There Will Be Insider Information

Long time readers of the memo will remember that I have a friend who works in Hollywood and, on this site, goes by the code name Stan. Stan gave me a ring last night and it is my pleasure to report that it seems very likely he will be working in Texas on the shoot of Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood. It goes without saying I have never been more jealous of another human being in my life. To think I may be just 2 degrees away from the director who I firmly believe is the most talented filmmaker of my generation. Congratulations Stan. I said this for the first time in 1997 after seeing Hard Eight for the first time at The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. "I have seen the future of Amercian cinema, and its name is Paul Thomas Anderson." All I can add is that the future is now.

A Link to the Best Music Video of the Month

Here it is.

Thanks Cammila

Ask the Dust Review

The biggest accomplishment of Robert Towne's adaptation of John Fante's depression era novel Ask the Dust is that it will make anyone who sees it want to read the book. The film threads numerous layers of symbolism into the relationship between young Mexican/Italian writer Arturo Bandini (Colin Farrell) and the Mexican waitress Camilla (Salma Hayek). There are questions of race, and what it means to be an American, and what it means to be in Los Angeles (a question that Towne has addressed often in his career), and how a writer must balance his time between writing and living life in order to have experiences to write about. Towne interweaves all of these themes into the dialogue in such a way that shows intelligence and an obvious love for the source material. However, for all of the thematic resonance built up, never once do these two characters seem to exist as real people. The characters are used to ask questions and make philosophical points, but they fail to register as three-dimensional human beings. Caleb Deschanel's exquisite cinematography, and the wonderful attention to period detail in the clothes and the cars, makes for a beautiful looking movie that finds a perfect middle ground between being a perfect recreation of depression era Los Angeles and expressing the dreamy, romantic vision of the protagonist. Towne and company get the subtext right, but fail to bring the main characters to life. Because of this, Ask the Dust engages the mind, but fails to touch the heart.

Crash is the Least Popular Best Picture Winner Ever

Here is the proof.

Thanks Mike!

Archival Monty Python Interview

This is a link to a blog that has a rarely seen clip of a 1975 interview four of the members of Monty Python gave to the Dallas PBS station that first aired Flying Circus in the United States. Essential for any Python enthusiasts, and still amusing for anyone else. And even if you don't care for the Pythons, be sure to watch it just for the hilariously dated opening to the 1975 telecast.

A Link to a Great Trailer

This could be the most enjoyable film of 2006.

The Morning After

I'll do an extensive post-Oscar post later, but for now I just want to give a giant thank you to Tracie Cooper who was kind enough to send me this.

Oscar Predictions and Hopes

Award: Prediction - Personal Vote

Best Picture: Brokeback Mountain - Good Night and Good Luck.
Best Director: Ang Lee - Steven Spielberg
Best Actor: Philip Seymoure Hoffman - Philip Seyoure Hoffman
Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon - Reese Witherspoon
Best Supporting Actor: George Clooney - Paul Giamatti
Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz - Catherine Keener
Best Original Screenplay: Crash - Good Night and Good Luck
Best Adapted Screenplay: Brokeback Mountain - Capote

Ever Wonder if the Oscar nominated short films are any good?

They usually are. Here's proof.