Yeah that link doesn’t work. I just saved you the pain of sitting through the “preview” for the new MTV “reality” series “The City” which I had the fortune of taking a peek at today. Go ahead, watch it here. A few questions:
– When did MTV Reality become like WWF in the 80s where they relied on fooling the audience into thinking what they were watching was real?

– How much do people get paid to be actors/reality stars on this show?

– What in the world is going on at MTV?

Very interesting that NBC isn’t pulling down their SNL clips from YouTube right away. Maybe they have finally realized that viral works to drive traffic to the actual show (well at least to the DVR).

It’s about this time in the NFL season when you start hearing talk about playing for a high draft pick – aka LOSING. Bollocks! I say throw the bums out. For those not familiar, relegation is a concept employed mainly in European sports where the bottom few teams at the end of the season are sent to the MINOR LEAGUES and the top few teams of the lower league are promoted. Sounds great! At 2 and 10, and Seahawks would be tied for the bubble spot with the KC and the Rams (Cinci are 1-10-1 and poor Detroit is done for as they are still winless). Suddenly the Seahawks game next week at St. Louis seems a whole lot more important if you have to play to avoid being sent down next season. Relegated in the MLB this season would have been Tampa, Pittsburgh, and KC. If the NBA had employed relegation last season there would be no Heat, T.Wolves, or Seattle Sonics (aka Oklahoma City Thunder – oh how poetic).

I know, I know, none of the American leagues are built with multi-tiered systems like English soccer (which really speaks to the popularity of soccer) with the exception of the MLB farm system. Hey figure it out, promote the Phoenix Mercury.

On a related but more superstitious note, I bought a Seahawks hat at the beginning of this Season. I haven’t worn it since week 2. The last time I bought a piece of Seahawks merch? My Seahawks Starter jacket in 6th grade. That was 1992 and the Seahawks finished that season 2 and 14.

I can finally say that I have seen a film this awards season that really got everything right. Jonathan Demme’s Rachel Getting Married is a verité masterpiece about a family coping with loss and addiction. This is how handheld should be done. There is plenty of drama for the over the shoulder camera to witness as opposed to the Mungiu/Van Sant set the camera in the corner and let time pass technique. Here we feel like a true observer in the room – just another guest at the wedding – yet we stay engaged and entertained (it’s like The Celebration but fun) . Brilliant touches like fully diagetic music add to the effect, heightening the drama of the few scenes where we find a character actually alone.

The film is already leading in noms after today’s IndySpirit announcements and Anne Hathaway will most certainly see more noms for her performance. The other women also received supporting noms but I was just as impressed, if not more, by the subtle but strong supporting roles of Mather Zickel and Tunde Adebimpe (the two pic’d above). I know very little about writer Jenny Lumet except this is her first produced script and it is fantastic. I am interested to hear more and about how much her script evolved through working with such an accomplished director as Demme. Everything really came together for him here, and with strong awards contenders looking thinner and thinner as we enter the home stretch, this film looks like it might be pretty hard to beat – at least in the “oughtta win” column.

The mini reviews continue! I just caught Cannes Palme d’Or winner The Class (Entres Les Murs) which is also France’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar. The film follows an inner city Parisian high school class through a tumultuous pubescent angst filled year. The script is co-penned by François Bégaudeau who also stars with incredible depth of character as the class’s French teacher (prepare for an extensive lesson in French grammar, complete with English subtitles). All of the kids are also non-professionals and all do a remarkably excellent job. It seems a film must work the Verité style if it has any hope of winning Palme d’Or (last year’s 4…3…2…), and director Laurent Cantet obviously got the memo. It isn’t tough to mistake this for a documentary at the film’s opening. There aren’t a whole lot of typical plot arcs and anyone used to convenient resolution might be disappointed, but the film is certainly dramatic and a fascinating look at immigrant culture in France’s urban youth.

Slumdog Millionaire seems to be the most talked about prestige film around town and I went in with my expectations sky high. When will I learn? Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely an excellent and very enjoyable film. I recommend everyone catch it. But after all the buzz, I was hoping to be really wowed. The narrative is a pretty standard (though incredibly interesting) retelling of an Indian boy’s life as an orphan, struggling to rise out of the depths of poverty. The conflict centers around his complicated relationship with his criminal brother and his unrelenting love for his childhood girlfriend. All of this plays as flashback from the stage of an Indian game show where the boy, now grown, is about to win millions of rupees. Danny Boyle’s direction and the cinematography are superb, but I guess i just wanted a bit more from Simon Beaufoy’s script. Take out the orientalism of the world these kids live in and you’re left with a pretty tame plot lacking in any real character motivation. Now that I’ve said that I have to reiterate that this is a truly enjoyable and interesting film and I do recommend catching it. I just feel it necessary to spill a little contrarian ink given how much praise has been gifted. BTW – the final credit sequence is worth the price of admission alone.

I’m gonna make an effort to post a few words about each film I see through the awards season. Here’s the first.

The first of Clint Eastwood’s dual award contenders this year is the Angelina Jolie starring, Changeling. Jolie plays a rollerskating, phone-operating mother who loses her shit when her son is kidnapped. But things get really intense when a boy other than her son is returned to her a few months later and the corrupt LAPD forces her to pretend it is her son and then throws her in a horrific mental hospital when she goes public with the story. Jolie does a very fine job with the juicy role and I have no problem seeing her nab a nom (though I like last year’s heavily overlooked A Mighty Heart more). Eastwood has got the intense drama thing down, and though it occasionally borders on melodramatic, the superb acting keeps it from going off the deep end. The setting of 1920s LA was fascinating and Eastwood and his prod. designer excelled in its depiction. The drama is at its best when the Jolie character (and the audience) questions her own sanity, though these moments are fleeting. I felt the plot spun out a bit in the third act (like so many prestige pics do) with the courtroom and criminal aspects. I would have been happier if 20 minutes were sliced out of all that – but it wasn’t enough to sway me to the negative. A final word of praise for bad cop Jeffrey Donovan whose performance I especially enjoyed.

Oliver Stone’s W. is an insider look at the rise of our 43rd president. I was a bit worried I would find the story frustrating in a “how did we let this guy into the White House” kinda way. But days of Bush frustration are over and Stone does a good job of not drudging them back up. Instead we get a quite interesting character piece lead very well by Josh Brolin. Plot wise, I liked the device used to jump back and forth between present (well presidency at least) and past and the story is frankly, a fascinating one. The handheld, over saturated camera worked for me as well. This film is not an outright condemnation of Bush like it could have been – it is simply an in depth look at a pretty darn interesting story. Maybe not quite awards material, but worth watching if you find this kind of thing appealing.

This video “Bike Hero” was posted yesterday and as of right now it has 580,000 views. Incredible. It deserves it, though. Pretty cool idea and execution.

Whirrdup to p.trick for the spot.

I just got turned on (thx señor cohen) to this great trend of dubbing classic videos with a literal narrative of the wacky videos. Just YouTube “literal video” for more.

My favorite movie of the year (so far) is now playing in theaters as part of Magnolia’s Six Shooter Film Series genre releasing strategy. Let me take this opportunity again to highly recommend catching it. In LA, it is playing at the Laemmle Sunset 5 and in Pasadena as well. Magnolia has released their entire release schedule and shockingly, Seattle is NOT on it (c’mon – Bend but not Seattle?). So for those NWers I recommend emailing Magnolia and telling them how horrible their mistake is.

Check out the trailer and the official site

Now that the election is over (congrats, congrats, yes), we can finally get a break from all the emails from MoveOn and the DNC and the Obama campaign asking us for money… right? no? Well at least they have some cool stuff to offer.

MoveOn is offering the above Shepard Fairey print commemorating both the election and the incredibly successful image – for a $20 donation.

Even cooler, they are giving a sticker of the same print away for free!

And the Obama campaign is giving away the Obama Biden T-shirt for $30, though I’m afraid the design seems a little crowded and uninspired. I wonder if the campaign will continue to colelct money into the beginning of the presidency. Obama 2012!!

BTW – I ordered a poster.

Fast internet here in Darjeeling.

So the trip to India went like this: Crazy taxi ride through incredibly horrible Kathmandu traffic (some of the worst in the world – but I don’t get to Delhi until Friday) 50 mins Free – Incredibly beautiful flight from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur, Nepal with views of the entire Nepali Himalaya 45 mins $156 – Shared taxi from airport to border town of Kakarvitta about 45 mins 300NRS = $4 – Nepali immigration then 15 minute walk across bridge to Indian immigration, both very relaxed – Shared taxi from Panitanki (Indian border town) to Siliguri a little over an hour 90RS = $1.80 – Shared Land Rover (sitting in the way back) from Siliguri to Darjeeling about 3 hours 120RS = $2.60. See, no prob.

I was Sitting at a nice little breakfast spot this morning, reading the Indian newspaper The Telegraph, when I came across this great Op-Ed regarding the election. Thought this would be a good view from afar at what the election means to the rest of the world. It is worth reading the whole thing, but here is the last paragraph:

So, at this Diwali and Kali Puja and Thanksgiving, let us join hands inside our souls and pray, pray hard to whatever god or human spirit that we will be delivered from the Bush-whackers without too much further damage, that we will be spared the McCain years (which will probably pale in comparison to the horror of the Palin years) and for a solid victory to brother Bar-Ob after which we can (cautiously) begin to welcome the United States back into the planet, and then, finally, let’s pray for the new American president to continue to have the courage, sense and genuine empathetic curiosity he has displayed so far, for him to grow rather than shrink in possibly the most important job in the world.

Amen and Happy Diwali!

(photo again stolen)

Back in Kathmandu as of this morning. Flying in and out of Lukla is really an interesting experience. Sitting toward the front of the plane you are basically in the cockpit. It is pretty damn cool to watch the pilots in action and to look out the front of the plane.

Coming up to Lukla, a tiny runway soon appears, perched on mountainside at 9000ft. The plane descends (only a bit as it cruises around 10,000) and heads straight for the mountain. The runway is sloped up so the force of gravity helps stop the plane on the impossibly short runway. The plane motors up to a little parking lot – everyone jumps out – new passengers jump on, and the plane takes off again – all without stopping the engines. Taking off is just as hair raising because it seems like there is no way the plane can get up enough speed in time. But again the slope works in the plane’s favor and somehow the tiny bird takes flight.

I have lots of photos and videos of the whole crazy procedure. My god I have so many photos!

I am in KTM for a couple days then a few days in India. I get home to LA on Nov. 1.

peeec

Back to the world of information – for today at least. It has been a blast so far – with more to come. thx for the emails. w00t!

Tashi Delek!

Signing on from the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazar at an elevation of somewhere around 11,400 feet. Flew into the crazy airstrip at Lukla yesterday and met our very friendly Sherpa Rinje. Hiked through a beautiful river valley to the town of Toktok yesterday and then way up the side of a mountain to Namche today.

Probably won’t see internet for 2 weeks or so until we get back to Namche. It would be great to have some emails waiting on the way out – so drop me a line in the next few days if you think of it with any news from home.

Namaste!

(Photo again stolen from flickr)

Made it to bustling Kathmandu late last night. It actually wasn’t bustling at all – completely asleep when I landed. But there is a bit more bustle on the streets this morning with every motorbike honking its way through the narrow Thamel streets that make up this city.

Murr-dogg and I met Pasong Sherpa, our extremely friendly trip organizer who made sure all of our gear was in order and arranged for our trekking permits. We set off early tomorrow morning for Lukla and the first day of trekking! Not sure what kind of internet there will be but I have been told there will be access in the sherpa village of Namche Bazar. I’ll try to sign on from there before really going off the grid. Unfortunately, posting photos I have taken so far has proven too difficult.

In quick political news, Yahoo Politico has a good article summing up Rove’s and other Republican strategists’ admissions that if the election was to take place today, it would be all Obama. Mike Murphy (architect of McCain’s 2000 campaign) says:

It’s McCain’s barn that’s on fire. … Thirty days out, I think McCain can win. But the fact is, [if the] election were held today, he’d lose. And I think he’s on a losing path.

That is great, but I’ll reiterate my general sentiment – I should damn hope so!

Off to explore KTM! Namaste!

Been in HK for the better part of 3 days now and unfortunatley it has been a bit rainy. Still, there is plenty to do if you don’t mind getting a bit wet. But that means a lot of the touristy kind of things are out – like parks and outter island tours. I have, however, noticed that the most touristy things are a bit disappointing anyway – the peak tram is not worth waiting in line 45 minutes for.

The first 2 nights I stayed in Mirador Mansion in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Kowloon. As I mentioned, I was not all that into the energy there. I mean Mirador (like its famous neighbor the Chungking Mansion) is a total dump – an enormous fortress of tiny rooms and dripping air conditioners – but it was TST in general I wasn’t into more than Mirador in particular. In fact I probably found the best spot in Mirador – the Garden Hostel which is unique because of its large common area. But TST feels seedy – like everyone is trying to rip you off. It is like staying in Roppongi, or Wenceslas Square, or maybe Hollywood Blvd.

So yesterday I moved to a new part of town on Hong Kong Island – Causeway Bay specifically, which seems to be the only other part of town that has cheap lodging. Wayyy better. The energy here is local, young, and vibrant. It is to the earlier comparisons more akin to Shibuya, Zizkov, or maybe the better part of Hollywood Blvd. Of course I am now paying around $40US a night for a room smaller than a closet and without windows – when in Mirador I was paying $9.50 for a shared room (but I do have a bit of privacy). And the options for eating, drinking, and exploring are certainly better.

So if you find yourself heading to Hong Kong, may I strongly suggest you book a room on HK Island instead of in Kowloon.

On to Nepal tomorrow!

Made it bustling Hong Kong last night, just in time for the China Day fireworks spectacular.

Here is a picture I didn’t take. But I did edit using the pretty cool free online version of photoshop. This is exactly what where I am staying looks like. Not sure how much I love the energy of Tsim Sha Tsui and I may find a different spot after tonight – although I think budget options in the city are somewhat limited.

It is rather hot and muggy here but doesn’t smell all that unpleasant. A surprising amount of greenery in the city and some of those cool bamboo scaffolds covering buildings under repair.

That’s about all I got to report from my first few hours in the SAR. Oh, how about this. The Keyboard, tho covered in chinese, is identical to US keyboards. Usually at least a few keys are reversed on foreign keyboards. Even the shift+number keys are the same!@#$%^&*()

Longest blog post evar? Mmm hmm. So here is my big Fall Preview for your perusing enjoyment. I tried to cover everything that I expect to be of interest for both general movie going and potential Oscar glory – however I imagine I have missed a few. The flicks are in very general order of release (by month) but these things do tend to change from time to time. Most of this here is just my analysis based on the trailers (titles link to trailers) and general buzz. There is only one film on this list I have seen – but many I am looking forward to. Enjoy and please leave your comments at the end!

SEPTEMBER

APPALOOSA
I do like me a good western and the reviews for this (released last Weds 9/17 to a decent $17k per screen on 14) have been pretty positive. Ed Harris is pretty untested as a director (I didn’t see his first film, 2000’s Pollock), but he certainly has help from a great cast which includes Viggo Mortensen and Jeremy Irons. I expect this flick to attract a certain amount of genre attention, but come up a bit short at Oscar time (see last year’s 3:10 to Yuma).

THE DUCHESS
Seems like we were watching trailers for this film a whole year ago. Well it finally came out last week ($27k/scr on 7) and the reviews are heavily mixed. I’m a huge fan of this period and Keira does it well, but I’m in no real hurry to catch this one. I’ll see it eventually and reserve my judgment until then.

BLINDNESS
Fernando Mereilles’ (City of God) long awaited follow up to The Constant Gardner has an incredible cast that includes Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover, and Gael. But that cast hasn’t helped the dreary reviews so far. His stuff is always pretty stylized so I imagine I won’t have too bad of a time sitting through the dystopic tale. With actors that good, Miramax is bound to mount some kind of Oscar campaign regardless of how well the film fares.

TOWELHEAD
Alan Ball was certainly hoping to win another Oscar (he wrote American Beauty) with his feature directorial debut – but if the reviews are any indication it is a real long shot.

THE LUCKY ONES
What happens when you put outspoken liberal activist Tim Robbins in a movie about Iraq vets? Hmmm… I’m guessing this one bombs. The gratuitous use of Sarah McLaughlin and a bad cgi twister in the trailer don’t help anything at all. I’d consider enlisting to miss this one.

MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA
Spike Lee’s WWII epic looks pretty thrilling from the trailer, but early reports put it squarely in “meh” column. Too bad – that one had a lot of potential.

OCTOBER

ROCKNROLLA
Guy Ritchie directing Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, Tom Wilkinson, Jeremy Pivens, and Ludacris. Dear lord, for Guy Ritchie’s sake, please let this be as good as it potentially could be.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED
We are talking ensemble mania here in this Hollywood insider comedy by Barry Levinson – DeNiro, Willis, Tucci, Turturro, Penn, Keener and more. I’ve heard mixed things from those who saw it at Sundance. I won’t be too surprised if this one disappears into the cacophony that is the crowded season – but I’m betting this is a fun ride for those who catch it.

RELIGULOUS
I have high hopes for this Larry Charles directed (Borat) Bill Maher expose on the world of organized religion. Early reports are that it’s a keeper.

NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST
Can someone other than Fox Searchlight have a breakout fall comedy hit? Having Michael Cera on board certainly doesn’t hurt. And we all know how great Kat Dennings was in Charlie Bartlett, right, right? I’m looking forward to this… but I’m definitely not recommending it until I see it.

RACHEL GETTING MARRIED
Intense character piece featuring a slew of strong female actors and directed by Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, Silence of the Lambs). Could be a pretty damn good – which reports out of Toronto seem to confirm. Also could be a break out role for Anne Hathaway – and if so could equal an Oscar nom.

BODY OF LIES
Ridley Scott is no stranger to Oscar noms (Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Thelma & Louise, and last year’s American Gangster) though he has never scored the best director statue. Considering this flick was written by the Oscar winning writer of The Departed, William Monahan, I’d say he has an early look at a nom at least. DiCaprio and Crowe should be kept in mind as well. Will this be this year’s The Departed or this year’s Valley of Elah?

MAX PAYNE
Video game adaptations are always great, right? And with a prestige director like John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, Flight of the Phoenix), even Marky Mark and the lovely Mila Kunis may not be able to save this one. It must have been a really crowded summer for this film to come out in October.

THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES
With a pretty incredible cast of Queen Latifa, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and Sophie Okonedo and the Oscar machine of Fox Searchlight – this has got to be an early fave for at least a slew of acting awards.

W.
No one knows what to expect from Oliver Stone’s Bush biopic – but anticipation is certainly high, and it has all the Oscar potential in the world.

CITY OF EMBER
Bill Murray gets his steam punk on. Written by long time Tim Burton collaborator Caroline Thompson (Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride) and directed by promising youngster Gil Keenan (Monster House), I have high hopes for this PG underground adventure.

HAPPY-GO-LUCKY
Mike Leigh is undoubtedly a good director, but it is a long shot that this very British femme romantic comedy will make much of a splash on our shores, even if it has been a bit of a festival darling this summer.

PRIDE & GLORY
Another cop movie, another fantastic cast (Norton, Farrell, Voight). I didn’t see anything in the trailer or writer/director Gavin O’Connor’s credits that make me too excited – but hey, it could surprise.

CHANGELING
I don’t know a whole lot about this new film from Clint Eastwood set in 1920s L.A. – but the trailer looks pretty damned intense. Given it is Eastwood working with Angelina Jolie and John Malkovitch, I imagine the Universal Oscar machine is gonna be pushing this one full speed ahead.

ASHES OF TIME REDUX
I doubt anyone is too surprised to learn that I am pretty damned excited about Wong Kar Wai’s re-release of his 1994 costume actioner (his only Kung Fu film). With an incredible cast featuring both Tony Leungs and Maggie Cheung and classic Chris Doyle cinematography, any chance to see a film like this in the theater is a treat. Read more at twitch

FLASH OF GENIUS
Long time producer Marc Abraham makes his directorial debut with this potentially touching story of a man (Greg Kinnear) against the system. If it is good, it could be a contender. If it is mediocre, it could get lost in the onslaught of prestige pics. My guess is for the latter.

MORNING LIGHT
While it is certainly a family friendly Disney film – this “true life” documentary (read:reality movie) about a group of kids who race a sailboat to Hawaii does look to have some pretty impressive photography and could be a good ride.

THE BROTHERS BLOOM
I have had incredibly high hopes for this con-action-comedy from young hotshot writer/director Rian Johnson (Brick) for quite sometime. The cast is great and the trailer looks pretty awesome – I mean, they blow up the cathedral tower in Prague! This one is at the top of my list.

GRAN TORINO
I know even less about Clint Eastwood’s second directed film of the season – although I can tell you he is starring in it, unlike what seems to be the higher profile Changeling.

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
You gotta think that with all the amazing performances in this challenging but potentially rewarding film, some acting noms are bound to fall around a few necks. My guess would be a supporting nom for Michelle Williams. It’s a total long shot but how about a supporting nom for Tom Noonan, huh?

ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO
Bring on the era of non-ViewAskewniverse Kevin Smith films (Jersey Girl doesn’t count). Something tells me this one ain’t gonna grab any Oscar noms – but I am looking forward to it nonetheless.

NOVEMBER

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Hooo boy I am excited for this follow up to Casino Royale! And new bond girl Olga Kurylenko is crazy smokin hot.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
Danny Boyle’s (Trainspotting, Sunshine) film about an Indian kid who strikes it rich on a game show looks to have a ton of promise if the reviews out of Toronto are any indication (currently 100% on RT)

AUSTRALIA
You gotta think that Baz Luhrmann’s (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge) epic starring Kidman and Jackman has a shot at some awards. I can promise it will at least be stylish.

THE ROAD
No trailer yet for John Hillcoat’s (The Proposition) adaptation of a Cormac McCarthy novel but the release date and cast of Viggo Mortensen, Robert Duvall, Charlize Theron, and Guy Pearce means this one is aiming at Oscar gold for sure.

THE SOLOIST
Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement) is back already with this heartfelt tale that stars Jamie Foxx and my pick for actor of the year, Robert Downey Jr. Could this Oscar vet deliver a statue for Downey, who has yet to pick one up (he was nom’d for Chaplin)?

FOUR CHRISTMASES
I’m only putting this holiday romcom starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn on the list because is it directed by Seth Gordon – the director of last years fantastic documentary The King of Kong. Is Gordon just taking a paycheck – or can he add a little story telling gold to this well trodden genre?

MILK
I’ve read this script directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Sean Penn and there is some potential here – but can such a gay themed film break out? Regardless, it is certainly Oscar bait.

DECEMBER

FROST/NIXON
Ron Howard is looking for more Oscar glory with this historical drama that shows a lot of promise.

SEVEN POUNDS
No trailer yet, but a December Will Smith release always spells Oscar push. Directed by Gabriele Muccino who directed Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness.

TWILIGHT
There is already a bit of buzz around for this Kristen Stewart starring teen vampire flick that looks pretty harmless from the trailer. With HBO’s True Blood and this film, the vampire resurgence seems to be on. Anyone looking for a really great film should track down Let The Right One In.

YES MAN
Jim Carrey returns to what he does best (screwball comedy) and it looks pretty hilarious. Having co-stars like Zooey Deschanel and Rhys Darby (Murray from FotC) doesn’t hurt either.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
Winter blockbusters seem to be all the rage this year. This one stars Keanu and Jennifer Connelly and looks pretty damn mediocre. But we all know Keanu shines in roles where he plays a creature with no emotions.

DEFIANCE
Ed Zwick’s (Blood Diamond, Last Samurai) rather cold looking WWII film starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber with funny accents. Looks pretty meh to me – but then I am not a huge Zwick fan.

DOUBT
Whoa – Oscar alert! Meryl Streep. Phil Hoffman, and Amy Adams in an adaptation of a John Patrick Shanley Pulitzer Prize winning play about a hot button topic (religious scandal). Better put this one on the scoreboard right now.

THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX
Hold on – an animated film about a rodent and a chef in France? Well it is certainly bound to be a box office hit.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
Not much out there yet on this take of the Valerie Plame scandal starring Kate Beckinsale and Matt Dillon – but it looks like Yari is gonna try to get it out in time to qualify for the Oscars, so it should at least be on the radar.

THE SPIRIT
Frank Miller (300, Sin City) returns with another ridiculously FX heavy stylized flick with too many starlets to count. I just hope a plot emerges to compliment all the pretty faces.

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD
No trailer yet – but people have been talking about this Sam Mendes (American Beauty) directed re-pairing of DiCaprio and Winslett for years now – out in time for Oscar noms for sure.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON
Saving the best for last? Maybe… I pretty much love everything Fincher does (Seven, Fight Club, Zodiac) and this F. Scott Fitzgerald adaptation starring Brad Pitt aging backwards has gotten some pretty stellar early reports. w00t!

Just what the world needs… a new kind of mashup. Pretty damn funny.

Nice find p.trick