Oscarnazi blog

So "Hannah" was good, but for me it wasn't funny enough to go along with the really funny Woody Allen films, but it wasn't moving enough to go along with classics like "Crimes & Misdemeanors" (which has to be the best Allen movie ever in my opinion. Actually, it's one of my favorite movies ever.) Sean, unfortunately, still doesn't get the "genius" of Woody Allen. Sheesh. Coming up this week we have: .

 Waltz With Bashir - A gorgeously animated "documentary" a la Persepolis. It explores the memory gaps in director Ari Folman's life during his service for the Israeli army in the Lebanese war of the early 1980s.Should be the feel good movie of whatever year it was. .



Educating Rita - Yet another in a long line of "Pygmalion" films. This one stars Julie Walters and Michael Caine ... but honestly, what doesn't star Michael Caine?


Have a great week everyone!

So no one said moving was easy. Well, maybe someone said it, but if so that person was surely punched square in the nose by whoever heard him say it. As we've spent the past two weeks in an endless marathon of painting, spackling, packing and hauling, our Netflix attentions have fallen a bit by the wayside and poor Hannah (not to mention her Sisters) is still waiting on top of our TV. To keep her compnay, this week we've added The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Here's what Netflix has to say: Dame Maggie Smith is mesmerizing as Miss Jean Brodie, a teacher in 1930s Scotland. Brodie fancies herself a creative soul, one who appreciates art, history and beauty and who's dedicated to passing this passion on to her students. But her methods are unorthodox to say the least, sparking controversy in her community and hostility among the school's administrators. Smith's portrayal earned her an Academy Award in 1969.

As many of you know, I'm a fan of "Margarita Movies," or - movies that are so bad that they're great.... and which a healthy dose of tequila helps "improve."  Why watch a bad movie when you could just watch a good one?  Well, I challenge you to find a big budget comedy as hilariously funny as "The Room" or "Poseidon."  So what are some of the Best  Worst Movies?  Here's a few I can't live without:


Xanadu - One of Zeus' nine daughters comes to Earth to inspire a frustrated painter to open a roller-disco palace with Gene Kelly.  Seriously, what's not to love about this plot?  To top it all off, you get an animated sequence featuring a bird in leg warmers.

The Room - The backstory on this film is almost as wonderful as the what's on film: men in tuxes "playing" football, a lead actor who looks like "Unfrozen caveman lawyer," characters who appear and disappear for no apparent reason, deliciously non-sequitor-esque lines like "I got the results of the tests back and I definitely have breast cancer!" and perhaps the most satisfying suicide by any character ever.

Ice Princess - Michelle Trachtenberg is an figure skating-loving math whiz who is shunned at school.  What's a nerd to do? Well, use physics to unlock the secrets to the perfect triple lutz, of course!  Of all the ridiculous ice skating movies out there, this has to be one of the silliest, especially given the overt message from a Disney film that being pretty and popular is better than being smart.  For God's sake, the tag line actually is, "She's going from scholastic ... to fantastic!"


The first 5 minutes of "Ghost Ship."

Mommie Dearest - Classic.

The Phantom of the Paradise - Truth is, you can't really go "right" with a DePalma film, but this 1970s rock opera featuring Paul Williams as the romantic lead is truly something special.

OK, So the return of Netflix Fridays didn't take long to throw off course.  What can I say?  I'm easily distrac... oooh!  Something shiny!  Let's see here's a few quick takes on what we've been watching plus a look at what's coming up:

The Men Who Stare At Goats - Neither as bad as the critics had claimed, nor as funny as the trailer made it look.  Overall disappointing, but George Clooney somehow still makes it a worthwhile rental.

2012 - Almost a great Margarita Movie, but gets too bogged down in useless characters and scientific explanations.  If you skip the first 40 minutes, though?  Heaven!

Fantastic Mr. Fox - Too awesome.  It's no Up, but it's thoroughly terrific in its own right.

I Was A Male War Bride - Cary Grant in Drag.  Worth the Price of Admission.

The Princess and the Frog - A terrific return to form for Disney, but still lacks the musical brilliance of "Little Mermaid."

Up Next -

Where the Wild Things Are - Curious to see where we'll land on this more or less polarizing film.

Hannah & Her Sisters - A Woody Allen classic that I've (gasp) never seen.   This must be rectified!

So now that we're settled in a new site and the Oscars are behind us, I figured it might be a good time to reinstate Netflix Fridays and give you a peek at what is on our queue these days.  Up this weekend we have something old and somethings new.  Prehaps next week, we can moe on to something boorowed and blue.

Up in the Air - In the spirit of full disclosure, I snuck a veiwing of this one in last weekend, hours before the Oscar ceremony, but it was very good and Sean didn't get a chance to screen it so we made sure to place it high up on the queue.  As with the other six  2009 Best Picture nominees I've seen so far, "Up in the Air" proved to be a solid and well-crafted film.  As the story treds some pretty familiar ground, and stumbles through a few predictable turns, I would have to give most of the praise to George Clooney who turns in a remarkably affecting - and subtle - performace as well as to Director Jason Reitman who is fast becoming a someon whose name alone makes me interested in seeing a film.The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer - A recommendation form a friend, this is one of the many overlooked Cary Grant movies that has escaped my notice all these years.  I adore Cary Grant movies, so I'm greatly looking forward to seeing thisone.  Here's hoping it's less "Penny Serenade" or "Monkey Business" and more "Holiday" or "Charade."