The Lint Screen

Tag: The Social Network

  • 10 Incredible Oscar Contender Stories

    Oh, the things people do to get one of these babies…
    In preparation for the upcoming Academy Awards Ceremony, The Lint Screen has dug deep to unearth ten fascinating tidbits your big brain probably didn’t know that it didn’t know.

    1. Aaron Sorkin wrote the 164-page screenplay for The Social Network in a Starbucks on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica in the time it took him to drink a Venti Caramel Macchiatto. What makes this fact even more amazing is that he actually resisted the siren call of the raspberry scones.

    2. That scene in Inception where the street rolls up and everything gets all kaflooey–– done with bulldozers. And very skilled magicians.

    3. While Natalie Portman did a magnificent job learning to dance ballet in Black Swan, she almost killed herself with a misstep while dancing the hokey-pokey at a cast party. “Natalie is a natural athlete,” said a choreographer on the picture. “While she’s quite gifted and graceful putting her left foot in and putting her left foot out, she is a total klutz in the shaking it all about department. Please don’t tell her I said that– I can’t survive another one of her beatings!”

    4. The original title for The Kids Are All Right was Baba O’Reily.

    5. Being a dedicated method actor, Jeff Bridges gouged his left eye out of his skull and had it replaced with a glass eyeball for the filming of True Grit. But before shooting began, directors Joel and Ethan Coen decided they preferred Rooster Cogburn’s right eye to be covered with the eyepatch. Bridges went to his trailer and stumbled back to the set wearing the eyepatch over his right eye.

    6. James Franco did not really saw his arm off in 127 Hours, but his stunt double, now called Lefty, is pretty bitter about the entire filming experience.

    7. Colin Firth not only faked his stammer in The King’s Speech, he also sewed all the costumes for the wardrobe department. “I’m quite good with a needle and thread,” said the handsome actor. “It helps to calm my nerves. I have a collection of thimbles that is quite modestly second to none. I say, would you like some cuffs on your trousers, guvnor?”

    8. All the actors in Winter’s Bone had distinguished British accents and performed on horseback. The horses were removed in post production.

    9. In Toy Story 3, Woody and Buzz got into a huge fight at the craft services table. Woody was hospitalized for two days and Buzz required six stitches and heavy make-up to cover his bruises. The two did not speak off camera at all after the incident.

    10. The entire film The Fighter–– done in one take. All the sweat? Fake.

    Now you know…

  • If It Would Please The Members Of The Academy…

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    And the big winner is…
    I think you went overboard in the your Oscar nomination love for The King’s Speech and True Grit.

    Yes, both films were well made, acted, and directed, but 22 nominations between them is a bit much.

    You should have slathered much more love on The Social Network, far and away the best film that I saw last year.

    You could have shown a little more love for Black Swan and The Fighter, two fresh takes on the human condition.

    But, you went and did what you usually do: bow down and curtsey for the period movie with British accents, and toss rose petals at the feet of talented filmmakers who are being recognized more for their past work that you ignored than their film being honored.

    Oh, Hollywood, you are so predictable you deserve to give yourself an award for consistency.

  • Two Heavyweight Oscar Contenders

    It’s hard to become champ with a crackhead in your corner.
    2010 was a pretty terrific year for movie lovers.

    The Social Network, Winter’s Bone, The King’s Speech, True Grit and The Other Guys were some of my favorites. I recently caught two surefire Oscar favorites– The Fighter and Black Swan. Both are must-sees for any serious film lover.

    In The Fighter, we see a tale that’s been told many times: the palooka beating the odds, trusting in himself and succeeding. But, this film based on true events throws in some interesting twists– a family that loves and manipulates so hard it’s crushing, and the perils of being trained by a crackhead.
    Christian Bale is phenomenal as the washed-up older brother/trainer to Mark Wahlberg’s battling boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward.

    Bale’s “Dickey” lives in his past glory days and deludes himself with dreams of rising again to be a serious fighter and contender. Until then, he has the crack pipe and his little brother to keep him occupied. The boys have an overbearing mother played by Melissa Leo, in a performance sure to get an Oscar nod. Mom is not only the matriarch of the family, she schedules upcoming bouts and manages her brood of fighting boys and doting daughters. Leo and Bale are a potent one-two punch (witness the scene in the car with the two singing).

    Throw in killer performances by Amy Adams and Mark Wahlberg, and you have a film best described by our firstborn son as “it’s hard to imagine a better sports movie.” Yes, yes it is.

    Director David O. Russell really delivers the goods here; the pacing, camerawork, cinematography and performances are all terrific. That said, I cannot forgive Russell for the wreck that was I Heart Huckabees .

    Ballet gets very, very frightening.
    The other move that should not be missed is Black Swan, a film just under two hours that will haunt you for a long time to come.

    While we’ve all seen many boxing tales, we probably can’t name many gripping ballet flicks. Enter Black Swan, a movie that’s part beauty, part beast, and has the creepy edginess of Psycho throughout.

    Oscar, meet Natalie Portman, shake hands and get to know each other. She’s a lock.

    Portman shed 20 of her unslightly pounds for the role of Nina Sayers, and she delivers a heavyweight performance as a dedicated-innocent-living-at-home-with-mommie-pursuing-perfection- ballet dancer. Her performance as an actor and dancer are believable, beautiful and incredibly disturbing. Director Darren Aronofsky never lets up with the tension and intrigue of this compelling thiller. No matter how much you think you don’t like ballet, I defy you not to be interested in this film. Of course, some hot sex scenes can spice up any story.

    The supporting cast is superb. Barbara Hershey as Nina’s long suffering artistic mom, Mila Kunis as Lily, the back-tatted beauty in the company who is either Nina’s friend, enemy or a frienemy, Winona Ryder as Beth Macintyre, the fading ballerina star and Vincent Cassel as Thomas Leroy, the driven and manipulative ballet company artistic director.

    I can say no more about the movie aside from this: Swan Lake scares me. See this film. Here’s a ballet film that keeps you on your toes. (Could I get a rimshot, here? A rimshot, please! Rimshot?!)

    The Fighter and Black Swan are two great stories of finding strength from within in decidedly different ways. Between the two films, they’ll easily garner a dozen to a dozen and a half well-deserved Oscar nominations.

    See them and see why.

  • Double Dipping & Loving It

    What price friendship? We’ll never know (can’t disclose).
    My movie barometer for a terrible movie is this: how much would someone have to pay me to see it again?

    There are films that I would not see again for $50. Not even if you threw in popcorn and Milk Duds.

    My barometer for a great movie is will I shell out money to see it again in a theatre? The answer is yes for The Social Network. I saw this film for the second time last night and it was every bit as enjoyable as the first go ’round.

    Now get a load of this: I’m seriously thinking about a third viewing.

    This movie is far and away the best movie of the year. The kind of movie you’ll want to spread the good word about on Facebook. If there is any taste in Hollywood, it should attract Academy Awards nominations like a wool suit collects dog hairs.

    Sorkin’s script, Fincher’s direction, Eisenberg, Garfield, Hammer(s), Timberlake– all the acting, the music, editing, cinematography, everything in this film is perfect. It’s wonderful to see an adult movie without car chases, huge special effects, convoluted characters or a plastic soul. It is the rarest of wonders.

    This is straight ahead a good story very well told and executed.

    See it, at least once in the theatre.