Mess Off With Your Damn Ass-Kissing Academy Award Grab!

Alright. That's it. I've had it with hollywood biopics. Seriously, about half the films coming out these days are either biopics or remakes. Or sequels. And it's kind of depressing...nay, it's incredibly depressing.

Don't get me wrong. I love a well-done, interesting 'based on a real life' movie as much as the next guy (Milk was one of my favorite films of 2008, for instance), but it's become a bit outrageous just how calculated these films have become in terms of Oscar preparation and star-power. I mean, think about it for a second - how many actors/actresses have won best actor awards for playing a real life person just in the last ten years alone? The mind boggles. OK, now - try and think of ones who have won that didn't play a character based on someone in real life? Depressing indeed.

Just off the top of my head this year alone we have Julie and Julia, Coco Before Chanel, Che, The Informant, The Great Buck Howard, Public Enemies, Hunger, Notorious, and to a certain extent Watchmen.

What i prefer is a character that is wholly new and vibrant. Someone you've never seen before...someone unique and fresh and exciting. Anyway, it's just so prevalent that when I see new films arising, like Amelia, I just can't get excited regardless of the subject matter. I honestly can't help but think these types of films are made and conceived with the idea that it'll be an Oscar shoe-in and that's the sole motivation for plunking these tripe biopics in our laps every fall/winter without fail...but maybe I'm just being my usual pessimistic self...er...let's just wait and see who's nominated for this year, though, and make our judgement then. I hope I'm proven wrong.

*sigh*


Since 2000:

Best Actress Oscar Winner
Julia Roberts - Erin Brokovich
Nicole Kidman - The Hours
Charlize Theron - Monster
Reese Witherspoon - Walk the Line
Helen Mirren - The Queen
Marion Cotillard - La Vie en Rose

Best Actor Oscar Winner
Adrien Brody - The Pianist
Jamie Foxx - Ray
Philip Seymour Hoffman - Capote
Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland
Sean Penn - Milk

That's over half the best actor/actress awards given to biopics...

Great Expectations

Gee Whiz, two weeks between posts? Welcome to the den of lavish slackery and subtle procrastination. I guess one of the things about having a blog is actually writing in said blog on a regular basis. Gadzooks!

So, I'll take a moment in between my rash of other projects/workings to say a few words about a random topic: expectations. They are all around us. They affect everything we plan for, and often stuff we don't.

Think about it - how often do you say something like "that restaurant was not nearly as good as I thought it would be" or "the trailers made that movie look way better, man!" or even "that movie was WAY better than I was expecting"?? I, myself, hate expectations. I deliberately will not watch trailers or read internet buzz about a film if I think I'll like it. Honestly - I even close my eyes or switch the channel if a trailer comes on. I like to go in blind and with my own preconceived notions about the film...which most of the time translates into open-mindedness for even the most dismal-looking of films (okay, I admit that I had bottom of the barrel expectations for Zombie's Halloween 2, and it more than met them, but rules were made to be broken, no?).

So whats the deal, then? Why is this so? It is so freakin' random...I mean, some films you know suck balls, but are a fun ride anyway...and some films are critically lauded and you think suck balls. I suppose personal taste has a big influence on this, but I also think it's how we approach things in our day-to-day life that matter as well. I tend not to get too worked up, unless its something special (even Christmas is fun, but not so outrageously exciting as in my early youth)...and whether this is pessimism or just laziness is open to interpretation. ;)

Anyway, it's just interesting to me that if I put a highly-anticipated movie off, or if it takes it's time getting to North America, then the more time I have to stew about it and get my expectations up...and in turn, how disappointing it usually is...hence why I enjoy searching out the 'diamonds in the rough' more often than not.

Upcoming Flicks

Paranormal Activity (2009)

Trailer

After a young, middle class couple moves into what seems like a typical suburban 'starter' tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.

Getting lots of buzz lately and touted (by fairly reliable sources) as being one of the scariest movies since Blair Witch - it certainly seems in the same spirit of BWP, so who knows???