Glue Movie

Never fear, I'm back! I always have this problem with blogging. It's like trying to get thinner. You know you have to drink two litres of water a day, the thought is always banging in your head, you know you have to do it but you don't, and then so many days pass by. And I don't get any thinner or write a blog. So it's a lose-lose situation. But I needed a break from BEDA, thirty days is tough and sometimes I really don't feel like blogging. Moving on.

On 1000 Awesome Things (highly recommended), #519, dear Neil Pasricha points out how each person's "glue movie" is awesome. I kept wondering what was mine. What movie I automatically freeze, smile and jump for every time it's on TV, what movie makes me drop the remote and lean back on the couch, what movie makes me laugh at the same jokes over and over again, a movie that never gets old.

Well, to me, that movie is Home Alone (it's tied with many, many others, but I thought this one deserved first place). I always love the holiday season when the house is all covered in red and green, with a Christmas tree by my side, holding a cup of tea and, suddenly, Macaulay Culkin appears on my screen. That actually happened last week! Except the Christmas part, of course.

The "KEVIN!" never gets old, the puts-his-hands-on-his-face-and-screams never gets old, the boobytraps never get old, it's always perfect. And the second one in New York is just as great! That reminds me: I think I might buy the DVDs.

What's your glue movie?

Bisou, bisou *

* Photograph found here.

Oscar Reactions

(Photo found here)

I have to say that I'm truly surprised. I'd thought Avatar would be the night's winner, it was so strange watching it win only the tecnical awards. Sorry, James Cameron. Even so, I'm very pleased that Kathryn Bigelow got the award since she's the first woman to ever receive Best Director. That's pretty good, isn't it, girls?

I was so upset that Inglourious Basterds only got one Oscar... I would have love to watch it win Best Original Screenplay and, possibly, Best Director. It was just an incredible movie and I think it's become one of my favorite movies.

I was extremely pleased with Up! I was so happy when it won not one, but two Oscars, including Best Animated Picture. I was very happy to watch Precious go home with two Oscars as well. I was so mad with the fact that An Education didn't win anything!

I predicted that Up In The Air, A Serious Man and Invictus would go home with nothing and I was right. They just didn't cut it (especially the Coens, ahh, I hated it so much). And Sandra Bullock as Best Actress, really?

Now, about the actual show. Well... last year's was one hundred times better. All the excitment with Slumdog Millionaire and the "Jai Ho" performance and Hugh Jackman (<3) as the host... this year didn't beat that at all. Don't get me wrong, I loved watching Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin up there, and they were funny (I cracked out laughing when they started talking about James Cameron and pulled out 3D glasses, epic!) and all, but... they weren't Hugh Jackmans.

Thank you so much for bearing with me with all these movie posts lately! I hope you enjoyed them, because I sure did. Who knows, maybe I'll get into the movie business one way or another (and the Oscar goes to...).

Sexy: Meryl Streep, Rachel McAdams and Miley Cyrus on the red carpet -- stunning!

Unsexy: The Oscars being seven hours away, thus ending at 5AM, thus making me look like a zombie this entire day.

John Mayer: 74 days; Miley Cyrus: 82 days; U2: 208 days.

Bisou, bisou *

Oscar Week: Nine

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Well, I have to inform this upfront. I hate musicals. Can't stand them. I don't see the point of a movie where someone suddenly starts to sing for no apparent reason. I do like The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia! and older musicals, but that's pretty much it. I hated Moulin Rouge and I hated Chicago. Coincidentally, Nine's director, Rob Marshall, is the same guy who directed Chicago.

Now, this movie is a bit different. It has a powerful cast who doesn't need introductions and I think that's why I got my hopes up. I thought the plot was very weak and some of the acting was... well, weak too. Penélope Cruz, though, one of my favorite actresses, was marvelous. Maybe she'll get an Oscar this year as well?

The music wasn't exciting and fresh at all, the only song I actually liked was "Be Italian" by Fergie (who I dispense as an actress). Anyway, waiting for a better musical to come out!

Nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Penélope Cruz), Best Art Direction (John Myhre/Gordon Sim), Best Costume Design (Colleen Atwood), Best Original Song - "Take It All" (Maury Yeston).

Predictions: Best Supporting Actress is definitely going to Mo'Nique with the movie Precious. It won't get Best Art Direction as well, that'll go to Avatar. And honestly, I hope it doesn't win Best Costume Design. First of all, because one of my favorite movies, Coco Avant Chanel, is also nominated in that category and because, frankly, the costume design wasn't that amazing.

So that's it, I'm done! Unfortunately, I didn't watch A Single Man or Julie&Julia because I couldn't find them anywhere, but I'll definitely comment on both when I do get to watch them. All in all, I think Avatar and Inglourious Basterds are going to be the lucky winners. And The Hurt Locker too, although I didn't watch it.

About two hours left for the Oscars, I'm so excited! Thanks for bearing with me with all these reviews. I really enjoy writing them. One more post with a kind of reaction and I'm done, I promise!

Bisou, bisou *

Oscar Week: Up

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Up was awesome! I'm becoming an even bigger fan of Pixar as their movies continue to come out (excited for Toy Story 3, anyone?).  Such a heartwarming movie and so funny! I laughed so much throughout it.

And, wow, it's nominated for Best Picture! It's the second time an animated movie is nomiated for this award (the first one was The Beauty and the Beast in 1991), so it's pretty big.

Nominations: Best Picture (Jonas Rivera), Best Original Screenplay (Bob Peterson/Pete Docter/Tom McCarthy), Best Animated Feature (Pete Docter), Best Original Score (Michael Giacchino), Best Sound Editing (Michael Silvers/Tom Myers).

Predictions: I don't think we've reached the day to see an animated movie win Best Picture, to be honest, so that's crossed out. Now, Best Animated Feature... I think The Princess and the Frog, fellow nominee, has gathered lots of acclaim, but I think it'll go to Up!

Next up: Inglourious Basterds

Bisou, bisou *

Oscar Week: An Education

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This movie is absolutely adorable. For me, it's about second opportunities and about the innocence of a young seventeen year old girl. Being enchanted by an older man and considering yourself to be a smart young lady, it seems real. At least in the 60s. (Spoilers) I genuinely thought Jenny and David were going to stay together, and when I figured out they weren't, I found myself being as naive as her. (End of spoilers)

The end shows how you can bring yourself up, how you can step back up after a terrible thing has brought you down. How there's always someone who can help you, how you can always help yourself and succeed by doing it with all the motivation you have inside. How there are second chances. How you should live your life as you're supposed to live it, with people your own age, discovering everything with them.

I have to say, I absolutely loved the soundtrack in this movie, it was so amazing and so appropriate in every scene. And I adored Dominic Cooper in this!

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actress (Carey Mulligan), Best Adapted Screenplay (Nick Hornby).

Predictions: Again, Best Picture will go to Avatar. Now, about Best Actress... Carey Mulligan sure stands between huge names like Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren. She's also alongside another newbie, Gabourey from Precious. I have no idea how this award is going to turn out with all this competition, so we'll see.

Next up: Up

Bisou, bisou *

Oscar Week: Avatar

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Yes, I finally watched Avatar! And I was extremely pleased with it, I was definitely expecting it to be boring and with a stupid plot, but James Cameron sure surprised me! I should have known that the director of Titanic was going to surprise, I thought I was a bit unconscious after thinking that.

The plot was wonderful! I'm definitely watching Avatar 2 once it comes out, hopefully sooner than later. I'm positively sure that humans would be able to do that to creatures like the Na'vi if they actually existed. That's our race, right? Destroying beautiful habitats and creatures and only caring about things like oil. Sigh.

It was the first movie in 3D that I watched, and the experience is so amazing! I'm probably going to watch Alice in Wonderland next week just so I can go through it again (even though I don't really like Tim Burton... maybe one day I'll watch one Tim Burton movie every day and do a "Tim Burton week"? Yeah, maybe I will, but in a distant future). It definitely made the movie much better, everthing was so clear in front of me, I felt like I was there (even though sometimes it kind of went blurry, but I didn't let that get to me).

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (James Cameron), Best Art Direction (Rick Carter/Robert Stromberg/Kim Sinclair), Best Achievement in Cinematography (Mauro Fiore), Best Film Editing (Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua/James Cameron), Best Original Score (James Horner), Best Sound Editing (Christopher Boyes/Gwendolyn Yates Whittle), Best Sound (Christopher Boyes/Gary Summers/Andy Nelson/Tony Johnson), Best Visual Effects.

Predictions: Do I really have to say it? It's obviously going to Avatar with it, I don't know, being the fourth most seen movie of all time. Even so, it was a brilliant movie and the 3D experience was amazing. It's definitely going to win Best Visual Effects and Best Achievement in Cinematography as well. But Best Director... that's something to look forward to. James Cameron sure does direct perfectly and beautifully, but maybe Best Director isn't in it for him for Avatar. Or maybe it is.

Next up: An Education

Bisou, bisou *

Oscar Week: Precious

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This is, with a doubt, a very emotional movie. It makes you question if there are actual mothers like the one played by Mo'Nique who are able to live such lives and treat their own children as if they were something other than human. It made me cry in various occasions, it made me incredulous, it made me feel such compassion towards the lead character played by Gabourey Sidibe.

Throughout it you encounter an irrecognizable Mariah Carey which wasn't very bad, even though she had a small role. But no, Ms. Carey, no more drunk speeches for you. At least in the Academy Awards.

It's most definitely a powerful, strong and affecting story. I thought the ending was very adequate and brave. One thing I didn't quite like, though, was the directing. Can't really explain it, but I think it was a bit of a downside. Even so, it has won many awards including one BAFTA and one Golden Globe (both for Best Supporting Actress for Mo'Nique).

Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Lee Daniels), Best Actress (Gabourey Sidibe), Best Supporting Actress (Mo'Nique), Best Writing/Adapted Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher), Best Film Editing (Joe Klotz).

Predictions: Sorry, guys, Best Picture will go to Avatar this year. Or Best Actress, although Gabourey definitely had an outstanding representation. I'm thinking there'll only be one Oscar going to Precious: Best Supporting Actress. In other awards, Mo'Nique has won this category 34 times. Will the gold Oscar be lucky number 35?

Next up: Avatar

Bisou, bisou *

Oscar Week: Invictus

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"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."

~  William Ernest Henley

Invictus was one of the Oscar nominated movies I was most excited to watch. It's clearly not Clint Eastwood's best work. Morgan Freeman, on the other hand, couldn't have done a better job and I couldn't imagine a better Nelson Mandela than him. Matt Damon was okay, but I thought he could have put more soul into his character. Honestly, I think the entire movie lacked that soul factor, it wasn't as exciting and emotional as I thought it would be.

Nonetheless, towards the end it did get a bit more like the way I pictured it. Watching everyone, blacks and whites, leaders and citizens, players and security guards screaming their hearts out as one nation, one people, one color, one race, the human one... it made me tear up and it made my heart remember how I want to see the world. I want to see it as one. And I want more leaders like Nelson Mandela, the world knows we're lacking them.

Nominations: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Morgan Freeman) and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Matt Damon).

Prediction: Although Morgan Freeman's role was fantastically played, this award is most definitely going to Colin Firth for A Single Man with all the buzz that I've been hearing about it. Have to (hopefully) watch it first, but I'm sure it'll be going to Firth.

It's not Matt Damon's lucky year to win an Oscar. I haven't watched any of the other movies with the nominated actors, but I really think it's not going to Matt Damon. Maybe next year?

Next up: Precious

Bisou, bisou *

The Oscars

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When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of watching the Oscars. Not live, I mean, on television. I was always too young and my Mom wouldn't let me stay up until about 3/4AM so I could watch them, but last year that changed - mostly because the next day was a national holiday. Not this year, though. But hopefully I'll watch them again!

I remember watching them last year. Watching them very quietly on TV, trying not to wake anyone up and rooting for Slumdog Millionaire. Every time it won an Oscar, I jumped up and down like crazy. It deserved every single Oscar it got, I fell in love with that movie. Danny Boyle shot it brilliantly and watching Dev Patel go from Skins to Slumdog was so incredible, who knew he had that in him! Anyway, last year, I decided to watch as many Oscar nominated movies as I possibly could. I watched Milk (Sean Penn is amazing), The Reader, Vicky Cristina Barcelona (<3) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Now, here are the list of movies I'm going to watch this week before Sunday arrives. I've already watched Up In The Air and thought it was terrific, such an unusual movie (I wish my cinematic critique was a bit sharper).

1. Invictus
2. Precious
3. Inglorious Basterds
4. An Education
5. A Serious Man
6. Up
7. Nine
8. Avatar
9. A Single Man

Now, I've already got 7 out of those 9 movies on my computer. I want to watch Avatar but I still haven't managed to go to the theatre (and, honestly, I don't want to watch it if it's not in 3D), and I can't find a copy of A Single Man anywhere, which is a real shame since it's the one I'm most looking forward to watching. In short, nine movies in five days. Whoa. I really hope I get to watch the last two!

Do you get excited for The Academy Awards like me? Have any predictions? Share them! Also, if you're a movie buff like me visit this wonderful blog, written by my BEDA buddy, Nicola, she's a film major and she's NICE.

Sexy: Mexican food, nom nom noms.

Unsexy: All this rain! Spring, where are youuuuu?

John Mayer: 80 days; Miley Cyrus: 88 days; U2: 214 days.

Bisou, bisou *

Cinematic Crisis

I'm a bit preoccupied with the world of motion pictures. I've been paying attention to numerous situations which motivate my concern:

• On October 2007 portuguese magazine Premiere shut down. No more magazines dedicated exclusively to cinema. The problem? There wasn't enough profit. Although one year later the magazine started publicizing the magazine once again, it's still something to be worried about.
• In my whole life, I've only seen four Blockbuster video renting shops here in Portugal. One will close down next month.

And I understand why the second problem is happening. People don't want to rent DVDs anymore. The Internet is right there: in libraries, at your friends' house, you probably have it in your own home. Downloading high quality movies is very easily done nowadays.

Even so, companies such as Meo or Zon (I think it would qualify as America's TiVo) offer a big list of movies that can be rented for a short amount of money. Obviously, movie lovers will go for that as well.

Even huge multinationals such as french Fnac are noticing a breakdown on their DVD profits (and CDs and books, etc.). If this continues, I'm sure that in a few years this industry won't know what to do. But what's the key to this problem? Downloading movies will never stop, especially now that the Internet is big stamp in our lives. You can easily get your movie informations on professional websites instead of magazines dedicated to the same matter.

As a big fan of motion pictures and possibly even a cinema student, I'm curious to see the consequences of all these problems, and what will be the future of the movie industry. What are your thoughts?

- Lo

BEDA #24 - Childhood classics

Hey, guys.

I think everyone has their "childhood classics".

I'm only days away from being 17, that's not the appropriate amount of time to have childhood classics. It depends on what you consider them to be. There are people who now are much older than I am and remember watching movies from the 20s, so imagine their childhood classics!

As I am very young, I consider that my childhood classics are movies I loved and still remember today since before my teenage years.

They are:

- Animated Disney movies, naturally

- George of the Jungle

- Robin Hood: Men in Tights

- Big Daddy

- Down To You

- Home Alone

- Jumanji

- Titanic

- My Girl

- Look Who's Talking (1, 2 and 3)

- One Fine Day

- Police Academy (All of them)

- Practical Magic

- Shakespeare in Love

- Spice World (A classic)

- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988)

- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

- Matilda

- The Man in the Moon

- The Parent Trap

- Weekend at Bernie's

And I'm probably forgetting a few more.

There are also my childhood classic tv series, which are Bewitched, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, S Club 7 series (MAJOOOOOOR), etc etc.

I loved the tv series Three Sisters but I've never been able to find it on the internet :( I loved it so, so much.

What are your childhood classics?

See you tomorrow!

- Lo