my (megan's) picks.

I am not near as educated nor do I care as much about what makes a good movie; I just want to be entertained.

Here would be my picks/categories:

MOVIES:

Biggest Disappointment: Indian Jones

Should Know When to Stop Making More Sequels: Clone Wars

Most Relatable: Fanboys

I Wish I Lived There: Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Best Stupid Musical: TIE- Hamlet 2 and High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Best Action/ Superhero: The Dark Knight
Runner-up: Iron Man

Most Heartbreaking: Revolutionary Road

Most Unnecessary Confusion: 7 Pounds

Could Watch Over and Over: TIE- Twilight and Wanted

Best War: Tropic Thunder

TELEVISION:
Best Reality: The Amazing Race

Most Confusing: Lost

Best Comedy: TIE- Weeds and The Office

Best Drama: 24

Best "Who Done it:" TIE- Bones and Criminal Minds

Wish There Was No Elimination: The Biggest Loser

Will Never be as Good as Season One: Heroes

ACTORS:
Some were good, some were bad; who cares?

awards season

The Oscars, which I once informed my father are "my Superbowl," are tomorrow. I'm not in total concurrence with the nominees, the likely winners, or even the award categories, and I've seen most of the nominees this year, so I actually feel like I know what I'm talking about. So this year, I'm publishing my own personal picks...

MOVIES

Best Picture: “Slumdog Millionaire”
Runner-up: “Gran Torino”

Best Male Actor: Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Best Female Actor: Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”
Runner-up: Kate Winslet, “Revolutionary Road”

Best Director: TIE – Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire” and Clint Eastwood, “Gran Torino”

Best Supporting Male Actor: Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”

Best Supporting Female Actor: Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Christina Barcelona”

Best Comedy: “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”

Best Action Movie: “The Dark Knight”

Best Screenplay: “Slumdog Millionaire” *I know that this is an adaptation, but as I haven’t read the novel Q & A, I shall consider the script alone

Best Adapted Screenplay: “The Reader” *Read it!

Best Cinematography: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Most Depressing: “Revolutionary Road”

Biggest Disappointment: TIE – “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” *To be fair, I haven’t seen "Ben Button." But after hearing a multitude of lackluster reviews from people who know a lot about movies, I have no desire to. It is apparently way too long, and lacks conflict.

Best Bad Movie That Was More Entertaining Than Most Good Movies: TIE – “Wanted” and “Twilight”

Best Angst: Evan Rachel Wood, “The Wrestler”

Best Train Wreck: Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler”

Best Character Actor: Kristen Wiig

Best Kiss: Angelina Jolie and James MacAvoy, "Wanted"

Best Movie Theater Commentary: "It's been too long since 'Tokyo Drift.'" - Dan Bowen, after the new "Fast & Furious" trailer
Runner-up: "Yay!" - Ashley Vargus, after the first 7-ish minutes of "Revolutionary Road"

TELEVISION

Best Drama: TIE – “Dexter” and “24” *This season may have missed the awards cut-off, but I don’t care. I’m making up my own awards.

Best Comedy: “The Office”

Best Miniseries/TV Movie: “Raisin in the Sun”

Best Male Actor – Drama: Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”

Best Female Actor – Drama: Jennifer Carpenter, “Dexter”

Best Male Actor – Comedy: Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Best Female Actor – Comedy: Mary Louise Parker, “Weeds”

Best Reality Show: “The Amazing Race”

Biggest Disappointment: “Heroes”

Trashiest Guilty Pleasure: “Rock of Love: Bus Tour”
Runner-up: “The Tool Academy”

Best Talk Show: “Chelsea Lately”

AWARDS SEASON

Best Speech: Hugh Laurie, anytime he wins something

Most Obnoxious Speech: Anne Hathaway, The Critics’ Choice Awards

Biggest Snub: Clint Eastwood, Gran Torino

Best Dress: TIE – Angelina Jolie, The Golden Globes, and Freida Pinto, The Screen Actors Guild Awards

Best Newcomers: Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, “Slumdog Millionaire”

The Why-Is-She-Invited-To-This-Awards-Show Award: Miley Cyrus

*I know some of my clips are from previous years. Sorry. They're the best I could find.

twilighting

This evening, my roommates, our unfortunate visitor Jason Ash, who was dragged, and I had the pleasure of viewing the new film "Twilight." Yes, we paid the $9.50 per ticket. Yes, we stood in a line of pre-teen girls, their moms, and few poor dates that wrapped around the movie theater. Yes, we even managed to read the romance novel saga penned by Stephenie Meyer (about a pair of teenage lovers, Bella and Edward, who is a vampire) upon which the movie is based in preparation. And that is a task--albeit a fascinating and entertaining one--but a task nonetheless. And it was worth it, and would have been even if the new Harry Potter trailer didn't play before the movie. I know I've basically just outed myself as a super nerd, but before you hate, hear me out.

Meyer's writing, which seems to adhere to a tell-not-show rule, is tedious and excessively wordy. Aly (roommate, best friend, Disney princess) pointed out that she spends no fewer than 50 pages describing Bella's curiosity and confusion when Edward is missing from school for two days. While the film only makes a brief moment of this occurrence, but it still inherits Meyer's biggest problem: Bella and Edward's obsessive love is unmotivated.

While I was hoping that the movie might incorporate some meaningful dialog between the two before Bella declares "I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him," the ridiculousness of the premise is what makes the reading and watching of "Twilight" so hilarious. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are an attractive pair, but I got the impression that despite all the over-acting, they were still taking the project seriously. This unconditional and irrevocable love is expressed only through Bella's thoughts and gestures like Edward's frequent stroking of her cheek. When this magic gesture played out onscreen tonight, Ashley (roomie), Aly, and I could not repress the impulse to laugh or the impulse to stroke one another's cheeks.

Also a fantastic aspect of the film was that there was no shortage of smoldering.* This isn't a production still, but it might as well be. They all looked exactly like that. Check it:

Ashley pointed out afterward that Edward's smolder (foreground) resembles David Blaine's street magic face. That's nothing compared to Jasper, though. He literally went the whole movie (okay, so maybe he opened and closed his mouth sometimes) with this expression...

... thus making himself my favorite character. I laughed every time he entered the frame.

Other great moments included Edward smelling smelling Bella's intoxicating scent for the first time and appearing as though he might vomit, Edward and Bella staring at each other wordlessly in a meadow for a solid two minutes, and this ridiculousness...

No, that's not Yoda. That would be Bella riding on Edward's back as he runs with super speed through the forests of Forks, Washington. I know, she looks like Yoda.

The roommates and I hope to soon reinact some of these gems of scenes and post video for the enjoyment of those of you who prefer not to spend the movie fare. Even so, I would still have to recommend that you do. It may the best unintentional comedy I've seen.

*One of the most frequently used words in the Twilight book series, along with "perfect," "beautiful," and variations of "dazzle."