Everybody Loves Conan. We Just Don't See Him.

Conan O’Brien finally got a show back after that awful breakup with NBC. With Jay Leno being used as a scapegoat and the executives totally messing everything up in every single conceivable way, O’Brien’s dream of hosting the Tonight Show was extremely short-lived. Luckily, he quickly sparked a deal with TBS and as soon as his ban from television finished, he was heading to cable. Getting full creative control of his show, Conan’s new show was poised to make major ripples in the ratings competition amongst the late night hosts.

His first night was a solid smash hit. Over 4 million watched the premiere, which utterly destroyed the competition in cable and network television. Now everyone knew these numbers couldn’t sustain itself, especially under cable. But despite the show maintaining its Conan-esque quality (although I really miss the “lever” comedic bit) its ratings are not that-that high…even for cable. Conan’s numbers are weaker against not only Leno and Letterman (even Kimmel, my goodness), but even the Comedy Central powerhouse team of Stewart and Colbert. Nothing against the other shows, but Conan deserves better numbers. The number one reason why Conan isn’t producing Late Night ratings is because of its awful time slot--which has become very convoluted.

When everyone started going after Conan after his departure from NBC, I predicted and truly thought Comedy Central would be the absolute best fit for him. Comedy Central has been really reeling since the departure of the Dave Chappelle Show, and have desperately tried to fill those shoes. Notice all the comedians that got their own show very quickly without a truly strong established fanbase: Carlos Mencia, Nick Swarson, Demitri Martin, Jeff Dunham, Sarah Silverman (my personal favorite “spin-off” of Dave Chappelle Show), and Daniel Tosh (even though Tosh.0 has actually been a minor success story, but I don’t see it running much longer). Conan O’Brien already had an established rivalry against Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert (Huckabee anyone?), and throwing him into the network before (or after?) the political power hour would have been an incredible evening in television. This could have catapulted Comedy Central into popularity heights not reached since-----Rick James. Imagine this: 10:00 (Conan), 11:00 (Daily Show), 11:30 (Colbert Report).

But…..TBS got him. While I am a fan of TBS and all its reruns, I was not sure Conan would be the right fit. Look who he has to setup for: George Lopez. And now my prediction came true: Conan isn’t really raking in the numbers. While he is getting the young crowd, the hosts he is competing against also nab the young crowd---except it’s a much more rabid fanbase. Unlike Conan, the Comedy Central hosts actually have some political power and influence, further proving they are a force not to be reckoned with. The network Conan picked is wrong, and the time they picked is totally off.What is he doing going on before Lopez like an opening act?

In order to run a very successful talk show, you need a strong opener or a strong follower. Leno has been the exception, as his Tonight Show runs on a heavy dosage of history and a very dedicated fanbase; and also I do not want to even think about mentioning Fallon as a helper in his ratings. With Letterman, he has the much underrated Craig Ferguson following him. And in cable, you cannot think about Colbert without thinking about Stewart, and vice-versa. Conan has….George Lopez. Not only is Lopez a weak supporter (his show isn’t that good), but he tries to nab a totally different brand of audience. Let me offer a solution.

Why not bump Conan’s show to 10:00? There has never been a late night host to truly push for a Sweeps time slot---besides Jay Leno but that one was absolutely doomed from the start. The 10:00 hour usually does not contain shows with the highest marks, that usually goes to the 9:00 crowd. The Mentalist on CBS is the exception. But most of the time, 10:00 isn’t dominated by prime time. This is Conan’s chance to not only start before popular appealing-to-the-young-college-crowd hosts Stewart, Colbert, and Kimmel, but to try to attract a wider audience with its earlier appearance. While Conan is not clean-cut, he is no South Park or Family Guy, which does air much earlier than him. If that doesn’t work, there is one other solution.

Move him to midnight, and try to reach out to the viewers that had just finished watching Colbert and Stewart. I am not as big a fan on this move, but it’s much more logical than throwing him to 11:00 against some heavy late-night competition. The competition remains at the 11:30-midnight range with his nemesis Jay Leno and Leno’s Other Nemesis; but neither of the two can attract a young audience like Conan can. Plus, I really don’t see Lopez providing any ammunition to the midnight hour for TBS. Conan isn’t drowning or dying, but he isn’t exactly leading in viewers nor will he have a chance to grow an audience with the 11:00 cluster.

Bottom Line: TBS you have a good man on your network, but if you want him to unleash his full potential, get him out of that time slot. Not saying he can’t handle the competition, but I’m saying he is not going to attract your 18-34 crowd in a television world with Adult Swim, Stewart, Colbert all appearing at the same time. Pull him away from that muck, and allow him to stand out, and receive more attention. Otherwise, it will be tough for TBS to even come close to the 4 million that tuned in the first night. 4 million viewers on opening night means many people are aware of him and know him, they just need time to spend with him. At 11:00, it ain’t gonna happen.

My 2011 Oscar Picks

It is once again Oscar season, and once again it’s depressing to read because its another year that I have not sold a screenplay or made an actual movie. Depressingness aside, the Oscar nominees are out and there are very few surprises. Once again, another period flick claims the most nominations (Shakespeare in Love will never be forgiven for winning Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan) while critic favorite Social Network nabbed 8 nominations. In this entry, I am going to make my predictions, and also state whom I think deserves the award the most.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
((())): My prediction as to who shall win
[]: Who I think deserves it the most
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Best Picture:



127 Hours (2010): Christian Colson, Danny Boyle, John Smithson
Black Swan (2010): Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver, Scott Franklin
The Fighter (2010): David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman, Mark Wahlberg
Inception (2010): Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas
The Kids Are All Right (2010): Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte, Celine Rattray
The King's Speech (2010): Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Gareth Unwin
(((The Social Network (2010): Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, Ceán Chaffin)))
[Toy Story 3 (2010): Darla K. Anderson]
True Grit (2010): Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Scott Rudin
Winter's Bone (2010): Anne Rosellini, Alix Madigan

I am going to admit that last year I did essentially the same thing, picking a Pixar flick to win Best Picture. That being said, if the Social Network wins, I will not be totally upset. But THAT being said, if there is a company that deserves a Best Picture addition to its resume, its Pixar. Three years they had the top movie of the year and did not walk away with the Best Picture award: Toy Story 2 back in 1999, Finding Nemo back in 2003, and Up last year (Although I admit Up was in a much weaker crop of movies). And now we have Toy Story 3, a great movie embedded in the roots of Pixar, since this is the ending to the trilogy of the franchise that jump-started computer animation. This should be its year. But, The Social Network will win because Fincher deserves it, the movie is a great film overall, and because it speaks layers about contemporary society. Fincher’s best work, Fight Club, did the same thing, but anarchy is not exactly loved in the world of the Academys.

Best Actor:


Javier Bardem for Biutiful (2010)
Jeff Bridges for True Grit (2010)
((([Jesse Eisenberg for The Social Network (2010)])))
Colin Firth for The King's Speech (2010)
James Franco for 127 Hours (2010)

I was torn between Eisenberg and Franco, but I will give it to Eisenberg because his plea for sympathy is the harshest and toughest, since the main character is a mix of cold, anti-social, and very self-absorbed. It is always to portray someone to root for—not so easy portraying someone impossible to like.

Best Actress:


Annette Bening for The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Nicole Kidman for Rabbit Hole (2010)
Jennifer Lawrence for Winter's Bone (2010)
((([Natalie Portman for Black Swan (2010)])))
Michelle Williams for Blue Valentine (2010)

I am a fan of out-of-the-ordinary performances. And let me tell you, Portman definitely deserves top prize for doing such a tough role.

Best Supporting Actor:



[Christian Bale for The Fighter (2010)]
John Hawkes for Winter's Bone (2010)
Jeremy Renner for The Town (2010)
(((Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right (2010))))
Geoffrey Rush for The King's Speech (2010)

Bale does not do a great Batman, but his career deserves an Oscar. Here’s to hoping its his year.

Best Supporting Actress:



Amy Adams for The Fighter (2010)
((([Helena Bonham Carter for The King's Speech (2010)])))
Melissa Leo for The Fighter (2010)
Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit (2010)
Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom (2010)

Bonham Carter is one of the most underrated actresses this side of the planet. She was great in Fight Club, great in Alice in Wonderland, amazing in Sweeny Todd, and nothing short of superb in all the Harry Potter films. It is about time she gets some recognition.

Best Director:



Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan (2010)
Ethan Coen, Joel Coen for True Grit (2010)
[(((David Fincher for The Social Network (2010))))]
Tom Hooper for The King's Speech (2010)
David O. Russell for The Fighter (2010)

Fincher is one of the few that can enhance movies with bad writing (Alien 3, Panic Room, Zodiac) and its about time he gets his recognition after not even getting a mention after the crazy-insane-perfectly-directed Fight Club. If anybody else wins this award, I will be very disappointed. P.S.: no Best Director for Nolan? Now Inception has NO chance of winning it all.

Best Original Screenplay:



Another Year (2010): Mike Leigh
The Fighter (2010): Scott Silver, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Keith Dorrington
Inception (2010): Christopher Nolan
((([The Kids Are All Right (2010): Lisa Cholodenko, Stuart Blumberg])))
The King's Speech (2010): David Seidler

The only reason Inception is not getting a nod from me is because of the way it ended. In a very cop-out fashion, Inception was left open for interpretation. That does not make it a complete script, and therefore, I am not rooting for its win.

Best Adapted Screenplay:



127 Hours (2010): Danny Boyle, Simon Beaufoy
((([The Social Network (2010): Aaron Sorkin])))
Toy Story 3 (2010): Michael Arndt, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
True Grit (2010): Joel Coen, Ethan Coen
Winter's Bone (2010): Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini

The Social Network has one of the best scripts in recent years, and is the clear frontrunner for this prize. The only one that comes even close is Toy Story 3 and its very deep script full of themes about loving, and losing what/who you love.

Best Animated Movie:



How to Train Your Dragon (2010): Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders
The Illusionist (2010): Sylvain Chomet
((([Toy Story 3 (2010): Lee Unkrich])))

This is a no-brainer, six ways to Sunday.

Best Foreign Language Film:



((([Biutiful (2010): Alejandro González Iñárritu(Mexico)])))
Dogtooth (2009): Giorgos Lanthimos(Greece)
In a Better World (2010): Susanne Bier(Denmark)
Incendies (2010): Denis Villeneuve(Canada)
Outside the Law (2010): Rachid Bouchareb(Algeria)

Yes.

Best Cinematography:



Black Swan (2010): Matthew Libatique
[(((Inception (2010): Wally Pfister)))]
The King's Speech (2010): Danny Cohen
The Social Network (2010): Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit (2010): Roger Deakins

Inception was all over the world in terms of setting, and with such complex action sequences to boot. Social Network was the better film, but Cronenweth had a much easier time shooting the film when compared to Pfister.

Best Editing:



(((127 Hours (2010): Jon Harris)))
[Black Swan (2010): Andrew Weisblum]
The Fighter (2010): Pamela Martin
The King's Speech (2010): Tariq Anwar
The Social Network (2010): Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall

I am extremely, utterly, and dumbfoundedly shocked that Inception was not nominated. In the climax, there were literally four different sequences happening at the exact same time. What the *(&@&(*#!!!?? I am going to give my pick to Black Sawn, although I have a feeling 127 Hours will fit the bill. But, really, no Inception here?!?!?

Best Art Direction:



Alice in Wonderland (2010): Robert Stromberg, Karen O'Hara
[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010): Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan]
Inception (2010): Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Douglas A. Mowat
(((The King's Speech (2010): Eve Stewart, Judy Farr)))
True Grit (2010): Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

The one with the most potential was Alice, but Burton and company really disappointed me. The 50s Disney version had a much better art design and style, and they had a fraction of the budget Burton had. Yuck. This list of nominations is rather unsettling because none of them really have the artsy look with the exception of Harry Potter. So while I think The King’s Speech will win, Harry Potter deserves this Oscar the most.

Best Costume:



[Alice in Wonderland (2010): Colleen Atwood]
I Am Love (2009): Antonella Cannarozzi
(((The King's Speech (2010): Jenny Beavan)))
The Tempest (2010/II): Sandy Powell
True Grit (2010): Mary Zophres

Fact: the Academys loves the costumes of the higher-class…past and present. The last four years: The Young Victoria, The Duchess, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and Marie Antoinette. Need any more proof?

Best Makeup:



Barney's Version (2010): Adrien Morot
The Way Back (2010): Edouard F. Henriques, Greg Funk, Yolanda Toussieng
((([The Wolfman (2010): Rick Baker, Dave Elsey])))

Not a lot of competition here, eh?

Best Original Music:


127 Hours (2010): A.R. Rahman
How to Train Your Dragon (2010): John Powell
((([Inception (2010): Hans Zimmer])))
The King's Speech (2010): Alexandre Desplat
The Social Network (2010): Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

If you remember correctly, it was the epic soundtrack to the trailer that began the hype and anticipation for this movie. Inception is leagues ahead everyone else in terms of music. Zimmer definitely deserves his Oscar here.

Best Original Song:


127 Hours (2010): A.R. Rahman, Rollo Armstrong, Dido("If I Rise")
Country Strong (2010): Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey, Troy Verges("Coming Home")
Tangled (2010): Alan Menken, Glenn Slater("I See the Light")
((([Toy Story 3 (2010): Randy Newman("We Belong Together")])))

Newman’s soundtrack was anything but original, but this song wraps up the memorable trilogy in a nice package. Toy Story 3 should win this award here, even if it won’t take the top prize.

Best Sound Mixing:



((([Inception (2010): Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo, Ed Novick])))
The King's Speech (2010): Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen, John Midgley
Salt (2010): Jeffrey J. Haboush, William Sarokin, Scott Millan, Greg P. Russell
The Social Network (2010): Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick, Mark Weingarten
True Grit (2010): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, Peter F. Kurland

Inception was a technical marvel and should walk away with all the technical awards. This has potential of earning the most Oscars without actually winning Best Picture since the 70s.

Best Sound Editing:



[(((Inception (2010): Richard King)))]
Toy Story 3 (2010): Tom Myers, Michael Silvers
TRON: Legacy (2010): Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Addison Teague
True Grit (2010): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey
Unstoppable (2010): Mark P. Stoeckinger

See previous entry.

Best Visual Effects:


Alice in Wonderland (2010): Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas, Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010): Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz, Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter (2010): Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojansky, Joe Farrell
[(((Inception (2010): Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley, Pete Bebb, Paul J. Franklin)))]
Iron Man 2 (2010): Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright, Daniel Sudick

I am appalled that Tron didn’t get the nomination but Iron Man 2 did. Inception should win this. P.S.: I am sure the young version of Jeff Bridges killed Tron’s chances, because it was a very visually stimulating film.

Let’s rack up the numbers:
The Social Network: 4 wins
Inception: 5 wins
Toy Story 3: 2 wins
The Kids are All Right: 2 wins
The King’s Speech: 3 wins



Bottom Line: So while Inception I predict will win the most Oscars, it won’t take any of the major-major prizes, leaving Social Network to reign it all. We will not have one movie running away with all the awards, so it gives many movies a chance for some temporary Oscar fame. If you think my picks are dead-on, say so. Otherwise, say-so as well. I am open to all discussions.

The Quit Tweeted Around the World

The Bears-Packers game ended less than 24 hours ago but the tweets and controversy are buzzing around as if the game is still going on. This is because of the Bears quarterback Jay Cutler. The man is already notorious for not displaying any emotion or leadership despite his skills as quarterback. Chicago nonetheless likes to look beyond that because Cutler is making this Bears team look like the best Bears team since the 80s; with the infamous Super Bowl Shuffle squad. Cutler is a tough-nosed quarterback that can take a lot of hits and can still deliver at the end of the day. Despite getting dozens of sacks and even a concussion in the latter part of the season, Cutler has remained strong—especially during his blowout win against the Seahawks. Fast-forward to yesterday, with him starting not so well. All of a sudden, with the Bears down by a bunch, he “injures his knee.”

Now, I put quotation marks because unlike most injuries you see in the NFL, there was very little visual confirmation that Cutler was indeed hurt. Cutler would leave the game early, and a third-string quarterback wound up having to play the position in the final moments of the game. It was nearly a movie-like ending, with Caleb Hanie turning it from a shutout into a close match. The talk however is about Jay Cutler and his sudden departure from the game, nearly diminishing the Bear’s chances of entering the Super Bowl. Not since The Decision has a player been so severely criticized online and all over the mainstream media. It is one thing to be injured, but it is a totally different matter to be on the sideline with no ice bag, no crutches, nothing to support/fight your injury. Then to add salt to the wound, he wasn’t helping out the coach, he wasn’t helping the second and third-string quarterback, he wasn’t motivating the team, and his body language clearly wasn’t showing that he wanted to play, and wasn’t showing that he really wanted to go to the Super Bowl. And this is where my sympathy for the guy ends.

This is not just a game; this is the NFC Championship game. This is not just an opponent; this is your rivals of decades the Green Bay Packers. You are not just a player; you are the freakin’ quarterback, the position known for leadership. Jay Cutler, I don’t care how hurt you may have been, but the fact is you didn’t motivate; you didn’t even try to help out on the sidelines. You were just there, just another player, sitting down, or on the bike. We may not know how serious it supposedly is, but it could not have been that bad considering that no doctor was reporting on the injury, and there wasn’t a doctor within a mile radius of the guy trying to heal him.

You are a few quarters away from entering the Super Bowl in front of the home crowd and yet you looked like you couldn’t care less. This is why you are being attacked. We are not questioning your injury (unlike idiot Skip Bayless claims on ESPN…seriously, why does he still work there?) we are questioning your heart and motivation. There are football players that would give up their souls for a chance at the Super Bowl. Quarterbacks like Dan Marino, Jim Kelly (Lost 4 Super Bowls in a row, remember him?), Phillip Rivers, Donovan McNabb, and especially (especially) Brett Farve in the same situation would have fought everyone that stood in his way to be on the field, trying to stage a comeback, for a shot at the title game. Cutler did not look the role; he treated this potentially epic matchup as a measly football game with minimal importance. He broke one of the cardinal rules of all sports.

One of the biggest unwritten rules (along with as a player you should not be stepping on the pitcher’s mound, no canceling football games, no visiting the locker room of the opponent after a game) in sports is that you don’t quit on your team---especially when they still have a chance. LeBron quit on Cleveland last year during the playoffs against the Celtics. Tracy McGrady years ago back in Orlando quit on the team and even admitted it later—now look at how shoddy his career is. Jay Cutler quit on his team, plain and simple. Even if there is a hidden severe injury, you weren’t rooting, you weren’t helping, you weren’t motivating, you weren’t being energetic, you weren’t being involved, and you literally stood there and watched your team helplessly stage a comeback with no emotion whatsoever. This is why all the old-school NFL players (and even some new-schoolers) are verbally thrashing you to submission.Whether you like it or not, as the first quarterback, you are the leader. Act like it.

While I was never a fan of Brett Farve in his latter stages of his career, I have to respect his uncontrollable desire to win football games, no matter how badly hurt he might be. Farve is at least 12 years older than Cutler but would have stayed in the game with a bum knee. Hell, Farve could have lost an entire leg and you would still see him try to win. A pet peeve of mine when watching sports is a quitter, especially a leader that quits. Jay Cutler, you quit. And I will quit defending you, defending your cold personality, and I will quit supporting you. I feel sorry for the Bears, as they had a heck of a run with a rough schedule. The Bears, supporting staff of the Bears, and especially the Bears fans deserve better. If I were running the team, I would quit on Cutler and cut him off altogether. Because quitting isn’t just disrespectful, it’s poisonous to the organization. And he also did it during the f*&^%(#)# NFL Championship Game.

Jay Cutler, I don’t care what the x-ray results say evemtually, you quit, and for that, you are now among the most despicable men in the NFL. Case closed. You may have just injured your knee, but your heart has been on the disabled list all year. Its about time you get that repaired.

P.S. Congrats. to the Packers for getting into the Super Bowl.