Oscars fail to be engaging as usual, I stop caring

Last night was the first time the attendees of the 2010 Academy Awards looked particularly bored as the ceremony runs approximately half an hour past its scheduled end. Last night was also the first time I didn't watch a single second of the awards (while on syndication, at least - my impression of the ceremony results from watching YouTube clips for the brief fifteen minutes they remain on the site before being deleted for copyright infringement).

Once again, the Academy plays it safe and rewards everyone we knew would be rewarded, and the Iraq War is deemed culturally more important than nature-loving blue aliens. Cristoph Waltz, the only winner who hasn't yet been chewed up and spit out by the Hollywood robot machine (everyone looks stiffer and blander every year) is also the only person to appear genuinely thrilled, humbled, and does not prompt me to throw a shoe at my television (Sandra Bullock winning an Oscar for playing a rich hick housewife in a predictable, schmaltzy, and possibly borderline-racist family film, however, does). 

Jeff Bridges also addresses the director of Crazy Heart as "man" and giggles during his acceptance speech, reminding me why The Big Lebowski is the greatest movie of all time.

Film dork video of the week

A brilliant example of what would happen if Wes Anderson were to direct the new Spiderman reboot. I always welcome parodies of directors I can't stand.

I promise this isn't a virus. Or a Rickroll.

EyeWeekly: Oscar Nominations Announced, James Cameron Continues to Bring Hilarity

Nothing new to report, except to urge you all to read this article posted on Eye Weekly, which contains estimates on what ridiculous things James Cameron will shout at the Oscars. Expect most of these to actually occur.

Film news - Infamous Toronto Pervert Going to Hollywood

Toronto's favourite misogynistic weirdo is getting his own movie.

Brad Goodman, producer of Sasha Baron Cohen's Brüno and Borat is making a documentary about Dimitri the Lover, harasser of young Toronto ladies, subject of feminist controversy, and source of constant amusement (for me, at least).

The movie is apparently taking a fairly neutral stance and not attempting to vilify Dimitri in any way, but, well, it's kind of hard to avoid picking up on his absurdity altogether.

I, for one, am eagerly awaiting the result, which will probably be ridiculous and hilarious despite its obvious attempt at controversy (c'mon, you don't really think he's serious, do you? He's writing a book called Mein Kock, for god's sake).

Full article at The Torontoist.

Hype-Worthy Thrillers at Sundance 2010

Sundance usually caters to a select crowd - you know the kind. The kind who like stuff about a malnourished hobo with homemade tattoos and a chick who lives on a mountain with her drug-dealer dad.

However, in case you're the kind of film fanatic who enjoys movies about vengeance, torture, bio-engineered monster, and Ryan Reynolds stuck in a box, do yourself a favour and keep reading.


Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds, directed by Rodrigo Cortes

This is hands-down the most exciting thing I've heard out of the festival circuit this year. Ryan Reynolds stars as a contractor in Iraq who literally gets buried alive. What ensues is an entire film that takes place in a dark coffin with one man, one lighter, one cell phone, and what promises to be one absolutely terrifying experience for someone claustrophobic like me. Rumours are flying about Buried becoming this year's Paranormal Activity, and a pretty good testament to the fact that it doesn't require a ton of money to create a great thriller. Check out the teaser trailer here.


Splice, starring Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody, directed by Vincenzo Natali

Vincenzo Natali (responsible for cult-horror hit Cube - arguably a better pre-Saw film than Saw) teams up with fellow Canadian Sarah Polley (director of the acclaimed Away From Her) and Adrien Brody for Splice, a tale of two young and eager scientists who use cutting-edge biotechnology to create what later becomes a monster. According to IMDB, the creature "develops from a deformed female infant into a beautiful but dangerous winged human-chimera" - um, yes please. Here's a clip, which, in my professional opinion, looks pretty batshit insane.



Les 7 jours du talion (7 Days), starring Remy Girard, directed by Daniel Grou

Yet another (French) Canadian Sundance selection, the news is that 7 Days does what other torture horror films fail to do - be quiet, contemplative, and (judging by the trailer - it's in French but you get the idea) with beautiful cinematography as well as explosively graphic violence and brutality. After his young daughter is murderer, a father kidnaps and tortures her killer over a course of seven days. Reports that this is a difficult film to watch stem from both the extreme violence and the emotionally gripping visions the audience has into the mind of the traumatized father. Dark, bleak, and depressing for sure, but it does look fantastic.