by Dave Thomas

Keria Knightley in Atonement
As December creeps in, it becomes clear that this year’s Oscar race is going to be exceedingly dull. Where’s the Dreamgirls to get all the hype but no Best Picture nod? Where’s the Pan’s Labyrinth to make us all really, really uncomfortable when that guy sews his own face shut? Still, it’s an interesting month, and that’s a lot more than we’ll probably get in January.
December 7
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Not Narnia.
WILL IT SUCK?
Philip Pullman, who wrote the His Dark Materials series of novel upon which this is based, has said it was an attempt, in part, to counterpoint the Christian themes in the C.S. Lewis series. However, most of the anti-religious stuff got nixed by New Line in the adaptation. So much so, that writer/director Chris Weitz initially walked before coming back when things didn’t work out with his replacement.
Assuming that drama didn’t blunt Weitz’s mad skillz, we could be in for a surprisingly good genre treat, if his work on About a Boy is any indication.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
No one is taking it on this weekend, but the following weekend, the one-two punch of Alvin and Legend could wipe out its demo. $145mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Bound to get its share of technical nods. I mean, it’s got fighting polar bears. You can’t beat that.
————————————
ATONEMENT
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Little girl totally fucks over this couple, then tries to make up for it later in life through and act of…um…there’s a word for this.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is sick, topping the decent job director Joe Wright did with Pride and Prejudice (also with Keria Knightley). In addition, screenwriter Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons, The Quiet American) knows how to adapt.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Has the best buzz out of an extremely crowded pack. $29mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
And how. Looking to get all the major nods, including a second nod for Knightley.
————————————
GRACE IS GONE
(Delayed from October)
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Man (John Cusack) delays telling his two daughters that their mother has died in Iraq by taking them on a road trip.
WILL IT SUCK?

(more…)

Needless to say, this exchange about immigration from last night’s debate isn’t going to win over the Hispanic vote. Didn’t the GOP get their fill of racial insensitivity with George Allen?

ROMNEY: I think it is really kind of offensive actually to suggest, to say look, you know what, if you are a homeowner and you hire a company to come provide a service at your home – paint the home, put on the roof. If you hear someone that is working out there, not that you have employed, but that the company has.
If you hear someone with a funny accent, you, as a homeowner, are supposed to go out there and say, “I want to see your papers.”
Is that what you’re suggesting?
GIULIANI: If you’re going to take this holier than thou attitude . . .
TIM: Yeah, we’re Republicans, it’s not like we ever do that.
ROMNEY: I ask the mayor again. Are you suggesting, Mayor, that if you have a company that you hired who provide a service, that you now are responsible for going out and checking the employees of that company, particularly those that might look different or don’t have an accent like yours, and ask for their papers . . .

From BrooklynVegan

SILENT BARN needs your help! ConEdison As some of you may know, Silent Barn is an all ages performance / art / work / living space in beautiful Ridgewood, Queens. We’ve had a good run so far, hosting shows and events for a wide variety of groups, having extreme fun the whole time, and we’d like to continue that onward and into the unforeseeable future. But here’s the catch: we just found out that we lost our appeal of a suit with ConEd, and are receiving notices daily that we owe them back power bills for the power used by the previous residents of the space, to the tune of almost $7,000 with interest. OUCH. We are reaching out to our community for help and ideas, because if we don’t come up with the money soon, ConEd will send some sort of federal official to shut off the power, effectively ending Silent Barn for good. [KEEP READING]

Christ. What happened to Kyle MacLachlan? More here. [hat tip Rumproast]

From TimeOut

I’ll be at the IFC Center for a week, including Thanksgiving night, so if people are lonely I hope they’ll come celebrate Thanksgiving with me.

His last film What Is It was actually kind of entertaining interesting, in a David Lynch sort of way. That is if you’re not too disturbed by kids with Down’s Syndrome pouring salt on snails.
It Is Fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE.opens Wed 21. at IFC.

It Is Fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE. trailer

“24″ in 1994

This is strangely not safe for work since the clips are taken exclusively from our moral crusaders at Fox News:

FoxNewsPorn.com has a full collection of sex-filled clips. Sorry kids, there’s sadly no falafel.

Deer Tick– “Art Isn’t Real”
From Todd P’s site:
last minute loft party in WBurg — 2NITE! –> Castanets, DEER TICK, Phosphorescent, New Villagers @ 66 HOPE STREET
====> -2NITE- 11/13 @ 6 HOPE STREET <====
:: DEER TICK
:::: Castanets
:::::: Phosphorescent
:::::::: New Villagers
[ 66 HOPE STREET ]
66 HOPE ST @ Havemeyer St | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Lorimer, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | 9PM | $3+ donation | ALL AGES

We just do this. Amnesty International films a reenactment of the “Stress Position” and “Belly Slap” techniques, two methods commonly used on detainees (along with waterboarding) who in many cases have not even been charged with a crime:

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