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After 10 weeks of "Low", finally we get a new #1 song this week. And the manner it rockets to the top is grand, a spectacular 50 point jump from #51! The song is "Love In This Club" by Usher featuring Little Jeezy. It's 50 point jump is the 3rd biggest jump to the top in the history of the Hot 100. Only "Makes Me Wonder" by Maroon 5 (64-1 in 2007) and "A Moment Like This" by Kelly Clarkson (52-1 in 2002) made bigger jumps.
I haven't heard this yet since the Usher song playing on local radio is "That Girl Right There" featuring Ludacris. Great comeback for Usher. And certainly, more good reasons to catch his upcoming concert here later this year.
The other piece of good news this week is the jump of "No Air" up to #6 from #13 last week. This is the highest ranking song of Jordin Sparks so far, and I am still pulling for it to go higher. With the help of Chris Brown's present popularity, this should be a cinch.
Elsewhere down the chart, big moves were made by "Elevator" by Flo Rida (#16 from #28); "Feedback" by Janet (celebrating the #1 debut of her current album Discipline, #19 from #51); "Touch My Body" by Mariah Carey (#24 from #34); "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis (#41 from #62); and "Whatever It Takes" by Lifehouse (#50 from #68).
A further piece of good news is the hot shot debut of "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova at #61. This of course comes at the heels of its win as Best Original Song at the Oscars in the previous week, as the theme from the movie "Once". Here is the video.
I just came from a place where the temperature did NOT go above five degrees Celsius for the past 5 days. So today, I am back to good old 30 degrees Celsius.
As rad as this vacation may sound, this was also the reason why I missed the Oscar awards telecast. This must be the only Oscar ceremony that I completely missed for the past 10 or so years. Our 5-star hotel ironically did not have cable tv, and I was not able to access the net in the hotel, so I relied on CNN (which was dreadfully repetitive and incomplete) and the newspaper (also incomplete). Thanks to Jess for posting the whole list of winners.
Best picture: No Country For Old Men Best director: Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country For Old Men Best actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, There Will Be Blood Best actress: Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose Best supporting actress: Tilda Swinton, Michael Clayton Best supporting actor: Javier Bardem, No Country For Old Men Best foreign language film: The Counterfeiters (Austria) Best animated feature film: Ratatouille Best adapted screenplay: No Country For Old Men Best original screenplay: Juno Best music (score): Atonement Best music (song): Falling Slowly - Once (performed by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) Best documentary feature: Taxi to the Dark Side Best documentary short subject: Freeheld Best visual effects: The Golden Compass Best cinematography: There Will Be Blood Best art direction: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Best animated short film: Peter and the Wolf Best short film: Le Mozart des Pickpockets Best costume design: Elizabeth: The Golden Age Best make-up: La Vie en Rose Best sound mixing: The Bourne Ultimatum Best sound editing: The Bourne Ultimatum Best film editing: The Bourne Ultimatum
Reactions:
1. I totally disagree that "No Country for Old Men" was the best picture of 2007, nor was it the best director or best adapted screenplay in my opinion. No argument about Javier Bardem being the winner of Best Supporting Actor though. His performance was the identifying mark of this film. However, his role is quite one-dimensionally evil, wasn't it? It seems no other colors were seen in this performance except black.
2. Very happy for the win of "Falling Slowly" from "Once." I thought this woult not have survived the "Enchanted" troika, but it did. I read that Marketa Iglova was actually called back onstage to finish her speech, after it was cut off by the band. Good for her.
3. I have seen three out of the four winners for acting categories. As repeatedly pointed out in the press, there was no American actor among the four winners. English Daniel, Spaniard Javier and Scot Tilda all played flawed violent characters. I do hope I get to see "La Vie En Rose" soon with French Marion who looked very good in her clips of her Oscar acceptance speech.
4. More deserved awards: Musical score of "Atonement" with the ingeniuous and effective use of the typewriter as a musical instrument. Cinematography of "There Will Be Blood" where that oil rig explosion was such a powerful centerpiece shot. Art Direction of "Sweeney Todd" where the decadent and dilapidated London was depicted. The set direction of Mrs. Lovett's store where she bakes the "worst pies in London" was unforgettable.
5. The film editing and sound awards won by "The Bourne Ultimatum" were thoroughly deserved! Particularly the editing acheivement which was unmatched by any other film shown last year, I think.
While I was away, I also missed the American Idol episode last night featuring the Top 10 boys. Again, I had to read about it on ew.com. So the three Davids again had a great night, I gather. And then on the other end, Luke and Jason may not escape the inevitable cut this Friday.
There are some great songs in this year's list of 59 eligible songs for nomination in the Best Song Category. My bets to make the 5 nominations are:
1. “Say” from “The Bucket List” : This is a beautiful acoustic number by John Mayer used in the film starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.
2. “Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)” from “Hairspray”: This is the song used over the closing credits of the 2007 version of "Hairspray." It is in the same upbeat period style as the rest of the songs in the movie and was sung by the film's stars Zac Efron, Nikki Blonski and Queen Latifah.
3. “Falling Slowly” from “Once”: I have already posted about this song a few months back here: http://3xhcch.multiply.com/video/item/57. Another song from this movie is also eligible, “If You Want Me”.
4. “Guaranteed” from “Into the Wild” : "Into the Wild" is a movie directed by Sean Penn. A lot of the music in that movie was written by the great Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam (whom I had the chance to be in the same breathing room with backstage at their Manila concert about 12 years or so back, but that's another story...). I feel that "Guaranteed" is the best of the three eligible songs from this movie, the others being "Rise" and "Society." The acoustic guitar work on this song is amazing. There are no official videos but there are several cover versions available of these three songs on youtube here, here and here.
5. “So Close” from “Enchanted”: There are three songs from the Disney movie "Enchanted". "So Close" is the love song by Jon McLaughlin. The other two are more typical Disney grand production number type songs: “That’s How You Know” and “Happy Working Song”. The latter two may be great to watch onstage if they are nominated.
Other popular contenders are:
“Despedida” from “Love in the Time of Cholera” : This slow Spanish torch song is gaining popularity because of its Golden Globe nomination, and maybe because of its high-profile singer Shakira.
“Grace Is Gone” from “Grace Is Gone” is written by Clint Eastwood and performed by Jamie Cullum for the movie starring John Cusack. It is another acoustic number, which seems to be the vogue among indie productions. Very good also! Listen to it here.
“A Hero Comes Home” from “Beowulf” : This haunting song, played over the closing of "Beowulf" is sung by Broadway star Idina Menzel.
“Way Back into Love” from “Music and Lyrics” : One of only two eligible songs that made it into local pop radio. This song was sung by stars Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Another song from the same film, “PoP! Goes My Heart”, also made the list. The other radio hit is “Before It’s Too Late (Sam and Mikaela’s Theme)” from “Transformers” by the GooGoo Dolls. The chances of these songs getting into the final list are quite slim though. Quite unlike the case in 1984, when all 5 Best Song Nominees were actually Number 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 ("Footloose", "Let's Hear It For the Boy", "Against All Odds", "Ghostbusters", and the winner "I Just Called To Say I Love You").
The other eligible songs are as follows:
“Do You Feel Me” from “American Gangster” “At the Edge of the World” from “Arctic Tale” “Someday” from “August Rush” “This Time” from “August Rush” “Raise It Up” from “August Rush” “Break” from “August Rush” “Nothing’s There” from “Badland” “The Devil’s Lonely Fire” from “Badland” “The Stars of Orion” from “Berkeley” “To Be Surprised” from “Dan in Real Life” “My Hands Are Shaking” from “Dan in Real Life” “I’ll Be OK” from “Dan in Real Life” “December Boys” from “December Boys” “Atkozott Egy Elet” from “56 Drops of Blood” “O, Atyam!” from “56 Drops of Blood” “Eleg!” from “56 Drops of Blood” “A Dream” from “Freedom Writers” “Lyra” from “The Golden Compass” “Good Luck Chuck” from “Good Luck Chuck” “Shut Me Out” from “Good Luck Chuck” “I Was Zapped by the Lucky Super Rainbow” from “Good Luck Chuck” “Lullabye for Wyatt” from “Grace Is Gone” “The Tale of the Horny Frog” from “The Heartbreak Kid” “China Doll” from “Honeydripper” “It Will Stay With Us” from “The Hottest State” “Never See You” from “The Hottest State” “First Amendment Blues” from “Larry Flynt: The Right To Be Left Alone” “Hello (I Love You)” from “The Last Mimzy” “Baby Don’t You Cry” from “Waitress” “Beautiful Ride” from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” “Walk Hard” from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” “Let’s Duet” from “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story” “Back Where You Belong” from “The Water Horse” “Ordinary People” from “Music Within” “Pretty Much Amazing” from “Nancy Drew” “Le Festin” from “Ratatouille” “Land of Quiet Poems” from “Resurrecting the Champ” “Love Will Still Be There” from “September Dawn” “Royal Pain” from “Shrek the Third” “Rule the World” from “Stardust” “Huck’s Tune” from “Lucky You” “Little Wonders” from “Meet the Robinsons” “Another Believer” from “Meet the Robinsons”
The much awaited announcement of Oscar nominees (as much an event as the big night) will be on January 22, 2008.
This stripped down duet by Glen Hansard (of The Frames) and real-life girlfriend Marketa Irglova from the Irish indie film "Once" is getting buzz for an Oscar Best Song nomination. What do you think?
