Oscars: Best Supporting Actress - Penelope Cruz

Best Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams - Doubt
Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Viola Davis - Doubt
Taraji P. Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler
Winner: Penelope Cruz Following a mostlhy-inspired opening sequence by host Hugh Jackman, which revealed a terrfic, more intimately designed Kodak Theatre, the first award of the evening was presented in the evening's most competitive race. Penelope Cruz picked up her first Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, although this is certainly not the first time an actress in a Woody Allen movie has picked up a Supporting award.

Box Office - Nic Cage is the 'Bangkok' of the Walk

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. For the weekend of July 18th, the top twelve movies at the American box office were responsible for a quarter-billion dollars of business, led by The Dark Knight's record-shattering debut. Fast forward eight weeks, and the top twelve could only manage $51 million, with the new number one movie making less than $8 million. Bangkok Dangerous, the Asian action remake starring Nicolas Cage squeezed a little blood out of a turnip to stop Tropic Thunder's run at the top. But just barely. Based on the Sunday estimates by Box Office Mojo, Bangkok made $7.8 million this weekend, while Tropic Thunder made $7.5. Because these are estimates and not final figures, there is still a chance Tropic Thunder could win again. If so, it would mark the second straight movie to hold on to number one for a month. The House Bunny came in third place, with just under $6 million, followed closely by The Dark Knight. Don Cheadle's espionage thriller, Traitor, continues its strong performance, with a fifth-place finish. Although it finished out of the top ten, Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona is slowly making money. Another three weeks or so, and it should beat Match Point, at which point it would become Allen's highest grossing film since Hannah and Her Sisters over 20 years ago. The Dark Knight is over $510 million now - $512 to be exact - and with its theater numbers starting to decline, it's becoming obvious that we'll see no miracle final month or six weeks out of the year's biggest film. So, for those of you crossing your fingers that it'll beat Titanic, it's not going to do it in this run. There's talk of IMAX re-releases, and that would certainly pad its stats, but even with that, it would take a while to be within shouting distance of that record.

What's New in Theaters - August 15, 2008

It's a very busy weekend at the movies, with three movies in wide release, and several more hoping to grab your dollars on a more limited basis. This is one of the last hurrahs for summer, and certainly, in terms of movies with tremendous financial potential, it's the last big weekend for at least a month.

Probably the most notable new release is Tropic Thunder, the new comedy co-written and directed by Ben Stiller, who also stars opposite Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. They play three of Hollywood's biggest actors whose war movie comes apart at the seams when the fake war they're fighting becomes a real war they don't know they're fighting.

(Check out the official Tropic Thunder site)

Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a little complicated. There was an animated series called The Clone Wars five years ago, which made sense because we were between Episode II and Episode III in the second trilogy, and that's when the Clone Wars take place. In 2008, we have another animated series about the same thing, and this movie is kind of a preamble to that. Why doesn't George Lucas just do the last trilogy? You got me.

(Check out the official Star Wars: The Clone Wars site)

The third major release of the weekend is Mirrors. It's another Asian horror movie remake from a very talented member of the Splat Pack named Alexandre Aja. When the material catches up to his eye, look out. He's already made some good horror movies, but his ceiling is incredibly high. Mirrors stars Kiefer Sutherland as a security guard who believes the mirrors in the abandoned building he patrols are haunted. And evil. That's never a good combination.

(Check out the official Mirrors site)

The latest film from Woody Allen is the sultry romantic comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Contrary to what you may think because of the high profile of its stars, Vicky is neither Penelope Cruz nor Scarlett Johansson. Scarlett is Cristina, all right, but Cruz plays a character named Maria Elena. Then who the hell is Vicky? That'd be British actress Rebecca Hall, one of the many women in this film who find themselves unable to deter or handle the desires of Javier Bardem.

(Check out the official Vicky Cristina Barcelona site)

Back in the 1970s, it was not uncommon to have a negative impression of California wines. After all, the French made the best wine, like the Swiss made fine timepieces, and Americans made the best Chinese food. But that impression changed after a Paris wine tasting in 1976. Armed with a really good cast that's anchored by Alan Rickman, Bottle Shock recounts the events leading up to one of the most significant days ever for people who tie sweaters around their necks and day trip into the Napa Valley wineries.

(Check out the official Bottle Shock site)

Luke Wilson hasn't played it safe over the past few years, branching out into independent territory both as an actor and even as a director. He seems comfortable in roles and films with lower expectations, whatever that means. Luke plays the title role in Henry Poole is Here, a man with not much going on in his world until his neighbors believe they see the impression of Jesus in the exterior wall of his house.

(Check out the official Henry Poole is Here site)

In the 1970s, it was believed that the French made the best wine. Now, they're gaining a reputation for making the best erotically-charged nouveau Hitchcock mysteries. I've already seen two this year, Roman de Gare and Tell No One (although there's not much sensuality in Tell No One). Now a French filmmaker who studied and later befriended Hitch as a writer for the influential French film journal Cahiers du Cinema has released A Girl Cut in Two. It's a great title, stars the electric and alluring Ludivine Sagnier, and comes to us from legendary French director Claude Chabrol.

(Check out the official Girl Cut in Two site)

That's a look at what's in theaters this weekend; choose wisely.

Movie Review - 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Starring Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and Javier Bardem
Directed by Woody Allen
Rated PG-13

Something has stirred in Woody Allen over the past few years. At the beginning of this century, Allen’s best work seemed years behind him. Match Point gave him a darker new voice, as well as a new muse named Scarlett Johansson. He’s made two other films in Britain since, Scoop and Cassandra’s Dream, both of which, like Match Point, also feature a murder. Now the director notorious for never leaving New York has another new location and a new theme in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Allen’s maiden voyage in Spain is a glorious postcard of some of the country’s more beautiful locales, and he feels right at home. Carefree love is the order of the day, a notable contrast from Allen’s New York catalog of relationships undone by that very thing. It is by all appearances the work of a much younger storyteller, one with an entire world left to express. In fact, there has been some idle chatter that the studio releasing this film, The Weinstein Company, is actually downplaying Allen’s involvement in the TV commercials. Frankly, if I hadn’t known it was one of Woody’s, it would be hard to guess its lineage just by watching the film. Allen’s cast is sensual and alluring, with Rebecca Hall and Johansson taking the titular journey through Spain, where they happen upon a lothario in artist’s clothing (Javier Bardem) who requests their company on a weekend getaway with the promise of plenty of wine and the prospect of plenty of lovemaking. Of all the performers in the film, Bardem conveys the most sexuality. If he ever hears no in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it really only means “not yet.” Though he is attracted to both women, Vicky finds his come-ons boorish and ludicrous. The much more impetuous Cristina is taken in by his advances, yet the progression of the three-headed relationship is not without its surprises. For added drama and heat, Penelope Cruz is introduced about an hour in as Bardem’s crazy ex-wife. The story doesn’t need her, though; it’s sexy enough as it is. In truth, her appearance kind of signals a shortcoming that dooms many a movie: The story had run its course and needed a boost. The problem with it is that the new character re-routes our travelogue, covering ground Woody Allen has seen many times before – the jealous lover, the jilted lover, the complications of love. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is at its best as a hedonistic tale, and if it investigates anything, it should be how difficult it is to manufacture desire. The movie is simply better without its guilt. This is not one of Allen’s very best films, but it is a welcome new twist (or tryst). Along with Match Point, this justifies why, even at 76, Woody should still make any movie he wants to.

Win a Threesome with Scarlett Johansson

Back in the free love 1970s, there was no looking online to get the come-on from one of the world's hottest actresses. Back then, there was also no need to: Body hair was cool - mustaches, too - and the more cutoff shorts and tube socks you wore, the better. Chicks dug everything back then, and there was much less protocol for the rich and famous (just ask Margaret Trudeau, wife of the Prime Minister of Canada, about being passed around by the Rolling Stones). Things are different now. In the 21st Century, you have to wait for a Scarlett Johansson-type to promote her new film by giving away a "threesome" on her personal site.What's the catch? The catch is she probably won't have sex with you even if you win. Look at yourself. Now look at ScarJo and Ryan Reynolds standing naked in front of a mirror. They probably don't need the extra. Still, it's certainly an offer you've got to think about, right? Well, I'm fairly confident that Scarlett is not giving away a night of sex with her or anyone else. So what is this? I wish I knew. If you read the breakdown of the contest, all it says is to send her your "most personal and creative" response explaining why you want in, and you'll be entered in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That opportunity would probably be, as Cinematical points out, you, Ms. Johansson, and a chaperon having coffee or something. Or in other words, as big a letdown as the rumored three-way between Scarlett, Javier Bardem, and Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, for which this is an obvious tie-in. Having said all that, I'm going to enter. And my threesome story is going to be entirely anti-climactic, just like a slice of my real life. Gotta love that e-mail address, too: threesome@scarlettjohansson.com.