta, the next two screenings there are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec 6, at the AMC Parkway Point, and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec 18, at the Landmark Midtown. To RSVP to either of these screenings or to find out about the many more coming up around the country, click here.

And as to whether or not I'll ever stop being "obsessed" with movies as smart and funny as this flick from Jason Reitman and scribe Diablo Cody starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, Rainn Wilson and J.K Simmons should be? I sure hope not. Peace out.

Awards season already? Get in the Spirit

It does seem awfully early for this, but two groups have just launched the opening salvos in kudos season, with the Spirit Awards announcing its nominations and the Gothams simply skipping right to the winners.

My first thought in looking at the Spirit Best Feature nominees was a bit of depression that I haven't actually seen any of them, but that will change soon with a trip to NYC set for the end of the year. My next two thoughts were "how in the world did 'A Mighty Heart' end up here?" and then "Juno," a movie which I've plugged rather shamelessly here for what seems like three years, will probably be the winner, if Todd Haynes isn't crowned the king.

Of the movies I have seen, I'm really happy to see the love for "Rocket Science," easily one of my favorite movies of 2007. Jeffrey Blitz certainly deserves the directing recognition, and Anna Kendrick is a worthy nominee for best supporting actress (though I'd imagine Jennifer Jason Leigh, who more than holds her own against Nicole Kidman in "Margot at the Wedding," will take this one home.) And, of course, huzzah to the nomination of the late Adrienne Shelly for her screenplay for the simply enchanting "Waitress."

And finally, though I passed up the opportunity to do so when I first saw it, let me be a very much minority voice of dissent in opposition to Michael Moore's "Sicko" (which doesn't appear until the Gothams segment, but bear with me.) I've been a Moore supporter from the beginning, but this was, to me, probably his worst movie. If he had spent a lot less time gallivanting around Europe to brag about their free health care and instead focused on the very real problem of Americans who do have some form of insurance and yet routinely get denied care, he would have made a much more powerful film.

But enough venting from me. Here are the Spirit nomination highlights, and you can read the whole list here:

FEATURE
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" - Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Jon Kilik
"I’m Not There" - Producers: Christine Vachon, John Sloss, John Goldwyn, James D. Stern
"Juno" - Producers: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason Novick, Russell Smith
"A Mighty Heart" - Producers: Dede Gardner, Andrew Eaton, Brad Pitt
"Paranoid Park" - Producers: Neil Kopp, David Cress

FIRST FEATURE
"2 Days in Paris" - Director: Julie Delpy; Producers: Julie Delpy, Christophe Mazodier, Thierry Potok
"Great World of Sound" - Director: Craig Zobel; Producers: Melissa Palmer, David Gordon Green, Richard Wright, Craig Zobel
"The Lookout" - Director: Scott Frank; Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Laurence Mark, Walter Parkes
"Rocket Science" - Director: Jeffrey Blitz; Producers: Effie T. Brown, Sean Welch
"Vanaja" - Director: Rajnesh Domalpalli; Producer: Latha R. Domalapalli

DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes - "I’m Not There"
Tamara Jenkins - "The Savages"
Jason Reitman - "Juno"
Julian Schnabel - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Gus Van Sant - "Paranoid Park"

MALE LEAD
Pedro Castaneda - "August Evening"
Don Cheadle - "Talk To Me"
Philip Seymour Hoffman - "The Savages"
Frank Langella - "Starting Out in the Evening"
Tony Leung - "Lust, Caution"

FEMALE LEAD
Angelina Jolie - "A Mighty Heart"
Sienna Miller - "Interview"
Ellen Page - "Juno"
Parker Posey - "Broken English"
Tang Wei - "Lust, Caution"

SUPPORTING MALE
Chiwetel Ejiofor - "Talk To Me"
Marcus Carl Franklin - "I’m Not There"
Kene Holliday - "Great World of Sound"
Irrfan Khan - "The Namesake"
Steve Zahn - "Rescue Dawn"

SUPPORTING FEMALE
Cate Blanchett - "I’m Not There"
Anna Kendrick - "Rocket Science"
Jennifer Jason Leigh - "Margot at the Wedding"
Tamara Podemski - "Four Sheets to the Wind"
Marisa Tomei - "Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead"

SCREENPLAY
Ronald Harwood - "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly"
Tamara Jenkins - "The Savages"
Fred Parnes & Andrew Wagner - "Starting Out in the Evening"
Adrienne Shelly - "Waitress"
Mike White - "Year of the Dog"

FIRST SCREENPLAY
Jeffrey Blitz - "Rocket Science"
Zoe Cassavetes - "Broken English"
Diablo Cody - "Juno"
Kelly Masterson - "Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead"
John Orloff - "A Mighty Heart"

DOCUMENTARY
"Crazy Love" - Director: Dan Klores
"Lake of Fire" - Director: Tony Kaye
"Manufactured Landscapes" - Director: Jennifer Baichwal
"The Monastery" - Director: Pernille Rose Grønkjær
"The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair" - Directors: Petra Epperlein & Michael Tucker

'Into the Wild' tops Gotham Awards

Though I stand by my difficulties with the character of Christopher McCandless (in a fit of pique, I believe I called him a spoiled brat), I'm still very happy to see Sean Penn's ambitious and very challenging movie getting awards season love.

"Into the Wild" won best feature honors Tuesday at the 17th Gotham Awards.
The Gothams, given by the Independent Feature Project, go to winners in six categories. "Sicko," which I lashed into a bit earlier, took home the doco prize.

The ensemble cast award was shared by "Talk to Me" and "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead." The latter, by the way, was a flick I just really couldn't get into, though it is indeed packed with top-shelf actors at the top of their game (and a very welcome return by Marisa Tomei too.)

Ellen Page, in what will hopefully be her launching pad to a best actress Oscar nomination, won for breakthrough actor in "Juno." Breakthrough director honors went to Craig Zobel for "Great World of Sound." "Frownland" won the cheekily named award, Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You.

Six already-announced tributes were handed out to Roger Ebert, Javier Bardem, Mira Nair (huzzah!!!), production designer Mark Friedberg, IFC Entertainment president Jonathan Sehring and New York mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Has Scorsese finally picked his next movie?

After spending a little down time (and why not?) chumming around with the Rolling Stones, it seems Martin Scorsese's finally ready to commit to his next feature film.

I was hoping he would turn to the children's novel "The Invention of Hugo Cabret," which is rapidly moving up my to-read list (Jonathan Safran Foer's "Everything Is Illuminated" is my current read), but I suppose you can't go too wrong in tapping the work of Dennis Lehane. Leonardo DiCaprio (shocker!) and now Mark Ruffalo are set to star in Scorsese's "Shutter Island," based on Lehane's 2004 novel.

Ruffalo will play U.S. Marshal Chuck Aule, who travels with his new partner (DiCaprio) to the Massachusetts island in 1954. As they investigate the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, they encounter a web of lies, a hurricane and a deadly inmate riot that leaves them trapped on the island.

Sounds like uber-cool stuff to me, and it's certainly nice to see Mr. Scorsese finally working again.

A banner week on DVD:

The Namesake: I was hoping the Macon Film Guild would make this Mira Nair movie its December selection (but "Once," showing Dec. 9 at the Douglass Theatre, is certainly a worthy choice too) so I would get to see it on the big screen, but at least I can finally see it at all on DVD. It seems like this came out in theaters years ago, and I simply adore Mira Nair, so the first thing I'm doing after finishing this is moving her to the top of my Netflix queue.

Waitress: As I start to think about which 10 movies might make it into my Best of 2007 list, I've thought a lot about this sweet little movie from Adrienne Shelly. Sure, it's lighter than air, but you get Felicity, Sheriff Andy and Captain Mal in this bittersweet romance, so how much more can you really ask for?

Bender's Big Score This is the first of what will be a fairly remarkable four movies based on the late but much-loved (especially by me) TV show "Futurama." Planet Express is threatened with a hostile takeover and Bender falls into the hands of criminals who use him to fulfill their schemes.

Paprika: I'm a sucker for intelligent animated movies made for adults, so this one is a natural. As far as I can tell, the wild plot centers on a machine that allows therapists to read people's dreams, and what happens after it gets stolen.

Indy's not really all that old

Well, maybe he is, but judging from this photo of Harrison Ford and Shia LaBoeuf on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" he's at least not yet approaching embarrassing himself like Stallone soon will in yet another "Rambo" movie. You can count "Indy" as the blockbuster I'm most excited for next summer, even more so than "The Dark Knight." Enjoy, and have an entirely bearable Wednesday.

Where are they now: Gilmore Girls

Sure, there's movie news out there today. The best I could find is that after "Juno" finally comes out around the world, Jason Reitman will team up with Diablo Cody again for her next script, which just sounds perfectly insane.

Reitman will produce (and I assume direct) "Jennifer's Body," Cody's horror-comedy about a killer cheerleader, to be played, naturally, by the rather appropriately named Megan Fox of "Transformers" fame.

Specifically, "Body" tells the story of a cheerleader who is possessed by a demon and starts feeding off the boys in a Minnesota farming town. Her "plain Jane" best friend must kill her, then escape from a correctional facility to go after the Satan-worshiping rock band responsible for the transformation. Sounds similar to what often goes on my dreams, actually.

Reitman's company, Hard C, is also behind Rainn Wilson's (Dwight Schrute, of course) flick "Bonzai Shadowhands," which will answer the burning question: What does a ninja do during his downtime?

And in the meantime, "Juno" is still listed as opening at least a few places Dec. 5, so maybe that means we'll get it before the end of the year out here in the hinterlands.

But what I really wanted to talk about, in honor of the rather ignominious end of "Gilmore Girls" hitting DVD this week with the seventh season coming out, was a "where are they now" about the main cast members of a show that I just loved. Besides, there's actual news out today about adorable Alexis Bledel, so why not? Here goes ...

Lorelia Gilmore
I was talking with a co-worker the other day about Christmas movies, and I of course pitched "Bad Santa," which was dismissed as too dark for her tastes. That, however, quickly digressed into talk about whether Lauren Graham's ever gonna get to star in a good movie, or at least one where she gets to do more than f*** Santa. A quick IMDB check, unfortunately, points to no. Her only upcoming credit, for 2008, is something called "Flash of Genius," starring Greg Kinnear as a guy who takes on the Detroit automakers who claim he stole their idea of the intermittent windshield wiper. What this makes Lorelai, I suppose, is once again the wife. Can't anyone write anything better for this great actress? Sheesh.

Rory Gilmore
The news is at least a little better for fans of Alexis Bledel, since she at least gets to topline movies, even if they do sound awfully familiar. She's just signed to play the lead in a Fox Atomic comedy called "Ticket to Ride," in which she will play a college grad who is forced to move back into her childhood home with her eccentric family. Any similarities to Greg Mottola's upcoming "Adventureland," in which Jesse Eisenberg will do essentially the same thing, are supposed to be overlooked, I suppose. Before that, she'll also be reprising her role as Lena in the sequel to Warner Bros.' "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," along with America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Amber Tamblyn.

Luke Danes
Scott Patterson landed quickly back on TV as one of the main stars of the CW's "Aliens in America," the only new sitcom funny enough to keep me watching this fall (and it seems to get better with each week.) Though I didn't see it to find out, he apparently also had some kind of role in "Saw IV." I guess a man's gotta eat.

Emily Gilmore
Did anyone know that Kelly Bishop actually won a Tony award in 1976, for Featured Actress in a Musical for her work as Sheila in "A Chorus Line"? I didn't until I was alerted to it by always-welcome reader Jeremy. Sadly, this truly classy broad has no work listed at the IMDB. How can that be?

Richard Gilmore
Long before he classed up "Gilmore Girls," Edward Herrmann could actually list "Lost Boys" among his many credits, playing, for those who can remember, the key role of Max. Post-"GG" he's had a stint on the sudsy "Grey's Anatomy" (which I don't watch) and then is listed for what must be a straight-to-DVD flick. Starring (I'm not making this up) Tom Arnold and Timothy Daly, "The Skeptic" is described thusly at the IMDB: "A man separates from his wife and young child and moves into a large Victorian house where strange, frightening occurrences take place. The question which teases the alert audience throughout this psychological thriller: Is this a haunting or a descent into madness!" (believe me, the exclamation point wasn't my addition.) Coincidentally, Richard Herrmann won a Tony Award in the same year as Kelly Bishop, for Featured Actor in a Play for his work in George Bernard Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession."

Sookie St. James
Melissa McCarthy also landed right back on TV in a show I don't watch, "Samantha Who?" Judging from the commercials I've seen, the running joke on the show seems to be whether or not Kelly Bundy can call herself a virgin again now that she suffers from amnesia, but maybe the show has more subtle charms I'm just missing. McCarthy is also listed as one of the main stars of a movie called "Pretty Ugly People," which didn't even warrant a plot synopsis at the IMDB.

Michel St. Gerard
Yanic Truesdale, who played a snobby French Canadian so well because he is, well, a French Canadian, unfortunately has no acting credits listed after "Gilmore Girls."

Lane Kim
Keiko Agena and Emily Kuroda played my favorite "Gilmore Girls" characters, Lane Kim and her constantly watchful mother, known only as Mrs. Kim. Since "GG" wrapped, Keiko has voiced the character of Yori on Disney's "Kim Possible," but from there I'm afraid the news is not good. I've managed to make it until now without making any mention of "Major Movie Star," but since she has a small part in it I guess I have to. In a plot summary that, believe me, I couldn't possibly make up, Jessica Simpson will reach to play a ditsy movie star who, after getting in a car accident, somehow manages to enlist in the Army. Remember folks, I'm just the messenger.

Kirk Gleason
The only time I can remember seeing Sean Gunn's name in the news recently was when his brother and sister-in-law, James "Troma" Gunn and Jenna "America's sweetheart" Fischer announced they were getting a divorce. His only acting credit listed is for something called "Pants on Fire," which I can only hope is some kind of comedy.

Paris Geller
Though one of the many charms of "Gilmore Girls" was its outstanding ensemble cast, I've decided to wrap it up here at an even 10 with a look at Liza Weil. Long before "Gilmore Girls," she starred in what is still one of my favorite movies that no one has ever seen, Susan Skoog's great coming-of-age movie "Whatever," and now she's surprisingly busy. She has three upcoming credits listed at the IMDB: "Mars," an animated comedy about the discovery of life on the Red Planet and our race to land there; "Little Fish, Big Pond," which I know nothing about except for that it stars Matthew Modine; and "The Missing Person," which I can only assume is about, well, a missing person.

I could go on a lot longer with this, of course, but everybody knows that two of Rory's main beaus, Milo Ventamiglia and Jared Padalecki, can be seen each week on "Heroes" and "Supernatural," respectively. So, I'll leave you instead with this rather freakin' cool pic of Benicio del Toro all decked out as Che Guevara for Steven Soderbergh's "The Argentine," taken directly from his own fairly odd Web site, which you can find here. Peace out.