Film Review: Zontar, The Thing From Venus (dir by Larry Buchanan)

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Look, I get it. Not everyone is as crazy about watching the Oscars as I am. Some of you have absolutely no interest in watching the Oscar tonights and right now, you’re saying, “If only there was something else to watch!” I hear you and I’m here for you.

And fear not!

There is something else for you to watch! Just go to YouTube and look up Zontar, The Thing From Venus! You can watch the whole movie three times in a row while everyone else is watching the Oscars. Don’t ever say that I didn’t do anything for you.

What is Zontar, The Thing From Venus? It’s a film from 1966 and it was directed by Texas’s own Larry Buchanan! It tells the story of what happens when a creepy scientist named Keith (Tony Huston) manages to contact a big, three-eyed bat named Zontar. Zontar’s from Venus and it wants to rule the world. Keith thinks that humanity could benefit from being conquered by a ruthless alien warlord. So, Kieth arranges for Zontar to come to the Earth. While Zontar hides out in a cave, it manages to shut down everyone’s electricity and, using a bunch of smaller, flying bats, it also possesses almost an entire town. Keith thinks it’s great but that’s because Keith is an idiot with fascist tendencies.

You know who isn’t impressed by Zontar and all of his high-and-mighty rhetoric? Another scientist named Dr. Curt Taylor (John Agar). Dr. Taylor knows that Zontar is up to no good but how can he stop him? Well, he’s not going to do it by driving a car because Zontar’s knocked out America’s electrical systems. So, instead, he rides a bike from location to location. Seeing John Agar awkwardly trying to balance himself on a bike is more than worth the price of admission.

(Of course, since this is on YouTube, the price of admission is only your immortal soul and your internet privacy.)

Anyway, if all of this sounds familiar, that’s because Zontar is a remake of an earlier Roger Corman film called It Conquered The World. For some reason, in the 60s, American International Pictures gave Larry Buchanan a handful of money and told him, “Go direct some crappy remakes of some of our best films.” Zontar is probably the best known of Buchanan’s remakes and it’s also probably the most fun.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. It’s nowhere near as good as It Conquered The World but, at the same time, it doesn’t have the slow spots that show up in most of Buchanan’s other films. The story moves fairly briskly and Buchanan keeps the picture in focus and, considering some of Buchanan’s other movies, that’s a bit of a minor triumph. Zontar is an impressive monster. In fact, I’d say that batty Zontar is probably a more effective creation than the smiling crab that showed up in It Conquered The World. Finally, you get to see John Agar trying to ride a bicycle and that’s always an entertaining sight.

Zontar is enjoyably dumb. If you want to kill 80 minutes but you don’t want to have to do any thinking, watching Zontar is definitely one way to do it.

Book Review: Inside Oscar by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona and Inside Oscar 2 by Damien Bona

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

If you’re an Oscar fanatic or if you’re just a film lover who thinks that the Oscars are a joke, these are two books that you simply have to have.

As you can probably tell from the titles, Inside Oscar and Inside Oscar 2 are all about the Academy Awards. Inside Oscar starts with the founding of the Academy and ends with the 1994 Oscar ceremony. Inside Oscar 2 picks up with the 1995 ceremony and takes us through the year 2000. The books were written by two Oscar fanatics and, as a result, it contains just about every bit of trivia that you could hope to find about the Academy, the Oscars, and Hollywood during the previous century. (Unfortunately, both Mason Wiley and Damien Bona have passed away so we probably won’t be getting an Inside Oscar 3.) The books contain not only every detail that you could possibly want about the ceremonies themselves, they also touch on what was going on in America and the rest of the world during each year. For example, it’s quite interesting to read about how different the 1958 Academy Awards ceremony was to the 1968 ceremony. (Essentially, in 1968, longtime Oscar host Bob Hope made a joke about the ceremony being moved back a few days out of respect for the recently assassinated Martin Luther King, Jr. For the first time in Oscar history, the audience booed one of the host’s jokes.) As a result, Inside Oscar and its sequel aren’t just books about Hollywood. In their way, they also serve as an examination of the ever changing cultural and political landscape of the United States.

It’s not just the books are full of snarky details, though they are. It’s also that the books serve as a great reference to the history of the Oscars. In the appendixes, you’ll find every year’s list of nominees, some genuinely interesting trivia, and — perhaps most importantly — a list of notable films (and, in some years, songs) that were not nominated. As you might guess, it’s those lists of unnominated films that I find especially interesting. Every year, some very good films are ignored by the Academy. That was true in the past and it’s true in the present and it will probably continue to be true in the future.

Taken together, Inside Oscar and Inside Oscar 2 are the two best reference books out there for film lovers like you and me.

Book Review: Giant — Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Edna Ferber, And The Making Of A Legendary American Film by Don Graham

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Wow, that Edna Ferber sure was a bitch.

That was my first thought as I read Giant, Don Graham’s history about the making of the film of the same name. In the early 50s, Edna Ferber, a writer who was born in Michigan, raised in Wisconsin, and lived in New York, wrote a novel about Texas. The novel was called Giant and it told a story of ranchers, oilmen, and casual racists. It was meant to be an attack on Texas, a warning to the rest of the country to not allow itself to turn into Texas. Ferber presented Texas as being a land where everything was big and everyone owned a jet and an oil well and all the rest of the usual stereotypes. When Ferber’s novel was turned into a movie, she was apparently not happy to discover that the film was not the vehement denunciation of the state and its citizens that she wished it to be. In Don Graham’s book, Edna Feber often seems to be hovering in the background of every scene, throwing a fit about every detail of the movie. She comes across as a certain type of character that every Texan has had to deal with: the angry Northerner who can’t understand why we’re not as impressed with them as they are.

That’s not to say that Giant, as a film, was blindly pro-Texas. The film featured a subplot that deal with the prejudice that Mexicans faced in Texas. But the film also indicated that things could change and that people could grow and that was something that Ferber apparently did not agree with, at least as far as Texans are concerned.

If Graham’s entire book was just about Ferber’s displeasure with Giant, it would make for a fairly tedious read but, fortunately, Edna Ferber is just a minor part of the sprawling story that Graham tells. Instead of worrying too much about Ferber, Graham focuses on the filming of Giant and how it not only brought Hollywood to the citizens of Marfa, Texas but also what it meant to George Stevens, the film’s director and it’s three stars, Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean. Giant was the film that proved that Elizabeth Taylor could act. It was also the film that brought Rock Hudson some rare critical acclaim. And, perhaps most importantly, it was the last film that James Dean made before his death.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the book is at its most interesting when it deals with James Dean. Graham does not make the mistake of blindly idolizing Dean. Indeed, Dean often comes across as a brat. Graham writes about Marlon Brando’s well-known dislike of Dean but he also shares anecdotes from the set that reveal that Dean was incredibly talented but also very self-destructive. Reading about Dean’s behavior and his frayed relationship with George Stevens, one gets the feeling that, even if he had survived the car accident, Dean’s acting career probably would never have survived his own self-destructive impulses. Graham celebrates Dean’s talent without idealizing his character.

Much as in the movie, Rock Hudson is frequently overshadowed by Dean. In the book, Hudson comes across as being …. well, he’s come across as being a bit of a jerk. Elizabeth Taylor, on the other hand, comes across as being driven, fragile, and committed to her stardom. She also comes across as possessing an unexpectedly sharp wit. If both Dean and Hudson were both a bit too self-impressed, Taylor possessed the knowledge of someone who had spent her entire life in the film industry.

Don Graham’s Giant is an entertaining book. Full of anecdotes and more than a little bit juicy speculation about what went on behind the scenes, Giant is a great read for Texans and film fans alike!

Here’s What Lisa Wants To Win At The Oscars

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019, dir by Quentin Tarantino)

Yesterday, I posted my list of the film and performers that I believe will win Oscars tonight.

Below is a different list. This is what I wish would win tonight. These are the nominees that I would vote for if I was a member of the Academy. Now, to be honest, there were a lot of films and performances that I liked that were not nominated. My favorite film of 2019 was The Souvenir. It received zero Oscar nominations. But, for the purposes of this list, I’ve limited my choice to the actual nominees.

So, here we go:

Best Picture — 1) Once Upon A Time In Hollywood 2) The Irishman 3) Parasite 4) 1917 5) Joker 6) JoJo Rabbit 7) Little Women 8) Ford v Ferrari 9) Marriage Story

Best Director — Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Actor — Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Best Actress — Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story

Best Supporting Actor — Joe Pesci, The Irishman

Best Supporting Actress — Laura Dern, Marriage Story

Best Original Screenplay — Parasite

Best Adapted Screenplay — The Irishman

Best Animated Feature Film — I Lost My Body

Best International Feature Film — Parasite

Best Documentary Feature Film — The Edge of Democracy (which I didn’t even really like, it’s just the only nominee that I’ve seen)

Best Documentary Short Subject — Learning to Skateboard in a War Zone (If you’re a girl)

Best Live Action Short Subject — Nefta Football Club (that’s for you, Jason)

Best Animated Short Film — Sister

Best Original Score — 1917

Best Original Song — I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away from Toy Story 4

Best Sound Editing — 1917

Best Sound Mixing — 1917

Best Production Design — Parasite

Best Cinematography — The Lighthouse

Best Makeup and Hairstyling — Judy

Best Costume Design — Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

Best Editing — The Irishman

Best Visual Effects — Avengers: Endgame

A Blast From The Past: Robert Opel Crashes The 1974 Oscars

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

On April 2nd, 1974, just as David Niven was about to introduce Elizabeth Taylor so that she could announce that The Sting had won Best Picture of the year, the Oscar telecast was interrupted by a naked man running across the stage.

The streaker was a man named Robert Opel. A former student activist who had reportedly briefly worked as a speechwriter for future President Ronald Reagan, Opel was employed as a teacher when he made his Oscar debut. He lost his job as a result but he found a new fame as a professional streaker. He also went on to open his own photography business and ran for President in 1976. His slogan was reportedly, “Not Just Another Crooked Dick.” Five years after making his television debut, the 39 year-old Opel was murdered in his apartment.

There’s some debate as to whether or not this was actually a spontaneous moment. It’s been reported that Niven wrote down his famous quip about short comings during a rehearsal. It’s also interesting to note that the camera seemed to be perfectly positioned to not catch anything that could actually get the broadcast fined by the FCC. If this had been truly a spontaneous event, I’m not sure that would have been the case.

Anyway, that was 1974 for you. Who knows what might happen tonight?

(Of course, there’s no host so, if something does happen, there won’t be any quips. Oh well.)

Future Winners: 6 Directors Who I Hope Will Have Won An Oscar By 2030

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

We’ve looked at actors.

We’ve looked at actresses.

Now, let’s look at directors.

But first, a word about David Lynch. The Academy gave David Lynch a special award for his cinematic contributions back in October. It’s not the same as a competitive Oscar but it’s probably the best that a boldly idiosyncratic filmmaker like David Lynch could ever hope to get from the Academy. Normally, I would list Lynch below. I’m not doing so this year because, realistically, Lynch has said that it’s doubtful he’ll ever make another theatrical film. That said, I hope to God that someone gives David Lynch a blank check and allows him to make at least one more movie.

With that in mind, here are 6 other directors who I hope will have finally won an Oscar by 2030!

The Safdie Brothers

The Safdie Brothers deserved a nomination this year for their work on Uncut Gems. Unfortunately, that film was a bit too anxiety-inducing for the Academy. The Safdies are exciting filmmakers and I hope that someday, the Academy will realize what everyone who has seen Good Time and Uncut Gems already knows.

2. Sofia Coppola

She was nominated for Lost In Translation. She deserved to be nominates for several other films. Sofia Coppola is consistently one of the most challenging and interesting (if often criminally underrated) filmmakers working today. No other American director captures existential angst with quite the style of Sofia Coppola.

3. Christopher Nolan

Christopher Nolan has emerged as one of the most influential directors of the 21st century. With The Dark Knight, he revolutionized comic book films. With Inception, he created one of the greatest fantasy/action/sci-fi hybrids of all time. With Dunkirk, he paid tribute to one of the most heroic moments of World War II. Every recent film with a jumbled timeline owes a debt of gratitude to Christopher Nolan. Nolan seems destined to win someday.

4. Denis Villeneuve

Speaking of being destined to win, that seems to also be an apt description of this visionary Canadian director. Some people think that Villeneuve will be an Oscar contender this year with Dune. Maybe. Maybe not. That said, Villeneuve seems destined to win at some point in the future.

5. Andrea Arnold

You might not recognize the name but Andrea Arnold is responsible for two of my favorite films of the last ten years: Fish Tank and American Honey. She deserved to be nominated for both of those films. My hope is that, between now and 2030, she’ll finally get the recognition that she deserves.

6. Werner Herzog

You know it would be the greatest acceptance speech ever.

Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below!

Future Winners: 6 Actresses Who I Hope Will Have Won An Oscar By 2030

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Continuing the theme from my previous post, here are 6 actresses who I sincerely hope will have won their first competitive Oscar by the time that the 2030 ceremony rolls around.

(By the way, there’s a chance that Scarlett Johansson, Saorise Ronan and Florence Pugh could finally win Oscars tonight. That’s the only reason why they’re not on the list below.)

Amy Adams

Much like Bradley Cooper on my previous list, Amy Adams is probably the most obvious pick here. I’m actually amazed that, after been nominated a total of 6 times, the terrifically talented Amy Adams has yet to win her first Oscar. The fact that she could even receive a nomination for a film like Vice reveals that she’s got fans in the Academy and she’s definitely reached the point where she can say that she’s overdue for the award. The Woman In The Window was originally promoted as being an Oscar contender but, considering all the trouble that film’s gone through to just get a release date, Adams may have to wait another year or two. Still, she seems destined to win eventually and it’ll be a great day for all the members of the 2% of us who have naturally red hair.

2. Emily Blunt

How has Emily Blunt never received a single Oscar nomination? I mean, Amy Adams should be angry that she doesn’t have an Oscar yet but at least she has six nominations. Emily Blunt doesn’t even have one yet, despite being one of the best actresses working today. Again, Blunt seems destined to win. It’s just a question of when.

3. Carey Mulligan

Carey Mulligan should have won for her performance in An Education. She also deserved to be nominated for Shame. She doesn’t have an Oscar but she certainly has the talent to win one. She’s one of the best actresses around, though she often seems to appear in the type of good but challenging films that fall off of the Academy’s radar. Promising Young Woman was a hit at Sundance so we’ll see if that leads to another nomination.

4. Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis has been giving good performances since before I was born but since so many of them were in horror films, the Academy failed to notice. She’s now one of those actresses who people seem to take for granted. Hopefully, someone writes a great role for her in the future as Curtis is overdue for not just a nomination but for an award as well.

5. Jessica Chastain

Jessica Chastain is one of those actresses who I think everyone assumes has won an Oscar but actually, she hasn’t. She’s been twice nominated and even that seems like it has to be a mistake. I mean, really? Only two nominations for Jessica Chastain? (Personally, I chalk it up to the Academy having an issue with those of us who have naturally red hair.) Much like Amy Adams, Chastain is another actress who seems destined to win over the next decade.

6. Jennifer Jason Leigh

Seriously, how does Jennifer Jason Leigh — one of the greatest actress of all freaking time — only have one nomination? Not only is she overdue for the award but, based on Marriage Story, she deserves one just for putting up with Noah Baumbach for eight years.

Agree? Disagree? Have another name to offer up? Let us know in the comments below!

Future Winners: 6 Actors Who I Hope Will Win An Oscar In The Next Ten Years

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

We talk a lot about which performers and directors have been snubbed at Oscar time. For movie lovers, that’s an important subject. We all know that great actors like Peter O’Toole, Cary Grant, Albert Finney, and others all went to their grave with several nominations but not a single competitive Oscar to their name. Earlier this week, Kirk Douglas died at the age of 103 without having ever won a competitive Oscar. We always talk about how certain actors are overdue for their first Oscar but sometimes we forget that being overdue doesn’t always translate into an eventual win.

With that in mind, here are 6 actors who I sincerely hope will have won their first Oscar by the time 2040 rolls around:

Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is kind of the obvious choice for a list like this. It’s still amazing to think that Cooper started the previous decade best known for a supporting role on Alias and for playing the smarmiest of the friends in The Hangover films. Over the past ten years, he has emerged as not only a excellent actor but an excellent filmmaker as well. (He may not have received a nomination for Best Director for A Star Is Born but he deserved one.) Considering how often he’s been nominated over the past few years, Cooper is reaching overdue status and I full expect he’ll win an Oscar sometime during the next decade.

2. Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke has hardly been snubbed when it comes to nominations. He’s been twice supported for Best Supporting Actor and he’s got two nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. That Ethan Hawke was not nominated for First Reformed is still a shock to me. It was one of the best performances of 2018 but it was also a rather subtle and, at times, rather depressing performance as well. With the exception of his nomination for Training Day, all of Hawke’s nominations have been the result of collaborating with Richard Linklater. Hopefully, Linklater is currently working on a great script that has a great role for Ethan Hawke because Hawke deserves to win an Oscar before 2040.

3. Steve Carell

When it comes to talking about actors who will someday win an Oscar, Steve Carell seems like an obvious choice. He’s only received one nomination — for Foxcatcher — but people just seem to love him. I think the man obstacle standing in Carell’s way is that he has a habit of appearing in movies that sound like they should be good but then turn out to be the total opposite. (Welcome to Marwen, anybody?) Still, it’s hard not to feel that Carell will eventually get the right role.

4. Oscar Isaac

Isaac has yet to receive his first nomination but it feels like it’s only a matter of time. He’s talented, he’s super hot, and I still love the way he delivered the line, “I declare him to be an ….. OUTLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!” in Robin Hood.

5. Robert Downey, Jr.

Obviously, Robert Downey, Jr. is not going to win for Dr. Doolittle. In fact, if he keeps making movies like that, he’s going to make me look really stupid for putting him on this list. But the fact of the matter is that Downey is an actor who not only made an amazing comeback but who also served as the anchor for one of the most successful film franchises in history. It’s hard to imagine the MCU becoming what it became without Downey’s involvement. Downey can also be an excellent actor. (People tend to forget that he had two nominations to his name before he ever played Iron Man.) Someone needs to write Downey the perfect role and hope that he’ll accept it, regardless of how much money he’s being offered to star in the latest Disney live action remake.

6. Kurt Russell

Somehow, Kurt Russell does not have a single Oscar nomination to his name! Despite being one of the most beloved actors out there and being something of a cinematic icon, Russell has never once been nominated. (One problem is that all of the truly great Kurt Russell roles end up going to Jeff Bridges. It’s every easy to imagine Russell playing every role ever played by Jeff Bridges and vice versa.) The thing is, Kurt’s not getting any younger. So, let’s hope that Quentin Tarantino is currently writing the role of a lifetime for Hollywood’s greatest Libertarian.

Agree? Disagree? Have someone else who you have picked over these six? Let me know in the comments below!

The Oscars Over The Decades

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Dazzling Erin

Tonight will mark the 92nd year that the Oscars have been awarded. The Academy Awards are now an American tradition and, just as America has changed over the past 9 decades, so have the Oscars.

Here are a few pictures from the past 9 decades:

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1991

2000

2010

Cats Leads The Razzie Nominations

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Lisa Marie Bowman

The Razzie Awards are meant to honor the worst films of the year. It sounds like a noble goal, though the Razzies usually just go after easy targets and cheap jokes. In short, they haven’t really been interesting in a while. That said, they’ve been around forever and they usually get some attention from people who need some filler to report while waiting for the Oscar ceremony.

With that in mind, the 2019 Razzie Awards were announced yesterday and here they are:

WORST PICTURE
Cats
The Fanatic
The Haunting of Sharon Tate
A Madea Family Funeral
Rambo: Last Blood

WORST ACTOR
James Franco, Zeroville
David Harbour, Hellboy
Matthew McConaughey, Serenity
Sylvester Stallone, Rambo: Last Blood
John Travolta, The Fanatic and Trading Paint

WORST ACTRESS
Hilary Duff, The Haunting of Sharon Tate
Anne Hathaway, The Hustle and Serenity
Francesca Hayward, Cats
Tyler Perry (as Medea), A Madea Family Funeral
Rebel Wilson, The Hustle

WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Jessica Chastain, Dark Phoenix
Cassi Davis, A Madea Family Funeral
Judi Dench, Cats
Fenessa Pineda, Rambo: First Blood
Rebel Wilson, Cats

WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR
James Corden, Cats
Tyler Perry (as Joe), A Madea Family Funeral
Tyler Perry (as Uncle Heathrow), A Madea Family Funeral
Seth Rogen, Zeroville
Bruce Willis, Glass

WORST SCREEN COMBO
Any two half-feline/half-human hairballs, Cats
Jason Derulo and his CGI-neutered bulge, Cats
Tyler Perry and Tyler Perry (or Tyler Perry), A Madea Family Funeral
Sylvester Stallone and his impotent rage, Rambo: First Blood
John Travolta and any screenplay he accepts

WORST DIRECTOR
Fred Durst, The Fanatic
James Franco, Zeroville
Adrian Grunberg, Rambo: Last Blood
Tom Hooper, Cats
Neil Marshall, Hellboy

WORST SCREENPLAY
Cats, Screenplay by Lee Hall and Tom Hooper
The Haunting of Sharon Tate, Written by Danial Farrands
Hellboy, Screenplay by Andrew Cosby
A Madea Family Funeral, Written by Tyler Perry
Rambo: Last Blood, Screenplay by Matthew Cirulnick and Sylvester Stallone

WORST REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL
Dark Phoenix
Godzilla, King of the Monsters
Hellboy
A Madea Family Funeral
Rambo: Last Blood

WORST RECKLESS DISREGARD for HUMAN LIFE and PUBLIC PROPERTY
(New Category for 2019)
Dragged Across Concrete
The Haunting of Sharon Tate
Hellboy
Joker
Rambo: Last Blood

RAZZIE REDEEMER AWARD
Eddie Murphy, Dolemite Is My Name
Keanu Reeves, John Wick 3 & Toy Story 4
Adam Sandler, Uncut Gems
Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
Will Smith, Aladdin