Hump Day Hottie: "Selene"

I'm already embarrassed and I've just started typing...

I have this thing for vampires. I always have. Well, not always. As a wee toddler they scared me sleepless. But somewhere in early adolescence the fear turned into some sort of turn-on, more fuel for the theory that the hold vampiric mythology has on culture is all about sex rather than death.

Anyway...I don't even like Kate Beckinsale. Not much of an actress as far as I've seen. And I don't even like these movies. (To clarify: I like them in concept just not in execution as you can see from my review of the first film)

In the first film the only remotely sexy thing for me was Scott Speedman as Michael's transformation into this hybrid thing, part werewolf/part vampire, pictured here to your right. (The blue skin --gotta be the blue skin? I also swoon for Nightcrawler and, when a child, dug the Smurfs) To part 2's credit, it gets him shirtless and blue quickly and often.

But this time out I was all about Selene. As is the film's director, Len Wiseman, who ceaselessly objectifies his young wife. There's this moment when Michael (Speedoman) unzips Selene (Mrs. Wiseman) from her derivative but über tight costume and her breasts are tantalizingly almost out. It's really quite hot in a PG-13 Zalman King kind of way (this post: from simple embarassment to abject humiliation in no time flat).
Plus she has fangs, she has Dune eyes, she has superhero powers, and she gets wet. A lot. I had no choice but to select her.

I apologize for putting you through this.

Previous Hump Day Hotties for your distraction... Capote Boys, "Starbuck", Newton, Rhys-Meyers, Penn,Madonna, Murphy, McAdams, Jake & Madonna, Bloom, "Lady Tottington", Craig, Viggo & Maria , Béart, Kaneshiro, Fiennes & Weisz

Hump Day Hottie: "Selene"

I'm already embarrassed and I've just started typing...

I have this thing for vampires. I always have. Well, not always. As a wee toddler they scared me sleepless. But somewhere in early adolescence the fear turned into some sort of turn-on, more fuel for the theory that the hold vampiric mythology has on culture is all about sex rather than death.

Anyway...I don't even like Kate Beckinsale. Not much of an actress as far as I've seen. And I don't even like these movies. (To clarify: I like them in concept just not in execution as you can see from my review of the first film)

In the first film the only remotely sexy thing for me was Scott Speedman as Michael's transformation into this hybrid thing, part werewolf/part vampire, pictured here to your right. (The blue skin --gotta be the blue skin? I also swoon for Nightcrawler and, when a child, dug the Smurfs) To part 2's credit, it gets him shirtless and blue quickly and often.

But this time out I was all about Selene. As is the film's director, Len Wiseman, who ceaselessly objectifies his young wife. There's this moment when Michael (Speedoman) unzips Selene (Mrs. Wiseman) from her derivative but über tight costume and her breasts are tantalizingly almost out. It's really quite hot in a PG-13 Zalman King kind of way (this post: from simple embarassment to abject humiliation in no time flat).
Plus she has fangs, she has Dune eyes, she has superhero powers, and she gets wet. A lot. I had no choice but to select her.

I apologize for putting you through this.

Previous Hump Day Hotties for your distraction... Capote Boys, "Starbuck", Newton, Rhys-Meyers, Penn,Madonna, Murphy, McAdams, Jake & Madonna, Bloom, "Lady Tottington", Craig, Viggo & Maria , Béart, Kaneshiro, Fiennes & Weisz

"oscar blahblah oscar blahblah movies blah"

oscar blabbing (some link love)
Ed & Eric at Slant give their must-read breakdown of each Oscar race
Filmjerk throws #s at me. I get a headache. Me no do math.
Kris gives me nightmares predicting still more future glory for Opie & Spielberg. Can't we please move on?
NY Times discuss Jon Stewart's Oscar gig.
Lylee on the mannered (& nominated) performance of Huffman (& Hoffman)

more to movies than Oscar...(more link love)
Josh Horowitz interviews the long missing Whit Stillman. Funny stuff.
Tom Tykwer is (finally) back. This trailer unnerves me.
Dark Horizons passes along the strange rumor that Ang Lee is following up Brokeback with a lesbian biopic.

"oscar blahblah oscar blahblah movies blah"

oscar blabbing (some link love)
Ed & Eric at Slant give their must-read breakdown of each Oscar race
Filmjerk throws #s at me. I get a headache. Me no do math.
Kris gives me nightmares predicting still more future glory for Opie & Spielberg. Can't we please move on?
NY Times discuss Jon Stewart's Oscar gig.
Lylee on the mannered (& nominated) performance of Huffman (& Hoffman)

more to movies than Oscar...(more link love)
Josh Horowitz interviews the long missing Whit Stillman. Funny stuff.
Tom Tykwer is (finally) back. This trailer unnerves me.
Dark Horizons passes along the strange rumor that Ang Lee is following up Brokeback with a lesbian biopic.

Missy! Missy! Missy!

I am deeply ashamed. I always pick up Missy Elliott's new CDs the day they drop. Outside of maybe Björk I think she's the most inventive, funniest, most fascinating musician working. But today I was at work, stressed out of mind. It was raining. It's muggy. I forgot. Oh the shame! So The Cookbook will have to wait until tomorrow.

But while I wait I shall share my fav Missy songs for your information. In rough (and subject to change) order:

01 she's a bitch -da real world
02 all n my grill - da real world
03 i'm really hot -this is not a test
04 get ur freak on -...so addictive
05 let me fix my weave -this is not a test
06 work it -under construction
07 pass that dutch -this is not a test
08 sock it 2 me -supa dupa fly
09 hot boyz -da real world
10 4 my people -...so addictive
11 hit 'em wit da hee -supa dupa fly
12 izzy izzy ahh -supa dupa fly

Curiousity killed the Nat

Out of curiousity: Does anyone actually notice that the sidebars to the right change each week? Weekly obsessions, iPod, (primarily -though the linkage does see minor shifts. Or is it a useless onanistic pleasure of mine?

I know that what you're really curious about is the Oscar predix updates (1/2 way mark of the year and all). That's on its way, too.

42nd Street Screenings

More screenings (trying to catch up)

War of the Worlds
Poor Spielberg. He just can't help himself. Despite the cheap 9/11 audience baiting tactics, I was kind of going for it in patches. Because, well, he can stage a good scene. But that ending --Oy. He really is pathetically addicted to not disturbing the audience. Even within the context of a horror movie. It's just so frustrating in its enthusiasm for pandering. [spoiler] Everything must always be "A-OK" no matter that you've witnessed 1/2 the population being exterminated*. Not even one hair on the heads of any of our heroes will be damaged. Even the teen-age son who was standing right where a massive mile long explosion happened. Wish fulfillment fantasy at its most pandering ugh. The family even looked like they'd stepped out of a catalog at the end when they came out of their brownstone. Not a hint that anything terrible had recently happened. Nice hair. Clean pressed clothes. Happiness. Happy family! Happy! Happy! Happy! Never mind about those millions of murders and the world's greatest cities being a pile of rubble. Forget it. You'll be A-OK! C-

*why is this movie PG-13? What does one have to do for an R nowadays? Seriously. I'm not much of a fan of the MPAA but this is one of their worst calls ever. People being blown to bits several times in full screen. body parts. massacres. dead bodies. destruction. mob violence. This is a hard R even. It's an easy call.

Bewitched
This must be as embarassing for Kidman as Laws of Attraction was for Julianne Moore. Both are super actresses. But even the greatest actors are just not suited to all genres. You can feel her effort and the calculation in every frame here which is totally NOT appropriate for light fizzy comedy. She just didn't know where the jokes were at all. I can't imagine who this movie is for really. A total mess. D

Crash
Not exactly subtle (which I'd heard) but also kinda good (which i didn't believe until I saw it because of the 'unsubtle' tag) if only because it's overemphatic, underlined thematics are graced by humanism (no villains and no heroes -hooray!) and a uniformly good cast; Terrance Howard shines brightest in my mind but for the first time I saw Sandra Bullock as an actress with real unfulfilled potential. It wasn't fulfilled here (not much to do) but she seemed to know what to do once handed something worth doing. So hopefully some interesting director will give her a real role soon. Save her from Miss Congeniality 3! B

IFC screenings

It's 3 AM so this will be über short but I figured I ought to celebrate my return to the movie theater with a screening entry.
I tried out the new IFC center -formerly the Waverly. It's a very weird space ~maze like. Very freezing. Too much light in the theaters in the form of glaring red exit signs which tint the sides of the screen red and overemphatic stair lighting which can cast a shadow on the wall of your bodily movement if you happen to be fidgety and sitting in the aisle seat. (which I am and was). But still a pretty good art house space. Between this and the Sunshine I will be amazed if the Angelica can keep its business since it has such poor space/conditions relatively speaking.

Me, You, and Everyone We Know Whimsical. Affected. Touching. Funny. Original. B+
Tropical MaladyConfusing. Hypnotic. Abstract. Frustrating. Singular. B
As always grades are subject to change --it's 3 AM. I can't be trusted.

War of the Words

As many TFE readers know. I am not particularly fond of Mr. Spielberg. So, I bow to me pal Nick today as he goes on this articulate rampage. My birthday is over... but somehow I felt this was written just for me (note: it wasn't). So, er, happy belated me.

OscarWatch tells us that everyone loves War of the Worlds but I count at least three (Nick, L'Ebert, and David Poland) who don't --and I haven't even starting reading reviews. 'Everyone' minus several critics apparently.

Friday CatBlogging: Monty's Domain

Last week I introduced you to my cat, Montgomery. Since he's so cute here's another brief meeting. Last night the attention-demands were fullblown. The meowing was done in full sentences --what was he saying? After 6 years I still can't suss it out sometimes. His food was full, the water was plentiful, the cat box clean, the petting instantaneous. The usual 'get home from work to be followed around the apartment' came with the less usual simultaneous leg hug attacks.

Monty's favorite place is the floor. Not for this feline the heights of doortops, dressers, or closet space. Monty surveys his kingdom from this expansive throne. He plops down, rolls around, and keeps his eyes super alert to everything. Maybe the floor-as-throne isn't such a bad idea after all... it does cover his entire world, after all! For shy moments his throne even comes with roofing (under the bed, table, chairs) should he so desire.

talking points

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the second half of the year. Which means, it's time for the Oscar race to begin. Start already! So far the competition is determinedly unexciting. Cinderella Man has pros (determined studio -watch for a revival, middlebrow triumph of human spirit appeal, Oscar-good-luck-charms Crowe & Zellweger) and cons (perceived as a flop, too typical, trying too hard, too early). Crash has pros (unexpected hit status, topical drama, the cast) and cons (early in year, unsubtle).

Over in the limited/platform world The Upside of Anger has pros (Joan Allen giving the year's best performance so far, two other films to bolster her appeal) and cons (might be forgotten without significant critical or preseason push, does the studio realize she's arguably the first half of the year's easiest acting nomination shot with the right campaign? whew, that was a long sentence). In Blockbuster land War of the Worlds and Batman Begins are the big shots for tech prizes... but both of those could lose out to other upcoming smashes and Christmas spectacles.

So how many nominees (any category) do you think we've seen so far? one? two? five?