Emmy Winners and Nominees 2009

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/17/arts/television/21emmylist.html

 

COMEDY SERIES

“30 Rock” (NBC)*Winner*

“Entourage” (HBO)

“Family Guy” (Fox)

“Flight Of The Conchords”(HBO)

“How I Met Your Mother” (CBS)

“The Office” (NBC)

“Weeds” (Showtime)

 

DRAMA SERIES

“Big Love” (HBO)

“Breaking Bad” (AMC)

“Damages” (FX)

“Dexter” (Showtime)

“House” (Fox)

“Lost” (ABC)

*Winner*“Mad Men” (AMC)

 

MINI-SERIES

“Generation Kill” (HBO)

*Winner*“Little Dorrit” (PBS)

 

TELEVISION MOVIE

“Coco Chanel” (Lifetime)

*Winner*“Grey Gardens” (HBO)

“Into The Storm” (HBO)

“Prayers For Bobby” (Lifetime)

“Taking Chance” (HBO)

 

VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)

*Winner*“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central)

“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)

“Real Time With Bill Maher” (HBO)

“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

 

REALITY COMPETITION

*Winner*“The Amazing Race” (CBS)

“American Idol” (Fox)

“Dancing With The Stars” (ABC)

“Project Runway” (Bravo)

“Top Chef” (Bravo)

 

ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jemaine Clement, “Flight Of The Conchords” (HBO)

Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)

Tony Shalhoub, “Monk” (USA)

Steve Carell, “The Office” (NBC)

*Winner*Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC)

Charlie Sheen, “Two And A Half Men” (CBS)

 

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “New Adventures Of Old Christine” (CBS)

Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?” (ABC)

Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program” (Comedy Central)

Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC)

*Winner*Toni Collette, “United States Of Tara” (Showtime)

Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds” (Showtime)

 

ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

*Winner*Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)

Hugh Laurie, “House” (Fox)

Michael C. Hall , “Dexter” (Showtime)

Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment” (HBO)

Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (AMC)

Simon Baker, “The Mentalist” (CBS)

 

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sally Field, “Brothers & Sisters,” (ABC)

Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer” (TNT)

*Winner*Glenn Close, “Damages” (FX)

Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC)

Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men” (AMC)

Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace” (TNT)

 

ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR A MOVIE

Kevin Kline, “Cyrano de Bergerac (Great Performances)” (PBS)

*Winner*Brendan Gleeson, “Into The Storm” (HBO)

Ian McKellen, “King Lear (Great Performances)” (PBS)

Kevin Bacon, “Taking Chance” (HBO)

Kiefer Sutherland, “24: Redemption” (Fox)

Kenneth Branagh, “Wallander: One Step Behind” (PBS)

 

ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE

Chandra Wilson, “Accidental Friendship” (Hallmark)

Shirley MacLaine, “Coco Chanel” (Lifetime)

Drew Barrymore, “Grey Gardens” (HBO)

*Winner*Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens” (HBO)

Sigourney Weaver, “Prayers For Bobby” (Lifetime)

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Kevin Dillon, “Entourage” (HBO)

Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother” (CBS)

Rainn Wilson, “The Office”

Tracy Morgan, “30 Rock” (NBC)

Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock” (NBC)

*Winner*Jon Cryer, “Two And A Half Men” (CBS)

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

*Winner*Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies” (ABC)

Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Kristin Wiig, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock” (NBC)

Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty” (ABC)

Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds” (Showtime)

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

William Shatner, “Boston Legal” (ABC)

Christian Clemenson, “Boston Legal” (ABC)

Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad” (AMC)

William Hurt, “Damages” (FX)

*Winner*Michael Emerson, “Lost” (ABC)

John Slattery, “Mad Men” (AMC)

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Rose Byrne, “Damages” (FX)

Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)

Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)

Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment” (HBO)

Hope Davis, “In Treatment” (HBO)

*Winner*Cherry Jones, “24” (Fox)

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE

*Winner*Ken Howard, “Grey Gardens” (HBO)

Len Cariou, “Into The Storm” (HBO)

Bob Newhart, “The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice” (TNT)

Tom Courtenay, “Little Dorrit” (PBS)

Andy Serkis, “Little Dorrit” (PBS)

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINI-SERIES OR MOVIE

Marcia Gay Harden, “The Courageous Heart Of Irena Sendler” (CBS)

Jeanne Tripplehorn, “Grey Gardens” (HBO)

*Winner*Shohreh Aghdashloo, “House Of Saddam” (HBO)

Janet McTeer, “Into The Storm” (HBO)

Cicely Tyson, “Relative Stranger” (Hallmark)

 

REALITY HOST

Phil Keoghan, “The Amazing Race” (CBS)

Ryan Seacrest, “American Idol” (Fox)

Tom Bergeron, “Dancing With The Stars” (ABC)

Heidi Klum, “Project Runway” (Bravo)

*Winner*Jeff Probst, “Survivor” (CBS)

Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio, “Top Chef” (Bravo)

 

DIRECTING, COMEDY SERIES

Julian Farino, “Entourage” (“Tree Trippers”)

James Bobin, “Flight Of The Conchords” (“The Tough Brets”)

*Winner*Jeff Blitz, “The Office” (“Stress Relief”)

Millicent Shelton, “30 Rock” (“Apollo, Apollo”)

Beth McCarthy, “30 Rock” (“Reunion”)

Todd Holland, “30 Rock” (“Generalissimo”)

 

DIRECTING, DRAMA SERIES

Michael Rymer, “Battlestar Galactica” (“Daybreak, Part 2”)

Bill D’Elia, “Boston Legal” (“Made in China/Last Call”)

Todd A. Kessler, “Damages” (“Trust Me”)

*Winner*Rod Holcomb, “ER” (“And in the End…”)

Phil Abraham, “Mad Men” (“The Jet Set”)

 

DIRECTING, MINI-SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL

Susanna White, “Generation Kill”

Michael Sucsy, “Grey Gardens”

Thaddeus O’Sullivan, “Into The Storm”

*Winner*Dearbhla Walsh, “Little Dorrit”

Ross Katz, “Taking Chance”

Philip Martin, “Wallander: One Step Behind”

 

DIRECTING, VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

*Winner*Bruce Gowers, “American Idol”

Chuck O’Neil, “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart”

Hal Grant, “Real Time With Bill Maher”

Jim Hoskinson, “The Colbert Report”

Jerry Foley, “Late Show With David Letterman”

Don Roy King, “Saturday Night Live”

 

DIRECTING, VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL

Roger Goodman, 81st Annual Academy Awards

*Winner*Bucky Gunts, Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

Don Mischer, Bruce Springsteen Super Bowl Halftime Show

Glenn Weiss, “The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration”

Marty Callner, “Will Ferrell: You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush”

 

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

James Bobin, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, “Flight Of The Conchords” (“Prime Minister”)

*Winner*Matt Hubbard, “30 Rock” (“Reunion”)

Robert Carlock, “30 Rock” (“Apollo, Apollo”)

Ron Weiner, “30 Rock” (“Mamma Mia”)

Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock, “30 Rock” (“Kidney Now!”)

 

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, “Lost” (“The Incident”)

Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner, “Mad Men” (“A Night to Remember”)

Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton and Matthew Weiner, “Mad Men” (“Six Month Leave”)

Matthew Weiner, “Mad Men” (“The Jet Set”)

*Winner*Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner, “Mad Men” (“Meditations in an Emergency”)

 

WRITING FOR A MINI-SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL

David Simon, “Generation Kill”

Michael Sucsy and Patricia Rozema, “Grey Gardens”

Hugh Whitemore, “Into The Storm”

*Winner*Andrew Davies, “Little Dorrit”

Lt. Col. Michael R. Strobl and Ross Katz, “Taking Chance”

Keep your lid on

At the moment I seem to be catching up on my movie collection, more than my bookshelf. That’s okay with me…I just have to remind myself to blog about the movies, and in a sense to keep on thinking. This is probably why I don’t smoke weed, or do any drug other than alcohol…this is because I’m too addicted to a clear mind. So the movie I saw the other day (which I thought to be blog-able) was Be Cool. This is quiet an old movie, but it had Uma Thurman in it.

She an acting legend IMO. Of course after Quentin Tarantino got a hold of her, I’m used to seeing her swinging swords and covered in blood. It was actually quite refreshing to see her in a more feminine role for a change. In this movie she plays an owner of a record company. Her and co-star John Travolta, are trying to get a talented young girl in the music industry.

There are a few problems. She already had a contract with someone else…although that one wasn’t going anywhere. So she has to try brush off these wanna-be gangsters, plus the Russians who are always involved somehow. This is a very quirky movie. It has numerous twists and turns, not to mention it has Travolta actually playing the good guy (which is rare with his current films). I would give it 4/5 simply because I don’t think it’s everyone’s kinda movie. On the up-side it has some good twists in the plot, and plenty of laughs.

I find the trick to a good comedy is does the person understand the underlying humor of the whole story. The scriptwriter wants the viewers to see a certain thread of comedy, and in this case it’s not always seen. This could be seen as a positive or negative. You should know by now that the movies I review are one’s I hate, this is because I find that a waste of breath. There are too many good movies to promote!

 

PhilosopherPoet

Educated Detectives

I’m not talking about men with guns that’ve gone to Harvard or Cambridge. Everyone complains about the police, and most of the time they’re not honest enough to be educated. Think more in terms of the medical industry, and you start getting somewhere…

I’ve always hated hospitals. I find it kinda spooky to be around a spotless room…and yet there is still an anesthetized death floating about the place. There are people with masks, people who are prepared to wrestle you down against your will, deceptively attractive nurses who aren’t afraid to administer something delicious into your veins.

Despite all of this, I find doctors fascinating… They are our modern day detectives. They can kick your ass, wear a mask, and feel okay about it all. They are the only people who have enough degrees to give you the right to feel like some kind of respect is due. In case you are wondering, this means I’ve been watching too much House.

All I can say it two thumbs up for this series. I’m generally not a fan of medical films and series, although this one proved me wrong. The series gets its name from Dr. House (Hugh Laurie). He is the Sherlock Holmes of this story. He is abrupt and grumpy. Some go as far as to say that he’s uncaring and harsh, but just like any good detective…he gets the job done.

House has an addiction to Vicodin. This is due to an accident that left him limping in one leg, and holding a cane wherever he now walks. Despite this, he still manages to solve most cases that his peers, provided his patients are prepared to sit through his black humor along with other idiosyncrasies.

In real life Hugh Laurie is in fact a British Actor, a veteran in the field of comedy. I’ve been a fan of his back in the days of Black Adder, and now to see him flawlessly pull off the American accent…I think I’m got a new favorite character to add to my list!

The story goes that the Director was originally looking for an American actor to play the role. Laurie went along with this and sent off a tape of himself, acting with an American accent. The Director didn’t know who this actor really was, and so told him to come in for an audition. Laurie then proceeded to act out his version of House (with an upside-down umbrella used as a cane). The Director bought this and went away raving about Laurie as the best American actor his EVER seen.

I had a quiet chuckle to myself about this…since I’ve got a huge soft spot for British comedy.

PhilosopherPoet

the L word

I’ve often heard fellow heterosexual men joke about being lesbian. It’s one of those big mysteries…why lesbians are a turn-on to heterosexual men? Part of the reason (some may even say problem) is Western chauvinism has socialized us that way. We are meant to believe that a man and a woman is a natural combination. But then if you start to mix it…whoa, you’re in trouble. I find it fascinating that our cultures values are influenced by society, which is in fact popular opinion which has evolved over time. That said this brings me to marvel at a TV series I’ve recently been watching, the L word.

The title is ambiguous. Clearly the ‘L’ is for the term lesbian, although it can also be associated with other words. The words love, laughter, life, longing, lilting, Los Angeles, lonely night, legally, lawfully, laurels, liberal, lightning, lecherous, least, lewd, literature, lesson, leaving, luscious, lithe, list, leggy, lust, label, limpid, lips, laps, lyrics, liquid, launch, large, lasting, lacking, languorous and looking also appear in the title. (Generally you wouldn’t have time to read all of that.) This is a fairly good summary of the series itself, however I’ll elaborate.

There is a group of lesbians that this story revolves around. (See below.)

• Mia Kirshner as Jenny Schecter
• Jennifer Beals as Bette Porter
• Laurel Holloman as Tina Kennard
• Eric Mabius as Tim Haspel
• Katherine Moennig as Shane McCutcheon
• Erin Daniels as Dana Fairbanks
• Leisha Hailey as Alice Pieszecki
• Pam Grier as Kit Porter
• Karina Lombard as Marina

They are all successful women, but like all of us, they struggle with their personal lives. At first when I sat down to watch this I was highly skeptical, since I thought it was going to be a glamorized porn film. Look it is certainly explicit throughout the series, but it’s is still hugely profound. It’s an in-depth look at what lesbians get up to, and the challenges that they face.

So far I’ve only watched the first season, but it’s so intensely emotional it’s actually brought me to tears on a few occasions. Mostly I’m a cynic when watching and reviewing cinema, although this one I have to speak differently about. Of course I won’t deny that part of the appeal is because I’m a straight guy. I’m not convinced that a straight woman would find this series compelling.

IMO there are two major reasons why I would recommend this series. That would be the dynamic cast and the multifarious storylines. It’s intensely layered with emotion and honesty, and because of that I believe it’s one of the most accurate glimpses you’ll get of the lesbian world. This is one of those series that is not for the faint-hearted, so try and be open-minded when you approach it.

PhilosopherPoet

Running through treakle

If you were given a super power…what would it be? I’ve often wondered about this. It’s not much of a surprise eithere since we are thwarted with so many science fiction movies. (Hey, I’m not complaining though.) If I had a choice in the matter I would definitely choose the ability to freeze time. Although, it’s not as marvellous as some people make it out to be.

Freezing time (for most people) means controlling things. You have ultimate control because eveything else is a lot slower than you. You have to realize that when everything freezes/stops/slows down the state of objects changes. Gases become liquid. Liquids become solids. Solids are now impenetrable. So if you were thinking of fondling a girl while she was frozen in time, you’ve got your hopes up. You’ll have as much fun with her as you normally would with a concrete statue! Anyway this same topic also reminds me of a movie I watched last night…Wanted.

It’s about accountant Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy) who is living a normal life. He is not the most attractive guy in town, since he is highly strung and suffers from panic attacks, and is also very nerdy. On his way to a convenience store one evening, a mysterious looking guy tries to shoot him and he is rescued by an assassin called Fox (Angelina Jolie). She goes on to tell him that his father he lost contact with has been killed and now the same men are after him. He naturally thinks she crazy, but is literally thrown into the car with her and taken to the Fraternity.

The Fraternity is a thousand year old group of assassin that supposedly restore order in the city. Wesley is then taught how to use his special ability at the fraternity. He has the ability to slow down time (only for himself). In other words his heart can beat abnormally faster than most people, and therefore he can react faster, and is far stronger. To prove this he is told to shot the wings off a fly, curve a bullet around a target and dodge a speeding train.

I really enjoyed this, it’s basically about an ordinary guy who is destined for greater things. It has that whole super hero feel about it. You know its the normal good against evil despite overwhelming odds. It’s nothing too deep, but if you enjoy a good action to put your mind at ease after a  long day…this is for you!

PhilosopherPoet

Fighting Insomnia and Androids

I might have mentioned before that I battle to sleep. The reason is… whichever spiritual entity made me, thought I’d be really funny to grant me with a brain that overheats. It’s not quite like a car engine, or a computer. Those are mechanical and electronic devices. My brain is organic, and I end up thinking about too much stuff. Most people would argue that there’s nothing wrong with actually using your brain for thinking, but on the other hand when you end up lying in bed in the early hours of the morning, watching the fan spin, and hoping to get hypnotized into a very deep sleep. Then that’s when I reckon my brain starts overheating.

Anyway, after all of this happens I still manage to fight off the weariness, and go and do something (in hope that whatever I’m doing will make me even more tired and likely to sleep). This time I watched the sci-fi classic…Blade Runner. Wow, what a treat, this movie made my insomnia seem worth it. It’s one of those old Science Fiction classics that will never get boring. If you are a film junkie (like myself), you’ll realize that it is benchmark in film making, and the whole cyberpunk genre. Or course it’s also a film that started to launch Harrison Ford’s career, but I won’t bore you with the celebrity stuff. Here’s a brief summary of the story…

The Rise of the Replicant

Since this movie is set in the future, it’s all about Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Humans have made it a mission to create organic and genetically modified computers, or Replicants in short. These human-like robots were called NEXUS 6, and were so efficient that humans used them as slave labor on other planets. They would do the dirty work since they were about six times as strong as a human and as intelligence as the genetic engineers that made them. They went to other planets and claimed them for the humans. As you can imagine things turned sour, and the Nexus 6 we’re banished from Planet Earth. Special police squads (called Blade Runner units) were sent out to prevent the Nexus 6 from entering Earth. If a Replicant was found to be on Planet Earth, the penalty was death.

Why death you may ask? Well these guys aren’t little people from Toy Story. You can’t just rip out their batteries to stop them from working. They are human hybrids with our brains, and the strength of a bull dozer. So you get a whole bunch of humans (once again) fighting to stop their own race from dying. Blade runners have to execute any Replicant they see on earth, except it isn’t technically an execution because you’re just killing a robot. Instead it was called retirement.

It was the second time I’ve watched this movie, and I was equally impressed. For its day it was an awesome movie, and still is. It was directed by Ridley Scott, which is another why I can’t fault it. Just like Pulp Fiction was a vintage Quentin Tarantino film, this is a one of Ridley Scott’s successes. I’d highly recommend it, although a word of caution to those who may be on the squeamish side, there are a few scenes of violence.

PhilosopherPoet

Stay Out Of The Water

We all have the potential to go to our darkest place. Most of us manage to leave a light on. – Sheriff Tom Underlay

 

We’ve all heard about aliens. Stereotypically they are anorexic, big-headed and have slightly pointy eyes. Then you get really scary bugs like the ones portrays in the Alien series with Sigourney Weaver.

 

Recently I came across aliens in a TV series, that are subtle and dare I say…beautiful. It’s a series called Invasion. The peaceful country town, the Everglades is hit by Hurricane Eve. Survivors are praised, and people start collecting their lives together. Although, these people are more than survivors, they’re what Dave (the sheriff’s brother in law) calls hybrids. Half of them is human, while another part is taken over by the alien, and beginning to change.

 

Russell and his wife Muriel are divorced. Russell (a park ranger) is married to Larkin (a local TV reporter), and his ex-wife is married to Tom (the local sheriff). Before I confuse you with names, here is the short version.

 

 

Russell and Larkin (they have two kids from Russell’s previous marriage.)

Tom and Muriel (they have one teenage girl).

 

In this series, aliens are dubbed EBE (Extra-terrestrial Biological Entities). The night of the hurricane, people reported yellow lights falling from the sky into the water. People that are attacked aren’t killed. There’s no flying saucer that sucks people up through a laser beam, just lights.

 

The EBEs grab people in the water them and pierce them with their legs. Family members report, that after this those infected seem distant and not themselves. More importantly the hybrids have an uncanny fascination with water. They’re mesmerized by it, and Muriel admits she can stay underwater for half and hour without taking a breath.

 

So, as events unfold in the first season, the more you learn the more confusing and mysterious it gets. Russell’s brother Dave is the only one who firmly believes they are aliens, and his daily blog soon gets the Military involved.

 

 

The concept is surely a refreshing one considering the genre. I’m about half way through the first season. The storyline is amazingly gripping, and this would definitely be my in top ten of TV series.

 

PhilosopherPoet

Paranoid Park (2007)

I haven’t seen teenage depression and angst so insightfully explored before. This is the story of an average kid, in high school. The morose feelings he displays, are clear from the start.

To make things worse, a cataclysmic event ruptures his bland life, and now he has to run from a devastating secret. Paradoxically the crime he commits doesn’t heighten his fear as much as his introversion. Shortly after he has sex with his girlfriend, and even this doesn’t stir him.

He mopes around for most of the movie. His narration adds insight into his fear, and loneliness. This is a story about skating, broken-off friendship, and the pain of being a teenager.

I found this moving, not to mention cinematography that enhances the experience.

PhilosopherPoet

Blink and it’ll be over before you know it

People die. This is tragic, but sometimes a relief since they probably got it coming by smoking, drinking on weekends and ignoring the logo “SMOKING CAUSES CANCER” behind the teller at the cigarette counter. Death also happens to be entertaining when a vehicle (say an airliner) collides with a stationary object (um, I’ll pick a building at random). We stop the flights, blame a Nation, have a worldwide search for one of millions of bearded Arabs, and then promptly forget about the nation and go on to have a Oil Hunt in a nearby country.

All of this is in the name of Death. Excuse me being or morbid and political, but death is a sudden snip from life. Maybe because its so abrupt people have these strong reactions. This brings me two a more important point…what about a living death, an un-death. Something that keeps you awake, but dead to people around you. This is what happened to Jean-Dominique Bauby.

He was the French editor of Elle, a social icon, and became a vegetable after suffering a stroke. The common assumption is that you’re a vegetable because your brain has turned to mush, so your body is only just existing. Well Mr. Bauby fell ill to a rare disease called Locked-ln syndrome. This means you can see everything around you, and hear, but your body and mouth are mute and unresponsive. I’ll put an emphasis on see because this was all Bauby could really do.

He lay in a hospital understanding, everything said to him but unable to answer back. All he could do was blink. One blink for ‘Yes’, two blinks for ‘No’. He could communicate very slowly. Someone would stand in front of him with the alphabet. They would recite it, and he would blink when the translator came across the letter he wanted to use. She would repeat the word (once complete), and he would give a wink to confirm it. This was the terribly slow (yet, his only) way to communicate with anyone from the outside world.

Bauby had only two things that were alive, his eye and his mind. He was determined to communicate despite his ‘lock-in’ state. He decided to write a book. He had a book contract with a publisher prior to his near-fatal stroke. And decided to continue with it. This is a story of determination.

It must be hard to contemplate the psychological strain placed on someone, seeing their loved ones, enjoy life, yet unable to engage with them. Out of all the vegetables staring at hospital walls, and dribbling day in and out, Jean-Do Bauby saw life.

He wrote one of the most beautiful books written. He named it the Diving bell and the Butterfly. Diving bell because that is what he’d felt his body had become; one of those suits divers jumping into with a round metal head, and a small grill to see through. He chose butterfly because this was how precious his past memories were to him. Both were symbols of himself. The former his physical state, and the latter his fluid mind, and the freedom he found in his imagination.

This film doesn’t deserve anything less than * * * * * ! (five stars)

The imagery is extraordinary, the acting and collage of cinematic idiosyncrasies (including fine detail) can only be matched but never mastered in this memoir/biography of determination, frustration and inspiration.

PhilosopherPoet

Surviving means drinking…

What is a vampire?

Well, immediately the answer is drinks blood, dies in the light, has an aversion to the crucifix and garlic. They are pale in appearance, have extended canines, dress predominantly in black and let’s not forget they are nocturnal. This is an answer that would come from having to describe a fantasy creature, born into horror films and books. Now I’ll put it a different way…

What do you call a creature that (does none-of-the-above, except) drinks blood?

Answer: A Hamilton

This is what the film The Hamiltons is about. I hope I haven’t spoilt the terror by revealing the punch line.  I can’t help but marvel at the concept. Ordinary people, ordinary looking, speaking, talking, walking, etc need blood to survive. It’s a strange concept.

It kind of defeats the whole concept of these nocturnal/religious creatures…doesn’t it?

While I was getting into the first half of the film, your first impression is that these people are mentally disturbed. Severely mentally disturbed, and I’ll make sure that there is a capital ’s’ on severely. It is a valid question. Why would a family kill people if there is no gain from it?

Whenever people are murdered…there is some kind of motive behind it. Occasionally you’ll get your Ted Bundy who’ll rack up a few corpses just for the heck of it. Most people that murder other people, do so because they will benefit in some way, be it money, power, freedom, justice and so forth.

This film has all the stamps of a decent horror. The intro of a terrified girl in a room dying to get out, but then cries quietly when she hears an unknown beast trying to get her. The use of the video camera. This is fairly common since it stays zoomed in and creates suspense by deliberately ‘cutting out’ expressions and environment.

Overall a very good horror. Its on the gory end of the genre, supported by an unusual and strong cast. From the DVD cover it garnered a few awards, which in my opinion were well deserved. I can’t find too much criticism other than the storyline itself was pretty linear, relying on the characters to carry through. Definitely worth a watch on a dark and lonely night. I wouldn’t re-watch this one because of how the storyline is built up.

PhilosopherPoet’s Rating

The Hamiltons * * * *

(out of 5)

The reason for not pushing to a five is a) the storyline b) the supporting actors and c) not re-watchable. Although definitely a shit load of fun for a first-timer!

PhilosopherPoet