The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde / Narcissus - Caravaggio / A Private View at the Royal Academy - William Powell Firth / Oscar Wilde

William Powell Frith (British, 1819–1909)

Once a vibrant community of “daring and skilful” islanders living amid the treacherous tides of the Pentland Firth, the settlement has sat empty since 1962.

It’s population stood at a peak of 375 in 1901 but fell away to just over 100 by 1949. By the early 1960s, just 12 people remained. Decay has since set in but a few powerful remnants of its human habitation are still to be found.  Many of the cottages still stand, albeit in various states of ruin. An old hand-cranked sewing machine can be found on the floor of one and a dresser - still holding a few metal storage tins - stands in another. Hearths are long empty.

The church still has its roof, but its windows have gone, and it is not known the last time the badly wrecked red phone box received a call.

Stroma, around two miles from John O’ Groats on the mainland, once had a shop, a school and a church with 50 cottages on the island.  A report in the John O’ Groats Journal in December 1859 noted there were no trees, shrubs or flowers on the island. 

“Unadorned as it is, few of the natives would willingly leave it for a sunnier spot,” it added.Crofting, cod and lobster fishing aided survival - as did the salvage of shipwrecks pulled from its battered shores with islanders making great gains from lost cargoes.

Storms were so fierce on Stroma that once waves crashed over the 100ft cliffs on the north side of the island leaving debris scattered across the land. For week’s at a time, Stroma could be cut off from the mainland by the weather. A newspaper article in 1949 reported a “Fag Famine” on the island after the island shop ran out of cigarettes during a bad spell of weather. The island doctor, who would travel from John O’Groats by lifeboat to attend emergencies, could often find himself marooned - or unable to reach its residents at all.

With a buyer hard to find, American television producer Robert Stivers bought an option to put Stroma - then home to three families - up as a prize on New York-based quiz show Bid ‘n Buy,

Following condemnation on both sides of the Atlantic, during which Mr Stivers was accused of being an American imperialist toying with the “peaceful people” of Stroma, the prize was withdrawn and an £8,000 car offered instead.

The depopulation of Stroma intensified around the time of Hoyle’s ownership with sustainability of the island becoming increasing fragile despite a public investment of £30,000 in a new harbour.

Some believe the harbour came too late - while others think the employment it offered gave the means for some residents to leave. Both World Wars had also claimed the lives of a dozen island men.

A report in the Aberdeen Evening Express in September 1956 said: “It was through completion of the £30,000 harbour would halt depopulation. Such has not been the case. From the hundred inhabitants of a year ago the count is now down to 50 and in a very short time will be 45.

“Stroma has been unable to fulfil the need of livelihood and the drift to the mainland goes on. When the fishing fails in these small communities the crofting is not enough of itself to keep mind and body together.

“Is it any wonder that you should turn thoughts and eyes to horizons new which offer greater opportunities for wellbeing...”

Departures from the island were often recorded in newspapers, such were their significance, with the Sunday Post reporting in May 1949 the move of two crofter fishermen, James Robertson and William Sinclair, and four relatives.

“They are leaving to live on Keiss on mainland. Their vacant homestead will join a number of empty homes left by other families.”

New arrivals were also noted. Miss Margaret Purves of Mull “surprised the remaining islanders whose population is fast declining by arriving to live there,” according to the Kirkintilloch Herald in May 1953.

The arrival of the island nurse from Bolton was a cause of great celebration in October 1950. Dorothy Powell arrived in October that after reading Stroma had been without a nurse for a year. Shortly after she arrived, the island suffered an outbreak of measles.

Newspapers were keen to chart her three-month stay. Miss Powell’s Christmas shopping trip to Wick was documented - she said she had been “overwhelmed” by people’s kindness - as was her festive duet with islander Peter Sinclair which “brought the house down.” The party lasted till 4.30am, according to a newspaper report.

A protest at the appointment of a new postmaster, the 10-man mission to bring a horse to Stroma and the arrival of the first motorbike and sidecar, which was bought by lighthouse keeper James Spence in 1938 to take his children to school, was also reported by newspapers.

Crofter fisherman Frank Robertson was the first to get electric light in 1948, with the power produced by a windmill. A new type of two-way radio was installed five years later to improve communication with the mainland.

But still people continued to leave Stroma. What remains is a very poignant - and very silent - legacy of those people who called it home.

While looking into this post I discover the owner of Stroma, Jimmy Simpson sadly passed away on June 2nd.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/17703081.obituary-jimmy-simpson-owner-of-the-isle-of-stroma/

(via Shelley Sunday: 'Invocation to Misery')

Homework week 3

1) The relevance of Vorticism is how modern it is even now, Vorticism was founded by Wyndham Lewis and it was him trying to start a revolution against the Edwardian society with technology. He even had a manifesto called “Blast” in which he and a few other artists really attacked Britain, there anger was conveyed in the paintings as well.

2) During the Vorticism movement WW1 was going on, Vorticism showed the impact the war had on art. Due to the war the movement was undermined and the initial message of the widespread destruction in Europe never found popularity and the movement was undermined. Also, a lot of Vorticism pieces were lost

3) Before the 19th century British art was quite classical and Victorian, for example “The Private View at the Royal Academy” by William Powell Firth, where as Vorticism was quite similar to architecture, the work also had bundles of energy and confidence. Some of the work even looked tribal.

In Gosford park Kelly Macdonald was a servant who solved a murder mystery. A few other actors who’ve played those who serve.

William Powell in My Man Godfrey. D: Gregory La Cava (1936). When dizzy little rich girl Carole Lombard goes on a scavenger hunt for a “forgotten man” and finds Godfrey (Powell) at a dump. She hires him as her butler (“Can you butle?”) and gets (and eventually marries) a suave, unflappable straight man for her insane family in this prototypical screwball comedy. 

Judith Anderson in Rebecca. D: Alfred Hitchcock (1940).  As the former Lady de Winter’s housekeeper who served “my lady” unto death and beyond Anderson plays fealty to her employer as a form of psychosis.

Dirk Bogarde in The Servant. D: Joseph Losey (1963). A wealthy young parvenu hires Bogarde as a manservant and becomes so dependent on him that their social roles reverse in this examination of the English class system as a form of sadomasochism.

Morgan Freeman in Driving Miss Daisy. D: Bruce Beresford (1989). There was some controversy over whether Freeman, playing the longtime chauffeur of a rich Jewish widow (Jessica Tandy) in Atlanta, was a combination of Uncle Tom and Magic Negro. But the way Freeman plays him unbowed by the small indignities of living in the segregated south even as he’s hurt by the larger indignities behind them. He’s like a more benign version of Richard Pryor’s Mudbone.

Scarlett Johansson in Girl with a Pearl Earring. D: Peter Webber (2003). A Dutch girl is sent by her father to be a maid in the household of legendary painter Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth). She becomes his model and, the film speculates, his assistant on one of his greatest works. Johannsen plays her as quiet and enigmatic as the painting.

The Fermi Paradox — Where Are All The Aliens? (1/2)

The universe is unbelievably big – trillions of stars and even more planets. Soo… there just has to be life out there, right? But where is it? Why don’t we see any aliens? Where are they? And more importantly, what does this tell us about our own fate in this gigantic and scary universe?

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The Fermi Paradox — Where Are All The Aliens?

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Mary Poppins Returns (2018)

Ever since Mary Poppins (1964) gave the Walt Disney Studios acclaim from audiences and within Hollywood, the House of Mouse had toyed with the idea of a sequel. The correct circumstances never aligned – partly due to author P.L. Travers’ defensiveness to her Mary Poppins books, partly due to the demands of then-Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg when he approached Travers in the 1980s. Nevertheless, Travers allowed the company to produce a stage musical version of Mary Poppins  – with the request that no one (specifically the Sherman Brothers) from the original film version be involved –  in the 1990s. Travers did not live to see the stage musical’s successful 2004 debut, but this renewal of trust between Travers (and her estate) and Disney marked a change in the wind after the belatedly famous acrimony between Travers and Walt Disney behind the 1964 film. With the blessing from the Travers estate, Disney secured the rights two a Mary Poppins sequel in September 2015.

Directed by Rob Marshall, Mary Poppins Returns  – like many recent Disney live-action films – adheres too closely to the original’s storytelling formula and, specifically in this film’s case, functional musical structure set by its predecessor. The film is nevertheless a fantastic portrayal of Mary Poppins the character. It is blessed with craftsmanship and possesses a score that – although inferior to the original (an almost-impossible bar to clear) – is among the best for an original movie musical in years.

It is 1935 in London and the Great Depression is at its height. Twenty-five years after the events of Mary Poppins, a grown-up Michael Banks (Ben Whishaw) still lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Now, he lives there with his children – Annabel (Pixie Davies), John (Nathanael Saleh), and Georgie (Joel Dawson) – and housekeeper Ellen (Julie Walters). Michael, who works as a teller at his father’s old stomping grounds, the Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, is recently widowed, and his sister Jane (Emily Mortimer) has moved back in to help him with the children. Compounding these troubles is the fact that Michael has taken out a loan from the bank, but cannot pay the money bank. The bank, now led day-to-day by William “Weatherall” Wilkins (Colin Firth), is threatening to repossess the house. On a stormy day in the park across the street, Michael’s children are playing with a kite when Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) appears. Lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) is there with the children, and introduces Annabel, John, and Georgie to Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins has arrived, in her own words, “to look after the Banks children.”

Also appearing in Mary Poppins Returns are Mary Poppins’ cousin Topsy (Meryl Streep), Admiral Boom (David Warner), and first mate Mr. Binnacle (Jim Norton). Angela Lansbury, Dick Van Dyke, and Karen Dotrice (who played Jane in the original film) all make cameo appearances. Lansbury, at ninety-three years of age when this film was released, is now the oldest credited actor to appear in a Walt Disney Studios movie (Van Dyke is two months younger).

Where the 1964 original eventually revealed itself to be a reminder on how to be a loving parent despite personal flaws and professional pressures, Mary Poppins Returns’ message of loss affects all. That message appears almost the moment we meet Michael Banks. The grown-up Michael Banks is living life paralyzed in grief; his sorrow – even in the least visible moments – is self-evident to the children. For both sets of Banks children (Jane and Michael; Annabel, John, and Georgie) Mary Poppins has arrived to partially fill in what has been lost, as well as allow each set of children to see what the others need. Jane and Michael Banks – tending to the financial matters at 17 Cherry Tree Lane – have been engulfed in finding the money to pay for the loan on the family house. The most disappointing change in Mary Poppins Returns compared to the original is that this film presents an obvious villainous figure in Colin Firth’s character. Firth, in a criminal abuse of his character’s power, destroys the evidence of proof that the Banks family can pay the loan quickly. As a result, Jane and Michael Banks learn little else other than to simply be tenacious and not let their unfortunate circumstances define who they are – worthy messages both, but deeply unsatisfying compared to what could have been without a villain. For Annabel, John, and Georgie, Mary Poppins’ arrival introduces an air of childhood excitement long missing from the household. But in the end, for this new generation of Banks children, they grow to see their father’s situation through his eyes. They learn to take care of him, and let him know that he is not alone in missing a loved one.

Here again is Disney’s adherence to the original, with variations. Mary Poppins Returns will also introduce certain things that retroactively canonize (“retcon”) aspects of the original, including whether Michael and Jane remember fully what happened the first time Mary Poppins arrived (or perhaps they believed they have imagined it). Most of the retconning adds little depth to either the original or this sequel. The introduction of a villain (previously described) and a frantic race-against-time sequence just before the climax are frustrating developments. The decision not to have an antagonist separated Mary Poppins from numerous Disney animated and live-action films; today, a film without any antagonist would feel radical in contemporary mainstream filmmaking. The temptation to include a rush to the climax also befell a similarly-themed movie like Christopher Robin (2018) – a clichéd addition which does nothing except to provide composer Marc Shaiman the opportunity to craft a dexterous, technically complicated cue for the score. More on Shaiman and the music soon.

The child performers and much of the supporting cast do fine in their roles (Meryl Streep’s character should have been taken out of the film entirely). Lin-Manuel Miranda even graces the audiences with a gloriously terrible British accent just like Dick Van Dyke did as Bert in Mary Poppins. The film obviously belongs to Emily Blunt, who decided not to rewatch Julie Andrews’ performance so that she could make this portrayal of the character her own. In Mary Poppins Returns, Blunt does exactly that – embodying her version of Mary with dryness, a more pronounced vanity (never to an infuriating extent), and charm. As a character, Mary Poppins is ultimately unknowable to all. That mystique is complemented here with Blunt’s (an alto to Andrews’ soprano; Andrews is unquestionably the better singer, but it is best to go into Mary Poppins Returns without burdening Andrews-esque expectations on Blunt) excellent performance.

The stunning production design from John Myhre (2002′s Chicago, 2005′s Memoirs of a Geisha) and Gordon Sim (Chicago, 2009′s Nine) replicates Depression-era London with exterior griminess, contrasting that with the visual wonder of Topsy’s residence and the noticeably stagebound set where the grand lamplighter number occurs. Sandy Powell’s costume design, likewise, is gorgeous. But the film’s technical mastery is centered around the hybrid hand-drawn animation and live-action scenes that last around twenty minutes. In pre-production, director Rob Marshall knew that he wanted his film – in honor of the original Mary Poppins and the Disney animators who worked on that film – to employ hand-drawn animation. Yet the priorities of the Walt Disney Studios between 1964 and 2018 are day and night. Disney executives wanted Marshall to have computerized animation, to which Marshall voiced his vehement opposition. Under the now-disgraced John Lasseter and current Disney Chairman/CEO Bob Iger, the Walt Disney Animation Studios quietly and gradually released almost all of its hand-drawn animators in the mid-2010s in favor of those specializing in CGI animation – the part of the Walt Disney Company that is the spiritual center of the modern corporate behemoth no longer has the resources to make anything other than the occasional short film. A good portion of the animators who came to work on Mary Poppins Returns were hired on a temporary basis with Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar. But Mary Poppins Returns is now the first theatrical Disney film employing animation that was mostly drawn by outside animation studios. Their combined work is spectacular, but this development signals what has happened, in-house, at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

With Richard M. Sherman serving as musical consultant, it is up to composer Marc Shaiman (1995′s The American President; 1999′s South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut) and lyricist Scott Wittman (the original Broadway production of Hairspray – along with Shaiman) to compose material aligned to the Sherman Brothers’ musical identity to the original while serving this sequel for what it is. Beginning with the oxymoronic (not in the movie’s context, but reality) “(Underneath the) Lovely London Sky”, Shaiman and Wittman establish Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Jack as the seemingly omnipresent, on-again/off-again narrator through whom we enter the story. Orchestral quotations of “The Life I Lead” from Mary Poppins signal that this film will make spare, but noticeable references to the Sherman Brothers’ score. “Can You Imagine That?” – during its first appearance and later references in the score – is the effervescent entry inviting the audience (and the younger set of Banks children) to enjoy themselves during this film. “The Royal Doulton Music Hall” and “A Cover is Not the Book” might not be for everyone, but the songs introduce a certain growl and Cockney attitude to Blunt’s performance previously thought unimaginable in the cinematic Mary Poppins character (yet has some precedent in Travers’ books). Miranda also raps in “A Cover is Not the Book” – the idea of rap in a Sherman Bros. or a Shaiman and Wittman score seems antithetical to their respective styles, but Miranda makes it work.

“Trip a Little Light Fantastic” – if the dudes and dudettes reading this review can forgive the anachronistic BMX stunting – makes me believe that Hollywood’s major studios should employ Miranda in more song-and-dance musicals if they are willing to invest in the genre. “Nowhere to Go But Up” closes the film, quotes more Sherman Brothers songs, and should be listened to in context. Streep’s “Turning Turtle” is a musical dud, despite the interesting Eastern European instrumentation. Mary Poppins Returns’ best song – musically and contextually – is “The Place Where Lost Things Go”. Many of the songs in Mary Poppins Returns are analogous to songs from Mary Poppins, and this lullaby sung by Blunt and later reprised is no exception. “The Place Where Lost Things Go” is this film’s “Feed the Birds” (Walt Disney’s song from any of the films he produced). This song has a perfect marriage of melody and lyrics, but ironically (in terms of my earlier request that viewers separate Julie Andrews’ original performance of Mary when watching Mary Poppins Returns) this is the most visible moment in the film where audiences may notice that Emily Blunt does not have the musical acumen to fully carry this moment. Blunt’s performance in “The Place Where Lost Things Go”, however, is good enough to underline the film’s poignancy. Shaiman’s integration of almost all of the musical numbers into the film’s incidental score is breathtaking in orchestration and construction. Used within and outside the film, Shaiman’s score is a career cinematic accomplishment.

The original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews, was approached by Marshall to appear in a cameo. She declined, remarking that, “this is Emily’s show,” and that she did not wish to distract from Emily Blunt’s star turn. Coincidentally, a film including Julie Andrews opened against Mary Poppins Returns’ debut in North America. The film was Aquaman (2018), and Andrews voiced the Karathen – a legendary creature of the deep that assists the eponymous superhero.

Mary Poppins Returns does not refute or undermine the legacy of the 1964 original film – lightning in a bottle for Walt Disney Studios upon its release and still the greatest live-action Disney film ever made. The brilliant central performance from Blunt is not hampered by her limited vocal range, and she assisted by incredible technical masters working behind the camera. The storytelling blueprint of the original can be found across the film, however. Though I welcome the artistry Mary Poppins Returns brings, it is yet another example of the current incarnation of Walt Disney Studios cannibalizing its famed catalogue. The studio – which is now a soon-to-be-approved studio acquisition away from being the dominant force in Hollywood – is attempting to redefine cinematic consumption on its own terms. Mary Poppins Returns, for its musical mastery, is a part of those efforts.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

Disney’s Live Action Line-Up

Guys, I went down a rabbit hole.

There are 20 movies, somewhere between “off-hand comments” and “currently in post-production”.

People are listed with stuff I’ve seen or I know my roommates have seen, unless I feel the actors name is enough.

Upcoming films (production or post-production):

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) dir. Lasse Hallstrom ([almost] all ABBA music videos, 2005′s Casanova) writer: Ashleigh Powell (no released credits) Drosselmeyer (godfather) - Morgan Freeman Sugar Plum Fairy - Keira Knightley Mother Ginger - Helen Mirren Mr. Stahlbum (father) - Matthew Macfayden (2005′s Pride & Prejudice - Mr. Darcy)

Mary Poppins Returns (2018) dir. Rob Marshall (Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into the Woods) writer: David Magee (Finding Neverland, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Life of Pi) Marry Poppins: Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada - Emily, Charlie Wilson’s War - Jane Liddle, Sunshine Cleaning - Norah, Into the Woods - Baker’s Wife, The Huntsman: Winter’s War - Queen Freya, The Girl on the Train - Rachel) (new) Jack The Lamplighter: Lin-Manuel Miranda (new) Cousin Topsy: Meryl Streep (new) bank president William Weatherall Wilkins - Colin Firth Jane Banks - Emily Mortimer (The Newsroom – heroine MacKenzie McHale) Michael Banks - Ben Whishaw (The Hollow Crown – King Richard, Skyfall – Q) (new) Balloon Lady - Angela Lansbury board member Mr. Dawes Jr. - Dick Van Dyke (1964’s Mary Poppins – street sweeper Bert, The [New] [Dick] Van Dyke Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Caractus Potts) maid Ellen - Julie Walters (Harry Potter franchise - Mrs. Weasley, Brave - the witch) totally-not-gay neighbor and cannon enthusiast Admiral Boom - David Warner (Tron - Ed Dillinger, Star Trek V - St. John Talbot, Batman: TAS - Ra’s al Ghul, Hogfather - Lord Downey, Penny Dreadful - Van Helsing, Wallander - Povel Wallander)

A Wrinkle in Time (2018) dir. Ava DuVernay (stuff) writer: Jennifer Lee (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Zootopia) Mrs. Whatsit – Reese Witherspoon Mrs. Who – Mindy Kaling (The Office – Kelly Kapoor, The Mindy Project – Mindy Lahiri) Mrs. Which – Oprah Winfrey Dr. Alex Murry – Chris Pine Dr. Kate Murry – Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Doctor Who- Tish Jones, Jupiter Ascending – Famulus, 2017’s Beauty and the Beast - Plumette) Meg Murry – Storm Reid (stuff) The Happy Meidum – Zach Galifanakis (stuff) Red – Michael Pena (Ant-Man – Luis, The Martian – Rick Martinez) Principal Jenkins – Andre Holland (stuff) Calvin – Levi Miller (stuff) Calvin’s Father – Daniel MacPherson (stuff) ??? - Bellamy Young (Scandal – Mellie Grant, Criminal Minds – Beth Clemmons, Scrubs – Dr. Miller) ??? - Will McCormack (In Plain Sight – Robert O’Conner)

unspecified live-action fairy tale releases on: July 28, 2017; April 6, 2018; December 20, 2019.

unspecified live-action releases: August 3, 2017; December 25, 2018.

Upcoming films (pre-production or early stages)

Mulan Release date: November 2, 2018 director: Niki Caro (wrote/dir 2002’s Whale Rider, other things I’ve never heard of). writer: Rick Jaffa/Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World) will not be a musical. original draft included “30-something European trader” as love-interest. This idea did not survive rewrites. “all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese” “It’s a big, girly martial arts epic. It will be extremely muscular and thrilling and entertaining and moving.”

Aladdin director: Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Madonna: What It Feels Like For a Girl). writer: John August (Titan AE, 2000′s Charlie’s Angels, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows) will be a musical Has issues with Robin Williams’s estate regarding the Genie and his portrayal. Leads are spec’d as Middle Eastern. shooting: July 2017 - January 2018 “My stories are really about street hustlers. That’s what I know how to do. And Aladdin is a classic street hustler who makes good.” - Guy Ritchie via Disney CEO Sean Bailey

The Lion King pre-production director: Jon Favreau (Elf, Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Cowboys & Aliens, 2016’s The Jungle Book) writer: Jeff Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can, Rush Hour 3, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Tower Heist) Simba: Donald Glover (Community - Troy Barnes, Magic Mike XXL - Andre, The Martian - Rich Purnell) Mufasa: James Earl Jones (Star Wars - Darth Vader, The Lion King - Mufasa, 3rd Rock from the Sun - Narrator)

Cruella Maleficent-style take on 101 Dalmations director: Alex Timbers (debut) writer: Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr. Banks, Fifty Shades of Grey) Cruella de Vil: Emma Stone (La La Land - Mia, The Amazing Spiderman 2 - Gwen Stacy, Zombieland - Wichita, Superbad - Jules)

Tink writer: Victoria Strouse (Finding Dory) Tinker Bell: Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde - Elle Woods)

live-action Peter Pan something director/writer: David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon) writer: Toby Halbrooks (Pete’s Dragon)

The Sword in the Stone writer: Brian Cogman (Game of Thrones)

Pinocchio writer: Peter Hedges (??)

Dumbo director: Tim Burton (*take a deep breath* Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Sleepy Hollow, Planet of he Apes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2010′s Alice in Wonderland, Dark Shadows) writer Ehren Kruger (Scream 3, The Ring, The Brothers Grimm, Transformers 2-4, Ghost in the Shell) CGI/live action mix Colette - Eva Green (Kingdom of Heaven - Sibylia, Casino Royale - Vesper Lynd, The Golden Compass - Serafina Pekkala, Camelot - Morgan, Penny Dreadful - Vanessa Ives, Dark Shadows - Angelique Bouchard) circus manager Medici - Danny DeVito (Batman Returns - Penguin, Matilda - Mr. Wormwood, 100+ other things I’ve never seen before)

Winnie the Pooh premise: adult Christopher Robin returning to the Hundred Acre Wood writer: Alex Perry? (Australia’s Next Top Model, Project Runway Australia)

Rose Red “Rose Red works with the dwarves to bring Snow White back to life” writer: Justin Merz? (The Boxcar Children) writer: Evan Daugherty (Snow White and the Huntsman, Divergent, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Huntsman: Winter’s War)

Prince Charming writer: Matt Fogel? (??)

Jungle Book 2 director: Jon Favreau writer: Justin Marks (The Jungle Book (2016))

Maleficent 2 writer: Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Lion King, Alice in Wonderland (2010), Maleficent) Maleficent: Angelina Jolie

Jungle Cruise writer: John Requa/Glenn Ficarra (Cats & Dogs, Bad Santa, Bad News Bears) ???: Dawyne “The Rock” Johnson

Fantasia something Maleficent-style retelling for the demon Chernabog writer: Matt Sazama/Burk Sharpless (The Last Witch Hunter, Gods of Egypt, Power Rangers)

Genies prequel to Aladdin writer: Damian Shannon/Mark Swift (Freddy vs. Jason, Friday the 13th)

Sources (not including IMDB pages)

http://time.com/4525871/disney-live-action-movies/

http://time.com/4308042/disney-pipeline-live-action-fairy-tales/

http://variety.com/2016/film/news/disney-claims-dates-for-several-new-movies-confirms-jungle-book-2-mary-poppins-sequel-1201760227/

http://time.com/3947750/disney-prince-charming-film/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tim-burton-direct-live-action-780397

http://variety.com/2015/film/news/disney-developing-live-action-aladdin-prequel-1201541165/

http://ew.com/article/2016/04/13/disney-live-action-peter-pan-movie/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/emma-stone-talks-play-cruella-852693

http://time.com/4518450/disney-sets-a-date-for-live-action-mulan-movie/

http://variety.com/2017/film/news/donald-glover-simba-lion-king-remake-1201991771/

http://www.vulture.com/2016/10/fans-dont-want-a-mulan-with-a-white-male-lead.html

http://www.vulture.com/2017/03/beauty-and-the-beast-disneys-remake-machine.html

http://www.slashfilm.com/fantasia-live-action-remake/

http://hiddenremote.com/2017/03/06/lin-manuel-miranda-jack-lamplighter-new-mary-poppins-photo/

The Fermi Paradox — Where Are All The Aliens? (1/2)

The universe is unbelievably big – trillions of stars and even more planets. Soo… there just has to be life out there, right? But where is it? Why don’t we see any aliens? Where are they? And more importantly, what does this tell us about our own fate in this gigantic and scary universe?

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The Fermi Paradox — Where Are All The Aliens?

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William Powell Firth's 'The Private View at the Royal Academy, 1881' features an illustrious line up that also includes actors Henry Irving and Ellen Terry. It is up for sale at a gallery in St James's, London. from Articles | Mail Online

Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” to release in India on January 4th 2019

Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” stars Emily Blunt (“A Quiet Place,” “The Girl on the Train”) as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn an ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure. In this all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. The enigmatic nanny is joined by her friend Jack, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”), an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. “Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall (“Into the Woods,” “Chicago”). The screenplay is by David Magee (“Life of Pi”) and the screen story is by Magee & Marshall & John DeLuca (“Into the Woods”) based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a., and Marc Platt, p.g.a. (“La La Land”) with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer and the music is by Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray”) with songs by Scott Wittman (“Hairspray”) and Shaiman.

“I was incredibly honored to be approached by Disney about directing a sequel,” says director/producer Rob Marshall.“This is a brand new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen.”

PL Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 children’s book “Mary Poppins.” However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of the seven other PL Travers’ books…until now. “Mary Poppins Returns” is drawn from the wealth of material in these additional books. “Mary Poppins Returns” also starsBen Whishaw (“Spectre”) as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer (“Hugo”) as Jane Banks; Julie Walters (“Harry Potter” films) as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies (“Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children”), Nathanael Saleh (“Game of Thrones”) and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children; with Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep (“Florence Foster Jenkins”) as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy In addition, Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

The film takes place in 1930s Depression-era London 24 years after the first film was set. Michael Banks works for the same financial institution that employed his father and still lives at 17 Cherry Tree Lane with his three children, Annabel, John and Georgie and their housekeeper Ellen. Carrying on in her mother’s tradition, Jane Banks campaigns for workers’ rights and provides a helping hand to Michael’s family. When the family suffers a personal loss, Mary Poppins magically re-enters their lives and with Jack’s help, brings joy and wonder back into their home.

“’Mary Poppins’ was the first film I saw as a child and it opened my mind up to movies and to the love of musicals and adventure and fantasy in film,” says Marshall. “But this film isn’t just for children….it’s for the child in all of us.”

The award-winning craftsmen comprising the creative team include: director of photography Dion Beebe, ACS, ASC (“Memoirs of a Geisha”); production designer John Myhre (“Chicago”); film editor Wyatt Smith, ACE (“Doctor Strange”); costume designer Sandy Powell (“The Aviator”); make-up and hair designer Peter Swords King (“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”); set decorator Gordon Sim (“Chicago”); and production sound mixer Simon Hayes, AMPS, CAS (“Les Misérables”). The film is choreographed by Marshall and DeLuca with Joey Pizzi (“Chicago”) serving as co-choreographer.

“Mary Poppins Returns” will be released in Indian theaters on January 04, 2018.

MARY POPPINS RETURNS

Genre:                                                Live-Action Musical

India Release date:                           January 04, 2019

Cast:                                                   Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer,

Julie Walters, Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, introducing Joel Dawson with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep

Director:                                             Rob Marshall                                    

Screenplay by:                                   David Magee

Screen Story by:                                David Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca

Based upon:                                       The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers

Producers:                                         John DeLuca, Rob Marshall, Marc Platt

Executive Producer:                          Callum McDougall

Songs

Music by:                                           Marc Shaiman

Lyrics by:                                            Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

10 Rom-Coms to Stream from Your Couch This Weekend

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10 Rom-Coms to Stream from Your Couch This Weekend

A lot of current events have been hitting hard lately, and while it’s important to be aware and engaged, sometimes we need time for ourselves to just unwind and relax. What better way to do that than with some films that make you laugh and smile? Here’s a list of some of the best romantic comedies right now that you can stream from the comfort of your couch.

Yes, everyone’s been talking about this film, and for good reason! It’s a witty, well-written movie about two executive assistants who decide to matchmake their demanding bosses in the hopes that romance will soften their personalities. The film features Lucy Liu and Taye Diggs as the insufferable bosses, and also has some genuine chemistry between the assistants, played by Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell. The film was so well-received that people are already asking about a sequel just two weeks after it’s debut.

Candy Jar is another Netflix Original, and it’s an intriguing film that brings you into the world of high school debate clubs. That sounds boring, I know, but director Ben Shelton teaches you the ins-and-outs of this world in a way that’s both amusing and actually educational. The two characters at the center of this film are Jacob Latimore’s Bennett and Sami Gayle’s Lona—bitter enemies from opposite sides of the track who realize that maybe they’re better when they work together.

Jessica Williams found fame as the young, sharp correspondent on The Daily Show, and The Incredible Jessica James is her first major foray into being a film lead. The film itself feels more like a series of humorous vignettes than a feature length, but Williams puts in a strong performance as Jessica, a struggling playwright whose dry humor hops between painfully cynical and endearingly optimistic. She’s paired up with Chris O’Dowd, whose perpetually laid-back, awkward line delivery is a good complement to William’s quick wit.

A Chinese film from director Derek Hui, This Is Not What I Expected is, well, an unexpectedly funny film. It tells the story of a disastrously clumsy chef, Gu Sheng Nan, and a rich, arrogant hotel acquirer, Lu Jin. The film features some genuinely gorgeous food cinematography, as well as some pretty funny gags—at one point someone falls off a roof, and then later someone accidentally eats improperly prepared blowfish, leading to a hallucinatory episode.

Sweet, neurotic Alex is consumed by thoughts of still being a virgin, and he can’t quite figure out why he feels he feels as much love for girlfriend as he feels attraction to this boy he just met at a party. There’s unfortunately not a ton of queer rom-com options out there, so I’d be lying if I said that Alex Strangelove is entirely without drama and heartbreak. It is a funny, quirky film that ends on a happy note though, and thankfully it never features Daniel Doheny’s Alex getting bullied.

Listen, if you haven’t seen this film yet, you must. It has Preacher’s Dominic Cooper as the cheerful fiance, and features Stellan Skarsgård, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth as just generally embarrassing dad figures. Mamma Mia! tells the story of Sophie, a bride-to-be who invites three men to her wedding in the hopes of figuring out who is her real father—much to the chagrin of her mother. No one will judge you if you end up singing alongside Meryl Streep to every ABBA song in this, no one.

Lasse Hallström’s Casanova is an underrated gem, both smart and clever, and with numerous surprising actor cameos. Taking place in 18th century Venice, it features Heath Ledger as Casanova and Daredevil’s Charlie Cox as his socially awkward rival then protege. Casanova matches wits with Sienna Miller’s Francesca Bruni, who writes illegal feminist books under a male pseudonym. It’s a tale rife with humor, romance, mistaken identities, and uptight clergymen determined to wipe out Casanova’s philandering and Francesca’s feminine rebellions.

The entire Bridget Jones’s series is notable in that it’s only the second Hollywood movie trilogy to be directed entirely by women (following behind the Wachowski’s Matrix trilogy). The film itself is a very obvious interpretation of Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but Renée Zellweger’s Bridget is a riotous spin on Elizabeth Bennet. She’s crass, struggles with her weight and outfits, and just all around feels too old and unattractive to possibly snag a guy—that is, until she does.

A classic feel-good film that’s a modern remix of both George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion play and George Cukor’s film My Fair Lady. (Translation: an arrogant dude transforms an “average” girl into a high-class beauty.) Rachael Leigh Cook wears a pita on her head. Freddie Prinze Jr. does interpretive song and dance. And the late Paul Walker is there, acting like a jerk, in one of his earliest film roles. What’s not to like?

I know, it’s a Joss Whedon film, but if you can look past your conflicted (or just flat out negative) feelings about him, this modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s play is pretty decent. Nathan Fillion plays the comically useless Dogberry, who wears a ridiculously short tie throughout. There’s also Clark Gregg there as Leonato, and Alexis Denisof makes a charming and amusing Benedick.

Did we miss any films you love? Add ’em in the comments!

Images: Netflix, Buena Vista Pictures, Miramax, Lionsgate  

MORE STREAMING CONTENT!

Source: https://nerdist.com/10-rom-coms-stream-hulu-netflix-hbo/

Between Sherlock Holmes and Marlowe: Nero Wolfe

It’s easy to forget nowadays, given the legion of predictable, played-out, repetitive, and boring works, but the mystery genre is relatively young.  The earliest notable entries were several Poe short stories featuring C. Auguste Dupin (1841-1844), Collins’ The Moonstone (1868), and Dickens’ unfinished The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1870). The Dupin stories were the earliest and most influential, but simplistic even by the late 1800s.  Meanwhile, The Moonstone is an extraordinary masterpiece, one of my favorite works of the entire 19th century, but it was a stand-alone novel without a focus on the main detective and written in epistolary form from multiple perspectives.  Thus, while rightly celebrated, it didn’t have much impact on future authors within the genre.

It wasn’t until the late 1800s and early 1900s that the mystery genre became especially popular, initially in England.  Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is the firth sleuth that comes to mind, and his adventures are still among the very best of the genre.  I also especially like Chesterton’s Father Brown stories that began in 1910.  In addition to being clever mysteries, they bear Chesterton’s dark, insane style, which very few mysteries since have employed to such great effect.  Of course, not all that was popular then was good.  I still don’t understand how Agatha Christie’s books, which have sold more than those by any other author in human history, attained such success.  They are insultingly simple, with deductions that require a half-step of reasoning, or else a lazy metaphysical explanation. The stories themselves are the worst kind of English provincial bore, giving me bad flashbacks to novels of manners written during the Victorian era with hundreds of pages of nothing.

A main element throughout all these stories, good and bad, is a great detective using his (or her, in Miss Marple’s case) intellect to figure out the case.  While there is occasionally a search for clues, the breakthrough is usually accomplished in the comfort of the detective’s study.  The “action” is then relegated to the detective explaining how he solved the case, and a possible further explanation from the culprit.  There is typically little drama associated with the arrest.

A few decades later, pulp detective stories would really take off in the United States.  Dashiell Hammett’s Sam Spade, Raymond Chandler’s Phillip Marlowe and Nick and Nora Charles, and a number of fine novels by James M. Cain.  Unlike the English works, these were not about quiet intellectuals, but about investigators who got their hands dirty.  This would mean scrounging around for clues in seedy neighborhoods, dealing with low-level hoods, and fights. Furthermore, there was often as much ingenuity and adventure in apprehending the criminal as solving the case!

Spillane’s Mike Hammer covers had a simple, effective formula; a gun and a beautiful woman in some state of undress.

I would also be remiss not to note that these American stories had some phenomenal movie adaptations that their English cousins lacked, whether it’s the classic Thin Man movies starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, the outstanding Double Indemnity film directed by Billy Wilder (with the original story written by Cain, but the film script adapted by Chandler!), or the Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart.

An interesting attempt in 1934, only 5 years after Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, and a year after Chandler started writing, was the publication of Rex Stout’s Fer-de-Lance, the first mystery starring Nero Wolfe.  In many ways, it sought to bridge the gap between English and American detective fiction.  On the one hand, you had Wolfe, an obese shut-in with a love of plants and large dinners.  He is very much the eccentric genius in the mold of a Sherlock Holmes.  Stout even tried to make him surpass the original, making him rude and difficult to the point where the idea of anyone working for him is sheer lunacy.

On the other hand, the American detective story is present in Archie Goodwin, Wolfe’s agent on the street.  Goodwin gathers clues, interviews witnesses, gains the confidence of the ladies, and is the main narrator of the books.  He regularly mouths off and gets into fights with cops and criminals alike, replete with 1930’s slang.

Thus, this is an attempted synthesis of the two distinct styles of mysteries.  The pulp with its earlier English antecedent.  is Stout’s work successful in this endeavor?

Honestly…no.

Although competently written, the book is frequently plodding and utterly unexceptional.

While Stout combined the two approaches, each one is strictly worse than its inspiration.  Wolfe is far less interesting and entertaining than a Sherlock Holmes or Father Brown, and Goodwin is a pale imitation of a Spade or Marlowe.  The deductions are far simpler and the fights and chases nowhere near as thrilling as their respective inspirations.  I often think that Stout modeling his work so closely after other ones hurt him.  Wolfe’s antics made me think of what a bad parody he is of Sherlock Holmes, and Goodwin’s insults call to mind how much cooler and more tense Chandler’s protagonists are.

Still, it was an interesting experiment, and in its failure, (from a quality perspective; it sold well enough, as any half-decent mystery work back then seemed to) exposed the demands of both the British and American approaches.

Between Sherlock Holmes and Marlowe: Nero Wolfe published first on http://ift.tt/2zdiasi

2009 Movie Awards

Best Picture: The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds The Messenger Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire A Serious Man HONORABLE MENTION: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Up, A Single Man, Broken Embraces, Where the Wild Things Are, An Education, Up in the Air, Brothers, Julia, Every Little Step, Nine Best Director: Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr. Fox Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker Ethan Coen & Joel Coen, A Serious Man Oren Moverman, The Messenger Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds HONORABLE MENTION: Pedro Almodovar, Broken Embraces; Lee Daniels, Precious; Pete Docter, Up; Tom Ford, A Single Man; Matteo Garrone, Gomorrah; Spike Jonze, Where the Wild Things Are; Rob Marshall, Nine; Jason Reitman, Up in the Air; Lone Scherfig, An Education; Jim Sheridan, Brothers; Gotz Spielmann, Revanche Best Actor: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart Colin Firth, A Single Man Ben Foster, The Messenger Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man HONORABLE MENTION: George Clooney, Up in the Air; Sharlto Copley, District 9; Matt Damon, The Informant!; Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes; Zach Galifianakis, The Hangover; Lluis Homar, Broken Embraces; Johannes Krisch, Revanche; Tobey Maguire, Brothers; Viggo Mortensen, The Road; Joaquin Phoenix, Two Lovers; Ben Whishaw, Bright Star Best Actress: Penelope Cruz, Broken Embraces Carey Mulligan, An Education Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia Tilda Swinton, Julia HONORABLE MENTION: Amy Adams, Sunshine Cleaning; Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria; Abbie Cornish, Bright Star; Gwyneth Paltrow, Two Lovers; Natalie Portman, Brothers; Maya Rudolph, Away We Go; Meryl Streep, It’s Complicated; Rachel Weisz, The Brothers Bloom Best Supporting Actor: Peter Capaldi, In the Loop Jake Gyllenhaal, Brothers Woody Harrelson, The Messenger Anthony Mackie, The Hurt Locker Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds HONORABLE MENTION: Alec Baldwin, It’s Complicated; Salvatore Cantalupo, Gomorrah; Michael Fassbender, Inglourious Basterds; Rupert Friend, The Young Victoria; Michael Gambon, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; James Gandolfini, In the Loop; Jose Luis Gomez, Broken Embraces; Nicholas Hoult, A Single Man; Fred Melamed, A Serious Man; Alfred Molina, An Education; Mark Ruffalo, The Brothers Bloom; Peter Sarsgaard, An Education; Paul Schneider, Bright Star; Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road; Hanns Thanheiser, Revanche; Stanley Tucci, Julie & Julia Best Supporting Actress: Marion Cotillard, Nine Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air Melanie Laurent, Inglourious Basterds Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire Samantha Morton, The Messenger HONORABLE MENTION: Penelope Cruz, Nine; Judi Dench, Nine; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart; Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air; Mimi Kennedy, In the Loop; Diane Kruger, Inglourious Basterds; Julianne Moore, A Single Man; Rosamund Pike, An Education; Blanca Portillo, Broken Embraces; Vinessa Shaw, Two Lovers; Ursula Strauss, Revanche; Sofia Vassilieva, My Sister’s Keeper; Olivia Williams, An Education Best Original Screenplay: Broken Embraces - Pedro Almodovar The Hurt Locker - Mark Boal Inglourious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino The Messenger - Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman A Serious Man - Ethan Coen & Joel Coen HONORABLE MENTION: Bright Star, The Brothers Bloom, Depatures, The Hangover, Revanche, Two Lovers, Up, The Young Victoria, Zombieland Best Adapted Screenplay: An Education - Nick Hornby Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Anderson & Noah Baumbach Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire - Geoffrey Fletcher A Single Man - Tom Ford & David Scearce Where the Wild Things Are - Dave Eggers & Spike Jonze HONORABLE MENTION: Brothers, Coraline, Gomorrah, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, In the Loop, Julia, Nine, Ponyo, The Princess and the Frog, Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, Up in the Air, Whip It Best Ensemble: Fantastic Mr. Fox The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire A Serious Man HONORABLE MENTION: Broken Embraces, An Education, Gomorrah, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, In the Loop, The Informant!, Nine, Star Trek, Where the Wild Things Are, Whip It Best Limited Performance - Male: Steve Buscemi, The Messenger Jon Kortajarena, A Single Man Denis Menochet, Inglourious Basterds Guy Pearce, The Hurt Locker J.K. Simmons, Up in the Air HONORABLE MENTION: Jim Broadbent, The Young Victoria; Robbie Coltrane, The Brothers Bloom; Robert Duvall, The Road; Ralph Fiennes, The Hurt Locker; Simon Helberg, A Serious Man; Ken Jeong, The Hangover; Chris Messina, Away We Go; Bill Murray, Zombieland; Michael K. Williams, The Road; Danny Woodburn, Watchmen Best Limited Performance - Female: Mariah Carey, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire Joan Cusack, My Sister's Keeper Lola Duenas, Broken Embraces Sally Hawkins, An Education Carey Mulligan, Brothers HONORABLE MENTION: Tina Fey, The Invention of Lying; Ari Graynor, Whip It; Kate Hudson, Nine; Catherine Keener, Where the Wild Things Are; Jane Lynch, Julie & Julia; Melanie Lynskey, Away We Go; Maggie Smith, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Departures; Nora Zehetner, The Brothers Bloom Breakthrough Performance: Sharlto Copley, District 9 Max Records, Where the Wild Things Are Gabourey Sidibe, Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Road Algenis Perez Soto, Sugar HONORABLE MENTION: Quinton Aaron, The Blind Side; Salvatore Abruzzese, Gomorrah; Sasha Grey, The Girlfriend Experience; Marco Macor, Gomorrah; Ciro Petrone, Gomorrah; Xosha Roquemore, Precious; Jamal Woolard, Notorious Best Film Editing: Gomorrah - Marco Spoletini The Hurt Locker - Chris Innis & Bob Murawski Inglourious Basterds - Sally Menke A Serious Man - Roderick Jaynes Star Trek - Maryann Brandon & Mary Jo Markey HONORABLE MENTION: Avatar, Broken Embraces, Brothers, An Education, Every Little Step, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Julia, The Messenger, Nine, Precious, Revanche, Sherlock Holmes, A Single Man, Up, Up in the Air, Where the Wild Things Are, Whip It, Zombieland Best Cinematography: Broken Embraces - Rodrigo Prieto Inglourious Basterds - Robert Richardson Revanche - Martin Gschlacht A Single Man - Eduard Grau Where the Wild Things Are - Lance Acord HONORABLE MENTION: Avatar, Bright Star, Brothers, An Education, The Girlfriend Experience, Gomorrah, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hurt Locker, Invictus, Julia, The Messenger, Nine, Precious, The Road, A Serious Man, Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, The Young Victoria Best Original Score: Broken Embraces - Alberto Iglesias Fantastic Mr. Fox - Alexandre Desplat The Informant! - Marvin Hamlisch A Single Man - Abel Korzeniowski & Sjigeru Umebayashi Up - Michael Giacchino HONORABLE MENTION: Avatar, Brothers, The Brothers Bloom, Coraline, Departures, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Hurt Locker, Invictus, The Lovely Bones, The Princess and the Frog, The Road, A Serious Man, Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, Up in the Air, Where the Wild Things Are Best Original Song: Crazy Heart - "The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)" - Ryan Bingham & T-Bone Burnett Nine - "Take It All" - Maury Yeston The Princess and the Frog - "Almost There" - Randy Newman Up in the Air - "Help Yourself" - Sad Brad Smith Where the Wild Things Are - "All Is Love" - Karen Orzolek & Nick Zinner HONORABLE MENTION: Away We Go - “All My Days”; Coraline - “Other Father Song”; Crazy Heart - “Fallin’ & Flyin’”; Crazy Heart - “Somebody Else”; An Education - “Smoke Without Fire”; An Education - “You Got Me Wrapped Around Your Little Finger”; Fantastic Mr. Fox - “Petey’s Song”; The Informant! - “Trust Me”; Jennifer’s Body - “New Perspective”; More Than a Game - “Forever”; Nine - “Cinema Italiano”; Precious - “I Can See in Color”; The Princess and the Frog - “Down in New Orleans” Best Art Direction: Avatar - Rick Carter, Kim Sinclair & Robert Stromberg Fantastic Mr. Fox - Nelson Lowry Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Stuart Craig & Stephenie McMillan Inglourious Basterds - Sandy Reynolds-Wasco & David Wasco Nine - John Myhre & Gordon Sim HONORABLE MENTION: Bright Star, Broken Embraces, Coraline, District 9, An Education, Julie & Julia, Precious, The Road, A Serious Man, Sherlock Holmes, A Single Man, Star Trek, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are, The Young Victoria, Zombieland Best Costume Design: Bright Star - Janet Patterson An Education - Odile Dicks-Mireaux Inglourious Basterds - Anna B. Sheppard A Single Man - Arianne Phillips The Young Victoria - Sandy Powell HONORABLE MENTION: Avatar, Broken Embraces, The Brothers Bloom, District 9, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Julie & Julia, Nine, Precious, The Road, A Serious Man, Sherlock Holmes, Star Trek, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are, Zombieland Best Makeup: Bright Star District 9 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Inglourious Basterds Star Trek HONORABLE MENTION: Avatar, Broken Embraces, The Informant!, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Nine, The Road, Sherlock Holmes, A Single Man, Watchmen, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Young Victoria, Zombieland Best Sound Mixing: Avatar The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Nine Star Trek HONORABLE MENTION: Coraline, Crazy Heart, District 9, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Hangover, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Ponyo, Precious, The Princess and the Frog, Sherlock Holmes, A Single Man, Up, Up in the Air, Where the Wild Things Are, Zombieland Best Sound Editing: Avatar The Hurt Locker Inglourious Basterds Sherlock Holmes Star Trek HONORABLE MENTION: Coraline, District 9, Fantastic Mr, Fox, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Up, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Zombieland Best Visual Effects: Avatar District 9 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Sherlock Holmes Star Trek HONORABLE MENTION: The Lovely Bones, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Watchmen, Where the Wild Things Are, X-Men Origins: Wolverine Best Foreign-Language Film: Broken Embraces - Pedro Almodovar Departures - Yojiro Takita Gomorrah - Matteo Garone Ponyo - Hayao Miyazaki Revanche - Gotz Spielmann Best Documentary: The Cove - Louie Psihoyos Every Little Step - Adam Del Deo & James D. Stern Food, Inc. - Robert Kenner Outrage - Kirby Dick The September Issue - R.J. Cutler HONORABLE MENTION: Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Capitalism: A Love Story, Collapse, Good Hair, More Than a Game, Tyson, Valentino: The Last Emperor Best Animated Film: Coraline - Henry Selick Fantastic Mr. Fox - Wes Anderson Ponyo - Hayao Miyazaki The Princess and the Frog - Ron Clements & John Musker Up - Pete Docter HONORABLE MENTION: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Monsters vs. Aliens Every 2009 Film I've Seen: Ranked