BlogElution -- The Blog Evolution!!

“We should not be putting civil rights issues to a popular vote”

2012-01-31T16:40:00.001-05:00

New Jersey’s legislature is attempting to pass same-sex legislation that would replace the state’s insufficient civil unions for its gay and lesbian citizens. The governor, Chris Christie, announced he would veto the legislation and called for a voter referendum to settle the issue.

Thankfully, Christie has gotten flack from many politicians in the state, and this is just one of the best examples, from Newark, NJ, mayor Cory Booker:

Via Towleroad.

How our climate has changed

2012-01-31T16:30:00.001-05:00

From NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies comes a visual reminder that should silence every global warming denier out there.

Alas, it won’t.

Via Towleroad.

Titan-ic dunes

2012-01-31T16:02:00.001-05:00

Here’s an artist rendering of the majestic dunes that NASA’s Cassini probe found:

That’s one beautiful image. Here’s more from the article:

Nasa's Cassini probe has found that the dunes on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan vary in shape just like dunes on Earth - and even look similar to deserts on our planet.

The similarities end there, of course - not only are the dunes on Titan 300 feet high and up to a mile wide, they're made of frozen hydrocarbons - chemicals found in crude oil - rather than sand.

There are four million square miles of dunes on Titan, an area the size of the United States. Their formations could be key to understanding the clouded moon's mysterious weather patterns.

Extinction Alert!

2012-01-31T15:52:00.001-05:00

The Sumatran elephant might be extinct in as little as 30 years:

The Sumatran elephant could be extinct in the wild within three decades unless immediate steps are taken to slow the breakneck pace of deforestation, environmentalists warned Tuesday.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature recently listed the animals as "critically endangered" after their numbers dropped to between 2,400 and 2,800 from an estimated 5,000 in 1985.

The decline is largely because of destruction of their habitat, with forests all across the Indonesian island of Sumatra being clear-cut for timber, palm oil and pulp and paper plantations.

So sad. More here.

Gay parenting is ok

2012-01-31T15:47:00.001-05:00

A great article from Yahoo News that made me walk a little taller:

[…] In fact, in some ways, gay parents may bring talents to the table that straight parents don't.

Gay parents "tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents," said Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University in Massachusetts who researches gay and lesbian parenting. Gays and lesbians rarely become parents by accident, compared with an almost 50 percent accidental pregnancy rate among heterosexuals, Goldberg said. "That translates to greater commitment on average and more involvement."

And while research indicates that kids of gay parents show few differences in achievement, mental health, social functioning and other measures, these kids may have the advantage of open-mindedness, tolerance and role models for equitable relationships, according to some research. Not only that, but gays and lesbians are likely to provide homes for difficult-to-place children in the foster system, studies show. (Of course, this isn't to say that heterosexual parents can't bring these same qualities to the parenting table.)

[…] Catholic opposition aside, research suggests that gay and lesbian parents are actually a powerful resource for kids in need of adoption. According to a 2007 report by the Williams Institute and the Urban Institute, 65,000 kids were living with adoptive gay parents between 2000 and 2002, with another 14,000 in foster homes headed by gays and lesbians. (There are currently more than 100,000 kids in foster care in the U.S.)

An October 2011 report by Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute found that, of gay and lesbian adoptions at more than 300 agencies, 10 percent of the kids placed were older than 6 — typically a very difficult age to adopt out. About 25 percent were older than 3. Sixty percent of gay and lesbian couples adopted across races, which is important given that minority children in the foster system tend to linger. More than half of the kids adopted by gays and lesbians had special needs.

[…] Research has shown that the kids of same-sex couples — both adopted and biological kids — fare no worse than the kids of straight couples on mental health, social functioning, school performance and a variety of other life-success measures.

[…] There is very little research on the children of gay men, so Stacey and Biblarz couldn't draw conclusions on those families. But Stacey suspects that gay men "will be the best parents on average," she said.

That's a speculation, she said, but if lesbian parents have to really plan to have a child, it's even harder for gay men. Those who decide to do it are thus likely to be extremely committed, Stacey said. Gay men may also experience fewer parenting conflicts, she added. Most lesbians use donor sperm to have a child, so one mother is biological and the other is not, which could create conflict because one mother may feel closer to the kid.

"With gay men, you don't have that factor," she said. "Neither of them gets pregnant, neither of them breast-feeds, so you don't have that asymmetry built into the relationship."

[…] In fact, the only consistent places you find differences between how kids of gay parents and kids of straight parents turn out are in issues of tolerance and open-mindedness, according to Goldberg. […]

Children of gay parents also reported feeling less stymied by gender stereotypes than they would have been if raised in straight households. That's likely because gays and lesbians tend to have more egalitarian relationships than straight couples, Goldberg said. They're also less wedded to rigid gender stereotypes themselves.

"Men and women felt like they were free to pursue a wide range of interests," Goldberg said. "Nobody was telling them, 'Oh, you can't do that, that's a boy thing,' or 'That's a girl thing.'"

There’s a lot more in the full article.

2012 Critics' Choice Awards

2012-01-31T12:48:00.001-05:00

I had never posted about this prize, awarded on January 12^th, but I’ve now come to realize that it’s actually one of the earliest and most influential of the entire awards season (likely because it encompasses all the most influential industry critics, unlike the smaller circles of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, etc…)

As we see from the list of winners, many have carried on to win Golden Globes, SAGs, DGAs, and PGAs already.

Of note to me are 3 categories:

Best Comedy Movie: I like awards that split dramatic and comedic films (like the Golden Globes – one of the few things they do right) because:

they are radically different genres
together, they represent the main currents of motion pictures
dramatic roles or films always trump comedic ones because of the bigger emotional impact and the impression that doing comedy is easier. It isn’t, so it’s only fair to give comedies a shot at being showcased as well.

The only gripe I have is that it’s clearly a subcategory, like Best Foreign Language or Best Documentary, and not on the same level with Best Picture, but at least it’s something. Also, not splitting the acting, writing, and directing categories, drama will always trump comedy there anyway.

Best Action Movie: I have not seen a similar category among any other major awards and I just wonder why “action” in particular. Is it because there are enough of those in any given year to have the award (unlike science fiction or horror for instance)? I guess action movies are likely the third largest current of movies out there, so that might be the reason behind it. Also, action can encompass thrillers, comic book adaptations, fantasy, and such.
Best Young Actor/Actress: this is an award that only the BAFTAs hand out and I think it has its place.

Best Picture

The Artist (2011)

The Descendants (2011)

Drive (2011)

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

The Help (2011)

Hugo (2011/II)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Moneyball (2011)

The Tree of Life (2011)

War Horse (2011)

Best Actor

George Clooney for The Descendants (2011)

Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar (2011)

Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011)

Michael Fassbender for Shame (2011)

Ryan Gosling for Drive (2011)

Brad Pitt for Moneyball (2011)

Best Actress

Viola Davis for The Help (2011)

Elizabeth Olsen for Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011)

Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Charlize Theron for Young Adult (2011)

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best Supporting Actor

Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Albert Brooks for Drive (2011)

Nick Nolte for Warrior (2011)

Patton Oswalt for Young Adult (2011)

Andy Serkis for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Best Supporting Actress

Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011)

Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)

Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011)

Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids (2011)

Carey Mulligan for Shame (2011)

Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (2011)

Best Acting Ensemble

The Help (2011)

The Artist (2011)

Bridesmaids (2011)

The Descendants (2011)

The Ides of March (2011)

Best Director

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011)

Stephen Daldry for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)

Nicolas Winding Refn for Drive (2011)

Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II)

Steven Spielberg for War Horse (2011)

Best Original Screenplay

Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen

The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius

50/50 (2011): Will Reiser

Win Win (2011): Thomas McCarthy, Joe Tiboni

Young Adult (2011): Diablo Cody

Best Adapted Screenplay

Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011): Eric Roth

The Help (2011): Tate Taylor

Hugo (2011/II): John Logan

Best Animated Feature

Rango (2011)

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

Arthur Christmas (2011)

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

Puss in Boots (2011)

Best Young Actor/Actress

Thomas Horn for Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Asa Butterfield for Hugo (2011/II)

Elle Fanning for Super 8 (2011)

Ezra Miller for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Saoirse Ronan for Hanna (2011)

Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (2011)

Best Action Movie

Drive (2011)

Fast Five (2011)

Hanna (2011)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Super 8 (2011)

Best Comedy Movie

Bridesmaids (2011)

Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)

Horrible Bosses (2011)

Midnight in Paris (2011)

The Muppets (2011)

Best Foreign Language Film

A Separation (2011)

In Darkness (2011)

Le Havre (2011)

The Skin I Live In (2011)

Where Do We Go Now? (2011)

Best Documentary Feature

George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011)

Buck (2011)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

Page One: Inside the New York Times (2011)

Project Nim (2011)

Undefeated (2011)

Best Song

The Muppets (2011): Bret McKenzie("Life's a Happy Song")

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011): Elton John, Bernie Taupin("Hello Hello")

The Help (2011): Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.("The Living Proof")

The Muppets (2011): Bret McKenzie("Man or Muppet")

The Muppets (2011): Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis, Chen Neeman("Pictures in My Head")

Best Score

The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource

Drive (2011): Cliff Martinez

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore

War Horse (2011): John Williams

Best Cinematography

The Tree of Life (2011): Emmanuel Lubezki
War Horse (2011): Janusz Kaminski

The Artist (2011): Guillaume Schiffman

Drive (2011): Newton Thomas Sigel

Hugo (2011/II): Robert Richardson

Best Art Direction

Hugo (2011/II): Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo

The Artist (2011): Laurence Bennett, Gregory S. Hooper

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan

The Tree of Life (2011): Jack Fisk, David Crank

War Horse (2011): Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

Best Editing

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall

The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius, Anne-Sophie Bion

Drive (2011): Matthew Newman

Hugo (2011/II): Thelma Schoonmaker

War Horse (2011): Michael Kahn

Best Costume Design

The Artist (2011): Mark Bridges

The Help (2011): Sharen Davis

Hugo (2011/II): Sandy Powell

Jane Eyre (2011): Michael O'Connor

My Week with Marilyn (2011): Jill Taylor

Best Makeup

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Albert Nobbs (2011)

The Iron Lady (2011)

J. Edgar (2011)

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best Visual Effects

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Hugo (2011/II)

Super 8 (2011)

The Tree of Life (2011)

Best Sound

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Hugo (2011/II)

Super 8 (2011)

The Tree of Life (2011)

War Horse (2011)

At Last

2012-01-31T11:19:00.001-05:00

Following Etta James’ death a couple weeks ago, I saw two renditions of her famous song At Last, one by Christina Aguilera and one by Cyndi Lauper. As much as I like Christina and her voice, her performance was way over the top and too self indulgent, while I found Cyndi’s version so classy, heartfelt, and perfect that it merits its own post:

2012 Directors Guild Awards

2012-01-31T10:44:00.001-05:00

The DGAs were handed out last Saturday, and posited The Artist for a possible sweep of the top two prizes, Picture and Director, at next month’s Oscars.

Unless of course, the calculation is to use the DGA as a be-happy-you-got-this token only to give the Oscar to Scorsese, but at this point I wouldn’t be so sure.

Here are the winners, from IMDb:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures

The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): David Fincher
Hugo (2011/II): Martin Scorsese
Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Documentary

Project Nim (2011): James Marsh

Bill Cunningham New York (2010): Richard Press
George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011): Martin Scorsese
The Interrupters (2011): Steve James
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011): Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television

"The Kennedys" (2011): Jon Cassar

Five (2011) (TV): Jennifer Aniston, Patty Jenkins, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Penelope Spheeris
Girl Fight (2011) (TV): Stephen Gyllenhaal
Beyond the Blackboard (2011) (TV): Jeff Bleckner
Thurgood (2011) (TV): Michael Stevens

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series

"The Killing" (2011): Patty Jenkins ("Pilot")

"Breaking Bad" (2008): Vince Gilligan ("Face Off")
"Friday Night Lights" (2006): Michael Waxman ("Always")
"Game of Thrones" (2011): Timothy Van Patten ("Winter is Coming")
"Homeland" (2011): Michael Cuesta ("Pilot")

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2000): Robert B. Weide ("Palestinian Chicken")

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" (2000): David Steinberg ("The Divorce")
"Modern Family" (2009): Fred Savage ("After the Fire")
"Modern Family" (2009): Michael Spiller ("Express Christmas")
"30 Rock" (2006): Don Scardino ("Double-Edged Sword")

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety

The 65th Annual Tony Awards (2011) (TV): Glenn Weiss

"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (1996): Chuck O'Neil
The 83rd Annual Academy Awards (2011) (TV): Don Mischer
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (2010) (TV): Louis J. Horvitz
"Saturday Night Live" (1975): Don Roy King

18th Screen Actors Guild Awards – Winners

2012-01-30T16:53:00.001-05:00

The show was last night and went by smoothly but with a couple surprises:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role

JEAN DUJARDIN as George - "The Artist"
This was the biggest surprise of the night. Clooney was the front runner and has been for the entire awards season, so Dujardin’s win could mean one of two things: Clooney’s not the favorite to win the Oscar anymore, or people decided to recognize Dujardin here in order to feel OK about handing Clooney a second Oscar next month.

DiCaprio was the only one not in attendance. Unfortunate, since this is the last big award he would have been in the running for.

DEMIÁN BICHIR as Carlos Galindo - "A Better Life"
GEORGE CLOONEY as Matt King - "The Descendants"
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO as J. Edgar Hoover - "J. Edgar"
BRAD PITT as Billy Beane - "Moneyball"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role

VIOLA DAVIS as Aibileen Clark - "The Help"
Davis takes this prize, bringing her tally to 2 (Critics’ Choice and SAG) versus Streep’s 1 (Golden Globe) as far as the biggest awards go. The same reasoning laid out above applies: the Guild might have wanted to recognize Davis’ craft with the Actor because Streep will likely take home the Oscar this year, or Davis has simply overtaken Streep and will be unstoppable.

Meryl Streep really likes dresses with pockets, doesn’t she…?

GLENN CLOSE as Albert Nobbs - "Albert Nobbs"
MERYL STREEP as Margaret Thatcher - "The Iron Lady"
TILDA SWINTON as Eva - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
MICHELLE WILLIAMS as Marilyn Monroe - "My Week With Marilyn"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER as Hal - "Beginners"
This win was totally forecast and well deserved.

Rather, having now watched Moneyball, I don’t understand how Hill got showered with so many accolades…

KENNETH BRANAGH as Sir Laurence Olivier - "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN"
ARMIE HAMMER as Clyde Tolson - "J. Edgar"
JONAH HILL as Peter Brand - "Moneyball"
NICK NOLTE as Paddy Conlon - "Warrior"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role

OCTAVIA SPENCER as Minny Jackson - "The Help"
Another win forecast in advance, she looked genuinely surprised and touched. She doesn’t have to. She’s won everything on the awards circuit and will conclude the sweep with the Oscar next month.

How cool would it have been to see McCarthy win though??! Scorsese…

BÉRÉNICE BEJO as Peppy - "The Artist"
JESSICA CHASTAIN as Celia Foote - "The Help"
MELISSA McCARTHY as Megan - "Bridesmaids"
JANET McTEER as Hubert Page - "Albert Nobbs"

Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture

"The Help"
While at first I was shocked that The Artist didn’t win (again, after winning everything up to now pretty much), I then realized that that movie was really shouldered by two actors at most (Dujardin and Bejo), so The Help’s win is actually quite justified.

Furthermore, it undermined The Descendants chances to win the Best Picture Oscar even more, if they couldn’t even win here and had a fantastic cast as well as The Help.

"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"The Descendants"
"Midnight in Paris"

TELEVISION

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series

STEVE BUSCEMI as Enoch "Nucky" Thomson - "Boardwalk Empire"
Totally deserved. He was great the past season.

Holy crap Patrick J. Adams!!!!

PATRICK J. ADAMS as Mike Ross - "Suits"
KYLE CHANDLER as Eric Taylor - "Friday Night Lights"
BRYAN CRANSTON as Walter White - "Breaking Bad"
MICHAEL C. HALL as Dexter Morgan - "Dexter"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series

JESSICA LANGE as Constance - "American Horror Story"
Another totally deserved award. Too bad she won’t be back for the second season of the show (at least at the time of this writing…)

This category actually looked as packed with great performances as the lead female actor in a motion picture, which isn’t so surprising when one considers that 3 of the 5 nominees are actually legends of the silver screen.

KATHY BATES as Harriet Korn - "Harry's Law"
GLENN CLOSE as Patty Hewes - "Damages"
JULIANNA MARGULIES as Alicia Florrick - "The Good Wife"
KYRA SEDGWICK as Dept. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson - "The Closer"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series

ALEC BALDWIN as Jack Donaghy - "30 Rock"
Baldwin, with his great acting chops and fantastic comedic timing, is a perennial favorite in this category. The voiceover said this was his sixth win in a row!!

Congratulations, but would it be so bad to endorse some other talent now? Then again, advocating not to award the best simply because they’ve won “too much” in order to spread the wealth is a recipe for disaster and heartbreak…

TY BURRELL as Phil Dunphy - "Modern Family"
STEVE CARELL as Michael Scott - "The Office"
JON CRYER as Alan Harper - "Two and a Half Men"
ERIC STONESTREET as Cameron Tucker - "Modern Family"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series

BETTY WHITE as Elka Ostrovsky - "Hot in Cleveland"
Great as she might be on the show, how many of these vote were cast as sympathy votes? Oh well, she’s great, and her speech was totally funny.

JULIE BOWEN as Claire Dunphy - "Modern Family"
EDIE FALCO as Jackie Peyton - "Nurse Jackie"
TINA FEY as Liz Lemon - "30 Rock"
SOFIA VERGARA as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett - "Modern Family"

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series

"Boardwalk Empire"
Totally deserved. Season 2 was such an improvement for the show, which came into its own and became a must-see!

"Breaking Bad"
"Dexter"
"Game of Thrones"
"The Good Wife"

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series

"Modern Family"
Another greatly deserved win. This show is always top notch, even when an episode isn’t memorable.

"30 Rock"
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Glee"
"The Office"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries

PAUL GIAMATTI as Ben Bernanke - "Too Big to Fail"
I didn’t see him, but he’s always very good.

LAURENCE FISHBURNE as Thurgood Marshall - "Thurgood"
GREG KINNEAR as Jack Kennedy - "The Kennedys"
GUY PEARCE as Monty Beragon - "Mildred Pierce"
JAMES WOODS as Richard Fuld - "Too Big to Fail"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or Miniseries

KATE WINSLET as Mildred Pierce - "Mildred Pierce"
What can be said about Winslet that hasn’t been said before? She’s one of the great and if you’re up against her, don’t bother writing a speech…

DIANE LANE as Pat Loud - "Cinema Verite"
MAGGIE SMITH as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham - "Downton Abbey"
EMILY WATSON as Janet Leach - "Appropriate Adult"
BETTY WHITE as Caroline Thomas - "Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Lost Valentine"

Here’s the SAG official site.

A thrill too far

2012-01-25T15:52:00.001-05:00

This video gave me the willies. It’s almost like watching a video shot from a rollercoaster, but here there’s no safety gear holding you strapped in the seat!!

The 84th Annual Academy Awards

2012-01-24T10:04:00.001-05:00

This morning the Oscar nominations were announced and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo led the field with 11 nominations, followed by The Artist with 10. Lower down, we find Moneyball and War Horse with 6 and The Descendants and Midnight in Paris with 5.

Only 2 songs were nominated for Best Song (that will make for a shorter telecast right there!!), while Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Fassbender, and Ryan Gosling, three names widely circulated (especially the last two, both with multiple highly praised performances last year) were totally shut out.

Here’s the full list, from IMDb:

Best Motion Picture of the Year

The Artist (2011): Thomas Langmann

The Descendants (2011): Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011): Scott Rudin

The Help (2011): Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan

Hugo (2011/II): Graham King, Martin Scorsese

Midnight in Paris (2011): Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum

Moneyball (2011): Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

The Tree of Life (2011): Nominees to be determined

War Horse (2011): Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir for A Better Life (2011)

George Clooney for The Descendants (2011)

Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011)

Gary Oldman for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Brad Pitt for Moneyball (2011)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs (2011)

Viola Davis for The Help (2011)

Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011)

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Jonah Hill for Moneyball (2011)

Nick Nolte for Warrior (2011)

Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)

Max von Sydow for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)

Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011)

Melissa McCarthy for Bridesmaids (2011)

Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs (2011)

Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011)

Best Achievement in Directing

Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris (2011)

Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011)

Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life (2011)

Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)

Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II)

Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius

Bridesmaids (2011): Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumolo

Margin Call (2011): J.C. Chandor

Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen

A Separation (2011): Asghar Farhadi

Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Hugo (2011/II): John Logan

The Ides of March (2011): George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon

Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

A Cat in Paris (2010)

Chico & Rita (2010)

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

Puss in Boots (2011)

Rango (2011)

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year

Bullhead (2011): Michael R. Roskam(Belgium)

Footnote (2011): Joseph Cedar(Israel)

In Darkness (2011): Agnieszka Holland(Poland)

Monsieur Lazhar (2011): Philippe Falardeau(Canada)

A Separation (2011): Asghar Farhadi(Iran)

Best Achievement in Cinematography

The Artist (2011): Guillaume Schiffman

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Jeff Cronenweth

Hugo (2011/II): Robert Richardson

The Tree of Life (2011): Emmanuel Lubezki

War Horse (2011): Janusz Kaminski

Best Achievement in Editing

The Artist (2011): Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius

The Descendants (2011): Kevin Tent

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Angus Wall, Kirk Baxter

Hugo (2011/II): Thelma Schoonmaker

Moneyball (2011): Christopher Tellefsen

Best Achievement in Art Direction

The Artist (2011): Laurence Bennett, Gregory S. Hooper

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011): Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan

Hugo (2011/II): Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo

Midnight in Paris (2011): Anne Seibel, Hélène Dubreuil

War Horse (2011): Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

Best Achievement in Costume Design

Anonymous (2011/I): Lisy Christl

The Artist (2011): Mark Bridges

Hugo (2011/II): Sandy Powell

Jane Eyre (2011): Michael O'Connor

W.E. (2011): Arianne Phillips

Best Achievement in Makeup

Albert Nobbs (2011)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

The Iron Lady (2011)

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score

The Adventures of Tintin (2011): John Williams

The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource

Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): Alberto Iglesias

War Horse (2011): John Williams

Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song

The Muppets (2011): Bret McKenzie("Man or Muppet")

Rio (2011): Sergio Mendes, Carlinhos Brown, Siedah Garrett("Real in Rio")

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Hugo (2011/II)

Moneyball (2011)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

War Horse (2011)

Best Achievement in Sound Editing

Drive (2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Hugo (2011/II)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

War Horse (2011)

Best Achievement in Visual Effects

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Hugo (2011/II)

Real Steel (2011)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

Best Documentary, Features

Hell and Back Again (2011)

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (2011)

Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2011)

Pina (2011)

Undefeated (2011)

Best Documentary, Short Subjects

The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement (2011)

God Is the Bigger Elvis

Incident in New Baghdad (2011)

Saving Face (2011/II)

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (2011)

Best Short Film, Animated

Dimanche (2011): Patrick Doyon

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2011): William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg

La Luna (2011): Enrico Casarosa

A Morning Stroll (2011): Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

Wild Life (2011): Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby

Best Short Film, Live Action

Pentecost (2011): Peter McDonald

Raju (2011): Max Zähle, Stefan Gieren

The Shore: Terry George

Time Freak (2011): Andrew Bowler, Gigi Causey

Tuba Atlantic (2010): Hallvar Witzø

The winners will be announced on Sunday, February 26th.

Equilibrium

2012-01-23T13:11:00.000-05:00

Being a big fan of both sci-fi and Christian Bale, I had added this movie to my list. A couple weeks before watching it, I ran into an article on Entertainment Weekly listing big stars’ most glaring failures on the big screen and this was listed as the lousiest movie Bale had ever made.

Naturally, my interest was even more piqued now, so I watched it anyway. Boy, oh boy, was EW correct, this movie is crap!!

Synopsis: in a futuristic society, the government has determined that emotions are what drive humans to harm each other. In order to protect the human race from certain annihilation, emotions are outlawed and anything culpable of stirring emotions, like books, music, or art, is destroyed. Those who rebel are summarily executed. Will the cycle ever be broken?

On paper the story doesn’t sound so bad, even though it reminds one of dystopian futuristic societies we’ve all seen before (Fahrenheit 451 and Blade Runner come to mind). And the EW article also noted how Equilibrium looks like a bad rip-off of the fabulous The Matrix, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to witness.

The sets ~~look~~ are cheap. The action sequences are not just bad rip-offs of The Matrix, they’re just bad, period. The screenplay is poorly written and there’s no amount of acting from the likes of Bale, Emily Watson, Sean Bean, William Fichtner, and Taye Diggs that can save it.

The Bottom Line: I really cannot think of one good thing to say about this movie (ok, Bale does show some skin, but c’mon, he’d have to go full frontal to make it worth it…). The intention was clearly to cash in on the Matrix-craze, but not even the two poor Matrix sequels sink to this level. Bale must have been promised by his agent that this would be the next Matrix and he’d be a fool to pass on it, so I hope he fired his ass once he saw the finished product!! If you haven’t seen Equilibrium yet, count your blessings and stay away. What a turd!!!!

Grade: 2

The 2012 Producers Guild Awards Winners

2012-01-22T15:56:00.001-05:00

As expected, The Artist took home this award as well. This movie, which I’ve finally seen (the post is upcoming), seems more and more destined to take home the Best Picture Oscar at next month’s ceremony as well.

Here are the winners in the different categories:

The theatrical motion picture nominees and winners are:
The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ARTIST
Producer: Thomas Langmann

BRIDESMAIDS
Producers: Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, Clayton Townsend

THE DESCENDANTS
Producers: Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
Producers: Ceán Chaffin, Scott Rudin

THE HELP
Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus, Brunson Green

HUGO
Producers: Graham King, Martin Scorsese

THE IDES OF MARCH
Producers: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Brian Oliver

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum

MONEYBALL
Producers: Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz, Brad Pitt

WAR HORSE
Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures:

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN
Producers: Peter Jackson, Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg

CARS 2
Producer: Denise Ream

KUNG FU PANDA 2
Producer: Melissa Cobb

PUSS IN BOOTS
Producers: Joe M. Aguilar, Latifa Ouaou

RANGO
Producers: John B. Carls, Gore Verbinski

The television nominees and winners are:
The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television:

"Cinema Verite” (HBO)
Producers: Zanne Devine, Karyn McCarthy

"Downton Abbey” (Masterpiece) (PBS)
Producers: Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame

"The Kennedys” (ReelzChannel)
Producers: Jon Cassar, Jonathan Koch, Stephen Kronish, Steve Michaels, Michael Prupas, Jamie Paul Rock, Joel Surnow

"Mildred Pierce” (HBO)
Producers: Todd Haynes, Pamela Koffler, Ilene S. Landress, Christine Vachon

"Too Big To Fail” (HBO)
Producers: Carol Fenelon, Jeffrey Levine, Paula Weinstein

*The Long-Form Television category encompasses both movies of the week and mini-series.
The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures:

BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
Producers: Debra Koffler, Frank Mele, Edward Parks, Michael Rapaport

BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK
Producer: Philip Gefter

PROJECT NIM
Producer: Simon Chinn

SENNA
Producer: James Gay-Rees

THE UNION
Producers: Cameron Crowe, Michelle Panek

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy:

"30 Rock” (NBC)
Producers: Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Marci Klein, Jerry Kupfer, Lorne Michaels, David Miner, Jeff Richmond, John Riggi, Don Scardino

"The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
Producers: Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, Faye Oshima, Bill Prady

"Glee” (FOX)
Producers: Ian Brennan, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy, Kenneth Silverstein

"Modern Family” (ABC)
Producers: Paul Corrigan, Abraham Higginbotham, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Jeffrey Richman, Dan O’Shannon, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Danny Zuker

"Parks and Recreation” (NBC)
Producers: Greg Daniels, Dan Goor, Howard Klein, Amy Poehler, Morgan Sackett, Michael Schur

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama:

"Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
Producers: Eugene Kelly, Howard Korder, Stephen Levinson, Martin Scorsese, Rudd Simmons, Tim Van Patten, Terence Winter

"Dexter” (Showtime)
Producers: Sara Colleton, John Goldwyn, Chip Johannessen, Robert Lloyd Lewis

"Game of Thrones” (HBO)
Producers: David Benioff, Frank Doelger, Mark Huffam, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss

"The Good Wife” (CBS)
Producers: Brooke Kennedy, Michelle King, Robert King, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, David W. Zucker

"Mad Men” (AMC)
Producers: Jonathan Abrahams, Scott Hornbacher, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Blake McCormick, Dwayne Shattuck, Dahvi Waller, Matthew Weiner

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television:

"The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
Producers: Meredith Bennett, Stephen T. Colbert, Richard Dahm, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart (*additional producers eligibility pending arbitration completion)

"The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (Syndicated)
Producers: Mary Connelly, Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa Geiger Schrift, Ed Glavin, Andy Lassner, Kevin A. Leman II, Jonathan Norman, Derek Westervelt

"Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO)
Producers: Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin

"Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Producers: Ken Aymong, Steve Higgins, Erik Kenward, Lorne Michaels, John Mulaney

"The 64th Annual Tony Awards” (CBS)
Producers: Ricky Kirshner, Glenn Weiss

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television:

"The Amazing Race” (CBS)
Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo

"American Idol” (FOX)
Producers: Charles Boyd, Cecile Frot-Coutaz, Simon Fuller, Patrick Lynn, Nigel Lythgoe, Megan Michaels, Ken Warwick

"Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
Producers: Ashley Edens Shaffer, Conrad Green, Joe Sungkur, Rob Wade

"Project Runway” (Lifetime)
Producers: Jane Cha Cutler, Desiree Gruber, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea, Colleen Sands

"Top Chef” (Bravo)
Producers: Daniel Cutforth, Casey Kriley, Jane Lipsitz, Dan Murphy, Nan Strait

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television:

"30 for 30” (ESPN)
Producers: John Dahl, Connor Schell, Bill Simmons

"American Masters” (PBS)
Producers: Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks

"Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” (Travel Channel)
Producers: Christopher Collins, Julie Lei, Lydia Tenaglia, Tom Vitale

"Deadliest Catch” (Discovery Channel)
Producers: Thom Beers, Jeff Conroy, John Gray, Sheila McCormack, Ethan Prochnik, Bill Pruitt, Matt Renner

"Undercover Boss” (CBS)
Producers: Chris Carlson, Susan Hoenig, Eli Holzman, Sandi Johnson, Stephen Lambert, Allison Schermerhorn

18th Screen Actors Guild Awards

2012-01-20T14:42:00.001-05:00

I realized I never posted the 2012 SAG Awards nominations that will be awarded soon (on January 29^th). Via the Los Angeles Times:

THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role
DEMIÁN BICHIR as Carlos Galindo - "A Better Life"
GEORGE CLOONEY as Matt King - "The Descendants"
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO as J. Edgar Hoover - "J. Edgar"
JEAN DUJARDIN as George - "The Artist"
BRAD PITT as Billy Beane - "Moneyball"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a leading role
GLENN CLOSE as Albert Nobbs - "Albert Nobbs"
VIOLA DAVIS as Aibileen Clark - "The Help"
MERYL STREEP as Margaret Thatcher - "The Iron Lady"
TILDA SWINTON as Eva - "We Need to Talk About Kevin"
MICHELLE WILLIAMS as Marilyn Monroe - "My Week With Marilyn"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a supporting role
KENNETH BRANAGH as Sir Laurence Olivier - "MY WEEK WITH MARILYN"
ARMIE HAMMER as Clyde Tolson - "J. Edgar"
JONAH HILL as Peter Brand - "Moneyball"
NICK NOLTE as Paddy Conlon - "Warrior"
CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER as Hal - "Beginners"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role
BÉRÉNICE BEJO as Peppy - "The Artist"
JESSICA CHASTAIN as Celia Foote - "The Help"
MELISSA McCARTHY as Megan - "Bridesmaids"
JANET McTEER as Hubert Page - "Albert Nobbs"
OCTAVIA SPENCER as Minny Jackson - "The Help"

Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture
"The Artist"
"Bridesmaids"
"The Descendants"
"The Help"
"Midnight in Paris"

TELEVISION

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series
PATRICK J. ADAMS as Mike Ross - "Suits"
STEVE BUSCEMI as Enoch "Nucky" Thomson - "Boardwalk Empire"
KYLE CHANDLER as Eric Taylor - "Friday Night Lights"
BRYAN CRANSTON as Walter White - "Breaking Bad"
MICHAEL C. HALL as Dexter Morgan - "Dexter"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a drama series
KATHY BATES as Harriet Korn - "Harry's Law"
GLENN CLOSE as Patty Hewes - "Damages"
JESSICA LANGE as Constance - "American Horror Story"
JULIANNA MARGULIES as Alicia Florrick - "The Good Wife"
KYRA SEDGWICK as Dept. Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson - "The Closer"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a comedy series
ALEC BALDWIN as Jack Donaghy - "30 Rock"
TY BURRELL as Phil Dunphy - "Modern Family"
STEVE CARELL as Michael Scott - "The Office"
JON CRYER as Alan Harper - "Two and a Half Men"
ERIC STONESTREET as Cameron Tucker - "Modern Family"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a comedy series
JULIE BOWEN as Claire Dunphy - "Modern Family"
EDIE FALCO as Jackie Peyton - "Nurse Jackie"
TINA FEY as Liz Lemon - "30 Rock"
SOFIA VERGARA as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett - "Modern Family"
BETTY WHITE as Elka Ostrovsky - "Hot in Cleveland"

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Breaking Bad"
"Dexter"
"Game of Thrones"
"The Good Wife"

Outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series
"30 Rock"
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"The Office"

Outstanding performance by a male actor in a television movie or miniseries
LAURENCE FISHBURNE as Thurgood Marshall - "Thurgood"
PAUL GIAMATTI as Ben Bernanke - "Too Big to Fail"
GREG KINNEAR as Jack Kennedy - "The Kennedys"
GUY PEARCE as Monty Beragon - "Mildred Pierce"
JAMES WOODS as Richard Fuld - "Too Big to Fail"

Outstanding performance by a female actor in a television movie or Miniseries
DIANE LANE as Pat Loud - "Cinema Verite"
MAGGIE SMITH as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham - "Downton Abbey"
EMILY WATSON as Janet Leach - "Appropriate Adult"
BETTY WHITE as Caroline Thomas - "Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Lost Valentine"
KATE WINSLET as Mildred Pierce - "Mildred Pierce"

HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
"The Adjustment Bureau"
"Cowboys & Aliens"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"X-Men: First Class"

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
"Dexter"
"Game of Thrones"
"Southland"
"Spartacus: Gods of the Arena"
"True Blood"

48TH LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
MARY TYLER MOORE

Here’s the SAG official site.

In Memoriam

2012-01-20T14:36:00.001-05:00

Etta James (1938- 2012)

One of the greatest American singers of all time, whose powerful, versatile, and emotionally direct voice could enliven the raunchiest blues as well as the subtlest love songs, left us today, just short of her 74^th birthday.

Her style spanned a variety of music genres including blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, gospel and jazz. Starting her career in the mid 1950s, she gained fame with hits such as “Dance With Me, Henry,” “At Last,” “Tell Mama,” and “I'd Rather Go Blind.” She faced a number of personal problems, including drug addiction, before making a musical resurgence in the late 1980s.

Here she is with her signature hit, “At Last”

The Oscars are coming…

2012-01-19T11:20:00.001-05:00

Via my friend Vittorio’s blog, a trailer for the upcoming Oscars that hopefully presages a very entertaining ceremony:

The 2012 Orange British Academy Film Awards

2012-01-19T11:16:00.001-05:00

The BAFTA nominations were announced this week and, since I regard them more highly then the Golden Globes (in terms of really awarding achievement, as opposed to positioning for access), here’s the full list:

BEST FILM

THE ARTIST - Thomas Langmann
THE DESCENDANTS - Jim Burke, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
DRIVE - Marc Platt, Adam Siegel
THE HELP - Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Simon Curtis, David Parfitt, Harvey Weinstein, Adrian Hodges
SENNA - Asif Kapadia, James Gay-Rees, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Manish Pandey
SHAME - Steve McQueen, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Abi Morgan
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN - Lynne Ramsay, Luc Roeg, Jennifer Fox, Robert Salerno, Rory Stewart Kinnear

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

ATTACK THE BLOCK - Joe Cornish (Director/Writer)
BLACK POND - Will Sharpe (Director/Writer), Tom Kingsley (Director), Sarah Brocklehurst (Producer)
CORIOLANUS - Ralph Fiennes (Director)
SUBMARINE - Richard Ayoade (Director/Writer)
TYRANNOSAUR - Paddy Considine (Director), Diarmid Scrimshaw (Producer)

DIRECTOR

THE ARTIST - Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE - Nicolas Winding Refn
HUGO - Martin Scorsese
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Tomas Alfredson
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN - Lynne Ramsay

DOCUMENTARY

GEORGE HARRISON: LIVING IN THE MATERIAL WORLD - Martin Scorsese
PROJECT NIM - James Marsh, Simon Chinn
SENNA - Asif Kapadia

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THE ARTIST - Michel Hazanavicius
BRIDESMAIDS - Annie Mumolo, Kristen Wiig
THE GUARD - John Michael McDonagh
THE IRON LADY - Abi Morgan
MIDNIGHT IN PARIS - Woody Allen

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

THE DESCENDANTS - Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
THE HELP - Tate Taylor
THE IDES OF MARCH - George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
MONEYBALL - Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan

FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

INCENDIES - Denis Villeneuve, Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
PINA - Wim Wenders, Gian-Piero Ringel
POTICHE - François Ozon, Eric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
A SEPARATION - Asghar Farhadi
THE SKIN I LIVE IN - Pedro Almodóvar, Agustin Almodóvar

ANIMATED FILM

HE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN - Steven Spielberg
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS - Sarah Smith
RANGO - Gore Verbinski

LEADING ACTOR

BRAD PITT - Moneyball
GARY OLDMAN - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
GEORGE CLOONEY - The Descendants
JEAN DUJARDIN - The Artist
MICHAEL FASSBENDER - Shame

LEADING ACTRESS

BÉRÉNICE BEJO - The Artist
MERYL STREEP - The Iron Lady
MICHELLE WILLIAMS - My Week with Marilyn
TILDA SWINTON - We Need to Talk About Kevin
VIOLA DAVIS - The Help

SUPPORTING ACTOR

CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER - Beginners
JIM BROADBENT - The Iron Lady
JONAH HILL - Moneyball
KENNETH BRANAGH - My Week with Marilyn
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN - The Ides of March

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

CAREY MULLIGAN - Drive
JESSICA CHASTAIN - The Help
JUDI DENCH - My Week with Marilyn
MELISSA MCCARTHY - Bridesmaids
OCTAVIA SPENCER - The Help

ORIGINAL MUSIC

THE ARTIST - Ludovic Bource
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
HUGO - Howard Shore
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Alberto Iglesias
WAR HORSE - John Williams

CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE ARTIST - Guillaume Schiffman
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - Jeff Cronenweth
HUGO - Robert Richardson
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Hoyte van Hoytema
WAR HORSE - Janusz Kaminski

EDITING

THE ARTIST - Anne-Sophie Bion, Michel Hazanavicius
DRIVE - Mat Newman
HUGO - Thelma Schoonmaker
SENNA - Gregers Sall, Chris King
TINKER TAILOR SOLIDER SPY - Dino Jonsater

PRODUCTION DESIGN

THE ARTIST - Laurence Bennett, Robert Gould
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
HUGO - Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald
WAR HORSE - Rick Carter, Lee Sandales

COSTUME DESIGN

THE ARTIST - Mark Bridges
HUGO - Sandy Powell
JANE EYRE - Michael O'Connor
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Jill Taylor
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - Jacqueline Durran

SOUND

THE ARTIST - Nadine Muse, Gérard Lamps, Michael Krikorian
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - James Mather, Stuart Wilson, Stuart Hilliker, Mike Dowson, Adam Scrivener
HUGO - Philip Stockton, Eugene Gearty, Tom Fleischman, John Midgley
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY - John Casali, Howard Bargroff, Doug Cooper, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley
WAR HORSE - Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, Richard Hymns

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET OF THE UNICORN - Joe Letteri
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler, David Vickery
HUGO - Rob Legato, Ben Grossman, Joss Williams
RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES - Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White
WAR HORSE - Ben Morris, Neil Corbould

MAKE UP & HAIR

THE ARTIST - Julie Hewett, Cydney Cornell
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS – PART 2 - Amanda Knight, Lisa Tomblin
HUGO - Morag Ross, Jan Archibald
THE IRON LADY - Marese Langan
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN - Jenny Shircore

SHORT ANIMATION

ABUELAS - Afarin Eghbal, Kasia Malipan, Francesca Gardiner
BOBBY YEAH - Robert Morgan
A MORNING STROLL - Grant Orchard, Sue Goffe

SHORT FILM

CHALK - Martina Amati, Gavin Emerson, James Bolton, Ilaria Bernardini
MWANSA THE GREAT - Rungano Nyoni, Gabriel Gauchet
ONLY SOUND REMAINS - Arash Ashtiani, Anshu Poddar
PITCH BLACK HEIST - John Maclean, Gerardine O'Flynn
TWO AND TWO - Babak Anvari, Kit Fraser, Gavin Cullen

ORANGE WEDNESDAYS RISING STAR AWARD

ADAM DEACON
CHRIS HEMSWORTH
TOM HIDDLESTON
CHRIS O’DOWD
EDDIE REDMAYNE

The awards will be presented on Sunday February 12 at London's Royal Opera House. I watched the ceremony last year and liked it, so maybe I’ll do the same this year.

Here’s the official site.

Concordia

2012-01-18T15:20:00.001-05:00

Via Towleroad, a beautiful image taken from space of a tragedy that seems to have been brought about by human error and foolishness.

Second Class Citizens

2012-01-18T11:52:00.001-05:00

Ryan James Yezak is making a new documentary about the gay rights movement in America. This initial clip about it is stirring to say the least:

The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards

2012-01-16T02:34:00.001-05:00

I just finished watching this year’s Golden Globe ceremony, once again connected via Skype with my best friend Vittorio in Italy, who soldiered on through the entire show in spite of the 6 hours of delay that sent him to bed in the wee hours of the morning.

Watching these shows with him is always a vastly more enjoyable experience. It is truly the next best thing to being in the room together, which at this point looks like it will hardly ever happen.

Anyhow, the show itself was quite good, had a few surprises (at least for me, since I hadn’t been checking the favorites to win for any category at all), and waltzed along nicely towards an on-time ending, something the Academy Awards always get blasted for not being able to achieve. I didn’t find the ceremony to be boring or too long, but I have to say that I still prefer the extras the Oscars usually broadcast, like clips and performances.

Ricky Gervais, back in the host seat after a scorching (and well deserved and excellently delivered) public bashing of several industry players last year, was in great shape, and killed it. They should have him present everything in my opinion. What’s the worst that could happen? That people would actually want to tune in and watch the show? I’d say to the Academy, take a page from the Foreign Press (for this only perhaps) and add some spice to your broadcast and people will flock to it. Just look at the ratings for the Globes!!

Ok, so given that it’s pretty late for me too now, here are the night’s winners (underlined) with some comments (in italics):

Best Motion Picture – Drama

The Descendants (2011)
The Help (2011)
Hugo (2011/II)
The Ides of March (2011)
Moneyball (2011)
War Horse (2011)

Hard to say because I have only seen The Descendants and The Help, but given how good the winner was, I’m glad it won.

Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

The Artist (2011)
Bridesmaids (2011)
50/50 (2011)
Midnight in Paris (2011)
My Week with Marilyn (2011)

Here too I only saw 2 movies, Bridesmaids and Midnight in Paris, but from what I’ve heard of The Artist, I’m glad it won. I can’t wait to see that movie, really. The producer’s acceptance speech was touching and the little dog was adorable!!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

George Clooney for The Descendants (2011)
Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar (2011)
Michael Fassbender for Shame (2011)
Ryan Gosling for The Ides of March (2011)
Brad Pitt for Moneyball (2011)

Clooney’s performance was the only one I saw, and I loved it. I think he was the favorite here because of the comedy/drama split. Dujardin’s competition might prove harder at the Oscars, but I have the feeling that Clooney will go home with his second Oscar this year. His acceptance speech here was funny and simple. Well done!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama

Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady (2011)
Glenn Close for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Viola Davis for The Help (2011)
Rooney Mara for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Tilda Swinton for We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Blessed be the Gods that allowed for this small miracle to happen. The best living actress finally won a big award for a role she was born to play, which will hopefully position her as the front runner at the Oscars. If she wins there, it would only be her third time ever, which is a travesty when one considers the breadth of her work. Viola was stunning in The Help, but whenever there’s Meryl, it’s Meryl. Period. And her speech here was funny, nice, and gracious as always. I love her!!

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Jean Dujardin for The Artist (2011)
Brendan Gleeson for The Guard (2011)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt for 50/50 (2011)
Ryan Gosling for Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011)
Owen Wilson for Midnight in Paris (2011)

Dujardin was the odds on favorite and rightfully (from what I’ve heard) won. Wilson’s work was the only one I saw, but even so, I can safely say that the right performer was awarded here. Also, he’s easy on the eyes…

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy

Michelle Williams for My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Jodie Foster for Carnage (2011)
Charlize Theron for Young Adult (2011)
Kristen Wiig for Bridesmaids (2011)
Kate Winslet for Carnage (2011)

Williams didn’t have much competition in this category, since I’ve read that her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe is uncanny. Hopefully she won’t spoil it for Meryl at the Oscars…

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Christopher Plummer for Beginners (2010)
Kenneth Branagh for My Week with Marilyn (2011)
Albert Brooks for Drive (2011)
Jonah Hill for Moneyball (2011)
Viggo Mortensen for A Dangerous Method (2011)

One of the least contended races this year, for the Oscar as well, ever since Beginners came out. Having loved both the movie and Plummer, I was rooting for him and loved to see him win. By the way, the guy recently turned 82 and he seems in better shape than I am!!

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

Octavia Spencer for The Help (2011)
Bérénice Bejo for The Artist (2011)
Jessica Chastain for The Help (2011)
Janet McTeer for Albert Nobbs (2011)
Shailene Woodley for The Descendants (2011)

Another barely contested race, Spencer has had this award (and likely the Oscar) in the purse since this past summer. She looked so cute and adorable on stage!

Best Director - Motion Picture

Martin Scorsese for Hugo (2011/II)
Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris (2011)
George Clooney for The Ides of March (2011)
Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist (2011)
Alexander Payne for The Descendants (2011)

Here’s one that while definitely deserved (I mean, it’s Martin Scorsese!!) left me wondering if they were using it to spread the wealth and make everyone happy, since the Foreign Press split the Best Pictures and Director awards. They awarded 2 movie, but neither director won here. Hmm, smells fishy to me… Anyway, happy for Scorsese. His work is always top notch.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture

Midnight in Paris (2011): Woody Allen
The Artist (2011): Michel Hazanavicius
The Descendants (2011): Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
The Ides of March (2011): George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon
Moneyball (2011): Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin

No complaints here. Allen made one of the best movies of the year and of his career. A win here is a vindication and some well deserved recognition for one of our greatest maestros.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture

W.E. (2011): Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry("Masterpiece")
Albert Nobbs (2011): Brian Byrne, Glenn Close("Lay Your Head Down")
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011): Elton John, Bernie Taupin("Hello Hello")
The Help (2011): Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas("The Living Proof")
Machine Gun Preacher (2011): Chris Cornell("The Keeper")

I haven’t even heard this song but my friend said it was good. I don’t really care, and I like Madonna, but again I smell favoritisms here, since Madonna is a perennial favorite of the FPA. Whatever. Her speech, however, felt rambling and uncentered, and her dress was pretty but not well tailored at all (it was way too tight at the chest).

Best Original Score - Motion Picture

The Artist (2011): Ludovic Bource
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Hugo (2011/II): Howard Shore
War Horse (2011): John Williams
W.E. (2011): Abel Korzeniowski

Given that we’re dealing with a silent movie here, the score must be pretty amazing, since it’s the movie’s only aural guide. Well deserved I’d say. A little puzzling, however, the recognition here for Madonna’s widely panned (and even derided) W.E. Its score was really one of the 5 best of 2011? Really?

Best Animated Film

The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
Arthur Christmas (2011)
Cars 2 (2011)
Puss in Boots (2011)
Rango (2011)

I smell fish again. The favorite and the one that received the best reviews was definitely Rango, but Tintin was directed by Spielberg, another favorite of the FPA, which likely didn’t want to send him home empty handed given that they weren’t going to award his War Horse. Oh well, it’s the Golden Globes after all, they don’t have a reputation for being trampy for nothing.

Best Foreign Language Film

A Separation (2011)(Iran)
The Flowers of War (2011)(China)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011)(USA)
The Kid with a Bike (2011)(Belgium)
The Skin I Live In (2011)(Spain)

The only comment I have here is once again for how odd it is to see Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut when it’s been widely panned by critics everywhere. How can the FPA find it so compelling? Could it be because they L-O-V-E both Angelina and her beau Brad Pitt? Hmm, there goes that smell again…

Best Television Series - Drama

"Homeland" (2011)
"American Horror Story" (2011)
"Boardwalk Empire" (2010)
"Boss" (2011)
"Game of Thrones" (2011)

So conflicted here, since I’ve loved 4 out of the 5 nominees. Homeland’s victory is well earned though. Such a compelling show.

Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy

"Modern Family" (2009)
"Enlightened" (2011)
"Episodes" (2011)
"Glee" (2009)
"New Girl" (2011)

I had 3 horses in this race, but the best one definitely won. Modern Family is often hysterically funny and always totally charming.

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

"Downton Abbey" (2010)
”Cinema Verite” (2011) (TV)
"The Hour" (2011)
"Mildred Pierce" (2011)
”Too Big to Fail” (2011) (TV)

No comment, I saw none of the contenders.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama

Kelsey Grammer for "Boss" (2011)
Steve Buscemi for "Boardwalk Empire" (2010)
Bryan Cranston for "Breaking Bad" (2008)
Jeremy Irons for "The Borgias" (2011)
Damian Lewis for "Homeland" (2011)

I don’t watch Boss but I love Grammer, so I’m glad he won, however, Buscemi was great in Boardwalk Empire, Irons is magnetic in The Borgias, and Lewis was hypnotic in Homeland.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama

Claire Danes for "Homeland" (2011)
Mireille Enos for "The Killing" (2011)
Julianna Margulies for "The Good Wife" (2009)
Madeleine Stowe for "Revenge" (2011)
Callie Thorne for "Necessary Roughness" (2011)

So glad she won!! Danes is off the charts good in Homeland. Loved her dress too.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

Matt LeBlanc for "Episodes" (2011)
Alec Baldwin for "30 Rock" (2006)
David Duchovny for "Californication" (2007)
Johnny Galecki for "The Big Bang Theory" (2007)
Thomas Jane for "Hung" (2009)

I was surprised here (and LeBlanc seemed as well) but pleased. He was quite good and a revelation for me.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy

Laura Dern for "Enlightened" (2011)
Zooey Deschanel for "New Girl" (2011)
Tina Fey for "30 Rock" (2006)
Laura Linney for "The Big C" (2010)
Amy Poehler for "Parks and Recreation" (2009)

So, so, so happy Dern won. Both Poehler and Linney are fantastic in their shows, but Dern was a revelation in Enlightened, a show so sweet and relaxing to watch, it’s almost cathartic.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Idris Elba for "Luther" (2010)
Hugh Bonneville for "Downton Abbey" (2010)
William Hurt for "Too Big to Fail" (2011) (TV)
Bill Nighy for "Page Eight" (2011) (TV)
Dominic West for "The Hour" (2011)

Once again, no comment for lack of knowledge.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Kate Winslet for "Mildred Pierce" (2011)
Romola Garai for "The Hour" (2011)
Diane Lane for "Cinema Verite" (2011) (TV)
Elizabeth McGovern for "Downton Abbey" (2010)
Emily Watson for "Appropriate Adult" (2011)

Winslet, who looked stunning, at this point should have won every award under the sun for her role in Mildred Pierce, which I’m sure is more than justified. However, again, I saw none of the nominees.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Peter Dinklage for "Game of Thrones" (2011)
Paul Giamatti for "Too Big to Fail" (2011) (TV)
Guy Pearce for "Mildred Pierce" (2011)
Tim Robbins for "Cinema Verite" (2011) (TV)
Eric Stonestreet for "Modern Family" (2009)

Dinklage has also won an Emmy for this role, so hopefully HBO won’t kill off his character any time soon…

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Jessica Lange for "American Horror Story" (2011)
Kelly Macdonald for "Boardwalk Empire" (2010)
Maggie Smith for "Downton Abbey" (2010)
Sofía Vergara for "Modern Family" (2009)
Evan Rachel Wood for "Mildred Pierce" (2011)

One of the nicest surprises of the night for me. I was sure they were going to award Maggie Smith, who is an acting legend, and Kelly Macdonald was astoundingly good in Boardwalk Empire, but Lange raised American Horror Story to a level it wouldn’t have risen to without her.

Three general observations:

I’ve always liked Morgan Freeman’s work but until tonight’s montage of his movies I had never realized how vast his repertory actually is.
Jane Fonda looked stunning for a woman her age – or any age…
Madonna showed everyone her poor sense of humor when she bit back at Gervais for making fun of her. Her first comment was funny. Her second was unkind and uncalled for. Her last just made her look pitiful.

And finally, a special mention for the hottest tickets of the night: Gerard Butler, Ashton Kutcher (so cute with his new haircut!!), Adam Levine, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Bradley Cooper, and Ryan Kwanten (!!!).

Bridesmaids

2012-01-15T18:28:00.001-05:00

I finally got around to watching this movie that had gotten some of the best reviews of the past year. I’m happy to say that they were totally warranted.

Synopsis: when her best friend Lillian decides to get married and asks her to be her Maid of Honor, Annie must put the sadness and disappointment for her own failed relationship and private business aside and play the part of the cheerful best friend. It won’t be easy, especially because of the competition that she feels coming from the wife of Lillian’s fiancé’s boss, who clearly wishes she were the Maid of Honor.

The movie is one brilliant and funny gag after another, and so well written and performed it’s a breath of fresh air. Kristen Wiig, catapulted onto the A List by this role, plays Annie warmly and modestly, without ever turning her into a caricature. Maya Rudolph does the same with Lillian and while the other bridesmaids do represent typical caricatures (the frustrated wife and mother, the bright-eyed newlywed, the self-assured ugly duckling, and the rich, young trophy wife) the actresses do such a good job, they come through as perfectly reasonable and believable.

A special mention goes to Melissa McCarthy, who plays the confident but unattractive Megan with such aplomb, she steals every scene she’s in and makes you wish she were in all of them!!

Wiig also wrote the screenplay, which is the vibrant heart of the movie. Even though some jokes might have been heard before (especially in your typical buddy comedy), they are written with such a light and effective touch, they always feel original and convincing. For instance, Wiig’s budding love story with the police officer is charming and endearing, but just as justified and understandable are her sexcapades with the incredibly sexy Jon Hamm, all in the hope of finding a new love interest.

The Bottom Line: Bridesmaids has become the top comedy of 2011 and with good reason. You will laugh out loud at this story of friendship and love that takes twisty turns but stays true to its core. Don’t miss it.

Grade: 8

An amazing view

2012-01-13T16:08:00.001-05:00

Via Towleroad comes this incredible video from the BBC that manages to be super cool for 2 reasons. One, it’s astounding for being that up-close to actual flying cranes, and two, having loved Venice, Italy, so much when I first saw it last summer, it made me want to go back right away!!

Sh*t Homophobic People Say

2012-01-13T15:39:00.001-05:00

Via Towleroad:

American Horror Story

2012-01-08T17:46:00.004-05:00

The premise of this show about a troubled family looking for a fresh start in a house that turns out to be haunted caught my attention right away. I always try to keep the number of new shows I want to check out to a minimum because I watch too many as is, but this one just sounded too intriguing not to take a peak.

The producers are the guy who produced Nip/Tuck, which I never watched but heard great things about, and Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, which I also don’t watch, but from what I hear is pretty brilliant, and this show promised to have a dark and weird tone, unlike Glee. Furthermore, I read that the gorgeous Dylan McDermott was starring and, since I’ve always found him incredibly attractive, I decided to tune in for the pilot.

Needless to say, I was hooked right away by the intriguing story, the dark and moody ambience, the great direction, cinematography, makeup, visual effects, art direction, and twisty scripts, and the terrific Jessica Lange, among a fantastic acting cast.

Naturally, this show isn’t for everybody. First, you have to accept that what you see is quite often not what you think. Second, it’s not for the squeamish, as some scenes can be pretty gory and/or scary. But if you fit the bill, then you won’t be disappointed.

My opinion of the show was already pretty high, and then I just read an article on EW in which Ryan Murphy explains how he envisioned the show with each season as a standalone, rather than an ongoing serialized drama. By that he means that some of the people we saw in season 1 will be back, but others will not, and season 2 will take place somewhere else. The haunted locale will always change, and so will some of the actors/characters.

I find that fascinating and refreshing, first, because you can rest assured that you’ll quickly get closure and will not be left hanging for a year by a cliffhanger season finale like TV shows generally do these days. Second, because oftentimes shows that run for years tend to have weak seasons here and there caused by overextended arches and storylines. With a story limited to about 10 episodes, the payback comes much more quickly for the audience.

Naturally, I’ll be sad not to see Jessica Lange return, since she was pitch perfect and a pleasure to watch, as were Frances Conroy, Connie Britton, Denis O’Hare, Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, and Lily Rabe. And last, but definitely not least, I’ll miss Dylan…

Check out this show if you like oddball mysteries with a touch of otherworldliness and a lot of darkness. I, for one, can’t wait for season 2!!

Grade – Season 1: 8

A familiar view, once again

2012-01-07T21:14:00.001-05:00

Towleroad pointed me to the twitter feed of the new World Trade Center construction site (who would have thought that even a building would be on Twitter!!) and its gorgeous pictures. A sample:

More here.

Touched by a gorilla

2012-01-07T20:12:00.001-05:00

Via Towleroad, the amazing video of a visitor to Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest who gets the thrill of a lifetime:

Eat less = stay young

2012-01-07T20:05:00.001-05:00

A new study out of my home country of Italy brings us more good reasons to watch what we eat:

Overeating may cause brain aging while eating less turns on a molecule that helps the brain stay young.

A team of Italian researchers at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Rome have discovered that this molecule, called CREB1, is triggered by "caloric restriction" (low caloric diet) in the brain of mice. They found that CREB1 activates many genes linked to longevity and to the proper functioning of the brain.

[…] "Our hope is to find a way to activate CREB1, for example through new drugs, so to keep the brain young without the need of a strict diet," Dr Pani said.

Caloric restriction means the animals can only eat up to 70 percent of the food they consume normally, and is a known experimental way to extend life, as seen in many experimental models. Typically, caloric-restricted mice do not become obese and don't develop diabetes; moreover they show greater cognitive performance and memory, are less aggressive. Furthermore they do not develop, if not much later, Alzheimer's disease and with less severe symptoms than in overfed animals.

Many studies suggest that obesity is bad for our brain, slows it down, causes early brain aging, making it susceptible to diseases typical of older people as the Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. In contrast, caloric restriction keeps the brain young. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanism behind the positive effects of an hypocaloric diet on the brain remained unknown till now.

[…] Moreover, Italian researchers have discovered that the action of CREB1 can be dramatically increased by simply reducing caloric intake, and have shown that CREB is absolutely essential to make caloric restriction work on the brain. In fact, if mice lack CREB1 the benefits of caloric restriction on the brain (improving memory, etc.) disappear. So the animals without CREB1 show the same brain disabilities typical of overfed and/or old animals.

If that’s not good reason enough to eat not only healthier food but in lower quantities, I don’t know what is!

The farthest traveller

2012-01-07T19:48:00.001-05:00

Voyager I, a NASA probe launched in 1977 together with its twin spacecraft Voyager II, has now reached the edges of the Solar System and will soon leave our neighborhood to venture into interstellar space:

More than three decades after launching, NASA’s workhorse spacecraft is inching closer to leaving the solar system behind.

Currently 11 billion miles away from the sun, Voyager 1 has been exploring the fringes of the solar system since 2004.

On Monday, the spacecraft entered a new region, known as the 'stagnation zone' - an area close to the very edge of our solar system, affording the first-ever 'alien's eye' view of our planet.

[…] The spacecraft has enough battery power to last until 2020, but scientists think it will reach interstellar space before that - in a matter of several months to years.

Chief scientist Ed Stone of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory said the timing is unclear because no spacecraft has ever ventured this far.

[…] Scientists expect to see several telltale signs when Voyager 1 finally crosses the boundary including a change in the magnetic field direction and the type of wind. Interstellar wind is slower, colder and denser than solar wind.

[…] Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, were launched in 1977 to tour the outer planets including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. After their main mission ended, both headed toward interstellar space in opposite directions. Voyager 2 is traveling slower than Voyager 1 and is currently 9 billion away miles from the sun.

Click here for more graphical explanations of what it all looks like.

The Banner #4

2012-01-07T18:53:00.001-05:00

For the new banner I decided to pick a picture that went with the season, even though this year we still haven’t gotten any snow since the freak snow storm that came at the end of October.

This picture was taken during a snow storm from the warmth of our family room. Here’s the original:

The bird house is on a tree, which sits right next to our kids’ jungle gym, hence the ladder steps. I liked the accumulation of the snow on the steps and the little roof, as well as the snowflakes blown around by the wind.

The picture was taken on February 16th, 2010, with my current dSLR, a Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi with my 70-300mm zoom lens set to 300mm. The camera was set to P, which picked the following settings: 1/400” @ f/7.1, ISO 400.

I cropped out the part I wanted to use, and then since it was still a little too tall I squeezed it a little by resizing it. The text was turned to black because it stood out more than if I left it white, because of all the snow. I like the final result!

2011, the year that was

2012-01-05T20:44:00.001-05:00

2011 ended up being a fairly unremarkable year for our family, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Ray’s contractor job still keeps him very busy, thankfully, and my job just chugs along. The kids are doing pretty well in school, and Ray and I do our best to give them the tools to live a happy life once they grow up. Finally, our two dogs, Diablo and Mina, keep going strong. Diablo turned 15 this past December and people look at her in disbelief when they find out, given how well she does. Mina is still on drugs because of her separation anxiety, but we do what we can to make her feel comfortable.

Unfortunately, in 2011 I lost a dear aunt to cancer, but fortunately Ray’s mom, who also got diagnosed, was able to beat it. I sincerely hope I don’t have to deal with that illness for a while now…

The political front brought us the big defeat of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which will undoubtedly help moving forward to cause of gay civil rights nationally. Unfortunately, the economy is still in shambles and millions are unemployed, which doesn’t bode well for President Obama’s re-election chances in 2012. I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that my only hope to finally get settled in this country for good stands on his return to the White House for four more years. If a Republican were to be elected president, we’d be in a heap of trouble.

The greenhouse effect made itself felt around our neck of the woods this year as well. First, a rather strong hurricane swept up the east coast, a rarity I’m told, and caused us to lose power for 4 days in August. Then came a freakishly out-of-season snow storm at the end of October that broke countless trees, whose branches were still heavy with leaves following a very long, hot summer, and we lost power again, for 7 days this time. There’s nothing like losing power to make you realize how much we depend on electricity in our daily lives and how very differently people lived only a couple hundred years ago.

We were fortunate enough to be able to all go to Italy for a week to visit with my parents and friends. Ray and I also made a quick trip to Venice (kid-less, thanks to my parents), which I had never seen before. I fell in love with that city. I found it so beautiful, romantic, unique, charming, and lively; I envy those who live there and would love to go back for longer.

We took another week vacation at the end of the year. This time we went on a 5-state road trip in the Midwest, followed by 3 days of relaxation in a hotel that featured an indoor pool for relaxing and a water park for some fun.

The road trip started in Omaha, Nebraska and the destinations were:

Lincoln, Nebraska

The state Capitol is quite beautiful; we didn’t see much else.

Topeka, Kansas

Fairly non-descript for being the state capitol, although the Capitol building was very pretty.
We also saw where the hateful Westboro Baptist Church people live, and were underwhelmed by the simplicity of their lair, while we also felt sorry for the people who live around them.

Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri

While at first we thought the city was part of Missouri, a fact I found rather odd, given its name, we then discovered the even larger oddity of it being shared or split somehow between two states!! At any rate, the city is quite beautiful, with lots of graffiti, great views of the Missouri river, and a good vibe overall.

Jefferson City, Missouri

We made a detour here to view the state Capitol of Missouri, and I’m glad we did. It’s a very nice building and the whole city is quite nice.

St. Louis, Missouri

This was the most beautiful of the cities we saw. We went to the famous arch, the Gateway to the West, which is spectacular from inside and out. We saw the city at night and walked around a bit. It was really nice.

Springfield, Illinois

Another state capitol, another visit to a Capitol building, but this one left us underwhelmed. I guess we expected more from the state that gave us President Lincoln, but it was still quite thrilling to know that our current president had worked in that building before heading to Washington, DC.

Davenport, Illinois'

Another border town, we mostly stopped here just to eat, but we crisscrossed the Mississippi river a couple times and stopped to touch it and take some pictures.

Des Moines, Iowa

This was a surprise for us all I think, since the city felt young, lively, welcoming and open. We visited a Christmas light display that was quite incredible, then took a stroll through a park with a colorfully illuminated bridge over the lake, and then headed to the state Capitol, which ended up being the prettiest of the 5 we saw on this trip!

Omaha, Nebraska

Our final destination saw us stay at the local Ramada Inn, which features the aforementioned indoor pool and water park. The stay was good and we got to both relax and have some fun. For New Year’s Eve we went to a New Orleans’ style restaurant that featured live music, so that was very nice.
We also visited the local zoo, which was quite spectacular, even at this time of year. While several of the animals were indoor, we got to see so many, and they have incredible structures like the Desert Dome, the Kingdoms of the Night, and the Lied Jungle that were truly sensational, not to mention the gorilla enclosure, where we saw many baby monkeys and gorillas. A truly magnificent zoo.

We also got lucky on our way back when our last flight, right after departure, lost one of the engines to what was likely a bird, who flew into it. Thankfully, the pilot was able to circle around and land safely, but I really feared for our lives for a while. I was sitting next to Daniel, who kept asking questions (I guess he saw my worried reaction so I had to try to keep calm not to worry him too much), while Nicole seemed utterly unaware (like many other passengers it seemed).

After the landing, we saw several police and firefighting engines that had been put on alert in case it hadn’t gone so well. Fortunately, the airport being a large one like Chicago’s, they loaded us right on another plane and flew us safely back to New York City.

2011 was also the year I finally started taking my passion for photography a little more seriously. I started reading about how to do it right, got myself a tripod (a must for professional looking pictures apparently) and a new macro lens which I plan to put to good use in the months to come. For my birthday, Ray also made me a website where I can post my pictures, such a lovely thought!!

Furthermore, I also got a new car. T’pol, my beloved Nissan Quest, had so many miles on its back and needed so much work done in order to be safe to drive again that it wasn’t feasible to keep any longer, especially considering its poor performance in the snow, being a front wheel only vehicle and very large and heavy.

My new car, which I road tested in the freak snow storm I mentioned earlier, is positively amazing in the snow. It’s a Subaru Outback which I named Lorien Lisbetha (yes, I know, it’s weird, but I name all my cars ). I absolutely love my new car, so much so that I’m surprised I don’t miss T’pol more. But Lorien has everything I previously had, needed, and/or loved, and more, like satellite radio and bluetooth integration. What more could I ask for?!

And of course, to conclude, my 2011 movies’ list:

9
Black Swan
Contagion
How to Train Your Dragon
The Descendants

8
Beginners
Frost/Nixon
Grey Gardens
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Megamind
Moon
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Super 8
Tangled
The Adjustment Bureau
The Fighter
The Help
The King's Speech
Where the Wild Things Are
X-Men: First Class

7
Alpha Dog
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Flawless
Iron Man 2
Mars Needs Moms
Stand By Me
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Debt
The Messenger
Thor
True Grit
W.
Winter’s Bone
Zack and Miri Make a Porno

6
Battle: Los Angeles
Dracula
Duplicity
Hellboy
In Time
Salt
The Day the Earth Stood Still

5
Eclipse
Gothika
Stargate Continuum

4
Clash of the Titans

3
Land of the Dead
New Moon

47 titles this past year, not bad, but not that many either. I guess I’ll have to cut back on the television shows I watch on a regular basis if I want to watch more movies…

So, no movie earned a perfect 10, but at least only six titles earned insufficient grades. And if I had to pick my top 5 movies for the year, they’d be:

Black Swan
The Descendants
Frost/Nixon
How to Train Your Dragon
The King's Speech

Clearly, there’s no contest here, and Black Swan takes the crown for 2011, for its originality, its freshness, its artistry, and its excellent cinematography, direction, acting, and score. On the other hand, the shame of being the lowliest stinker in the cesspool goes to New Moon, the second chapter in the Twilight saga. What a load of crap that movie was.

OK, that’s it for 2011. On to a new year now and to hoping it’ll be exciting and full of good things!!

Land of the Dead

2012-01-05T16:11:00.001-05:00

I decided to watch this movie after being so thoroughly enthralled by AMC’s The Walking Dead, and only now do I realize that the director, George A. Romero, is the same guy who directed that abomination of Diary of the Dead. I wish I had realized that earlier, it would have spared me another disappointment.

Synopsis: people fight for their survival while the world is overrun by hordes of undead determined to feed on them. A few pockets of '”safe havens” remain, where the rich live completely shielded from the new reality. A group of fighters moves among the two worlds, each with their own agendas, but a new threat lurks among the undead.

If that synopsis sounds vaguely interesting, don’t be fooled. The main idea behind this chapter of Romero’s zombie saga is that one zombie suddenly becomes self-aware and stops being simply a moving corpse with no ability to think. That, in and of itself, is a total absurdity. By definition, a zombie is a corpse whose limbic system somehow keeps working and forces the body to satisfy its most basic instinct, that of feeding itself. That’s it. A zombie’s brain doesn’t have the ability to think because the brain is dead. That’s why the zombie kills indiscriminately and feels no compassion towards former friends or family members.

Looking at Romero’s page on IMDb, I see that his directorial debut, 1968’s Night of the Living Dead, is what put him on the map. He followed that ten years later with Day of the Dead, and more recently with the two stink bombs I’ve watched and a final one, 2009’s Survival of the Dead, which supposedly concludes his pentalogy on the undead. I guess I’ll have to go back and watch the first chapter, because I really don’t understand how anyone could be held to such esteem after making such unexciting turds.

Aside from the central plot point turning out to be unsustainably ridiculous, the whole script is quite weak and the acting non-existent. Simon Baker and John Leguizamo play the main characters, but their talents are wasted and if you never saw them in anything else you’d think they’re horrific actors (and Leguizamo at least surely is not). Even the great Dennis Hopper phones it in as the baddy du jour.

The Bottom Line: while chapter 3 of Romero’s zombie saga isn’t as lame and risible as the following one, I’d still recommend skipping it and opting to watch the magnificently well made The Walking Dead instead. I honestly cannot think of one single thing in this stinker that I really liked. Except maybe that it’s over.

Grade: 3

A Quote By

2012-01-05T12:52:00.001-05:00

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire on her introduction of legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in her state yesterday arguing that “it is time” and “it’s the right thing to do” (via Towleroad):

“Some argue that the state should deny a marriage license to same-sex couples based on the premise that marriage is for procreation. Do we then deny a license to heterosexual couples who choose not to have children?… To those who can’t have children or those who adopt?…  To those who have children through in-vitro fertilization?  Some argue that same-sex marriage weakens the institution of marriage. Is this a role of the state? If so, it has failed miserably with a divorce rate among heterosexual couples now at about 50 percent.

Some argue that the state must deny a marriage license based on religious beliefs.  With a marriage license, couples marry in civil or religious ceremonies.  In issuing the license, the state should not involve itself in an applicant’s religion.  The responsibility of the state is to license only. The right of a church is to decide whom to marry, and the state will honor the religious freedom of all faiths.

The arguments used today to discriminate based on sexual orientation should remind all of us of the arguments used to discriminate in the past, and specifically the laws banning interracial marriage.”

Beginners

2012-01-04T19:57:00.001-05:00

Having garnered such positive reviews, this movie shot at the top of my list.

Synopsis: Oliver Fields seems to live a rather sad, lonely, and emotionally deprived life, partially due to his upbringing. After the death of his mother, his father Hal came out to Oliver and later broke the news that he has cancer. During Hal’s final year of life, Oliver meets a French girl who will force him to face his inability to open himself up to share his life with someone else.

Ewan McGregor plays Oliver with enough acquiescence and devotion to his father’s happiness that one’s heart swells for him. Meanwhile, Christopher Plummer plays Hal with such naturalness, panache, and satisfaction that his is easily one of the best portrayals of a gay man to ever come to life. An Oscar nomination is a certainty and he seems to be the front runner to win his first statuette ever. Bravo!!

The Bottom Line: don’t let yourself be put off by the gay theme, because it’s only part of this wonderfully sweet and warm story of love for others and for oneself.

Grade: 8

Flawless

2012-01-04T17:57:00.001-05:00

This caper starring Demi Moore and Michael Caine was a pleasant surprise.

Synopsis: Laura is the first and only woman to hold a managerial position in the most prestigious British diamond company, one of the largest in the world. Because she’s being held back by an unbreakable glass ceiling, she agrees to help Hobbs, a janitor working at the company, carry out a rather audacious heist.

Caine plays Hobbs rather convincingly, while Moore looks too stiff, even though some stiffness is required by the character. She just looks like she’s not very comfortable in the part for some reason.

The script, however, artfully jumps from point to point in the plot from its inception to its rather shrewd conclusion, keeping the spectator on the edge of his seat.

The Bottom Line: while Flawless won’t set anyone’s heart aflutter, it’s a rather intriguing movie with a well developed screenplay that warrants a chance. PS: yes, Moore’s old-lady makeup is an abomination, but thankfully she doesn’t wear it for long.

Grade: 7

Moon

2012-01-04T16:37:00.001-05:00

Intrigued by the very good reviews I had read about this movie, I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did. Moon is one of those cerebral and suspenseful movies that are quite hard to come by in today’s marketplace that favors bombastic spectacles à la Pirates of the Caribbean.

Synopsis: Sam Bell has been living alone on the Moon for almost 3 years, the length of his contract, as the supervisor of fully automated mining operations. His only companion, GERTY, an artificially intelligent robot. With the imminent end of his contract and his return to Earth and his family quickly approaching, Sam begins to experience odd hallucinations. One of these will cause him to get into an accident that will alter his life forever.

It is really unfortunate that this movie is destined to be a niche-only affair, because its simple story is both haunting and brilliant. The great Sam Rockwell plays the main (and virtually only) character so effectively he should have been nominated for an Oscar. Not only that, he carries the whole movie on his lone shoulders too, given that he’s in each and every scene!!

The Bottom Line: although the movie is located on Earth’s lone satellite, this is by no means a purely sci-fi movie. In fact, it’s mostly a drama with some interesting twists that will delight any movie lover. Don’t miss it.

Grade: 8

The Descendants

2012-01-04T15:41:00.001-05:00

Alexander Payne is one of American cinema’s smartest and most original directors, but alas not one of its most prolific. We had to wait seven long years for his latest film after 2004’s beautifully charming and funny Sideways.

With The Descendants Payne doesn’t disappoint, serving up a movie that is sweet, funny, and touching.

Synopsis: Matt King’s wife goes in a coma after a boating accident and he’s suddenly in charge of their two precocious daughters. He is also the trustee of the King’s estate, which includes thousands of acres of pristine Hawaiian land that the estate is bound to lose if they don’t sell it within a few years. Among all this, news of his wife’s alleged indiscretions throw his life in even more turmoil.

Starting with About Schmidt, followed by Sideways and now with The Descendants, Payne seems to predilect showcasing and analyzing the range of emotions that the American male comes to experience when things in his life take an unexpected turn.

George Clooney truly gives his best performance to date, composed, profound and heartfelt, and should definitely work with Payne again in the future. Just as good is Shailene Woodley though, who plays his older daughter. Both actors are likely shoo-ins for this year’s Oscar race, with Clooney positioned as the front runner to win a Best Actor statuette (the possible spoiler could be Jean Dujardin).

The Bottom Line: do not miss this movie. The story is simple and well written, the acting is superb and the direction feels fresh and intimate. Another great movie from Mr. Payne.

Grade: 9

Real Steel

2012-01-04T14:20:00.001-05:00

As a sci-fi fan I was naturally interested in this movie, but what really got me into the theater were two points made by a review I read. One, it said that this was more than just a movie about robots and two, it said that if the words robot-movie made you immediately think of Michael Bay’s Transformer oeuvre in despair, Real Steel would feel very refreshing.

Both things were true. Real Steel is a nice, feel-good movie that tells a simple story very effectively.

Synopsis: Hugh Jackman is a former boxer who now competes in the robot boxing circuit. The sudden death of a former lover leaves his estranged son in his care. He’s not interested and would readily give up his parental rights to the kid’s aunt, but he’ll start to see beyond his selfishness after being forced to spend some time with his son.

Jackman is quite good and so is Dakota Goyo, who plays his onscreen son. Evangeline Lilly, of Lost fame, is a welcome addition as well, but let’s not forget Atom, the robot that shows so much emotions, it reminded me of Pixar’s WALL-E.

The Bottom Line: Real Steel is a surprisingly well made movie. There’s action, romance, and family drama. It is well written and well acted and a good movie overall.

Grade: 8

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

2011-12-22T12:02:00.001-05:00

I heard yesterday that they had released the first official trailer for Peter Jackson’s upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and wasn’t sure whether I wanted to watch it or not, since they always give away too much in trailers.

However, given that I had read the book a long time ago and want to read it again before the movie comes out next December, I watched it and was amazed. So following the lead of my good friend Vittorio, here’s the first look of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

Homeland

2011-12-21T22:57:00.001-05:00

Homeland, Showtime’s latest addition to its stable of shows, is a certified thoroughbred. While I read a critique that complained about its penchant for running in circles without ever getting anywhere, I found the show intriguing and well made.

Yes, I do agree that Brody’s ultimate driving motivation was kind of a stretch (did he love Issa so much that he’s willing to sacrifice being with his family for him? Really? What about his own son and daughter?). However, the show’s cerebral approach to fighting terrorism was a breath of fresh air after the years of overblown blunt force we were fed by 24.

Claire Danes and Damian Lewis are both superlative, and the whole cast does a great job, especially Mandy Patinkin. The scripts are tight, full of surprises, and pack a load of physical and mental action.

If you haven’t checked Homeland out yet, catch up before season 2 premieres. You won’t be disappointed.

Grade – Season 1: 8

Dexter

2011-12-21T22:30:00.001-05:00

Dexter is a show that I started watching quite late, but rapidly became one of my favorites. Yes, he’s a serial killer, and we’re not supposed to like serial killers, but that’s the reason why this show is so great. Or at least, was so great.

Season 1 (the Ice Truck Killer) and season 2 (the Harbor Bay Butcher) were great. Season 3 (Dexter strikes an unlikely friendship) was only good, but season 4 (the Trinity killer) was the zenith. A season so good would have been hard to match, let alone best, so season 5 (Lumen now befriends Dexter) wasn’t as much of a letdown as a coming back to less rarified heights.

Season 6, however, made me wonder if Dexter’s best days are now firmly behind us. Even worse, I’m now afraid that with Debra’s unorthodox interest in her brother, the show might have actually jumped the shark.

That would be really disappointing, because Dexter is one of those guilty pleasures that I long for and don’t want to give up.

Anyway, this last season wasn’t bad (just less good) and the featured killers, while at first seemed so shocking as to be unrealistic, turned out to be twisty and captivating. However, I think promoting Debra put her into a corner and what I mentioned earlier about her newfound feelings felt weird and kind of messed up.

Here’s to hoping that season 7 brings Dexter back from the brink and to its former glory.

Grade – Season 6: 7

I’m in LOVE!!!!

2011-12-20T15:33:00.001-05:00

How to Make It in America

2011-12-19T23:20:00.001-05:00

Alas, not all HBO shows remarkably improved this year. How to Make It in America went from being just watchable in its freshman season to slightly interesting during its sophomore outing.

Full disclosure: the main reason I watch this show is the magnetically charming Bryan Greenberg (Ben), but I still hope the show will be good!

Seeing now how high it rates on IMDb (8.4/10 today), I’m starting to think that maybe I’m just not the demographic the producers are after.

The show centers around Ben’s friendship with Cam (Victor Rasuk) and their efforts to get rich and famous by launching a successful clothing line. There are friends, relatives, and business partners, and the action takes place in the hippest and liveliest of locales: New York City. It all sounds very exciting right? And yet, the end result is less than the sum of its parts.

At this point I don’t know if I’ll be watching season 3. It’s a possibility, mostly because how can one say no to Mr. Greenberg, but I might just drop it from my lineup.

Grade: 6

Hung

2011-12-19T22:35:00.001-05:00

For a show that started out with the unlikeliest of premises (a gym teacher finds himself in economic hardship and decides to start prostituting himself to make ends meet) and not the strongest reviews, Hung sure found its footing in the recently ended season 3.

Aside from the obvious magnet of the gorgeous Thomas Jane (Ray Drecker) spending a third of the show without some article of clothing on, what really makes for a good time is the relationship that has been established between him and Jane Adams (Tanya Skagle), who acts as his pimp.

Adams this past season has really outdone herself in terms of comedic timing and acting chops. She’s definitely established her character as a main part of the show. Her interactions with either Jane or Rebecca Creskoff (Lenore Bernard), or anyone else for that matter, are really what make the show funny and interesting.

And the addition of a new “stallion” only made for more interesting storylines too!

Grade: 8

Boardwalk Empire

2011-12-19T21:57:00.001-05:00

Well, I’m glad I stuck around for the second season of this show even though I wasn’t particularly thrilled about the first one. This HBO show now certainly deserves all the accolades it prematurely (in my opinion) got showered with.

What I mean to say is that I was a little surprised when it won, among other awards, 1 DGA, 1 WGA, 4 Emmys, 2 Golden Globes, and 2 SAGs after it’s first season, which I honestly found interesting but still budding. I can’t imagine what it will win after its second go round!!

The drama intensified, the writing sharpened and deepened, the acting was better than ever, and the costumes, cinematography, and art design retained the highest quality that Martin Scorsese infused the pilot with.

If you haven’t checked this show out yet, rent both seasons and watch them back to back. It’s like a good wine that improves with age. And the finale’s cliffhanger left me aghast and shocked at the thought of having to wait a whole year before being able to find out what happens next.

Grade – Season 2: 9

The Spielberg Face

2011-12-19T14:22:00.001-05:00

A fan’s tribute to the mastery of Steven Spielberg:

Laugh along

2011-12-19T10:39:00.001-05:00

When laughter is contagious:

Good riddance

2011-12-19T10:15:00.001-05:00

Kim Jong-il, North Korea’s crazy ruling tyrant, is finally dead.

Here’s The New York Times breaking news alert from last night:

Kim Jong-il, the reclusive dictator who kept North Korea at the edge of starvation and collapse, banished to gulags citizens deemed disloyal and turned the country into a nuclear weapons state, died Saturday, according to North Korean state news media.

Called the “Dear Leader” by his people, Mr. Kim, the son of North Korea’s founder, remained an unknowable figure. Everything about him was guesswork, from the exact date and place of his birth to the cause of his death to the mythologized events of his rise in a country formed by the hasty division of the Korean Peninsula at the end of World War II.

North Koreans heard about him only as their “peerless leader” and “the great successor to the revolutionary cause.” Yet he fostered what was perhaps the last personality cult in the Communist world. His portrait hangs beside that of his father, Kim Il-sung, in every North Korean household and building. Towers, banners and even rock faces across the country bear slogans praising him.

Now we’ll see if his son is crazier than he was…

Daytime fireworks

2011-12-16T15:19:00.001-05:00

Towleroad pointed me to this incredible display by artist Cai Guo-Qiang:

More here.

The War Is Over

2011-12-16T15:14:00.001-05:00

Or at the very least the presence of the US military in Iraq is. This is the Breaking News alert I received from CNN yesterday:

The United States officially ended its mission in Iraq on Thursday, nearly nine years after it led an invasion to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Baghdad for the ceremony to personally thank the U.S. troops who have served there, as well as Iraqi security forces.
All U.S. troops must be out of Iraq by the end of the month after Washington and Baghdad failed to agree on terms under which they could remain.
There were about 5,500 American troops in Iraq as of Tuesday, the most recent day American officials in Iraq gave CNN figures.

The Protester

2011-12-16T14:57:00.001-05:00

Time has picked it’s annual “Person of the Year”

No one could have known that when a Tunisian fruit vendor set himself on fire in a public square, it would incite protests that would topple dictators and start a global wave of dissent. In 2011, protesters didn’t just voice their complaints; they changed the world.

Sweet video of the day

2011-12-16T14:53:00.001-05:00

From Towleroad:

Don’t you just want to adopt one?!

A Quote By

2011-12-16T14:52:00.001-05:00

George Clooney, who just signed up to the West Coast production of “8,” Dustin Lance Black’s play about the Proposition 8 trial, about gay civil rights:

“It is astonishing that gay and lesbian Americans are still treated as second-class citizens. I am confident that, very soon, the laws of this nation will reflect the basic truth that gay and lesbian people -- like all human beings -- are born equal in dignity and rights.”

In Memoriam

2011-12-16T14:24:00.001-05:00

Christopher Hitchens (1949 – 2011)

We have lost a great mind. The New York Times wrote:

Christopher Hitchens, a slashing polemicist in the tradition of Thomas Paine and George Orwell who trained his sights on targets as various as Henry Kissinger, the British monarchy and Mother Teresa, wrote a best-seller attacking religious belief, and dismayed his former comrades on the left by enthusiastically supporting the American-led war in Iraq, died Thursday at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He was 62.

I liked his thinking and was particularly a fan of his positions on religion. From Wikipedia:

Identified as a champion of the "New Atheism" movement, Hitchens described himself as an antitheist and a believer in the philosophical values of the Enlightenment. Hitchens said that a person "could be an atheist and wish that belief in god were correct," but that "an antitheist, a term I'm trying to get into circulation, is someone who is relieved that there's no evidence for such an assertion."[12] He argued that the concept of god or a supreme being is a totalitarian belief that destroys individual freedom, and that free expression and scientific discovery should replace religion as a means of teaching ethics and defining human civilization.

R.I.P.

Beware of Facebook’s data collection and retention

2011-12-15T12:24:00.001-05:00

Even though I reconnected with some people from my teenage years, I regret ever getting a Facebook account. I didn’t put that much information in it, but enough to bother me.

And removing it now is useless, something I already knew and that this video simply confirmed:

Use at your own peril.

Breakthrough scientific study

2011-12-13T11:27:00.001-05:00

Another one for the ages from the brilliant minds at The Onion:

According to a study published Monday in The New England Journal Of Medicine, getting smacked right across the mouth with a goddamn tree branch really fucking sucks, but after a minute or so, you're pretty much fine.

The study, in which researchers at Boston University documented the reactions of more than 400 unsuspecting volunteers getting smacked right in the mouth with tree branches, found that regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, or socioeconomic background, a full-on, unexpected smack to the mouth with a stupid goddamn tree branch initially really blows, though the subject is more or less okay once a few minutes have passed.

Laugh out loud funny. Full article here.

Rolling Stones falls for 21

2011-12-09T14:36:00.001-05:00

Pink Is the New Blog reports that famed music zine Rolling Stone selected Adele’s 21 as their best of the best, the #1 of their 50 best albums of 2011:

“Turn my sorrow into treasured gold,” cried Adele Adkins on “Rolling in the Deep.” It was a confession and a prophecy. 21 was this year’s most stunning pop success, transmuting the young Brit’s personal sorrow – the collapse of an 18-month relationship – into a 13-million-selling smash that leapt across borders and oceans and united everyone from teeny-boppers to baby boomers to hip-hop-heads. The sound is state-of-theart retro soul, with touches of Motown, bossa nova and 1970s piano pop. But at its heart was that voice: giant, classic-sounding, promising emotional depth way beyond its years. More than any other album this year, 21 made you feel its pain – from the triple-hankie tear-jerker “Someone Like You” to ripsnorting revenge songs like “Rumour Has It,” where Adele rides a roiling groove and flattens everything in her path.

Couldn’t agree more!!

Must watch of the day

2011-12-06T14:22:00.001-05:00

Towleroad posted about this great video set to Adele’s Set Fire To the Rain:

Andrew Vallentine, the director, writes:

"The music video portrays a man struggling with his sexuality, while the girl in love with him fights to hold on as everything she thought she knew comes crashing down before her. The song speaks of a foolish love that's so hard to let go. This theme is not uncommon, most of us have been subjected to this type of unrequited love in some way, shape, or form. Whether gay or straight, single or taken, if you have not experienced this kind of pain, consider yourself one of the lucky ones."

The choreography is fantastic, but the most striking thing is probably the likeness of Michelle Meredith to Adele herself!

All in all, a great music video. I bet Adele’s production team wishes they made it themselves…

Animal cruelty

2011-12-05T16:20:00.001-05:00

Reading this article made me sick to my stomach:

A controversial procedure performed on dogs and cats known as devocalization or debarking has upset animal lovers, who are now pushing to have the surgery outlawed.
Debarking involves surgically removing an animal’s vocal cords to reduce the sound of the animal’s vocalizations.
“I don’t think it’s the right thing to do,” Susan Rawson told WVIT. Her adopted 11-year-old Collie, a former show dog, was devocalized by his previous owner.
“It’s like declawing cats, or taking the voice box out of a baby,” she added. “That’s how they communicate, that’s how they talk. So I think it’s very cruel.”
Massachusetts and New Jersey are the only states to have banned the surgery, which critics decry as mutilation for the convenience for pet owners.
[…] The procedure is banned under the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals. The United Kingdom has also outlawed the surgery.

I cannot imagine somebody doing this to a dog simply because they can’t stand the loudness of their barking. We have two dogs and one of them tends to “over bark,” but that’s her voice, that’s who she is, and there’s always a reason for it, whether we might find it agreeable or not!!

Even comparing this to declawing a cat is way off, because a dog’s vocal cords are used by him to communicate, like a cat’s meow.

It’s just disgusts me to think of the things people will lower themselves to do to the poor creatures they portend to love and protect.

Here’s a video report in which you can see the end result of this inhumane surgery:

Racism in America

2011-12-05T16:06:00.001-05:00

When I read this article I couldn’t believe that this was happening in 2011 in America:

A small church in Pike County, Kentucky has voted to ban interracial couples from most church activities “to promote greater unity among the church body.”

Melvin Thompson, former pastor of Gulnare Freewill Baptist church, proposed the ban after Stella Harville brought her fiance, Ticha Chikuni, to services in June. Harville, who goes by the name Suzie, played the piano while Chikuni sang.

Before stepping down as pastor in August, Thompson told Harville that her fiance could not sing at the church again. Harville is white and Chikuni, a native of Zimbabwe, is black.

Last Sunday, church members voted 9-6 in favor of Thompson’s proposed ban. Others attending the church business meeting declined to take a stand on the issue.

“That the Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church does not condone interracial marriage,” the resolution states, according to WKYT.

“Parties of such marriages will not be received as members, nor will they be used in worship services and other church functions, with the exception being funerals. All are welcome to our public worship services. This recommendation is not intended to judge the salvation of anyone, but is intended to promote greater unity among the church body and the community we serve.”

Absolutely sickening.

I particularly like these two nuggets:

All are welcome to our public worship services.
This recommendation is not intended to judge the salvation of anyone

Link here.

2012 Grammys

2011-12-01T16:43:00.001-05:00

The nominations for the 2012 Grammy Awards were announced today and my beloved Adele picked up six nods, including the top 3 (Album, Record and Song of the Year). Lady Gaga will also compete for Album of the Year with Born This Way.

The main categories, from MTV.com:

Album of the Year
» Adele - 21
» Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
» Lady Gaga - Born This Way
» Bruno Mars - Doo-Wops & Hooligans
» Rihanna - Loud
Record of the Year
» Adele - "Rolling In The Deep"
» Bon Iver - "Holocene"
» Bruno Mars - "Grenade"
» Mumford & Sons - "The Cave"
» Katy Perry - "Firework"
Best New Artist
» The Band Perry
» Bon Iver
» J. Cole
» Nicki Minaj
» Skrillex
Song of the Year
» Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie - "All of the Lights" » Mumford & Sons - "The Cave"
» Bruno Mars - "Grenade"
» Bon Iver - "Holocene"
» Adele - "Rolling In The Deep"
Best Pop Solo Performance
» Adele - "Someone Like You"
» Lady Gaga - "Yoü and I"
» Bruno Mars - "Grenade"
» Katy Perry - "Firework"
» Pink - "F***in' Perfect"
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
» Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse - "Body and Soul"
» The Black Keys - "Dearest"
» Coldplay - "Paradise"
» Foster The People - "Pumped Up Kicks"
» Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera - "Moves Like Jagger"

As much as I like Lady Gaga, I’ll be rooting for Adele in each category. Adele’s 21 is an instant classic, while Born This Way didn’t live up to the very high expectations that Lady Gaga herself had set for it. Adele’s style is also more what I’m drawn to anyway.

For a full list of nominees, or just to take a look at some of the weirder or more obscure categories listed, click here (it’s a 50 page PDF!!).

In Time

2011-11-30T13:38:00.001-05:00

I really wanted to like this movie, because of the concept and because I like both lead actors, but unfortunately it’s a letdown.

Synopsis: Justin Timberlake plays a guy who decides to take on the system when he finally cannot abide by the injustices and restrictions the rich and powerful put on the poor and the working class. He’ll be aided in his quest by an unlikely ally.

The cool concept I mentioned is this: many years in the future human biology has been altered because of overcrowding and economics. Humans age normally for the first 25 years, after which the aging process stops altogether. At that point, however, a digital clock embedded in everyone’s forearm starts counting down the last year one’s allowed to live. When the count reaches zero, he dies from cardiac arrest. Time has literally replaced money and can be bought and sold. As with money, the poor have little and the rich have tons.

Doesn’t that sound like a great idea for a movie? Unfortunately, about halfway through, the whole structure starts weakening. I can’t blame Timberlake, who does a good job and is really coming into his own as an actor, or Amanda Seyfried, who’s a good actress but here strains to make her character feel real. And the always good Cillian Murphy also struggles to make us believe in his morally righteous time-cop.

Ultimately, and sadly, the blame falls on the screenplay by writer-director Andrew Niccol, whose previous work includes the very enjoyable S1m0ne, the brilliant The Truman Show, and one of my all-time-favorites, Gattaca. The script turns out to be too predictable in the end, and that causes a lot of the suspense to vaporize.

The Bottom Line: a great concept and good actors cannot save this movie from ultimately feeling as soft and deflated as a week old balloon. In spite of that, it’s still enjoyable, thanks to the many action sequences and plot twists, and it will make you think, not particularly about the movie itself but about what it would mean to live in such a dystopian world.

Grade: 6

Jail time: 4 years

2011-11-29T14:01:00.001-05:00

That’s the sentence handed down to doctor Murray in the wrongful death lawsuit brought against him after the death of his most famous patient, Michael Jackson.

From CNN’s Breaking News:

Dr. Conrad Murray has been sentenced to four years in custody in the death of Michael Jackson.

Three weeks ago, Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death.
Prosecutors successfully argued that Murray's reckless use of the surgical anesthetic propofol to help Jackson sleep, without proper monitoring equipment, led to the singer's death.
Testimony during Murray's trial revealed that he gave propofol nearly every night in the two months before the singer's June 25, 2009, death as Jackson prepared for upcoming comeback concerts in London.

I hadn’t followed the trial at all, but reading that last paragraph, I can’t but side with the plaintiffs in this case. Propofol is a very dangerous drug used as anesthetic during surgery only in hospital settings. For a doctor to administer it nightly as a sleeping aid, it’s unconscionable and criminal.

No wonder the guy died.

Global warming on the rise

2011-11-29T12:35:00.001-05:00

Two dire reports on the worsening situation of the Earth’s atmosphere.

From Raw Story:

Intense, months-long heat waves, fierce flooding and an ever-increasing human and economic toll from natural disasters are all things governments around the world should begin anticipating, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) announced on Friday.

In a draft report, the scientific body warned that climate extremes are more likely than ever in the coming decades, largely due to human activity.

[…] Through effective risk management, the climate panel said, governments can help to mitigate the worst effects in the coming years, and save many lives and potentially billions of dollars in the process.

Illustrating the ratio of what type of savings this could mean for future budgets, Tim Gore, Oxfam’s adviser on climate change, told The Guardian that every dollar spent now to adapt to climate change will soon represent $60 in savings.

“Governments must find the new money needed to invest now, and avoid the far higher costs of clean-up and lives lost later,” he reportedly said.

China is the world’s largest contributor of greenhouse gases, but the U.S. is second and has the highest output per-capita.

From Google News:

Global warming gases have hit record levels in the world's atmosphere, with concentrations of carbon dioxide up 39 percent since the start of the industrial era in 1750, the U.N. weather agency said Monday.
The new figures for 2010 from the World Meteorological Organization show that CO2 levels are now at 389 parts per million, up from about 280 parts per million a quarter-millenium ago. The levels are significant because the gases trap heat in the atmosphere.
WMO Deputy Secretary-General Jeremiah Lengoasa said CO2 emissions are to blame for about four-fifths of the rise. But he noted the lag between what gets pumped into the atmosphere and its effect on climate.
"With this picture in mind, even if emissions were stopped overnight globally, the atmospheric concentrations would continue for decades because of the long lifetime of these greenhouse gases in the atmosphere," he said.
Negotiators from virtually all the world's nations will gather later this month in South Africa to try to agree on steps to head off the worst of the climate disruptions that researchers say will result if concentrations hit around 450 parts per million.
That could happen within several decades at the current rate, though some climate activists and vulnerable nations say the world has already passed the danger point of 350 parts per million and must somehow undo it.

Dire news indeed.

The rise of stronger bacteria

2011-11-29T11:40:00.001-05:00

Bad news coming from Europe in the fight against the little microbes:

Superbugs capable of evading even the most powerful antibiotics are increasing their grip in Europe with rates of drug resistance in one type of bacteria reaching 50 percent in the worst-hit countries, health officials said Thursday.
In a report on multi-drug resistant bacteria, or so-called superbugs, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which monitors disease across the European Union, said the need to combat resistance was “critical.”
[…] K. pneumoniae is a common cause of pneumonia, urinary tract, and bloodstream infections in hospital patients. The superbug form is resistant even to a class of medicines called carbapenems, the most powerful known antibiotics, which are usually reserved by doctors as a last line of defense.
[…] To a large extent, antibiotic resistance is driven by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which encourages bacteria to develop new ways of overcoming them.
Experts say primary care doctors are partly to blame for prescribing antibiotics for patients who demand them unnecessarily, and hospitals are also guilty of overuse.
“Fifty percent of all antibiotic use in hospitals can be inappropriate,” the ECDC said, urging far more prudent use.
At the same time, there are few new antibiotic drugs on the horizon and experts are worried that only a few big drug firms, such as GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, still have strong antibiotic research and development programs.
There is little commercial incentive to invest in new drugs that may be held in reserve as last-line weapons.
Sprenger said the report found that the countries with the highest rates of multi-drug resistant infections, such as Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria, also tended to be the ones with the highest use of antibiotics.
“In general what you see is that high resistance goes hand in hand with high consumption,” he said.

Dumb Oscar Rules

2011-11-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

Mark Harris, a columnist I enjoy reading on Entertainment Weekly, wrote an article about 3 things the Academy of Motion Pictures, which oversees the Academy Awards, should overhaul.

I agree with him on all points and particularly on this one:

Although the same actor can be nominated in both lead and supporting categories (it’s happened about a dozen times, most recently for Cate Blanchett in 2007), the Academy will not allow an actor to be nominated for more than one performance within the same category.

[…] There’s not much to say about this rule other than that it’s so dumb that no other branch of the Academy shares the policy.

[…] A majority of the Academy clearly understands that there’s nothing wrong with a great year being reflected in a double nomination — so why not for actors? Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Carey Mulligan, Christopher Plummer, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Judi Dench are among the performers who’d conceivably be eligible to double- or even triple-dip this year; it’s unlikely that it would happen for any of them, which is exactly the reason to change the rule now rather than wait until it causes a real injustice. Actually, that’s already happened. In 1986, Dennis Hopper received his only acting Oscar nomination, for the basketball film Hoosiers. That achievement instantly disqualified all the votes he got for his other, rather more notable supporting performance that year — in Blue Velvet.

I don’t see any wrinkles with Harris’ reasoning. Composers, writers, directors, costume designers and others have gotten double - or more - nominations in the same category in the same year before, but that’s not allowed for actors unless they get nominated for a supporting and a leading category, and they would never be able to get three nominations. Ever.

That seems rather unjust and silly to me.

It’s Time!!

2011-11-28T16:39:00.001-05:00

My friend Vittorio (currently pictured in the banner) sent me a link to what’s likely the most touching and beautiful video in favor of marriage equality ever:

Why the 1% should do more for the common good

2011-11-28T16:35:00.001-05:00

The honorable Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, plainly explains why we’re in the financial mess we’re in and why it doesn’t make sense to touch social programs for the middle class and the poor without asking the rich to do more and pay their fair share:

Via Raw Story.

A Quote By

2011-11-28T16:28:00.001-05:00

The gorgeous Michael Fassbender talking about his full frontal scene in Shame, in which he portrays a sex addict, and which was slapped with an NC-17, a rare label that effectively works as a muzzle, given that most theaters don't carry films with that rating. Fassbender finds the whole controversy a bit silly:

"Half of us have a penis and the other half have probably seen one, and so why should it be more normal to, like, chop people's heads off and shoot people? Does that mean that that's more acceptable or closer to us as human beings?"

Via Towleroad.

Lost species

2011-11-28T16:15:00.001-05:00

From David Mixner, a reminder of the children the planet has lost forever:

The origin of an epidemic

2011-11-27T23:17:00.001-05:00

I recently read an article about a physics experiment attempting to determine whether neutrinos can travel faster than light, which would invalidate part of Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity (according to another article I read shortly afterwards, they cannot), and this tidbit caught my imagination:

If confirmed, scientists say the findings may show that Einstein — seen as the father of modern physics — was wrong when he set out in his theory of special relativity that the speed of light is a “cosmic constant” and nothing can go faster.

This would force a major rethink of theories about how the cosmos works and even mean it would be possible, in theory, to send information into the past.

After reading that, I started wondering, What would I change in the past if I had the chance?

Obviously, things like warning the world about the rise of Hitler or Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden would be high on the list, but reading the following article pretty much sealed the deal:

Jacques Pepin isn’t a big name in AIDS research and he toils not in a scientific world capital but in the Quebec regional city of Sherbrooke. Yet this self-effacing professor is getting international buzz for a new book that traces the improbable voyage of the AIDS virus to a single bush hunter in central Africa in 1921.

[…]

Dr. Pepin’s book, The Origin of AIDS, is gaining attention for some of its surprising conclusions. He collects evidence that the virus spread not only through sexual activity but, crucially, through well-meaning European doctors and nurses fighting tropical diseases in pre-independence Africa.

They used syringes and needles to inject hundreds of patients a day in medical campaigns against diseases such as sleeping sickness, tuberculosis and leprosy. In the process, Dr. Pepin believes, they helped turn a virus infecting a lone ape hunter in Africa into a global epidemic with some 32 million victims.

“The chances that this hunter alone could launch an epidemic are very low,” Dr. Pepin said. “But there are all the chances in the world that he went to be treated for a tropical disease and a little HIV stayed in the syringe. Then the next patient was injected with it intravenously.”

[…]

Dr. Pepin’s research over the years also involved testing the blood of older Africans; and he spent years sifting through historical documents on the colonial period – newspapers, records, academic studies – in capitals across Europe. His turning point, he said, came one day in the southern French city of Marseilles. He was poring over medical archives and found a motherlode of original records crammed with painstaking charts and entries outlining the massive use of injections in colonial Africa.

“That day was a revelation. I realized that these reports probably contained a big part of the explanation of what happened behind the emergence of AIDS,” he said. “If there hadn’t been those medical campaigns, in my opinion, there probably wouldn’t have been an AIDS epidemic.”

[…]

His work led him to connect the dots between that first bush hunter, who probably got infected with HIV while manipulating chimpanzee meat, to the sex trade in fast-growing African cities decades later. Then, in a more speculative turn, he believes the virus bridged the Atlantic with a single Haitian teacher returning home in the 1960s after working in Zaire, before spreading through a Haitian plasma centre, sex tourism and finally surfacing among gay men in California.

Quite stunning if you think about it. Millions of people have died and millions more are infected, will get infected, and will die, all because of a lack of basic preventative measures in place when well-meaning health care professionals were trying to save the lives of millions of people.

Heartbreakingly sad.

Are we really 99%?

2011-11-25T19:50:00.001-05:00

The Guardian’s eye opener about the ~~gap~~ chasm that separates “us” from “them.”

A must see:

A storm on Saturn

2011-11-24T12:33:00.001-05:00

This beautiful image of Saturn taken by NASA’s Cassini probe shows us the magnificent planet and its latest and biggest storm:

From The Daily Galaxy:

Kunio Sayanagi, a Cassini imaging team associate and planetary scientist at UCLA: "This new storm is a completely different kind of beast compared to anything we saw on Saturn previously with Cassini. The fact that such outbursts are episodic and keep happening on Saturn every 20 to 30 years or so is telling us something about deep inside the planet, but we have yet to figure out what it is."

New images and animated movies from NASA's Cassini spacecraft chronicle the birth and evolution of the colossal storm that ravaged the northern face of Saturn for nearly a year.

These new full-color mosaics and animations show the storm from its emergence as a tiny spot in a single image almost one year ago, on Dec. 5, 2010, through its subsequent growth into a storm so large it completely encircled the planet by late January 2011.

The monster tempest, which extended north-south approximately 9,000 miles (15,000 kilometers), is the largest seen on Saturn in the past two decades and is the largest by far ever observed on the planet from an interplanetary spacecraft. On the same day that Cassini's high-resolution cameras captured the first images of the storm, Cassini's radio and plasma wave instrument detected the storm's electrical activity, revealing it to be a convective thunderstorm. The storm's active convecting phase ended in late June, but the turbulent clouds it created linger in the atmosphere today.

The storm's 200-day active period also makes it the longest-lasting planet-encircling storm ever seen on Saturn. The previous record holder was an outburst sighted in 1903, which lingered for 150 days. The large disturbance imaged 21 years ago by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and comparable in size to the current storm lasted for only 55 days.

[...]

"The Saturn storm is more like a volcano than a terrestrial weather system," said Andrew Ingersoll, a Cassini imaging team member at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "The pressure builds up for many years before the storm erupts. The mystery is that there's no rock to resist the pressure - to delay the eruption for so many years."

A chilling death

2011-11-24T11:42:00.001-05:00

Via Towleroad, one of the coolest and most chilling videos I’ve ever seen:

Time lapse

2011-11-17T15:12:00.001-05:00

One of the coolest time lapse videos I’ve ever seen:

Kids' trick

2011-11-17T15:09:00.000-05:00

I almost lost it:

Biertijd.com // Media » Tablecloth Trick

The view from above

2011-11-15T16:35:00.001-05:00

This video, taken from aboard the International Space Station over the course of several nights, is absolutely incredible. It makes the most compelling argument for both investing into space travel and research, and protecting this fragile home we occupy in the immense vastness of the cold universe:

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Simply breathtaking!

Phil Plait, at Bad Astronomy puts it best:

I’m so overwhelmed by the beauty and coolness of this video I’m not sure which part I like best! The cities streaming by underneath; the instantly recognizable outlines of familiar places like the Great Lakes or the boot of Italy; the incredible flickering thunderstorms — giving you an understanding that there are always thousands of such storms all over the planet at any one time; the incredible 3D view of the green and red aurorae which you can actually see as towering structures dozens or even hundreds kilometers in height; the stars rising and setting and spinning over the horizon; the reflection of the Moon on the Earth below following along our point of view at 2:50 into the footage; or the thin glowing arc above the horizon: airglow, caused by molecules in the upper atmosphere slowly emitting light as they release energy accumulated during the day.

It’s all fantastic.

For me the most heart stopping thing is seeing the extremely thin layer of atmosphere on the horizon that protects every living being on Earth from the ravages of space. We wouldn’t be here without it, and we really should do everything we can to maintain its good health.

Christmas is coming…

2011-11-15T16:17:00.001-05:00

Have you ever seen a cuter advertisement?

The Iron Lady

2011-11-15T11:28:00.001-05:00

I always avoid trailers of movies I want to watch like the plague, because they give away too much and often ruin the experience. I’d rather go in knowing nothing then knowing too much.

I made an exception for Meryl Streep’s upcoming The Iron Lady, because I just couldn’t resist the temptation.

While I stand firm on the opinion that trailers give away too much and should be shorter and more vague, I can’t wait to see Meryl in action as Margaret Thatcher!!

Good news

2011-11-13T17:16:00.003-05:00

I might be biased because I never liked his politics, but the final (hopefully) departure of Silvio Berlusconi from a position of power can't be but good news for Italy.

From CNN Breaking News:

Silvio Berlusconi officially resigned as Italy's prime minister Saturday, according to the presidential palace press office.

Berlusconi’s resignation comes after Italy's lower chamber on Saturday approved a series of austerity measures, a move to shore up confidence in the country's economy.

The package, which includes spending cuts and proposals to boost growth, was approved by the Senate Friday, resulting in a market surge.

The prime minister, who has survived many sexual and ethical scandals, pledged to step down once the economic measures passed both houses of parliament.

Berlusconi’s departure signals the end of an era in Italian politics. The 75-year-old business tycoon has been a dominant force since forming his Forza Italia party in 1994.

Good riddance!!

The One That Got Away

2011-11-11T16:05:00.001-05:00

Katy Perry enlisted the charming Diego Luna (of Y Tu Mamá También fame) to co-star in the video for her new single, which I find very moving and well made:

Will this single reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, allowing her to actually pass Michael Jackson as the artist with the most #1 singles from an individual album ever, rather then just matching him?

The Banner #3

2011-11-11T09:57:00.001-05:00

I picked the third banner when the picture randomly came up on my digital picture frame at home. When I saw it, I immediately pictured in my head how to slice it in order to make it look like my friend Vittorio was looking at or for something.

I like it because it has an air of mystique to it, and it also feels free and fresh thanks to the waves gently splashing in the background.

This is the original picture:

It was taken on September 5, 2007, on day 4 of our second road trip, during a stop on Lake Erie’s shores, on our way to the magnificent Niagara Falls. I used a Canon PowerShot S400 set to automatic.

Extinct!

2011-11-10T14:16:00.001-05:00

Following my earlier post on rhinos, here are some more sad news for them, from the BBC News:

No wild black rhinos remain in West Africa, according to the latest global assessment of threatened species.

The Red List, drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has declared the subspecies extinct.

A subspecies of white rhino in central Africa is also listed as possibly extinct, the organisation says.

The annual update of the Red List now records more threatened species than ever before.

The IUCN reports that despite conservation efforts, 25% of the world's mammals are at risk of extinction. As part of its latest work it has reassessed several rhinoceros groups.

[...]

Overall numbers of black and white rhinos have been rising, but some subspecies have been particularly vulnerable to poaching by criminal gangs who want to trade the animals' valuable horns.

So sad that we as the most powerful species on the planet cannot find ways of protecting the most vulnerable ones.

Shame!!

2011-11-10T13:44:00.001-05:00

Another awful video of a police force attacking peaceful protesters in 2011 in America, the purported beacon of democracy, whose politicians tripped all over themselves a few months back to praise the popular protests and unrest in the Middle East.

Now that similar protests have spread to their home turf, they (and their rich friends and supporters) are pushing the police to beat them back into obscurity.

All my sympathy goes to those courageous souls who stand up to power!

From Rawstory.

Dwindling numbers

2011-11-10T11:00:00.004-05:00

In an article on Gawker about the forced transfer of black rhinoceros across vast distances in South Africa to protect them from poachers, I read this awful tidbit of news:

It's a bleak landscape for the mighty black rhinoceros. The WWF announced this week that 353 of the endangered mammals, whose horn is incorrectly thought to have cancer-curing powers, have been poached this year alone, already exceeding the number poached in 2010. Current estimates put the total population of the species at 4,240.

4,240 left in the wild. That's totally fraked up!!

Love Is...

2011-11-09T07:26:00.001-05:00

Coming home to a bouquet of fresh flowers :-)

Turtle Love

2011-11-08T16:09:00.001-05:00

I saw this amazingly sweet picture on the National Geographic website for the "Pictures We Love: Best of October" section and couldn't resist re-posting it:

Undoing a dam

2011-11-08T16:04:00.001-05:00

Towleroad had this incredible time lapse clip of the removal of the White Salmon River dam in Washington State:

A Quote By

2011-11-08T14:47:00.001-05:00

Senior Circuit Judge Laurence Hirsch Silberman, of the U.S. Appeals Court for the District of Columbia, writing for the majority, which upheld a lower court ruling that a mandate requiring people to purchase health care insurance is allowed under the U.S. Constitution:

“Because virtually everyone will, at some point, need health services, no one is truly inactive, and the health services market is inextricably intertwined with health insurance. Congress found that those who do not purchase health insurance, and instead self-insure, almost inevitably take health care services they cannot afford. Hospitals, by virtue of federal law and professional obligation, provide these services, and as a result, $43 billion in annual costs are shifted to the insured, through higher premiums. That, in turn, makes health insurance less affordable and increases the total number of uninsured. … Therefore, it is argued that Congress rationally concluded that decisions about how to pay for health care, in the aggregate, substantially affect interstate commerce.”

Get Better Soon!!

2011-11-07T13:02:00.000-05:00

Adele has been forced to cancel the rest of her tour to recover from a hemorrhage on her vocal cords, which risked to strip her of her beautiful talent forever.

She'll also have to undergo surgery in order to fix the problem before she can resume professional singing.

I wish her the best with her surgery and a speedy recovery. The music world would be much sadder without her beautiful voice in it.

From the Los Angeles Times:

“It is with deep regret that Adele has been forced to cancel her remaining live dates and promotional appearances in 2011,” reads the statement on her website. “She is to undergo surgery to alleviate the current issues with her throat and a full recovery is expected. As a result, doctors have ordered her to rest her voice and completely recuperate before looking to schedule any work commitments.”

Here she told the news to her fans with her own words.

Tangled

2011-11-04T15:28:00.004-05:00

This Disney production reinvigorated the original animation powerhouse, which will hopefully make many more movies as well rounded as this one.

Synopsis: Rapunzel is still an infant when she's kidnapped from her royal parents by a woman who knows that she's the only one with the power to keep her looking young and beautiful forever. This power comes from Rapunzel's hair, which loses its gift once cut. For this reason the abductor, who raises Rapunzel as if she were her own daughter, hides in a tower and never lets Rapunzel out. All this will change when Flynn, a charming thief, shows up on the scene.

The animation is excellent but what's most important is the screenplay. While the basic construct is still that of two good souls who find each other only to see their love somehow threatened by a villanous figure, Tangled manages to feel fresh and new, and that's all thanks to the script.

The Bottom Line: chalk one up to Disney, who finally put out a product on par with those produced by Pixar and DreamWorks. Tangled is a funny and fun to watch movie for the whole family, and we can only hope for many more at its level.

Grade: 8

True Blood

2011-11-04T15:23:00.001-05:00

Alan Ball's latest creation is like wine: it gets better and better the more it ages. While I've been smitten with this show from its inception, I crave each new season and hate it when they come to an end. I already know I'll be lost in a see of sadness the day it finally ends. For now a fifth season has been ordered, but there's no word for after that.

The greatness of this show is that it keeps surprising the audience with new characters, new twists, new discoveries, new revelations, even when you figure you've seen it all. Season four centered around black magic and the wonderfully wicked character of Marnie Stonebrook, brought to life by Fiona Shaw.

Unfortunately, characters end up dead at some point, and sometimes this happens to characters we love, but that's also part of the show's greatness. It fearlessly pushes the envelope, knowing that sometimes the death of a character doesn't necessarily mean they're gone for good...

This show is one of the best I've ever seen, and if you haven't watched any of it, I suggest you rent the first season and continue from there. You won't want to miss a scene of this great creation, or rather adaptation of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels.

Grade – Season 4: 10

Contagion

2011-11-04T15:15:00.001-05:00

Contagion proves once again that Steven Soderbergh has effectively taken on the mantle of the late Robert Altman as the go-to director for star studden movies in which the characters' storylines intertwine like wicker baskets (even though their movies have nothing else in common).

This time Soderbergh works his magic with Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, John Hawkes, Kate Winslet, Marion Cotillard, Elliott Gould, Bryan Cranston, and Jennifer Ehle, who isn't particularly famous but whose resemblance to Meryl Streep in uncanny (I was convinced she was her daughter!!).

Synopsis: an unknown virus that spreads like the common cold but is almost as lethal as Ebola starts infecting humans at an alarming rate. No one has any idea how to fight it and the only way to prevent infection seems to be complete isolation. Everyday life crawls to a halt as people become afraid of their neighbors, friends, and families. The world economy and societal norms crumble. The CDC, working with its counterparts all over the world and the World Health Organization, are the only hopes to come up with a cure before the human race is wiped out of existence.

The movie touches a very current theme, given the recent outbreaks of Bird Flu and H1N1 viruses, against which humans have no immune defenses and there exists no vaccine. Interesting is also the very realistic representation of what would happen to our way of life if (or when) such an outbreak were to occur.

I really like Soderbergh's style. He is a great actors' director, able to get excellent performances out of everyone he works with, in spite of the amazing star wattage often collected on his sets, which might lead to power struggles brought on by outsized egos in less experienced hands. He tackles interesting subjects and develops them thoroughly and carefully, analyzing every angle. And he does all this with seeming ease, putting his inimitable stamp on every frame and yet allowing the film to breathe on its own.

The Bottom Line: I think this movie should be watched by everyone because of the subject it tackles. Its amazing cast should also be a magnet for any movie lover, and if you've never seen anything by Soderbergh, you should start somewhere.

Grade: 9

A murmuration

2011-11-04T10:34:00.001-05:00

This has got to be one of the most impressive natural phenomenon I ever saw:

From Towleroad:

A pair of canoeists are treated to the amazing phenomenon known as "murmuration", a survival technique employed by starlings returning from foraging meant to outwit predators. The birds swirl and cloud in an effort to get to the inside of the pack.

Bright Shiny Morning, by James Frey

2011-11-03T12:40:00.000-05:00

My first book by Mr. Frey turned out to be a great read. It was also a very different kind of book from what I'm accustomed to read given its frequent derailments into historical sidebars that arguably added to the whole experience.

The book starts out telling the stories of several different characters, all living in Los Angeles. The author skips zestily from storyline to storyline while at the same time throwing in both tidbits from new characters' stories and trivia about the city itself, its inhabitants, its businesses, or whatever else he can think of.

While this may sound very confusing, I found all that extra stuff to be very interesting, even though some of the secondary characters' stories don't continue like the main ones, which can be frustrating as one would like to find out more about them.

The only negative comment I have about this book is that all those side tangents the author makes us take become more and more frequent in the second half of the book, rigth when we've become very familiar with the main characters and would like to read more about them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading something else by Frey, specifically, the notorious A Million Little Pieces.

Grade: 9

Falling Skies

2011-11-03T12:35:00.001-05:00

Produced by Steven Spielberg, this human resistance vs. alien invaders TV show turned out to be one of the best summer shows to come to the small screen in a while and a nice sci-fi flavored treat.

Noah Wyle is perfectly cast as the father of three in charge of keeping the peace between a group of civilians and the military personnel in charge of protecting them, led by a very good Will Patton.

The show is well written and each episode is tightly packed with action and emotion. The alien forces have clear superiority when it comes to weapons and technology, but the humans manage to mount attacks against them that eventually hit a nerve.

The visual effects are very good, even though the show clearly doesn't have a huge budget. The whole cast does a good job, and I can't wait to see what season 2 is going to bring us.

Grade - Season 1: 8

Megamind

2011-11-03T12:29:00.001-05:00

This inventive and original DreamWorks' product felt fresh even though the basic construct is the same old good guy vs. bad guy with a female interest in between.

Synopsis: Metro Man and Megamind arrive on our planet when their planetary system is swallowed by a black hole. While Metro Man is gifted with many superhuman physical abilities that assure his adoration among humans, Megamind seems to be gifted with great intelligence, curiosity, and innocence, which bring him to embrace his darker side in order to prevail over Metro Man, who always seems to steal the show. Metro Man's disappearance from the scene will change things dramatically for both Megamind and the people whose lives they vastly influenced.

The big names taking top billing this time around are Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell. Both do a good job, even though I once again reiterate my point that I don't pay any attention whatsoever to who is voicing a character when I watch an animated movie.

The Bottom Line: given that the story has some very original twists, I'd totally recommend Megamind not only to kids but their parents too. The screenplay is written well enough to be satisfying for all ages and given the studio producing it, the animation itself is very well done.

Grade: 8

The Help

2011-11-03T12:24:00.001-05:00

This year's summer offering with a pedigree was hounded by plenty of controversy after its release about the veracity of its depictions of life for black women in the 1960s American South. Not knowing enough about that history to speak intelligently about it, I'll stick to the cinematic aspects of the movie.

Synopsis: a college graduate goes back to her home in Mississippi with a dream of becoming a journalist. Being put off by the unfair way that black maids working for rich white families (like her own) are treated, she decides to write a book to tell their stories. It won't be easy to get the very guarded women to open up, but once they do, the stories come flowing. Once published, the book upends the life of our young author as well as those of the many people she wrote of and for.

Emma Stone does a good job in a serious role after her incredibly successful turn in the great comedy Easy A, but it's the black maids that really steal the show here. Both Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer give star turning performances worthy of Oscar nominations (and even wins!).

Of note were also the always great Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard, and this year's breakout star Jessica Chastain (who was great in The Debt). Finally, Sissy Spacek turns in a subtle but incisive performance.

The screenplay is well written and deftly takes us through the many tense situations that arise between the black and white women. The art direction/set decoration and costume design are top notch.

The Bottom Line: taken on its own, The Help is interesting, well acted, and well directed. I would recommend it, especially to Oscar watchers, given that it will most certainly be showered with several nominations.

Grade: 8

Global warming spreading faster than expected

2011-11-02T15:49:00.001-05:00

An Associated Press article on the dangers humans have hastened on plant and animal species worldwide:

Animals across the world are fleeing global warming by heading north much faster than they were less than a decade ago, a new study says.

About 2,000 species examined are moving away from the equator at an average rate of more than 15 feet per day, about a mile per year, according to new research published Thursday in the journal Science which analyzed previous studies. Species are also moving up mountains to escape the heat, but more slowly, averaging about 4 feet a year.

The species — mostly from the Northern Hemisphere and including plants — moved in fits and starts, but over several decades it averages to about 8 inches an hour away from the equator.

"The speed is an important issue," said study main author Chris Thomas of the University of York. "It is faster than we thought."

[...]

Thomas plotted the movement of the species and compared it to how much they would move based on temperature changes. It was a near perfect match, showing that temperature changes explain what's happening to the critters and plants, Thomas said. The match wasn't quite as exact with the movement up mountains and Thomas thinks that's because species went north instead or they were blocked from going up.

Thomas found that the further north the species live, the faster they moved their home base. That makes sense because in general northern regions are warming more than those closer to the equator.

Conservation biologist Mike Dombeck, a former U.S. Forest Service chief, said changes in where species live — especially movements up mountains — is a problem for many threatened species.

Thomas said what he's studied isn't about some far off problem.

"It's already affected the entire planet's wildlife," Thomas said in a phone interview. "It's not a matter that might happen in the lifetime of our children and our grandchildren. If you look in your garden you can see the effects of climate change already."

Very worrisome.

The guy does have a point

2011-11-02T15:40:00.001-05:00

From Towleroad:

Torchwood - Miracle Day

2011-11-02T13:52:00.001-05:00

I had never watched Torchwood even though I had heard great things about it. I decided to give it a try and wasn't disappointed.

The cast, led by the handsome John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), does a good job, and I fell in love with Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), although I wasn't crazy about Mekhi Phifer (Rex Matheson), who seems sure to return for the next season, given the finale's cliffhanger.

Season 4's story line was very intriguing (suddenly, no one dies anymore!!) and I couldn't wait to see how they would resolve it. In the end I was very pleased with the overall development and conclusion, even though I hated losing the lovable Alexa Havins (Esther Drummond).

It was also nice to see Lauren Ambrose (Jilly Kitzinger) again after her turn in my beloved Six Feet Under.

All in all, not only will I be checking out the next season, I might even go back and watch the first 3 seasons of the show!!

Grade - Season 4: 8