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any word on 'Body of Lies' ?

Judging by the trailer, Crowe looks miscast. Not much of the 'Romper Stomper' intensity there. Looks like he's coasting. But of course it's only a trailer.

Seems like "Burn After Reading" is out of major awards contention. The Guardian and Hollywood Reporter liked it, but Variety borderline trashed it, Levy was tepid, and all seemed to agree that it was a somewhat minor film.

Everybody who read the Burn script knew it wasn't an awards picture, just a fast-paced corkscrew comedy.

And now, looks like McCain is about to pick a woman as his VP. Gee, is that cynical strategizing or what? Still trying to pull the Hillary supporters...

Cynical? As opposed to picking pitbull Biden to do your dirty work and pull in white male and Catholic votes?

Sheesh.

Random question...I must have missed this, but was there ever an official explanation for why katie holmes bailed on 'the dark knight'? seems incredibly stupid, no?

I thought she was fired by the producers.

White male Catholic votes? Huh? He picked Biden because of his foreign policy attributes. And he was largely expected.

Palin is completely off the map. She has no business being on the ticket other than to wedge Clinton supporters.

Still, thank fuck it's not Romney, huh?

That would have been quite the boon for the Dems though. Imagine the fun the could have had composing attacks ads just showing McCain's disdain for the man.

Mutinyco,

If that is what you think...you don't know politics.

That's nice Nicole. That's why there's only been one Catholic President in the country's history -- 45 years ago. Might've factored, but it's not why he's on the ticket.

Biden was chosen because of his foreign policy experience. Doesn't take a genius to understand that. He offers what Obama lacks. Fills the gap.

I understand politics well enough D.

OK, since David thoughtfully provided us with another thread to thrash out our opinions about Palin… I’d like to bring up a movie matter. Well, more of a moviegoing matter. Something you might file under Stuff I Wouldn’t Dare Make Up. I went to a midnight screening last night of “Disaster Movie” – and I actually was the only person in the theater. At least, that was the case for about 30 or so minutes into the movie. At the 30-minute mark, I noticed a young guy wandering in. (Can’t tell you his age for certain – it was, well, dark.) I thought this was kinda-sorta weird – remember, we’re talking close to 12:40 am at this point – but I figured, what the hell, maybe he just ducked in after seeing another movie in another auditorium. He sat down a few rows ahead of me. But after about five or so minutes, he stood up and… and… well, I am not 100 percent sure about this, but I think he took a leak. Really. Right there in the freakin’ auditorium. On the floor. And then, he left. Now, as I said, I’m not absolutely certain that’s what the guy did – I sure as hell didn’t walk over to where he had been sitting to check for a puddle of piss – but that’s what it looked like to me sitting behind him. And I have to say, all I could think was: Wow! What a review!

mutinyco - What you fail to understand is that no-one knows American politics like our resident Canadian.

Midnight show of "Disaster Movie" in an all-but-empty hall where a vagrant takes a whizz. It's only fitting.

Speaking of Canada, it looks like they'll have a federal election come October, eh!

Chucky, I can't believe it but we're going to be lucky yet again! Lionsgate has gone ahead and greenlit "Sci-Fi Movie" for release next year, the latest in the Friedberg/Setlzer series of revelatory, laughtastic spoofs!

That was actually me, Joe. I didn't want to write a review of that crap so I just expressed myself physically. Had I known you'd be there, I would have went elsewhere.

Was similarly alone at a midnight show. The usher actually did a double-take.

"Burn After Reading"...

I know he's the unofficial President of Hollywood, but is it sacrilege to opine that maybe Clooney and the Coens are a mismatch?

Don't get me wrong, great actor, and he usually has great nose for material, great taste in filmmakers. Can't blame him wanting to work with these guys repeatedly.

But something about suave Clooney mugging and sputtering and delivering Coen arch irony just seems a bit of a put-on. I guess some will disagree because O BROTHER was well regarded, but especially in "Intolerable Cruelty" the Clooney take on "frenetic" just seemed false and overdone. I'm not a huge fan of "Ladykillers," but Hanks, another massive star, seemed to more effectively adapt to their comedic pitch.

Well, I'm not sure about anyone else, but I sure am not going to be seeing Burn After Reading for Pitt or Clooney (although I'm a fan of the latter, I continue to be disillusioned by Pitt), but will be seeing it for The Tilda and Frances McDormand.

I'm seeing Burn After Reading for the rare sight of John Malkovich being slap-sticky and goofy. Aside from playing himself nine years ago, has he ever done broad comedy before?

For what it's worth, I genuinely enjoyed The Lady Killers. Really, it was Tom Hanks' last good movie (granted he's not nearly as busy as he used to be), and that streak will likely remain unbroken this year.

I left my wallet in El Segundo ...

Clooney might be out of his element in this movie, but Pitt playing a buffed-up meathead idiot looks awesome.
Plus Malkovich, and has Tilda Swinton ever done a comedy before, period?

Scott and Jeff, Malkovich made Colour Me Kubrick from a couple of years back in which he played a Stanley Kubrick impersonator.

I would suggest you not see it though because, quite frankly, it was terrible beyond belief. And Malkovich was just as bad. Needless to say, I didn't laugh.

My question was about Swinton, not Malkovich, but I had forgotten about her being in Thumbsucker and Adaptation.

I did see Color Me Kubrick for work-related reasons, and there's a reason I didn't count it. It IS atrocious and dreadfully boring to boot.

To be fair, Swinton was not funny per se in Thumbsucker. She was wonderful and incredibly moving, but she was not in a comic role as we normally define them. I really was surprised at how much I enjoyed that one (it was actually the first film I saw specifically as a critic). Yet more evidence that Keanu Reeves can act when he has to, and a film high point for Vincent D'Onofrio.

scott, i think of keanu like a so-so professional tennis player: he often plays like crap, but put him in a big match with a real talent (river, pacino, blanchette, weisz, downey, etc) and he can lift his game.

does anyone else think the 'times online 10 best crime movies' seemed sort of deliberately wishy washy?

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article4614905.ece

i guess it depends on one's definition of 'crime movie', but the glaring omission of modern heavy hitters like godfather I&II/goodfellas/heat/pulp fiction, the early classics of cagney/bogey etc., and perhaps most notably hitchcock, it made me wonder who compiled that list! silence, reservoir dogs, usual suspects, fargo... i can get on board with those beauties, but 'the transporter' instead of 'the untouchables' (or a hundred others i can think of)? yowza!

i suck at making lists because i can never make up my mind, but amongst my other all-time fave crime flicks that i can think of right now (in no order):

the grifters
se7en
chinatown
jackie brown
road to perdition
donnie brasco
body heat
bonnie and clyde...

go on then

oops, i meant to mention in the above, i haven't seen 'jar city' so it might be terrific for all i know. and i haven't seen 'once upon a time in america' for many years, i probably need a refresher there. for 'the times', that list seems oddly bereft of british crime classics as well.

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