I will always give Matt a shout out; he is a good friend and one of my favorite people in the world. If you haven’t seen him live, add that experience to your wish list. In addition to being a great guy and a very talented singer and songwriter, he is unbelievably funny; his concerts tend to become a music/comedy show hybrid.

Ugh. That was my reaction upon hearing that, and it hurts me to say this out loud, the Oscar-winning film Crash is going to be made into a cable television series. It didn’t work on the big screen, and I doubt it will work on the small one.

The
TV show for Starz will be co-written and directed by original
helmer/screenwriter Paul Haggis, and Don Cheadle is the only film
character who has signed up for this version thus far.

To this day, my distaste for Crash and the inexplicable Oscar victory that followed still lingers like garlic on day two. Yuck.

I stand by my assertion that Brokeback Mountain should have earned the golden statue instead of Crash, and it will go down in history as one of the best motion pictures of all time. Both were controversial and important, but only one was groundbreaking and meaningful.

Let’s open up the floodgates…will you watch the show? Did you love the film? Be honest. I can take it.

To refresh our memories, I have posted a brief review of every episode from last season of Lost, as well as a list of lingering questions from Season 3, by character. Check all entries out here, on my new Lost blog.

Don’t forget to set your TiVO/DVR for Wednesday night as well, because ABC is airing an enhanced version of last year’s 2-hour finale, “Through the Looking Glass,” complete with on-screen facts and clues at the bottom of your screen.

And if you have other Lost friends who are are obsessed with the show as we are, please have them drop me a line or forward me their email addresses so I can add them to my Lost Distribution List!

- Jo

Last night we watched La Vie En Rose, and I understood immediately why Marion Cotillard was nominated for Best Actress. The film itself is uneven and a tad boring, but Cotillard’s physical transformation into legendary French singer Edith Piaf is stunning. Piaf’s life was short and tragic, and Cotillard’s portrayal of the troubled star is phenomenal.

Next up, No Country For Old Men at the theater and Away From Her on DVD.

Last year, I had the time of my life at Sundance. This year, I am checking another pop culture experience off of my wish list. I just registered for a 4-day pass to Comic-Con 2008, which is taking place in July down in San Diego.
         
 

For those who aren’t giant geeks, allow me to attempt to paint a picture of Comic-Con for you. Imagine a huge convention center. Now picture thousands of people roaming row after row full of booths and vendors…promoting new comic books, unveiling new superhero toys, etc. But above and beyond that, there are panel discussions that everyone clamors to attend, because previously unreleased information about and footage from certain shows and films in progress are unveiled (panelists in prior years have included Kevin Smith and the producers and casts of Lost and Heroes). Dreamy, right?

So I have several months to prepare, network and get some official JOpinionated swag made to dole out to new friends and fellow Lost fans. Are you or anyone you know going? If so, drop me a line so we can meet up!

Quantum of Solace. That is the title of the next 007 film. I liked it better when it was simply Bond 22. I’m sure the film will kick ass, much like Casino Royale did. So I suppose a questionably lame title will suffice.

I’m sure that both the new Indy and the new Bond films will also rake it in this year, and I admit that I will be among the masses clamoring for tickets to both when they open.

Psst…take a look.

What do you think? Feel free to leave comments either here or there. That’s right, I’m asking you to take sides in my virtual divorce.