Sexy Aussies Become Super Villains!

Heath Ledger has officially been cast as The Joker in the Batman Begins follow up The Dark Knight. Filming begins in 2007. Bitching about his casting has already begun. Suck it, haters. Heath is a fabulous choice. Well, Heath and Christian Bale in the same movie is a fabulous choice. Early buzz is saying that the other villain in the film will be The Penguin. I guess we are saving Catwoman for the third installment. Rachel McAdams. No clue why I just mentioned her. Rachel McAdams. Oops, I did it again. Rachel McAdams. I'm really not suggesting anything I assure you.

Nicole Kidman has been cast as Ann Coulter in a biopic about the right wing bitch. No, not exactly true. Nicole Kidman has been cast as Mrs. Coulter in the His Dark Materials trilogy's first film adaptation The Golden Compass.

I only posted these stories to give you some eye candy. I care that much.



P.S.

Congratulations to nonsexy, but former Aussie Mel Gibson for proving himself to be a super villain in real life.

THE BLACK DAHLIA trailer

Oh man! This looks GOOOOOOOD.

Who knows, though? De Palma is always hit or miss.

Go here.

I love the way La Swank talks.

Box Office Predix: July 28 - 30

1. Miami Vice - $25m / $25m / $78m
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - $22m / $360m / $420m
3. Monster House - $15m / $47m / $80m
4. The Ant Bully - $14m / $14m / $50m
5. John Tucker Must Die - $10m / $10m / $27m
6. You, Me and Dupree - $7m / $59m / $72m
7. Lady in the Water - $7m / $33m / $45m
8. Little Man - $6m / $51m / $63m
9. The Devil Wears Prada - $4.5m / $106m / $116m
10. Clerks 2 - $4m / $19m / $26m
11. My Super Ex-Girlfriend - $4m / $16.5m / $24m
12. Superman Returns - $4m / $186m / $195m
13. Cars - $3m / $235m / $242m
14. Scoop - $2.5m / $2.5m / $10m


i shall destroy you!

Has Darren found his most anticipated film of 2007???

Recently, I perused through the list of films being readied for 2007. Among the films that peaked my interest, I found only about 9 I would consider to be "must sees". Yes, 9. I heard about the project Grindhouse during its formation like most have. Rodriquez + Tarantino = fun time at the movies. See Sin City or From Dusk Till Dawn. Now with the news of the cast and the plotlines as well as some nifty images, I'm hyped. In case you haven't heard, this will be two movies linked together to play as a duel feature with fake trailers linking them in the middle.

The vastly underrated Kurt Russell - an actor I have seemingly been defending for ages - has been cast in Tarantino's section of the double feature that will be Grindhouse. Russell is best known as being the rare "arm candy husband" in Hollywood - always following Goldie Hawn around. He's also known to people like myself as a badass 80's B-movie actor in a similar - though easily more famed - vein as Bruce Campbell. Sure, you've seen Overboard, Poseidon and Silkwood (for which he should have been nominated). But if you really want Kurt Russell, go for any of his collaborations with John Carpenter: The Thing, Big Trouble In Little China, Escape From New York. And I loved Breakdown, too. That's the Kurt Russell we want!

Also enlisting for Grindhouse: Rosario Dawson, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan (go Scream alum!), Marley Shelton, Tracie Thoms, Josh Brolin, Freddy Rodriguez, Naveen Andrews and Stacey Ferguson (that's Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.) Regarding running time, it's said each segment will be between 75-90 minutes. Final numbers probably won't be announced till well into post production.

Meanwhile, Joblo.com has posted some badass promotional posters for the film. Hot shit!

Check out AICN for a more detailed report from San Francisco Comic Con including how the aesthetic feel of the film. (Bad splices, watermarks, soundtrack pops! I adore the shoddy looking early 70's porno cinematography! HARHAR!) I've been waiting for them to make a film with this specific kind of feel for a very long time. Wahoo!

Whole Lot of New Trailers!

Accepted
This looks funny. And it has that kid who wanted to buy Catherine Keener's stuff in the e-bay store in The 40 Year Old Virgin.

Borat
The funniest trailer I have seen in a long time.

Children of Men
Yes, it stars my future husband. That aside, this is one of my most anticipated of the year and it looks GREAT. I have high hopes for this. Here's hoping it turns out as great as this trailer makes it out to be.

The Fountain
This also stars my back-up husband. And is directed by someone with the same name as me. Always a nice touch. I don't like Hugh bald though oddly enough. Rachel Weisz is pretty. And this is the best looking trailer I have seen in ages. Stunning.

Little Miss Sunshine
This is going to be great. All the buzz is spectacular.

The Prestige
I'm a bit ambivalent about this. Love the cast and director, but technicals aside, this trailer didn't wow me. It could be very good. Christian Bale can be third in line after Clive and Hugh. Scarjo's tits are huge.

Box Office Predix: July 21 - 23

1. Pirates of the Caribbean - $34.5m / $324m / $405m
2. Lady in the Water - $28m / $28m / $70m
3. Monster House - $24m / $24m / $98m
4. My Super Ex-Girlfriend - $12m / $12m / $32m
5. Little Man - $11m / $41.5m / $63m
6. You, Me and Dupree - $11m / $44m / $65m
7. Clerks 2 - $10m / $10m / $25m
8. Superman Returns - $6.5m / $177m / $192m
9. The Devil Wears Prada - $6.5m / $96m / $112m
10. Cars - $5m / $229m / $244m

Box Office Predix: July 14 - 16

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - $64m / $264m / $420m
2. You, Me and Dupree - $20m / $20m / $60m
3. Little Man - $14m / $14m / $40m
4. Superman Returns - $12m / $164m / $198m
5. The Devil Wears Prada - $9m / $82m / $106m
6. Cars - $7.5m / $220m / $240m
7. Click - $6.5m / $119m / $132m
8. A Scanner Darkly - $1.5m / $2m / $10m
9. Nacho Libre - $1.5m / $77m / $80m
10. The Lake House - $1.5m / $49m / $53m

Box Office Predix: PIRATES! ARRRH!

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - $122m / $122m / $355m
2. Superman Returns - $24m / $145m / $204m
3. The Devil Wears Prada - $16m / $64m / $100m
4. Click - $10m / $104m / $122m
5. Cars - $8m / $203m / $226m
6. Nacho Libre - $3m / $73.5m / $78m
7. The Lake House - $2.5m / $45.5m / $50m
8. Fast and the Furious 3 - $2m / $57m / $60m
9. Waist Deep - $1.5m / $19m / $21m
10. An Incovenient Truth - $1.5m / $15.5m / $20m

If they nicknamed it The Lauren Graham System, shouldn't she have been nominated?

This is just a travesty.

Hey, all you pretentious critics and fellow internet nerds/bloggers:

Know this: NEVER. BASH. THE. GOLDEN. GLOBES. AGAIN!

NEVER.

Poor Lauren. Not only is she THE BEST actress on television - comedy or drama, but mostly comedy - now she gets shut out from a system that was designed specifically to help people like her out. It's the whole reason this new Emmy voting system was jokingly referred to in the industry as The Lauren Graham System.

The Housewives snub was coming. But they didn't nominate any of the 4 leading ladies, and opted instead of giving a supporting actress nod to Alfre Woodard - who had a storyline that dull, not funny and completely forgotten.

And you nominated House but not Hugh Laurie. I don't even get that?

I guess those Housewives won't be toasting Mary Louise Parker this year.

Sorry to the Vernoica Mars and Lost fans, too. :-(

And Big Love's Chloe Sevigny.

Anywho...

DRAMA SERIES
Grey's Anatomy (RUNNER UP)
House
The Sopranos
24 (WINNER)
The West Wing

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Grey's Anatomy - It's the End of the World & As We Know It (Part 1 & 2)
Grey's Anatomy - Into You Like a Train
Lost - The 23rd Psalm
Six Feet Under - Everyone's Waiting
The Sopranos - Members Only

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Big Love - Pilot
Lost - Live Together, Die Alone
Six Feet Under - Everyone's Waiting
The Sopranos - Members Only
The Sopranos - Join the Club
24 - 7AM - 8AM
The West Wing - Election Day

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Peter Krause, Six Feet Under
Denis Leary, Rescue Me (RUNNER UP)
Christopher Meloni, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Martin Sheen, The West Wing
Kiefer Sutherland, 24 (WINNER)

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under (WINNER)
Geena Davis, Commander in Chief
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Allison Janney, The West Wing
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (RUNNER UP)

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES (uh, don't know)
Alan Alda, The West Wing
Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos
Gregory Itzin, 24
Oliver Platt, Huff
William Shatner, Boston Legal

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal
Blythe Danner, Huff
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy (WINNER)
Jean Smart, 24 (RUNNER UP)
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kyle Chandler, Grey's Anatomy
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
Henry Ian Cusick, Lost
Michael J. Fox, Boston Legal (WINNER)
James Woods, ER (RUNNER UP)

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kate Burton, Grey's Anatomy
Joanna Cassidy, Six Feet Under
Patricia Clarkson, Six Feet Under (WINNER)
Swoosie Kurtz, Huff (RUNNER UP)
Christina Ricci, Grey's Anatomy

COMEDY SERIES
Arrested Development
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Office (WINNER)
Scrubs
Two and a Half Men (RUNNER UP, sadly)

Directing For a Comedy Series
The Comeback - Valerie Does Another Classic Leno
Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Christ Nail
Entourage - Oh, Mandy
Entourage - Sundance Kids
My Name Is Earl - Pilot
Weeds - Good Shit Lollipop (I love the name of this episode)

Writing for a Comedy Series
Arrested Development - Development Arrested
Entourage - Exodus
Extras - Kate Winslet
My Name Is Earl - Pilot
The Office - Christmas Party

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Steve Carell, The Office (WINNER)
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Kevin James, The King of Queens
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Stockard Channing, Out of Practice
Jane Kaczmarek, Malcolm in the Middle (WINNER)
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine (RUNNER UP)
Debra Messing, Will & Grace

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Will Arnett, Arrested Development
Bryan Cranston, Malcolm in the Middle
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (RUNNER UP)
Sean Hayes, Will & Grace
Jeremy Piven, Entourage (WINNER)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Cheryl Hines, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Megan Mullally, Will & Grace
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds (RUNNER UP)
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl (WINNER)
Alfre Woodard, Desperate Housewives

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, Will & Grace
Leslie Jordan, Will & Grace
Martin Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Patrick Stewart, Extras
Ben Stiller, Extras

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Blythe Danner, Will & Grace
Shirley Knight, Desperate Housewives
Cloris Leachman, Malcolm in the Middle
Laurie Metcalf, Monk
Kate Winslet, Extras (KATTTTTTEEE! But no Charlize for Arrested?!?!?)

MINISERIES
Bleak House (Masterpiece Theatre)
Elizabeth I
Into the West
Sleeper Cell

MADE FOR TV MOVIE
Flight 93
The Flight That Fought Back
The Girl In the Café
Mrs. Harris
Yesterday

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Andre Braugher, Thief
Charles Dance, Bleak House (Masterpiece Theatre)
Ben Kingsley, Mrs. Harris
Donald Sutherland, Human Trafficking
Jon Voight, Pope John Paul II

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Gillian Anderson, Bleak House (Masterpiece Theatre)
Kathy Bates, Ambulance Girl
Annette Bening, Mrs. Harris
Judy Davis, A Little Thing Called Murder
Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Robert Carlyle, Human Trafficking
Clifton Collins Jr., Thief
Hugh Dancy, Elizabeth I
Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth I
Denis Lawson, Bleak House (Masterpiece Theatre)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Ellen Burstyn, Mrs. Harris
Shirley Jones, Hidden Places
Cloris Leachman, Mrs. Harris
Kelly Macdonald, The Girl In The Café
Alfre Woodard, The Water Is Wide (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation)


I cry tears every night for my Lauren Graham.

Why such a world, Lauren? WHY!?

Eh, what the fuck....

I really have no clue. Like always. But here goes. The next set will come when things are clearer - post Toronto.

Key words here: JUST. FOR. FUN.

Best Picture:
Bug
Children of Men
Fur
The Good German
Man of the Year

Directing:
Alfonso Cuaron - Children of Men
William Friedkin - Bug
Paul Greengrass - United 93
Steven Shainberg - Fur
Steven Soderbergh - The Good German

Actor:
Javier Bardem - Goya's Ghosts
George Clooney - The Good German
Matt Damon - The Good Shepherd
Michael Shannon - Bug
Robin Williams - Man of the Year

Actress:
Annette Bening - Running With Scissors
Penelope Cruz - Volver
Ashley Judd - Bug
Nicole Kidman - Fur
Helen Mirren - The Queen

Supp. Actor:
Steve Carell - Little Miss Sunshine
Brian Cox - Running With Scissors
Robert Downey Jr - Fur
Tobey Maguire - The Good German
Stanley Tucci - The Devil Wears Prada

Supp. Actress:
Cate Blanchett - The Good German
Laura Linney - Man of the Year
Julianne Moore - Children of Men
Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Robin Wright Penn - Breaking and Entering

Original Screenplay:
Babel
Breaking and Entering
Man of the Year
United 93
Volver

Adapted Screenplay:
Children of Men
Fur
The Good German
A Prairie Home Companion
Running With Scissors

Original Score:
Children of Men
Fur
The Good German
Goya's Ghosts
Miss Potter

Cinematography:
The Black Dahlia
Children of Men
Dreamgirls
The Good German
Marie Antoinette

Editing:
Babel
Children of Men
The Good German
Goya's Ghosts
United 93

Costume Design:
The Black Dahlia
Dreamgirls
Goya's Ghosts
Marie Antoinette
Miss Potter

Art Direction:
The Fountain
The Good German
Goya's Ghosts
Marie Antoinette
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Sound:
Dreamgirls
Mission Impossible 3
Monster House
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Superman Returns

Sound Editing:
Casino Royale
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Superman Returns

Song:
Cars
The Holiday
A Prairie Home Companion

Animated Feature:
Cars
Flushed Away
Happy Feet
Monster House
Over the Hedge

Makeup:
Bug
The Fountain
Marie Antoinette

Visual Effects:
Charlotte's Web
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Superman Returns


To explain myself in some of my rather unpopular decisions here:

The Academy, as has been stated many times, is a large group of many people. It is not one person who decides something. This isn't how they work. I've said this many times to myself to try and explain some of their odd behavior and I'm starting to realize I'm lying to myself. Despite over 5000 members, they somehow act as one. Hollywood realized what it did last year. A controversial year in which they voted for the safest film and exposed themselves as hypocrites by trying to shove in our face that we need to get back into the theatres (Gyllenhaal presenting that clip of GLORIOUS! CINEMASCOPE!) when they voted for a movie they all watched on their DVD players. SCREENERS!!!

So here's what happens in response - this year: The shit hits the fan. Also, AMPAS has a growing youth membership. (Go, Scarlett, go!) The big Oscar contenders (Dreamgirls! Flags of Our Fathers! The Good Shepherd! Little Children!) are chucked aside in favor of the darker and complex. Children of Men and The Good German are hardcore genre films from acclaimed directors. Fur is the arty biopic. Bug is the dark indie that never gets nominated for Best Pic. But hey, it's from marketing masters Lions Gate. And Man of the Year is the safety net: a political satire from an Oscar-winning director featuring a great cast. And the buzz on it is that it's going to be a huge crowdpleaser.

I Heart Kathy Griffin

The ups and downs of Hollywood.

One person can go from being annoying sidekick on a generic as all get out Brooke Shields show, to trendy grade Z reality show, to her own show in which she rips on celebrities and pisses off everyone with most realizing she only wants attention....

to being one of the funniest women in the world suddenly earning respect and good reviews.

How exactly did she go from being the annoying woman who Hollywood wants to go away and no one finds amusing to being the annoying woman who Hollywood wants to go away and everyone now loves?

Let's go over the past couple of years. Mel Gibson went nuts. Tom Cruise went nuts. Oprah Winfrey went nuts. Martha Stewart went to jail. Star Jones is still the same - whatever that may be - but now looks like Al Roker in a wig. Gwyneth Paltrow named her kids April and Moses. Brad Pitt leaves hot and classy Jennifer Aniston for hot and trashy Angelina Jolie. All this and no mention yet of all the closet cases who deny their true sexuality week after week after week. Yes, we realized that celebrities are regular people, only insane. Well, some of us actually knew this. But the rest of the public suddenly learned it in the past couple of years. If you pay attention to these frivolous and some might say unneccessary celebrity events, it becomes pretty easy to see through what's really going on: the fake laughs, the stoned expressions, the sham marriages, the marriages that ended 5 months ago but are still existing for publicity purposes.

Yes, we were in denial about them. We wanted them to be our idols who were perfect and nice and genuinely down to earth. But they aren't. Well, some of them might be. We didn't want Kathy Griffin to be right. We didn't want to admit that in 5 years Dakota Fanning will most likely be in rehab. We didn't want to give our attention to someone who was telling it like it might be. We didn't want to think it might actually be like that.

It so is.

And now we want all the juicy details. And we've found our commentator.

Star Jones is now off The View. Rosie O'Donnell will be coming on to replace Meredith Viera in the fall. Why not fill Star's seat with a combination of Kathy and Sarah Silverman? They'll take Hasselbitch down. Oh yeah.

But yeah. That won't happen. Hollywood, despite what people say, is actually behind the public's taste. (That's why they love vintage so much. Duh.) Kathy isn't allowed on the Ellen Degeneres show because other talents will not appear if she is allowed to appear. Kathy was fired from E! for her Dakota Fanning comments. I thought this was stupid as it was not aimed at Dakota but rather the fact that everyone in The Industry at some point seems to be in rehab. I mean, really though? How many of us at our Oscar parties haven't bashed little Dakota? We know she's going to grow up like the The Olsen Twins and have no personality. Some say she'll be fine like Jodie Foster. Yes, fine like Jodie Foster. Jodie Foster. Who talks about her kids but never mentions and refuses to discuss that she's raising them with another woman. She claims she doesn't want to have her worlds collide and doesn't want to be publically known for anything other than her work. Yes, but talk about what time you pick your kids up from school and their names and what movie you took them to see all you want. Just don't mention that other woman. The best Dakota Fanning can hope for is to be Lindsay Lohan or Drew Barrymore. Get that rebellious phase out of the way, but realize you have too much talent to let it go to waste. And really, these people who are trying "to protect" Dakota (Steven Spielberg is one) should probably just let her be a normal kid. Can you name a child actor who didn't end up with some kind of scratch on their personal record? Kathy is doing nothing wrong here. I love how she blatantly mentions that she was threatened by the Spielberg camp via E!.

I love how she bashes Gwyneth Paltrow's blatant snobbishness. I love the Celine Dion stories. The "Gayken". The Stella McCartney comments are priceless. I love her putting Ryan Seacrest in his place.

If you haven't yet checked out any of her ubiquitous appearances or shows on Bravo, watch them. It's a hoot. After knowing what actually goes on in the celebrity world (which is pretty much on another planet) you won't feel bad for laughing.

Kathy Griffin - finally relevant.