Batman is robbed by Oscar
1/23/2009"...as human beings we are capable of making sense of situations based on the thinnest slice of experience."
Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink and The Tipping Point.
WE ARE NOT HAPPY: So The Dark Knight doesn't get an Oscar nomination despite being incredibly good? But high-brow The Reader does. Holy snub, Batman! That's just wrong and proof that the Academy Award nominations are inherently flawed. To protest, we suggest a road trip to Dearborn's IMAX Theater to catch The Dark Knight in all its grand glory this weekend. (RL)
DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: The political season is over. But just as our new president gets to work, I thought I'd suggest a different kind of political film, this one involving the cutthroat world of high school elections. The film is 1999's Election, a dark comedy starring Matthew Broderick as Jim McAllister, a popular high school history teacher whose loathsome opinion of ambitious, know-it-all student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) drives him to encourage nice, but not-so-bright jock Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to oppose her in the school president race. Directed by Alexander Payne (About Schmidt, Sideways), who cowrote the script with Tom Perrotta, who penned the novel on which the movie is based, Election is smart -- with not a moment of wasted film time -- and biting in its commentary on modern-day politics. It also showcases a young Witherspoon, who delivers an unforgettable performance. (KB)
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Macintosh commerical. Directed by Ridley Scott, the minute-long spot ran during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII to quizzical expressions and later universal applause. The ad, which ran only once, also launched the Mac, and made the Super Bowl THE showcase event of the year for advertisers. Before then, I suppose, people got up during Super Bowl commercials to eat or go to the restroom. So, we have Apple to thank for all the growling stomachs and busted bladders that have happened in Super Bowls since. (KB)
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE STINKERS: On the same day the Oscars are announced, we give you the lowest of the low movies from the past year, "honored" of course by the Razzie awards. Mike Myers led the way with his bomb Love Guru and other so-called winners were Al Pacino, Paris Hilton and Mark Wahlberg. (RL)
AMERICAN IDOL UPDATE: AI is four episodes in and so far the would-be pop stars have been homeless, sick, and blind -- at least some of them. A couple of contenders have emerged. from the pack, though. (RL)
HOLY TOLEDO: Michelle Obama rocked the fashion world with an Isabel Toledo dress that was designed to symbolize optimism, but we just wondered if she was cold. Turns out, no, because of "secret layers" of stuff to keep her warm. Meanwhile the first kids, Malia and Sasha, looked fetching in J. Crew. No word on dad's fashion as he opted for what seemed to go for a pretty straight-forward suit. Meanwhile, gobs of celebrities were out for the inagural balls. (RL)
FAMILY VALUES: Yesterday, Thin Slices presented you with Beyonce. Today it's her husband Jay-Z, who explains how he came up with his verse for Young Jeezy's "My President" honoring Barack Obama. (RL)
LET THE HYPE BEGIN: U2 and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are putting out new discs within a month of each other, which means you'll be hearing an awful lot from both rockers. U2's new single, the awkwardly titled "Get On Your Boots" is already streaming online.. (RL)
DISCUSS AMONG YOURSELVES: The Dallas Morning News has named the best left-handed athletes in the world. Given that Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Tiger Woods are not lefties, well, obviously these aren't the best athletes in the world, just the best lefties. (RL)
WE ARE ONE: That was the theme of the inauguration kick off Sunday in which a bunch of musical A-listers like Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Usher, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger, and John Mellencamp paid tribute as much to America as to President-elect Barack Obama. (RL)
WEIRD COURT NEWS: A Portugese businessman hacked off one of his fingers in court during a hearing on a debt he owed. He called it "an act of despair." We agree. (RL)
WEIRD ENTERTAINMENT NEWS: They never learn do they? Another actor, this time Joaquin Phoenix has decided he's a musician. A rapper, to boot. (RL)
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