2010 Winter Olympics In Vancouver Is Daunting for the Film Industry

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Logo

The 2010 Winter Olympics is in full swing in Vancouver and everyone is caught up by the fever of Olympian sport. Well, not everyone. A lot of filming usually goes on in Vancouver, but not during the Winter Olympics. The film industry is daunted by the monster that is the Games, they know they can’t compete when it comes to precedence right now, and it would be difficult to navigate the city while the Olympic traffic fills Vancouver to bursting. Transportation is definitely a nightmare, and logistics would become an even more Herculean feat than it would be in a game free zone. Imagine if the film crew needed an umbrella, where would they find one? They’d probably have to pry it from the fingers of a tourist or spectator. A daunting task indeed. But, if you’re planning on working the Games into the show, maybe the Games don’t appear too daunting. Or, if you need shots of a big crowd, filming the sports crazed tourists flooding the streets of Vancouver until way past my bedtime is the perfect answer for all your crowd shot needs. Or, if you want to do a documentary on protesters protesting protesters, Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics is the place to be! Go Team Canada! Wooohoo!

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Cauldron

~P.S.~ Look how close you can get to the Olympic Cauldron. Awesome. Only in Canada.

Pandora and the Fall of Man

Lara Croft Tomb Raider_The Cradle of Life

So I was revisiting Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life the other day, a flick where Angelina Jolie searches for the legendary Pandora’s Box, and something tickled my brain and gave me pause. I found it interesting that both in the age of antiquity and in the minds of modern man, women are the vehicles responsible for the fall of man. Of course we all know the original sin story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden and the snake and apple. It is probably the most famous of all women are the root of all evil stories. I think there is even a creation movie lost somewhere in the Hollywood archives depicting this cataclysmic moment in time.

In the Pandora myth, the story goes that Pandora was the first woman on Earth, created by Hephaestus in answer to Zeus’ command. Many talents were bestowed upon her by the gods like beauty from Aphrodite, a talent for music from Apollo, and the handy gift of persuasion from the generous Hermes. She was also possessed of a great curiosity and which god or goddess gave her that escapes me at the moment. When Prometheus stole fire from the gods, Zeus’ vengeance came in the form of Pandora. (But Prometheus did not escape unscathed. He too suffered the wrath of Zeus in his own separate punishment tailor made especially for him by Zeus himself.

Prometheus having his liver eaten out by Jacob Jordaens circa 1640

Prometheus is later rescued by Hercules himself, ultimately escaping punishment, but that is another story.) Now Zeus placed in Pandora’s keeping a jar (which over time has become a box for some reason) with strict instructions not to open it, but of course she couldn’t restrain herself and she did indeed open it, to the ruin of all. All the evils of the world came pouring out of this box once opened and despite Pandora’s efforts to reseal it, it was too late. The only thing left in the box was Hope, which I find to be ironic since hope can be the most elusive of all emotions. But I ask, if Pandora was flawed, didn’t a dude create her based on the decree of another dude? So who really was responsible for the orchestration of man’s downfall? Can you blame Frankenstein for being Frankenstein? Or does the blame really lie with the mad doctor who created him? Hello, Zeus. It seems to me that Zeus had it out for mankind from the get go. Diabolical if you ask me.

Well, at any rate I do find it interesting that women seem to be responsible for everything that has gone wrong with the world. I once had a friend back in university days who was very interested in feminine studies. She firmly believed that all these women being responsible for original sin myths and fables are the direct result of man’s fear and envy for the many gifts and talents of women. One of them being the miraculous power to give life.

Pandora by John William Waterhouse 1896

Anyhoo, a wise man once said, “When you point the finger of blame there are always three fingers pointing right back at you.” Funny how that works don’t you think? And the root of all evil question needs to be reexamined. Anyone can see that the fight started between Zeus and Prometheus , even if you refer back to Hesiod’s Theogony . BTW, is it just me who thinks Hesiod really seemed to have it out for Pandora? One can presume that Hesiod did not seem to hold women in very high esteem. In the Greek Tragedy Prometheus Bound it is deduced that Prometheus does seem to be responsible for man’s plight, but that tidbit seems to have been overlooked. Blaming Pandora seems to be much more intriguing. What’s your take on the original sin theory and the fall of man? Who do you think is at fault? Do you know any other original sin myths?

Late Notes….Globes, Tyra, Oprah and James Cameron’s Avatar

Zoe Saldana_Us Magazine

OK, so even I found the Globes to be a little lack luster this year, but Ricky Gervais was pretty funny and Tom Hanks took a few jabs at Alec Baldwin which were extremely cringe worthy. Luckily Alec Balwin didn’t attend, though I do wonder what would have been said if he had been when he would have went up on stage to accept his Globe. My predictions weren’t a total bust, but I do think Gabourey Sidibe should have won Best Actress, but I was very gleeful when James Cameron won Best Director and his much beloved Avatar won Best Pic. Rumor has it that Zoe Saldana is one to watch and she did indeed look stunning. Who knew she was taller than Sam Worthington?

Tyra Banks

Tyra is leaving her talk show after 5 seasons which is sad considering she could have become Queen of the Daytime Talkshow with the exodus of Oprah. Don’t worry tho, you will still see lots of her on the 14th season of ANTM and True Beauty. She is also putting more of her attention to her production company Bankable Studios and you can expect lots of girl power projects to be coming our way.

James Cameron

And speaking of Oprah, not only did she have Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga

perform, but on the same show she had James Cameron on to talk about Avatar. We even got to see what she would look like as an  Avatar. I wonder what I would look like as an Avatar? Don’t you wonder what you would look like? Anyhoo, even Oprah has nothing but praise for the film. (And a movie must be damn good to get Oprah out of the house! She joked that the last movie she saw in a theater was Dances With Wolves!)

~P.S.~

Neytiri_Reel Movie News Dot Com

I think Zoe Saldana looks great as an Avatar, don’t you?

George Clooney’s Hope For Haiti Telethon

George Clooney

The world’s attention is focused on the horribly, devastating earthquake in Haiti. Please don’t forget to donate, and there are many reputable organizations to send help through like the Red Cross. George Clooney is having a telethon to raise money to help the people of Haiti aptly named Hope For Haiti. Bono, Justin Timberlake, Sting, Christina Aguilera, and Alicia Keys are some of the names that will be performing at this worldwide concert event.

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean will be cohosting this event and the goal is to reassure Haiti that the whole world is paying attention to their dire need. With almost 40 stars rumored to be participating, I’m sure that a lot of people will pay attention. Remember every dollar counts, so give anything you can. Tune in Friday, January 22 at 8pm EST on MTV, CNN, NBC, HBO, ABC, CBS, FOX, BET, CW, VH1, CMT as well as internationally.

Time for the Golden Globes!

Ah, nothing makes me smile like Award Season! Red carpets, glamorous dresses, stressed out stars, the best in cinema. On Sunday, January 17th the 67th Golden Globe Awards will air, hosted by funny man Ricky Gervais. (You remember him as the unfortunate lightning dealer in Stardust?) Here are some of my picks for the winners!

Best Motion Picture - Avatar (of course!)

Avatar

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

Gabourey Sidibe in Precious

Though Sandra Bullock does seem to be generating much love this last year with her performance in both The Blind Side and The Proposal and could give gabby a run for her money in this category.

Sandra Bullock

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Morgan Freeman for Invictus.

Though George Clooney will probably nab this one just for being dapper.

Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical - (500) Days of Summer

I really liked this movie, I thought it was really smart and really funny, but The Hangover might hang there and scoop this one. It was a huge hit with audiences and Bradley Cooper has a lot of fans.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy or Musical - Sandra Bullock in The Proposal (hands down!)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Comedy or Musical - Robert Downey Jr. in Sherlock Holmes (evidently my dear Watson!) Though whenever Daniel Day Lewis is up for anything he usually wins.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Motion Picture - Mo’nique in Precious

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role Motion Picture - Matt Damon in Invictus

Best Animated Feature Film - Fantastic Mr. Fox

Best Screenplay Motion Picture - Neill Blomkamp and Teri Tatcher for District 9

Best Original Score Motion Picture - James Horner for Avatar

Best Original Song Motion Picture - “I See You” - Avatar Music by James Horner and Simon Franglen, Lyrics by James Horner, Simon Franglen and Kuk Harrell

Best Television Series Drama - True Blood (HBO)

Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series Drama - Anna Paquin for True Blood

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series Drama - Hugh Laurie in House

Courtney Cox is nominated for Cougar Town, Thomas Jane is nominated for Hung (which is hilarious! and I hope is renewed! We were left hanging last season! haha!) Grey Gardens will most likely win in its category, and Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore are both nominated for their performances in this made for TV Motion Picture. Most likely, Jessica Lange will bring home the globe. A complete list of nominees is available at the official home of the Golden Globes.

Who’s your money on? Leave me a comment and let me know! See ya Sunday!

Happy New Year!!!

2010 Happy New Year!

I want to wish all of you fab readers a joyously prosperous New Year! Thanks for reading and I look forward to more writing and more of your welcome comments in 2010! Here’s to more great movies, more great reading and more great entertainment! Make 2010 the year of doing all the things you’ve ever dreamed of doing!

~P.S.~ My favorite movie of the year was Avatar. What was yours? Can’t wait for the sequel. Can you?

Avatar Is Like Walking In A Dream

Avatar

Visually stunning, amazing, spectacular, mindbending, stellar, epic, absorbing, and did I say visually stunning? Amazing? Spectacular? Mindbending? Stellar? Epic? Absorbing? Well, I just cannot begin to tell you just how much I enjoyed this movie. I haven’t enjoyed a movie this much since LOTR and believe you me, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE LOTR. Avatar has become in a matter of hours my second favorite movie of all time. And that is saying alot. It is a totally exhilarating 3D experience so real you’ll forget where you are and is not to be missed! So get ready, because I am about to wax poetic and totally indulge my sci-fi/fantasy lovin’ self.

James Cameron has done it again, giving us something so memorable, so believable, so fantastical that you really believe there is a world named Pandora that glows with a breath taking phosphorescence by night, peopled by the peaceful, towering yet graceful and catlike Na’vi who coexist in an almost perfect balance with equally terrifying and terrifyingly beautiful creatures. What would it be like to live in a waking dream? Well, this is a story that makes you wonder. Jake Sully, our hero, takes us on an unforgettable adventure where an unimaginable existence is possible.

Sam Worthington is brilliant as Jake Sully, bringing a childlike wonder to his newly awakened avatar, and then in the end making us believe he has the strength of character to redeem himself. Zoe Saldana is captivating, astonishingly beautiful, and full of strength and fierceness — especially when protecting her mate— infusing Neytiri with such a riveting vibrance you can barely take your eyes off her. It was very satisfying to see Sigourney Weaver, who plays Dr. Grace Augustine, in the skin of the alien Na’vi avatar. Even as her avatar her face was recognizable and it felt like coming home, like she had come full circle from her days as a**kicking Ripley. At peace at last. Who could be more perfect to play the Na’vi and nature loving scientist than her? She was delicious. And Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch was a villain extraordinaire. He was absolutely despicable in a most base and vile and detestable way. In a nutshell, he really makes you hate him. Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge (or Parker Selfish more like!) played the money grubbing exec to the tee, and if he had a conscience, he definitely checked it at the door. And nobody plays tough girl with heart like Michelle Rodriguez as the uber pilot with a heart of gold Trudy Chacon. She’s a gal you know can kick some serious a** if she had to and my only complaint was that she went down in a blaze of glory instead of seeing the battle to the end.

Avatar has been compared to Dances With Wolves, but really, other than someone empathizing with a misunderstood people who happen to have something of value that someone else wants, the similarities end there. Somebody once told me that every story has already been told, and Avatar simply tells a story worth telling.

At the heart of this story is “Jakesully’s” and Neytiri’s love story. Love is the catalyst in this movie. It confirms for me yet again the monumental changes and actions that love is capable of igniting and creating. If not for love, the Na’vi would have been doomed. In all the great stories, time and time again, it is love that makes things possible. It allows people of all races to “see“. People who can “see” realize truth, and how can we say full scale annihilation due to greed is ever the way to go? How can that not be seen as clearly wrong? How can the destruction of everything good ever be worthwhile in the end?

Woven within the tapestry of this story is the plight of Earth. Indeed in this distant future, Earth is a barren rock, humans have succeeded in “killing our mother”, and it is a sad, sad thought. So now humans deem the Na’vi to be lesser people, lesser because they seem primitive and simple to the humans in this tale who take whatever they want because they can. And woe to any and all who stand in their way. It is here that the more vile core of greed winds it’s way to the heart of the matter. The Na’vi are situated on a money pit, and the human race wants it. Against mighty war machines of metal and giant mechanical suits of armor, what chance do the Na’vi have with their bows and arrows and their all encompassing belief in the spiritual power of Pandora?

So ensues the battle for survival, and let me tell you my friends, what a battle it is! The action is riveting and filled with nail biting thrills and the terror of war. In fact, all throughout the entire movie there isn’t a single opportunity for one’s mind to wander. The tranquil lulls are enthralling and the sudden excitement is thrilling as we shamelessly watch Jake becoming a Na’vi, living his dream life with convincing realism, doing all the wonderful and freeing things the Na’vi do on a daily basis. It makes Jake long to be his “dreamwalker” avatar and leave the reality of his wheelchair bound body behind. But wouldn’t you if you could dreamwalk like Jake does? Can you imagine bonding with the very earth, the very flora, the very fauna?  I truly understood the meaning of organic watching this movie. Can you imagine what it would be like living in a perfect balanced harmony, happy just to be and respectful of all living things around you? What a wonderful world that would be.

And what a mesmerizing and wonderful movie James Cameron has created. It was more than I expected and everything I hoped that it would be. After seeing Avatar, I felt like I had been a part of something quite magical and beautiful and the three hours passed as if in a dream.

~P.S.~ James Horner scored this movie, and even tho it was reminiscent of some of his other scores, the music for Avatar is very lovely indeed and captures the essence of the joy of Pandora and the Na’vi.

Avatar In Theaters Tomorrow!

Avatar

It’s been 10 years in coming and I’m sure everyone is very excited to see Avatar. As you’ve probably already heard by now, James Cameron couldn’t make this movie until technology caught up with his vision, a statement only a few men could make. Well, technology did finally catch up and we will finally be able to see his vision come to life. Did you also know James Cameron invented some of the technology used to film this movie? He invited the likes of Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg to test out his new virtual camera technology. If you think about it, the way James Cameron filmed Avatar could be likened to having an adventure on the Holodeck. He really is quite a genius, and it has been a long time since we’ve seen a movie by James Cameron. I wonder what he has in store for us, but from what I hear, Avatar promises to be visually stunning and epic! It has a strong cast — Sam Worthington (his star is rising!), Zoe Saldana (amazing young talent! You’ll remember her from the new Star Trek movie), Sigourney Weaver (yeah! and reuniting with James no less!), and Michelle Rodriguez ( so happy to see her!)— a new alien race called the Navi (very exciting!), and from what I’ve seen of the trailers, it looks action packed and a bit mind bending visually. I can’t wait! What about you?

Of The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones

I remember when The Lovely Bones came out as a novel in 2002. I recall people saying things like avant garde and pushing the envelope, and I thought this book would open up the territory of writing for other eyebrow raising concepts and ideas. I also vaguely wondered if it would become a movie. I remember wanting to read the book, but being a new mother of a baby girl, somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to read material I found so deeply disturbing. Despite my squeamishness, I did keep my ears to the ground and the reviews for the book were wholly favorable, making The Lovely Bones a book definitely on my To Read List. It is in fact a best seller, but you being the savvy readers that you are probably already knew that.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Now 7 years later, the talented Mr. Peter Jackson of LOTR Trilogy fame and Oscar history, has made a film based on the well loved novel written by Alice Sebold. Starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz (as the parents), Susan Sarandon (as the grandma) and Saoirse Ronan of Atonement (as Susie), one must admit there are some very recognizable (and bankable) names attached to this movie. For my part, I believe that Peter Jackson has cranked out an interesting movie (he’s done more than just LOTR and King Kong), but so far, critics are being hard core and most of the reviews are not favorable.

The story is about Susie Salmon, played by Saoirse Ronan, who is murdered by her next door neighbor who is a serial killer. Looking down from heaven, or “the in between”, Susie watches her family and also keeps an eye on her killer. Expect both thriller and psychedelic qualities with this film that is being compared to What Dreams May Come in a negative manner, which is unfortunate. Everyone’s concept or imaginings of “the in between” are different, and doesn’t Susie deserve a place that is wonderous fair after what happened to her?

Oh well, it’s tough material, Peter, and you can’t win them all. And it is a well known fact that people love to tear a hero down once they’ve attained the pinnacle of success. The Lovely Bones is in theaters now and on bookshelves.

Viggo Takes to The Road

The Road

Who doesn’t love a good Viggo Mortensen movie? I know I do. The Road opened last Friday starring Viggo, Charlize Theron, Robert Duvall, Guy Pearce and newbie Kodi Smit-McPhee. A strong cast to say the least for the Pulitzer Prize winning novel written by Cormac McCarthy. It is a story about survival in post apocalyptic America. A man and his son must journey across this devastated futuristic world, with only the love that binds them to keep them going. You can imagine that in a desolate climate, men will be pushed to the brink of decency and the heights of devotion. The motto of this movie is survival of the most willing to do whatever needs to be done, so don’t expect to see a civilized world. Civilization has no place here. The Road is being hailed as ‘epic’ and ‘tremendous’, and it definitely is stripped of the veneer of sophistication, leaving the audience nothing but raw and primitive man in a primal state. So far, The Road has most critics giving it the thumbs up. This movie could quite possibly garner an Oscar nomination for Viggo Mortensen, a very talented actor. What do you think about the slew of armageddon movies though? Scared yet?