Best Supporting Performance (Male), 2007

Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men (126 points/17 votes)

“Descriptive adjectives have flowed like booze when describing this year's most deserved Best Supporting Performance by an Actor: unforgettable, chilling, intense, sociopathic, evil, systematic, terrifying, frightening, magnetic, patient, fearsome, virtuoso, transcendent, flawless… you get the idea. I couldn't think of any fresher, more accurate adjectives myself, so I thought, what better way to honor the brilliant character portrayal of Anton Chigurh by taking an irreverent cue from our 2008 Academy Awards host, Jon Stewart, and kick it with a parody song for the incredible Javier Bardem. A classic song for a classic performance. Feel free to sing along!”

“JAVIER BARDEM”
(sung to the tune of "Strangers in the Night")

“Jav-i-er Bar-demmmm
exchanges glances
Jav-i-er Bar-demmmm
coin flips for chances
who'd have ever thought
His hair could look like thattttttt?

Something in his eyes
Is so hynoptic
something in his mind
Is so psychotic
Something in his heart
tells him he must kill youuuuuuuuuuuu

Jav-i-er Bar-demmmm
As Anton Chigurh
He is Jav-i-er Bar-demmmmmm
Until that moment
When he meets the right "friend-o"
little do they know
Death is just a flip a-way
A cattle prodding blip a-way, and

Thanks to Coens' knack
Bardem's been winnin'
Best Supporting Act
for dopest villain

It's been muy bien
For Jav-i-er Bar-demmmmm” ~ Jenny Sekwa

Runners-up:
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (53/8)
Chris Cooper, Breach (45/7)
Hal Holbrook, Into the Wild (41/7)
Kurt Russell, Grindhouse (40/7)

Click here for complete results

Muriels Sidebar #1: Lucas McNelly

One of the original voters in last year's inaugural Muriel Awards, Lucas McNelly unfortunately had to excuse himself from voting again this year, as duties related to his short film gravida prevented him from seeing many of this year's eligible films. However, Lucas didn't wish to be left out altogether, so he sent me the following e-Mail:

"This year I haven't had an opportunity to see many of the consensus best films. As a result, it would be unfair to pretend that my votes would carry the same weight as someone who's done their due diligence. Still, I'd like to contribute, so here are ten films that screened in 2007 either in festivals or via screeners in my apartment that are noteworthy, but ineligible for these awards. Check them out, should you get the opportunity."

(in no particular order)

1. "Avec la Moustache" (Demitri Andrikopolous)
2. "Confusions of an Unmarried Couple" ("The Butler Brothers")
3. "A Catalog of Anticipations" (David Lowery)
4. "I Love You, I'm Sorry, and I'll Never Do It Again" (Keith Snyder)
5. "Maine Story" (Nina Chernik)
6. "Cabbie" (Donlee Brussel)
7. "Partially True Tales of High Adventure! (Murphy Gilson)
8. "Adam Taylor's Dracula" (Adam Taylor)
9. "Crooked Features" (Mike Peter Reed)
10. "Frownland" (Ronald Bronstein)

In addition, he had the following comments about the following 2007 releases:

I'm Not There -- "It all comes together when you realize that Todd Haynes' approach is really the only way you could possibly do a biopic about Bob Dylan--by playing as fast and loose with history as the man himself."

The Darjeeling Limited -- "At what point does the Wes Anderson whimsy start to collapse on itself like a black hole? I'm not sure, but the possibility is closer now than it's ever been. Still, the cinematography just gets better and better."

There Will Be Blood -- "I'm enjoying this new force of nature side of Daniel Day-Lewis, and it's wonderful to find that Paul Thomas Anderson's talents translate well outside of his Valley wheelhouse. I haven't seen much this year, but I know I haven't seen anything better than this."

No Country For Old Men -- "I loved Javier Bardem in Before Night Falls. I haven't seen this, but the trailer looks good and my girlfriend liked it a lot."

Atonement & Juno -- "Both films from directors I really like. Both films I haven't seen yet. Go figure.

Sunshine -- "4/5 of this film was fantastic. The other 1/5 was awful. Guess which part."

Superbad -- "Better than Knocked Up (and funnier too), but it may just be that seeing Michael Cera reminds me of how much I loved Arrested Development. One more thing to ask my analrapist."

Private Fears in Public Places -- "I'm a sucker for films like these, I'll admit it. Resnais does a good job of exploring different aspects of relationships and the recurring theme of falling serves as a beautiful backdrop."

3:10 to Yuma -- "Had I voted, Ben Foster is my Best Supporting Actor. Will they bring him back for 3:12 to Yuma? We can only hope."

Thanks for your comments, Lucas, and best of luck for gravida in the Now Film Festival! Here's hoping you're able to vote in earnest next year.

Best Supporting Performance (Female), 2007

But first, have you all seen this? Pretty cool, I think. Jim even ends the piece by saying: "It's still early in the evening. It must be: They haven't even presented Best Supporting Actress yet..."

Ask and you shall receive. To wit:

Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There (107 points/15 votes)

“It's far too easy to dismiss what Cate Blanchett does in I'm Not There as nothing but mimicry. Even if it had been just the mimicry, I think Blanchett would have deserved praise for her daring, not to mention for the precision of her performance. She doesn't just look like Dylan, she moves like him, talks like him, laughs like him. She nails his exterior, down to the unkept fingernails. But her performance is extraordinary because she goes past the exterior and offers glimpses of what's underneath. She manages to capture what made Dylan so fascinating and so seductive in that time, androgynous and off-putting, but magnetic. And most importantly, she lets the audience see -and even feel- just how uncomfortable Dylan was in his own skin. Her Jude is constantly in motion, constantly struggling against definition, frantically wiggling to escape the boxes people tried to fit him into. He's on top of the world, but unlike most characters in biopics he seems aware that there's always a downfall. He's infuriating and impossible to resist. And thanks to Cate Blanchett, he's just as complex as the man he's based on.” ~ Hedwig van Driel

Runners-up:
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone (83/12)
Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton (71/12)
Kelly Macdonald, No Country for Old Men (40/7)
Jennifer Garner, Juno (32/5)

Click here for complete results

Famous Last Words- Round 2, Week 7

Last week's quote was from Martin Ritt's Hud, in case you didn't recognize it. Here's this week's quote:

“To the memory of that great man who will never cease to exist, I offer my apologies, and wish you all- true and false- a very pleasant good evening.”

What silver-tongued devil could have signed off on such a flowery note? Submit your guesses to this e-Mail address. Remember, guesses are due no later than Wednesday at 11:59 pm. Good luck!

Best Screenplay, 2007

No Country for Old Men [Joel Coen and Ethan Coen] (119 points/17 votes)

“How often do you hear someone say ‘The movie was O.K., but I liked the book better’? Adapting a novel into a screenplay is a tricky business where the writer must breathe cinematic life into pages in a book, yet still maintain fidelity with the original source material. Though images on a screen do not always flow naturally from words on a page, Joel and Ethan Coen brilliantly managed the transition by turning Cormac McCarthy's novel No Country for Old Men into a feature film.

"A marvel of economy, the screenplay condenses the novel to its essence, captures the wonderful flavor of McCarthy's prose and simultaneously conveys it in the Coens' own unique voice; no casual trick, but a work of supreme confidence.

"Some have quibbled, especially in regard to the film's difficult ending, that the Coens have succeeded more on literary terms than cinematic, but this complaint misses the point: No Country for Old Men is more than just a motion picture, it is a work of art. It follows its own set of rules and it all begins with the superb screenplay which reads as well on the page as it plays on the screen.” ~ Craig Kennedy

Runners-up:
There Will Be Blood [Paul Thomas Anderson] (85/12)
Zodiac [James Vanderbilt] (57/9)
Michael Clayton [Tony Gilroy] (35/6)
Ratatouille [Brad Bird, Jim Capobianco, and Jan Pinkava] (27/4)

Click here for complete results

Best DVD Release, 2007

Blade Runner: The Final Cut- Four-Disc Collectors' Edition [Warner] (24 points/6 votes)

“Most classic films have one definitive edition for their fans to savor, but Blade Runner is a special case. From the initial test screenings to the 1982 theatrical release until now, Blade Runner fans have been challenged and perplexed by a number of different versions of Ridley Scott's sci-fi noir. But a comprehensive collection seemed no more a reality than protagonist Rick Deckard's vision of a galloping unicorn- a comprehensive set of the film's myriad incarnations eluding us.

“That is, until Warner Brothers released The Final Cut, the film's final destination after two and a half decades. Put together by Scott himself without studio interference, Blade Runner purists can now see the film as was originally intended by the helmer. But while that alone was cause for celebration, Warner Brothers also released a four-disc "Collector's Edition" DVD set, a virtual treasure trove of Blade Runner enlightenment. There's the usual bonus features one would expect from an exceptional DVD set, such as screen tests, trailers, and three commentary tracks featuring Scott, co-screenwriters Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, and producer Michael Deeley, to name a few.

“But fans will be pleased to see a plethora of featurettes, examining the development of the poster (featuring the late John Alvin), the film’s enduring impact and fan base, comparisons with Philip K. Dick's novel, and perhaps most interestingly, Deckard’s humanity (despite what Ridley Scott says, the debate isn’t over). Not to be missed is Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner, an inception-to-present documentary of the film's production that at 214 minutes leaves no stone unturned. And it dishes out the goods, from what could have been (an off-world mass grave for replicants) to how it was cast (Ridley Scott pushed for Sean Young despite objections) to Roy Batty’s beautiful dying monologue (Rutger Hauer improvised the best part).

“Amidst all the extras it's possible to overlook the film itself; not only is The Final Cut present, but three other versions as well: the 1982 domestic release, the 1982 international release, and the 1992 Director's Cut. Each of these looks and sounds jaw-droppingly gorgeous. And for those unsure of the difference between the versions, there's a feature about that, too. If that’s not exhaustive enough for you, extra-devoted fans can plunk down some extra chinyen (Blade Runner money) for the “Ultimate Edition,” filled with goodies such as glossy pictures and a miniature spinner, as well as yet another cut of the film- the original workprint screened for test audiences- all in an imitation Voight-Kampf test case. But what should be sweetest of all to Blade Runner fans is the knowledge that without their devoted support and love of this beautiful, melancholy masterpiece, The Final Cut and its superb DVD release wouldn't exist, and the film would be lost, like tears in the rain. “ ~ James Frazier

Runners-up:
Twin Peaks: The Definitive Gold Box Edition [Paramount] (22/5)
The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky [Abkco/Anchor Bay] (19/4)
Killer of Sheep [Milestone] (13/3)
Ace in the Hole [Criterion] (12/3)

Click here for complete results

Best Cinematography, 2007

There Will Be Blood [Robert Elswit] (118 points/18 votes)

"Perhaps the most stylistically striking thing about 2007's rightfully-beloved critical darling, There Will Be Blood, is its stunning balance of the old-fashioned and the new-age. Tonally and structurally, P.T. Anderson's epic opus is just as classical as it is experimental. Crucial to this equilibrium is Robert Elswit's visionary cinematography, which fully realizes the film's literal vitality and subliminal absurdity. Both through rolling, rustic long shots and intense, brooding close-ups, Elswit's work perfectly captures the essence of what Anderson's screenplay and direction strive for. The viewer is first overwhelmed by the vastness and scope of the piece through Elswit's tinted and vintage view of an untapped American West, only to later be torn to shreds by the accomplished D.P.'s unflinching depiction of the humanity (or lack thereof) of Daniel Day Lewis' corrupt protagonist. Remarkable as the picturesque vistas found in There Will Be Blood are, they pale in comparison to Elswit's sweaty, claustrophobic, roaring shots of Day Lewis' profile, which spill over onto the audience's lap as if to intimidate and anger its members. Much like Anderson, Elswit knows when to make the viewer conscious of his work and when to back off, ensuring that the film is as substantively rich as it is breathtaking, as much a carefully-constructed exercise as it is an improvised experience. Captured through Elswit's lens, There Will Be Blood is nothing short of dynamo." ~ Danny Baldwin

Runners-up:

No Country for Old Men [Roger Deakins] (82/13)
Zodiac [Harris Savides] (81/14)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [Roger Deakins] (71/10)
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly [Janusz Kaminski] (44/7)

Click here for complete results

Best Music (original, adapted, or compiled), 2007

There Will Be Blood [score composed by Jonny Greenwood] (108 points/16 votes)

"The opening shot is like a western. You expect to see a lone horse riding around the bend. Instead we have a muscular spider web of glissando strings. It resolves, more or less, to a harmonious chord. And the pick hits the rock and we hear the tang of the hole Daniel Plainview has dug for himself. If I tell you this is no western,
friends, you'll agree.

"Those who complain of There Will Be Blood lacking heart should sit and listen to the soundtrack again. The score is melancholy and complex, halting and both slightly antique and completely modern. Only small portions of low mixed guitar might confuse this work with Radiohead. The rest is pure heartbreaking orchestration that illustrates that you really can take the composer out of the band, and the band out of the composer.

"But most impressively it burned the turns of the tones in my synapses like the ghost of an image on the retinas. When I listened away from the visuals, I was surprised by how much of the score I not only remembered, but remembered well. Like you might remember that favorite song you played every day for a month a few years ago. The one that you still love. The score evoked those ghosts of memory, but not necessarily the ghosts of Plainview.

"Like Eisenstein's theory of montage where one uninflected image placed next to a second uninflected image forms a third idea apart from both of them, Greewood's score stands alone, and then during the movie combines to make something that neither of the visuals or the music could have without the other. Shame that it's ineligible for an Oscar.

"It would win in a walk." ~ Martin McClellan

Runners-up:
Once [songs composed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova] (75/12)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford [score composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis] (36/6)
Into the Wild [songs by Eddie Vedder; original score by Vedder, Michael Brook, and Kaki King] (34/5)
Zodiac [original score by David Shire; soundtrack supervised by George Drakoulias] (30/6)

Click here for complete results

Best Ensemble Performance, 2007

No Country for Old Men (92 points/14 votes)

"It's telling that a good portion of the discussion about the Coen Brothers' latest work of greatness centers around who exactly the protagonist of the piece is. Is it Llewellyn Moss (Josh Brolin), whose actions at the outset spur the entire plot into motion? Is it Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), the terrifying force of nature whose pragmatic psychosis eventually wholly swallows the film's world? Or could it be Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), the world-weary old man of the title whose elegaic outlook provides unexpected emotional force? The thing is, any of these answers could be right, and that's as much a function of the expert cast as it is the complexity of the narrative. The three potential leads are all terrific; it's especially interesting to see Brolin finally coming into his own, as maturity has allowed what years ago came off as wooden smarm to develop into gritty stoicism. But it might all be emoting in a vacuum (or in Bardem's case, grandstanding in a vacuum) were the supporting cast and bit players not also pitched to perfection. The major setpieces of No Country for Old Men surely burn bright in the mind, but I'll also treasure a handful of performances in miniature: Kathy Lamkin obstinately refusing to give up Brolin's whereabouts; Garret Dillahunt getting excited over a sweaty bottle of milk; Gene Jones trying, bewildered, to untangle Bardem's vicious logic." ~ Steven Carlson

Runners-up:
Zodiac (62/9)
I'm Not There (46/7)
Juno (35/6)
Grindhouse (33/5)

Click here for complete results

Lucas McNelly's gravida on YouTube

3rd Annual Now Film Festival -Week 18 Finalist - Gravida

Add to My Profile | Official "gravida" homepage

Vote for the film if you've got a MySpace account. Check out my review of Lucas' film here.

Best Body of Work, 2007

Josh Brolin [actor, No Country for Old Men/Grindhouse/American Gangster/In the Valley of Elah] (106 points/16 votes)

"Every few years or so, it seems like an actor appears on the cinematic landscape, seemingly out of nowhere, and makes such an impression that it's a shock to learn that they've been there all along, doing solid if unremarkable work until the confluence of the right time and the right part conspire to thrust them into the spotlight. (Chris Cooper, Kathy Bates and James Cromwell come to mind.) This year, it's Josh Brolin's turn.

"Right now, is there another actor who is better at simply doing? He's a remarkably unfussy performer, content to hold back on the emoting and let the actions, whether it be hiding a case full of money in a ventilation shaft or diagnosing a zombie bite, do the talking. It's the kind of style that could get lost in a loud, obvious kind of movie, and that's what nearly happens to him in Robert Rodriguez's half of Grindhouse. "Planet Terror" is overstuffed with characters, and Rodriguez compensates by turning them into easily-identifiable cartoons -- except Brolin, who actively resists simplification. His vengeance-minded Dr. Block, thanks to Brolin's underplaying, comes off as morally damaged instead of the outright villain the story wants him to be. Yet, this is just doodling in the margins of a big-budget "B" film, and it didn't prepare anyone for his career-changing performance in No Country For Old Men. As Llewelyn Moss, Brolin's gift for understatement finds a perfect match in the Coen Brothers' "less is more" style of cinema. Despite the lead role, it feels like he speaks less here than in Grindhouse; much of his performance is watching him think through a situation and then implement a solution. It's never unemotional, though; when he does speak -- particularly the story-changing "All right" -- the waves of guilt are palpable. It's a terrific performance, one that could only be pulled off with Brolin's confidence and charisma.

"Brolin clearly has a big career ahead of him, and it'll be exciting to see it develop. Reportedly, he's up for the most unyielding and monosyllabic villain of all time. I'll let you decide if I'm talking about the Terminator or George W. Bush." ~ Kent Beeson

Runners-up:
Roger Deakins [cinematographer- The Assassination of Jesse James/No Country for Old Men/In the Valley of Elah] (74/11)
Philip Seymour Hoffman [actor- Before the Devil Knows You're Dead/Charlie Wilson's War/The Savages] (52/8)
Casey Affleck [actor- The Assassination of Jesse James/Gone Baby Gone/Ocean's Thirteen] (51/8)
Michael Cera [actor- Superbad/Juno] (26/5)

Click here for complete results

Famous Last Words- Round 2, Week 6

Last week's quote was from Cronenberg's Crash (1996). Here's this week's:

“This world is so full of crap, a man’s gonna get into it sooner or later whether he’s careful or not.”

Submit all guesses to famouslastwords@nerve.com by 11:59 PM on Wednesday. Good luck!

Best Cinematic Breakthrough, 2007

Ben Affleck [director, Gone Baby Gone] (93 points/14 votes)

"In 2006’s Hollywoodland, Ben Affleck memorably played the role of George Reeves, the ill-fated star of the fifties-era Superman series. In the film, Reeves skyrocketed to fame as Superman, but had a great deal more trouble casting the role aside in favor of more artistically-gratifying projects. At the time of the film’s release, it was easy to see the parallels between the role and the actor playing it- Affleck, best known for playing affable lunkheads, had for years been stuck in a string of goony comedies and ill-advised dramas that had sent his once-hot career into a free-fall. Could he- unlike Reeves- find a way to right his career again?

"Turns out that directing was the solution, and that Gone Baby Gone was his salvation. Admittedly, I approached the film with skepticism, and I was hardly the only one- I remember having to tell my friends that the film was directed by “yes, THAT Ben Affleck.” Much of the credit for the film’s greatness has been given to the cast (especially his brother Casey Affleck and awards magnet Amy Ryan) and to the original novel by Dennis Lehane. But Affleck’s contribution to the film’s success is worth noting. A native Bostonian himself, Affleck shows an instinctual feel for his setting, a grimy working-class corner of Boston full of fiercely proud people who protect their own. But more than this, Affleck calls into question many of the ideas our society takes for granted- the sanctity of the family, the importance of staying true to your roots, the mission of law enforcement “to serve and protect,” and the moral forthrightness of Morgan Freeman. By never shying away from the contradictions and moral entanglements of his story, Affleck has made the saddest entry in a year full of dark and despairing films, and in doing so challenges us to never again count him out." ~ Paul Clark

Runners-up:
Carice Van Houten [actor, Black Book] (42/6)
Casey Affleck [actor, The Assassination of Jesse James and Gone Baby Gone] (39/5)
Michael Cera [actor, Superbad and Juno] (28/5)
Josh Brolin [actor, Grindhouse and No Country for Old Men] (26/4)

Click here for complete results

10th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1997

Boogie Nights (89 points/13 votes)

"1996’s Hard Eight (a.k.a. Sydney) was a very fine film. Well-written, featuring a swell cast (including John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Samuel L. Jackson, and a wonderful Philip Baker Hall in a rare leading role) and a fresh take on many familiar themes, it was a solid work. But the very next year, the young writer / director behind Hard Eight (some guy named Paul Thomas Anderson), brought us the movie that would truly announce him as a brilliantly original filmmaker and a world-class talent: an epic about the porn industry called Boogie Nights. From the incredible opening tracking shot to the Raging Bull-inspired closing monologue, Boogie Nights was and still is a stunner. Every performance, every camera shot, every line of dialogue, every one of the dozens of excellent songs that make up the soundtrack is just…perfect.

"What’s more is that it even seemed that way then. Unlike most movies that require a little aging and a few more viewings to be deemed “classic”, Boogie Nights already felt like one while I was actually watching it. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact moment that I realized it, but I think it may have been the strange (yet somehow so right) combination of a cocaine-crazed Alfred Molina and Night Ranger’s “Sister Christian”.

"Boogie Nights is the reason Mark Wahlberg went from being an ex-rapper who could kinda sorta act to being a respected actor. It’s the reason I’ll never see Phillip Seymour Hoffman without thinking of him whimpering in the driver’s seat of a brand-new sports car. It’s the reason I’ll always consider Heather Graham to be a damn good actress no matter what anyone says. It’s more than just the best movie of 1997, it’s one of the best movies of the 90’s, or any other decade, period." ~ Jason Alley

Runners-up:
Jackie Brown (78/12)
L.A. Confidential (72/11)
The Sweet Hereafter (30/5)
The Ice Storm (24/4)

Click here for complete results

25th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1982

Blade Runner (89 points/13 votes)

"In 1982, Blade Runner was just a movie. It came and went as a vexing box office failure, with a dark, rain-soaked vision of America that left audiences and critics equally amazed and bewildered. Over 25 years later Blade Runner is an ever-expanding film institution, often acting as a reference point for newcomers to the Bleak SciFi Epic genre and further dividing its cult of fans with multiple versions. The latter now stands at four, with the latest "Final Cut" joining the theatrical, international and director's cut incarnations. The various edits have only deepened the whirlpool of Blade Runner analysis, which centers on the humanity- or lack thereof- of cyber noir detective Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) and his pursuit of a band of renegade replicants in a prospering/decaying 2019 Los Angeles. Whether or not Deckard himself is a replicant, he finds his mechanical targets to seemingly hold life dearer than any of L.A.'s citizenry. When talking about the best films of 1982, Blade Runner says "time to die" to all others." ~ Adam Ross

Runners-up:
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (61/10)
The Thing (53/9)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (48/8)
Fitzcarraldo (31/5)

Click here for complete results

50th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1957

The Seventh Seal (55 points/9 votes)

"Just in terms of modern cultural history, the whole concept of moviemaking as a personal form of creative expression--a means of working as an artist--would be very different if it hadn't been for Ingmar Bergman. And Ingmar Bergman's career, reputation, and public identity would not be quite the same if he had never made The Seventh Seal. Thanks to this movie, which I didn't actually see until I was in my late twenties, I have known for as long as I can remember that Death is a serious-faced man with an ashen complexion who wears a hooded long robe and plays chess. What isn't as easy to make clear to the uninitiated is how excitingly fresh this movie still feels, after many viewings and more than fifty years on the shelf, and how much more there is to it than its central image. Someone who hasn't seen it might not guess how emotionally varied it is--and how funny. Bergman's ability to see reasons for despair in anything made it possible for him, in his previous film, Smiles of a Summer Night, to make a great sex comedy tinged with bone-shattering melancholy. Here, his seriousness of purpose and his showman's gifts are in such uncanny balance that he doesn't undercut the power of his vision of life squandered even when he throws in an image that might have come from one of his parodists--the man looking down from the top of the tree he's climbed to escape danger to see Death, smiling, sawing away at its trunk. In his lesser work, Bergman could see cause for despair in situations that others might think better called for a stiff drink, but in this film, with its doomed protagonist (Max Von Sydow) and set amid devastation sewn by warfare, ignorance, and plague, he used the tools for a vision of hopelessness to forge an affirmation of the underappreciated value of life." ~ Phil Nugent

Runners-up:
Sweet Smell of Success (54/8)
12 Angry Men (48/8)
Bridge on the River Kwai (41/6)
Paths of Glory (40/7)

Click here for complete results

Tell 'em she's cominggggggggggg!!!

You know, I'm not sure how I feel about this one, Craig. My love for the Limey one-sheet knows no bounds, but I don't think Muriel is the smoking type. Then again, that might explain the strange smell I come home to after a long day at work.

But anyway, in case you haven't heard, tomorrow begins the unveiling of this year's Muriel Awards. For this year's Muriels, I've gathered a voting body of twenty online critics and cinephiles (including myself) from the far corners of the Interweb to help me determine the best cinematic achievements from 2007, and a few other years besides. They are, in alphabetical order:

Jason Alley
Danny Baldwin
Kent Beeson
Andrew Bemis
Scott Black
Steve Carlson
Dennis Cozzalio
Chris Devlin
James Frazier
Craig Kennedy
Martin McClellan
Phil Nugent
Jason Overbeck
Mark Pfeiffer
Nathaniel Rogers
Adam Ross
Jenny Sekwa
Hedwig van Driel
Bryan Whitefield

My thanks go out to all of them for participating in the Muriels. Special thanks go to Craig for the awesome mock-posters you've seen here and on his blog throughout this past week, Martin for the new Muriel Awards ad and banner, and Steve for helping me gather this year's voting body. And thanks to everyone who's plugged the awards on his or her site.

Through the end of the month, I will be announcing one winner per day, leading up to the awarding of the Golden Muriel for Best Film on Friday, 29 February. In addition to announcing the awards themselves, I'll also be posting blurbs on each of the winners written by members of the voting body. I'm also planning a few other fun features along the way, although I'd rather let them be a surprise for now.

So check back every day until the end of the month for the Muriel Awards. Hope you enjoy reading about them as much as I've enjoyed running them.

Face Time #40 (R.I.P.)

Farewell and adieu.

Follow the lettuce.

Famous Last Words- Round 2, Week 5

FYI, last week's quote was from Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men. Here's this week's:

“I think I’m all right.”
“Maybe the next time, darling. Maybe the next time."

Submit your guesses to famouslastwords@nerve.com. Remember, all submissions due by Wednesday at midnight. Good luck!