Here's something I never knew I wanted: a recording of 15 songs that were almost in Juno.

Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs, will be available on iTunes starting April 8. Other digital music services will have it May 13. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a collection of songs that didn't make the cut for a film soundtrack. But I'm kind of looking forward to it. I think. … continue reading

Not surprisingly, Ellen Page's power as a box office draw has skyrocketed since we all fell in love with her as Juno. (Don't tell me if you didn't love Juno because I won't believe you anyway.)

The Tracey Fragments, which captured attention at 2007's Atlantic and Berlin film festivals and garnered Page the Best Actress in a Canadian Film award from the Vancouver Film Critics Circle, finally will have its U.S. release on May 9.

Page plays Tracey Berkowitz, a 15-year-old who's riding out a blizzard in the back of a city bus, wearing nothing but a shower curtain. She's looking for her brother Sonny, whom she hypnotized into believing he's a dog. The movie uses complex Mondrian-style multi-frame editing throughout the entire movie to convey Tracey's fragmented thoughts as she tells her story.

I just came across this hilarious parody of the Juno trailer on FunnyOrDie.com. It stars J.K. Simmons, who played the dad in Juno. I can't really do it justice ... just watch.

Happy Purim!

If you still need to catch up on your Oscar-nominated movies before the awards show Sunday and you live near an AMC Theatres chain, you’re in luck. Though, given the bleak subject matter in most of this year’s nominated films, I’m not sure if “luck” is the right word. On Saturday, AMC will screen all five films up for best picture in a row. The marathon will start at 11 a.m. and end at 11 p.m.

Now, I’ve seen all five films, and I watched three of them within a 24-hour span recently. Just that alone was rough. So I really can’t imagine seeing all of them in one day, particularly given most of their unrelentingly nihilistic takes on humanity. There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men are definitely not what I would call feel-good films. While Atonement and Michael Clayton are slightly more hopeful, little ray of sunshine Juno is the only one with the audacity of fun. It’s also the only nominated film centered on a female lead.

Both There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men are practically devoid of female characters. It’s a man’s world, and those men are bad, really bad. Seriously, Daniel Day-Lewis’ oilman Daniel Plainview and Javier Bardem’s hitman Anton Chigurh are two of the scariest psychopaths ever committed to film. … continue reading

I sometimes dread reading interviews with actors. You know what I mean — you're taken with that rare strong, intelligent female lead on a TV show or movie, and then you hear her interviewed on Letterman. She simpers. Or she voted for Bush, both times. And watching her act is never quite the same again. But this is never the case with Ellen Page, lately of Juno fame. (If you missed it, you can, in fact, see her smart interview with Letterman here.)

Page gave an interview over the weekend with WashingtonPost.com, and the only person who made me cringe was the interviewer, who couldn't resist a Canadian joke or obvious question. One subject was the critical “backlash” against Juno that began its multi-pronged attack after the film picked up four Oscar nods. Nobody around here is guilty of that crime, but some critics have been trash-talking the film. … continue reading

Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night Awesome! Sorry, I meant “Live!” I just got carried away when I heard that the first two post-strike SNL hosts will be Tina Fey and Ellen Page. The writers' strike hasn’t even been over for two full days, and already the good news is falling like manna from heaven. Tina will host Feb. 23, and Ellen will follow March 1. I’ve already marked my calendar.

Tina’s hosting gig will be her fist return to SNL since leaving the show in 2006 to create 30 Rock. While she is intimately familiar with the sketch comedy show’s inner workings (she joined in 1997 and served as a cast member, "Weekend Update" anchor and head writer), hosting is another animal altogether. Who knows: Maybe she’ll take another spin behind the anchor desk for old times sake. And you just know they’ll get in some inside jokes about her making a show about a show within the show that she once was on and is now returning to. Wow, sorry; I just have myself a meta migraine.

Like Tina, Ellen is also a first-time host. The Juno star has already proven her comedy chops in the film. I can’t wait to see how the freshly minted Academy Award nominee navigates the absurdities of live sketch comedy. Her appearance comes the week after she celebrates her 21st birthday. Oscar nominee, SNL host and X-Woman — and all by the age of 21? I’m equal parts in awe and jealous. … continue reading

The nominees for the 80th Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning. The big question, though, is whether the Oscars broadcast will happen at all. It's slated for Feb. 24, which is, like, 5 minutes from now in writers' strike years. And the stakes are very high. As Lynette Rice of Entertainment Weekly puts it, "If putting the kibosh on the Globes put the hurt on NBC and made the world pay attention to the strike, imagine what stopping the 80th Annual Academy Awards would do?"

I hope they find a way for the show to go on. Meanwhile, here are the Best Picture nominees:

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
There Will Be Blood

That's right, Juno! Woo hoo! I still haven't seen Atonement. I liked Michael Clayton well enough, but not more than Juno. And I won't be seeing those last two very male-oriented films. So, yay, Juno!

Several other AfterEllen.com favorites nabbed some nods. Here are the actress categories: … continue reading

If you're a regular reader of AfterEllen.com, you know how much we love Juno around here. And if you've seen the movie, you know why. If you haven't, well, just quit what you're doing and go. Now. Your boss will understand.

One of the many signs of Juno's genius is the music. In fact, the soundtrack is so beautifully blended with the film that it's hard to imagine the movie without it. And last week, the album was finally released for those of us who like to have a physical recording to load in the CD player while we read the liner notes. (The digital version already tops Billboard's Top Digital Albums list.) Some of the artists — the Kinks, Belle & Sebastian, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground and Sonic Youth — are well known, but the heart and soul of the soundtrack come from singer-songwriter Kimya Dawson, shown here with her hair.

Dawson is perhaps best known as a member of the Moldy Peaches, which means that most of the general public has never heard of her. Juno certainly could increase Dawson's profile, given the film's popularity. The Houston Chronicle predicts, "Juno is to her what Magnolia was to Aimee Mann, only without the Supertramp." Dawson's style certainly is not for everyone, but I suspect that if you like the movie, you'll like the soundtrack. … continue reading

We've been raving about Juno lately, praising both its star, Ellen Page, and its writer, Diablo Cody. If you haven't heard much about Cody, here's the short version: Cody (née Brook Busey) is a former stripper who was "discovered" when a talent manager stumbled upon her blog. It's the kind of story that makes you suspicious — you wonder whether she really deserves it, or just got lucky because some schlub was Googling "stripper" one evening. But even if she never pens another screenplay as good as Juno, that one alone makes her a star in my book.

For some people, though, that might have to be all she wrote, at least for a while. Cody's next film is a horror movie, and it sounds pretty gory. Titled Jennifer's Body, it's the tale of a homecoming queen who is possessed by satanic forces and starts to actually devour the boys she dates. "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" meets Freeway, maybe, plus a dash of Sweeney Todd? Early word is that the tone will be more like Heathers — but with more blood. I'm already looking forward to it.

This week, Jennifer's Body got a director, Karyn Kusama. Cody expressed her excitement on her MySpace blog:

I'm stoked as hell. More than anyone, she gets it. She gets it. I'm feeling an early-stage mind-meld, and it is excellent.

Megan Fox (Transformers) will play Jennifer. … continue reading

The Golden Globes have been canceled, but the the writers’ strike didn’t prevent the live broadcast of the Critics' Choice Awards from pressing on last night. But the strike it did have its effects. Many winners noted that they were speaking off the cuff because they wanted to respect the strike and did not write speeches.

Host D.L. Hughley’s commentary was incredibly awkward, and it seemed that all his jokes were about race. Probably the oddest comment of the night for me came when Hughley dubbed Brad Pitt an “honorary black person” for seemingly no reason. And several times Hughley told the crowd that they needed to lighten up and laugh once in a while.

Despite that, there were many bright spots during the evening. For one, it seemed that every two minutes Pitt and AfterEllen.com’s No. 2 hottie, Angelina Jolie, were on the screen, looking just as fabulous as ever.

Additionally, there were some fantastic female winners throughout the evening.

Nikki Blonsky, breakout star of Hairspray, won the award for Best Young Actress.

Blonsky shared the award for Best Acting Ensemble with the rest of the Hairspray cast, which includes Queen Latifah (AfterEllen.com Hot 100 No. 55), Amanda Bynes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Allison Janney, Brittany Snow and, of course, John Travolta in drag. … continue reading

A couple of nights ago at midnight, I watched fireworks from a friend's roof, kissed my girlfriend and thought about the career and personal changes I could make in the new year. Then I decided self-improvement was overrated, and it would be more fun and less work to make resolutions for others. I suspected that my girlfriend wouldn't let me make them for her, so I turned my attention to the powers-that-be in Hollywood and on Broadway. Here's what I resolve they do for women in entertainment in 2008.

Movies

I resolve that the Academy Awards will be less of a celebration of male accomplishment, and more of a recognition of the breadth of accomplishment in Hollywood. Last year, it was great that Ellen DeGeneres hosted the show, but the dearth of female nominees in the directing, writing and producing categories was a wee bit depressing. So I resolve that the Academy nominate at least two women for Best Director. If they need my help, I'll make suggestions: Kasi Lemmons (Talk to Me)

and Sarah Polley (Away From Her).

… continue reading

Yesterday, the American Film Institute selected its 10 best films and TV shows of the year. Nobody gets to vote — there are no nominations, no names submitted for anyone's consideration. You might call the lists unilateral. You could also call them surprising.

Here are the top films, in no particular order (er, in alphabetical order):

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Into the Wild
Juno
Knocked Up
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
Ratatouille
The Savages
There Will Be Blood

Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Savages:

Atonement didn't make the list because only American films were considered ('cause, uh, it's the American Film Institute). Other current favorites, like Sweeney Todd, just didn't make it. Well, there's no accounting for taste. But isn't it weird to see Knocked Up and Juno on the same list? And right next to each other like that? I guess unplanned pregnancy is the new black. … continue reading

This week Lori and I are all about reviewing the new movies — new in theaters, and new on DVD. From Ellen Page's fantastic turn in Juno and Keri Russell's yummy pies in Waitress, to Nicole Kidman's wasted efforts in The Golden Compass and the Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep talkfest Lions for Lambs, we show you scenes from the movies and give you our take on whether they're worth watching (don't worry, nothing too spoilery!).

And then there's Megan Fox's mechanically gifted girl-with-an-attitude character in Transformers, an entertaining action movie with surprisingly good female roles. A woman who can fix our car, battle killing machines, and look effortlessly beautiful, all at the same time? We're in! … continue reading

The nominations for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards were announced this morning, and there are many AfterEllen.com favorites among the nominees. Here are the highlights:

MOVIES

• Cate Blanchett, Elizabeth: The Golden Age
• Julie Christie, Away From Her
• Jodie Foster, The Brave One





• Angelina Jolie, A Mighty Heart
• Keira Knightley, Atonement

I'm thrilled to see Jodie on that list (especially considering the lukewarm reviews for The Brave One), but I'm even happier about Angelina's nomination. A Mighty Heart deserves a bigger audience, and Angelina deserves much more credit for her performance in it. I thought it was some of her finest work yet. Meanwhile, I can't wait to see Atonement — everybody's raving about it. … continue reading

You've probably come across some headlines about the indie film Juno, starring Ellen Page (Hard Candy, X-Men 3). The critics adore it — they're calling it "a gust of fresh air"; "a film bristling with vitality and heart"; a movie that sounds "not a single false note." It's been nominated for a Spirit Award and is generating some early Oscar buzz. [Warning: Minor spoilers.]

The box office is just as taken with the film. Even though Juno opened on just seven screens this past weekend, it beat Little Miss Sunshine's first weekend and averaged a whopping $59,124 per screen (Enchanted, for example, averaged $9,233 per screen during its opening weekend).

I'll happily jump on this particular bandwagon. Juno is a moving, charming film, and Ellen Page is fantastic in it. And I mean that both in the sense of "excellent" and in the sense of "based on fantasy." You can't really call the movie realistic, and that's part of why it's so endearing. Who wouldn't like to live in a world where parents and stepparents are supportive and fun, teenagers are both wiseass and wise, and women respect themselves and each other? I much prefer that to realism. … continue reading