Talking About Stuff, with Mike and Christiana

Hey everyone! The Oscar noms come tomorrow, and so that means it's just about time for my 3rd Annual Oscar Movie Marathon! More details about that coming soon. In the meantime, why not check out the Nominees for the Razzies, given out every year to the WORST films of the year.

Worst Screenplay
Bewitched
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Dirty Love
Dukes of Hazzard
Son of the Mask

Wow, I haven't seen any of these. From what I hear though, all pretty crappy.

Worst Director
John Asher - Dirty Love
Ewe Boll - Alone in the Dark
Jay Chandrasekhar - The Dukes of Hazzard
Nora Ephron - Bewitched
Lawrence Gutterman - Son of the Mask

None of these either. Both Jay Chandrasekhar (Super Troopers) and Nora Ephron (You've Got Mail) have done good work in the past though.

Worst Remake or Sequel
Bewitched
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Dukes of Hazzard
House of Wax
Son of the Mask

Okay, finally, one I've seen. House of Wax. It really wasn't very good, but it had some actual good stuff going for it, so I'm not sure it really deserves this. I think Paris Hilton is why it's here.

Worst Screen Couple
Will Ferrell and Nicole Kidman - Bewitched
Jamie Kennedy and "Anybody sharing the screen with him" - Son of the Mask
Jenny McCarthy and "Anyone dumb enough to befriend or date her" - Dirty Love
Rob Schneider and His Diapers - Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Jessica Simpson and her "Daisy Dukes" - Dukes of Hazzard

Yet again, another category where I haven't seen anything. Still, I do not ultimately consider that a bad thing.

Worst Supporting Actress
Carmen Electra - Dirty Love
Paris Hilton - House of Wax
Katie Holmes - Batman Begins
Ashlee Simpson - Undiscovered
Jessica Simpson - Dukes of Hazzard

Katie Holmes is only here because of the whole tabloid-fodder thing with her and Tom Cruise. She wasn't great, but she wasn't that bad either in the movie itself. Paris Hilton played herself, so whether you like her performance or not pretty much depends on whether you like her or not. Haven't seen the others.

Worst Supporting Actor
Hayden Christensen - Star Wars III: No Sith, he's supposed to be Darth Vader?
Alan Cumming - Son of the Mask
Bob Hoskins - Son of the Mask
Eugene Levy - Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and The Man
Burt Reynolds - Dukes of Hazzard and The Longest Yard

Hahahahahaha! Now, I liked Ep III, but Hayden wasn't why. The rest I haven't seen.

Most Tiresome Tabloid Targets
Tom Cruise and his Anti-Psychiatry Rant
Tom Cruise, Katie Holms, Oprah Winfrey's Couch, the Eiffel Tower & "Tom's Baby"
Paris Hilton and... Who-EVER!
Mr. & Mrs. Britney, Their Baby, and Their Camcorder
The Simpsons: Ashlee, Jessica and Nick

Wow, double nom for Tom. He totally deserves it. So do the rest of them.

Worst Actress
Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four and Into the Blue
Hilary Duff - Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and The Perfect Man
Jennifer Lopes - Monster in Law
Jenny McCarthy - Dirty Love
Tara Reid - Alone in the Dark

Once again, haven't seen any of these.

Worst Actor
Tom Cruise - War of the Worlds
Will Ferrel - Bewitched and Kicking & Screaming
Jamie Kennedy - Son of the Mask
The Rock - Doom
Rob Schneider - Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo

Again, Tom Cruise is here because of his personal life and publicity, not because he was especially bad in the movie. But then, so what? Haven't seen the rest of these either!

Worst Picture
Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo
Dirty Love
Dukes of Hazzard
House of Wax
Son of the Mask

Only one I've seen is House of Wax, which again, is only here because of Paris Hilton. It wasn't great, but it wasn't one of the five worst films of the year by any stretch.

Sometimes, I think to myself that I would be better off if I didn't read so much about movies before they come out. Occasionally I stumble across spoilers that I wish I hadn't seen, or I find that I wish I had gone in knowing less about what to expect from a film.

That said, the fact that I haven't seen hardly any of the above films suggests that maybe my approach isn't a bad thing at all.

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ABC News has an interesting article about a new documentary called: This Film Has Not Been Rated, all about the MPAA ratings board.

Sundance Producer Examines Film Ratings

PARK CITY, Utah Jan 24, 2006 — Kirby Dick has rated the movie-ratings board and come to a blunt conclusion: This panel is not suitable for any audiences.

His documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," premiering Wednesday at the Sundance Film Festival, is a harsh indictment of the ratings system overseen by the Motion Picture Association of America, the trade group for Hollywood's top studios.

Dick calls the ratings process a form of censorship carried out by unqualified film judges who operate in secrecy, their procedures favoring big studio fare over movies from independent and overseas filmmakers.

"Independent film tends to focus more on sexuality. Studios tend to put out films that have more to do with violence," said Dick, a 2004 Academy Awards nominee for his documentary "Twist of Faith." "Violent films get through almost unscathed, but the ratings have this excessive focus against sexuality that puts independent film at a disadvantage."

Hey everybody!

Remember that Turner Classic Movies continues to show the work of animation master Hayao Miyazaki on Thursdays all this month!

This week we have:

My Neighbor Totoro An incredibly charming adventure of two little girls who, after moving to a new house in the country, meet and befriend some wonderful magical creatures known as "Totoro". Suitable for ANY age, and delightful for any age as well. (English dub (The new dub!) at 8:00, Japanese with subtitles at 1:15)

Porco Rosso A thrilling, funny, haunting tale of a reclusive flying ace in an alternate pre-WWII Europe. He saves the helpless from air pirates, battles his obnoxious rival Curtis, and keeps making friends despite himself. Oh yeah, and he has the head of a pig. (English dub at 9:30, Japanese with subtitles at 2:45)

Whisper of the Heart The only one of the three I haven't seen, it is written by Miyazaki, but directed by Yoshifumi Kondo. A young girl finds that all the books she chooses in the library have been previously checked out by the same boy. Later she meets a very infuriating fellow... could it be her "friend" from the library? The boy's grandfather has a violin sales and service shop. The boy wants to be a violin maker like his grandfather. (English dub at 11:15, Japanese with subtitles at 4:30.)

I love the first two and can't wait to see the third. You should check them out too! Movies like these make your heart soar.

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Hey everyone,

CBS has just put up the website for the newest iteration of Survivor; Survivor Panama: Exile Island

Stranded on an island off the coast of Panama, 16 strangers must live together and compete for the million-dollar prize. This time, the castaways will begin their competition as four tribes: older men, older women, younger men and younger women. At least one Survivor each week will be banished to a separate island miles away from camp. How will this change the game? Who will outwit, outplay, and outlast all others? Don’t miss a single episode of SURVIVOR: PANAMA--EXILE ISLAND, premiering Thursday, February 2 at 8 pm ET/PT, only on CBS.

I have to say, after reading the biographies for these contestants, I have to say that they seem (in general) like a more interesting group of people than the last bunch. (Not that an interesting bio always makes for an interesting person or that an uninteresting bio has to mean a boring person.) So head on over and check out the new batch of contestants!

I have looked over all of them, and I have decided to pre-judge each and every one of them based solely on their taste in TV and Movies.

Aras - Yoga Instructor
TV Shows No favorite
Movies Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring; The Big Lebowski

Aras loses points for not having any favorite TV shows. It's fine for people to not watch much TV, but to not even be able to identify a favorite smacks to me of a pretentious person who loves saying things like, "Oh, I don't even own a TV," as though that's a badge of honor or something. That said, he regains an awful lot of ground with his movie picks. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring is a relatively obscure foreign film that is really quite beautiful and philosophical. His profession as a yoga instructor is likely what brought him to the film, as its Buddhist theme meshes well with yoga. Further, the choice of the Big Lewbowski demonstrates first that he has an appreciation for many different types of film, but also that he can understand and enjoy the brilliant humor present in that film. I predict that his mellow philosophy and sense of humor will help him do well in the game.


Austin - Author
TV Shows Seinfeld, SURVIVOR
Movies A River Runs Through It, the Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart

Ouch. Dude, he's an author, and that I like, but these choices. It's not that any of them are bad shows or films per se, it's just that they are all too easy. There's no real imagination involved in any of these picks so I can't really give him much credit for them. That said, at least he doesn't lose points by naming anything really awful. Just bland choices, like he had to really think about the question to come up with anything and then just named the first ones that came to mind. Another brief note about choosing Survivor. Sure, for an actual contestant, it should be a given, but in my opinion, anyone who's on the show should name this one automatically before even thinking about any others. It's all gain, nothing to lose. I don't think he'll do well. He doesn't put enough thought into things before he answers. Then again, he is an author, so maybe he'll have some long-term story in mind. He'll need to pay attention to the little details though.


Bobby - Attorney
TV Shows SURVIVOR, The Daily Show, Real Time with Bill Maher, The Tick, Deadwood, The Discovery Channel
Movies Pulp Fiction, Friday, Airplane, The Godfather, The Godfather II, Raw, Delirious, Braveheart

Nice. I especially give him props for The Tick, Deadwood and The Discovery Channel. The inclusion of Real Time could foretell a tendency toward political discussion which might get him into trouble, but on the whole, I think this is an excellent selection. First of all, he named lots of different kinds of shows and films, from comedy to drama to educational. And some of his choices are truly excellent. Delirious is an odd choice, but as a part of an otherwise quirky and fun selection, it doesn't bother me at all. Top marks.


Bruce - Karate Instructor / High School Art Teacher
TV Shows SURVIVOR, ESPN, sports
Movies Seven Samurai, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings

Okay, he's a sports fan. Some of my best friends are sports fans so I won't judge him too harshly for it, even though I think he's only hurting himself by not having some quality scripted shows on his list. As for the films, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings are relatively easy choices, but at least they demonstrate an affection for scifi and fantasy. I approve. Likewise, Seven Samurai is an excellent film as well. A classic of Japanese cinema and the inspiration for "The Magnificent Seven." He has good taste, but he needs to be checking out Battlestar Galactica on the Scifi channel, as well as some of the other great shows on TV. He's got a good head on his shoulders, but he needs to make sure he looks both ways on the street or he'll get bowled over from behind.


Cirie - Registered Nurse
TV Shows SURVIVOR, BIG BROTHER, The First 48 Investigative Reports
Movies Shallow Hal, Scarface, Cooley High

*blink* Did she really list Shallow Hal as one of her favorite movies? She tries to come back from that with Scarface, but I'm sorry, Cirie. It's too late for that. It was over with Shallow Hal.


Courtney - Performance Artist
TV Shows Real Time with Bill Maher, SURVIVOR, Entourage, Lost, Rock Star
Movies House of Flying Daggers, The Incredibles, Pulp Fiction

Some pretty good choices here too. She has an eclectic taste, which is very good, and she chose some nice films here. I'm less impressed with the TV shows, but they aren't bad on the whole. Lost in particular is a nice inclusion. High marks. It sounds as though she will be flexible in her interactions with people, and she could do well.


Dan - Retired Astronaut
TV Shows SURVIVOR, The West Wing
Movies Apollo 13, Dirty Harry, Speed

Hmmm... Apollo 13 is a good film, but given that he's an actual astronaut, he should have picked The Right Stuff instead. Dirty Harry and Speed suggest that he's got a relatively narrow lens as far as film is concerned, which doesn't make him a bad person, but I would recommend that he try to open his mind to some comedies or human dramas in the future. Maybe some good foreign films. Amelie is a good place to start. The West Wing, eh? I wonder if he means the early seasons when it was still good? He's certainly smart and has potential to be a leader, but I predict that his weakness may be tunnel vision.


Danielle - Medical Sales Representative
TV Shows Rescue Me, Desperate Housewives, Las Vegas, Grey's Anatomy, The Sopranos
Movies The Bronx Tale, Scarface, Goodfellas

Ooh, I'm torn here. I approve of Rescue Me, The Sopranos, and her film choices, but Desperate Housewives and Las Vegas hurt her. Further more, I detect once again, a pretty narrow focus in her choices, which suggests to me someone who maybe isn't as rounded a person as I would like. I prescribe a period drama like Amadeus or a nice sweet animated film like My Neighbor Totoro. There's more to life than mobsters and housewives. I worry that her infatuation with those things may lead her to an oversimplified and inaccurate model of behavior for dealing with the game.


Melinda - Singer
TV Shows THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS, THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL, American Idol, NUMB3RS, SURVIVOR
Movies Legally Blonde, Sweet Home Alabama

... Moving on.


Misty - Engineer
TV Shows 24 and SURVIVOR
Movies Gone with the Wind

I would have liked to see more selections here. Such a small number of favorites suggests she didn't think about the question very hard, which is disappointing. That said, 24 and Gone with the Wind are acceptable. A good start, but she needs to work harder. In the game, she needs to make sure that she plans more than just one move ahead or else she'll get blindsided.


Nick - Financial Sales
TV Shows Entourage, Nip/Tuck, The Daily Show
Movies The Big Lebowski, True Romance

*nods* Not bad, not bad. That said, his TV picks, while good shows, are not particularly known for their strength in characterization. He seems like a smart guy, but I'm not sure how well he'll be able to read people's hidden motives and emotions. His film choices are good, but again, there's a little bit too tight of a focus.


Ruth Marie - Director of Retail Leasing
TV Shows SURVIVOR, CSI, Sex & the City
Movies Notting Hill, Gone with the Wind

Hmm, okay, she gets credit for diverse selections. I'm not a huge fan of any of her choices, but I can at least acknowledge good qualities in each of them. I think she'll make it a ways, maybe to the merge, but I'm not sure how much there's going to be to her once we get past the surface.


Sally - Social Worker
TV Shows SURVIVOR, THE AMAZING RACE, Law & Order
Movies Before Sunset; Me, You and Everyone We Know; Shakespeare in Love

Okay, including the Amazing Race as well as Survivor seems like sucking up just a little, and Law & Order... eh. That said, good taste in movies. Once again, a pretty narrow focus, but at least she's selected some non-obvious choices. That said, all of them are relatively recent. She seems like she might have a good sense of people and their interactions, but I wonder if she has much sense of history.


Shane - Owner, Entertainment Marketing Company
TV Shows SportsCenter, The O'Reilly Factor, History Channel
Movies The Shawshank Redemption, Kramer vs. Kramer

Ooh, sports, politics, and history. Between the three of those, that's two strikes as far as I'm concerned. He can talk sports with the guys, but what can he talk about with a 23yo woman? The movies are odd. Shawshank is, as I mentioned before, an easy choice, yet it IS very good. So why did he pick it? Because he really loves the message, or because it's an easy pick that everybody likes? And Kramer Vs. Kramer? I mean, it's a very good movie, but I frankly have a really hard time seeing how anyone could view it as a "favorite" film. It's depressing and disillusioning without any real sense of romance or hope, all about painful divorces and custody battles. I think this guy is cynical, masking some inner turmoil that he may not even be aware of. Under the stress of the game, I think he'll crack.


Terry - Airline Pilot / Retired Navy Fighter Pilot
TV Shows SURVIVOR, THE AMAZING RACE, ESPN, Fox News, Weather Channel
Movies Saving Private Ryan, Castaway, Top Gun

Fox News? The Weather Channel? Yikes. Castaway is a gimme, because of the theme, and the other two have a decidedly military bent. I think this guy may have difficulty dealing with people who aren't like him.


Tina - Logging Sports Promoter / Performer
TV Shows Law & Order
Movies Out of Africa

Okay, again, having only one choice for each strikes me as someone who doesn't care about the question very much. Choosing Law & Order seems to support that. It's probably just the first show that came to mind. I always thought Out of Africa was schmaltzy, but it's better than a lot of things she could have picked. Based on these picks alone, I'd have to say that she doesn't have much of an imagination, which could hurt her in the game.

Okay, now that I've finished ruthlessly judging people on seemingly irrelevant trivia, what would I have answered?


Christiana - Engineering Consultant
TV Shows Lost, Deadwood, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Mythbusters, The Office
Movies Moulin Rouge, Never Cry Wolf, The Big Lebowski, The Station Agent, Serenity, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

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Hey everybody, make sure you check out Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke on Turner Classic Movies tonight! Two excellent films from a genius filmmaker. You won't regret watching them, and stay tuned because a whole bunch more of his films will be on TCM all this month.

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