The Winter Soldier

I'm not going to review a movie that's eviscerated April box office records. It's good. Just see it. You'll love it. 

More convincing? Really? Scarlett Johansson. Samuel Jackson and Robert Redford. That dude that helped ruin The Hurt Locker. 

Honestly, the politically driven story line make this film as nearly accurate as The Newsroom. But with guns. Big brother, the NSA, "...carry a big stick" and hegemony are all topics closely covered and all orchestrated admirably. 

And Cobie Smulders!

See it. Add to the growing record. 

Wes Anderson is back!

Wes Anderson has long been a cult hero beginning with Bottle Rocket and reinvigorating that status with a new title every two years or so. Moonrise Kingdom blew him to new heights and I was personally quite crestfallen to see him lose to Tarantino at last year's Oscars. Grand Budapest Hotel won't take him to the same heights though it's a guaranteed good time.

GBH features near all members of the old crew (minus near everyone in the Royal Tenenbaums) with the addition of Ralph Feinnes who is extraordinary. He will not win an Oscar for this, though I believe he should gain a nod. The supporting cast - all big time actors in their own right - each had a very specific role and piece to the story and all are executed flawlessly. My one gripe is that so many of them made mere cameo appearances rather than becoming significant members of the story - seemingly done so to satiate fans of the Anderson franchise or check the "appear-in-a-Wes-Anderson-film" off the bucket list. In this regard, Grand Budapest Hotel felt less solid than, say, Moonrise Kingdom or Darjeeling. More of a caricature.

Then again, maybe that was the point. The story and these supporting characters all played their roles with such ridiculously hilarious flair. More importantly, each actor looked as if they were having a great deal of fun, which makes it that much more fun to watch. Apart from them, Jude Law, F. Murray Abraham and especially Tony Revolori, making his major film debut as Zero, The GBH Lobby Boy, all made wonderful and memorable performances.

And perhaps that is the difference between Grand Budapest Hotel and Anderson's previous works: GBH is a lighter, care-free version. The others will make viewers feel something beyond laughter - that may not be so in this. I personally loved Grand Budapest Hotel and could watch it ten times over. I wouldn't say I learned anything about myself however, beyond wanting to see what other antics Fiennes' character M. Gustave could get into. Still, this is an Anderson movie at its core and one of the very best. One that will appear to the cult following and widespread fans alike. Check it out.

8/10

You're worried about the Ayatollah? Try the WGA.

A friend in the know once told me The Oscars was the Superbowl for the gays. Whelp, call me what you will but tomorrow night I'll be yelling at the TV louder than when Manning botched Superbowl XVIII last month. Rather than acknowledging the elephant in the room (lack of posts over the past three years) I'm going to jump right into it.

BEST PICTURE  

12 Years a Slave. Hands down. Nothing has come close to a powerhouse of emotion and shame than did Schindler's list 20 years ago. The cast, the direction, the production and the story told a tale that has never been effectively told. Plan B did well and deserves top accolades. Now, if only the same was true for WWZ. 

Honorable Mention: Her and Gravity. Spike Jonze created a world that was technically science fiction although there was nothing unnatural about the relationship that existed between man and machine. I was touched and found myself comparing real relationships to those portrayed on screen. More often than not, those in Her were far more ideal. As for Gravity, Cuaron created something beautiful for sure - but only in sight and sound. Still, this leads to the next mention... 

BEST DIRECTOR

Alfonso Cuaron. Most of us will never go Space. Gravity may give a fledgling idea of what it may be like. Cuaron partnered with a company to design a new alternating quad camera to create the feeling of weightlessness for the viewers. That company has since been bought by Google. The only other film comparable to the total-body-invested-white-knuckle ride to be had in the seat of a theatre showing Gravity was Avatar. And that was four years ago. Four years that have seen monumental achievement. 

Honorable Mention: Steve McQueen for 12 Years a Slave. I had never walked out of a theater feeling such love for others and horrible at the same time. McQueen deserves to win. He won't. But he deserves to. 

BEST ACTOR

Matthew McConaughey. The master of RomComs created a man who will be remembered more than any other character this year. McConaughey reportedly lost 40 pounds, along with completely rebranding himself and what he was perceived to be capable of. Gone are the days of Rick Peck, David Wooderson and all those date movies with Kate Hudson. I cannot recall as significant a transformation since Charlize Theron in Monster ten years ago or that of the late Heath Ledger five years ago. 

BEST ACTRESS

Cate Blanchett. I didn't see it so, though I'm not going to comment based on other commentary I've read, I will say this is what is going to happen. 

Honorable Mention: Judi Dench. I would like to point out she is turning 80 this year and has received 7 Oscar nominations and one win after turning 60. That is all. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jared Leto. All the same reasons as McConaughey. There is a scene in Dallas Buyers Club where McConaughey's Ron stands up for Leto's Rayon in a grocery store. Rayon gives Ron a smile full of so much love and truth and honesty - the kind that comes from an admirer looking at her knight in shining armor. You see this and think, "But wait, isn't that Jared Leto? The guy who was in Requiem for a Dream and 30 Seconds to Mars?" This incredible scene stealing was common throughout the film and was undoubtedly the best performance given by any actor - lead or supporting - in 2013. 

Honorable Mention: Michael Fassbender. Pure, raw evil. To compare Schindler's list again, not since Ralph Fiennes character Amon Goeth has there been a villian evoking such hatred and at the same time addicting screen presence. Fassbender isn't really losing to Leto; Leto simply had a better character. 

That said, all nominated supporting actors this year gave near flawless performances (except for one who shall remain nameless). Each one created a unique and layered character filled with such remarkable intricacies. One, Abdi's role in Captain Philips I fear, was so perfect that he may unfortunately be typecast. Again, this year it is about the character more than the performance. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Lupita Nyong'o. She evoked a symbol of destroyed innocence and pain that kept our eyes glued to the screen. And that whipping scene. 

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Frozen. Though I didn't love the movie, the pith of it took a new direction from shallow 'boy meets girl and falls in love based on nothing' to love of family and overcoming differences to keep that blood strong. Progress. And to keep in the spirit of things... 

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

Let it Go. I saw Frozen two months ago and this song still plagues my mind. HERE I STAND AND HERE I STAYYYY. Ridiculous. 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

Saving Mr. Banks. In a word, I would call it 'charmed'. It fit. It was perfect. 

Honorable Mention: Her. In a futuristic world that is typically portrayed with loads of synth and dissonance, Butler and Pallet made this one feel cozy. 

MAKE-UP

Though the favorite for this is Dallas Buyers Club - and rightly so given the make up budget of $250 for the entire film - I'm picking Bad Grandpa for this one. Knoxville was done up so well that people literally two feet in front of him were oblivious. 

COSTUME

The Great Gatsby. This was period cloth that inspired fashion choices in the present. 

SOUND EDITING

Gravity. The sounds of space. What does a drill sound like when the only audible sound is provided by vibrations through your gloves and you're wearing a helmet? 

Honorable Mention: All is Lost. In a film with very little speaking, the sounds really told the story. This movie was snubbed left and right and I truly believe it would have a shot here if it weren't for incomprehensible technicalities in Gravity. 

SOUND MIXING 

Gravity. Because it's space.

VISUAL EFFECTS

Gravity. I mentioned it above: nothing had come close to Avator before Gravity and Cuaron created something light years ahead. 3D had become gimmicky and Cuaron used it to create a new experience. 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Gravity. See Visual Effects. The camera usage and angles truly gave the viewer the feeling they were falling at 17,000 mph. 

FILM EDITING

Gravity. Same.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

The Great Gatsby. Though the film itself was a mess, the design was simply stunning. This may go to Gravity but it belongs here. 

 DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

The Act of Killing. 20 Feet From Stardom is the favorite however the Act of Killing is so much more important.

 DOCUMENTARY SHORT

The favorite is The Lady in Number 6

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

Get a Horse! Disney may as well have defined the original cartoon. This brought back that same magic. 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

Helium, although the favorite is The Voorman Problem, Helium looks to be far more heartwarming. 

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

12 Years a Slave. The real Solomon Northrup, the protagonist of the film, actually wrote the book the film is based upon. This is assured. 

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Her. This story shows, more poignantly than any other, that real love knows no bounds. 

This was truly an amazing year for cinema and near any of the nominations are much deserved of winning. 

...just like Ronnie sang

That little ditty was immortalized by Eddie Money back in arguably the most feel-good, optimistic decade of the United States. The Cold War was coming to an end, the economy was up and the shade/suit combo was in full swing. Take Me Home Tonight has that same sort of 80's air of freshness but fails to accomplish anything meaningful.

To sum up: Topher Grace plays an intelligent, MIT graduate lacking drive to find a job because he doesn't want to fail anything. His fear of failing prevents him from trying anything until he sees a high school crush (Teresa Palmer) and tries to impress her. He does this through lying and making himself up to be something he's not. After accomplishing this, he realizes he must be honest with himself and her. She leaves but then he steps up and gains confidence and the girl. Yahoo. It's a standard feel good movie.

The problem, however, is that emotions heighten and fall too quickly (this all happens in the span of about 12 hours), there's very little character development outside of Topher Grace, and there is a lot going on that has nothing to do with the main plot, e.g. the subplot of Anna Farris and Chris Pratt getting married (kinda funny cause they're married in real life?) didn't really help the rest of the movie out and actually left some questions at the end.

More than that nothing seemed honest. Not just the character interactions but the actors themselves. The acting just wasn't very good. Even if it was, the conditions under which all this was happening didn't make sense. All the characters were supposed to be just out of college, MAYBE a year. Topher Grace is almost 33 years old. He was great playing basically the same character back in That 70's Show but here it just doesn't feel right. His twin sister is played by the almost 35 year old Anna Farris. Dan Fogler is the same age. They're all great actors but just didn't fit in these roles. [Ok, ok, Theresa Palmer, Topher Grace's love interest is 25. It fits. Whatever.] Further, all characters in the movie were interacting like they were older than 22-23, talking about international travel and world currency, but at the same time having dance offs and switching into amateur mode when the time was right.

The entire movie just didn't feel right. All in all it was good but not great; a fun, light hearted, underdog-gets-the girl-and-becomes-top-dog movie. Given the actors and humor however it should have come out 5-6 years ago. There were some good one liners but for the most part the humor wasn't there. Catch it on HBO on a late Saturday night after you've had some drinks.

6/10

Oh, also, I saw the movie Hall Pass the weekend it came out but didn't feel it was worthy of a full post. Garbage. Don't fund it. Anyone that has over a year to come up with a movie idea could make something better than Hall Pass. Some critic said it was better than Me, Myself and Irene. Sir, there was nothing in it that even came close to "You keep fuckin' around and you gonna get that scholarship to Yale taken away. End up at Stanford with a muthafuckin' sling blade." No, this was down there with Stuck on You which was about as cool as Communist Russia. Damn you Farrelly brothers.

Quote of the Week:

"No it's not like Horse!"

A beautiful tale

So the other night when I laid out Oscar picks I threw down the Gauntlet and said Colin Firth would get it for Best Actor. While I still think Firth delivered a grand, memorable performance and the hoity-toity folk that comprise the Academy will send the Golden Man his way, it's no doubt that Javier Bardiem makes a justifiable case for his performance in Biutiful. (and hey! Canne's thinks so too! [see below])

Unless you live in Spain, Mexico, New York or L.A. you haven't heard much about this film, much less seen it - it's only garnered $2 mil domestically since it came out a month ago. (Meanwhile Justin Bieber: Never say never made that and another mil on Friday (2/18) alone; all according to BoxOfficeMojo.com). If you've never heard of it, I'm telling you about it now. If you have heard about it and are on the fence to see it, just see it. If not for the powerful story of a man trying to do the most good for those around him then see it for the best lead performance and direction of the year.

As the story begins, Bardiem plays Uxbal, a poor businessman, role model, father and literally, a poor man. He soon finds out he doesn't have long to live and attempts to change his life around the best he can. Unfortunately, his deeds indirectly worsen the lives of those he cares about even more than if he had done nothing. This includes the deportation of a friend, the physical and emotional pain of his children and even the sudden, unintentional deaths of innocent migrants. This is NOT a rainy Saturday afternoon feel-good movie. It is a portrayal of a man's struggle to repent and the realistic consequences he must conquer. The direction of Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu - the camera angles, moments and breaks, the creation of creepy off center actions and clues - make the viewer feel they're in the spiraling mind of Uxbal in stylistic, almost grotesque fashion.

Check it out.

Rift

Forgive me readers, for I have left you and my partner in cinema sleuthing in a world of silver screen oblivion. It has been 579 days since my last post. You can thank that steaming pile of cow dung (figuratively speaking), The Hurt Locker, for that one. After hearing about an Oscar nod I had to Obi-Wan it for a year and a half and hang out in bed-bug infested Manhattan movie theatre seats to reinforce my faith in quality cinema. Now I'm back like Renton trying to get a fix and some Kelly Macdonald.

I digress. Though some have said this year has been lackluster in movie magic, I say it's been Fantasia. Just think: Inception, The Social Network, The Town, True Grit, Black Swan, The Fighter, 127 Hours, Toy Story 3, Shutter Island, How to Train your Dragon, Get Him to the Greek, and if you're into that sort of thing, Harry Potter 7 Part I. And hey, props to my boy Dwayne Johnson for doing Tooth Fairy. What an interesting career. Anyway, I'll get back to my normal review schedule (once a week!) and drop dimes on the most current sheisse so we can all spend our $6-23 wisely but for now...

It's Oscar time!! There are some movies that I believe should have been nominated (e.g. The Town) and some that should have been taken out (Acting aside, The King's Speech. I'm sorry, but really, he couldn't speak in the beginning and he couldn't speak in the end) but all in all there were some damn good movies out this year. I won't put out long reviews now but here is what I think will be the finalists:

Best Picture: The Social Network

-Sure, Inception was the coolest thing since Neo stopped bullets and yeah, it made viewers question their existence and what they're doing with their lives but The Social Network did it better. The difference? This showed a couple twenty year olds redefining how business is done and the steps taken to construct an empire that is more addicting and has generated more revenue than the crack industry. Yeah, look it up. The Social Network defines our generation more than Kanye West and with better acting, direction and writing (all nominated). It is, without a doubt, the most inspiring film this year and is guaranteed to make you want to change your life for the better - more than Matt Damon's wickid smahwt's film did 13 years ago. Hey, I watched it last night and am writing this today after nearly two years of silence.

Best Actor: Colin Firth

- Despite walking out incredibly underwhelmed with the movie itself, Colin Firth's performance was absolutely remarkable. "In this grave hour fuck fuck fuck perhaps the most fateful in our history bugger shit shit." - Ah', just grand. I have to give a nod to James Franco. Going from "Mmm, so good" in Spider Man 3 to delivering a performance that brought every viewer down into the lonely chasm with him is something none of us saw coming. Give this man the right script and I guarantee he'll win the Golden Man.

Best Actress: Natalie Portman

- This one's easy. Have you seen Black Swan? Go see it. I don't need to explain this. This is a tough role to pull off and she nailed it.

Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale

- Remember in The Dark Knight when you got excited to see Heath Ledger as the Joker? Same sorta thing. Ledger's performance was legendary but Bale's performance is in the same "OMG WHAT'S HE GONNA DO NEXT?!' class. Super fun to watch.

Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo

- There was no other female character this year that was easier to hate and make one cringe than Melissa Leo's portrayal of Alice Ward, the tough-as-a-beaten-coked-up-widowed-mother-of-5-working-in-a-South-Compton-skin-bar-truck-stop mother of Micky and Dicky in The Fighter. Think a Boston trailer trash, blue collar cousin of Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). It was almost hard to believe that she was just an actor that was previously on All My Children. Though it won't, it'd be really great if this went to Hailee Steinfeld. Fourteen years old and killing it almost as dirty as someone with 30 years of experience... like Melissa Leo.

Best Director: David Fincher

- This one is difficult. Both Fincher and Aronovsky have created beautiful works that bring the viewer in more than any other in the past two years. Easy. However, I have never felt the way I did after watching The Social Network. Though some of this can be attributed to Aaron Sorkin, Fincher conjured a story, mood and atmosphere that has and will become the anthem of our generation.

Best Writing directly for the screen: Inception

- Your mind walks into an alley and gets gang banged prison style by the scariest blokes imaginable and when you try to cry uncle and scream to God 'why is this happening?!' you get gagged and blindfolded and it hurts even more. But then you realize you kind of like it. And it may be the best you've ever had. And it may be something you wish you'd never wake from. Christopher Nolan created the perfect metaphor for all our lives in the coolest, most meaningful way imaginable. This screenplay was perfect.

Best Writing Based on a Previous Work: Aaron Sorkin

- Hinted at above, The Social Network is the perfect representation of our generation; it is the sum theme of our society's culture over the past ten years. Further, it's fast paced, thrilling, emotional and above all, inspiring. This will be spark for citizens the world over to kick procrastination in the ribs and realize their potential. Truly a masterpiece.

Chew on that and I'll have more in the coming soon.

"End? This is not the end. Death is just another path, one that we all must take"

Shutter Island

Is it better to live like a monster or die a good man?

Shutter Island is not an easy movie to watch. The acting, as always from Dicaprio, is top notch. The supporting actors are all incredible especially Sir Kingsley. The filming still sees Scorsese at his best.

I did like this film, a lot, BUT not all of it. If you are familiar with the psychological-thriller genre then you know that most of these films suffer the same fatal flaw. . .the ending. Now there are exceptions to this rule: best of all being The Usual Suspects, and the Sixth Sense in a close second. On the opposite side of the spectrum there are films like Identity, which suck donkey balls due to a cop out ending.

Shutter Island sets itself apart due to its great story. Every aspect is engaging and the backstory is fascinating. Scorsese also does a great job of messing with the audience in certain key moments of the film. However, as the end draws near, a too familiar and predictable ending (in my eyes) comes through to fruition but still leaves the audience with something to ponder.

Overall, I'll give Shutter Island a 7.5/10. With a slight ending modification, this would easily warrant a 9.

Hurt me plenty

The Hurt Locker starts out as a balls out war movie following an unconventional bomb specialist but transforms into a liberal mess of crooked plot lines and confusion as to where it's going to end up. Though the acting and action is top notch, the story itself sets out to accomplish more than it can within the time allotted. Even with enough time, the lack of a central plot makes for a movie that seems could have been split into three, or maybe even a mini series.

Kathyn Bigelow (K-19: The Widowmaker) directs a film that runs amok with scenes that seem to have nothing to do with each other or the rest of the story. It seems the only purpose of them all is a higher purpose. The anti-war undertones in The Hurt Locker are painfully unbearable. Whether it's destroying a family back home, killing the chance of having one or even just putting forth the notion that death is in fact bad, The Hurt Locker is a left winger's dream.

This isn't a bad thing, but it isn't a good thing either. Just like that, it makes for a pretty mediocre movie. Check it out, but please don't get caught up in the hype.

5.5/10

In space no one can hear you cry

Moon, currently an 8 theatre release written and directed by Duncan Jones, is less a sci-fi thriller and more a somber tagedy of one man's emotional turmoil brought on by desperate lonliness.

Sam Rockwell plays a lone crew member of a mining platform on the moon. At the start of the film, he has two weeks left in his contract before he is free to see his family back on earth. As events unfold, we see his nearly every reason for living is a lie.

Save for his robotical companion voiced by Kevin Spacey, Rockwell is the only true actor on screen for about 98% of Moon. This is not a slipshod move. Moon is an emotional rollercoaster and Rockwell will hold the viewer's hand to times of laughter and tears, just as Jones intended. He proves time and again that he can act better than most. It won't likely happen with Moon, but mark this reviewer's text, Sam Rockwell will win an Oscar before his career in acting is done.

What's interesting is this movie really could have taken place anywhere. Being that a one-man moon base with a view of Earth is probably the lonliest place a person could go, it gives the ideal setting. That said, the graphics of Moon aren't phenomenal; the moon-base Sarang looks very futuristic and iPod'ish, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before (think 2001: A Space Odyssey). The lunar surface is pretty cool, but not believeable. Again, it's Rockwell's performance that will convey the sad and lonely theme Moon aimed for. This is aided, however, by the music. Clint Mansell created some of the most morose tunes for this movie that have ever been put on a reel. This isn't surprising, he did The Wrestler, The Fountain and Requiem for a Dream. Perhaps Jones will use him in the future just as Aronovsky repeatedley has.

This is NOT a feel good movie. It is however a very good movie that will have you counting your blessings when the credits begin to roll, unless of course you begin to question if those blessings are truly what they seem to be.

9/10

The Hangover

Just go see it, it's good, well, hilarious. Way better than Starsky and Hutch, slightly better than Road Trip not near as good as Old School. Todd Philips really brings people the type of comedy that hasn't reared it's bastard head in a quite a while. So again, go see it.

8.375/10

Drag me to Raimi

The man who brought the world the cult classic Evil Dead more than 25 years ago now brings us easily the best horror film of the past 5 years, Drag Me to Hell. This movie has all the elements that made Evil Dead great; loads of gore, a ridiculous though semi good plot, and of course that awkward line between horror and comedy.

I won't say much about the plot other than it's a horror movie; a horror movie with demons, ghosts and posessions - much like Evil Dead. Truly the only difference between DMtH and Evil Dead is 28 years of technological and industry advances. Whether that tickles your fancy is up to you.

The dialogue and acting in DMtH is fair at best, but really, would you expect anything more from a horror movie? The special effects and sound especially are near Oscar quality. The graphic nastiness that DMtH brings to the table is truly disgusting. The amount of projectile vomit, blood, snot and other various body fluids and chunks is sweet, but when they're done with such finesse and care (like they are), snot becomes sexy.

See this movie with a bunch of friends and do NOT take it seriously. For what it is, it's a masterpiece. Spider Man was great, but Drag Me to Hell proves Sam Raimi's true calling is horror.

7.2/10

Summer Begins.

I know absolutely nothing about Star Trek. I have never seen an episode at any point during the different series of the show. All I knew were names of characters and that they were in this ship called the Enterprise.

To anybody out there who wants to make a great movie, this is how you do it. To put it as simply as I can, what makes this movie great is the story. The story is simple, how it plays out is not. As I mentioned before, I am not a Star Trek person, however, I am a LOST person. That being said, J.J. Abrams' influence from LOST was very apparent in Star Trek, and it only helped to keep my interest.

Many Sci-Fi films struggle with the necessity of explaining gadgetry and technology that only exists in the universe of the film. Star Trek brilliantly cuts out all the unnecessary technical jargon and is very straight forward. The acting is excellent. Hats off to Mr. Quinto as Spock, he was perfectly cast and plays the role extremely well. Every single character had an arc no matter how great or how small.

This is by far the best film of the year, so far. The graphics and cinematography were unbelievable. This movie pays great homage to the incredible epic that is Star Wars, but does so with grace and brings it's own ingredients to the formula.

I will note that Star Trek's tagline 'The Future Begins' was straight up jacked from Terminator Salvation. The first poster for TS had that as it's tagline which has now since been updated to 'The End Begins.' Anyway Star Trek = Amazing. See it. No matter who you are, this one's for you.

Best Sci Fi movie of all time?

No. George Lucas will always carry that trophy in his back pocket. But is Star Trek the greatest Sci Fi picture in the past 25 years? Arguably, yes. Abrams has created a middle ground where trekkies, Star Wars fans, and even new-to-sci-fi movie fans can come together and experience all the same emotions while watching this film. Star Trek has and will do what Casino Royale did for the Bond franchise, but it did it much, much better. Further it's much more likely that it's sequel will be much, much better than Quantum of Solace.

We're seeing a trend here. Remakes of good movies/stories and making them great. Two cases in point: Casino Royale and Batman Begins, but to a much more relevant and successful standpoint, The Dark Knight. Film makers are seeing these not to be taken seriously movies, watching crazy Koreans stealing diamonds to keep the sun shining all the time or hearing "Ice to see you!" and saying,"I could do better than that." And they do. They start from scratch, scrap all the bad, bring in more of the good, making fans of the series and new viewers alike very, very satisfied. Abrams hopped onto this wagon and truly breathed life into a dying genre.

Star Trek has everything; eye reddening action sequences, ear wax melting sound, ab hurting comedy and even an inter-species dorm room hook up sesh with a green chick. Additionally, all the actors do a fantastic job, most of them in roles that don't fit their MO. I won't go into detail here, but each actor plays their role so well that traces of characters they've played in the past are completely unapparent. The graphics and special effects in Star Trek are the best to ever grace the silver screen. The sleek futuristic beauty of the Enterprise and the dark terror of the Romulan's ship combined with the eery stillness of space bring to mind a similar achievement Kubrick made with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Boldy go see this movie, and see it on IMAX. You'll be happy you did. Star Trek is by far the most entertaining and awe inspiring film of 2009 and has set the bar for all later films. The tag line get's it right: The Future Begins.


9.8/10

Jimmy Logan

X-Men Origins: Wolverine explains quite a bit: the origin of Wolverine, how Three Mile Island really blew up, and that prequels/sequels don't require skilled writing.

The cinematography and action in XMO:W are incredible, far more eye-catching and enthralling than any other this year so far. It's clear that director Gavin Hood planned each claw swipe, back flip, sword swipe, and teleport in a way that makes each sequence look raw, rough, and even sexy at times. Here's the problem: rough and sexy is all it is. XMO:W is plagued with scenes that have absolutely zero purpose other than generating an audience reaction of "Hmm, that was cool." Further, characters were introduced with large potential for development only to be roped after a few scenes. Beyond this, the dialogue was eye-rolling worthy, a giant cheese fest of velveeta covered filth. Almost as if the screenwriter (who wrote Rendition!?) gave a nod to Storm's line in X:Men "Do you know what happens to a toad when it get's struck by lightning? Same thing that happens to everything else." Ugghhhhh.

On the plus side, we get to see (a completely useless) appearance by Gambit, an (almost useless) introduction of Cyclops, a bald (strange cameo of) Ryan Reynolds, Liev Shreiber gettin' some on an M-60 Full Metal Jacket style, and of course, the origin of Wolverine, even if it's quick enough to be fit into a You Tube video.

XMO:W is like Superman ice cream. It looks cool, but once you realize it's really just vanilla it's a let down. XMO:Wolverine is very entertaining, but it leaves too many loose ends that could only be tied up in a sequel... to a prequel. A second 'origin' doesn't really make much sense, but it looks like it'll happen. Who knows, maybe this'll be another trilogy. Check it out, perhaps you'll agree.

6.5/10

In a jiffy and a little t.o.'d

Despite a screenplay that could have been written by a 15 year old rich kid, LA thug wannabe living in Hoboken, NJ, Fast & Furious is a cold-sweat-causing, red-eye provoking, kick-you-in-the-nuts-and-make-you-want-more testosterone fest of 'holy sh*t!'ness.

Fast & Furious takes place five years after the events of The Fast & the Furious and resurrects the main characters along with it. The events that bring them all back together (along with the entire plot of the movie) will have viewers thinking, "Wait, but... what?...Why would they... Oh! Look! Cars and breasts!"In other words, Fast & Furious is like that hot girl you know named Victoria (yup, her) that you love to go out with, but would douse yourself in 97 octane gasoline and ask her to light a match after talking to her for any more than three minutes. And she'd do it 'cause she's freakin' special! Like our beloved Victoria, where F&F lacks intelligence, it more than makes up with it's sexy, salacious, sweet and saucy form.

This 'form' is made up of imports, muscle cars, guns, scantily clad Asian chicks, and of course, Jordana Brewster, who is sadly only on screen for about 7 minutes. Michelle Rodriguez get's even less screen time, it evens out though with her flash-back time. Paul Walker is less 'Whoa! Paul Walker was freakin' sick in Running Scared!' and more, 'Oh, Joy Ride, that's Paul Walker right? Can I have two for Training Day instead?' Vin Diesel plays the perfect role as always.

Fast & Furious is not a first date movie, though it is definitely a 32nd date movie. Make sure you drive the lamest car possible to see it; obeying posted traffic laws, abiding crossing guards and driving on the right side on the way back will be a true test of citizenry.

Overall: 6.7/10

Who Watches the Watchmen.

I don't know about you, but I have always been a fan of the Film Noir. A lone detective tries to solve a crime with no leads. He eventually finds some clue or someone who knows more. He tries to tell those around him, but most are skeptical at best. Like all film noirs go, there is always more than seems to be present.

Having not read the graphic novel Watchmen, my opinion of the movie may be biased, but guess what I'm the one who's writing. Not you. So what I say goes. Watchmen is a great film. It is truly a unique look at "superheroes" if they could actually exist in an alternate version of the world. None of the characters have superpowers, save for one and like almost all superheroes, his powers only belong to him due to an accident.

The characters of Watchmen really make this film what it is. Each character sees the world from one perspective. Pure black and white, a place where superheroes can't make a difference anymore, or a world on the brink of total annihilation. It is only after their beliefs are shaken to their very core do the Watchmen begin to make the hard choices.

Watchmen is a visually stunning film. It has graphic violence and nudity galore (male and female). It's an important insight into the superhero genre that will be appreciated by fans of that lore. All others will just have to sit back and take Watchmen for what it is, a modern, carefully woven, excellent, film noir.

You like me, you really like me!

8 Oscars for one film? Shazam! Danny Boyle in particular deserves this, especially for his diverse track record. Trainspotting, Sunshine, 28 days later. It's quite respectable. Enough about him, let's talk about the others.

Every award given out was the right one for the right person except one. Kate Winslet was long overdue and Heath Ledger was by far the most deserving for undoubtedly the best performance of the year, if not ever for a psychopath. The one award I didn't agree with, with my counterpart so accurately called, was Sean Penn for best actor. I'm sure many agree with me. Yes, he's a great actor, but in the competition of who can play the best historical figure, Frank Langella's Nixon was far better. Milk was one of the more liberal movie to be released this past year and acting aside, I believe the (incredibly liberal) Academy would be more likely to vote for a man playing a gay freedom fighter than for a man playing a corrupt selfish ex-president.

And though there was no chance of him winning, I am very happy that Robert Downey Jr. was nominated. It's not often that a comedy get's a nod from the Academy and it's encouraging for future films of the genre.

All in all it was a good night, already films like Watchmen will be potential winners for next year.

Waiting is the hardest part

Sigh. If and when I make a movie I will make sure it is released in the first two months of the year so it'll look like gold compared to everything that's out. It's not to say these movies are bad by any means, just that none are truly original.

Put on your walking shoes and take a journey with me as we take a gander at the chart toppers for this past weekend. And...here...we...GO!

Friday the 13th comes in at #1. I can respect that. After Jason went to Space and took on Mr. Kruger, it was about time for him to come back to what his mama taught him and slash up some horny teens. Good form, Mr. Voorhees, originality is the key to success.

He's just not into you. Though I'm not really into date movies aka movies for angry/upset-recently dumped-girlfriends-that-will-watch-this-movie-after-going-to-ben-&-jerry's-for-a-pint-o'- chunky-monkey-while-wearing-sweatpants-and-a-box-of-'hankies', it has a great cast and is a carbon copy of the best seller that came out about 4 years ago.

Taken is nothing more than a less awesome, moreover, less AMERICAN Commando.

Coraline. Everyone should see this movie. Think Spirited Away but not Japanese, not whiney, and on the cusp of creepy graphics. Check it.

Annnddd Confessions of a Shopaholic. Girls that have a mean age of about 3.68 years less than those that will see He's just not that into you will see this. They of course also may be the same girls. The difference between these two movies is a girl actually has a shot at bringing her boyfriend to see the former. No man alive would willingly see this movie without some serious incentive, ie if Sacha Baron Cohen weren't in the picture and some lucky guy were able to take Isla Fisher to the premiere.

Like my counterpart, I am eagerly anticipating the premiere of Watchmen. Until then we're graced by Madea goes to Jail, Under the Sea 3D (which actually looks pretty amazing), Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li, and another 3D adventure, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. Lucky for us NY/LA residents, Gomorrah is out as well. Expect a full review on it shortly.

Come on. Push Me.

I'm back. As I'm sure you all know, this blog has come to a screeching halt as of late. And what is to blame you ask, the shitty movies that come out in January and the lovey-dovey February ones still to come. Right now the only movie I'm interested in seeing isn't out until March, and that film is titled Watchmen, but I digress.

Now, to pass the time I went to see Push. I must say that being Chris Evans looks like fun. He gets to beat the shit out of people and sleep with the hottest girls.

Back to Push. For those of you who don't know, it's about people with special abilities aka super powers. There are a few powers that make little or no sense and a few that would just suck to have. I mean I wouldn't tell anybody that when I scream loud, glass breaks. I think that would normally be a given.

Push, however, is not all that bad. It's action is entertaining and the exposition never really slows down the pace of the film. Granted the "why" of the main objective is never really explained and as always in a film like this, a couple of holes in the plot are very apparent.

For the general movie-going population, they will find this film to be dumb and most likely a wast of their time. With any film involving superpowers, magic, or vampires if you can't suspend your beliefs for 2 hours, why are going to see the film in the first place?

For lovers of the Superhero genre (such as myself and my counterpart on this site) we will enjoy the film for what it is, but all of us will leave the theatre with the same thought, "I could have made a movie like that so much better;" and therein, as the Bard would tell us, lies the rub.

And the Award Goes To...

Every year, after the so called best movies are all released (all in the same week no less) announcements come out about the nominated films for the Academy Awards. Now here's what I don't understand, why doesn't the best film or best person ACTUALLY win the award? So I am submitting to you now my thoughts on who WILL win and who DESERVES to win.

BEST PICTURE

Who Will Win: MILK - Now I haven't actually seen this film so I may be biased, but I don't think it deserves the win.
Who Should Win: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE - This movie deserves the win due to the fact that it is BY FAR the best movie that has come out all year.

BEST ACTOR

Who Will Win: SEAN PENN - I'm gonna lay something out there, I HATE Sean Penn. I think he is a HUGE over actor and definitely did not deserve the Oscar for Mystic River, especially over Daniel Day-Lewis in Gangs of New York. I did hear his performance in this film is incredible, but that still doesn't sway me.
Who Should Win: FRANK LANGELLA - He was absolutely perfect as former President Richard Nixon. His performance could not have been better in any way. This is the guy who should take it home.
Honorable Mention: MICKEY ROURKE - I would say that he deserves the win for the Wrestler, but to be perfectly honest, he was just being himself and not playing a character.

BEST ACTRESS

Who Will Win: MERYL STREEP - I did not see Doubt, but I'm sure miss Streep was great in it as usual. And knowing how the Academy feels about her, she'll probably take it home.
Who Should Win: KATE WINSLET - I didn't see Revolutionary Road either, but every single movie that Mrs. Mendes (Yes she's married to Sam Mendes) is in, she gives an Oscar worthy performance, I mean she has been nominated 5 times and never won.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Who Will Win: HEATH LEDGER - By far the greatest performance of the year.
Who Should Win: HEATH LEDGER - see above
Honorable Mention: ROBERT DOWNEY Jr. - His performance in Tropic Thunder was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Now Comedy roles rarely, if ever win Academy Awards and if Heath Ledger wasn't in contention, the Award definitely should have gone to Downey Jr. "I don't read the script, the script reads me" Classic.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Who Will Win: KATE WINSLET - Considering she will be nominated for Best Actress and Supporting, she has a better shot in the Supporting area for The Reader.
Who Should Win: VIOLA DAVIS - Now yes, she does have an edge in playing her role in Doubt on the stage, but her transition to film was seamless. She should take it home.


That's how I feel about the year in film. You don't like it, I don't care. I'm right. You're wrong. Learn to like it.