The Departed

Apparently the Sugar girls are not the only ones totally obsessed with the Oscars...

I recently came across this great old fashioned, street style workout based on the Oscar nominated movie The Departed from Gregory Joujon-Roche who thinks that being mob fighting ready (like Leo's character) is more about the brute strength that comes from growing up on the tough streets (not from a fancy gym).

"Want to pretend you're gearing up to fight the mob? Shake up your regular fitness routine by giving these moves a try. (Note: This workout is intended for people who regularly strength train. If you're a true couch potato, start slowly and work your way up to this challenge.)

On the first day, work on sheer strength with bench presses, straight bar curls and military presses. Don't worry about counting set and reps. The goal is to go heavy and feel the power.

On the second day, tone and condition with rear dips off the end of your bed or coffee table -- dozens of them -- to blast your triceps and upper back. Then do old-fashioned sit-ups and pull-ups -- as many as you can, and then a few more.

Repeat this cycle over the next two days, and then rest on the fifth day."

Now say it with me: Arggggggghhhhhh! Too Demi Moore, GI Man-ish for you? Check out this less intense workout based on last year's Best Picture winner, Crash.

Source

The Departed is not only an Oscar nominated action-packed film with some of the greatest actors of our time, but it is also a gadget-packed movie featuring some of the most advanced technology of our time! Here is a shot from a sting set up, where the police are equipped with high-tech laptops and headphones to help them combat Jack Nicholson's organized crime ring. Some interesting techie tidbits: When Colin Sullivan, played by Matt Damon, is switching Sim cards in the phone booth, he is using a Sprint RL7400 cell phone, which doesn't actually use Sim cards in real life. Also when Colin uses Captain Queenan's phone (played by Martin Sheen), the close-up shows the blood transferring from his finger to the left side of the talk button but the wide shot shows the blood on the right side. One last thing - try watching the movie again and pay close attention to the recording of cell phone conversations. Near the beginning Nicholson puts something into his cell phone. Turns out this must have been the device used to record the conversations. To watch a phone clip from the movie, just read more

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I'll sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

The Departed
Every time I revisit the trailer for The Departed, with Jack Nicholson's narration over the opening notes of "Gimme Shelter," I get the chills — not because this movie was disturbing, but because it was such a fun ride. The drama isn't terribly deep: A good cop (Leonardo DiCaprio) goes undercover with a mobster (Jack Nicholson), who has his own man (Matt Damon) inside the force. But the intricately woven plot and masterful performances, particularly by supporting cast members like Mark Wahlberg and Alec Baldwin, prove that Scorsese really does deserve the directing Oscar for this one.

Also, I highly recommend seeing the Hong Kong film trilogy on which the The Departed was based. If you haven't yet, you're in luck, because one of those films also releases on DVD this week, so read more

As a writer, I feel particularly passionate about Hollywood writing awards, and yesterday's 2007 Writers Guild Awards ceremony suggests that one of my favorite scripts this year, Little Miss Sunshine, might really be the little movie that could when it comes to screenwriting nods at the Oscars. Held in Los Angeles and attend by Tina Fey, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mo Rocca, the awards honored achievements for movies, TV, and radio. Here's a look at the TV and movie winners.

SCREEN WINNERS

Original Screenplay:
Little Miss Sunshine, Michael Arndt

Adapted Screenplay:
The Departed, screenplay by William Monahan; based on the movie Infernal Affairs, written by Alan Mak and Felix Chong

Documentary Screenplay:
Deliver Us from Evil, written by Amy Berg

TELEVISION WINNERS

Dramatic Series:
"The Sopranos," written by Mitchell Burgess, David Chase, Diane Frolov, Robin Green, Andrew Schneider, Matthew Weiner, Terence Winter; HBO

Comedy Series:
"The Office," written by Steve Carell, Jennifer Celotta, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Brent Forrester, Ricky Gervais, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Stephen Merchant, B.J. Novak, Michael Schur, Gene Stupnitsky; NBC

To see the rest, read more

Last night, the Directors Guild of America announced the winners of its 2006 awards, which recognize everything from daytime dramas to TV commercials. The big news was a big win for Martin Scorsese, who earned the DGA's honor for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Feature Film for The Departed.

Not only do I think that honor is totally deserved, but it also bodes well for Scorsese's chances of finally taking home an Oscar this year. I was also glad to see some of my favorite TV shows recognized for their directing achievements. To see the rest of the 2006 DGA winners, read more

• The New York Times tells us why this year's Oscar speeches will be total snoozers.
• Reuters examines the "Oscar Curse," when poor little award winners find themselves too “expensive.”
• No rest for The Departed: Already there are talks of a sequel, says Hollywood Reporter.
• Oscar ballots are sent out to the 5,830 Academy voters, reports the AP.
• In other awards news, The Police confirm their Grammy-tastic reunion, writes Billboard.
• Networks aren't ordering pilots of serial dramas, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
• US Weekly says Courtney Love could replace Paula Abdul on "American Idol."
• Pitchfork posts new tour dates from Jarvis Cocker and The Killers
• Yes, you'll soon get to find out if you're "Smarter than a Fifth Grader", the Futon Critic says.
• Billboard tells us that Kings of Leon are prepping a new album for April.
• Tuesday's "House" was the best-rated scripted show of the season, Variety reports.

• PopCandy has the scoop on Stephen Colbert's new web site that could challenge The Onion.
• FitSugar tells us how to try out for a new show where contestants lose weight on national television?.
• Idolator has a clip of a weird-but-cool new Prince cover song/mash-up (cover up?).
• Popwatch asks which "Heroes" character you'd kill off.
• Defamer finds some pretty funny advertising juxtaposition in the Dreamgirls/Little Miss Sunshine race.
• TVgasm says Donny Osmond will host "The Great American Dream Vote," one of those crazy new ABC shows.
• Reeling explores the "X" as a symbol of impending doom in The Departed.
• Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily rounds up the best Super Bowl commercials ever.
• E!'s Watch With Kristin assures us that T.R. Knight is staying on "Grey's Anatomy."
• Polygamy on TV is weirdly in right now, BC Beat points out.
• TV with MeeVee goes behind the scenes with "The Class."

Source

• Dakota Fanning defends Hounddog in USA Today, while Variety pans the movie.
• Slow sales week, eh? Chris Daughtry's album, which came out in November, hits No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
• A Super Bowl commercial "starring" K-Fed is offending fast-food employees, the AP reports.
• The LA Times explains why producing credits for The Departed are up for debate.
• NME has the details on the new album from a reformed Dinosaur Jr.
• And Pitchfork tells us that Band of Horses is returning to the studio.
• Fox is coming down hard on Canada’s rampant film piracy, says Hollywood Reporter.
• Henry from Accounting will be hanging around "Ugly Betty" for a while, EW reports.
• The Hallmark Channel is planning its own Super Bowl halftime show, Broadcasting & Cable reports.

Ok, Dreamgirls didn't get nominated for Best Picture, and it really didn't deserve to be. Now, let's move on, shall we?

This year's Academy Award nominations run the gamut from painfully obviously (namely, the Best Actress and Supporting Actress categories) to totally — and thrillingly — up in the air. In fact, I can't remember a recent year when the Best Picture race was this tough to call. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with the Academy's open-mindedness, and depending on how the winners shake out, the 2006 Oscars might just renew my faith in this ridiculous awards show.

But first, allow me to get a few things off my chest...

For once, I have an opinion about sound design, and it is apparently wrong

Pan's Labyrinth got a lot of love — including nominations for Best Foreign Film and Art Direction — but it was left out of the sound design and editing categories. Never before have I walked out of a movie and declared: "If that film doesn't win a sound Oscar, there is no god." Of course, I also know nothing about sound design.

The acting Nominations for The Departed are totally spot on.

I love it when the Academy recognizes scene-stealers over veterans, and Mark Wahlberg's performance really made this movie for me. Kudos to the Oscars for choosing Mark over Jack Nicholson being Jack again.

Yeah, maybe Leo deserved a nod for The Departed, but if he's even better in Blood Diamond, then it's silly to nominate him twice — especially when Forest Whitaker is probably going to win anyway.

Why does the Academy hate James Bond so much?

It's handing out technical awards left and right to the dreadful Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, while treating Casino Royale — with its astounding opening chase scene and crumbling Venetian building sequence — like an amateur entry.

For the rest of my rants, read more