FS #142 (WBEZ): Dreamgirls / Letters From Iwo Jima / Top 5 Performances of 2006

On this Chicago Public Radio edition: Filmspotting vs. The Oscar Hopefuls...

A big screen adaptation of the 1981 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Dreamgirls" has been touted by many as the movie to beat at the 2007 Academy Awards. Written and directed by the Oscar-winning "Chicago" scribe Bill Condon, the movie is chock full of stars and the promise of big, show-stopping numbers. The movie has received lots of praise from critics who call it a return to the grand spectacle of classic movie musicals. Will your hosts -- two guys who loved "Cabaret" and "An American In Paris," among other films included in their Musicals Marathon -- fall in line? Or will they dare to question the movie's Oscar worthiness?

Back in November, Adam and Sam had a lukewarm response to a film that was being called one of the year's best, Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers." Now the second part of Eastwood's WWII epic, "Letters From Iwo Jima," is being released to even more enthusiastic reviews. If "Flags" was informative but dramatically inert, does Eastwood's Japanese counterpart suffer from the same ills? Or does the film's new perspective of an old enemy really elevate the film to greatness?

Also on the show: Massacre Theatre and Filmspotting continues its look back at the best of the year in cinema ... the Top 5 Male and Female Performances of 2006.. [Filmspotting #141 featured the Top 5 Supporting Performances of the year and Filmspotting #144, available on 1/10, will feature a year-end wrap-up devoted to the best films of 2006.]

Music by Bottle Rockets courtesy of Bloodshot Records.

Filmspotting is brought to you by Peerflix, a fun place to get movies for less.

Any by Sony Picture's Stomp the Yard. In theatres in January. Check it out at StompThePodcast.com



Filmspotting #142
:22-13:19 - Review: "Dreamgirls"
Music: Bottle Rockets, "Middle Man"
14:14-25:31 - Review: "Letters From Iwo Jima"
Music: Bottle Rockets, "Better Than Broken"
26:12-30:11 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Walt Cygan)
30:12-33:49 - Top 5: Female Performances of 2006
Music: Bottle Rockets, "Happy Anniversary"
45:48-59:00 - Top 5: Male Performances of 2006
59:01-1:00:10 - Close/Next Show

CORRECTIONS/NOTES
- Danny Glover has been nominated for a number of awards, but never an Oscar.

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.



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Schedule Update

A couple of Calendar changes to report... hopefully we'll actually stick to this!

Saturday, Dec. 30 (WBEZ): Dreamgirls, Letters From Iwo Jima, Top 5 Performances of the Year (Actor and Actress)

Thursday, Jan. 4: Short show... The Good German, We Are Marshall / Bobby. We were hoping to discuss The Good Shepherd, but I won't be able to see it in time. Bobby got a Golden Globe nomination, so we'll spend a couple of minutes on it. If you're thinking to yourself, hey, wait, isn't Volver out? Children of Men? Anything more interesting than We Are Marshall? The answer is, of course, yes. But this is the best we can do right now based on our schedules. For example, Sam has seen Shepherd, but I can't get to it... while I've seen Volver and Children, but Sam can't get to them. So it is what it is. Thanks for understanding.

Wednesday, Jan. 10: Top 10 Films of 2006

Filmspotting #141: The Pursuit of Happyness / Ghost in the Shell / Top 5 Supporting Performances

It's fair to say that 99% of the people who go to see Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness" know exactly what the movie is going to do to them -- make them cry. The inspiring true story of a down-on-his-luck dad who risks everything to give his family a better life, "Pursuit" is this year's "Cinderella Man." But is there enough Cinderella story to bring Adam and admitted crybaby Sam to tears? Or does Gabriele Muccino, directing his first English-language film, make a conventional Hollywood debut?

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, the fourth film in the Animation Marathon -- Mamoru Oshii's "Ghost in the Shell" -- and the first in a three-part look at the best of the year in cinema ... the Top 5 Supporting Performances of 2006.

Music by The Essex Green courtesy of Merge Records.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Filmspotting this past week! We appreciate your support.

Filmspotting is brought to you by Peerflix, a fun place to get movies for less.

Any by Sony Picture's Stomp the Yard. In theatres in January. Check it out at StompThePodcast.com



Filmspotting #141
:20-16:48 - Review: "The Pursuit Of Happyness"
Music: The Essex Green, "Don't Know Why"
18:14-21:15 - Voicemail, Peerflix Winner (Molly Vik), New DVDs
21:16-26:26 - Donations, Boston Meetup, Poll Questions
26:27-32:02 - Listener Feedback (Apocalypto, Top 5 DVDs )
Music: The Essex Green, "Penny & Jack"
33:16-35:55 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Harlan Harris)
35:56-39:26 - "Akira" Feedback, Animation #4: "Ghost in the Shell"
39:27-49:25 - Animation #4: "Ghost in the Shell"
Music: The Essex Green, "Sin City"
50:46-1:10:55 - Top 5: Supporting Performances of 2006
1:10:56-1:14:02 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

CORRECTIONS/NOTES
- Peerflix.com/filmspotting is no longer an active link. Please click here or go to peerflix.com
- YouTube: "Absolute Anime"
- 2007 Golden Globe Nominations ... Both Paul Greengrass and his film "United 93" were ignored by the Hollywood Foreign Press.

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Filmspotting #140: Apocalypto / Akira / Top 5 DVDs of 2006

With the mug shot, the DUI and the deeply offensive anti-Semitic remarks, it was unclear whether Mel Gibson would see "Apocalypto" released in 2006 -- if at all. It's not like the 15th century Mayan adventure story was exactly an easy sell to begin with. Well, time passed (the arrest happened in late July) and the film's distributor, Buena Vista (aka Disney), decided that tempers had cooled and so the film was unleashed on 2500 screens over the weekend. Listen as Adam and Sam restrain themselves from discussing the film as an anti-Herzogian paean to nature and instead debate the merits of a well-made action movie.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, the third film in the Animation Marathon -- Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" -- and Sam and Adam's Christmas list ... the Top 5 DVDs of 2006.

Music by The Magnetic Fields courtesy of Merge Records.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Filmspotting this past week! We appreciate your support.

Filmspotting is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com

Any by Favre 4 Ever, available now on DVD.



Filmspotting #140
:21-13:54 - Review: "Apocalypto"
Music: The Magnetic Fields, "All My Little Words"
15:02-18:04 - Peerflix Winner (Chuck Knudsen), New DVDs
18:05-21:54 - Donations, Poll Questions
21:55-23:56 - Programming Notes, Boston Meetup
23:57-29:23 - Listener Feedback (Good Films, Bad Directors)
Music: The Magnetic Fields, "The Book of Love"
30:50-34:39 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Steven Smith)
34:40-45:01 - "Fireflies" Feedback, Animation Marathon #3: "Akira"
Music: The Magnetic Fields, "I Don't Want To Get Over You"
46:39-51:30 - Listener Feedback cont.
51:31-1:01:54 - Top 5: Best DVDs of 2006
1:01:55-1:03:49 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

CORRECTIONS/NOTES
- Rumor has it Irvin Kershner directed "Empire Strikes Back" not George Lucas. Who knew? Slip of the tongue, folks. Come on, don't we blame and praise Lucas for everything "Star Wars" related?

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

Filmspotting #139: The Nativity Story / McCabe & Mrs. Miller / Top 5 Good Films From 'Bad' Directors

When New Line courted church-goers with its new film "The Nativity Story", it's likely they didn't bother noting that the film was directed Catherine Hardwicke, the woman behind the teens-gone-wild dramas "Thirteen" and "Lords of Dogtown." As it turns out, that's just fine, because "The Nativity Story" bears almost no resemblance to the gritty realism of Hardwicke's previous films. Instead, she remains faithful to the familiar story -- and to the familiar telling of the story. So faithful, in fact, that one Filmspotting host suggests that it might be indistinguishable from the Nativity Story that you, dear listener, may have starred in as a sixth grader (you played one of the wise men, didn't you?).

Plus, to honor the life and career of Robert Altman, Adam and Sam have a conversation about the 1971 Altman classic "McCabe and Mrs. Miller."

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, and the Tony Scott Memorial 'True Romance' Top 5 ... Good Films From 'Bad' Directors.

Music by Deadstring Brothers courtesy of Bloodshot Records.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Filmspotting this past week! We appreciate your support.

Filmspotting is brought to you by Peerflix. Trade DVDs online at peerflix.com

Any by Favre 4 Ever, available now on DVD.



Filmspotting #139
:21-14:59 - Review: "The Nativity Story"
Music: Deadstring Brothers, "Get Up Jake"
16:30-19:50 - Peerflix Winner (Freddie Mullins), New DVDs
19:51-23:08 - Donations, Poll Questions, Notes
23:09-30:27 - Listener Feedback (The Fountain, Ambitious Movies)
Music: Deadstring Brothers, "Til The Bleeding Stops"
31:37-34:37 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Joren Cain)
34:38-47:44 - Altman Tribute: McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Music: Deadstring Brothers, "Sacred Heart"
48:58-52:55 - Listener Feedback (Ambitious Movies)
52:56-1:05:26 - Top 5: Good Films From Bad Directors
1:05:27-1:08:23 - Close/Next Show/Outtakes

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- Adam meant to say three "stars" not "planets" align to shine a beacon of light down on baby Jesus in "The Nativity Story."
- "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" was actually #2 on Sam's Top 5 list of the movies he's most ashamed to have never seen (Cinecast #2). Wall Street, which he has since seen, was his #1. Adam has seen all five of his top choices since recording that show.
- Sam probably meant to say "showdown" or "gunfight" instead of "faceoff" when describing the 'duel' involving Keith Carradine in "McCabe," but you all knew what he meant.
- Read Sam's tribute to Robert Altman in last week's Dope Sheet.

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.