American Patriotic Fuzzy Wuzzy Movies Part II

Aaaaaand... we're back...

Yes, yes, this was promised a few days ago, actually on July 4th, and as its July 7th when I am writing this, I'm a bit late.  But I've given you thirty posts in a little over 35 days, what more do you want from me?  Geez... needy bunch of readers, aren't you? 

Been a busy few days, forcing me to take a few days from blogging, but that's okay, we all need a little vacation from what we are doing every now and again, right?

The Lovely Steph Leann wanted me to point out to you that she wanted "Yankee Doodle Dandy" on this list, though she didn't fight for it.  However, she's appalled that "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" only made it as far as the Honorable Mentions...  that let to this exchange:

Her:  Why did you leave that off the list?  That movie is perfect!
Me:  Because I haven't seen it in forever, and I can't even talk about it knowingly...
Her:  Just because you haven't seen it in a long time doesn't make it any less awesome.  It should be on that list. 

Her bags were packed, though I talked her off the ledge. As it is, however, my decision stands.  You can read part 1 of this list by clicking here.

NUMBER FIVE... "AIR FORCE ONE"
"Get off my plane!"

That's the key line from Harrison Ford led movie, a movie that is so utterly ridiculous, yet so utterly entertaining its ridiculous how utterly ridiculous and utterly entertaining this movie is!   The President and his family are flying in Air Force One, when a terrorist group takes over, one that somehow got on the plane.

Vee have iz wife.  Iz dah-ter.  He veel negotiate.  Gary
Oldman rules.

The terrorists think that the President has been jettisoned via the escape pod on the bottom of Air Force One, which we know first, doesn't exist in real life, and second, when Harrison Ford is your President, you know he's going to kick some major Russkie butt. 

The cast is stellar, including That Guy Hall of Famers William H. Macy, Philip Baker Hall, Capt. Jim Brass and Xander Berkely, as well as A-listers like Gary Oldman, Glenn Close and of course, Han Solo himself,   The action is nonstop, and the movie is one of those that can be watched again and again and again, and still be entertaining... my 46th favorite film of all time.

NUMBER FOUR ... "FIELD OF DREAMS" (1989)
This is not a movie I can watch over and over, because... well, I'll say it, it kinda bores me, at least a little.  But at the same time, parts of it are so riveting and moving, I can't turn away. 

Ray Kinsella thinks he's going crazy when he hears this random voice telling him, "If you build it, he will come", and of course, instead of getting his head examined, he builds it.  And he comes.

He builds it.  They show up, right out of the corn.

This is one of those films that hits you two ways--first, its entirely fantasy, and completely implausible... yet, its that unrealistic fantasy that carries the movie, that drive that Ray has to follow his heart despite what anyone and everyone tells him, that eagerness and curiosity that asks, "What if...?"

It might be something you haven't seen, or maybe something you haven't seen in a long, long time, and if so, I invite you to watch.  This is a beautiful movie all the way around, and even though I've often thought of Kevin Costner as somewhat of a mediocre actor, he definitely pulls his weight here.  James Earl Jones, Timothy Busfield (who, by way, was in a few scenes with legendary actor Burt Lancaster, who didn't know that Busfield was an actor and had him--Busfield--fetching coffee and running errands for him--Lancaster--until he realized they were in a scene together... Busfield happily did it anyway for a Hollywood Icon) and Amy Madigan lead a strong cast, but its the story, the idea that a dream, a vision, a voice can be so strong, so empowering that its life changing, that you have no choice but to follow it--that is what makes this movie what it is.

And yes, its about baseball, and yes, its really not "America's Pastime" anymore... that would be football now.  But baseball is true Americana, its truly an American invention, an American ideal, a creation of the American spirit.  This movie embodies that very imagination.  Its truly Americana. 

NUMBER THREE... "NATIONAL TREASURE" (2004)
If ever there was a movie that could have been called "Revisionist History", it is this movie.  That being said, there are few movies that I've had more fun with at the theater than Nic Cage's "National Treasure". 

Nic Cage plays Benjamin Gates, a historian who's spent the better part of his life looking for a treasure that many people tell him doesn't exist.  The treasure was supposedly left by the Founding Fathers of the United States, but he's never been able to get close...



Is it a declaration of independence.... or a declaration of love...?



...until a set of circumstances has him and his buddy Riley in possession of a hostage, played by Diane Kruger, but also the original Declaration of Independence, stolen from its D.C. home.  They also find themselves being chased by the FBI and Harvey Keitel, but also a former friend turned foe Ian (Sean Bean), who wants to find the treasure for himself and his own greedy team.

To properly enjoy this movie, you have to take "disbelief" and not only suspend it, but put it through the paper shredder--and not a standard one, I mean one that does cross cutting and will tear up CDs and credit cards--take the shreds and spread them all over the back yard.   Because when you see the liberty bell in Philadelphia, that might be the only thing about this movie that is believable.  However, this movie is completely fun, funny and has a great story behind it. 

The film follows one clue after another, incorporating our countries monuments and locales into the story line itself, wrapping them up with a plot involving what our Founding Fathers could have meant by what they wrote and said. 

I will say, though, that while "National Treasure" struck gold, "National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets" tried the same thing and, in my own humble opinion, laid a dud egg. 

NUMBER TWO... "INDEPENDENCE DAY" (1996)



Good morning.

In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind.

Mankind. That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests.

Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from annihilation. We're fighting for our right to live. To exist.

And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice:

We will not go quietly into the night!

We will not vanish without a fight!

We're going to live on!

We're going to survive!

Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

Dude.  I frakkin' love this movie.  U-S-A!  U-S-A! 

NUMBER ONE... "JOHN ADAMS" (2008)
Okay, so I cheated.  Unlike the other movies on this list, its not a theatrical release, and actually, its not even a movie... its a mini-series.

Paul Giamatti was lauded deservedly as Adams.  Another amazing
performance is that of Tom Wilkinson, who plays Benjamin Franklin
in a humorous, yet likable light.  Wilkinson also portrayed the
jerkface Cornwallis in "The Patriot", also a revolutionary war movie,
and number 7 on this list.

But its the best mini-series I've ever seen in my whole life.  Paul Giamatti stars as the title character, with Laura Linney (told you I dug her) as his beloved Abigail, and the seven part mini-series chronicles Adams' life from his mid-30s, and right around the time of the Boston Massacre, taking you through the disputes and disagreements of declaring independence from Britain, tours of Europe to ask for money and help during the revolution, the end of the war itself, his battles with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson alike, and finally, the end of his life.

Its based on the book by David McCollough, and it does deviate from the book a bit, thus deviating from facts, its still a riveting story from start to finish... even the slow parts are great, and even eye opening, like how much resistance there actually was to independence--so many states just wanted to keep the status quo, and some even enjoyed the British rule. 

I highly recommend you rent it or buy it, and spend some time on it.  You'll get a better appreciation for who we are and how hard it was to get where we are now.

So there ya go... your top ten Americana Patriotic Fuzzy Wuzzy Movies.  As its a few days past this year's Independence Day, perhaps this list will come in handy next year...

The Summer of Blogging Day Thirty One

What I Was Going To Say Was

I was totally going to blog tonight about some random stuff... then I just got busy...

...what I was going to tell you was that I saw "Observe and Report" tonight at the $1 theater with Mikey. It was pretty terrible. It was a random (not in a good way) movie, it didn't go anywhere, it veered off into fifteen different directions, it wanted to be a comedy but still wanted to be taken as "smart" comedy, which it wasn't. Out of every character in that movie, including a usually reliable Seth Rogan's Ronnie, Anna Faris and several other "that guys" and B-listers, including Ray Liotta, the ONLY character in the entire movie I actually liked was that of Nell, the Cinnamon Bun stand worker, played by Collette Wolfe... otherwise, the movie was really lame...


Nell works at the Toast The Bun cinnamon place in the mall, and really the only likable person in this film.

...And after that, I was going to tell you this random story...

On the way over to the movie theater, I stopped at the Chevron across the street to get a few snacks to smuggle into the theater. Oh, stop it, you know you've done it before. Anyway, I had my iPod on, and was somehow listening to Puff Daddy (as he was known at the time) and The Notorious B.I.G. The song that had just come on my earbuds was "Hypnotize", so as I'm getting out of the car, I'm not thinking about it, and the words I'm actually saying aloud are "Biggie biggie biggie biggie can't you see, sometimes your words just hypnotize me..." But that wasn't all. As I entered the Chevron, I continued with, "And I just love your flashy ways, I guess that's why they so broke and yo' so paid..." A few funny looks from the brothers buying oversized cans of Budweiser and Molton made me realize that I, d$, am not the right guy to be emulating Biggie Smalls. I got my Peanut Butter M&Ms and my Yoo-Hoo and left right quick.

...I was also going to tell you I had a great conversation with another high school friend, this the sister of K Dub. Kelly! Kelli! Kelle! and I had been talking here and there a few times via Facebook, doing a little catch up, but only in short sentences, and tonight, we were actually able to chat a while.


There's K-Dub on the left, Kelly! Kelli! Kelle! on the right. Perhaps Kel Dub might even, one day, get her own picture in the sidebar...

...I was going to mention that The Lovely Steph Leann and I have been busy little bees the last few nights, as we are preparing for a yard sale with our friends, the Tebershaws. Holy smokes, the crap we've managed to pull out of the closets and such. We've only been in The Cabana a little over a year, but we are finding stuff that five years ago, we couldn't bear to part with, while now? Gone. Let'er go.

...And with that, I was going to say that Tuesday night, we just took a break. Well, actually, we got started late. I don't know why, but the television was on the Biography Channel, and somehow we ended up watching the ABBA biography. It was awesome. By the way, their first song as a group was called "People Need Love", and they called themselves Bjorn & Benny, Agnetha & Ani-Frid. Well, this was cumbersome to say, to write and to work with, so according to Wiki...

In early 1973, their manager Stig Anderson, tired of unwieldy names, started to refer to the group privately and publicly as ABBA. At first, this was a play on words, as Abba was also the name of a well-known fish-canning company in Sweden. However, since the fish canners were unknown outside Sweden, Anderson came to believe the name would work in international markets. A competition to find a suitable name for the group was held in a Gothenburg newspaper. The group was impressed with the names "Alibaba," "FABB," and "Baba", but in the end all the entries were ignored and it was announced in the summer that the name "ABBA" was official. Later the group negotiated with the canners for the right to the name.[21] "ABBA" is an acronym formed from the first letters of each group member's name: Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid (Frida). The first 'B' in the logo version of the name was "mirror-image" reversed on the band's promotional material from 1976 onwards and became the group's registered trademark. The first time the name is found written on paper is on a recording session sheet from the Metronome Studio in Stockholm, dated 16 October 1973. This was first written as "Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida", but was subsequently crossed out with "ABBA" written in large letters on top.

Dude, I love me some ABBA, and am not afraid to admit it. I should do an entire post on this band, and might one day.

...I wanted to talk about "John Adams", the HBO Mini-series that The Lovely Steph Leann and I have been watching. We finished part 2 of 7, and already, its magnificent. Its just a wonderful piece of film thusfar, with Paul Giamatti as the title character doing a great job. It might just stolen out from under him, though, with Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin, who is hilarious and perfect at the same time. The big surprise? How much I love the character of Abigail Adams. I already dig on Laura Linney anyway, one of my favorite actresses, but her take on the strained and sacrificial wife of John Adams is nearly flawless.

...At some point, I was going to give a shout out to Mindy D'A. Got an email from her earlier today, a very thoughtful, considerate and surprising email. And I wanted to publicly say "Hey thanks. You're a sweetheart, to the max." And I'll answer that as soon as I come up with how I want to answer it. Hopefully, that doesn't tell you everything the answer might say, but it possibly does.

...I was also going to acknowledge that yes, its time for new music on the Clouds. And I promise, it will come soon enough.

...I was also going to tell you all that we'll be headed back to The Happiest Place on Earth on Wednesday! The Lovely Steph Leann and myself, along with our friends St'ray and C'ray, will be driving down on Wednesday, visiting the parks on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then headed back to Monday. We are really big fans of St'ray and C'ray, and look forward to hanging out with them at Magical Kingdoms!

So, with that, I don't even know if I'll have time to blog about any of this stuff...

It's the 66th Annual Golden Globes! (live blogging diary)

And... that's all she wrote. The big news is Kate Winslet wins 2 awards in the same night--The Lovely Steph Leann, Mikey (via text) and myself are not even sure that the same person has ever won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in the same night... and the other news is "Slumdog Millionaire". Have you seen it? Let me know how it is...

Good night... more of the 100 Coolest of 2008 to come tomorrow, plus the next running diary will be on Super Bowl Sunday, broadcasting live from The Nipps home!

1000p... "Benjamin Button", "The Reader", "Revolutionary Road" and "Frost/Nixon" are all losers to... "Slumdog Millionaire".

I'll wait until I see it before I make any opinions on it (though I've heard its fantastic, much in the way "Little Miss Sunshine" was a few years back)

958p... Tom Cruise, star of "Der Mavericke", is out to present the winner of Best Picture. My guess is going to be "Slumdog", which is the new love of the HFPA... and possibly the Academy.

952p... I haven't seen this film, but I've heard about it, and I've heard that while the movie is just "pretty good", that Mickey Rourke is remarkable. And hence, he's got the Golden Globe. And Marisa Tomei in the movie is not a bad option either.

950p... Hollywood Liberal Extraordinaire is here for the Best Actor in a Drama Movie. The winner? Mickey Rourke? Really? Wow... Harley Davidson gets the award! (I can only hope that The Marlboro Man will get his due too--thats for you, Mikey)

Mickey, old, saddled with drugs and old age and a lifetime of partying hard, stumbles as he gets to the stage. If, after winning this award, we were to find Mickey Rourke dead in his hotel room tomorrow, I would not be shocked.

945p... I've decided, I'm totally watching this show now. By the way, The Lovely Steph Leann, that is January Jones you spoke of. And yes, she's quite attractive. Not like you, but she's okay, I guess.

943p... Blake Lively from "Gossip Girl" and Rainn Wilson from "The Office" are here to present Best Drama. Rainn says, "Hello. We're just TV actors. Let's hear it for the tv actors!" Blake says, "We are here to present the award for Best Drama", then they both are silent. Blake pops up and says, "Oh, wait, we're supposed to read it!" They shoot through the nominees, and the winner is "Mad Men"

The Lovely Steph Leann: I don't know who that chick is in the blue but she's beautiful. (reflects for a minute) Okay, well, I don't really like the dress, but I love the color.

940p... My favorite actress with my favorite speech of the night. She says, "I just saw the sign that says 'please wrap up'. You have no idea how much I'm not wrapping up..."

I can only hope this translates into her winning an Oscar, because she deserves it... of course, perhaps like tonight, she might be given an Oscar for "Hey, give her one, she has earned it!" rather than a particular performance in "Revolutionary Road", kind of like Denzel in "Training Day" and Tommy Lee Jones in "The Fugitive."


My favorite actress, Ashley Judd Club Member and now, 2 Time Golden Globe Winner Kate Winslet.

938p... Mark Wahlberg and Cameron Diaz come out to announce the aformentioned Anne Hathaway, and the not so pretty Angie Jolie for Best Actress. Kate? Maybe? Kate?

KATE WINSLET!!!! KATE WINSLET WINS HER 2ND AWARD TONIGHT!!!

The Lovely Steph Leann (gasping): Ohmigah... they gave her two!
Me: WOO - HOO!!!!

936p... So, two actors that are Indian/Asian (I won't even pretend to try their names) comes out to introduce "Slumdog Millionaire". This might just win Best Picture tonight, and if so, it will be the front runner at the Oscars.

932p... Didja hear about Anne Hathaway? She is up for Best Actress in "Rachel Gets Married", and a star appeared by her name on the Hollywood Foriegn Press website, indicating she had won... a few days ago. Here's the scoop.

930p... "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" wins for Best Comedy. Okay, so at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), we discussed racism. I hope its not going to make our pastor angry to say that I will probably never see this film, nor do I even want to. Doesn't help that I can't stand Woody Allen.

928p... Sasha Baron Cohen, the man who is Borat, comes out and says, among other digs at celebrities, "The recession is hitting everyone... Madonna has had to get rid of one of her personal assistants. Our thoughts go out to you, Guy Ritchie." The crowd claps and gives a "oooohhh"

926pm... Count me as in the minority of guys who don't find Salma Hayek attractive at all. Nor do I think Penelope Cruz, Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta-Jones is anything special. Just sayin'.

921pm... Sandra Bullock comes out... where has she been? She was the hottest chick of the 90s, and suddenly, she's nowhere to be seen. Oh, don't say "The Lake House", that didn't count. Anyway, she's cracking a few jokes here and there, kind of reminding me of Annie is "Speed". The award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical is Colin Farrell for "In Bruges".

919pm... Ripley herself, Sigorney Weaver comes out to introduce "Revolutionary Road", a film that was getting major buzz early, but has faded a bit because of mixed reactions from critics. It seems "The Reader" is the Kate Winslet film that the voters are loving.

913pm... Emma Thompson, one of my all time favorite actresses, and Dustin Hoffman are presenting the Best Director award. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a favorite, though I'm pushing for "Ben Button's" David Fincher. The award goes to... Danny Boyle.

This is huge. Very, very big. This pretty much guarantees some major Oscar love when nominees are announced in a few weeks. And if it wins best picture (and it might), it might become a front runner over "Frost/Nixon" and "Benjamin Button" to win Best Picture.

904pm... I actually watched "*batteries not included" not too long ago. Spielberg was an executive producer on that one, one of his rare bombs at the box office. It wasn't as bad as I remember it. Oh, don't get me wrong, it was bad. But it was watchable. It was written by Brad Bird, though, future director of "Ratatouille" and "The Incredibles", among other films.

856p... Its time for the Cecille B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement... and this time, its Steven Spielberg. And this is big deal for me, because rather than having older actors or directors that I only know of in older films, Spielberg is a guy I grew up watching, or at least watching his movies...

"Jaws"... "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"... "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial"... "Jurassic Park"... "Schindler's List"... "Saving Private Ryan"... "Minority Report"... "Raiders of the Lost Ark"... "The Terminal"... "Catch Me If You Can"... not only did I see every one of these films, save for "Jaws", at the movie theater, four of them appear on The Dave100... that's how great this guy is.

Here's a hidden gem... "Duel", one of his first films, is amazing. Its from 1971, and its the simple story of a lonely traveler being terrorized by a guy in a semi-truck. Find it on Netflix, or go rent it, or find it on DVR and set to record. Its fantastic.

For the record... "Saving Private Ryan" should have FAR AND AWAY won the Best Picture Oscar in 1998 (?), which went to "Shakespeare In Love." That was a good film, but "Ryan" was unbelievable. Not just a movie, but an experience. Anytime a movie transcends from "entertainment" to "experience", its deserving of recognition.

847p... Best Actress in a Comedy, its Christina vs Tina vs America vs Debra vs Mary Louise (go Debra!!) and the Globe goes to Tina Fey. "30 Rock" is the critic darling right now, much like "The Office" has been in years past. Now that is a low cut dress.


I keep expecting her to go "you say... I only hear what I want to... you say... I talk so all the time... so..."

Tina: "I've collected all the Hollywood Foriegn Press action figures!" Then, she adds, "If you ever start to feel too good about yourself, there's this thing called The Internet, to which I'll call them out right now... DianeFan, you can suck it. CougarGal, you can really suck it. You've been after me all year." Speech of the night thus far.

844p... Diddy Combs are giving away best score. Is that ironic? And the Golden Globe goes to... "Slumdog Millionaire".

842p... Ah, its Pierce Brosnan... and he's introducing on of the biggest disappoinments for me in all of 2008. The musical is magnificent, seen it 4 times and will see it everytime I can, but the movie, "Mamma Mia!" is sorely lacking. And Pierce tries to sing... wow. Just... wow. Not a good wow. A bad wow. And I think it was worse because I was soooo looking forward to it.

833p... Glenn Close from "Damages" and Morpheus are giving out the award for Best TV Series. More than likely, this is a battle between "The Office" and "30 Rock", though "Weeds" might sneak in there. And the winner is... "30 Rock".

Tracy Morgan says, "I'd like to thank the Hollywood Foriegn Press, cause a black man can't get no love from The Emmys!" and he rambles on for a while, until Alec Baldwin leans in and whispers something, which makes Tracy shout, "Oh yeah, Jeff Zucker, the producer"

830p... Megan "Is A" Fox and Terence Howard are handing out the award for Best Actor in a Mini-Series and/or TV Movie. Another "John Adams" win, I'm guessing... which is deserved. Paul Giamatti is another That Guy who is really emerging to be a great actor in his own right...

Paul Giamatti says, "This was a helluva job, a helluva job. You know, this little costume drama we put on over at HBO..." which warranted a laugh from myself and The Lovely Steph Leann.

Well deserved.

828p... Renee Zellweger is wearing... something. The Lovely Steph Leann is in the kitchen at this very moment, and I'm trying to get her in here to get a reaction. Yikes.

822p... Colin Firth Club member Patrick Dempsey, and Amy Poehler are up to give Alec Baldwin Best Actor in a Comedy for "30 Rock", a show that will be on my Netflix queue soon.

820p... Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks, stars of "Zack & Miri Make a Porno"! Of course, the announcers didn't say that, they just said, "Seth Rogan and Elizabeth Banks!"

Seth Rogan says, "I wish I was around to present the Golden Globes in the 80s. Instead of getting drunk with Mickey Rourke, I could be doing cocaine with Mickey Rourke." Funny joke, but even funnier is the fact they didn't cut to Mickey Rourke.

Best Screenplay goes to "Slumdog Millionaire", a film that is getting hot and steamrolling to the Oscars. Of course, this might be the one award it gets, as a "you deserve something, so here" token.

818p... So, "In Bruges" is apparently this much acclaimed film. Know very little about it. Anyone?

810p... Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who I had a brief crush/fling with not too long ago, are giving out Best Supporting Actress. Laura Linney is nominated... I do love me some Laura Linney. And... Laura Linney in "John Adams". Of course it does... I do have a feeling this is going to pick up quite a few tonight, just like it did with the Emmys.


Laura Linney, new Golden Globe winner. Oh, she was in "The Truman Show". That's how you know her.

807p... Colin Farrell attempts a joke, which falls flat. Best foriegn film... which means my attention is fading. "Waltz with Bashir" is the winner, and I called it. The Lovely Steph Leann and I both figure it will pick up the Oscar.

On another note... Colin sniffled as he was about to read. He said, "Sorry, got a cold. Its not the kind of cold it used to be." Then he smirked.

The Lovely Steph Leann looked up from under her blanket. "I think he just made a cocaine reference."

Also... Israel won this award. Won't most of the liberal celebrities want to hold him down and let some Palistine beat the crap out of him? Cause libs don't like Israel. Just sayin'.

803p... Is it bad that I want to see "The Celebrity Apprentice 2: Celebrity Apprenticier"? Surely J Rob would join me in this venture.

758p... After giving a little motherly advice to daughter Rumer, who is Miss Golden Globe and is helping onstage, Demi Moore is giving out Best Supporting Actor in a Movie. This is the one Heath Ledger is nominated for--and I kinda knew that this was a foregone conclusion. The entire audience gives a standing ovation. But... the award is deserved. Heath was BRILLIANT in "The Dark Knight".



756p... "John Adams" wins.

753p... This is the part of the show where Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore present "John Adams" with Best Mini Series or TV Movie. "Raisin in the Sun" was nominated, but it's got Sean "Puffy" Combs in it. Or P. Diddy. Or Pididdle. Or Diddy Kong, or whatever he is this week. So it can't win. Wait... wait... "Recount" is nominated. Crap... this might be a contest...

752p... The fact that Cate Blanchett didn't get nominated for Best Actress in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is a travesty. She's just simply amazing in that flick.

750p... Is it bad that I kinda want to see "Confessions of a Shopaholic"?

742p... Johnny Depp appears onscreen, looking flaky as ever. He's giving away Best Actress in a Comedy, and really, he is three gold teeth and some dreads away from being Jack Sparrow--he sounds just like him right now. Seriously, Johnny Depp is flaky. So, Sally Hawkins wins for "Happy Go Lucky". I've never even heard of this flick...

739p... The Jonas Brothers are here to give the award for Outstanding Animated Film to "Wall*E". I think out of courtesy they are announcing that "Kung Fu Panda" and "Bolt" were also nominated, but seriously... we know. The Lovely Steph Leann giggles like a little girl when "Wall*E" is formally awarded.

737p... Ricky Gervais is hilarious, lamenting about how he wasn't nominated and how he will not, in the future, get it on with 200 foriegn journalists. He actually is drinking his beer onstage, which is just as funny. He looks at Kate Winslet and says, "I told you, Winslet! Do a Holocaust movie, win an award!"


Mikey just texted me his support for Rogue... er, Anna Paquin. I can concur. Even with that gap in her teeth.

730p... Zack Quintos and the other guy in the new Trek film are doing the Best Actress in TV Drama. Winner? Two shockers in a row... Gabriel Byrne won for "In Treatment" and Anna Paquin won for "True Blood". Didn't see either one of those coming--I thought "Mad Men" would get something, either Jon Hamm or January Jones. I can't complain about Anna Paquin though... she's Rogue. Rock on.

728p... Hayden Panattiere and Zac Efron are giving away Best Actor in a Series. I've never seen "Mad Men", but I'm hearing tons about it. I am wary about jumping into shows anymore, because they get canceled so quickly--Netflix just sent me "Pushing Daisies", and despite my crush on Kristen Chenoweth, I refuse to watch it. Its canceled. I might watch "Mad Men", though.

726p... If I'm Don Cheadle, a prominent actor, rising from That Guy Status to be nominated for numerous awards himself, when I enter, I don't want to be known as "The star of the new motion picture 'Hotel for Dogs'!"

718p... Best Supporting Actress for all those things below. Laura Dern wins for "Recount", and HBO movie from last year. It was chided by some conservatives, Rush & Hannity included, for being biased, but really, I liked it. It didn't put Dubya in a bad light, rather it showed how incompetant John Kerry (who served in Vietnam) and his campaign actually was. Anyway, I liked it.

The Lovely Steph Leann weighs in on this subject. "Laura Dern does not need to be wearing black."

Laura Dern then goes slightly political, raising the applause of the crowd.

717p... Tom Wilkenson sounds loaded. I told you, open bar.

715p... The next award is for Best Supporting Actor in a TV Series, Mini Series, Movie, Telemovie, Telenovella, Hardback Adaptation, Cable Show, Local Stage Play and Lifetime Holiday Classic. Tom Wilkenson wins for "John Adams", a mini-series I have yet to see, but will probably take all kinds of awards tonight.

713p... Is it bad that I want to see "He's Just Not That Into You", the new ensemble comedy?

710p... The Lovely Steph Leann: "Hey... he walked the wrong way! Bruce Springsteen walked the wrong way off stage." Me: "He's Bruce. He can do whatever he wants and he dares anyone to tell him different."

708p... The winner is Bruce Springsteen, for a song from "The Wrestler". Honestly, as soon as they announced his name during the nomination annoucements, I knew that Springsteen had won. He's like U2. He could sing the phone book (and like U2, some of his most recent stuff has been about as good) and win acclaim and honor. I think he's overrated. That's right. I said it.

706p... Best Original Song award given by Sting, who's sporting a "Football player in Boston" beard. Peter Gabriel is nominated for "Wall*E", and they pan to him, and he has a "tell me if I won or lost so I can get another drink and effin' leave". Miley Cyrus & John Travolta have also been nominated for their duet on "Bolt", though I just can't root for Miley Cyrus to win a Golden Globe. Something about that just doesn't seem right.

703p... My Dear Kate has been nominated like a bajillion times for awards, including Oscars and Golden Globes, and for whatever reason, she rarely wins the big ones. In fact, she just said, "You'll have to forgive me for stuttering, I'm not used to winning." She's a phenomenal actress, and she's definately an Ashley Judd Club member in good standing. Yay KATE!! She looks fabulous, as always (Even The Lovely Steph Leann agrees).

701p... The Best Movie Supporting Actress award is up. Jennifer Lopez is presenting (The Lovely Steph Leann: "Look at her dress! She's had babies! You don't show that much skin when you've had babies!") I personally am torn, cause I love Amy Adams and Marisa Tomei, but I loooove Kate Winslet... and the winner is... KATE WINSLET, for "The Reader"!!!!

700p... It's the Golden Globe Awards, who's winners are determined by a group called The Hollywood Foreign Press. They give out awards on movies and television shows, and of course, lots and lots of celebrities... oh, and there's an open bar available. No, I'm not kidding at all.

659p... What in the crap is Tiki Barber doing on the red carpet?

654p... Lisa Rinna is talking to Debra Messing. I say, "Oh, I love Debra Messing. Totally Ashley Judd Club." The Lovely Steph Leann responds, "Look at her frizz! I don't love Debra Messing, at least right now."



652p... The Lovely Steph Leann on various celebrities:
Drew Barrymore: "Her dress looks amazing, but her hair is like a planet..."
The Jonas Brothers: "So, Joe Jonas, the main 'hot' one, has terrible hair. Like, the other ones, Kevin and whatshisname? Rockin', awesome hair. Joe? Terrible."
Pierce Brosnan: "Holy crap. Look how big his wife has gotten!!"
Tom Cruise: "Sigh. I like old school Tom Cruise and... wait... is he wearing a Navy blue suit??"

650p... Just got back in. Now, I'm here, at the laptop, currently I and The Lovely Steph Leann are watching Joey Fatone (the cool N*Sync'er) on the TVGuide Red Carpet Show. Had to go get dinner (having Long John Silver's, thank you).

518p... The Golden Globes, the ugly stepsister of Oscar's Academy Awards, is on tonight... and it is time for a running diary. That basically means that every few minutes, I'll be giving my thoughts on the celebrities, the show, the entertainment and of course, the winners. Full of pop culture random trivia, I'll be able to give you little facts here and there, random links and such, and hopefully you'll keep checking back.

For Amarylis' sake, I'll even disable the "auto-play" on the playlist, so you don't have to keep cutting it off over and over! Stay tuned!

5 Movies, 5 Days

It's been a movie kinda weekend for me... you know, where somehow the planets align, the stars twinkle just right, the time falls where it may, and you get the chance to watch several movies you've been wanting to see, all in a few days...

Friday Night -- "Ocean's Thirteen"
Loved "Ocean's Eleven". Thought it was clever, at the time it was original, and its funny. And its one of the few movies that I can totally recommend the commentary on the DVD (Pretty boy or not, Brad Pitt is a really funny guy)

"Ocean's Twelve" was different. I walked out disappointed. Didn't watch it again until it came on HBO a year later, then I gave it another shot... and liked it. Then I saw it again a few days later... and really liked it. It grew on me quickly, and though I don't consider it on par with the first, I can watch it and not be disappointed now.
So, "Oceans Thirteen" is out, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Reviews were really good, so I hoped it would live up... and it did. The gang is back, out to avenge the injuries suffered by Reuben at the hands of Willy Banks (a smarmy good Al Pacino). I won't go into detail about the plans, but know that Linus (a great Matt Damon) gets a main part this time, Turk & Virgil lead a workers strike in Mexico, Basher channels his inner Apollo Creed mixed with Evel Kneviel, someone cries over Oprah, you feel great sympathy for That Guy Hall of Famer David Paymer, and both Bruiser and Toulour make appearances, as does Terry Benedict. What happened to Tess? You find that out too. And only because I had a huge crush on her in 1989, I'm taking Ellen Barkin over a combined Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julia Roberts (For, like, two months, "Sea of Love" was my favorite movie of all time in 1989).

Like Twelve, Thirteen is like one big inside joke, but unlike Twelve, Thirteen lets you in on the joke so you can laugh too. And like Eleven, you may not laugh all the way through Thirteen, but you'll find your self amused the whole time.

Saturday -- "Knocked Up"
If you didn't liked "The 40 Year Old Virgin", then you won't like this. Directed by the same guy, Judd Apatow, it has a lot of the same people, including Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, and Seth Rogan is promoted to leading man. Steve Carell even makes a cameo.

Hotness Katherine Heigl is an up and coming E! news reporter who, while hanging out with her sister, gets a little too drunk. She has a foolish one night stand with Ben, a guy that it would take a very drunk hot chick to be with, and kicks him out the next day. Eight weeks later, she discovers she's going to have a baby. Ben's baby.

So the movie progresses as Alison and Ben try to make a relationship work, at first just for the baby, and then after finding out they really do like each other, for each other. This movie is rude, crude, lots of F-bombs, a couple of boobage scenes (though only one is real, the others are the guys watching boobage on tv, which is part of Ben's job. You'll find out why when you see it) and is actually lots of fun. Several things I liked about this movie...

• Paul Rudd. This guy is really funny. He's been in "Clueless" (which Steph Leann loves), "Wet Hot American Summer" (a highly underrated comedy), "Anchorman" and much more, and each time, he's fantastic.
• Katherine Heigl. I'm so glad she's more than Izzie from "Grey's Anatomy", and "Nicole" from "My Father the Hero"
• Abortion was never really considered. It is mentioned as an option, but without explaining how she came to the decision, Alison decides to keep the baby, as if its the only thing she could do. I respect that.
• Ben's buddies. Several no-names, including Jonah Hill, who was in "40 Year Old Virgin" and "Accepted", make up Ben's entourage, and its classic. If the Deuce Guys weren't Christ-followers, and were into weed and bongs, this might be them. I'd be Ben, of course, with the hot chick.
• Ryan Seacrest. Hearing the "American Idol" host curse is just about the funniest thing in the movie.
• Leslie Mann. Also in "Virgin", where has she been? Why am I just now discovering her?
• It's good that Steve the Pirate is still working
• Maggie Seaver! We missed you!
• The pop culture references. From Meg Ryan's boobage to Matthew Fox ("You know whats interesting about Matthew Fox? Nothing!") to a hilarious Steely Dan dis to various other movies and celebrities that are randomly dropped in, it sounds like the Deuce guys sitting around. Without the weed and bongs.

I recommend it only if you wanted to see it--its worth the laughs. But know what you are getting into.

Sidebar: Speaking of Paul Rudd, if you ever have the chance to rent or watch Neil LaBute's "Bash: Latter-Day Plays", do so. It premiered on Showtime in 2001, shot as it was being performed onstage. Three separate pieces, one each with Calista Flockhart (who knew she could do more than Ally McBeal?) and Ron Eldard, both engaging in violence in different ways. The jewel, however, is the middle one with Calista and Paul Rudd portraying a couple attending a wedding. The night drags on, with the girls hanging at the hotel, and the boys going out for a night on the town... and end up precipitating a vicious hate crime. Paul's story telling, and the evil in his character, is chilling. If ever I was to direct theater outside of church, I'd do this in a heartbeat. You can pick up a copy of the script online.

Monday -- "The 40 Year Old Virgin"
I might have been one of nine people in the world who had not seen this movie, and I laughed all the way through it. If you don't like American Pie humor, this is not for you. I say American Pie, but the humor is not as directed at teenagers, as it is directed at the side of us that laughs at things we know we shouldn't laugh at.

Steve Carell, in his star making turn, plays Andy. Andy works at SmartTech, collects valuable toys and though 40, has never had sex. When his buddies Dave (Paul Rudd), Cal (Seth Rogan) and Jay (Romany Malco) discover this, they make it their mission to... well, make him not a virgin. One attempt includes a funny turn by Leslie Mann, but it, like others, fail miserably. Enter Trish (Catherine Keener, who we'll get to in a minute), who works across the street at the eBay store

Though very crude, with lots of F-bombs and lots of crude terms for various things, this is, at its heart, a sweet movie. And oh, its funny... I laughed for ten minutes when Dave used the phrase "Man-o-lantern". First, the fact he's a virgin is met with very little ridicule, which is great considering this world wants you to have as much sex as possible. Secondly, though morons they may be, his friends turn out to be pretty loyal in the end. And third, Catherine Keener.

I really liked this film, even better than "Knocked Up"... Seth Rogan was funnier here, and Katherine Heigl is no Catherine Keener, who delivers a Sydney Ellen Wade performance.


What can I say? I really like Cat's part in this movie. She sparkled.


Sidebar: "Sydney Ellen Wade Performance". Its time we had a term for this. Every so often, when watching a movie, there is a leading lady who just shines. I mean, maybe not just acting wise, like Charlize Theron in Monster, but perhaps a performance that just... glows. As in, she lights up every scene she's in. Charlize, who was devastatingly good in "Monster" does not, at any time, glow.

This might be subjective, but the epitome of this was Annette Bening in "The American President". Her character, Sydney Ellen Wade, made me love this movie. Annette never looked as good before, or since, that movie. She just... glowed. Lit up the screen with every step, every word. No, its not subjective... I'm right.

Now, I was tempted to call this rare phenomenon an "Audrey Hepburn Performance", but that was too broad a term--Audrey was in a class all by herself, so I use Sydney Ellen Wade to describe such a performance. Other Sydney Ellen Wade performances? Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail" and Brittany Snow in "John Tucker Must Die" (I didn't say the movie had to be good... but she owns that flick). Oh yeah, and now Catherine Keener in "the 40 Year Old Virgin".

Tuesday -- "Breach"
If you don't know the story, in early 2001, Robert Hanssen, a top dog in the upper crust of the FBI, was arrested and charged with treason. He had been selling US government and military secrets to the Soviets and Russians for the better part of 16 years. On the outside, he looked like a great family man and patriot, but the truth was he was a total jerkweed in every way. Wikipedia has his story here.

"Breach" is the film version of that story, starring Chris Cooper as Hanssen, and Ryan Phillippe as Eric O'Neill, a young FBI agent wannabe assigned to be Hanssen's aide, and to be undercover for the FBI to swipe Hanssen's palm pilot, copy documents and so on.

Based on a true story, and with the real O'Neill serving as film advisor, this is pretty close to how it went down, if I understand it correctly. This is not a film to watch when you are sleepy, but it is a great movie. It builds slowly, with the first 45 minutes showing you what a great guy Hanssen is, almost wanting you to play the part of all the people that knew him before the truth was known. After that, however, you begin to see how... well, evil Hanssen is. His actions and spying ended up putting dozens of US undercover agents in danger, including three who were executed in Russia as a direct result.


This picture of the real Robert Hanssen always creeped me out. Either he looks like too nice of a guy to do these things, or he looks like a child molester.

One thing the film does is portray Hanssen as a brilliant mind who spied not for the money, but for the game, because he felt unappreciated and underused by his own country. Gary Cole (whom I feel bad for, because no matter what he does, he'll always be Lumbergh), President Palmer and an always fantastic Laura Linney (one of my top ten favorite actors... though I can't decide if she's pretty in a Jennifer Herndon sort of way, or just pretty...) are supporting roles, while Chris Cooper is awesome, and Ryan Phillippe makes me believe in his character, something I'm not sure he's ever done. Well, except for maybe in "Antitrust".

Sidebar: If you get the dvd, make sure to watch the "Dateline" segment in the special features. It originally aired in 2001, right after Hanssen had been arrested, and Chris Hanson is the host. He's got huge hair, and the segment is grainy (what, NBC didn't preserve its film six years ago?), but you still expect Robert Hanssen to be sitting at the counter eating cookies, with Chris Hansen appearing, asking him to sit down. "Um... I didn't know they were Russians, sir"... "I know you knew they were Russians--I've got the documents right here. What are you doing??"

Tuesday -- "Ghost Rider"
By the time "Breach" was over, my mind was wiped out. Tense, taut political thriller, I needed something light and campy. Enter "Ghost Rider".

Based on the Marvel comic, "Ghost Rider" tells the story of Johnny Blaze, who sells his soul to the devil to save his father. Well, the devil's son is loose and trying to take over, and so the devil will let Johnny Blaze out his contract if he'll take on the son and... does it matter?


The skull guy was Nic Cage's original costar in Face/Off, but he dropped out and was replace by Travolta weeks before shooting. Somewhere, at least one of three Lattas is laughing.

Lots of cartoony violence, a skull on fire riding a chopper on fire, Nic Cage at his "I've got my Oscar, I don't care anymore" best (see: "Capt. Crap's Mandolin", "Lord of War", "The Wicker/Weather/Family Man"), and... Sam Elliott. You cannot go wrong with any movie that has Sam Elliott in it, especially if he's narrating. When they make the movie of my life, I want Sam doing the intro.

It's hard for me to root for an ingenue that I don't find attractive (which is why I avoid Angelina Jolie movies... well, that and most of them suck), so it was hard to root for Nic Cage and Eva Mendes to get together... beyond that, however, I found "Ghost Rider" to be fun, breezy, not too serious and likable. And that's important.

And hey... I'm off Wednesday and Thursday... who knows what I'll get watched by then...