SHERLOCK HOLMES is a film consumed by the present, the now, the moment at hand. With a wink and some cinematic sleight of hand, it distracts you from reason and engages you with adventure. And if you're willing to go with it and enjoy the moment, it's a lot of fun.
The story begins with a classic Holmesian construct - the closing of a case and the apprehension of a dastardly villian. No background or details are given as to how our heroes, Robert Downey, Jr.'s Holmes and his trusted partner Dr. John Watson played by a well-mustachioed Jude Law, came to the scene or what prompted their involvement. The scene serves only to set up the "new and improved" Sherlock Holmes reinvented for the post-Bourne Ultimatum age. Holmes is now a badass - a brawler and a martial artist. As played by Robert Downey, Jr., he is also a rambling, tic-ridden mess. Not that there isn't lierary precedence for this, mind you, but it's taken to the extremes here.
As is most of the story. Characters are larger than life, some quite literally. Most of them seem to be experts in hand-to-hand combat, weapons and explosives, and secret mystic cults. Rachel MacAdams seems especially out of place as Irene Adler, the one criminal who eluded Holmes and may have had an emotional impact on him. Concerning, also, is the film's handling of Holmes himself. The film cannot seem to make up its mind as to what it wants Holmes to be. Downey, Jr. plays him as hapless one minute and completely in control the next. We see him evaluate clues only to get the obligatory "here's what happened" scene at the end of the film. There is little excitement of the chase and we don't see the dots being connected.
There is, however, great chemistry between Holmes and Watson as they evaluate the future of their partnership. Director Guy Ritchie also holds most of his MTV-inspired tricks back and serves up his most accessible film. There is flash, to be sure, but it doesn't overpower the sense of gloom that permeates the film. Mark Strong brings gravitas to an under-written villian role and the city of London itself looms large and dirty.
Overall the film is a fun ride. You just need to turn off your brain to really enjoy it. And that, considering that this is a story of one of the greatest deductive minds in literary history, is a shame.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
AVATAR Nearly Makes It
I just got back from seeing James Cameron's new movie AVATAR. The bottom line is that is worth seeing and worth seeing in a good theater. I didn't opt for IMAX or 3-D and I'm glad I went the more traditional route. There is a LOT going on in this movie. I'm pretty sure that I would have gotten sick if I would have seen it on an IMAX.
First the good news, the visuals are absolutely revolutionary. I've never seen a fantasy film look this good or seen the different elements of effects meld so seamlessly. The alien characters are so well done that the subtle facial expressions of the actors really shine through. Cameron also sets the majority of the action in the alien tribe which only makes those characters seem more "normal." When you spend more than two and a half hours with the aliens, you start to forget that they are meant to look strange.
Cameron's command of filmmaking technology is at an all-time high. Say what you will about "Titanic," but the second hour of that film is a showcase of technical craftsmanship that still holds up more than a decade later. But AVATAR crushes it. Cameron has pushed things further than anyone else. Further than Spielberg. Further than Peter Jackson. Further than George Lucas (who shot most of the recent Star Wars trilogy against green screen and using motion capture to astoundingly poorer results than Cameron). Watching AVATAR is like seeing the future of movies.
On the other hand, it was also like a blast from the past. The story and dialogue are pretty stale. It's clear that this script sat in Cameron's desk drawer for several years (supposedly he wrote it more than 15 years ago but had to wait for the technology to catch up to allow him to realize his vision). The script could have used a polish or some freshening up. Honestly, if I see another movie set more than 150 years in the future and people are still using phrases like "let's boogie," or "You're not in Kansas anymore," I am going to scream. Does anyone think these phrases will have any social context more than a century from now?
You'll get the general story from any number of reviews, or the trailer, so I won't go into that here. Except I will note that the motivation of the human characters is vastly underwritten. Why go through all of this? Why engage this alien species on a planet which is a six-year trip from Earth in a violent war? Is it really for a rock? What does the rock do? Is it merely valuable? Is it used as a fuel? Can it save humanity back on Earth? It would add a lot to the story to know that there is more to this endeavor than capitalistic greed.
In the end, the story is serviceable and much of the dialogue passes muster. The visuals, however, are the reason to get out and see this one. The planet itself, inhabited by dozens of beautiful, dangerous, and highly interesting animal species as well as bio-luminescent flora and fauna is breathtaking. I would pay money to watch a fake nature documentary on the planet Pandora. The rich, fully-realized world that James Cameron has created is worth visiting. The most exciting aspect of the whole venture, however, is the thought of all the other worlds that this new technology has opened up to all of us.
Check it out.
First the good news, the visuals are absolutely revolutionary. I've never seen a fantasy film look this good or seen the different elements of effects meld so seamlessly. The alien characters are so well done that the subtle facial expressions of the actors really shine through. Cameron also sets the majority of the action in the alien tribe which only makes those characters seem more "normal." When you spend more than two and a half hours with the aliens, you start to forget that they are meant to look strange.
Cameron's command of filmmaking technology is at an all-time high. Say what you will about "Titanic," but the second hour of that film is a showcase of technical craftsmanship that still holds up more than a decade later. But AVATAR crushes it. Cameron has pushed things further than anyone else. Further than Spielberg. Further than Peter Jackson. Further than George Lucas (who shot most of the recent Star Wars trilogy against green screen and using motion capture to astoundingly poorer results than Cameron). Watching AVATAR is like seeing the future of movies.
On the other hand, it was also like a blast from the past. The story and dialogue are pretty stale. It's clear that this script sat in Cameron's desk drawer for several years (supposedly he wrote it more than 15 years ago but had to wait for the technology to catch up to allow him to realize his vision). The script could have used a polish or some freshening up. Honestly, if I see another movie set more than 150 years in the future and people are still using phrases like "let's boogie," or "You're not in Kansas anymore," I am going to scream. Does anyone think these phrases will have any social context more than a century from now?
You'll get the general story from any number of reviews, or the trailer, so I won't go into that here. Except I will note that the motivation of the human characters is vastly underwritten. Why go through all of this? Why engage this alien species on a planet which is a six-year trip from Earth in a violent war? Is it really for a rock? What does the rock do? Is it merely valuable? Is it used as a fuel? Can it save humanity back on Earth? It would add a lot to the story to know that there is more to this endeavor than capitalistic greed.
In the end, the story is serviceable and much of the dialogue passes muster. The visuals, however, are the reason to get out and see this one. The planet itself, inhabited by dozens of beautiful, dangerous, and highly interesting animal species as well as bio-luminescent flora and fauna is breathtaking. I would pay money to watch a fake nature documentary on the planet Pandora. The rich, fully-realized world that James Cameron has created is worth visiting. The most exciting aspect of the whole venture, however, is the thought of all the other worlds that this new technology has opened up to all of us.
Check it out.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Updated League Postings
Hey Gang,
Here is a Fantasy Film Studio League update through the SAG award nominations. We won't have any additional updates until January when the next batch comes in. So, take a nice LONG look at the standings and get ready for the holidays.
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 25 / 50
Dekkers / 14 / 28
Paul Hogseth / 13 / 26
Ann Sarnowski / 10 / 20
Jake & Rachel / 10 / 20
Scott Engroff / 10 / 20
Steve & Erin / 9 / 18
Dan Pavlovich / 7 / 14
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 10
Here is a Fantasy Film Studio League update through the SAG award nominations. We won't have any additional updates until January when the next batch comes in. So, take a nice LONG look at the standings and get ready for the holidays.
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 25 / 50
Dekkers / 14 / 28
Paul Hogseth / 13 / 26
Ann Sarnowski / 10 / 20
Jake & Rachel / 10 / 20
Scott Engroff / 10 / 20
Steve & Erin / 9 / 18
Dan Pavlovich / 7 / 14
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 10
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Big Week for the Fantasty Film Studio League!
Well, League Participants, this is a big week. Two weeks ago we had the nominations announced for the Film Independent Spirit Awards. That was preamble. That was warm ups. This week things get kicked into high gear. Lots of nominations this week and lots of points on the board for the League.
This week brings up the nominations for the Critic's Choice Awards (announced yesterday), the Golden Globes (announced today), and the Screen Actor's Guild Awards (announced on Thursday). Be sure to check back on the blog Friday night for up-to-date take on the current standings.
Here is the scoreboard as of today, including the Golden Globe Nominations:
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 20 / 40
Paul Hogseth / 11 / 22
The Dekkers / 11 / 22
Ann Sarnowski / 9 / 18
Jake & Rachel / 7 / 14
Erin & Steve / 7 / 14
Scott Engroff / 7 /14
Dan Pavlovich / 6 / 12
Jimmy Gordon / 4 / 8
It's interesting to see the scoreboard start to shore up. As I reviewed each studio's picks, it's great to see the diversity of choices people made this year. Of course, some of you REALLY hung your hat on a specific film. If The Lovely Bones or An Education really starts to turn the corner, a few of you will be VERY happy.
This week is also a big week at the box office. For those of you who have the time and the inclination to get to a theater, there is literally something for everyone in the next two weeks. Between now and Christmas the following movies are opening or opening wider:
Up In The Air
Invictus
AVATAR
It's Complicated
Sherlock Holmes
Precious
Nine
So, lots of choices and all of them have been nominated for at least one award by one of the groups so far. Each film could be a great entertainment and good research for the "big show" in March.
Anyway, that's it for tonight. Check back on Friday for the Screen Actor's Guild nominations and to see how things move around. Good luck everyone!
This week brings up the nominations for the Critic's Choice Awards (announced yesterday), the Golden Globes (announced today), and the Screen Actor's Guild Awards (announced on Thursday). Be sure to check back on the blog Friday night for up-to-date take on the current standings.
Here is the scoreboard as of today, including the Golden Globe Nominations:
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 20 / 40
Paul Hogseth / 11 / 22
The Dekkers / 11 / 22
Ann Sarnowski / 9 / 18
Jake & Rachel / 7 / 14
Erin & Steve / 7 / 14
Scott Engroff / 7 /14
Dan Pavlovich / 6 / 12
Jimmy Gordon / 4 / 8
It's interesting to see the scoreboard start to shore up. As I reviewed each studio's picks, it's great to see the diversity of choices people made this year. Of course, some of you REALLY hung your hat on a specific film. If The Lovely Bones or An Education really starts to turn the corner, a few of you will be VERY happy.
This week is also a big week at the box office. For those of you who have the time and the inclination to get to a theater, there is literally something for everyone in the next two weeks. Between now and Christmas the following movies are opening or opening wider:
Up In The Air
Invictus
AVATAR
It's Complicated
Sherlock Holmes
Precious
Nine
So, lots of choices and all of them have been nominated for at least one award by one of the groups so far. Each film could be a great entertainment and good research for the "big show" in March.
Anyway, that's it for tonight. Check back on Friday for the Screen Actor's Guild nominations and to see how things move around. Good luck everyone!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
First Point Update
With the draft successfully behind us, we can now turn our attention to the different nominations and awards. This week brought us the Film Indpendent Spirit Award Nominations and the scoreboard has been updated to reflect these points. Before we dig into who did what, a few items that need mention:
The Web Site - still under construction at this point. Soon each player will be able to log into his or her studio to see their picks, look at the different nominations and awards, and see the scoreboard. This is still unavialable, but will be up and running soon.
The Film Indpendent Spirit Awards - These awards aim to recognize great achievements in independent filmmaking. While they so serve as a bellweather for other awards and nominations, these awards often recognize smaller films. Some of these nominees are in for a busy season of awards shows and red carpets. Some are not. This group also gives out specialty awards that are NOT part of the Fantasy Film Studio League. For example, they give awards for Best First Screenplay and the John Cassavetes Award, which are not categories that any other group recognizes. Therefore, they are not included in the game. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are given out a few days before the Academy Awards at a casual, cool ceremony. It is broadcast live on IFC this year on Friday, March 5th.
The Scoreboard - Below are the number of nominations and points for the Fantasy Film Studio League so far. I have also included a link to the nominations of the Spirit Awards.
Studio Head / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 3 / 6
Jake/Rachel / 2 / 4
Ann Sarnowski / 1 / 2
Paul Hogseth / 1 / 2
James Gordon / 1 / 2
Nate/Jennifer / 1 / 2
Scott Engroff / 0 / 0
Dan Pavlovich / 0 / 0
Erin/Steve / 0 / 0
Link to the Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations Page: http://www.spiritawards.com/nominees
The Web Site - still under construction at this point. Soon each player will be able to log into his or her studio to see their picks, look at the different nominations and awards, and see the scoreboard. This is still unavialable, but will be up and running soon.
The Film Indpendent Spirit Awards - These awards aim to recognize great achievements in independent filmmaking. While they so serve as a bellweather for other awards and nominations, these awards often recognize smaller films. Some of these nominees are in for a busy season of awards shows and red carpets. Some are not. This group also gives out specialty awards that are NOT part of the Fantasy Film Studio League. For example, they give awards for Best First Screenplay and the John Cassavetes Award, which are not categories that any other group recognizes. Therefore, they are not included in the game. The Film Independent Spirit Awards are given out a few days before the Academy Awards at a casual, cool ceremony. It is broadcast live on IFC this year on Friday, March 5th.
The Scoreboard - Below are the number of nominations and points for the Fantasy Film Studio League so far. I have also included a link to the nominations of the Spirit Awards.
Studio Head / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 3 / 6
Jake/Rachel / 2 / 4
Ann Sarnowski / 1 / 2
Paul Hogseth / 1 / 2
James Gordon / 1 / 2
Nate/Jennifer / 1 / 2
Scott Engroff / 0 / 0
Dan Pavlovich / 0 / 0
Erin/Steve / 0 / 0
Link to the Film Independent Spirit Award Nominations Page: http://www.spiritawards.com/nominees
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Planning the Drafting Party
Designing the Fantasy Film League game, the planning spreadsheets, and the drafting mechanisms was only phase one. After all, we wanted to have people over for a live draft and a party. Luckily, this is something that Ann is very, very good at.
The Planning
We wanted to put together a party to kick off Awards Season and to launch the draft. We knew that only the most committed and serious movie lovers would participate in the draft (for they were the only ones invited to play), so it made the event more elite. Not to knock our Academy Awards party, believe you me we put a LOT of time and effort into that party. That gathering, however, is for the masses. We pack 'em in. We fill our house to bursting for the Academy Awards party. For this we could scale back and enjoy ourselves a little more.
We chose a date before the holidays and, more importantly, before the Independent Spirit Award nominees are announced in early December. This put some pressure to get folks together before the holidays and before they spent a lot of time with friends and family partying. They would soon have a lot to compare this party to, so we needed it to be a good time.
The Food
For the Academy Awards party we tend to get a little carried away with food. We come up with dozens of possible appetizer ideas and we theme them to the nominees. We put a silly name and a framed menu card with each dish to make the event more whimsical. For the Fantasy League, food was fuel. Tonight we needed good, hot food and plenty of it in order to propel our picking and provoke our passion for movies.
Ann chose several different dishes that we knew would be crowd pleasers. She made:
We served this food with beer, soda, and water. Nothing fancy, nothing crazy. But it was all really good and it went. Ann made enough food to feed about 15 people, but the nine who showed up put it almost all down. It was good and it did the trick. I think people left satisfied and happy.
The Technicals
We used Excel to create a League Participant list. I then used the Random Number generating feature in Excel to come up with our drafting order. After that, I created a separate spreadsheet with the names of the League Participants down the vertical axis and the numbers of the rounds across the top. There were twelve rounds (one for each category in the Studios), and we ran it as a serpentine draft. For those of you, like me, who have never participated in a fantasy draft allow me to explain. This means that the person who recieved the first draft pick (in this case Ann) would also get to pick the 20th and the 21st picks. This allowed for a lively, fast-paced draft and for everyone to have a shot at some great picks.
I connected my brother-in-law's laptop up to my TV using a HDMI cable and projected the spreadsheet onto the screen. This allowed for everyone in the room to easily keep track of the picks and where their studio was relative to the different categories. Since everyone needed one each of the twelve categories, it was helpful to have everyone's picks up there as a reference.
Also, since I did not allow a pick to be used more than once, it was important to know what was taken and what was still out there.
Things moved fast! Ann was the first to go and wasted no time in choosing Precious as her Best Picture. This got things off to a good start and people jumped right in. I'll include a link to the Fantasy Film League site and the drafting sheet will be included. This will allow you to see who chose what and in which round of the event.
Best Moment of the Night
The best laugh of the night goes to Scott and James as they made their picks in a later round. James, after exhuasting his picks and the research he had done chose Robert Duvall for Best Supporting Actor. He could not remember the movie for which he was nominated, but he ran with it. The very next pick was Scott who chose Robert Duvall for Best Actor. This really put James in a tough spot as it was clear he had chosen Duvall for the wrong category. Scott just watched it happen and then took advantage of it. The same thing happened last year when my brother chose Heath Ledger for Best Actor instead of Best Supporting Actor. A small mistake, but it cost him a great many points throughout the season.
In the End...
I hope each of our guests had a good time at the party. I hope everyone feels good about their picks and their Studios. More importantly, I hope everyone gets a kick out of watching their Studios throughout the season and is more engaged in the Awards Season. That is, in the end, the goal!
The Planning
We wanted to put together a party to kick off Awards Season and to launch the draft. We knew that only the most committed and serious movie lovers would participate in the draft (for they were the only ones invited to play), so it made the event more elite. Not to knock our Academy Awards party, believe you me we put a LOT of time and effort into that party. That gathering, however, is for the masses. We pack 'em in. We fill our house to bursting for the Academy Awards party. For this we could scale back and enjoy ourselves a little more.
We chose a date before the holidays and, more importantly, before the Independent Spirit Award nominees are announced in early December. This put some pressure to get folks together before the holidays and before they spent a lot of time with friends and family partying. They would soon have a lot to compare this party to, so we needed it to be a good time.
The Food
For the Academy Awards party we tend to get a little carried away with food. We come up with dozens of possible appetizer ideas and we theme them to the nominees. We put a silly name and a framed menu card with each dish to make the event more whimsical. For the Fantasy League, food was fuel. Tonight we needed good, hot food and plenty of it in order to propel our picking and provoke our passion for movies.
Ann chose several different dishes that we knew would be crowd pleasers. She made:
- Hot Spinach Dip
- Meatballs
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
- Key Lime Dip
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Fried Ravioli
- Veggie Tray
We served this food with beer, soda, and water. Nothing fancy, nothing crazy. But it was all really good and it went. Ann made enough food to feed about 15 people, but the nine who showed up put it almost all down. It was good and it did the trick. I think people left satisfied and happy.
The Technicals
We used Excel to create a League Participant list. I then used the Random Number generating feature in Excel to come up with our drafting order. After that, I created a separate spreadsheet with the names of the League Participants down the vertical axis and the numbers of the rounds across the top. There were twelve rounds (one for each category in the Studios), and we ran it as a serpentine draft. For those of you, like me, who have never participated in a fantasy draft allow me to explain. This means that the person who recieved the first draft pick (in this case Ann) would also get to pick the 20th and the 21st picks. This allowed for a lively, fast-paced draft and for everyone to have a shot at some great picks.
I connected my brother-in-law's laptop up to my TV using a HDMI cable and projected the spreadsheet onto the screen. This allowed for everyone in the room to easily keep track of the picks and where their studio was relative to the different categories. Since everyone needed one each of the twelve categories, it was helpful to have everyone's picks up there as a reference.
Also, since I did not allow a pick to be used more than once, it was important to know what was taken and what was still out there.
Things moved fast! Ann was the first to go and wasted no time in choosing Precious as her Best Picture. This got things off to a good start and people jumped right in. I'll include a link to the Fantasy Film League site and the drafting sheet will be included. This will allow you to see who chose what and in which round of the event.
Best Moment of the Night
The best laugh of the night goes to Scott and James as they made their picks in a later round. James, after exhuasting his picks and the research he had done chose Robert Duvall for Best Supporting Actor. He could not remember the movie for which he was nominated, but he ran with it. The very next pick was Scott who chose Robert Duvall for Best Actor. This really put James in a tough spot as it was clear he had chosen Duvall for the wrong category. Scott just watched it happen and then took advantage of it. The same thing happened last year when my brother chose Heath Ledger for Best Actor instead of Best Supporting Actor. A small mistake, but it cost him a great many points throughout the season.
In the End...
I hope each of our guests had a good time at the party. I hope everyone feels good about their picks and their Studios. More importantly, I hope everyone gets a kick out of watching their Studios throughout the season and is more engaged in the Awards Season. That is, in the end, the goal!
The Fantasy Film League
Tonight marks the beginning of the 2010 Movie Awards Season, at least as far as the Sarnowskis are concerned. In addition to the Academy Awards party that we will be hosting on March 7th (and no, it is not too soon to start planning), we have put together a Fantasy Film Studio League. The idea was to engage our friends in a Movie Awards Season-long process to get them ramped up for the Academy Awards and to heighten their awareness and appreciation of the great films being made this year.
The Fantasy Film League: A How To
The general idea of the League is very similar to a fantasy football or basketball pool. Each player is assigned a studio which is made up of twelve categories. The categories are:
I ran the League last year with a select group of brave souls who were willing to give this a try and who provided invaluable feedback to the process. Thanks to their thoughts and suggestions, I already feel better about this year.
Improvements: Year One to Year Two
So far, the game is off to a much stronger start. For starters, I gave people about six weeks head start this year. I announced the game in early October and booked a date for the draft party. This gave most people enough time to move their calendars around and/or to find child care (we are, after all, at the age now where that is a real concern).
I also provided League Participants with detailed rules, a sample studio draft form, and some templates to complete while doing their research. The game, as you can imagine, is actually quite challenging. Many of the "awards bait" movies have not even been released theatrically so it is a real challenge to pick from that group of movies. Also, by including smaller, less documented races like Best Original Score and Best Song, I limited the amount of productive research that people could do to prepare.
Each League Participant was sent a spreadsheet to use to document their first seven picks for each category. After a player had exhuasted his or her picks from that list it was time to just guess. Start shouting out random movies and random performers. Even with weeks of prep time, things devolved to that level tonight.
Actually, I was very impressed with the players and how seriously people took the game. Many folks had clearly done copious amounts of research. They had read movie magazines, visited movie-themed websites, and even checked out a few more movies. It was great to see everyone so invested and so excited about good movies.
The Fantasy Film League: A How To
The general idea of the League is very similar to a fantasy football or basketball pool. Each player is assigned a studio which is made up of twelve categories. The categories are:
- Best Picture
- Best Director
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Supporting Actor
- Best Supporting Actress
- Best Original Screenplay
- Best Adapted Screenplay
- Best Original Score
- Best Song
- Best Make Up Effects
- Best Special Effects
I ran the League last year with a select group of brave souls who were willing to give this a try and who provided invaluable feedback to the process. Thanks to their thoughts and suggestions, I already feel better about this year.
Improvements: Year One to Year Two
So far, the game is off to a much stronger start. For starters, I gave people about six weeks head start this year. I announced the game in early October and booked a date for the draft party. This gave most people enough time to move their calendars around and/or to find child care (we are, after all, at the age now where that is a real concern).
I also provided League Participants with detailed rules, a sample studio draft form, and some templates to complete while doing their research. The game, as you can imagine, is actually quite challenging. Many of the "awards bait" movies have not even been released theatrically so it is a real challenge to pick from that group of movies. Also, by including smaller, less documented races like Best Original Score and Best Song, I limited the amount of productive research that people could do to prepare.
Each League Participant was sent a spreadsheet to use to document their first seven picks for each category. After a player had exhuasted his or her picks from that list it was time to just guess. Start shouting out random movies and random performers. Even with weeks of prep time, things devolved to that level tonight.
Actually, I was very impressed with the players and how seriously people took the game. Many folks had clearly done copious amounts of research. They had read movie magazines, visited movie-themed websites, and even checked out a few more movies. It was great to see everyone so invested and so excited about good movies.
And We're Off...
This blog is designed to document and capture the excitement of the 2010 Movie Awards Season. Each year, Ann and I put together an Academy Awards pool and party. We are always looking for ways to get more and more of our friends as excited about Awards Season as us. This blog will be our place to capture our thoughts and plans as we scope out this year's party. We will also capture our brainstorming ideas, recipes, and other party tips that may be useful to others who share our particular brand of mental sickness.
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