Okay....maybe I was wrong

I know that I said that this would be the year of he animated movie, and I haven't fully backed off that idea yet, but it is beginning to look like it may be a big year for another genre: the intelligent Sci-Fi film. Over the past 15 years or so there have been a slew of big Hollywood science fiction movies that, while fun, were nothing to write home about (Independence Day, Transformers, Men in Black, among many others) with only a handful really standing out as truly great film making (The FIRST Matrix, I, Robot, Wall-E). In the past, films like Alien, Total Recall, and The Thing, among others, showed that just because a movie is about creatures from another planet or futuristic worlds doesn't mean it has to be completely stupid. However, this year has already given us three films that will undoubtedly be at the top of many critics lists at the end of the year: the brilliant rebirth of Star Trek, the low-key Moon (which I STILL haven't seen), and an "alien-invasion" movie that might just be the best alien movie since, well....Aliens!

In newcomer Neill Blomkamps District 9, an alien ship essentially "runs out of gas" above Johannesburg, South Africa. The extra-terrestrials, derogatorily known as "prawns", aboard the ship are extremely malnourished and are put into slums blocked off from any interaction with the outside world. The creatures are heavily monitored and guarded by a group called MNU, headed up by a brilliant, if somewhat naive, desk-worker named Wikus Van De Merwe (played perfectly by relatively unknown actor Sharlto Copley).

I don't want to say much after that because the movie throws so many different turns at you that it is best to be completely surprised. A mix of mockumentary-style interviews and straight-ahead hand-held sci-fi action, you very quickly realize that this movie is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill "aliens=bad; humans=good" summer flick. This is a bold piece of science fiction art that should go down as one of the most original, exciting, breath-taking and down-right great alien movies in film history. BAM! Said it....

Oh, and I also saw Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (which I have nothing to say about whatsoever...except that it is one of the most pointless things I have ever had the displeasure of looking at) and Funny People. The latter, like District 9, is also original and not what you would expect from a Hollywood summer blockbuster. And while it is a funny and interesting look at comedians in show business, it is also kinda long and somewhat monotonous. SO DON'T BE A MORON! GO SEE DISTRICT 9! FUNNY PEOPLE WILL SOON BE A DOLLAR AT REDBOX, PEOPLE!

I have a theory...

I saw the new Star Trek. By far the best movie I have seen this year so far. I saw it with a group of friends and family, and as I was watching it I kept thinking, "Hmm, there's no way anyone else likes this movie...It's too loud, Hollywood, and sci-fi, right?" But to my surprise, everyone else loved it as well. In fact, everyone I have talked to has loved it. The casting was impeccable, with especially awesome turns by Zachary Quinto as a young Spock and Simon Pegg as Scotty. The plot was nearly flawless, perfectly connecting this new group with the classic 60's television cast. It was campy and funny, exciting and fast, smart and provoking. What more could one ask for in a summer blockbuster based on one of America's few great fables?

My theory is that everyone likes (or will like) Star Trek. It doesn't matter if you have tons of knowledge or no knowledge on any of the past "Star Trek" TV series or movies (although if you really wanna see some clever connections between this new series and the old, at least watch Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan). It is enjoyable from the first frame to the applause-worthy ending.

Have you seen it? Yes? Did you like it? Of course you did. And if you didn't....man, then I just don't know what to say. Go see that Beyonce movie Obsessed, I guess. You will probably like that....tool

Favorite 90's Movies!

Ahh, yes! The decade that I grew up in, which of course places it in a special position in my heart. Playing Super Nintendo, listening to Boyz II Men, wearing giant Jnco jeans with the little cartoons on them, walking around quoting Ace Ventura....those were the days.





Here are my favorite movies from that wonderful decade:

10. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) (Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sanchez) - Three twenty-something film students go into the woods to make a documentary about a witch legend in a small-town. One of the scariest movies ever in my opinion. If you like classy, atmospheric, NON-GORY horror movies, this is a must. Some of the acting is pretty bad, but the idea of making a mockumentary into a horror classic is awesome. OH! And guess what?! This is the first time I have ever put a Razzie winner on my top ten list! (If you don't know what that is, let me know and I will tell you.) FAVORITE SCENE: Nothing can top the ending, but I also love when we find out what happened to their map. CAUTION: R for lots of F-words and some extremely scary scenes...but if you can handle the language, their is no sex or gory violence.

9. FACE/OFF (1997) (John Woo) - A brilliant criminal (Nicholas Cage AND John Travolta) and an about-to-be-retired investigator (Nicholas Cage AND John Travolta) switch faces and lives in order to destroy each others'. Won a technical Oscar. Before you scream, "WHAT?!", let me explain: within the genre of over-the-top, fantastical action movies that are unapologetically stupid, there is none better. I can't wait to find out what you guys have to say about this one. FAVORITE SCENE: When the "criminal" wakes up in the hospital to find out what has happened...and decides to seek revenge. So awesome! CAUTION: R - Lots of violence, some bad language...I think that was it.

8. THAT THING YOU DO! (1996) (Tom Hanks) - A sixties garage band's rise from small-town group to number-one-on-the-chart superstars. Nominated for musical Oscar. Okay, so this may be a somewhat nostalgic pick, but I could watch this movie everyday. It is so funny, the music is great, the acting is perfectly natural, and Steve Zahn is a comedic genius. If you get the chance, find a video and watch Tom Hanks talk about this film, which he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in; he has such a love for the material and it shines through in brilliant harmony on film. FAVORITE SCENE: "There he goes, off to write that hit song, 'Alone in My Principles'." CAUTION: PG for language...nothing real bad.

7. JURASSIC PARK (1993) (Steven Spielberg) - A rich white man finds a way to clone real dinosaurs from mosquito blood, and in turn decides to open a makeshift zoo for people to come see his prehistoric creations...UH-OH! BAD IDEA! 3 technical Oscar nominations. Wow! this must have been the decade to make outrageously dumb ideas into AMAZING movies! You've probably seen this, and if you haven't...well, do! FAVORITE SCENE: I will always love the shot of just the water glass on the dash rippling from the T-Rex steps. CAUTION: PG-13 for scary violence involving fake animals.

6. THE SANDLOT (1993) (David M. Evans) - A story of growing up, being part of a small-town little league baseball team, and the awkwardness of being "the new kid"...and there's a big dog, too. If you haven't seen this since it first came out, you should really check it out again. In some ways it is like Stand By Me on a baseball diamond...and slightly more kid-friendly. A great story that doesn't fit the sports-movie cliche's. FAVORITE SCENE: The giant erector set construction that was supposed to get the ball out of the big dogs backyard. CAUTION: PG for language...and the kids chew tobacco at one point, but it is all but glorified.

5. THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) (Joel Coen) - The story is much too complex to explain in one sentence...but ultimately its about a White-Russian-loving pothead (Jeff Bridges) who wants to get reimbursed for his urine-stained rug. Some of the best one-liners in history. There is a toss-up in my opinion over what is the Coen Brothers best film: this one, No Country, or O Brother. There is definitely some stuff in this film that is unnecessary, but the brilliant relationships between The Dude (Bridge), Walter (John Goodman), and their cohorts and enemies is undeniably perfect. FAVORITE SCENE: When Walter realizes he is clubbing the wrong car. CAUTION: Extreme caution! Strong R for drug use, nudity, sexual innuendos, lots of language, and some violence.

4. TOY STORY (1995) (John Lasseter) - A couple of action figures (Tim Allen, Tom Hanks) with the same "kid" must learn to get along and find their way back home. 3 Oscar nominations, including best original screenplay. The movie that started not only Pixar, but the entire CGI animated genre. But it is an important movie for more reasons than that. Pixar has always said that story is the most important part of a film, and everything else comes second. This idea is apparent throughout this flawless kids film. FAVORITE SCENE: I love the conversation Buzz and Woody have under the car at the gas station. Great deliveries from both Allen and Hanks.

3. A FEW GOOD MEN (1992) (Rob Reiner) - A young JAG lawyer (Tom Cruise) takes on the most difficult case of his life when two guys are charged with the killing of a weaker recruit. Won four Oscars, including best actor (Jack Nicholson) and best picture. I have watched this movie three times in the last six months and have seen something new in it each time. The acting all around, from Nicholson to Cruise (even Kevin Bacon), was impeccable...and I am a sucker for a good courtroom drama...and this is one of the best. FAVORITE SCENE: Cruise's character snatching the book from Bacon's character in court in order to prove a point. CAUTION: R purely for language. Fairly safe for 13 and up.

2. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993) (Steven Spielberg) - The true story of a factory owner (Liam Neeson) who hires Jews during the Holocaust in order to protect them from Auschwitz. 12 Oscar nominations, 7 wins: including best picture, director, adapted screenplay. Crazy long, somewhat depressing...absolutely perfect in every way. From the acting and directing, to the story telling and the mood, I have never been so completely entranced in a film and a character like Schindler. FAVORITE SCENE: It's hard to pick a "favorite" scene from a film like this, but the scene of Schindler breaking down in the street after saving all of his employees. CAUTION: R - very rough and realistic; violent, harsh language, sexuality/nudity.

1. GOODFELLAS (1990) (Martin Scorsese) - The true story (again) of a man (Ray Liotta) and his rise from young Mafia assistant to the head of a Mob crime family. 6 Oscar nominations and one win for Best Supporting Actor for the unforgettable Joe Pesci. Here's a shocker for you guys: I think Goodfellas is better than The Godfather. The pacing is superior and it holds up over time much better. Not to mention it does not in any way glorify the Mafia lifestyle, whereas The Godfather series kind of does...by the way, I think The Godfather is a brilliant film and I own a copy of it. But Goodfellas is entertaining, thought-provoking, and awesome. BOOM! FAVORITE SCENE: Pesci's character doesn't like the new young bartender hackin' on him in front of his buddies...CAUTION: Strong R - Violence and language.

RUNNER'S UP:
A League of Their Own (1992), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The Movie (1996), Benny and Joon (1993), Ransom (1996)

Also, here are my runner's up in each category...HEY, ten years is a long time! Lots of movies came out! Get off my case!

COMEDY:
Clueless (1995), What About Bob (1991), Office Space (1999), Houseguest (1995), Liar Liar (1997)

ACTION/ADVENTURE:
Fight Club (1999), The Matrix (1999), Total Recall (1990), Air Force One (1997), Twister (1996)

ANIMATION:
South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999), Aladdin (1992), A Goofy Movie (1995), The Lion King (1994), The Iron Giant (1999)

DRAMAS:
Man on the Moon (1999), Sling Blade (1996), Good Will Hunting (1998), Quiz Show (1994), The Truman Show (1998)

HORROR:
The Sixth Sense (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Stir of Echoes (1999)

Watchmen!

This is going to be a short blog. Here are the pros and cons of the much anticipated, highest grossing, new superhero movie, Watchmen:

PROS:

-Zack Snyder's cool flair for visuals

-The faithfulness to the book

-Jackie Earl Haley as "Rorschach" and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as "The Comedian"

-Great story with a killer ending

CONS:

-ALMOST 3 FREAKIN' HOURS LONG! (Should've been broken up into a couple of movies like LOTR or the final Harry Potter)

-(WARNING: slight exaggeration ahead!) 2 and a half hours of that was wasted on a unnessecarily long and somewhat silly sex scene

-Malin Akerman as "Silk Spectre II" and Patrick Wilson as "Nite Owl II" (man, they were awful)

-Unless you've read the book, some of the subtleties of character development and shot choices may be lost on a few people; again, if split into a few movies more time could've been spent on these things

CONCLUSION: Read the book, which is absolutely phenomenal; then watch the movie purely to see the scenes come to life, some of which were taken directly from the panels in the graphic novel.

Speaking of which, what is your favorite movie based on a book? Did you read the book, or did you just see the movie like an uncultured swine?

Movies I've Seen Recently

I just saw The Wrestler this past month, and I gotta say, that movie was....okay. Don't get me wrong, Mickey Rourke's performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson", a down-on-his-luck has-been professional wrestler, was probably the best leading male performance of the year (the Oscars were wrong as usual). Also, the behind the scenes stuff of the underground wrestling world (which I didn't even know existed) was really interesting and engaging. Even the story itself was redemptive and satisfying. But as for the execution...I don't know. It could be that all the blatant drug use, sex, nudity, etc. made the film less appealing and more generic. However I think blame has to lie with director Darren Aronofsky. All too often I found myself loving characters when I wasn't "supposed to", or giving up hope in certain situations when I ended up feeling relieved. It was like a roller coaster ride of emotions...but not a fun, smooth roller coaster ride, but one where it's so slow that each twist, drop, and turn throws me out of whack and begging to be taken off....hmm, maybe it wasn't that bad. Anyways, rent it when it comes out if purely for Rourke's performance, which is incredible. But be careful, it may make you squeemish.

So maybe the first movie I saw in the new year wasn't the best, but this next movie could end up being one of my favorite's of the whole year. Coraline is the story of a little girl who is moved to a boring new home in a boring new town where each night her dreams bring her what she THINKS she wants out of life. However, the dreams start seeming like more than just dreams and what she thinks she wants turns out to be not so pleasant. Oh man! This movie was soooooooo freakin' good! I loved every second of it! The "dream" sequences were quirky and dark (as dir. Henry Selick's films, like Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach, tend to be), presenting an alternate-universe version of Coraline's actual parents, home, and neighbors. And the coolest part is that it was shot COMPLETELY in stop-motion animation and 3-D. And this is not MarineLand 3-D where little fish swim at you for no apparent reason. There were little-to-no blatant 3-D shots where a stick is poked toward the camera or something stupid. It was all beautifully atmospheric and captivating, making you feel like you are actually a part of Coraline's world. BEWARE THOUGH, PARENTS! This should NOT have been PG. It is very dark, very scary, and there is an awkward old lady with big boobs that bounce around pretty much uncovered except for a shell-like pasty. It's funny, but probably too much for kids. But anyone into weird fantasy movies, GO SEE IT NOW! IN 3D!

Last year was the year of the Superhero Movie. I think this year will be the year of the animated movie, with Pixar's Up, the Tim Burton produced 9, Dreamworks Monsters Vs. Aliens, Disney's star-studded A Christmas Carol, and another Ice Age movie all being released. What do you think? Am I right, or am I right?

By the way, shameless plug: if you live in Jacksonville, go to http://www.imfromduval.com/, which is written by my friend Eric Dennis. The funniest Jacksonville-based blog on the planet.

Movies I Saw in September, 2008

Wow! I really slacked off this month! School and Money are destroying my movie-going abilities. I only saw ONE movie in September! I missed some classics (Lakeview Terrace...oh, Mr. Jackson, how you never fail to amaze me!)and there were some indie movies playing at Beach Regal that I missed (Transsiberian, Tell No One), so I am going to add something new (SURPRISE) that hopefully become a staple: I am going to list some random movies that you should rent, some of which you may not be familiar with, so you can have some ideas the next time you are at your movie renting place of choice.

BURN AFTER READING (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen) Very funny, Oddly violent, Supremely Coen-esque! A computer disk containing the memoirs of an ex-CIA agent (John Malkovich) is left at a small gym, where two employees (Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand) think they have found a top-secret government item, leading them to make failed attempts of bribery and espionage. This is a multi-layered satire on CIA thrillers and the people who get too involved. Brad Pitt is getting a lot of well-deserved praise for his role as Chad Feldheimer, a goof-ball health nut who thinks life is one big game, but everyone in this is perfectly cast. McDormand is an hilariously self-conscious female body-builder, and Malkovich is as good as ever as a foul-mouthed agent who has nothing left to lose. Tilda Swinton, George Clooney, and Richard Jenkins are also very good in a film that hearkens back to Coen Brothers classics Fargo, Lebowski, and even No Country. It's not for everyone (parts of the violence will immediately ruin the movie for some), but if you like quirky, slightly complex plots shown in a surprisingly light manner, then see it! FAVORITE SCENE: The ending of the movie is perfect. I won't tell you why, but I will say that some I talked with hated the ending. The Coen Brothers have a knack for polarizing people at the end of their films.

RENTALS!

Grace is Gone (2008)- John Cusack plays a man who loses his wife to the Iraq war, and takes his daughters on a road trip to cope.

A Few Good Men (1992)- A classic court-room drama, starring Tom Cruise (before he went crazy) and Jack Nicholson (who has always been crazy), with impeccable acting and a brilliant script.

Fletch (1985)- Chevy Chase's best movie, in my opinion, in which he plays Fletch, a journalist who has a knack for creating secret identities.

Movies I Saw in July, 2008

So I only saw three new movies this month, and missed a couple I REALLY wanted to see (Meet Dave, Space Chimps). I wish this blog could be more precise, and I wish I could see some more of the limited release films (Boy A, Baghead), but I will do what I can with what I have.

WANTED (Timur Bekmambetov) ***1/2 - A young man named Wesley (James McAvoy), who is tired of his boring life as an office worker, learns that his dad is a professional assassin who was killed by an opposing group, and now he must avenge his father's death. This was a pleasant surprise for me. The previews made it look really stupid (curving a bullet?) and I heard only negative reviews from my friends (sorry, Katie and Christina), but if you like the idea of the Wachowski Brothers doing a Tarrantino film, then you might actually like this. Morgan Freeman is always the man, and it's fun to see him do an intense role. And my mom loved McAvoy, so what else do you need to know?! My only beef was the magical loom...you just have to see it. FAVORITE SCENE: Wesley hits a guy in the face with a computer keyboard, and the letters fly off the board, along with a tooth, in slow motion, spelling a certain "colorful" phrase...

THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan) ****1/2 - The Batman (Christian Bale) must fight an enemy he isn't prepared for in The Joker (Heath Ledger), while James Gordon (Gary Oldman) and new District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) help him to bring down the seemingly untouchable underbelly of Gotham City. What can I say about this superhero masterpiece that you don't already know. This is probably my favorite film of the year so far. It is, without question, the best live-action Batman movie ever made (other than Batman and Robin...hahaha, but seriously, Joel Schumacher, what drugs were you on?). Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, Michael Caine as Alfred, and Oldman give top notch performances. Nolan's directing is as dark and scary as ever, which is how Batman should be. And, finally, Ledger...it's hard to describe how incredible his portrayal of the best villain ever created is. He is so sinister and believable, it is no wonder that it helped to lead him to his untimely death. Give him the Oscar! FAVORITE SCENE: Hard to choose, but I might have to go with Batman and Joker's confrontation in the interrogation room.

STEP BROTHERS (Adam McKay) ** - Two forty-year-old men (Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly) who still live at home are forced to move in with each other when their single parents decide to get married. Dear Mr. Ferrell, Remember when you were actually funny for an entire movie? I miss those days. Sincerely, The Human Race. I really wanted to like this, and I did like it for the first half hour or so, but eventually I just got bored and sleepy. The writing towards the end seemed to get lazy and didn't live up to the laughs at the beginning (A long fart joke? Really?). FAVORITE SCENE: I did like when Ferrell's character sang for Reilly's character for the first time. I will never hear "Something to Talk About" the same way again.