Wall-E

Wall-E is a marvel. Superior by leaps and bounds to any film Pixar has created thusfar, it is a post-apocalyptic, environmentally friendly, science fiction/romantic comedy, and it happens to be fun for the whole family. The title character, the little trash compactor that could, is part R2D2 and part ET. And it uses scenes from the film Hello, Dolly! to hilarious and touching effect. Could it possibly get any better than this?

Variety's review explains:

Despite the decade-plus since its inception, "Wall-E" is a film very much of its moment, although in a cheeky, uninsistent way; it has plenty to say, but does so in a light, insouciant manner that allows you to take the message or leave it on the table...

On its most elementary level, "Wall-E" is a wistful robot-meets-robot love story, in which two lonely and compatible souls, if that is an applicable term, meet in utterly against-the-odds circumstances. It's 700 years since humans have vacated planet Earth, for unspecified reasons, and the only active inhabitants of a once-major American city are the title character -- a small trash compactor on treads -- and his pet cockroach...

"Wall-E" pushes an agenda that could, and no doubt will, be interpreted as "green," or ecologically minded. It's a theme that is certainly present, at least as pertains to what forced humanity off the planet in the first place. But in a bigger sense, the picture seems to be making a quiet pitch for taking clear-headed responsibility for the health of the planet as well as one's body and mind.

In other words, go see this film right now.

men like you can never change...

Wow... Jason Segal and Neil Patrick Harris singing "Confrontation" from Les Miserables. Check out those smokin' bass notes from NPH.

holy crap

Campbell Robertson is going to Iraq. From The New York Observer:

“We were out last night and he was picking my brain on Iraq,” said Times Baghdad bureau chief Jim Glanz in a telephone interview on June 17. “He said that people have been asking him when he’s going to Iraq. And he said he’ll go once the Tonys are over!”...

“Look, he’s an untraditional war correspondent the way a lot of us are,” said Mr. Glanz, who was a science writer before leaving for Baghdad four years ago. “He’s coming from a different background and point of view from everyone else there. And right now, we can use some fresh ideas and perspectives.”

You can't argue with that, we sure do need a new perspective. What a cool, brave, and unexpected move from the Times' lead theater reporter. I look forward to reading his coverage of what's really happening over there.

Also - if you haven't seen it yet, you must immediately get a copy of No End In Sight, Charles Ferguson's enraging and illuminating documentary on the war in Iraq. You will be shocked at how little we Americans actually know about the real situation, and all that the Bush administration has done to dig the Iraqis into an inescapable hole. Watch it, get mad, and then tell all your friends.

Questionable Cover Letter #1

"Why should you consider me among hundreds of actors? I will also admit that I might not have the training and/or experience that other actors might have. Well the answer is simple, because I am the actor with the most passion, drive, and natural talent... humbleness is of my utmost importance."

**************************

Questionable Cover Letters is a new tradition on Moxie the Maven, in which Moxie will provide illuminating examples of what not to write in the cover letter that will accompany your headshot.

Let us now have a moment for Passing Strange. It was one of the few great new musicals that Broadway has seen in years. It's single win tonight at the Tony's is a real shame. It deserved more.

THE TONYS!

The tonys are coming! The tonys are coming! Here how I predict it will go down.

Best Play: August: Osage County, obviously. (sorry, Tom Stoppard)

Best Musical: In The Heights, because Tony voters love something traditional disguised as something new and original. Not that I don't love it, but it's a classic book musical with hip hop beats and bodegas, and that's why it will beat Passing Strange.

Best Book of a Musical: Passing Strange, if there's any sense in the world. In the Heights' book is it's biggest weakness, and Xanadu and Cry-Baby... whatever. I'm too bored just thinking about those shows to come up with anything clever to say.

Best Original Score: Passing Strange should win, but this one will be close. Stew and Heidi Rodewald rock the Belasco to its core every night, and that rock score is really the center of why the show is fucking awesome. On the other hand, the classic musical thing that In the Heights has going on is a big selling point, and voters really want to reward Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Best Revival of a Play: The Homecoming.

Best Revival of a Musical: Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, probably the most beautiful revival I have ever seen, and far more remarkable than the other big contender, Gypsy, a fantastic, almost perfect revival, but ultimately just a little less captivating production.

Best Performance By a Leading Actor in a Play: "And the Tony goes to... Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing!" ...and 99.9% of viewers scratch their heads in a nationwide chorus of "wait, who?"

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play: Amy Morton, August: Osage County.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Lin-Manuel Miranda, this year's golden boy of Broadway.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Kerry Butler, obviously! Just kidding, (chuckle chuckle). Patti wins this one. I'll say it one more time, though, Kelli O'Hara is giving an absolutely remarkable performance in South Pacific, and would deserve every bit of that award were she to somehow win it. I just don't think it's possible.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Raul Esparza, The Homecoming. Robbed last year, now it's payback time.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play: Rondi Reed might be a shoo-in, but Sinead Cusack blew my mind in Rock 'n' Roll. One of the two ladies will take it.

Best Performance By a Featured Actor in a Musical: Boyd Gaines! Boyd Gaines! Boyd Gaines! Too bad for Danny Burstein, though, because he is soooo talented, and so winning and charming in South Pacific. But Boyd's Herbie is unparalleled.

Best Performance By a Featured Actress in a Musical: Laura Benanti. She is remarkable as Louise in Gypsy, so convincingly unremarkable at first, and then so believably glamorous in pitch-perfect style for that era.

Best Direction of a Play: Anna D. Shapiro, for August: Osage County.

Best Direction of a Musical: Arthur Laurents, Gypsy. You can dispute that the man who created the show nailed it in a way no director ever has. What could be more worthy of the Tony than that?

Best Choreography: Andy Blankenbuehler for In The Heights, as I predicted last year!

Best Orchestrations: I gotta go with Passing Strange again here. I don't even know what counts as orchestrations, but that band fucking rocks in a way that's more compelling than anything else on Broadway.

Best Scenic Design of a Play: August: Osage County.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Sunday In The Park With George, I suppose.

Best Costume Design of a Play: Les Liasons Dangereuses seems like a no-brainer, despite the fact that Mamie Gummer said she looks like an upside-down teacup.

Best Costume Design of a Musical: In the Heights. So fun, and manages to be realistic and credible while looking amazing in those big dance numbers.

Best Lighting Design of a Play: August: Osage County.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific.

Best Sound Design of a Play: Rock 'n' Roll.

Best Sound Design of a Musical: In the Heights.


And for making all the way to the bottom of my Tony picks, here's a little Tony-time present from Moxie to her dear readers:




hubba hubba.

cars

Not your usual moxie post, but check this out. (thanks, kottke)

The average U.S. citizen completely ignores the regularity with which the automobile kills him, maims him, embroils him with the law and provides mobile shelter for rakes intent on seducing his daughters. He takes it into his garage as fondly as an Arab leading a prize mare into his tent. He woos it with Simoniz, Prestone, Ethyl and rich lubricants -- and goes broke trading it in on something flashier an hour after he has made the last payment on the old one.

By last week, this peculiar state of mind had not only sucked thousands of American oil wells dry, stripped the rubber groves of Malaya, produced the world's most inhuman industry and its most recalcitrant labor union, but had filled U.S. streets with so many automobiles that it was almost impossible to drive one. In some big cities, vast traffic jams never really got untangled from dawn to midnight; the bray of horns, the stink of exhaust fumes, and the crunch of crumpling metal eddied up from them as insistently as the vaporous roar of Niagara.

That's from Time magazine in 1947. [via kottke, david.]