Watching the Emmys
18:59 Chris
Ok, Jane Lynch as host…how do you think she’ll do?
19:00 Andrew
probably alright
I’m a little over her to be honest
19:00
Ok, Leonard Nimoy…we’re off to a good start.
19:01
it was gonna be alec baldwin
but they cut a joke about the murdoch scandal so they had to reshoot with spock
19:01
Haha, nice bit of trivia.
I like Leonard better.
19:02
than alec baldwin? blasphemy
19:02
Let’s see how many cameos we can fit in 5 minutes.
Are these jokes supposed to be bad?
19:04
I don’t know, maybe its post modern
I just say that when I don’t understand something
19:04
Ron Swonsan!!!
19:04
not even Ron Swanson was entertaining
thats pretty hard to do
I like this mad men part though
19:05
Yeah, this isn’t too good so far.
19:05
Roger Sterling was fun
19:05
That’s a good bit.
19:05
Roger Sterling was fun
This is pretty bad
maybe its over
19:07
No, we’re just getting to the live bit.
A horribly lip-synched one.
At least Jimmy Fallon seemed like he was singing live last year.
19:08
I dont know, she might have been singing there
19:08
Steve Carrell looked pretty bored.
19:09
Scorcese at the Emmys
interesting thing to see
Stop with Betty White, it was a fad and its over
let the woman die in peace
19:10
I still think she’s funny.
19:10
interesting group of singers there
19:10
Yeah…too bad they weren’t funny.
So, who do you think will rule the comedy categories?
19:11
haha Betty White made a joke that wasn’t appropriate for her age
how original
modern family again
19:11
Same here…though I hope they spread some love to Parks and Rec.
19:12
that would be nice
19:12
Give Amy Poehler a win, and I’ll be happy.
Ooh, my two favorite network late night hosts.
19:13
the surround sound is aweful
19:14
Yeah, sounds like they’re having a few problems.
Ok, who will and should win?
19:15
ok, I have Jane Lynch winning, but I’d rather see Sophia
19:15
I say will win: Sofia Vergara, should win, Sofia.
Julie Bowen wins Supporting Actress in a Comedy
19:15
surprise, but I’m happy with that
19:15
But that’s a nice surprise!
Well deserved.
She’s very funny.
19:15
wow, talk about the open cleavage
but yea, i figured she’d lose out to Sofia cause sofia is a little more crazy
19:16
I think Sofia’s just ridiculously funny.
Though I’m glad Jane Lynch didn’t win so we could spread the Emmy love this year.
Scott Phillips does not look happy.
19:17
he’s jealous of Ty
19:17
Ok, this will be a tough one…
19:17
these jokes are bombing
19:18
Just as long as Jon Cryer doesn’t win, I’m fine.
19:18
I’ve got Ty winning
19:18
I’d say will win Ed O’Neill, should win Ty Burrell.
19:18
and I want to see Ty win as well
19:18
ERic Stonestreet may win, but he won last year.
Ty Burrell wins Supporting Actor Comedy
19:19
called it like a champ i did
19:19
Yay!!!
Nice to see him and his wife win back to back.
19:19
he has to thank his TV wife now
19:20
He seems like one of the nicest guys ever.
19:20
I imagine he’s a lot like his character, just not quite as dumb
19:20
Let’s try for next year to get Ed and Sofia the wins.
19:21
well I can’t influence it much
19:21
That may be the best speech of the night.
19:21
only the second, hold your horses
19:21
Ok, let’s take a little more time to discuss lead actor in a comedy.
This is another tough category, because none of the nominees really had stellar years.
19:22
I agree, Steve Carrell deserved it a couple years ago, but not this year
he will win though
19:22
Yeah, I agree.
19:22
I’d give it to Alec Baldwin or Louie CK
19:23
He’ll get the sympathy vote.
I’d personally give it to the only one who made me consistently laugh this year, which was Louie CK.
I was a late convert to Louie, but fell in love with it when I did.
19:23
I like the show, but I don’t think he’s a great actor… yet
but if it goes to big bang theory I’ll be upset
19:24
If I had to redo the nominees, I’d put Joel McHale up there and give him the win because Community deserves some love.
19:24
probably a good choice
community got snubbed pretty bad
19:25
It deserved an nomination for Joel and for at least two of its supporting actors, and definitely needed a best comedy nod.
19:25
yep
without a doubt
Jane Lynch makes a joke about not how it sucks to lose.
I can’t find that joke funny, since she won last year
19:26
I know, right?
19:26
i know its sarcastic but really
19:26
Oh, Ricky Gervais…this will be good.
19:27
wow, this is the highlight of the show
19:27
I can’t believe they even let him do a bit.
Oh gosh…I don’t know directing.
19:28
I’ve got Steven Levitan for Modern family
total guess
19:28
We’ll give it to Modern Family for the Halloween episode.
Or the 30 Rock live episode.
Jane Lynch sounded bitter there.
19:28
I liked that joke
it sounded like something Gervias would say
Michael Alan Spiller wins Directing Comedy for Modern Family’s “Halloween”
19:28
O
Wow, total guess and I got it right!
First one of the night! haha
19:30
Did you see caveman William H Macy back there
Zooey is just the perfect woman btw
19:30
Yeah…must be doing the Cavemen remake.
So comedy writing will go to the Modern Family writers who did the Caught in the Act episode.
19:31
Louie CK should win, and I agree that the Caught in the Act will win
Steven Levitan and Jeffery Richman win Writing Comedy for Modern Family’s “Caught in the Act”
damn, I wanted Louie to win that real bad
19:32
Yeah, but that episode had better writing.
19:32
great cut away
19:33
That eye roll may be better than Ricky Gervais’s bit.
19:33
it was pretty perfect
19:34
Seriously, she’s going to get a comedy career out of this show.
19:34
hey, Charlie
cant wait to see what he says
19:36
That’ll be entertaining.
Ok, take this opportunity to talk about the lead female comedians.
Honestly, this is a pretty weak category.
I’ll say should win, without a doubt, Amy Poehler.
Will win is a toss up, so I’ll just give it to Amy Poehler as well.
19:38
I want Amy Poehler to win, I think Laura Linney will win
19:38
The Big C is not funny!
I don’t even know why she was nominated.
19:39
cause people love her
“Welcome back the the modern family awards” was kinda funny
19:40
Once again, I think Jane Lynch sounded bitter there.
Ok, that joke about Charlie Sheen was good.
This will be interesting…
This is so awkward.
19:41
yea, and does his head look weird to you?
19:42
He always looked weird…he just looks weirder now.
Jim Parsons wins Actor Comedy
19:42
thats just horrible
19:42
I think Hollywood’s collective hearts stopped when Charlie took the stage.
Yeah, like I said, weird category this year.
19:43
He’s not funny
the show sucks
19:43
Not surprised, not exactly upset.
19:43
everyone else was a better choice
19:44
The poor kid is shaking though.
19:44
I hate old people who watch CBS
19:44
Oh, this is a nice pair.
19:44
on Sophia?
19:44
And I’m not talking about Sofia Vergara’s breasts.
19:44
ha, I beat you to it
wow, good joke
The Actress Comedy women take the stage unexpectedly
19:45
I love this!!!
19:45
This is pretty fun
19:45
See, women are so much funnier on TV today!
19:45
I want to beleive it wasn’t planned
19:46
If Amy Poehler started that, I’ll give her the Emmy there.
19:46
Rob Lowe just changes it
so this show is getting better as it goes along
19:46
Wow, standing O
Melissa McCarthy wins Actress Comedy
19:47
nice whip pan
but thats an upset
19:47
Wow, shocker, but I think she deserves it.
Ok, this was planned.
19:47
yea
19:47
She looks beautiful up there.
19:47
the crown kind of gives it away
she was good in Bridesmaids too
19:48
I think Melissa got it for Bridesmaids more than Mike and Molly, to be honest.
19:48
possible
I did see an episode of Mike and Molly once
pretty classic sitcom setup, but pretty funny too
19:50
Ok, since you don’t watch reality TV, I’ll just talk to myself about this category.
This is an interesting race.
19:50
I selected the Amazing Race for both the win and my pick
19:51
There may be some American Idol votes this year because of the new format without Simon and the fact that it kept up its ratings without him.
I love The Amazing Race, but they had a bad year there.
Neither season was good.
19:51
Top Chef again?
19:51
Dancing with the Stars should be happy to be nominated.
So You Think You Can Dance should get the win, but it’s a summer show that Emmy audiences dismiss.
So that leaves Project Runway and Top Chef, both of which had amazing seasons.
19:52
How is Survivor not getting nominated anymore?
19:52
However, Top Chef had its best season by far with its All Star format, so they get the win.
Survivor had a rough year.
Even me, one of the biggest fans of the show, knows the last two seasons were horrible.
Jeff Probst is still the best reality host on the air, and he already won at the Creative Arts Emmys last week.
19:54
I don’t really understand how you really judge reality programs in detail
19:54
Though, I wish they would give Cat Deeley a win because Jeff has won every year the award has been around.
19:55
I like Sterling Cooper in the Office
19:55
Aaron Paul!!!
Glad he showed up.
19:55
Krete buying Meth! HA!
19:55
Creed.
Nathan Fillion!
Horrible Blue Screen!
19:56
I’m sorry, are you the name police
19:56
I only name the people I like.
19:56
This is a fun skit, notice how Jane Lynch is not in it
19:58
Oh, also Top Chef should win because they had the better winner.
19:58
this montage is really making reality TV look good (sarcasm)
19:58
Project Runway’s winner last year sucked.
19:58
people fighting and cursing at each other
quality entertainment
19:58
Some reality shows can be good.
19:59
antiques roadshow for the win
19:59
They already lost.
19:59
so this is going to be a long blog post btw
19:59
Deadliest Catch won.
Pretty much.
We just won’t do the miniseries or mad for TV movies since no one watches them.
20:00
it will be something british masterpiecy
thats my prediction
20:01
Or Mildred Pierce.
20:01
true story, David Spade got a girl from my highschool pregnant
also, she’s a playboy bunny
20:02
So I heard, haha.
Amazing Race wins Reality Show
20:02
Hey I was right
who knows reality TV now!?
20:02
Wow, once again, I’m a fan, but it did not deserve that.
20:03
you just don’t understand the intricacies of reality TV like I do Chris
20:03
Mmhm. You keep thinking that.
20:03
honestly, I don’t want to think that
um, I’m going with Daily Show will win, Colbert should
20:04
Writing? Let’s give it to Jon Stewart.
Should win, I’d say Colbert as well.
20:04
the academy has a love affair with the daily show
I mean I like the daily show, but come on
20:05
They may give it to Conan to be nice.
Daily Show wins Writing Variety
20:05
well that was expected
20:05
But nope, they’re heartless bastards.
20:06
he’s funny and makes fun of republicans
hollywood loves it like Charlie Sheen loves winning
20:07
Why are they molesting Jon Stewart on stage?
20:07
I didn’t get the joke either
so why does the host feel the need to change dresses multiple times?
She only wears it for like a one minute joke
and then changes
20:08
So the fashion designers of America can keep their jobs.
20:09
i guess
when I host the emmys, I will not change dresses
that will be in my contract
20:09
Yeah, Stewart’s gonna win this next one too, so why bother arguing it?
20:10
Yea, I’d give it to Conan
but thats never gonna happen
or poor Colbert who will never get it
20:10
Basic cable only gets awards if they make fun of conservatives.
20:11
but colbert does
all the time, just sneakily
20:11
Not as offensively though.
20:12
I guess not
HAHAHAH
MICHAEL BOLTON
20:13
Michael Bolton is a good addition to this.
He fits right in.
20:13
he’s a no talent ass clown though
what is happening!?
20:13
Does it matter? It’s Lonely Island.
20:14
poor william H macey
Will arnet is loving it
20:14
Yeah…poor William H Macy……
This is amazing.
How have they not gone on tour yet?
20:15
So my life is complete now I think
20:16
You think they just went up to Bill Macy and said, hey, we’re just going to dry hump your face while you wave American flags…hope you’re ok with that.
Don Roy King wins Directing Variety for SNL, host Justin Timberlake
20:16
probably
and he was probably like, cool beans
he was my choice for should win
but i figured they’d give it to Daily Show
20:17
I know…I’m shocked.
Is Anna Paquin that tall, or is Scott Caan that short?
20:18
probably both
Daily Show wins Variety… again
20:19
I love how nonchalant Jon Stewart is about winning an Emmy anymore.
20:19
well he’s got a billion
20:19
And how pissed Jimmy Fallon looks, haha.
20:20
he could probably finance a small war with the gold of those emmys
he is clever though
20:21
Jon’s trying to get Colbert a win, it looks like.
20:21
well good
they’re kind of a team
20:21
Ok, back to the good awards…supporting actress in a drama…go.
20:22
Margo Martindale should win, Kelly Macdonald will win
20:23
Wow, I’ve got completely different pics.
Archie Panjabi will win, Christina Hendricks should.
20:23
I have no knowledge of the Good Wife
other than the main chick
20:24
The Good Wife is a great show.
Great acting, great writing.
It’s just up against tough competition.
20:26
wait, is Dr House in jail?
what is happening on that show?
20:26
Yeah…don’t know why.
People are going to jail, apparently.
I love this song!
Thank you Emmys for giving us Adele on tonight’s show!
20:28
wow, thanks for the big love spoiler emmys
20:28
It’s been a few months…most people know.
20:28
but stll
this is prime time
20:28
True…I’m mad too.
Oh god…who wins this?
20:29
this is going to be matt wiener but it should be game of thrones
20:30
I’ll agree!
I want Games of Thrones to win…
Jason Katims wins Writing Drama for Friday Night Lights’ “Always”
20:30
wow, thats strange
20:30
Yay!!!
Well deserved!
20:30
I haven’t seen Friday Night Lights at all
20:30
I’m rooting for FNL tonight.
20:30
I’m rooting for Game of Thrones
20:31
It was such a great show, and it had an amazing last season.
This is probably FNL’s bone though.
I don’t think it’ll win anything else.
20:32
did you like christina hendricks in Drive?
20:32
Great supporting actresses this year.
Margo Martindale wins Supporting Actress Drama
Good choice on your end.
20:32
for sure, she is so good
they picked a good scene too
she looks so happy too
20:33
I know, right?
She should have gotten a guest actress award for Dexter.
20:34
I mean, the rest of the nominees might still win in the future, this is probably it for her
she’s always good in the small roles she does
20:34
She’s a great character actress, so it’s good to see her get some recognition.
20:35
I like it when the “that guy”s win
supporting actor drama?
20:36
All of them should be happy Breaking Bad wasn’t on the air this last year, because Aaron Paul would have won.
20:36
yea
same for lead actor
20:37
This year, I think will and should win is John Slattery.
Long time coming, and well deserved.
20:37
I think Peter Dinklage wins and should win
John Slattery deserves something but I liked Dinklage more
thats saying A LOT by the way
I love Roger Sterling
20:39
I actually think Peter Dinklage would be an upset.
I would like to see him win, but I liked Slattery more.
20:40
both are deserving though, as is walton goggins but I haven’t seen the others
Scorsese wins this
20:40
Martin Scorcese.
Duh.
20:41
I didn’t think the pilot was that amazing though to be honest
20:41
Yeah, but it’s Marty Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese wins Directing Drama
20:41
he kind of threw me for a second, I though it would be an upset
the way he read it
20:41
Legendary.
20:41
now he needs to win a tony and a grammy
EGOT!
20:42
He’s just a slow reader ever since he lost his arm in that helicopter accident.
He may have won a Grammy already.
If Kate Winslet wins tonight, she’ll only need a Tony.
20:42
my career goal is not a NEGOT
Nobel in there too
nowa NEGOT*
now a NEGOT*
20:43
What’s your Nobel prize going to be for?
20:43
idk yet
cure cancer?
with laughter like patch adams
20:43
Yet another two incredibly attractive people.
20:44
yet not funny…
20:44
Kerry Washington and Jason O’Mara.
They’re dramatic.
20:44
that was just a terrible bit
20:44
Pretty much.
They didn’t write it though.
20:44
fair enough
Peter Dinklage wins Supporting Actor Drama
CALLED IT!
20:45
God, I’m way off tonight.
I’m usually good at these.
20:45
I think my percentage is pretty decent
20:45
Is he the shortest Emmy winner ever?
20:45
possibly
20:47
Lead Actress?
20:47
Elisabeth Moss should, Julianna Margulies will
kill me if Kathy Bates wins
just go buy a gun and end my life
20:48
I’m afraid to give my prediction, since it seems to be the kiss of death.
20:48
do it
wuss
20:48
I’m going to agree with you on Julianna Margulies, and I think she deserves it…but I would rather see Connie Britton win.
She’s been the most consistent dramatic actress on TV the past five years, so I think they should throw her a bone.
20:49
haven’t seen the show so I can’t really comment
I will say that so far, the only award I’m mad about is Jim Parsons
20:49
You would like it.
I’m not mad about that one, but I’m not as happy as I would have been had Louie CK won.
20:50
although, the nominees were really strong this year
so almost all the choices are fine
Also, after that poor opening the show itself has had some pretty great moments
20:51
Seriously, right? I think the comedy actress bit has been my favorite.
Anderson!
Sorry, I’m doing it again…
20:52
wow, Jane Lynch just doesnt do it for me
after talking about how good the show has been, this thing comes on
20:52
Ellen Degeneres does it better.
20:53
I just don’t want to see Jersey stuff even if its a parody
Brian Cranston is on stage, sans mustache but with hair
Where’s his mustache?
20:53
Wow, Tom Cruise let Katie Holmes out of the house.
Good for him.
20:53
ha
20:54
So that’s how you pronounce Mirelles Enos.
Or however you spell it…
Julianna Margulies wins Actress Drama
20:54
so we both got that one right
20:54
About time…I hit a dry spell there.
20:55
she has plastic crap on her dress
20:56
That’s not very nice to say about her boobs.
20:56
that would be funny if she had excessively large boobs
are these the new Charlies Angels?
thanks Drew for the answer
20:57
You would be funny if you had excessively large boobs.
Yes, they are.
It will be canceled after two seasons.
You heard it here first.
20:57
ill take that bet
20:57
Oh crap…should win, Kyle Chandler, will win Jon Hamm.
20:57
I’m going with Jon Hamm on both
20:58
It’s crazy he hasn’t won yet.
Kyle Chandler wins Actor Drama
20:58
well you get that one
20:58
YESSSS!!!!!!!!!!
So well deserved!
I actually just jumped up and down there, haha.
20:58
and next year it will be Brian Cranston until Breaking Bad is finished
and then maybe Jon Hamm will finally get it after that
20:59
Exactly…thank goodness he wasn’t nominated.
20:59
He is good though, I sincerely think he deserves it every year
He was good in Drive too
21:00
I didn’t get a chance to see it…I fell asleep this afternoon.
21:00
Oh come on
I was all ready to review it
21:00
I’m getting sick! Sorry about that.
21:00
you should be
get a better immune system
21:01
Like, I have a massive headache, and I’m struggling to stay on my A-game right now.
21:01
drugs + beer
you’ll feel great
and It will be an interesting read too
21:02
You just want me to be drunk for every review, don’t you?
21:02
it would make for interesting conversation
we need to get on that Moneyball sometime soon too
21:03
I’ll only do it if you post an audio recording of your version of Into the West.
Yeah, we’ll get it done this week so we can have the review up before the movie comes out.
21:03
we better
21:04
Oh, I’ll promise you.
I want the review up by Wednesday.
Oh, you coming to see 50/50 at Webster Wednesday night?
21:05
didn’t know about it
21:05
Ok, miniseries and movies…extended bathroom break.
21:06
why don’t they lump it in with reality?
21:06
I don’t think they should air it.
It drags the show down because no one watches the anymore.
But them on with the Creative Arts Emmys and cut 30 minutes out of the show.
21:07
yea, I’d like to have seen some of these, but I never know when they’re on or what’s going on
and I don’t get HBO
Sherlock is good
I saw that
21:08
Seriously, everything will go to Dowton Abbey and Mildred Pierce.
21:09
its british and costume
Julian Fellowes wins Writing Miniseries for Downton Abbey
21:09
Yeah, I think it looks pretty gay too.
21:10
ha
what was that word he just used?
21:10
Wow, he’s like a male version of Sophie Laws…
21:10
no, she’s better than that
she’d have said something about death
21:11
He had the right head motions.
21:11
perhaps
21:11
Melissa Leo or Maggie Smith win.
21:11
I do like Maggie Smith
she has an oscar right?
21:12
Yep.
She may have a Tony…
21:12
she does
two golden globes
Maggie Smith wins Supporting Actress Miniseries
21:12
Give that woman a Grammy!
21:12
five BAFTAS
two oscars
two SAG
and a Laurence Oliver
not the awards, she banged Laurence Oliver
21:13
Oh, she already had an Emmy.
Haha, that was a good joke.
Well played sir.
21:14
so yea, she needs a Grammy something fierce
maybe she could read harry potter and get a spoken word album grammy
21:15
Or she could record a rap album.
21:15
I’d buy that
21:15
She’s win over Nikki Minaj any day.
21:15
the commercials are so much louder than the show
its really bad
21:16
I know…I noticed that as well.
Bad sound mixers tonight!
The Oscars would never do this…
21:17
ha
21:17
Paula Abdul?
Guess Simon was too busy…
21:18
with his X factor show that he had to get off of American Idol to do
I had to leave this singing competition show to do this other singing competition show
see those two are actually funny
21:19
They are incredibly funny.
I like both of them.
Barry Pepper wins Actor Miniseries
21:20
he was Robert Kennedy?
21:20
Thank goodness most of these actors aren’t here so they show won’t go long.
21:20
Downton Abbely wins probably
Todd Haynes wins Directing Miniseries
21:21
Wow, an actor actually showed up!
21:21
he’s a director
21:21
Did they turn the mic off for this guy?
Oh, that’s right…see, I stopped paying attention a while ago.
21:22
try to keep up
nobody likes the chairman talking
just cut to the montage of deaths
21:23
Who gets the biggest applause?
They start singing ‘Hallelujah’
21:23
really? this song? really?
pretty reserved
21:23
I love this song…it’s just really overdone.
21:24
peter falk should have gotten a standing ovation
21:24
So far Peter Falk is winning.
21:24
and blake edwards should have been applauded
21:24
Who is this singing
?
Wow, I think Peter Falk got a bigger applause than Leslie Neilson.
21:25
they must be downplaying the applause
andy whitfeld would have gotten a lot
21:25
Glad they got Andy Whitfield in there.
Who’s going to sell juicers now that Jack Lalanne’s gone?
21:26
the industry will probably dry up
they spend too much time watching the singers
I don’t care about those guys
21:29
I want to know who they were.
I seriously do not recognize them at all.
21:30
american idol people?
21:30
No, I know the American Idol people.
Those were not American Idol people.
21:31
wait, Downton Abby is in a second season
starting tonight
how is that a miniseries?
21:32
Um…because PBS does what they want?
21:32
also, they were the Canadian Tenors
not sure why they are at the emmys but there you go
Guy Pearce wins Supporting Actor Miniseries
ha, Guy Pierce for Mildred Pierce
21:33
The announcer made the same joke.
I guess that makes it an obvious one.
21:34
I heard, stole it from me
wow, Guy Pierce is funny
21:34
Wait, how long as he been British?
21:34
always
21:35
Or is he Aussie?
21:35
he’s always been british
nevermind
21:35
Yeah, he’s Aussie.
I always thought he was American.
21:35
no, born in England lived in Australia
so I was sort of right
21:36
Wikipedia said he’s an Australian actor.
21:36
IMDB says born in Cambridgeshire England
21:36
Therefore, he’s Australian.
21:36
I conceed no failure here
21:36
Yeah, Kate Winslet, wins this, right?
They always give these to the biggest star in the bunch.
Kate Winslet wins Actress Miniseries
21:37
wow, she’s excited for it
21:37
Give that woman a Tony and call it a day.
21:37
she’s almost flying out of that dress too
21:38
It is a lovely dress.
Oh, yeah right.
“I didn’t think I was going to win anything!”
Yes you did.
Just admit you’re amazing.
We’ll like you better if you do.
21:39
I don’t love her like some people do, but she is good
21:39
Ok, drama series is next…tough competition here.
21:40
I say Game of Thrones should win, Mad Men will again
21:40
This is the one category that I’d be ok if any of them one.
won*
Wow, that was a bad typo.
21:40
yea, Good Wife i think is the weakest just cause I haven’t seen it
21:40
Anyway, I’m kind of slip between Friday Night Lights and Game of Thrones as to who should win.
split*
I do think Mad Men will continue its streak though.
21:41
Mad Men was better than ever though
so its not crazy to give it to them
21:41
Once again, I would just like for Emmy to spread the wealth amongst other series.
I won’t be mad if they win, I just won’t be as happy as if one of the other ones win.
21:43
I’m all for spreading it out too, but thats not how they do these things
21:43
I know…I’m just saying that’s how I would vote.
21:43
I also think that Justified should have been nominated
21:43
I’ve never seen it, so I can’t say anything about it.
21:45
I’m calling Downton Abbey ftw
21:45
So am I.
It’s won more tonight.
Downton Abbey wins Miniseries
21:45
that theme music sounds like X-Files
21:46
The Downton Abbey theme sounds remarkably similar to The X-Files theme.
Dude!
21:46
creepy
what’s he talking about David and Goliath? they spent crazy money on Downton Abbey
21:46
Yeah, that dude’s pretty creepy.
21:47
here it is, the big one
21:47
Yeah, but he’s British, so it needed to sound more epic than it is.
Mad Men wins Drama
21:47
Whelp, we were both right
21:47
Surprise surprise.
Well deserved.
Just a boring choice.
21:48
it might not ever lose this award until it doesn’t exist anymore
21:49
Maybe they’ll give it some downtime next year so Breaking Bad can win.
21:49
actually, that might happen
cause they aren’t starting the next season until late
so theres a chance it will miss the window
21:49
Well, here’s hoping.
Fingers crossed.
21:49
Also, why do they do drama before comedy?
21:50
Because more people watch the nominated comedies.
21:50
I’d end on Drama being the biggest award of the night
21:50
I would too…but they want people watching until the end of the show.
Ok, so who should win best comedy?
Community.
Funniest show of last year.
But it’s not nominated…
So, of the nominees, I’d give it to Park and Recreation.
However, it’s pretty obvious Modern Family will win, and deservedly.
21:51
I say the same thing, Parks and Rec should win, Modern Family will
its a tough call for me between Parks and Rec and Community though
They are very different kinds of humor
21:52
Yeah…Community just had more laughs per minute.
That’s the only reason I’d give them the win
Parks and Rec had a very sweet and down to earth season.
21:53
I just really love me some Ron Swanson
and lil Sebastian
21:53
It didn’t make the show worse, it just made it less funny.
21:53
Community had a great finale
21:53
Lil’ Sebastion should have won best guest star.
21:53
As long as Glee doesn’t win I’m happy
or Big Bang
the other 4 are all great
21:54
You really hate Big Bang Theory, don’t you? haha
21:54
its terrible
21:54
Great Chris Colfer cutaway.
Gwenyth Paltrow continuing her “Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better Tour”
21:55
ha, i don’t mind
she’s good to look at
Modern Family wins Comedy
So no big surprises on the major awards
21:56
Not a one.
I do like that there were a few surprises with the acting categories though.
With the exception of Jim Parsons, they really gave out a lot of awards to people who truly deserved them.
21:57
yea, I’m pretty surprised Steve Carrell didn’t win
I figured the sympathy thing would have been there
I just don’t understand why so many people like Big Bang so much
21:58
I think it’s funny, just not that funny.
21:58
they don’t get the geek culture right
the style is completely outdated
21:58
Clearly…those guys are nothing like you and I.
21:58
no, they are not
21:58
Except I still wear superhero shirts…
21:59
its deeper than just clothing though
21:59
Ok, so Jane Lynch? Not that great.
21:59
yea no
21:59
I don’t think she’ll go down in history.
21:59
pretty blah
the show was best when she wasn’t there
21:59
I’d still put NPH as the best host of the last 10 years.
21:59
he’s the only one who comes to mind really
22:00
Ellen did good at the awards after 9/11, but she’s the only other one I can think of that was really good.
I mean, this past decade was the same one that gave us the fiasco that was the Reality Host Nominees hosting the award show.
So, favorite moment of the night?
22:01
that was a bad idea
umm…. probably Michael Bolton
that whole thing was fantastic
if the actress thing hadn’t been scripted then that would have been it
22:02
I’m giving it to the inspired idea by the Best Actress in a Comedy nominees to have the balls to do that bit.
They showed what that these awards shows should really just be fun, not that serious.
22:02
it was well done, it was funny, but… Michael Bolton as Jack Sparrow
22:03
Oh, and Ricky Gervais for having the balls to do anything at any awards show again.
Here’s hoping he’ll host the Golden Globes again!
22:03
I want the podcast
that would be amazing
Top 10 Favorite Film Scores #1 – ET
15:30 Andrew
Entertainment Tonight, duda dunt dunt duh
don’t know how this was your #1 Chris
15:31 Chris
Actually, I was going for the Katy Perry song…that has to be in some movie, right?
15:31
probably Smurfs
15:32
Seriously though, I’m very honored to present our combined number one film score of all time: The brilliant John Williams tops our list with his music from E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.
This is, and probably always will be, my personal favorite film score of all time.
I believe the entire film, from start to finish, is perfection, and the music more than helps the film.
15:34
I can say that going on the ride in Universal studios, it was pretty fantastic hearing the theme as you passed the moon
15:35
It’s moving, it’s dramatic, it’s scary at some times, but above all, it’s just plain enjoyable.
Seriously, when I went to Universal Studios this summer, I made my friends go on the ride just so I had an excuse to listen to the music.
15:36
It’s not a bad ride
a little dated perhaps but not bad
I was also 8 when I rode it so…
15:37
When compared to the other rides, it’s a bit dated. But it’s fun.
15:37
I think what J Will really achieves here is the sense of wonder that ET has
its a movie about kids, and being a kid is full of all sorts of things that are exciting and new
15:39
Exactly: the audience automatically feels linked to Elliot and have a connection to his wonderment of discovering this alien, but what’s so brilliant about the music is that it almost always lines up with the emotions that ET if feeling at the time.
I don’t know if you notice, but the music goes dead in the film during the sequences following ET’s “death”, and comes right back to life when he wakes back up.
15:40
Thats because J Will stepped out for a cigarette
15:40
The few cues of music during that time are very dull, extended horn sounds that are like him flatlining.
Well, we all know they have the band right next to the camera playing the music, if we learned anything from Family Guy: Blue Harvest.
15:41
yea, you do it live or you go home
losers record in a studio
15:43
A lot of attention is given to the music used ath eend of the film and, of course, the Flying sequence.
I however, would like to give a shout out to two sequences that are looked over quite a bit with this film.
The first is opening of the movie, as ET is left behind and chased by the government peeps.
15:44
government peeps?
are they marshmallows?
15:44
The music is just devestating, and you feel for the little prune as he sees his ship fly away.
The second, and I would argue the best, musical cue in the movie comes when the government scientists enter the house.
That entire sequence is just plane scary.
I hated watching it as a kid, and I love watching it now, because it is just so intense.
15:46
Indeed
but there is a reason that the famous part of the score is famous
when I talk about wonder, or joy, or something uplifting the flying theme comes to mind
15:47
Of course. How can you not look at the DVD cover or the movie poster and just hear the theme in your head?
15:47
that little flute riffing in the background
I always imagine a midget just popping up whenever he plays that, from different places in the orchestra
like Ron Burgundy playing Aqualung
15:49
So, to be clear…the ET theme makes you think of midgets playing Aqualung?
15:49
no, it makes me think of midgets playing flutes in a manner reminiscent of Ron Burgundy in Anchorman
also, I love how it all gets silent and the builds back up for the final climax when the ship takes off
15:50
Ok, just clarifying.
Seriously, that little flute interlude at the end may just be the most perfect moment of music ever.
It makes me cry every time.
I’m not kidding…I’ve literally cried every time I’ve seen this movie.
15:51
thats a bit much
you need to get those emotions and burry them deep down inside you where they belong
15:54
One last note on why I love the movie score so much…the piano tune during the credits of the movie. I sit through the credits every time jus to listen to it.
Top 10 Favorite Film Scores #2 – The Lord of the Rings
14:49 Chris
Click Me!
That being said, why do you the soundtrack from The Lord of the Rings belongs on our list of 10 favorite movie scores?
14:50 Andrew
I’ve seen that, good stuff
well, I can’t think of a soundtrack with more quality identifiable themes
also, the themes are implimented into the movie so well that they don’t ever become the focus of the scene, but really do add to the richness of Middle Earth
14:52
Just to be clear, this spot on the list is for all three films…it would have been too difficult to choose any one of the whole series.
14:52
well we did it with star wars
so I guess we’re counting series now
although, if I had to pick I’d go with Return of the King, simply for Gondor’s theme
14:53
I probably would have chosen the same film, but for a different song.
14:54
grey havens?
14:54
The Grey Havens is one of my all time favorite pieces of music, film score or otherwise.
14:54
nailed it
14:54
You know me too well.
It’s just a gorgeous piece of music…a perfect end to the series, a beautiful way to string Into the West into the film score as well.
It should be mentioned, Howard Shore, the composer of these films, also wrote all three of the film’s songs: May it Be, Gollum’s Song, and Into the West.
14:56
yea, of those three I think Into the West is the best
followed by gollum’s song
14:56
I have all three on my iPod.
I wish the audience could hear your version of Into the West…
You need to record it just for the blog.
14:57
I don’t remember having a version
14:57
Your Annie Lennox impression?
14:58
what? just screaming it?
14:58
Yes.
It’s a spot on scream.
14:58
I don’t really have the recording equipment necessary to keep the quality level high though
I wouldn’t want people to hear it on an inferior format
15:00
Back to the films, from the moment you hear Cate Blanchett’s voice at the beginning of FOTR and you hear the sweeping strings behind her voice, you knew the movies were going to be epic.
15:00
the ring’s theme
good stuff
15:01
I also really love the Shire theme. Sets up the tranquility and simplicity of the village, and then it’s followed by the more mechanical sounding pieces from Mordor.
It was clear that Shore knew the characters and themes of the film incredibly well and worked hand in hand with Jackson from the beginning to establish the tone of each scene, setting, and character.
15:03
For sure, I also think he uses vocals incredibly well. Not only to just create sound, but also to layer in the languages of middle earth
so the end result again just feels authentic, like you found this music in middle earth itself
15:05
Yes…he really revolutionized the use of lyrical/choral symphonies that are copied endlessly for fantasy pieces.
The difference with his use of it, though, was that he used the actual language of the film (Elvish) to explain some of the thematic moments of the film.
Plus, Elvish is just a much cooler language than Latin.
15:06
I don’t know about that
I like me some latin
but yes, if you know elvish then I think you are rewarded for that almost useless skill
15:07
See? It’s decidedly less useless than knowing Klingon.
15:07
that might be true
15:07
Other moments from the series that stand out to me through the music: The Battle of Helm’s Deep would not have been nearly as epic without that score.
15:08
Click Me!
one of my personal favorite is the Ent’s attacking Isengard
15:09
And, one of my favorite moments of the entire series: Pippen singing his little song during the fight sequence before the Battle of Minas Tirith.
Shout out to Billy Boyd for writing that song the day the scene was shot.
15:09
he is kind of awesome
Pippin is totally my favorite hobbit
15:10
You know the Sam lovers are going to be all up on you for that statement.
15:11
there are sam lovers?
15:11
He’s a sentimental favorite.
And you don’t believe in sentiment.
15:12
he’s too stupid to know to check for a pulse
up, not moving, must be dead
15:13
But…he carried Mr. Frodo all the way up Mt. Doom! And gave him some of his food!
15:13
great use of Into the West there too btw
when he picks him up that is, “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you” what can you see… ON THE HORIZON!
15:14
See…that’s why we need audio.
15:15
I’ll see what I can do… no promises.
Maybe if there is enough public outcry for it.
Top 10 Favorite Film Scores #3 – Jurassic Park
Full disclosure here, Jurassic Park might be my favorite movie ever. I say might be since I haven’t really ever sat down and tried to compare different movies in any organized way. What I can tell you is that it is most certainly my favorite book. You might be thinking to yourself, “self, why does it matter if he likes the book? There is no soundtrack to the book.” Well here is your answer that you give yourself. Number 1, the book is amazing and you should read it. Number 2, I hear the soundtrack to the movie every time I open the book.
If I could pick any piano piece and just know it instantly, it would be the theme to jurassic park. If I ever go on a safari, You can bet all the cigars in Cuba that I’ll be blasting this theme from the Jeep. I don’t care if it alerts all the animals and we get charged by a rhino, or worse, a hippopotamus. And as my body is being easily snapped in half by the mighty jaws of the angry hippopotamus, I’ll be humming the theme with a smile and thinking, “worth it.”
Don’t forget about the opening of the film either. The loud drum beat followed by the haunting wooden flutes. It really builds the suspense while the trees shake and we wonder what is going to come out. This sounds counter intuitive, but the score also knows when to shut up. During the entire T-Rex attack the music cuts out completely. They didn’t muddle the scene with music and instead they let it play out more realistically, or at least as realistically as you can when the scene is of a dinosaur attacking people. This lets the T-Rex be the center of attention. Later we when the soundtrack cuts back in it is all the more effective due to the silent part before. Anyway, J Will is the man.
-Andrew
Top 10 Favorite Film Scores #4 – Star Wars
Honestly, was there any doubt this wouldn’t be on the list? Easily the most recognizable film score of all time. Even people who haven’t seen any of the Star Wars films (all 19 of you) still know the opening title theme, the Empiral March, or Duel of the Fates, to name a few of the signature songs from the series. To be clear, this ranking is for the entire series. Even the prequel trilogy has some of the greatest movie music cues (and yes, I include the corny Anakin-Padme love theme from Attack of the Clones…it’s just a great piece of music, even if it makes me want to throw up every time I hear it from pure hatred).
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I feel like all the great film scores have distinct images attached to them. Listen to the music in the video above, close your eyes, and you’ll still see the lightsaber duels, Luke looking out to the sunset on Tatooine, Anakin and Padme rolling in the grass on Naboo (*violently vomits*), and the scrolling words graphic that will forever be associated with this series. John Williams just showed how masterful of a composer he is, and the music of this series to so epic, they even recently had a traveling show devoted entirely to the music of this series. However, Williams did have one mistep in the original series that they thankfully changed with the remastered version of the films…click below to listen to how NOT to end the greatest sci-fi adventure series of all time. Yub nub.
-Chris
Top 10 Favorite Film Scores #5 – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
There aren’t a whole lot of scores that I can listen to repeatedly and not get tired of. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly could be on repeat all day and I’d be fine with it. The emotional swell that the score creates wouldn’t be diminished at all. Most of you are probably at least aware of the main theme. And you should be, it is fantastic. Not only is it an iconic peice of cinema music, it also works great as a companion to the film. It has both the action and the sparseness that the film manages to juggle well. I can’t think of a piece of music that is more identifiable with a western.
However, as good as it is I’d like to point you to a couple tracks from the climax of the film. “The Trio” comes from the final shootout scene of the film. It might be the most tense scene ever put on film. Just throwing that out there. Seriously, it is pretty much five minutes of three dudes just looking at each other, yet you know that its gonna hit the fan anytime. The score does most of the emotional drive here with a beautiful trumpet. Again we get swells of music after lengthy sparse sound. The quiet of the guitar simply strumming along makes the swells of orchestra all the more powerful.
And finally, what I might consider the best music ever put on film (depending on when you ask me), The Ecstasy of Gold. Yea, it’s kind of amazing. It plays while the Ugly is checking different graves, looking for the one with gold, the McGuffin of the whole movie, buried under it. The music makes it clear how he feels about gold and how much he’s gone through to get there. At that voice! I want to marry the woman who sings this part just so she can sing it for me live whenever I want. Playing this music makes everything instantly more important. Searching through the couch for the remote? Play this song and you won’t feel like a lazy slob but instead an archeologist on the verge of an earth shattering discovery. And yes, I speak from experience.
-Andrew
Top Ten Favorite Film Scores #6 – Psycho
Story time! Last year, on the night before Halloween, a few friends and I went to Powell Hall to watch the great Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho with live musical accompaniment from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the masterpiece. I had always loved the film from the time I first saw it as a teenager, and I thought it would be fun to not only see it on the big screen, but to really hone in on the score by Bernard Herrmann. That night may go down as my all time favorite film going experience. The tension of the audience was palpable, as it was clear there were several people in the audience (including a few of the friends I went along with) who had never seen the film before and were prepared to be scared out of their ever loving minds. Even I, who had seen the movie at least a dozen times before then found myself at the edge of my seat, waiting for the knife to fall, and I really believe it was because I was taking in the music and realizing just how brilliant of a composer Herrmann was.
The music of Psycho is done entirely by a string orchestra: there are no horns or woodwinds of any kind to be found in the score, which is a departure from Hitchcock’s preferred inclusion of jazz inspired scores. The strings give a harsh, intense sound to the film as well as a wider array in tone. Many people look to “The Murder” theme as one of the greatest cinematic music cues of all time, and I would have to agree. Each pull of the bow sends a shooting sensation right through the viewer’s body as if they are getting stabbed themselves. As Marion slides down the shower, grasping for something to hold onto in the last few seconds of her life, the music sinks down alongside her. Hitchcock originally did not want there to be any music attached to the shower scene, so we now know that even absolute creative geniuses make mistakes sometimes.
But that one cue is not the only piece of music attached to the film, and I would argue it isn’t even the best of the film. The opening theme, which is repeated several times throughout the film, is just delightful to listen to. We need to remember that the majority of the audience who went to see the film in 1960 did not know the film was going to be horror, mystery, suspense, etc. They just knew that Hitchcock was notorious for bringing to the unexpected to his audience, and the theme gives the first clue that something dreadful is about to happen to one or more of its characters. Even as Marion is simply driving, we feel our hearts pounding as she runs away from her life. There is just too many great things to say about the music of this film, and even Danny Elfman knew better than to stray too far from the music of this classic in his dreadful Gus Van Sant shot for shot remake of the film from 1998…even though he still somehow managed to ruin it.
-Chris
Top Ten Favorite Film Scores #7 – Up
Up does in the first few minutes what some films don’t manage in their entire runtime. We meet, care about, understand, empathize with, and hope for the characters. All of this is achieved without dialogue. Instead, we are presented with a montage of shots, snippets from the life of Carl and Ellie. We see them transform from young newlyweds, through middle age, and into their golden years. Although the visuals are great, the whole segment is held together by the glue of Michael Giacchino’s score.
Seriously, who doesn’t cry just a little when they find out they can’t have kids? Or, if that wasn’t enough to melt your cold heart then what about when Ellie dies, and Carl is left alone with just a single balloon? I can sense the tears welling up in your eyes right now just reading about it. This one track is probably good enough to make the list, yet Giacchino doesn’t stop. He also gives us the very entertaining “Adventure is Out There” song. I love the old time-y feel to this piece and to the score overall. It really sets the mood for the quirky story that film will develop.
Honestly, both Chris and I knew a Giacchino score had to be on here, but we didn’t agree on which was best. He favored The Incredibles, while I was more partial to Ratatouille. So we compromised on Up because it was both of our #2s. Don’t take this to mean that we don’t think it deserves a spot on here, it damn well does. Instead, just realize that Giacchino is an amazing composer who’s career within Pixar and without (check out Star Trek or Lost) has been consistently great.
-Andrew
Top Ten Favorite Film Scores #8 – The Dark Knight
If I had to sum up in one word what makes the score from The Dark Knight so great, it would be: dissonance. Ok, I’ll wait for you to look the word up….So much has been made of Hans Zimmer’s (with the help of James Newton Howard in this movie) use of horns in his scores after Inception, or as Andrew likes to call it, the BBBWWWWWAAAAAAA Movie. But what he is able to do in this score with the use of strings and cord structure is put every single person in the theater on the edge of their seat, just waiting for their to be some kind of resolution within the music. And there almost never is…just like this movie. The characters in the film grow farther apart, the city of Gotham is thrown into even deeper turmoil, and the music reflects every bit of the suspense the audience felt throughout the course of watching what many consider to be the greatest superhero film ever. Listen to the piece from the opening bank robbery sequence, and tell me you did not move a little farther to the edge of your chair (or, if you’re particularly squeamish, pee yourself).
Zimmer and Howard took what they built with Batman Begins with the major themes of the characters and the film, most notably Mollossus, and expanded them into new and darker realms for the characters of this movie. These composers (and the rest of the music team) clearly understood the direction this film would be taking the series, and used the music to make the film much more…well, serious, for a lack of better terms. Due to technical limitations within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this score was not eligible for inclusion in the 2009 Oscar race, but you better believe it would have been a serious contender for the big prize had it been.
-Chris
Top Ten Favorite Film Scores #9 – Lawrence of Arabia
I don’t think I’ll ever go out in the desert without humming this theme in my head. It is such an iconic piece of music that instantly makes you thirsty. You know the way Dixie always makes you instantly know that what you’re watching takes place in the South? That’s what Lawrence does for sand. I’ve heard people complain that the score isn’t accurate to Arabic music, but here’s the deal. Lawrence is about a British soldier immersing himself in the Arab culture. With that in mind, it feels appropriate. It is a Western take on Middle Eastern music.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that it is attached to one of the greatest films ever made. Yes, a score can be great independently of the film. I hear great things about The Last Airbender’s soundtrack. But it really helps when a great film score has great material to play over. I’m talking about you match cut. That desert horizon hits us visually, and then gradually the music starts to build as the sun rises, culminating with the epic theme blasting away. People today really throw around the word “epic” willy nilly, but if there is one movie that epitomizes an epic to me, it’s Lawrence of Arabia, and the score doesn’t just compliment, it enhances the epicness.
-Andrew
Top Ten Favorite Film Scores #10 – Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Hello readers! Sorry we haven’t had a lot to read these past couple weeks but people *cough-Chris* have gotten busy with real life. However, I’m pleased to present you with our list of top ten film scores. We’re both lovers film music and thought we should share some of what we consider the best.
Remember, our criteria here is not simply based around themes. We love themes and they are very important, but what we’re really trying to look for here is music that elevates the action, deepens the drama, and gives you that warm fuzzy feeling. We argued over what should make this list, and many of our favorites got left off for sake of brevity. However, I think we found 10 scores that you’ll have to agree are amazing. So without further ado, here is Chris to present #10.
-Andrew
Have five notes ever mattered so much to the plot of a film as “five-tone” motif from Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind? The greatness of this soundtrack (and yes, there will be more John Williams on this list. Don’t you worry) is Spielberg and Williams’ realization that, unlike any form of communication known to man, music can cross so many boundaries and really is a universal language. I believe the best film scores are not only memorable, but enhance the emotion you see on the screen. In this film, the two showed something very different, but very powerful. They allowed the music to tell the story in conjunction with the images. After rewatching this film recently (and after taking a class about Telling Stories Visually with the great film professor Dennis Brown), it really is amazing how little dialogue there is in the movie, but I believe the score takes its place, and elevates the film to greatness.
Like every other score on this list, it is hard to think of the music without having a specific image stuck in your mind. How can you not think of the five tone motif without imaging the alien mothership rising out from behind Devil’s Peak? Coming out of Jaws, Williams had a lot to live up to in terms of music, and he definitely lived up to it with this soundtrack, and I feel like this was a precursor to what would become, in my opinion, Williams’ greatest achievement of his long and illustrious career.
-Chris
Greatest Film Franchises
Potential SPOILERS for any of these films. Which ones you ask? I guess you’ll have to read and find out.
Andrew 19:56
hey
Chris 19:56
Grumble.
19:57
i dont know how to respond to that
19:57
Blrgh?
19:57
ready for franchise fanboyism?
19:58
As ready as a Jawa in a scrap metal field.
19:58
you are so lame
So I compiled a list of favorites and objectively good, which are we going with?
20:02
I’m going my objectively favorite franchises.
Does that work?
20:02
not really, but go ahead with your number 5, as well as why you picked it
20:03
Just a second…getting a phone call…
20:03
priorities Chris, priorities
20:04
It’s my mother, and it’s her birthday. I’m answering the damn phone.
20:05
your mother’s birthday is more important than discussing which franchise of films is the best? you disappoint me sir
20:13
Ok, sorry.
I’m back.
Ok, I’m going to explain my judging criteria for this list.
I have three criteria that I chose each franchise on.
1) The movies have to have a technical merit that has made them an indisputable asset to the film world.
2) I had to enjoy the majority of the movies. A few of these franchises will have films I did not enjoy, even really disliked, but they still don’t take away from the accomplishments of the good ones.
3) The nostalgia factor. These franchises are ones that I can pinpoint where I was when I saw every one of these movies, and they have a personal connection to my life.
20:16
you type slow
20:17
Maybe you just comprehend slow.
On that note, I’m going to state my number 5 franchise. It’s a bit of a controversial one, but I like these movies…
The Terminator series.
I’ll take a moment for that to sink in for you.
20:18
I considered Terminator
20:18
Ok, I’ll explain this one point by point.
20:19
The amazingness of 1 & 2 could arguably overcome the terribleness of 3 & 4
20:19
Clearly, the current state of CGI in movies would be no where if it weren’t for T2.
20:20
well, Idk about that
20:20
I do.
20:20
it was certainly a big leap, but the Abyss did a similar thing with the water tenticle
20:20
The first movie is one of the best low budget sci-fi movies of its time.
It’s amazing how well the story holds up today, even if the effects are a little lackluster for today’s audiences.
20:21
I would argue that Jurassic Park & T2 really did effects the biggest favor together
JP was the first photo real animals, and I think that has had more impact than liquid metal guy, although both are increadibly important
20:22
As for my second point, I actually really enjoyed Terminator Salvation.
20:22
well thats a problem
20:22
I don’t like T3 that much, but it wasn’t as bad as most people think it was.
It was still a fun movie.
20:23
I would disagree, mainly because it destroys the plot of the first two
20:23
Even if the story took away a little from the first two in the series.
20:24
ok, here’s my #5
Toy Story
yea, try to argue against that
20:25
I won’t, and you’ll see why later.
20:25
basically invented 3d animated film, maintained a streak of just insane awesomeness, and open and closed my childhood
nice subtle hint there btw
20:25
I wasn’t trying to be subtle, haha.
20:25
obviously
ok, your #4?
20:26
Ok, number 4: Harry Potter.
I will admit, this one has a great deal to do with the nostalgia factor.
Harry Potter was my teenage years.
It helped me through hard times.
20:27
You won’t find Harry Potter on my list, but only because I don’t have a strong connection to it
20:28
I also really think it made an invaluable contribution to the film world by having a series that lasted 10 years, telling the same story with the same actors and the same writer.
People will be looking at it for decades to come on how to make an epic story over a longer period of time.
Not to mention, I really enjoyed 6 out of the 8 films, which isn’t bad at all.
20:30
Here’s my deal, while most of the films in the series are good, there are none that I think are really in that upper sphere of Greatness
So I can respect a lot about the series, and if this was a top ten list it would be on mine, but with top five I need at least one film that I can point to and say that this is a great film even for people outside the genre
and my #4…
Star Wars
20:33
Barely missed my list.
20:33
wow, see i figure this is one that is kind of assumed
20:33
Episodes 1-3 were just too bad.
20:33
ok, episode 3 is not bad
its not great, but its not bad
20:33
It’s bad.
20:34
and Empire Strikes Back is probably my favorite science fiction film of all time
20:34
“Anakin, you’re breaking my heart”
“If you’re not with me, you’re against me!”
20:34
yea, but then they fight with laser swords for like an hour
20:34
Two reasons why I hated that movie.
20:34
epic laser sword battles
20:34
Action does not equal good movie.
20:34
it can
regardless, Star Wars, Empire, and Jedi are so good that you can just ignore the others
plus, as a commercial machine there is just no comparison
It has permeated every other form of entertainment, and created a fandom that is pretty intense
but I don’t think anyone needs me to really explain star wars
20:37
Once again, I don’t think commercial equals good movie, but I’ll give you the other points.
20:37
commercial equals successful franchise
and when you’re talking about great franchises, to ignore commercial success is ridiculous
20:38
Transformers.
Thank you, let’s move on.
20:39
no
20:39
My number 3.
20:39
you dont get to end the debate like that
transformers is a very successful franchise
20:39
Yes I do.
And a horrible one.
20:40
there is not denying it has some bad movies, but that doesn’t completely disallow it from being important and relevant
whether we like them or not, there is a great fanbase for those films
and that is certainly worth something
20:41
I agree. I don’t add the commercial success into my argument though.
Success does not equal greatness, but it does equal dollars, which I do not have.
20:41
success certainly can equal greatness
Alexander the Great is called “the Great” because he was so successful
I’m taking into account commercial and critical, when you’re talking about a franchise you’re talking about the strength of a brand or name
and ticket sales certainly can tell you that strength
having said that, Transformers is not on my list
20:43
Thank you for helping my point.
My number 3:
The Batman franchise.
20:44
K
20:44
As everyone knows, I love superheroes.
20:44
should we discuss it now or later when it shows up on mine?
20:45
Well, we’ll wait for you.
20:45
ok, my #3
Lord of the Rings
20:45
Which is my number 2, so we’ll discuss.
20:45
indeed
20:45
Indubitably.
20:46
pretty much a massive achievement
it really feels like one movie, not three separated
20:47
Agree.
20:47
For me, it shows how to put faith in an idea and go with it
20:47
Technologically, it showed that great CGI does not have to take away from fantastic direction.
The world of motion capture, which is everywhere nowadays, has to thank Gollum for its emergence in the industry.
The director’s cuts are just fun.
20:48
especailly for showing how to do it right
20:48
I can watch all of them over and over.
20:49
Andy Serkis owns that part
20:49
They’re just about as perfect as you can get in a movie franchise.
20:49
honestly, the best DVD/Blu ray set that exist right now
there are so many extra features, so many commentaries, the extra scenes are all seamlessly put back into the films
honestly, when i see the theatrical cuts they feel wrong to me
20:50
No one will be able to top the DVDs, I completely agree.
20:50
ive been watching them on blu ray, and they hold up so well for being a decade old
20:51
Seriously…they could have been released last week, and they would still hold up beautifully.
20:51
although some of the minatures are starting to look like minatures, on the whole the films look beautiful
it put Weta on the map, and showed how to adapt a difficult source material into something workable on screen
people don’t talk about the writers enough if you ask me, the moved a lot of things around for the films, but it all feels right and doesn’t betray the books
20:53
And now we’ll get to see how Andy Serkis next week play an ape!!! We’ve come full circle over the last decade.
20:53
well really we’ll come full circle when The Hobbit comes out
and we see him playing Gollum again, I wonder if they’ll update the character model much
20:54
Let’s pray it’s good…we might have to move this series up or down the list.
20:54
i have great expectations, all the same crew and everything they’ve shown so far looks great
20:55
Ok, we just did my number 2, so what’s yours?
20:55
Batman
You know when I said that I want a film to point to and say “This is a great film” no matter the genre?
Obviously I was talking about Batman & Robin
20:57
Clearly.
I’ve talked about The Dark Knight and Batman Begins quite a bit, but I really don’t want to take anything away from the greatness of Tim Burton’s films.
After the fiasco that was Superman: The Quest for Peace, it really seemed like the genre was never going to recover.
And yet, he somehow made it into one of the most successful movies of the 80s, even 90s.
20:58
yea, Batman 89 is so good
the gothic nature of batman is really played well
and although I prefer Nolan’s take, Burton’s take was certainly valid as well
20:59
Now, we should mention Batman Forever and Batman and Robin.
They both suck.
Bottom line.
But the other 5 in the series are so good, they really overshadow them.
Yes, I meant 5.
21:00
Batman Forever I can handle at very specific times, and Batman & Robin is hillarious
but yes, they suck
21:00
I include the Adam West movie in that list.
21:00
some days you just can’t get rid of a bomb
21:00
Because Caesar Romero as the Joker = most frightening thing put on film.
21:01
I would like to point out, that The Dark Knight was so far the only time I’ve been speechless after a film
I literally said nothing on the car ride home because I was just mulling it all over in my head
21:02
See, I think I had the exact opposite reaction.
I couldn’t help but talk constantly for the next three days straight about the movie.
21:02
I talked about it later, but for that hour or so after I just had to let it sink in
that is not normal for me, I usually discuss it immediately
I did also see it three weeks early, so I had few people to talk about it with
ok, I bet I can guess your #1
21:04
Psh…there’s no way you could ever…oh wait.
Yes, my number 1 film franchise of all time is none other than the Toy Story franchise.
I know, it surprised me too that it’s my number one.
21:05
it is a great franchise
perfect scores for all three films
perfect consistency in style and acting
also: made a lot of money
21:06
This franchise has more of a personal connection to my life, than any other series, and yes, that includes the Superman film series.
21:06
I am shocked not to see Superman on the list
21:07
See, I tried to take out as much of my personal affection as possible.
21:07
wait.. hold the phone
21:07
That was a joke, sir.
21:07
then why no superman?
21:08
Because, as much as I love it, and as much as it has impacted my life, I can’t find it in me to put it above any of the other five series I have listed.
Just a gut feeling.
I feel like I’ve betrayed myself somehow, but I just justify putting it above any of these series.
21:09
Well I would certainly argue that two out of five aint great
but I know your response to that
21:10
That it’s actually four out of six.
Anyway, I saw the original Toy Story in theaters more than any other movie ever, I’m pretty sure.
I played with all the toys growing up.
Make your “I played with my Woody joke” as you will.
The second movie had the first ever video game I bought for my N64.
Even though the game sucked, it was still fun and memorable.
And the third movie…
I swear, it broke my heart.
21:12
Toy Story for SNES is good
21:12
I never cried as much during a movie as I did during Toy Story 3.
It was just the absolute perfect ending to the series, and, as you mentioned before, our childhoods.
21:13
I agree, I hope they don’t make a 4th but they are hinting at it
21:14
I might not see it if they make it.
21:14
it would probably be good, but as it stands now I like the franchise where it is
and don’t lie, you’d be in that theater day one
21:15
I really don’t know if I would.
I just don’t want those last few images of the movie to be ruined.
21:15
they cant be
21:16
Well, Star Wars ruined the way I saw Darth Vader, so there you go.
21:16
I see him as I did when I was a kid, and I see prequel Darth as a different character all together
no matter how hard Hayden Christiansen tries, he can’t make Darth Vader less of a BAMF in Empire Strikes Back
21:18
To each his own.
So, try to convince me James Bond is the best franchise ever.
21:18
k, here goes
21:18
Oh, sorry, did you want to reveal that?
21:18
#1 – Longevity, 50 years old
#2 – Awesomeness, James Bond is just plain cool
#3 – Great Films, Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, Living Daylights, License to Kill, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale are all great films
#4 – Everyone knows 007, at least a quarter of the planet has seen a Bond film
#5 – Awesomeness Again, James Bond is still cool
#6 – Survival, there is no reason to believe they’ll ever stop making Bond movies
#7 – Books, We Don’t Need no Stinking Books, they ran out of source novels and they kept going anyway. suck on that Harry Potter
21:24
You done?
21:24
#8 – Icons, gunbarrel, bond girls, bond gadgets, bond cars
#9 – Christopher Walken
I could go on, but I’ll stop
21:26
Ok. I’m not going to argue with you, because I’ve done that enough already with your obsession with this series, which I won’t judge, but rather ponder.
What I will say, on my part, is that only 4 of the Bond films are “great”.
21:26
thats one more than toy story
21:26
Some of the ones you mentioned are good.
Some are ok.
The ones you did not mention…bad, or very bad.
I’m not counting by the number of greats, but rather percentage.
21:27
that favors short series
easy to have 100% with only three films
and never having to recast your lead
or deal with the collapse of the Soviet Union
But those were just my objective reasons
21:28
Haha…blame it on Russia, why don’t you.
21:28
Subjectivly, I grew up with the series
21:28
I would certainly put Bond in my top 10.
21:29
also, no Bond movie has ever lost money
almost forgot that one
21:29
Haha…you want to just make your own post on the greatness that is Bond?
21:29
I could make a post every day about it
because its true
21:30
We’ll agree to heavily disagree.
Just out of curiosity, any series that barely made the cut?
21:31
barely didnt make the cut you mean?
21:26
Ok. I’m not going to argue with you, because I’ve done that enough already with your obsession with this series, which I won’t judge, but rather ponder.
What I will say, on my part, is that only 4 of the Bond films are “great”.
21:26
thats one more than toy story
21:26
Some of the ones you mentioned are good.
Some are ok.
The ones you did not mention…bad, or very bad.
I’m not counting by the number of greats, but rather percentage.
21:27
that favors short series
easy to have 100% with only three films
and never having to recast your lead
or deal with the collapse of the Soviet Union
But those were just my objective reasons
21:28
Haha…blame it on Russia, why don’t you.
21:28
Subjectivly, I grew up with the series
21:28
I would certainly put Bond in my top 10.
21:29
also, no Bond movie has ever lost money
almost forgot that one
21:29
Haha…you want to just make your own post on the greatness that is Bond?
21:29
I could make a post every day about it
because its true
21:30
We’ll agree to heavily disagree.
Just out of curiosity, any series that barely made the cut?
21:31
barely didnt make the cut you mean?
21:31
No, that you almost put on your list, but didn’t make it because they were cut.
21:31
you don’t know the phrase correctly sir
if you make the cut, you get in
as in, there was a cut but you made it
if you don’t believe me, we can let the readers decide
and yes, here is my expanded list to 10
The Godfather, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Godzilla
21:33
Like I said, almost put Star Wars at five.
Thought about Indiana Jones.
That was it.
21:34
didnt even consider the Godfather?
only two films that are constantly ranked as the best ever made?
21:34
Can’t say I did.
Didn’t cross my mind.
Don’t know why, just didn’t.
21:35
k
whelp, guess you better get started on your favorite film scores
21:36
I can do that.
21:36
great, I’m excited
21:36
I can tell you what won’t be on my list…
21:37
k
21:37
Plan 9 From Outer Space.
21:37
really?
I’m kind of shocked
you know what won’t be on mine?
Leonard Part 6
21:38
What about Parts 1-5?
21:38
maybe…..maybe
Chris
1 Toy Story
2 Lord of the Rings
3 Batman
4 Harry Potter
5 Terminator
Andrew
1 James Bond
2 Batman
3 Lord of the Rings
4 Star Wars
5 Toy Story
Total
Batman 7pts
Lord of the Rings 7pts
Toy Story 6pts
James Bond 5pts
Harry Potter 2pts
Star Wars 2pts
Terminator 1pts
Facebook Chat News, What it Means for the Site
Hey everyone. I guess you may have heard that Facebook recently announced some new features to their chat program. If you haven’t, I’ll try to catch you up to speed. First of all, they announced that video chat is coming to Facebook. The other major announcement was group chat. Both of these could be very useful tools for Chris and I. Obviously, a video chat would be something fun and different. It would be interesting to see how our format works in that way. We plan on looking into it as an option, but the hurdle will be recording it. If anyone has any ideas on how to do that, please let me know. Don’t worry, we have no plans to convert to exclusive video chats even if we can figure out how to make it work. We like the way the text reviews read now, and would not want to sacrifice that.
However, a more immediate opportunity arises with the group chat. My idea is that from time to time we may invite in a guest reviewer to chat with us about a film important to them. Again, this is not something that would be for every review, but more like a special event we do on occasion. If anyone thinks that they would be a good fit, please comment and tell us why. Also, tells us what movie you’d like to review. Thats all I have to say for now, look forward to the next Harry Potter Retrospective as we should be posting it sometime later today. Thanks for reading! As a gift, please enjoy this photo of a basset hound running.
-Andrew
New Look!
Hey, thanks for visiting Facebook Chat Reviews. If you’ve been here before, you’ll notice that we’ve changed the layout a little bit. We figured that, like facebook, we should change the look of the website frequently. I mean it has been over a week since we set it up so I think we were pretty overdue for an overhaul. Obviously, the biggest thing you’ll notice is the fantastic new banner image drawn by the esteemed Mike Diliberto. If you haven’t already, I suggest you check out his work at themieshka.com or the On The Quad comics on facebook. Anyway, thanks again for reading. Next up should be the review of Green Lantern, so get excited.
-Andrew
Hammer & Sickle Trailer
In honor of Super 8 and our love of filmmaking, here is a video Andrew and I made in December 2007, our first semester as film students at Webster University. For our Freshman Seminar class, we had to work in groups and come up with a concept for an original spy/espionage movie to present to the class. So many spy movies were made in the 60s from the capitalist perspective, so we thought: ”Why not show what a spy movie would look like from the Soviet side?” This was our very first time working together and is awfully embarrassing, but it reminds me so much of the kids from Super 8, so it was kind of necessary to share this with our audience. Please enjoy the trailer for Hammer & Sickle: inFIDELity.
