April Showers: Shutter Island

waterworks weeknights at 11 as we turn on the cinematic shower.

For a movie I claim to have not liked at all, I really have been going back to Scorsese's Shutter Island (2010) repeatedly while blogging, haven't I? It just keeps coming up somehow. A lot of it is just too stiffly serious when it would have been a better sit had it swerved towards the archly horrific on occassion to offset its portentous Sturm und Drang.

But about those Sturms...

Pull yourself together Teddy. Pull yourself together. It's just water. It's a lot of water.

Teddy Daniels in Shutter Island is barely functional considering all the lakes, oceans and storms haunting him. So it's kind of pitiable that he also has to shower in the movie, too. Both times it's just so completely futile.

Two sorry showers after the jump.

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March of the (Oscar) Penguins

Oscar binge posting. Let's get it out of our systems. No thought must go unuttered. (Oh dear*) Well, until Sunday's podcast. You get it out of your system, too, in the comments!

Hulk and Puny Humans

I selected 9 men for display. You'll have to tell me who you think is best dresed as there's a dizzying amount of variation in men's formal wear. Would you like black with a blueish tint, black with a grayish tint, bow tie, white tie? Long tie? vest? The possibillites are ENDLESS.

Today Mark Ruffalo tweeted...

Hulk Smash. Hulk Destroy. Hulk Cuddle.

He's the only actor I can think of that would convince me to watch The Hulk again onscreen. But we're poll happy lately so let's convert it to suit (haha) this post.

poll by twiigs.com

Mr Penélope Cruz, Peter Parker, The King, Jude Law

So who do you think was best dressed: the Ruffster, Jakey, Armie Hammer, Hugh Jackman, Robert Downey Jr, Javi, Spider-Man, Jude Law or Colin Firth?

Before you decide try not to let that gold shiny accessory of Colin's sway your vote. That accessory always puts people on best dressed lists. Totally unfair advantage.

Yes, there were more men than this at the Oscars but I had to disqualify a few people right up front: Justin Timberlake because his suit looked too big on him; Jesse Eisenberg because he didn't step it up not one notch from previous awards shows; Christian Bale because of the beard; and Jeff Bridges because he's looking more and more like a muppet version of Jeff Bridges*

* There's almost nothing we love more than Muppets but we don't generally think of them as fashionistas. Also: if there is anything we love more than Muppets it is probably Jeff Bridges. Also and: perhaps Nathaniel is taking too many cold/flu medicines?

Mark Ruffalo and Sandra Bernhard on Oscar Night 2011

Mark with his wife Sunrise<--- Obviously this is not Sandra Bernhard. We'll get to her in a minute.

To fend off the silly depression that can often follow depressing Oscar outcomes, it's good to remember that anyone nominated for an Oscar just got a huge career boost. The "Losers", especially the first timers, won. They now have that "Oscar Nominee" stamp to throw around at the contract table and they also get a place in the history books. Oh sure, if you ask the general public to tell you about so and so's nominated turn in 1978 they won't know what you're talking about, but it's still a historical document of worth in your chosen profession. It's a win.

Before the Oscars last night I meant to post this acceptance speech that Mark Ruffalo tweeted "in case I lose". It went like so (spread across several tweets of course).

Thank You Sunrise. My wife and my partner in crime and fun and hard times and joy and sadness in heartbreak and healing and dinners and kids. Lisa Cholodenko, Thank you so much in your belief in me and allowing me. You love Actors and create a work place where we are free. Adore U.

I must thank my dear fellow Actors. Especially the Glorious Julianne Moore. Any recognition must be shared with her. It was all in the dance. Annette, Mia, Josh, Thank you for making it so easy to react off you and live off your brilliant naturalistic performances. Honored. The crew, thank you for being such a great team. We all had a hell of a good time and you didn't skip a single beat in 23 days of no sleep.

I would like to thank Stuart Blumberg and Lisa for creating a beautiful script with real people doing real and human things. Paul kicks ass. I would like to thank all the producers but especially Jeffery Levy-Hinte who is an unsung hero. You carried this movie to the finish.Thanks. James Shamus and the folks at Focus Features, Thank you. You have given this movie every opportunity and supported us in cash and spirit. XO.

Mom and Dad, Thanks for telling me I would be okay if I left home and went to LA. Thanks for helping me when you couldn't afford it. Love U. Keen, Bella, Odette my dearest ones, my little teachers. Thank you so much for being patient with Papa having to be away so much. Last but not least. The people who came out to see the movie and support it and talk about it and send your friends. You are being honored 2. I know I must be forgetting someone. IF I am I will amend my twit-speech. I would like to also shout out to all actors. 5000yr tradition!!

Sweet right?

Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem hug it out.

If you put yourself out there in the world, you open yourself up to those who snark or scoff but you also are putting yourself out there in the world. Sorry to get all Marianne Williamson on ya but I just go with my moods and it's a good one this Monday morn'. Feel the love.

In another tweet, responding to a fan's note on Julianne Moore, the Ruffster said "Julianne Moore you are a film Goddess" That's so true. I'm glad her peers know it.

We lived on farms. We lived in cities. Now we live on the internet.
-"Sean Parker" via Aaron Sorkin in The Social Network.

I've been an online presence now for a decade and it's been thrilling to watch the world change and shrink in a way. Unfortunately this new "closeness" hasn't changed our capacity to hate or war or any of that stuff -- hate travels just as fast as love  -- but it has definitely shifted celebrity and entertainment culture in interesting ways. You wouldn't have Lady Gaga without the virtual community of the internet. And you wouldn't have exchanges like I had with Sandra Bernhard last night.

Oh sure, that happened for a few seconds and it was over and it meant 11,000,000 times more to me than Sandra or anyone listening in but it's still a fact: Someone I have admired and followed and supported with my purchases who has made me laugh and think countless times since the late 80s "heard" something I said and responded.

It was a kick.

And if you've never seen The King of Comedy (1983) you really should. It's one of Martin Scorsese's best films and Sandra is riveting and scary and hilarious in it.

Which celebrities put smiles on your faces last night? Are you feeling love this morning or something else entirely in the way of SpeechGate ;) ?

Spirit Award Winners

Since they aren't airing the show live (it comes on at 10 PM EST) we shan't live-blog -- seriously in this day and age no live airing? Epic stupidity -- but we can share winners and talk about highlights after zee fact late tonight or tomorrow as we just skim through the show.

Jennifer Lawrence and Nicole Kidman, both nominated

Best First Screenplay Lena Durhman Tiny Furniture. Though she's already won the true prize: an HBO pilot deal. Tiny Furniture is quite singular and funny so check it out when you can.

Best Cinematography Matthew Libatique Black Swan. Yay! Single best thing about Black Swan if you ask me. He also won our gold medal.

Best Supporting Actress Dale Dicky in Winter's Bone. She puts the hurt on Lawrence so beautifully.

Best First Feature Aaron Schneider for Get Low. (Scott Cooper won this last year for Crazy Heart. Moral of the story: Find an old grizzly acting legend and you're newbie gold!)

Best Actor James Franco in 127 Hours. I'm so glad Colin Firth wasn't eligible. Firth was good in The King's Speech but so were a lot of people this year.

Best Documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop. Mr Brainwash accepts the prize. Apparently goes on and on. Honestly I feel like I'm live blogging blindfolded. I hate tape delay. This is 2011. This is not my childhood with 3 television stations and friends who had something exotic called "cable"

Best Foreign Film The King's Speech.  I guess it's too much to ask the masses to vote for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. And the masses can vote on the Spirits if they join. Which is, I think, why it's more like the Oscars than not of late.

Robert Altman Award to Please Give. Yay. It also made our best ensemble nominations. Have you seen it yet?

poll by twiigs.com

Cassavettes Awards Daddy Longlegs

Best Supporting Actor John Hawkes for Winter's Bone. It's turning into quite a "Weekend in the Ozarks" here. Is it too much to hope that Jennifer Lawrence wins too? A nice change of pace that'd be. And when there are so many hundreds of awards to win each year, why do they all gotta go to the same things?

Mark Ruffalo tweeted a beautiful congrats to his "opponent" and apparently friend.

John Hawkes is the Man. Congratulations brother. All our days in shitty little theaters back in the day paid off. Blessings!!

And he also snapped a photo of Lisa Cholodenko and her woman Wendy. The Cholodenkos Are All Right. Speaking of...

Best Screenplay Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Blumberg for The Kids Are All Right

Best Actress Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Best Director Darren Aronofksy, Black Swan

Best Feature Black Swan

It started as a Winter's Bone evening and then sported a rash that quickly turned into black swan feathers.

And that's it. Now the show is but an afterthought. What strange programming decisions stations make of late. The things that IFC felt were more important to show during the actula awards were The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005) and Boondock Saints (2000) which they have undoubtedly shown hundreds of times already.

Stranger still it seems my IFC is not working. Dang. I was really not meant to watch this. I shall dutifully wait to see YouTube videos of Dale Dickey and John Hawkes winning their well deserved prizes.

See also: THE NICOLE KIDMAN SPIRIT SHOW

Podcast: Sexy Interlopers. Oscar Role Play

New Podcast!
The gangs all here. Nathaniel, Nick, Katey and Joe were too full of the Awards Season spirit to squeeze into the alloted time so this one comes to you in two parts (part two tomorrow). We're bursting with chatter about the nominated actors in particular and the post BAFTAs King's Speech climate. So we decided to play The Film Experience's favorite hypothetical award season game: Which nominated roles do you think would have been interesting or totally different with the another nominated actors playing them? But that's not all...

Topics covered include

• Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell in The Eagle
• Queens of (Reaction Shot) Shade: Miranda Richardson and Anjelica Huston
• Nicole Kidman at the Grammys
• David Fincher "behind enemy lines"
• Aronofsky's homage to Natalie Portman
• Supporting Actress free for all. Who to predict?
• Role Play Switcheroos. Which actors would be most interesting in each other's roles? Helena Bonham Carter gets quite a vocal/psychological workout and Mark Ruffalo's Sexy Interloper in The Kids Are All Right finds plentiful sperm-donor competition.

Recent articles briefly cited: Nick's Annette Bening piece, Nathaniel's review of The Eagle, Joe's 1990 Oscar retrospective.

 LISTEN IN. We'd love to hear your comments. Especially about the annual Film Experience Oscar game. Switch the roles around. What'cha got?

Podcast: Post Bafta Climate and Sexy Interlopers