The Couch Potato Report - December 22nd, 2007
This week The Couch Potato Report peels a 4-DVD set for train enthusiasts, and my favourite film of the year!
With their only a few shopping days left, here are some ideas for your gift giving, and viewing pleasure...starting with a great box set that allows us to travel parts fo CANADA BY RAIL.
The 4-DVD Box Set CANADA BY RAIL features a stunning and quite unique look at our nation's railways lines in Alberta, British Columbia and along the Yellowhead Highway.
In addition to the great visuals, there are also some very unique facts included on the DVDs.
Sure, many of those facts will only be appreciated by train enthusiasts, but since they are the primary audience for this set, it is a success!
CANADA BY RAIL doesn't offer very much history on these rail lines, and I would have liked to see some footage of the railway in Eastern Canada as well, but as someone who likes to watch trains, I thoroughly enjoyed this set.
So get in the booth with the locomotive engineer and take a ride!
A ride through CANADA BY RAIL!
Up next this week is my favourite movie of the year!
This is a small, Irish film that never even played in a theatre in Saskatchewan, as much as I may have wanted it to....ladies and gentlemen, may I presnt to you a musical called ONCE.
And with that, ONCE begins. A busking musician on the streets of Dublin meets a young woman when she stops to listen to his song.
They become friends, write some songs together, and who knows, maybe more, after all...how often do you meet that special person in your life?
Yes, the title of this film is called ONCE.
Now, I mentioned that this film is a musical, but it is a modern day musical. They are no huge production numbers, no Bob Fosse style choreography, there are just two people who communicate with each other through songs.
And they aren't singing alone in a room, stranded in fabulous sets while they pine away for one another...they are singing with and to each other.
I could point out that in a day of film budgets exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars, ONCE was made for only $160,000, and it was shot in 17 days.
But all of that is just secondary to the fact that this is a spectacular film! The characters are real, their story is involving and the songs are great!
Since it's release in May, I have seen this movie - no word of a lie - over 20 times now, including twice this week, and it never once failed to engage me and move me.
ONCE is my favourite film of 2007.
If you are looking for a film to watch or give as a gift to someone you love, then I highly recommend it.
I have four more new releases to tell you about this week, and I will start with Canadian Director David Cronenberg's latest - EASTERN PROMISES.
Naomi Watts stars as Anna, a midwife at a London hospital who delivers a baby girl from an unconscious and hemorrhaging fourteen-year-old.
The teenager dies during childbirth and has no identification other than a diary.
Anna wants to find the baby's relatives, so she sets out to uncover the mother's identity.
What she ends up uncovering, is a plot involving the Russian Mafia.
Viggo Mortensen from A HISTORY FO VIOLENCE co-stars in this absorbing and interesting film.
Personally, I would go see any movie that Cronenberg films, so I happily saw EASTERN PROMISES.
If you are also a fan of The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, eXistenZ, A History of Violence or any of his other films, then this one is also a must see.
Otherwise, EASTERN PROMISES is not a movie for everyone. There are some moments of great suspence, and interesting storytelling, but the violence might be a turn off to some.
EASTERN PROMISES isn't Cronenberg's best film, but even his worst is still better than the majority of movies made in Hollywood.
Even movies that are remakes of old 1960's television cartoons...like UNDERDOG - THE MOVIE.
The movie version of the classic series isn't awful...unless you love the series...then it is.
Jason Lee from MY NAME IS EARL voices the title-pooch, and he just seems to be reading, not performing, but reading the lines...and that bothered me.
No matter how inane the dialogue was during the TV series, Wally Cox, always gave it his all.
I think kids might like the live action UNDERDOG movie...but Jason Lee's performance, the less-than-stellar computer graffics, and the fact that I have loved the cartoon since I was a kid, prevented me from enjoying ths movie at all.
BUT, after that film was over, I did enjoy sitting through the 3-DVD box set from the original show called UNDERDOG: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION.
This set has eighteen COMPLETE EPISODES, as they originally aired, all digitally re-mastered, and yes, Tennessee Tuxedo, Klondike Kat, the Go Go Gophers, Commander McBragg, and all of the other characters you remember are all here too!!
I still love the cartoons! The movie...not so much!
Finally this week is another cartoon I loved as a kid, and one I am sure you did too!
Yes, the complete original series of PETER PUCK - HOW TO PLAY THE GAME is now available!
Peter Puck appeared on both NBC's Hockey Game of the Week and CBC's Hockey Night in Canada during the 1970s, explained hockey rules to the home viewing audience.
He also showed us things like pucks were made!
Peter Puck helped teach me all about hockey as a kid, and the nostalgia that I felt this week while watching this DVD made me feel young again!
I think this DVD would make a great stolking stuffer for hockey fans new, and old!
PETER PUCK, the 3-DVD set UNDERDOG: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION, the live action movie of UNDERDOG, David Cronenberg's EASTERN PROMISES, the 4-DVD Box Set CANADA BY RAIL, and my favourite movie of the year, a small film called ONCE are all available now on DVD.
Coming up on the next Couch Potato Report
72 COMPLETE is the ultimate collector's edition 8-DVD Box Set of the 1972 Summit Series, with over 26 hours of hockey action, and some great retrospective looks back.
Also next week, with this year's World Junior Hockey Tournament getting underway on Boxing Day, we will look back at past years with the new 4-DVD Set CANADA'S JUNIORS - THE GOLD STANDARD.
I also have two noteworthy, but non-exceptional films, RUSH HOUR 3 and INTERVIEW; plus I will tell you about the new 2, 4 and 5 disc editions of the classic 1982 film BLADE RUNNER.
I'm Dan Reynish. I'll have more on those, and some other releases, in seven days.
For now, that's this week's COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I'll see you back here next time on The Couch!
Tracking the awards leading up to Oscars
A list of honors the top movies are winning leading up to the Oscars:
AMERICAN GANGSTER
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination
Best actor, Denzel Washington: Golden Globe nomination
Best supporting actress, Ruby Dee: Screen Actors Guild nomination
Best director, Ridley Scott: Golden Globe nomination
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THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD
Best supporting actor, Casey Affleck: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review
Best cinematography, Roger Deakins: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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ATONEMENT
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best actor, James McAvoy: Golden Globe nomination
Best actress, Keira Knightley: Golden Globe nomination
Best supporting actress, Vanessa Redgrave: Critics' Choice nomination
Best supporting actress, Saoirse Ronan: Golden Globe nomination
Best young actress, Saoirse Ronan: Critics' Choice nomination
Best director, Joe Wright: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best adapted screenplay, Christopher Hampton: Golden Globe nomination
Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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AWAY FROM HER
Best actress, Julie Christie: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Best directorial debut, Sarah Polley: New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online
New Generation Award, director Sarah Polley: Los Angeles Film Critics Association
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CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination
Best actor, Tom Hanks: Golden Globe nomination
Best supporting actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best supporting actress, Julia Roberts: Golden Globe nomination
Best screenplay, Aaron Sorkin: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Top 10 lists: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY
Best picture: Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Online
Best foreign film: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Best director, Julian Schnabel: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Boston Society of Film Critics
Best screenplay, Ronald Harwood: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination
Best cinematography, Janusz Kaminski: Spirit Award nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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EASTERN PROMISES
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination
Best actor, Viggo Mortensen: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
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ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE
Best actress, Cate Blanchett: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
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GONE BABY GONE
Best acting ensemble: Critics' Choice nomination
Best supporting actress, Amy Ryan: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association
Best directorial debut, Ben Affleck: National Board of Review, Boston Society of Film Critics
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HAIRSPRAY
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination
Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best actress, Nikki Blonsky: Golden Globe nomination
Best young actress, Nikki Blonsky: Critics' Choice nomination
Best supporting actor, John Travolta: Golden Globe nomination
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I'M NOT THERE
Best picture: Spirit Award nomination
Best director, Todd Haynes: Spirit Award nomination
Best supporting actress, Cate Blanchett: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Spirit Award nomination, New York Film Critics Online
Best supporting actor, Marcus Carl Franklin: Spirit Award nomination
Top 10 lists: New York Film Critics Online
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INTO THE WILD
Best picture: Critics' Choice nomination
Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination
Best actor, Emile Hirsch: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Breakthrough performance, Emile Hirsch: National Board of Review
Best supporting actor, Hal Holbrook: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best supporting actress, Catherine Keener: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best director, Sean Penn: Critics' Choice nomination
Best screenplay, Sean Penn: Critics' Choice nomination
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, National Board of Review, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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JUNO
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best acting ensemble: Critics' Choice nomination
Best actress, Ellen Page: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Breakthrough performance, Ellen Page: National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association
Best director, Jason Reitman: Spirit Award nomination
Best original screenplay, Diablo Cody: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association
Best first screenplay, Diablo Cody: Spirit Award nomination
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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THE KITE RUNNER
Best picture: Critics' Choice nomination
Best foreign film: Golden Globe nomination
Best young actor, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada: Critics' Choice nomination
Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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LA VIE EN ROSE
Best foreign film: Critics' Choice nomination
Best actress, Marion Cotillard: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics
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LARS AND THE REAL GIRL
Best actor, Ryan Gosling: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best original screenplay, Nancy Oliver: Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review
Top 10 lists: National Board of Review
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LUST, CAUTION
Best foreign film: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best actor, Tony Leung: Spirit Award nomination
Best actress, Tang Wei: Spirit Award nomination
Best cinematography, Rodrigo Prieto: Spirit Award nomination
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MICHAEL CLAYTON
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best actor, George Clooney: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association
Best supporting actor, Tom Wilkinson: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best supporting actress, Tilda Swinton: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Best screenplay: Critics' Choice nomination
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
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A MIGHTY HEART
Best picture: Spirit Award nomination
Best actress, Angelina Jolie: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Spirit Award nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best first screenplay, John Orloff: Spirit Award nomination
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NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, Associated Press critics Christy Lemire and David Germain
Best ensemble cast: Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best supporting actor, Javier Bardem: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online, Boston Society of Film Critics, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Best supporting actor, Tommy Lee Jones: Screen Actors Guild nomination
Best ensemble cast: National Board of Review, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association
Best director, Joel and Ethan Coen: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Best adapted screenplay, Joel and Ethan Coen: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, New York Film Critics Online
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NO END IN SIGHT
Best documentary: Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association
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PERSEPOLIS
Best animated film: Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online, Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Best foreign language film: Golden Globe nomination, New York Film Critics Online
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RATATOUILLE
Best animated film: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
Best screenplay, Brad Bird: Boston Society of Film Critics
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute
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THE SAVAGES
Best actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman: Golden Globe nomination, Spirit Award nomination
Best director, Tamara Jenkins: Spirit Award nomination
Best screenplay, Tamara Jenkins: Spirit Award nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Best cinematography, Mott Hupfel: Spirit Award nomination
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute
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SICKO
Best documentary: Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Online, Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association
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SWEENEY TODD
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best acting ensemble: Critics' Choice nomination
Best actor, Johnny Depp: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination
Best actress, Helena Bonham Carter: Golden Globe nomination
Best young actor, Edward Sanders: Critics' Choice nomination
Best director, Tim Burton: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, National Board of Review
Best art direction: Washington, D.C., Area Film Critics Association
Top 10 lists: National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Online
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THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Best picture: Golden Globe nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Online
Best director, Paul Thomas Anderson: Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Online
Best actor, Daniel Day-Lewis: Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination, Critics' Choice nomination, New York Film Critics Circle, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Online
Best cinematography, Robert Elswit: New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online
Best production design, Jack Fisk: Los Angeles Film Critics Association
Top 10 lists: American Film Institute, New York Film Critics Online, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association
No deal for Letterman and TV writers
NEW YORK - David Letterman doesn't even need writers to have fun with this one.
The late-night comic's representatives met with striking writers on Friday in an attempt to reach a deal that will allow the "Late Show" to return to the air with its writing staff.
All the Writers Guild of America would say about the meeting: "A lively exchange of information took place." It was reminiscent of diplomat-speak for argumentative talks between hostile countries: "A frank exchange of views."
Absent a deal, the CBS show's goal of returning to the air with live episodes on Jan. 2 is still up in the air.
Late-night rivals Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel are all coming back that night without writers if the strike, as expected, is not resolved. Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert plan to bring their late-night shows back without writers on Jan. 7.
Letterman's hope to bring his writers back stemmed from the union's announcement last weekend that it was open to reaching contract agreements with separate production companies. Letterman's Worldwide Pants owns his show and CBS' talk show with Craig Ferguson.
Rob Burnett, president and CEO of Worldwide Pants, didn't say much more.
"We had a substantive discussion today with the WGA and look forward to continuing these talks next week," Burnett said.