American Music Awards 2007

The 2007 American Music Awards took place on Sunday, November 18th. There were winners, there were nominees who just didn't make it and there were bloopers. Keep reading for list of winners but if you're looking for the blooper from American Music Awards, click here for Jonas Brothers' oops moment.

As for the winners...





Justin Timberlake was the boy wonder of the night, walking off with the Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist as well as Favorite Album for Future Sex/Love Sounds (Soul/R&B). When he's not dishing out hit singles or playing golf, he's been sending out discreet appeals for the well-being of his junkie ex. How else but by penning his lyrical thoughts in the form of the rather tragic and controversial Falling Down by Duran Duran.






It's been a good year for Fergie, she's got her name on all the winning cards this year; Teen Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and now Favorite Female Artist (Pop/Rock)for AMA. She's certainly come a long way since the chipmunkish voiceover for Charlie Brown Specials.

Nickleback got the honors for the Favorite Band, Duo or Group (Pop/Rock). With this happy little treat, I suppose they can conveniently ignore that annoying internet meme. You know, the one that pointed out that all their songs sounds just the same. But considering Nickleback compared themselves to legends like AC/DC, I don't think they need an award boost their ego.

And the awards for Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) & Favorite Artist for Adult Contemporary Music & Breakthrough Artist go to ... Daughtry. He was big news whilst trying his luck in American Idols and one year on, he's still a public favorite. Leave behind the title of the fourth favorite finalist for Idols and he's sorted.






Tim McGraw was the happy winner for the Favorite Male Artist (Country). In between saving the world, with his famous wife Faith Hill, his thoughtful musings has won over the vote.

Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Album (Country) and Artist of the Year goes to Carrie Underwood, another survivor of the Simon Cowell Scrutiny. This young one has some rather interesting awards to date: PETA's World's Sexiest Vegetarian and World's Most Beautiful People (People). Sexy Vegetarians? Even soya burgers can pack a punch, that sorta propaganda?







And what about Favorite Band, Duo or Group in Country music? It was none other than Rascal Flatts. Popular and winner of many awards, they also made headlines a while back for a somewhat misguided attempt to introduce nudity to country music videos. Remember I Melt, the whole changing the channel to see the naked butt fiasco?

Akon was won the Favorite Male Artist (Soul/R&B). Still recovering from the controversy about the WWE maneuver that involved throwing a fan off stage, he's joined the list of celebrities launching strange reality shows. Get this – it's called My Brother's Keeper and his two brothers will pretend to be him and then mooch of the fringe benefits.






When she's not stealing the limelight from beaming brides, she's basking in the glory of her fame.. As in AMA award for Favorite Female Artist (Soul/R&B). Now that she got the award, she can tactfully ignore Mary J. Blige's claim i.e. they asked me first about Umbrella, hah!

Favorite Band, Duo or Group (Rap/Hip Hop) went to Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Fast paced music and hard hitting topics, a good combo for this rap band.









T.I. must feel a sense of relief. Just the other day he appealed to his fans to disregard nasty rumors and believe in him. Grabbing the awards for Favorite Male Artist and Favorite Album for Rap/Hip Hop must give some amount of consolation. Probably kicking himself for arranging arms deal in parking lot – I knew I should have picked that back alley.

Jennifer Lopez have been in the news for baby plans with Marc Anthony aka funny cameo guy from Hackers. However, winning the award for Favorite Artist for Latin Music means she's still a public favorite.




Linkin Park gets the honors for Favorite Artist in Alternative Rock Music. Remember Bennington's I will not let a mere broken arm stand in the way of my music incident? That kind of crazy dedication pays off.

Casting Crowns get the nod for Contemporary Inspirational Artist. Given that their East to West was number one for Billboard Hot Christian Songs, they've obviously got a good thing going.

Favorite Album (Soundtracks) went to the much publicized High School Musical 2. With 9 million viewers in Philippines alone, how can you lose?

Brian De Palma's Redacted

Redacted is the latest albeit controversial gore fest by Brian De Palma. Plot line in one sentence or less? Group of American soldiers who rape and murder an Iraqi teenager as well as killing her family.
Sensitive topic on so many levels. Now that basic introductions are over, first things first.

What is this blog not about?

a) Brian de Palma's tiff with his distributor as revealed at a conference
b) The controversial content of the movie itself
c) Justification about or ranting against the theme of movie





Rather than all those overkill topics, let's focus on his style of movie making in this particular instance. Brian De Palma's Redacted uses an interesting method of storytelling, one which will hopefully be incorporated into other movies. As one review kindly elaborates,

The writer-director strays from his typically stylized aesthetic with this stripped-down pastiche of fake footage: a soldier's hand-held video diary, a French duo's sepia-toned documentary, TV news pieces and online video from both a terrorist Web site and the blog of an Army man's wife.

Once again this is not about real life content, taking real life war images or information about war or violence or anything that is borderline rant worthy.

This is about expanding movie making horizons.



Just what is so fascinating about this method?

Aye for New Media

I'll admit it. The fact that Brian De Palma borrowed ideas from internet and blogs and compiled them all into the creative collage that ultimately became his bullet riddled movie is interesting. Not the target practice bit but the bit about the collage. Think of the possibilities for movie making with this method. Sure, most Hollywood blockbuster movies depict new media in movies. It just seems to be pigeonholed into teenage slasher flicks (woman in a bikini who gets stabbed in the end seems to be a prerequisite) and gory horror / thriller movies where some weird stalker tracks down a poor unsuspecting woman and stabs her multiple times ( as it turns out this only seems to happen while she is in the skimpiest of clothes ).





Why not take note from De Palma and widen your lasso over new media portrayal? Think of the possibilities ... Who knows what ideas, material, talent, subject matter or stories you'll find there online. How can you build into something bigger, from where he has taken off? On this note, check out Space Coyote, a digital artist who made a fan pic of Simpsons and has now been contacted by Matt Groening and Fox with offers, all of which possibly online work!



The role of new media in modern society is a big deal; the WGA is striking about this very point, aren't they? Maybe it's about time it became a part of Hollywood movies as well!



Exploring the Lurking Depths of Creativity

Plots lines can get dull and repetitive if you follow one formulae for too long. And that's why De Palma's style is refreshing. Using a mesh of different media, storytelling can just go wild. For all those kindred souls out there who hate flashbacks as much as I do, this method might be the flashback salvation. And playing around with different timelines now becomes easier; the flitting back and forth between past and present has its moments, but it gets lame when everyone starts doing it the same way. Take pity on the audience; use a grainy video blog to show someone in his hey day and spare the painful attempts to adorn a 40 year old man in wig and matted make up.


Who knows Brian De Palma's Redacted will fare; on the one hand, controversy is the golden word for more publicity. But given the touchy topic within the movie ( not to mention bad reviews of the movie itself ), the movie may be more frantic talk on all sides than actual box office gold. On the other hand, if you take into account the Academy Awards secret love for movies with war-themed movies ( The Killing Fields, Deer Hunter, Saving Private Ryan, Thin Red Line .... the list goes on and on), perhaps it is the norm for every Oscar loving director to weave their stories around war.


Note: Space Coyote's site