Oscar Noms are in!

Here's some initial impressions:

I'm very excited to see my girl, Quvenzhané Wallis of Beasts of the Southern Wild in the nominations for Best Actress- That little girl nailed the art of expressing the loneliness of being a kid;  the loneliness that so many adults forget existed as they grow older. Wallis plays Hush Puppy, a child who lives an unusual life in a Bayou of New Orleans called The Bathtub - before and after the levees broke. 

Quvenzhane Wallis

To all who have yet to see it, this is my pick for Film of the Year. Last year my pick was Drive,and I am glad to have found my pick for this year to be as engaging and affecting as last year's. 

There are mostly the usual suspects for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress although I can't say this bothers me. I find that The Academy makes great decisions for the nominees - a statement I cannot say is the same for the actual winners. 

For once though, I can say I have seen one of the animated shorts before the nominees have been announced; usually this category evades me. Paperman was superb and certainly deserves the nod. 

Paperman

And I am pleased to see Mirror Mirror nominated for Best Costume Design. That film slipped past most critics and audiences and deserves more recognition for being funny, smart, and overall a great fairytale film. I cannot say the same for Snow White and the Huntsman. 

Having yet to see every picture that is nominated, I will reserve judgement for my picks for each category. And I may just have to change my mind for Film of the Year also...Lincoln, Django Unchained and Life of Pi I have yet to see, among several others. 

The 85th Annual Academy Awards air February 24, 2013. I'll be watching, will you?

J'adore le Genre: The Switcheroo

This is the inaugural post of a series I am proud to announce called ‘J'adore le Genre’. Posts in this series will focus on a specific genre within the film industry that I absolutely* love.

Now, most people can name 5-10 film genres fairly easily (romantic comedy, horror, sci-fi, action, drama, etc.) and those popular and arguably over-used genres will not be mentioned here. I will instead, focus on lesser known genres that are near and dear to my movie-loving heart.

And I’ve will begin with a genre that is one of my all-time favorites: The Switcheroo. A.K.A the body swap, Switcheroo films involve

It’s your last decision. Better make it a good one.

There have been a lot of end of the world (or should they be called ‘end of the world as we know it’) films. Dr. Strangelove, The Stand, Children of Men, The Road, War of the Worlds, 2012, Melancholia…this is only the start of a very long list of films that encompass themes of our world ceasing to exist and what we as humans choose to do before, during, and after this imminent demise.

The entertainment value of these films is derived from the fact that movie-goers are interested in the decision making process that is thrown upon the characters, whether they like it or not. Given that everything comforting in their world has been taken, or soon will be taken, the characters embark on a journey of sorts into the primitive mindset of a human being who’s main concern suddenly becomes staying alive. It is fascinating to see this unfold and so, I never pass up an opportunity to watch an “end of the world” genre film.

They’re not all

LGBT Point Foundation honors Focus Features

"Point Foundation (Point), the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, will honor global film company Focus Features on Monday, April 16th at this year’s Point Honors New York gala."

According to the San Francisco Sentinel, Focus Features will be the recipient of recognition from the Point Foundation at its annual Point Honors New York gala.

One of the reasons I respect the productions of Focus Features is the daring risks they take with many of the picture releases. This is especially true of the films with an LBGT story line that so desperately need to be told. We are a world (slowly) working towards acceptance of all, and Focus Features is definitely a front runner in this journey.

 “Films like Milk and Pariah speak to the values of diversity and empowerment Focus shares with Point and the LGBT community.  It is so important that young people have an opportunity to watch films like these, where maybe they can for the first time find representations of themselves on the screen, and come away awed and inspired.” 
-Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Point Foundation.

Focus Features has produced films like Brokeback Mountain, Milk, and last years The Beginners, which is up for an Oscar this year for best supporting actor, Christopher Plummer. Focus Features' newest production, Pariah, is a coming of age story about a 17-year old African-American lesbian. 

For more information on Focus Features or the Point Foundation Honors gala, click here.

Cosmo the Dog from 'The Beginners', overshadowed by Uggie from 'The Artist'?

Uggie, the Jack Russell from 'The Artist' has received a lot of press lately. for a dog. There's been good and bad, and needless to say he has become quite popular. 

But what about the other Jack Russell who stole the scenes of 'The Beginners', a movie that was nominated for several awards this season? 

Cosmo the Dog played his part magnificently as the companion of  
the late Hal Fields and his son, Oliver. Cosmo's role is admirable as the comforter of Oliver and almost serves as a substitute for Hal or perhaps a conduit to Hal after his passing. 

Let us take a moment to recognize the other Jack Russell who warmed our hearts this past movie season. Great job Cosmo.

Click here to see a Focus Features exclusive video on Cosmo the Dog.

What famous movie dogs are your favorites? And who stole your heart more, Uggie or Cosmo?

Focus Features' 3 best movies (besides Eternal Sunshine...)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind may be the best movie of all time, and it saddens me whenever I hear that the whole world has not seen it. However, Focus Features is home to many, many great movies that deserve much love and appreciation. Here's a list of my 3 favorite lesser-known Focus Films besides the great Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 

1. Swimming Pool (2003)

This film focuses on the relationship between an uptight British novelist, Sarah, and a carefree french girl, Julie, who are forced to endure each others company while they are both vacationing at a remote house in France that was apparently overbooked by Sarah's boss - who also happens to be Julie's father.

Rich with deeps hues of French culture and countryside, along with scenes of violence and nudity have ignited this film with intensity and intrigue.

And critics have taken quite polarizing sides with this film because of its ambiguous ending. While I must admit that I was a bit baffled at the ending, none the less, I consider it one of the years best films and also one of Focus Features' best films of all time.