The 100 Greatest Characters in the Last 20 Years

Yesterday, Entertainment Weekly came up with another pop culture list: the 100 greatest characters in the last two decades.

The list:

100. Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights
99. The Bride from Kill Bill
98. Lisbeth Salander from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels
97. Violet Weston from August: Osage County
96. Bernie Mac from The Bernie Mac Show
95. Wilhelmina from Ugly Betty
94. Truman from The Truman Show
93. Game Boys: Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series; Kratos from the God of War series; and Niko Bellic from Grand Theft Auto IV
92. Christopher Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time
91. Hancock from Hancock

90. Marge Gunderson from Fargo
89. Wikus van de Merwe from District 9
88. Napoleon Dynamite from Napoleon Dynamite
87. Tony Stark from the Iron Man series
86. Karen Walker and Jack McFarland from Will & Grace
85. Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood
84. Dr. Gregory House from House, M.D.
83. Jen Yu from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
82. Tracy Flick from Election
81. Amanda Woodward from Melrose Place

80. Gorillaz, the animated rock band
79. Elphaba from Wicked
78. Patty Hewes from Damages
77. Mimi Marquez from Rent
76. Tyler Durden from Fight Club
75. David Brent from The Office (original version)
74. Don Draper from Mad Men
73. Catherine Trammell from Basic Instinct
72. Kara “Starbuck” Thrace from Battlestar Galactica
71. Det. Alonzo Harris from Training Day

70. Mary Katherine Gallagher from Saturday Night Live
69. Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada
68. Effie White from Dreamgirls
67. Borat from Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
66. Allie and Noah from The Notebook
65. Lorelai and Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls
64. Maximus from Gladiator
63. John Locke from Lost
62. Jimmy Corrigan from Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
61. Vic Mackey from The Shield

60. Mary Jones from Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Saphhire
59. Master Chief from the Halo series
58. Thelma and Louise from Thelma & Louise
57. Clayton Bigsby from Chappelle’s Show
56. Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother
55. Tracy Jordan from 30 Rock
54. Juno from Juno
53. Edward Cullen from the Twilight saga
52. Annie Wilkes from Misery
51. Omar Little from The Wire

50. Pearl the Landlord from FunnyorDie.com
49. Vivian Ward from Pretty Woman
48. Red from The Shawshank Redemption
47. Corky St. Clair Waiting for Guffman
46. Jerry Maguire from Jerry Maguire
45. Stewie Griffin from Family Guy
44. Jack Bauer from 24
43. Cal Stephanides from Middlesex
42. Sydney Bristow from Alias
41. Harold and Kumar from the Harold & Kumar series

40. Ron Burgundy from Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
39. Gob Bluth from Arrested Development
38. Elmo from Sesame Street
37. Keyser Söze from The Usual Suspects
36. Gollum from The Lord of the Rings
35. Dexter Morgan from Dexter
34. Cher from Clueless
33. Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day
32. Beavis and Butt-Head from Beavis and Butt-Head
31. Forrest Gump from Forrest Gump

30. “Stephen Colbert” from The Colbert Report
29. Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction
28. Madea from several Tyler Perry films and plays
27. Frasier from Frasier
26. Kavalier and Clay from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
25. Woody from the Toy Story series
24. Felicity Porter from Felicity
23. Austin Powers from the Austin Powers series
22. Eric Cartman from South Park
21. Roseanne Conner from Roseanne

20. Ally McBeal from Ally McBeal
19. Morpheus from The Matrix series
18. Sue Sylvester from Glee
17. Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider franchise
16. Bridget Jones from the Bridget Jones series
15. Shrek from the Shrek series
14. Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski from The Big Lebowski
13. Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of the Caribbean series
12. Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from The X-Files
11. Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld

10. SpongeBob SquarePants from SpongeBob SquarePants
9. Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City
8. Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs and its sequels
7. Edward Scissorhands from Edward Scissorhands
6. Rachel Green from Friends
5. The Joker from The Dark Knight
4. Tony Soprano from The Sopranos
3. Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Harry Potter from the Harry Potter series
1. Homer Simpson from The Simpsons

I am particularly happy to note the inclusion of Daniel Plainview from There Will Be Blood (no. 85), Miranda Priestly from The Devil Wears Prada (69), and Gollum from The Lord of the Rings (36).

Also on the list: Christopher Boone from The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-Time (92), Cal Stephanides from Middlesex (43), and, Kavalier and Clay from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (26).

Also included are: Karen and Jack from Will & Grace (86), Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica (72), Lorelai and Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls (65), Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother (56), and, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from The X-Files (12).

But John Locke from Lost at no. 63? I would say Benjamin Linus is a greater character.

Sydney Bristow from Alias (42) should be ranked higher than Felicity Porter from Felicity (24).

Sue Sylvester from Glee (18) is too high, and so is Pearl the Landlord from FunnyorDie.com (50).

Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City (9) is higher than SpongeBob SquarePants (10)?

Rachel Green from Friends (6) is a great choice- and I will allow that she might belong in the top ten- but higher than Edward Scissorhands (7) and Hannibal Lecter (8)?

And Edward Cullen from the Twilight saga? I don't think they should be here.

I am most thrilled that The Joker from The Dark Knight (5), Buffy from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (3), and Homer Simpson from The Simpsons (1) top the list.

Cannes Film Festival winners 2010

The winners of the 63rd Cannes Film Festival have been announced:

Palme d'Or (Golden Palm)- Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thailand)

Grand Prize- Of Gods and Men by Xavier Beauvois (France)

Jury Prize- A Screaming Man by Mahamat-Saleh Haroun (Chad)

best director- Mathieu Amalric for On Tour (France)

best screenplay- Lee Chang-Dong for Poetry (Korea)

best actor- Javier Bardem in Biutiful (Mexico) and Elio Germano in La Nostra Vita (Italy)

best actress- Juliette Binoche in Certified Copy (Iran)

Camera d'Or (first-time director): Ano Bisiesto by Michael Rowe (Mexico)

best short film- Chienne d'Histoire by Serge Avedikian (France)

Outer Critics Circle awards 2010

The winners of the 60th Outer Critics Circle awards were announced Monday.

"Memphis" and "La Cage aux Folles" each won four awards. "Memphis" was declared outstanding new Broadway musical, while "La Cage aux Folles" was outstanding revival of a musical.

Catherine Zeta-Jones ("A Little Night Music") and Montego Glover ("Memphis") were both named outstanding actress in a musical.

The Outer Critics Circle is an association of writers and commentators for all media covering New York theater.

The awards are to be given May 27.

For Dede Allen, who passed away on Saturday

film editor Dede Allen, nominated for the Academy Award four times: Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Reds (1981), Wonder Boys (2000)

The Reader

In a used-books store, I recently found Reading for a Living: How to be a Professional Story Analyst for Film & Television (Pacific Palisades: Blue Arrow Books) for only Php 45.

The author, who identifies himself as T. L. Katahn, begins with his own back story of landing the job of a reader. Then he points to what to look for in a submission, and to how to identify a beginner's script and a professional script.

So why do companies have a reader? Katahn says:

"Since these are the companies that shell out the money to make the films, they tend to be very picky about the ones they choose to produce. You may not always agree with their criteria, but it behooves you to be aware of their preferences."

Katahn demonstrates how to write a synopsis and how to break down a character. He also explains what a log line is, and what a reader should take note of in a plot line: continuity, complications, and the hook. On characters, it's motivation, flaws, and evolution.

After taking up writing the cover sheet, Katahn centers on how to get a job, formulating a job search plan and presenting the possibilities of where reading can lead. For example, he cites the rise of Sherry Lansing from story analyst to president of 20th Century Fox Studios. There is also practical advice on keeping books and producing sample coverages.

Additionally, Katahn throws in some things you might not know, as when you are in a library or an archive:

"You are not allowed to check scripts out or photocopy them, but you may read them and take notes on the premises."

In its appendices, the book offers a glossary, a list of proofreader's marks, sample scripts, and coverage.

Here's Katahn on how much money there is to make:

"You can expect to be paid about fifty to a hundred dollars for book coverages depending on how long or complex the manuscript is."

Because the book was published in 1990, some facts and figures have dated. For instance, this is Katahn on the tools of the trade:

"I'm writing this book on an IBM-compatible Tandy 4000 SX.... I use the FRAMEWORK word processing software by Ashton-Tate....Many writers swear by Microsoft WORD, however." (italics his)

In general, though, the book still captures the essence of a story analyst as it is still practiced today.

PEN/ Faulkner Award 2010

Sherman Alexie was awarded the PEN/Faulkner award for fiction Tuesday for "War Dances," a collection of short stories.

The award, started in 1981, comes with a prize of $15,000.

Last year's winner was Joseph O'Neill for "Netherland."

4th Asian Film Awards

The film Mother from South Korea copped the best picture prize at the fourth Asian Film Awards on Monday. It also grabbed the awards for best screenplay (Bong Joon-ho and Park Eun-kyo) and best actress (Kim Hye-ja).

Lu Chuan was named best director for City of Life and Death, and Wai Ying-hung was chosen best actress as well for At the End of Daybreak. Wang Xueqi clinched the best actor award and Nicholas Tse was honored best supporting actor, both for Bodyguards and Assassins.

The lifetime achievement award was given to 67-year-old Amitabh Bachchan of India, who received a standing ovation. He has made more than 180 movies in his career.

Director Zhang Yimou was cited for "outstanding contribution to Asian cinema," and John Woo was acknowledged as the top-grossing director last year for the second installment of Red Cliff. Its two parts together earned 570 million Chinese yuan ($83 million). Producer Terence Chang accepted the award for Woo.

A Little Hurt

Here are the winners at the 82nd annual Academy Awards today:

best picture- The Hurt Locker

best director- Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker

best original screenplay: Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker

best adapted screenplay: Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

best actor- Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart

best actress- Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side

best supporting actor- Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

best supporting actress: Mo'Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

best foreign language film- El Secreto de Sus Ojos from Argentina

best animated feature- Up

best cinematography- Avatar

best editing- The Hurt Locker

best art direction- Avatar

best costume- The Young Victoria

best makeup- Star Trek


best visual effects- Avatar

best sound mixing- The Hurt Locker

best sound editing- The Hurt Locker

best original score- Up (Michael Giacchino)

best original song- The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart) from Crazy Heart (Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett)

best documentary feature- The Cove

best documentary short- Music by Prudence

best live action short- The New Tenants

best animated short- Logorama

It's Sandra Bullock's to Lose

Here are the nominees for today's Oscars, starting from the ones I predict most likely to win:

best picture: The Hurt Locker, Avatar, Inglourious Basterds, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, Up in the Air, District 9, The Blind Side, A Serious Man, An Education, Up

best director:

Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker
James Cameron for Avatar
Lee Daniels for Precious
Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds
Jason Reitman for Up in the Air


best original screenplay:

Inglourious Basterds
The Hurt Locker
A Serious Man
Up
The Messenger

best adapted screenplay:

Up in the Air
Precious
An Education
In the Loop
District 9


best actor:

Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
George Clooney in Up in the Air
Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker
Colin Firth in A Single Man
Morgan Freeman in Invictus

best actress:

Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side
Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia
Gabourey Sidibe in Precious
Carey Mulligan in An Education
Helen Mirren in The Last Station


best supporting actor:

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
Christopher Plummer in The Last Station
Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones
Woody Harrelson in The Messenger
Matt Damon in Invictus

best supporting actress:

Mo'Nique in Precious
Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal in Crazy Heart
Penelope Cruz in Nine


best foreign language film:

The White Ribbon

best animated feature:

Up


best cinematography:

The Hurt Locker

best editing:

The Hurt Locker


best art direction:

Avatar

best costume design:

Nine

best makeup:

Star Trek


best visual effects:

Avatar

best sound mixing:

Avatar

best sound editing:

The Hurt Locker


best original score:

Up

best original song:

The Weary Kind from Crazy Heart


best documentary feature:

Food, Inc.

best documentary short:

The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant


best live action short:

The Door

best animated short:

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Land of the Losers

The 30th Golden Raspberry Awards were presented earlier today.

worst picture: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
worst director: Michael Bay for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
worst screenplay: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

worst actor: the Jonas brothers (Kevin, Joe and Nick) in Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
worst actress: Sandra Bullock in All About Steve

worst supporting actor: Billy Ray Cyrus in Hannah Montana: The Movie
worst supporting actress: Sienna Miller in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

worst remake, rip-off or sequel: Land of the Lost


worst picture of the decade: Battlefield Earth
worst actor of the decade: Eddie Murphy
worst actress of the decade: Paris Hilton

New Arrival

The Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino has announced their nominees for the 33rd Gawad Urian.

best picture:

The Arrival
Baseco Bakal Boys
Colorum
Engkwentro
Himpapawid

Hospital Boat
Kinatay
Lola
Last Supper No. 3
Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe


best director:

John Steffan Ballesteros for Colorum
Pepe Diokno for Engkwentro
Ralston Jover for Baseco Bakal Boys
Erik Matti for The Arrival
Arnel Mardoquio for Hospital Boat

Brillante Mendoza for Kinatay
Brillante Mendoza for Lola
Raymond Red for Himpapawid
GB Sampedro for Astig
Veronica Velasco for Last Supper No. 3
Alvin Yapan for Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe


best screenplay:

Linda Casimiro for Lola
Pepe Diokno for Engkwentro
Christopher Gozum for Anacbanua
Armando Lao for Biyaheng Lupa
Armando Lao for Kinatay

Erik Matti for The Arrival
Raymond Red for Himpapawid
Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel for Last Supper No. 3
Alvin Yapan for Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe


best actor:

Raul Arellano in Himpapawid
Allen Dizon in Dukot
Dwight Gaston in The Arrival
John Lloyd Cruz in In My Life
Coco Martin in Kinatay

Joey Paras in Last Supper No. 3
Felix Roco in Engkwentro
Alfred Vargas in Colorum
Lou Veloso in Colorum
Jacky Woo in Walang Hanggang Paalam


best actress:

Irma Adlawan in Ang Panggagahasa kay Fe
Janice de Belen in Last Viewing
Iza Calzado in Dukot
Rustica Carpio in Lola
Eugene Domingo in Kimmy/Dora

Anita Linda in Lola
Che Ramos in Mangatyanan
Rosanna Roces in Wanted Border
Vilma Santos in In My Life
Tessie Tomas in Sanglaan


best supporting actor:

John Arcilla in Himpapawid
Dennis Ascalon in The Arrival
Soliman Cruz in Himpapawid
Milton Dionson in The Arrival
Jose Ma. Javellana in Colorum

John Regala in Kinatay
Jake Roxas in Walang Hanggang Paalam
Ariel Ureta in Kimmy/Dora


best supporting actress:

Gina Alajar in Dukot
Glaiza de Castro in Astig
Jea Lyka Cinco in Hospital Boat
Maria Isabel Lopez in Kinatay
Gina Pareno in Baseco Bakal Boys

Marissa Sue Prado in Himpapawid
Miriam Quiambao in Kimmy/Dora
Dimples Romana in In My Life


The awards will be presented April 29 at Cine Adarna of the University of the Philippines (Diliman).

The current chair of the Manunuri is Dr. Roland Tolentino. The members are Grace Javier Alfonso, Butch Francisco, Mario Hernando, Bienvenido Lumbera, Mike Rapatan, Benilda Santos, Nicanor Tiongson, Tito Genova Valiente, and Lito Zulueta.

No Tank

The winners of the Orange British Academy Film Awards on Sunday:

best film- The Hurt Locker
best British film- Fish Tank
best film not in the English language- A Prophet
best director- Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker


best original screenplay- The Hurt Locker
best adapted screenplay- Up in the Air


best actor- Colin Firth in A Single Man
best actress- Carey Mulligan in An Education
best supporting actor- Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
best supporting actress- Mo'Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire


best cinematography- The Hurt Locker
best editing- The Hurt Locker
best production design- Avatar
best costume design- The Young Victoria
best makeup and hair- The Young Victoria
best sound- The Hurt Locker
best visual effects- Avatar
best music- Michael Giacchino for Up


best animated feature- Up
best short film- I Do Air
best short animation- Mother of Many


best British debut- Duncan Jones, director of Moon
rising star- Kristen Stewart


outstanding British contribution to cinema- Joe Dunton, camera technician
Academy fellowship- Vanessa Redgrave

Awakening

The nominees for the Laurence Olivier theater awards have been announced.

The finalists are:

best new play-

Enron
Jerusalem
The Mountaintop
Red

best new musical-

Dreamboats and Petticoats
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Sister Act
Spring Awakening

best new comedy-

Calendar Girls
England People Very Nice
Parlour Song
The Priory


best actor-

James Earl Jones in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Jude Law in Hamlet
James McAvoy in Three Days of Rain
Mark Rylance in Jerusalem
Ken Stott in A View from the Bridge
Samuel West in Enron

best actress-

Gillian Anderson in A Doll's House
Lorraine Burroughs in The Mountaintop
Imelda Staunton in Entertaining Mr. Sloane
Juliet Stevenson in Duet for One Rachel Weisz in A Streetcar Named Desire


Spring Awakening led the nominations with seven nods, followed by Enron and Jerusalem with six apiece.

Some other notable nominees are:

Keira Knightley, in the supporting actress division for The Misanthrope

Rowan Atkinson (yes, Mr. Bean!), in the best actor division for Oliver!

Melanie Chisholm (yes, Spice Girl Mel C), in the best actress in a musical category for Blood Brothers


The awards, given for excellence in theater (opera, musicals, and opera) in England, will be presented on March 21.

10 for 2010

The nominees for the 82nd annual Academy Awards were announced last night (Manila time). The nominees are:

best picture: Avatar, The Blind Side, District 9, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire, A Serious Man, Up, Up in the Air

best director: Kathryn Bigelow for "The Hurt Locker"; James Cameron for "Avatar"; Lee Daniels for "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"; Jason Reitman for "Up in the Air"; Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds"

best original screenplay: Mark Boal for "The Hurt Locker"; Quentin Tarantino for "Inglourious Basterds"; Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman for "The Messenger"; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen for "A Serious Man"; Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, and Tom McCarthy for "Up"

best adapted screenplay: Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell for "District 9"; Nick Hornby for "An Education"; Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche for "In the Loop"; Geoffrey Fletcher for "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"; Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for "Up in the Air"

best actor: Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"; George Clooney in "Up in the Air"; Colin Firth in "A Single Man"; Morgan Freeman in "Invictus"; Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker"

best actress: Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"; Helen Mirren in "The Last Station"; Carey Mulligan in "An Education"; Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"; Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"

best supporting actor: Matt Damon in "Invictus"; Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger"; Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station"; Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones"; Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz in "Nine"; Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air"; Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart"; Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air"; Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

best foreign language film: "Ajami" (Israel); "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Argentina); "The Milk of Sorrow" (Peru); "Un Prophete" (France); "The White Ribbon" (Germany)

best animated feature film: "Coraline"; "Fantastic Mr. Fox"; "The Princess and the Frog"; "The Secret of Kells"; "Up"

best cinematography: "Avatar," "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "The White Ribbon"

best editing: "Avatar," "District 9," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

best art direction: "Avatar," "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "Nine," "Sherlock Holmes," "The Young Victoria"

best costume: "Bright Star," "Coco Before Chanel," "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "Nine," "The Young Victoria"

best makeup: "Il Divo," "Star Trek," "The Young Victoria"

best sound mixing: "Avatar," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Star Trek," "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

best sound editing: "Avatar," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglourious Basterds," "Star Trek," "Up"

best visual effects: "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek"

best original score: James Horner (Avatar); Alexandre Desplat (Fantastic Mr. Fox); Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders (The Hurt Locker); Hans Zimmer (Sherlock Holmes); Michael Giacchino (Up)

best original song:

"Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog," Randy Newman;

"Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog," Randy Newman;

"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36," Reinhardt Wagner and Frank Thomas;

"Take It All" from "Nine," Maury Yeston;

"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart," Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

best documentary feature: "Burma VJ," "The Cove," "Food, Inc." "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers," "Which Way Home"

best documentary (short subject): "China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province," "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner," "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant," "Music by Prudence," "Rabbit a la Berlin"

best animated short film: "French Roast," "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty," "The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)," "Logorama," "A Matter of Loaf and Death"

best live action short film: "The Door," "Instead of Abracadabra," "Kavi," "Miracle Fish," "The New Tenants"

District Sci Fi

Here are my predictions for Oscar nominations to be announced tonight (Manila time):

best picture: Avatar; District 9; An Education; The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; Invictus; Precious; Star Trek; Up; Up in the Air

Commercial successes that can possibly sneak in: The Blind Side, The Hangover, and It's Complicated. The chances for Nine have been nil, and A Serious Man is a very long shot.


best director: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker; James Cameron for Avatar; Lee Daniels for Precious; Jason Reitman for Up in the Air; Quentin Tarantino for Inglourious Basterds

There has been a slight surge for Lone Scherfig for An Education, although that might not be enough. If it is, then that would mean two women will get nominated in this category in the same year. Neill Blomkamp (District 9) and Pete Docter (Up) are dark horses. Reitman might be passed over in this category.


best original screenplay: 500 Days of Summer; The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; A Serious Man; Up

Look for spoilers in Avatar and It's Complicated.


best adapted screenplay: District 9; An Education; In the Loop; Precious; Up in the Air

Fantastic Mr. Fox, Julie & Julia, or A Single Man might still make it.


best lead actor: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart; George Clooney in Up in the Air; Colin Firth in A Single Man; Morgan Freeman in Invictus; Jeremy Renner in The Hurt Locker

There has been some support lately for Peter Sarsgaard (An Education), and it is too bad Ben Foster (The Messenger) has been left out of the race. If anyone is dropping out, that would be Freeman. But that would be unlikely because he is playing a political figure who is larger than life. How can the liberals resist?


best lead actress: Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side; Helen Mirren in The Last Station; Carey Mulligan in An Education; Gabourey Sidibe in Precious; Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

Watch out for a surprise from Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria).


best supporting actor: Matt Damon in Invictus; Woody Harrelson in The Messenger; Christopher Plummer in The Last Station; Stanley Tucci in The Lovely Bones; Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds

Possible entries: Christian McKay (Me and Orson Welles) and Alfred Molina (An Education).


best supporting actress: Penelope Cruz in Nine; Vera Farmiga in Up in the Air; Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air; Mo'Nique in Precious; Julianne Moore in A Single Man

The tightest race this year. Nine has been on a downward spiral, and it is possible Cruz will lose her spot to somebody like Maggie Gyllenhaal (Crazy Heart) or Samantha Morton (The Messenger). One of the ladies from Up in the Air may also have to yield her slot to someone from Inglourious Basterds- that's going to be Diane Kruger or Melanie Laurent.

Wouldn't that be nice? Seeing Sarsgaard and Gyllenhaal nominated in the same year?

best cinematography: Avatar; The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; Nine; White Ribbon

Robert Richardson (Inglourious Basterds) is the only American in this bunch.


best editing: Avatar; District 9; The Hurt Locker; A Serious Man; Up in the Air

best visual effects: Avatar; District 9; Star Trek

best art direction: Avatar; The Hurt Locker; Inglourious Basterds; The Lovely Bones; A Serious Man

best costume design: Coco Before Chanel; Julie & Julia; Nine; Sherlock Holmes; The Young Victoria

I Got a Feeling

Here are my predictions for tomorrow's Grammy Awards:

album of the year: Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King (Dave Matthews Band)
record of the year: "Use Somebody" (Kings of Leon)
song of the year: "Pretty Wings" (Maxwell)
best new artist: Zac Brown Band

best pop vocal album: The E.N.D. (Black Eyed Peas)
best contemporary R&B album: I Am... Sasha Fierce (Beyonce)
best rap album: Relapse (Eminem)
best country album: Fearless (Taylor Swift)
best rock album: Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King (Dave Matthews Band)

best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals: I Gotta Feeling
best dance recording: Poker Face (Lady Gaga)
best alternative music recording: The Open Door (Death Cab for Cutie)

Blinded

The winners of the 16th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards today are:

for film-

best cast: "Inglourious Basterds"

best lead actor: Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"

best lead actress: Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"

best supporting actor: Christoph Waltz in "Inglorious Basterds"

best supporting actress: Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

best stunt ensemble: "Star Trek"

for television-

best drama series cast: "Mad Men"

best comedy series cast: "Glee"

best actor in a drama series: Michael C. Hall in "Dexter"

best actress in a drama series: Julianna Margulies in "The Good Wife"

best actor in a comedy series: Alec Baldwin in "30 Rock"

best actress in a comedy series: Tina Fey in "30 Rock"

best actor in a movie or miniseries: Kevin Bacon in "Taking Chance"

best actress in a movie or miniseries: Drew Barrymore in "Grey Gardens"

best stunt ensemble: "24"

Life Achievement: Betty White

The Gloriously Mad Will Rock

Here are my thoughts for tomorrow's Screen Actors Guild awards tomorrow morning, Manila time:


Those who will win for film are-

best cast: Inglourious Basterds

best lead actor: Jeff Bridges in Crazy Heart
best lead actress: Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia

I hope Bullock will not pull off an upset.

best supporting actor: Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds
best supporting actress: Mo'Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire


best stunt ensemble- Star Trek



For television-

best drama series cast: Mad Men deserves to win, and it will take this one.

best comedy series cast- Curb Your Enthusiasm is overdue, but the trophy will go to 30 Rock.


best actor in a drama series- Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) deserves to win, but the votes will go to Michael C. Hall (Dexter).

best actress in a drama series- Patricia Arquette is overdue for Medium, but Glenn Close will win for Damages.


best actor in a comedy series- Alec Baldwin will be awarded for 30 Rock, but I think Larry David deserves it for Curb Your Enthusiasm.

best actress in a comedy series- Edie Falco has a good chance for Nurse Jackie, but Tina Fey will most likely win for 30 Rock. I think Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserves it for The New Adventures of Old Christine.

best actor in a movie or miniseries- Kevin Bacon will win for Taking Chance.
best actress in a movie or miniseries- Jessica Lange will win for Grey Gardens.


Stunt ensemble- The deserving nominee is The Unit.


For nominations, click here.

Zero for Nine

The winners of today's Golden Globes are:

for film-

best picture (drama)- Avatar

best picture (musical or comedy)- The Hangover

best director: James Cameron for "Avatar"

best actor (drama)- Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart"

best actress (drama)- Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side"

best actor (musical or comedy)- Robert Downey Jr. in "Sherlock Holmes"

best actress (musical or comedy)- Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia"

best supporting actor- Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds"

best supporting actress- Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"

best foreign-language film- The White Ribbon

best animated film- Up

best screenplay- Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for "Up in the Air"

best original score: Michael Giacchino for "Up"

best original song: "The Weary Kind (Theme from 'Crazy Heart')" (written by Ryan Bingham, T Bone Burnett) for "Crazy Heart"


for television-

best drama series- "Mad Men" (AMC)

best musical or comedy series- "Glee" (Fox)

best miniseries or movie- "Grey Gardens" (HBO)

best actor (drama)- Michael C. Hall in "Dexter"

best actress (drama)- Julianna Margulies in "The Good Wife"

best actor (musical or comedy)- Alec Baldwin in "30 Rock"

best actress (musical or comedy)- Toni Collette in "United States of Tara"

best actor (miniseries or movie)- Kevin Bacon in "Taking Chance"

best actress (miniseries or movie)- Drew Barrymore in "Grey Gardens"

best supporting actor (series, miniseries or movie)- John Lithgow in "Dexter"

best supporting actress (series, miniseries or movie)- Chloe Sevigny in "Big Love"

Damages

Here's who should win the Golden Globes tomorrow morning, Manila time (For nominations, click here):

best drama:
House is overdue, but it does not look like it's going to win.

best comedy:
The Office is also overdue, but it also has slim chances.


best actor (drama):
Bill Paxton in Big Love

best actress (drama):
Glenn Close in Damages


best actor (musical or comedy):
Matthew Morrison in Glee

best actress (musical or comedy):
Toni Collette in United States of Tara


best supporting actor:
Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother

best supporting actress:
Rose Byrne in Damages

Not So Complicated

The Golden Globe Awards will be telecast Monday morning, Manila time. ( Click here for nominees. ) Here are my predictions in the movie categories:

best drama:
Up in the Air, but look to Avatar to possibly snatch the top prize.

best musical or comedy:
Nine, but this movie has been slipping in critical appreciation in the past few weeks. Watch out for a win by It's Complicated. The Hangover has good chances and 500 Days of Summer is a dark horse.

best director: James Cameron for Avatar, although critics would say it's his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelow (for "The Hurt Locker") who should win.


best actor (drama):
George Clooney (in "Up in the Air"). Jeff Bridges (in "Crazy Heart") is a distant possibility.

best actress (drama):

Sandra Bullock (in "The Blind Side"), possibly Carey Mulligan (in "An Education").


best actor (musical or comedy):
This is the one most widely open to anybody. In descending order of possibility: Daniel Day-Lewis (in "Nine"), Robert Downey Jr. (in "Sherlock Holmes"), or Matt Damon (in "The Informant!").

best actress (musical or comedy):
Meryl Streep (in "Julie & Julia"), the surest thing this year for the Globes. Her closest competition would be herself (in "It's Complicated").


best supporting actor:
Christoph Waltz (in "Inglourious Basterds"). Damon (in "Invictus") is still a possibility, however small his chances are.

best supporting actress:
Mo'Nique (in "Precious"). The next sure thing.


best screenplay:
Up in the Air

best animated film:
Up

best foreign-language film:
The White Ribbon. A possibility: A Prophet, then Broken Embraces.

May It Be

For Christmas, Lamplighter gave me "Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards" by Michael N. Stanton (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2001), addicted as I have been to The Lord of the Rings. In this book, Stanton treats the geography and history and themes of LOTR, along with (as the title implies) the races of Middle-earth, such as dwarfs, ents, and humankind. The book includes a long essay on the first part of the movie trilogy.

In his preface, Stanton writes:

"It always was and still is a pleasure for me to talk about and write about The Lord of the Rings, and I hope that pleasure shows through."

This is an accessible book even to non-fans.


During the holidays, I picked up the "Cambridge Guide to Fiction in English" by Ian Ousby (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998) at a used books store for Php 40. This is a survey of the English-speaking countries, and the Philippines is included. Here is the entry for F. Sionil Jose:

"Sionil, F(rankie) Sionil. 1924- Filipino. The foremost anglophone writer in the Philippines, he has published novels, novellas and collections of short stories. His reputation rests on the 'Rosales Quinology', consisting of The Pretenders (1962), Tree (1978), My Brother, My Executioner (1979), Mass (1982) and Po-on (1984). Beginning in contemporary middle-class settings, the sequence goes on to chronicle more than a century of life in every sphere of Philippine society."


The book deals with genres of fiction, types of novel, literary history and theory, and trends such as modernism, naturalism, realism, and magic realism. There are summaries of major novels, suggested reading among resources and references, and a list of selected literary prizes.

Most entries are relatively short, but this is nevertheless a helpful study of fiction in English.


These two books have been on my reading load since the holidays. Here's hoping 2010 will be a very good year in books.

Frakking Stellar

The third season of Battlestar Galactica begins in New Caprica about four months after the Cylon occupation.

Of the principal characters, Gaius Baltar has become a puppet president. Colonel Tigh is incarcerated and is missing an eye. Galen Tyrol and Samuel Anders lead the rebellion against the Cylons. Starbuck is being held by the Cylon Leoben.

The fleet had escaped, and Admiral Adama is preparing the rescue of the human population in New Caprica. By the fourth episode, Galactica returns to New Caprica and successfully liberates the humans. By the fifth, a tribunal called The Circle secretly metes out sentences to Colonials who had collaborated with the Cylons by having them airlocked. Later, Baltar is tried for crimes against humanity.

The rest of the season shows how they continue their search for a new home planet, while dealing with food supply and health issues along the way.

The main theme of the series has been questions of identity, and in this season identity is expanded to include not just race (humans vs. Cylons), but also loyalties, faith, and social class. It asks, among other things, the question, How does one become a collaborator? In the case of Baltar, where do we draw the line between self-preservation and being a traitor?

In the continuing efforts of the insurgency, suicide bombing becomes an option. Where in the first season the suicide bombers were the Cylons, this time it is men who blow themselves up. In times of desperation, how can man allow self-destruction? How Macchiavellian can he get? How noble is it to belong to the human race? Where should our sympathies lie now? Especially when these people believe in the gods of Kobol, and the Cylons believe in one God, and one God only.

In techniques that borrow from the TV news, BSG effectively tackles the horrors of sleeper cells and America's War on Terror.

There are 12 Cylon models, and for most of the season, the identities of the seven are known. There is a lot of speculation on who comprise the Final Five, and when four of them are revealed, the results are heartbreaking, given the roles they have played in the series so far.

With a single pout, Mary McDonnell (as President Laura Roslin) reminds you of Meryl Streep. And with her steely resolve, special guest star Lucy Lawless (as Number Three/ D'Anna) suggests that she can be up for parts available to Jodie Foster.

Battlestar Galactica is absolutely riveting, and illuminates the human condition in ways you have never seen before. It is consistently excellent, and only three or four of the 20 episodes can be rated very good only.

More than any other TV series, Battlestar Galactica may have been the most relevant and the most resonant in this decade.