Democratic debate

Well, well. Anyone who was undecided who watched last night's debate and tonight's debate probably came out saying "I'm leaning Democrat." A week ago, the Democrats had a nasty debate (Obama: "Hillary was a corporate lawyer for Wal-Mart!" / Hillary: "Obama represented Rezko the slumlord!") and the following debate was very pleasant from the Republicans.

However, pleasant meant Romney was able to gain some ground on McCain, so McCain floated this lie about Romney's position on timetables. It saddens me daily that McCain's doing this and I've lost a lot of respect for him. I find myself hoping Romney wins the Republican nomination now. Last night it was clear McCain hates Romney's guts and was willing to play dirty. Romney showed his frustration at how personal the attacks have been against him. Huckabee continues to not admit he's trying hard to be McCain's VP.

What bothers me about what McCain did is it means anyone can throw out any accusation and just let stay in the news for days.

McCain: "Romney's a proud gay illegal immigrant."
Romney: "What are you talking about?"
McCain: "Here's a quote from you given in an interview in April 2006. You used the words 'proud', 'gay', and 'illegal immigrant' all in the same sentence. You're a proud gay illegal immigrant, my friend."
Romney: "Reagan would find this reprehensible."
McCain: "They're your words, my friend. Proud gay illegal immigrant. You started it when you ran an ad contrasting our positions."

Aaaanyway, Barack and Hillary acted like old friends at the debate, and I agreed with David Gergen's post-debate analysis when he said it was more like a conversation. Hillary's the front-runner; why rock the boat? Barack's catching up, gaining ground; why rock the boat?

I think if McCain's the GOP nominee, the Democrat will win in November.

So I can only hope Obama wins the Democratic nomination.

GOP debate results

GOP Debate
First question to all four: Are we as a nation better off than we were eight years?

Romney goes first. He dodges it to talk about his record in Massachusetts which leads Anderson Cooper to say, "Are you running for governor or are you running for president?" It helps get Romney back on track to talk about the problems with Washington.

McCain says overall we're better off, but let's have some straight talk. Drinking game. A shot for every time Romney says "Washington is broken" and McCain says "Straight talk." McCain gets a little lost in the weeds talking about the subprime crisis.

Huckabee answers a little more coherently, saying we're not better off, and he says Congress may be more to blame than Bush, then rattles off some populist rhetoric about the little guy.

Paul says we're worse off, primarily due to our monetary system.

Second question: Romney, is McCain conservative?

Romney tries to list all the ways he and McCain differ with a friendly smile, mentions all the bad bills McCain co-sponsered with Democrats, and ends with a zinger about how if the New York Times endorses you, you're not a conservative.

McCain smiles back with a toothy grin that barely conceals his contempt for Mitt and launches into his conservative credentials before throwing out a bunch of numbers from Massachusetts to make Mitt look bad.

Romney says "Let me help you with the facts" and responds to McCain's response. This can't remain pleasant for long.

Huckabee points out this isn't a two-man race, which means it is a two-man race. Buuut by not being a front-runner, no one's attacking his record, so he gets to sing its praises.

McCain shows more knowledge on domestic issues when it comes to energy and sounds reasonable in addressing climate change. Then Romney points out how expensive the McCain-Lieberman environment bill will be.

Huckabee had a great answer on state's rights: "If Gov. Schwarzenegger is right, the other 49 governors will want to copy him. If he's wrong, then they can get in line to recruit those jobs he's lost."

Anderson cuts off Paul's answer, which is what happens when you haven't won a state yet.

Huckabee talks about his Eastern highway idea, which just doesn't ring real, then made a joke about building a Western highway. Romney chimes in about realistic infrastructure solutions

So far:
Romney - sounding the smartest
McCain - playing it safe
Huckabee - getting off good one-liners
Paul - largely ignored

Romney was able to lay out a strong illegal immigration platform, remembering to credit and applaud legal immigration.

McCain said he wouldn't vote for his own 2006 McCain-Kennedy bill were it to be up for a vote today. He said he will fight to secure the borders first.

Anderson asked all the candidates about Sandra Day O'Connor, whom Reagan appointed. Was she a good judge? Huckabee said "History will judge that" and then went on to make a passionate plea for a Human Life Amendment (make all abortion illegal). Paul said he would've appointed someone else at that time. McCain said he'd vote for Roberts-Alito type judges. Romney would favor Roberts-Alito-Thomas-Scalia type judges.

Anderson next quotes Peggy Noonan on how George W. Bush destroyed the Republican Party. Romney defended Bush and got some applause, blaming "Washington" more than Bush for the Republican Party's poor shape right now.

Romney gets another question, this time addressing the "timetable" smear from McCain. Romney: "Absolutely, unequivocably no." Romney hammers the point home by saying even raising the issue right before the Florida primary was a dirty trick Reagan would have found reprehensible, resulting in applause. McCain sticks with his "timetable" assertion, which is disheartening. Anderson even corrected McCain on his interpretation of the quote, and McCain said "timetable, timetable, timetable."

Looking at my previous post... John did not resist getting in pot-shots at Mitt, did not act above the fray, was magnanimous to Huck and the guys who dropped out. I don't think Hillary ever came up. His economic plans/ideas were platitudes. I dont think he did too well tonight. His timetable smear felt dishonest and petty.

Mitt ignored Mike. He couldn't stay positive because question #2 was about McCain's positions. He did have the best answers of the night, but his inspiration was as much anti-McCain as it was pro-Romney.

Mike did well, but then, the last Democratic debate when John Edwards did best, it didn't mean much in voting.

Ron got his standard "we never should have gone into Iraq" point out. Ron really has some good ideas, but they're so good, they will never get a majority support in Washington.

I think Ron Paul will get 5-10% in most of the 22 states.

I think Mike Huckabee might have gained a couple percentage points in a couple southern states.

I think Romney made the race a little closer in a few states.

I think with the endorsements by Giuliani and Schwarzenegger, it didn't matter than John McCain did not have a good night. Romney should win four or five states; Huckabee will win three or four states, and McCain will win over ten states, and while he won't have the nomination sewn up, he'll be close enough that Romney and/or Huckabee will drop out.

Final GOP debate predictions

Predictions for tonight's CNN Republican debate:

There will be the four remaining candidates. John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. John & Mike will be kind and cordial with each other, gently pointing out one or two differences they might have; otherwise it will be like Mike is campaigning for John's VP spot, and John's leading Mike on that he has a shot of getting it.

Ron Paul will be largely ignored, but any unconventional position he takes will be met with one-liners from the other guys, most likely rehearsed.

John & Mike will team up on Mitt, taking shots at his wealth, his flip-flop on positions, and his negative attack ads.

Mitt will say "Washington is broken" at least five times.

John will perpetuate his dishonest assertion that Mitt was for timetables. (Man, that makes me sad he's doing that.) Mitt will dig at John for being for amnesty.

Advice for John: Resist the urge to get in pot-shots at Mitt. As the front-runner now, you need to act above the fray, like you've already sewn up the nomination. Be magnanimous. Focus on how your presidency would be different than Hillary's. Be ready with specific economic plans/ideas. You should also add some positive messages to your answers. Lately you've been focussing on "there will be more wars" and "those jobs aren't coming back."

Advice for Mitt: Ignore Mike. He's going to be on you all night. Focus on the positive and try to inspire. Namedrop. Spend more time on your differences with Hillary than John. Exit polls show your base consists of conservatives and people worried about the economy so give them something to cheer for.

Advice for Mike: Drop out. John's not going to pick you as Vice-President. Okay, you want to stay until Super Tuesday because it looks like you can still take a couple states like Georgia and Missouri. Do something that shows you're running for President, not Vice-President. Just singing John's praises while focussing all your vitriol on Mitt will not cut it.

Advice for Ron: You've been fun, but it ain't gonna happen. Drop out after Super Tuesday when you don't win a single state, then endorse a candidate so your passionate 5% following have somewhere to compromise go.

Now in a few hours, we can see what will actually happen.

Bush's last State of the Union

I had one thought repeating in my head as I watched. This is a lame duck president. He made it sound like he still had plans for his final year, but he couldn't sell it. He knows he has less than a year, and he knows not much is going to get done beyond a stimulus package. Democrats don't fear him and they will block whatever he wants whereever they feel like it.

Watching the Democratic response, I watched the Kansas governor thinking, "America would like to have their first female president. Just not Hillary."

Also, I don't think Obama should do any more two-man interviews with Ted Kennedy. I saw then together on Today and it reminded me of when George H.W. Bush gave an interview with his son in 2000. It made Dubya look younger and less-experienced just being there.

Rambo - Movie Review

RAMBO (**) - Starring Sylvester Stallone, Julie Benz, Paul Schulze, Matthew Marsden, Muang Muang Khin and Ken Howard. Directed by Sylvester Stallone.

Sly said he wanted to do another Rocky movie because he didn't like how Rocky V ended things, and Rocky Balboa was a worthy final chapter to Rocky's saga. He also said he didn't like how Rambo III left that character. Well, for what it's worth, this is better than Rambo III.

I never saw Rambo II, and it's been forever since I saw First Blood and Rambo III, but this movie feels like it could have been made twenty years ago. The dialogue's weak, the characters are paper-thin, and it gives us exactly what we think it will. It sets up a situation for Rambo to go shoot up a bunch of bad guys, and then he delivers on that.

I thought Sly did a decent job inhabiting the character, and I liked some of his directing choices too. He did a few tracking shots that snuck up on me. ("Hey, that was one continuous take!")
The final climactic battle plays like any M-rated video game where body parts go flying when you shoot people. Not as riduculous as Rambo III, as it's trying to make a political point about the inhumanities going on in Burma, but still, it's a Rambo movie. The villains are sadistic thugs who are there to draw our ire until we root for Rambo to blow them away.

McCain v. Romney

For someone who likes both candidates, it's been depressing to watch them go after each other, particularly how "unstraight" McCain's "talk" has been lately. He's falsely accused Romney of supporting timetables at one point, even reading the quote on Meet the Press and twisting the logic of it to insist it's a valid attack point, then in response to Romney calling it dishonest and owing him an apology, McCain said Romney owes the young men and women in uniform an apology. How Clintonian.

If McCain takes Florida, maybe that'll put Charlie Crist ont he short-list of McCain's possible VP list. As long as it's not Huckabee...

Screen Actors Guild Awards

Movies
BEST CAST - No Country for Old Men
BEST ACTOR - Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
BEST ACTRESS - Julie Christie, Away From Her
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS - Ruby Dee, American Gangster
BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE - The Bourne Ultimatum

Television
BEST CAST DRAMA - The Sopranos
BEST ACTOR DRAMA - James Gandolfini, The Sopranos
BEST ACTRESS DRAMA - Edie Falco, The Sopranos
BEST CAST COMEDY - The Office
BEST ACTOR COMEDY - Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
BEST ACTRESS COMEDY - Tina Fey, 30 Rock
BEST ACTOR TV-MOVIE/MINISERIES - Kevin Kline, As You Like It
BEST ACTRESS TV-MOVIE/MINISERIES - Queen Latifah, Life Support
BEST STUNT ENSEMBLE - 24

Ch-ch-changes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEaS-K3j3M8

Cloverfield - Movie Review

CLOVERFIELD (**1/2) - Starring Michael Stahl-David, Lizzy Caplan and Mike Vogel.
Directed by Matt Reeves.

It is Godzilla meets The Blair Witch Project. I've seen it described that way a few times, and that is the perfect description. I don't remember getting nauseous during Blair Witch though. I did wish I'd taken Dramamine in the middle of watching Cloverfield.

Shaky-cam has been getting used more and more for realism's sake. Paul Greengrass employs it to great effect, and my only problem with the last Bourne movie was the few times he used shaky-cam during action scenes where I simply couldn't tell what was going on.

Cloverfield is beginning-to-end non-stop shaky-cam. I loved the idea, the concept of this picture, and it would have been great if the guy holding the camera had put in a little more effort into being steady. But there are a lot of scenes of people running or walking on unsteady surfaces, or going up and down stairs, and about halfway through my stomach started lurching like I'd just spent to much time on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

One big help to the ecomony would be...

Our economy would be so much better off if we'd domestically drill for oil. Why won't we drill in the Gulf of Mexico? The Russians are drilling off the coast of Cuba. Why won't we drill in Anwar? I work with guys from Alaska. There is nothing out there. It is a barren chunk of ice. The price of oil would drop, our dependence on foreign oil would decrease, and it would buy us more time to try developing alternative sources of fuel.

Republican debate in Florida

The Republicans learned from the S.C Democratic debate to not be petty and shrill. Tim Russert and Brian Williams threw up several opportunities for the candidates to go after each other, and they rarely took the debate. The real signal was when Russert asked Mike Huckabee if he trusted Mitt Romney on his tax stance when he raised fees in Massachusetts. Huck rarely skips a chance to drill into Mitt, but he said it's up to the American people to decide if they trust him and then he moved on to talk about his own record.

Mitt Romney looked and sounded the most presidential, and he benefitted from the first half-hour of the debate being on the economy. Ron Paul's domestic outlook and proposals sounded like true conservatism. John McCain did some political name-dropping for who supports him.
When it comes to the war, Ron Paul was the only one who says the Iraq War was a bad idea and we never should have gone in. Mike Huckabee had the line about weapons of mass destruction: "Just because you didn't find every Easter egg doesn't mean they weren't planted." Mitt Romney made the distinction that the war went great when we went in, but it was badly managed afterwards.

When it came to the segment where the candidates ask each other questions, it was shockingly congenial. First question was Romney to Guiliani about China, but in asking his question, it was complex and detailed enough that he was really answering the question himself before adding a (?) to it and Guiliani was able to expand on it. Second question was a staggering softball from McCain to huckabee over the Fair Tax. Third question was Paul to McCain, and he asked about the financial markets, and McCain looked confused by the question. Fourth question was Huckabee to Romney where Huck got to demonstrate his support of assault weapons while trying to nail Romney on the Second Amendment, which Romney handled nicely. Next question was Giuliani to Romney about catastrophic insurance, an issue in hurricane-friendly Florida. No fireworks are going to happen here, which is good for the front-runners and for tomorrow's headlines.

Romney had the line of the night when he talked about how Republicans don't want to send Bill Clinton back to the White House with nothing to do.

Paul proposed a way to get rid of Social Security while still taking care of the elderly.

Huck had a cheap jab at Romney that fell flat about Mitt's sons' inheritance.

The last few questions were easy ones for each candidates.

The Florida polls show the order is Romney, McCain, Giuliani, Huckabee, Paul. I don't think the debate did anything to change that order.

My Top Ten Films of 2007

In making a list, I look back and try to remember how I felt the day I saw them, the week I saw them, and how I think of them now. I've seen movies I loved at the time that fade quickly, or ones I liked but had a respect increase and grow the further I got away from it.

I have not seen these other movies making top-ten lists everywhere, (some due to them only being released on a handful of screens on the West or East Coast), so in three or four months, when they've hit DVD, then I feel my list could be redone and considered complete:

There Will Be Blood
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly
Atonement
Into the Wild
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
4 Months 3 Weeks & 2 Days
Sweeney Todd
I'm Not There
Michael Clayton
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
The Savages
Persepolis
Gone Baby Gone

But of the 139 films I've seen in 2007, these were the best:

Honorable mentions:

1408, Away From Her, Breach, Bridge to Terabithia, Catch & Release, Disturbia, Eastern Promises, The Hoax, The Host, Hot Fuzz, Interview, Knocked Up, Meet the Robinsons, Music & Lyrics, Ocean's 13, Once, Paris Je T'Aime, Red Road, Rescue Dawn, Shoot Em Up, The Simpsons Movie, Stephanie Daley, Sunshine, Surf's Up, Talk to Me, Transformers, Waitress, Zodiac

The best 11-20:

3:10 TO YUMA - James Mangold gives his own touch to the Western, and this is the best one we've had since Open Range. Russell Crowe and Christian Bale give very different, but both very interesting performances as a killer and the lawman who caught him, respectively. This might have made my top ten if Ben Foster would have dialed it back a notch as Crowe's scene-chawing right-hand man, and had the ending been more believable.

AMAZING GRACE - The first time I thought it was okay. Then I watched it again and really appreciated what the makers were doing. They were able to convey the atrocities of slavery while keeping it in PG confines so all ages could watch and learn how slavery ended in the United Kingdom. Ioan Gruffudd demonstrates charisma he lacks in the Fantastic Four series, and there's great supporting work from Albert Finney, Ciaran Hinds and Michael Gambon.

BEOWULF IN 3D - I don't think DVD will do justice to what this was like on the big screen. Robert Zemeckis has improved the stop-motion animation technique he started in Polar Express, and while not flawless, it had great action and dizzying visuals. This should have got the third slot for Best Animated Picture above Surf's Up, although it wasn't the best of the year. Keep reading...

BLACK BOOK - I dig me World War II movies, and this is an interesting spy story about a Jewish woman who is able to get an SS officer to fall for her. Even after he learns the truth he wants to stay with her, and then we get genuine suspense as the war ramps up how these two are ever going to stay alive. Great performance from Carice Van Houten.

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - This movie had all the exuberance of 1980's patriotism, with only the slightest dark wink to the unintended consequences. Tom Hanks and Philip Seymour Hoffman make a great team as the Zelig-like congressman and the cynical CIA agent, respectively. One of the funnier movies of the year.

FRACTURE - The plot has faded on me (I remember it; it was just fairly routine) but the real treat is watching a great actor from one generation (Ryan Gosling) go toe-to-toe with a great actor from another (Anthony Hopkins).

FREEDOM WRITERS - This was not just another Dangerous Minds. Hilary Swank's teacher is someone you can believe actually changes lives for the good, and there are several dimensions given to her students.

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX - They took my least favorite book from the series and made it one of the better movies. Daniel, Rupert and Emma improve with each film, and Imelda Staunton is a memorable villain. The parallels to national security paranoia are unmistakable.

THE KINGDOM - Solid, solid action picture only enhanced by being located in Saudi Arabia. I'm really enjoying the career trajectory Peter Berg has taken as director.

STARDUST - It's downright relieving to have an original fantasy-comedy come along that's good. It won't be quite as timeless as The Princess Bride, but it has a fun, constantly-moving plot, and Michelle Pfeiffer steals the show as the wickedest of witches.

And now...

... The Top Ten

10. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM - This franchise forced James Bond to reinvent himself. Matt Damon is a thinking man's action hero, perfectly believable as a lethal weapon. Whodu thunk that when Good Will Hunting came out? I would be there ina heartbeat for a fourth, even though Damon has said he's done. Maybe that's best; leave us wanting more.

9. HAIRSPRAY - The most fun musical of the year, this is a vibrant celebration (I haven't seen it but does anyone think Sweeney Todd was more fun?). I don't want my 10-year-old daughter's constant playing of the soundtrack to subtract from me how much I enjoyed when I first saw it. Nikki Blonsky has a dream film debut.

8. PAPRIKA - There must have been some technicality that prevented this from being nominated for Best Animated Film, or maybe not enough voters actually saw it. This Japanese import reminds us how limitless a visual medium animation can be, held back only by imagination and focus groups. I don't want to overhype it, as it has many similar qualities to other anime movies, but it served as a great reminder to me what a cool genre this can be.

7. THE LOOKOUT - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, slavishly dedicated to the indie route right now, is turning into one of my favorite young actors. (He also headlined last year's underrated Brick.) Here he's a brain-damaged young man who's talked into helping with a bank robbery, at the very bank he works. it's a thoughtful drama that builds its suspense nicely.

6. NO END IN SIGHT - The definitive Iraq War documentary, this one really demonstrates that even after we invaded Iraq, there was a real chance to do things right and make it work, but inept leadership and poor planning led instead to quagmire. Everyone in the Bush Administration will admit "mistakes were made." This movie clearly lays out what they were and when, in an objective tone rather than a populist one. Four of the five nominated Best Documentary features are ones that make America look bad, but this one doesn't feel like it has an axe to grind. It feels more like it's saying, "Let's please, please learn from our mistakes."

5. AMERICAN GANGSTER - We watch Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in movies to see them do their thing, and they're two of the best. Denzel relishes the rare chance to play the villain as Frank Lucas, the true-life drug kingpin of the 1970's, and equal time goes to Russell as the Serpico-like cop who brought him down. Denzel's half plays like a black Godfather, with family relations and business prospectives guiding him, and the occasional murder out of spite. Russell's half has the gritty feel of a French Connection cop-shop, where the only honest law enforcer pays for it. Solid supporting work from Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin and Ruby Dee only enhance what two stars could carry themselves.

4. THE LIVES OF OTHERS - This won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2006, but it didn't open in the US until February 2007. It's a great depiction of the banality of thought-control Communism in East Germany in the 1980's. There was an entire police force dedicated to spying on its citizens for anti-Communist sentiments. Ulrich Mare, who died last year, is the heart of the film, as a spy who leanrs to admire his subject, and must figure out how to keep him safe when he's recording everything he does. Some felt it was an upset when this beat Pan's Labyrinth, but as visually imaginative as that film was, this would have received my vote.

3. JUNO - Cynical wisecracks notwithstanding, this is the warmest and maybe funniest movie of the year. Ellen Page is peerlessly charming as the prego teen, and screenwriter Diablo Cody's debut has announced herself as a future voice to be recknoned with. I'm glad audiences are finding this.

2. RATATOUILLE - Pixar has a magic way with movies, churning out some of the most satisfying big-screen entertainment of the past 15 years. This cartoon rat is no exception. I admire Pixar for taking a not very marketable idea (who wants to see a rat cook?) and making it work beautifully. The voice work is fun, the animation is deep and rich, and it's another example of how family entertainment can have something for everyone.

1. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN - The Coens' best movie in years. It took me a while to figure out what the ending meant to me, but it stuck to me longer than any other movie this year. It's not often a movie will dare to deviate in its third act this much from what we expect. Shot after shot is like a framed picture. It's full of what I call "Coen moments" and keeps the suspense high even when no dialogue is spoken. I know the ending will frustrate some people, but its unexpected turns at the end are what will keep it relevant for decades in the crime/western genres.

2007 Academy Award Nominations

BEST PICTURE
Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

BEST DIRECTOR
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood
Joel & Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton
Jason Reitman, Juno
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell & the Butterfly

BEST ACTOR
George Clooney, Michael Clayton
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Tommy Lee Jones, In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen, Eastern Promises

BEST ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Julie Christie, Away from Her
Marion Cotillard, La Vie En Rose
Laura Linney, The Savages
Ellen Page, Juno

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
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
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild
Tom Wilkinson, Michael Clayton

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Ruby Dee, American Gangster
Saoirse Ronan, Atonement
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton

BEST FOREIGN FILM
Beaufort, Israel
The Counterfeiters, Austria
Katyn, Poland
Mongol, Kazakhstan
12, Russia

BEST ANIMATED FILM
Persepolis
Ratatouille
Surf's Up

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Juno
Lars & the Real Girl
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
The Savages

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Atonement
Away from Her
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

BEST ART DIRECTION
American Gangster
Atonement
The Golden Compass
Sweeney Todd
There Will Be Blood

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Atonement
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
No End in Sight
Operation Homecoming
Sicko
Taxi to the Dark Side
War/Dance

BEST SOUND MIXING
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma
Transformers

BEST SOUND EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
There Will Be Blood
Transformers

BEST FILM EDITING
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly
Into the Wild
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Atonement
The Kite Runner
Michael Clayton
Ratatouille
3:10 to Yuma

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Falling Slowly," Once
"Happy Working Song," Enchanted
"Raise It Up," August Rush
"So Close," Enchanted
"That's How You Know," Enchanted

BEST COSTUMES
Across the Universe
Atonement
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
La Vie En Rose
Sweeney Todd

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
The Golden Compass
Pirates of the Caribbean: AWE
Transformers

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Freeheld
La Corona
Salim Baba
Sari's Mother

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
At Night
Il Supplente
Le Mozart des Pickpockets
Tanghi Argenti
The Tonto Woman

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
I Met the Walrus
Madame Tulti-Pulti
Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis
My Love
Peter & the Wolf

No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood both lead the way with 8 nominations each.
Atonement had 7.
Michael Clayton had 6.
The Diving Bell & the Butterfly, Juno and Ratatouille had 4.
The Bourne Ultimatum, Enchanted, Sweeney Todd and Transformers had 3.

Chris Matthews' Hardball Power Rankings

I guess this is a new feature Chris is doing on MSNBC.

1. Hillary Clinton - won Nevada despite the rumpus over the unions
2. John McCain - won S.C. and won a decent chunk of evangelicals doing it
3. Mitt Romney - first Republican to win three states
4. Barack Obama - needs to get another win before Super Tuesday
5. Rudy Giuliani - Rasmussen's poll has his long-time Florida lead vanishing, and he's even behind in New York

Unranked
Mike Huckabee - he still only has Iowa, where 60% evangelicals put him over the top
John Edwards - only 4% in Nevada?!
Fred Thompson - Drew the line in the sand at S.C. and came in a distant third
Ron Paul - His base is loyal, but he only took second in Nevada when McCain, Huck, Fred and Rudy decided not to compete there

Duncan Hunter - dropped out
Dennis Kucinich - delusional
Mike Gravel - Delusional with a capital D

Smiley Face - DVD Review

SMILEY FACE (*1/2) - Starring Anna Faris, John Krasinski, Danny Masterson, Adam Brody, Jane Lynch, John Cho, Marion Ross, Michael Hitchcock, Danny Trejo, Rick Hoffman and Roscoe Lee Browne. Directed by Gregg Araki.

Anna Faris gives a tour-de-force performance in an otherwise big waste of time as a girl who's stoned the entire movie. This movie might be funny for people who've been high on pot, but I never have been, and this movie was pretty much about as fun as hanging out with someone who's stoned and owes you money you know you'll never see.

My interest also picked up a tiny bit when The Office's John Krasinski showed up as a nerd who has a crush on her, but those ten minutes do not make this thing worth it. I'd heard this was a hit at a couple film festivals, but maybe it was a hit with stoners who went to film festivals.

2007 Razzie Nominations

http://www.razzies.com

WORST PICTURE
Bratz
Daddy Day Camp
I Know Who Killed Me
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Norbit

WORST ACTOR
Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider
Jim Carrey, The Number 23
Cuba Gooding Jr., Daddy Day Camp
Eddie Murphy, Norbit
Adam Sandler, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

WORST ACTRESS
Jessica Alba, Good Luck Chuck
Logan Browning & Janel Parrish &
Nathalia Ramos & Skyler Shaye, Bratz
Elisha Cuthbert, Captivity
Diane Keaton, Because I Said So
Lindsay Lohan, I Know Who Killed Me

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Orlando Bloom, Pirates of the Caribbean: AWE
Kevin James, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Eddie Murphy, Norbit
Rob Schneider, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Jon Voight, September Dawn

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Biel, Next
Carmen Electra, Epic Movie
Eddie Murphy, Norbit
Julia Ormond, I Know Who Killed Me
Nicholette Sheridan, Code Name: The Cleaner

WORST DIRECTOR
Dennis Dugan, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Roland Joffe, Captivity
Brian Robbins, Norbit
Fred Savage, Daddy Day Camp
Chris Siverston, I Know Who Killed Me

WORST SCREENPLAY
Daddy Day Camp
Epic Movie
I Know Who Killed Me
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Norbit

WORST SCREEN COUPLE
Dane Cook & Jessica Alba, Good Luck Chuck
Any 2 of the 4 leads, Bratz
Lindsay Lohan & Lindsay Lohan, I Know Who Killed Me
Eddie Murphy & Eddie Murphy, Norbit
Adam Sandler & Jessica Biel, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

WORST REMAKE OR RIP-OFF
Are We Done Yet? (rip-off of The Money Pit)
Bratz (rip-off of a toy line)
Epic Movie (rip-off of every movie it rips off)
I Know Who Killed Me (rip-off of Saw and The Patty Duke Show)
Who's Your Caddy? (rip-off of Caddyshack)

WORST EXCUSE FOR A HORROR MOVIE
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Captivity
Hannibal Rising
Hostel Part II
I Know Who Killed Me

WORST PREQUEL/SEQUEL
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Daddy Day Camp
Evan Almighty
Hannibal Rising
Hostel Part II

Personally I think they're being too hard on Eddie Murphy. He did a good acting job, even if it was in a misogynist movie. Otherwise of the movies I've seen they've targeted, they are worthy of the Razzie.

Candidate issue quiz

http://www.selectsmart.com/President

I take this quiz every couple of months during election years, get a gage on how I feel abotu the issues. Last time I took, Ron Paul came out as my #1 so I guess it depends on what issues I'm focussing on when I take it. That's pretty much my order of preference anyway, except move Barack above Rudy.

1. John McCain (65%)
2. Mitt Romney (56%)
3. Ron Paul (54%)
4. Fred Thompson (53%)
5. Rudolph Giuliani (46%)
6. Mike Huckabee (45%)
7. Barack Obama (44%)
8. John Edwards (41%)
9. Hillary Clinton (39%)
10. Dennis Kucinich (27%)

Cloverfield gets January $$$ record

http://www.boxofficemojo.com

1. Cloverfield - $41 million - 1 wk (Par)
3411 screens / $12,019 per screen
2. 27 Dresses - $22.43 - 1 wk (Fox)
3057 / $7336
3. The Bucket List - $15.15 ($42.71) - 4 wks (WB) -21.9%
2915 / $5197
4. Juno - $10.25 ($85.38) - 7 wks (FS) -24.7%
2534 / $4044
5. National Treasure 2 - $8.15 ($198.03) - 5 wks (BV) -27.9%
2963 / $2749
6. First Sunday - $7.8 ($28.47) - 2 wks (SG) -56%
2213 / $3524
7. Mad Money - $7.7 - 1 wk (Ov)
2470 / $3117
8. Alvin & the Chipmunks - $7 ($196.38) - 6 wks (Fox) -24.8%
2962 / $2363
9. I Am Legend - $5.11 ($247.68) - 6 wks (WB) -37.6%
2525 / $2021
10. Atonement - $4.76 ($31.88) - 7 wks (Foc) +12.7%
1291 / $3686
11. There Will Be Blood - $3.12 ($8.16) - 4 wks (Par) +67.8%
389 / $8023

I can't but think if the Golden Globes awards had happened - the full 3-hour star-studded event of years' past - that Atonement and Sweeney Todd would have seen bigger box-office boosts.