My Oscar predictions
These predictions were included in Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman, along with predictions from Gene Triplett and George Lang. Don’t forget to check out BAM’s Blog on Sunday night, when I will be live-blogging the Oscars.
Best picture:
Joel and Ethan Coen’s “No Country for Old Men” was the film I couldn’t take my eyes off of, even when I wanted to stop watching. “Michael Clayton” kept me wondering and watching until the end. “Juno” was the bright spot of humor, wit and heart in a field of bleak stories. But the British drama “Atonement,” about two lovers torn apart by a lie and a war, is the one that continues to haunt me. I had to watch it against just to see if it was as beautiful and terrible as I first thought. It is.
Should win: “Atonement.”
Will win: “No Country for Old Men.”
Best director:
Joel and Ethan Coen probably will win for the compelling “No Country for Old Men,” and their gutsy, unflinching vision warrants high marks. Julian Schnabel merits praise for making “The Diving Bell and Butterfly,” about a paralyzed man who communicates by blinking, interesting. Tony Gilroy makes a remarkable directorial debut with the thriller “Michael Clayton.” But Jason Reitman deserves the top prize for taking a time-worn concept – a teenager dealing with an unplanned pregnancy – and augmenting it with quirky humor, great performances and a surprisingly strong heart.
Should win: Jason Reitman.
Will win: Joel and Ethan Coen.
Best actress:
Ellen Page amazes with her breakout performance in “Juno,” but the academy will want to see more of her work before bestowing hardware. The ever impressive Laura Linney crystallizes the grief and guilt of a middle-aged daughter dealing with an ailing father in “The Savages.” Marion Cotillard virtually shape shifts into French singer Edith Piaf, making “La Vie En Rose” more than its convoluted script deserves. But the always astounding (and, like Day-Lewis, seldom seen) Julie Christie gracefully sidesteps every cliché and cracks the hardest heart as an Alzheimer’s patient in “Away from Her.”
Should and will win: Julie Christie.
Best actor:
The elusive Daniel Day-Lewis, who has made only four movies in the past decade, occasionally emerges to unleash his formidable talent and attention to detail on a meaty role like the unhinged Daniel Plainview of “There Will Be Blood.” While the other performances are admirable, George Clooney suffers the greatest misfortune in competing with Day-Lewis. Already an established movie star, Clooney elevates his game and carries “Michael Clayton” with his sheer intensity.
Should win: George Clooney.
Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis.
Best supporting actress:
Saoirse Ronan captivates and shows enormous promise as the 13-year-old aspiring writer whose little lie destroys lives in “Atonement,” while Tilda Swinton personifies desperate panic and corporate ruthlessness in “Michael Clayton.” But no film character last year provoked in me a stronger reaction – a potent mix of loathing and pity – than the neglectful mother of a kidnapped child Amy Ryan embodies in “Gone Baby Gone.”
Should and will win: Amy Ryan.
Best supporting actor:
In this case, it really is an honor just to be nominated. Casey Affleck, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Holbrook and Tom Wilkinson all deserve kudos for their linchpin performances. But they’re all battling for distant second, because Javier Bardem’s turn as a ruthless serial killer in “No Country for Old Men” is the spine-tingling stuff nightmares are made of.
Should and will win: Javier Bardem.
Best animated film:
Should win: “Surf’s Up.”
Will win: “Ratatouille.”
Best documentary:
Should win: “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” which is impossible because, inexplicably, it did not get a nomination.
Will win: “No End in Sight.”
Best adapted screenplay:
Should win: Sarah Polley, “Away from Her.”
Will win: Joel and Ethan Coen, “No Country for Old Men.”
Best original screenplay:
Should and will win: Diablo Cody, “Juno.”
-BAM
The OK Arts Council has a new leader
From Friday’s Oklahoman.
New agency chief hopes to promote arts
Longtime deputy asked to lead council.
The nationwide search for the new executive director of the Oklahoma Arts Council led right back to Oklahoma. Suzanne Tate, who has been interim executive director since fall, was this week named executive director of the state arts agency.
Tate succeeds Betty Price, who retired in October after 24 years as executive director. Price said Thursday she is delighted the council chose Tate to follow in her footsteps.
“I just think that she is going to make an excellent executive director for the agency. She is well-founded in the work of the agency and has vision and the energy that is required to run the state arts agency,” Price said.
Before becoming interim executive director, Tate worked since 1992 as deputy director, overseeing programs and budgets and managing day-to-day operations.
Vote was unanimous
Jim Tolbert, chairman of the Oklahoma Arts Council, said the agency conducted a nationwide search that yielded several strong candidates. About 50 people applied, including Tate, and four candidates were interviewed.
Tate was the unanimous choice of the six-person search committee and the 16-person council, Tolbert said.
“I think Suzanne is equipped because of her experience, her passion for our programs and her knowledge of Oklahoma. And I’m very excited about what she can accomplish,” he said.
Tate said in the news release that one of her goals is to highlight the benefits of the arts to the state.
“We have an opportunity to incorporate the power of the arts and culture as tools that unite communities, create economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in Oklahoma. I’m looking forward to promoting partnerships among state agencies, communities and the business sector to advance the arts for all Oklahomans,” she said.
An Oklahoma native, Tate brings more than 25 years of experience in accounting, auditing and arts administration, according to an arts council news release. She has served on the planning and budget and policy committees for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and reviewed grants for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Playing a regional role
Tate graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma, where she studied accounting and art. She also studied at Bellas Artes Art Institute, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico.
As executive director, Tate will serve on the board of directors of Mid-America Arts Alliance, a nonprofit group promoting cultural activity in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Oklahoma.
-BAM
DVD review: “Imitation of Life” special edition
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
“Imitation of Life Two-Movie Special Edition”
A great pick for Black History Month, this set includes the 1934 and 1959 versions.
The 1934 film is better and more progressive. White widow Bea Pullman (Claudette Colbert) is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her little girl. Black widow Delilah Johnson (Louise Beavers) finds people won’t hire her as a live-in domestic because she has a young daughter.
Bea and Delilah make an agreement: Bea will let Delilah and her child live with her and Delilah will cook, clean and care for Bea’s toddler. Their fortunes change when Bea opens a pancake restaurant using Delilah’s secret recipe.
The women become wealthy, and their friendship grows. But relationships with their daughters become strained. Delilah’s light-skinned daughter, Peola (Fredi Washington), forsakes her mother so she can pass as white. Bea’s daughter, Jessie (Rochelle Hudson), falls in love with her mother’s fiance.
With melodrama master Douglas Sirk at the helm, the 1959 version is more over-the-top, and the black widow’s role is reduced from domestic/business partner to just domestic. It stars Lana Turner as the poor white widow and Juanita Moore as the single black mother. The stories of the daughters remain similar.
Today, the films are sometimes uncomfortable to watch. But the story is a telling critique of race relations.
Extras: Featurette on the films’ legacy and commentaries.
-BAM
CD review: The Best of Billy Vera
From Friday’s Weekend Look section of The Oklahoman.
Pop
Billy Vera & The Beaters “Hopeless Romantic: The Best of Billy Vera & The Beaters” (Shout! Factory)
Singer-songwriter Billy Vera is best known for “At This Moment,” which became a hit after it was featured on the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties.” More than two decades later, the original live version of the melancholy love song is featured on the compilation “Hopeless Romantic.”
“At This Moment” holds up better than many ’80s chart-toppers, showcasing Vera’s blue-eyed soul crooning and The Beaters’ strong skills with keyboards and horns. Plus, you have to give credit to any band that pairs a full horn section with a steel guitar.
But many of the album’s 14 tracks seem best suited for a fleeting spot on an episode of “Alf” or maybe an ’80s-theme reality TV show.
The compilation includes songs from the live album “Billy & The Beaters,” the album “Billy Vera” and three previously unreleased tracks. Unearthing these tracks does Vera no favors, as they are a trifecta of saccharine silliness with snazzy R&B trappings.
The album has its redeeming points, particularly the strength and energy of the live performances. The opening track, “Corner of the Night,” is pleasingly funky, while “I Can Take Care of Myself” is a bluesy-fun yarn about a man getting involved with a gold digger. “Millie, Make Some Chili” is an amusing countrified tribute to a chili-dog maker.
-BAM
Spartan praise
The testosterone-fueled epic “300″ leads the nominations for the Academy of Science Fiction and Horror Films’ 34th annual Saturn Awards, it was announced this week.
The visually slick adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel received 10 nominations, including best action/adventure/thriller, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, writing, music, special effects and makeup.
Most importantly, the Greek adventure tale was nominated for best costume: The revealed 12-pack abs of the Spartan warriors clearly are the stars of “300.”
“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” earned nine Saturn nods, while “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” was nominated for eight awards.
The best action/adventure/thriller nominees are “300,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “The Bourne Ultimatum,” “Live Free or Die Hard,” “No Country for Old Men,” “There Will Be Blood” and “Zodiac.”
The best science fiction film candidates are “Cloverfield,” “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer,” “I Am Legend,” “The Last Mimzy,” “Sunshine” and “Transformers.”
The best fantasy movie finalists are “Enchanted,” “The Golden Compass,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “Spider-Man 3″ and “Stardust.”
The nominees for top horror film are “30 Days of Night,” “1408,” “Ghost Rider,” “Grindhouse,” “The Mist” and “Sweeney Todd.”
View the rest of the nominees at www.saturnawards.org.
-BAM
From hobbit to mutant
Dominic Monaghan, who played the hobbit Merry in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has signed to play a mutant in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The “X-Men” spinoff, which, of course, stars Hugh Jackman, is set 17 years before the previous films and chronicles the origins of Wolverine/Logan.
Monaghan reportedly will play Barnell, a former military ally of Logan’s with the power to control electricity.
Model-turned-actor Daniel Henney also is joining the film as Agent Zero, a pro tracker with mutant-enhanced marksman abilities who is part of the Weapon X program.
Previously announced cast members include Liev Schreiber (Victor Creed/Sabretooth), Lynn Collins (Silver Fox), Danny Huston (Stryker), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool), will.i.am (Wraith) and Taylor Kitsch (Gambit).
The film is set for May 1, 2009, release.
-BAM
Coming at you Sunday
Grab some tasty snacks, park it front of the TV and visit BAM’s Blog Sunday night, when I will be live-blogging the 80th Annual Academy Awards.
I’ll be dispensing up-to-the-minute quips about the stars’ wardrobe choices, host Jon Stewart’s wisecracks and the numerous montages. Oh, yeah, and the actual presenting of the awards, if they ever get to that part.
It will be my first time to live-blog any event. But I talk to myself a lot, so I think I can handle it. I figure I can make more sense and possibly ramble just as much as the average Oscar acceptance speech.
- BAM
Leo taking on “Akira”
Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros. are set to remake the groundbreaking anime film “Akira” as a pair of live-action movies, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
The movies will be based on Katsurhio Otomo’s six-volume futuristic graphic novel ”Akira.” Each movie will cover three volumes in the series.
Otomo directed and co-wrote the 1988 animated movie based on his graphic novel. The story centers on a teen who goes on a destructive rampage after tapping his psychokinetic powers.
Otomo’s film adaptation boasted stunningly innovative animation, and it’s hard to imagine how some of those jaw-dropping visuals will translate to live-action.
Ruairi Robinson has been tapped to direct the two-part project. It will be his feature film debut; he is best known for his 2002 Oscar-nominated animated short “Fifty Percent Grey.”
Screenwriter/comic book writer/all-around uber-geek Gary Whitta will write the adaptation, and DiCaprio will produce through his production company, Appian Way. No word yet on who will make up the cast.
The new version will move the story from Neo-Tokyo to “New Manhattan.” The first of the live-action films is set for a summer 2009 release.
- BAM
Reba and Kelly prove potent duo
The limited “2 World 2 Voices Tour,” which combined the talents and fan bases of Oklahoma country songstress Reba McEntire and “American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson, was a sell-out success.
The pair concluded the five-week tour Saturday night in the new Sprint Center in Kansas City, with a crowd of 13,000 in attendance, according to a news release.
The tour kicked off Jan. 17 in Dayton, Ohio, and played 15 sold-out venues totaling more than 125,000 people. The tour included a Feb. 1 stop at Tulsa’s Mabee Center.
The two divas, who turned Clarkson’s hit “Because of You” into the Grammy-nominated first single of McEntire’s popular “Reba Duets” album, employed an unusual and equitable format for the tour. Both of them stayed on stage for the whole show, trading off lead and background vocals throughout the evening. They combined their bands into one group for the tour.
McEntire is continuing on the road with a solo U.S. tour starting in April. Clarkson is taking her solo shows to Australia and Europe.
-BAM
Memorial weekend with the Lips
Oklahoma City’s own The Flaming Lips are part of the big, jam band-heavy lineup for the eighth annual Summer Camp Music Festival May 23-25 (the Friday-Sunday before Memorial Day) in Chillicothe, Ill.
The lineup also includes George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Blind Melon, G Love & Special Sauce, Tea Leaf Green, Hot Buttered Rum and many more.
Early advance tickets are $115 and available until March 8 or they sell out. Information and tickets are available at www.summercampfestival.com.
So if you’re a Lips fan looking for a summer road trip, this might be the show for you.
-BAM
