Alternate Best Actor 1954: James Stewart in Rear Window

James Stewart did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying  L. B. "Jeff" Jeffries in Rear Window.Rear Window is an excellent thriller about a photojournalist with a broken leg who spends his day looking out the window and finds that one of the people he is spying on might just have murdered his wife.James Stewart again is the other leading actor for an...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1954: Toshiro Mifune in Seven Samurai

Toshiro Mifune did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Kikuchiyo in Seven Samurai.Seven Samurai is an excellent film about poor villagers who hire seven samurai to fight against a large group of bandits who steal their crops.In the group of the Seven Samurai there is the wise old leader, his young protege, a learned right hand man, a world weary veteran samurai,...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1954: Ray Milland in Dial M For Murder

Ray Milland did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Tony Wendice in Dial M For Murder.Dial M For Murder is an effective Hitchcock thriller about a man who hires another man to murder his wife (Grace Kelly).Ray Milland here portrays the man who hires another man to murder his wife. Ray Milland is especially cultured and dignified in this performance as a wannabe...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1954

And the Nominees Were Not:James Mason in 20,000 Leagues Under The SeaCharles Laughton in Hobson's ChoiceRay Milland in Dial M For MurderJames Stewart in Rear WindowToshiro Mifune in Seven Samurai...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 2011: Results

5. Robert Wieckiewicz in In Darkness- This is not a great performance by any means as the role is relatively simple, but Wieckiewicz nevertheless gives a realistic performance.4. Brendan Gleeson in The Guard-Gleeson makes this just a very entertaining from beginning to end through his realization of a man who may be the best and worst cop simultaneously.3. Michael Shannon...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 2011: Ryan Gosling in Drive

Ryan Gosling did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying the Driver in Drive.Ryan Gosling here plays a role that never has the name of his character identified, and we really never find out exactly where he came from or how he really got to the place he is at the beginning of the film. As the stuntman/car mechanic/getaway driver Gosling portrays a man...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 2011: Michael Shannon in Take Shelter

Michael Shannon did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Curtis LaForche in Take Shelter.Take Shelter is an effective film about a man who sees strange visions which may be indicating some sort of terrible future, or they may be caused by a developing paranoid schizophrenia.Shannon did not receive an Oscar nomination here as the film, and his performance...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 2011: Brendan Gleeson in The Guard

Brendan Gleeson did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Sergeant Gerry Boyle in The Guard.The Guard is an enjoyable crime comedy film about an Irish Guard and an America FBI agent (Don Cheadle) who work together to take care of three dangerous drug dealers.Brendan Gleeson is a consistently competent character actor in supporting roles, but I must...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 2011: Robert Wieckiewicz in In Darkness

Robert Wieckiewicz did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Leopold Socha in In Darkness.In Darkness is a sometimes prodding but also sometimes effective film about a group of Jews who avoid the Nazis by living in the sewer of a city. Robert Wieckiewicz portrays the man Leopold who hides the Jews. Leopold is a sewer maintenance worker who...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 2011: Michael Fassbender in Shame

Michael Fassbender did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Brandon Sullivan in Shame.Shame is an interesting film about a man with an addiction to sex.Michael Fassbender was not nominated for the Oscar even though he was well praised for the role, received a Bafta nomination, and it was one of four films he was in during the year. The academy...

Read More

My reaction to todays Emmy nominations

The 2012 Emmy nominations are out! Here are the Best Comedy nominees:MODERN FAMILY, 30 ROCK, BIG BANG THEORY, GIRLS, VEEP, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM.Notably absent: COMMUNITY, LOUIE, THE OFFICE, PARKS AND RECREATION. Thoughts: When the Academy isn’t crazy about a show that gets a lot of buzz they toss it a bone or two (acting noms, writing noms, best lighting noms). Such is the case with...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 2011

And the Nominees Were Not:Ryan Gosling in DriveRobert Wieckiewicz in In DarknessMichael Fassbender in ShameMichael Shannon in Take ShelterBrendan Gleeson in The Guard...

Read More

Should Pole Dancing be an Olympic sport?

In anticipation of the Olympics (or perhaps upstaging them), this evening in London the two-night World Pole Sport Championships begins. Organizers and aficionados of this most impressive athletic skill are SERIOUSLY trying to get Pole Dancing included as an Olympic event. And I say it’s about time! Whenever I’ve been in a strip club (dragged there by friends of course), I watch these...

Read More

Thanks!!!

Thanks so much to everyone who answered yesterday's post.  If you haven't yet, please do.  When I started this blog I never dreamed I'd have readers from all over the world.  I figured my zip code and maybe one adjacent.   But I'm thrilled you're here and hope the level of content will keep you here.Next up is actually meeting you all, and I'm working on that.   Thanks again.  And a special...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1965: Results

5. Michael Caine in The Ipcress File- Caine uses his unique screen presence and on screen marvelously here to make Harry Palmer a down to earth, and very likable hero.4. Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago-This really is not the usual performance for an epic, but Sharif makes the most of his character and successfully carries the film.3. Lee Van Cleef in For A Few Dollars More-  It...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1965: Terence Stamp in The Collector

Terence Stamp did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Freddie Clegg in The Collector.The Collector is a brilliant film about a man who kidnaps a woman and brings her to his secluded and spacious home.Terence Stamp did not receive an Oscar nomination despite the fact the film did receive a best director nomination as well as a nomination for Samantha Eggar as...

Read More

Who's out there???

I haven’t done this in close to a year. But today I want to hear from YOU. It’s nice for me to know who is out there and what you like or don’t like. So I’m asking you – especially you new readers and lurkers – if you wouldn’t mind going to the comments section, telling me where you’re from, how long you’ve been here, how you found it, and any thoughts on the content, yay or nay. Which...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1965: Lee Van Cleef in For A Few Dollars More

Lee Van Cleef did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Colonel Douglas Mortimer in For A Few Dollars More.For A Few Dollars More is the second part to the excellent dollars trilogy by Sergio Leone. This one depicts Clint Eastwood this time called Manco who is a bounty hunter who teams up with another bounty hunter to take down the crazed bandit Indio...

Read More

"New Choice!"

There was another great exercise for comedy writers in Andy Goldberg’s improv class last Wednesday. This one was called “New Choice!” Two people would do a scene and periodically someone would say something and Andy would interrupt with “New Choice!” The performer then had to devise an alternate line. If Andy wasn’t satisfied he’d again bark “New Choice!” Sometimes it would take two or...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1965: Omar Sharif in Doctor Zhivago

Omar Sharif did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Dr. Yuri Andreyevich Zhivago the titular character of Doctor Zhivago.Doctor Zhivago is the excellent follow up by David Lean to Lawrence of Arabia. This film certainly differs in many ways from that film the biggest being the lead character. In Lawrence of Arabia the main character of T.E. Lawrence absolutely...

Read More

Review: To Rome With Love

How many movies does a writer/director have to make before he no longer has to follow any rules of logic or good storytelling? How many movies until he’s allowed to just recycle elements from his other movies and no one cares? Whatever that number is Woody Allen obviously has passed it. And that’s fine, for what it is. But not fine when he’s still considered a genius and if he should...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1965: Sean Connery in The Hill

Sean Connery did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Joe Roberts in The Hill.The Hill is an excellent film about the inner workings of a British Army Prison in the middle of the desert which has many internal disruptions after one of the prisoners recently brought in has died due to punishment.The fact that Sean Connery received no awards interest...

Read More

Check out my new website!

The website for my book, THE ME GENERATION... BY ME has been revised and really spiffed up!   There's now a sample chapter and a whole photo gallery with never-before-seen pictures of the era, lost drawings of mine, and other goodies.  You can enlarge 'em.  You can do a slide show.   There are even captions!  Also, some videos of the Sunset Strip riots and other '60s fun times.  Prepare to spend...

Read More

Writing problem: what to do if you get stuck

This happens often as you write your script or novel. You come to a point where you think you’ve written yourself into a corner. A plot point requires something and you just can’t get there. Wait a minute, he can’t swim to safety; he’s in a wheelchair. Exactly how is she going to get to the Pope to sell him Girl Scout cookies?This is one of the benefits of a being in a partnership...

Read More

Alternate Best Actor 1965: Michael Caine in The Ipcress File

Michael Caine did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Harry Palmer for the first time in The Ipcress File.The Ipcress File is an effective spy thriller about a spy trying to undercover a strange kidnapping and mind wiping plot.The 60's was a popular time for spy films and 1965 had several of them three particularly notable ones though that...

Read More