Dundee Media Corner: Awards

Showing posts with label Awards. Show all posts

Thursday, March 1, 2012

The movies that got away

The Oscar's underwhelmed this year, and for me it was because none of the movies I liked from 2011 were nominated in the major categories. There were enjoyable moments throughout the broadcast, and Billy Crystal can be funny, but when he made the bar mitzvah and Flomax jokes, I inwardly groaned. The Oscars seem to be becoming irrelevant. Case in point: when the biggest surprise of the evening is that Meryl Streep won, we've got a problem. The highlight of my night was when Bret McKenzie (one-half of the brilliant Flight of the Conchords) picked up the Best Original Song Oscar. The Best Original Song award was my highlight, people! So, the Academy needs to find the fine line between good and popular and walk it with expertise. They won't always get it right and they will still take slack for not recognizing the more popular fare (such as Bridesmaids), but I do believe they try to select the best of the bunch, unlike other award shows which will remain nameless.

Okay, back to the point, the nature of art is that it is subjective, so here is my list of films from the past decade or so that I wished had been nominated in the major categories. Here goes ...

The 2012 Dundees: Our Alternative Oscars

Minus the divisive Tree of Life and the critically panned Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, this year's Oscar's Best Picture nominations seem even more safe and boring than last year's, when we at least had The Social Network to root for. Worst of all, they totally snubbed my beloved Michael Fassbender. And what's up with not nominating Drive for anything besides sound editing? Does the Academy want to deny us Ryan Gosling dressed up in suit? Albert Brooks and Cliff Martinez deserved nominations at least. Oh well, at least Michelle Williams got a nomination for My Week with Marilyn (though it would have been cooler if it was for Meek's Cutoff).

Anyway, below are my highlights of the year in Film and TV. Think of it like the Oscars with 100 % more dreaminess (and 600% more Gosling)!

Best Funny Movie of the Year: The Trip. Bridesmaids is probably the most laugh-out loud funny movie, but The Trip is more profound. The movie follows British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon on a culinary tour of England, while both men deal with disappointments in their lives and career. It's an interesting exploration of male friendship, but lest you think it's too serious it features some pretty funny sequences like Coogan and Brydon's dueling Michael Caine impressions.

Best Romantic Comedy: Friends With Benefits. I really liked the first part of this movie, which seemed like romantic comedy satire. But it eventually turns into a regular rom-com at the end. Sort of like a friend who is all cynical about love until they get a girlfriend or boyfriend and then you have tolerate their lovey-doveyness with a straight face. However, I enjoyed the performances by Mila Kunis, Patricia Clarkson as Kunis's hippy mom, and Woody Harrelson as Justin Timberlake's coworker (who puts a whole new spin on the "gay best friend" role) enough to recommend it.

Runner-Up: Crazy Stupid Love. If this movie had just been about Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone's character, it probably would have been my favorite. Their romance seemed sweet and naturally evolving and Emma Stone is super funny. However, the Steve Carrell and Julianne Moore storyline, which is the bulk of the movie, seemed a little bit too contrived and treacly.

Most Enviable Wardrobe, Male Performance: Ryan Gosling in Crazy Stupid Love. Speaking of Crazy Stupid Love, Gosling's Lothario character Jacob Palmer has a pretty sweet wardrobe. Not quite as sweet as his abs though!

Most Enviable Wardrobe, Female Performance: Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) from Parks and Recreation. This was a close call category. I was tempted to go with Zooey Deschanel's Jess from New Girl, because I love Zooey's quirky vintage style. But let's face it, she's dressed that way forever. On the more-realistic end, I pretty much wished I owned everything Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper) wears on The Office. She has a cute and modest business wardrobe that doesn't looked picked out by a stylist. However, I had to give it to Leslie, who went from a boxy, Hilary Clinton-esque wardrobe to more a more structured and feminine look. Several times this season, I have thought to myself "I want that shirt," so well played Leslie!

Best Supporting Canine: Cosmo as Arthur in Beginners. Sorry Uggie, but I haven't seen The Artist yet. It's hard not to fall for shaggy Arthur, especially when he's proposing marriage to Ewan MacGregor in subtitles.

Emmy nominations: Did your favorites make the cut?

This morning the nominations were announced for the 2010 Emmys, which will air August 29th. Visit the official Emmy website to view all the nominations. I'm most happy to see Outstanding Actress/Actor nominations for Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler of Friday Night Lights. Unfortunately, the Popeater.com Facebook campaign to get Zach Gilford an Outstanding Guest Actor-Drama nomination for his work in the powerful episode "The Son" was not successful; at least "The Son" was nominated for its writing. FNL also was nominated for Outstanding Casting. I've shared my love for this show before in a DVD review, and I'll repeat myself here: if you are looking for a show that realistically portrays marriage, friendship, difficulties teenagers face today as they grow up, and teamwork, then watch Friday Night Lights. This is a show that captures human moments from its actors and is definitely one of the best hours of TV you can find today. Season 4 currently airs Friday nights at 7 PM on NBC.

Lost received 13 nominations, including Outstanding Drama, Actor-Drama (Matthew Fox), Supporting Actor-Drama (Michael Emerson and Terry O'Quinn), Guest Actress-Drama (Elizabeth Mitchell), and Art Direction. The series finale, "The End," received nominations for Directing, Writing, Editing, Music Composition, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Confused about what's happening on the Island?

Not surprisingly, Mad Men received 17 nominations in total. The show received recognition for Jon Hamm (Actor-Drama), January Jones (Actress-Drama), John Slattery (Supporting Actor-Drama), Elisabeth Moss (Supporting Actress-Drama), and Robert Morse (Guest Actor-Drama), in addition to nominations for Writing, Directing, Casting, Cinematography, Costumes, Editing, Hairstyling, and Makeup.

True Blood, nominated for Outstanding Drama, didn't receive any acting nominations but did receive nods for Casting, Art Direction, Prosthetic Makeup, and Sound Editing.

Comedy categories and more snubs after the jump:

First Annual Beardys: For Excellence in Facial Hair in Rock Music

It seems that every rock band these days must have at least one bearded member. I'm not sure what's behind this surge in hirsute rockers, but let's celebrate the best of the bewhiskered anyway.

Best Beard, Group Performance: Midlake.
Their touring band has seven bearded/ mustachioed members, giving them a sizable win over the Seattle's hairiest band, the Fleet Foxes (who have a mere four beards in their band).

Best Beard, Individual Performance: Patrick Stickles from Titus Andronicus.

25th Film Independent's Spirit Awards

The 25th annual Film Independent's Spirit Awards ceremony airs tonight, March 5th, 2010. Live on the Independent Film Channel, 10:00 pm. Hosted by actor/comedian Eddie Izzard.

Nominees in the "Best Feature" category:

(500) Days of Summer

Find it in the catalog!

Amreeka

Find it in the catalog!

The Last Station

(Not yet released on DVD)

Precious

Find it in the catalog!

Sin Nombre

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Movies by female directors

Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) is only the fourth woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for directing. She is also the second American female director to be nominated since Sofia Coppola received a nomination in 2003 for Lost in Translation. The other two women who have received a Best Director nomination are Jane Campion for The Piano in 1993 and Lina Wertmuller for Seven Beauties in 1976.

When I read about the lack of nominations for female directors I started to think of other women who have directed movies I have seen. I compiled a list of notable female directors and their work, mostly focusing on movies available at Dundee, which you can check out through the library (or request from another library if we don't have it here).

◊ Gillian Armstrong (1950-)
Oscar and Lucinda, Little Women (1994)

◊ Susanne Bier (1960-)
After the Wedding, Things We Lost in the Fire

◊ Kathryn Bigelow (1951-)
The Hurt Locker, Near Dark, The Weight of Water, Point Break

◊ Jame Campion (1954-)
Bright Star, The Piano

◊ Gurinder Chadha (1960-)
Bend it Like Beckham, Bride & Prejudice

◊ Sofia Coppola (1971-)
Marie Antoinette, Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides

◊ Nora Ephron (1941-)
Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Julie & Julia

◊ Catherine Hardwicke (1955-)
Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown, The Nativity Story, Twilight

◊ Mary Harron (1953-)
American Psycho, The Notorious Bettie Page

◊ Amy Heckerling (1954-)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Clueless

◊ Patty Jenkins (1971-)
Monster

◊ Mimi Leder (1952-)
Deep Impact

◊ Sharon Maguire (1960-)
Bridget Jones's Diary

◊ Penny Marshall (1942-)
Big, A League of Their Own, Awakenings

◊ Nancy Meyers (1949-)
Something's Gotta Give, The Holiday

◊ Rebecca Miller (1962-)
The Ballad of Jack and Rose, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

◊ Mira Nair (1957-)
Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair, The Namesake, Amelia

◊ Kimberly Peirce (1967-)
Boys Don't Cry, Stop-Loss

◊ Sarah Polley (1979-)
Away From Her

◊ Kelly Reichardt
Wendy and Lucy

◊ Adrienne Shelly (1966-2006)
Waitress

◊ Kirsten Sheridan (1976-)
August Rush

◊ Penelope Spheeris (1945-)
Wayne's World, The Little Rascals

◊ Julie Taymor (1952-)
Titus, Frida, Across the Universe

Monday, February 22, 2010

Nominees for the GMA Dove Awards

The nominees for the 41st Annual GMA Dove Awards were announced in Nashville last week. You can see a full list of nominees here. The Dove Awards air Sunday, April 25 on GMC (Gospel Music Channel).

Artists and groups receiving nominations include Casting Crowns, Jars of Clay, TobyMac, Mandisa, Brandon Heath, and Chris Tomlin.

The compilation album WOW Hits 2009 includes songs from nominees Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Jeremy Camp, Tenth North Avenue, NEEDTOBREATHE, Francesca Battistelli, Natalie Grant, and Brandon Heath. Also, WOW Gospel 2009 includes songs from nominated artists Heather Headley, Mary Mary, Fred Hammond, Crystal Akin, and Smokie Norful.

Click on an artist or album title to get a copy reserved through the library!

Monday, February 15, 2010

2010 Oscar nominees: Who was overlooked

Earlier this month the nominees for this year's Academy Awards were announced. While the Best Picture category expanded to 10 films, the rest of the categories still have only 5 spots. Take a look at the nominations here. I know it's next to impossible to nominate all of the deserving artists or movies, but I made a list of work that I think is good enough to receive a nomination. What do you think of the nominees? Who, or which films, do you think were snubbed?

Here is my list of snubs from this year's nominations:

Best Motion Picture of the Year
(500) Days of Summer
Bright Star
The Hangover

Star Trek

Directing
J.J. Abrams, Star Trek
Wes Andersen, Fantastic Mr. Fox (coming to DVD March 23)
Jane Campion, Bright Star
Greg Mottola, Adventureland

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Matt Damon in The Informant! (out on DVD February 23)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg in A Serious Man

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Zach Galifianakis in The Hangover
Anthony Mackie in The Hurt Locker
Alfred Molina in An Education (currently playing in theaters)

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Emily Blunt in The Young Victoria (currently playing in theaters)
Abbie Cornish in Bright Star
Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Diane Krueger in Inglourious Basterds
Melanie Laurent in Inglourious Basterds

Best Documentary Feature
More Than A Game

Adapted Screenplay
Bright Star
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Informant!
Where the Wild Things Are (coming to DVD March 2)

Original Screenplay
(500) Days of Summer
Adventureland
The Hangover
I Love You, Man

Original Score
Where the Wild Things Are (original songs by Karen O and the Kids)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

A useful search tool for Oscar trivia

The Official Academy Awards Database (updated through the 2008 Academy Awards) is a very helpful online resource. You are able to search by film title, nominee, and song title. You can also choose to Browse Statistics and check out lists that include "Oldest/Youngest Acting Nominees" and "Winners or Films Winning Both Best Actor and Best Actress."

Example question: How many Oscar nominations did Marlon Brando receive?

Nominee Search: marlon brando

Results: Brando was nominated for 8 Oscars; he won two (Best Actor in 1954 for On the Waterfront and Best Actor in 1972 for The Godfather):

As you can see, for each nomination we see the year, award category, movie title, and name of the character played that earned him the nomination. You are also able to see the other nominations in the category by clicking on category name. So if you want to see who Brando was nominated with in 1951, click on ACTOR. If you click on a movie title you will see all the other nominations received by that film.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Check out the 2010 Grammy nominees from the library

The Grammys air tomorrow night at 7 PM on CBS. Here are some nominated albums and artists you can check out from the library (click on the album title). I put the albums nominated for multiple awards at the beginning of the list. Note: if you're looking for a nominated album not listed here, you can still search ALL LIBRARIES in the catalog and request the material be sent to Dundee for you to pick up.

X by Trace Adkins
"All I Ask For Anymore"- Best Male Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Song

I Am... Sasha Fierce by Beyonce
Album Of The Year, Best Contemporary R&B Album; "Halo"- Record Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"- Song Of The Year, Best R&B Song, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

The E.N.D. by The Black Eyed Peas
Album Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Album; "I Gotta Feeling"- Record Of The Year, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; "Boom Boom Pow"- Best Dance Recording, Best Short Form Music Video

Live From Madison Square Garden by Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood
Best Rock Album; "Can't Find My Way Home"- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King by Dave Matthews Band

Album Of The Year, Best Rock Album

Sounds of the Universe by Depeche Mode
Best Alternative Music Album; "Wrong"- Best Short Form Music Video

So Far Gone by Drake
"Best I Ever Had"- Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Song

Together Through Life by Bob Dylan
Best Americana Album; "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

Relapse by Eminem
Best Rap Album; "Beautiful"- Best Rap Solo Performance; "Crack A Bottle" (featuring Dr. Dre and 50 Cent)- Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

Throw Down Your Heart: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3 - Africa Sessions by Bela Fleck
Best Contemporary World Music Album; "Throw Down Your Heart"- Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Intuition by Jamie Foxx
Best Contemporary R&B Album; "Blame It" (featuring T-Pain)- Best Male R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best R&B Song

The Fray by The Fray
Best Pop Vocal Album; "Never Say Never"- Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals

21st Century Breakdown by Green Day
Best Rock Album; "21 Guns"- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; Best Rock Song

Ellipse by Imogen Heap
Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical; "The Fire"- Best Pop Instrumental Performance

The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z
"D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)"- Best Rap Solo Performance, Best Rap Song; "Run This Town" (featuring Rihanna and Kanye West)- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song

The Fame by Lady Gaga
Album Of The Year, Best Electronic/Dance Album; "Poker Face"- Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Dance Recording

BLACKsummers' Night by Maxwell

Best R&B Album; "Pretty Wings"- Song Of The Year, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song; "Love You"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "Phoenix Rise"- Best Pop Instrumental Performance

Oracular Spectacular by MGMT
Best New Artist; "Kids"- Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

The Ecstatic by Mos Def
Best Rap Album; "Casa Bey"- Best Rap Solo Performance

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. by Jason Mraz
"Make it Mine"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "Lucky" (featuring Colbie Caillat)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Funhouse by Pink
Best Pop Vocal Album; "Sober"- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Soul by Seal
"If You Don't Know Me By Now"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance; "A Change is Gonna Come"- Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Working On A Dream by Bruce Springsteen
"Working On A Dream"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance; Best Rock Song

Twang by George Strait
Best Country Album; "Living For The Night"- Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Fearless by Taylor Swift
Album Of The Year, Best Country Album; "You Belong With Me"- Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; "Breathe" (featuring Colbie Caillat)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals; "White Horse"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Song

Paper Trail by T.I.
"Dead And Gone" (featuring Justin Timberlake)- Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best Rap Song

No Line On The Horizon by U2
Best Rock Album; "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"- Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, Best Rock Song

Carnival Ride by Carrie Underwood
"Just A Dream"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance; "I Told You So" (featuring Randy Travis)- Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

Defying Gravity by Keith Urban
Best Country Album; "Sweet Thing"- Best Male Country Vocal Performance

Call Me Crazy by Lee Ann Womack
Best Country Album; "Solitary Thinkin'"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance; "Everything But Quits" (featuring George Strait)- Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

The Foundation by Zac Brown Band
Best Country Album; "Chicken Fried"- Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals; Best New Artist

19 by Adele
"Hometown Glory"- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Breakthrough by Colbie Caillat
Best Pop Vocal Album

The List by Rosanne Cash
"Sea of Heartbreak" (featuring Bruce Springsteen)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

Fantasy Ride by Ciara
"Love Sex Magic" (featuring Justin Timberlake)- Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

All I Ever Wanted by Kelly Clarkson
Best Pop Vocal Album

Universal Mind Control by Common
Best Rap Album

R.O.O.T.S. by Flo Rida
Best Rap Album

The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again by John Fogerty
"Change in the Weather"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

Evolver by John Legend
"This Time"- Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

Celebration by Madonna
"Celebration"- Best Dance Recording

Shine by Martina McBride
"I Just Call You Mine"- Best Female Country Vocal Performance

One of the Boys by Katy Perry
"Hot N Cold"- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
Best Alternative Music Album

LotusFlow3r by Prince
"Dreamer"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

The Renaissance by Q-Tip
Best Rap Album

Circus by Britney Spears
"Womanizer"- Best Dance Recording

808s & Heartbreak by Kanye West
"Amazing" (featuring Young Jeezy)- Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

It's Blitz! by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Best Alternative Music Album

Fork In The Road by Neil Young
"Fork In The Road"- Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Golden Globe nominees

Several of the movies nominated for Golden Globes tonight are available on DVD:

Inglourious Basterds has 4 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director (Quentin Tarantino), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Christoph Waltz), and Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Quentin Tarantino).

The Hurt Locker has 3 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Drama, Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow), and Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Mark Boal).

(500) Days of Summer has 2 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Comedy of Musical and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).

Julie & Julia has 2 nominations: Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical and Best Performance by and Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Meryl Streep).

In the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical category, Sandra Bullock is nominated for The Proposal and Julia Roberts is nominated for Duplicity.

Three of the Best Animated Feature Film contenders are already out on DVD: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Coraline, and Up. Up is also nominated for Best Original Score - Motion Picture.

District 9 is nominated for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture and The Hangover is nominated for Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical.

Download a ballot and pick your favorites in each category!

Dundee Media Corner