For all of you purists who only check this blog when there's an update for the Fantasy Film Studio League - you are welcome for tonight's post. Also, you may have missed this weekend's post when I documented some of the process that Ann and I go through to pull off our annual Academy Awards party.
I'll keep tonight's update fairly brief. This weekend we saw the Screen Actor's Guild and Producer's Guild Awards. They only amounted to six total awards in the film categories (five for the SAG Awards and one for the Producer's Guild), but they muddled the waters of the award season picture thus far. Avatar, shut out for the SAG awards, was thought by many to be the run away favorite for the Producer's Guild Award for Best Picture. Surprisingly, the guild chose to award the Best Picture honor this year to The Hurt Locker. This is an interesting twist given the populist momentum that the Biggest Movie of All Time has going for it right now. By contrast, The Hurt Locker missed the SAG award for best picture and instead the honor went to Inlgorious Basterds. By the way, you may have read that Inglorious Basterds "swept" or "cleaned up" at the SAG awards this weekend. It won two awards. Two. One for Best Ensemble Cast (Best Picture equivalent) and one for Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Walz.
Defending Champion Scott Engroff recently changed his Best Picture from An Education to Inglorious Basterds (and he already had Christoph Walz for Best Supporting Actor), so this weekend was good for his studio. I happened to have The Hurt Locker for Best Picture along with Jeff Bridges (who won the SAG Award for Best Actor) and Mo'Nique (who picked up a Best Supporting Actress honor), so I did fairly well also. Nobody has Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side as Best Actress so the points for that award went unclaimed.
We're one week away from the last nominations of the season - The Academy Awards nominees will be announced Tuesday morning. You can count on an update from me that day and begin the countdown to the big event. The updated standings are below.
Cheers,
Danny.
Name / Nominations / Wins / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 37 / 14 / 116
Defending Champion Scott Engroff / 19 / 6 / 56
Paul Hogseth / 21 / 1 / 45
The Dekkers / 21 / 0 / 42
Ann Sarnowski / 16 / 2 / 38
Jake & Rachel / 13 / 0 / 26
Erin & Steve / 12 / 0 / 24
Dan Pavlovich / 10 / 1 / 23
Jimmy Gordon / 7 / 0 / 14
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
And so it begins...
This weekend Ann and I began our Academy Awards party planning in earnest. We not only got to see a movie this weekend (we saw Avatar in 3D), but we really dove into the planning for the party. Each year we go through this process and it really doesn't change all that much from year to year. For all the questions and comments that we get each year, we thought that we would use this blog to give a glimpse into "the method."
First, we discuss what type of party we want to have. Every year we have the dialogue about how we'd love to keep it more intimate and familial and really have time to share with all of our guests and enjoy the show. Each year, however, we also realize that we really want to share the big night with as many friends and family as possible, so it ends up being a big affair. I always ask if this is the year that we'll go "black tie" and every year the answer is "not this year." Please don't take this to mean that we don't want some of you at the party. Not at all. In fact, we want YOU at the party and we want to spend more time with YOU at the party. It's all those OTHER people that we think about nixing from the list. Please, really, the more the merrier.
Next, we work on deciding how we want the food to work out. Are we planning a meal? Do we want to serve an entree? Or are we really working for more of an appetizer party? We've done it both ways. Back in 2000, when Gladiator took home the prize, things were more organized around appetizers. In later years, such as 2004, we added an entree (Mystic Ribeyes anyone?). Once we decide if we'll be serving a main dish, then we work around it to determine the sides or appetizers. Also, more recently we've taken to finding one or two "star" dishes that the food around which the party is centered. Last year's wedding cake for "Rachel Getting Married" is an example.
So, we know the size of the party, whether it will be a meal or just snacking, and we know a few "star" dishes. Then we really dig into the planning for the party. We do this in two directions:
A. Begin with the Nominees (or possible nominees) - This often leads us to silly names that may never get used. Also, due to the consistently great work of several filmmakers and actors, we get to re-use them (Clint Eastwraps or Morgan Fritos, for example).
B. Begin with the food - We pick recipes or dishes we want to serve and work to find a theme or a name associated with a nominee that we think will work.
This is easily the most fun part of the planning process for me. I really enjoy coming up with silly names and crafting things that we know our guests will enjoy. I also love watching Ann's brain work as she is really something as a hostess and chef. I don't understand how she comes up with some of the ideas, but I'm so happy that she does.
Once the food is locked we can begin the gritty details of the party. This has gotten considerably easier over the years. For several years, we strong-armed my brother-in-law, James, into crafting world-class invitations and ballots for us. One year he made a full DVD of all the trailers for each nominated film and made an accompanying booklet. It was sick. Since we all had children, however, we've worked to streamline some of these processes. We've used evite for the invitations and last year my father helped us build a website to serve as not only a ballot, but a scorecard as well. These will be used again this year. So that really leaves us with the guest list. It's always fun to think through who will join us for the party this year and to review the "watch list." The watch list is for those who have been invited to the party but have declined more than one year. If you choose to decline the party AND if you decline to participate in the ballot for more than one year, you're on the watch list. Two years and you're off the list. I know, it's tough, but this is just the way the world works. Do your best to stay off the watch list.
Anyway, we started all of this over the weekend. We've got some great ideas for potential foods and recipes and Ann has already been thinking about themes and decorating. With the 10 Best Picture nominees this year and the co-hosts of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, we're already really excited for the party.
This was "the method" and it's served us pretty well for more than a decade. We'll update this a few times over the next few weeks as we get things prepared for the party and I'll certainly update the Fantasy Film Studio League as nominations and awards continue to roll in. Keep checking back for updates and for insight into the big night. Until then, go see a movie!!!!
Cheers,
Danny.
First, we discuss what type of party we want to have. Every year we have the dialogue about how we'd love to keep it more intimate and familial and really have time to share with all of our guests and enjoy the show. Each year, however, we also realize that we really want to share the big night with as many friends and family as possible, so it ends up being a big affair. I always ask if this is the year that we'll go "black tie" and every year the answer is "not this year." Please don't take this to mean that we don't want some of you at the party. Not at all. In fact, we want YOU at the party and we want to spend more time with YOU at the party. It's all those OTHER people that we think about nixing from the list. Please, really, the more the merrier.
Next, we work on deciding how we want the food to work out. Are we planning a meal? Do we want to serve an entree? Or are we really working for more of an appetizer party? We've done it both ways. Back in 2000, when Gladiator took home the prize, things were more organized around appetizers. In later years, such as 2004, we added an entree (Mystic Ribeyes anyone?). Once we decide if we'll be serving a main dish, then we work around it to determine the sides or appetizers. Also, more recently we've taken to finding one or two "star" dishes that the food around which the party is centered. Last year's wedding cake for "Rachel Getting Married" is an example.
So, we know the size of the party, whether it will be a meal or just snacking, and we know a few "star" dishes. Then we really dig into the planning for the party. We do this in two directions:
A. Begin with the Nominees (or possible nominees) - This often leads us to silly names that may never get used. Also, due to the consistently great work of several filmmakers and actors, we get to re-use them (Clint Eastwraps or Morgan Fritos, for example).
B. Begin with the food - We pick recipes or dishes we want to serve and work to find a theme or a name associated with a nominee that we think will work.
This is easily the most fun part of the planning process for me. I really enjoy coming up with silly names and crafting things that we know our guests will enjoy. I also love watching Ann's brain work as she is really something as a hostess and chef. I don't understand how she comes up with some of the ideas, but I'm so happy that she does.
Once the food is locked we can begin the gritty details of the party. This has gotten considerably easier over the years. For several years, we strong-armed my brother-in-law, James, into crafting world-class invitations and ballots for us. One year he made a full DVD of all the trailers for each nominated film and made an accompanying booklet. It was sick. Since we all had children, however, we've worked to streamline some of these processes. We've used evite for the invitations and last year my father helped us build a website to serve as not only a ballot, but a scorecard as well. These will be used again this year. So that really leaves us with the guest list. It's always fun to think through who will join us for the party this year and to review the "watch list." The watch list is for those who have been invited to the party but have declined more than one year. If you choose to decline the party AND if you decline to participate in the ballot for more than one year, you're on the watch list. Two years and you're off the list. I know, it's tough, but this is just the way the world works. Do your best to stay off the watch list.
Anyway, we started all of this over the weekend. We've got some great ideas for potential foods and recipes and Ann has already been thinking about themes and decorating. With the 10 Best Picture nominees this year and the co-hosts of Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, we're already really excited for the party.
This was "the method" and it's served us pretty well for more than a decade. We'll update this a few times over the next few weeks as we get things prepared for the party and I'll certainly update the Fantasy Film Studio League as nominations and awards continue to roll in. Keep checking back for updates and for insight into the big night. Until then, go see a movie!!!!
Cheers,
Danny.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The British Are Coming!
The British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTA) announced its nominees today and I've updated the Fantasy Film Studio League Scoreboard to reflect them. There are some familiar names among the nominees again today as the front runners for the season are taking shape. However, we saw with the Golden Globes last week that not all of the awards are a foregone conclusion. Below is a snap shot of how the group did with the BAFTA nominations.
Name / Number of BAFTA Nominations / Points Added to Total
Danny Sarnowski / 8 / 16
Defending Champion Scott Engroff / 6 / 12
Paul Hogseth / 5 / 10
The Dekkers / 5 / 10
Ann Sarnowski / 4 / 8
Jimmmy Gordon / 2 / 4
Dan Pavlovich / 2 / 4
Jake & Rachel / 2 / 4
Steve & Erin / 2 / 4
Good to see everyone getting a taste from the BAFTAs. We even saw a few awards for The Lovely Bones (kudos to Jimmy)! Also, Lone Scherfig, the director of An Education, was nominated over Jason Reitman for Up In the Air. This is a bit of an upset. Mainly it upsets ME because I have Jason Reitman while Defending Champion Scott Engroff has Lone Scherfig.
I wanted to throw a plug in there that this weekend the blog will begin to be updated by both me and Ann and we'll start to chronicle the preparations for the Academy Awards party. The show is on Sunday, March 7th, and we certainly hope that all of you can make it. Not only will the show be great, the party will be wonderful, and we will crown the NEW champion of the Fantasy Film Studio League! Sounds like a great night to me.
The full updated scoreboard is listed below. Also, remember that the Screen Actors and Producer's Guild Awards are this weekend so we'll have another update on Sunday night to highlight those winners. Then we're just a week away from the Academy Awards nominations!
Name / Nominations / Wins / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 37 / 11 / 107
Defending Champion Scott Engroff / 19 / 4 / 50
Paul Hogseth / 21 / 1 / 45
The Dekkers / 21 / 0 / 42
Ann Sarnowski / 16 / 2 / 38
Jake & Rachel / 13 / 0 / 26
Erin & Steve / 12 / 0 / 24
Dan Pavlovich / 10 / 1 / 23
Jimmy Gordon / 7 / 0 / 14
Cheers,
Danny
Name / Number of BAFTA Nominations / Points Added to Total
Danny Sarnowski / 8 / 16
Defending Champion Scott Engroff / 6 / 12
Paul Hogseth / 5 / 10
The Dekkers / 5 / 10
Ann Sarnowski / 4 / 8
Jimmmy Gordon / 2 / 4
Dan Pavlovich / 2 / 4
Jake & Rachel / 2 / 4
Steve & Erin / 2 / 4
Good to see everyone getting a taste from the BAFTAs. We even saw a few awards for The Lovely Bones (kudos to Jimmy)! Also, Lone Scherfig, the director of An Education, was nominated over Jason Reitman for Up In the Air. This is a bit of an upset. Mainly it upsets ME because I have Jason Reitman while Defending Champion Scott Engroff has Lone Scherfig.
I wanted to throw a plug in there that this weekend the blog will begin to be updated by both me and Ann and we'll start to chronicle the preparations for the Academy Awards party. The show is on Sunday, March 7th, and we certainly hope that all of you can make it. Not only will the show be great, the party will be wonderful, and we will crown the NEW champion of the Fantasy Film Studio League! Sounds like a great night to me.
The full updated scoreboard is listed below. Also, remember that the Screen Actors and Producer's Guild Awards are this weekend so we'll have another update on Sunday night to highlight those winners. Then we're just a week away from the Academy Awards nominations!
Name / Nominations / Wins / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 37 / 11 / 107
Defending Champion Scott Engroff / 19 / 4 / 50
Paul Hogseth / 21 / 1 / 45
The Dekkers / 21 / 0 / 42
Ann Sarnowski / 16 / 2 / 38
Jake & Rachel / 13 / 0 / 26
Erin & Steve / 12 / 0 / 24
Dan Pavlovich / 10 / 1 / 23
Jimmy Gordon / 7 / 0 / 14
Cheers,
Danny
Monday, January 18, 2010
Jennifer's Body
Disclaimer: Before reading this review, I think it's fair to mention that I do not know any teen agers very well. More to the point, I don't know any teen agers who live, act, and talk like the characters in Jennifer's Body. I didn't know any teen agers who spoke like Juno, either. While I enjoy the cadence and irony of their Diablo-Cody-created dialogue, their banter is a constant reminder that I am watching a movie. This particular movie seems to have been designed to be watched by high school kids on a cell phone, while texting friends about boys and driving. That is, until the studio-dictated lesbian scene kicks in. More on that in a moment.
I went into Jennifer's Body with improbably high expectations. I do enjoy Diablo Cody's writing. Juno was a very strong first script and her work as a contributor to Entertainment Weekly is usually wickedly witty. Her characters talk in ways that no one talks. It's like watching a Shakespeare adaptation where the dialogue has been left intact but the rest of the story updated. David Mamet has the same affliction, a power for words that belies his best intent of a believable story.
This story happens to surround Jennifer, played by Megan Fox, a slutty, catty, not-surprisingly insecure high school vixen. The essential plot is that while sneaking into the local dive bar to catch a band of "salty" indie rockers, Jennifer is changed into something terrifying. Something evil. Her friend, played with dorky eyeglasses (meant to indicate that she is NOT the hot one) by Amanda Seyfried, is the only person who can see how evil Jennifer has become. Perhaps the reason that no one else notices, and why we the audience don't care, is that Jennifer was already dangerous when the story began. Fox plays Jennifer as a mischevious tart who uses her sexuality to humiliate and control everyone in her life. This characterization allows Fox plenty of screen time in a cheerleader outfit or leg warmers, but it doesn't give us anything to care about.
Her character becomes possessed by a boy-eating demon, which should be scary. Instead, I spent much of the movie hoping someone would kill JENNIFER and leave the demon. The latter is much more interesting than the former and I'd pay to see a good movie about it. Rather than crafting a story worth caring about, however, the producers instead opted to orchestrate a scene in which a panty-clad Jennifer seduces her geeky friend. Their make out scene is the most gruesomely filmed and lit scene in the whole movie proving that the producers are more interested in devouring the purity and exploiting the weaknesses of high school boys than their demonic lead character.
The apparent villians in the movie (the aforementioned indie rockers) treat murder as such as flippant enterprise that it gave me chills. Say what you will about the horror films made over the years, at least most people CARED that someone was dying. The irony-laden, pop-culture-driven desire for fame and fortune that led these young men to the acts they perform is more dangerous than anything this movie has to offer.
I expected more from Diablo Cody. An intelligent, engaging writer and a powerful female voice in cinema, she should have been able to deliver more. Rosemary's Baby or even the original A Nightmare on Elm Street boasted more believable female leads. The horror genre has made a killing by killing defenseless teenage girls. This film seemed poised to flip the whole enterprise on its head and reverse the gender roles traditionally found in these pictures. Instead, with its high school hooker costumes and exploitative lesbian scene, this movie drives young women further into the meat grinder of horror movies. Feel free to skip this one.
I went into Jennifer's Body with improbably high expectations. I do enjoy Diablo Cody's writing. Juno was a very strong first script and her work as a contributor to Entertainment Weekly is usually wickedly witty. Her characters talk in ways that no one talks. It's like watching a Shakespeare adaptation where the dialogue has been left intact but the rest of the story updated. David Mamet has the same affliction, a power for words that belies his best intent of a believable story.
This story happens to surround Jennifer, played by Megan Fox, a slutty, catty, not-surprisingly insecure high school vixen. The essential plot is that while sneaking into the local dive bar to catch a band of "salty" indie rockers, Jennifer is changed into something terrifying. Something evil. Her friend, played with dorky eyeglasses (meant to indicate that she is NOT the hot one) by Amanda Seyfried, is the only person who can see how evil Jennifer has become. Perhaps the reason that no one else notices, and why we the audience don't care, is that Jennifer was already dangerous when the story began. Fox plays Jennifer as a mischevious tart who uses her sexuality to humiliate and control everyone in her life. This characterization allows Fox plenty of screen time in a cheerleader outfit or leg warmers, but it doesn't give us anything to care about.
Her character becomes possessed by a boy-eating demon, which should be scary. Instead, I spent much of the movie hoping someone would kill JENNIFER and leave the demon. The latter is much more interesting than the former and I'd pay to see a good movie about it. Rather than crafting a story worth caring about, however, the producers instead opted to orchestrate a scene in which a panty-clad Jennifer seduces her geeky friend. Their make out scene is the most gruesomely filmed and lit scene in the whole movie proving that the producers are more interested in devouring the purity and exploiting the weaknesses of high school boys than their demonic lead character.
The apparent villians in the movie (the aforementioned indie rockers) treat murder as such as flippant enterprise that it gave me chills. Say what you will about the horror films made over the years, at least most people CARED that someone was dying. The irony-laden, pop-culture-driven desire for fame and fortune that led these young men to the acts they perform is more dangerous than anything this movie has to offer.
I expected more from Diablo Cody. An intelligent, engaging writer and a powerful female voice in cinema, she should have been able to deliver more. Rosemary's Baby or even the original A Nightmare on Elm Street boasted more believable female leads. The horror genre has made a killing by killing defenseless teenage girls. This film seemed poised to flip the whole enterprise on its head and reverse the gender roles traditionally found in these pictures. Instead, with its high school hooker costumes and exploitative lesbian scene, this movie drives young women further into the meat grinder of horror movies. Feel free to skip this one.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow's muscular, tense, and gritty war thriller The Hurt Locker deserves much of the praise that has been hurled its way. This movie is easily the best of the Iraq war movies that Hollywood has created. It is vastly superior to films like Jarhead, Rendition, The Kingdom, In The Valley of Elah, or Body of Lies. It is the closest that we've seen recently to the power and tragedy of films like Apocalypse Now or Saving Private Ryan. The tension is sickening and the constant barrage of stress and danger that the characters endure is nearly unimaginable. The visceral punch that Bigelow packs, however, at times veers the film closer to cliche territory.
Jeremy Renner gives a striking performance as a danger junkie who gets his rocks off dismantling bombs in Iraq. The good news for him is that he gets LOTS of opportunities to practice. Renner sweats and swears as he works to reverse engineer the murderous work of Iraqi insurgents. His team members are forced to sweat it out along with him, exposed to the elements, snipers, a city full of potential enemies, and Renner's carelessness. These scenes are intense and they move the film along like a freight train. Some of them do stretch credulity, however. I'm loathe to believe that any soldier in the Army in a war zone can be as blatantly insubordinate as Renner's character. The thought that "cowboys" like this who seem to be fighting their own private war are the ones on the ground is a frightening thought.
The movie attempts to show us how Renner has been shaped into this danger junkie through the world around him. Every doorway or alley in the movie seems to teem with the threat of death and every pile of trash could be a bomb waiting to go off. This constant threat has warped Renner's character into what he ultimately becomes. The film's conclusion is heart breaking as it is terrifying. The choices made by men who only feel alive while on the brink of death are difficult for most of us to understand.
The rest of the cast does a good job of keeping the stakes high and the drama poignant. Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pierce walk on and off in brief cameos while Anthony Mackie provides an equally-praise-worthy performance as a team member who (like us) is filled with both awe and fear for his team member Renner.
A few subplots involving a local youth with whom Renner briefly bonds and a self-authorized hunting mission by the team stretch the believability of the film and remind us that we're watching a movie. A tense, taut, scorching war movie, but a movie just the same.
Jeremy Renner gives a striking performance as a danger junkie who gets his rocks off dismantling bombs in Iraq. The good news for him is that he gets LOTS of opportunities to practice. Renner sweats and swears as he works to reverse engineer the murderous work of Iraqi insurgents. His team members are forced to sweat it out along with him, exposed to the elements, snipers, a city full of potential enemies, and Renner's carelessness. These scenes are intense and they move the film along like a freight train. Some of them do stretch credulity, however. I'm loathe to believe that any soldier in the Army in a war zone can be as blatantly insubordinate as Renner's character. The thought that "cowboys" like this who seem to be fighting their own private war are the ones on the ground is a frightening thought.
The movie attempts to show us how Renner has been shaped into this danger junkie through the world around him. Every doorway or alley in the movie seems to teem with the threat of death and every pile of trash could be a bomb waiting to go off. This constant threat has warped Renner's character into what he ultimately becomes. The film's conclusion is heart breaking as it is terrifying. The choices made by men who only feel alive while on the brink of death are difficult for most of us to understand.
The rest of the cast does a good job of keeping the stakes high and the drama poignant. Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pierce walk on and off in brief cameos while Anthony Mackie provides an equally-praise-worthy performance as a team member who (like us) is filled with both awe and fear for his team member Renner.
A few subplots involving a local youth with whom Renner briefly bonds and a self-authorized hunting mission by the team stretch the believability of the film and remind us that we're watching a movie. A tense, taut, scorching war movie, but a movie just the same.
It was a wierd night in Hollywood...
Well, the Golden Globes just wrapped up and they were...strange. I had high hopes for Ricky Gervais and things just didn't come together. He had a decent bit about Mel Gibson, but it's tough to imagine an easier target. Except maybe for NBC which got slammed all night for its Leno/O'Brien decisions. Other than that, there wasn't much to the night and most of the stars were NOT obviously drunk. That was a bit of a let down from other years. The Pre Show Red Carpet coverage was, however, almost the most embarassing, awkward, and poorly-produced piece of television I've ever seen - even on NBC! (See, it's VERY easy to make fun of NBC)
On the awards front, there were some surprises. I'll keep my comments to the film categories, as this is not a Fantasy Television Studio League (although that sounds like a really awesome idea for next year, any takers?). AVATAR continued its global dominance and added Best Director and Best Picture - Drama to its list of accolades. As of today the film has made over $1.6 billion and is poised to beat Titanic's world wide and domestic records in the next three weeks. Kudos to James Cameron and his team for doing it again and for proving bigger is better. You can read my review on this blog posted on 12/18 if you're curious for my opinion of the movie. Or you can always go see it for yourself and come up with your own damned opinion.
Other wins that were notable include Sandra Bullock winning for The Blind Side and Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart. Both of these seemed like long shots at the beginning of the season and are starting to look like better money each week. Also, The Hangover won for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical. This was a pretty big win for a movie like that. Usually the HFPA gives the nod to pictures such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, or Dreamgirls. It was such a lowbrow picture for them to honor. It WAS very funny, however. Quentin Tarantino went home empty handed, which is surprising given how much the Hollywood Foreign Press Association seems to love him and his work. Christoph Walz did take the Best Supporting Actor statue home, so there's something.
Anyway, the updated standings are listed below. This week we see the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTAs) Nominees and the winners for the Producer and Screen Actor's Guild Awards will be announced. Check the blog for the updated scoreboard. Good luck this week!
Name / Nominations / Wins / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 29 / 11 / 91
Scott Engroff / 13 / 4 / 38
Paul Hogseth / 16 / 1 / 35
The Dekkers / 16 / 0 / 32
Ann Sarnowski / 12 / 2 / 30
Jake & Rachel / 11 / 0 / 22
Erin & Steve / 10 / 0 / 20
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 1 / 19
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 0 / 10
On the awards front, there were some surprises. I'll keep my comments to the film categories, as this is not a Fantasy Television Studio League (although that sounds like a really awesome idea for next year, any takers?). AVATAR continued its global dominance and added Best Director and Best Picture - Drama to its list of accolades. As of today the film has made over $1.6 billion and is poised to beat Titanic's world wide and domestic records in the next three weeks. Kudos to James Cameron and his team for doing it again and for proving bigger is better. You can read my review on this blog posted on 12/18 if you're curious for my opinion of the movie. Or you can always go see it for yourself and come up with your own damned opinion.
Other wins that were notable include Sandra Bullock winning for The Blind Side and Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart. Both of these seemed like long shots at the beginning of the season and are starting to look like better money each week. Also, The Hangover won for Best Picture - Comedy or Musical. This was a pretty big win for a movie like that. Usually the HFPA gives the nod to pictures such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, or Dreamgirls. It was such a lowbrow picture for them to honor. It WAS very funny, however. Quentin Tarantino went home empty handed, which is surprising given how much the Hollywood Foreign Press Association seems to love him and his work. Christoph Walz did take the Best Supporting Actor statue home, so there's something.
Anyway, the updated standings are listed below. This week we see the British Academy of Film & Television Arts (BAFTAs) Nominees and the winners for the Producer and Screen Actor's Guild Awards will be announced. Check the blog for the updated scoreboard. Good luck this week!
Name / Nominations / Wins / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 29 / 11 / 91
Scott Engroff / 13 / 4 / 38
Paul Hogseth / 16 / 1 / 35
The Dekkers / 16 / 0 / 32
Ann Sarnowski / 12 / 2 / 30
Jake & Rachel / 11 / 0 / 22
Erin & Steve / 10 / 0 / 20
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 1 / 19
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 0 / 10
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The First Awards Have Been Distributed!
Well, the first awards of the season, the Critic's Choice Awards, were distributed last night. That means that the first batch of points for "wins" have also been distributed throughout the Fantasy Film Studio League. There were a lot of interesting wins last night and the scoreboard has been updated. See below.
Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director at the Critic's Choice Awards and her film, The Hurt Locker, took home the Best Picture award. Paul Hogseth earned three points for his Best Director pick and I picked up the Best Picture win. The Best Actress award was actually shared/split between Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia and Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side. Scott Engroff correctly chose Meryl Streep, but no one had Sandra Bullock for Best Actress in the League. The updated scoreboard is listed below. Remember, the Golden Globes will be presented tomorrow night. Good luck to everyone!
Name / Nominations / Wins / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 28 / 6 / 74
Paul Hogseth / 16 / 1 / 35
Dekkers / 16 / 0 / 32
Engroff / 13 / 2 / 32
Ann Sarnowski / 13 / 0 / 27
Jake & Rachel / 11 / 0 / 22
Steve & Erin / 10 / 0 / 20
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 0 / 16
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 0 / 10
Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director at the Critic's Choice Awards and her film, The Hurt Locker, took home the Best Picture award. Paul Hogseth earned three points for his Best Director pick and I picked up the Best Picture win. The Best Actress award was actually shared/split between Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia and Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side. Scott Engroff correctly chose Meryl Streep, but no one had Sandra Bullock for Best Actress in the League. The updated scoreboard is listed below. Remember, the Golden Globes will be presented tomorrow night. Good luck to everyone!
Name / Nominations / Wins / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 28 / 6 / 74
Paul Hogseth / 16 / 1 / 35
Dekkers / 16 / 0 / 32
Engroff / 13 / 2 / 32
Ann Sarnowski / 13 / 0 / 27
Jake & Rachel / 11 / 0 / 22
Steve & Erin / 10 / 0 / 20
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 0 / 16
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 0 / 10
Monday, January 11, 2010
I Love AND Hate Movies
So.....the other day Ann and I were flipping through the channels and I caught about two seconds of a movie. As random as it was, it was "The January Man" from 1989. I said to Ann, "Oh, I like this movie. It's "The January Man" with Kevin Kline, Alan Rickman, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio." Ann could not believe I even knew the movie. I then responded "it's a great movie. We own it. It's in the vault if you want to watch it." Things like that make me remember how much I love movies. It is a fun movie, if you haven't seen it. A fun one-off movie with wildly colorful characters (including a greatly odd performance by Alan Rickman, go figure). It's a little lost in time given its plot characteristics centering around 1980s computer technology and its insistence that Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is an attractive woman. Still, a good Sunday matinee.
And then there are things that make me hate movies. Today I read an article explaining that Sony is already rebooting the Spider-Man franchise as a gritty, dark, "Batman Begins"-style origin story. This franchise is only eight years old and it really bugs me that the studio is already scrapping it and starting over. I'm not a fan at all of the last Spider-Man movie (it was God awful), but this is just ridiculous. This makes me hate the movies.
And now, on to the reason you came to this site -- The updated Fantasy Film Studio League standings after the Writer's Guild nominations. There were a few surprises in today's announcement from the Writer's Guild. The movies "Up" and "Inglorious Basterds" were shut out and "The Hangover" was included. "Crazy Heart" also made the cut in the Adapted category. "Star Trek" and "Avatar" also made the cut giving some serious cred to sci-fi this year. Speaking of "Avatar," Jake and Rachel paid the intra-season change fee in order to drop "District 9" for "Avatar" in the Original Screenplay category. "District 9" was actually adapted from a graphic novel created by the writer and director in order to attract investors' capital. This move turned out to be a good one as they received a nomination today for that choice. Scott Engroff scored two nominations today and Paul, Erin & Steve, and Danny all scored one as well.
Remember, the Golden Globes are this weekend as well as the Critic's Choice Awards. The nominations have been fun, but the awards are about to start coming. Also, remember that nominations receive two points each while a win pays three points. The updated standings are below....
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 28 / 56
The Dekkers / 16 / 32
Paul Hogseth / 16 / 32
Scott Engroff / 13 / 26
Ann Sarnowski / 12 / 24
Jake & Rachel / 11 / 22
Erin & Steve / 10 / 20
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 16
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 10
And then there are things that make me hate movies. Today I read an article explaining that Sony is already rebooting the Spider-Man franchise as a gritty, dark, "Batman Begins"-style origin story. This franchise is only eight years old and it really bugs me that the studio is already scrapping it and starting over. I'm not a fan at all of the last Spider-Man movie (it was God awful), but this is just ridiculous. This makes me hate the movies.
And now, on to the reason you came to this site -- The updated Fantasy Film Studio League standings after the Writer's Guild nominations. There were a few surprises in today's announcement from the Writer's Guild. The movies "Up" and "Inglorious Basterds" were shut out and "The Hangover" was included. "Crazy Heart" also made the cut in the Adapted category. "Star Trek" and "Avatar" also made the cut giving some serious cred to sci-fi this year. Speaking of "Avatar," Jake and Rachel paid the intra-season change fee in order to drop "District 9" for "Avatar" in the Original Screenplay category. "District 9" was actually adapted from a graphic novel created by the writer and director in order to attract investors' capital. This move turned out to be a good one as they received a nomination today for that choice. Scott Engroff scored two nominations today and Paul, Erin & Steve, and Danny all scored one as well.
Remember, the Golden Globes are this weekend as well as the Critic's Choice Awards. The nominations have been fun, but the awards are about to start coming. Also, remember that nominations receive two points each while a win pays three points. The updated standings are below....
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 28 / 56
The Dekkers / 16 / 32
Paul Hogseth / 16 / 32
Scott Engroff / 13 / 26
Ann Sarnowski / 12 / 24
Jake & Rachel / 11 / 22
Erin & Steve / 10 / 20
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 16
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 10
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Fantasy Film Studio League Update!
Well Gang, I hope that you enjoyed your holidays and got some rest. From here on out it is a sprint through awards season. The nominations have continued with both the Producer's Guild and the Director's Guild announcing their nominees this week. Next week brings us the Writer's Guild nominations and both the Critic's Choice Awards and the Golden Globes. We'll finally have some winners to declare along side our nominees. Good stuff.
Some random trivia before we get to the updated leaderboard....
- The Producer's Guild has opted to move forward with 10 best picture nominees to be consistent with the Academy Awards this year
- The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences last nominated 10 movies for the Best Picture award back in 1943. The movie that won was Casablanca.
- The Golden Globes is being hosted this year by Ricky Gervais (who has been the best part of the telecast for the last three years or so). The last time the Golden Globes had a host was in 1995 when Forrest Gump took home the award for Best Motion Picture - Drama.
And now to the updated scoreboard. We did some slight movement in the nominations this week, but since the Producer's Guild was so generous with their nominations, most players received at least two points. My heart goes out to the Studios who chose to ride The Road and The Lovely Bones all the way as those have simply not panned out yet this year.
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 27 / 54
The Dekkers / 16 / 32
Paul Hogseth / 15 / 30
Ann Sarnowski / 12 / 24
Scott Engroff / 11 / 22
Jake & Rachel / 10 / 20
Erin & Steve / 9 / 18
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 16
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 10
That's it for now folks. We'll check in next week with an update following the Writer's Guild nominations and then ride into the weekend with the Critic's Choice and Golden Globe Awards.
Cheers,
Danny.
Some random trivia before we get to the updated leaderboard....
- The Producer's Guild has opted to move forward with 10 best picture nominees to be consistent with the Academy Awards this year
- The American Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences last nominated 10 movies for the Best Picture award back in 1943. The movie that won was Casablanca.
- The Golden Globes is being hosted this year by Ricky Gervais (who has been the best part of the telecast for the last three years or so). The last time the Golden Globes had a host was in 1995 when Forrest Gump took home the award for Best Motion Picture - Drama.
And now to the updated scoreboard. We did some slight movement in the nominations this week, but since the Producer's Guild was so generous with their nominations, most players received at least two points. My heart goes out to the Studios who chose to ride The Road and The Lovely Bones all the way as those have simply not panned out yet this year.
Name / Nominations / Points
Danny Sarnowski / 27 / 54
The Dekkers / 16 / 32
Paul Hogseth / 15 / 30
Ann Sarnowski / 12 / 24
Scott Engroff / 11 / 22
Jake & Rachel / 10 / 20
Erin & Steve / 9 / 18
Dan Pavlovich / 8 / 16
Jimmy Gordon / 5 / 10
That's it for now folks. We'll check in next week with an update following the Writer's Guild nominations and then ride into the weekend with the Critic's Choice and Golden Globe Awards.
Cheers,
Danny.
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