Daily Loaf

Last week I posted a column about how I thought DirecTV had taken their ad campaign a bit too far by using a scene from Tommy Boy featured dead actor Chris Farley. In the article, I had said that while I wouldn’t stop using DirecTV if I had it (which I don’t because satellite TV sucks in Florida), I don’t particularly find the commercial to be in good taste. There were several comments on Loafing’s website, some positive and others telling me to suck it. There was also a comment released by David Spade’s crew to People Magazine saying, “That [DirecTV] would include Tommy Boy in that [ad campaign], I thought was very flattering.” Spade added, “Oh, my God if [Farley] was here, I guarantee he’d be stoked that this little movie is included,” Kevin Farley, Chris’s brother says it “shows him doing what he loved to do most, making people laugh.”

Yesterday, I found a great post on /Film about the whole mess, which includes a video that might just be next for DirecTV. The clip uses several now dead celebrities — including Heath Ledger, President Kennedy and Jesus Christ. The video is meant to be funny and illustrate a point, but I’m sure some will find it offensive. However, the point is made, and in my opinion, there’s no difference between what is done in this spoof and what is shown in the Farley ad.

Check out the Heath Ledger/Jesus Christ DirecTV ad after the jump …

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A few music-themed conversation pieces to use during this weekend’s Halloween festivities.

Photo by Tracy May.

• The Killers are releasing a CD and DVD of Live at Royal Albert Hall on Nov. 10, and the performance will also be in select movie theaters for one night only, Nov. 5. Is it a coincidence that the only night it will be in theaters is my birthday? No way. Brandon Flowers just gets what women want on their big day.
• An all-star list of musicians celebrated the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th birthday Thursday night, including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder. How did you spend your 25th?
• If you’ve been sitting, waiting, wishing to see Jack Johnson in concert, book a ticket to Hawaii for next month: Johnson will be performing two acoustic shows Nov. 13 and 14 in Honolulu to promote the release of his documentary film En Concert. If you have eyes and you live in Hawaii, you should catch one of these shows.
• While youngest Jonas brother Nick plans to record a solo album next year, all three siblings swear the Jonas Brothers are not breaking up. Oh, thank God. No, seriously, I’ve been losing sleep over the prospect of the end of the Jo Bros. Seriously.
• Weezer is appearing on Nickelodeon’s kids show Yo Gabba Gabba early next year, and will be jamming out in bug costumes. It will be the first time my generation has tuned into Nick since Kenan and Kel went off the air.
• Britney Spears unleashed her music video for “3″ today. Relive your Sesame Street days of learning to count to three — today’s show is brought to you by menage a trois — and get more music news links after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Note: This is our first Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbuster. In case you missed it, here’s the skinny on the tourney and a full list of competing films. And for news and reviews of this summer’s blockbusters, be sure and check CL’s Movies & TV site.

In Wednesday’s poll results, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial squeaked by Transformers to move on to round two. (Sorry Murray Jr. and offspring!). This weekend, the polls are open for our final Round 1 battle involving a #1 seed, as #1 The Dark Knight takes on #8 Armageddon.

Details on the films and your chance to vote are after the break.

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The NY Times' David "Carpetbagger" Carr does his man-on-the-street thing.

If you haven’t already done so, check out our Oscar contest blog, our live-blog headquarters and our posts  about a might-have-been-an-Oscar-winning film in this year’s Gasparilla International Film Festival.

And for your further Oscar edification, here are some stories (and predictions) worth checking out before the show:

On EW.com, Dave Karger’s provocative speculations about the ten biggest possible upsets — good fodder for your last-minute Oscar-pool votes

In the NY Times: A.O. Scott’s grouchy assessment of the awards’ irrelevance — and, on the other hand, David Carr’s view that, In Times Like These, “there’s nothing quite like gathering around something warm and sparkly when the darkness seems to be intruding at every turn.” (And you’ve got to check out his inimitable Oscar vlog, The Carpetbagger and his awards predictions delivered on location in Times Square, where he  tries valiantly to find anyone else who’s interested in the subject.)

In the Tampa Tribune, Jeff Houck’s clever suggestions for Oscar-nominee food pairings for your awards-party buffet: Samosas for Slumdog, the Piledriver for The Wrestler, and Baby Ruth Brownies for Hellboy II: The Golden Army. (Yes, believe it or not, Hellboy II: The Golden Army is an Oscar nominee for Best Makeup, and if you know Hellboy, you’ll know why the Baby Ruths.)

On VF.com, Annie Leibovitz’s gorgeous photos of award-winning actor/director teams, including a haunting shot of Heath Ledger and Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan. See two shots after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

Note: We’ll be counting down to Oscar night with a daily breakdown of the major awards up for grabs on Sunday. Today, we get started with:

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
And the nominees are: Josh Brolin in Milk, Robert Downey Jr. in Tropic Thunder, Philip Seymour Hoffman in Doubt, Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Michael Shannon in Revolutionary Road
Vegas odds: Ledger is currently listed as 0-1, which seems like a scam to me. (How can I win zero on a bet of a dollar? This is why gambling is a dead end, kids.) The rest of the field is all 20-1 shots or worse.

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Obama talks the sinking economy in the latest “Message From The President-Elect” posted to YouTube.

• Obama’s not even officially the Prez, and already he’s caving.

Lots more news after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

Austin Film Critics have picked their best of 2008, and guess who cleaned up in the Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor categories? JUST TAKE A WILD GUESS. That’s right. The Dark Knight. Fellow Texans the Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association gave Best Picture to Slumdog Millionaire, as well as Best Director to Danny Boyle for the same flick. Oh, and they also rewarded Heath Ledger with Best Supporting Actor. Read the rest of the winners here.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Film Critics Association, in an obvious cry for attention, have bestowed their Best Picture honor on Wendy and Lucy, which I wrote about in the Dec. 16 Reel Projections. They also gave that film’s Michelle Williams the nod for Best Actress and rewarded Jonathan Demme with Best Director for Rachel Getting Married. And Best Supporting Actor went to Williams’ former boyfriend, and father of her daughter, Heath Ledger. Here’s the rest of the TFCA winners.

Disney has released the first photo of an upcoming Bruce Willis sci-fi film. Behold this mysterious production still from Surrogates. What’s he looking at so intensely off-screen? Could it be one of the surrogate robots? A couch where he can sit down and watch those monitors in comfort? HANS FUCKING GRUBER???!!!

It’s the “I don’t care but somebody out there must” link of the day: Twilight sequel New Moon has a release date. Hoo. Rah.

SPOILER ALERT! Some guy at Chud.com saw the first 22 minutes of Watchmen in Austin, and now he’s spilling his guts all over the interwebs. You’ve been warned. And remember that lawsuit Fox brought against Warner Bros.? An L.A. federal judge has set a Watchmen trial date of January 20, 2009.