Daily Archives: January 22, 2007

Razzie Nominations Announced

The final nods are in for the 27th annual Razzie Awards, and while these anti-Oscars are always generally more about celeb-slagging than actually rooting out the worst of the year in film, it’s telling, isn’t it, that Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa rated no nomination. That’s its own sort of high achievement, actually — a sign of respect for its accomplishments and solid critical notices.

In case anyone’s keeping score, in a very crowded field, the nominees for Worst Film of the Year are BloodRayne, Basic Instinct 2, Little Man, Material Girls and Lady in the Water. (Jessica Simpson got some love, too, unsurprisingly — though there’s little doubt that she could never top Halle Berry’s acceptance speech for Catwoman.)

All things considered, that’s a nicely diverse slate of lowbrow fare, adult-pitched hooey and technical ineptitude. Somehow I became a member of the Razzie’s “nominating body” (I use that phrase very loosely — mailing list is more like it) many years ago, and I actually do put some thought into their painstakingly open-ended ballots, so it’s heartening to see a spread of films that trends away from at least some of the easier big targets. For more on the Razzies, click here.

Criterion Announces April Slate

Criterion has announced its titles for April release, and a history of violence is on its mind. From the bloodiest struggles of World War II to a cutthroat
battle of wills behind bars to the high racial tension of contemporary France,
the consummate boutique DVD label surveys war and aggression in its many forms with its latest trio of films, all set to bow on April 17. Joining the collection
are Stuart Cooper’s blistering evocation of D-day, 1975’s Overlord, which mixes newsreel footage with its fictionalized story; Jules Dassin’s
raw, ruthless 1947 prison melodrama Brute Force; and Mathieu Kassovitz’s gritty, in-your-face La Haine, a notable early effort for actor Vincent Cassel. For more information, click here.

Happy Birthday, Diane Lane

Happy birthday, Diane Lane! You’re 42 years old, still smokin’ hot, doing some of the best work of your career in movies like Unfaithful and Hollywoodland, and you’ve even been on the cover of Time, for Chrissakes. Apart from being married to Josh Brolin, everything seems to be coming up aces. So much so that, what the hell, I’ll link a third picture. Let’s hope Gregory Hoblit’s forthcoming Untraceable gives you a nice, meaty role into which you can sink your teeth.