Cinema Hype

Yesterday was a magical day in movieland: if the day after Halloween is (these days) the capitalist kick-off for Christmas, yesterday was the beginning of the pre-pre-pre-Oscar season. I’m talking, of course, about the Golden Globe nominations, which came out Thursday morning. This is it, movie-wise, for this year. All the big stuff’s going to come in one big flood of pretense and (hopefully) excitement. So if you’ve been waiting for all the really good movies to come out—if you’re one of those “if you see one movie this year…” people—this is your time. Go forth and view!

Of course, quite a few of the nominees haven’t even been released yet. What’s a blogger to do? Rather than give my final, systematic predictions now, when so many of the nominated movies haven’t hit theaters, I’m erring on the side of a) knowing what I’m talking about (enjoy it while it lasts) and b) nonchalance. You know, commenting only where comments are warranted, like everyone else.

Like so:

- Kate Winslet’s doubled up on nominations; she’s up for Best Actress (Drama) for Revolutionary Road and for Best Supporting Actress for The Reader. Good news: Winslet rules basically 100% of the time. Bad news: Winslet hasn’t cracked a smile on camera since 1997. Maybe Jack’s death really stuck with her, you know? Or maybe she just wishes she’d hung on to that necklace.

- In Bruges? Was that this year?

- Speaking of, Colin Farrell up for an acting award? This, I’ve got to see.

- I see where they’re going with the whole nominating-Mamma Mia! thing. I get it. It was fun; it was successful; everybody liked it. I liked it. If it wins Best Comedy or Musical, SOMEBODY’S GOING DOWN.

- Since when is The Joker a supporting role in The Dark Knight? That was his movie, guys, and I’m pretty sure a certain someone would back me up on that.

- Tropic Thunder for—count ‘em—two acting awards? And yet, I totally see it. I’d vote for Tom Cruise if it wasn’t so futile (see above). He was the best part, and I say that in full awareness that my man RDJ was also present.

- This critic is maybe possibly really really excited about Frost/Nixon. OH MAN political drama written for the stage! (I’m sorry. Did you think I was cool?)

- Sometimes it’s just the same folks over and over, isn’t it? Sigh.

More to come. In the mean time, have a good weekend. See a movie for me, will you?

Golden Globes, Golden Globe nominees

This just in from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association:

Hello! Hola! Bonjour! Konichiwa! Merhaba! We realize that the winter solstice holidays have yet to arrive and that the real awards-film race is really a January affair. But we are the Hollywood foreign press! We interpret the goings and comings of the Hollywoodites for the benefit of the avid reading public back home! Or we cover the affairs of Vancouver (the Hollywood of the north) and Riga (the Hollywood of the Baltics) for the avid reading public in the Hollywood hills! You decide!

But…continuing on. We know that you, the American public, have not yet feasted from the table of fine filmic fare slated for the winter of 2008, and we are sympathetic to your plight. But we feel compelled to remind you: WE HAVE, thanks to the joy of early press screenings! NYAH, NYAH, NYAH. For the likes of our scritch-scratching pens and clip-clapping typewriters, no press junket is too exclusive, no screening too far ahead of the release date. For the rest of you, well…sorry. We have heard the brilliance of Aaron Sorkin’s Charlie Wilson’s War screenplay with our own ears. We have experienced Johnny Depp’s singing voice–like a waterfall of honey flowing over a cliff of diamonds–in stereo! And yes, we have witnessed the glory of your all-time favorite comic actors collaborating on Juno. We have, and you’ll just have to wait until it comes to the local cineplex. HA! (Not to rub it in your face, or anything. It’s just that we have to report to all the folks back home. You understand.)

As for Michael Clayton…yeah, we didn’t see that either.

For a full list of the nominations (and don’t worry; you haven’t heard the last of CH Golden Globe chatter), see here.

If you can’t wait, see here.

Golden Globes, Golden Globe nominations, HFPA, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Aaron Sorkin, Charlie Wilson’s War, Sweeney Todd, Johnny Depp, Juno, Michael Clayton, George Clooney