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'The Crazies' (R) ***1/2
Writers: Scott Kosar and and Ray Wright based on 1973 film by George Romero
Director: Breck Eisner
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker
I really hate it when Hollywood remakes classics and great movies! I never can figure out why you would want to remake "The Longest Yard", "The Bad News Bears", "Psycho". I think it would be better to remake either a very bad movie or a weak one that needed polishing. In 1973 horror master George Romero made a little low budget Zombie horror movie called "The Crazies". I recently saw it for the first time this past Halloween and I must say it didn't scare me and it was very goofy and boring. Finally someone picked a horror movie that needed a little upgrade and made it in to one of the best Zombie and horror movies in ages. I could kiss writers Scott Kosar and Ray Wright for writing one of the best remakes I have ever seen. The new Crazies movie is extremely fun, scary, tastefully gory and a very well directed shocker. This is one of the most glorious surprises I have encountered at the movies in a long time. I am frustrated lately by such inferior and lazy horror movie remakes like "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "The Hills Have Eyes". These remakes are ugly, dull carbon copies of the originals. "The Crazies" is fast paced, well written, acted and so much fun to experience for a horror movie. This remake has the same plot as the original but is much better.
The movie takes place in Iowa as a very small town starts to experience that spaced out look in some of the townsfolk who start to act strange. Well they actually start turning into stone faced killers or you might say Zombies. The town sheriff, his pregnant wife, his deputy and a high school girl start fighting off the Zombies and have to deal with government soldiers and they have no ideal why the soldiers are here. First of all the suspense in this film is masterful and well handled by director Breck Eisner who has quite a future ahead of him. The kill scenes are gory but not too bad that you have to run screaming from the aisles. The action scenes are fast paced and very exciting and the acting is solid. I like Timothy Olyphant is the sheriff and I have liked him in everything he has been in, he's a very good actor. Radha Mitchell as the wife is a beautiful, smart actress and when I see that she is in a movie like this I now expect it to be good. The deputy is played by Joe Anderson and I might see a new breakout star in the making here. They are all good and believable and the writers and director have made a smart, fun and brilliant horror movie that out does the master George Romero. There are three brilliant set pieces and they are masterfully directed. One is in a morgue and deals with that saw that doctors use to cut through ribs ( I am not a doctor so the heck if I know what it is called). That scene is a classic and is followed up by a shootout with zombies in a house that is so well edited and played out. The most classic scene deals with a car wash and it is one of the best scenes I have ever seen in a horror movie. On the heels of last year's brilliant spoof "Zombieland", the Zombie movie is back in a big way and I usually hate Zombie movies. I can't wait to see these two movies at the Brew n' View really soon I hope. "The Crazies" is the first great movie of 2010 and yes it is better than "Shutter Island".
Friday, February 26, 2010
'Cop Out'
'Cop Out' (R) *1/2
Writers: Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Adam Brody, Rashida Jones, Kevin Pollack, Guillermo Diaz, Ana de la Reguera
After watching the very unfunny and messy 'Cop Out' by Kevin Smith all I could think was what the hell were you thinking Kevin Smith? This is like a bad amateur film maker with a video camera trying to shoot a cop movie in his backyard. Now I have heard from countless friends over the years who say Kevin Smith was always a bad director but I defended his brilliant writing. Heck I love "Clerks 2" better than anyone in the World! The problem is that this screenplay not written by Smith should have been spit on and thrown away by Smith himself. Think of the worst Bruce Willis movie you ever saw and this one might top them all, yes even "Hudson Hawk". I thought this was going to be a spoof on cop movies but except for maybe two winks to the genre this is trying to be a serious cop action film. It is also one of the worst ever made! Okay ready for the brilliant plot? Willis and Tracy Morgan play two cop partners who are suspended and when Willis can't pay for his daughter's wedding he tries to sell a Andy Pafko baseball card worth thousands. When he tries to sell it two men come in to rob the collector's store and they take the card. Willis and Morgan then try to track down the card while suspended and tangle with Mexican drug dealers. What is also frustrating is these drug dealers are such offensive stereotypes that Smith might have some new controversy to face besides his plane seat ordeal. I smell an anti-defamation league coming to talk to Smith pretty soon. I wouldn't mind that if this movie were funny but it isn't, actually the only laugh is in the end credits. This is provided by the only amusing performance in the cast Seann William Scott who at least is awake and trying. Tracy Morgan is the actor I was looking forward to seeing in some leading roles in comic films. The problem is Morgan is only funny with good writing ("30 Rock") and deadly unfunny with bad writing as in this movie. This movie is boring, badly acted, clumsy and the action scenes are terrible. Kevin Smith is a brilliant writer to me and I hope this is only paying for his next screenplay. This is the writer who wrote one of my favorite movies of the 90's in "Chasing Amy". Besides this airplane fiasco he is involved in I think Smith has some explaining to do!
Writers: Robb Cullen and Mark Cullen
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan, Seann William Scott, Adam Brody, Rashida Jones, Kevin Pollack, Guillermo Diaz, Ana de la Reguera
After watching the very unfunny and messy 'Cop Out' by Kevin Smith all I could think was what the hell were you thinking Kevin Smith? This is like a bad amateur film maker with a video camera trying to shoot a cop movie in his backyard. Now I have heard from countless friends over the years who say Kevin Smith was always a bad director but I defended his brilliant writing. Heck I love "Clerks 2" better than anyone in the World! The problem is that this screenplay not written by Smith should have been spit on and thrown away by Smith himself. Think of the worst Bruce Willis movie you ever saw and this one might top them all, yes even "Hudson Hawk". I thought this was going to be a spoof on cop movies but except for maybe two winks to the genre this is trying to be a serious cop action film. It is also one of the worst ever made! Okay ready for the brilliant plot? Willis and Tracy Morgan play two cop partners who are suspended and when Willis can't pay for his daughter's wedding he tries to sell a Andy Pafko baseball card worth thousands. When he tries to sell it two men come in to rob the collector's store and they take the card. Willis and Morgan then try to track down the card while suspended and tangle with Mexican drug dealers. What is also frustrating is these drug dealers are such offensive stereotypes that Smith might have some new controversy to face besides his plane seat ordeal. I smell an anti-defamation league coming to talk to Smith pretty soon. I wouldn't mind that if this movie were funny but it isn't, actually the only laugh is in the end credits. This is provided by the only amusing performance in the cast Seann William Scott who at least is awake and trying. Tracy Morgan is the actor I was looking forward to seeing in some leading roles in comic films. The problem is Morgan is only funny with good writing ("30 Rock") and deadly unfunny with bad writing as in this movie. This movie is boring, badly acted, clumsy and the action scenes are terrible. Kevin Smith is a brilliant writer to me and I hope this is only paying for his next screenplay. This is the writer who wrote one of my favorite movies of the 90's in "Chasing Amy". Besides this airplane fiasco he is involved in I think Smith has some explaining to do!
Monday, February 22, 2010
'Shutter Island'
'Shutter Island' (R) ***1/2
Writer: Laeta Kalogridis
Director: Martin Scorcese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, John Carroll Lynch, Ted Devine, Jackie Earle Haley
Martin Scorcese is one of the most well respected film makers in Hollywood. His body of work is very impressive and many of his movies are my favorites. There are two kinds of Scorcese movies and one side is dark, violent, gritty and personal. The other kind of Scorcese movie is the more mainstream, genre films and that is the side displayed in "Shutter Island". This movie is more like his "Cape Fear" where the critics thought Scorcese was slumming and doing something beneath his talents. Critics didn't like "Cape Fear" and most critics don't like "Shutter Island" so far.
"Shutter Island" is being viewed as a movie that Scorcese seems to have no deep passion for, just a cheap thriller knock off that any hack could make. I disagree for Scorcese brilliantly shows his deep love and passion for movies and his devotion to those old psychological thrillers like Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor". The man clearly loves movies and it shows here. This is an old fashioned "B" movie with dramatic music, psychos, thunder and lightning with a dash of doom and gloom. I also saw it as a throwback to the detective movies of the 40's. For everyone else who is not familiar with those types of films, the movie is just plain fun!
"Shutter Island" is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane whose "Mystic River" and "Gone Baby Gone" made two of the best movies of the last decade. He is my favorite author right now and I loved his "Shutter Island" book. The movie is very faithful to the book and does it justice. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as one of two Federal Marshalls called in to track down a missing mental patient who escaped from the asylum known as Shutter Island. This is quite a fantastic looking setting for a thriller with it's dark corridors and dark interiors inside and it's dangerous cliffs outside. It always seems to be pouring rain and thundering outside also. The film sets an ominous and creepy tone from the start and the movie is beautiful to look at and soak in. The movie does a great job of setting up the suspense and making you curious about the mystery that unfolds. You can tell this is a Scorcese movie with it's unique, grand and sweeping camera movement. It clearly shows his love of these kinds of movies. If you have read the book you know that there is a big twist at the end and I didn't see it coming. The movie is the same way for those you did not read the book and it is a very imaginative twist. Leonardo DiCaprio is again amazing in the lead role. This is a performance I actually think only he could pull off and make great. I can't explain why I feel this way because then I will give away the twist ending. Let's just say that he is one of our finest actors and you would not expect such a powerful performance in a genre thriller like this. There is great support from Mark Ruffalo as the other Marshall and from the fine actress Michelle Williams. There are also two perfectly cast roles played by Max Von Sydow and Ben Kingsley who come off as creepy and sinister. This movie had me going and I had a wonderful time revisiting the story from Lehane's great book. The movie looks beautiful, has great suspense and chills and a solid story with a wonderful twist ending. It might seem like a lesser Scorcese movie to some but no one can have this much fun and make a movie look as good as he does here.
Writer: Laeta Kalogridis
Director: Martin Scorcese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, John Carroll Lynch, Ted Devine, Jackie Earle Haley
Martin Scorcese is one of the most well respected film makers in Hollywood. His body of work is very impressive and many of his movies are my favorites. There are two kinds of Scorcese movies and one side is dark, violent, gritty and personal. The other kind of Scorcese movie is the more mainstream, genre films and that is the side displayed in "Shutter Island". This movie is more like his "Cape Fear" where the critics thought Scorcese was slumming and doing something beneath his talents. Critics didn't like "Cape Fear" and most critics don't like "Shutter Island" so far.
"Shutter Island" is being viewed as a movie that Scorcese seems to have no deep passion for, just a cheap thriller knock off that any hack could make. I disagree for Scorcese brilliantly shows his deep love and passion for movies and his devotion to those old psychological thrillers like Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor". The man clearly loves movies and it shows here. This is an old fashioned "B" movie with dramatic music, psychos, thunder and lightning with a dash of doom and gloom. I also saw it as a throwback to the detective movies of the 40's. For everyone else who is not familiar with those types of films, the movie is just plain fun!
"Shutter Island" is based on the novel by Dennis Lehane whose "Mystic River" and "Gone Baby Gone" made two of the best movies of the last decade. He is my favorite author right now and I loved his "Shutter Island" book. The movie is very faithful to the book and does it justice. The movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio as one of two Federal Marshalls called in to track down a missing mental patient who escaped from the asylum known as Shutter Island. This is quite a fantastic looking setting for a thriller with it's dark corridors and dark interiors inside and it's dangerous cliffs outside. It always seems to be pouring rain and thundering outside also. The film sets an ominous and creepy tone from the start and the movie is beautiful to look at and soak in. The movie does a great job of setting up the suspense and making you curious about the mystery that unfolds. You can tell this is a Scorcese movie with it's unique, grand and sweeping camera movement. It clearly shows his love of these kinds of movies. If you have read the book you know that there is a big twist at the end and I didn't see it coming. The movie is the same way for those you did not read the book and it is a very imaginative twist. Leonardo DiCaprio is again amazing in the lead role. This is a performance I actually think only he could pull off and make great. I can't explain why I feel this way because then I will give away the twist ending. Let's just say that he is one of our finest actors and you would not expect such a powerful performance in a genre thriller like this. There is great support from Mark Ruffalo as the other Marshall and from the fine actress Michelle Williams. There are also two perfectly cast roles played by Max Von Sydow and Ben Kingsley who come off as creepy and sinister. This movie had me going and I had a wonderful time revisiting the story from Lehane's great book. The movie looks beautiful, has great suspense and chills and a solid story with a wonderful twist ending. It might seem like a lesser Scorcese movie to some but no one can have this much fun and make a movie look as good as he does here.
Monday, February 15, 2010
'Valentine's Day'
'Valentine's Day' (PG-13) **
Writer: Katherine Fugate
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Alba, Julia Roberts, George Lopez, Eric Dane, Emma Roberts. Shirley McClaine, Hector Elizondo, Jessica Biel, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Bradley Cooper
"Valentine's Day" is one of those movies with an ensemble cast of stars and interlocking stories. It is in the tradition of "Love, Actually" and "Crash" and in these movies there is always the stories that hit, miss or create a big thud. Actually that happens when the movie just doesn't work and "Valentine's Day" just can't quite get the job done. It is not as bad as last year's suck fest "He's Just Not That Into You", it is actually pretty entertaining. Compared to "Love, Actually" and "Paris Je Taime" though it fails because the movie just doesn't satisfy completely. I liked about half of it and thought a few stories were good, a few were weak and sappy and one was very bad. Some actors come off better than others but that is because the script is at fault. Actually Ashton Kutcher steals the movie and his story is very sweet and entertaining. I think Kutcher gets a bad rap as a bad actor and just has to make better choices for movies to star in. George Lopez and Jennifer Garner are part of his story and they are very good (I can watch Jennifer Garner read the phone book). Their story also ties into Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel's storyline and they are good (Jessica Biel's body is impressive and I think she is an under rated actress). There is also a sweet and cute subplot with an elementary school kid and his crush on Garner and I hate cute. On the who cares side is McClaine, Elizondo, Emma Roberts and the two Taylors. Taylor Swift is not bad in her film debut but Taylor Lautner has the personality of a carrot ( I don't get him or his appeal). On the embarrassing side is a very stupid story with Anne Hathaway and Topher Grace. There is nothing wrong with phone sex but portrayed here it is kind of icky. I also don't know why Queen Latifah does not have a prominent story line because she is always a joy to watch and funny. I hate to think it is because she is a full figured woman and not a pixie doll. So what you have is a good Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx and a fairly entertaining movie that could have dropped some weak story lines.
P.S. I watched "Valentine's Day" at the new Icon Showplace Theatre on Roosevelt and Clark alone and I wanted to comment on it. It is a new theatre on the South side and it has two theatres with preferred seating. There is an extra cost but I was impressed with the set up and the preferred seating. It was pretty swanky and as you go upstairs there is a nice bar and lobby where you can get alcoholic beverages and food. Then you go to a few rows of balcony seats that are assigned that are comfortable and wide. The arm rests come up so when you are on a hot date you can lift the arm up and get cozy. There is pretty good leg room and the view is great with no distractions. The sound was good, the picture big and it is new so no sticky floors or squeaky seats. I reccommend people try it out and it is worth the trip. There is also The White Palace Grill down the street for good, greasy late night food. I also found the ATM ticket machine downstairs with the British accent pretty amusing. It was very proper and made me feel like I was already special.
Writer: Katherine Fugate
Director: Garry Marshall
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Alba, Julia Roberts, George Lopez, Eric Dane, Emma Roberts. Shirley McClaine, Hector Elizondo, Jessica Biel, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Bradley Cooper
"Valentine's Day" is one of those movies with an ensemble cast of stars and interlocking stories. It is in the tradition of "Love, Actually" and "Crash" and in these movies there is always the stories that hit, miss or create a big thud. Actually that happens when the movie just doesn't work and "Valentine's Day" just can't quite get the job done. It is not as bad as last year's suck fest "He's Just Not That Into You", it is actually pretty entertaining. Compared to "Love, Actually" and "Paris Je Taime" though it fails because the movie just doesn't satisfy completely. I liked about half of it and thought a few stories were good, a few were weak and sappy and one was very bad. Some actors come off better than others but that is because the script is at fault. Actually Ashton Kutcher steals the movie and his story is very sweet and entertaining. I think Kutcher gets a bad rap as a bad actor and just has to make better choices for movies to star in. George Lopez and Jennifer Garner are part of his story and they are very good (I can watch Jennifer Garner read the phone book). Their story also ties into Jamie Foxx and Jessica Biel's storyline and they are good (Jessica Biel's body is impressive and I think she is an under rated actress). There is also a sweet and cute subplot with an elementary school kid and his crush on Garner and I hate cute. On the who cares side is McClaine, Elizondo, Emma Roberts and the two Taylors. Taylor Swift is not bad in her film debut but Taylor Lautner has the personality of a carrot ( I don't get him or his appeal). On the embarrassing side is a very stupid story with Anne Hathaway and Topher Grace. There is nothing wrong with phone sex but portrayed here it is kind of icky. I also don't know why Queen Latifah does not have a prominent story line because she is always a joy to watch and funny. I hate to think it is because she is a full figured woman and not a pixie doll. So what you have is a good Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel and Jamie Foxx and a fairly entertaining movie that could have dropped some weak story lines.
P.S. I watched "Valentine's Day" at the new Icon Showplace Theatre on Roosevelt and Clark alone and I wanted to comment on it. It is a new theatre on the South side and it has two theatres with preferred seating. There is an extra cost but I was impressed with the set up and the preferred seating. It was pretty swanky and as you go upstairs there is a nice bar and lobby where you can get alcoholic beverages and food. Then you go to a few rows of balcony seats that are assigned that are comfortable and wide. The arm rests come up so when you are on a hot date you can lift the arm up and get cozy. There is pretty good leg room and the view is great with no distractions. The sound was good, the picture big and it is new so no sticky floors or squeaky seats. I reccommend people try it out and it is worth the trip. There is also The White Palace Grill down the street for good, greasy late night food. I also found the ATM ticket machine downstairs with the British accent pretty amusing. It was very proper and made me feel like I was already special.
'From Paris With Love'
'From Paris With Love' (R) ***
Writer: Adi Hasak based on story by Luc Besson
Director: Pierre Morel
Starring: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden
"From Paris With Love" is brought to you by the director of "Taken", last year's Liam Neeson revenge opus, and the creators of the "Transporter" movies. So if you don't expect a classy, enthralling and deep message movie and you like mindless action than you might go for this. I like "The Transporter" movies and I liked "Taken". Sometimes you have to check your brain at the door and go for the ride. I actually expected this movie to suck because the trailers weren't actually encouraging me that this would be good but I got carried away. I really can't explain the plot because there really isn't one till the twists come at the end. There are just a boat load of shootings, car and foot chases and an over the top Travolta. I prefer this John Travolta and his hamminess more than I liked the embarrassing Travolta from "Old Dogs". At the beginning he was what held my attention because he is really funny and good here. Don't let the Ming the Merciless look fool you because at first he looks weird but I got used to it like I did the movie. This movie is what "The Wolfman" and "Edge of Darkness" should have been more like. Film makers shouldn't be afraid to get more loose and goofy when it comes to a glorified "B" movie. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is the other lead here playing a new CIA trainee whose first big field case is with the rogue and unpredictable Tarvolta. I have been predicting Rhys Meyers breakout star potential since " Bend It Like Beckham" and he plays a great hero here. The movie at first doesn't look promising and focused but by the end I liked the energy and the movie's suspenseful twist ending. Travolta is a blast here, the movie is never boring, the action fun and you also get a beautiful woman to look at in Kasia Smutniak (great last name!). Shut your brain off and have fun and if you like a lot of bangs, explosions and gunfire and you like Travolta you might be surprised.
Writer: Adi Hasak based on story by Luc Besson
Director: Pierre Morel
Starring: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak, Richard Durden
"From Paris With Love" is brought to you by the director of "Taken", last year's Liam Neeson revenge opus, and the creators of the "Transporter" movies. So if you don't expect a classy, enthralling and deep message movie and you like mindless action than you might go for this. I like "The Transporter" movies and I liked "Taken". Sometimes you have to check your brain at the door and go for the ride. I actually expected this movie to suck because the trailers weren't actually encouraging me that this would be good but I got carried away. I really can't explain the plot because there really isn't one till the twists come at the end. There are just a boat load of shootings, car and foot chases and an over the top Travolta. I prefer this John Travolta and his hamminess more than I liked the embarrassing Travolta from "Old Dogs". At the beginning he was what held my attention because he is really funny and good here. Don't let the Ming the Merciless look fool you because at first he looks weird but I got used to it like I did the movie. This movie is what "The Wolfman" and "Edge of Darkness" should have been more like. Film makers shouldn't be afraid to get more loose and goofy when it comes to a glorified "B" movie. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is the other lead here playing a new CIA trainee whose first big field case is with the rogue and unpredictable Tarvolta. I have been predicting Rhys Meyers breakout star potential since " Bend It Like Beckham" and he plays a great hero here. The movie at first doesn't look promising and focused but by the end I liked the energy and the movie's suspenseful twist ending. Travolta is a blast here, the movie is never boring, the action fun and you also get a beautiful woman to look at in Kasia Smutniak (great last name!). Shut your brain off and have fun and if you like a lot of bangs, explosions and gunfire and you like Travolta you might be surprised.
'The Wolfman'
'The Wolfman' (R) **1/2
Writers: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self based on Curt Siodmak's 1941 screenplay
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin, Art Malik
We have come a long way in the special effects department when it comes to something like "The Wolfman", a serviceable but not surprising monster movie. Back in 1941 the chills and thrills were there but the transformation of man into wolfman was a little rough. Back in 1941 though the scares and suspense were fresh and in this new version there are moments that make you jump but the people I was with laughed more at the cool be headings and gory killings. This movie delivers the bloody goods even though when there are no killings and wolfman the movie is a little bit of a snooze. We have the one son to Sir John Talbot played by Benicio Del Toro who comes home after his brother is killed to comfort his father and his brother's fiancee played service ably by Emily Blunt. Del Toro is okay in the title role but when he is not the wolfman he comes off as dull and methody. Anthony Hopkins is in another movie entirely and I liked his movie better. His performance is a little jokey with funny asides when the rest of the cast is all serious. Besides the gory kills which are done in a fast paced, fun way the movie is too faithful to the 1941 film. I needed more spontaneity even though I appreciate that the movie didn't come off as unintentionally funny. I love the set design and photography and Rick Baker who does the makeup and transformation scenes is a master at this sort of thing and it has gotten better. Maybe the special effects are too good and has robbed the movie of old fashioned thrills and suspense. I like the energy of the killings and that the movie doesn't hold back on the gore. I also like Hugo Weaving as a Scotland Yard inspector and he plays a sinister jerk well. I just wasn't surprised at what happens but for a schlocky gore fest it's not bad. I think two better films about wolves are fresher and more imaginative. They are 1981's "Wolfen" with Albert Finney and Gregory Hines and 1981's "The Howling" with more great Rick Baker makeup. They are cheesier but a little more loose. If you like gore and tasty killings you will like this though just don't expect anything new.
Writers: Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self based on Curt Siodmak's 1941 screenplay
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, Geraldine Chaplin, Art Malik
We have come a long way in the special effects department when it comes to something like "The Wolfman", a serviceable but not surprising monster movie. Back in 1941 the chills and thrills were there but the transformation of man into wolfman was a little rough. Back in 1941 though the scares and suspense were fresh and in this new version there are moments that make you jump but the people I was with laughed more at the cool be headings and gory killings. This movie delivers the bloody goods even though when there are no killings and wolfman the movie is a little bit of a snooze. We have the one son to Sir John Talbot played by Benicio Del Toro who comes home after his brother is killed to comfort his father and his brother's fiancee played service ably by Emily Blunt. Del Toro is okay in the title role but when he is not the wolfman he comes off as dull and methody. Anthony Hopkins is in another movie entirely and I liked his movie better. His performance is a little jokey with funny asides when the rest of the cast is all serious. Besides the gory kills which are done in a fast paced, fun way the movie is too faithful to the 1941 film. I needed more spontaneity even though I appreciate that the movie didn't come off as unintentionally funny. I love the set design and photography and Rick Baker who does the makeup and transformation scenes is a master at this sort of thing and it has gotten better. Maybe the special effects are too good and has robbed the movie of old fashioned thrills and suspense. I like the energy of the killings and that the movie doesn't hold back on the gore. I also like Hugo Weaving as a Scotland Yard inspector and he plays a sinister jerk well. I just wasn't surprised at what happens but for a schlocky gore fest it's not bad. I think two better films about wolves are fresher and more imaginative. They are 1981's "Wolfen" with Albert Finney and Gregory Hines and 1981's "The Howling" with more great Rick Baker makeup. They are cheesier but a little more loose. If you like gore and tasty killings you will like this though just don't expect anything new.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
'The Last Station'
'The Last Station (R) ***
Writer and Director: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, James McAvoy, Kerry Condon, Paul Giamatti, Anne-Marie Duff
"The Last Station" is a serviceable period drama about the marriage of author Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sofya. I am not really nuts about these little costume dramas but I like movies about writing and authors. The strength of this film though lies in two great performances by the leads with a great supporting cast. The movie is slight and breezy but the performances are larger than life. Christopher Plummer and Hellen Mirren as The Tolstoy's (sounds like a sitcom pilot)make grand, dramatic performances. I liked Christopher Plummer a little more because I think subtlety is stronger. His performance is actually flawless and he deserves his Oscar nomination. To think that this film veteran of over 100 films has never been nominated for an Oscar! Helen Mirren is more over the top and hammy but that is what the character and the story requires and she is up to the task. She still looks radiant and sexy at her age and she also deserves the nomination. I still am going with Jeff Bridges and Carey Mulligan/Gabourey Sidibe for this year's acting honors though. So the leads are amazing as is Paul Giamatti who plays Tolstoy's adviser and is becoming a wonderful and dependable actor! There is also a sweet love story between James McAvoy and Kerry Condon that I found actually more interesting. Kerry Condon is a great new actress who makes a deep impression and almost steals the movie. Mirren is excellent but Plummer is the real deal here! This might be more cozy to watch on DVD at home but the acting is the sell here.
Writer and Director: Michael Hoffman
Starring: Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, James McAvoy, Kerry Condon, Paul Giamatti, Anne-Marie Duff
"The Last Station" is a serviceable period drama about the marriage of author Leo Tolstoy and his wife Sofya. I am not really nuts about these little costume dramas but I like movies about writing and authors. The strength of this film though lies in two great performances by the leads with a great supporting cast. The movie is slight and breezy but the performances are larger than life. Christopher Plummer and Hellen Mirren as The Tolstoy's (sounds like a sitcom pilot)make grand, dramatic performances. I liked Christopher Plummer a little more because I think subtlety is stronger. His performance is actually flawless and he deserves his Oscar nomination. To think that this film veteran of over 100 films has never been nominated for an Oscar! Helen Mirren is more over the top and hammy but that is what the character and the story requires and she is up to the task. She still looks radiant and sexy at her age and she also deserves the nomination. I still am going with Jeff Bridges and Carey Mulligan/Gabourey Sidibe for this year's acting honors though. So the leads are amazing as is Paul Giamatti who plays Tolstoy's adviser and is becoming a wonderful and dependable actor! There is also a sweet love story between James McAvoy and Kerry Condon that I found actually more interesting. Kerry Condon is a great new actress who makes a deep impression and almost steals the movie. Mirren is excellent but Plummer is the real deal here! This might be more cozy to watch on DVD at home but the acting is the sell here.
Monday, February 8, 2010
'The White Ribbon'
'The White Ribbon' (R) (Germany) ***
Writer and Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Christian Friedel, Keonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur
"The White Ribbon" which is one of the movies nominated for Best Foreign film at this year's Oscars, takes it's time unfolding like a good novel. This is a movie only for patient viewers that love cold movies that are strange, slow but interesting. Michael Haneke is not one of my favorite directors because his movie can sometimes be pretentious. He made "The Piano Teacher" which was annoying and smug, "Funny Games" with Naomi Watts which was insulting and his best film is "Cache" from a few years back. That movie was very compelling with an abrupt and shocking kill scene that made me jump out of my seat. That movie had a great ending that kept you hanging and talking for days after. This has the same kind of ending but is a lesser film because it is too static and slow in spots. I didn't feel anything really during the movie because it left me cold. Set right before World War I in a small German village, the movie concerns the townsfolk and their children and a series of accidental deaths. Now as the story moves some of the villagers think they are really murders. Now the movie becomes a mystery but I think Haneke is going for a creepy, cold feel here and not concerned with an answer to the deaths. This is all style and the movie is beautifully shot in black and white and the whole movie is beautiful to look at. I liked the movie because it felt like an extended German "Twilight Zone" with sudden bursts of violence which is Haneke's specialty. It also reminded me of a longer "Village of the Damned" which was a creepy cult thriller from the 60's. If you can sit for 2 1/2 hours and you are willing to stay with a frustrating but rewarding movie you might like this. Of course you also have to like foreign films and don't mind reading subtitles.
Writer and Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Christian Friedel, Keonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur
"The White Ribbon" which is one of the movies nominated for Best Foreign film at this year's Oscars, takes it's time unfolding like a good novel. This is a movie only for patient viewers that love cold movies that are strange, slow but interesting. Michael Haneke is not one of my favorite directors because his movie can sometimes be pretentious. He made "The Piano Teacher" which was annoying and smug, "Funny Games" with Naomi Watts which was insulting and his best film is "Cache" from a few years back. That movie was very compelling with an abrupt and shocking kill scene that made me jump out of my seat. That movie had a great ending that kept you hanging and talking for days after. This has the same kind of ending but is a lesser film because it is too static and slow in spots. I didn't feel anything really during the movie because it left me cold. Set right before World War I in a small German village, the movie concerns the townsfolk and their children and a series of accidental deaths. Now as the story moves some of the villagers think they are really murders. Now the movie becomes a mystery but I think Haneke is going for a creepy, cold feel here and not concerned with an answer to the deaths. This is all style and the movie is beautifully shot in black and white and the whole movie is beautiful to look at. I liked the movie because it felt like an extended German "Twilight Zone" with sudden bursts of violence which is Haneke's specialty. It also reminded me of a longer "Village of the Damned" which was a creepy cult thriller from the 60's. If you can sit for 2 1/2 hours and you are willing to stay with a frustrating but rewarding movie you might like this. Of course you also have to like foreign films and don't mind reading subtitles.
Friday, February 5, 2010
'North Dallas Forty' (79)
'North Dallas Forty' (R) (79) ****
Writers: Peter Gent based on his novel. Uncredited: Nancy Dowd, Frank Yablans
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Starring: Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Bo Svenson, John Matuszak, Dabney Coleman, G.D. Spradlin, Charles Durning, Guich Koock
Just in time for Super Bowl weekend I had to revisit the next best football movie next to the original "Longest Yard". This 1979 movie might seem a little dated but only in clothes and the absence of expansion teams. I tied to think of football movies and I realized that this movie is not dated at all and is actually still topical to what is going on now in Pro Football. The movie concerns a pro Dallas team (not the Cowboys but based on that team) and their goal to win a championship. There is a rag tag group of players including a cocky quarterback played by Mac Davis and his star receiver played by Nick Nolte. The rest comprises of a huge, crazy defensive tackle on steroids (John Matuszak) and his defensive buddy (Bo Svenson). All these actors have no problem looking the part and the football scenes are some of the more realistic. There are realistic talks about steroids, shots, broken bones and concussions. What is also realistic and actually is scary is the parallels of this movie to today's pain in the NFL. Players get concussions and still play, they break bones and receive shots and still play. What is scary is that now the NFL and greats like Mike Ditka are trying to make football fans aware of the head traumas and damage to bodies that retired players are experiencing now. I would look back at this movie or see it for the first time and I swear you will be sobered and thinking. Did I forget to mention that the movie is damn funny? This is as funny as "Slapshot" and "Caddyshack" in a lot of parts. The characters are all well written, Mac Davis proved he could act and Svenson and Matuszak are a great comedy duo giving coach Charles Durning grief. There is also a classic unfeeling villian coach in great evil actor G.D. Spradlin. There are real, crunching bones, great comedy and the movie mixes the drama with that comedy well. In fact the ending is very sad and powerful! When the Dallas owners and that prick coach bring in Nolte and are about to release him because of his age, the film becomes poignant. Nolte tells them "You don't care about the players unless they make you money and then you dump them when they aren't of use anymore." Think about that when you watch the game Sunday and you think about all those retired players that were given no help and died at young ages. I will remind you that this movie is hilarious also and it is never preachy.
Writers: Peter Gent based on his novel. Uncredited: Nancy Dowd, Frank Yablans
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Starring: Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Bo Svenson, John Matuszak, Dabney Coleman, G.D. Spradlin, Charles Durning, Guich Koock
Just in time for Super Bowl weekend I had to revisit the next best football movie next to the original "Longest Yard". This 1979 movie might seem a little dated but only in clothes and the absence of expansion teams. I tied to think of football movies and I realized that this movie is not dated at all and is actually still topical to what is going on now in Pro Football. The movie concerns a pro Dallas team (not the Cowboys but based on that team) and their goal to win a championship. There is a rag tag group of players including a cocky quarterback played by Mac Davis and his star receiver played by Nick Nolte. The rest comprises of a huge, crazy defensive tackle on steroids (John Matuszak) and his defensive buddy (Bo Svenson). All these actors have no problem looking the part and the football scenes are some of the more realistic. There are realistic talks about steroids, shots, broken bones and concussions. What is also realistic and actually is scary is the parallels of this movie to today's pain in the NFL. Players get concussions and still play, they break bones and receive shots and still play. What is scary is that now the NFL and greats like Mike Ditka are trying to make football fans aware of the head traumas and damage to bodies that retired players are experiencing now. I would look back at this movie or see it for the first time and I swear you will be sobered and thinking. Did I forget to mention that the movie is damn funny? This is as funny as "Slapshot" and "Caddyshack" in a lot of parts. The characters are all well written, Mac Davis proved he could act and Svenson and Matuszak are a great comedy duo giving coach Charles Durning grief. There is also a classic unfeeling villian coach in great evil actor G.D. Spradlin. There are real, crunching bones, great comedy and the movie mixes the drama with that comedy well. In fact the ending is very sad and powerful! When the Dallas owners and that prick coach bring in Nolte and are about to release him because of his age, the film becomes poignant. Nolte tells them "You don't care about the players unless they make you money and then you dump them when they aren't of use anymore." Think about that when you watch the game Sunday and you think about all those retired players that were given no help and died at young ages. I will remind you that this movie is hilarious also and it is never preachy.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
'Beat Vinny Oscars Contest'
'Beat Vinny's Oscar Contest'
Now that the Academy Award nominations have been announced I would like to see if anyone could out guess me in predicting the Oscars. I will list the nominations in all major categories and if you do better at guessing the winners the prize will be $100.00. If you live close to me the prize could be an expensive dinner at a restaurant of your choice for a $100 dinner where you can gloat in person that you out picked the movie expert. Anyone think they have what it takes to humble me? Now there can only be one winner so if there is a tie I have three tiebreaker questions. So here we go...
Best Adapted Screenplay
1.) District 9
2.) An Education
3.) In The Loop
4.) Precious
5.) Up In The Air
My pick: Up In The Air
Best Original Screenplay
1.) The Hurt Locker
2.) Inglorious Basterds
3.) The Messenger
4.) A Serious Man
5.) Up
My pick: The Hurt Locker
Best Director
1.) James Cameron-Avatar
2.) Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
3.) Quentin Tarantino-Inglorious Basterds
4.) Lee Daniels-Precious
5.) Jason Reitman-Up In The Air
My pick: Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
Best Supporting Actor
1.) Matt Damon-Invictus
2.) Woody Harrelson-The Messenger
3.) Christopher Plummer-The Last Station
4.) Stanley Tucci_The Lovely Bones
5.) Christoph Waltz-Inglorious Basterds
My pick: Christoph Waltz-Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress
1.) Penelope Cruz-Nine
2.) Vera Farmiga-Up In The Air
3.) Maggie Gyllenhaal-Crazy Heart
4.) Anna Kendrick-Up In The Air
5.) Monique-Precious
My pick: Monique-Precious
Best Actress
1.) Sandra Bullock-The Blind Side
2.) Helen Mirren-The Last Station
3.) Carey Mulligan-An Education
4.) Gabourey Sidibe-Precious
5.) Meryl Streep-Julie & Julia
My pick: Sandra Bullock-The Blind Side
Best Actor
1.) Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
2.) George Clooney-Up In The Air
3.) Colin Firth-A Single man
4.) Morgan Freeman-Invictus
5.) Jeremy Renner-The Hurt Locker
My pick: Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
Best Picture
1.) Avatar
2.) The Blind Side
3.) District 9
4.) An Education
5.) The Hurt Locker
6.) Inglorious Basterds
7.) Precious
8.) A Serious man
9.) Up
10.) Up In The Air
My pick: Avatar
Tiebreaker #1: Who will win the most awards and how many? My pick: Avatar, 5
Tiebreaker #2: How long will the show be? My pick: 3 hours 39 minutes
Tiebreaker #3: What will win Best Foreign film?
1.) Ajami
2.) Secreto De Los Ojos
3.) The Milk of Sorrow
4.) Un Pompette
5.) The White Ribbon
My pick: The White Ribbon
So there you go, try to beat me at my own game. You can send me responses at facebook directly or ask me for my address so you can mail them. Please respond by march 1 please. Good Luck!
Now that the Academy Award nominations have been announced I would like to see if anyone could out guess me in predicting the Oscars. I will list the nominations in all major categories and if you do better at guessing the winners the prize will be $100.00. If you live close to me the prize could be an expensive dinner at a restaurant of your choice for a $100 dinner where you can gloat in person that you out picked the movie expert. Anyone think they have what it takes to humble me? Now there can only be one winner so if there is a tie I have three tiebreaker questions. So here we go...
Best Adapted Screenplay
1.) District 9
2.) An Education
3.) In The Loop
4.) Precious
5.) Up In The Air
My pick: Up In The Air
Best Original Screenplay
1.) The Hurt Locker
2.) Inglorious Basterds
3.) The Messenger
4.) A Serious Man
5.) Up
My pick: The Hurt Locker
Best Director
1.) James Cameron-Avatar
2.) Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
3.) Quentin Tarantino-Inglorious Basterds
4.) Lee Daniels-Precious
5.) Jason Reitman-Up In The Air
My pick: Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
Best Supporting Actor
1.) Matt Damon-Invictus
2.) Woody Harrelson-The Messenger
3.) Christopher Plummer-The Last Station
4.) Stanley Tucci_The Lovely Bones
5.) Christoph Waltz-Inglorious Basterds
My pick: Christoph Waltz-Inglorious Basterds
Best Supporting Actress
1.) Penelope Cruz-Nine
2.) Vera Farmiga-Up In The Air
3.) Maggie Gyllenhaal-Crazy Heart
4.) Anna Kendrick-Up In The Air
5.) Monique-Precious
My pick: Monique-Precious
Best Actress
1.) Sandra Bullock-The Blind Side
2.) Helen Mirren-The Last Station
3.) Carey Mulligan-An Education
4.) Gabourey Sidibe-Precious
5.) Meryl Streep-Julie & Julia
My pick: Sandra Bullock-The Blind Side
Best Actor
1.) Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
2.) George Clooney-Up In The Air
3.) Colin Firth-A Single man
4.) Morgan Freeman-Invictus
5.) Jeremy Renner-The Hurt Locker
My pick: Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
Best Picture
1.) Avatar
2.) The Blind Side
3.) District 9
4.) An Education
5.) The Hurt Locker
6.) Inglorious Basterds
7.) Precious
8.) A Serious man
9.) Up
10.) Up In The Air
My pick: Avatar
Tiebreaker #1: Who will win the most awards and how many? My pick: Avatar, 5
Tiebreaker #2: How long will the show be? My pick: 3 hours 39 minutes
Tiebreaker #3: What will win Best Foreign film?
1.) Ajami
2.) Secreto De Los Ojos
3.) The Milk of Sorrow
4.) Un Pompette
5.) The White Ribbon
My pick: The White Ribbon
So there you go, try to beat me at my own game. You can send me responses at facebook directly or ask me for my address so you can mail them. Please respond by march 1 please. Good Luck!
'Academy Award Nominations 2010'
'Academy Award Nominations 2010'
I don't know why I have to wake up at 7:00 a.m. to listen to the Oscar nominations! How about have an hour show on television (NBC needs shows to fill that 9 p.m. slot thanks to The Chin) where the nominations are announced. You invite the actors that are pretty much shoo ins to be nominated, feed them, give them drinks. Then we can see how they react when they are nominated. If someone was a shoo in but does not get a nomination we can see them get pissed off. But I woke up so I could hear the nominations like I have since I was a teenager and I was not surprised by any of the nominations for I got 95% of them right. The difference this year is that now there are ten films nominated for Best Picture. This is called "The Dark Knight" rule for with five nominations last year Knight did not make the final five. Now there have been five nominated Best Pictures every year since this all began. This did not need to be fixed because actually Knight would have been nominated but it's slot went to the insufferable "Last Tango With a Nazi" ("The Reader"). The movies that are actually nominated are stuffy, prestige pictures and not big Blockbuster movies. I thought that expanding it to ten would not fix the problem and was ridiculous. What if something like "Star Trek" got nominated? There is a difference between the quality of Trek and The Dark Knight. I was very interested in how these nominations would unfold and actually they didn't do such a bad job. I looked at the ten Best Picture nominees and picked five I am 100% sure would have made it if there were only five slots. I looked at the other five and I actually gave the other five high ratings. Only two movies I had problems with not because they weren't good but because there are others that were better. My number one pick "Adventureland" had no chance of winning a nomination but it was ten times better than the two I had issues with on the Oscar list. So now I will break down each category. Later I will make my picks, issue a little challenge and have a contest. So without further delay...
Best Supporting Actor
1.) Matt Damon-Invictus
2.) Woody Harrelson-The Messenger
3.) Christopher Plummer-The Last Station
4.) Stanley Tucci-The Lovely Bones
5.) Christoph Waltz-Inglorious Basterds
I have not seen Plummer yet in The Last Station so I can't comment on him yet but he can't be better than Waltz? That is my pick because the Academy loves that juicy villain part and a first time screen actor who makes a Wow! impact. He is the best of that bunch though Harrelson is a close second because I love him and his performance was powerful. Tucci doesn't belong and Damon does because Damon's accent is flawless and he is damn good here. The Academy loves him and they should! Waltz is my pick.
Best Supporting Actress
1.) Penelope Cruz-Nine
2.) Vera Farmiga-Up In The Air
3.) Maggie Gyllenhaal-Crazy Heart
4.) Anna Kendrick-Up In The Air
5.) Monique-Precious
"Which of these 5 don't belong with the others?" Sorry I was flipping through channels and caught some "Sesame Street". I don't know why Penelope Cruz is on this list for the crappy "Nine" but I guess her sexy dance turned the men on. I guess when you spread your legs on screen and bump and grind you can get a nomination. So it is a four women race and it is no contest. Monique is earth shattering in her performance as the abusive Mom in "Precious" and will win and deserves it. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a close second and I am falling in love with her and I have been wanting this nomination more than anyone because she was so good here with Jeff Bridges. Also I want to see Vera Farmiga walk up on stage because she could be the sexiest woman on the planet. She was very good as was Anna Kendrick in "Up In The Air" and they were very equal to Clooney. Kendrick gives that first time Wow! impact performance but Monique shocked everyone because she was mostly known as a comedienne and people didn't know Ms. Thing could act! This is the strongest category of all the nominations. let's give it to everyone and Cruz can present it to them. Though this is Monique's race to lose!
Best Actor
1.) Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
2.) George Clooney-Up In The Air
3.) Colin Firth-A Single Man
4.) Morgan Freeman-Invictus
5.) Jeremy Renner-The Hurt Locker
This is another strong list but if you read my blog you know what side I am on. Jeff Bridges is I'm afraid miles and miles ahead of everyone here and most of these actors give the best performances of their careers! If Bridges wasn't here it would be Clooney a shoo in to win for this is his best performance of his career! Colin Firth shed his usual delivery mannerisms to give his best performance of his career. Morgan Freeman is amazing and he is Nelson Mandela and his performance is perfection. Jeremy Renner was an actor in mostly small roles until Locker and he is great and will get leading roles now! From "Dahmer" to "The Hurt Locker" there would be no great movie there without Renner's performance. Jeff Bridges though is flawless and amazing and this under appreciated actor will finally get his due and people in the Academy love him!
Best Actress
1.) Sandra Bullock-The Blind Side
2.) Helen Mirren-The Last Station
3.) Carey Mulligan-An Education
4.) Gabourey Sidibe-Precious
5.) Meryl Streep-Julie & Julia
I love this list of actresses for they are such wonderful ladies that deserve this recognition. Of course Meryl Streep was brilliant as Julia Child as was Freeman as Mandela. She was nominated for the right movie here instead of "It's Complicated". I love Sandra Bullock and next to Streep she would give the most kick ass acceptance speech. This wonderful human being is a sweetheart and she is so good in "The Blind Side"! I have not yet seen Mirren but she is a great actress so I am sure she deserved it. That brings me to the two newcomers who make the best debut performances I have ever seen. Carey Mulligan is the second coming of Audrey Hepburn and she is graceful and strong in "An Education". She will I think look the most beautiful in her dress at the ceremony and will look stunning! We might be seeing a major star exploding before our eyes. Gabby Sidibe is so powerful and strong in "Precious" If you see Gabby on talk shows she lights up the room and has such a upbeat and happy persona. Now you watch her performance in "Precious" which is brave and downbeat and you will see an amazing performance and actress. Bullock will win but Mulligan and Sidibe are equal to her performance!
Best Director
1.) James Cameron-Avatar
2.) Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
3.) Quentin Tarantino-Inglorious Basterds
4.) Lee Daniels-Precious
5.) Jason Reitman-Up In The Air
With ten films being nominated for Best Picture, picking five directors would be hard but I like this list. It is going to be a battle between the ex husband and wife in Cameron and Bigelow. Bigelow won the Director's Guild award so she will win here and only Cameron has an outside chance. He has already won so Bigelow will be the first woman to win Best Director and that makes me very happy! I was worried Daniels wouldn't be nominated but he was and if he didn't get nominated it would be a crime. Basterds is my favorite movie that was nominated so I would love to see Quentin win but he should have won already for "Pulp Fiction". Jason Reitman is becoming an assured and great director and he will be nominated again and again in the future. Bigelow will win and and women will rule!
Best Picture
1.) Avatar
2.) The Blind Side
3.) District 9
4.) An Education
5.) The Hurt Locker
6.) Inglorious Basterds
7.) Precious
8.) A Serious Man
9.) Up
10.) Up In The Air
So Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Up In The Air and Precious would be my picks for nominations if there were only five. This is an easy list to make that guess because "District 9" is a genre film and science fiction movie and they rarely get nominated. "An Education" was more about performance, "Up" will win Best Animated film so it would not have been nominated. "The Blind Side" would be this year's "The Dark Knight" and "A Serious Man" is too small and independent of a contender. For me "The Blind Side" and "A Serious Man" don't belong but not that they weren't great, they were just not Oscar caliber. Two is not bad so actually I am glad there were extra spots. Maybe this ten films being nominated isn't bad but you can't tell until more years have passed. Next year could be a travesty though if some films are nominated in the future that don't deserve any recognition. This will definitely make the show more interesting and attention will be paid to little films that would have been shut out if there were only five Best Picture nominations. I also look forward to Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting, should be very funny!
This was a pretty good list of nominations overall. The only light snubs I could see were "The Hangover" for picture but I don't think the Oscars are ready for a big vulgar comedy to be nominated. I did want a nomination for "Crazy Heart" and "Where the Wild Things Are" but that's okay, "Adventureland" is my number one movie so there you go. For acting I would have liked to see Ben Foster for "The Messenger" and Alfred Molina and Peter Sarsgaard for "An Education". The only reason I can see for them to be snubbed was only because "An Education" is a strong women's film and it's the breathtaking Mulligan's movie! So for nominations that could have been a joke this was an actually a good year with no surprises.
I don't know why I have to wake up at 7:00 a.m. to listen to the Oscar nominations! How about have an hour show on television (NBC needs shows to fill that 9 p.m. slot thanks to The Chin) where the nominations are announced. You invite the actors that are pretty much shoo ins to be nominated, feed them, give them drinks. Then we can see how they react when they are nominated. If someone was a shoo in but does not get a nomination we can see them get pissed off. But I woke up so I could hear the nominations like I have since I was a teenager and I was not surprised by any of the nominations for I got 95% of them right. The difference this year is that now there are ten films nominated for Best Picture. This is called "The Dark Knight" rule for with five nominations last year Knight did not make the final five. Now there have been five nominated Best Pictures every year since this all began. This did not need to be fixed because actually Knight would have been nominated but it's slot went to the insufferable "Last Tango With a Nazi" ("The Reader"). The movies that are actually nominated are stuffy, prestige pictures and not big Blockbuster movies. I thought that expanding it to ten would not fix the problem and was ridiculous. What if something like "Star Trek" got nominated? There is a difference between the quality of Trek and The Dark Knight. I was very interested in how these nominations would unfold and actually they didn't do such a bad job. I looked at the ten Best Picture nominees and picked five I am 100% sure would have made it if there were only five slots. I looked at the other five and I actually gave the other five high ratings. Only two movies I had problems with not because they weren't good but because there are others that were better. My number one pick "Adventureland" had no chance of winning a nomination but it was ten times better than the two I had issues with on the Oscar list. So now I will break down each category. Later I will make my picks, issue a little challenge and have a contest. So without further delay...
Best Supporting Actor
1.) Matt Damon-Invictus
2.) Woody Harrelson-The Messenger
3.) Christopher Plummer-The Last Station
4.) Stanley Tucci-The Lovely Bones
5.) Christoph Waltz-Inglorious Basterds
I have not seen Plummer yet in The Last Station so I can't comment on him yet but he can't be better than Waltz? That is my pick because the Academy loves that juicy villain part and a first time screen actor who makes a Wow! impact. He is the best of that bunch though Harrelson is a close second because I love him and his performance was powerful. Tucci doesn't belong and Damon does because Damon's accent is flawless and he is damn good here. The Academy loves him and they should! Waltz is my pick.
Best Supporting Actress
1.) Penelope Cruz-Nine
2.) Vera Farmiga-Up In The Air
3.) Maggie Gyllenhaal-Crazy Heart
4.) Anna Kendrick-Up In The Air
5.) Monique-Precious
"Which of these 5 don't belong with the others?" Sorry I was flipping through channels and caught some "Sesame Street". I don't know why Penelope Cruz is on this list for the crappy "Nine" but I guess her sexy dance turned the men on. I guess when you spread your legs on screen and bump and grind you can get a nomination. So it is a four women race and it is no contest. Monique is earth shattering in her performance as the abusive Mom in "Precious" and will win and deserves it. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a close second and I am falling in love with her and I have been wanting this nomination more than anyone because she was so good here with Jeff Bridges. Also I want to see Vera Farmiga walk up on stage because she could be the sexiest woman on the planet. She was very good as was Anna Kendrick in "Up In The Air" and they were very equal to Clooney. Kendrick gives that first time Wow! impact performance but Monique shocked everyone because she was mostly known as a comedienne and people didn't know Ms. Thing could act! This is the strongest category of all the nominations. let's give it to everyone and Cruz can present it to them. Though this is Monique's race to lose!
Best Actor
1.) Jeff Bridges-Crazy Heart
2.) George Clooney-Up In The Air
3.) Colin Firth-A Single Man
4.) Morgan Freeman-Invictus
5.) Jeremy Renner-The Hurt Locker
This is another strong list but if you read my blog you know what side I am on. Jeff Bridges is I'm afraid miles and miles ahead of everyone here and most of these actors give the best performances of their careers! If Bridges wasn't here it would be Clooney a shoo in to win for this is his best performance of his career! Colin Firth shed his usual delivery mannerisms to give his best performance of his career. Morgan Freeman is amazing and he is Nelson Mandela and his performance is perfection. Jeremy Renner was an actor in mostly small roles until Locker and he is great and will get leading roles now! From "Dahmer" to "The Hurt Locker" there would be no great movie there without Renner's performance. Jeff Bridges though is flawless and amazing and this under appreciated actor will finally get his due and people in the Academy love him!
Best Actress
1.) Sandra Bullock-The Blind Side
2.) Helen Mirren-The Last Station
3.) Carey Mulligan-An Education
4.) Gabourey Sidibe-Precious
5.) Meryl Streep-Julie & Julia
I love this list of actresses for they are such wonderful ladies that deserve this recognition. Of course Meryl Streep was brilliant as Julia Child as was Freeman as Mandela. She was nominated for the right movie here instead of "It's Complicated". I love Sandra Bullock and next to Streep she would give the most kick ass acceptance speech. This wonderful human being is a sweetheart and she is so good in "The Blind Side"! I have not yet seen Mirren but she is a great actress so I am sure she deserved it. That brings me to the two newcomers who make the best debut performances I have ever seen. Carey Mulligan is the second coming of Audrey Hepburn and she is graceful and strong in "An Education". She will I think look the most beautiful in her dress at the ceremony and will look stunning! We might be seeing a major star exploding before our eyes. Gabby Sidibe is so powerful and strong in "Precious" If you see Gabby on talk shows she lights up the room and has such a upbeat and happy persona. Now you watch her performance in "Precious" which is brave and downbeat and you will see an amazing performance and actress. Bullock will win but Mulligan and Sidibe are equal to her performance!
Best Director
1.) James Cameron-Avatar
2.) Kathryn Bigelow-The Hurt Locker
3.) Quentin Tarantino-Inglorious Basterds
4.) Lee Daniels-Precious
5.) Jason Reitman-Up In The Air
With ten films being nominated for Best Picture, picking five directors would be hard but I like this list. It is going to be a battle between the ex husband and wife in Cameron and Bigelow. Bigelow won the Director's Guild award so she will win here and only Cameron has an outside chance. He has already won so Bigelow will be the first woman to win Best Director and that makes me very happy! I was worried Daniels wouldn't be nominated but he was and if he didn't get nominated it would be a crime. Basterds is my favorite movie that was nominated so I would love to see Quentin win but he should have won already for "Pulp Fiction". Jason Reitman is becoming an assured and great director and he will be nominated again and again in the future. Bigelow will win and and women will rule!
Best Picture
1.) Avatar
2.) The Blind Side
3.) District 9
4.) An Education
5.) The Hurt Locker
6.) Inglorious Basterds
7.) Precious
8.) A Serious Man
9.) Up
10.) Up In The Air
So Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Up In The Air and Precious would be my picks for nominations if there were only five. This is an easy list to make that guess because "District 9" is a genre film and science fiction movie and they rarely get nominated. "An Education" was more about performance, "Up" will win Best Animated film so it would not have been nominated. "The Blind Side" would be this year's "The Dark Knight" and "A Serious Man" is too small and independent of a contender. For me "The Blind Side" and "A Serious Man" don't belong but not that they weren't great, they were just not Oscar caliber. Two is not bad so actually I am glad there were extra spots. Maybe this ten films being nominated isn't bad but you can't tell until more years have passed. Next year could be a travesty though if some films are nominated in the future that don't deserve any recognition. This will definitely make the show more interesting and attention will be paid to little films that would have been shut out if there were only five Best Picture nominations. I also look forward to Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting, should be very funny!
This was a pretty good list of nominations overall. The only light snubs I could see were "The Hangover" for picture but I don't think the Oscars are ready for a big vulgar comedy to be nominated. I did want a nomination for "Crazy Heart" and "Where the Wild Things Are" but that's okay, "Adventureland" is my number one movie so there you go. For acting I would have liked to see Ben Foster for "The Messenger" and Alfred Molina and Peter Sarsgaard for "An Education". The only reason I can see for them to be snubbed was only because "An Education" is a strong women's film and it's the breathtaking Mulligan's movie! So for nominations that could have been a joke this was an actually a good year with no surprises.
Monday, February 1, 2010
'Edge Of Darkness'
'Edge Of Darkness' (R) **1/2
Writers: Wliiam Monahan and Andrew Bovall based on TV miniseries by Troy Kennedy Martin
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone, Bojana Nobakovic
Mel Gibson has not acted since "Signs" in 2002. He has directed two fine films since that time but it is really good to see him back as his old Mad Mel self. I just wish that his comeback movie had a little more grit and tension. This is a nice little thriller that is sort of a riff on those old "B Pictures" of the 40's. Those little revenge thrillers where the protagonist has to get revenge on those that killed a loved one. He also has to race against time because a certain obstacle is put in his way that might cause death. Gibson plays a father who is a Boston cop whose daughter is gunned down and he thinks the bullets were meant for him. The movie then turns into a little conspiracy thriller as he finds out his daughter was up to more than he thought. Mel Gibson is very good at playing the grieving, revengeful father and there are some sudden, good kills and and a slew of bad guys. I liked the acting in particular by Ray Winstone and Danny Huston, who should play a villain in almost every movie. The problem with me is the movie is kind of dull, slow and plodding in the beginning. The movie doesn't gain real tension until half way in. This is not supposed to be a big, sprawling Hitchcockian thriller but should have been like last year's "Taken" with Liam Neeson that was much better at working on our revenge palette. Mel Gibson is really good at this kind of role and I like his weather beaten face that has aged well but the movie was just okay for me. I must say it would be good if you were at home flipping channels and came across this and watched if you couldn't sleep. You would say that you were glad you caught it and that it was pretty good. You wouldn't remember it a few days later though so I think maybe this is a rental on a rainy day, not worth paying $11 for.
Writers: Wliiam Monahan and Andrew Bovall based on TV miniseries by Troy Kennedy Martin
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Huston, Ray Winstone, Bojana Nobakovic
Mel Gibson has not acted since "Signs" in 2002. He has directed two fine films since that time but it is really good to see him back as his old Mad Mel self. I just wish that his comeback movie had a little more grit and tension. This is a nice little thriller that is sort of a riff on those old "B Pictures" of the 40's. Those little revenge thrillers where the protagonist has to get revenge on those that killed a loved one. He also has to race against time because a certain obstacle is put in his way that might cause death. Gibson plays a father who is a Boston cop whose daughter is gunned down and he thinks the bullets were meant for him. The movie then turns into a little conspiracy thriller as he finds out his daughter was up to more than he thought. Mel Gibson is very good at playing the grieving, revengeful father and there are some sudden, good kills and and a slew of bad guys. I liked the acting in particular by Ray Winstone and Danny Huston, who should play a villain in almost every movie. The problem with me is the movie is kind of dull, slow and plodding in the beginning. The movie doesn't gain real tension until half way in. This is not supposed to be a big, sprawling Hitchcockian thriller but should have been like last year's "Taken" with Liam Neeson that was much better at working on our revenge palette. Mel Gibson is really good at this kind of role and I like his weather beaten face that has aged well but the movie was just okay for me. I must say it would be good if you were at home flipping channels and came across this and watched if you couldn't sleep. You would say that you were glad you caught it and that it was pretty good. You wouldn't remember it a few days later though so I think maybe this is a rental on a rainy day, not worth paying $11 for.
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