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Once again I have neglected my blog for an extended period of time. Once again I apologize for this.
First thing's first. Guess what today is. Yes, it's hump day. Woo WOO! HUMP DAYYY!
Also! and here's a hint: Do you remember?
Anybody? Eh? Ehhh???
"Do you remember/The 21st night of September?" Yup HAPPY EARTH, WIND, AND FIRE DAY!!!
PARTY ON!!!
Everybody good? Good because there's a LOT to go over.
So remember how I decided to move back home? I've been living here in Georgia at my parents' place since the end of March. Their generosity has been amazing, and I can't thank them enough for helping me out. Yes, I do want my own place eventually, but that's not going to happen for a while.
I worked this summer as choreographer with KidsCamp at Newnan Theatre Company. It was AWESOME! I met a lot of cool new peeps and had a blast. Sure, kids aren't really my thing, but after working at an amusement park for 9 years, I know how to handle them. You just ignore them right? Right.
I've rediscovered a passion of mine that I haven't been able to explore in a while. CHOREOGRAPHY. I forgot how much I love to create something out of dance and movement. I guess I'm pretty good at it too because I'm also choreographing for NTC's production of The Addams Family. It's going to be our Halloween show. I'm very honored to be a part of it. We've got an insanely talented cast. It's going to be AMAZING!
That was my summer job and fall fun. However that does not bring in the moolah. Much less any money at all. And I gots stuff to do. I didn't move up here for nothing. I struggled for a month and a half after KidsCamp ended in mid-July. Then I did something I should've done when I first moved down. I asked my sistah gurl Ann to help get me a job at Target. AND I GOT IT!
So yes now I'm a crazy Target guy. I work flow, which means unloading the trucks three mornings or more a week. It's actually kinda great because the schedule is similar to what I was working before I left Disney. 6am-noonish. Yes, the mornings are early, but I prefer to get work out of the way and have the rest of the day to myself. Anyway I unload the truck, and I've been pushing (i.e. stocking) the Electronics department before helping out wherever else I'm needed in the store. It's grunt work for sure, but it's a pretty sweet gig. THANKS ANN!!!
Hmm let's see. Happily living in Georgia, choreography, Target... Did I miss anything? That month and a half where I didn't have a job was rough not only financially but emotionally as well. I spent lots of time (read: too much time) pondering life decisions. But I've got a job now, money is rolling in, and I'm staying pretty busy. That being said, I do miss my Whorlandians VERY MUCH. I love every single one of you, and I hope to see ya real soon! And I can't believe I just said that.
As for getting into film? Yes, that's still a dream of mine. Right now I just need to get my feet footed firmly in the ground. I'm still writing in my spare time. That screenplay I've been working on for years? Still working on it. I think my problem was I wasn't sure how it was going to end. I'd been aimlessly writing with no end in sight. But I've fixed that now so hopefully I'll finish the script sometime in the next 10 years.
Okay I think that's quite enough of that. Get ready for the next post because it's gonna be really fun. Until then, peace!
I'm excited.
I'm terrified.
For those of you who don't know (and that's probably the majority of you), I have decided to move back to Georgia.
NAW, WHAT?!
Let me explain. For years now the film industry has steadily been growing in Georgia. For years now I have complained about how I am missing that by living in Florida. My lease is up in April. Originally I was going to hold out one more year then move back to Georgia in April of 2017 to break into the industry then. Well my family and the few friends I talked to basically told me that was a bunch of baloney. At first I scoffed at this. But within the next week I started to realize my family and friends were right.
Why put my dreams on hold for yet another year? Two of the parades/shows that were my life for 8 years are now gone. I love working mornings now. However it's not worth waiting another year. I need to break into the industry while it's still relatively new. The universe is telling me to move on! In about 2 months, I will once again be a Georgia resident.
NAW, WHAT?!
Yes, I will be staying seasonal with Disney. At first anyway. It would be nice to be able to keep this job in my back pocket, but if it doesn't work it doesn't work.
Yes, I will be looking for a job up in Georgia. I will be trying to get into film, but I will need to be making some kinda moolah. So if anyone knows of anything you know who to call. And no, not the Ghostbusters.
Yes, I will be looking for my own place to live. My parents have been gracious enough to let me stay with them until I find a place, but I'm turning 30 this year. Ain't no way I'm living there for long.
Oh! Then there's all my car woes. Here's the breakdown. I've had an extreme oil leak for over a year now. It's finally gotten so bad that when the guys at Pep Boys go to change it, the oil falls straight through to the ground. So my car is caput. And I need a new one. Which is sad cuz it's my first car ever. The one I got right after high school.
So that's new car, new job, new place to live... what else? I guess that's it. It is a lot though. I'm still not sure I've thoroughly processed my decision. But it has been made!
NAW, WHAT?!
Well I gotta say. I did pretty dern good.
I am talking about Oscar nominations. If you didn't read my previous post please do so to see my thoughts on which lucky celebrities would be getting the honor of a nod this year.
You done?
So yeah. I did pretty dern good.
Also if you haven't read the list of the 88th Academy Award nominees feel free to peruse those at your earliest convenience. Which would be now if you're reading this post.
As usual there were a few surprises this year. The biggest snub was Ridley Scott getting shut out of a nomination for his masterful work on The Martian. Many thought he was one of the front-runners, if not the one to win this year, because 1) he took the Golden Globe past Sunday and 2) he's never won for any of his earlier works. Hopefully one day! His spot went to Lenny Abrahamson for his work in Room.
Speaking of Room, there was more love for that film than I expected. A lot of people expected the Academy to overlook it because of its dark nature. Well they were wrong. I'm happy for Room because it really is a terrific little film. I didn't expect it to knock Carol out of a Best Picture spot though.
Tom Hardy getting a nod for his supporting role in The Revenant kind of came out of nowhere. He appears to be riding on the coattails of that film's late success. Which is great becuase he's an amazing actor. It just feels out of left field. His nod shut out a couple of bigger front-runners such as Idris Elba for Beasts of No Nation or Benicio del Toro for Sicario.
Another major snub was Aaron Sorkin getting shut out of a nod for Adapted Screenplay for writing Steve Jobs. His spot instead went to either Room or Carol. Sorkin, like Scott, won the Golden Globe this past Sunday so many thought he was a lock for a nomination. Just goes to show how unpredictable the Academy can be.
All we can do is wait until February 28th to see who the big winners are. I'm very excited for Mad Max: Fury Road. It was my favorite film last year, and to see a genre work get so much love from a usually stuffy Academy is surprising. I don't think it will win either Best Picture or Best Director, especially with The Revenant currently gaining a ton of speed. It should win for a few of its techincal nods though, and that's pretty awesome. Go Mad Max go!
I'm not sure if anyone reading this has seen a majority of the nominees this year. I've got some catching up to do myself. I will say it's all kind of exciting. Other than The Revenant getting attention lately there isn't a true front-runner this year. It's all very up in the air, and that makes the broadcast so much more fun to watch. I'll be posting about the winners when the time comes, but until then that is a wrap!
Well ya know Happy New Year and stuff.
Okay let's get to this. The 2016 Oscar nominations will be announced tomorrow morning. Here are my predictions for who will receive the honor (and who I wish had the slightest chance).
The Best Supporting Actor category is set in stone at this point, but there's also more possible dark horses here than any other category.
Mark Rylance - Bridge of Spies, Sylvester Stallone - Creed, Idris Elba - Beasts of No Nation, Mark Ruffalo - Spotlight, and Christian Bale - The Big Short
Dark horses: Benicio del Toro - Sicario, Michael Keaton - Spotlight, Michael Shannon - 99 Homes, Jacob Tramblay - Room
Shoulda been, won't happen: Paul Dano - Love & Mercy, Oscar Isaac - Ex Machina
The Best Supporting Actress category is kinda up in the air. Both Rooney Mara and Alicia Vikander are being touted for this category for Carol and The Danish Girl respectively even though their roles are definitely Lead Actress material. However Vikander is also getting steam for her incredible turn in Ex Machina. But we'll see. Here's what I think.
Kate Winslet - Steve Jobs, Jennifer Jason Leigh - The Hateful Eight, Rooney Mara - Carol, Rachel McAdams - Spotlight, Alicia Vikander - Ex Machina
Dark horses: Helen Mirren - Trumbo, Jane Fonda - Youth (the Academy loves their elders)
Shoulda been, won't happen: Elizabeth Banks - Love & Mercy
The Best Actor category is the only category with a definite front-runner, and that's Dicaprio. Der.
Leonardo Dicaprio - The Revenant, Michael Fassbender - Steve Jobs, Eddie Redmayne - The Danish Girl, Bryan Cranston - Trumbo, Matt Damon - The Martian
Dark horses: Johnny Depp - Black Mass, Will Smith - Concussion
As with Supporting, the Best Actress category all depends on where Mara and Vikander are placed.
Cate Blanchett - Carol, Brie Larson - Room, Saoirse Ronan - Brooklyn, Alicia Vikander - The Danish Girl, Charlotte Rampling - 45 Years
Dark horse: Jennifer Lawrence - Joy
Shoulda been, won't happen: Charlize Theron - Mad Max: Fury Road
The Best Director category has quite a few viable options.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu - The Revenant, Ridley Scott - The Martian, Adam McKay - The Big Short, Tom McCarthy - Spotlight, George Miller - Mad Max: Fury Road
Dark horses: Todd Haynes - Carol, Steven Spielberg - Bridge of Spies (never underestimate the Academy's love for The Beard)
The Best Picture category forever changed when they shifted their possible nominees to between 5-10. I believe there's going to be 8 this year, but who knows.
Spotlight, The Big Short, The Revenant, The Martian, Mad Max: Fury Road, Carol, Brooklyn, Bridge of Spies
Dark horses: Room, Straight Outta Compton
So there you have it. There's about 12 hours until the nominations are released. Let's see who gets what! And don't forget to tune in for the Oscars, airing Sunday, February 28th at 7:00pm on ABC.
That's right, peoples. It's that time again. Joe Moore's favorite flicks of the year! As per usual, there are a few movies I failed to catch. Most of them are of the Oscar bait variety. So I doubt anyone reading this list has seen them either. Here we go!
RUNNERS-UP
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl - I love coming-of-age flicks. There weren't too many of those this year, but this excellent adaptation of a terrific book is the best of the bunch. The three lead performances are great. It's clear that director Gomez-Rejon (of "American Horror Story" fame) is a true movie fan. The short films the leads make are hilarious.
The Peanuts Movie - I LOVE the Peanuts. Always have. This movie may stretch its thin plot a little far, but it's a great trip down memory lane. I also appreciated how (except for the modern pop songs) the characters are still presented in a very timeless world. Because that's exactly what the Peanuts are.
DA TURD
Unfriended - I lot of critics and horror fans gave this flick high marks. I don't get it. It's boring, its characters are obnoxious teenage brats, and even at 88 minutes it's too long. No. Never again.
and now THE TOP 10
10) Love & Mercy - I've always loved the Beach Boys' music. I never knew Brian Wilson's life story so this biopic is actually rather fascinating. Paul Dano and John Cusack seem like an odd pair to play young/old versions of the same guy, but the continuity in their masserisms is impeccable. Elizabeth Banks hits a career best as the woman Wilson falls for in the 80s.
9) Ex Machina - Some people might find this sci-fi flick slight with its singular location and minimal characters. I think it's genius. The story tells so much with so little. All the actors are great. Isaac stands out as Ava's creator, but this is Vikander's movie all the way. She's brilliant.
8) Trainwreck - A lot of people say Judd Apatow's movies are overlong, and there is some truth there. A good 15 minutes could've been chopped off this flick, but it's still a lot of fun. Apatow and Schumer work wonders together. Schumer herself is hilarious. She figures out how to give an unlikable character a heart. Her chemistry with Bill Hader is so on. If you need a good laugh check it out. It's crude and wonderful and hilarious.
7) Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens - I still can't believe I've seen this movie. THIS is what fans wanted when The Phantom Menace was released back in '99. Sure the plot is kinda recycled from the original, but who cares when the movie has this much action, heart, and humor. Can't wait for Episode VIII!
6) The Martian - I feel like a lot of people are forgetting about this astounding film toward the end of the year. That's too bad because it really is incredible. It's director Ridley Scott's best film in years, and the ensemble cast is amazing. Who knew Matt Damon could be funny?! Terrific film.
5) It Follows - When I first walked out of the theater, I complained that it wasn't scary enough. I was an idiot. This is the best teenage fright flick in years. It's a haunting thrill ride that definitely sticks with you long after you watch it. If you love horror at all, this is a must-see.
4) Inside Out - While not quite on par with Wall-E and Up, this animated tale is Pixar's finest work in a while. The story itself is extremely relatable. As with any of Pixar's films it's also very heartfelt. Be prepared with a box of tissues, folks. You have been warned.
3) Room - What an incredible film. It's thrilling, heartfelt, and suspenseful at times. The bond between mother and son is a strong one, and the two leads really knock it out of the park. Newcomer Tremblay is quite a find, and Brie Larson is perfection. If she doesn't win the Best Actress Oscar, something is wrong with the world.
2) Spotlight - While political thrillers aren't my favorite, I do love a good investigative thirller. That's exactly what this film is. Writer/director Tom McCarthy really did his homework for this film, and it shows. It's a gripping piece of work with a terrific ensemble cast. Definitely the best of the year. Except for...
1) Mad Max: Fury Road - As if there would be a different #1 choice. What can I say about this heartpounding, action-packed genre piece of work that hasn't already been said? Director George Miller returns to the series that put him on the map, and the result is not only the best action film of the year but one of the best films in years. Now THAT is saying something. Tom Hardy makes for a great Mel Gibson replacement, but this movie belongs to Charlize Theron's Furiosa, who ranks right up with Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor as one of the best action heroines on film.
Okay that's it! If you haven't checked out any of the aforementioned films I urge you to do so as soon as possible. They really are the best of the best. Joe Moore out!
I worked this summer as choreographer with KidsCamp at Newnan Theatre Company. It was AWESOME! I met a lot of cool new peeps and had a blast. Sure, kids aren't really my thing, but after working at an amusement park for 9 years, I know how to handle them. You just ignore them right? Right.
