Z's Top Ten of 2007

Well everyone who's anyone in the film world makes a top ten list every year so of course, I had to jump on the bandwagon as well! Now this was no easy feat. This year's crop of films were some of the best of the last ten years. I tried to create a list that reflected the diversity of great cinema 2007 offered. It was a fantastic year for comedies and action films, gangster flicks and westerns, but perhaps more than anything it was a great year for writing. Nearly every film on my list was driven by a powerful scrreenplay and some amazing filmmakers who knew precisely how to bring those scripts to life. So, without further adieu, here we go...

(Sidebar: There are still several films from 2007 I have left to see and critique so definitely stay tuned for an addendum to this list.)

10. No End in Sight



9. Ratatouille



8. The Bourne Ultimatum



7. Zodiac



6. Knocked Up



5. American Gangster



4. 3:10 to Yuma



3. Juno



2. Gone Baby Gone



1. No Country for Old Men

Real men....God bless 'em

Sigh

I'm taking this moment to reflect upon something. I don't often do this in my blog (there's a reason I abandoned LiveJournal) but this time I think it's important. Today was a really shitty work day. I won't go into the details although I will say that it had way too much of one thing (tedious bullshit) and not nearly enough of another (a certain lad I've recently taken to) and thus I came to a very valid conclusion. No matter how sad it will be to leave all of my friends here, and no matter how scary it will be to start a new job, I know now that it's the absolute best thing for me that I'm moving on. Yes, my job is easy. Yes, my job is comfortable. But my job is doing absolutely nothing for my peace of mind or my happiness, with the exception of the aforementioned friends and that certain lad.

So the point of this post is to tell myself to remember this moment. When times get tough and I wish I was back here, I need to read this post. Because there are truly times when I literally feel my soul being sucked into the asbestos infested vents. If you think I'm being dramatic than you've obviously never worked in a corporate office before. Most of the time I just have to laugh because it's all so ridiculous.

I'll admit, you've caught me on a bit of a bad day. Most of the time all of this stuff just bounces off of me and I really don't care. And I think if you let your job get the best of you then you are a sucker. Sometimes though it's good to recognize when you may be wasting your life. I think I have finally reached that point, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Golden Globs, indeed

Let me start this post off by saying...what the hell is with seven, yes, seven films being nominated for Best Drama this year?? Was it really THAT hard to narrow it down to five? I don't get it. This isn't the National Board of fucking Review here. Oh well. I think if they hadn't decided to give nods to so many films, American Gangster probably would have been left out of the mix. So I guess I should thank them for that.

The other interesting thing about the Globs this year is that they are facing some potential backlash from SAG members who are on strike. There's a really strong possibility people are going to boycott the ceremony or worse, cancel the whole thing. Now I wouldn't mind all that much if this went down. The actual Golden Globs ceremony can get tedious and relatively pointless especially now that the Oscars are held in February and everyone just wants to zip past everything to get to that. I sincerely hope, however, that the writers and the studios can reach an agreement by February because the Oscars will also be vulnerable to the strike. I just want to see Javier hold a tiny, golden man in his arms. Is that really so much to ask??

Well getting back to the subject at hand, some very great films and performances have been nominated and I want to take the time to recognize them. Rather than list every nod though I'm just going to call attention to my faves. And here they are in no particular order.

BEST MOTION PICTURE - DRAMA
American Gangster
No Country for Old Men

BEST MOTION PICTURE - COMEDY/MUSICAL
Juno
Sweeney Todd

BEST ACTOR - DRAMA
Denzel Washington, American Gangster
Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood

BEST ACTRESS - DRAMA
Jodie Foster, The Brave One
Julie Christie, Away From Her

BEST ACTOR - MUSICAL/COMEDY
Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Savages
Tom Hanks, Charlie Wilson's War

BEST ACTRESS - MUSICAL/COMEDY
Amy Adams, Enchanted
Ellen Page, Juno

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men
Casey Affleck, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson's War

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Cate Blanchett, I'm Not There
Amy Ryan, Gone Baby Gone

BEST DIRECTOR
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men
Ridley Scott, American Gangster

BEST SCREENPLAY
Diablo Cody, Juno
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, No Country for Old Men

I'm not even going to address the nods for TV just because, well, I honestly don't care this year. Bravo reality programming will never be in contention and apparently fantastic shows like Lost and Friday Night Lights just aren't worthy and thus I really don't have much use for the television side of the Globs.

So congrats to all the peeps and movies that were nominated this year. While I hope my favorites pick up awards, what I really hope for is a resolution to the writers strike. These are the people who truly deserve reward and recognition, and it will be difficult to support the industry as a whole until they get it.

Oscar ads, Oscar ads, you've come back to me!

Some people may not be aware of this but I have a pretty extensive collection of Oscar advertisements that goes back to the mid-90s. Again, it must be my obsession with photography and cinema, but for nearly 15 years I have spent awards season ransacking every issue of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter I can get my hands on. And it doesn't end there. When a lovely little invention called eBay entered my life, I really went crazy. While it may be a bit sad how much money I have spent on Oscar ads retrieved through magazine purchases and eBay auctions, I stand by the addiction. To me Oscar ads are moments frozen in time. Not to get all 'cinema is magic' on your ass again (because I know it can get a little nauseating at times) but the Oscars really are the highlight of my year as a film buff. I look at my Oscar ad collection the same way I do my photo albums. These are the times and the people and the movies I want to remember for the rest of my life.

So here are some of my personal favorites from the crop of ads that have been released so far this year. I consider the ones that are pimping Cinematography to be the most beautiful and eye-popping so if you're skimming this post, as I imagine you might be, do at least give those a look.

Big week for awards, people!

The NY and LA Film Critics announced their award winners today and yesterday, respectively, and it looks like No Country and There Will Be Blood are shaping up to be two of the front runners in this year's race. And I must give a special congratulatory shout out to Javier for winning not only the Best Supporting Actor award from the NY Critics but from the DC Critics, New York Online Critics, and Boston Critics as well. His chances for nabbing the Oscar are looking better and better every day and I couldn't be happier!

Here are NY and LA's winners for the seven main categories:

NEW YORK



Best Film
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Directors
Joel and Ethan Coen, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best Actress
Julie Christie, AWAY FROM HER

Best Supporting Actor
Javier Bardem, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan, GONE BABY GONE

Best Screenplay
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN


LOS ANGELES



Best Picture
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson, THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best Actor
Daniel Day-Lewis, THERE WILL BE BLOOD

Best Actress
Marion Cotillard, LA VIE EN ROSE

Best Supporting Actor
Vlad Ivanov, 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, AND 2 DAYS

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan, GONE, BABY, GONE and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU'RE DEAD

Best Screenplay
Tamara Jenkins, THE SAVAGES


Stay tuned for the Golden Glob nominations on Thursday!

The most wonderful time of the year

When the holiday season rolls around and most people are thinking Santa...Eggnog...carols, I'm thinking Chicago Critics...Golden Globes...Director's Guild. Now don't get me wrong, I love the holidays as much as the next guy. It's fun and cozy and I adore all the little traditions my family has created over the years. But as a film buff, the highlight of the year for me is awards season. It is not only a time to celebrate the year's cinematic gems but also a time to reflect upon all the great memories I have that are associated with those films. Having dinner with Jen and Greg at a lovely seafood restaurant in Madison after 3:10 to Yuma and discussing Russell Crowe's career. Getting drinks at the Bad Genie with Katie, John, Ross and Amanda, and comparing No Country for Old Men to Fargo. While I primarily celebrate films for their technical and creative achievements, I can't help but embrace them for providing me with such a plethora of happy moments.

Today award season truly began with the announcement of the National Board of Review winners. If the NBR is any indication of what's to come, things are going to work out very well for the films and actors I'm rooting for this year. Here's a quick rundown of all my peeps who picked up awards last night...

Best Film
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Supporting Actor
Casey Affleck, THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Ryan, GONE BABY GONE

Best Ensemble Cast
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Directorial Debut
Ben Affleck, GONE BABY GONE

Best Adapted Screenplay
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

Best Animated Feature
RATATOUILLE

Congrats to all the winners! :)

More delicious yum yums

While this weekend proved to be one of the worst I've dealt with weather-wise, it did prompt a little culinary creativity and some serious good eats. I don't really need to go through the whole song and dance of how these tasty bites came to fruition. Sufficed to say I was quite pleased that I was able to come up with some genuinely original ideas and have them taste as good as I imagined.

Lazy California Rolls

-8 oz. light cream cheese
-1 cup wasabi mayo
-half an avocado
-one cucumber
-3 oz. imitation crab
-four tortillas
-soy sauce for dipping

Blend the cream cheese and mayo with a hand mixer until it has a smooth consistency. Dice the avocado, cucumber and crab meat, and add it to the cream cheese and mayo. Stir the mixture until everything is well-incorporated. Spread the mixture onto a tortilla. Roll the tortilla and let it set and cool in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Do this with the remaining tortillas. Slice each roll-up into pieces the size of sushi bites. Serve alongside soy sauce.


The Z Burrito

-1/2 lb. Italian seasoned ground turkey breast
-extra virgin olive oil (for browning the turkey)
-1/2 small red onion, chopped
-1/2 sweet potato, shredded
-pinch of cayenne
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-salt and pepper
-3 eggs
-1/2 cup BBQ sauce
-2 Tbsp. ketchup
-1 cup of shredded cheese
-2 tortillas

Heat olive oil in a skillet then add the turkey breast. Break up the turkey and as it starts to brown, add the onion. As soon as the turkey and onions are cooked through, add the sweet potato and let everything rest on low heat for 5 minutes or so. Add spices, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir the eggs together in a separate bowl and add them to the skillet. Turn up the heat slightly and wait for the eggs to cook. Add the BBQ sauce and ketchup and stir. Shred the cheese (chipotle Gouda is delicious here) and sprinkle a layer onto the open tortillas. Divide the turkey mixture between the tortillas (there may be some extra leftover) and then roll them like you would a burrito. This dish is ideal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In fact, I had it for all three over the weekend!

GQ Men of the Year

When it comes to magazines, there's only one thing I look forward to more than EW's Oscar preview and that is GQ's Men of the Year issue. I don't know when the obsession began but I definitely have one in regards to photographs of actors. Next to my family, music, and red wine, actors make me happier than anything in the world. For me, they aren't just eye candy. I actually find myself more turned on by their talent and passion because, in my opinion, those are the attributes that seperate men from "guys". I believe actors embody talent and passion better than any other type of man and if you can get a great photographer to capture this with one click of the camera, well that picture is worth holding onto forever.

I think this year's issue is by far the best one GQ has ever put out. When I was waiting in line to buy my groceries last night, I opened the magazine and immediately saw the magnificent Casey Affleck spread. I knew at that moment I would have to buy it even if he was the only interesting 'man of the year' in the entire issue. Little did I know that I would discover much more once I got home and started leafing through it. So now I'm going to stop blabbing and let the pictures speak for themselves. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Casey





Daniel



Judd and Co.



Josh



Jason



James



John



Javier

The ultimate grilled cheese and soup

As food begins to run low in your kitchen, what kind of person do you become? The kind who opens the fridge, sighs with disappointment, and heads to the nearest fast food restaurant, or the kind who is excited about making something unique out of such limited resources? I'd like to think I fall into the latter category. Every night is a Top Chef Quickfire challenge for me. You see my day job is totally void of any opportunities for creativity so when I come home, I pour myself a glass of red wine or mix up a quick Tanqueray and tonic, then I sit down and brainstorm. When the kitchen is stocked and the possibilities are endless, I feel almost overwhelmed by the choices. When the kitchen is bare, however, and I have only a few choice ingredients, my imagination, and not much else, that's when things really get interesting.

The only thing I knew for sure when I arrived home from work yesterday was that I wanted grilled cheese. I picked up a wedge of chipotle gouda earlier in the week and was chomping at the bit to, well, chomp it. I also had a can of tomato soup in the pantry that I thought about jazzing up but that didn't really feel challenging enough. The wheels began to turn once I saw the half a can of pumpkin puree I had left over from the pumpkin bread I had made for Thanksgiving. I also remembered that I had recently bought a sweet potato for no reason whatsoever. Perhaps when I picked it up in the store I subconsciously knew this glorious moment would present itself.

What followed was some serious makeshift cooking. Without a lot of the staples one might use to make soup - onions, celery, carrots - I decided just throw a bunch of shit in a pot and hope for the best. I knew the grilled cheese would be stellar but the soup was a bit of a gamble. After consuming the final product I have to say...the gamble paid off, and then some. There's no doubt in my mind that like my Kung Pao chicken, coconut lime tilapia, black bean cakes, and BBQ nachos, this dish is destined to become a classic in la cucina della Z.

Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Soup

-one sweet potato, cubed
-half a can of pumpkin puree (about 7 oz)
-three garlic cloves
-two cups of chicken broth
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tablespoon of honey
-2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
-a pinch various spices (this is dependent entirely on taste):
--cumin
--nutmeg
--allspice
--cayenne

First peel the potato and cut it into cubes. Boil the potatoes in water until they are soft enough to mash. Drain the potatoes and transfer them back into the pot along with the pumpkin puree. Mix the potato and pumpkin together until well incorporated. Smash the garlic cloves and add them to the potato/pumpkin mixture. Keep the mixture over low heat and add the butter, honey, salt, pepper, and spices until everything tastes well-balanced. While mixing these ingredients, heat up the chicken broth. Once the broth is hot, whisk it into the potato/pumpkin mixture until smooth then remove the garlic cloves. Adjust seasonings accordingly, serve, and enjoy!

No Country for Old Men

"What's this guy supposed to be, the ultimate badass?"
It's almost the end of November and I think I've finally found myself the best movie of 2007. While there is still a month to go and plenty of Oscar-fare left to see, I doubt anything can top No Country for Old Men. It may not have the soul-stirring edginess of Gone, Baby, Gone or the action-packed slickness of 3:10 to Yuma but it does have two things no other film has this year: Joel and Ethan Coen.

The Coen brothers have kicked out some of the quirkiest cinematic gems of the past 20 years, but after two critical and box-office flops (Intolerable Cruelty and The Lady Killers) in the last few years, I began to wonder if the creative pool was drying out. Perhaps that's the reason I was so enamored with No Country. It proved my theory wrong and with a vengeance. Like Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and O Brother, No Country is a world more than it is a film. While the movie is not based on an original screenplay (it was adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name) you can't help but feel as though this story was written solely for the purpose of becoming a Coen brothers film some day. From the sound design and cinematography to the wardrobe and locations, every element of the film plays a key part in bringing this fictional world to life. Some people reduce the Coens' success to their skills as writers and the talented people they cast in their films. However, it is so important to realize how brilliant they are as filmmakers. Only a true visionary can take a simple story and turn it into something palpable.

Now I couldn't write a review of No Country without calling attention to the cast. Every actor in this film, whether in a bit part or a starring role, is fantastic. I give Joel and Ethan Coen mad props for making some rather unconventional choices in the casting decision. Here's a quote from an interview Entertainment Weekly did with Javier Bardem that illustrates precisely what I mean:

"When the Coens called, I said, 'Listen, I'm the wrong actor. I don't drive, I speak bad English, and I hate violence.' They laughed and said, 'Maybe that's why we called you.'"



The Coen brothers have a great knack for knowing when an actor will absolutely nail a character and their decision to cast Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh is no exception. Chigurh is one of the strangest and most haunting individuals in recent cinema history and much of that is because his appearance is so off-putting. He doesn't look or sound anything like your typical psycho-killer and I give a lot of credit to both the Coens and Bardem for putting so much thought into the portrayal of Chigurh. Bardem gives the character this sort of soft-spoken madness that is extremely scary to watch yet at the same time totally fascinating.

I also love that they cast Josh Brolin as the protagonist, Llewelyn Moss. This seems to be Josh Brolin's year (he's had starring roles in Grindhouse and American Gangster) but before 2007 he was pretty much the guy that was hired for the bit role because he was cheap. Brolin is not a critically acclaimed actor nor does he have box-office appeal. The Coens really took a chance giving him such an important role and I think it paid off beautifully. Brolin has a fantastic every-man quality and as Llewelyn Moss, he reminded me a lot of the great leading men of '60s and '70s Westerns.

Tommy Lee Jones is flawless as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell which shouldn't surprise anyone. What I really loved about his character was how similar it felt to Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson in Fargo. Sheriff Bell is the glimmer of hope amongst all the bloody chaos and nihilism, and while the film doesn't make any attempt to provide resolution or closure, he is the one element that allows you to walk away feeling slightly optimistic. I attribute that not only to the greatness of the character as it was written but also to the warmth and compassion Tommy Lee Jones brings to the role.

I don't think there's anything left to say other than that everyone should see this movie as soon as is humanly possible. Yes, ticket prices are indeed ridiculous and you probably feel like you should be spending your hard earned dough on blockbusters rather than indie fare. However, I still encourage you to see No Country for Old Men in the theater because crappy popcorn movies will always be playing on the big screen but a classic Coen brothers film will not.

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving so I should be listing off all the things I'm most grateful for, right? Well, I'm struggling a bit there. Lately all the misfortunes of the past month have been catching up with me. I won't explain them in detail because I'm not that kind of blogger. I will say that I feel misplaced. I feel like my life needs a major facelift. Luckily I've been given the opportunity to find a new job which in turn will lead to new friends and possibly some interesting prospects in the romance department. I'm hoping so anyway because I really need it. There's so much about myself that's being wasted in this life I'm living now. Please God, I need that windfall...and soon.

The World's Greatest Nachos

Last night I finally took it upon myself to try and recreate the greatest food I've ever put in my mouth. What was it, you ask? None other than the infamous BBQ nachos from the Rum Boogie Cafe in Memphis. I'd been having barbecue almost every day for the last week before we rolled into Memphis but I knew the moment we arrived there I was about to encounter the best of the best. I was right. The ribs from Blues City Cafe were fantastic and utterly authentic. This wasn't really a surprise though. I fully expected to taste great ribs in Memphis. What I didn't expect was to find the world's greatest nachos.

Whoever decided to put BBQ sauce on nachos instead of taco sauce or salsa...well they deserve an automatic place in heaven. The taste is unparalleled and I'm now going to add it to my nachos any time I have the opportunity. So while I know I'm never going to be able to replicate the actual barbecue found in the Rum Boogie Cafe nachos, I think I've created a recipe that is a fantastic substitute. Give this one a whirl...you won't regret it.

Z's BBQ Nachos (makes 2 servings)

-half of a rotisserie chicken, chopped
-cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar)
-a few handfuls of tortilla chips
-1/4 cup green onions
-1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
-1/2 cup chopped lettuce
-1/2 to 3/4 cup of Velveeta cheese, melted

Besides just throwing all of this stuff on top of the chips, the only thing you really have to do is season the chicken. I toss it with the spices listed above and I also recommend heating the chopped chicken pieces in a small saute pan with half of the BBQ sauce. The remaining sauce can be drizzled on top of the assembled nachos.

This recipe can be altered in a thousand different ways but this one is almost exactly the same as the original. And trust me...the original is as good as it gets.

Enjoy!

Hot guys, PSLs, and simpler times

I'm taking a few minutes away from my crazy day to blog. Yeah I promised not to blog about anything too stupid and pointless but I feel like these particular sentiments deserve some attention.

I've had a rough couple of weeks. Despite the overall awesome month I've been struggling with some personal relationships and issues at work. I haven't done the best job of keeping a positive attitude but I attribute a lot of that to the fact that I was just too exhausted to rise above it. Now, however, I think it's absolutely necessary that I rise above it. I want to be happy and wallowing in the negativity because I'm "too tired" to do anything else is just stupid. I will say that several things have kept me from throwing myself off the roof of the building and I want to take this time to appreciate those things.

Every time a hot guy saved my sanity I thought of this fantastic quote from the film Beautiful Girls:

A beautiful girl can make you dizzy, like you've been drinking Jack and Coke all morning. She can make you feel high full of the single greatest commodity known to man - promise. Promise of a better day. Promise of a greater hope. Promise of a new tomorrow. This particular aura can be found in the gait of a beautiful girl. In her smile, in her soul, the way she makes every rotten little thing about life seem like it's going to be okay.

I've always felt this way about hot guys and it proved especially true this past week. Whether it was the yummy new apartment manager smiling at me in the hallway, a co-worker who helped me out when I was drowning in paperwork, or the sexy bartender who talked to my step-dad about beer while simultaneously shooting me flirtatious grins, I was reminded that the world can be such a beautiful place when I'm in the presence of an attractive guy who makes me feel attractive. There's nothing better in the world.

The other thing I found to be helpful is having your senses comforted. I never really realized it until my sis pointed out a passage from a blog she found but it's so true. A warm bath, a soft blanket, happy music, or a hot cup of yummy such as a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks always, always makes a person feel better after a hard day.

Lastly, I think the best thing anyone can do is simplify. Like my sis mentioned in her blog, our mantra lately has been "simpler times." Eating pizza and drinking cocktails with good friends before the Aussie Floyd show. Watching Alien Resurrection the night before Halloween and then reading all about the Alien series on Wikipedia the next morning. The crazy little things that at the time seem so insignificant...those are the things that matter. Why focus on how unfair life is or how stupid people can be when you can focus on the "simpler times."

I hope I can remember to keep all of this stuff in mind in the weeks to come. It's easy to revert back to my pessimistic ways but right now, at this moment, I can't think of a single reason to be unhappy.

Gone Baby Gone

I think it's safe to say that this is the best film I've seen since Million Dollar Baby and that one shook me to the core. The thing I love the most about cinema is that you absolutely can never predict how a film is going to affect you. There's no rhyme or reason behind it. You just walk out of a theater moved, haunted, and changed without ever knowing what hit you. It's an indescribably beautiful phenomenon.

So can I even begin to put into words why I loved Gone Baby Gone so much? Well I'm here posting about it so I guess I should try. First and foremost, Casey Affleck's performance. Whenever I think about the expressions, or lack of expressions on his face, and the sad desperation in his voice, it gives me chills. Maybe it's knowing that he was being directed by his brother that makes the difference. I felt Casey's absolute dedication to getting this character right come out of every second he was on the screen.

And that brings me to the direction, the second biggest highlight of the film for me. I honestly had to keep reminding myself that Ben Affleck was the man behind it all. This is truly a tour de force for him. I loved how understated the performances were and how he was able to tap into the complexity of these characters without reducing any of them to stereotypes. By the end of the film you simply could not decide who was right and who was wrong even though every person in one way or another had done something terrible to someone else. I love a film that doesn't insult its audience by trying to convince it that the world is only one kind of place. While Gone Baby Gone does deal with the dichotomy of good versus evil and everyone's own personal system of ethics, I don't consider it to be a morality play. You never get the feeling that the film is being preachy and you certainly don't walk away with any answers.

Ben Affleck's direction and filmmaking style reminded me a lot of Clint Eastwood's which explains why this film had a similar effect on me that Million Dollar Baby had. I'm not sure if it's that Affleck and Eastwood were actors before becoming directors but I feel with both of them that there is this life force behind their films. And I don't mean that in a "man behind the curtain" kind of way where it's obvious someone is pulling the strings throughout. I mean that you can feel how dedicated they are to telling a story. When you look at every decision that had to be made by the director, i.e. who to cast as extras, how to light a scene, when to cut away, when not to cut away, when to push an actor to his/her limits, you realize how much a film is really a child born out of a director's passion and imagination. It is Ben Affleck who is responsible for every emotion and thought that will be experienced by the people who will watch his film and for that he really deserves to be commended.

One last thing I'd like to say about Gone Baby Gone is that it captures the city of Boston in a way I've never quite seen on film. I think what I love most about it is that this is Ben Affleck's hometown which everyone must know by now he loves and takes pride in. However, he doesn't glamorize the city and if anything he makes it seem like a pretty gruesome and brutal place to live. The people are hard, the streets are slimy, and you get a sense that those who are born there will never get out. I appreciate the fact that Ben Affleck respects Boston enough to show it as it really is. He cuts through the skin of the city and exposes its ugly insides and the result is absolutely beautiful.

More yummies!

Okay now it's time to seriously get down to business. EW recently finished their Ultimate Hotties series with a tribute to the men of the 1960s and earlier. As much as I love Hugh, Christian, Clive, Russell, and all the rest, these gents are truly the cream of the crop. You just don't get any classier or sexier then vintage Hollywood movie stars and the following twelve men are it as far as I'm concerned.

Warren Beatty



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment Wooing Faye Dunaway into a romance — and a life of crime — from outside her bedroom window in 1967's Bonnie and Clyde

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment The bedroom scene in Bonnie and Clyde has stayed with me since the moment I saw it. I think that was the first time I was exposed to an honest love scene in the movies. It was raw and emotional and showed the darker side of seduction and sexual connection.

Jean-Paul Belmondo



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment As the sexy bad-boy Michel, practicing his Bogart moves on Patricia (Jean Seberg) in 1960's Breathless

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment AH-greed. I saw Breathless in my Intro to Film class sophomore year and I'd probably have to say that my love for Jean-Luc Godard films and French New Wave cinema started with that initial attraction I felt toward Jean-Paul Belmondo. I mean, who doesn't love a guy who's got a man-crush on Bogey?

Marlon Brando



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment Making the T-shirt an iconic garment by sporting a snugly fitting one throughout 1951's A Streetcar Named Desire

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment Yes, it's hard not to go with the sweaty T-shirt moments of Streetcar but in my personal opinion Marlon Brando's hottest stuff was in Guys and Dolls. I love the relationship between Brando's bad boy gambler and Jean Simmons's high-minded mission worker. The whole 'opposites attract' cliche can get pretty tired in movies but here it is absolutely wonderful to watch.

Montgomery Clift



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment Playing the prettiest cowboy ever opposite John Wayne in 1948's Red River — and being seduced by Joanne Dru

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment I just watched Hitchcock's I Confess and I gotta say I felt guilty about how much I was lusting after his character the whole time. He plays a Catholic priest in the film, by the way.

Sean Connery



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment A few minutes into Dr. No (1962): A tuxedoed gentleman is playing a high-stakes game of baccarat and compliments a ravishing brunette:

"I admire your courage, Miss...?"
"Trench. Sylvia Trench. I admire your luck, Mr...?"
"Bond. James Bond."

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment Anyone who has seen Hitchcock's Marnie knows that the film is extremely provocative and at times very difficult to watch. And while there's no denying the disturbing nature of the rape scene, there's also no denying how unbelievably powerful Sean Connery's presence is in the scene. Part of you feels pity for Marnie while the other part cannot help but fall under Connery's spell.

James Dean



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment As a teen misfit who tries to protect those weaker than him in 1955's Rebel Without a Cause.

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment Agreed. It doesn't get much better than Rebel. I particularly love how he deals with all the bullies who have it out for him. "I'm cute too."

Clint Eastwood



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment As cowpoke Rowdy Yates on Rawhide (1959-66), merely opening his eyes wide and flashing his grin — two habits Sergio Leone apparently rid him of for A Fistful of Dollars and the rest of Eastwood's career.

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment When I think about Clint Eastwood and why I have so much love and adoration for him, I always come back to the cool swagger and icy stare of the character he made famous in Sergio Leone's "The Man with No Name" trilogy. He's funny, sexy, and as confident as any man has ever been in the history of the world.

Clark Gable



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment For uttering one of Hollywood's most famous lines: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." (Gone with the Wind, 1939)

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment For me it's It Happened One Night and getting ready for bed in the infamous "Walls of Jericho" scene. I love the banter between Gable and Claudette Colbert but it's the subtle moments in between that really get me. I don't think sexual tension has ever been brought to the screen so beautifully.

Cary Grant



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment He's impossibly elegant and full of rakish charm playing the larcenous John Robie of Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (1955)

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment The train scene from North by Northwest. I think it epitomizes exactly what made Cary Grant such a classic Hollywood leading man. To this day, no male movie star has ever been able to deliver the brand of class and sophistication that for Cary Grant came as easy as putting on a grey suit.

Gene Kelly



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment Whipping off his cape at the start of the fantasy tango to "La Cumparsita" in 1945's Anchors Aweigh. A man looks his best when he's at his best.)

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment I don't know but for me being in love is like dancing around in the rain like a big sap. Of course no one illustrated that better than Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain. You just don't see grown men in real life being so unabashedly silly and romantic and that's why Gene Kelly is such a beloved part of Hollywood history.

Paul Newman



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment Standing outside Joanne Woodward's bedroom wearing nothing but boxers and that grin in 1958's The Long, Hot Summer

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment Well if you're a sucker for pool sharks like me then there's absolutely nothing hotter than Paul Newman in The Hustler. And it's not just his mad pool skills that get me. All of those intimate and ridiculously sexy scenes he shares with Piper Laurie are almost too painful to watch.

Gregory Peck



EW's Ultimate Hottie Moment The two seconds that the outlaw towers over ghost-town tomboy Anne Baxter in 1948's Yellow Sky, before stealing the hottest kiss in the Western genre

Z's Ultimate Hottie Moment Young Gregory Peck, old Gregory Peck, it's all very, very good. I think though my defining moment with him was when I first saw Spellbound. I know, I'm going with yet another Hitchcock film but his beauty in this movie is undeniable. I'll never forget both my mom and me gasping as soon as he came on the screen.


So that about does 'er! I know it may seem strange to lust after and worship men who are either old and crotchety or have been dead for years, but trust me. Rent any one of these movies and you'll understand.

The little things

I don't know why but this picture makes me indescribably happy. ZQ's arms, Masi's adorable smile, Milo's new haircut (yeah I still haven't gotten over it, Mom), the way they're all maxin' and relaxin', it's all wonderful. And what better way to celebrate Friday than by paying tribute to those little things that get you through the work week. Thanks, men of Heroes. You're the best :)