Mostrando las entradas con la etiqueta actors. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando las entradas con la etiqueta actors. Mostrar todas las entradas

lunes, 2 de abril de 2018

Movie lights


   Alex walked by Roman, who was helping with the lights. They had to grab the wires and put them neatly into a circular position, in order for the metal parts not to get damages. But the lights were too hot still to put away. So he asked his boss what he should do next and he was sent to the changing room of the actors, which happened to be one of the big bathrooms in the house. Apparently, the director had found the property online and just new it was the perfect setting for many of his movies.

 As Roman entered the bathroom, Alex was there. He was still naked and talking to his co-star Yuri. The young assistant asked where the boxes with their costumes were and it was Yuri who pointed at three boxes stacked up in a corner. For a moment though, Roman was able to notice that Yuri had been crying as his eyes were very red and he was trying to hide them as much as possible from anyone else. As Roman fixed the boxes to be able to lift them all at the same time, he heard part of the actors’ conversation.

Apparently. Yuri’s family was in desperate need of money. However, the month was not over yet so he had no money he could send to them. He sent almost everything he earned to them back in Belarus, only keeping enough to pay for a room in a shared apartment in a very crappy neighborhood of Los Angeles. The director intended him to be the next big star in the business, but that was in its early stages and Yuri’s family couldn’t wait that long. He feared they would be evicted if the money wasn’t paid.

 The assistant did not hear much more after that. He decided to get out of there as soon as he could, as he didn’t want the actors to notice he was overhearing on purpose. He was just very interested on the different kinds of people that worked on such a business. It had been his mother who had asked her brother to get her son a job. Her brother happened to be part of a production company that worked with various people, including those who provided entertainment for the adult video industry.

 She didn’t mind. Her mother was very liberal in that sense. For her, the most important thing was for her son to understand the value of money, of effort and perseverance. He was still young, actually underage. But she wanted him to get a job in the summer in order not to have the same problems he had every single summer in the past. He had even been in the police station once, after he had decided making graffiti in the neighborhood’s park was a great idea. She wanted him to stay away from trouble and a job, any job, would probably make all that messy stuff go away.

 Of course, her brother explained to her the kinds of places her son would work in and she didn’t mind. She told him that her son knew very well what sex was and that people that worked in that business were just that, workers. Whether they were actors or the lighting crew, they were all doing a job and they were all getting paid for it. Her son would get paid to, but not as much as an official worker. Her brother had to pass him for a “personal helper” of sorts, because of his sixteen years of age.

 The good thing was that, as most kids in the United States; Roman had developed early in his life and by age sixteen he was already sporting facial hair and very tall and lean figure. According to his mother, he was the spitting image of his father, a man that had been known to be very handsome in his early years. Sadly, he had been killed in a bank robbery a couple of years before. That was also the reason why the family could actually make good use of another salary, no matter how miserable it could be.

 So Roman understood Yuri’s dilemma. As he crossed the hallways of the big house with the boxes, he thought about part of his salary going to his mother and how he thought that was unfair at first, but then realized that it was necessary to pay the bills that kept his house going. He came to appreciate his work because of that and his mother too, for having the good sense to send him out into the world and make him work to feel how things work in life. He left the boxes in the truck, still thinking.

 When he came back into the house for the lights, both Alex and Yuri were already dressed and coming out of the bathroom. They looked both like the type of guys someone would see on the beach, parading around with clothes that made their bodies look even better. They were very beautiful and Roman often had a lot to think after seeing them perform. He wasn’t sure if he was gay or straight or what. But he knew that they were very attractive and he had a certain respect for them because of it.

 As he put one of the lights on the respective crate, he saw Yuri walk out of the house with a tissue on his hand and his eyes still red, but Alex stayed in and actually walked towards him. He sat down on a sofa nearby and just looked at the kid as he did his work. Once the light was on its crate, Roman started the same process with another one. Alex then spoke, asking Roman how old he was. The question made Roman very nervous because both his mother and uncle had told him several times not to reveal the information to anyone. It could mean the end of his job and his uncle’s too.

 So he just said he was old enough to be there. Alex smiled, still watching Roman do his job. Then, he started telling him how the whole industry can be quite the monster. Of course, he said, being beautiful and appreciated feels great, but the best thing of it all is when someone tells you that what you did can only be accomplished by you and no one else. That sense of power and being special really makes the difference in any job. Or at least that was what Alex thought after working in many different things.

 He told Roman he was twenty-six years old and he had started doing movies seven years ago, when money for college was low and his family had threatened to stop funding his studies. He wanted to become a veterinarian. He told Roman he had two dogs now and a small rat named Stevie. That made Roman smile and Alex did so too, because he knew he was listening. He told the kid how he was able to finish school because of his work doing movies and how he even got to pay for a place of his own.

 Then, there was silence. As Roman put the last light crate away, Alex told him that Yuri was in a similar but worse position. Roman stayed to hear the story. According to Alex, Yuri had arrived to the United States only two years ago. He was an illegal immigrant who had come to the country with a legal tourist visa but had just overstayed his welcome. Apparently, Belarus was not the best country for gay people. And it seemed it wasn’t a great place to fin work either, so he decided to basically flee.

 He had a mother and two sisters there; their father had left them for another woman years ago. None of them had any idea what he was doing in Los Angeles. But he sent them almost all of their money and now they needed more or they would loose their house. Alex stopped talking and then looked at Roman straight in the eye. He asked the young man if he had a good family, if he knew how difficult life could be. He told him that even if it all looks nice and easy from the outside, people always have shit under the rug.

 Roman told Alex he had a mother that was crazy but that loved him endlessly. He also said his uncle was a very good person. Finally, he told Alex he knew not everything is what it seems but that it was precisely that which fascinated him from the world of adult entertainment.

 He lifted two of the crates and carried them to the truck. When he came back for the other one, Alex was gone. Roman told his uncle about Yuri’s problems and the man promised he would talk to the director. People don’t imagine it, but in such a small community, people tend to help one another, no strings attached.

miércoles, 13 de enero de 2016

PREDICTIONS: Academy Awards


Here are my predictions. I have seen many of these movies. The only real shots in the dark are in the short subject categories, which I haven't seen at all. I'll try to see the ones that get nominated.

After my predicted five, I've decided to put an alternative nominee, just for fun.

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts!


Best Picture

* The Big Short
* Bridge of Spies
* Carol
* Mad Max: Fury Road
* The Martian
* The Revenant
* Room
* Spotlight

If 9 or 10 I'd add the following two movies:


* Inside Out
* Straight Outta Compton

Best Director

* The Big Short -- Adam McKay
* Mad Max: Fury Road -- George Miller
* The Martian -- Ridley Scott
* The Revenant -- Alejandro G. Iñárritu
* Spotlight -- Tom McCarthy

Alt: Carol -- Todd Haynes

Best Actor in a Leading Role

* Steve Carrell -- The Big Short
* Matt Damon -- The Martian
* Leonardo DiCaprio -- The Revenant
* Michael Fassbender -- Steve Jobs
* Eddie Redmayne -- The Danish Girl

Alt: Bryan Cranston -- Trumbo

Best Actress in a Leading Role

* Cate Blanchett -- Carol
* Brie Larson -- Room
* Jennifer Lawrence -- Joy
* Charlotte Rampling -- 45 Years
* Saiorse Ronan -- Brooklyn

Alt: Alicia Vikander -- The Danish Girl

Best Actor in a Supporting role

* Christian Bale -- The Big Short
* Idris Elba -- Beasts of No Nation
* Mark Ruffalo -- Spotlight
* Mark Rylance -- Bridge of Spies
* Jacob Tremblay -- Room

Alt: Sylvester Stallone -- Creed

Best Actress in a Supporting role

* Jane Fonda -- Youth
* Jennifer Jason Leigh -- The Hateful Eight
* Rooney Mara -- Carol
* Alicia Vikander -- The Danish Girl
* Kate Winslet -- Steve Jobs

Alt: Kristen Stewart -- Clouds of Sils Maria

Best Adapted Screenplay

* The Big Short -- Adam McKay and Charles Randolph
* Brooklyn -- Nick Hornby
* Carol -- Phyllis Nagy
* Room -- Emma Donoghue
* Steve Jobs -- Aaron Sorkin

Alt: The Martian

Best Original Screenplay

* Bridge of Spies -- Matt Charman, Ethan Coel and Joel Cohen
* The Hateful Eight -- Quentin Tarantino
* Inside Out -- Josh Cooley, Pete Docter and Meg LeFauve
* Spotlight -- Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer
* Straight Outta Compton -- Andrea Berloff, Jonathan Herman, S.Leigh Savidge and Alan Wenkus

Alt: Ex Machina

Best Foreign Language Film

* Embrace of the Serpent -- Colombia
* Labyrinth of Lies -- Germany
* Mustang -- France
* Son of Saul -- Hungary
* Theeb -- Jordan

Alt: The Brand New Testament -- Belgium

Best Animated Feature Film

* Anomalisa
* The Good Dinosaur
* Inside Out
* The Peanuts Movie
* Shaun the Sheep 

Alt: Minions

Best Cinematography

* Carol
* Mad Max: Fury Road
* The Martian
* The Revenant
* Sicario

Alt: The Hateful Eight

Best Costume Design

* Brooklyn
* Carol
* Cinderella
* The Danish Girl
* Mad Max: Fury Road

Alt: The Revenant

Best Film Editing

* The Big Short
* Bridge of Spies
* Mad Max: Fury Road
* The Martian
* The Revenant

Alt: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

* Mad Max: Fury Road
* Mr. Holmes
* The Revenant

Alt: Black Mass

Best Production Design

* Bridge of Spies
* Carol
* Crimson Peak
* The Danish Girl
* The Martian

Alt: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Original Score

* Bridge of Spies
* Carol
* The Danish Girl
* The Hateful Eight
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Alt: Sicario

Best Original Song

* "Feels Like Summer" from Shaun the Sheep
* "I'll See You In My Dreams" from I'll See You In My Dreams
* "See You Again" from Furious 7
* "Simple Song #3" from Youth
* "Til' It Happens to You" from The Hunting Ground

Alt: "Love Me Like You Do" from Fifty Shades of Grey

Best Sound Editing

* Jurassic World
* Mad Max: Fury Road
* The Martian
* Sicario
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Alt: The Revenant

Best Sound Mixing

* Mad Max: Fury Road
* The Revenant
* Sicario
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens
* Straight Outta Compton

Alt: Bridge of Spies

Best Visual Effects

* Ex Machina
* Jurassic World
* Mad Max: Fury Road
* The Martian
* Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Alt: The Revenant

Best Documentary Feature

* Amy
* He Names Me Malala
*The Hunting Ground
* Listen To Me Marlon
*The Look of Silence

Alt: Where to Invade Next

Best Documentary Short

* Body Team 12
* Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
* Last Day of Freedom
* Minerita
* My Enemy, my Brother

Alt: Starting Point

Best Animated Short Film

* Bear Story (Historia de un oso)
* If I was God
* An Object at Rest
* Sanjay's Super Team
* We Can't Live Without Cosmos

Alt: My Home (Chez moi)

Best Live Action Short Film
* Ave Maria
* Bad Hunter
* Day One
* Shok
* Stutterer

Alt: Bis Gleich (Till Then)

TOTAL COUNT

Mad Max: Fury Road > 9
Carol & The Martian > 8
The Revenant > 7
The Big Short, Bridge of Spies & The Danish Girl > 6
Room, Spotlight & Star Wars: The Force Awakens > 4
Brooklyn, The Hateful Eight, Inside Out, Sicario, Steve Jobs & Straight Outta Compton > 3
The Hunting Ground, Jurassic World & Shaun the Sheep > 2

All other movies would get one nomination each.

domingo, 22 de febrero de 2015

SPECIAL: Oscar Predictions (Winners)

OSCAR PREDICTIONS - WINNERS

My final predictions with who will, could and should win, the latter only taking nominees into account (or we could be here forever). Let's start:

Best Picture


Will win: Boyhood > Of course, the race is between Birdman and Boyhood. But personally, I think the latter will win to its universality, which Birdman lacks. Of course, it's 50-50 right now so, who knows.

Could win: Birdman > The movie has performed very well in major awards and some of the guilds, the key ones, no less, so it's quite possible that the Michael Keaton vehicle will be able to win the top prize:

My vote: The Grand Budapest Hotel > I think it's the most complete of the films nominated. It uses all the tools that cinema can take hold off and is able to tell a compelling story in the most visual and entertaining way.

Best Director



Will win: Richard Linklater (Boyhood) > Yes, I know González Iñárritu won the DGA but Richard Linklater's work is much more showy and it's certainly hard that his effort to make his movie is going to be ignored. Besides, Alfonso Cuarón's last year's win may put them off from voting for González.

Could win: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) > No doubt, the two top races are head to head and any of these guys could win. Both works are good enough for the prize.

My vote: Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) > ok, they were all good but no movie showed the director's ability to handle his craft more evidently than Foxcatcher. I still don't get how it was that the movie wasn't nominated in the Best Picture category. Miller is a brilliant, dedicated artist and he should win one of these soon.

Best Actor in a Leading role


Will win: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) > Another tight race in which I believe voter will prefer the young "newcomer" than the old veteran. Remember Mickey Rourke losing a few years ago? In any case, Redmayne's physicality and love for the character makes a win very deserving.

Could win: Michael Keaton (Birdman) > He's the face of one of the top two movies of the year and he's pretty good at it. But I feel his record with the Academy and the fact that his character is not that lovable or close, will make him lose at the end.

Should win: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) > My favorite of the bunch although I would have loved to see Timothy Spall nominated...

Best Actress in a Leading role


Will win: Julianne Moore (Still Alice) > She has been locked for a couple of months. She's a beloved skilled actress and this is a recognition, not only for her great work in this film, but for her career up to this day.

Could win: Marion Cotillard (Deux jours, Une nuit) > She won lots of critics awards and she is definitively second to Moore although I think it would be a very big surprise if she did won. Foreign language performances are still not that appreciated, in any case.

Should win: Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) > Shameful the Academy didn't embrace one of the best thrillers to come out in the last few years. She was brilliant as the crazy and manipulative wife in a loveless marriage.

Best Actor in a Supporting role


Will win: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) > For some reason, villainous types are loved greatly in this category. Although not all have won, Simmons performance is too good to be ignored as the cruel, crazed music conductor.

Could win: No one really. J.K Simmons has been locked for months and there's no way he could loose.

Should win: J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) > Too showy to miss. None of the other gentlemen gave that kind of performance. Not even Norton which, to me, is a very overrated performance.

Best Actress in a Supporting role


Will win: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) > Her character is the strongest one of her movie and she shows it every so often. The growing old process is specially remarkable for her as she matures before our eyes, just as her character's son does.

Could win: Emma Stone (Birdman) > Love for Birdman may be strong enough to topple Arquette out of her prize. Besides, Stone is widely beloved as an actress and they may want to give her a boost with an award, even if her character is not all that strong.

Should win: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) > She's locked. Let's get real.

Best Original Screenplay


Will win: Birdman > This one seems safe for the movie about a former movie actor trying to put up a play while being hunted by his past. The dialogues are quite remarkable and the movie is quite original in the way it's delivered to the audience.

Could win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > It has won some other awards in this category and I bet many voters were attracted to it because the story is so original, witty and clever. It deserves at least one prize.

Should win: The Grand Budapest Hotel but also Foxcatcher. Both screenplay were very clever and real pieces of cinema.

Best Adapted Screenplay 



Will win: Whiplash > It is normally the original screenplay category that prizes bold new directors and screenwriters but I do believe this time it will be Chazelle's movie about the world of music that will attract the votes.

Could win: The Imitation Game > WWII has always attracted the Academy and this movie has aspects to be liked by any kind of person. Besides the movie has eight nominations and its hard to see it walking away empty handed.

Should win: Whiplash > Whiplash is an actual original piece that deserves to be recognized, even if its a bit of category fraud.

Best Animated Feature Film


Will win: Big Hero 6 > Disney struck gold and got to our hearts with this moving piece of animation that, as always, finds a way to have a happy ending while dealing with grief and pain. Besides, the character and story are too good to ignore.

Could win: How to Train Your Dragon 2 > Succesful with the guilds and even more after The Lego Movie's snub, this piece also deals with grief and pain but also love and family. It's another one of those tight races we love.

Should win: Big Hero 6 > I loved it. Although Princess Kaguya was not bad at all and a win might bring the Academy close to Studio Ghibli again, after that awful snub for The Wind Rises last year.

Best Foreign Language Film



Will win: Ida (Poland) > And, once again, Academy veterans love WWII and, although that's not the main subject of the movie, it is pretty close to it. A nun finding the truth about her family while meeting an aunt she had no idea existed. It's a very good story and the acting is to be remembered.

Could win: Timbuktu (Mauritania) > After winning many César awards (the french Oscars), I believe this movie may have a big chance to win. Americans love to talk about terrorism and it has France behind it whic guarantees quality.

Should win: Leviathan (Russia) > This is the movie with the best premise and with a strong support by the guilds. Maybe it will win...

Best Documentary Feature


Will win: Citizenfour > The Academy, from time to time, loves to get political and confront the audience with the reality of their world. And what best way to do so that by awarding a daring journalist for her work on a key figure of today's world stage.

Could win: The Salt of the Earth > Wim Wender's documentaries are always beautiful and compelling. However, he has failed to win for a long time. Maybe he's due for a second award.

Should win: Finding Vivian Maier > The premise sounds gorgeous and I'm really sorry not having seeing it yet.

Best Documentary Short



Will win: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 > Well, its the United States and they love to give prizes to documentaries made about their own problems and this one sounds like something they would go for.

Could win: White Earth > Another local piece that sounds interesting.

Should win: Joanna > My favorite premise of all five: a woman is told she had three months to live and decides to start a blog about it.

Best Live Action Short Film



Will win: The Phone Call > Sally Hawkins as a helpline worker... Sounds good enough for a win.

Could win: Parvaneh > Immigration. What's not to like?

Should win: Aya > I find the premise funny and worth of a look: a man confuses a woman for his assigned driver.

Best Animated Short Film


Will win: Feast > Apparently it's very good animation and it has been well marketed. A man's love life seen through the eyes of his dog.

Could win: The Bigger Picture > Uncommon animation sometimes attracts voters.

Should win: A Single life > Premise sounds interesting: Pia can travel through her life when she plays a vinyl record. 

Best Original Score


Will win: The Theory of Everything > Besides Redmayne's performance, everyone agrees the score is one of the best parts of the movie. And it helps that the composer has never been nominated because the Academy loves to give prizes to newcomers in this category.

Could win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > Double nomination would normally mean more chances to win but that has proven not quite true with the Oscars. Maybe this time it will happen?



Should win: Interstellar > Without a doubt the best of the bunch: you can play it without any images and it's still magnificent. It deserves to win. Besides, Hans Zimmer hasn't won since The Lion King. 

Best Original Song



Will win: Selma > This will be the only place where this movie will be recognized and, I have to say, it shouldn't. Studios are making all kind of things to trick the rules of this category in order to get in. To me, the song play in the credits and shouldn't be able to compete. Sorry but that's the rule.



Could win: The Lego Movie > Another snubbed movie that may find solace in this category, however unlikely that may be. Selma will have heavy support here, to the low amount of nominations it garnered.

Should win: Begin Again > The best song of the bunch, no doubt about it. It's played at least twice by two characters during the movie and it never feels forced or out of sync with the movie itself.

Best Sound Editing




Will win: American Sniper > With six surprise nominations, its hard to think it won't get at least one and this category is perfect as sound effects are quite important throughout the movie and they used them wisely.

Could win: Unbroken > Another war movie that excelled in it's use of sound to depict certain conditions, specially the one related to the airplanes and the prison camp.

Should win: Interstellar > Not as heavy use of sound as it the other two movies I mentioned but they sure did a great use of them, in this science fiction piece.

Best Sound Mixing


Will win: Whiplash > We're talking about mixing and musicals normally do well here. Of course, this movies is not a musical at all but it engages us into the plot with the sounds produced by an obsessed drummer.

Could win: American Sniper > It is very likely that they could win both. It happens frequently and wouldn't be all that strange.

Should win: Whiplash > Music and images carry the film. Impossible to overlook it.

Best Production Design


Will win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > Both scene decoration and art direction are simply marvelous to the detail in this fine period piece. Everything was done to the minimal perfection and it should be rewarded.

Could win: Mr. Turner > Recreating the life of a painter living between the 18th and 19th centuries sure proved a challenged for the talented artists that brought us closer to the England of that time.

Should win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > It's showy, colorful, clean, beautiful and just breathtaking.

Best Cinematography



Will win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > It's classic but a bit daring too and it's a rather calm film, using many of the techniques cinematographers today avoid.

Could win: Birdman > Lubezki's cinematography is brilliant although it looks better because of the great editing, that sadly wasn't recognized by the Academy. Somehow, I doubt he will be honored twice in a row.

Should win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > But although great, I have to say it's sad not to see the beautiful work of Hoyte Van Hoytema recognized in the category, for his beautiful work in Interstellar.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling


Will win: Guardians of the Galaxy > Besides being a box office hit, which helps, the movie's best feature is the makeup work. And science fiction has often being recognized in this category.

Could win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > Tilda Swinton's character, in particular, is showy enough to make a the movie win.

Should win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > The movie is just to beautiful to overlook.

Best Costume Design


Will win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > Milena Canonero is to great to be ignored. Her work is simply marvelous on this movie.

Could win: Into the Woods > But they also love Colleen Atwood and her work in many movies, even the ones that weren't that popular with the public.

Should win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > Canonero deserves that Oscar, her fourth.

Best Film Editing


Will win: Whiplash > Fast paced, lots of different frames and angles and a story that advances pretty fast. And it's all about the editing.

Could win: The Grand Budapest Hotel > Although it might be more because of its cinematography, the movie relies on a soft form of editing that many often ignore.

Should win: Whiplash > Editing in its best form, without a doubt. Although Birdman is not a movie I love, this category was theirs and somehow it missed.

Best Visual Effects


Will win: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes > No one understands how the first one lost this award to Hugo. But the sequel is equally brilliant when using motion capture technology as well as creating new characters with it.

Could win: Interstellar > It has done well with critics and with the general public. Besides, being a movie with a message may be good enough for many voters. Anyway, many sequences and specially the robots are just brilliant.

Should win: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes > Motion capture technology has not being properly recognized with an Oscar and this should be a first step to actors being nominated for their work in that new artform, post-Avatar of course.

Final Count
Will win

Whiplash = 4
Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel = 3
The Theory of Everything = 2
Still Alice, Birdman, Big Hero 6, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, American Sniper, 
Guardians of the Galaxy, Ida, Citizenfour, Feats, Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, Selma = 1