“The Kids Are All Right:” Just another functioning, dysfunctional family
Nic and Jules are quite the pair.
Two teenage kids, two lesbian mothers and one anonymous sperm donor father is a recipe for a delightful film, filled with heart and wonderful scenes of unadulterated awkwardness. When Paul (the “donor dad”) receives a call from a sperm-donor agency which he donated to many years ago (something he forgot he had done), the shock on his face and in his voice is palpable, as low key as he is. His meeting with his 18-year-old daughter, Joni and his 16-year-old son, Laser, is similarly priceless. After going through the hand shakes and obligatory-I’m-fine-how-are-you’s…what do you say to the kids you didn’t know you had? Naturally, Paul decides to find out what his kids are all about. “What about you, Laser, what do you do?” Joni immediately chimes in: “Laser is an amazing athlete.” When asked if he ever played any sports in high school, Paul responds, “Team sports got on my nerves after a while, it’s like HEY LET’S GO KICK SOME ASS MAN!”…only to find out that Laser only plays team sports…soccer, basketball, baseball. More awkwardness ensues.
The two gems of the movie, however, are Nic and Jules, the “moms,” played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. Nic is the type-A, doctor and breadwinner of the family, while Jules is the low-key mom who is dabbling with a career in “landscape design” – which, she notes, is different than mere gardening. (The plot becomes all the more interesting when Paul becomes Jules’ first client). Jules and Nic’s chemistry and performances are both amazing, their ups and downs raw and real. Nic feels threatened as Paul encroaches on her family and relies on red wine to solve her problems; Jules feels Nic’s distance and turns to others for consolation.
The family meets the sperm donor, Paul.
Despite the southern California family’s many abnormalities, they are a strikingly normal, dysfunctional but functioning family. The kids rebel, as teenagers do, and love their parents as much as they are embarrassed by them. The moms – especially Nic – try to tighten the reigns as the kids are growing older, and as Joni goes off to college.
Nic and Paul bond over their favorite Joni Mitchell song.
Relationships evolve in this complicated web of family ties – Nic and Paul bond over an acapella rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” over the dinner table, while they initially clashed over fundamental life differences (Paul didn’t go to college…and he rides a motorcycle – gasp!). Another refreshing aspect of the film is its focus on the moms as parents and lovers – not just lesbians. This film is a real crowd-pleaser, regardless of your age, sexual orientation, or your take on motorcycles.
No Country for PVC Men
Thanks to the prolific tweeter @ebertchicago for alerting us to the mashup masterpiece that is Cormac McCarthy’s Toy Story 3 by Ruben Bolling.
Read the whole comic here.
Cyrus: Three’s a crowd in this offbeat, romantic comedy
Cyrus, featuring John C. Reilley, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei.
“Seriously, don’t fuck my mom,” Cyrus said, half-jokingly, to his mother’s new love interest over dinner. Cyrus, which just opened last weekend, is not your typical romantic comedy. It’s a refreshingly original film about a 22 year old with quite an Oedipus complex.
Obese Cyrus (Jonah Hill) and his striking mother Molly (Marisa Tomei) are very close. They live together. They spend mornings together taking photos. When Cyrus has a “night terror,” Molly, is there to cradle him as he goes back to sleep.
So it is not altogether surprising that Cyrus has an issue when Molly gets a boyfriend, John. Cyrus makes it his mission to get John (John C. Reilly) out of the picture and ruin his life. John tries desperately to maintain his relationship with Molly and declares war with Cyrus: “Listen you little weirdo…if you’re going to mess with me, I’m going to mess with you right back,” he threatens, all while pretending to be a father figure.
Recently divorced John, who describes himself as “Shrek in the forest” (I have to admit, he has some Shrek-esque features) meets Molly at a party. “YOU are flirting with ME?” he asks Molly, bewilderedly. The audience is similarly surprised.
Cyrus and his mother are an affectionate pair.
What attracts Molly to John is how candid he is about his wants, needs and feelings. Similarly, what is so refreshing about this comedy is how human these characters are – how outright desperate they are in some cases (“I have so much to GIVE!!,” John pleads woefully to a woman on a couch at a party. She quickly leaves).
Even the scheming Cyrus, after all, is just having a hard time growing up – to say the least. “He’s very mature, but he’s not come into himself yet,” Molly maintains to John. This love triangle makes for a hilarious, psychological comedy. The packed theatre on West 42nd street clearly enjoyed the film as much as I did.
Netflix: Uncaged
There’s only one word to describe Cageflix: genius. Cageflix lets you add all of His Royal Nicness’s films to your Netflix queue in one simple step. Think of all the time you’ll save by not having to type in “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” and “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” Probably enough time to watch Honeymoon in Vegas for the umpteenth time. Ah, flying Elvis.
Makeup inspired by Alice in Wonderland
One of our favorite books this year is Camille Rose Garcia’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. So when we saw the video tutorial below–posted on YouTube by Haleybean–we were super excited. We asked Haleybean to tell us more about why she chose to create this makeup tutorial inspired by Camille’s incredible artwork.
I recently did this make-up tutorial based off the cover art that artist Camille Rose Garcia did for a rendition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. To start with, Alice is my all-time favorite piece of literature so I’m always on the prowl for different ways people find to interpret the Alice stories. I was in a bookstore one day and saw Camille’s work and fell in love with it immediately. She presents Alice in a way that is so new and original it’s ridiculous. She holds true to the story while bringing in her own fresh new take on it.
I started google-ing more of her art and I really enjoy her work. I regularly do my make-up tutorials on YouTube, I have been doing so for the past 2 1/2 years or so and I get most of my inspiration from artwork and movie characters alike; I automatically pulled inspiration from Camille because it has all elements I love and presented me with the challenge to take in her interpretation and do something completely different to add that Haleybean twist to it.
If you liked my video be sure to check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on Twitter or check out my Facebook page.
Is there a Nobel Prize for fart jokes?
Paul Krugman, credit: Träger des Preises für W
Tonight marks the opening of Russell Brand’s new comedy, Get Him to the Greek, in which he reprises the role of the hilarious enfant terrible rocker Aldous Snow from 2008”s Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This time he and Jonah Hill take off on a cross-country odyssey with the goal of getting Snow to L.A.’s The Greek Theater in time for a show. I haven’t seen the film, (yes, loyal readers, I was shockingly left off of the guest list for the Hollywood premier), but according to A.O. Scott’s New York Times review, his colleague Paul Krugman (Times columnist, Princeton economics professor, Nobel Laureate) makes a cameo. In honor of that surprising news, we give you a list of other notable cameos by famous personages.
Marshall McLuhane in Annie Hall: In the famous cinema queue scene in Annie Hall, Allen pulls a living, breathing McLuhane into the film to settle a dispute about the famous academic’s theories.
Kurt Vonnegut in Back to School: What could be better than a Dangerfield/Vonnegut tag-teamed term paper?
(video NSFW)
John McCain and James Carville in The Wedding Crashers: One pals around with Palin, the other was Bill Clinton’s campaign manager, but McCain and the Ragin’ Cajun both shook hands with this guy in the wedding crashers.
Count Basie in Blazing Saddles: The inimitable Count brings his orchestrations to the desert in the Mel Brooks’ classic.
Before you see Get Me to the Greek, read up on Russell Brand’s real life bad boy antics in his memoir MY BOOKY WOOK.
How Twilight Works
Finally, an explanation of why Twilight drives so many straight females crazy. In video form!
Via Buzzfeed
Alc-O-Vision
In an amusing recent New York Times dining column, Wendell Jamieson writes about his predilection for drinking themed cocktails while watching DVDs. His pairings tend to be a bit highbrow (Sabrina-inspired martinis, absinthe for A Very Long Engagement), so our writers have added a few YIL-worthy options for the lower-falutin among you:
Kate:
A spiked Orange Mocha Frappuccino when watching Zoolander. At Starbucks, this beverage is known as a Mocha Valencia – you can pick one up there and then add a shot of Absolut Orange vodka. The film’s star, Derek Zoolander (played by Ben Stiller), and his three male model friends enjoy virgin versions of the beverage while cruising around in their jeep listening to Wham right before his pals are killed in a freak gasoline fight. Drinking a spiked Orange Mocha Frappuccino numbs the pain of their loss while watching the film. Make the drink a double if you feel particularly saddened by Rufus, Brint, and Meekus’s demise.
The Aviator follows the life of influential movie producer and aviation magnate Howard Hughes from the late 1920s to 1947. What better way to celebrate the life of this daredevil pilot, played expertly by Leonardo DiCaprio, than by sipping a classic Aviation cocktail? Dating back to the 1920s, the Aviation is a delicious mix of gin, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lemon juice, shaken and served in a martini glass (maraschino cherry optional). Both the drink and the movie recall the daring and glamor of flying in the 1920s, before it became the commercialized practice it is today.
Being a Wisconsin boy born and bred, I naturally feel the pull of the White Russian. Dairy drinks are in my blood. Couple that with my Jeff Bridges obsession, and all signs point to a match made in Lebowski heaven. While the Dude may call his drink of choice a “Caucasian,” we’re talking about the same booze-meets-cream concoction. Next time you’re enjoying a night in with your pals Sobchak and Kerabatsos, don your finest bathrobe and slippers and pour yourself a Caucasian on the rocks.
Should you be weary of drinking on an empty stomach, don’t forget to check out these movie-inspired food recipes as well.
In case you’re looking for even more ways to incorporate hard liquor into your everyday activities, check out HOW TO BOOZE: EXQUISITE COCKTAILS AND UNSOUND ADVICE which promises “The Right Drink for Every Situation,” including stalking your ex (Pisco Sour), reading the Good Book (Angel Face) and the last drink before AA (the Hudson Monarch or Arsenic and Old Lace).
Rebel with a gun
Fifty-six years ago two young actors appeared together in a twenty-three minute episode of General Electric Theater. Today, both men have reached heights of popularity and cultural significance neither could have predicted. And after more than half a century “The Dark, Dark Hours” starring James Dean and Ronald Reagan has been discovered.
The Atlantic has the video – edited down to 6 mins – of James Dean portraying a rebel with a gun (10 months before the premiere of Rebel Without A Cause) holding a doctor (Reagan) and his family hostage while trying to get medical attention for his wounded friend.
What struck me most about this short film is the hint of roles to come in Dean’s performance, most notably the conversations between Dean (calling Reagan ‘Dad) and Reagan (calling Dean ‘Sonny’) and the physical altercation between the two followed by the emotional breakdown of the younger actor.
The physical altercation between Dean and Reagan plays out much in the same fashion as Dean’s altercation with Jim Backus, who played his father, in Rebel Without a Cause – though this time it’s the father figure attacking the younger man.
Reagan attacking Dean quickly escalates into Dean’s emotional breakdown – mimicking, almost exactly – the scene Dean may already have been preparing for in East of Eden, when he, as Caleb Trask, tries to buy his father’s love (Raymond Massey) only to be rejected, sending him into a tailspin of self-destruction.
In many ways ”The Dark, Dark Hours” can be seen as a sort of screen test for Dean, working through many of the themes and acting styles that he will then bring to the three film roles he left behind, in Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and his final picture, Giant.
Make yourself a dang quesadilla!
I was once a lone wolf: a man who appreciates the art of cinema, but is equally as passionate about all things gustatory. The modern world just isn’t meant for refined Renaissance men such as I, I would lament. Then Urban Daddy tipped me off to this new website. A place where those who watch Billy Madison and think, “How can I recreate that extra sllllllloppy Sloppy Joe sandwich for my own enjoyment,” or, between fits of uncontrollable laughter, wonder, “Where can I get my hands on some of that My Big Fat Greek Wedding bundt cake,” will be enlightened.
Rejoice! There are others like me! Now I’ll know where to turn when my next viewing of Napoleon Dynamite evokes a full-on cheese quesadilla hankering: movierecipes.net.
See What I’m Saying
After this year’s Academy Awards, you might think that everything’s been done. A woman finally won best director, the lady from Speed won a best actress nod and the phrase “uber bingo” was used in an acceptance speech. That’s why we’re excited about the upcoming documentary “See What I’m Saying,” which breaks new ground for the deaf community. Directed and produced by filmmaker Hilari Scarl, the film not only follows four deaf/hard of hearing performers–a subset of the entertainment community that mainstream audiences know little about–but every print of the film is open captioned making it available to all audiences, including those who don’t know sign language. Unlike most films, where deaf audiences are limited to only a handful of options if they want to catch a captioned screening, all showings of SWIS will be accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing.
This heartfelt documentary follows four entertainers in the deaf community as they attempt to cross over to mainstream audiences during a single year: CJ Jones, an internationally celebrated comic in the deaf world, but virtually unknown to hearing audiences fights to cross over to the mainstream by producing the first international sign language theatre festival in Los Angeles; Bob Hiltermann, a drummer in the world’s only deaf rock band, Beethoven’s Nightmare, produces the largest show in the band’s 30 year history; Robert DeMayo, a brilliant actor who teaches at Juilliard, struggles to survive when he becomes homeless; and TL Forsberg, a hard-of-hearing singer finds herself caught between the hearing and deaf communities when she attracts a major producer to record her first CD “Not Deaf Enough.”
The world premier is being held at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater on March 18th.
Tickets are available here.
The film opens in Los Angeles March 19-April 1st. Tickets are available at www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com
The film premiers in New York City on April 9th – April 22nd at the Village East Cinema.
Tickets are available here.
For more information and screenings, visit www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com
Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway
The Runaways, one of our most highly anticipated movies will finally debut in theaters on March 19th. We’ve been waiting a very long time to see seems to be two great actresses bringing to life two amazing performers: Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie.
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million, Borders or an Independent Bookseller.
Click here to read a preview of the first two chapters.
About Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie
Cherie Currie, with her signature Bowie haircut and fishnet stockings, was the groundbreaking lead singer of ’70s teenage all-girl rock band the Runaways. At the tender age of fifteen, she joined a group of talented girls—Joan Jett and Lita Ford on guitar, Jackie Fox on bass, and Sandy West on drums—who could play rock like no one else.
Arriving on the Los Angeles music scene in 1975, they catapulted from playing small clubs to selling out major stadiums, headlining shows with opening acts like the Ramones, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, and Blondie. Currie lit up the stage with the provocative teen-rebellion songs “Cherry Bomb,” “Queens of Noise,” and “Born to Be Bad,” riding a wave of hit songs and platinum albums, all while touring around the world.
On the face of it, Currie’s is a riveting story of girl empowerment and fame. But it is also an intensely personal account of her struggles with drugs, sexual abuse, and violence. She and her bandmates, runaways all, were thrown into a decadent, high-pressure music scene where on the road, unsupervised for months at a time, they had to grow up fast and experience things that no teenage girls should. Neon Angel exposes the side of the music industry fans never get to see, and chronicles the group’s rise to fame and their ultimate demise.
Shocking and inspiring, funny and touching, Neon Angel stunningly re-creates a bygone era of rock and roll, all the while providing an inside look at growing up hard under the relentless glare of the public eye, and chronicling one tough woman’s fight to reclaim her life.
About The Runaways
The Runaways is based on lead-singer Cherie Currie’s book ‘Neon Angel’ – a reflection of her experiences as a rock star, but also delivering a strong anti-drug warning to teens and others. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” serves as a metaphor for the narrative– a slow countdown, a surreal but spectacular rise to fame, then alienation and burnout – a long long way from home.
The movie chronicles THE RUNAWAYS from 1975 – 1977; formed by teenage girls living near Hollywood, CA., and heavily manipulated by their manager Kim Fowley as ‘jailbait rock’ (all the girls were 16 or younger when the band recorded their first album). The band ultimately succeeds on their own merits as musicians, becoming the first all-girl rock-band to ever break into the world of arena-filling hard rock acts.
The movie focuses on the band’s formation, and their meteoric rise to fame. Their first single, ‘Cherry Bomb’, gets some attention in the United States, where THE RUNAWAYS’ U.S. tour hits major venues (Cobo Hall, with RUSH) and sleazy rock-clubs, often pairing them up with The Ramones, Cheap Trick, Tom Petty, and other popular 1970′s rock acts. But ‘Cherry Bomb’ and several other songs from THE RUNAWAYS’ first 2 albums become huge hits in Japan — and their arrival for a set of shows there in 1977 is like Beatle-Mania. The band is overwhelmed by the Japanese reception. Almost prophetic, THE RUNAWAYS’ last big hit song in Japan is ‘Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin’.
Cherie is initially thrilled to be in the band, and lives the rock star life. She pushes the edge — and their records sell well, generating lots of media controversy and hype. But during the tour of Japan, her personal life disintegrates, and she burns out — ultimately leaving The Runaways when they return to the U.S. The bass player (Jackie Fox) quits too, leaving only Lita Ford, Joan Jett and Sandy West. Joan Jett has decided that rock & roll is her life, and that The Runaways is her ‘family’; she is upset by Cherie’s decision to leave, but knows that decision is best — for Cherie.
THE RUNAWAYS’ success was earth-shaking in rock music — changing the rules forever. But with the successful 5-girl lineup no longer intact after the Japan tour, their future was dubious, at best. Lita Ford (guitar) and Sandy West (drums) still think the band can make it big again, so they persevere with Joan Jett.
Burton & Depp versus Jim & Arnold
In honor of the opening of Tim Burton and Johnny Depps’ Alice in Wonderland tomorrow, the always superb Vulture blog catalogs Cinema’s 15 Greatest Actor/Director pairs. Cameron & Schwarzenegger; Scorsese & DeNiro; Allen & Farrow–they’re all there.
We won’t spoil the whole piece for you, but here’s a fun tidbit from the entry on John Landis & Eddie Murphy:
We’ll let Landis explain this one: “The guy [Murphy] on Trading Places was young and full of energy and curious and funny and fresh and great. The guy on Coming to America was the pig of the world — the most unpleasant, arrogant, bullshit entourage … just an asshole.” Amazingly, they did actually work together again after that (on Cop III), but it’s safe to say it ain’t happening again.
First Annual Your It List Oscar Pool
This year’s Oscar season seems a bit more tame than past years. What with the 35 nominated films for Best Picture (none, by the way, being (500) Days of Summer, ahem). There are a lot of familiar names on the nominees lists, not quite as many “Who?” nominees… a lot of people seem to think the winners will be the obvious choices.
I’m hoping for a return to the surprise a la 1966 when Richard Burton lost the best actor nod for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf to Paul Scofield in A Man For All Seasons. Luckily Mrs. Burton won that year for Virginia Woolf, though rumoredly the couple abstained from attending due to Mr. Burton’s fear of losing (and worse his fear of losing and watching Mrs. Burton win). It was the first time either Burton ever abstained from anything.
The votes have been cast, somewhere a really boring looking accountant has them in a sealed briefcase. But let your voice be heard in the first annual Your It List Oscar Pool.
Click here to let us know who you think is going to win (don’t forget to leave your email address so we can contact you!).
On Monday, the person with the most correct answers will win a FULL BOX of movie flavored books, including:
Heads On and We Shoot
Avatar
My Word is My Bond
Pieces of My Heart
George Lucas’s Blockbusting
Showgirls, Teen Wolves, Astro Zombies
Tales from the Script
Some Like It Hot Companion
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Shutter Island
Crazy Heart
Coraline
Making of Coraline
We’ll announce the winners on Monday!
Click here for complete rules.
[Insert Very Important Date Joke Here]
The Royal Premiere of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was held in rainy London last night. As can be expected when you mix Burton, Alice and the British, some wacky fashions were on display. Here are just a few of the wild styles from the red carpet (via HuffPo), and you can check out more here and here.
P.S. Little known fact: this movie is based on a book!
Alice star and Tim Burton’s wife, Helena Bonham Carter
The UK’s Michelle Obama: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Singer Paloma Faith
Re-visiting The Door in the Floor
Thursday’s New York Times features an eloquent love letter to Jeff Bridges, written by my favorite contemporary film reviewer, Manohla Dargis. Her rhapsodic prose makes me want to lock away my keyboard and retire from this whole wordsmithing gig, but, alas, I must put bread on the table.
Bridges has long been one of my favorite actors–an avuncular leading man whose characters would be a hell of a lot more fun to hang out with than any Clooney-portrayed slickster. And unlike most of his out-of-touch peers, you get the feeling the man himself would be a great guy to (political cliche notwithstanding) have a beer with.
Dargis’s piece did a fine job of capturing those very same qualities that make Bridges such a compelling actor, and her graceful words do him justice better than mine can. Yet in her short career retrospective, she left out my favorite Bridges’ performance: as children’s book writer/illustrator Ted Cole in 2004′s The Door in the Floor. The film–an adaptation of the first third of John Irving’s novel A Widow for One Year–didn’t make much of a splash commercially, and I only learned of it from my much better informed filmmaker friend Joel. But there’s something really special in Bridges’ character that has stayed with me more closely than his other fantastic roles.
In her piece, Dargis quotes the legendary film critic Pauline Kael as saying, “Jeff Bridges is enough to make a picture worth seeing.” This certainly holds true for The Door in the Floor. What could come off as a melodramatic (children have died, parents grieve, beaches are wind-strewn), mediocre film is elevated to must-see status by the complexity of Jeff Bridges’ performance. He’s a man employed to write books less than 100 words in length, yet he hires an aspiring writer as an assistant–ostensibly to type and retype his brief manuscripts, but in actuality to act as his chauffeur since he has a suspended license. He plays squash in a caftan in a converted barn. He’s a fucker and a fighter, but you get the feeling it’s only to conform to the stereotype of the aggressive, masculine artist pioneered by his Hamptons’ predecessor Jackson Pollock. In other words, this is The Dude, if only recreational bowling and pot smoking paid as well as writing blockbuster children’s literature. You get all of the nonchalance and unforced coolness of his classic Lebowski role, in a setting that’s much more relatable to your average viewer.
If you haven’t seen The Door in the Floor, and you’re looking to brush up on your Jeff Bridges’ oeuvre, add it to your Netflix queue for an excellent pre-Oscars primer. Then when he finally gets his long-deserved Academy Award on March 7th, you’ll have even more reason to cheer the Academy’s good sense.
Celebrate the DVD Release of the September Issue with Grace and André!
The surprisingly hilarious fashion documentary, The September Issue, chronicling the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue—the largest issue in that magazine’s history—just released on DVD on Tuesday! I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to watch Grace and Anna duel it out over and over again on DVD. Of course, I already know youritlist’s Joseph agrees with me.
Even better is that according to the NYTimes Style Magazine, the DVD contains: “90 minutes of extra footage, including a side-splitting cover-line meeting; Anna Wintour admonishing Olivier Theyskens, then at the helm of Nina Ricci, for rescheduling one of his shows (“You’ll never do that again,” Wintour proclaims); and plenty of gems from the film’s accidental breakout vedette, Grace Coddington.”
And the best news of all is that this Thursday, Feb. 25th, NYC-dwellers will get a chance to see meet some of the stars of the film! In a special discussion moderated by Vogue Contributing Editor William Norwich, director R.J. Cutler will be joined by Vogue‘s Creative Director Grace Coddington and Vogue‘s Editor-at-Large André Leon Talley at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in Manhattan (33 East 17th Street at Union Square) at 7pm. The event is free but you best get there early to get seats! The editors will be signing the special Barnes and Noble exclusive 3-disc DVD edition of The September Issue, which includes the never-before-seen “The Met Ball” mini-documentary.
If you can’t make it to the signing this Thursday (why not?) be sure to check out R.J. Cutler’s informative and entertaining Huffington Post blog, “What I Learned From Anna Wintour”, in which he shares valuable lessons gleaned from the fashion maven while filming the documentary.
Mork & Darwin: The Reveal
The people have spoken!
It’s time to reveal the results of the 2009 Mork & Darwin showdowns.
Stay tuned for the first 2010 edition next week. Spoiler alert: it involves a pair of lips that would make Jocelyn Wildenstein jealous.
Volume the First: Patch Adams takes the “most stupefying” prize in a landslide over the formidable Benthocodon jelly:
Volume 2: Bicentennial Man and the Dumbo Octopus are still locked in an epic 50/50 battle:
Finally, in third round action, Man of the Year is re-named Stupefaction of the Year as it pummels the Antarctic Octopus!
[Results as of 12 pm (ET) 1/6/10]
Crazy sea creature photos from Claire Nouvian’s THE DEEP.
You can only hope to contain him.
On screen and off, Nic Cage has played many roles: Ghost Rider, face transplantee, Coppola, Oscar winner, prodigious shopper. He has the elastic face and acting chops that suit almost any role. But if you’ve ever wished that Cage could be an even bigger presence on the world stage, this is your lucky day. At Niccageaseveryone, you can see Cage inhabiting roles from teen idol to Dr. Who. Take note: this is what the magic of Photoshop was meant for.
Some of the blog’s best offerings:
NC as Sarah Palin
NC as Captain Kirk. (More incredible Kirk madness here.)
NC as fellow hunk Zac Efron (apologies to Joseph).
NC as the Great Emancipator (aka the only American greater than Cage himself).
No uncertainty about Uncertainty
We are all faced with hundreds, maybe thousands, of minuscule decisions each day. Bus or subway? Where and when to go to lunch? Work late or cut out early? The other day during a much-needed day of hookey from the YIL-factory I was walking by the IFC Center and saw a poster for Uncertainty, next showing in twenty minutes. I was sick of walking the streets in the cold and not buying Christmas presents so I ducked into the theatre and am very glad I did.
Manhattan or Brooklyn?
Easy question. Where to spend the 4th of July. Your girlfriend’s family’s party in Brooklyn or your buddy’s party in Manhattan. Flip a coin.
That’s how Uncertainybegins. With the flip of a coin. What follows are two separate movies: one follows Bobby (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his girlfriend Kate (Lynn Collins) to Brooklyn. Intertwined is the second movie – what would have happen had the two chosen to spend the day in Manhattan.
At first glimpse the premise is reminiscent of the less-than-stellar Gwyneth Paltrow 1998 film Sliding Doors (I much prefer her Great Expectations from the same year). To keep both Uncertainy story lines separate the film’s writers/directors used color: Yellow for Manhattan (clothes, taxi that brings them there) and Green for Brooklyn (clothes, minivan that brings them there). A much more clever device than Paltrow’s odd blonde/brunette hair cut and coloring.
What follows are two incredible stories as different as can be. In Manhattan Bobby and Kate find a cellphone in the back of a cab that leads to a fast-paced, gripping espionage story of murder, blackmail and what two people would be willing to do for more money than they could ever fathom having with action scenes of roof jumping that rival the Jason Bourne films. Not an easy feat for an independent film.
In Brooklyn, surrounded by her family, Bobby and Kate come to terms about their feelings for each other, their future, her mother’s disapproval. It is an intense, sometimes stifling, family/relationship drama.
The in-depth, claustrophobic nature of the film and the relationship presented on screen set to a defined period of time of both the Manhattan and Brooklyn films reminded me of a mix of Ethan Hawke/Julie Delpy Before Sunrise and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers/Scarlett Johansson Match Point.
While not the perfect movie – a few of the loose ends seem to tie up a bit too easy at the end – Uncertainly certainly is a movie to be seen. Levitt, once again as he did in (500) Days of Summer (which you may or may not have heard I kinda liked), proves his ranking as one of the top actors under thirty today and Lynn Collins shows her dramatic abilities are far superior to her roles in True Blood and X-Men: Wolverine (which is a damn good show and a fine movie themselves).
Its too late to see Uncertainty at the IFC Center in New York (though it does seem to be still playing in LA), but the smart folks over at IFC released the movie On Demandsimul with the theatre release. So look for it there.
YIL Presents: Mork & Darwin Volume 2
After a tremendous response to Volume 1 of our Mork & Darwin series, we’re back with round two. This week we ask you to carefully determine the following: which is more stupefying, Bicentennial Man or the Dumbo octopus?
Dumbo octopus photo is from Claire Nouvian’s THE DEEP.
Bare with me
for a moment. The Telegraph is reporting that actor and downright nice guy (cause, you know, we’re friends) Daniel Radcliffe will have a nude scene in the upcoming Harry Potter and his Deadly Member the Deathly Hallows.
The article quotes the film’s director, David Yates, “Dan has appeared nude in the past. There are a couple of scenes in the new film in which he will undress, but we’re still thinking about how to present it.”
I don’t suggest taking a lesson from the newly minted almost-nude former future son-in-law of Sarah Palin, Levi Johnston. His recent Playgirl photo spread was, while thrilling, a bit of a let down.
oh levi ...
This will be nothing new for Mr. Radcliffe who went full frontal (and dorsal for that matter) 8 times a week, both on Broadway and in London’s West End in Equus. He also has a book coming out at the end of the year. In it, he allows photographer Tim Hailand to follow him for a day — all day — including a trip to the shower. Good form, Daniel; I like where you’re going with this.
Radcliffe in Equus
My only request is that this not be a publicity stunt, like Levi’s. All talk and no Potter.
The Ultimate Avatar IMAX Experience Giveaway
UPDATE: All winners have been selected and notified….thanks for playing!
YourItList.com and IMAX are offering you a chance to enjoy the ultimate Avatar experience. Read about the world of Pandora in “James Cameron’s Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora,” then experience the world of Pandora for yourself in IMAX 3D, and finally, bring the excitement home with an Avatar IMAX t-shirt.
To enter for a chance to win, just send an email to YourItList@harpercollins.com with subject line: AVATAR before 1:00PM (EST) on December 17th. We will randomly be selecting 1 Grand Prize winner, 1 First Prize Winner, 5 Second Prize Winners and 10 Third Prize Winners from the emails received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted at 1:00 PM (EST) on December 17th, 2009.
- Grand Prize (1): Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, IMAX tickets for you and 20 of your friends, Avatar IMAX t-shirt (approx. retail value $237.98 )
- 1st Prize (1): Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, 4-pack of IMAX tickets, Avatar IMAX t-shirt (approx. retail value $77.98 )
- 2nd Prize (5): Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora, pair of IMAX tickets, Avatar IMAX t-shirt (approx. retail value $57.98/prize)
- 3rd Prize (10): Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora and Avatar IMAX t-shirt (approx. retail value $37.98/prize).
Avatar has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world’s most immersive movie experience. Visit www.IMAX.com for more information and to find a theater near you!
Click here to view official rules.
YIL Presents: Mork & Darwin, Volume the First
Today, in honor of Darwin Year, we bring you a new weekly YIL feature: Mork & Darwin.
Mork & Darwin is the brainchild of YIL friend Will. He posits that for every discovery of an incredibly odd head-scratcher of a deep sea creature, there is an equally odd head-scratcher of a Robin Williams movie. Mork & Darwin, now a regular YIL feature, puts that hypothesis to the test. Each week, Will plans to present us with a perfect pairing of ocean dweller and Williams film. Your job is to vote for which is more stupefying.
Without further ado, I give you Mork & Darwin, Volume the First:
Benthocodon jelly photo is from Claire Nouvian’s THE DEEP.
