The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger (2013)
Wins: Pending
Noms: Visual Effects, Make-up & Hair-Styling

Why I watched it:
1) Tied for most noms this year I haven't seen and I haven't found The Grandmaster yet
2) I had it from Netflix
3) It was the right length to watch while donating platelets

I watch quite a few movies while giving blood. I do platelet donation with an apheresis machine which extracts the whole blood separates out the platelets and then returns the rest of the blood back into the arm. It takes a little over two hours for the whole process, so I bring along a movie or grab one of the many they have available. If you have the time, they are always in need. Enough of the PSA - on to the movie.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was not excited to see this movie. I saw the trailer whenever it came out and remember rolling my eyes a bit. It looked stupid to me honestly, and I couldn't understand why Johnny Depp of all people was cast as a Native American. Seriously, whiskey-tango-foxtrot? When it was nominated for two awards, I was a little upset at the Academy for making me add it to my list of things to see.

So with the lowest of expectations, I watched The Lone Ranger today. It was enjoyable, stupid, but enjoyable. It was not a great movie, but it was fun to watch. Tom Wilkinson was a good dastardly villain railroad baron (Spoiler? .... but it's really obvious). Kind of your run of the mill modern western. Similar elements with Mask of Zorro, Shanghai Noon, or Wild Wild West. Pretty predictable plot, some fun action sequences, corruption, and of course prostitutes. Helena Bonham Carter was pretty fun in her small role as the madame with an ivory leg that doubles as a weapon. I liked her, but I usually do when she's not being directed by her husband. Not really sure what to say on this one truth be told. It was an entertaining action movie to pass the time while donating. I especially liked the use of the William Tell Overture over the climax sequence.

Johnny Depp, and really the whole character of Tonto, was weird to me. Was he crazy or did he know something that others didn't? The backstory you get from the Comanche elders is contradictory to what Tonto says, yet there is nothing to rectify the differences. They say he made up the "Wendigo", yet nature is definitely out of sorts, which Tonto has attributed to the "Wendigo's" presence. Is it just coincidental that the animals are acting bizarrely. Seriously, there were cannibalistic bunnies. Everything about it was strange. There were plenty of Native American actors in the movie that were great, yet the biggest role went to a white guy. I don't get it. Not that he didn't do fine with what he was given. I assume the weird English was taken from the original Lone Ranger, but I'm not familiar with it.

The effects were cool. Lots of train scenes and explosions. I'm guessing the make-up nod is largely due to the age makeup on Johnny Depp in the totally unnecessary and weird framing narrative. I really doubt it will win in either category, but we'll see.

Surprise appearances: A couple of familiar faces that I didn't know the names of as well. The romantic interest was the same actress as P.L. Travers mother in Saving Mr. Banks. Just looked her up: Ruth Wilson. She seems to be doing well for herself, at least at Disney. Also, the guy with the stapler from Office Space, Milton, was in it (Stephen Root).

Did I cry?: Not at all

"Da fuh?" moment: There were so many contenders, but the carnivorous and cannibalistic bunny rabbits really takes the cake.

Return to Middle-Earth

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug (2013)
Wins: Pending
Nominations: Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, Visual Effects

Why I watched it:
1) Most nominations of the films I have yet to see - 3
2) So much better to watch this type of movie while it's still in theaters
3) It's the fucking Hobbit! I really wanted to see it

Get ready for some good old-fashioned nerding out

I'm a nerd. Plain and simple. They would have to royally fuck up a movie like this up for me not to enjoy it. I had a great time. It's always a pleasure to return to Tolkien's rich world and see parts of Middle-Earth that are only mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, like Mirkwood or Dol Guldur. I've read The Hobbit a few times, but I'm kind of glad that it's been a few years since my last read. It's one of the reasons I find that I am enjoying these movies so much: I remember the gist of a lot of it, but there are still moments that surprise me or that I only remember right before they happen on screen. Also, the differences that come about when adapting the film matter even less to me than usual. I can just sit back and enjoy the story. (Note: adaptation from one artistic medium to another is something I can rant about for a while - maybe in an upcoming post - but in general I find HUGE issue with people who deem a movie "bad" because it changed details from the book)

The Hobbit movies are a wholly different beast to me than The Lord of the Rings. One, they're coming out backwards. The Hobbit was written first, it was not a prequel, it was a stand alone novel set in the same world as The Lord of the Rings. So the prequel aspects of the movie are necessary, give the movies much more drive, and set the stakes higher. The book is a fabulous journey of discovery for Bilbo, but the movie shows it as a piece of the larger story of Sauron's resurgence and the forces of good recognizing the return of the enemy. I loved seeing Gandalf's journey separate from the company of the dwarves to the graves of the Ringwraiths and to battle with the Necromancer. When I first heard that they were releasing The Hobbit as a trilogy, I was confused as to how/why, but it's been really enjoyable to see all that they've included that is alluded to in the books, or left out of The Lord of the Rings and included here.

This movie is so much fun. The dwarves get so much individuality that I was never aware of in the book. Almost every dwarf has their "thing" and moment to shine. Fili and Kili are the young ones who have only heard stories of Erebor, plus the crazy plot of Tauriel and Kili's mutual attraction. Interested to see where that goes, and how the presence of some dwarves in Laketown and some in the Lonely Mountain affects the upcoming epic battles of the next movie. My favorite fight scene shot by far was Bombur's shining moment in the barrels going down the river - EPIC! I found myself laughing through many of the fights - they were creative and surprising, which helped keep them fresh, since there are a few of them. Smaug was amazing! Like everything about him: the dialogue, the creature design, the effects, and especially that he is voiced by BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH. Great villain. Glad to see Lee Pace and Evangeline Lilly again after their runs on Pushing Daisies and Lost, respectively (two of my favorite TV shows ever).

The nominations received make total sense. It deserves a nod for Visual Effects for Smaug alone, much less all the other awesomeness, like Gandalf's confrontation with the Necromancer. Also, I couldn't really tell if the orcs well totally CGI or not, which I guess is a good thing. I'm not great at judging sound design, but there were moments when I really noticed the intricacy of what they were able to achieve. During the magic battle with Gandalf and the Necromancer, the differences in the sound between when the audience was experiencing the inside of Gandalf's sphere of protection versus on the outside were really distinct and constantly switching.

Surprise appearances: I had no idea Stephen Fry was going to be in this - wonderfully pleasant surprise. Also, I personally love that the first person you see on screen is Peter Jackson himself biting a carrot (which he is seen doing in Bree in the original movie trilogy)

Did I cry?: Hell no. But there were some great moments of surprise that made me jump. I even went to dodge something once - and I saw the movie in 2-D.

First Response! Ordinary People

Ordinary People (1980)
Wins: Picture, Director (Robert Redford), Supporting Actor (Timothy Hutton), Adapted Screenplay
Other nominations: Actress (Mary Tyler Moore), Supporting Actor (Judd Hirsch)

Why I watched it:
1) Most recent Best Picture winner I hadn't seen
2) It was on instant watch
3) Set to go off instant watch on Feb 1. - catch it while it's there

My parents have mentioned to me how much they liked this movie, and I'm very glad that I finally watched it. The title really tells you what it's about: regular people struggling with problems regular people can understand. Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland (hi President Snow) living with their son, Conrad, in an upperclass suburb of Chicago and dealing with the passing of their elder son, Buck. The parents have a journey and struggle that is heartbreaking, but the real story to me is about the surviving son, played by Timothy Hutton. I guess I don't fully understand how the Academy determines who has a supporting role versus a lead role, because to me, it's all about Timothy Hutton. Which is probably why he snagged the Oscar - the youngest winner for Supporting Actor ever. Dealing with survivor's guilt, trying to readjust to the world without his brother, and being unable to connect with his mother - There's a lot going on for this character.

It's not flashy. It's incredibly understated and very realistic. One of my favorite aspects was that the dialogue incorporated the awkwardness of many interactions. There's a scene where mother and son have an exchanged where each is saying the same thing, yet neither seems to hear/absorb what the other is saying. Also, Conrad's courtship with Jeannine is so. fucking. adorable. Like everything about it.

Did I cry? Yes sir. Definitely a tear jerker towards the end. Ugh Timothy Hutton - why must you torment me so?

Random discoveries: Hmm, Elizabeth McGovern...that name sounds familiar. To wikipedia...OMG it's Cora! AHH! I love Downton Abbey - no wonder Jeannine was weirdly familiar. Speaking of weirdly familiar - guess who else is in this one. Jayne from Firefly! Weird!

Next movie: In theatres - The Hobbit. At home - Before Sunrise (so I can watch Before Midnight before the Oscars)

It starts

I've never been one to blog, but in recent weeks, a number of people have suggested I start a blog on the topic of the epic Oscar watching journey I am embarking on. So here we go.

I watch a fuck-ton of movies. Yes that is a technical term. I am on a quest of epic proportions. I am endeavoring to watch every movie nominated for an Oscar. Ever. I am only a few years in, but it's going relatively well thus far (more posts on that in the future). Hopefully writing about it will keep me honest and continue down this long road.

Basically, I'm obsessed with the Oscars. Have been for a while. My friends and family know that. With the arrival of this year's nominations last Thursday, I have been talking more openly about my thoughts. As of Thursday night with my viewing of The Wolf of Wall Street, I have seen all the Picture nominees (plus director, the four acting awards, original screenplay, film editing, and production design - but who's keeping score? - oh yeah: me). People were aware that I'd been going to the movies a lot, but they were still blown away by just how many. Thus the suggestions of starting a blog and my acquiescence.

Future posts will be mostly  responses to the movies I am watching, both new and old. They will be responses, not reviews. I have no interest in that. Just putting some thoughts on paper...well you know what I mean. I'm working on creating a schedule of the types of movies I'll be watching, but that probably won't come to complete fruition until after the ceremony on March 3 (eeeeeeeee!)