Jackie Beat superstar drag icon reviews The Stepford Wives (1975). Cinema Blend Katey's top 10 list. I forgot to link up at the time but I'm always curious what friends will choose. We're about to record a podcast. Wheeee. CineEuropa reviews the Macedonian Oscar entry Mothers.
I read this book. Thought it could be really cinematic. But only if they bucked the trend of super faithful adaptations. Books are not movies!
Release Dates
Just Jared Tom Hardy as The Warrior gets a release date, September 9th. Lady Gaga "Born This Way" on May 23rd. Coming SoonWater For Elephants has a new still (to your left) and opens on April 22nd. PlayBill looks at the upcoming Broadway openings. (Honestly, it seems like half of the shows running closed today, January 2nd, 2011.) IndieWire looks at which 2011 releases will reflect 2010 releases. Some are obvious: 2011's Black Swan is The Wolverine. Some not so much.
Also...
The new site is up (mostly) -- it seems to be flickering in and out but should be running smoothly within the next couple of days. Still working on importing the blog. But you can see the new Oscar predictions and what not. If you're lucky. If not, try again later.
I couldn't be happier that the music video has regained its cultural capital in the age of YouTube. There's something about the form that is just magical. Or maybe it's just that it's been the most reliable fix for movie-musical lovers during the past 30 years. You can pretend these 3 to 5 minute show stoppers are but one scene in a larger movie musical, can't you? At least that's what I do with my favorite videos.
So herewith, several favorites in no particular order. If you're wondering what music videos have to do with The Film Experience remember that they're short films and that this year's most celebrated director David Fincher (The Social Network) started that mammoth career by making mammoth music videos for Madonna (among others).
Please to enjoy. And let me know your favorite(s) in the comments.
8 FAV MUSIC VIDEOS OF '10 Why only 8? I ran out of steam. You don't have time to watch 10 anyway.
Brandon Flowers "Crossfire"
In which Charlize Theron kicks much ninja ass. I love the self-effacing helplessness of your rock star hero who just can't stop getting into predicaments from which his hot girl (Charlize) must rescue him. Movie stars slumming in music videos is one of the best things in the world though this video does bring up my constant worry about Charlize: Why is she so awesome without making any movies worth caring about?
Janelle Monáe (feat. Big Boi) "Tightrope"
Those feet. The way they slide, spin, shuffle, dance. It's quite a feat.
Cosmo Jarvis "Gay Pirate".
I heart this so hard. That "Yo Ho" chorus is to die. Plus, it's lit and choreographed cleverly for one take (joy) and it's easily enjoyable both on the surface -- gay pirates! -- and moreso if you want to dig deeper (think don't ask don't tell) which is the best kind of artistic trick.
But there's more: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gaga, and more one-take madness coming...
...
Lady Gaga (feat. Beyoncé) "Telephone"
I mostly love this one for the costumes, the Amazon aggression and the Kill Bill and Thelma & Louise shout outs. True story: I was playing charades the other night at a Christmas party and I had to act out this dance. HIGHLY EMBARRASSING.
Cazwell "Ice Cream Truck" [NSFW]
Because it's raunchy/hilarious (NSFW). Cazwell's songs sometimes have good laughs (I Saw Beyoncé at Burger King -lol) but this is the first video to match/surpass the fun embedded in the song.
Vampire Weekend "Giving Up the Gun"
Four things we love in different contexts entirely: tennis, Vampire Weekend, funny Jake Gyllenhaal, people battling with themselves through the magic of movie editing. These four things together = quadruple happiness.
Cee-Lo "F*** You"
A musical biopic (of sorts) that's actually entertaining. The only thing that would make this video better is if Cristal, Ronnette & Chiffon were playing the doo-wop chorus behind the counter.
Ok Go "This Too Shall Pass" [Rube Goldberg Machine Version]
Ingenuity, humor, and one take which continually ups the ante. It's for anyone who has ever marvelled at How Things Work. The ending is so great. The one take thing is an addiction we too rarely get a fix of -- we love it within feature films even more; over there it's an endangered species known as "the long take." I couldn't find much statistical data about ASL (average shot length) on the web -- most of it is really random studies of singular movies but everyone knows it's been decreasing steadily for years. It's definitely under 4 seconds now, maybe closer to 2 with action films, which are even more shard fragment-like coming in under that.
Now it's your turn. Which music videos did you love this year?
Exit Music: This last one isn't an all time great music video, but it's my absofavorite song this year so I have to end with it.
Though I don't much care about the Grammys --even when I was a teenager when you're supposed to care a lot, I didn't as my favorites were rarely nominated -- I do always cast a curious eye over their choices in case a favorite of mine was accidentally nominated or in case I hear about a record that piques curiousity. The nomination I'm happiest about tonight is Best Dance Recording. That really really needs to go to Robyn's "Dancing On My Own."
I'm been itching to download some new music though so I would love to hear your surely more musically astute recommendations in the comments. My phone needs updating in the worst way.
After the jump the three major categories, film related stuff, and the music video nominees; they're short films, after all.
Album of the Year
The Suburbs - Arcade Fire
Recovery - Eminem
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster - Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
Record of the Year (Performer)
Nothin' On You - B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars
Love The Way You Lie - Eminem featuring Rihanna
F*** You - Cee Lo Green
Empire State Of Mind - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
Song of the Year (Songwriter)
Beg Steal Or Borrow - Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs)
F*** You - Cee Lo Green, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green)
The House That Built Me -Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
Love The Way You Lie - Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Eminem, songwriters (Eminem, featuring Rihanna)
Need You Now - Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)
I highlighted my favorites in red but I'm not deeply committed. Now that we've dispatched the top three categories let's talk movies.
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album
Crazy Heart
Glee: The Music, Volume 1
Tremé
True Blood, Volume 2
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Best Score Soundtrack Album
Alice in Wonderland (Danny Elfman)
Avatar (James Horner)
Inception (Hans Zimmer)
Sherlock Holmes (Hans Zimmer)
Toy Story 3 (Randy Newman)
Um... have the Grammys ever nominated a score soundtrack from a non-gajillion grossing movie?
Best Song Written For...
Down in New Orleans (The Princess and the Frog)
I See You (Avatar)
Kiss Like Your Kiss (True Blood)
This City (Tremé)
The Weary Kind (Crazy Heart)
Guess which film actors are nominated for Grammys this year?
"Best Spoken Word Album for Children" pits Julie Andrews (Julie Andrews Collections of Poems, Songs and Lullabies) against Emma Thompson (Nanny McPhee Returns) and... Selma Blair? (Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl). No really it does.
"Best Spoken Word Album" has your usual assortment of comedians up against Michael J Fox (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future...) and Woody Allen (The Woody Allen Collection: Mere Anarchy, Side Effects, Without Feathers, Getting Even). You can get nominated for a box set? Wouldn't you have been eligible in previous years?
And finally...
Best Short Form Music Video
"Aint No Grave" (Johnny Cash) "Love the Way You Lie" (Eminem & Rihanna)
"Stylo" (Gorillaz, Mos Def & Bobby Womack)
"F*** You" (Cee Lo Green)
and the obvious correct vote... Lady Gaga's magnificent gargantuan instant classic of the form "Bad Romance."
How are you feeling about the nominations and do you have any music to recommend for a barren iPod?
Because sometimes, taking a wee break from the silver screen, helps you appreciate the movies more.
EW Lady Gaga is insane. Promises "Born This Way" is 'best album of the decade'. So no sophomore slump then, Gaga? YouTube Madonna opening her Hard Candy gym in Mexico. I wish I could work out there. I obviously need some sort of dominatrix to push me if I'm ever going to get in shape. (sigh) AV Club Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark first preview "no one broke their wrists or feet or died." Seriously, why do people keep hiring Julie Taymor and throwing money at her? How long will this Broadway musical have to stay open to even break even? 2018? Band of Thebes best LGBT books of the year? Vulture Hilary Swank developing a reality tv game show? Bizarre.
Or you can just consider this an OPEN THREAD. Lots of movie awards news popping up, yes, but WHAT ELSE are you thinking about right now? I'm watching Pee Wee Herman on Broadway as you read this! I know you are but what am I? *
Due to the long holiday weekend which put me behind and a busy screening week, I've decided to postpone this week's HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT. The series will be back next Wednesday the 15th with Pandora's Box (1929) so you have another week to watch this awesome silent classic whether on DVD or Netflix Instant Watch. Thanks for understanding and please join in the celebration of the immortal Louise Brooks next Wednesday. On Wednesday the 22nd we'll do David Fincher's Se7en (1995) for its 15th anniversary. Honestly, it's the movie I was thinking of picking -- it'd been on my mind and I had an itch to scratch with it -- and then I looked up the release date and couldn't believe my eyes. Obvs, It was meant to be.
Links! The Big Picture George Clooney's box office pull and the fate of The American. /Film interviews Aron Ralston. James Franco plays him in 127 Hours. Cinematical strange stories surfacing from 127 Hours screenings. Medics called in. MTV MoviesMulan is getting a live action version with Zhang Ziyi returning to action heroine mode. Jan De Bont (Speed) will direct. This message has been brought to you by the year 2000. Lazy Eye Theater an important message from Machete. Movie|Line The Verge: Keir Gilchrist. I like this regular feature at Movie|Line. Mind of a Suspicious Kind would like you to reconsider Megan Fox... as a silent film star.
CHUD Natalie Portman offered the Gravity lead. So much for our casting suggestions last week. I like Portman quite a lot but every actor has their weaknesses and so far she hasn't shown any skill at acting with green screens. Can Cuarón take her to where she needs to go? Movie City News a cool press kit for Never Let Me Go. Uhhhh, I didn't get this. Boo. Rooney Mara Network They're already filming The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? David Fincher is breaking speed records he is. Perhaps he's hurrying to complete filming before the awards season long haul for The Social Network.
And finally here's another Joseph Gordon-Levitt performance. He does love singing the girl songs. This time it's "Bad Romance"
This is my favorite part OF COURSE
For those still doubting the artistic integrity of Lady Gaga, this next verse has three Hitchcock references and the use of the word "shtick"
