Oscar Rewind: Brokeback Mountain

Each year, Entertainment Weekly includes a retrospective article in its Academy Awards preview issue. For me, it's kind of a hit-or-miss component of the preview. I was definitely excited to read an account of Rocky's underdog performance at the 1977 Oscars, but for the most part, I don't really care that much about award shows that took place before I was born.

To me, the recent history of the Oscars is much more compelling. For example, I'm sure you remember the controversy surrounding Brokeback Mountain, which ultimately earned 7 noms and 3 Oscars in February 2006. But how is the movie perceived today, two years removed from that triumphant night? Has anyone who didn't see the movie at the time even watched it?

For the benefit of our loyal readers, I sacrificed one of my Blockbuster queue spots and finally sat down to watch Brokeback this week. My initial post-viewing thoughts:

• It's a well-crafted film - definitely worthy of the Best Director award (Ang Lee).


• Not as graphic as bible-thumping critics had suggested, but I'll admit the Heath Ledger-Jake Gyllenhaal sex scene was a bit...weird. If it had been two no-name actors, it probably would have been less so...


• The screenplay was decent but the story was a bit slow. It was clearly the acting that elevated this movie near to Best Picture level. Emphasis on "near", because to me this just didn't feel like a Best Picture. It had the "epic" cinematography and score that Academy voters love, but honestly, if I had seen this movie before reading or hearing any reviews, I would have said, "Good movie - well-acted, well-directed, but ultimately not that entertaining."


• It's not nearly as iconoclastic as fans and critics made it out to be. First off, it takes place in the 1960s and 70s, so it makes it easy to write off the type of homophobia (and homophobia-related violence) depicted in the film as signposts of a bygone era. Second, it's way too tragic and depressing to be a touchstone for gay rights advocates (in my humble opinion). Maybe the fact that a movie about "gay cowboys" entered the mainstream consciousness at all was seen as victory enough for the gay rights movement at the time. However, so many people trivialized this movie as "the gay cowboy movie" that I don't really see it having a long-term impact on American culture - or even on Hollywood, for that matter. It'll probably be the first film mentioned in the review for any future movie featuring gay protagonists that flirts with mainstream acceptance. Is that really a victory after all?

Brokeback Mountain: 2 PB Jars

It made me nauseous, but I liked Cloverfield anyway

I probably should have put on sea bands or popped some dramamine before heading to the multiplex for a late-night showing of Cloverfield last weekend but, to be honest, I didn't really believe that the entire movie was going to be shot in first-person handycam. I am not a J.J. Abrams fanatic, I don't watch "Lost," and I had not been frequenting the Cloverfield clues blogs prior to checking out the film, so all I knew about Cloverfield going in was what I had gleaned from the trailer - a monster strikes NYC, threatening the safety and love lives of a few early-20-somethings. Frankly, I thought the first-person camcorder footage in the trailer was more of a trailer concept than a feature-length concept. That said, and despite my traditionally unstable stomach (I don't fare well on roller-coasters and even OmniMax films make me queasy), I was completely enraptured by Cloverfield's 85 minutes of herky-jerky mayhem.

While the novelty of an entire movie shot from a first-person-holding-a-camcorder point of view may have worn off about 30 minutes into the film, I was impressed with Cloverfield's religious dedication to maintaining its concept. From the opening color bars to the start of the end-credits, the film is presented as a single videotape that has been catalogued by the U.S. government as evidence regarding the destruction of New York City by a mysterious monster, code-named "Cloverfield." (note: the picture below is not an actual frame from the film, as the film only contains frames that would have actually been shot by the camcorder.) There are no real sub-plots, but the film does ingeniously interweave a parallel narrative by occasionally cutting to previous footage on the same videotape, footage that has for the most part been filmed over during the monster attack. The primary narrative follows the events of a few friends who are thrust from the banality of a going-away party into a frightening fight for their lives as their city is besieged by a giant monster.

Ignoring obvious reality-check issues such as battery life and the ability of a camcorder to withstand a serious beating, I loved the originality of the film's concept. While the first-person handheld video camera concept movie was introduced by The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield takes it to another level by throwing serious special effects and big-budget action into the mix. It felt fresh, personal, and immensely entertaining. By focusing on the plight of its protagonists rather than the details of the monster, Cloverfield actually becomes a lot more realistic and a lot scarier than most of its monster-movie brethren. I imagine that Cloverfield is roughly equivalent to what my or my friends' home movies would look like if we found ourselves holding a video camera at the moment that our lives became threatened by terrifying evil - whether that evil was a monster, a war, a natural disaster or a supernatural encounter.

Check it out, but don't forget the dramamine.

Cloverfield - 2.0 PB Jars

007 Returns in... Quantum of Solace?

The new Daniel Craig Bond film has officially been named. The result? Quantum of Solace. Wha? That's right, Quantum of Solace. Apparently the name was an Ian Fleming original, taken from a short story that was part of the "For Your Eyes Only" anthology. Authentic or not, it still makes no sense. Literally translated into normal-people language, "quantum of solace" means "a particular amount of comfort in sorrow or distress." I prefer the physics definition, which would give us "an indivisible entity of energy yielding comfort in sorrow or distress," or something like that. What happened to the good old days of Dr. No, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and Goldeneye? Regardless of its meaning, Quantum of Solace should give us 007 delivering particular amounts of comfort to a few distressed Bond girls, combined with a significant amount of indivisibly energetic ass-kicking.

The Oscars... ain't got nothin' on the Peanut Butter Awards!

The nominees for the 80th Annual Academy Awards were announced today and were significantly overshadowed by the surprising death of Heath Ledger. It seems that details are still forthcoming about the death, but rest assured that Peanut Butter & Movies will not be keeping you updated (that's what sites like tmz.com are for) other than to confirm that the most anticipated movie of 2008, The Dark Knight, is still on track for summer release.

Meanwhile, the continued writer's strike threatens to take down the annual Oscar ceremony in much the same fashion that it dispatched with the Golden Globes. If that turns out to be the case, then this year's nominees will undeservedly be getting the short end of the stick. So, while actors and award shows may be dropping like flies, Peanut Butter & Movies is here to brighten your award season with the first annual PEANUT BUTTER AWARDS!

We will be revealing our award nominees later in the week, but first and foremost we need your help. The Academy Awards wouldn't be squat without the sweet golden Oscar, so we here at Peanut Butter & Movies need a kickass statuette, medal, trophy or knickknack to virtually give out. Three leading contenders are pictured below. Vote on the left, and we'll make the leading vote-getter the official "Peanut Butter Award."

The Olympic Gold Medal Peanut Butter Award:

The Atlas World of Peanut Butter Award:

The Paul Revere Silver Trophy Peanut Butter Award:

John McCain is a HUGE "Die Hard" Fan

My friend sent me this email today at work:
______________________________________________
From: D.D.

Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 12:36 PM
Subject: Live Free or Die...

The T-shirt says "Live Free or Die" which is the state motto of New Hampshire.
Whoever submits the funniest line in the space gets a beer on me (see attachment)...

Instead of a simple quote, I decided to write a mini-dialogue:

* * *
[McCain notices the woman’s "Live Free or Die" shirt and immediately thinks of his favorite movie, Live Free or Die Hard]

MCCAIN: It’s "Hard."
WOMAN: What?
MCCAIN: I said, "It’s ‘Hard’."
WOMAN: Huh?
MCCAIN: I was looking at your chest, and I just wanted to let you know that it’s "Hard."
WOMAN: Excuse me!?!
MCCAIN: You know, Bruce Willis and…uh…that guy from the Apple commercials. Car chases, explosions… [Still staring at her chest while thinking about the movie] Man, those blockbusters really get my blood pumping…
WOMAN: You pervert! I’m leaving!!! I hope there’s still room at the Obama rally across the street.

[End scene]

* * *

Feel free to post your own "McCain quote" suggestions in the Comments...

As Hot as a Robot

T2 + "24" = "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (Mondays 9/8c on FOX)

This week's two-night premiere proved the Terminator franchise can survive, and thrive, in the post-Schwarzenegger world. This time, it's the mother of humanity's savior who is back. Don't spend too much time trying to fit this show into the established Terminator timeline or you'll get a headache. Let's just say that T:SCC picks up in the aftermath of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, with new threats and new protectors on the horizon. Is it wrong that there's sexual tension between young John Connor and his mechanical bodyguard (played by Summer Glau, below left)? Maybe - but it's definitely going to be an interesting dynamic to watch. I'll admit that the new bad guys are not nearly as menacing as Arnold's original T-800 or Robert Patrick's liquid metal T-1000, but I'm sure Skynet has some surprises up its sleeve.

Report Card

"The Sarah Connor Chronicles" Pilot

• Sarah Connor - Lena Headey (300) doesn't have Linda Hamilton's edginess, but she's shaping up to be a compelling heroine. B


• John Connor - It won't take much for Thomas Dekker ("Heroes") to out-act Eddie Furlong. Just try to keep the cheesy lines to a minimum and you'll be all set. B+


• "Bad Terminator" - Career stunt double David Kilde plays Cromartie, the latest cyborg assassin to target young John Connor. First off, it's weird that the Terminators in this show have names that don't sound like serial numbers. Second of all, after John escapes out of a classroom window, Cromartie pauses his pursuit to turn around and say (to the camera), "Class dismissed." Would the T-800 or T-1000 ever have wasted time with such a pointless comment? Negative. It would be inefficient. C-


• "Good Terminator" - Summer Glau plays Cameron, a "teenage" cyborg and potential love interest for John (as weird as that sounds). If the show's producers can get Kristanna Loken to guest as the T-X, we could be privileged to see the hottest cat fight of all time...fembot vs. fembot*, if you will. A-
  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  

* I hope their CPUs are KY jelly resistant.

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If there is anything positive about the Writer's Strike, it's that T:SCC now has the chance to build a solid audience. (The premiere episode drew nearly 20 million viewers.) Don't worry if you missed the pilot and episode 2, because you can watch them for free on FOX's website: http://www.fox.com/fod/player.htm?show=tscc

2.5 PB Jars

EW's Soundbites from 2007

For your enjoyment, funny quotes from 2007 (borrowed from the Entertainment Weekly article found here):

''This guy is either going to think, Here's another kid with a fake ID, or Here's McLovin, the 25-year-old Hawaiian organ donor.''— Michael Cera in Superbad

''I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, uh, some people out there in our nation don't have maps, and, uh, I believe that our education, like such as in South Africa and the Iraq, everywhere, like, such as. And I believe that they should, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., er, should help South Africa, and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future for our children.''— Miss South Carolina Teen USA Lauren Caitlin Upton, answering a question about why 20 percent of Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map, on the Miss Teen USA pageant

''I've been to thousands and thousands of concerts in my life, and I can tell you these are the worst seats I've ever had.''— James Spader, commenting on the theater-in-the-round seating while accepting his Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a drama series

''At least I leave you funnier than when I found you.'' — Seth (Adam Brody), saying goodbye to Ryan (Ben McKenzie), on the series finale of The O.C.

''Do I look like I'm negotiating?'' — George Clooney in Michael Clayton

''Spider-Pig, Spider-Pig, does whatever a Spider-Pig does.'' — Homer Simpson in The Simpsons Movie

''This! Is! Sparta!'' — Gerard Butler in 300

''It's Britney, bitch!'' — Britney Spears, ''Gimme More''

''Give a black man a chance!'' — Kanye West, after losing five awards including Male Artist of the Year at MTV's VMAs

''Somebody needs to teach you some class, my friend. You don't go grabbin' somebody else's, somebody's husband's balls, you understand me? That's very disrespectful!'' — Faith Hill, chiding a randy concert fan in Louisiana

''Clothes don't make the man, God does. Stop taking credit, my pants!'' — Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report

''You are my heroine. And by 'heroine,' I mean lady hero. I don't want to inject you and listen to jazz.'' — Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), to her idol TV writer (Carrie Fisher), on 30 Rock

''You can stand under my umbrella.'' — Rihanna, ''Umbrella''

''Not my daughter, you bitch!'' — Mrs. Weasley, defending Ginny against Bellatrix Lestrange, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

January TOTM...TO THE EXTREME!!!

The Signal - Feb. 22

http://www.apple.com/trailers/magnolia/thesignal/trailer/high.html

Story seems loosely based on the Stephen King thriller Cell, and visually inspired by 28 Days Later.

January TOTM

It is fitting that the first Trailer of the Month for 2008 is for the film I'm most excited to see this year - The Dark Knight. Check out the full length trailer on The Dark Knight's official site http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/ or by searching for it on YouTube. While the new trailer isn't especially original, it does the trick and gets my blood pumping for the next installment in the Batman series. Based on the trailer, Heath Ledger's Joker is a nice blend of creepy and humorously wacky (though not as over-the-top as Jack Nicholson played it), and the Batcycle looks pretty slick. I was surprised to see what appears to be a less CGI-driven take on Gotham. Both this film and Batman Begins were filmed in my home city of Chicago, but in Batman Begins the city was barely recognizable through all the CGI additions. In a few scenes from The Dark Knight trailer, many buildings in downtown Chicago are immediately recognizable and don't seem to have been digitally altered much, if at all.

New Year's Resolution: See More Movies in the Theater!

Theaters make movies better. Yes, the prices are too high. Yes, there's the risk of an annoying person sitting next to, in front of, or behind you. Yes, your timing is restricted by the Fandango gods who set the film schedules. But, movies are so much more fun to watch in the theaters.

Theaters can enhance the movie watching experience in a handful of ways. Sometimes the enhancements are dramatic and depend on what the individual theater has to offer. Such was the case when I went to the Alamo Drafthouse and saw The Simpson's Movie with a bucket of Duff Beer. However, even at your local AMC, Landmark, Hoyts or Regal multiplex you've got the buttery goodness of overpriced popcorn, the Coming Attractions (those trailers look way better on the big screen than they do on my laptop), the reactions of your fellow moviegoers, perfect surround sound, ideal lighting, and, most important of all, a big ass screen. Even crummy movies can be entertaining and enjoyable when viewed as part of the entire theater-going experience. Case in point - National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Over the holidays, I saw a few movies in the theater with my folks. They paid for the movies on the caveat that I was stuck watching whatever they were interested in. So, no I Am Legend, Juno, Sweeney Todd, or Before the Devil Knows You're Dead for me. Instead, I was treated to Charlie Wilson's War and National Treasure Part Deux.

Charlie Wilson's War, a film about a nobody Senator from Texas and his role in escalating the US's anti-Russian involvement in Afghanistan in the 1980s, was quite good. Tom Hanks, as the Senator, and Philip Seymour Hoffman carry the film and their rapport alone makes it worth seeing. Hoffman, in particular, is brilliant as a rough around the edges CIA operative. Julia Roberts is outdone by the leading men, but is still quite watchable. The film struck me as somewhat uneven. The first three quarters of it play like a late 80s "let's go kill some Russians" Cold War movie. The last quarter puts more of a contemporary spin on the conflict, alluding to the impact it has had on our modern day issues in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the latter portion differs so greatly in tone from the rah-rah joviality of the earlier portion that it almost feels like an afterthought rather than the logical conclusion to the film. Nonetheless, I was glad that the contemporary connection was made because otherwise the film would have felt outdated and trivial. 2 PB Jars

National Treasure: Book of Secrets is a perfect example of why I will be going to the theater more often in 2008. This was not a "good" movie by any means. The plot is convoluted and cheesy, while still managing to be nearly identical to that of the first National Treasure. The overacting is just above tolerable. Yet, watching Book of Secrets on the big screen, I was thoroughly entertained. I laughed at the bad jokes while scarfing down my overly buttered popcorn. I jumped at predictable, not-very-scary moments. I rooted for Nicholas Cage's Ben Gates to win back the girl. I soaked in some beautiful scenery and special effects. And, I kept hoping that the next clue would lead them to the treasure (spoiler alert: eventually it does!). When the movie ended I promptly forgot pretty much everything that had happened in it, but was left with a smile on my face. Ultimately, that's all I was looking to get for my Dad's 10 bucks. 1.5 PB Jars