My Top 10 Oscar Memories of 2014... and Three Things I Hated: A CCD Rant by Mike D

So... it's finally over. Now that the Academy Awards have taken place, people can shift their bitching and moaning from who was nominated & who was snubbed to who won and who got the shaft. The Oscars always are divisive and cause arguments among film fans, but that is why they are so epic. I remember getting the pull outs of the nominees the day of the awards out of the Sunday paper as a kid and filling out my bracket, and often remember my parents and grandparents helping me to see all the films that were nominated. It holds a special place in my heart, so watching the show now if more of a "must do" behavior as opposed to "want to" behavior. I have to watch the show. That about sums it up. But there were some moments that were just perfect... basically the things you have come to know and love from the show. There were also a few things I hated. Not many, but a few. So here it goes... my 2014 Oscar recap rant, in all its snark and splendor. Hope you enjoy it...

Reviews From The Cave Of Cool - Django Unchained (2012)

The story of an ex-slave turned bounty hunter who goes on a blood soaked search for his wife is the most fun I have had with a movie in a long time. There are a hundred reasons why this shouldn't work but it does in spectacular fashion. This is another winner in the long lists of successes for Quentin Tarantino. You either love him or hate him but you can't ignore him.

I could watch Christoph Waltz in a movie everyday of the week. His Doctor King Shultz has such a cool line deliver and in this script he is given some brilliant things to say which he does with great relish. His humanity (even though he is a bounty hunter) is evident from the first time we see him. Tarantino has found his muse and I hope they make many movies together.

Click after the jump for more...

On The 5th Day of Christmas (2012), CCD Gave To Me..

Bar Rafeli. Wow... how much ass must Leonardo Di Caprio get that he actually broke it off with this Israeli stunner? He must be getting mad boy band type ass... good lord, I love me some Bar. And in this sexy Christmas themed photo shoot she proves that sexy doesn't have to be naked. Wearing short tops with pants & full butt underwear paired with some Santa items of clothing she is quite the vision. Who says Jews can't enjoy Christmas? She seems to be having a great time. Catch the beauty after the jump....

'Django Unchained' Finally Gets A Trailer... I Promptly Faint!!!

Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite directors ever... shit, he is my favorite living director hands down. I look forward to every movie he makes with baited breath, anticipating another instant classic with each crazy plot point and casting choice QT announces. So when he said he was going to make a blaxploitation western starring Jamie Foxx as a free slave & Chistoph Waltz/Leonardo Dicaprio as white southerners with opposite views on slavery... yeah, my interest was piqued. Now we finally have a trailer. This is the safe for work trailer. I don't know if they could ever release a red band trailer for this flick, not with QTs penchant for the 'N' word... The level of bad assness is this 2 minute clip can't really be described. I can't wait for Christmas!!! Check out the trailer after the jump...

Um, It's Called An "Adaption"... WTF Is The Big Deal???

There has long been rumors of an American adaption to the famous Japanese anime (and one of my son Mikey & I's favorite cartoons ever!) 'Akira' forever. A few years back it started taking shape. First, Leonardo Di Caprio's production company Appian Way acquired the rights. Then The Hughes Brothers ('From Hell', 'The Book of Eli') became attached as directors. There have been many rumors on who would take on the lead roles of Kaneda & Tetsuo... everyone from Brad Pitt to Leo himself has seemed to be rumored at some point. Sure, this is a story about rebellious teenagers riding motorcycles and fighting rival gangs in Neo-Tokyo... but this is an "ADAPTION". Just for the record, doesn't that mean "BASED ON" & not "EXACT FUCKING REPLICA". WTF people?

The internet is rip roaring and so upset of this "White Washing" & "Corruption" of such a beloved story... yet why is everyone so upset? Isn't it supposed to be different? I don't want a shot for shot remake... how did that go for Gus Van Zandt's 'Psycho' adaption? Not fucking good... and thank goodness Vince Vaughn survived it in order to make 'The Wedding Crashers'. No, I don't want a shot for shot adaption. And I'm not mad that they are talking about a bunch of white actors for the parts...

Via The AV Club:

According to the report, the major contenders for Tetsuo are Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield, and James McAvoy, while Kaneda will most likely be played by Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake, or Joaquin Phoenix.

Guess what? This is an AMERICAN version of the anime. AMERICAN. Why can't we have white guys playing the part? The locale is being moved to NYC... so isn't it logical that their would be White Americans there? Now if the movie was going to be based in Japan... well then I would see the "Nerd's of the 'Net" point of view. But if it's in America.... WTF? How bout the fact that the above list has no Black or Spanish actors on it? Nobody is saying that shit, right? Better yet, what if they talked about Jaden Smith in the lead role... would anybody be complaining about a "Black Washing" of the part? I doubt it... because everyone out there is scared to say it. Or what about the fact that if they go with any of those 30+ years old actors that they would be making a totally different film... that is not "Aging the Film Up", that is "Completly Changing the Whole Fucking Storyline!".

Sooooo... What's the moral of this rant? Here it is... just shut the fuck up and let them make the movie. If it sucks, so be it. If it's great, then like it. But just shut the fuck up. Either that, or you come up with a movie idea. Don't just bitch to bitch. People love to break on 'Batman Forever' & 'Batman and Robin'... yet rarely do you ever hear people CREDITING these often bashed movies as being directly responsible for the rebooting of the character and Nolan's take on Batman. Instead of bashing Schumacher, praise the man. Without his errors... well, lets just say I like my Batman Bale-rific and based in reality, thank you very much. There will be plenty of time to bash the movie later... if they ever FUCKING MAKE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!

Film Posters From Around The World Vol#9 - The Departed

The Departed is a 2006 masterpiece of a movie from master filmmaker Martin Scorsese. It paired a Hollywood titan in Jack Nicholson with two fast rising stars, Leonardo Dicaprio and Matt Damon. The movie also features an excellent supporting cast of Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, Vera Farmiga, and Ray Winstone as various cops and robbers playing a role in the ongoing war for Boston's streets. The film is a re-telling of the Japanese trilogy Infernal Affairs, and also features some elements of real life gangster Whitey Bulger's life as a Boston based gangster. The film won Best Picture and got Scorsese his coveted Best Director Oscar. I absolutely love this film, and that's why I picked it for this weeks Film Posters From Around The World. If you have not seen it, make this a priority. That's that, enjoy the posters and give me some comments and thoughts on the classic film.

The Departed - England

The Departed - Japanese

The Departed - Korea

Poster For Oscar Consideration

The Departed - Russian

The Departed - Australia