5 Reasons I Love Zachary Levi

1. Chuck - creative, fun and awesome...Zachary Levi makes this work and made nerds cool.
2. Kid Friendly #1 - one of his first starring roles - Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Squeaquel - he embraced this cheesy role and made this kid flick one of my faves.
3. Kid Friendly #2 - voicing Flynn Rider in Tangled - never sounded so good and his dry self deprecating wit made it so funny.
4. And he SINGS! He lends his vocal chops to the soundtrack of Tangled - and sounds great!  Plus - check out his duet with Kathryn McPhee of 'Terrified' (one of my favorite songs written by Kara Dioguardi)
5. Handsome Devil - Seriously yummy. Disney clearly fashioned Flynn after Zachary - both are extremely dreamy.

Emmy Nominations make me Squeal!

New faces, new blood. Its a whole new Emmy world.  Gone are the days when the categories are the same year after year, with maybe one different nod.  So much newness this morning as my good friends Pacey and Sookie (Joshua Jackson and Melissa McCarthy) announced with delightful chuckles the 2011 Prime Time Emmy nominations at 6:35am this morning and I was up and ready!  I squealed with delight more times  watching this morning. than any other time in my loooong obsession with Movies, TV and Award shows! 

My loudest squeal?  Cat Deeley!  Cat Deeley - by far, my favorite reality TV host - finally gets a nomination - her first.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson (himself a nominee this morning) as guest judge on last nights broadcast - acknowledged that he really hoped Cat got nominated this morning and she turned the greatest shade of red.  I was hoping too!  I was hoping too!  Now, I'm really hoping she wins it.

Runner-up squeals:

Josh Charles - you'll always be Dan Rydell to me - but how I love you as Will Gardner on the Good Wife - the tension works with Julianna Margulies because of you and not everyone can go toe to toe with her.  First Time nominee - yay!

Friday Night Lights, Friday Night Light, Friday Night Lights!  First time nomination in the Best Drama category - this show is going out with a bang!  Its Final season was fantastic and I have loved this series from the very beginning.  And - I know they were nominated last year - but so happy to see Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler back on the list.  Connie Britton's Tami Taylor remains one of my all-time favorite wife/mothers on television.  And Kyle Chandler - well - he is one of my all-time favorite EVERYTHINGs.   Coach Taylor, Sheriff Lamb, Gary Hobson  and never has blowing up looked so good - as when Kyle Chandler did it as Dylan Young on Greys.

Melissa McCarthy - Sookie is nominated for an emmy - fresh off her hilarious turn in Bridesmaids - Melissa McCarthy is nominated for Mike & Molly - and really she does an amazing job with mediocre material. I've always thought her to be funny - really funny. And since she was announcing this morning - she gave her best guffaw at her own surprise nomination - and became quite disheveled... in that moment, I squealed and thought she's either really surprised or a really good actress.

Ed O'Neill - when pretty much every major actor on Modern Family was nominated last year, Ed was left off the list.  And while it may not be shocking to some that he was never nominated for Married...With Children, the Academy has corrected this gross over-look from last year.  Ed's portrayal as the Patriarch of this Modern Family is hilarious.  Yay for his first ever nomination!

So You Think You Can Dance finally gets nominated in the Best Reality show competition category.  Finally!  My favorite one gets some acknowledgement.  Also - I have to admit - I squealed at Travis Wall getting nominated for best choreography!  He was a contestant on this show not too many years ago - but he really is a fantastic choreographer on the show now.  Good luck as he goes head to head with Mia Michaels, Tabitha & Napolean, Stacey Tookey, Mandy Moore and Mark Ballas.  My hope is for Nappy Tabs or Travis - though Mia's brilliance will probably win it.  All these choreographers and Cat Deeley - it was a good morning for SYTYCD!

Dot-Marie Jones! amazing as Coach Biest on Glee.  She is the reason, I'm so glad that Glee was nominated for Best Casting.  Her first and well-deserved nomination.  There could be no one else who could play Coach Biest!




Johnny Galecki - First Time nominee, Johnny Galecki - love him as the "straight" man, Leonard to Sheldons hilarious OCD craziness on The Big Bang Theory.  I love the steady growth in popularity on this show.  I love these nerds.  Never before has geekiness been so cool.  Jim Parsons and the show are also nominated.  I'm totally pulling for a repeat win for Parsons - and I never want repeats...that is how much I love his Sheldon.

Kathy Bates, Oscar winner - shes no stranger to award shows - in fact - if you go to her imdb page you have to scroll down quite a long way to even get to the Emmys section of her awards page- she's been nominated for a few emmys for mini-series and guest roles, but never won.  I love her as Harry's Law - somehow I love it even more -knowing Harry was written for a man and she made it work and all her own. She has me wondering how many other Oscar winners have been nominated for Emmys this year.  Kate Winslet, Paul Giamatti, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cloris Leachman, Maggie Smith, William Hurt, Matt Damon, and Melissa Leo off the top of my head are all Oscar winners and are nominated for 2011 Emmy...lots of Oscar nominees are among the Emmy nominees - And lots of Oscar nominated actors now up for Emmy: Laura Linney, Taraji P Henson, James Woods, Joan Cusak, Elizabeth McGovern, Mare Winningham, Tom Wilkinson, Mary McDonnell, Alfre Woodard, Diane Lane, Greg Kinnear and Christopher Plummer to name a few and suddenly I'm realizing that Oscar and Emmy winner Sally Field is not nominated this year.  And hey, there are a few Tony winners in these nominees 2 on The Good Wife: Christine Baranski and Alan Cumming,  Kristin Chenoweth and Nathan Lane obvious Tony winners as well and there are probably a few more. Now, I wonder are there any Grammy winners?  At least one - my boy (yes, I do call him, my boy), JT, Justin Timberlake and more I'm assuming. Hmm...I may do some research on all this award show in-breeding.

Okay, so what if there are only 2 Best Dramas from Network TV nominated for Best Drama - so what if there are 4 from Cable!  Cable TV is taking over!  But, I have to say, I'm not really a cable show viewer - so it make my picks that much easier.

So much new blood in this race - welcome to many other first time Emmy nominees: Paul McCrane (seriously - I love this guy - even if he did scare me on ER), Zach Galifinakas, Joan Cusak, Elizabeth McGovern, Guy Pearce, Brenda Strong (finally, an emmy nod for the best part of Desperate Housewives, her amazing voice overs - show would not be the same without her), Julia Stiles, Elizabeth Banks, Evan Rachel Wood, Bruce Dern, Peter Dinklage, Loretta Devine (How divine!), Taraji P Henson, Greg Kinnear,  Melissa Leo  and Gwyneth Paltrow to name a few!  Whew!

I love this stuff!  I love the nominees.  I love the new blood, new faces.  Only thing to have made this morning better - were if my beloved Cougar Town had received any love at all...Any...especially that Courteney Cox and Busy Phillips.  I can't even bring myself to consider any other snubs this morning - I'm too happy!

PS - Wow!  Cloris Leachman was nominated for her 22nd time this morning and has won 8 Emmys.  Betty White is not far behind her with her 17th nod with 5 wins, and surprisingly Alfre Woodard received her 16th commendation this morning and has won 4 times. Talk about Emmy LOVE!


Major category nominations listed below...and a few of my personal favorite - NOT major categories below that.

Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory


Glee


Modern Family


The Office


Parks and Recreation


30 Rock






Drama Series


Boardwalk Empire


Dexter


Friday Night Lights


Game of Thrones


The Good Wife


Mad Men






Lead Actress in a Comedy


Laura Linney, The Big C


Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie


Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation


Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly


Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope


Tina Fey, 30 Rock






Lead Actor in a Comedy


Matt LeBlanc, Episodes


Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory


Steve Carell, The Office


Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory


Louis C.K., Louie


Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock






Lead Actor in a Drama


Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire


Michael C. Hall, Dexter


Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights


Jon Hamm, Mad Men


Hugh Laurie, House


Timothy Olyphant, Justified






Lead Actress in a Drama


Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men


Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights


Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU


Mireille Enos, The Killing


Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife


Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law





Supporting Actor in a Comedy


Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men


Chris Colfer, Glee


Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family


Ed O’Neill, Modern Family


Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family


Ty Burrell, Modern Family






Supporting Actor in a Drama


John Slattery, Mad Men


Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age


Walton Goggins, Justified


Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones


Josh Charles, The Good Wife


Alan Cumming, The Good Wife






Supporting Actress in a Comedy


Jane Lynch, Glee


Betty White, Hot in Cleveland


Julie Bowen, Modern Family


Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live


Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock


Sofia Vergara, Modern Family






Supporting Actress in a Drama


Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire


Christina Hendricks, Mad Men


Michelle Forbes, The Killing


Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife


Margo Martindale, Justified






Mini-series or Made-for-Television Movie


Cinema Verite


Downton Abbey


The Kennedys


Mildred Pierce


The Pillars Of The Earth


Too Big To Fail






Variety, Music or Comedy Series


The Colbert Report


Conan


The Daily Show With Jon Stewart


Late Night With Jimmy Fallon


Real Time With Bill Maher


Saturday Night Live






Lead Actor in a Mini-Series or movie


Edgar Ramirez, Carlos


Greg Kinnear, The Kennedys


Barry Pepper, The Kennedys


Idris Elba, Luther


Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood


William Hurt, Too Big To Fail






Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or movie


Diane Lane, Cinema Verite


Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey


Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce


Taraji P. Henson, Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story


Jean Marsh, Upstairs Downstairs






Reality Program


Antiques Roadshow


Deadliest Catch


Hoarders


Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List


MythBusters


Undercover Boss






Reality Competition


The Amazing Race


American Idol


Dancing With The Stars


Project Runway


So You Think You Can Dance


Top Chef






Host of a Reality Program or Competition


Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race


Ryan Seacrest, American Idol


Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars


Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can


Jeff Probst, Survivor

Outstanding Choreography

Dancing With The Stars • Routines: Jive “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” / Viennese Waltz “Hedwigs Theme (Theme from Harry Potter)” / Slow Waltz “My Love” • ABC • BBC Worldwide Productions
Mark Ballas, Choreographer

So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Alice in Mia-Land “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” / “When We Dance” / “This Bitter Earth - On The Nature of Daylight” • FOX • Dick Clark Productions in association with 19 Entertainment
Mia Michaels, Choreographer

So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: “Mad World” / “Sundrenched World” / “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” • FOX • Dick Clark Productions in association with 19 Entertainment
Stacey Tookey, Choreographer

So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: “Collide” / “How It Ends” / “Fix You” • FOX • Dick Clark Productions in association with 19 Entertainment
Travis Wall, Choreographer

So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: “Scars” / “Fallin” / “Outta Your Mind” • FOX • Dick Clark Productions in association with 19 Entertainment
Tabitha D'umo, Choreographer
Napoleon D'umo, Choreographer

So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: “Oh Yeah” / “Boogie Shoes” / “I Surrender” • FOX • Dick Clark Productions in association with 19 Entertainment
Mandy Jo Moore, Choreographer

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

The Big C • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Sony Pictures Television, Perkins Street Productions, Farm Kid, Original Film
Iris Elba as Lenny

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Nathan Lane as Pepper Saltzman

Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Zach Galifianakis, Host

Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Justin Timberlake, Host

30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Matt Damon as Carol

30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Will Arnett as Devin Banks

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
Big Love • HBO • Anima Sola Productions and Playtone in association with HBO Entertainment
Bruce Dern as Frank Harlow

Brothers & Sisters • ABC • ABC Studios
Beau Bridges as Nick Brody

The Good Wife • CBS • CBS Productions
Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning

Harry's Law • NBC • Bonanza Productions, Inc. in association with David E. Kelley Productions and Warner Bros. Television
Paul McCrane as Josh Peyton

Justified • FX Networks • Sony Pictures Television and FX Productions
Jeremy Davies as Dickie Bennett
Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
Glee • FOX • Ryan Murphy Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes

Glee • FOX • Ryan Murphy Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
Dot-Marie Jones as Coach Beiste

Glee • FOX • Ryan Murphy Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly Holliday

Raising Hope • FOX • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw

Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with NBC Studios and Broadway Video
Tina Fey, Host


30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Elizabeth Banks as Avery


Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series


The Closer • TNT • The Shephard/Robin Company in association with Warner Bros. Television
Mary McDonnell as Capt. Sharon Raydor

Dexter • Showtime • Showtime Presents, John Goldwyn Productions, The Colleton Company, Chip Johannessen Productions
Julia Stiles as Lumen Pierce

Grey's Anatomy • ABC • ABC Studios
Loretta Devine as Adele Webber

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Randee Heller as Miss Blankenship

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Cara Buono as Faye Miller

Shameless • Showtime • Showtime Presents, John Wells Productions, Warner Bros. Television
Joan Cusack as Sheila Jackson

True Blood • HBO • Your Face Goes Here Entertainment in association with HBO Entertainment
Alfre Woodard as Ruby Jean Reynolds

Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series


The Big C • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Sony Pictures Television, Perkins Street Productions, Farm Kid, Original Film
Julie Tucker, CSA, Casting Director

Ross Meyerson, CSA, Casting Director
Glee • FOX • Ryan Murphy Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
Robert J. Ulrich, CSA, Casting Director
Eric Dawson, CSA, Casting Director

Modern Family • ABC • Twentieth Century Fox Television
Jeff Greenberg, CSA, Casting Director

Nurse Jackie • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Lionsgate Television, Jackson Group Entertainment, Madison Grain Elevator, Inc. & Delong Lumber, A Caryn Mandabach Production
Julie Tucker, CSA, Casting Director
Ross Meyerson, CSA, Casting Director

30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Media Studios
Jennifer McNamara-Schroff, Casting Director
Katja Blichfield, Casting Director

Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire • HBO • Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
Ellen Lewis, Casting Director
Meredith Tucker, Casting Director

Game Of Thrones • HBO • Bighead, Littlehead, 360 Television, Grok and
Generator Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
Nina Gold, Casting Director
Robert Sterne, Casting Director

The Good Wife • CBS • CBS Productions
Mark Saks, CSA, Casting Director
The Killing • AMC • Fox Television Studios
Junie Lowry Johnson, Casting Director
Libby Goldstein, Casting Director
Stuart Aikins, Casting Director - Canada
Corrine Clark, Casting Director - Canada
Jennifer Page, Casting Director – Canada

Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television
Laura Schiff, CSA, Casting Director
Carrie Audino, CSA, Casting Director

Outstanding Casting For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

Cinema Verite • HBO • A Pariah Productionin association with HBO Films
Randi Hiller, CSA, Casting Director

Downton Abbey (Masterpiece) • PBS • A co-production of Carnival and Masterpiece
Jill Trevellick, CDG, Casting Director

Mildred Pierce • HBO • A Killer Films/John Wells Production in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and HBO Miniseries
Laura Rosenthal, Casting Director

Too Big To Fail • HBO • A Spring Creek and A Deuce Three Production in association with HBO Films
Alexa L. Fogel, CSA, Casting Director

Upstairs Downstairs (Masterpiece) • PBS • A co-production of BBC Wales and WGBH Boston
Andy Pryor, CDG, Casting Director

A Kinder, Gentler Idol

Once there was Simon, Paula and Randy...and they fought and flirted and one-upped each other and made ridiculous fools of themselves all while trying to crown Americas favorite singer.  Then came Kara.  Simon, Paula, Randy and Kara was a lot of talking, and made all the shows go too long.  Then Ellen stopped by and made everyone chuckle a little...and now...now its almost 'A Whole New World'.  Cue the magic carpet.  Randy, Jennifer and Steven....well...its certainly a different dynamic. 

First - I love Aerosmith.  I do.  I know what Janie's got...I know what happens in an elevator and I know that Ben Affleck don't want to miss a thing.  I love me some J-Lo.  The Wedding Planner has got to be somewhere on my list of most delightful movie fluff...and hey, My Love Don't Cost A Thing either.  And, initially, I thought - this will be brilliant!  Idol will be brilliant!  Real artists!  And maybe at the start it was a little. (Yes, this does imply that I never thought Paula Abdul to be a real artist...though I maintain - I miss Kara and I thought she knew her stuff).  

After the first few long audition days, J-Lo seemed to be able to cut to the chase and get the weirdos and untalented on their way...and Steven, well Steven was just entertaining...everyone seemed to be waiting on the edge of their seats for the bleep machine to be required.  My early observations about the dynamic were how it all seemed more creative.  The audition rounds seemed to be less "crazy-psycho-get-on-TV-thrillseekers" and more "great story, good singers, watch how these famous musicians play nice with the contestants" - which for me is far more enjoyable.  First time in 10 seasons, I actually wanted to watch the early audition rounds.   I loved the way Steven and Jennifer would groove with the singers and get into it and sometime audibly sing along- it made the IDOL experience seem entirely more artistic.  Artists appreciating musical art.  I kind of liked it.  And, at first, at least - I really thought - that at the very least - Jennifer Lopez was somewhat discerning.  And though there wasn't a Simon among them.  Idol was still there and I liked it.   A kinder, gentler version emerged of Idols once bipolar craziness.

THEN - Vegas.  In Vegas, our superstar judges got to know the contestants, got to love them, had to make the more difficult decisions.  Jennifer Lopez had a teary breakdown at having to cut the contestant with one of this seasons most heart wrenching stories - but - the guy didn't sound great.  He just didn't - but because she knew the story - it was emotional.  This should have been the first indicator of what was to come.

As the weeks progress, far less judging is happening.  I thought for a time maybe they were just playing cheerleader roles - but now its just seeming ridiculous.  It doesn't help that for the first time ever, each song for each contestant is getting "produced" causing some of the sparkle of idol to vanish.  There is a certain magic in watching an amateur with an amazing voice figure it out.  Amateur is all out the window.  On the very first week - the singers had 'back up singers' and were releasing singles!  The year Ruben Studdard won (and I voted my heart out for Clay) - back up singers didn't show up until the finale.  Contestants were left to fend for themselves up until the end.  Now - each contestant is subjected to lots and lots of pre-preformance - music-industry - know-it-all-ness...and only the strongest and most self-defined contestants have dared waiver from those opinions.  It feels over-produced.  It just does.  OVER. PRODUCED.  Take a week off Jimmy Iovine!

I wonder if some of this was born from Adam Lambert.  Kris Allen may have been victorious but Adam Lambert changed Idol.  He was and wanted to be so innovative with his performances - lighting, costuming, staging - all his ideas - and they seemed authentic and not forced (still love his voice - and no comment on his post-Idol idiocy).  Now they are forcing the contestants to be performers from the start...expecting Adam Lambert - caliber performances - but it is all somebody elses creation - it feels so forced and the audience just isn't getting to experience the transformations - it is all happening behind the scenes.  Kudos to Casey and James for trying to do their own things - but really - whose idea was the pyrotechnic piano?

Back to the judges.   They just love everyone - its a sad day when the most discerning judge is name-dropping 'dawg' Randy!  Steven never says a mean thing - but at least the accolades he offers are interesting.  Probably my all time favorite Steven moment this season - was after James Durbin finished a great karoke version of Bon Jovi's "Its My Life" and Steven looked at him and said "don't go too "pop"-y on me"!   As Steven seemed to be extending an offer as mentor to his new protege in James.  Steven loves music and it is obvious - and he likes it and he wants to like it.  He gets into it...and it can be fun to watch -but he doesn't offer any kind of judgement.  Jennifer is emotionally involved.  She is trying to offer helpful critique, but she too often gets swept up in the emotion and offers that of an endearing fan, rather than a genuine popstars assist.  Randy is still Randy...with maybe a bit more responsibility.  It seems he senses the responsibility he has to make sure the "Simon" voice is still represented...at least it seemed that way at first - but by now - he's just same old Randy - king of the "dawg pound".

This kinder, gentler, undiscerning idol is really absent a critical voice.  And I think it is showing in the voting.  I'm happy they introduced the judges SAVE.  If for no other reason - than it gave me 2 more weeks of Matt Giraud - the first SAVE recipient.  And, I have to say, I was happy they SAVED Casey.  This competition would not be the same without the versatile Casey... but, they had to SAVE him, because I think America needs a Simon.  They need someone to help them wade through their own emotion - and get to the nitty gritty...they need someone to notice what isn't good - when it all seems so right.  And since there isn't any - the audience gets confused.  But, not too confused - on the most recent results show - all of the 'voted off' top 12 contestants did a horrific group number - that served to hi-light that Paul McDonald really can't carry a tune (but hey, emotional me - still crazy loves him!) and that really only Pia of that group is a stand out.  Too many words and wandering thoughts later - all I really need to say is: I miss Simon.  The Idol voting America needs a Simon.  Steven and J-Lo are fun...but a kinder, gentler idol also makes for a bit more of a boring idol too.

Alice reimagined

Ah, Alice in Wonderland, how you've grown.  One thing is for certain, this is not the Disney cartoon.

I saw this movie at an IMAX theater and in 3d.  So let me start by addressing the technical parts of 3d and the moster screen.  The visual imagry was very, very sharp.  It was quite impressive, actually.  The colors were crisp and vivid and the 3d was well used to provide depth to the picture.  But I have one small complaint.  It seems that directors feel it is a requirement to shove things at the screen when they have a 3d camera.  The sudden objects flying "right at you" without being part of the story - I really dislike that.  And there were a couple of times that Alice did this, and it's a shame they interrupted an otherwise enjoyable 3d experience..  It was the only part of the movie that felt forced in 3d.

Reviewing the movie starts and ends with Tim Burton.  His unique visual style is very much at the forefront of this movie.  From the Red Queen's (Helena Bonham Carter) oversized head, to the Mad Hatter's (Johnny Depp) outfit, makeup and changing eyes, to the White Queen's (Anne Hathaway) odd behavior and dark makeup - this movie carries Tim Burton's stamp of strangeness through and through.  Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing.  I am not necessarily a fan of that look/feel, but I honestly felt it worked in this movie.  The settings vary from bright (the garden in the real world, the White Queen's castle) to dark (Red Queen's castle and the chessboard) and uses color and light very effectively to convey mood.  Color is also used with the Mad Hatter - his eyes change color as his mood swings.

The acting is the movie was superb.  Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter put in their usual great character work.  Anne Hathaway puts a very interesting spin on the White Queen - it bothered me, but it was well acted.  My favorite, however, was relative newcomer Mia Wasikowska in the titular role.  I was very impressed with her.  She carried a screen presence that really worked for me.

Overall, this movie is one I would (and have!) recommend to anybody.  I saw it with a group of friends on a Saturday, and liked it enough to take my four children the next Monday.  My youngest is almost 6, and she loved the movie.  There were certainly parts that were scary (the Jabberwocky, comes to mind) for her, but she enjoyed it anyway.  My almost-13 year old daughter said it was one of her favorite movies of all time.  And it certainly was one of my favorite Tim Burton movies.

Oscar: The Groundhog?: Award Show Fever

First - It's Groundhog Day!  Second - Its Oscar Nod day!  Or wait - First - Oscar, Second - Groundhog? Such a weird pairing to have Oscar Nominations and Punxsutawney Phil vying for "center stage" so early this morning.  But, they did - and who won out at my house? Academy President Tom Sherak and Ann Hathaway making announcements at 6:38am this morning - thats who.  And there weren't that many surprises - and I love surprises. 

My biggest disappointments were in omissions.  Emily Blunt - in Young Victoria - I so wanted her to get a nod - and while Sandra, Meryl, Gabby and Helen seemed locked in for the category - there was a fifth "open" slot (though I may be the only one who thought it was open) that went to Carey Mulligan in An Education.  Maybe I'll feel differently when I actually see An Education, but Emily Blunt made my movie going experience with Young Victoria - so great - I really had hopes for her.  Also - I REALLY wanted Star Trek to make into the 10 nominee Best Picture category - no luck.  And I thought it would have been funny if The Hangover would have made it - but of course - I know that the Academy rarely has a sense of humor.  How could 500 Days of Summer not be nominated for Original Screenplay?  , 500 is nothing but originality.  That one is a major bummer. And... I would have loved, loved, loved if Robert Downey, Jr had won a nomination for Sherlock Holmes... his Golden Globes win for this still makes me giggle.  I absolutely adore him.

On to the actual nominations list - only a few mild surprises and one regular sized surprise.  First, Maggie Gyllenhaal's nod for Crazy Heart was a regular sized surprise.  Largely overlooked this award season - it seems Jeff Bridges did have some help in this little movie.  Penelope Cruz in Nine is a smaller surprise as this movie does not have critical or box office success behind it - but the Academy just loves her...so its not that shocking.  I would say Matt Damon and Woody Harrelson weren't sure things but their names were certainly on the short lists. 

A few fun observations:

Up is up for Best Animated Feature and Best Film - I'm surprised this is allowed.  If Up is really good enough to be a Best Picture nominee doesn't that automatically make it the Best Animated Feature?  I guess it will be interesting if it doesn't win Animated Feature.  And its up for original screenplay.  Nice.

Speaking of Best Animated Feature - What is "The Secret of Kells"?  And why was Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs not on this list...if just to hear it announced at the Oscars.

First year with 10 nominations for Best Film since 1943.  From 1931 to 1943 there were 8 to 12 best-picture nominees.  There were 10 in 1943 when Casablanca won, but then it switched to 5 until this year.  Will it change the outcome, I wonder?  Or will it just make the nomination list longer - so 5 more films can put 2009 Best Picture Nominee on their DVD Jacket?

Meryl Streep continues to reign as the most nominated actor in Oscar history.  Increasing her tally to 16 nods, she is gaining a significant lead over Kathryn Hepburn and Jack Nicolson (both at 12).  Its a wonder she only has 2 trophies - 1 lead (Sophies Choice)and 1 supporting (Kramer vs Kramer).  Steep did just break the record for most best actress nominations - now at 13.  (All 12 of Hepburns were Best Actress).  Hepburn is still the most honored - with 4 trophies (Morning Glory in 1933, .Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, 1967, The Lion in Winter, 1968, On Golden Pond, 1981) Nicolson ( ("As Good as It Gets," 1997; "Terms of Endearment," 1983; "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975), Ingrid Bergman ( Murder on the Orient Express," 1974; "Anastasia," 1956; "Gaslight," 1944) and Walter Brennan (The Westerner," 1940; "Kentucky," 1938; "Come and Get It," 1936) are tied for 2nd with 3 triumphs a piece.

Razzie Award Nominations for the Worst in Film were released 2 days ago.  Sandra Bullock leads the Razzies and the Oscars (with her first nomination - really first?) in the same year.  She really has had a big year...2 big box office successes, The Proposal and The Blind Side, Golden Globe and SAG trophies and appearing in one of the worst films I have ever paid to see, All About Steve.  I think its an interesting dichotomy...and while the Razzies do not have the critical acclaim or respect of the Oscars - and really don't deserve to be in same paragraph with the Oscars... it is still a feat never before achieved.  Sandra Bullock could win a Razzie for the Worst Actress of 2009 and then the next day win an Oscar for the Best Actress of 2009 (and she will win that Oscar - that one is locked up).   I mostly just think its really funny. 

Kathryn Bigelow is now only the 4th woman in Oscar history nominated as Best Director (Lina Wertmüller for 1976's Seven Beauties, Jane Campion for 1993's The Piano, Sofia Coppola for 2003's Lost in Translation) - and may be the first ever to win.  After besting her former husband (Bigelow and Cameron were married from 89-91) James Cameron at the Directors Guild Awards in a bit of a surprise win - she is now the favorite to win for The Hurt Locker.  But, you never know - Avatar is surprising everyone - and James Cameron is still the King of the World.  I'll have a firmer opinion of this once I see Avatar.  Am I the ONLY one left who hasn't seen it?  I liked The Hurt Locker - it looks and feels different than any other movie I saw from 2009 - and is an apparently fairly accurate telling of modern day war - it was interesting and quiet and haunting. 

A note about this awards show season - it seems the last few years have each had a couple of events that were too close together.  Last year the Golden Globes and Oscar nominations were hours apart.  This year, the Golden Globes and the SAG Awards were 6 days apart.  Both televised - the SAG Awards, the unfortunate 2nd of the 2, felt like deja vu.  The winners score cards were almost identical for the acting categories...it felt like TV repeat week as we saw the same actors in different attire - giving 2nd acceptance speeches.  There were a few exceptions to the winners tally - Tina Fey won a SAG - Toni Collette won the Globe.  Inglorious Basterds cast won the SAG - Avatar and The Hangover won the Best Picture Globes. But, still it just felt so overdone being so close together.  If not for the Achievement award given to the lively Betty White - the SAGs would have been entirely uneventful.  Spread these things out - please!  All the award shows deserve their due!

Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin co-host the Oscars on March 7th.  What fun!  Steve Martin has done it solo - and I enjoyed it...but I think this pairing is brilliant! After starring together in Its Complicated (a film noteworthy only for  the remarkable performances of its players - Baldwin, Martin - Meryl Streep and John Krazinski) the only way I would have expected to see them together again would be on an All-Star SNL tribute.   I can't wait to see how it all plays out.

Full nominations below
Bold - my pick to win
Italics - if I were an Academy voter and could vote in EVERY category...I would vote for...


Best Picture


'Avatar'

'The Blind Side'

'District 9'

'An Education'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglourious Basterds'

'Precious'

'A Serious Man'

'Up'

'Up in the Air'



Best Director

James Cameron, 'Avatar'

Kathryn Bigelow, 'The Hurt Locker'

Quentin Tarantino, 'Inglourious Basterds'

Lee Daniels, 'Precious'

Jason Reitman, 'Up in the Air'



Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, 'Crazy Heart'

George Clooney, 'Up in the Air'

Colin Firth, 'A Single Man'

Morgan Freeman, 'Invictus'

Jeremy Renner, 'The Hurt Locker'



Best Actress

Sandra Bullock, 'The Blind Side'

Helen Mirren, 'The Last Station'

Carey Mulligan, 'An Education'

Gabourey Sidibe, 'Precious'

Meryl Streep, 'Julie & Julia'



Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon, 'Invictus'

Woody Harrelson, 'The Messenger'

Christopher Plummer, 'The Last Station'

Stanley Tucci, 'The Lovely Bones'

Christoph Waltz, 'Inglourious Basterds'



Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, 'Nine'

Vera Farmiga, 'Up in the Air'

Maggie Gyllenhaal, 'Crazy Heart'

Anna Kendrick, 'Up in the Air'

Mo'nique, 'Precious'



Best Animated Feature Film

'Coraline'

'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

'The Princess and the Frog'

'The Secret of Kells'

'Up'



Best Foreign Film

Israel - 'Ajami'

Argentina - 'El Secreto de sus Ojos'

Peru - 'The Milk of Sorrow'

France - 'Un Prophete'

Germany - 'The White Ribbon'



Best Original Screenplay

Mark Boal, 'The Hurt Locker'

Quentin Tarantino, 'Inglourious Basterds'

Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, 'The Messenger'

Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, 'A Serious Man'

Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy, 'Up'



Best Adapted Screenplay

Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, 'District 9'

Nick Hornby, 'An Education'

Jesse Armstron, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, 'In the Loop'

Geoffrey Fletcher, 'Precious'

Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, 'Up in the Air'



Best Documentary Feature

'Burma VJ'

'The Cove'

'Food, Inc.'

'The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers'

'Which Way Home'



Best Original Score

'Avatar'

'Fantastic Mr. Fox'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Sherlock Holmes'

'Up'



Best Original Song

'Almost There' from 'The Princess and the Frog,' Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

'Down in New Orleans' from 'The Princess and the Frog,' Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

'Loin de Paname' from 'Paris 36,' Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas

'Take It All' from 'Nine,' Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston

'The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)' from 'Crazy Heart,' Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett



Best Film Editing

'Avatar'

'District 9'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglourious Basterds'

'Precious'



Best Cinematography

'Avatar'

'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

'The Hurt Locker'

'Inglourious Basterds'

'The White Ribbon'



Best Costume Design

'Bright Star'

'Coco Before Chanel'

'The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'

'Nine'

'The Young Victoria'

And if anyone cares.... Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and we've got 6 more weeks of winter folks.  Mostly, though. on this Groundhog day - I think Phils spotlight was stolen by Oscar...

Sorry Phil!

Daybreakers - More emo vampires?

After watching the previews for Daybreakers, I wasn't expecting anything special from this movie.  And that's good, because I certainly didn't get anything special.  I liked the idea of the movie - a world where vampires are the norm, and humans have been hunted to near extinction.  It did a good job of giving us that world - from commercials to the subwalk (to walk around during the day) to car conversions for daytime driving (totally blackened windows and cameras to see where you are going), it sold that well.  But after thinking about this movie, I was left with one pressing question.

Why the heck are all the vampires today little whiney crybabies?

But aside from that question, the move was exactly as advertised.  I'm a huge Ethan Hawke fan.  I'm not a fan of Sam Neill.  Willem Dafoe can go either way for me.  I like vampire and "ruined earth" movies.  But the movie just didn't seem to come together very well.  It went very slowly through unimportant parts, lingering on details and plot devices that didn't go anywyere - and then it would fly through the important parts, passing on any real character or main plot development.  Seemed a bit disjointed.

The bottom line - the movie was pretty much what was advertised.  They never advertised coherency, and the movie suffered for its lack.  But it was passably entertaining.

Unmet Expectations: Alvin and the Morgans

When I saw the preview for Did you hear about the Morgans?, I had high hopes.  Not only did I laugh hysterically at Sarah Jessica Parker running after her horse screaming "I'm not on my horse!", I thought this was another perfect packaging for Hugh Grant - to do what Hugh Grant does best - bumbling romantic comedy.  And while, yes he did fill the role of bumbling male lead, something was so off in this film.  Sarah Jessica Parker often confounds me.  She is forever Carrie Bradshaw, and often through this movie, I found myself noting that she was trying to speak and act differently than Carrie - on purpose.  Carrie must be so much her - that she has to make effort to act like someone else.  Needless to say, she seems strained and awkward.  There are far too many uncomfortable scenes - that perhaps were meant to be uncomfortable, to express the strained relationship between the Meryl and Paul Morgan characters.  Yes, Parker's name in the film is Meryl!  Ick.  Meryl Streep aside (somehow this name works for her and her extraordinary talent) - the name Meryl is a horrible name for women (my apologies to all the female Meryls out there) - it served to be actually a distracting point in the plot.  That coupled with a distracting hair color and styling on Parker - and I could not sink into the movie at all.  I was forever outside of it - merely sitting in a theater, watching 2 Hollywood movie stars make a go of a lame script - floundering incessantly.  With  turns from great supporting castmates, Mary Steenburgen, Sam Elliot (Oh, how I love him!) Elisabeth Moss and Wilford Brimley - it just didn't work.  Even that hilarious scene from the trailer that I loved,  fell flat.  My hope was for some enjoyable light movie fare, but instead got a heavy amount of movie ick. 

I volunteered to take my niece to a "kids show" while the other adults in my family went to see The Blind Side  - a movie I had already seen, and thoroughly enjoyed (review another day).    So, I ventured out to see Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakquel - 4 year old in tow - with virtually no expections.  I wasn't exactly dreading the movie - but I wasn't thinking I would enjoy it either.  First, I should admit - I love Jason Lee.  From Mallrats and Chasing Amy to Almost Famous to the baddie in The Incredibles to Earl - I just love him.  It takes a lot for me to Not enjoy him - even in the worst of films (A Guy Thing - anyone?)  So, at least I would have that.  I was a little disappointed when I realized at the beginning of the film - that he as the Chipmunk "dad" would be "laid up" for most of the film and not in much of it.  Imagine my joyous surprise to discover, none other than Zachery Levi (NBCs Chuck) filling in.  (I love him - more than Jason Lee - even).  And the surprises continued - as I ended up really liking this flick.  The introduction of the Chipettes is fun, the Chipmunk-ified versions of Hot n Cold, Put Your Records on and I Gotta Feelin - are hip, current and fun.  Overall, the music is great.  David Cross - funny and perfect as the bad guy - made it all palatable.   My only distraction throughout was my agonizing attempt to identify who was voicing Simon, the pronounciations and inflections of the voice were so familiar!  It wasn't until I searched the credits at the end, that I was appeased.  Matthew Gray Gubler (Dr. Spencer Reid of  CBS's Criminal Minds) was the culprit, and is perfect as brainiac Simon.  None of the other big name voices were identifiable in their Chipmunk versions.  I love Justin Long and Anna Faris and Christina Applegate, Amy Poehler and Jesse McCartney - but I didn't know it was them behind the high pitched squeaks. Wendie Malik is hilarious as the Chipmunk obsessed principal - and I'm always happy to see Kathryn Joosten  pop up anywhere(she will always be Mrs. Landingham to me). In the end, for me and for the 4 year old next to me - it all really worked.  It was a fun movie experience - the kind of light movie fare I was hoping for on a busy Christmas Eve. 

So if you have a choice between Alvin and the Morgans, surprisingly - I say go with Alvin.