GoldbergBlog

Contrition

You may need this.

More than “Once”

Some people appreciate Once as a whole film. They connect with elements beyond the music. While I don’t connect with the movie as much as these people, on my only viewing of this film, the music leaped out at me. I immediately asked when the soundtrack would be available. I wasn’t familiar with actor/musician Glen Hansard’s previous work with The Frames and his previous albums that include almost every song that’s in this film. And even if I had known, it wouldn’t matter because all the songs are used brilliantly.

I owe Once another viewing and now that it’s out on DVD today, I can pay that debt. You owe it to your ears to give the music a listen, and I’ll let you start your payment plan here:

“The backlash has BEGUN!”

Witness reason #2,564,903 why Judd Apatow is brilliant. The following video starts off kind of slow but just keep watching Craig Robinson (or as you probably know him, Darryl from The Office or the bouncer from Knocked Up). After the video there will be a brief multiple choice question.

a. “I want to see Walk Hard because I really like laughing.”

b. “Judd’s Jewish?”

c. “Last time I saw Judd run that fast it was because someone had dropped a quarter.”

d. The use of the Mortal Kombat theme song

e. All of the above and more.

The Dodd Filibuster

It is a rare day in American politics where it seems like we can claim a victory for America. For the principles this country was built on, it’s hard to claim a victory. Groups of Americans can claim victory for their individual causes, but lately, it seems like our country is poisoned by people like Alabama senator Jeff Sessions (R) who said today in the debate over the amendment for telecom amnesty in the FISA legislation,

“The civil libertarians among us would rather defend the constitution than protect our nation’s security.”

And there it is. Don’t be proud to be an American. Be scared. Be scared and do what you’re told and forget what country you thought you lived in because people in worse countries want to kill you for what they think your country represents.

Yes, we get a lot of bad days. But then there are days like today.

Back in October, Connecticut senator Chris Dodd (D) made a promise to filibuster any amendment to the FISA legislation that would give telecom companies retroactive immunity for spying on our citizens without a warrant. A few companies refused but most accepted without hesitation. It wasn’t even the spying or the fear-mongering that pushed senator Dodd to make his pledge. It was the utter disregard for our constitution and our laws and to that, he could not stand by.

And so today, Democrat-in-Name-Only Harry Reid ignored senator Dodd’s hold on the bill (while happily accommodating a pro-torture hold from Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) and a pro-civil-rights-slaying hold from Tom Coburn (R-OK)) and allowed the measure to come to the floor for a vote.  And as he promised, senator Dodd began his filibuster.  With only nine Democrats by his side, Dodd made me proud to be a democrat and proud to be an American.  Not afraid, not ashamed, but proud.

The cynics will argue that this was the work of a second-tier presidential candidate, desperate to garner some kind of name-recognition.  They’ll say it was foolish to come to D.C. and waste time on a piece of legislation most Americans don’t care about instead of remaining on the campaign trail in Iowa.  These people don’t get it and they probably never will.  They don’t understand that true leaders aren’t too busy saying what great leaders they are rather than actually leading.  They don’t understand that sacrificing one’s convictions for the chance of being President is the hypocrisy that poisons our country and makes “politics” the most vulgar of words.

But ultimately the cynics probably won’t even take notice.  It won’t fit their narrow world-view.  The legislation isn’t sexy.  Dodd isn’t a media-selected candidate.  But their indifferences does not diminish the accomplishment.  What happened today was truly great because win-or-lose, Chris Dodd didn’t do what was easy; he did what was right.  It’s the simplest of concepts and yet it eludes so many Democrats that still don’t seem to realize they’re in the majority and that they can do what’s right and do it easily.  But with only nine other senators at his side, Dodd chose to fight.   And at the day’s end, Reid tabled the amendment till January.  It’s a temporary victory but a victory honestly won and it honors every American who still understands that our security is pointless if we’re willing to sacrifice that which the security is supposed to protect.

It seems sad that we should have to thank a senator or any elected official for defending the constitution and the rule of law, but we live in sad times.  But today was a good day, and for that you should thank the Senator from Connecticut.

Side Note: I’m a Wuss (“Wuss-wuss-wuss-wuss-wuss”)

When you hear this song, you’ll find yourself wondering, “Is Matt a dude? I could have sworn he was a dude. But then he posted this song and now I think he’s a eunuch at best,” That may be (I’ve misplaced my balls along with my keys), but I still love this song to death. I first heard it on Friday Night Lights (not as strong in its second season but still a show worth watching) and it’s now it’s a permanent staple in my Dreamland-playlist (that’s right, I have a playlist of songs to help put me to sleep; I believe we’ve covered my wussiness so let’s move on). It’s not boring, but it’s wonderfully soothing and, well, I’ll just put it like this: it’s like rain in musical form.

Okay, I’m in negative manliness-points so I have to go chop wood and scratch myself inappropriately. Here’s “To Build a Home” by The Cinematic Orchestra:

The Rise of Keith Olbermann

As you may or may not have noticed, I am a bit of a Keith Olbermann fan. I find that in a day dominated by vacillating, vacuous gasbags who have turned observational comedy into phony outrage, and pet peeves into empty crusades, that a journalist like Keith Olbermann who levels his commanding eloquence and keen observations at the endless corruption of our so-called leaders when it matters most, is a blessing. And when he sits down to speak with another of the last real journalists, Bill Moyers, then I ask that you please take twenty minutes to watch. Sadly, I cannot simply embed the video here but I am more than happy to send what little traffic I have over to Moyers’ site. Click here for a great interview. And you can click here to pre-order Olbermann’s upcoming book, Truth and Consequences, which is a collection of Olbermann’s searing special comments.

Still On Neko’s Case

No, it’s not another Neko Case solo track, but it is from her band The New Pornographers and it’s the title track off their latest album, Challengers. The entire album is fantastic but this is one of my favorite tracks (along with “Unguided”, “Go Places”, and “Solitude”).

Give it a listen and I hope you like it. On Monday (or if I feel like it, maybe this weekend), I’ll have something that’s not sung by a red-headed siren.

Putting the CHRIST back in Christmas

I don’t care what Bill O’Reilly says (ever) and I’m not sure how his delusional mind could think there’s a “War on Christmas” unless he was just doing it as a yearly ratings ploy. But he’s a serious journalist and would never sink to such a level. But if there is such a war, I would say that Christmas is winning against “secular progressives” (damn them with their modern, forward thinking ways!).

First there was the resolution introduced in the House of Representatives by Steve King (R-Iowa) that Christians and Christmas are important. Aside from that queasy feeling I’m getting in my stomach about the whole state/church deal, it seems like such a waste of time. I’m Jewish and even I like Christmas. I think it has nothing to do with Christianity (Jesus probably wasn’t born in December and, oh yeah, Christianity stole the holiday from pagans; it was originally called the Saturnalia and was when the slaves got to switch places with the master for a day (thanks Prof. Ben Lee!)), but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fun holiday.

Of course, this didn’t stop King from railing against the nine Democrats who decided to use common sense and vote against it.

“I recognized that we’re a Christian nation founded on Christian principles, and we’re coming up to Christmastime…. It’s time we stood up and said so, and said to the rest of America, Be who you are and be confident. And let’s worship Christ and let’s celebrate Christmas for the right reasons.”

Of course we’re a Christian nation! Just look at where the Constitution talks about Jesus! No, not there? Well I’m sure it’s in the Bill of–nope, not there either. It must at least be in the Declaration of–no mention? I mean, there’s mention of a creator and that was Jesus. Close enough.

But clearly this is just the work of one lone, nutbag Representative from Iowa, a state that no one cares about unless they’re running for President.

Oh wait. Here’s George and Laura Bush’s Christmas card:

A) What the hell does that quote have to do with Christmas; and B) ARE. YOU. SHITTING. ME.

All I know is that if I were Christian, I would just send this out every year:

How to Ruin a National Monument

If I had to choose between who would be added to Mount Rushmore, between Ronald McDonald and Ronald Reagan, I would choose the clown.

Sorry, that wasn’t specific enough. I would not choose Ronald Reagan to be memorialized on anything. Some want him on the ten dollar bill rather than Alexander Hamilton, the guy who was a crucial figure in creating our constitution and our economy when our country was at its most fragile. And now this chucklehead wants to put Reagan on Mount Rushmore alongside Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Alright, let’s list their accomplishments and see if Teflon Ronnie is worthy of the honor.

George Washington: Made sure that America existed. Look at how many countries fail and devolve into constant warfare as one leader after another gets drunk on his own power. If men like Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, Jay, and others were the architects of our country, then Washington was the man who made us worthy of the structure.

Thomas Jefferson: Helped us get about a third of our country for a very reasonable price. The man behind the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence, two slightly important documents in American history.

Theodore Roosevelt: Despite the dark times of the 20th century, Roosevelt offered us hope for what it could be at its best. He promoted the causes of regulating businesses, the Panama Canal, helped negotiate the end of the Russo-Japanese war, and as the first President to take up the cause of conservationism, how could you not carve him into the side of a mountain?

Abraham Lincoln: Abolished slavery, saved the union.

Ronald Reagan: Allowed proliferation of nuclear weapons and AIDS; liked jelly beans.

You can argue that Reagan deserves to be up there for “ending the Cold War” but he ended it in the worst way possible. It was a short-term victory with very serious long-term repercussions.

But hey, he was a likable guy that made us feel good about being Americans. Isn’t that enough?

If it is, I reiterate my vote for Ronald McDonald.

Looking Into a Future of Pissed Off

I can look at all the critics and critic-society lists that are popping up on a daily basis, but the true barometer is when people who actually give physical awards make their opinions known. And wielding an unfair amount of influence is the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, or as their better known to the public: the folks that hand out Golden Globes. These nominations were announced today and they tell a story of future woe, misery, and a group of people that has no fucking idea what’s going to be picked for Oscar nominations.

MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
“American Gangster”

“Atonement”
“Eastern Promises”
“The Great Debaters”
“Michael Clayton”
“No Country For Old Men”
“There Will Be Blood”

The only one of these I haven’t seen is The Great Debaters. As for the others, no major surprises. Michael Clayton and Eastern Promises are good but they’re not the greatest of the year. Where’s Into the Wild? Where’s Gone Baby Gone? Where’s The Assassination of Jesse James? It’s also clear that Atonement is going to be my bête noire of this awards season. There’s always one film that I thought was passable-at-best and as it garners more praise, my disdain for it only grows. It may not be fair to the film, but it’s not fair to me that so many people can’t recognize what’s wrong with it. The only good about this category is that No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood are essentially locking in their Academy Award Best Picture nominations.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Cate Blanchett – “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
Julie Christie - “Away From Her”
Jodie Foster – “The Brave One”
Angelina Jolie - “A Mighty Heart”
Keira Knightley – “Atonement”

Holy shit; The Brave One was nominated for an award. That’s fucking hilarious. Less hilarious is the ignoring of Wei Tang (Lust, Caution), and Carice van Houten (Black Book).

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
George Clooney – “Michael Clayton”
Daniel Day-Lewis – “There Will Be Blood”
James McAvoy - “Atonement”
Viggo Mortensen – “Eastern Promises”
Denzel Washington - “American Gangster”

Less argument here. I think James McAvoy is a great actor in search of a worthy role. He was very good in The Last King of Scotland but he was obviously overshadowed by Forest Whitaker’s behemoth of a performance. Atonement doesn’t do him any favors because, like Knightley in that film, it’s a shallow character. They function as pieces of the main character’s (Briony) story and lack the necessary depth to lead to the great performances Knightley and McAvoy are capable of. And ignoring Emile Hirsch is just mean. Clearly, the HFPA have no love for Into the Wild, so fuck them.

MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
“Across The Universe”
“Charlie Wilson’s War”
“Hairspray”
“Juno”
“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”

This is where I threw up in my own mouth. Across the Universe is one of the worst films of the year. Couldn’t put Enchanted in this category? What, too good? I know you guys are bought and paid for by the studios, but seriously, I hate you so much right now.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Amy Adams – “Enchanted”
Nikki Blonsky – “Hairspray”
Helena Bonham Carter – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Marion Cotillard – “La Vie en rose”
Ellen Page – “Juno”

Can’t really argue here. Dammit.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – COMEDY OR MUSICAL
Johnny Depp – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Ryan Gosling - “Lars And The Real Girl”
Tom Hanks – “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Philip Seymour Hoffman - “The Savages”
John C. Reilly – Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Again, not a lot of argument. It’d be nice to see Michael Cera get some love, but he’s young and he’ll get it in time. The kid’s (being only two years younger than me) got a very successful career in front of him.

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Bee Movie” – DreamWorks Animation; DreamWorks Animation
“Ratatouille” – Pixar; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Distribution
“The Simpsons Movie” – Gracie Films; Twentieth Century Fox

Hey, fuck you, Persepolis! You’re foreign! At least no Shrek the Third, thank Odin.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
“4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days” (Romania)
“The Diving Bell And The Butterfly” (France And USA)
“The Kite Runner” (USA)
“Lust, Caution” (Taiwan)
“Persepolis” (France)

So we can nominate Persepolis as a foreign film but not as an animated film. Oooookay. The rest of these choices are acceptable, but I’ll be rooting for Diving Bell.

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Cate Blanchett - “I’m Not There”
Julia Roberts - “Charlie Wilson’s War”
Saoirse Ronan – “Atonement”
Amy Ryan – “Gone Baby Gone”
Tilda Swinton – “Michael Clayton”

Again, not a lot of argument. But I would definitely switch out Roberts and Ronan with Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist) and Leslie Mann (Knocked Up).

PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Casey Affleck – “The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford”
Javier Bardem – “No Country For Old Men”
Philip Seymour Hoffman – “Charlie Wilson’s War”
John Travolta – “Hairspray”
Tom Wilkinson – “Michael Clayton”

It looks like Affleck is gonna get the recognition he deserves for Jesse James and that just makes my heart soar. It also looks like Bardem is locked down for the supporting category even though I would classify him as a leading role (and I will when I release my Films of 2007 list on December 31st). Travolta is a joke but it’s a sign that New Line is pushing Hairspray hard as I knew they would. Switch him out with Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma).

DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Tim Burton – “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen – “No Country For Old Men”
Julian Schnabel – “The Diving Bell And The Butterfly”
Ridley Scott – “American Gangster”
Joe Wright – “Atonement”

It’s all correct except for Wright. Granted, it’s not his fault he has a shitty script to work from, but there are so many better choices. Sean Penn (Into the Wild), Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James), David Fincher (Zodiac), or Frank Darabont (The Mist).

SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Diablo Cody – “Juno”
Ethan Coen & Joel Coen – “No Country For Old Men”
Christopher Hampton – “Atonement”
Ronald Harwood - “The Diving Bell And The Butterfly”
Aaron Sorkin – “Charlie Wilson’s War”

Christopher Hampton–no, no, no, no, no, fucking no. You done fucked up and your the reason that Atonement fails. Go away. How about Todd Haynes for I’m Not There? You know, it’s that film you’ve almost completely ignored. Or how about Nancy Oliver for Lars and the Real Girl? I just think good scripts deserve accolades. Bizarre, I know.

ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Michael Brook, Kaki King, Eddie Vedder – “Into The Wild”
Clint Eastwood – “Grace Is Gone”
Alberto Iglesias – “The Kite Runner”
Dario Marianelli – “Atonement”
Howard Shore – “Eastern Promises”

You know, I haven’t seen Grace is Gone, but I bet it’s a minimalist score with high piano notes. But hey, it’s Clint Eastwood and if we don’t blow him at least once, he may never come to awards show again! The ignoring of Nick Cave & Warren Ellis for The Assassination of Jesse James and Jonny Greenwood for There Will Be Blood is worthy of seppuku.

ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Despedida” from “Love In The Time Of Cholera” – Music By: Shakira, Antonio Pinto, Lyrics By: Shakira
“Grace Is Gone” from “Grace Is Gone” – Music By: Clint Eastwood, Lyrics By: Carole Bayer Sager
“Guaranteed” from “Into The Wild” – Music & Lyrics By: Eddie Vedder
“That’s How You Know” from “Enchanted”- Music & Lyrics By: Alan Menken
“Walk Hard” from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” – Music & Lyrics by: Marshall Crenshaw, John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, Kasdan

I don’t remember “Guaranteed”, but I know that when I decided which songs to keep in my iTunes library from the soundtrack, it didn’t make the cut. “Hard Sun” is the best song from that album. But at this point, I’m not going to split hairs over nominations for Into the Wild.

You have to love movies to do this. Not get paid in gift baskets and swag to help films along to Oscar glory, but to write about the selections of ethically bankrupt critics. I’m clearly the big winner here.