Best Actor
Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

The surprise here has to be Bichir. Yes, he got the SAG nomination but I really didn’t think enough people actually saw the film. I had expected Michael Fassbender who gave a brave, exposed performance in Shame. He had been in so many films this year I expected the Academy to acknowledge him in some way. DiCaprio was also an odd man out. All week you had heard Oldman could squeeze in here. Going into this morning Oldman was probably the best actor working today never before nominated so it’s impossible to not be happy for him. But Tinker Tailor is a slog of a film. Smart money is on Clooney. He carries The Descendants. He gives one of his most emotional unglamorous performances, I’m sure he will be rewarded for it.

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

This is a two woman race between Streep and Davis. I am actually giving Davis the slight edge. As much beloved as Streep is, Iron Lady is a stinker. The Help however is charming and beloved. I think that will help Davis to victory. Mara was the slight surprise. She was amazing in Dragon Tattoo, a very physical and emotionally demanding part. I’m happy to see her here. I thought her nomination meant there’d be more Dragon love…which was not the case. But her nomination comes at Tilda Swinton’s expense. Tilda gave the year’s very best performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin, so naturally she wasn’t nominated.

Best Supporting Actor 
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners 
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Very disappointed not to see Albert Brooks nominated for Drive, my favorite film of the year. Such a cold vicious performance, in a cold stylistic film must not have appealed to the voters. Nolte is a semi surprise but deserved. I honestly don’t get the praise Jonah Hill has been receiving for Moneyball. I feel like he’s just been able to climb aboard a wave of love for that film. None of this matters – Plummer in a cake walk.

Best Supporting Actress
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help 

Clearly this is Spencer’s to lose. I feel her only real competition is McCarthy, whose role in the end was probably too broad. But both The Help and Bridesmaids were huge hits and the Academy may choose to honor them in this category. Personally I will be hopelessly pulling for Bejo who lit up the screen in The Artist.

Best Original Screenplay

“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhad

This category always has some surprises and Margin Call is the big one here. It beat out both former winner Diablo Cody for Young Adult, a film that must have been too bitter a pill for voters, and the heartfelt and funny 50/50. I had hoped to see Will Reiser’s name called since making a comedy about cancer that isn’t too schmaltzy is a hard feat to pull off. Very excited for A Separation’s nomination here. The way its story unfolds is amazing. I think it should be the favorite for best foreign film – however as we all know the favorite in that category doesn’t always win. This is Woody’s to lose. Midnight in Paris is up there with some of his finest work and it’s been a long time since this master was honored.

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Jim Rash & Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo 
George Clooney, Grant Heslov & Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian, Moneyball 
Peter Straughan & Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Clooney nominated for screenplay as well was a bit of a surprise. I expected The Help again to be nominated here. Beloved book, hit film. Sorkin won last year and Moneyball is no The Social Network. I think Payne will win his second Oscar in this category.

 Animated Feature Film

“A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
“Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
“Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson
“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller
“Rango” Gore Verbinski

No Tin Tin has to be a big blow to Spielberg. I’m not going to lie…I have no idea what A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita are. I would guess in this field Rango is the one to beat. A fun film that aped a lot of great movie tropes and moments. Plus it looked fantastic.

Directing  

“The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius
“The Descendants” Alexander Payne
“Hugo” Martin Scorsese
“Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen
“The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

I don’t drink the Malick kool-aide like a lot of my fellow cinephiles. I think his films aren’t as deep as people think.  People prescribe meaning to something that isn’t there. But God damn they look fantastic. After hearing Mara’s name called for actress I expected the Academy to follow the DGA and nominate Fincher. I also thought Spielberg might hear his name called because, well, he’s Steven Spielberg. But despite the best picture nomination War Horse was dead on arrival this awards season. The Artist and The Descendants are the favored best picture winners so you would expect Payne and Hazanavicius to duke it out. But with two legends nominated I wouldn’t be so sure. Woody’s award will be screenplay. But Scorsese made a wonderful film about his love of film. I think he’s got a real shot  at his second Oscar. Things will be clearer after the DGA winners are announced.

Best Picture

“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
“Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producer

With its Globes and PGA win the favorite should be The Artist. In my opinion it’s the best of this bunch. It’s a cliché to say, it’s “why we love movies”…but it is. The romanticization of the era is a character in this film. It oozes charm. To me the idea of it being a silent movie is not a gimmick. It’s a brilliant form of storytelling that truly helps us connect with the characters. What they are going through and the times they live in. In a year of films about nostalgia The Artist was my favorite.  It is the favorite to win…but will the Academy voters be turned off by a silent film? A silent film hasn’t won since the very first ceremony when Wings took home best picture. Not that there have been that many opportunities for one to win.  But let’s not count out The Descendants. Ultimately I think it’s too small a film to win best picture. Acting and screenplay will be its awards. But for weeks I’ve been saying the dark horse is The Help. Not getting a screenplay, directing and the always necessary editing nomination means it shouldn’t have a shot. However it’s about race, a subject voters love. If The Descendants is too small and The Artist to silent then The Help could still benefit from the split vote.

As magical as Hugo and Midnight in Paris are (two more nostalgia driven films) I don’t see either of them pulling off an upset. Hugo did receive the most nominations with eleven but The Artist was close behind with ten. I was kind of surprised that nine pictures got nominated. I only assume it’s because this year is so schizophrenic people didn’t know which way to vote. Moneyball’s reward is its nomination. War Horse was lucky enough to sneak in there. You have to thank its technical nominations for that. After all it’s beautifully shot by nominee Janusz Kaminski and the score by double nominee John Williams (for Tin Tin too) are the best things about the film. The Tree of Life is too divisive and artsy to win. However even as much as I’m a Tree of Life hater Emmanuel Lubezki must win cinematography.

And finally there’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. I should have known this poorly reviewed Scott Rudin produced, Stephen Daldry directed film would find a way to sneak in here. I really thought it arrived too late to the Awards season. When you saw that there would be nine nominees I assumed Dragon Tattoo had made the cut. Or possibly the well deserving Bridesmaids. I naively felt that with nine nominations comedy would get honored. I knew my beloved Drive didn’t stand a chance; in fact it got only one nomination for sound editing. But I didn’t see Extremely Close coming.

So that’s it for this year’s nominations. I’ll make some more solid picks as we get closer to the date. This is just my “why the hell am I awake right now” analysis. Some quick notes. Only two songs nominated? I’ll be pulling for The Muppets. Plus it will be fun to see a member of Flight of the Concords get an Oscar. And only two high profile documentaries were nominated Paradise Lost 3, which I assume is an early favorite, and Pina. With two great documentaries this year I guess we have to assume Werner Herzog is never going to win this category.

So it’s been about a year since I started this blog…and clearly I have failed. For about seven months I was going strong but then I slowed and stopped. I had a lot to say but maybe not enough time or energy to type it. I certainly yelled it at enough people both at work, Sardo’s and on the street corner. It has been an odd year but that is no excuse. They are all odd years. I have failed.

That said I thought of redoing the whole blog for the new year and just making it about the thing most important to me, and thing I feel I am the closet of anything to being an “expert” on, film. Not sure if I’m going to do it but with that in mind I wanted to post my Top 10 Films of 2010!

As this year went on I mentioned aloud that this wasn’t that great a year. Well maybe it was a weak summer that offered only a few above average films, however looking back over the year as a whole I may have to eat my words. This ended up being a good year, so good in fact that making this list has been kind of a nightmare.  The films I am leaving off my list will be at the top of most people’s: The Social Network, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Catfish, 127 Hours, Inception and the hardest to leave off, the taut and thrilling The Town. All fantastic thought and conversation provoking work.

So what the hell is actually on my list?!?

Well when I was blogging I wrote a lot about my love affair with “smaller” films. I’ve always loved these kinds of films; slice of life, movies about the small moments in life in which everything important happen. Where characters discover who they are, fall in love, triumph, fail and so on.  But as the years have gone on I have embraced them more than ever. Maybe it’s because the longer I am in this business the more I realize what a miracle it is any film actually gets made, let alone something so indie minded. It’s with that I give you my number one film of the year…a film I saw way back in January.

1.       Fish Tank

If you haven’t seen it (and chances are you haven’t) it is a must. Katie Jarvis gives as good a debut performance as you will ever see. She is head strong and hostile and seeing how she lives in a London housing project you can understand why. Director Andrea Arnold does an amazing job of portraying and letting us into her world.  As the film progresses we see her start to drop that emotional shield as she begins what is one of the most complicated relationships I have seen on film. It’s with her mother’s new boyfriend, played brilliantly by Michael Fassbender.  He successfully walks the line between charmer and creep – neither of which can fully define him. There is a scene between him and Jarvis, in which the tension between them finally boils over, that is one of the most real and beautifully shots sequences in my recent memory. To me, Fish Tank was the best film of 2010.

2.       Blue Valentine

Staying with the theme of realism in a film, this film featured the truest and most natural relationship I may have ever seen in a film. The realism of Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams passion and anger is what probably made the MPAA so scared about the sex scenes – it was so emotional it felt like it had to be real. This is a beautiful and heartbreaking film that asks a question we rarely ask about relationships: How and why is it we can fall out of a love that was so strong?

3.       Toy Story 3

For the third year in a row I find myself about to write how Pixar does everything better. About how they are the pinnacle of modern storytelling and how most live action films can’t come close to capturing the emotion they put on screen. What is so wonderful about Toy Story 3 is how it will play so differently for young and old audiences. For kids it’s a laugh a minute adventure. For adults it’s pure nostalgia, taking us back to the moment when we finally put our toys away, toys that meant as much to us as any possessions we will ever have. How I envy the children of today who watch this film…I can’t wait for them to understand what it is truly about.

4.       Black Swan

One of the most brilliantly maddening and disorienting films I have seen in a long time. Darren Aronofsky is the director of the year. He puts us right in Nina’s (Natalie Portman in by far her best performance) headspace, using amazing cinematography and mirror imagery. As she loses it more and more in her (futile?) search for perfection, we are expertly dragged down into the crazy nightmare with her.

5.       True Grit

There have been some terrific westerns in the last few years but True Grit is the best for sure. It is authentic in look and dialogue but is elevated by the folksy humor that only the Coen Brothers can deliver.  Jeff Bridges is predictably both fantastic and bad-ass but it’s Hailee Steinfeld who steals the show. I was captivated by every line that came out of her mouth. It’s a lead role but I assume she will be campaigned as a supporting Oscar contender. She deserves the statue for sure.

6.       The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Easily the finest procedural/thriller since Zodiac or even Seven. In fact the film’s style very much reminded me of Fincher, which makes him the perfect fit for the American remake (although do we really need a remake of this flawless film).  The film is anchored by what is my favorite performance of the year, Noomi  Rapace as Lisbeth Salander. It is a role powered by strength with just enough vulnerability to make her human and haunted by mystery that is thrilling to see unfold. It also features possible the most satisfying on screen revenge I can remember. Rooney Mara is going to have big shoes to fill.

7.       Tiny Furniture

When I was talking about what a miracle it is that small films get made and find an audience, this was the film I was referring too. It’s a brave film for its star and director Lena Dunham because it truly is her exposing herself. The characters are her and her family, warts and all.  Clearly the film comes from a world, a confusion she understands. Many filmmakers try to aspire to the humor and themes of Woody Allen but Lena Dunham manages to achieve them.

8.       Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

I hate to use a cliché like “the most fun I had at the movies this year” but for me Scott Pilgrim was that. This was a film I underestimated going in but left thinking it was easily the funniest and most creative film of the year. Its clever humor and wit don’t just come from its dialogue and performances but from every aspect of the filmmaking. Sound cues, creative cuts and changes in the aspect ratio all make for an amazingly imaginative experience. However, as much as I love it I could only imagine it would be the number one movie of the year for teenage Will, because the film certainly took me back to that time, place and attitude. It’s destine to become a cult classic.  

9.       Greenberg

I have already written extensively on my love and fear of Greenberg in previous posts (http://willlink.wordpress.com/2010/04/06/greenberg-a-cautionary-tale/) so you should probably check that out for a more detailed view. That said Greenberg is Noah Baumbach’s best film to date and arguably the best Ben Stiller performance. Greta Gerwig also gives a great performance. They are lost people, both lost in different stages of life, who in some weird ways need each other. It’s a film about regret and fear and where life may have gone wrong. Who can’t relate to that?

10.    Life During Wartime

Anyone who knows me should know I could never resist putting a Todd Solondz film on my list…especially if that film is a quasi-sequel to Happiness (one of my favorite films of all time). As always Solondz is able to mix the blackest of humor with an odd poignancy. This film is a meditation on forgiveness and if we are capable of such an act. Like many of the films listed here, Solondz work is true to life…and sometimes life can be a hard thing for us to watch.

First off Catfish opened which we all know we can’t talk about yet — but I love that a film like this is out and producing such discussion and conjecture.

Then the two films that lead the weekend box office are both such great films. The Town is fantastic and really shows how good a director Affleck is. It’s suspenseful, smart and action packed. Glad to see a film for adults with fantastic performances lead the box office.

Then Easy A is such a charming, delightful and funny film. All the reviews are saying how Emma Stone is becomes a star with this film and they are right! You can’t help but fall in love with her. Thank God for another intelligent portrayal of a teenage girl. It was so much fun.

After a gloomy summer, the fall season is starting off great. With the slick looking Wall Street 2 and the already much talked about Social Network in the next two weeks I think it might continue.

I’ve been gone from posting for awhile…but maybe I’m back…

Yankee fans will always love him for restoring the franchise to its former greatness. Baseball fans will always look at him as a polarizing figure that gobbled up all the big free agents, fired managers for no reason and some would say represented what was wrong with baseball. But Steinbrenner was good for baseball. He revolutionized the way baseball handled its regionalized television networks with YES. He always played by the rules and bought those free agents with money made off the team. Unlike too many small market owners in baseball he invested back into the Yankees. Often he had to pay a high luxury tax to smaller teams who in turn didn’t seem to put that tax money on the field. He bought the Yankees for 10 million and turned it into an empire worth billions – easily one of the great investments of all time. He knew how to run a successful franchise, something these other owners could use a lesson in.

For my birthday I was given Bill Madden’s new biography of Steinbrenner called Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball.  I only started it this week. Reading it now will have a layer of sadness to it. There will never be another owner who can capture the imagination of sports fans like George Steinbrenner.

Bob Sheppard died yesterday at the age of 99. He was the Yankee PA announcer for 57 years and even was given a plaque in Yankees Monument Park along side legends like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. That’s how important he was to the history of the New York Yankees and New York sports in general. How many PA announcers are known by name? He was a voice of respect in times of crisis, be it to calm unruly fans or inform us to offer a moment of silence after the loss of an ex-player, beloved entertainment icon or even a President.  

In his first game he announced a lineup that included Joe DiMaggio. That’s how long he did his job. In September 2007 he had to step down due to a bronchial infection but in every fans heart we believed he would return, especially in 2009 for the opening of the new stadium. Alas it was not to be. That said his spirit, his voice, carried over to the new stadium in all the fans hearts and minds. No matter who is the PA announcer in the years to come, in every fans head before a game begins we will hear the voice of God saying: “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, welcome…to Yankee Stadium.”

First of all this time I’m on ok cupid as opposed to match. I had some success with match. I went on a lot of dates but few that stuck. I went on four dates with a really cute really funny comedian who then just disappeared on me as women often do (she felt bad about this and did give me a Watchmen t-shirt as a parting gift but I still would have rather fondled her breasts). I also dated this really nice Jewish girl for a few months because you know I’m all about the Semitic good looks. It was one of those I really like you and the sex is great but it’s not going to work relationships. You know them and have been in them before – there is just something that isn’t quite compatible in your conversation or what you’re looking for in life. She had a steady high paying job and I live the bohemian lifestyle. I think she realized my heart wasn’t in it and preemptively ended it rather than just let it fizzle out. But I didn’t begrudge match…I just knew that I didn’t want to pay again for online dating. And ok cupid is not only free but the women are better. They seem more artsy/creative. They also seem more interesting in what they write on their profiles and even more sexual with how they answer questions.

That said I find for every ten women I message I get one response back. A first I thought it was because of what I wrote or what my profile says or my face. But that’s just me being me. What I think it really is is that A. I’m not for everyone and 2. Women don’t have to worry about not getting dates like I do. This is why a message a man sends might come of desperate, trying too hard. We need the date. The woman on the other hand can respond to any of these messages she gets and the men will take them out 1, 2, 3. I know a girl who basically uses the site to get a free dinner and maybe if the guy is cool something will happen. Mostly it’s the free dinner. Men don’t get messaged as much, however I have been winked at or messaged more on this site in a few weeks than I ever was on match, again leading me to believe these women are cooler than the match women. That said half of these are old women. They are I believe the term is “cougars.” And these aren’t Courtney Cox Cougar Town type cougars who I would at least consider sleeping with – these are gray haired, over weight, late 40’s early 50 year olds who I imagine have hysterectomy scars. Look, they need love too… just not from me.

Another thing that is funny is that the same people who always tell me about love, “Don’t look for it, it will find you” are same people who told me to sign up for this site. Fuck you! Don’t you realize that when you are on a site you are actively looking for love? Yes I know that people claim things happen when you least expect it but I’m sorry I’ve never bought that. You have to go out and search for things, fight for things, even love. The problem with love is that if you are searching too hard you look desperate and that is a turn off – but the point still holds true. If I stayed in or never left my inner circle of friends how could I ever meet anyone new? Love wouldn’t just find me. I have to go up to that girl at a party and talk to her or in the online dating terms “wink” at her. (By the by, I would never “wink” at someone on ok cupid. It’s a pussy move that accomplishes nothing. Just send a message and hope for the best.)

So, I’ll keep you in the loop if something crazy or awful happens or even if I find true love. It will be an adventure. A great big horrible adventure.

There is a song that comes on the radio all the time. The lyrics go something like this:

“Falling falling falling”

I don’t know who sings it; I just know I hate it. Jarrod however, really hates it.  Like he wants it to stop forever. To him it epitomizes all that is shitty with music. Now I am not going to go on about how there is no good music today because there is. Sometimes you have to look really hard to find it. Sometimes it’s just not in the rock genre. But the rock genre does lack something – passion. When I was watching Hole perform in these old clips, as Courtney Love snarls lyrics like:

“I am the one you want, can’t look you in the eye”

There is a passion, anger behind it. This is a woman hurt, wounded like the rest of us by life. She has turned that pain into art and we love her for it. When Kurt Cobain would scream “Rape me” there was real angst behind it. You felt something. Now let’s look at a rock band of today called Kings of Leon. When they sings something like “Use somebody” in theory that is a sentiment that can have angst or real meaning behind it. That is an idea that can have passion. But I don’t believe it like I believe the pain in Kurt or Eddie Vedder or Billy Corgan. Is it because I first heard them when I was a teen? Maybe but I don’t think teens today are moved by the music of say Muse like they were by Nirvana. And if the lead singer of Muse killed himself I don’t think teachers the next day would talk to their students about it to make sure we were all ok. I remember a teacher talking to us, concerned about how we felt after Kurt died. Is there anyone who would cause this reaction today? Sure if Miley Cyrus shot herself I’m sure there would be a grief counselor to chat with female tweens but she isn’t about angst, meaning or passion. She is sunshine and bubble gum and that’s fine but rock music is about lashing out, alienation, defiance and so on. When Kurt sang something like “Rape Me” you understood it, felt it and maybe were a little disgusted by it. You were put in his place mentally because of how passionate it was. “Falling falling” just doesn’t have the same passion. And again who sings that fucking song? And if you know the band do you really know who the lead singer is? We don’t know rock front men like we used to.

Somewhere along the way the rock stars burned out and the new bad boys became hip hop and rap stars. I don’t begrudge them or their genre of music. In fact good for them. But why can’t the rock stars catch up again? The 90’s chewed up and spit out many of these rock icons. They peeked. Was it drugs? Probably. Am I saying we need more rock stars on drugs? Maybe. Everyone peeks. The Stones still rock but their best work is far behind. I guess the same goes for Courtney Love. There is a reason I didn’t buy the newest Hole or Smashing Pumpkins albums and these were bands I loved as a teen. In the last decade the only male driven musician I got really into was Jack White probably because he had a different sound and was embraced by the stars of my generation and the generation before (see Jimmy Page). The women are the real rock stars of today. When I watch a Karen O on stage I see a real rock star. Rilo Kiley does the Fleetwood Mac thing perfectly and a song like “Does He Love You?” puts you in her headspace and makes you understand what she’s going through more than any “rock” song on the radio. Amy Winehouse is another great example. Granted she’s not really rock rock but neither is the best example of rock star behavior today – Lady Gaga.  Yes, maybe I drink too much of the Gaga Kool-Aid but with good reason. She is a pop star who much like Madonna did, acts like a rock star. She puts on a crazy stage show, keeps her name in the papers for reasons that don’t over take her talent and she sings with passion. When she sings a song like “Just Dance” yes, it’s a silly pop song about being drunk in a club and not giving a shit but it’s made from a real place and puts you in that club. You feel like you have been dancing and drinking all night and are a complete mess but don’t give a fucking shit. What’s more rock than that? And even though I guess she’s pop, she’s clearly more rock than her pop contemporaries, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and (yuck) Britney Spears.  I think this is why she has been embraced by the other generations of pop/rock stars like Madonna, Elton John and Marilyn Manson.

Why has this past decade produced calm rock stars? Rock stars have always pushed boundaries until now. Elvis shaking his hips. Jimmi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire. Ozzy biting the head of a bat or bird or whatever. What happened? When and why did this turn?

All over the Courtney Love Behind the Music I saw two friendly familiar faces: Kurt Loder and Tabitha Soren. MTV is what I really miss. Kurt Loder was shown breaking in talking about Cobain’s death. Tabitha was shown interviewing Courtney asking real questions about her mental wellbeing. What happened MTV? Is it because rock music sucks or are you part of the problem? You would show a mix back in the day. I remember seeing Guns and Roses videos after Run DMC videos after Michael Jackson videos. Not only were they all great but the videos were too. They were events. Has anyone even seen the video for that “falling” song? No but I bet you saw the video for “Bad Romance.” If not that I’m sure you can recall a Kanye video or something with Justin Timberlake. Rock music is not “dead” but it’s an endangered spices. We need to produce new rock stars and fast! I thought with the world being the way it is and after the last administration we would have gotten some real passionate music like we did in the 60’s during Vietnam, the late 70’s punk after Nixon/pre Reagan or the 90’s with grunge post 80’s materialism. Instead grunge lead to new metal like Limp Bizket and a lame sound like “falling.” (Please…do you know the fucking song I’m talking about?  It’s on car commercials and shit! Who sings it!!!???)We live in an angsty time and yet all we want is distractions and escapism. Instead of looking at ourselves like the films and music of the late 60’s forced us to – we prefer escapist songs and movies. I get why but what does it say about our culture and society? Are we destined to be remembered as an era that just stuck our heads in the sand? That’s us – the ostrich generation.

I for one was glad to see there was a telethon for this unprecedented disaster. I found it a little funny that when Haiti was destroyed Hollywood went into crisis mode and organized a lot of people and money to help but when American citizens were losing a way of life and an entire region has been destroyed for possibly generations, nothing was happening in the donating realm. Yes, I know there are many differences including that BP should be the ones spending all their money to fix their “mistake.” That said part of me feels like we should make sure our own are taken care of before Haiti – maybe this is cruel but I don’t think so. At the end of the day it was nice that we did have a (small) telethon for the gulf and there is no reason why we shouldn’t have one for Haiti and Chile and everyone who needs help. It’s good to help the less fortunate whenever possible.

However, a guy a work brought something up and I would love to get others takes on it. He said he didn’t like that celebrities (his example was Jennifer Aniston so let’s use her) who have everything urge people like me and him who have nothing, to give money. He said that they make millions and Jennifer should give a million bucks to help and call it a day. Now I get why he says this because I do have very little and can’t afford to give. However even if Jen gave a million bucks, she can’t give a million to every cause on earth. She needs to get other to give. Politically active celebs need to inform others and set an example of giving…hence a telethon. Now if Jen told us all to give and gave nothing, she’s a fucking hypocrite. That said it’s not like her salary for The Bounty Hunter will save the infrastructure of Haiti.   

This always brings up my least favorite subject when it comes to celebrity. It mostly occurs in the sports world but can also occur when an actor gets paid 20 million a picture. It’s the “These people make too much money” argument. Everyone always cries that A-Rod or Tom Cruise makes so much money and it’s such a waste. This is stupid. They deserve to make just as much money as the market dictates just as you deserve to make just as much money as the market dictates. A-Rod has a skill that is valuable. The Yankees pay him based on his worth, that worth being the money he gives back to them in ticket sales, merchandising and of course championships. He is worth every penny he makes.

The thing I hate about the “too much money” argument is that the people who make it seem to imply the money would go to something more worthy. The money Tom Cruise got for his latest Mission Impossible film was not going to feed orphans. It wasn’t going to help AIDS in Africa or build a school in Haiti – no matter what it was going to go to the making of a movie. So unless you want to abolish all entertainment then shut up. Yes I agree teachers are underpaid. My mother is a teacher and I think it might be the most important work one should do – but teachers are never going to make Tom Cruise money. I’m sorry they won’t. Tom Cruise makes Tom Cruise money because he is more unique – a movie star who opens a film worldwide. I’m sure he gives back too. I’m sure if you look he donates money every year to worthy charities. But he shouldn’t do that alone just because he makes millions more than you or I ever will.

If you said should I take these millions to build schools or make Transformers 3, I of course will say schools. But this isn’t an option and never will be. So let the movie stars and athletes make their money and let’s just all give what we can to help who we can.

You know what else sneaks up on me every year – Pixar. Every year they release a new film that I say is a no brainer to see but I don’t really think about it too much going in. I don’t regard them with the same hype as I do an Inception or Avatar. Then I see them and I laugh, cry, sit on the edge of my seat and of course put them on the short list of the year’s best. Pixar just makes better films than everyone else. At their least they are just a good time with laughs like Cars. Often they are groundbreaking like the original Toy Story or Finding Nemo. But more often they are pure brilliance – The Incredibles, Wall E, Up and now Toy Story 3.

Toy Story 3 might be the best of the trilogy. The themes are stronger, the action is more thrilling and the laughs are just as big as in any comedy today. This is the case with Pixar’s storytelling in general…especially their last few works. Pixar consistently tells intelligent stories with real emotions. I don’t remember the last time I found myself so far on the edge of my seat, with genuine terror and concern for characters as I was during the last act of Toy Story 3. There is a moment towards the end when the toys accept their fate and join together that says everything about true friendship better than any film in recent memory. This moment also ties into themes of love and death that will go over the heads of little ones but you might never forget. And that’s why Pixar is better than everyone else, because they find a way to make you feel all these emotions through these characters while retaining a story that is both heartwarming and kid friendly. I haven’t even mentioned the moments that follow, moments every adult in the crowd can relate to – growing up and letting go. The ending is beautiful, bittersweet and beyond perfect.  It’s a four star film everyone should go see.

Now I went to see it in traditional 2D because you know my takes on 3D:

 http://willlink.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/watching-paint-dry%e2%80%a6now-in-3d/

Again Avatar 3D impressed but I still regret seeing Alice in Wonderland in 3D. Toy Story in 2D looked amazing just like every Pixar films does.

I doubt 3D would have made me sit on the edge of my seat more. I know it wouldn’t have made me laugh more and it certainly wouldn’t have made me cry harder. Those are the reasons I go to the movies, to laugh, cry and sit on the edge of my seat. No overpriced technology can add to that.