Sgt. Angle Reporting for Duty!

The Oscar telecast is over, which means it’s time for people to remark freely on all things Hurt Locker and Avatar for the next few minutes, and hopefully a Basterd or two will appear.….

Got that out of your system? Good. As your Sgt., I feel it is my duty to brief you on the telecast. There’s so much to discuss, but I’ll break my report into two sections: 1) The Awards — the worthy and the shocking; 2) The production — the useless and the touching. Sometimes, they blend.

AWARDS:

(By the way, I turned out to be spot-on with my predictions, even with Cinematography(Avatar?) )

• HURT LOCKER MADNESS: Not a lot of surprises in the main categories. The Hurt Locker picked up SIX awards out of nine nominations, a strong haul for a film that barely made it into 600 theaters in America and was made for 1/250th (give or take) the budget of Avatar. Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Film Editing. I don’t have a problem with most of these awards, but the editing of the intertwined storytelling in District 9 should have emerged victorious, and Inglourious Basterds showcased better writing than any film in recent memory. The Hurt Locker had the momentum of winning nearly every major award this season, and the “David” angle in the “David vs. Goliath” scenario that Avatar created. Happy or not, like it or not, The Hurt Locker is the victor. (Screenplay?!)

(*Note: I’ve gone on and read some other pundits and reporters write-ups who say that Hurt Locker will be forgotten ten, twenty years from now, but that Avatar will be the one film remembered. To them I say…okay. When Annie Hall beat Star Wars in the 70s, people were saying the same thing; when Forrest Gump beat Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption, people, again, were saying the same thing. And look how well the “losers” have withstood the test of time. But we’re not talking about twenty years from now, we’re talking about NOW — or, to be more specific, last year.*)

On to other awards and items of interest…

All acting awards were predictable and mostly worthy. Kudos to Sandra Bullock, who won for a mediocre role in a less than mediocre movie, but who gains “classy points” because she picked up her Razzy Award the night before the Oscars (the Golden Razzies, for those uninitiated, are handed out every year for the “worst in film.”) It’s her sense of humor…that’s why they like her.

Fisher Stevens has an Oscar. Let that marinate.

Fisher’s Oscar: 20 years in the making.

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire surprisingly beat Up in the Air for longest unnecessary title Best Screenplay. Also defeated:  District 9. I like how Geoffrey Fletcher’s reaction was honest-to-God shock. That’s how you accept an award.

Someone needs to explain, and I mean right now, how Avatar wins for Best Cinematography.…I’ll wait.

It’s a shame that District 9’s visual effects achievements got overshadowed by Avatar, but what can you do?

THE PRODUCTION:

• Hosts: Twice the hosts, twice the fun. You’re producing the Oscars, you decide to have TWO hosts this year: Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. What do you do? Give them a semi-comical monologue and then pull out the magician’s hat and make them disappear for the rest of the show. Seriously, were it not for an occasional quip by Martin when introducing a presenter, I wouldn’t have known the show had a host this year, let alone two of them.

(Watch their monologue here.)

Angle’s Angle: More screen time for any host, one or two!

• CONSTANT CONTACT: Meryl Streep and George Clooney were the two major cutaways all evening, a fact recognized by Clooney when he waved the camera away at one point.

Angle’s Angle: I appreciate the cutaway to an audience member as much as the next person, but give us some variety, give us some change. I don’t want to see Clooney wave us away, but I also don’t want to watch him watching the show for three hours.

• JOHN HUGHES TRIBUTE: The class of the simple introduction by Molly Ringwald and Matthew Broderick became lopsided and dull when, after the montage of Hughes’ classic scenes, members of the Brat Pack appeared on stage to say one thing each…and then walk away awkwardly like high school kids at a dance.

Angle’s Angle: Bring out the Pack first, then the clip reel. Move it right along.

• VISUALS: Best Cinematography Award is presented…without images or clips of the nominees. Best Actor/Actress awards are presented as follows: a brief montage of all nominees’ performances, five other actors talk up each nominee for not only acting well but being great people, then the presenter comes out, the presenter lists the nominees, the winner comes up and gives a speech which absolutely obliterates the :45 second rule. Total time to present Best Actress: ten minutes. Total for Best Actor: ten minutes. Total time wasted: eight minutes.

Angle’s Angle: SHOW A PIECE OF THE FILM’S NOMINATED. In an awards show dedicated to the visual medium, WHERE WERE THE VISUALS?? The chat-party that was featured last night did many things, all of them negative: Wasted time, deflated the energy in the latter half of an already body-less show, disrespected actors in the supporting categories by not giving them the same treatment earlier, and disrespected the audience at home who tuned in to WATCH a show, not listen to people TALK about how great things were last year. Also disrespected Cinematographers, who GIVE US THE IMAGES that later become iconic.

• BEST SONG: Perhaps one of the wisest decisions in this year’s Oscarcast, the show did away with live performances for each nominated song, instead crumbling the category into a simple presentation, featuring a ten-second clip of each song in the context of the movies they were in.

Angle’s Angle: Good choice.

• BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: Nothing tops the appearance of Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman at the Academy Awards in 2001, playing themes from all nominees. Lasted five minutes, and was very moving. This year, as in a few years past, we got to sit through dancers interpreting all of the scores, no doubt from the mind of choreographer and co-producer of this year’s telecast Adam Shankman. Dances were okay, the music was moving.

Angle’s Angle: Shorten the dancing, lengthen the clips and celebrate the music. Itzhak returned four years ago for a solo run at this idea, but it wasn’t the same without Yo-Yo.…

That’s all for this year’s Oscar Telecast! Despite my disagreements with the way the producers produced, and the way the awards are awarded…I will still tune in next year, and the year after that, and I’ll continue to watch the films, the winners and the “happy just to be nominated.” Because that’s a Sgt.‘s duty.

Permission to speak freely in the comments below: Granted.

Sgt. Angle

Sgt. Angle reporting for duty!

Welcome back from a glorious three-day tribute to MLK, Jr. Hope you’re rested and free from all that holds you down. Me, I’ve got a bone to pick with the Hollywood Foreign Press.

Anyone living under a rock may not be aware, but I expect the rest of you to be with me on this. The Golden Globe Awards played out live on the flopping fish known as the NBC network, and all was well until the end disaster, the hat trick of bizarre choices to carry home the shiny orb: Sandra Bullock for Best Actress Drama (The Blind Side), James Cameron as Best Director and for Best Picture (Avatar).

Now, Sandra Bullock is a fine lady, and in The Blind Side she shows off a bit more emotion than in her typical romcoms — but that’s because she’s starring in a picture that belongs on the Hallmark channel. But Carey Mulligan held more than just a smile and a coupla tears in An Education, more than enough to clean the floor with the Bullock of today or the Bullock of Demolition Man days.

Likewise, James Cameron more than executed his masterpiece, he delivered a pleasurable reel of unmatched visual grace from any such film this year or of the last decade. That being said, the story was choppy, some fight scenes were predictable, and there wasn’t much in the way of character growth or development. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is known for running their own awards show for ratings and star-studded evenings, rather than true accolades. But sometimes you need to learn to draw the line between “chasing ratings” and “artistic integrity.” This is a line which the HFPA failed to even indulge on Sunday night.

As far as complete and utter film execution in the year 2009, here are the best choices for Directing in 2009, some nominated the other night, others just below any “common moviegoers’” radar:

Yes, this is really Kathryn Bigelow.

Kathryn Bigelow — The Hurt Locker. What this film lacks in arcs and A — Z storytelling, it makes up for in spades with the tension and editing of the bomb diffusion scenes. Cap on that the harsh performance of Jeremy Renner, and you’ve got a technical achievement to match wits with the best of earth, or Pandora.

Duncan Jones — Moon. A budget of $5 Million and a lunar landscape second only to our Moon itself, Duncan Jones’s feature debut features the best performance you won’t read about last year: Sam Rockwell. And yes, Duncan is David Bowie’s son.

Quentin Tarentino — Inglourious Basterds. War meets spaghetti Western meets the pop-culture infusion of Tarentino’s mind. No one can handle scene structure and the suspense of a long take like him, and it doesn’t hurt that he writes his own material, too.

The Coen Brothers — A Serious Man. Seriously, the Coens pull no punches in their bizarre slice-of-life story of a MidWest professor in the late-60s whose life unravels when his wife has an affair. Dark comedy ensues. A little lighter material for the Coens since No Country for Old Men (not counting the quirky Burn After Reading, of course).

Wes Anderson — The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Stop motion animation done the way it hasn’t been done for sixty years, Anderson takes his sophisticated style to the world of Roald Dahl’s classic children’s story. He apparently took his voice actors out on location (out in the forest, in a sewer) to record their dialogue, which added to the sudden reality to talking animals.

Spike Jonze — Where the Wild Things Are. Overall a bit underwhelming, Jonze’s dedication to the source material and the hopefulness penetrating each scene should be enough to invoke that frog in the back of your throat feeling in any parent, or child. Plus the monsters are all invited to my next mission, wherein I invade another country to build forts out of trees, and a command post for future Angle Operations.

Soon we review the year’s writing accolades, wherein I breakdown the travesty that is the WGA (Writers Guild of America) and their omission of Inglourious Basterds from this year’s nominations (place taken by Avatar. Explain, good sirs).

Signing off.

Sgt. Angle

Sgt. Angle Reporting for Duty!

It’s almost that time of year, folks. No, I’m not talking Wintertime Coney Island Polar Bears.  That kind of business is for the ultra-weak looking for a quick fix.

I’m talking about the period in your viewing habits when big Hollywood studios launch overloaded, sentimental “Oscar bait” across America multiplexes with no respect for the independent roots out of which they grew. Or do they?

swallow him whole, Diablo Cody.

Recent years, we’ve seen underdogs such as Slumdog Millionaire, Little Miss Sunshine, and Juno jump ahead of the pack, to fame, fortune, glory, and golden statues. It is time that we start to think, “If I could see one movie worth seeing, what would it be?” See, prices have been jacked up, even in arthouse theatres, so you must be choosy about where you’ll see a film, what that film will be, and what kind of snack should you munch on when you’re watching said film. (Also, shut up when you’re in a movie theater. I don’t pay twelve dollars to hear your of your latest sexual encounter with your professor.)

As such, let’s take a quick glance at the list of “Award worthy films” that are about to be shoved down your throats in the coming months, starting with the very recent, very early this morning, Golden Globe Nominees:

UP IN THE AIR (nominated for six globes, the highest number this year)– George Clooney stars and performs the subtle loneliness that plagues middle-aged men who are voted sexiest man alive. Directed by Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking and Juno), who is now batting 3-for-3 when it comes to quality movies, award-winning movies, fun movies. Also, Vera Farmiga’s rump is pristine.

NINE — (nominated for 5 Globes) — “Chicago” director Rob Marshall’s latest musical on celluloid presents Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, and Marion Cotillard as the women who make up an Italian Director’s inspiration. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the Italian stallion, based loosely on Federico Fellini. Intriguing, sure, but most likely overblown bubblegum from a director who can’t grasp subtlety.

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS — (nominated for 4 globes) — Okay, this mother came out earlier this year, and in fact the DVD is out today, which is a perfectly timed marketing tool for any Oscar promoter (considering the Weinsteins produced this one, you must understand that they know what they’re doing). Christoph Waltz is the only sure bet for any awards ceremony this year, though despite Tarantino’s grammar skills, the script itself is already being named best of the year in certain critics circles.

AVATAR — (4 globe nominations) — For those out there living under a rock yet still managing to piggyback on your treehouse neighbor’s WiFi, Avatar is the latest “film that will change cinema” from director James Cameron (Terminator, Terminator 2, Titanic, Do-you-really-not-know-this-guy?). Some cartoonish violence and expected cheesy dialogue aside, the 3D technology involved appears first-rate, a true game-changer hindered only by rising costs. Awards? Maybe. The Globes are known for sending out invitations just to get famous people to stand in front of their logo, but regardless, the award season has started here.

THE HURT LOCKER — (3 Globe Nominations) — Only three for this masterpiece? Director Kathryn Bigelow brought us a handheld war picture that didn’t feel like we were watching through a lens, but a good soldier’s eyes, observant, in the action, never hesitating in the line of duty. Film revolves around an American bomb diffusion team embedded in Iraq, and the adrenaline junkies who make up our team — headed by the awesome Jeremy Rennar. Clearly the best movie of the year, and here’s hoping that Bigelow becomes only the FOURTH FEMALE DIRECTOR EVER to be nominated for the Academy Awards’ Best DIrector category (others: Lina Wertmuller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola).

Honorable mentions from the Golden Globe nominees this year: Matt Damon, for The Informant! (hilarious). That’s all you need, Matt Damon, fat, with mustache. Being directed by Steven Soderbergh.

On a quick side note for all you inexperienced privates: when it comes to awards season, don’t always think of it in terms of already made movies, or just actors and directors. Movies, like the perfect meatball, or a tall skyscraper, spawn from that first step, the recipe, or blueprint, or, in this case, the screenplay. Around Hollywood, it’s a known habit for assistants, and even agents and managers, to exchange clients’ or studio scripts between each other. One fella, Franklin Leonard, an Executive at Universal, in 2004, decided to take a survey of studio heads, producers, and agents around Tinseltown on their favorite scripts — not the screenplays which are the best movies, or even pieces that are being produced. Just, the favorites.

This list of scripts became known as the Black List. http://www.blcklst.com/.

The Black List has started some careers (Allen Loeb — Things We Lost in the Fire, Wall Street 2), and propelled others. In 2006, the top script received 30 mentions, and was titled “The Brigands of Rattleborge.” Take it from Sgt. Angle that this is one of the finest Westerns on the screenwriter’s page.

Last year, the top script (which received 67 mentions) was “The Beaver”, about a depressed man who wears a beaver puppet on his hand, and finds friendship in that beaver. The movie is going to star Mel Gibson and is directed by Jodie Foster.

This year’s winner is “The Muppet Man,” about the life of Jim Henson. Number 2 on this year’s list is Aaron Sorkin’s Facebook movie, “The Social Network.”

For summaries and reviews of these scripts, and sometimes links to the scripts themselves, go visit Scriptshadow.

Go out and see some Basterds this awards season, and don’t forget: Be subtle when theatre hopping.

Out.

Sgt. Angle