People come and go so strangely here...

This post is part of Nathaniel's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" series in which the participants must post a single image from a movie he or she deems as the "best shot" for any particular reason.

This week we've been given the challenge to watch and pick our favorite shot from the 6-hour groundbreaking HBO miniseries Angels in America based on the highly acclaimed play of the same name by Tony Kushner. Directed by Mike Nichols, the miniseries premiered more than a decade ago in two 3-hour chunks and further divided into six total chapters. This extended TV movie is... a lot in themes, in time, in characters, in plot. I wish I could write more about it all, but for the sake of my own sanity ("In new century, I think we'll all be insane"), I'm just going to pick one shot from each of the chapters and go from there.

Actually, before I do that if I had to pick ONE shot from the whole miniseries then it would be the one above with the Angel America finally making her presence known to Prior Walter. It's an immediately iconic image that was used widely in the marketing of the film. Manuel over at The Film Experience already made a case for why this shot is so great and I also told myself even before I rewatched the film, that I would NOT be picking this shot. So onwards...

Chapter 1 - Bad News

This is what you call a non-money shot and yet it also features the beautiful face of Patrick Wilson's Joe Pitt, the deeply closeted Republican Mormon lawyer. No real reason why I chose this shot other than it simply took my breath away. It's also interesting that he's framed as some kind of angelic hero when he's anything but.

Chapter 2 -  In Vitro

I personally think Justin Kirk and Patrick Wilson were the two best actors in the miniseries, but Jeffrey Wright especially as Belize was right up there. So of course his sparkly, glittery entrance is my pick for best shot in this chapter. It's the sort of character introduction that's so perfect that you just have to nod your head in respect and move on to the next scene.

Chapter 3 - The Messenger

Just before Prior Walter gets his world rocked literally by meeting the Angel America, he has a vision where he dances with his former beau. I picked this shot towards the end where he realizes it's not real and it just beautifully highlights the tragic beauty that is Prior Walter's story, alone and sick but surviving and standing strong.

Chapter 4 - Stop Moving!

And then we have angel sex or Plasma Orgasmata. At this point, the audience has been well primed by the surreal and sometimes outlandish imagery of the film, but how can one really be prepared for mid-air fiery angel intercourse? It's ridiculous, scary, beautiful, and insane all at the same time.

Chapter 5 - Beyond Nelly

We're back to Joe Pitt. He just had sex with his estranged wife and now he feels like he's back from his self-imposed prison, beautifully conveyed by the shadows on his face and body. I mean any excuse to post more images of a shirtless Patrick Wilson, right?

Chapter 6 - Heaven, I'm in Heaven

This was the most difficult chapter to narrow down shots. I personally adore the final shot of Prior, Hannah, Louis, and Belize (lovers, friends, former enemies) hand in hand going up the Bethesda steps together. And almost every black-and-white shots of Prior in heaven were superbly beautiful. In the end, I went with a shot that made me laugh so much I had to pause for a few minutes to recover. The shot is of the Angel America challenging Prior to a fight. Look at her stance, her face. Emma Thompson is a gift.

We've got to get out of here...

This post is part of Nathaniel's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" series in which the participants must post a single image from a movie he or she deems as the "best shot" for any particular reason.

Chicken Run is the first feature-length film from Aardman Animation essentially introducing their unique British brand of stop-motion claymation to the world. And what an introduction it is! Set in a chicken farm in Yorkshire, Chicken Run tells a delightful tale of a band of chickens trying to escape to greener pastures where they can live their lives in peace without giving up their eggs and with no fear of being "plucked, stuffed, and roasted." So yes a poultry take on The Great Escape.

And it's just such a fun movie (mostly from the delightfully empty-headed Babs), but with no less heart for it. In fact, my favorite moments are the slightly darker and somber ones that really give this film its depth from the opening sequences of their leader Ginger getting thrown into solitary over and over to that wonderful rainy scene towards the end where all hope seems lost. So with that said, my favorite show is perhaps the darkest of them all...

Best Shot

Here one of the chickens is literally being brought to the slaughter after the owners find out she hasn't been laying any eggs. We don't get to see the actual act, since of course this is a kid's movie, but we didn't need to. The axe tells us all we need to. I just love how the shot is composed with the axe dominant in frame while the chicken legs are omnipresent. This is also such a stark way to show the audience the real stakes, what it is the characters are actually fighting for. This moment isn't forgotten either as it becomes their motivation to forge ahead: "How many more empty nests would it take?" Brutal. Effective. Fantastic.

Five Emotions. Five Films.

This post is part of ConMan's "Film Emotion Blogathon" in which the participants must pick five films to represent the five emotions featured in the film Inside Out.

Saw this going around the blogosphere and decided to jump on board. The blogathon's concept is simple. You just have to pick five films to represent the five emotions featured in the latest Pixar film i.e. joy, sadness, fear, anger and disgust and write about them. Below are my picks!

JOY: First of all, you want to pick a movie that makes you happy. The kind of movie that you put on whenever you’re in a bad mood that never fails to lighten your spirits.

Billy Elliot (2000)
Directed by Stephen Daldry

From the very opening scene with Jamie Bell jumping to "Cosmic Dancer" by T. Rex, I knew the film was going to be a feel-good romp. Of course, it's not happiness and rainbows throughout, but I would still characterize it as a generally happy film. Just the concept of a boy wanting to be a ballet dancer in spite of what the world thinks is prime for grade-A inspiration. It's just so damn easy to root for Billy's dreams and with every dance number the film showcases, it's hard not to feel invested. Bell as the title character is still one of my favorite "child acting" examples of all time and his unflappable spirit and joy is infectious. By the time the final scene rolls, with adult Billy getting ready to go out on stage with his dad and brother watching, it's impossible not to smile.

SADNESS: Now for the movie that made you cry the most. Maybe a character dies, maybe the guy doesn’t get the girl, but your eyes should be pretty watery by the film’s end.

The Kite Runner (2007)
Directed by Marc Foster

Based on the extremely popular novel of the same name, The Kite Runner was a film that left me emotionally exhausted and completely dehydrated from all the tears I shed when I saw it in theaters. Most of this was due to timing since I had just finished reading the novel a few weeks prior to seeing the film so I was already crying even prior to all of the sad parts. The film itself is about two boys living in Kabul and their epic story of brotherly love, brutal betrayal, and heartfelt redemption. It's ultimately an uplifting film, but the twists and turns it takes in its narrative, like the book, is quite heartbreaking in parts. There's a line in the novel, and in the film, that when I still see it written out or hear, I turn to blubber. It ultimately speaks to the unbreakable bond between the two boys in spite of all of the shit life has thrown at them and yeah, I'm crying right now just thinking about it. "For you, a thousand times over."

FEAR:  This is the movie that gave you the most nightmares. Pretty self explanatory. Whether blunt or subtle, this is the movie that scares the **** out of you.

Donnie Darko (2001)
Directed by Richard Kelly

This film was a trip. I remember seeing it for the first time and not even realizing what I had just watched. What I did know was that the character of Frank aka the protagonist's mysterious imaginary friend dressed in a truly grotesque bunny costume was one of the scariest things I've seen on screen, up there with the shower scene from Psycho, Hannibal Lecter, the clown Pennywise from It, and whatever happens to Gremlins after you feed them after midnight. As generally innocuous as Frank was in the film, his unaffected and ominous voice, his penchant to show up randomly, and his terrifying face all combine to still scare me to this day.

ANGER: This is a movie that you flat out hated. Not a movie that was dull or boring, but a movie that just fills you up with rage just thinking about it.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
Directed by Brett Ratner

Here's the thing, I love the X-Men. I was obsessed with them when I was a kid and the animated show the aired on TV during the 90s was my jam. Back in 2000 when the first live action X-Men film debut, it not only started the Age of Superheroes, but it was the first time I got to see actors playing characters that I've loved from the comics. AND it was great. It was then followed up by an even better sequel which ended with a tantalizing tease for the third film that promised fans the long-awaited and super popular Phoenix storyline. Unfortunately, that third film was an abysmal bloated mess with a truncated Phoenix storyline wedged in along other plot threads that could've easily been left out for their own films. It angers me, because it essentially dissipated any goodwill the first fantastic two films garnered that the franchise is STILL trying to recover from even with pretty good films recently.

DISGUST: This last one is a bit tricky, I’ll let you interpret it the way you want. This film should make you cringe.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Directed by Mel Gibson

I went to Catholic school for most of my non-adult life so the judgment and subsequent crucifixion and death of Jesus has been hammered into my psyche for as long as I can remember. And yet it was never hammered as gorily and as torturously the way Gibson's film did. I'm not qualified at all to say if all of that was accurate in any way, but I do know that it was just TOO MUCH for my own sensibilities. To literally see bits and pieces of skin pulled apart and blood coating everything was quite sickening. On the other hand, seeing this man get tortured so violently for humanity's sins made me disgusted in another way. Just think about how many people have used and STILL use Jesus' name to enact equally violent and disturbing acts as well as use faith and religion to promote inequality and hate. It frankly just makes me want to vomit on the human race.

Sense8 Renewed!

I haven't really talked about the show Sense8, which looks increasingly likely to be my favorite new show of the summer. It's original and epic in its scope and narrative and the cast is 100% perfection from the kickass ladies to the seriously hot guys. It's not a perfect show at all (the government conspiracy plot is thin and slightly convoluted) but it's the kind of show that aims high and its characters are one of a kind. Anyways, I'll find a reason sometime soon hopefully to talk more about the show. I mostly wanted to post a quick video that Netflix posted on their twitter today, 8/8 (which not so coincidentally is an important date for the show's mythos), announcing the show's 2nd season renewal!

Birthdays are just the beginning. #sense8 is reborn. https://t.co/tmMV66gKhm

— Netflix US (@netflix) August 8, 2015

So with the renewal in the bag, it's great to know I'll be getting some more wonderful stories with these fantastic characters. And if you haven't seen the show yet, do yourself a favor and get right on that.

I must have a touch of something...

This post is part of Nathaniel's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" series in which the participants must post a single image from a movie he or she deems as the "best shot" for any particular reason.

College was the first time I was exposed to Todd Haynes work. My school did a screening of the luscious Far from Heaven and soon after that my friends and I rented the trippily fun Velvet Goldmine. I loved both of those films and so it's a wonder why I never checked out [safe] until it was chosen for this series. Certainly, it's a film that's still quite well-regarded by critics and film lovers alike and any attention being paid to it now is a credit to the increased renowned of its director Haynes and lead star, and now Academy Award winner, Julianne Moore.

The movie, however, is admittedly not for everyone. Its aesthetics are impeccable, but the story is an uncomfortable watch, which is certainly the point. Moore plays Carol White, a suburban and well-to-do housewife who develops a mysterious illness making her incredibly sensitive to chemicals and the environment. We're never given straightforward proof what her illness entails, but be it psychological, physiological, or both, it forces her to change her lifestyle moving to a new-age retreat. In picking my favorite shot then, I first want to talk about that unique ending.

Most movies would show us the protagonist overcoming their illness or completely and hopelessly succumbing to it. [safe] plays it slightly more ambiguously as Carol looks at her sad reflection in the mirror of her equally sad-looking hermetically sealed room. And yet, she finds the strength to declaratively say "I love you" to her reflection, to herself. Rewind to an earlier part of the film when she was still living in her well-kept house and my pick for best shot:

Best Shot

This shot, while relatively dark, is still full of colors and trappings of her suburban homemaker life which provide contrast to that final scene of the film. Here she is turning her back to everything she knew and loved. Her husband, the rest of her house she most likely decorated all by herself, and most especially herself. Notice that the mirror reflects all of this, but she's unable to look at any it, to accept her situation. She has no idea what's happening to her and it's more than frustrating as she utters helplessly to her husband, " I know it's not normal." This film is not "normal" as well and thank goodness for that.

Shut Up and Dance!

Happy National Dance Day everyone! Of course if you're not a regular watcher of So You Think You Can Dance, you might be going... huh? National Dance Day was officially launched in 2010 by Nigel Lythgoe, a producer of the show, and got congressional support from Eleanor Holmes Norton to promote dance education and physical fitness. National Dance Day is observed on the last Saturday in July.

In honor of the day, I present to you a video combining a few things that I love: movies, people dancing in movies, movie montages, and Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance," which IMO is the clear Song of the Summer this year.



Such a fun mash-up of movie moments and song. Incidentally, one of my favorite parts of the video is how perfectly timed the music is to Christine Baranski's twirl from Mamma Mia at around the 1:23 mark. But there's so many memorable moments. Maybe next year, I'll do a ranking of my favorite dance moments in film. Let's see, there's Dirty Dancing of course... and Billy Elliot and... hm... what else? Yeah, I'll save it for next year! Find the time to dance today!

Curiosity, animosity, high philosophy...

This post is part of Nathaniel's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" series in which the participants must post a single image from a movie he or she deems as the "best shot" for any particular reason.

This week it's not movies, it's music videos, the best of which can seemingly be like short films, in honor of yesterday's announcement of the VMA nominations. We were assigned to pick our favorite shots from the videos that were nominated for Best Cinematography. Onwards...

"Never Catch Me" by Flying Lotus ft. Kendrick Lamar

This was probably my favorite video of the bunch, because I just loved the juxtaposition of the kids' joyful dancing with their funeral. The shot of them sitting up out of their coffins is probably the best shot, but my favorite shot is of a close-up of the girl's dress as she's running out of the church. The camera goes in and out of focus a bit, but in those moments of focus, her bright dress is like a light in the dark.

"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran

I have to admit, that like most couples who are getting married this year probably, this song has been stuck in my head for awhile. It's super cheesy, but in a heart-on-your-sleeves kind of way and I thought the dance routine was quite beautiful and sexy. So with that said, I went with an equally cheesy favorite shot of the the couple on the floor with a heart spotlight on them.

"Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar

There's been so many things written on Taylor Swift already and the hype around this song (any of her songs really) is usually deafening so I kinda just went with my gut on this one and picked an early shot that highlights my feelings of being hit over the head with Swift. Yes, it's her surrounded by broken glass and her name in huge letters.

"Two Weeks" by FKA Twigs

Who is FKA Twigs, because wow? I went from rolling my eyes on the nearly one-shot video to absolutely being mesmerized by it and the song by the end. She's presented as some goddess queen surrounded by her followers and it's all pretty fierce. My pick for favorite shot is of her feeding one of her followers with water coming from her. It's so surreal and perfect.

"Left Hand Free" by Alt-J

I'm still not exactly sure what this song is about. The video is just as non-descript featuring young people just hanging out, swimming, drinking beer, driving around, etc. My pick for favorite shot is a brief moment in the video of two girls. One of them is coming out of the water while the other is recording her. It's random, but it makes me want to know more about them, their relationship.

I'm ready for my close-up...

This post is part of Nathaniel's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" series in which the participants must post a single image from a movie he or she deems as the "best shot" for any particular reason.

Sunset Blvd. (1950) is one of many films that was on my cinematic bucket list so I'm thrilled it was picked for this week's HMYBS. Of course everyone knows about the iconic last shot of the film, but we were instructed to not pick it.

"I'm ready for my close-up."

Here's the thing about the film though, it's all about getting a close-up look at Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) and just what makes her tick. The simple answer of course is herself, her past glory and future comeback, I mean return, is all she can think about. She latches on to out-of-work screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) hoping to find in him something to revive her career. Instead, through him, we delve deep into Norma's self-psychosis with a literal magnifying glass...

Everyone, including Norma, can't help but look at Norma. There are plenty of scenes where director Billy Wilder highlights this inherent self-centeredness by bathing Norma in spotlight, putting her in front of mirrors, and lingering the film's frame on her super expressive face. But there's one shot that was so memorable in this respect, because it really shows Norma at her most narcissistic.

Best Shot

Look at Norma just lounging in her sofa surrounded by a multitude of Normas looking every which way, including straight at us, the audience. We can't help but keep looking at her and that's exactly what she wants, needs. She just wants to be watched.

My Emmy Ballot: TV Series

Tomorrow is nomination day which means today is the last day to hope big. Essentially the personal ballots I've been posting the past few days are nothing more than wishful thinking on my part as well as a way to highlight my favorite shows and performances from the past TV year. If only the TV Academy as a whole would take this exercise as seriously as big TV fans do maybe people would be more excited for the nominations and awards show, but alas.

Disclaimer: This year the Emmys will be picking at a minimum 7 shows per category, so that's what I'm going to do. BTW if you're curious to see why past favorites like Community or Game of Thrones came up empty for me, it's simply because I did not get to see their current seasons fully.

COMEDY SERIES

• Broad City
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• The Comeback
• Jane the Virgin
• Parks and Recreation
• Transparent
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

I think the only show here guaranteed a nomination tomorrow is Transparent and that fact make me depressed/angry especially since other freshman shows like Jane the Virgin and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt are just as deserving. I'd obviously also love to see The Comeback make a comeback after such a brilliant short season. Do the Academy even watch TV because if they did then Broad City and Brooklyn Nine-Nine would be an automatic yes for strong sophomore efforts. Finally, this is Parks and Recreation's final time to get honored. Let's hope the Chris Pratt Hollywood magic is in full force.

Alternates: Fresh Off the Boat, Looking, Silicon Valley, Shameless, and Veep

DRAMA SERIES

• Agent Carter
• The Americans
• Better Call Saul
• Empire
• The Leftovers
• Mad Men
• Orange is the New Black

It doesn't matter that Orange is the New Black was classified as a drama since it deserves all of the Emmy awards regardless and I think it'll do just fine tomorrow. Another show that should do okay is Emmy-favorite Mad Men even in spite of the lack of love they've shown it the past couple of years. The rest are a bit more up in the air. Certainly The Americans should definitely be shortlisted as all the critics have been clamoring, but will they listen? Better Call Saul is the heir apparent to Breaking Bad, so it'll have a slightly easier time to break through. The others... well Agent Carter is too comic book, The Leftovers is too divisive, and Empire is too soapy. Though perhaps the latter is too big to ignore?

Alternates: The Good Wife, How to Get Away with Murder, House of Cards, and Peaky Blinders

Check out my previous ballots for the acting categories:

• Lead Actors
• Supporting Actors
• Guest Actors

Below is the tally of nominations I gave out to the various shows (just series and acting nominations of course):

• Jane the Virgin - 5
• Parks and Recreation - 5
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - 5
• Agent Carter - 4
• The Americans - 4
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine - 4
• Broad City - 4
• Empire - 4
• The Good Wife - 4
• Mad Men - 4
• Transparent - 4

I wasn't too shocked to see Jane the Virgin and Parks and Recreation to top my nomination list, but look at Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt! The others seem about right. All in all my nominations came from a staggering 39 shows (do people even watch half that number of TV shows?!). More below...

My Emmy Ballot: Leading Performances

While it felt like pulling teeth narrowing down my picks for guest and supporting performances, it was much more straightforward coming up with my ballots for the lead categories since there aren't that many people to consider in the first place.

Disclaimer: Only performances I have seen are qualified and I'm going to honor the category the actors have chosen to submit themselves in, even when I don't agree.

Lead Actor, Comedy
Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
Jonathan Groff, Looking
Chris Messina, The Mindy Project
Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley
Adam Scott, Parks and Recreation
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Groff, Messina, and Scott were part of my shortlist last year and I couldn't just leave them out this year. For one, Groff's character became even more awkward this year and it was a joy to see whereas Messina and Scott were even funnier in their usually straight-man roles especially in conjunction with their fantastic leading ladies. But speaking of awkward, no one encapsulates this more than Middleditch whose uncomfortableness, so palpable on screen, is pitch perfect for his character and show. Then there's Bernal who plays obnoxious boy genius a little too well. But it's all about Tambor breathtaking performance as a man coming out as transgender to his family and to the world.

Alternates: Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Chris Geere (You're the Worst), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), William H. Macy (Shameless), and Jim Parsons (Big Bang Theory)

Lead Actress, Comedy
Ilana Glazer, Broad City
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Contance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat

This was a tough category to narrow down evident by the alternate names below which could've easily been promoted up. Louis-Dreyfus especially is just so good in her award-winning role, but I feel the ladies I did end up picking deserve it just a bit more. Definitely Glazer (and how could I nominate her and not Jacobson as well... so tough) is one of the most refreshing comedic voices out there right now. Kemper is an absolute delight as the titular Kimmy Schmidt while Wu is a scene-stealer through and through on her new show. Poehler I'm honoring for her final season and because KNOPE WE CAN. But this category is all about the 1-2 punch of Rodriguez and Kudrow. One is a breakthrough newcomer in one of the best shows on network TV while the other is a brilliant veteran in one of the most underrated shows ever. If there ever was a year for the Emmys to declare a tie, I would give it to those two.

Alternates: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep), Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish), Emmy Rossum (Shameless), Aya Cash (You're the Worst), and Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project)

Lead Actor, Drama
Charlie Cox, Daredevil
Jamie Dornan, The Fall
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Cillian Murphy, Peaky Blinders
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Matthew Rhys, The Americans

I just realized that half the men I nominated are shows I've watched on Netflix. There's Cox in Daredevil who seem to really relish his time as a masked vigilante superhero. There's Murphy who is magnificently cold and calculating as the patriarch of a family of gangsters. And finally, there's Dornan who is just so deliciously creepy as a serial killer that he's almost making me want to check out Fifty Shades of Grey. Rhys took it up a notch this season if that was even possible as did Hamm who keeps delivering award-worthy dramatic work despite the lack of awards. And then there's Odenkirk who magically transformed this previously one-dimensional supporting character into a strong and unquestionable leading one on his own show.

Alternates: Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), David Tennant (Broadchurch), Justin Theroux (The Leftovers), Travis Fimmell (Vikings), Ben McKenzie (Gotham), and Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary)

Lead Actress, Drama
Hayley Atwell, Agent Carter
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Keri Russell, The Americans

Again, looking at the strong names I've relegated to my alternate list shows just how strong this category is, but I had to make the tough decisions! For me I needed to honor the buzz-worthy work that both Davis and Henson delivered on two of the most popular freshman shows this year. Even if their show couldn't keep up, they were both at a super high level. Maslany knows all about this as her show has really fell through a heap of convoluted plots, but her multi-performance master act is probably even better this year. There's of course Moss who didn't get much to do, but she was excellent in what she was given including her cheesy and WONDERFUL final scenes. Russell has perfected her tough-mom/spy role and speaking of spies, Atwell bringing her big screen Agent Carter to the small screens is a blessing to us all.

Alternates: Gillian Anderson (The Fall), Olivia Colman (Broadchurch), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Ruth Wilson (The Affair), Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex), and Robin Wright (House of Cards)

And there are my acting ballot picks! Tomorrow my picks for comedy and drama shows. And then the day after that, we'll see how AWFUL the TV Academy's picks are.