Fully Updated Members List:

Joined in 2006:
1. MikeQ.
2. MovieDude
3. Marty
4. Alex Young
5. Dr. Lecter
6. Shack
7. Riggs27
8. RonBurgundy
9. Dkmuto
10. Zingaling
11. MovieGeek
12. ChipMunky
13. Webslinger
14. Cotton
15. Eagle
16. Chris
Joined After the New Year (in 2007):
17. Baumer
18. Raffiki
19. Flava'd‡
20. Kenspy
21. Chris
Joined After Oscar Nominations Announced:
22. ?

We're always accepting new members. Of course, if you are already on the list and have now changed your mind, you may ask to be removed.

Go Marty!

Peace,
Mike.

EW: What are your thoughts on the current crop of movies?

Ellen DeGeneres [Oscar Host]: I loved Blood Diamond and The Departed. I haven't seen Borat yet. I loved the way The Pursuit of Happyness was directed. It was really different than what I thought it would be. I just watched [the Sudanese refugee documentary] God Grew Tired of Us. Oh, my God, it's incredible!

It's a sign! The Departed is going to win Best Picture!

Peace,
Mike.

http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/ap/2007 ... 74000.html

The Not-So-Dearly `Departed' Ending
Friday February 2 2:19 PM ET

NEW YORK "Wake up and smell the coffin." Venomously delivered by Jack Nicholson's character in "The Departed," this line was cut from the film but remains a deadly wake-up call for an unsettling number of the characters. Now that "The Departed" is nominated for five Oscars, including best picture, it's worth discussing the most troubling part of Martin Scorsese's morbid crime drama: the ending.

(That also means it's time to put up the yellow police caution tape marked "spoiler alert" around this article.)

Scorsese finishes his tale of false identities and informants in a sudden, bloody fury, making the deleted "coffin" statement the "definitive line of the movie," according to screenwriter William Monahan, who's nominated for best adapted screenplay.

"Nobody gets forgiven in this one. Nobody!" Scorsese told The Associated Press, reveling in the gory ending.

A remake of the 2002 Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs," "The Departed" draws heavily from the original. They both center on mirror-image moles: a crooked cop (Matt Damon) spying for the gang of Frank Costello (Nicholson), and an undercover officer (Leonardo DiCaprio) deeply embedded in the gang.

The final scenes of "The Departed" make a notable addition to the denouement of "Infernal Affairs" adding one more murderous twist to a film already full of them. Then, on the last shot, the camera pans away from the final corpse, catching a lone, symbolic rat scampering through the final frames.

"A lot of people don't like the rat at the end," says Monahan, 46, who was a successful novelist ("Light House: A Trifle") and journalist (as an editor at Spy magazine) before dedicating himself to screenwriting. "In the Jacobean stage, you'd have this tremendous bloodbath at the end of a work, and then the next thing that would happen is the clown would come out. And everyone in the theater would laugh and it would take the edge off the intense experience.

"I tell ya, people would leave the theater feeling a lot different if it wasn't for that rat."

Still, some have lamented the rapid double-crossing and vengeful murders that precede the final flourish. New Yorker film critic David Denby wrote of the quick disposals: "shock gives way to disbelief and even laughter." AP critic Christy Lemire said the film "nearly morphs into self-parody, with characters literally standing around, waiting to get shot in the head."

Says Monahan: "In an alternate universe, I'm teaching Shakespeare." Thus his adaptation accentuated the tragedy of "Infernal Affairs" with a bloody climax, followed by a comic, cathartic rodent.

The reasons for this approach extend from Monahan's original intentions for "The Departed" to present a larger story about South Boston. Having grown up in and around the city, he immediately knew he wanted to set the film in his hometown and infuse it with Irish Catholic culture.

"The Chinese story sort of clicked really well with the known culture of corruption in Boston," says Monahan, who worked on his adaptation only from a translation of the "Infernal Affairs" script. (His perfectly accented dialogue and memorable one-liners can be dissected on the DVD for "The Departed," due out Feb. 13, including deleted scenes like Costello's "coffin" line.)

Nicholson's mob boss character was partially modeled on James "Whitey" Bulger, a mobster who controlled much of the criminal activity in Boston for decades. Like Costello, he was eventually revealed to be an FBI informant. Bulger has been on the lam since 1996 and is currently listed alongside Osama bin Laden as one of the FBI's most-wanted men.

This era of corruption is what "The Departed" seeks to repudiate in a domino-effect massacre. It's not unlike the violent finale of Scorsese's classic "Taxi Driver," when Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) goes on a deranged spree out of disgust for 1970s New York.

Little wonder Scorsese was convinced to make "The Departed" by Monahan's script.

"There's a sense of a kind of post-Sept. 11 despair about the film, which is very interesting, countered by this extraordinary humor," the director says. "And primarily it's all about loyalty and betrayal - every scene is about loyalty and betrayal. And they're all lying. And their lives depend on it. Their lives depend on it!"

In the end, the only man left standing is Dignam (Mark Wahlberg). Now, Scorsese and Monahan are considering a sequel that will focus on the foul-mouthed cop.

"It's a strong possibility," says Monahan. "This is really a world I kind of established and like to write about. There are further things I'd like to explore about Boston. As `The Departed' was sort of a departure from the material, I think if it came about, (the sequel) would be a departure from `The Departed.'"

Peace,
Mike.

Still accepting new members!

Fully Updated Members List:

Joined in 2006:
1. MikeQ.
2. MovieDude
3. Marty
4. Alex Young
5. Dr. Lecter
6. Shack
7. Riggs27
8. RonBurgundy
9. Dkmuto
10. Zingaling
11. MovieGeek
12. ChipMunky
13. Webslinger
14. Cotton
15. Eagle
16. Chris
Joined After the New Year (in 2007):
17. Baumer
18. Raffiki
19. Flava'd‡
20. Kenspy
21. Chris
Joined After Oscar Nominations Announced:
22. ?

Peace,
Mike.

This is from a few days back (the DGA awards): A report from someone who attended the DGA event - he writes a blog and writes for the Daily News - mentions some comments from Leonardo and Scorsese onstage:

It was a heckuva night on Saturday at the star-studded Directors Guild of America Awards where the great Martin Scorsese finally won the prestigious industry prize for "The Departed." He was presented the trophy by Steven Spielberg and said: "It's the first time I've been given this recognition...I didn't think I'd be standing here tonight I can tell you that...I am greatly honored." But just as touching was earlier in the evening when a dashing Leonardo DiCaprio, star of "The Departed" as well as Scorsese's "The Aviator" and "The Gangs of New York" showed such class and respect when presenting his mentor and "teacher" a nomination medallion. (What's cool about the DGAs is that all the five feature film nominees get a big presentation from one of the stars of their film so everyone is a winner on this night). DiCaprio, easily the most handsome man in the room, said he was "forever changed" by the seven years he has spent working with Scorsese. "He's not just a director, he's an educator." Scorsese was so clearly moved by DiCaprio's tribute and it was indeed the most heartfelt of the night: "That was beutiful Leo. Thank you. Thank you. My God. That was quite moving."

Marty and Leo are such classy acts. They both are awesome.

Peace,
Mike.

The case for The Departed:

My own personal choice for #2 film of the year in 2004 and 2005 (Million Dollar Baby and Crash, respectively) both won Best Picture. Guess what I have The Departed ranked as?

The case against The Departed:

The one movie I absolutely hated to see win in 2004 and 2005 (Million Dollar Baby and Crash) both won Best Picture. I actually liked Departed a lot, so...

Let's just call it even and give the win to Babel.

Let's not.

not a chance

I may regret this, but I'm going to have to leave this club. Perhaps because the last two years I was wrong with my picks (Brokeback Mountain and The Aviator) because I stubbornly stuck to them the whole season.

I still think The Departed is the most likely winner with a 40% chance, 39% it will be Babel, and 21% Little Miss Sunshine. But the 60% chance that The Departed won't win means I can't remain in this club.

No problemo. You have been removed.

Fully Updated Members List:

Joined in 2006:
1. MikeQ.
2. MovieDude
3. Marty
4. Dr. Lecter
5. Riggs27
6. RonBurgundy
7. Dkmuto
8. Zingaling
9. MovieGeek
10. ChipMunky
11. Webslinger
12. Cotton
13. Eagle
14. Chris
Joined After the New Year (in 2007):
15. Baumer
16. Raffiki
17. Flava'd‡
18. Kenspy
19. Chris

Joined, But Later Removed Upon Request
1. Shack
2. Alex Young

Peace,
Mike.

The Departed has won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing so far. Looking good. Just waiting for Best Director and Best Picture.

Peace,
Mike.

Told ya'll it was happening.

WOOT!

Yes, Marty!!!!!!!! The Departed wins both Best Picture and Best Director, as well as Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay. It picks up the most awards of the night (four). Finally Scorsese gets everything he deserves. Congratulations to the following people who were members of the "The Departed will win Best Picture and Best Director Club":

1. MikeQ.
2. MovieDude
3. Marty
4. Dr. Lecter
5. Riggs27
6. RonBurgundy
7. Dkmuto
8. Zingaling
9. MovieGeek
10. ChipMunky
11. Webslinger
12. Cotton
13. Eagle
14. Chris
15. Baumer
16. Raffiki
17. Flava'd‡
18. Kenspy
19. Chris

Peace,
Mike.

YES!!!

High fives all around.

Creepy.

Three years running.

Watch out for my #2 movie of 2007, people, because it's winning Best Picture.

Well good job MikeQ., Jon, and others for sticking with The Departed when the others were picking up precursors. And congratulations Marty!

I must say that while I prefer Little Miss Sunshine a bit more, The Departed is the type of cinematic film that will have longer lasting power than that or Babel would. It'll be one of the most remembered BP winners of this decade when all is said and done.

That is creepy. Heh.

Way to go all members! High fives back to Dk and Chris.

Peace,
Mike.

YEAH!!!!!!!!

This group rules!!!!! WE WIN!

Congratulations to MikeQ and the other members of the club.You never waivered and stuck with your prediction till the end. I only wish I would have joined the club.

Mike, your family at OW wants you!

I'm trying to get there, but the Oscarwatch forums won't load (aka. they're down, like they always are...). *sigh*

Peace,
Mike.