The Center Seat

I just saw The Ten Commandments this Easter with Dad & Stepmommy. I saw Ben Hur last month. I can't really think of old Hollywood epics without thinking of big, strong, brave Charlton Heston.

In my lifetime he was much older, but he still seemed so strong. He was gentle, with such a sweet smile, but that voice gave him some serious authority. Even with the whole gun control issue, it was so disarming; anything he said in that gravelly, slow voice just had to be true. I didn't agree with everything he said, of course... but it was like when your Grandpa tells you something: even if it's total crap, you nod your head and say, "Of course."

It was really hard for me when he announced his diagnosis of Alzheimer's. It's such a devastating disease anyway, but to think of hard, tough Charlton Heston being reduced in that way was just heartbreaking. I'm actually glad he didn't make too many public appearances after that... that's not how I want to remember him.

When I think of Charlton Heston, I prefer to think of his cameo as The Good Actor in Wayne's World 2, giving the best driving directions EVER:



*Some sources say 1924. ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.

It's no secret that I'd love to be a full-time movie critic. (I know, join the club!) But today I read a very disturbing article by David Carr at the New York Times that outlines a disturbing trend in film criticism.

Print media all over the country are, apparently, laying off critics. And, according to the article, it may have something to do with us, the movie-blogging community.

Without film critics, great indie movies which are light on crowd appeal will have a hard time flourishing... this could be really bad for the non-commercial, innovative, unique films we love.

Could we actually be part of the problem? Is this going to make it harder to make a living doing what we really love (writing about film)?

Read the article here.

Looks like Heath Ledger's final role in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will be completed by three actors: Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law.

Read the whole story here.

Uhh... really? This could be either really good, or really bad. The producers say that "each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing." So, are we going for an I'm Not There thing?

Please, please, please don't fug this one up.

After 100 days, the writers are writing again. Unfortunately, TV may have lost me forever... but I'm stoked for the Oscars! (Please let them not be a snooze-a-thon.)

I've been wildly busy this week and haven't finished any movies since Sunday! (I got about halfway through Roman Holiday.) I'm a bad, bad movie blogger. Tonight I hope to rectify.

Tomorrow night I'm catching Definitely, Maybe, and then Friday night I'm seeing the Oscar-nominated shorts! If I were any more excited, I'd be vibrating.

What do you do when there is absolutely no new quality movie fare in the theaters? I guess stay home and pout... or go see some old quality movie fare.

I was intrigued by my friend Pistola's raves on South Minneapolis's Riverview Theater (as well as a great review in City Pages), so Captain Crash and I took a leisurely drive along the Mississippi and checked it out.

Guess what... I have a new favorite theater.

The Riverview has:

• one screen with over 700 seats
• a huge, comfy lobby with 60's mod decor and cozy living-room furniture
• popcorn with real butter
• and best of all, admission tops out at $3.

Unlike many other single-screen theaters, they don't limit themselves to one show; the Riverview plays at least three different movies per day (five on the weekends). Friday night at 9:00, they were showing Into the Wild; we had initially loved that one, so we decided to see it again.

It was even better the second time, people. The run time is almost 2 1/2 hours long, but it flies right by. Into the Wild is a heartbreaking story, and just like ten years ago with Titanic, we all know how it's going to end... but that doesn't diminish a thing. Big kudos to Sean Penn for crafting this story in such an intense and affecting way. There were countless mind-blowing performances; Hal Holbrook absolutely deserves his nomination, but the Academy could have shown some love for Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn, William Hurt, Marcia Gay Harden... The list goes on. At the top of the list, though, should have been Emile Hirsch for his subtle and complex work in the lead role. His heartbreak is devastating at the end of the story, when he makes a vital realization (which ultimately comes too late.) And, hey, if anyone feels like sending an I-deeply-love-Nayana present, that Eddie Vedder soundtrack is boss.

Saturday it would have been my sixth wedding anniversary with the former Mr. Anthony... but just to show you what mature and well-adjusted people we are, Greg and I went to lunch and then caught Juno at the Heights. (In case anyone wonders, this is my third Juno viewing. And, yes, it still kicks ass.) Greg does not have anywhere near my enthusiasm for good film, and he was about to waste his cash on Fool's Gold. I just couldn't let him do it, folks. Even if he did stomp mercilessly on my heart and break it into a million pieces (just kidding, Greg, you know momma loves ya), no one deserves to sit through that drek. He also mentioned a desire to see Untraceable. Ugh. Looks like I'll have to nip that one in the bud, and drag him to see a real thriller, like No Country For Old Men.

Juno is comedy of the highest quality. And I've officially decided that I'm ok with all the weird lingo in the beginning of the movie that seemed to irk so many people. In fact, the offbeat dialogue may actually be one of the biggest reasons I liked the movie. There's nothing wrong with expressing old, common experiences in a new, uncommon way. I am still firmly a massive Diablo Cody fan.

So that was it for this weekend. This week, I'm going to try to finally tackle The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Roman Holiday, Sabrina (the original with Audrey Hepburn), and whatever looks good on TCM.

P.S. I'm crossing my fingers on that writers' strike thing, people. It looks like we may actually have a deal... so Oscars as usual? (oh please oh please) ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.

I'm a very naughty girl. I have The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford sitting in its Netflix envelope on my coffee table, untouched. I caucussed yesterday, so maybe I have an excuse? I'll try to get to it tomorrow; tonight, Captain Crash and I are catching an advance screening of Taxi to the Dark Side.

I did see No End In Sight this weekend, though. The critics all seemed to love it (a rare "A" rating from Entertainment Weekly and a 94% on the Tomatometer), and Mark Harris of EW's back page feature wrote a full column just on why this movie was a must-see. That's generally more than enough to get me to throw it on my Netflix queue, but then it got its very own Oscar nod for Best Documentary Feature. OK, done deal.



I don't know what I was expecting. This was the year I saw Sicko and Ghosts of Abu Ghraib... so I was braced for another angry documentary, bellowing for political change. Instead, it was more like a cool-headed History Channel presentation. No End In Sight walks the viewer carefully, methodically, almost dispassionately, through the myriad mistakes that transformed the liberation of Iraq into a violent insurgency, and then civil war. There was no political posturing, just a cold recounting of events. Of course it made me angry (how could it not?), but the facts were presented in such a calm, matter-of-fact way that the anger came from inside me, not from the words of the filmmakers.

Even if you have what Mark Harris calls "outrage fatigue", you've got to see this movie. It's not outrage ... It's just chilling, distilled truth.

P.S. The press are reporting that Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose from prescription medication. We all knew he wouldn't have left his little girl on purpose, but it's nice to have it confirmed. Such a devastating tragedy... there will always be a Heath-shaped hole in American cinema. Rest in peace. ...Click here for the rest of this tasty post.

The LAMBs (of which I am a proud member) are posting commentaries on every Oscar category, one post per weekday until the Oscars! (Yours truly will be writing on Best Animated Short.)

Check it out here, and win your office Oscar pool! (Do those exist anymore?)

WHAT???? NO!!!!!
Heath Ledger is dead.