Come on, Picasso, Make it Work!

When I first started watching Project Runway (that would be midway through season 2…how I miss Daniel Vosovic!) the same bad idea constantly popped into my head. What if they did something like project runway with creative writers!? In my mind, giving a group of people wacky prompts and seeing what would happen seemed fun. Then I remembered that television is not really the best media for writing. And that the literary taste levels in this country are widely varied and vastly frightening.

I got that my idea was just a stupid, reflexive way to foist my own creative outlet onto a TV platform. And now I’m not sure what to think about Sarah Jessica Parker’s decision to develop a Runway-esque reality show for artists. According to EW, the show

would feature a dozen aspiring artists competing against one another in various art challenges, from painting and photography to sculpting and industrial design.

I don’t know about you, but when I think ‘art,’ I don’t think contrived challenges and manufactured time constraints. It just doesn’t seem right. What will they do, replace the runway show with a gallery exhibit?

Fun-with-words Wednesday

I saw this clip on The Soup Friday and thought it would make a fun weekday distraction for the blog. Joel predicts a new grammar trend to go along with the release of How She Move. Bonus points: he even squeezes in a nice dig at Rambo.

Strike Solution No. 2: Moonlighting

My junior year of high school, when I didn’t rush to swim practice, I rushed home to catch episodes of Moonlighting on Bravo. Before the days of Project Runway, just before Queer Eye would make the network a phenomenon, Moonlighting was the only reason the channel was on my teenage radar. Bravo introduced me to the show, which originally debuted months before I was even born, and for that I will always be grateful.

The 1980’s comedy/romance/detective combo wasn’t afraid to be playful. During its five-season run it had song and dance numbers, bizarre murder mysteries, and even a Shakespearean episode. What really hooked me with Moonlighting—aside from my nostalgia for all things 80’s—was the mainstay of great television: the will-they-or-won’t-they relationship. Throw one of those relationships into a script and you’re sure to catch my attention. Make it as snappy and romantic as Moonlighting and you earn my devotion forever.

Bruce Willis and Cybil Sheppard had undeniable onscreen chemistry as David Addison, a private investigator, and Madeline Hayes, the former-model who becomes his partner. For three seasons their scenes together buzzed with the constant possibility that their attraction for one another would culminate in a major throw-down tryst. Due to a deluge of difficult circumstances—including Cybil’s pregnancy and the 1988 WGA strike—the show had a hard time maintaining its former level of brilliance after the two leads did finally consummate their attraction. It still comes up frequently as one of the prime arguments to keep will-they-won’t-they TV couples apart, but even when Moonlighting faltered it was better than a lot of scripted shows currently on hiatus. So, as we await the latest news on the strike, give Moonlighting a chance to charm you.

Stallone’s Place in the New-Action Pantheon

When I think about the last few really popular action movies, I think of The Bourne Ultimatum, Casino Royale, Live Free and Die Hard, maybe even 300. How can you place Sylvester Stallone among the action heroes in the films on that list? He may blend in alright with the crowd in 300, but with all the attention the buff male bodies got in that movie, it’s pretty obvious the tough, buff look is out of heavy rotation in the 21st Century film scene. Now, Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, and Bruce Willis are all strong, muscular guys, but they’re also lean and pretty average in the height department.

The impending release of Stallone’s latest decade-spanning sequel may be exciting some fans, but it seems so odd. Stallone making sequels to films that were originally released in the 1970’s and 80’s only points out his inability to find viable roles in the present. A quick scan of his IMDB profile showed me that, aside from one of the Spy Kids movies, Rambo, and Rocky Balboa, I recognize nothing in the actor’s repertoire this decade. Even though this Rambo will boast the biggest body count of the series I still don’t see it doing anywhere near as well at the box office as our favorite lithe-ass-kicking-everyman films do.

Big-bodied action stars like Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger are few and far between on our current movie landscape. We like our (anti)heroes to look like someone we may pass on the street without noticing. Only time, and Monday’s box office reports, will tell us for sure whether or not Rambo is still relevant.

Dave Eggers goes Hollywood

I just read about a new film project, as yet untitled, based on work by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida. I have not read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, but I have heard enough praise for Dave Eggers, and read enough tidbits of his writing myself, to be excited about this film. That excitement might have something to do with the fact that director Sam Mendes (Jarhead) and actor John Krasinski (The Office) are involved. Either way, this comedy sounds promising. I'll be keeping my eyes open for more info.

Title Announced for Bond 22: Um, what was that?

I understand that Quantum of Solace, the title for the new James Bond movie (which has previously been referred to simply as Bond 22), comes from a short story written by Bond creator Ian Fleming. Still, the title sounds odd to me and has nowhere near as much flair and playfulness as Casino Royale. This won’t make me any less excited about the movie’s impending November release. It merely provides me with the new question of how MGM will market such an odd moniker.

UPDATE: Since everyone seems to be scratching their heads over Quantum of Solace, Bruce Feirstein gave Vanity Fair some insight into the process of naming Bond films.

James McAvoy: Average Bloke

I could not resist posting this article from The Daily Mail.

WGA & AMPTP back at the table today

After informal talks yesterday, the WGA and AMPTP are meeting officially today to discuss whether there is reason to return to the table for formal negotiations. The last formal talks broke down December 7, so let’s all keep our fingers crossed that things work out this time. Both sides are planning to refrain from making public statements during the talks. For more information, check out what The Hollywood Insider has to say.

Heath Ledger, dead at 28

I don't feel that I have much to contribute to the discussion of Heath Ledger's death this evening, so I'll simply say that he was a charismatic actor and a joy to watch onscreen. While he made many exciting and diverse choices in roles, if he is only remembered for his beautiful performance in Brokeback Mountain three years ago, it will still be lasting proof of his talent and presence.

UPDATE: Here is a link to a video of Heath that Ellen aired on Wednesday. It's the best way I have seen the news handled on television.

UPDATE #2: Christopher Plummer, who was starring in Heath Ledger’s last film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, discusses Heath and the fate of the Terry Gilliam-helmed flick.

UPDATE #3: There is now speculation about whether or not Heath had finished his voiceover work for The Dark Knight. The latest Batman installment has wrapped principal photography and is set for a July 2008 release.

Please hold your applause until all nominees are announced...

The Oscar nominations are in! There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men both grabbed eight nominations, including best picture, which is exactly what everyone expected them to do. Both films have earned their lead actors (Daniel Day-Lewis and Javier Bardem, respectively) individual nominations as well. From what I’ve heard about Bardem’s performance, his nomination is well-deserved, and Day-Lewis can always be counted on to really bring the drama.

My hopes that James McAvoy would receive a best actor nomination for his wrenching turn in Atonement were dashed by the surprise nomination of Tommy Lee Jones (The Valley of Elah). Not so surprising and disappointing is the absence of McAvoy’s costar, Kiera Knightly, from the best actress list. She showed new depth in Atonement, but her limited screen time made her a weaker choice than other contenders. Young Irish actress Saoirse Ronan did earn a best supporting actress nod for her work in the movie.

A fun Oscar surprise was teen-pregnancy flick Juno, which got recognized in the best picture and best original screenplay categories, as well as the best actress category, with 20-year-old star Ellen Page earning a nomination for her funny and earnest performance.

Now that the nominations are in, all that remains is to wonder whether there will be an actual ceremony to watch on February 24th.

Blue Monday: 'Rent' to close on Broadway

This morning in news that makes me sad, it was announced that Rent will close on Broadway in June. The show has had a good run--12 seasons, several Tony awards, a posthumous Pulitzer for Jonathan Larson, and a slew of devoted fans--but I guess it couldn't last forever.

Strike Solution No. 1: Arrested Development

I am a big fan of the single-camera comedy. For me, the most devastating side affect when the writer’s strike began in November was the fact that The Office only had a single episode left to air. Now, as even the shows with more episodes in the can are running dry as well, it’s time to cull some distractions from the ever-increasing group of TV shows on DVD. My first pick: Arrested Development.

I have no idea how I managed to miss Arrested Development when it was originally on the air. I was a junior in high school at the time, so I’ll just stroke my ego and assume that my comedic palette has refined since 2003.

Whatever the reason for my ignorance five years ago, I am now catching up with the show on DVD. Michael Cera, Jason Batemen, and Will Arnett were already on my list of seriously funny people before I saw AD, and they have now cemented their standings. The rest of the cast is hilarious as well, and I might even add that Tony Hale (playing dippy younger-brother Buster) gives them all a run for their money whenever he’s on screen.

Arrested Development is the perfect defense to save us all from the crop of new reality shows being thrown on the air to appease us during the strike. You can watch, laugh, wonder how the hell any writer (or group of writers) could come up with stuff so funny and off-the-wall, and remind yourself after so many weeks of frustration, that the writers really do a lot for us.

New Trailer: Baby Mama

I was catching up on a few missed days of PopWatch this morning, and I came across this preview for ‘Baby Mama,’ a movie I didn’t even know was being made:

See it here

I have to agree with Marc Bernardin about the preview. There’s some definite promise here, even if the trailer isn’t a complete laugh riot. Maybe this is just one of those rare comedies that doesn’t give away all its best material in the trailer.

It’s pretty easy to put faith in this movie because it’s got two of TVs funniest actresses, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. These two have been great in some supporting film roles, and the chance to see what they can do carrying a movie is exciting. Plus, Marc’s right about another thing. You don’t see many movies that will just let women be funny. Usually female leads are relegated to the realm of the romantic comedy or the drama. Hopefully this is the beginning of a new trend.

Confession Time: Have you been watching American Idol?

Quick, name the winner of every season of American Idol. Yeah, I couldn’t do it either without looking it up. And, if you thought Clay Aiken, you were wrong. But, once again, American Idol is back on the air. And just like every other year, I’m watching the bloated “Premiere Event.” I’ll admit it. Despite a slight dip in the shows ratings, it seems I’m not alone.

With the recent news that Katharine McPhee was dropped by RCA records, questions about the show’s relevance in the music industry have been swirling, yet again. The evidence for Idol’s irrelevance is abundant: season two winner Ruben Studdard, season three winner Fantasia Barrino, season five winner, Taylor Hicks. None of these names mean much to those of us not wholly devoted to the show, and these are the people who were supposed to be America’s next solo singing superstar. Lately Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Jennifer Hudson and Elliot Yamin have been making not winning AI look like the preferable outcome for contestants, just like Clay Aiken did five years ago.

Let’s face it. The iffy track record just reminds us of what we already know about watching AI. We really love to see these people squirm. I watch the first few weeks precisely for the huge jolt of schadenfreude it adds to my week. Even after they get down to the top ten, it’s still the main reason I tune in. So when it comes time for the inevitable debate over whether or not this season is as good as others, lets not feel bad if all we really care about is this season's Sanjaya.

First day on the blog

The Hollywood Minutiae now exists and is up and running.