Animal Kingdom To Rack Up Awards (...In Australia)

Remember that one year (2001) when the list-happy AFI (American Film Institute) decided to compete with the Globes and the Oscars in year end prizes? No, that didn't last long. But there's another AFI, The Australian Film Institute, that has been around for a long time and is in no such danger of being a one-off. This year, they're all about the amazing family crime drama Animal Kingdom which they awarded with a record breaking 18 nominations. Sure, the film is in danger of being way overhyped for people who are coming to it late (which is just about everyone given the sorry state of international distribution for dramas of virtually any kind) but for those who can slough off the "omg" raves, I guarantee you'll think it at least an insinuating and well executed crime drama.

AFI Favorites with multiple nominations

Its main competition for the coveted prizes, if you go by nomination counts, is Bright Star (different eligibility calendar over there in Australia). I haven't really covered the Australian Awards before -- we lean on Glenn for that -- but since i've seen three of their Best Picture nominees this time around (the two leaders plus the aborigine musical Bran Nue Dae), why not?

Complete nomination list -- with more Oscar adjacent & actor related comments -- after the jump.




AFI Members’ Choice Award

• Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts.
• Beneath Hill 60. Bill Leimbach.
• Bran Nue Dae. Robyn Kershaw, Graeme Isaac.
• Bright Star. Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt.
• The Boys Are Back. Greg Brenman, Tim White.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen.

SAMSUNG Mobile AFI Award for Best Film

• Animal Kingdom. Liz Watts.
• Beneath Hill 60. Bill Leimbach.
• Bran Nue Dae. Robyn Kershaw, Graeme Isaac.
• Bright Star. Jan Chapman, Caroline Hewitt.
• The Tree. Sue Taylor. Yaël Fogiel.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Andrew Mason, Michael Boughen.

I'm actually not sure which of these categories Australian's consider their "Best Picture" but it's mostly the same competition anyway with only the widower drama The Boys Are Back and the widow drama The Tree working Swing position. Maybe Clive Owen  &  Charlotte Gainsbourg, who star as those grieving single parents, should've just gotten married to end their suffering: The Tree is Back!  

AFI Award for Best Direction

• Animal Kingdom. David Michôd.
• Beneath Hill 60. Jeremy Hartley Sims.
• Bright Star. Jane Campion.
• The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.

Macquarie AFI Award for Best Original Screenplay

• Animal Kingdom. David Michôd.
• Beneath Hill 60. David Roach.
• Bright Star. Jane Campion.
• Daybreakers. Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig.

It'd be nice to see Michôd fighting for a spot with Oscar in the Original Screenplay category, but even with screeners going out so early, that could be a tough sell. But still, his is an unusually taut and smart script.

Macquarie AFI Award for Best Adapted Screenplay

• Bran Nue Dae. Reg Cribb, Rachel Perkins, Jimmy Chi.
• The Boys Are Back. Allan Cubitt.
• The Tree. Julie Bertuccelli.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Stuart Beattie.

AFI Award for Best Cinematography

• Animal Kingdom. Adam Arkapaw.
• Beneath Hill 60. Toby    Oliver ACS.
• Bright Star. Greig Fraser.
• The Waiting City. Denson Baker ACS

With apologizes to the two films here I haven't seen I'll be disappointed if Greig Fraser loses this. I'm still mortified that he collected so few nominations and wins here in America. Bright Star is jaw-droppingly beautiful. It's a shame the way it was treated in last year's Oscar race. 

AFI Award for Best Editing

• Animal Kingdom. Luke Doolan.
• Beneath Hill 60. Dany    Cooper ASE.
• Bright Star. Alexandre de Franceschi ASE.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Marcus D’Arcy.

AFI Award for Best Sound

• Animal Kingdom. Sam Petty, Rob Mackenzie, Philippe Decrausaz.
• Beneath Hill 60. Liam    Egan, Alicia Slusarski, Mark Cornish, Tony Murtagh.
• Bran Nue Dae. Andrew Neil, Steve Burgess, Peter Mills, Mario Vaccaro, Blaire Slater, David Bridie, Scott Montgomery.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Andrew Plain, David Lee, Gethin Creagh, Robert Sullivan.

AFI Award for Best Original Music Score

• Animal Kingdom. Antony Partos, Sam Petty.
• Beneath Hill 60. Cezary Skubiszewski.
• Bran Nue Dae. Cezary   Skubiszewski, Jimmy Chi, Patrick Duttoo Bin Amat, Garry Gower, Michael Manolis Mavromatis, Stephen Pigram.
• Bright Star. Mark Bradshaw.

Bran Nue Dae does have fun musical numbers though typically the trailer doesn't really play that up.

AFI Award for Best Production Design

• Animal Kingdom. Jo Ford.
• Beneath Hill 60. Clayton Jauncey.
• Bright Star. Janet Patterson.
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Robert Webb, Michelle McGahey, Damien Drew, Bev Dunn.

AFI Award for Best Costume Design

• Animal Kingdom. Cappi Ireland.
• Beneath Hill 60. Ian Sparke, Wendy Cork.
• Bran Nue Dae. Margot Wilson.
• Bright Star. Janet Patterson

AFI Award for Best Lead Actor

• Brendan Cowell. Beneath Hill 60.
• James Frecheville. Animal Kingdom.
• Ben Mendelsohn. Animal Kingdom.
• Clive Owen. The Boys Are Back.

AFI Award for Best Lead Actress

• Abbie Cornish. Bright Star.
• Morgana Davies. The Tree.
• Charlotte Gainsbourg. The Tree.
• Jacki Weaver. Animal Kingdom.

I had assumed that Abbie Cornish could finally collect a trophy for Bright Star until I realized that Jacki Weaver was sharing this category. Though she is absolutely the centrifugal force in Animal Kingdom, she's not really the lead (that'd be Frecheville... and arguably Mendelsohn) and she's offscreen quite a lot and sometimes backgrounded within the scenes she is in.

AFI Award for Best Supporting Actor

• Joel Edgerton. Animal Kingdom.
• Guy Pearce. Animal Kingdom.
• Kodi Smit-McPhee. Matching Jack.
• Sullivan Stapleton. Animal Kingdom.

Tattoed and Tormented: Sullivan Stapleton in Animal Kingdom

I need to take this opportunity to thank the AFI for not nominated Geoffrey Rush who is typically so far over the top he's back down again in Bran Nue Dae. But I am surprised that they saw through his extravagant hamming given his Master Thespian rep. This is a war of cops vs. criminals from Animal Kingdom with wee Kodi as the potential beneficiary of vote splitting. My favorite of the three Kingdom men is Sullivan Stapleton as the tattooed and tightly-wound comparatively tender Craig. But not knowing anything about AFI politics or Australian favoritism, I'm assuming that Pearce is most likely to win given his stardom that he gets the film's big theme-speaking moment.

AFI Award for Best Supporting Actress

• Julia Blake. The Boys Are Back.
• Kerry Fox. Bright Star.
• Deborah Mailman. Bran Nue Dae.
• Laura Wheelwright. Animal Kingdom.

In case you're wondering, Wheelwright plays the teen girlfriend of Animal Kingdom's lead character. I'm pleased to see Fox given props for her subtle but very well modulated reactive mother role in Jane Campion's romantic biopic.

AFI INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR

• Simon Baker. The Mentalist, Season 2. Nine Network
• Ryan Kwanten. True Blood, Season 3. Showcase
• Kodi Smit-McPhee. The Road
• Sam Worthington. Avatar

I haven't yet seen Season 3 but it's nice to see acclaim for Ryan Kwanten who is True Blood's secret weapon, if you ask me. He's just so funny. He offers up a very smart take on a very dim character. As for Kodi, I wrote extensively about The Road here.

AFI I International Award for Best Actress

• Toni Collette. United States of Tara, Season 2. ABC1
• Bojana Novakovic. Edge of Darkness
• Mia Wasikowska. Alice in Wonderland
• Naomi Watts. Mother and Child

Um. Ewwww. on the Wasikowska nomination. I think she's quite a good actress but I think she's quite ungood in that movie. Meanwhile: Go TONI!!!

AFI Young Actor Award

• Ashleigh Cummings. Tomorrow When The War Began
• Morgana Davies. The Tree
• James Frecheville. Animal Kingdom
• Harrison Gilbertson. Beneath Hill 60

AFI Visual Effects Award

• Daybreakers. Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig, Rangi Sutton, James Rogers, Randy Vellacott
• The Tree. Dave Morley, Felix Crawshaw, Claudia Lecaros, Tim Walker
• Tinglewood. Wil Manning
• Tomorrow When The War Began. Chris Godfrey, Sigi Eimutis, Dave Morley, Tony Cole

AFI AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S TELEVISION DRAMA

• Dance Academy. Joanna Werner ABC
• Dead Gorgeous. Ewan Burnett, Margot McDonald. ABC
• Lockie Leonard. Kylie     Du Fresne. Nine Network
• My Place. Penny Chapman. ABC

AFI AWARD FOR BEST CHILDREN’S TELEVISION ANIMATION

• dirtgirlworld. Cate McQuillen. ABC
• Erky Perky. Kristine Klohk, Barbara Stephen, Tracy Lenon. Seven Network
• The Legend Of Enyo. Avrill Stark, Michael Christensen. Seven Network

AFI Award for Best Television Comedy Series

• Lowdown. Nicole Minchin, Amanda Brotchie, Adam Zwar. ABC
• Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2. Dean Bates. ABC
• Wilfred II. Jenny Livingston, Tony Rogers, Adam Zwar, Jason Gann. SBS

AFI Award for Best Light Entertainment Television Series

• The Gruen Transfer, Series 3. Andrew Denton, Anita Jacoby, Jon Casimir, Debbie Cuell. ABC1
• Hungry Beast, Series Two. Andrew Denton, Andy Nehl. ABC1
• MasterChef Australia. Margaret Bashfield, Judy Smart, Caroline Spencer. Network Ten
• Talkin’ ’bout Your Generation. Peter Beck. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Television Drama Series

• The Circuit, Series 2. Ross Hutchens, Colin South. SBS
• Rush, Season 3. John Edwards, Mimi Butler. Network Ten
• Spirited. Claudia Karvan, Jacquelin Perske, John Edwards. W
• Tangle, Season 2. John Edwards, Imogen Banks. Showcase

AFI Award for Best Telefeature, Mini Series or Short Run Series

• A Model Daughter: The Killing Of Caroline Byrne. Karl Zwicky. Network Ten
• Hawke. Richard Keddie. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Direction in Television

• Dance Academy – Episode 2, ‘Week Zero’. Jeffrey Walker. ABC
• Hawke. Emma   Freeman. Network Ten
• Rush, Season 3 – Episode 308, ‘Train’. Grant Brown. Network Ten
• Tangle, Season 2 – Episode 16, ‘Lost and Found’. Emma Freeman. Showcase

AFI Award for Best Screenplay in Television

• Hawke. Glen Dolman. Network Ten
• Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2 – Episode 6, ‘Happiness, Escapism, Acceptance’. Trent O’Donnell, Phil Lloyd. ABC
• Tangle, Season 2 – Episode 15, ‘Sleepwalking’. Fiona Seres. Showcase
• Wilfred II – Episode 7, ‘Dog Star’. Jason Gann, Adam Zwar. SBS

AFI Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama

• Garry McDonald. A Model Daughter: The Killing Of Caroline Byrne. Network Ten
• Corey McKernan. Lockie Leonard. Nine Network
• Aaron Pedersen. The Circuit, Series 2. SBS
• Richard Roxburgh. Hawke. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama

• Cheree Cassidy. Underbelly: The Golden Mile – Episode 7, ‘Full Force Gale’. Nine Network
• Justine Clarke. Tangle, Season 2. Showcase
• Poppy Lee Friar. Dead Gorgeous. ABC
• Catherine McClements. Tangle, Season 2. Showcase

AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama

• Damien Garvey. Underbelly: The Golden Mile – Episode 10, ‘Hurt on Duty’.  Nine Network
• Rhys Muldoon. Lockie Leonard – Episode 11, ‘Snake Hide Oil. Nine Network
• John Waters. Offspring. Network Ten
• Ben Winspear. My Place – Episode 5, ‘1968 Sofia’. ABC

AFI Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama

• Linda Cropper. Satisfaction, Season 3 – Episode 8, ‘Not Vanilla’. Showcase
• Sacha Horler. Hawke. Network Ten
• Asher Keddie. Hawke. Network Ten
• Deborah Mailman. Offspring. Network Ten

AFI Award for Best Performance in a Television Comedy

• Paul Denny. Lowdown. ABC
• Jason Gann. Wilfred II. SBS
• Phil Lloyd. Review With Myles Barlow, Season 2. ABC

AFI Award for Best Feature Length Documentary

• Contact. Martin Butler, Bentley Dean. ABC1
• Inside The Firestorm. Lucy Maclaren, Alex West. ABC
• The Snowman. Rachel Landers, Dylan Blowen.
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Jamie Nicolai, John Cherry.

AFI Award for Best Documentary Under One Hour

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Sharyn Prentice, Marianne Latham, Lavinia Riachi. ABC
• Rudely Interrupted. Susie Jones, Benjamin Jones. ABC1
• Surviving Mumbai. Andrew Ogilvie, Andrea Quesnelle. ABC
• You Only Live Twice – The Incredibly True Story Of The Hughes Family. Ruth Cullen. ABC1

AFI Award for Best Documentary Series

• Addicted To Money. Andrew     Ogilvie, Andrea Quesnelle. ABC
• Disable Bodied Sailors. Karina Holden, Nick Robinson. SBS
• Kokoda. Andrew Wiseman. ABC1
• Liberal Rule- The Politics That Changed Australia. Nick Torrens, Frank Haines. SBS

AFI Award for Best Direction in a Documentary

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Amanda Chang. ABC
• Contact. Martin Butler, Bentley Dean. ABC1
• Inside The Firestorm. Jacob Hickey. ABC
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Charlie Hill-Smith.

AFI Award for Best Cinematography in a Documentary

• Disable Bodied Sailors – Episode 3. Nick Robinson. SBS
• Miracles - Episode 1, ‘Miracle in the Storm’. Tony Oliver ACS. ABC1
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Angus Kemp.
• Surviving Mumbai. Jim Frater. ABC

AFI Award for Best Editing in a Documentary

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Karin Steininger. ABC
• Contact. Tania  Nehme. ABC1
• Inside The Firestorm. Steven    Robinson. ABC
• Surviving Mumbai. David Fosdick. ABC

AFI Award for Best Sound in a Documentary

• A Thousand Encores: The Ballets Russes In Australia. Brett Aplin, Andrew McGrath, Erin McKimm. ABC
• Inside The Firestorm. Jock Healy, Tristan Meredith. ABC
• Kokoda – Episode 1, ‘The Invasion’. David Bridie, Chris Goodes, Ian Grant, Patrick Slater. ABC1
• Strange Birds In Paradise – A West Papuan Story. Mik la Vage, Doron Kipen, David Bridie.

AFI Award for Best Short Animation

• The Lost Thing. Sophie Byrne, Andrew Ruhemann, Shaun Tan.
• Zero. Christopher Kezelos, Christine Kezelos.

AFI Award for Best Short Fiction Film

• Deeper Than Yesterday. Ariel Kleiman, Benjamin Gilovitz, Sarah Cyngler, Anna Kojevnikov.
• The Kiss. Sonya Humphrey, Ashlee Page.
• The Love Song Of Iskra Prufrock. Lucy Gaffy, Lyn Norfor.
• Suburbia. Antonio Oreña-Barlin, Richard Halsted.

AFI Award for Best Screenplay in a Short Film.

• A Parachute Falling In Siberia. Sarah Shaw, Ian Meadows.
• Deeper Than Yesterday. Ariel Kleiman.
• Glenn Owen Dodds. Trent Dalton.
• The Kiss. Ashlee Page

I know the Film Experience has plentiful Australian readers -- i can see the stats, don't hide! --  so let us know: How did the AFI do this year? As for the rest of you, do you think Jacki Weaver is going to pull off that Supporting Actress Slot with the American Academy? And do you share the love of Kwanten on True Blood and Collette as Tara?

Link Narcissustic

Box Office Mojo The Tourist with Depp & Jolie will be opening in 2010. Time to adjust those Oscar charts? Yeah, yeah. I'll try to start this weekend.
Rope of Silicon mixes Inception music over Black Narcissus images for a 2010 trailer for the 1947 classic. Neato (if a bit spoilery)
Mighty God King P.S.A: Fozzy vs. Pac-Man (?!)
I Need My Fix pics from the premiere of The Switch. In a just world Juliette Lewis would be 1,000 times more famous than Jennifer Aniston. You know it's true.
Dennis Cozzalio just turned 50 and celebrates with a funny post. (Mmmm, brains.) Go wish him a happy 1/2 century year! I mean it.


Camp Blood True Blood "Rolling Stone" cover now made extra gay!
DListed Speaking of... Alexander Skarsgard cracks me up. So casual about his scorchingness. What would Daddy Stellan think of all of this?
popbytes has my favorite reaction to this whole sockless news. How do you really feel about this "news" Jeremy? Quit hedging!
Ginger Williams made nesting dolls of Golden Girls and Steel Magnolias. Wha...?
The Entertainment Junkie remembers Lost in Translation and thinks Sofia Coppola's Oscar is a bit of a cheat (in a complimentary way!)
BlogStage Jenelle meets Dennis Quaid. I love it when writers meeting their acting idols. Sweet.

Off Screen
Tom Scott I love these warning labels to place on bad journalism. My favorite is the press release one. So many blogs are like that. Sigh. Though you can't really stick stickers on a blog. Can you? You wouldn't be able to see your screen when you click away!
Just Jared Ricky Martin's memoir is called Me. That's all they could come up with?

And finally, for no reasons other than it made me laugh, excuse me, lol -- and I am the type that reads scifi/fantasy novels -- and I'm in a juvenile mood (sorry!) try this hilarious raunchy ode to sci-fi novelist. NSFW unless you're on headphones.

Emmy Nominations Are Here: Gleek Fever and Friday Night Lights Breakthrough

Starting now. The beautiful Sofia Vergara from Modern Family will be announcing. How great is she on that show as the "coal digger" Gloria? How many film stars will be nominated for small screen work, today? We shall see.

Drama

Series Breaking Bad | Dexter | The Good Wife | Lost | Mad Men | True Blood

• Trivia note: True Blood is the only nominated series (in either drama or comedy) without acting nominations. Who do you think is most deserving from that show?
  

Lead Actress January Jones, Mad Men | Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights | Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer | Glenn Close, Damages | Juliana Marguiles, The Good Wife | Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Lead Actor Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad | Michael C Hall, Dexter | Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights | Hugh Laurie, House | Matthew Fox, Lost | Jon Hamm, Mad Men

• Dream come true: Friday Night Lights finally got lead acting nominations. Never mind that they've deserved them for years and that neither Britton nor Chandler ever coast like some Emmy regulars seem to. This is great news.
  

Supporting Actress Sharon Gless, Burn Notice | Rose Byrne, Damages | Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife | Christine Baranski, The Good Wife | Christina Hendricks, Mad Men | Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Supporting Actor Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad | Martin Short, Damages | Terry O'Quinn, Lost | Michael Emerson, Lost | John Slattery, Mad Men | Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age

• I am beyond happy that the Mad Men Holy (Female) Trinity all made it in because they are all so different and so deserving. I'm happy to see Archie Panjabi's name (I don't like the show but I think she's a fine actress) and I'm still chuckling that Rose Byrne is a "supporting" actress in Damages' PATTY VS. ELLEN duet each year. It is, as they say, to laugh. Shouldn't this then be in the comedy category?

Comedy

Series Curb Your Enthusiasm | Glee | Modern Family | Nurse Jackie | The Office | 30 Rock

• Trivia Note: Glee is the Emmy series leader with 19 nominations (including one for my beloved Kristin Chenoweth as "April"). Mad Men trails with 17.
  

Lead Actress Lea Michelle, Glee | Julia Dreyfuss, The New Adventures of Old Christine | Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie | Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreations | Tina Fey, 30 Rock | Toni Collette, The United States of Tara

Lead Actor Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory | Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm | Matthew Morrison, Glee | Tony Shalhoub, Monk | Steve Carrell, The Office | Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

• The usual suspects with only Glee power duo really breaking up the standard fields. (Note the absence of Courtney Cox for Cougar Town and the new snubs for Ugly Betty and Weeds) A lot of Big Bang Theory fans (I know a few but I haven't seen the series) are probably excited this morning as this wasn't a sure thing, correct?
  

Supporting Actress Julia Bowen, Modern Family | Sofia Vergara, Modern Family | Jane Lynch, Glee | Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live | Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock | Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men

Burrel & Bowen = the best acted married couple on television?
(Now that the Mr & Mrs Don Draper have split)

Supporting Actor Chris Colfer, Glee | Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother | Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family | Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family | Ty Burrell, Modern Family | Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

• Great day for Modern Family, easily the best sitcom on network television (that I've seen). The supporting actor comedy category is also a big win for Team Gay with three gay characters nominated and even totally out actors in the mix and not all of them in gay roles. I guess this means they all split the votes and Jon Cryer wins againzzzzz. As for the women I suspect Jane Lynch has it in the bag but allow me to shed a tear, or a drop of blood rather for Krakowski who had that incredible "rage stroke" on 30Rock this year. She's so genius funny.
  

Other Items of Interest

Blurring the lines: Oscar winners Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Susan Sarandon, Judi Dench, Al Pacino, Sissy Spacek and Shirley Jones (just discussed from Elmer Gantry) were all Emmy nominated in miniseries, guest or telefilm categories. Other big screen regulars like Joan Allen, Claire Danes, Michael Sheen and Dennis Quaid were all nominated in miniseries, guest or telefilm categories. Are any of them working their way to a "triple crown"? Pacino already has one, doesn't he? Anyone else?

• P.S. Anne Hathaway is an Emmy Nominee, too. EGOT here she comes in... 20, 25 years?
  

Overkill!: Big category nominees like NPH, Jon Hamm, Jane Lynch, Tina Fey and Christine Baranski were also nominated in "guest actor" categories which means when they like you... they really really... oh never mind. The Emmys are always such a snoozzze.

Martyrdom Award: Taking one for a great series! Zach Gilford's incredible performance in the Friday Night Lights episode "The Son", (previously discussed) the one that arguably got the series sudden new Emmy attention was not nominated. The episode however did score in the Writing category.

Full List of Nominees?
Most sites don't cover all 1,231 categories even when they say they do, so you'll have to download it from the Emmy site. It's only there where I discovered the undiscussed Anne Hathaway thing and that Mad Men, The Tudors and Glee are competing for Best Costume Design... with The Good Wife and 30 Rock. Hmmm. Glee's nomination is from the Madonna episode. I want Mad Men to win. The nomination comes from that amazing episode "Souvenir" where January Jones gets all dolled up in Italy. YUM.

"we have 12 vacancies. 12 cabins, 12 links."

<-- poster for The American. I like. Do you?

links
Word Smoker I love this piece on Tangled and its evocations of "tentacle porn".
Some Came Running a piece on Cyrus which is quite a funny if inconsequential movie. Glenn Kenny is so fun to read.
Movie|Line Nicolas Winding Refn (Valhalla Rising) on Wonder Woman and what he'd do with her in a movie. This is a pretty intriguing interview. I would love them to give this project to someone who has an idea, you know. Not just another generic superhero movie.
The Awl proclaims Toy Story 3 "totally bonkers" and the best movie of the year. Good piece
The Wrap I didn't know this: Influential guilds are rallying to have IMDb lose those birthdates, claiming it leads to ageism in a youth-obsessed business.
/Film A Toy Story short coming next year? Oh Christ Almighty. What happened to going out with a bang?

Psycho is 50
I really meant to commemorate it myself but until I do...
WSJ great piece on Psycho (1960) and the Bernard Hermann score
Sunset Gun "50 Years and a Remake Later". I love discovering that cinephiles I respect are also fond of the Gus Van Sant recreation. Throw your stones elsewhere I'm not the least bit embarrassed about it. I like cinematic experimentation.

and here's a YouTube video on shower scene parodies/homages/ripoffs (hat tip to JA)



off-cinema
Sociological Images fun art project visualizing "masculine" images through "feminine" processes. We need more of this since Toy Story 3, though often brilliant, continues Pixar's little boys rule / girlie things not as cool messaging.
Us Magazine Ryan Kwanten is writing a sex guide book. Anyone who has ever watched his sex scenes on True Blood will surely buy it. Best Seller!
Boy Culture Is Queen Latifah softening her stance about coming out?

finally, Rob Will Review top ten Glee performances season 1. But I really must take exception with Kurts coopting of "Rose's Turn" not being on the list. That's just crazy talk.

p.s.
I find it very annoying --and I wonder if any of you have noticed -- that blogger no longer has accurate comment counts. It's very annoying because I read every comment and if it's lying to me about when you're commenting, I might miss some. grrrr.

don't wanna link, don't wanna touch...

♪ ... just smoke one cigarette and hush
don't call my name, don't call my name, Roberto ♫

Stuff No One Told Me Love this. Disney and Porn = eternal human frustration.
MNPP Everything you ever need to know about life... you can learn from Psycho (1960)
Antagony & Ecstasy looks back at the evolution of Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy in a summer blockbuster history series
Cinematical Paul Rudd, soon to be the Idiot Brother, gets four fine funny actresses as co-stars

Emma Frost illustration by Adam Hughes

Movie|Line the angsty drama of 'how will Sandra bullock follow that Oscar?' Methinks her team is thinking too hard. Nobody wants her doing prestige pics.
Socialite's Life Matthew Morrison (Glee) recording a solo CD. I'd be thrilled to buy this (his voice is amazing -- check out the CD of Light in the Piazza for proof) but for the fact that he's gettin JustinTimberlakey with it. Yawn.
What's Good/ What Blows the dismaying punishment of Charlie Sheen.
Cinematical Michael Fassbender has his choice of two supervillain roles. Which will he go with? Either way he ends up opposite a fine actor (James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class or Jamie Bell in Spider-Man)
Empire speaking of X-Men... seems that Rosamund Pike may be up for the part of Emma Frost, the White Queen. Now that is a casting decision I can really get behind. Love both the actress and the character.
I Need My Fix True Blood season premiere brings the stars out. Is there a more attractive cast on television?
The Big Picture looks at the critic vs. audience divide on Splice.
Boing Boing more on recent silent film discoveries. I always get so excited to hear about found films
In Contention could "Shine" be an Original Song hopeful at the Oscars? I'm still struggling to understand what everyone else sees in that highly praised Waiting for Superman documentary (I didn't like it) but I agree that it's probably going to be up for the doc Oscar.

More on Lady Gaga's "Alejandro"
my piece yesterday in case you missed it
Low Resolution "Instantly Dated Thoughts"
The Critical Condition "Theft and/or Borrowing"
The Critical Condition ...and an interesting follow up piece about the cultural awakenings that happen in our youth.
Flavor Pill "Guide to Madonna References"
Rolling Stone director Steven Klein talks about the video, avoids the Madonna question.
popbytes (I do a brief weekly column here now). The video got me thinking about freaky movie nuns.
Guardian rounds up the groups claiming offense.
The Atlantic Katy Perry vs. Lady Gaga "The Battle of the Bras"