Friday, October 8, 2010

Popcorn Pick 10-8-10

Two new releases this week, both look unsatisfying: Life As We Know It, starring Katherine Heigl and Transformers' Josh Duhamel, is a romantic dramedy about a mismatched pair assigned to take care of a baby girl after the parents pass away. Fans of Heigl will surely flock in droves, but the film is utterly predictable. The other new release is Disney's Secretariat, with Diane Lane and John Malkovich, about an underdog racehorse who won the Triple Crown. Unique in that racehorse movies are rare these days, but they're rare because no one cares.
So I'm gonna choose an old movie that you may have missed these last few weeks. If you saw Gone Baby Gone, you know Ben Affleck is a competent director, even if you're not a fan of his acting. He follows up that brilliant crime drama with what appears to be another one: The Town, set in his native Boston about a band of bank robbers, one of whom falls in love with a young teller they kidnapped and wants to go straight. The glittery, awards-friendly cast includes Affleck himself, Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), and Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona). Affleck also co-wrote, making it his brainchild.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Popcorn Pick 10-1-10

It's the Facebook movie! By that, of course, I mean The Social Network, the highly-anticipated film about Mark Zuckerberg, the kid who created the hugely popular website Facebook and ended up entangled in a legal battle after his friends claim he stole their ideas. People will tell you over and over again that the movie isn't actually about Facebook, but the average viewer won't listen or care: the movie looks awesome anyway. And surprisingly enough, it's also generating a lot of Oscar buzz, surely the first Facebook-themed movie to do so. It's directed by David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and written by Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing). The cast includes Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland), Andrew Garfield (the guy set to be the next Spider-Man), and Justin Timberlake.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Popcorn Pick 9-24-10

Anyone tired of zombie movies or dumb actioners looking for a good financial drama, your saving grace has arrived. The long-awaited sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps is finally in theaters, 23 years (!) after the original. Michael Douglas returns to the role that won him an Oscar, Gordon Gekko, fresh out of prison and eager to get back into the trading game. Shia LaBeouf plays against-type as a young hotshot stockbroker engaged to Gekko's estranged daughter. Making a follow-up to such a classic is a daunting task and I find it difficult to think it will be as good, but it may at least be worthy. Oliver Stone is also back in the director's chair; the cast also includes Carey Mulligan (An Education), Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men), Susan Sarandon, and Frank Langella.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Popcorn Pick 9-17-10

Is the devil among us? Apparently, as evidenced by the new horror movie being released today, called... Devil. Evidently the king of all evil likes to reside in crowded elevators, playing on people's fears and suspicions and driving them to terrible acts. It's even worse than when someone farts. The story follows five strangers stuck in an elevator as weird things start happening and they come to the conclusion that one of them must be the devil himself. It's being advertised as an M. Night Shyamalan film, but the famous director really just writes and produces this piece. The director is a no-name, as is most of the cast, which is smart- it allows the viewers to focus on the story, which promises suspense and mind-bending intrigue. Whether or not it delivers has yet to be seen.
(Also out this week, check out The Town, an Oscar hopeful directed by and starring Ben Affleck [Gone Baby Gone], about a Bostonian bank robber trying to change his ways after he falls in love. The film also stars Jeremy Renner [The Hurt Locker], Jon Hamm [Mad Men], and Rebecca Hall [Vicky Cristina Barcelona]. Looks to be one of the better dramas out this season.)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Popcorn Pick 9-10-10

Still waiting for those good fall movies to come out. While you wait, enjoy Resident Evil: Afterlife, the fourth film in the franchise based on the popular video games. Milla Jovovich returns to kick some more zombie ass and jump off of really tall buildings and other cool stunts. But this time it's in 3-D, so it's different. For fans of the series only, for everyone else it's just another zombie movie with hot chicks. Speaking of, the cast also includes Ali Larter (Heroes).

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Popcorn Pick 9-3-10

Nothing really exciting this week, but this Pick will probably be worth a good laugh or two. The last-minute summer comedy Going the Distance stars real-life couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long as a couple who decide to start a long-distance relationship. This theme of love and trust is very common in real-life but strangely rare in the movies, so I'm excited to see if this offers a fresh take on the romantic comedy genre. The PG-13 concept is surprisingly, rated R, due mainly to the promising supporting cast, which includes Christina Applegate, Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live), Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and comedian Jim Gaffigan.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Popcorn Pick 8-27-10

This time of year is so awkward for movies. We're right between summer and fall, all the big blockbusters have already come out, and all the big fall movies are being kept for Thanksgiving. Now all we're getting are the seasonal rejects that just needed a release date. I can't bring myself to recommend any of the new releases coming out, be it the lame heist thriller Takers or the no-buzz horror The Last Exorcism. However, there is one film coming out that I can suggest because it's not a new release, but actually a re-release.
Avatar: Special Edition features 9 additional minutes of never-before-seen footage that add on to the story and of course the lush visual imagery of this already-impressive film. That's right: the Oscar-winning sci-fi epic that went on to become the biggest movie of all time is being re-released exclusively in 3-D and IMAX 3-D with new scenes. The project was personally overseen by James Cameron and is only out for a limited time. This will be released on DVD, except that version will have 16 additional minutes, which means that by the end there will actually be three different versions of the film. Obviously this won't make a big mark on the box office, being that the film originally came out less than a year ago, but if you were a big fan, and you didn't mind its very long running time, this is a chance to see it on the big screen one more time.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Popcorn Pick 8-20-10

How can you possibly describe Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World? If it's not impossible, it's at least very difficult. Michael Cera plays a geeky kid (surprise, surprise) who falls for a punk girl. As soon as their romance starts up, he discovers she has seven evil ex-boyfriends with superpowers, who all want to kill him for touching the love of their lives. In order to stay with her, he must face them in battle and defeat them. This action-comedy spoofs- and is done in the style of- old pixelly video games from the '90s. If that doesn't make any sense, just watch the trailer, or better yet, go see the movie; it's one that must be experienced. The youthful and enthusiastic cast includes Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live Free or Die Hard), Kieran Culkin (Macaulay's brother), Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), and Chris Evans (Fantastic Four).

Friday, August 13, 2010

Popcorn Pick 8-13-10


This week, given the choices of new movies, I couldn't help but do a double Pick. Hitting cinemas this week are two movies that couldn't be more different from one another. One is a testosterone-infused action romp strictly for men, and a sweet romantic dramedy for the ladies. So if you are your significant other are looking for a movie to see together, maybe you two can compromise and make it a double feature!
For the ladies, comes the much-anticipated Eat Pray Love, the adaptation of the hugely popular true-story book, starring one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Julia Roberts. She plays a depressed divorcee who travels around the world for a year to discover herself and have the adventure she always wanted. Along the way she indulges in food and tries to stay away from men. The film co-stars Billy Crudup (Watchmen), James Franco, Richard Jenkins (The Visitor), and Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men).
For the guys, there's an old-school action movie set in the jungle and filled with huge muscley guys and big guns. This, of course, is The Expendables. Any semblance of a plot is thrown out the window to make way for explosions and cool stunts. Sylvester Stallone directs and leads an impressive ensemble cast that includes Mickey Rourke (Iron Man 2), Jet Li, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Jason Statham, and Randy Couture (The Scorpion King 2). One scene featuring cameos from action-movie legends Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger should make the whole thing worth it.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Popcorn Pick 8-6-10

Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg team up for the first time ever for this late-summer buddy-cop action comedy, which looks to be the funniest film of the season. The plot is exactly as you'd imagine it to be: the two are mismatched police partners that go out on patrol to take down a large financial embezzler. The awesome cast also includes Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Johnson. Watch the trailer online to see why this movie looks so promising.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Popcorn Pick 7-30-10

No summer movie season is complete without one big comedy. That honor (or dishonor) for this summer goes to Dinner For Schmucks, a remake of a French film with our favorite funny-man duo, Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. Rudd is trying to advance in his company when he learns of a ritual the higher-up people do in order to secure a promotion: they host a fancy dinner and everyone brings a guest. The person with the dumbest and/or funniest guest secures a promotion. He's uncomfortable with this seemingly cruel process, until he finds Carell, a weirdo who collects dead mice and is socially retarded on all levels. Rudd is sure this guy will get him his promotion, but an unexpected friendship will complicate matters. The plot is strangely complex for a summer comedy, but once people get through that, they may find a sweet and funny story with a message. (I'm reserving judgment until I see it; I can't tell if it's good or not.) In a smart move, the film co-stars Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover). It's also directed by Jay Roach (Austin Powers trilogy, Meet the Parents).

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Popcorn Pick 7-23-10

Angelina Jolie returns to action films, a la Wanted-style, in the unfortunately titled Salt. She plays a CIA agent who is named as a Russian spy and goes on the run from the people she works for to rescue her kidnapped husband. One can expect lots of logicless action and sexy shots of the leggy female star. The story attempts to be a psychological thriller (is she a spy? Or is she being set up?), but looks like it's more of just a slam-bang summer action flick. The film co-stars Liev Schreiber (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Serenity). And in case you get confused, just remember that Angelina Jolie probably wouldn't star in a movie about sodium.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Popcorn Pick 7-16-10

Christopher Nolan's follow-up to the massive hit The Dark Knight is also the most anticipated movie of the summer. Specific plot details of Inception are being kept very hush-hush, but we do know that it's about a group of theives using technology to enter people's dreams in order to steal their ideas. Huge special effects and intricate action scenes meet with mind-fuck storytelling to create what is sure to be a dazzling experience. Leonardo DiCaprio (in his first summer blockbuster!) headlines an impressive ensemble cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer), Ellen Page (Juno), Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai), Cillian Murphy (Red Eye), Tom Berenger (Platoon), Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies), and Michael Caine.
(Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the other big summer movie opening this week, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, starring Nicolas Cage and rising young star Jay Baruchel. The fantasy actioner- produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, no less- is about a college kid who learns he has magical powers and comes under the tutelage of a mad sorcerer to hone his skills. Might not be that good of a film, but it's definitely a great popcorn flick.)

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Popcorn Pick 7-9-10

No summer is complete without a popular animated movie strictly for kids. Since Toy Story 3 is really for adults just as much as the little ones, Despicable Me is the kid-friendly pick of the summer. Steve Carell lends his voice to the main character of Gru, a short, pointy-nosed villain who likes to steal major monuments. Once he puts his plan in motion to steal the moon, he inherits three orphan girls who give him a new perspective on life. The target audience's favorite part will be the little yellow minions scattered throughout, speaking gibberish and giggling the whole way through. An assortment of colorful characters and an agressive marketing campaign will make this a hit. Hopefully has some stuff for the adults as well. The all-star cast also includes Jason Segel (I Love You, Man) , Russell Brand (Get Him to the Greek), Julie Andrews, Will Arnett, Kristen Wiig, and Jack McBrayer (30 Rock).

Friday, July 2, 2010

Popcorn Pick 7-2-10

If you were planning on seeing this movie, odds are you've seen it already. And if you're not planning on seeing it, you're probably running away from your computer screen right now. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is set to be not only the biggest film in the uber-popular vampire/werewolf/romance franchise, but possibly the biggest film of the year. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner are back a third time for another installment of teen angst and trying to construct a vampire-related plot around it. This time around the fighting clans of vampires and werewolves have to band together to fight a new threat. And Bella is once again torn between the two hotties- but let's face it, even if you're unfamiliar with the story, it's obvious who's she's gonna pick. Sure to make many little girls squeal, and fork over their money for tickets. Shockingly, buzz surrounding this movie says that it's actually halfway decent, probably due to them turning up the action a notch or two, and the fact that the film is also available in IMAX doesn't hurt either.
Also, Twilight has cemented its status as the new Harry Potter-wannabe by splitting its last book in the series, Breaking Dawn, into two movies- just like Deathly Hallows.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Toy Story 3 ****

What was your favorite toy as a kid? Where is it now? When was the last time you played with it?
These are questions one is almost forced to ask themselves upon exiting the theatre after you see Toy Story 3, a fantastic achievement in an already-legendary series of animated films. The film delves into the very existential nature of toys as they are- objects, not living things. Of course, in these films, it's not just children's imaginations- they really do come to life when the little tykes aren't around. But while at least a couple of scenes are very emotional and have reduced many a full-grown man to tears, the film brings Pixar's usual wit and humor to the mix to make this one of the best the studio has produced.
This film is set many years after the first two, when owner Andy is 17 and going off to college in a matter of days. He still clings to a few old toys despite never playing with them anymore. The only ones left are our heroes: Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Rex, Hamm, Slinky, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and three little green aliens. (His younger sister's old Barbie doll also comes along.) He cleans out his room and the toys get thrown in a trash bag bound for the attic. A misunderstanding sends them to Sunnyside Daycare center, which at first seems like a haven for unloved toys where they can be played with every day, but as they soon discover, the toddlers like to play rough and the other toys have their own rules about how the place runs. Woody gets separated from the rest of the group and has his own adventure involving a little girl bringing him home. Once they're reunited, the film turns into a brilliant child's version of a prison-escape adventure where the toys attempt to break out to get back to Andy's house. New characters are all over the place, but the highlight is Ken, Barbie's other half, who's obsessed with clothes and good looks. The theme of what happens to toys once their owners grow up was explored at some length in the second film, but it permeates every scene here and seriously asks the question, if they were to all just disappear, would anyone notice or really care?
Adults can listen for stars lending their voices to the many roles, including Michael Keaton as Ken, Whoopi Goldberg as an octopus, and Timothy Dalton as a porcupine doll who loves classical theatre.
The genius of the Pixar team never ceases to amaze me. Every frame is filled with detail so that you have to watch the movie several times to catch the many pop culture references, the ways that ordinary objects are used in unusual ways, and the simple beauty of the characters and the scenery. Everything looks great (In fact, I'd say the toys look too good. Shouldn't they be a little more beat up and rusty after not being played with for so long?), but it's the story and the characters that pull you in. The only real complaint I have is that Pixar is following suit in the 3-D craze. The three-dimensional effects are pretty subtle and only serve to add depth to a style of animation that already shows depth pretty well. Otherwise, it's perfect entertainment for children and adults alike. It may not be the best of the series, but I think it is just on par with the first two films. I'm glad to say that the most anticipated movie of the year is not only the best of the summer, but the best of the year by far. (Pixar's last film Up was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. Could the toys be next?)
I would recommend this film to any and all kids and anyone else who is familiar with- and likes- the first two films.

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c3K7LhA9Yc

Also, arrive early and catch Pixar's newest short film, Day and Night. It's a weird, almost indescribable piece of art that's all about the differences between daytime and nighttime in the world. This proves that you don't need dialogue or even real characters to make a good movie.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Popcorn Pick 6-25-10

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz reunite for the action comedy Knight and Day, a rare original film in a summer filled with sequels and remakes. Cruise plays a secret agent (what else?) who becomes involved with an innocent woman when he separates from the CIA and they try to kill him. His character may very well be psychotic, based on his crazy stunts and inane babblings seen in the trailer. ("Nobody follow us or I kill myself and then her!") The more Diaz tries to escape, the deeper in she gets and the more she comes to trust him. It's no Mission: Impossible, sure, but it's sure to be funnier and with enough action to satisfy Cruise fans, who's been MIA for a while at the multiplex. The film co-stars Peter Sarsgaard (Orphan), Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine) and Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Popcorn Pick 6-18-10

The wait is over. After eleven long years of agonizing waiting and listening for often-false rumors, Toy Story 3 has finally arrived in theaters. The third film in arguably the greatest animated movie franchise of all time seeks to bring back old fans who were kids when the first two came out (myself among them) and new fans who are still young enough to play with toys themselves. This film opens with the toys' owner Andy about to leave for college and deciding what to do with all his old playthings. The toys end up being donated to a daycare center where they are torn apart by toddlers on a daily basis. But they also meet several new toys as well who have a dark secret. The adventure comedy returns all of the toys we've come to know and love (yes, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back as Woody and Buzz) and introduces many new colorful characters. As can be expected from Pixar, there are sure to be many exciting action scenes, jokes for both kids and adults, and surprise plot twists the whole way through. This film is set to be the biggest film of the summer. Here's hoping it stands up to its legendary first two films.

Friday, June 11, 2010

Popcorn Pick 6-11-10


This week, two new movies come out, and strangely enough (or perhaps not so strangely), they're both remakes of stuff from the 80's. With this probably-planned coincidence, I thought this a good time to do my first-ever double Popcorn Pick.
First up (alphabetically, anyway) is The A-Team, a big, loud action movie based on the classic TV show. Four soldiers are wrongly accused of a crime, break out of jail, and proceed to blow stuff up. The thin plot is structured around the four main characters and allows them to do crazy stuff with visual effects and guns. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley (District 9) and UFC fighter 'Rampage' Jackson are the testosterone-filled good guys; the film co-stars Jessica Biel and Patrick Wilson (Watchmen). Sure to be, if nothing else, an adrenaline-charged thrill ride.
The other, slightly more promising film this week is The Karate Kid. The 1984 film is well-loved all around the world, so remaking it is a very risky move for everyone involved. They seem to be doing the right thing by taking only the basic concept of the original and putting it in a whole new location with younger stars. A young boy moves to China with his mother and gets bullied mercilessly by the local kids. A mysterious maintenance man takes him under his wing and teaches him how to defend himself. Jackie Chan plays against type as the grandfatherly master to the kid, young Jaden Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness; yes, he's Will Smith's son). They replace "wax on, wax off" with "take off the jacket, put on the jacket," but the scenery is beautiful and the karate is all real. If anything, it probably improves on the cheese factor of the original, but honestly they're trying to stay as far away from comparisons as possible by creating an original film and not a remake per se.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Popcorn Pick 6-4-10

Give it a chance! Amidst four new releases, it looks like the weeks-old Shrek Forever After will still reign supreme at the box office. (The only new release of any caliber is Get Him to the Greek, which targets a very specific audience and probably won't be a big hit.) This, the last film in the Shrek franchise has the big green guy going through a midlife crisis. He's unsatisifed with his patriarchal role and signs a magical contract with the nefarious Rumpelstiltskin. This transports him to an alternate universe where Shrek was never born, Fiona is the head of an ogre resistance, and power-hungry Rumpelstiltskin is king. All the old favorites return (Donkey, Puss in Boots, Pinocchio, et al.) but there are many new characters as well. This may not bring back the spirit of the rude-n-crude first film, but is a definite improvement over the dismal third act. It's also the first film in the series to be in 3-D, so if you haven't hopped on that craze yet like the rest of the world, check it out.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Popcorn Pick 5-28-10

No movie based on a video game ever went on to become a classic. Most are just big, dumb action movies with no plot and lots of overblown special effects. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time carries on this grand tradition of Hollywood pumping out crap movies from popular video games, starring the strapping Jake Gyllenhaal as the brainless action hero. Said hero has found a dagger with the power to turn back time. The film follows him and a random hot girl (newcomer Gemma Arterton) on their epic quest through the Arabian desert to destroy it. The plot is meaningless and sure to be abandoned halfway through; all that matters is the big action and even bigger special effects. This looks like The Mummy with slo-mo shots. Ben Kingsley also stars as the villain, which may be the film's one smart move.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Iron Man 2 **1/2

One of the most anticipated films of the year is, alas, not one of the best, and to be perfectly honest, a bit of a disappointment.
Not that Iron Man 2 is bad. Far from it. The entire cast is terrific, the action scenes are big and often exciting, the special effects are dazzling, and the direction is spot-on. The film simply suffers from an ailment I call sequelitis. It's very common and easy to catch. The symptoms are a rushed production started immediately after a specific film becomes a big hit, trying to copy whatever worked best on the original, and having one too many plots. An especially ugly symptom is re-casting a main character for the sequel. While Iron Man was thrillingly original and followed no rules, Iron Man 2 can't help but be the lesser film because it tries far too hard to be a sequel and not its own film.
This one opens where the first film left off, with Tony Stark (the pitch-perfect Robert Downey, Jr.) revealing to the world that he is in fact the superhero Iron Man, propelling his fame through the roof. From there, the film splits itself in several different directions. On one side, the government wants Stark to hand over the suit, believing it to be dangerous. In Russia, a dead scientist's son is proving them right by using Stark's designs to build his own version of the suit, with electromagnetic whips. On another side, Stark promotes his assistant Pepper Potts to CEO of his company so he can focus on other things. He hires another hot young thing to be his new assistant, in the form of Scarlett Johansson as ass-kicking Natalie, who has a secret. On yet another side, his business rival Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell, in a splendidly enthusiastic performance) is trying to build Iron Man suits of his own. After a failed assassination attempt on Stark, Hammer enlists Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler) to show him the secret. Rourke's comic book villain is very dark and often silent, which is supposed to show intensity but comes across as him just looking bored in all of his scenes. Oh, and Stark's power source is giving him a rare blood disorder that is slowly killing him.
As was foreshadowed in the first movie, Stark's buddy Rhodey gets his own Iron Man suit, but beyond this plot point, his presence in the movie seems pointless, especially since they recasted Terrence Howard for the older and less hip Don Cheadle. Samuel L. Jackson also appears, acting very Samuel L. Jackson-y as the eyepatch-strutting Nick Fury, still trying to recruit Stark into the Avengers.
The best part of the movie is the humor, most of which still comes from the fast-talking Downey. Director Jon Favreau expands on his own cameo as Stark's lackey Hogan. It's a self-serving mood, but at least we get a few laughs out of it. For all its faults, the movie delivers on all its promises, by offering several good action scenes, my favorite of which is the Stark vs. Rhodey smackdown in his mansion. The finale sequence is tight and exciting, and there's even a great in-joke about Captain America. Fans of the comic books will want to stay for a short but great here's-what's-next scene at the end of the credits.
Iron Man 2 is not a great film, or even a great sequel, but it is good solid summer entertainment that demands very little from its viewer and gives a lot back in return. It's exactly what you'd expect from it, nothing more and nothing less.
I would recommend this film to fans of comic-book movies and of Robert Downey, Jr.

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNQowwwwYa0

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Popcorn Pick 5-21-10

It's always tricky adapting a movie from something that doesn't have a complete story to it. Examples: a short story. A pirate ride from Disneyland. A series of sketches from Saturday Night Live. It's especially difficult when the lead is a risky goofball who's never headlined a hit movie before. But if it's worked for movies that weren't even that good, why couldn't it work for something that looks at least halfway decent, like this week's MacGruber? Will Forte and Kristen Wiig upgrade their popular SNL sketch characters to the big screen in this action-comedy that looks less MacGyver (which the sketches spoof) and more Lethal Weapon. The plot (retired hero gets called back into action to stop a powerful terrorist) is simple, but is still more complicated than each of the sketches (MacGruber and sidekick are stuck in a bunker with a bomb, get distracted, and die). This film has promised to push the R rating to the limit, with coarse language, crude humor, and gratuitous sex in every scene. I'm hoping for a laugh-a-minute pace, a new star in Forte, and the comedy event of the year. Co-stars Ryan Phillippe (Crash) and Val Kilmer.
(I feel I have to put a postscript on this week's Pick. While I'm excited to see MacGruber, it was difficult for me to put it as my pick when Shrek Forever After opens on the same day. Unfortunately, buzz for this animated sequel isn't good and seems likely to disappoint fans of the series. Forte's film appears to be impressing audiences and it seems we might have a surprise hit on our hands there. Regardless of its quality, Shrek is opening in 3-D and will probably open at number 1 this weekend.)

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Popcorn Pick 5-14-10

Popcorn Pick
5-14-10

The newest Robin Hood interpretation stars Russell Crowe as the legendary archer, with, as always, Ridley Scott directing. It takes a more "realistic" approach to the age-old story, with Robin rallying armies to fight against the tyrannical Prince John. This version seems to focus more on epic battle scenes than anything else; any character development and romance will probably be inconsequential to the film. I admit that it doesn't look all that good, but you probably can expect some great action from the makers of Gladiator. The film also stars the always-brilliant Cate Blanchett as Marion. In this movie age where audiences prefer giant talking robots and superheroes as opposed to old-fashioned bows and arrows, this probably won't make that big a splash after its opening weekend.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Popcorn Pick 5-7-10

Popcorn Pick
5-7-10

This week's pick is easy- a certain superhero movie starring one of the kookiest actors currently in Hollywood. Two years ago, Iron Man started off the summer with a bang, wowing audiences and leaving them panting for more. No one expected it to be as big as it was, but this time around, expectations are very high. Iron Man 2 finds Tony Stark dealing with the newfound celebrity he has with the whole world knowing his double life and facing down the badass Russian villain Whiplash. Robert Downey, Jr. is back as the iron-clad stud with a performance that's sure to impress. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) looks like he puts everything he has into Whiplash to create a complex and real-seeming villain. The glittery cast is rounded out by Gwyneth Paltrow, once again playing Stark's tireless babysitter Pepper Potts (a comic book name if ever I heard one); Don Cheadle, sadly replacing Terrence Howard to play Rhodey and suit up in his own Iron Man uniform; Scarlett Johansson, clad in tight leather as Black Widow (hero or villain? See it to find out!), Samuel L. Jackson as the one-eyed Nick Fury, expanding on his cameo from the first film, and Sam Rockwell as a businessman interested in building more Iron Man suits. Expect lots of slam-bang action, awesome special effects, and witty banter. Sure to be one of the biggest films of the summer.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Popcorn Pick 4-30-10

Popcorn Pick
4-30-10

A Nightmare on Elm Street is not a typical horror remake: Freddy Krueger is one of the most famous- and at one point in time, one of the most terrifying- screen villains in the world. The knifed glove, the striped shirt, that hat, and the third-degree burns are all iconic. Horror fans everywhere are looking closely to see if this will impress or disappoint. This version seems to be pretty faithful to the 1984 original: a dead serial killer haunts teenagers in their dreams and somehow manages to kill them off in real life. They attempt to stay awake for as long as possible, which naturally fails, until one brave girl attempts to confront him. The casting of Jackie Earle Haley (Watchmen) as Freddy is inspired and is sure to thrill. The young cast also includes Thomas Dekker (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles).

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Popcorn Pick 4-23-10

Popcorn Pick
4-23-10

No movies of any real quality opening this week (with the possible exception of the nature documentary Oceans, if you're into that kind of thing), so I'll choose a film you might have missed that came out a couple of weeks ago. How to Train Your Dragon is the latest 3-D animated film to come out of DreamWorks (the makers of the Shrek films), clearly aimed at kids and young adults who are looking for escapist entertainment. The story of a young boy who befriends a not-so-ferocious dragon and changes the way his Viking-esque people looks at their scaly enemies is sure to satisfy the cute factor many times over. The film looked pretty average, but its consistent box office performance suggests otherwise. Features the voices of rising star Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Popcorn Pick 4-16-10

Popcorn Pick
4-16-10

Watchmen meets Superbad. If that sounds intriguing to you, then Kick-Ass is probably right up your alley. This movie takes a popular movie concept- the comic book superhero film- and turns it on its head. The action comedy explores what happens in the real world when ordinary people don superhero costumes and start fighting for justice. It's raunchy, crude, and gory- R-rated territory where superheroes rarely tread. Nicolas Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (forever McLovin) are second bananas to unknowns in the lead roles. But it's not the actors or the story that matter here (although the story, based on a real comic book, is very unique), it's the colorful costumes, the fight scenes, and the comedy. Here's hoping that it lives up to its hype.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Popcorn Pick 4-9-10

Popcorn Pick
4-9-10

Thanks for reading Popcorn Pick, a new feature I've decided to add to my blog! Hundreds of movies are released into American theatres every year. Keeping up with all of them is not only difficult, but very annoying. I can help on that front, because I don't think it's annoying. I keep track of all the major movies that come out every week, and I'll let you know which ones are worth the price of a ticket.
The basic question surrounding this feature is, if you are going to see one movie this weekend, which one should you see? Popcorn Pick will give you my opinion on which movie to see. For this feature, I will try to take my opinion out of it as much as possible and recommend the film that is driving the most buzz or that looks the best. Ninety percent of the time, I'll choose a new release, but if nothing good is coming out that week, I'll pick a film that's been out for a while that you might have missed. But I'll always choose a new film every week- no going back for seconds here. Look for a new Popcorn Pick every Thursday or Friday. Since I'm updating weekly, these should be very brief posts.

For my first Pick, I choose a film I've been excitedly waiting for: Date Night. For the first time ever, The Office's Steve Carell and 30 Rock's Tina Fey- in my mind, basically the king and queen of current comedy- are finally doing a movie together. The action comedy stars Carell and Fey as a married couple who decide to have a date night that doesn't go quite as planned. They are mistaken for another couple who has stolen from the mob and have to go on the run. The film also stars Mark Wahlberg, James Franco, and Mila Kunis, and is sure to be if not a great movie, then at least a great night out at the movies.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Alice in Wonderland **

Alice in Wonderland
** out of ****

The long-awaited adaptation of Lewis Carroll's famous books, directed by Tim Burton, no less, has finally arrived, although it would seem that it was more fitting for a Christmas release rather than in the spring. This film certainly stands apart from other films and TV movies, but sadly, it is not the best film of the bunch.
You'd think that Burton, the master of the weird, was born to make this movie. After all, it's the most famous- and most beloved- nonsense novel of all time, and Burton has created some of the craziest- and yes, most beloved- characters and films of the last couple decades. The fact that he recruited his star pupil Johnny Depp to play the Mad Hatter should have made it even better. Unfortunately, Burton threw everything he had at this film, and the result is something of a mess.
The plot itself is a red flag that something is off: Alice is nineteen and dreams of Wonderland every night. After receiving a marriage proposal from a man she despises, she chases a rabbit and falls down the rabbit hole, where she has trouble getting through the little door using drinks and cakes that can shrink her down or make her grow bigger. Apparently this is her second trip down the rabbit hole. She first came when she was six, but doesn't remember the experience. Also, the place is called Underland, for no real reason. She quickly meets up with several weird creatures who wonder if she's "the right Alice" and tell her she is supposed to slay the evil Jabberwocky. She resists, but the Red Queen is aware that she's back and wants to kill her, so Alice goes on the run. She interacts with weirdo after weirdo, all spouting gibberish, and the whole time she is convinced it is all a dream. She also has a knack for losing her clothes, over and over and over again, although a new dress always seems to magically appear for her. The plot also involves Alice rescuing the Mad Hatter from the Red Queen's castle, and finding an ancient sword with which to slay the Jabberwocky, a lanky dragon. None of it makes any real sense, but that's ok because the movie centers around its many colorful characters and relies heavily on its active special effects.
First of all, newcomer Mia Wasikowska is horribly miscast as Alice. She plays her as a big bore of a girl, even though she is supposed to defy conventions. Wasikowska shows no real emotions and distances the audience when she is supposed to embrace them as they follow her on this adventure. Luckily, all the other actors and voice actors are entirely devoted to their roles. Burton capitalizes on Depp's Jack Sparrow fame by making his Mad Hatter very similar to that famous pirate. Helena Bonham Carter is fun as the Red Queen, a one-note villain who has a giant head and likes to watch people get decapitated. Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) and Anne Hathaway add nothing to their interpretations of the Knave of Hearts and the White Queen, respectively. Among the voice actors are Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, and Christopher Lee (who is wasted with just two lines of dialogue).
Luckily the visual effects are so good because that is really the film's focal point, in making this land a place we can believe exists. The 3-D is kind of clunky; after all, the film wasn't made for the format, it was converted to it, but it does offer some nice wow-did-you-see-that moments. Humor throughout, mostly in the inane babblings of all the characters, and a rocking closing-credits song from Avril Lavigne help. I would have given the film a harsher rating except that the film is clearly aimed towards children, who don't need their films to make sense, as long as it's entertaining.
I would recommend this film to fans of the books, of Tim Burton, people who like fantastical quirky films, and any kids who might be interested in fantasy.

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMiCJefpn9Q

Monday, March 15, 2010

2010 Oscar Winners

2010 Oscar Winners

First of all, my apologies for getting this out so late, but I am kind of busy. Second of all, I would call that a successful Oscar ceremony. Last Sunday, I was watching avidly (alone! Why doesn't anyone I know watch the Oscars???) as the best in Hollywood were awarded, and I think most of the choices were fair, if not what I had predicted. (Fifteen out of twenty-four categories correct. Details below.) Also, I would have liked more surprises. The Best Picture race seemed close at the beginning of the night, but by the end, it was clear The Hurt Locker would triumph over Avatar. And all of the acting awards were decided a long time ago. Everyone was deserving (even though the films for which they won may not have been), but I like my Oscars with some suspense.
The show opened with a surprise musical number led by Neil Patrick Harris, which was essentially one big joke; he sang about the hosts and what the show was gonna be like. Any Harris fans (which would include anyone who watched the Emmys last year, which he himself hosted) are surely thrilled. Then out came the hosts themselves, Steve Martin (third time hosting) and Alec Baldwin (first time hosting and previous Oscar nominee). Their opening dialogue was like something out of 30 Rock, quick and playing off each other's strengths masterfully. They singled out many nominees- my favorite bit, when they simply glared at George Clooney. They popped up throughout the night, but other stars got some laughs. Ben Stiller's appearance as a Na'vi- one of the blue creatures from Avatar- was definitely exciting, but my favorite part of the night was Tina Fey and Robert Downey, Jr. presenting Best Original Screenplay. ("What does a screenwriter look for in an actor? Memorization.") There were some exciting speeches, including the Kanye-like interruption of one speech for the Best Documentary Short winner, and the censored speech for Best Documentary Feature winner when one guy on stage held up a sign asking people to donate to a cause. (It was to save dolphins, but the Academy does not allow stuff like that at all. The cameras switched away, the orchestra started playing and cut them off, and they were all ushered offstage.) Some history was also made: the first African American man won Best Original Screenplay for Precious, but of course, the showiest win was the first woman ever to be named Best Director.
All in all, a great show and some impressive winners. I still think the switch to ten Best Picture nominees was a good idea, and I think (or at least hope) they will continue to do this in the future, if it will increase viewership and get more deserving films nominations. Here is the rundown of the individual winners.

Best Picture

( ) Avatar
( ) The Blind Side
( ) District 9
( ) An Education
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Precious
( ) A Serious Man
( ) Up
( ) Up in the Air

My guess: Avatar

James Cameron will just have to hug his Titanic Oscars closer, because he didn't get any new ones for himself this year. Instead of honoring a sci-fi epic (that many have claimed has a poorly conceived storyline) and went on to become the biggest box-office hit of all time, the Academy honored a small Iraq war film that ignored conventional storytelling and delivered suspense and sincere character drama. I believe The Hurt Locker is one of the top ten greatest war movies ever made (strangely enough, I think Inglourious Basterds also fits in that category, but for totally different reasons) and probably deserved this win. I still wish more people had seen it- according to a few sources, it's now the lowest-grossing Best Picture winner in history. If Avatar had won, it would have of course fallen on the opposite end of that spectrum. Is this further proof that the Academy is truly out of touch with the people? Or just evidence that it actually honors films that are really deserving of the award? You decide.
P.S. I'm still thrilled that Up found its way into this race. I will now officially predict that an animated film will win the Best Picture Oscar sometime this decade. When does Toy Story 3 come out?

Best Director

( ) James Cameron, Avatar
(x) Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
( ) Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
( ) Lee Daniels, Precious
( ) Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

My guess: Kathryn Bigelow

"Well, the time has come." Barbara Streisand (who was herself famously snubbed for a Best Director nomination) presented the award to a stunned Bigelow, the first woman to ever win this award in the Oscars' 82-year history. Aside from the ecstatic Streisand, her gender was never mentioned. She won this award for creating one of the most suspenseful films of the year that sticks in your mind, a war movie that ignores all politics and focuses on the soldiers and the horrific things happening around them. In all, The Hurt Locker picked up six wins, becoming the biggest winner of the night.

Best Actor

(x) Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
( ) George Clooney, Up in the Air
( ) Colin Firth, A Single Man
( ) Morgan Freeman, Invictus
( ) Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

My guess: Jeff Bridges

The Hurt Locker sweep couldn't extend to this corner. Five-time nominee Bridges finally picked up his first Oscar for his raw portrayal as an alcoholic country singer and celebrity-has-been. Bridges may very well have been high during his acceptance speech, but he was also honest and appreciative. My personal view of the win: he was extremely good, probably Oscar-good, but the movie was only so-so. Crazy Heart ended up with two Oscars, proving it wasn't just a vehicle for Bridges.

Best Actress

(x) Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
( ) Helen Mirren, The Last Station
( ) Carey Mulligan, An Education
( ) Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
( ) Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

My guess: Sandra Bullock

Bullock gets the popularity vote, not necessarily the Best Actress vote. Bullock's a great actress, and she was extremely good in The Blind Side, but that movie was simply a crowd-pleaser that wasn't anything extraordinary and should have been quickly forgotten. It's good that she's been recognized for her work and for the best performance of her career, but I don't think she deserved the Oscar. Regardless, hers was probably the best acceptance speech of the evening, hilariously thanking each of her fellow nominees and almost breaking down talking about her late mother. (Also, was Sean Penn drunk when he presented this award? He looked like someone had just beaten him up.)

Best Supporting Actor

( ) Matt Damon, Invictus
( ) Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
( ) Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
( ) Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
(x) Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

My guess: Christoph Waltz

This was a sure thing. Waltz's scenery-chewing, multilingual performance as an insane Nazi deservedly earned him a Golden Boy. The fact that it was his first American movie (he hails from Austria) makes it that much more impressive. His speech was kind of strange, though; I preferred his Golden Globe acceptance speech. Despite its eight nominations, Tarantino's black-comedy war film ended up mostly forgotten, with just this sole win.

Best Supporting Actress

( ) Penelope Cruz, Nine
( ) Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
( ) Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
( ) Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
(x) Mo'Nique, Precious

My guess: Mo'Nique

Who could have seen this coming a year or so ago? Mo'Nique's resume is filled with terrible comedies and lame stand-up routines. Her transformative performance as an abusive mother changed everyone's perspective on what this woman could do, and became the most memorable part of that movie. Precious ended up with two Oscars, not bad for a film that looked like it was made for straight-to-DVD.

Best Adapted Screenplay

( ) District 9
( ) An Education
( ) In the Loop
(x) Precious
( ) Up in the Air

My guess: Up in the Air

Precious picked up this semi-surprise win, the first ever to go to an African American man, for adapting a popular novel. The script smoothly transitioned between the gritty real world and Precious' fantasy escape world, and really brought us inside this girl's mind, a unique concept for a movie that's never really been explored before.

Best Original Screenplay

(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) The Messenger
( ) A Serious Man
( ) Up

My guess: The Hurt Locker

Recently, controversy has arose as to whether the story is actually original or based on real people, but regardless of whether or not you believe that, the movie has created some very real-seeming people that you end up caring about, even if you don't want to. This award nicely complements the movie's other major wins.

Best Original Score

( ) Avatar
( ) Fantastic Mr. Fox
( ) The Hurt Locker
( ) Sherlock Holmes
(x) Up

My guess: Avatar

The Academy did something different and very unusual this year: to present each nominee, they had a group of break dancers performing onstage to a piece of each nominated score. The dances really didn't seem to match the music, and definitely didn't match the story of the movies. It was a good try, but ultimately a fail in my mind. Luckily, it produced a worthy winner in the animated Up, which produced far more than just cartoon music. Michael Giacchino's score was beautiful and heartbreaking, and actually managed to be somewhat memorable. Pixar's latest gem deservedly picked up two Oscars, racking up an already impressive count for this studio.

Best Original Song

( ) "Almost There," The Princess and the Frog
( ) "Down in New Orleans," The Princess and the Frog
( ) "Loin de Paname," Paris 36
( ) "Take It All," Nine
(x) "The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart

My guess: "The Weary Kind"

The Academy made a good decision and saved us from watching performances of these five songs. At least someone recognizes how terrible they all are. Well, then again, the winner is a fairly decent song that accents the film very nicely and brings a close to the story. Let's hope this category is better next year.

Best Film Editing

( ) Avatar
( ) District 9
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Precious

My guess: The Hurt Locker

The Best Picture winner usually wins here as well. The Hurt Locker brought the viewer almost unbearable tension and despite some scenes being very long, no one really seemed to notice because it put the viewers in the desert with the characters, in the middle of the war. Tyler Perry presented this award with a big laugh, when he had the producers "cut" backstage to see Martin and Baldwin watching TV and wearing Snuggies.

Best Cinematography

(x) Avatar
( ) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
( ) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) The White Ribbon

My guess: The Hurt Locker

Avatar wasn't completely forgotten on Oscar night; the epic film with its epic production values picked up three Oscars, including this one for its sweeping camerawork. Watch this film and get a sense of what it's like to walk on Pandora. This is epic filmmaking at its best, and the Academy recognizes that, at least to a certain extent.

Best Makeup

( ) Il Divo
(x) Star Trek
( ) The Young Victoria

My guess: Star Trek

With this win, Star Trek has gone where no other film in its franchise has gone before: to the Oscar stage. That's right, while previous films have been nominated for various technical awards, no Trek film has ever won an Oscar, until now. It definitely deserved it for its intricate work on the alien faces, most notably an unrecognizable Eric Bana as the Romulan villain Nero. I also find it a little funny that this team also made Leonard Nimoy into Spock again, a role he's played for decades. Everyone knows what that Spock looks like, but they still won an Oscar for it. Well, they still deserved it. Frankly, this extraordinary film deserved more attention than it's been getting, but at least it's got this for consolation.

Best Costume Design

( ) Bright Star
( ) Coco Before Chanel
( ) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
( ) Nine
(x) The Young Victoria

My guess: The Young Victoria

This kind of movie typically wins here: it allows the costume designer to really push their boundaries and create showy costumes without upstaging the actors wearing them, because they fit into the story and demand to be there. The costumes are in every scene, and are as authentic as possible. I just wish the rest of the film were as good. (No, I haven't seen it, but it doesn't look very interesting!)

Best Art Direction

(x) Avatar
( ) The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
( ) Nine
( ) Sherlock Holmes
( ) The Young Victoria

My guess: Avatar

Take a look at any still frame from this movie and you'll see why it won here: every detail is planned out, every pixel is Pandora through-and-through. Yeah, it's mostly computer-generated, but it's still incredibly intricate and sucks you in. You believe this world could actually exist with the way it's presented.

Best Visual Effects

(x) Avatar
( ) District 9
( ) Star Trek

My guess: Avatar

The other nominees never even stood a chance. Avatar pushed current technology to its limit, and when it could go no farther, it invented some new technologies to get the vision perfect. Several performances are fully motion-captured- and look authentic and very un-stiff, and there are some kind of visual effects in every shot. The 3-D effects are just a plus, it only redefined what the medium could do.

Best Sound Editing

( ) Avatar
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Star Trek
( ) Up

My guess: Avatar

The Hurt Locker proved its sweep of the awards early in the night with its surprise win here. The best sound effects are for the explosions and the occasional slow-motion shot where sounds must be inserted in. I can understand the Academy being excited about a film, but this category definitely had some more deserving films in it.

Best Sound Mixing

( ) Avatar
(x) The Hurt Locker
( ) Inglourious Basterds
( ) Star Trek
( ) Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

My guess: Avatar

Now this is just ridiculous. The sound mixing for The Hurt Locker refers to believably placing the film in Iraq when it was filmed in Jordan; the atmosphere has to sound authentic. Again, there are definitely other films in this category that were showier and put more work in to make the film's sound effects or overall sound quality.

Best Animated Feature

( ) Coraline
( ) Fantastic Mr. Fox
( ) The Princess and the Frog
( ) The Secret of Kells
(x) Up

My guess: Up

This award was preceded by a short film with characters from each of the nominated films being asked about how they feel about being nominated. The attempt was to bring in some comedy, but the Up clip was really the only one worth watching. (I'll admit, the Princess and the Frog one wasn't so bad.) Up deservedly and easily picked up this win for proving once again that Pixar is the only way to go for computer-animated movies. It's the best in the world not only in terms of animation quality, but for storytelling ability and comedic timing. Luckily, this film also has a whopping dose of heart attached. Nothing else really comes close.

Best Foreign Language Film

( ) Ajami
(x) El Secreto de Sus Ojos
( ) The Milk of Sorrow
( ) Un Prophete
( ) The White Ribbon

My guess: The White Ribbon

There is sometimes a popular film snuck into this category, but this year, it's kind of a dud, with no films that anybody has heard of. The winner, El Secreto de Sus Ojos, (The Secret of Their Eyes), is from Argentina and isn't even available in the U.S. yet. How do these films win if no one has seen them?

Best Documentary Feature

( ) Burma VJ
(x) The Cove
( ) Food, Inc.
( ) The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
( ) Which Way Home

My guess: The Cove

Food, Inc. may have been more popular, but The Cove beats it on importance, as it brings to light the slaughtering of thousands of dolphins in Taiji, Japan. The footage itself is truly disturbing, and the film is at times suspenseful, a word rarely used to describe documentaries. It may not be the best-made film of the bunch, but it's probably the most interesting.

Best Live Action Short

( ) The Door
( ) Instead of Abracadabra
( ) Kavi
( ) Miracle Fish
(x) The New Tenants

My guess: Kavi

Sorry, I have no real information on the winning film. No one really watches short films anymore.

Best Animated Short

( ) French Roast
( ) Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
( ) The Lady and the Reaper
(x) Logorama
( ) A Matter of Loaf and Death

My guess: A Matter of Loaf and Death

It seems the Academy's love affair with Wallace and Gromit has ended. The under-the-radar Logorama beat it out. This film is a computer-animated curiosity filled with foul-mouthed characters set in a world populated by and covered with corporate logos- real ones- from all over the world and all kinds of products. The film is watchable on its 'Where's Waldo?' quality; every viewing will yield new discoveries.

Best Documentary Short

( ) China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
( ) The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
( ) The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
(x) Music by Prudence
( ) Rabbit a la Berlin

My guess: Music by Prudence

Nothing much to be said for the winning film. The real story here is the interrupted acceptance speech- and the story behind it. Look it up on YouTube, it certainly is strange.

Well friends, another year, another Oscar race, has come and gone, and faded away into history. This year's telecast had much higher ratings than it's had in years, and I think that trend will only increase if the Academy gets wise and not only makes the telecast more fun to watch, but starts giving away the awards to films that people actually liked and want to see get awarded. If you haven't seen The Hurt Locker, check it out. I promise you won't be disappointed.
Did you watch this year? What did you think? I know everyone wasn't as thrilled about the double hosts as I was. Do you plan on watching next year? I love seeing comments on these posts!
Peace out until next year.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

2010 Oscar Winners Predictions

This year's Academy Awards are shaping up to be one of the most memorable in recent years. With many unusual nominees will come several unusual winners, and so with that comes my slightly bold winners predictions. I'm very excited for this year, what with two hosts, ten Best Picture nominees, and countless stars slated to attend. It will surely live up to its name of Hollywood's biggest night.
Below is listed every category, who I think will win, and my personal opinion on who I think deserves to win. As always, I would love to see comments on this post, both before and after the ceremony. I will be doing a follow-up post in the week following the big night.
Now, without any further ado...

Best Picture

Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Up in the Air

This race is large and features many good films, but it's really down to just two: Avatar and The Hurt Locker. Even at this late hour, I can see the pendulum swinging in either direction, but I will have to side with the big ol' sci-fi film with all the blue creatures. It's certainly got the box office on its side (in case you've been living in a cave for the last few months, Avatar has replaced James Cameron's own Titanic as the highest-grossing film of all time) and boasts simply the best technical acheivements ever put on celluloid. It wasn't universally loved by critics, but the Academy loves it enough to let it follow in Titanic's footsteps and bestow it with the biggest prize in cinema. The Hurt Locker is definitely deserving of the award- I do believe, after all, that it is one of the best war films ever made- but its failure at the box office and its very difficult competition will ultimately be its undoing. After reviewing the options very closely, I have decided Up in the Air, the dramedy starring George Clooney is my favorite of the bunch. It's the single most enjoyable film to watch, with equal parts laughs and tears. Unfortunately, the film has lost a lot of steam over the past few weeks and may end up being forgotten altogether come Oscar night. Films with long shots like Up, District 9, and The Blind Side will have to settle with just being nominated, which in this case truly is an honor. Inglourious Basterds and Precious could have been front-runners in other years, but have a better chance in the acting categories. An Education? A Serious Man? Seriously? These films really weren't even good enough to make the ballot. They better be grateful for the new 10-film system, otherwise they wouldn't be in the dugout with films like these. Whether or not the Academy continues with the 10-film system remains to be seen, depending on whether or not they consider this year to be a success.

Best Director

James Cameron, Avatar
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Lee Daniels, Precious
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air

Who will win: Kathryn Bigelow
Who should win: Kathryn Bigelow

Once again, it's a contest between ex-spouses Cameron and Bigelow for the win. The Academy simply won't be able to resist giving it to a well-deserving woman for the first time in history. Her gender aside, she truly deserves it for crafting an intimate, intense, and terrifying portrait of war that actually mimics what war feels like in real life. Sure, Cameron had to invent a few new technologies in order to get his epic made, but he already has one of these. Tarantino is also deserving of a Golden Boy, but while his characters are addictingly watchable, they're also very emotionally distant. Reitman is talented, but the film has a better shot in the writing category. Daniels is only the second African American to be nominated here, and while his leadership made Precious something special, his impressive competition will keep him from winning this year.

Best Actor

Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

Who will win: Jeff Bridges
Who should win: Jeremy Renner

This being his fifth nomination, Bridges will win more for a stellar career than for a stellar performance (even though he was very good and fearless as an alcoholic washed-up country singer). The movie itself is simply so-so, and as such, I can't generate much support for it. Freeman is the only one here to play a real person, but his nomination is really only here to round out the category. I loved Clooney in Up in the Air, he was very genuine and you were really rooting for him, but my vote goes to Renner, whose career-making performance as a solider addicted to the adrenaline of near-death experiences makes him the perfect antihero for this fantastic war film.

Best Actress

Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Who will win: Sandra Bullock
Who should win: Gabourey Sidibe

This race is really between the Oscar freshman Bullock and the Oscar senior Streep. Streep was good as Julia Child, but I felt her performance was more caricature than true-life, even though she does manage some good emotional moments. Bullock is good as a tough matriarch, but definitely not Oscar-worthy. She'll win for making The Blind Side a huge hit and for finally doing something different with her career. Mulligan might be the best part of An Education, a film full of great performances, but my vote goes to the newcomer Sidibe, whose role as Precious was tragic and empowering, and made you think twice about how you treat people.

Best Supporting Actor

Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

Who will win: Christoph Waltz
Who should win: Christoph Waltz

Everyone going in to see Inglourious Basterds expected Brad Pitt to be the biggest star and the best part of the movie. And everyone coming out of that movie was talking not about Pitt's low-wattage commando, but Waltz's incredible turn as a Nazi Jew-hunter. His performance really turned the movie around, and has proved he can take on virtually any role. In another year, I would be rooting for Tucci's very bold performance as a serial killer or Harrelson's emotionally withdrawn soldier. But Waltz has won every pre-Oscar award so far, and he will easily win come Sunday.

Best Supporting Actress

Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious

Who will win: Mo'Nique
Who should win: Anna Kendrick

At this point, nothing can stop the power train that is Mo'Nique. Her alarming turn as an abusive mother is completely transformative and haunting. While I recognize the power of her performance, I can't vote for such an unpleasant part of the film, and will instead turn to the year's biggest surprise performance, from the young Kendrick, who more than held her own against George Clooney. She provides the film with its best moments. Cruz, Farmiga, and Gyllenhaal, while all good (Gyllenhaal was particularly good; she was that film's emotional center) don't stand much of a chance here and are mostly just filler nominations.

Best Adapted Screenplay

District 9
An Education
In the Loop
Precious
Up in the Air

What will win: Up in the Air
What should win: District 9

This award should go to Jason Reitman for the funny-sad script for Up in the Air. While the story is very good- and Oscar-worthy- it's really going to win just because it is the film's only real shot at success. It'll get shut out in the acting, directing, and producing categories, and will thus be rewarded for writing. My personal vote goes to the alien allegory District 9. Even though it's adapted- based on director Neill Blomkamp's own short film- it's one of the most original films of the year and really had people talking. Precious might pull an upset for its incredibly moving script.

Best Original Screenplay

The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The Messenger
A Serious Man
Up

What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: Inglourious Basterds

The Hurt Locker may very well sweep the Oscars this year, and so even if it doesn't win Best Picture, it will win here for its suspenseful take on the Iraq war. Personally, I think much of the film's success is due not to the script, but to the actors and director. No one writes anything quite like Quentin Tarantino, and so he gets my vote for weaving together several diverse storylines and many characters to create a cohesive picture that never feels long or slow, despite many long scenes of just dialogue. I love Pixar's stuff, but some parts of Up's storyline feel cliche. The Messenger is a very unique story, and seems very moving. (I haven't seen it yet.) A Serious Man is really just standard Coen brothers fare, which means it's bizarre, confusing, and ultimately pointless.

Best Original Score

Avatar
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Sherlock Holmes
Up

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

Avatar had a lot to prove to all of its haters when it came out: people thought the film would rely solely on its amazing special effects to get by, but the film surpassed almost all expectations, including in this category. The score is sweeping, epic, emotional, and exciting. Up could pull an upset here, and I would be happy to see that win, too: take another look at the wordless montage at the beginning of the film that uses only visuals and music to tell the heartbreaking story of Carl and his beloved wife Ellie.

Best Original Song

"Almost There," The Princess and the Frog
"Down in New Orleans," The Princess and the Frog
"Loin de Paname," Paris 36
"Take It All," Nine
"The Weary Kind," Crazy Heart

What will win: "The Weary Kind"
What should win: "The Weary Kind"

Crazy Heart's theme song is the only listenable song in this selection. The quiet country tune will easily win this sorry excuse for an Academy Award category this year.

Best Film Editing

Avatar
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious

What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: Avatar

Avatar may win Best Picture, but I think The Hurt Locker will pick this one up for upping the suspense and for adding in a few very cinematic slo-mo shots amidst all the realistic action. My vote, however, goes to Cameron's own editing for Avatar, since the film was put together in a way that makes sure it's remembered for years to come.

Best Cinematography

Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
The White Ribbon

What will win: The Hurt Locker
What should win: The Hurt Locker

Hurt Locker used handheld cameras that gave the film a vague documentary feel that put the viewer in the Iraqi desert with the soldiers, so that we could feel the intensity right along with them. You could almost feel the hot sun on your eyes. It gets my vote, as well as it surely will the Academy's.

Best Makeup

Il Divo
Star Trek
The Young Victoria

What will win: Star Trek
What should win: Star Trek

Victoria has royalty and legendary sideburns, and Il Divo has Italian guys, but Star Trek has bald Romulans with tattoos, pointy-eared Vulcans, and lots of post-fight injury wounds. It's definitely the most showy makeup of the three, and will boldy go where no Trek film has gone before- to the stage at the Academy Awards.

Best Costume Design

Bright Star
Coco Before Chanel
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
The Young Victoria

What will win: The Young Victoria
What should win: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Royalty always wins here. (Witness past winners Marie Antoinette and The Duchess.) Victoria follows in that tradition by showing off glamorous dresses the whole film through. My vote, however, goes to the wacky contraptions of Terry Gilliam's Doctor Parnassus. This world was hard to recreate from someone's imagination, but it all looks real, and the costumes ground the characters in reality.

Best Art Direction

Avatar
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Nine
Sherlock Holmes
The Young Victoria

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

Give Avatar one last peek and you'll see why it deserves this award: every frame is so intricate, so detailed, it seriously looks like a living, breathing world full of blue creatures and bioluminescent plants. The Academy may not like how almost all of its art direction is tied directly with visual effects, and in that case, Nine will probably pull an upset for setting the mood of the '50s quite nicely.

Best Visual Effects

Avatar
District 9
Star Trek

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

This one's been decided for months now. District 9 and Star Trek both have very impressive special effects, but Avatar invented a new method of motion-capture and immersed the viewer in a purely digital world. Everything looks incredibly real, and there's no stopping this trophy from landing in blue hands.

Best Sound Editing

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Up

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

Star Trek and Up had extremely good sound effects, but nothing can compete with Avatar's reign over the computer world. The film's visuals were amazing, yes, but it needed believable sound in order to complete the picture.

Best Sound Mixing

Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Star Trek
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

What will win: Avatar
What should win: Avatar

I'm learning gradually about the difference between the two sound Oscars. This one covers the film's overall sound, as opposed to individual effects, but Avatar is still the most impressive in that area. Possible upsets could come from The Hurt Locker, which painted a perfect picture of Baghdad, or from Inglourious Basterds, which effectively used silence to highten suspense in pivotal moments.

Best Animated Feature

Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of Kells
Up

What will win: Up
What should win: Up

Pixar's gem Up not only has the most nominations of the bunch (including an extremely rare Best Picture nom), but it's the best-made, the most watchable, and the most original of any of these films. No other film comes close. An upset could come in the form of Mr. Fox, but this is very unlikely.

Best Foreign Language Film

Ajami
El Secreto de Sus Ojos
The Milk of Sorrow
Un Prophete
The White Ribbon

What will win: The White Ribbon
What should win: ?

None of these films are very popular with American audiences, making this race hard to predict this year. The White Ribbon won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and is the most artsy of the bunch, so that's my guess.

Best Documentary Feature

Burmja VJ
The Cove
Food, Inc.
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
Which Way Home

What will win: The Cove
What should win: ?

An upset by the popular Food, Inc. is possible, but the obvious winner here is The Cove, which has wowed critics and audiences alike. Plus, it's a documentary that plays out like a thriller- exactly what the people want.

Best Live Action Short

The Door
Instead of Abracadabra
Kavi
Miracle Fish
The New Tenants

What will win: Kavi
What should win: ?

I really don't know anything about these films. I choose Kavi simply because it was the most easily accessible film; if I can find it, other people can watch it.

Best Animated Short

French Roast
Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
The Lady and the Reaper
Logorama
A Matter of Loaf and Death

What will win: A Matter of Loaf and Death
What should win: ?

There are lots of good choices here with some impressive animation, but the award will go once again to Wallace and Gromit for charming kids and adults alike across the globe.

Best Documentary Short

China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
Music by Prudence
Rabbit a la Berlin

What will win: Music by Prudence
What should win: ?

Honestly, I don't really care about this category. If they pre-tape this award being given out, I will declare the producers of the show geniuses.

That's all of 'em. Are you as excited as I am? Probably not. But you should watch the Oscars anyway because love 'em or hate 'em, they're always interesting, funny, and always manage to generate conversation. Once again, the 82nd annual Academy Awards will air on Sunday, March 7th, at 6:00 pm. on ABC. See who goes home with the gold along with the rest of the country at this already-historic show.