View image In 3-D, you'd swear Muriel was nibbling your proboscis. By the way, that's not her real phone number.
Although you probably think they are a reference to the 1963 Alain Resnais film,¹ or Bette Davis's bald uncle, The Muriel Awards are in fact named after Paul Clark's guinea pig. The one named Muriel.
The 2007 Muriel Awards are chosen by an elite body of web-based life forms who are united in their love of movies. Among them is Dennis Cozzalio, whom I have been meaning to congratulate on his handsomely redesigned blog, the renowned and beloved Sergio Leone and the Infield Fly Rule. (Admire the new logo! Steal his Oscar predictions! Compare them to Roger Ebert's! Compare them to Ali Arikan's and his drawing of Daniel Plainview!)
Meanwhile, over at Silly Hats Only, Paul is handing out the Muriels to the deserving... Muriel recipients. (We're not supposed to say "winners," are we?) Acting as his own Price-Waterhouse and Jon Stewart combined, he began handing them out February 13 and will continue until February 29, at which point his presentation will actually be longer than the Academy Awards. (I think that's a Bruce Vilanch joke that Whoopi didn't use. Or maybe she did.)
Among the categories announced so far are 50th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1957 ("The Seventh Seal"), 25th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1982 ("Blade Runner"), 10th Anniversary Award for Best Film, 1997 ("Boogie Nights") -- and the Less-Than-First Anniversary Muriels for Best of 2007 go to...
... Best Cinematic Breakthrough, 2007 (director Ben Affleck), Best Body of Work, 2007 (Josh Brolin)... And the awards for Best DVD Release, Best Ensemble Performance, Best Score, Best Cinematography are all posted, too.
The acceptance speeches are short, smart, and to the point. From Kent Beeson's "thank you" to Josh Brolin:
"Right now, is there another actor who is better at simply doing? He's a remarkably unfussy performer, content to hold back on the emoting and let the actions, whether it be hiding a case full of money in a ventilation shaft or diagnosing a zombie bite, do the talking. It's the kind of style that could get lost in a loud, obvious kind of movie, and that's what nearly happens to him in Robert Rodriguez's half of "Grindhouse." "Planet Terror" is overstuffed with characters, and Rodriguez compensates by turning them into easily-identifiable cartoons -- except Brolin, who actively resists simplification. His vengeance-minded Dr. Block, thanks to Brolin's underplaying, comes off as morally damaged instead of the outright villain the story wants him to be. Yet, this is just doodling in the margins of a big-budget "B" film, and it didn't prepare anyone for his career-changing performance in "No Country For Old Men." As Llewelyn Moss, Brolin's gift for understatement finds a perfect match in the Coen Brothers' "less is more" style of cinema....It's still early in the evening. It must be: They haven't even presented Best Supporting Actress yet...
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¹ Sorry. My Marienbad.
I love the Muriels. Maybe I should do a Shmis next year...
Jim, are you going to indulge us with your predictions? (For the sake of shamelessness, mine are here.)
The Muriels are a fun thing to do; if last year is any indication, I tend to have a knack of voting for the loser in the more pretigious categories!
I think you mean Dial M for McLovin.
This is so cool. It's like watching your walk or something (at least, I have to imagine that this is what it's like).
D'oh... That's supposed to say "like watching your KID walk."
Oh, man, they will remember me when Clooney and Swinton emerge victorious Sunday night!
I have never met Muriel, but the awards after which she is named are loads of fun to take part in, and even more fun to read. Paul deserves mucho props for such a fine concept and for administering it so well. How could the guinea pig herself not be at least twice as delightful?
And thanks so much for the kind words and the spotlight on the new design, Jim. As much as I would love to take the credit for it, I am far too computer-illiterate to do so, and I would be haunted by guilt in my sleep if I did. In fact, it was conceived and designed by Kimberly Lindbergs of Cinebeats fame; she created the wonderful Eastwood-on-third-base image as well as the brilliantly mocked-up Dollars-esque logo. Peet Gelderblom, of Lost In Negative Space/Directorama, offered sage advice and perfected the logo's yellowed wanted-poster look; and Jonathan Lapper helped immeasurably with questions about the template. I will salute this trio good and proper next week on my own site, but since you've been so effusive (and have once again made my day because of it) I wanted to make sure everyone here knew of their excellent and generous work.
I am currently in Eugene, spending precious time with my best friend, and enjoying the hell out of your Pacific Northwest. I only wish I could have figured out a way for us all to get together, but time is far too short. I hope yoU and everybody have an excellent time on Oscar night. I suspect, if the Coens go a historic four-for-four, you will, and me too!
Nice shout out. Thanks Mr. Emerson.
Thanks for the plug, Jim!
Jim,
Check this out:
http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2008/06_streaming_2008/06_Streaming_2008-PopUp_5644.html
Jim this post is a bit confusing and unfocused. You mention the Murials but don't even give the briefest of explainations as to what they are.