127 Hours

FINALLY! Yeesh…..

Natalie Portman looks terriffic, doesn’t she?

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: I can never tell whether anybody wants to chat about the carpet. Tried it the first year, dropped it the second.

@nojo: The Oscars IS the carpet, IMHO.

What’s weird for me is that I am literally about 2 blocks from the Oscars at a friend’s house…I can hear the press choppers. One of these years I’ll have to see how close I can get.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: The Oscars is:

a) The failure of the host to charm the crowd.

b) Best Nominee in a Losing Close-Up.

c) Death Montage.

@nojo: And the terrible, terrible styling. God, who let Kieth Urban out of the house in that hair? Did Gwenith Paltrow MAKE her own earrings this year? Is that Christian Bale or the Unibomber?

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: Can’t look yet. TV’s on, but I’m wrapping up some hackwork.

Home from work with a cold, and the Oscars on MurdochAsia, live. However, Inglorious Basterds just showed up on the tube as well, which I think will go well with my hot tea and cold medicine.

Where is the Oscar thread? You people are confusing me.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: This would be it.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: This is it, now, where have you been? You missed Sandra Bullock, she looked fantastic.

In backstage gossip today, ABC really-really-really wants to promote its Exclusive! Charlie Sheen interview, but Mr. Oscar won’t let them.

I’m sorry, but Academy Leader doesn’t include a 1. And maybe a 2.

Watching Lebanon. Not all the way through but a stunning achievement. An indictment of what American movies have become. And saw some of SN with commentary on to make the OH stop. First scene: 99 takes. 99 motherfucking takes!!!!! The horror. That was enough.

Ok, James Franco and Anne Hathaway, try not to suck.

Yum, Franco butt.

Cute shtick. And now for the letdown.

Oh my god, tanking.

And, the show is stopped. Congratulations, everybody!

Apropos of nothing — really, nothing — let’s enjoy some TCM highlights!

Please Mr. Hanks, pull this out of the toilet…

THIS SUCKS…when i take the laptop into the bedroom, i get knocked off line. can’t watch with you now! will dash when necessary.

Oh my god, is it too late to get Ricky Gervais?

Hey, it’s the pron set!

James Franco is tweeting now, but nothing good so far.

They should show the shot clock during the speeches.

Franco’s last words before going out on stage were prophetic.
http://www.whosay.com/jamesfranco/videos/14028

@nojo: People should only be allowed to give speeches if I care about what they have to say. This would keep the show nice and short.

The neighborhood critter is insisting that I toss around the catnip mouse. Which is proving more entertaining than the show so far.

Let’s embarrass old people before the entire world!

Kirk Douglas is creepy as fuck.

@nojo: This is a good idea.

@nojo: God bless him though that has to be tough.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: There are ways to be more dignified about it. Such as losing the banter.

@nojo: Do you think he can read it?

This is actually getting better the longer it goes.

Just read it already, asshole.

@nojo: He’s much better as a solo act.

@mellbell: As the duchess said to the bishop….

I hate to say it, but Kirk looks like the Robot Chicken mad doctor.

A bleep! There goes three seconds of backup.

That is a horrible dress Leo is wearing, but I’m intrigued about Cate Blanchett’s gown just from that brief glimpse.

@nojo: Win.

Oh, God, somebody bring on a singing Snow White or something.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Here’s a full-length shot.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Appearance of an authoritative voice.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Iconic = out of the home for the evening.

@nojo: And they got Mila Kunis, who has a number of episodes of Robot Chicken under her belt.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: You beat me to it. Rob? You’re on!

Jeez, was JT looking at her tits? Tacky….

@mellbell: I’m in love with her. I don’t care what she wears.

@mellbell: Gawd, I love her. So few people could pull that off.

Some year in the future, Steve Jobs is going to make the Death Montage.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: He can’t help it. When he saw the lace insert over the boob, he had a flashback to the Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: It looks like a herpes outbreak.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: Biofill.

Quack!

This is the end of Anne Hathaway’s career, mark my words. She is so bad the set is pulling focus.

@redmanlaw: Ha.

If the Academy was really hip, they’d do a walk-and-talk with Sorkin.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: Maybe she’ll get naked.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Hers is my favorite of what I’ve seen–interesting design, lovely color, spring-like, and no black, red, or metallic.

@Mistress Cynica: Are you kidding me? It looks like H.R. Geiger designed it.

Mike Lee? Oh. Right.

@nojo: Naked = no nomination this year.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: Had to Google him, and I don’t see the resemblance, but then I’m the loser who likes Agatha Christie.

Do people really put lemon in diet coke?

So, is Pixar script-doctoring all the non-Pixar Disney movies these days? Or was it just an early one I heard about?

Quit. Please.

@nojo: What? Where did you get that?

Geek love for Anne’s song.

“Artificial retractable claws” did it for me.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: I’d have to look it up. Just when Pixar was acquired, there was a movie in production that Lasseter’s crew had a once-over on.

i’m falling asleep. don’t you love these assholes with no respect for their alloted time? oooh i hear HELEN>>>

I know I’m not supposed to like Russell Brand, but that was funny.

@baked: The King’s Speech writer had the most elegant, composed speech of the evening. As compared to Sorkin, who was rushing to drop all the names he could manage.

@baked: The speeches are almost as bad as Anne Hathaway.

Nice of Reese to join us from 1962.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: We liked Get Him to the Geek (which has a cameo by Lars Ulrich from Metallica.)

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: How much do you think those huge emerald earring are worth?

Pron set again! Drink!

We Are All Joaquin Phoenix.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: I’m terrible at pricing jewelry. $10,000?

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: I’m not sure. They were HUGE, though.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ:
i HAD that dress in the 80’s…
i liked chritian bale’s black on black, but i thought he could lose the vest.

Hm. Weird black dress on AH…what’s the verdict?

HUNDREDS of thousands.
and has nicole lost her mind?

John Williams Scorecard: 2 for 4.

@redmanlaw: Bet I know who you’re rooting for in this category.

Inception score is very, very clever, with interrelated rhythms, like the movie itself. If only I had my Advent woofers…

I don’t recognize Trent Reznor. What thefuck happened to him?

“I want to fuck you like an animal.”

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: He got clean.

So much bad hair between those two. I wonder if Matt could wring out some hair gel and smooth out Scarlett’s rat’s nest.

Wow, Matthew McCauneghey (sp?) is wearing a shirt.

@redmanlaw: Not anymore, I don’t.

@mellbell: We’re finally ordering pizza. I’m about to plotz.

@redmanlaw: Lol

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: This.

Why didn’t Daft Punk get a nomination for the Tron 2 score?

@redmanlaw: Does that make three of us who enjoyed Tron? Silent Creative Partner and I had a good time. The backpack full of beers probably helped.

@nojo: It was modestly entertaining.

@mellbell: Fair enough. Satisfying Hollywood ride.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: Don’t like. It looks like a bustier with a skirt attached, and not in a good way.

I’m sorry, that dress is plain ass ugly.

Rick Baker! Old school!

@mellbell: Everybody’s doing Sarah Jessica tonight.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: I’m on the fence. I like the beading and creping and somewhat unusual colors, but the sleeves and cutout are really troublesome.

oh c’mon, wtf is that cate?

@mellbell: The beading is what I don’t like. It looks like buboes.

@mellbell: I really like it, from an artistic POV. But I’d take of the winged sleeves.

OMG, Atwood. Stop reading.

@baked: EXACTLY.

Why hello, Mr. President.

Cameo of the Year.

How many muppets died to make that dress?

Zackary Levi? Was he in amovie or is this just random?

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: It’s also doing unforgivable things to her back.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Right? Who knew he could sing?

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: He was the voice of the thief in Tangled.

@mellbell: Gah, eyesore.

@mellbell: Oh, yikes. I’m gonna have to rethink this one now.
But I do love her hair. I wonder if I could get away with a cut that short.

@mellbell: I kinda liked the top part though.

Oh, Adrien. I’m so, so sorry.

Now THAT is a dress. Amy Adams looks fantastic.

How do you qualify a short subject these days? What theater even shows them?

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: A friend of a friend directed/wrote/starred in God of Love. Fingers crossed.

@mellbell: Yay!

@mellbell: Awesome!

Auto-Tune the Oscars.

@mellbell: Nerd charms the crowd. You can’t lose when Mom does Craft Services.

James Franco is stoned.

@nojo: Especially if it was PB&J with the crust cut off.

Of the one Oscar-nominated documentary I’ve seen in the past 24 hours, Banksy’s was definitely the best.

Just turn it over to him, Anne. Everybody wants him back.

Are they contractually obliged to air Hope’s “passover” joke every year?

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Bob Hope impression: Dave Thomas or Kevin Pollak?

@nojo: Thomas. I think Pollak would have done it better.

Wait, wait, wait: Did they not mention Johnny Carson during the Oscar-host segment?

I like this red dress better than the one she wore on the red carpet.

Wow, I thought Julia Roberts had a huge mouth. And then I saw Anne Hathaway.

@nojo: “. . . as The Beaver.”

Jennifer Hudson looks AMAZING – love love LOVE that tangerine on her!

And awesome earrings on her.

OMFG, Gwenny sings!

@redmanlaw: Barbara Billingsley better get hearty applause during the Death Montage.

@nojo: Restrepo was good, too – but this is an “avoid the wars” kind of year.

On that note, where’s Marlon Brando when you need someone to drag an Egyptian/Tunisian/Libyan on stage to make a statement?

I know he comes from a Hollywood Family, but I’m still amazed when Randy Newman shows up at the Oscars.

Hey Gary – sing “L.A.”!

@Nabisco: Make that a fake Egyptian/Tunisian/Libyan.

@SanFranLefty: I’d put her in my top 5 tonight.

Jake & Elwood are guarding the remaining Oscars.

That Modern Family commercial was the funniest thing about this telecast.

@nojo: Lotsa Newmans around here.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: I’m getting some Hong Kong media types lounging in front of Kowloon harbor, and no commercials.

Do they have sharks in Canada, or did Celine Dion jump the last one fifteen years ago?

No ambient audience during the Death Montage? Or were they told to keep it down?

@nojo: They fucking forgot her altogether.

@nojo: Time lag – they’re just starting the Lena Horne tribute over here.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: Are you kidding me? That is so fucking wrong.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: I was really hoping for an Airplane twofer.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: @Mistress Cynica: I wanted to see her too, but she wasn’t really a film star per se.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: No, just a celebrated scene thief.

Damn. I wanted Annette to win.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: She was amazing in Kids. We see that type of person she portrayed all over Santa Fe.

Jesse Eisenberg does the best Scorsese impression.

@nojo: I just did not like that movie.

Stop making me fall in love with you, Colin.

@TJ/ Jamie Sommers /TJ: He might like that new haircut.

And what did Raging Bull lose to? Ordinary People.

Also nominated in 1980: Elephant Man and Coal Miner’s Daughter.

Harvey’s back!

And now, here it is, Your Moment of Shamelessness.

Is it just me or is it weird that the kids’ shirts have their voice on it?
Thank goodness my HS choir didn’t do that; I would’ve had “OFF KEY” on m ine.

Comedy Nerd Alert: Brian Posehn gets a writing credit.

@nojo: Fierstein? Damn, I wish I had TV right now.

I say next year they just buy Charlie Sheen an 8-ball and let him host it. It couldn’t be worse.

On the plus side, I got to see Franco’s butt in leotards, and that one producer thanked his boyfriend, so not a total loss.

Also a credit for “James Franco’s Groomer”. I’ll let the floor have that one.

@Mistress Cynica: Weinstein. He used to buy Oscars like chocolates.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: And there’s the Charlie Sheen promo! ABC was waiting all night to air that one.

@nojo: Who could forget his performance at the end of Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer? His metal comedy is bizarre even by my standards.

Apparently they awarded the Best Picture award as Mr. SFL and I sat down for dinner because I said, “Oh wow, look at that parade of white men winning, it must be Best Producer” – but it wasn’t.

P.S. Am I the only one on the mailing list of National Center for Lesbian Rights where I got to get Kate Kendall’s rant about Annette Benning and “The Kids are All Right”? I guess Warren didn’t cut a big enough check to them. I’ll dig it out of my spam folder. Pretty fucking entertaining.

@redmanlaw: I missed that one. And for the time being, it’s the Future Foundation. Until they revive Johnny Storm.

@SanFranLefty: The WHO movie?
http://www.thewho.net/linernotes/TKAA.html

@SanFranLefty: Hm, what? Share, please.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One:
http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=blog_katesBlog

The Kids May Be All Right. The Movie? Not So Much.

02.26.11

It started when we were at Sundance last year. Sandy and I heard the buzz about “The Kids Are All Right” and were happy to hear that the very talented Lisa Cholodenko had made a new film with three of our favorite actors—Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo. It had all the makings of a mainstream hit, which we were thrilled about. Then we heard a bit more of the premise of the film mainly revolving around the tired cliché of a lesbian sleeping with a guy (who saw that coming?), and our desire to actually see the film waned.

In the year since, the film has garnered tons of critical press, been nominated for numerous awards, including an Oscar for best picture, and been debated around many a queer dinner table, including ours, despite our not having actually seen the movie. With the Academy Awards bearing down this Sunday, and my discomfort with expressing an uninformed opinion growing, Sandy and I watched “The Kids Are All Right” this past weekend.

It was worse than I feared. Major and numerous spoiler alerts here, so if you haven’t seen the film, stop reading.

First of course there is the sex, which among the women is about as passionate and appealing as cleaning the garage. I do not care what porn they watch. I do care that the reason they seem to have for watching porn—to get into having sex with each other—fails to convey the slightest heat (Bening may as well have been watching a documentary on the life of sea turtles) and ends up looking boring and sad. Then there is the parenting. By turns, the women either infantilize their teenage children or smother them. The kids may be alright, but the parents can’t take a whole lot of credit.

The relationship between the Moore and Ruffalo characters seems driven only by opportunity, not attraction. And for those who don’t know many lesbian couples, it will only reinforce the stereotype—harbored by many straight men—that given the chance, we will, in fact, sleep with them. Finally, and then really I will stop, are the moments I found most discomfiting and offensive and yet rarely commented on—the race and class dynamics. There are three people of color in the film. They are tools of pleasure, support, or labor, and when their services are no longer required by our painfully self-absorbed leads, or when they dare react realistically to what they are witnessing, they are rudely and cruelly dispatched.

It pains me that this is the story and characters America is seeing. It pains me that Cholodenko, whose body of work transfixed and moved me, will now have this at the top of her resume. It pains me that Annette Bening had to be cast as a shrew to justify Moore’s unconvincing dalliance. It pains me to imagine what this movie could have been and the story it could have told.

This state of affairs is not unique to us. As the lives of any group, traditionally marginalized in popular culture, move to the mainstream, there will be cringe-inducing moments. We’ll get over it. I’ll get over it. But given the talent and brilliance of all involved, and the final five minutes of the film where we actually begin to like the women and root for their relationship, there will always be a tinge of regret in wondering what might have been.

@Nabisco: I watched Inglorious Basterds last week and was not at all impressed with either the writing or Brad Pitt’s acting. Probably would not have been half so bad if not for his atrocious Tennessee accent.

But Tarantino films are weird that way anyway (except for Kill Bill which I think is brilliant in every way). I watched Reservoir Dogs last week and spent most of the movie teetering on the brink of turning it off because much of the acting was so wooden, but the ending was good.

@mellbell: Is that a caterpillar on her shoulder?

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut: Basterds is a wonderful example of how long you can stretch a scene with Dread hanging over it. It makes up for everything I hated about Tarantino’s half of Grindhouse.

@SanFranLefty: I love my lesbian sisters but they are always so fucking serious.

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut: I HATED Basterds. Turned it off after about 25 minutes. I even tried muting it to just stare at the cute men, but it didn’t work.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: I know, so FUCKING earnest. And Goddess knows I love my lesbians too, but for CHRISSSAKE they totally play into the stereotype.

Kate, girl, please. Walk your dog with your wife, and then get your ass to a fundraiser in Brentwood with Annette and Warren and not worry about it.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: The tedium of being earnest.

@SanFranLefty: The quality of the lesbian sex is the least of that movie’s problems.

My God, you people have got stamina. We had to turn off Lebanon as it was giving the OH panic attacks. I’ll try to watch the rest of it today.

Meanwhile, all you left-coasters can kiss my ass. We’ve got freezing rain. Can you say the same?

@Mistress Cynica: Nothing loserish about liking Mrs. Christie. You’ve never tried to act one of her plays. Hence my rancor. I thought that the very very short novel of… and now a long pause as one searches for how best to put this… Ten Little Indians (we know its original title, right?) is pretty stylish. Though it does depend on the “Because I’m mad, I tell you! Mad! MAD!!!!! Mwahahahahhahaha!” ending that hardly ever passed muster. And there is the wonderful Joan Hickson version of Miss Marple. This is just my own particular quirk. I know it’s annoying. Pay no attention.

BTW. The King’s Speech was got underway with generous amounts of cash from the British Film Board (I think that’s what it’s called) which has been recently disbanded by the Tories.

Now we must drive to pick up the puppy.

@Right Reverend Benedick: Puppy? What puppy?

@Right Reverend Benedick: The UK Film Council, no? It’s a rare UK production that screens in the U.S. and doesn’t bear that seal.

@Right Reverend Benedick: …And Then There Were None . I love that play, though I admit it probably is best as closet drama.

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut: The dreaded pug.

@Mistress Cynica: Pug doom. She’s here now. 14 weeks. The dachshund is pretending he can’t see her.

@karen marie has her eyes tight shut: The puppy we shouldn’t have bought. We have had 11 dogs in our time. I feel like Michelle Duggars.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One: Ten Little Ni… s was its original title. I defy anyone to act it with a straight face.

@Tommmcatt is with Karin Marie on This One:

On the upside, it *did* serve as a likely inspiration for the “Clue” movie. :)

@Right Reverend Benedick: Really? I thought it was the other. Yuck, terrible.

@al2o3cr: I kinda miss old-school mystery movies, with the locked rooms and the arsenic just laying around for people to bake into brownies.

@al2o3cr: “To make a long story short…”

@mellbell:

“Put the body in the study.” “Why?” “I’m a butler, I like to keep things tidy.”

Oh dear Christ in heaven! Why didn’t you warn me? I just saw some of the broadcast. WTF? But nice from the writer of King’s Speech.

@Right Reverend Benedick: You read this whole thread and you still watched it? I’m thinkin’ this one is on you.

I couldn’t imagine it could possibly be that bad. It was like Springtime for Hitler but not funny. And we FFed through a lot. And stopped after about 35 mins.

In breaking news:the puppy pooped!! Yay. Outside!!! Woo hoo!!!