Are we there yet?
Nope. We still have two months until the Oscars air Feb. 25.
Heck, the Golden Globes aren’t even until Jan. 15.
But if you’re just now handicapping your Oscar favorites, you’re late to the party. Yes, the awards speculation season has officially begun, with film critics across the nation naming their top movies and actors of the year.
No doubt the whole process raises questions for you, the casual filmgoer. Like, “Should I even care about this stuff before the nominees for the Golden Globes are announced Thursday?”
Well … that was awkward. RedEye offers this Q&A to help you sort through the critical mess.
Why do we get sucked into all this awards hype every year?
It’s not as cynical a process as you might think. Critics genuinely want to steer movie watchers and Oscar voters to top-notch cinema that they wouldn’t otherwise see.
Seriously?
OK, really it’s so critics can give Martin Scorsese the shaft before the Academy does.
How can anyone declare the movie of the year when major Oscar contenders like “Dreamgirls” haven’t been released to the public yet?
In most cases, critics get to see the buzz-worthy pictures before the rest of us. Speaking of “Dreamgirls,” how about that Jennifer Hudson, huh?
So should I be swayed by the choices these critics groups are making?
Well, a lot of them. If you like great acting, for example, “The Queen” is for you. It stars acclaimed actress Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II and shows how the royal family reacted to the death of Princess Diana. Hudson and “Borat” are getting some love too. You enjoyed “Borat,” right?
Oh, definitely. Are there any movies I like that aren’t doing so hot? You mentioned Martin Scorsese.
Scorsese’s “The Departed” has the flashiest names attached (Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon) and has made more than $100 million at the box office. It won several honors from the National Board of Review but hasn’t made a splash in the major categories elsewhere. Meryl Streep is mostly absent, too, despite praise for her performance in “The Devil Wears Prada.” Both could be players at the Golden Globes, which tend to favor more commercial films.
Brad Pitt in “Babel”? Angelina Jolie in “The Good Shepherd”? Anybody?
Oh, go back to your Us Weekly.
Flick picks
The top movies declared so far this awards season.
– National Board of Review: “Letters From Iwo Jima”
– Los Angeles Film Critics Association: “Letters From Iwo Jima”
– New York Film Critics Online: “The Queen”
– New York Film Critics Circle: “United 93”
– Washington DC Area Film Critics Association: “United 93” [ap].
Bathroom humor
A man claiming he was “accosted” by Borat in a restaurant restroom last year has added his name to the parade of lawsuits against the film.
The scene with the unidentified man doesn’t actually appear in the “Borat” movie, but the clip has been up on Web sites and was shown on Comedy Central, said attorney Jonathan Milling.
The plaintiff, a South Carolina man, says Sacha Baron Cohen posed as a bathroom attendant at Ristorante Divino in October 2005 and stared at him as he used a urinal.
“He is embarrassed and humiliated and leaves the restaurant,” Milling said of his client Tuesday. The man is seeking punitive damages and is asking that the scene not be put on DVD.
The suit says the man was told a crew was filming a documentary on tourism but he never saw cameras, which were hidden in the restroom.
The Diamond clause
He might be most famous for his “Saved By The Bell” role, but don’t call Dustin Diamond “Screech” too loudly. Thesmokinggun.com got a hold of Diamond’s contract rider, and found that the performer requires the name Dustin Diamond to be 50 percent larger than the name Screech on all promotional material. Violators are fined $100 for each ad, flier run or marquee.
The artist formerly known as Screech also demands, among other things:
– one well-lit parking space;
– 4 cans of chilled Red Bull;
– 2 pints of chilled chocolate milk;
– 6 bottles of Michelob Ultra or Miller Lite.
WEDDING TALK: After false rumors of a Beyonce/Jay-Z wedding, Beyonce tells InStyle magazine that she really has “no idea” when or how her wedding will be. She did say, “You can’t rush a man into anything–whether it’s a relationship, marriage or having children,” according to people.com. “When he’s ready, he’ll let you know.” She told Parade magazine that “my parents have been married for 27 years, and they’re still in love. That’s a great example for me. I know it’s possible.”
PAM’S ADVICE: Pamela Anderson says her divorce from Kid Rock has been “stomach turning.” But the actress writes in her online diary that she and her two sons have been busy decorating, baking and giving toys and clothes to charity. In earlier posts, she reveals that she called Kid Rock “Bob” and warns: “Don’t get married on vacation!”
GOOD GUYS: He’s sexy and socially aware. George Clooney arrived in Egypt on Tuesday to help raise awareness about killings in Sudan’s Darfur region. He was joined by “Oceans” co-star Don Cheadle. Clooney’s publicist said he organized the trip to make a personal plea to Chinese and Egyptian officials to use their ties with the Sudanese government to stop the violence, which has killed an estimated 200,000 people.
RED BULL AD No. 2: All the chatter about Lindsay Lohan going to Alcoholics Anonymous? Well, she says she’s actually been going to AA for a year, but hasn’t talked about it because “it’s no one’s business.” “I just left an AA meeting,” the 20-year-old LiLo told People magazine in a story posted Tuesday on its Web site. “I haven’t had a drink in seven days. … I’m not even legal to, so why would I? I don’t drink when I go to clubs. I drink with my friends at home, but there’s no need to. I feel better not drinking. It’s more fun. I have Red Bull.”
