"They Say I'm Crazy, But I Have a Good Time..."

Apparently, Nicholas Cage was arrested in the Big Easy this morning. He was charged with disturbing the peace ("Alice's Restaurant" style) and domestic abuse while filming a movie in New Orleans, and is scheduled to appear in court on May 31. Now, I know there are a lot of folks out there who hate on Nick Cage because of his acting, but let me just say that when properly cast - either as a recidivist hick, a tormented baker, or a treasure hunter - Nick Cage does a fabulous job. So I'm sort of hoping he can get his act together and keep from going downhill, as many of his celebrity predecessors have done in the past.

We have an odd fascination in this country with the misdeeds and shenanigans of celebrities. Why? I have no idea. The answer a lot of people give is that we love to see people more successful and talented than ourselves suffer and fall apart, but I think that answer is pretentious, disturbing, and totally beneath the human race, so I'm not going to back it up. Honestly, I think we just love good stories - and the fact is, a lot of those good stories start with mug shots. 

Below I have included a fascinating collection of celebrity mug shots. These photos prove the old adage, a picture's worth a thousand words. So come on, take a look - you know you can't help yourself. :)

LEFT: Legendary comic George Carlin, taken after he was arrested for performing his famous, groundbreaking comic routine about the Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say on Television. Sure, quite a few of these words are acceptable to say on TV today. But back then, something like this was considered pretty saucy.

RIGHT: Iconic blues singer (and member of the 27 club) Janis Joplin, taken after she was arrested for yelling obscenities during a concert. Charges against her were later dropped after it was determined that her tirades were an exercise in free speech. Seriously, if I had a nickel for everyone who was arrested for free speech issues in the '60s, I could buy Janis's fabulous car and turn it into my very own furniture set.

LEFT: Super talented former child star Haley Joel Osment, taken after crashing his car and subsequently being charged with drunk driving and marijuana possession. Osment has had quite a history of struggles with drugs and alcohol, but he has since cleaned up his act something fierce. Initially, he enrolled in a mandatory alcohol education class - as well as rehab - and, in 2010, graduated from the esteemed Tisch School of the Arts in NYC.

RIGHT: This one just tickles me. This is Bill Gates, folks - before he owned half the universe as the second richest man on the planet, Bill was just a nerdy kid who sometimes violated traffic laws. A kid just like you. If that carefree, slightly prophetic smile doesn't warm your heart, I simply don't know what will.

LEFT: And for our finale, Glenn Frey - nabbed for drug possession and public drunkenness. I chose the Eagles' front man to conclude this collection because one of his band members, Joe Walsh, wrote a song in 1978 that epitomizes the dark but humorous side of fame, "Life's Been Good." It's not only a great tune, but a truthful testament to the wild lives of celebrities. 

[Video: YouTube; mug shots: thesmokinggun.com]

I'm Sad as Hell, and I'm Not Gonna Take it Anymore...

It is with a heavy heart that I mourn the loss of one of America's great film directors, Sidney Lumet. The pleasant-looking old man behind such hardcore classics as "12 Angry Men," "Network," "Dog Day Afternoon," and "Murder on the Orient Express" died yesterday at age 86 in his home in Manhattan.

The man.

Whenever a director or actor from back-in-the-day Hollywood dies, I find myself becoming a little sad (or a lot sad, depending on my degree of attachment to the person's body of work). In this scenario, because Lumet directed a movie that would eventually be adapted into one of my favorite stage plays, I am a lot sad. Throughout his dynamic career, Lumet directed gritty, visceral films that raised the bar in Hollywood ("12 Angry Men"), painted compelling portraits of New York City ("Dog Day Afternoon"), and held a mirror up to the people and industries who distribute our media (the timeless, amazing "Network"). 

Oh, and did I mention that "12 Angry Men," a film that was once on the AFI list of 100 Greatest Movies, was his debut film? Right from the beginning he was a force to be reckoned with.

On the one hand, it makes me really sad to think that we've lost a director who contributed so much to the screen in his 29 years of work. But on the other hand, something like this reminds me that although an older, beloved generation of Hollywood is dying off, a new, promising generation is being ushered in. We may be losing the greats, but we're cultivating new ones too. It blows my mind to think that I'm part of a generation that saw a movie about Facebook get nominated for 6 major Oscars; a generation that saw an ex-stripper/phone sex operator take home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay; a generation that strives to break conventions and embraces rebirth. 

So, as sad as I am to know that Mr. Lumet is gone (I'll be wearing black today, which I have only done historically to mourn people I really love), I am excited and optimistic that my generation of directors will vie to meet his high standards. To quote of my favorite Disney movies, "it's all part of the great circle of life."

***

[Picture: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFsmRIBNnP_K-RvKUFcToEZN9Hamg828hBN_0Qjykhs70o801S7lFCsNmFokkfh4jTx7W2bXp9gdfbPXPxoOtj6fQyW0VJ1BKb3vKB1eI5WBgoRr5TSfVjiQfwCY51cLelGC1chtS_4dGm/s1600/lumet,+sidney.jpg]

"Hunger Games" Adaptation - Hide Your Kids

This just in: Hunter Parrish of "Weeds" is apparently being seriously considered to play Peeta Mellark in the film adaptation of "The Hunger Games," and Jennifer Lawrence has officially been cast as the lead role of Katniss.

First off, let me tell you that when I heard one of my favorite books of the last few years was being adapted into a film, I cringed. I personally think there's too much psychology and too big a world in "The Hunger Games" to fit into an hour and a half, and I'm almost certain they're going to water down the violence for a PG-13 rating (I do not approve of this because the violence of the story serves to illustrate how disturbing the entire concept is, which is the point). When I read the book, I initially envisioned a mini-series handled by HBO or Showtime, preferably with primarily unknown actors and someone like, say, Alan Ball to write the teleplay. I know what you're thinking, but I'm not too picky - I'm just an aspiring producer.

If you haven't read the books, start now.
But be warned: once you start,
addiction is imminent.

Anyway. I was - and still am - very wary of a film adaptation of "The Hunger Games." But now that I know a fabulous, non-mainstream actress has been cast as the b.a. female lead, and that her co-competitor may be played by a hot, understated actor... I am much more optimistic.

Film adaptations of books are an iffy subject with me. As much as I try to remind myself that books and movies are different things, and that we should judge film adaptations independently of the books, I still get way too emotionally involved and judgmental when books I love are adapted for the screen. Generally, I find film adaptations fall into one of three categories.

Category #1: The Rad-aptation

This is a rare and exhilarating instance where the film does the book near-total, awe-inspiring justice by capturing the feel and heart of the story. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's pretty amazing. For examples, see "Fight Club," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Bridget Jones's Diary," and "Holes."

Category #2: The Adaptation

In this category we have all the book-to-movie adaptations that aren't hideous, but aren't stellar either - they're either good but forgettable, or just ok. I feel like the majority of adaptations fall into this category. There are many examples, a recent one being "Eat Pray Love."

Category #3: The Bad-aptation

I think you know what I mean. These are the movies you come out of completely infuriated, because they totally change the meaning of the story and/or screw up - or completely leave out - the best characters and subplots, either through bad writing, casting, or overall direction. My most-hated example of this category is the "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" franchise.

Here's hoping "The Hunger Games" ends up in Category #1.

"Sometimes I let him do the wide shots..."

"Looks like you're seeing double." -- Lucas Lee, "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World"

I just came across this article on IMDB.com. It discusses the recent controversy amongst the media world that Natalie Portman didn't do the bulk of the ballet scenes in "Black Swan" herself. Apparently Portman's body double, Sarah Lane, says the majority of what you see in the movie is not Portman dancing, and that people are making Portman out to be some sort of "prodigy" for having completed a year and a half of ballet training, which is 20 and a half years less than how long Lane's been dancing.

My opinion? The gifted double is jealous of the star. It's a tale as old as time. Sarah Lane is proud of her work, and she doesn't fancy being overshadowed by her Oscar-winning colleague. That makes sense, right?

My question: what's the big deal? So Natalie Portman didn't do all her own dancing in the movie she won an Oscar for. Who cares? This is nothing new - actors portraying exceptional performers have traditionally had doubles, most of the time. It's not a matter of laziness on the part of the actor, it's a matter of safety. If your actor sustains an injury performing something they haven't been trained throughout their lives to do, you may be S.O.L. during filming. Just ask Adrian Lyne, Brian Gibson, or Gary Ross. Does the fact that she didn't do all the stunts mean that her Oscar was any less deserved? She still had me convinced she was a dedicated dancer... she also gave the best performance of all the actresses I saw last year, and she deserved all the awards she won. In my humble opinion, anyway...

Who cares if our favorite actors don't do their own stunts? What matters is that their performances affect us on an undeniable, visceral level, and isn't that what movies are all about? Truthfully, I'm excited Portman won the Oscar for playing such an unconventional Hollywood character, in a normally-too-trippy-for-Hollywood movie. I think that's a pretty big step forward for Hollywood, and I hope the trend keeps up.

What do you guys think?


           *****    


[Picture: http://www.filmsavior.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/BlackSwan-Portman-Mirror.jpg]

Charlie Sheen is the New Charlie Manson

I know, it's mean. Maybe it's not completely true yet (after all, we've yet to see any gruesome and sudden deaths take place - oh wait, I forgot, he did single-handedly kill the most successful sitcom of the decade...). But I'm telling you, the statement that is my title is damn near prophetic. And because I cannot resist talking about the absolute trainwreck that is Charlie Sheen (can anyone?), I'm offering up some comparisons between the Charlies. Just some food for thought; it really is interesting to think about.

- First, we have the obvious similarity: both of them go by the name Charlie.

- Both guys were/are extremely interested in showbiz. Obviously, Charlie Sheen has had more success in this area than Charlie Manson. But Manson gave it his best - before he formed the Manson Family, he tried to pursue a career in music. After the Manson Family murders, several recordings of his music - many performed by the Family members themselves - were released on multiple albums.

- Both men have unconventional and notable families. Manson, of course, formed his infamous Family of young runaways and wayward hippies, and proceeded to brainwash them into killing as many as 30 people. Sheen's family is slightly more respectable. He is the son of awesome actor Martin Sheen, star of "The West Wing," the most Emmy-decorated drama in history. He is also the brother of Emilio Estevez, former esteemed member of John Hughes's Brat Pack and superb indie director.

- Speaking of families, both men were/are famous for currying favor from impressionable, attractive young women. Manson managed to string along several young women, notably his swastika-tattooed darlings, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten. Sheen's women are (as far as we know) far less dangerous, but the situation is still pretty sketchy. His "goddesses," Natalie Kenly and Bree Olsen (both young and pretty), live with him in his home. On a recent 20/20 special, one of them professed to follow and support Sheen in whatever he does. Let's hope that doesn't include murdering a famous pregnant actress and her friends.

- The Charlies have both had quite a history with hard drugs. Sheen's longtime cocaine addiction has become evident in everything that comes out of his mouth. ("I am on a drug - it's called Charlie Sheen! It's not available because if you took it, your face would melt off and children would weep over your exploded body.") And Manson... well... Manson's shenanigans took place in the '60s. I don't think anyone got out of the '60s alive without partaking in at least one type of hard drug. Manson spent the '60s persuading college kids to paint blood on walls - are you telling me drugs weren't involved?

- Neither of them ever shuts up. Ever.

- They both achieved mega-superstardom after revealing to the world they were crazy. Their insanity has put them both in the limelight, and they love every minute of it. Charlie Manson will still talk to anyone who will listen (my high school sociology teacher once tried to call him), and still thinks that he is the end-all be-all of human existance. Charlie Sheen? Pretty much the same.

By no means do I wish Charlie Manson's fate on Charlie Sheen. I'd love for him to snap out of it, to rally big time and apologize publicly to all the people he's hurt. But only time will tell, right? What do you guys think?

[All my information comes from Wikipedia.org and its sources.]

Facebook Friend's Lament

Well, it's been almost a week since the 83rd annual Academy Awards took place. It was a night of fabulous glamour, superstardom and hot men, hosted by two of Hollywood's most promising young actors.

I still get bummed out every time I think about it.

If by chance you read my first entry, you know that I worship at the altar of "The Social Network," and that I was rooting tirelessly for it to win Best Picture. In any case, you know now. So it should come as no surprise that when "The King's Speech" took both Best Director and Best Picture, I was unaccountably disappointed. Yes, I liked "The Social Network" better than "The King's Speech," but that's not why I'm so heartbroken. Let me tell you why.

First off, I just want to clarify something: I loved "The King's Speech." It's a fantastic movie, beautifully directed, superbly acted, totally worthy of all the Oscar nominations it received. I thought it was one of the best movies I saw all year.

But it wasn't better than "The Social Network."

At least, I don't think so. While "The King's Speech" may have deserved to win Best Picture any other year, it did not deserve to win it this time. Because even though it was a spectacular movie, when you really think about it, it's nothing we haven't seen before. Think about it: protagonist has the potential to be great, but is afflicted with some sort of physical or mental hinderance; reluctantly seeks the help of an unconventional but brilliant mentor who helps our protagonist make progress; at some point in the film, the two have a brief falling out, but reunite in the third act in time for the final ordeal, during which the protagonist demonstrates just how far he's come. Sound familiar? Maybe that's because we saw it play out in "Good Will Hunting," or "The Miracle Worker," or even "The Karate Kid." Inspiring story, but totally unoriginal.

"The Social Network" was not unoriginal; on the contrary, it was completely fresh. That's because it's an of-the-time, of-the-moment movie that celebrates the power of modern day ingenuity in a way no other movie has before. The first time I saw it, I sat in the theater completely awestruck because I was watching a movie about me - about my life, my time, the social and technological world that I helped create. And not only was the movie about me, it also happened to be incredibly well-done. So when I found out it was nominated for so many Oscars, I was genuinely overjoyed. A movie about my time was getting recognized and respected. I felt so totally, unashamedly proud of my generation. It was the first time I've ever felt personally invested in the Oscars. To see a movie like that lose Best Picture to yet another uplifting movie about intelligent old white men was, as Mark says in the former, "a little more than mildly annoying."

I don't mean to rant like a psycho - that's not why I started this blog. I just wanted to say how I felt. And how I feel is, basically, disappointed in the Academy for awarding Best Picture to a movie that was not the best movie of the year. I guess I should have figured the Academy would shy away from something so bold and unconventional and unprecedented (it's happened before), but I'm tired of that being the standard. When is it going to be our time?

What do you all think?

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

It's time.

I may not be a churchgoer, but this Sunday is a holy day for me. It's the mecca of movie mania. The most fabulous festival of film. The ultimate big screen bash. Come Sunday night, I will be glued to the TV shoving food into my mouth in celebration of the day I live for. My Super Bowl.

THE OSCARS!!!

I know that the Oscars aren't always awarded accordingly, and that they don't necessarily reflect all of the best movies of the year (I'm an indie fan, too), and about half of the ceremony is just spectacle and stupid celebrity banter, but I looooooove the Oscars! I love deliberating whether Anne Hathaway or Hilary Swank is wearing the better dress. I love that awful feeling of suspense as you wait to hear whether your favorite flick of the year has won Best Picture (that is, until that awful feeling of let down when they reveal that your favorite movie of the year has just lost to "The Hurt Locker.") I love it all. But really, I love it because it's an entire night of nationwide celebration over what I love the most: movies.

For me, Oscar night isn't just a night, it's a full-blown, built up celebration that begins weeks in advance. One of the ways I psyche myself up is to review what went down at the most previous Academy Awards ceremony. That gets me reminiscing about the year before that, and the year before that... you get the point. I have a lot of fun with it, so I thought I'd share it with you. Below is a list of Oscar trivia. I hope it gets you stoked for the big night!

- The youngest person in history to win any kind of Oscar was Shirley Temple. She was 5.
- The youngest person in history to win a standard Oscar was Tatum O'Neal for "Paper Moon," at 10 years old.
- The five major Academy Awards are for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay (original or adapted). Only 3 films in history have ever won all five awards: "It Happened One Night," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and "The Silence of the Lambs."
- Meryl Streep holds the record for most Best Actress Oscar nominations, at a total of 16.
- The youngest person in history to win a Best Actress Oscar was also the only deaf actress to win an Oscar, period - Marlee Matlin, for "Children of a Lesser God."
- Alfred Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director 5 times throughout his life, but he never won once.
- Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Mattie Ross in 'True Grit," has African American ancestry. If she wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress this year, she'll qualify as one of 14 black actors who have won Academy Awards throughout history.
- The first Academy Awards ceremony took place in 1927, and the winner of Best Picture was a silent movie called "Wings."

Sources:
http://www.seeing-stars.com/awards/oscartrivia.shtml
http://www.reelclassics.com/Articles/General/oscar-trivia-article.htm