Before I get started, file this under: BAD IDEA. Will Smith is going to direct a remake of The Karate Kid. But wait, it gets worse. His son Jaden will fill Ralph Macchio’s shoes and Jackie Chan will play Mr. Miyagi. Um…how about NO. I like Smith but I wasn’t as impressed with The Pursuit of Happyness as most, and this just seems like a poor choice. That being said, it will probably gross $100 million.

And now, on to the real post.

Let’s be honest, not many Academy Award-caliber films have been released this year thus far. That is about to change. And I love watching movie trailers, both in theaters and online at home. So I decided to create the TOPs, my first attempt at Trailer Oscar Predictions.

I’ve only seen a few films on this list (they are noted with an asterisk); the rest are truly just based on my opinion about what I catch glimpse of in those two minute previews. I take casting, script, and direction into consideration in that short period of time.

I do admit to cheating when it comes to one film: the trailer for Charlie Wilson’s War has not been released yet, but based on the cast and production photos alone, I’m taking a leap of faith. I am also including one black horse candidate/wishful thinking choice (Keri Russell).

So here are my early October predictions in the major categories for the 2008 Academy Awards:

BEST ACTOR

• Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
  

• John Cusack (Grace is Gone)

• Daniel Day Lewis (There Will Be Blood)

• Johnny Depp (Sweeney Todd)

• Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises) *
  

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Ed Harris (Gone Baby Gone)

• Alan Rickman (Sweeney Todd)

• Mark Ruffalo (Reservation Road)

• Denzel Washington (American Gangster)

• Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton)

BEST ACTRESS

• Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth: The Golden Age)

• Angelina Jolie (A Mighty Heart)

• Keira Knightley (Atonement)

• Laura Linney (The Savages)

• Keri Russell (Waitress) *

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Cate Blanchett (I’m Not There)

• Vanessa Redgrave (Atonement)

• Meryl Streep (Lions for Lambs)

• Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton)

• Rachel Weisz (My Blueberry Nights)

BEST DIRECTOR

• Ethan & Joel Coen (No Country for Old Men)

• Marc Forster (The Kite Runner)

• Mike Nichols (Charlie Wilson’s War)

• Sean Penn (Into the Wild)

• Ridley Scott (American Gangster)

BEST PICTURE

• American Gangster

• Atonement

• Charlie Wilson’s War

• Into the Wild

• The Kite Runner

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

• Charlie Wilson’s War (Aaron Sorkin)
  

• Gone Baby Gone (Ben Affleck)

• Into the Wild (Sean Penn)

• The Kite Runner (David Benioff)

• No Country for Old Men (Ethan & Joel Coen)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

• American Gangster (Steven Zaillian & Mark Jacobson) [not sure this qualifies as Original; based on article, not novel]

• Eastern Promises (Steven Knight) *
  

• Knocked Up (Judd Apatow) *

• Lions for Lambs (Matthew Michael Carnahan)

• Once (John Carney) * [not sure this film will qualify for '07 Oscar consideration; it played at film festivals in '06]

Anyone else care to make a few guesses or strongly disagree with anything based on trailers you’ve seen?

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Warning: this is going to be a dull blog entry. I had a hectic day and am feeling quite uninspired. But I am working on some fun posts for later this week, so stand by.

I am now operating on Windows Vista. Well, that and caffeine.

Some might say I have entered the dark side. To which I respond…whatever, it came with my brand new laptop. I use my personal computer for the following tasks: blogging, reading, and watching DVDs. Apparently, four years of doing those three things almost daily led to the demise of my previous laptop. I am loyal, however, and have moved on to yet another Dell.

For years, Mac people have been trying to convert me. Frankly, I don’t feel I need a Mac if writing is my primary function. Yes, they’re prettier and seemingly easier to use, but I’m not sold. Clearly. For what it’s worth, Vista seems to mimic many of the Mac’s visual qualities and Microsoft appears to be inching closer toward the enemy. Perhaps they’re feeling the pressure from those Mac v. PC commercials. You know, the ones featuring Justin Long, who is now dating Drew Barrymore. Anyway…

Since ‘my’ team finished the baseball season in the bottom of the division, I have to root for someone else. Because I love the game and am familiar with just about every single player on every team.

Here are the teams I have always hated strongly disliked, in order:

1. The (Los Angeles is 25 miles away) Angels of Anaheim
   
2. The Boston Red Sox
3. The New York Yankees
4. The Los Angeles Dodgers

Of course, the first three are in the playoffs, which narrows down my choices to:

1. The Arizona Diamondbacks
   
2. The Chicago Cubs
   
3. The Cleveland Indians
4. The Colorado Rockies
5. The Philadelphia Phillies
   

I am an American League girl at heart, and for sentimental reasons, I like to look at which team’s post-season roster contains the most ex-Oakland A’s. I’m also a sucker for an underdog and overcoming a curse. All of which have nothing to do with my final pick.

I do love Eric Byrnes, but is that enough to make me a D-back fan for a few weeks? No.

It’s hard not to believe that the road to the World Series is all but paved for the Rockies, who have gone on an impressive run to win the Wild Card. But I don’t think they have the energy or experience to get them there. Although it would be nice for Todd Helton.

I have casually followed Philadelphia and love to watch Jimmy Rollins play. But other than that, I don’t have a compelling reason to choose them as my team. Apologies to my friend Derek at Cinematically-Correct. I’m sure he’ll leave me a lengthy comment trying to convince me otherwise.

The Cubbies are this year’s ’04 Red Sox. They’re on a mission and if Zambrano and/or Pinella don’t implode, this might be their year. And they do have Jason Kendall now (not that his bat will contribute). Out of all four NL teams, I will jump on the Cub bandwagon.

But my overall choice is the Cleveland Indians. So I envision (or hope for) a Cubs-Indians World Series. And should that occur, my prediction is Cleveland in 6.

So bring it, people. Throw some baseball grief in my direction, and let me know what jersey you’ll be sporting during October ball.

And by the way, whoever chose Dane Cook as a baseball enthusiast/spokesperson should be fired.

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• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• ER
• Judging Amy
• Lost
• NYPD Blue
• Picket Fences

What do these have in common? The primary cast of the film Jane Austen Book Club is comprised of television veterans from those beloved shows. In order from above: Marc Blucas, Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits and Kathy Baker. The other two leads are British imports Hugh Dancy and Emily Blunt (almost unrecognizable with a brunette bob wig and miles from her scene-stealing performance in The Devil Wears Prada).

Jane Austen Book Club writer/director Robin Swicord is no stranger to literary adaptations; she also penned the screenplays for Memoirs of a Geisha and Little Women. Even though I have read almost all of Jane Austen’s work (I majored in English and studied in London for a semester; it was required reading and I loved it), I just don’t think that the material from Karen Joy Fowler’s original novel was strong enough to sustain a full-length feature. This film would have been much better suited as a television series or made-for-TV movie.

Brief but true. It wasn’t very inspiring. The end.

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I watched a ridiculous amount of television this week (live, online and on TiVO). Here is my report card:

• Bones: A
• Cane: C
• Chuck: B+
• Curb Your Enthusiasm: A-
  
• Dirty Sexy Money: A
• Friday Night Lights: B-
• Grey’s Anatomy: B
• Heroes: B
• House: A
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: B
  
• K-Ville: C
• Life: B-
• The Office: A
• Private Practice: B+
• Ugly Betty: B
• Weeds: A-
  

The only show from my wish list that I missed was Reaper, and I don’t understand why The CW doesn’t show it a) as a repeat on the network, b) on their website, or c) on iTunes.

On my docket next week:

• 30 Rock
• Bionic Woman (will watch premiere ep. on TiVO this weekend)
• Brothers and Sisters
• Dexter
• Pushing Daisies
  

What would you rate the new and returning shows? Leave YOUR grades in the comments section…

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File under: random. Last night I stopped to get gas at a Shell station. Normally I head for the cheap stuff but right now they’re all competing within $.01 per gallon higher or lower in my neighborhood. Anyway, I froze while removing the gas cap, because I thought my car became possessed or secretly transformed into Kit’s ugly cousin on Knight Rider. All of a sudden I heard, “next on Access Hollywood…” I turned around and saw that there was a very nice flat panel HD TV above the gas pump, running promos for NBC shows. Like a vidiot, I stood there staring up at the TV, mouth agape, filling up my tank.

Have I reached a new low because I enjoyed the small screen while inhaling fuel fumes? No. That will happen when said highlights play in individual bathroom stalls in every theater, stadium, restaurant and mall across the country.

God forbid we spend two minutes thinking quietly while pumping gas. Add this to the growing list of modern technologies designed specifically to keep us constantly entertained. Were these gas station televisions put in place to distract us from the ridiculous prices at the pumps? If so, mission not accomplished.

File under: not fair. The TV at the gas pump is better than my own. By a long shot. The screen is smaller but the resolution is better. My 12 year old television is dying a slow death, and I can’t wait to upgrade that and my TiVO (hello, I need far more hours than the archaic version currently holds). Dear Santa…

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