Larry Ratliff

New film choices: Polanski, cops & throbbers

Director-in-exile Roman Polanski, left, and Pierce Brosnan on the "Ghost Writer" set.

(Summit Entertainment)

Looking for a new movie to attend this weekend?

I've got some very good news, some extremely bad news and an escape to yet another zombie flick as cinematic choices.

Frankly, I don't care much for Roman Polanski, the person.  I'm not here to judge character, even when it comes to taking an international hike instead of facing justice for a late '70s charge of having sex with a minor.

I spend much of my time judging movies.  And, frankly, Polanski's "The Ghost Writer," starring Ewan McGregor and Pierce Brosnan, is the most accomplished suspense-thriller I've enjoyed in many years.

If you like suspense, intrigue and a cat-and-mouse game with stunning results, don't miss "The Ghost Writer."  Click here for my full review.

"Cop Out," an extremely lame buddy cop action-comedy pairing Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, amounts to the bad news, even with Kevin ("Clerks") Smith directing.  Be afraid, be very afraid.  Click here for my review.

And zombie fans can get their undead-in-action fix with "The Crazies."  Click here to view the trailer.

Have fun at the movies this weekend.

And if you spend your hard-earned money on "Cop Out" despite my advice, don't say I didn't warn you.

Arrr, McShane drifting to 'Pirates' sequel

Ian McShane as swearin' Al Swearengen in "Deadwood."  (Courtesy:  historyfanatic.today.com)

It's true what you've heard in this space about big-screen -- and in this case, little screen -- villains turning out to be the nicest guys in person.

That's why I'm happy to report that British actor Ian McShane, who groveled gloriously in the bad-guy mire as the near-barbaric brothel owner on HBO's "Deadwood," looks to be close to signing on to play the pirate Blackbeard in the next "Pirates of the Caribbean" adventure.

Subtitled "On Stranger Tides," this will be the fourth installment in the popular comic-adventures fronted by Johnny Depp, a modern-day pirate if ever there was one. 

If you're counting, especially if you're a Disney bean counter, three sequels ain't bad for a tent-pole franchise based on a theme park ride.

From this aisle seat, I'll be looking forward to what McShane, an actor that a Hollywood Reporter post reminds us has been acting since the '70s, will do with the swashbuckling role.

I had the pleasure of interviewing McShane in New York a few years back when he portrayed the journalist ghost in Woody Allen's "Scoop."

He talked about the movie a little, as actors facing the movie junket press must.  What I remember most, though, are highly entertaining stories McShane (one of the most personable actors I've ever met) volunteered about hanging out with Old Guard actors from across the pond; most notably, drinking excursions with the late, great Richard Burton.

The movie I'd really like to see is McShane, all alone on stage and sitting on a stool, telling stories about the glorious wild old days (or, more specifically, nights).

I'm not sure how the MPAA would rate such a thing, but I'd be the first in line to buy a ticket.  

Brits make war, not love & war at awards

Staff Sgt. William James (Jeremy Renner) having a horrible day in "The Hurt Locker."

(Summit Entertainment)

If anyone chooses to use the British Academy Awards as an Oscar measuring stick, it looks like a long night for "Avatar" supporters when this country's Academy Awards are handed out on March 7.

Kathryn Bigelow's "don't touch that" Iraq War bomb deactivation drama "The Hurt Locker" exploded at the Orange British Academy Awards on Sunday, walking off with best film, best director (Bigelow), best original screenplay, best cinematography, best sound and best editing.

Bigelow's ex, James Cameron, looked good going in.  "Avatar," which may have to settle for box-office gold instead of Academy Award golden statuettes, scored only twice out of eight chances.  The technically innovative tale of love and war in a far-off world in the future mustered wins only for special visual effects and production design.

The Orange British Academy Film Awards -- the only major kudos extravaganza I know of with a designated favorite color (or is it a fave fruit?) -- were handed out in a rain-pelted Royal Opera House in London.  (OK, Orange is actually a huge European telecommunications company, for those who don't know.)

"My heart's beating so fast I can barely talk," she (Bigelow) said as she took the podium to accept the best director award," according to an article posted on the Hollywood Reporter Web site.

"I think the secret to directing is collaboration, and I was so lucky to have an incredible cast and crew. This is deeply moving -- we all felt an incredible responsibility to honor the courage of the men and women in the field," the Web article added.

Click here to read more of the Hollywood Reporter piece and for a list of other winners.

Oscar buzz: It's 'Precious,' you know

Lee Daniels, Gabourey Sidibe, center, and Xosha Roquemore on the set of "Precious."

(Courtesy:  Lionsgate)

So, maybe just getting nominated for an Academy Award is enough ...

No way.  Winning is everything in Hollywood.  Come to think of it, coming out victorious is primo playing the Lotto and almost everywhere else.  Admit it, it's even important to manicure a better looking yard than the guy next door.

(I don't compete against the guy on the other side.  He gets professional help.)

Some of this year's crop of Oscar nominees are enjoying some unexpected perks, though.  "Precious" director Lee Daniels, for instance, has a new buddy:  "Star Wars" creator George Lucas.

According to Zorianna Kit's article posted on the Hollywood Reporter Web site, Lucas caught a screening of "Precious" and invited Daniels to Skywalker Ranch for lunch.

"I was nervous and intimidated at first," recalls Daniels, who brought along his leading lady, Gabourey Sidibe. "Then we just kicked back and talked about life and about how the film affected him and his girlfriend. We also talked how sound can help me on my next movie, because I have limited funds. It was a really chill conversation," the Hollywood Reporter article states. 

 

Things I learned over the weekend

Plano, TX, otherwise known as an unlikely winter wonderland over the weekend. 

Sorry, Southwest, but Silent Bob is just a character name

Kevin Smith in a puffed-huff.

(Courtesy:  viewaskew.com)

Southwest airlines chose the wrong overweight passenger to toss off a plane on a flight from Oakland to Burbank on Saturday.

Kevin Smith, the 39-year-old writer-director of "Clerks" and director of the upcoming "Cop Out," didn't take kindly to being booted from the Southwest flight for spilling over the armrest of one of those roomy airliner seats. 

"You (expletive)ed with the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!" Smith posted on his Twitter account.

To get the fully, expletive-laced skinny, so to speak, check out Smith's Web site (if you're 18 or older).

Snow eventually melts, you just have to be patient

The frozen tundra, obviously lost and operating without a GPS, descended on North Texas on Thursday and didn't let up until about 48 hours later.

It was fun and weird all at the same time to hear the NBC promomeisters bemoan the lack of snow in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics while the Dallas area was digging out of the white stuff.

How to really surprise the wife

Valentine's Day, as you guys who forgot and are reading this in the doghouse finally know, arrived on Sunday this year.

If you can remember this for about seven years (when Valentine's Day rolls around on Sunday again), here's a tip to really score points with the wife (or hubby).  Find yourself a florist who delivers on Sunday.  They may be rare, but they're out there.

She or he will be convinced no surprise is forthcoming by the time Saturday night arrives.

Then, bingo!  It's Sunday morning and she or he's happier than Olympian Apolo Ohno after a couple of Korean skaters slipped down and let him glide to another medal.

Tom in Cruise control for 'Mission: Impossible IV'

Tom Cruise on the run in "M:I:III"

(Paramount Pictures)

Have you missed toothy Tom Cruise?

Well, apparently he's been missing you.

The often-outspoken movie star hasn't been on screen for two years.  That's when Cruise had one eye wide shut behind the eye-patch in the historical "kill Hitler" drama "Valkyrie."

According to The Hollywood Reporter and other sources, however, the little guy with the big grin is prepping for a fourth run as super spy Ethan Hunt in the "Mission:  Impossible" series.

If the Hollywood Reporter article is accurate, the next action-thriller will hit theaters on Memorial Day weekend next year.

"The reunion between Cruise and the studio once looked unlikely after Cruise's production deal there was cut loose in 2006, the year 'Mission: Impossible III' was released. But both parties have recognized the promise in continuing a franchise that has grossed $1.4 billion worldwide," says the Hollywood Reporter on-line post by Jay A. Fernandez.

Welcome back, Tom, I guess.  Just please resist the temptation to use Oprah Winfrey's couch as a cheesy self-promotional trampoline.

Who dat? Dave, Jay and Oprah, that's who

"Couch potatoes" Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey and David Letterman.  (Courtesy:  CBS)

Except for the Peyton Manning interception that sealed the Colts' doom late in the fourth quarter on Sunday, the biggest Super Bowl shocker had to be David Letterman, Jay Leno and Oprah Winfrey sharing a couch in a brilliant mock Super Bowl party.

According to the Associated press, CBS offered the "Letterman" show a 15-second promo slot, and Dave ran with it:

Close up of Letterman: "This is the worst Super Bowl party ever."

Widen out to include Winfrey:  "Now Dave, be nice."

Widen out further to reveal Leno:  "He's just saying that because I'm here."

Letterman (in a mocking, whiny voice):  "He's just saying that 'cause I'm here."  (Click here to see the spot)

The only thing that could have possibly been better would have been if Conan O'Brien showed up at the end and accused Leno of taking his spot (on the couch).

Still, TV doesn't get much better than that.

Kudos to Leno for showing up, and bring on the new late-night TV wars!

Oopsy, Oscar-nom Bullock also up for a Razzie

Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper in "All About Steve."  (Courtesy:  20th Century Fox)

I've written before about how two well-made, entertaining movies out of three amounted to a very good comeback year, of sorts, for Austin-area resident Sandra Bullock.

As for 2010?

So-so so far, even though the personable actress drew her first Academy Award nomination for "The Blind Side" early Tuesday morning as she slept, according to what Bullock later told Matt Lauer during a "Today Show" telephone hook-up.

So what can possibly be negative?

A day earlier, according to an article posted on the People Web site and other sources, Bullock also got her name tossed into the hat by the Golden Raspberry Foundation for her offbeat, manic performance in "All About Steve," heretofore to be known as "that Sandra Bullock movie that just won't go away." 

In case you're unfamiliar with The Razzies, that means Ms. Bullock, while being considered for best actress by Oscar, is also under scrutiny as worst actress by the Razzie folks. 

The awful news is that if she does win in both races, Bullock will be the first actor (male or female) in history to pull off what Stephen M. Silverman in People calls "the double-barreled win" in the same year.

The good news?  Bullock has some mighty stiff competition for worst actress.  In addition to Megan Fox's dual nominations for "Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen" and "Jennifer's Body," she's up, no down against  Beyoncé ("Obsessed"), Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana:  The Movie") and Sarah Jessica Parker ("Did You Hear About the Morgans?").

Good luck/bad luck, Sandra. 

All in the ex-family; Bigelow, Cameron top noms

 Kathryn Bigelow and ex-husband James Cameron will battle it out for a best director Oscar.  (Courtesy:  www.metro.co.uk)

Odd, isn't it, that after a slew of movie award ceremonies and TV telecasts the bona-fide film awards race kicked off before the sun came up out west this morning with the announcement of the Academy Awards nominations.

If you visited this space yesterday, you can breathe a sigh of relief that I won't be losing the house and the squirrel and bird feeders (had I been a betting guy).

For the first time in Oscar history, the best picture and best director race looks like a domestic squabble that -- if multi-million-dollar movies (or a billion in one case) weren't involved -- might be settled in family court.

And it gets better.  "Avatar," directed by "Titanic" filmmaker (and Oscar winner) James Cameron, and "The Hurt Locker," helmed by Cameron's ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow, tied with nine Academy Award nominations each to lead this year's race for the golden statuettes.

Too bad Bette Davis isn't still alive to say, "Fasten your seat-belts, it's going to be a bumpy night."

Except for the most exciting head-to-head battle the Academy's staged in many years, there weren't too many surprises in the Oscar noms.

I was very glad to see newcomer Gabourey Sidibe draw a best actress nomination for her fine work as the abused teen in "Precious."  And I'm delighted that relative newcomer Carey Mulligan made the cut as the British teen itchy for adulthood in "An Education."

Both will have a tough time pulling out a victory against vets Helen Mirren ("The Last Station"), Meryl Streep ("Julie & Julia") and Sandra Bullock ("The Blind Side").

And how 'bout that Bullock?  The Austin-area resident draws the first Oscar nomination of her 23-year big screen acting career.  Bullock's finally up to recognition "Speed."

To get the full rundown on today's Oscar noms from The Hollywood Reporter, click here.

A final word from this scribe, though.  Anyone who loves puns and appreciates the art form that they are can rejoice.  My favorite nomination in the best animated short film race:

"A Matter of Loaf and Death."

Bigelow on track to upset ex-hubby at Oscars?

Director Kathryn Bigelow and director of photography Barry Ackroyd on the set of "The Hurt Locker."  (Summit Entertainment)

You've heard of amicable divorces, right?

How about amicable divorcees battling it out for a best director Academy Award?

With a rousing win to cheers at the Directors Guild Awards on Saturday night, "The Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow may have edged out former husband James Cameron, who helmed the blue-tinged mass appeal money machine "Avatar," in the race for a directing Oscar.

It was a historic win; the first ever feature-film DGA victory by a woman.

We won't know until tomorrow morning if Bigelow and her "king of the world!" ex will even draw Academy Award nominations.  If I were a betting man, though, I'd bet the house and the squirrel and bird feeder (which we love) that the former marriage partners will vie for the director golden statuette March 7 in Hollywood (and on ABC).

According to an article posted on the Hollywood Reporter Web site, the DGA's feature-film award is one of the best gauges of likely Oscar success in the director category:

"The Academy Award for directing has gone to someone other than the DGA winner only six times since the guild launched its awards in 1948, most recently in 2002 when Roman Polanski copped the Oscar for 'The Pianist' and the DGA crowned Rob Marshall for 'Chicago,'" the article states.

The win is sure to add a little early morning drama to the Academy Award nomination announcements tomorrow.  They'll be rattled off around 7:30 a.m. Central Time.