Alright. Magic Banana Awards, 2006.

Seeing as we're ending 2006, I thought I'd do 'em. Enjoy!

Note: Have not seen Babel, The Good Shepherd/German, Flags of Our Feathers, The Pursuit of Happyness, Fur, Running with Scissors, The Blood Diamond

Best Film
District 13
The History Boys
El Laberinto del Fauno
Offside
Perfume
Red Road
Volver

Best Director
Pedro Almodóvar, Volver
Andrea Arnold, Red Road
Marc Forster, Stranger Than Fiction
Stephen Frears, The Queen
Guillermo Del Toro, El Laberinto del Fauno
Tom Tykwer, Perfume: The Story of a Murder

Actor, Leading Role
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Tony Curran, Red Road
Danny Dyer, Severance
James McAvoy, Starter for 10
Cillian Murphy, The Wind that Shakes the Barley
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland

Actress, Leading Role
Ivana Baquero, El Laberinto del Fauno
Penélope Cruz, Volver
Kate Dickie, Red Road
Jennifer Ehle, Alpha Male
Isabelle Huppert, Gabrielle
Helen Mirren, The Queen

Actor, Supporting Role
Samuel Barnett, The History Boys
Jackie Earle Haley, Little Children
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mission: Impossible III
James McAvoy, The Last King of Scotland
Stephen Campbell Moore, The History Boys
Harry Dean Stanton, Alien Autopsy

Actress, Supporting Role
Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada
Vera Farmiga, The Departed
Eva Green, Casino Royale
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Trust the Man
Maribel Verdú, El Laberinto Del Fauno
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada

Writing, Original Screenplay
Cars
El Laberinto del Fauno
Offside
Red Road
Volver
Wah-Wah

Writing, Adapted Screenplay
Children of Men
The Devil Wears Prada
The History Boys
Little Children
Perfume
Thank you For Smoking

Score
Michael Giacchino, Mission Impossible: III
Reinhold Heil, Tom Tykwer, Perfume
Alberto Iglesias, Volver
Thomas Newman, Little Children
Stephen Warbeck, Alpha Male
Hans Zimmer, The Da Vinci Code

Cinematography
The Departed
El Laberinto del Fauno
Little Children
Perfume
The Wind that Shakes the Barley
Volver

Editing
The Departed
District 13
El Laberinto del Fauno
Perfume
The Queen

Art Set Décor
The Black Dahlia
Children of Men
El Laberinto del Fauno
Marie-Antoinette
Mission Imposible III

You nowby enter the zones for awards that people wouldn’t be so pleased to receive

Biggest Disappointment
The Last Kiss
Miami Vice
Nacho Libre
Over the Hedge
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
United 93

Worst Film of the Year
Alien Autopsy
40 Shades of Blue
Just My Luck
High School Musical
The Last Kiss
Miami Vice
Over the Hedge
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

Worst Achievement in Direction
That bloke who directed Pirates of the Caribbean II

Worst Actor in a Leading Role
Ant and/or Dec, Alien Autopsy
Orlando Bloom, Pirates of the Caribbean II
Daniel Craig, Casino Royale
Colin Farrell, Miami Vice
Jamie Foxx, Miami Vice
Alex Pettyfer, Stormbreaker

Worst Actress in a Leading Role
Jennifer Aniston, The Break-Up
Keisha Castle-Hughes, The Nativity Story
Scarlett Johansson, Scoop
Keira Knightley, Pirates of the Caribbean II
Lindsay Lohan, Just My Luck
Amber Tamblyn, The Grudge II

Worst Supporting Performance
Rachel Bilson, The Last Kiss
Blythe Danner, The Last Kiss
Li Gong, Miami Vice
Rachel Hurd-Wood, Perfume
Tom Wilkinson, The Last Kiss
Everyone, United 93

Year in Retrospect: Best Singles of 2006.

I just felt like it. And I may have said a song’s a single when it wasn’t actually released as one, in which case I’m sorry. But you know.
01. The Heart of the Matter (India.Arie)
It was an extremely difficult choice for first place, but in the end, I went with Arie’s cover of Don Henley’s The Heart of the Matter. Adding layers of depth not even present in the first, this heartbreaking, beautiful song reflects wonderfully on the disintegration of a relationship. Arie’s soulful vocals suit the song beautifully, and the lyrics are some of the best ever written, “I think it’s about forgiveness, even if you don’t love me anymore.” Whether you listen to it in heartbreak or happiness, you’ll still fall in love with this, one of the few songs to reflect on the innermost emotions of humanity regarding love. The instruments are stunning too. A masterful song.

02. Fidelity (Regina Spektor)
03. Thunder on the Mountain (Bob Dylan)
04. Atoms for Peace (Thom Yorke)
05. Chelsea Dagger (The Fratellis)
06. I Don’t Feel Like Dancing (Scissor Sisters)
07. Cosmia (Joanna Newsom)
08. Fill My Little World (The Feeling)
09. Postcards from Italy (Beirut)
10. The Funeral (Band of Horses)
11. Sexyback (Justin Timberlake)
12. 9 Crimes (Damien Rice)
13. How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live (Bruce Springsteen)
14. Tell Me (P. Diddy ft. Christina Aguilera)
15. I Am Not My Hair (India.Arie ft. Akon)
16. Wolf Like Me (TV on the Radio)
17. When We Were Young (The Killers)
18. Splintering (Arizona)
19. Number 1 - Superchumbo Remix (Goldfrapp)
20. Lolita (Prince)
21. The Long Way Round (The Dixie Chicks)
22. Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol)
23. Faster Kill Pussy Cat (Paul Oakenfold feat. Brittany Murphy)
24. Hurt (Christina Aguilera)
25. Pull Shapes (The Pipettes)
26. Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)
27. Something Kinda Oooh (Girls Aloud)
28. You Have Killed Me (Morrisey)
29. Easier (Grizzly Bear)
30. Let Me Know (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
31. Wind it Up (Gwen Stefani)
32. Jump (Madonna)
33. Checkin’ it Out (Lil’ Chris)
34. Smiley Faces (Gnarls Barkley)
35. Take Control (Amerie)
36. I was a Lover (TV on the Radio)
37. The Eraser (Thom Yorke)
38. Dress Up In You (Belle & Sebastian)
39. Promiscuous (Nelly Furtado)
40. When The Sun Goes Down (Arctic Monkeys)
41. Strange (The Feeling)
42. Control Myself (LL Cool J ft. J-Lo)
43. Irreplaceable (Beyonce)
44. Empire (Kasabian)
45. Chillout Tent (The Hold Steady)
46. Steady As She Goes (The Raconteurs)
47. I Think I’m in Love (Beck)
48. What You Know (T.I.)
49. Pittsfield (Sufjan Stevens)
50. Suddenly I See (K.T. Tunstell)
51. Emily (Joanna Newsom)
52. My Love (Justin Timberlake)
53. Silent House (The Dixie Chicks)
54. Louisiana (The Walkmen)
55. Maneater (Nelly Furtado)
56. Tent in Your Pants (Peaches)
57. Beanbag Chair (Ya Lo Tengo)
58. Put your Record One (Corinne Bailey-Rae)
59. Paranoid Android (Sia)
60. Hang Me Up to Dry (Cold War Kids)
61. Idlewild Blues (OutKast)
62. Hips Don’t Lie (Shakira)
63. Rudebox (Robbie Williams)
64. Automatic Lover (Teddybears)
65. Is It Any Wonder? (Keane)
66. Over My Head (The Fray)
67. Dance, Dance (Fallout Boy)
68. You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse)
69. Henrietta (The Fratellis)
70. Trouble (Jay-Z)
71. Tony the Beat (The Sounds)
72. Boston (Augustana)
73. Here It Goes Again (Ok Go)
74. Be Easy (Ghostface Killah & Trife Da God)
75. Sympathy (Billy Talent)

And the ones that aren’t as good:

01. Shake Your Money Maker (Ludacris ft. Pharrell)
With a video that shamelessly rips off that of Kanye West’s Goldigger, the only good thing about this “song” is… nope. Can’t think of a single redeeming quality about it. It pretty much says it all in that the man who sings this song is that one in Crash that had that (unintentionally) hilarious monologue of what it means to be a black man. This song is almost as bad as the Oscar-winning film he was in.

02. Love Me Or Hate Me (Lady Sovereign) I'll opt for the latter, luv.
03. Ring the Alarm (Beyonce)
04. London Bridge (Fergie)
05. Welcome To The Black Parade (My Chemical Romance)
06. Buttons (Pussycat Dolls)
07. Little Bit of Shh (Lady Sovereign)
08. The Saints are Coming (Green Day & U2)
09. Fergalicious (Fergie ft. Will. I. Am)
10. LDN (Lily Allen)

How about you?

Tags: India.Arie, Regina Spektor, Bob Dylan, Thom Yorke, Scissor Sisters, Justin Timberlake, music.

And to end, some good news: I started writing my first film script in a year today. It's a bit crap, actually. But, you know. At least I'm writing scripts again. Yay!

Jake Gyllenhaal is now a year older than Peter Crouch.

Happy Birthday, Jake!

Bask in the beauty of Jake.


Aww. Click on the photo and you get another one. Yeah, I'm bored.

Harry & Ron are growing up.

So, ITV showed Driving Lessons last night, much to my delight, as I'm a big dan of the film. Anyway, I found it a charming coming-of-age tale, with al eccentric & amusing turn from Julie Walters and Rupert Grint captivating me with his bumbling ways. There weren’t any scenes which made me laugh out loud, however, though there was ONE scene that caused me to raise an eyebrow – Rupert got a kissing scene! That’s right, I’m as jealous as you are, little Ronny Weasley is growing up! Actually the scene was handled pretty tastefully, just a quick shift of camera angle and no complete close-up, to give that scene some artistic romanticness. But ya know, it kind of got me thinking. About the OTHER Harry Potter actor. You know, the one that plays Harry. That git Daniel Radcliffe.

As you may or may not know from reading the books, Harry lusts after Cho Chang from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban to Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, wherein he manages to steal a kiss from her at Christmas time. Well, I hear that from filming of HP V, Dan has had to shoot the kissing scene with Cho about 25 times. Sickening. I hate that boy. I hate him so much.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that Rupert Grint has a wonderful, ginger charm, and that Daniel Radcliffe is so repulsive that the only way he can get a snog is by re-shooting a kissing scene over and over again. Just thought you’d like to know.

Year in Restrospect: The Best Albums of the Year.

My 30 Favourite Albums of 2006

My taste in music really is quite varied and diverse. Some of my inclusions on here shouldn’t surprise you, others I know will be certain to raise an eyebrow. Still… I chose them, and I will try to justify my inclusions. If you don’t like it, fine, but I’m so convinced that these 30 CDs are worth your time that I’ll happily send you songs if you request them.

01. Begin to Hope (Regina Spektor)
A woman I discovered around a pivotal point in my life, and even though it’s been a mere 3 months since I found her, I feel like I’ve known her all my life. That probably sounded a little psychopathic and lesbian. OK, let me try again: Regina Spektor is a Goddess. There’s simply no other way to put it, she sings & plays the piano like Shakespeare wrote, like Lean made movies, like I think. I connect with her songs totally. And really, I feel guilty sharing her with you guys, because she’s so wonderful that I just want to steal her songs for me to hear and no-one else, but alas, I guess Christmas is the season to share, and I shall spread the love. Her songs exude a heavenly beauty that has rarely been matched before in music. Her re-recording of the best song of all time Samson, in my opinion, betters it, so that should give you an indication of the eargasm you can expect on this wonderful, wonderful, piece of mastery.
Best songs: Samson, Fidelity, 20 Years of Snow

02. All the Roadrunning (Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris)
I was re-discovering the folksy, country music style this year, and when I came across this album, featuring two of my favourite singers (he, I love from Dire Straits, she I loved from that heartbreaking song in Brokeback Mountain), I just knew that this was meant to be. And I was right, because, amazingly, there isn’t a single weak song on this album. Furthermore, there’s a song to suit every hour of the day. Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris have established an amazingly, inimitable chemistry, and their voices gel perfectly. There’s a gem in every song, and the instruments are instrumental to their music making. I really, really, love this album.
Best tracks: Belle star, Love and Happiness, Beachcombing

03. Savane (Ali Farka Toure)
This album was released after the death of Ali Farka Toure, and it serves as a wonderful epitaph to his Ali Farka Toure's recording career. All of his releases have been a joy to listen to and this final album epitomizes this. Last year, when he discovered that he was diagnosed with cancer, and, with that sense of time running out, gives us his best album, expertly nurtured by his long-term producer Nick Gold. Has to be heard to be believed.
Best tracks: Soko, Njarou, Beto

04. Taking the Long Way (The Dixie Chicks)
I keep reminding myself to find out more about these Dixie Chicks, and I keep forgetting too. Prod me next time. Anyway, they were also present in my love for country music. These girls are just great, their songs are catchy without being too artificial, their lyrics are deep but not too confusing, and the violin in the background is great too. I don’t care too much for Lubbock or Leave It because of it’s annoying quickness, but the slower, more chilled out tracks are sublime, in particular Lullaby, one of the sweetest songs I’ve ever heard in my entire life. The combination of the soothing guitars and the mellow lead make it a beautiful, mellifluous melody that I really can go to sleep to (in a good way.)
Best tracks: Lullaby, Silent House, So Hard

05. Testimony Vol. 1 (India.Arie)
The opening lyrics in her intro are some of the deepest, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” This paves the way for a lot more of her soul, elegance and wisdom that follows, all sung to a sparkly music mix of R&B, jazz, blues and pop. There’s something to admire in practically every song, but The Heart of the Matter is the standout track and the one that holds a special place in my heart. A cover of Don Henley’s song of the same title, she sings wonderfully about love, forgiveness, and redemption. Absolutely wonderful.
Best tracks: the Heart of the Matter, I Am Not My Hair, Private Party

06. Ys (Joanna Newsom)
Only five tracks long, with instruments including violins, oboe, and French horn, this is non-commercial music at its best. Highbrow, obscure, weird, and cool, Newsome sings about all things from birds and death, and her unique voice is beautifully set with a wonderful sparseness which allow it to rise high, but never sound scratchy. If that sounded confusing, you must just buy this CD to understand what I mean. But really, this woman is amazing.
Best tracks: Emily, Monkey & Bear, Cosmia

07. St. Elsewhere (Gnarls Barkley)
Trust me, there’s more to this album than the breakout hit, Crazy. The rest feature many musical styles that have been all over radios before, but here, there’s just something special about it all. Very listenable indeed.
Best tracks: Feng Shui, The Boogie Monster, Crazy

08. Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera)
Someone I’ve never been a huge fan of, Christina surprised me a lot with her modern take on vintage jazz and blues. By going back to basics, she managed to experiment with some styles that really complimented her strong voice. But the lyrics are rather good too, as she sings about things from heartbreak to domestic violence (Oh Mother). Oh Mother is actually the best song of the album, and from the minute I heard the sampling of the French song Vois Sur Ton Chemin, a tune that I simply adore, I knew that I’d end up either loving or hating this album. It was a gamble, but it paid off.
Best tracks: Oh Mother, Hurt, Back to Basics

09. Future Sex/Love Sounds (Justin Timberlake)
*looks sheepish*
Yes, I admit, I like, the many million other girls on the planet, was won over by Justin this year as well. Well… how can you blame us? Sexyback is a VERY cool song, and became “the” song to be playing in gyms this year, for its thudding beats, JT’s confident vocals, and just all them sexyback riffs. They were cool! Anyway, the rest of the album is basically a testimony to the fine female form and how great sex is. It wouldn’t work for most people, but JT got lucky.
Best tracks: sexyback, Summer Love, What Goes Around Comes Around

10. Miami Vice OST (various)
I didn’t care for the movie at all, but the soundtrack was utterly eargasmic, and, truth be told, deserves a higher rank on my list of albums, but the bad memory of Miami Vice the movie just won’t leave. Anyway, I’d only ever heard Nina Simone’s Sinnerman in its entirety before, so hearing the Felix da Housecat Remix certainly threw me off my guard, but I love it. The presence of Goldfrapp’s very sexy Strict Machine is a welcome one, as is the Spanishy track that follows, Pennies in my Pocket, from Emilio Estefan, which makes me want to get up and dance. Generally, the album features all the nightclub anthems in the movie, as well as the ones that reflect the character’s emotional states. And it’s a really good collection.
Best tracks: Strict Machine, Pennies in my Pocket, Ready for Love

11. Loose (Nelly Furtado)
12. Volver score (Alberto Iglesias)
13. Ta-Dah (Scissor Sisters)
14. Sam’s Town (The Killers)
15. Bande a Part (Nouvelle Vague)

16. The Sweet Escape (Gwen Stefani)
Gwen’s follow-up to Love.Angel.Music.Baby is a disappointment in that it never manages to capture the genius of her first solo album, but there’s still a good deal of quality from an insanely talented woman on here. She switches the Harajuku girls and Vivien Westwood referencing for yodelling and sampling A Sound of Music, but, this being Gwen, it pays off. There aren’t any songs which stand out quite as much as those in L.A.M.B, but the sass, style, and soul present in each and every track make Gwen a good deal better than a lot of the female vocalists this year.
Best tracks: Orange County Girl, Wind it Up

17. Rudebox (Robbie Williams)
The Sun rudely slated Rudebox as “the crappest song ever”, but that really should be the song you should pay the least attention to on here. The Actor just took my breath away, and it’s such a shame that it’s not coming out here in the U.K., because THAT is quality music. That aside, I was also touched by Louise, which combines slushiness and story-telling to good effect. Basically, the songs on here are very different from Robbie’s style, and I think audiences found that hard to take, especially when on about 4 of the tracks here, he does fall short rather miserably. The rest, though, is wacky experimentalism.
Best tracks: The Actor, Louise

18. Whatever you Say I am, that’s What I’m Not (Arctic Monkeys)
The Arctic Monkeys did Music Technology for A-level, you know.
Best tracks: I Bet That You Look Good on the Dance Floor, Mardi Bum

19. The Sound of Girls Aloud (Girls Aloud)
I loathe manufactured pop bands from X-Factor/Popstars with a passion, but Girls Aloud surprised me with their a) consistency and b) quality, so they are truly exceptions to this category. Their compilation album featuring their greatest hits features some great tracks, from their debut with the Tomoyasu Hotei-esque bass guitar, Sounds of the Underground, to the toe-tappingly snazzy Biology and No Good Advice, to their recent Something Kinda Ooh, which I still have no idea what it is about, but I enjoy the sound of. The weak points do test your patience, especially when they try to cover a good song (see: I Think We’re Alone Now, I’ll Stand By You), but Girls Aloud, are, refreshingly, a band best at being themselves, and I respect that.
Best tracks: Sounds of the Underground, Cold Inside, Something Kinda Ooh

20. Black Cadillac (Rosanne Cash)
21. Costello Music (The Fratellis)
22. 20 Y.O. (Janet Jackson)
23. Eyes Open (Snow Patrol)

24. The Da Vinci Code score (Hans Zimmer)
The film may not have quite been the masterpiece that us Dan Brown fans were expecting, but I really have no qualms about the score, which feature some excellent vocal choir work, clashing cymbals, orchestral crescendos and the climaxes that we expect from any Hollywood blockbuster. Hans Zimmer may have done very wrong with his terrible work on Pirates of the Caribbean II, but forgive him, because he was being overworked to the limit with his score for this movie. And I think it paid off.

25. Wintersong (Sarah McLachlan)
My favourite “concept” album of the year. McLachlan takes some very well-known Christmas songs, and adds her own personal twists to them, making them very beautiful and listenable.

26. Oral Fixation Vol. 2 (Shakira)
27. Room for Squares (John Mayer)
28. Stadium Arcadium (Red Hot Chilli Peppers)
29. Impeach My Bush (Peaches)
30. B’ Day (Beyonce)

Tags: Regina Spektor, music, country, movies, India.Arie, Ali Farka Toure, 2006, Dixie Chicks, Justin Timberlake, Girls Aloud, Gnarls Barkley, Joanna Newsom, Beyonce, Joanna Newsom, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Snow Patrol, Arctic Monkeys

Some Advent Calendaring for all those days I forgot.

Why did I forget? I don't know. But I did. And because I'm having some difficulty uploading the soundtrack songs (no idea why), I shall give you some cool songs not from films instead.









So. I've done my bit this Christmas.

Enjoying the pictures, by the way?

Golden Globes!!!

I'll post 'em, with me personal comments. Predictions for the win in red.

Best Picture, Drama
Babel
Bobby
The Departed
Little Children
The Queen

Well, The Departed is an A- grade movie, Little Children a B-grade one and The Queen a B+ one. Not bad. I'm eagerly, eagerly awaiting Babel, but the trailer to Bobby really annoyed me by playing Thomas Newman in it, plus it has Lindsay Hohan.

Best Actor in a Leading Role, Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond Haven't seen, but come on, you know how much I love this man.
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed HAVE seen this. Best performance by an actor, 2006.
Peter O'Toole, Venus N/S
Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness I saw the trailer to this. Um.
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland Well, James McAvoy's in this movie, so I'll certainly be checking it out.

Best Director
Clint Eastwood, Flags of our Fathers As predicted.
Clint Eastwood, Letters From Iwa Jima Um.
Stephen Frears, The Queen Yay! Get in there, Brits!!
Alejandro González Iñárritu, Babel As predicted.
Martin Scorcese, The Departed Well, duh!

Best Actor in a Leading Role, Musical or Comedy
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat He was funny... I guess.
Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest Er... no.
Aaron Eckhart, Thank You For Smoking This film really irritates me now. It's just not that good.
Will Ferrell, Stranger than Fiction Good.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kinky Boots V. g.

Best Picture, Comedy or Musical
Borat Yes, guys, it was funny. It was also racist, sexist and disturbing. "Meh."
The Devil Wears Prada yep. deserving.
Dreamgirls Er. Haven't seen.
Little Miss Sunshine No thanks.
Thank You For Smoking No thanks. Stranger than Fiction is a million times better. As is The Holiday. And Happy Feet. And Cars. And Severance. Get the picture?

Best Actress in a Leading Role, Drama
Penelope Cruz, Volver Yes! I adore me some Pen.
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal N/S
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby Haven't seen, but Maggie's cool.
Helen Mirren, The Queen Yes, yes. 3rd best lead actress 2006.And a Brit. What's not to love?
Kate WInslet, Little Children Good, good.

Best Actress in a Leading Role, Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening, Running with Scissors N/S
Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine Nah to the film, but Collette was excellent
Beyonce Knowles, Dreamgirls I love some of her songs, hate her acting skills.
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada Very good performance.
Renee Zellweger, Miss Potter The poster to this film scares me a little.

Best Supporting Actor
Jack Nicholson, The Departed Meh.
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed Better than Nicholson, but still meh.
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls N/S, but meh
Brad Pitt, Babel Where's Gael?
Ben Affleck, Hollywoodland Good performance, but it's blatantly LEAD!!

Best Supporting Actress
Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada *orgasms* I adored this performance! seriously, it was comedic paradise. Emily rocks. I've got her as the win. Wishful thinking? Nay! Critical Thinking!
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal N/S
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls Meh
Adriana Barraza, Babel N/S, heard good things
Rinko Kikuchi, Babel Ditto

Best Screenplay
Babel N/S
Little Children I'd disagree with that.
Notes on a Scandal N/S
The Departed Yep.
The Queen Yep.

Score
The Painted Veil
The Fountain
Babel
Nomad
The Da Vinci Code

I'm yet to see Babel but I adored Santaolalla's work in Brokeback Mountain. I'm actually delighted about Hans Zimmer's nomination, it really paves his way for the chance for an Oscar nomination. His score for The Da Vinci Code, was the best thing about the movie, and far, far, better than his horrific score to Pirates of the Caribbean II. Also delighted that the wonderful Alexandre Desplat managed to get in there, but not for his score to The Queen, which I liked, but thought was a little overdone.

A little disappointmented about Iglesias missing out for Volver, my choice for best score of the year. Also, no nod for Giacchino's work on Mission Impossible III, although I knew that was never gonna happen. (sorry I wrote a lot on this category. I'm a musician so I kinda care loads about score.)

ORIGINAL SONG
Pursuit of Happyness
Dreamgirls
Bobby
Happy Feet

Best Foreign Language Film
Apocalypto
Laberinto del Fauno, El
Leben der Anderen, Das
Letters from Iwo Jima
Volver

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
GILLIAN ANDERSON BLEAK HOUSE
ANNETTE BENING MRS. HARRIS
HELEN MIRREN ELIZABETH I
HELEN MIRREN PRIME SUSPECT: THE FINAL ACT
SOPHIE OKONEDO TSUNAMI, THE AFTERMATH

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINI-SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
EMILY BLUNT GIDEON’S DAUGHTER
TONI COLLETTE TSUNAMI, THE AFTERMATH
KATHERINE HEIGL GREY’S ANATOMY
SARAH PAULSON STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP
ELIZABETH PERKINS WEEDS

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy
"Desperate Housewives" (2004)
"Entourage" (2004)
"The Office" (2005)
"Ugly Betty" (2006)
"Weeds" (2005)

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Patrick Dempsey
Michael C. Hall
Hugh Laurie
Bill Paxton
Kiefer Sutherland

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Nominees:
Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" (2006)
Zach Braff for "Scrubs" (2001)
Steve Carell for "The Office" (2005)
Jason Lee for "My Name Is Earl" (2005)
Tony Shalhoub for "Monk" (2002)


Best Actress in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette for "Medium" (2005)
Edie Falco for "The Sopranos" (1999)
Evangeline Lilly for "Lost" (2004)
Ellen Pompeo for "Grey's Anatomy" (2005)
Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer" (2005)


Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Marcia Cross for "Desperate Housewives" (2004)
America Ferrera for "Ugly Betty" (2006)
Felicity Huffman for "Desperate Housewives" (2004)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus for "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (2006)
Mary-Louise Parker for "Weeds" (2005)

For Martin!

Told ya.

Pre-Golden Globe Hopes and Golden Globe Nostalgia.

This time last year, the Golden Globe nominations were announced. I remember seeing them on the IMDb forums, printing them off, and reading them all through R.S., where I had just gotten my mock back. What I noticed was that a certain little film called Brokeback Mountain had totally swept the nominations, and I set about wanting to see this film, especially when I saw that Jake Gyllenhaal was it.

The rest, they say is history. I saw the movie. I adored it. And I started this movie blog. So, to commemorate the beginning of a very beautiful friendship, here is a still from my choice for the 6th greatest film of all time, Ang Lee's majestic masterwork, Brokeback Mountain.

So, briefly before I go to my next lesson, Golden Globe hopes:

- Lots of love for Pan's Labyrinth.
- Supporting Actress nomination for Emily Blunt.
- Penélope gets a Best Actress nod & Volver sees love.
- Offside in the Best Foreign Movie category.
- A Best Song category devoid of "You Know My Name" from Casino Royale
- No nominations whatsoever for United 93 and Little Miss Sunshine.

What are yours?

Gimme that, and I'll be content. I'll leave you with the Advent Calendar for today and yesterday:

What Future Oscar Nominees Could Have Been…

The Departed

Rated 15 for Strong Language and Some Mercenary Behaviour.

The Departed tells the story of a “rat” in Arsenal FC, who is soon discovered (he’s not too good at keeping quiet) and consequently sold to Chelsea FC. His departure is a deeply acrimonious affair and a reunion match where he meets his old team reminds him of all that he left behind (i.e., not a lot.)

Like with Scorsese’s version, my adaptation of The Departed has some very sexy men in blue, the acme of male beauty being José Mourinho (who we shall give the Nicholson role by association and not by looks, lol). Michael Ballack & Matt Damon actually look quite alike and are both talented performers, though not so of late, so their roles are interchangeable. In the lead role, Ashley Cole gives a convincingly twitchy performance. Extra treats in my edition not present in the original include the visual orgasm of Andriy Shevchenko, Arjen Robben , Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Philips. Also, unlike the original (which feature the odd but of black humour), laughs are rife, the highlight being that fantastic little double act between Didier Drogba and Jens Lehmann.

Probable Oscar nominations:
Best Film (lol.)
Best Actor – Ashley Cole (as a Gooner)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Didier Drogba
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Jens Lehmann
Best Foreign Film (there’s the odd bit of German, French & Portuguese swearing.)


The History Girls

Rated 15 for Sexual References & Language.

A group of girls attending a stiff-upper lip grammar school have all the qualities suitable for Oxbridge – they’re smartarse, they’re up themselves, and their A-levels weren’t too bad either. But there’s on problem – they’re insanely pretty. Could this hinder their chances of making it into “one of the best universities in the worldÓ”?

Funny, sad, and utterly, utterly vapid (like the writer of the film, me) this films teaches you the three main rules of fashion:

1) Heels are only when you really need them.
2) Make-up is a no-no.
3) Bananas are yellow.

Audiences in the UK clicked with it more than those in the US, who, like with most things, just “didn’t get” this masterpiece. Their loss.

Probable Oscar nominations:
Best Director (Emma Zummer, aka me)
Best Original Screenplay (Emma Zummer, aka me)

Sorry, I felt really random.

Now you do some.

Tags: The Departed, Oscars, The History Boys, Chelsea, Ashley Cole, diving, football, Scorsese, weird, Christmas.

And I should probably give you your present now:

Yep. For the film score, I've gone for an oldie. Enjoy!

I really should learn to proof read.

Anyway. Christmas.

Year in Retrospect: Best Magazines.

I basically felt like listing magazines. Interesting fact: I’m going to apply for the top 6 for Work Shadowing. Don’t expect any of them to take me, though; I’m too much of a lazy arse. And too annoying. But still, if any of you lot work for any of these magazines, please consider me! I'm annoying but I can write.

01. Vogue
You should all be aware of this newspaper’s editor, Anna Wintour, who Meryl Streep’s character in The Devil Wears Prada was based on. For me, it is the definitive fashion magazines. You can just see it in the style of the photos that this is something that takes itself very seriously, knows what it’s doing and isn’t intimidated by the competition. Of course, I’ll never buy any of the clothes that I see in here, but this is the perfect window shopper’s guide. It’s one of my favourite hobbies to just ogle all the bags here. Yes, I am that sad.

02. ElleGirl
Considering its main objective is to teach you to spend all your money on clothes, this magazine is actually pretty classy. I like how all the females they do articles on are actually decent role models (aka, not Scarlett Johansson), although having Peaches Geldof have a monthly slot for the magazine, is, quite frankly, scary. She’s going to be as annoying as her father one day.

03. Marie Claire
I brought my first copy pre-flight to China, and, stupidly, was like one of the five pieces of reading material I had with me for that horrible month, so read that issue pretty concentrated, and I’ve been buying it ever since. Again, it’s a fashion/women’s mag, but rather than focussing entirely on the fashion or entirely on the sex, it stops to add in articles of worth, lists that are interesting, and snazzy reviews.

04. Empire
Their film reviews have deteriorated this year and I still have nightmares about the fact that they awarded United 93 Best of ‘06, but they are still the best film review magazine in England (duh, the other one’s the joke that is Total Film). If we overlook the fact that they’re trying a bit hard, they still remain a delight to read, although of course, they’re aided in that they’re writing about the most interesting topic around: film.

05. FourFourTwo
Great footie mag.

06. Cosmopolitan
07. Glamour
08. Heat
09. CosmoGirl
10. Hello!

A special treat (or not so much) for today's advent calendar.

Instead of having a film tune, it's...



Sorry in advance for any damage I cause your ears, but I have a concert tomorrow that I'm totally not prepared for. Trouble is, I have no idea how I can make it sound better. So... I've uploaded me playing it (so sorry!) and if you could check it out and tell me which areas I could improve, I'd really appreciate it.

And guys, be constructive with your criticism please, not just "you can improve by throwing that violin in the bin." If I wanted that, I'd ask my violin teacher for advice.

Oh, and just to tell you, the really high bits should be drowned out by the piano. (Thank God.)

My thoughts on the NBR top 10 this year.

Sorry, I realise I'm a bit late, but here the 10 movies.

"Letters From Iwo Jima"
"Babel"
"Blood Diamond"
"The Departed"
"The Devil Wears Prada"
"Flags Of Our Fathers"
"The History Boys"
"Little Miss Sunshine"
"Notes on a Scandal"
"The Painted Veil"

Of the ones I've seen:

The Departed - good choice. Also a predictable choice.
The Devil Wears Prada - quite surprising, but I'm pleased, because it's also in my top 10 of the year. Highly entertaining, and with a head-turning performance from the wonderful Emily Blunt.
The History Boys - yes, yes, YES!!! Anyone who reads this blog should know how much I adore this movie; it's my number 2 of 2006.
Little Miss Sunshine - clichéd characters; didn't do it for me.

Er... OK. I've seen a lot. I'm disappointed that the majestic Pan's didn't make it, but God, how I thank my lucky stars that that overrated turd United 93 isn't on here. Let's just hope this is one of the many futurecoming "snubs", and that it shan't get anywhere near Oscar glory.

And no, I haven't forgotten your Christmas fix:

I hear in my mind, all of these voices...

An eargasmic track from the best film score of all time.

Is it better...

a) To do three things half-arsedly...

or

b) To do one well, and two others horrifically?

Anyway, I went with the former.

And here is the advent calendar for today:



I'm really tired.

Tags: free, movies, music, TV, Christmas, advent calendar.

The Fifth of December.

And in case you get confused, the intrumental isn't from Love Actually. Lol. By the way, to all of you Brits, it's on TV this Wednesday! Good stuff.

Anyway, I have to go revise for my 10 billionth test this week.

Tags: free, movies, music, TV, Christmas, advent calendar.

And who is this handsome fella?

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That's right.

December 4th.

Okay, the song today was from a 2006 film that I liked a lot. So... enjoy!

Goddess Julie turns 46 today.

Get down on your knees and bow to the Goddess!

I don't usually remember birthdays, but I do for God, so, what are your top 5 Julie performances?

01. As Cathy Whitaker in Far from Heaven
02. As Laura Brown in The Hours
03. As Carol White in Safe
04. As Amber Waves in Boogie Nights
05. As Sarah Miles in The End of the Affair

You. Go.

Online Advent Calendar of Movie Soundtracking, Day Three.

I'm continuing with the Thomas Newmanness. I reckon most of you probably have this tune, because it's just so wonderfully iconic. If not, you're in for a treat.

Butchers, Murderers, and a Whole Lotta Movie Criticism.

This is a review part of a huge, brilliant film criticism blog-o-thon at No More Marriages.

My review of Claude Chabrol's Le Boucher (1970)

Amongst the guests at a wedding are a Helene, a lonely teacher, played by Stephane Audran, and an ex-army butcher (Jean Yanne). Against their differences, the two develop a friendship. However, in the town there lurks a serial killer, and that killer may or may not be the butcher himself. Plagued with feelings of doubt and fear, Helene finds herself constantly at tenterhooks regarding her new friend (of sorts), and surprises and shocks are placed intricately until the very last frames.

At 90 minutes, this mystery feels longer than it is, and that may be due to some of the stylistic techniques adapted by director Chabrol, such as the languid and very sparse use of camera movement, and shots of the bells to contribute to a sense of time. Content-wise, he borrows from Hitchcock, using themes of shared secrets, obsession and moral ambiguity. These themes are used well, creating appropriate amounts of suspense and anticipation in the viewer, and Chabrol plays with his audience deftly, placing surprises and non-surprises in sequence so that we are every bit as nervy as Audran. He is less concerned with explaining the motives for the killings than just presenting them, and for that, and chilling atmosphere of indifference is created throughout the film.

The two leads are strong in their performances, and the slow, fragile romance between them is as credible as it is integral to the plot. In particular, Stephane Audran shines, as a woman who begins, poised, content and assured, only to finish ruffled and perhaps, as the ending shot shows, a little ruined by the events that she has witnessed. The film is carried along by an eerie, quasi-apocalyptic score by Pierre Janse and Domonique Zardi, which haunts long after the film has ended.

If the ending does feel like somewhat of a copout, that may because we as the audience have viewed one plot twist too many, and the frequency and slightness at which each twist is revealed diminishes its impact somewhat. But for the most part, this is good filmmaking; quite unpretentious, coolly aloof, and the subtle delivery only works to its advantage.

B+

The Online Movie Soundtrack Advent Calendar Continues.

This time, it's a track from my favourite film composer ever, Mr. Thomas Newman. Guess the movie.

Red Road = another excellent movie from 2006.

Sneaked into it today with a friend; very, very creepy film overall. But Katie Dickie and Tony Curran were amazing, and the ending was... Zum. A-/B+

So, Best Actress this year is turning out to be of very high quality. The six best performances this year from a leading actress, then, in alphabetical order...

Ivana Baquero, El Laberinto del Fauno

Penélope Cruz, Volver

Kate Dickie, Red Road

Jennifer Ehle, Alpha Male

Isabelle Huppert, Gabrielle

Helen Mirren, The Queen

Baquero for the win. She's a Goddess.

Online Advent Calendar of Movie Soundtracking.

I have decided to treat the rundown to Christmas in a true giving spirit, by giving away a song from a fantastic movie soundtrack every day. I am so good to you.

Simply click on the picture for the song. Enjoy!