Aawesome Movies

10 Days of Oscars: District 9

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:31:00 -0500

Over the 10 days leading up to the Oscars I will be reviewing all 10 of the Best Picture Nominations.

This Review is from August 16, 2009.

Aliens You Can Believe In...

2009 has been a pleasure for theatre goers so far and District 9 is no different. I previously felt the genre of science fiction died with Doom in 2005, however this year has seen a rebirth with movies like Moon, District 9 and the forthcoming Avatar (if anyone can bring something back to sci-fi, it's James Cameron). Where future filmmakers take the genre is still a mystery, but the likes of Duncan Jones and Neill Blomkamp have laid a good framework. It is no surprise that neither of their movies were Hollywood produced, but rather British and South African, respectively. But that aside, on to District 9.

Blomkamp's vision is that of a world 20 years in the future, where alien life has already been woven into the fabric of society. This neo-Johannesburg provides a stark parallelism to any historical genocide. Blomkamp employs a world he's already known as viewers can see the similarities between the treatment of aliens and South Africa's own treatment of black citizens during Apartheid. The realism of the human reaction far extends any fantasy of alien life, thus thrusting the viewers directly into the action.

Further adding to the realism of the movie is the documentary filmmaking techniques consistently giving viewers a cinema verite experience. Moreover, Blomkamp uses several "talking head" interviews to help unfold the story. to further feed off the belief of the viewers, he explains that "surprisingly" the aliens did not land in Chicago or New York as the typical Hollywood sci-fi film would normally have you believe.

The acting in the film cannot be understated. A cast of unknown South African thespians accomplish the incredible feat of maintaining emotional integrity while interacting with CGI aliens. The work of Sharlto Copley in his first acting role is astounding and how he has no film acting experience whatsoever, frankly, is mind blowing. Adding to that is David James as the Rambo-esque army ranger, proving to me that he is the next Jason Statham. Look for him to be the resident badass in many a movie to come.

The acting is not all done by the humans however, as in any good sci-fi film, the aliens cannot be forgotten. Blomkamp succeeds in the almost impossible task giving the aliens redeemable qualities, allowing viewers to empathize with their struggle. Too many alien movies fail by creating a superior plane for humans. District 9 levels the playing field, adding to the realistic scope of the film.

I have to give a big thank you to Peter Jackson, for finding Blomkamp and his short film, and letting him bring his vision to the big screen. This is the first sci-fi film in a long time that gives viewers a world they can actually believe in that involves life from another planet.

Stanley Kubrick would be proud.

10 Days of Oscars: Inglorious Basterds

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:46:00 -0500

Over the 10 days leading up to the Oscars I will be reviewing all 10 of the Best Picture Nominations.

This Review is from August 22, 2009.

Quentin Tarantino has long been a favourite auteur of mine and suffice to say I was very much looking forward to Inglorious Basterds. I still think that Reservoir Dogs is his best film, though most would argue that that distinction belongs to Pulp Fiction and there is nothing wrong with that. Both of those films, along with his screenplay for True Romance, were amazing movies. Inglorious Basterds probably ranks somewhere in the middle of the pack of Tarantino films and is far better than his last outing, Death Proof.

The Inglorious Basterds are lead by Lt. Aldo "The Apache" Rayne. Their mission is to pretty much kill any Nazis they find in France. His gang consists of the baseball bat wielding Donnie "The Bear Jew" Donowits and Hugo Stiglitz, a knife carrying silent killer, among others. Brad Pitt was wonderful as Rayne and has the southern drawl down to a tee, even when trying to speak Italian. However, the show was stolen by Christopher Waltz. Waltz plays Col. Hans "The Jew Hunter" Landa, the delightfully maniacal Nazi officer. Waltz plays his character with conviction and should be up for quite a few awards, especially after taking home the Best Actor Prize at Cannes.

Chistopher Waltz as Col. Hans Landa

The actors benefited from Tarantino's innate ability to write dialogue. There really isn't another writer that can put words into an actors mouth the way he does. It's sharp, funny and intense all at the same time and this has come to be a staple in any Tarantino movie. The problem that I found here is that he may have fallen in love with the dialogue too much. There are various lags in the film and it would have benefited from being about 30 minutes shorter. Direction wise you can tell this a Tarantino movie from the get go. He's got the chapters a la Pulp Fiction, hes got the random animations, and he's got the crazy characters that we have come to know and love.

The drawback was that there wasn't enough. I'm not saying it should have been longer but I would have liked to have seen some character development. I also would have liked to have seen more interaction between the Basterds. We are only given a couple scenes where they are actually corresponding with each other and even then it really only comes down to Rayne and Donnowitz. There isn't enough of each character to make you care if they live or die. Landa is really the only enigma. You may find yourself rooting for him even though he's pure evil.

Overall I thought it was decent movie. It had some really great moments. It was laugh out loud funny and had it's fair share of action. The dialogue at times was far to lengthy and ultimately that was it's downfall. We can see that Tarantino still has the talent that resulted in Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs but maybe he just peaked too early. I would suggest watching this movie just for Waltz's performance as I feel that it is one of the best of the year. In the end though, Inglorious Basterds just wasn't all that glorious.

10 Days of Oscars: The Hurt Locker

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:49:00 -0500

Over the 10 days leading up to the Oscars I will be reviewing all 10 of the Best Picture Nominations.

This Review is from July 29, 2009.

I had first heard of this movie while watching the Independent Spirit Awards and noticed that the bad guy from S.W.A.T was nominated in the lead actor category. It also featured one of my favourite young actors in Anthony Mackie (Full Nelson, Million Dollar Baby).

This movie fallows Bravo Company's bombs and explosives specialist team. The film starts with the always great Guy Pearce as the team leader with a fantastic opening sequence. As we continue onward Jeremy Renner (the bad guy from S.W.A.T.) as Staff Sergeant William James takes over the lead. He is as rash and unpredictable as any man who is tormented by war could be. At various points throughout the film you can see the humanity in him but at the same time see how much the war has hurt him inside. This was one of the better acting performances of the year and I hope to see him in better roles than the aforementioned S.W.A.T. (my god that movie was terrible) as he is certainly capable of it. The film also includes cameos by the likes of David Morse and Ralph Fiennes.

Mark Boal's great screenplay and director Kathryn Bigelow really blew me away here. Up until this movie the best films she had made would have been K19 The Windowmaker and Blue Steel. She handles the camera well, adding the most suspense possible throuought all the bomb defusing scenes. The use of the handheld camera worked perfect in this situation, adding realism to the film and the cinematography was right on par, really enhanced the picture as a whole. As for Boal this was a fantastic follow-up after only receiving a story credit on In the Valley of Elah.

I would say that The Hurt Locker could be dark-horse for many Oscar nominations including the big ones like Best Picture, Best Director (Bigelow), Best Actor (Renner) and Best Supporting Actor (Mackie). The only thing against it could be the early release date but if Richard Jenkins taught us anything last year it can be overcome.

Note: Looks like I was right about it being big come awards time. This films has picked up awards from the Director and Producers Guilds giving it the edge over Avatar for Best Picture.

10 Days of Oscars: Avatar

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:19:00 -0500

Over the 10 days leading up to the Oscars I will be reviewing all 10 of the Best Picture Nominations.

This Review is from December 18, 2009.

"Holy shit! Just, holy shit!" Those were the first word spoken by me when the film ended. I was stunned and almost speechless. It was just that good. James Cameron has returned and in a big way. All those rumours of Avatar having all the graphics but none of the story line are just untrue. The film is a must see in my mind.

First let me start with the visual effects, because I know that's what everyone wants to hear about. Simply put, they were unbelievable. The film itself is so visually stunning, and when you combine that with the 3-D there are actually parts in which you feel as if you are in the movie. You're mind gets lost in the beautiful world of Pandora that Cameron created. The colours are so vibrant and dazzling that they just pop off the screen (of course the 3-d helps with that). Every leaf and every stick got the same love as the actual characters. This is the reason why the effects flowed so well and were so lifelike. Cameron is a perfectionist and it really shows. There is not much else I can say that will do the graphics justice. It is just something that you have to experience for yourself.

As good as the graphics where, I found that the best part was that they did not take anything away from the storyline. This is not a movie that is just about action and random visual effects a la Transformers. This is a smart action/drama scripted by one of the greatest minds in science fiction. It’s a story about love and connecting with your inner self and the world around you. About doing what you feel is best, not what you’re ‘supposed’ to do.

With most films of this length you usually find yourself bored are points but I can honestly say that during those 2 hours and 40 minutes I did not think once to myself “I wonder what time it is”. Cameron paces the film perfectly and is sure to leave the viewer with useless scenes. Every scene had a meaning to the actual plot and thus was included. Now I don’t know how much was left on the cutting room floor but this theatrical version is the perfect length.

Now you have the story line and the amazing graphics, but you can throw all that out if the acting’s not there. The cast was fantastic. I realize that’s a hard thing to say for a visual based film but its true. Sam Worthington is the real deal and is probably the action star for the next generation. He was the best part about Terminator Salvations and delivers here as well. Zoe Saldana, who plays Worthington’s alien love interest, is damn near perfect in her role. I can tell that it must have been hard to pull off a character that you can relate to on a human level emotionally but there is now way you can physically (unless your 10 feet tall and blue). Sigourney Weaver, Giovanni Ribisi, Stephen Lang, and Michelle Rodriguez round out a superb supporting cast that delivers. This is enhanced by the fact that most of their surrounding when doing the actual acting were just a bunch of green screens and not the beautiful lush jungles of Pandora.

This is a film that just has to be seen. I have done my best to put it in writing but I still feel as if I have not done it justice. It’s the best movie of 2009 and well worth the wait of Cameron’s return. Not only to feature films but also to the genre with which eh brought us the classics Terminator and Aliens. Just watch it and you will see exactly what I’m talking about.

Note: Since this time my views have changed. After watching it a second time I realized just how much I hated the diolougue and that the story was pretty clunky. That being said the visual effects and attention to detail where masterful and that is the reason why I still feel that it is a great movie.

Ghostbusters 3 News! And it's BIG!!

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Mon, 8 Feb 2010 13:13:00 -0500

First there's some news from Dr. Peter Venkman himself. Bill Murray has now officially gone on record as saying that he will be part of the new film. In an interview with Mail Online, Murray confirms that he will join the rest of the Ghostbusters, but with one catch. He says "'I'll do it if you kill me off in the first reel.' So now they are going to have me as a ghost in the film." I'm not sure if I like this or not but just the fact that he's going to be a part of it is exciting.

Now the second part has to do with some of the key plot points. So if you really don't want to know anything then stop reading.

Cinematical has learned that the latest draft of the script focuses on the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism. I am Zoroastrian and therefore this just blew my mind.

They don't know much else about the plot as it is being kept heavily under wraps. In Zoroastrianism all evil stems from a central figure known as Ahriman. From this we can perhaps conclude that Ahriman would be the central villain following in the footsteps of Gozer. Again this hasn't been confirmed for sure so it is all still speculation but I really do hope they go this route.

Way Back Wednesday: Alluda Majaka

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Wed, 3 Feb 2010 17:55:00 -0500

Right now your probably thinking what the fuck is Alluda Majaka. Well I'll tell you. It is a foreign film from 1995. I'm pretty sure it's Tamil and stars the "megastar" Chiranjeevi.

Now that we got that cleared up, you probably want to know why I picked some random Tamil movie to review. I will admit that I haven't seen the whole movie. In fact I've only seen 5 minutes of it but those 5 minutes is one of the greatest cinematic achievements ever. This is one of the greatest action sequences ever. It has everything you could possibly want. Car pile-ups, crashes, fisticuffs, and explosions. Michael Bay couldn't dream of some of the crazy shit that goes on here.

Sure your laughing now (and you probably will be when watching the clip as well). But how can overacting, low production quality, and just the overall cheesyness that a Bollywood film brings actually become a cinematic masterpiece? Sliding horses. That's how.

Saddle up for the wildest 5 minutes of your life.

Trailer: Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (Teaser)

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Wed, 3 Feb 2010 13:43:00 -0500

We finally have a trailer for Oliver Stone's popular financial 80's drama Wall Street. The teaser for Money Never Sleeps does not tell us much about the plot other than Michael Douglas's Gordon Gekko getting out of prison and meeting with a new up and comer played by Shia LeBeouf.

It's a little humourous and looks as over dramatic as only Oliver Stone can make it. We also learn that cell phones just aren't what they used to be.

Take a look below.

Trailer: The Losers

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Wed, 3 Feb 2010 13:34:00 -0500

The Losers is a film based on a graphic novel. The novel is not about super heroes, or aliens or any thing else that deals with sci-fi or the supernatural. It is a novel based on group of federal agents who are abandoned and left to die by their commander, Max (Jason Patric).

The movie looks great. Its got bullets flying, explosions galore and a bunch of laughs. In other words, my kind of movie. Its got a strong cast that includes Jeffery Dean Morgan (Watchmen), Zoe Saldana (Avatar), Idris Elba (The Wire) and Chris Evans (easily the best part of the Fantastic Four movies).

The film will be released April 9. Take a look at the trailer below.
&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-us&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;from=sp&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;fg=MsnEntertainment_MoviesTrailersGP2_a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;vid=1b9d070f-aff2-47f6-8a86-9b2b44ec4fc6" target="_new" title="'The Losers' Exclusive Look"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Video: 'The Losers' Exclusive Look&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Depp and Richards to team up for Documentary

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Wed, 3 Feb 2010 13:20:00 -0500

It looks like Johnny Depp has been inspired by the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Kieth Richards yet again. Depp is in the process of directing a documentary based solely on Richards. There have been previous Stones docs, most recently Martin Scorsese's fantastic Shine a Light, but none have focused on just one of the members.

The Playlist got the news from some Serbian website (take that for what you will but it all seems legit to me). Depp was interviewed by said Serbian website because he was in Drvengrad last month for an unveiling of his very own statue. As awesome as I think Depp is, I had no idea he was at statue status yet. Especially in Drvengrad.

Now its been a long time since Depp's only time behind the camera. He previously directed a Native American spiritual journey film called The Brave. It did not go well. However, Depp has said that he is much wiser now and that he is ready once again. He and his editor are looking through tons of Richards footage so it looks like everything is already underway. He's even getting Richards to step in front of the camera.

One aspect that I really hope he clears up is how Richards is still alive.

Oscar Nominations!!

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Tue, 2 Feb 2010 15:15:00 -0500

Well the day has finally come. This morning the Academy Award Nominations for 2010 were announced. There where not too many surprises but with the Best Picture Category expanding to 10 nominations, there are a few more favourites than usual.

Let's go through the obvious ones first. Avatar and The Hurt Locker each got 9 nominations including Best Picture and Director. I personally think that Cameron will take home the Best Director award while The Hurt Locker goes home with the big prize.

The acting categories look very similar to both the Golden Globes and the SAGAs. Look for Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock or Merryl Streep (still can't pick between these two), Christoph Waltz, and Mo'Nique to be the favourites in their respective categories.

I am really liking that District 9 and A Serious Man got nominations in the Best Picture category. While A Serious Man could have made it under previous rules because of the Coen Brothers pedigree, I do not see District 9 getting any love without the expansion. Also, Up becomes the second animated feature since Beauty and the Beat to be nominated for Best Picture.

One more thing of note is that for a long time Christopher Plummer was known as one of the greatest actors to never have an Academy Award nomination. That ended today with a nod for his supporting role in The Last Station as famed author Leo Tolstoy. Congrats Mr. Plummer.

To see some trivial tid-bits on this years nominations head over to this piece by Variety.

Take a look at the full list of nominees below. I will be making my predictions closer to the actual awards date.

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
"Avatar"
(20th Century Fox) A Lightstorm Entertainment Production; James Cameron and Jon Landau, Producers
"The Blind Side"
(Warner Bros.) An Alcon Entertainment Production
Nominees to be determined
"District 9"
(Sony Pictures Releasing) A Block/Hanson Production; Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham, Producers
"An Education"
(Sony Pictures Classics) A Finola Dwyer/Wildgaze Films Production; Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey, Producers
"The Hurt Locker"
(Summit Entertainment) A Voltage Pictures Production; Nominees to be determined
"Inglourious Basterds"
(The Weinstein Company) A Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg Production; Lawrence Bender, Producer
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire"
(Lionsgate) A Lee Daniels Entertainment/Smokewood Entertainment Production
Lee Daniels, Sarah Siegel-Magness and Gary Magness, Producers
"A Serious Man"
(Focus Features) A Working Title Films Production; Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, Producers
"Up"
(Walt Disney) A Pixar Production; Jonas Rivera, Producer
"Up in the Air"
(Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios) A Montecito Picture Company Production; Daniel Dubiecki, Ivan Reitman and Jason Reitman, Producers
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jeff Bridges in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
George Clooney in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Colin Firth in "A Single Man" (The Weinstein Company)
Morgan Freeman in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
Jeremy Renner in "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Sandra Bullock in "The Blind Side" (Warner Bros.)
Helen Mirren in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Carey Mulligan in "An Education" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Gabourey Sidibe in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Meryl Streep in "Julie & Julia" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Matt Damon in "Invictus" (Warner Bros.)
Woody Harrelson in "The Messenger" (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Christopher Plummer in "The Last Station" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Stanley Tucci in "The Lovely Bones" (DreamWorks in association with Film4, Distributed by Paramount)
Christoph Waltz in "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Penélope Cruz in "Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
Vera Farmiga in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Maggie Gyllenhaal in "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight)
Anna Kendrick in "Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Mo'Nique in "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
James Cameron
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Kathryn Bigelow
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Quentin Tarantino
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate)
Lee Daniels
"Up in the Air" (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
Jason Reitman
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
"Coraline" (Focus Features)
Henry Selick
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox)
Wes Anderson
"The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney)
John Musker and Ron Clements
"The Secret of Kells" (GKIDS)
Tomm Moore
"Up" (Walt Disney)
Pete Docter
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
"District 9" Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell (Sony Pictures Releasing)
"An Education"Screenplay by Nick Hornby (Sony Pictures Classics)
"In the Loop" Screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche, (IFC Films)
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" Screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher (Lionsgate)
"Up in the Air" Screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner (Paramount in association with Cold Spring Pictures and DW Studios)
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
"The Hurt Locker" Written by Mark Boal (Summit Entertainment)
"Inglourious Basterds" Written by Quentin Tarantino (The Weinstein Company)
"The Messenger" Written by Alessandro Camon & Oren Moverman (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
"A Serious Man" Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (Focus Features)
"Up" Screenplay by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter. Story by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy (Walt Disney)
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
"Ajami" (Kino International) An Inosan Production
Israel
"El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haddock Films Production
Argentina
"The Milk of Sorrow" A Wanda Visión/Oberon Cinematogràfica/Vela Production
Peru
"Un Prophète" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production
France
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics) An X Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production
Germany
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg
Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics)
Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro
Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
"Nine" (The Weinstein Company)
Art Direction: John Myhre
Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.)
Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood
Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition)
Art Direction: Patrice Vermette
Set Decoration: Maggie Gray
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) Mauro Fiore
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Warner Bros.) Bruno Delbonnel
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) Barry Ackroyd
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company) Robert Richardson
"The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics) Christian Berger
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
"Bright Star" (Apparition) Janet Patterson
"Coco before Chanel" (Sony Pictures Classics) Catherine Leterrier
"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus"
(Sony Pictures Classics) Monique Prudhomme
"Nine" (The Weinstein Company) Colleen Atwood
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition) Sandy Powell
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment)
Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company)
Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount)
Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) Paul N.J. Ottosson
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company) Wylie Stateman
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
"Up" (Walt Disney) Michael Silvers and Tom Myers
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox)
Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment)
Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
"Il Divo" (MPI Media Group through Music Box) - Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
"Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment) - Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
"The Young Victoria" (Apparition) - Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) - James Horner
"Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox) - Alexandre Desplat
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) - Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
"Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.) - Hans Zimmer
"Up" (Walt Disney) - Michael Giacchino
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
"Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney) - Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney) - Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
"Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" (Sony Pictures Classics) - Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas
"Take It All" from "Nine" (The Weinstein Company) - Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight) - Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
"Avatar" (20th Century Fox) - Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
"District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing) - Julian Clarke
"The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment) - Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
"Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company) - Sally Menke
"Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (Lionsgate) - Joe Klotz
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
"Burma VJ" (Oscilloscope Laboratories) A Magic Hour Films Production; Anders Østergaard and Lise Lense-Møller
"The Cove" (Roadside Attractions) An Oceanic Preservation Society Production; Nominees to be determined
"Food, Inc." (Magnolia Pictures) A Robert Kenner Films Production; Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
"The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers" A Kovno Communications Production; Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
"Which Way Home" A Mr. Mudd Production; Rebecca Cammisa
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
"China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province" - A
Downtown Community Television Center Production; Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
"The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner" - A Just Media Production; Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
"The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant" - A Community Media Production; Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
"Music by Prudence" - An iThemba Production; Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
"Rabbit à la Berlin" - (Deckert Distribution) An MS Films Production; Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
"The Door" (Network Ireland Television) An Octagon Films Production
Juanita Wilson and James Flynn
"Instead of Abracadabra" (The Swedish Film Institute) A Directörn & Fabrikörn Production
Patrik Eklund and Mathias Fjellström
"Kavi" A Gregg Helvey Production
Gregg Helvey
"Miracle Fish"(Premium Films) A Druid Films Production
Luke Doolan and Drew Bailey
"The New Tenants"A Park Pictures and M & M Production
Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
"French Roast" A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production
Fabrice O. Joubert
"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Brown Bag Films) A Brown Bag Films Production
Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell
"The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)" A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production
Javier Recio Gracia
"Logorama"(Autour de Minuit) An Autour de Minuit Production
Nicolas Schmerkin
"A Matter of Loaf and Death"(Aardman Animations)
An Aardman Animations Production
Nick Park

SAG and Producers Guild Winners Announced

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:49:00 -0500

The Screen Actors Guild and the Producers Guild Awards were both held over the weekend and both showed us some clear winners and where there could be some competition come Oscar time.

Jeff Bridges has all but locked up his first Oscar after winning Best Actor at both the SAGs and Globes. Both Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz won again in the supporting actor categories so they are also pretty much guaranteed. In the race for Best Actress, Sandra Bullock has now taken the lead after beating out Meryl Streep. Inglorious Basterds took home the best ensemble cast so look for it to be in contention for a Best Picture Award. Personally, found it hard to believe that Up in The Air did not receive a nomination for best ensemble. How can a movie where your top three leads are all nominated but not get an ensemble nom? I just don't get it.

The race for Best Picture got a whole lot more interesting. After Inglorious Basterds took home its awards on Saturday, The Hurt Locker received Best Feature Film at the PGAs on Sunday. Look for Avatar, Inglorious Basterds and The Hurt Locker to now be the forerunners for the Academy Award.

Golden Globes Recap

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:39:00 -0500

What a night the globes where. Ricky Gervais was hilarious as the host and if nothing else this kick started what is sure to be a confusing award season. The biggest surprise may have been The Hangover taking home Best Comedy. I absolutely loved the movie but I never would have thought of it as awards material.

Avatar was the big winner of the night taking home the Best Drama as well as a Best Director for James Cameron. It's pretty much set in stone that it will be nominated in both categories for the Oscars and Cameron is now looking like the favourite to take home another Best Director Oscar. The only competition I can see is with his ex-wife Kathryn Bigelo, who made The Hurt Locker.

For me the biggest surprises were in the acting categories. I pretty much knew that Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz would take home the Best Supporting Actress/Actor award for Precious and Inglorious Basterds, respectively. What I did not expect was Sandra Bullock taking home the Best Actress in a Drama award for The Blind Side. Since Meryl Streep got the Best Actress in a Comedy award for Julie and Julia and they both tied for the Broadcast Critics award for Best Actress you can be sure that the Oscar will come down to these two.

Another surprise to me to Jeff Bridges winning the Best Dramatic Actor. Not because he doesn't deserve it but because I figured George Clooney would take this one while Bridges took home the Oscar. I haven't even seen Crazy Heart but just from the trailers I can tell how good Bridges is in the role. He is one of the coolest guys and he has long deserved this recognition. He got a standing ovation (which was great to see) and even started his speech by saying that the ovation was ruining how under-appreciated he was.

Speaking of cool guys and speeches, Robert Downey Jr. gave the best speech of the night after winning the Best Comedic Actor award for Sherlock Holmes. He proceeded to 'not thank' anyone and proclaimed that Warner Bros. needed him for Holmes because there would be no other way to compete with Avatar.

Concerning TV, Michael C. Hall finally got a big award for playing Dexter, and Mad Men continues to win every award for Best Dramatic Television Show. But seriously? How does Tina Fey not win Best Actress in a Comedy Series? I was outraged.

In the end it was a great show. I was generally happy with the winners. Agian, Gervais was awesome and made a great joke about Mel Gibson and his drunkeness. It was awesome.

On a side not I would just like to point out that it would have been amazing to sit at the table that included Martin Scorsese (who recieved a lifetime achievment award), Robert DeNiro and Leo DiCaprio (who presented the award), and George Lucas (who was there for reasons I can't explain).

Fans Rejoice! Ivan Reitman is returning for Ghostbusters 3!!

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:18:00 -0500

That's right. Ivan Reitman, the man who produced and directed both previous films, is back. MTV's Josh Horowitz recently questioned Reitman at the National Board of Review's red carpet even and the news we were all hoping for has been confirmed.

I can't wait for this movie to come out. So far we have confirmations from Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Dan Akroyd, and Sigourny Weaver. Even Rick Moranis has mentioned that he might come out of retirement to play everyone's favourite accountant. The only one we're still waiting for is Ernie Hudson.

Reitman even goes on to say that he hopes to start filming in the next year.

Trailer: The A-Team

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:53:00 -0500

Finally a trailer for The A-Team movie. And it looks badass. Director Joe Carnahan has never been one to shy away from balls out action, the likes of which we saw in his previous film Smokin' Aces, and it's no different here. We see tons of explosions and gun fire that it's almost as if Micheal Bay where directing.

Now from what little acting I saw in the trailer I can already tell you that Rampage Jackson definitely cannot act. The rest of the team which includes Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), Liam Neeson (Taken), and Sharlto Copley (District 9) all seem to be fine.

For the record my favourite part is that the voice over is the same as it was during the intro of the original series.

Take a look at the trailer below.

10 on the 10th: Top 10 Films of the Past Decade (Top 101 Films Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 10:20:00 -0500

This was one of the hardest lists that I have ever had to make. Trying to decide which films should make the top 10 was made more difficult by the fact that more than 10 deserved to be there. In fact I still feel bad about not putting in films like Watchmen and Pan's Labyrinth. Both of those movies were very good but I just could not fit them in. Although I would like to point out that they probably would have been number eleven and twelve had I ranked yesterdays list.

So as promised, I bring you the Top 10 Films of the Past Decade.

To see the first 91, go here.

10. Black Hawk Down (2001)

This film was not carried by a star actor or great visual effects. It was a film carried by its amazing story. The story of what was thought to be a simple extraditing mission that went horribly wrong. Scott captured the realism of that fateful day like no other film before. One aspect of the film that really stands out is the cinematography, and for that credit has to be given to Slawomis Idziak. The movie still stands as one of the best pictures to depict a war.

9. Children of Men (2006)

Alfonso Cuarón gives us one of the most harrowing portraits of what the future holds for the human race. In a world where people are incapable to conceive, one woman inexplicable becomes pregnant. The film also includes one of the greatest scenes ever filmed. I don't want to give anything away but there is a beautiful scene that just displays raw human emotions. It was breathtaking.

8. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

A film that shows how strong true love can actually be. What made the film even more amazing was the acting. Both Jim Carrey and Kate Winslett played against their normal fare and both exceeded. Carrey's acting did not come as a surprise to me as he had already proved that he can lead a dramatic film with roles in The Truman Show and Man on the Moon. The one downside to this film is that it has me longing for the day that Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufman would work together again.

7. 25th Hour (2002)

This character driven drama shone on every level. Edward Norton is fantastic in the lead role as a former drug dealer who is about to spend some time in prison. The event of the film take place on the day before his prison sentence is to begin. We follow Norton's character as he deals with his father, his girlfriend, and his two best friends. The film is raw and emotional and uses post 9/11 New York as its backdrop.

6. The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003)

It would be unfair to rank each of the three films from this epic series separately. I realize each film is better than the one before it, but as a whole it is a cinematic masterpiece. Jackson took the world that Tolkien created in his mind and brought it to life. This is a series that could have failed miserably but didn't due to the watchful eye of Jackson. Credit has to be given to the whole crew though who had a grueling 18-month shoot (all three films where shot at once) and tons of post production. Jackson also brought visual effects to the next level. It was the work done to create Gollum which allowed James Cameron to create the visual experience called Avatar.

5. Almost Famous (2000)

One of the best soundtracks of all time. If you are a fan of classic rock then this is the movie for you. Crowe takes us through the 70's when bands like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and The Who where kings among men. We follow a young, naive journalist as he is introduced to the world of Rock n' Roll. Just a fantastic movie that is insanely quotable, has an awesome soundtrack, and amazing acting all around.

4. The Dark Knight (2008)

When Heath Ledger was fist cast as The Joker a lot of people where wondering what Nolan was smoking. Now, we cannot picture another. Ledger perfected it to the point that the role was truly his. With the film as a whole, Nolan made a comic book movie that anyone can watch and enjoy. He took a genre that was relegated to fanboys and made it mainstream. This was the first comic book film to be almost unanimously praised and the first that many felt should have been among the films competing for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

3. Memento (2000)

I would have loved to have been in the room when the Nolan brothers thought of this idea. How does one come up with the idea for a movie that starts at the end and finishes at the beginning. Not only that but to piece together the story so that they viewer does not get confused is just masterful.

2. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

The most harrowing depiction of drug use ever shown on screen. That is exactly how I would describe this film. In fact, I found out about this movie because clips of it where shown during a school assembly for anti-drug use. It is a very dark drama that isn't the most likable film. But the more you think back on it, you realize how well made it is and the message that it sends.

1. No Country for Old Men (2007)

The closest thing to a perfect film that I have ever seen. The Coens' where the perfect people to adapt this pitch black comedy/thriller story. There unique sense of humour combined with their eye for perfection make this film not only the best of the decade but one of the best films of all time.

So there you have it. My top 10 films of the past 10 year. As you can see there where many lovable movies and I hope for many more in the nest 10 years.

101 Films of the Past Decade (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Wed, 6 Jan 2010 11:55:00 -0500

This past decade has brought us a bunch of lovable films. From almost every Pixar movie to the recreation of comic book heroes. We have seen technology advance beyond our wildest dreams and now IMAX theatres are giving us the best cinematic experience possible. We have seen established actors make the leap to superstardom like Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. We saw filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky make dark and gritty films fashionable again and we were witnesses to the wild imaginations of Guillermo Del Toro and Peter Jackson.

So here are my 101 best movies of the decade. Why 101? Because 101 is better than 100. I'll post the first 91 today followed by my top 10 tomorrow. Today's films will just be posted in alphabetical order just because I found it too difficult to rank them. Essentially they are my favourite films of the decade and obviously if they were ranked some would be much higher others. But anyway, here they are:

28 Days Later
3:10 to Yuma
40-Year-Old Virgin
A History of Violence
Amelie
American Psycho
Anchorman
Apocalypto
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Avatar
Bad Santa
Batman Begins
Big Fish
Black Dynamite
The Bourne Bourne Series
Brick
Casino Royale
City of God
Coraline
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
The Departed
The Devil Wears Prada
District 9
Donnie Darko
Eastern Promises
Finding Nemo
The Fountain
Gangs of New York
Ghost World
Gladiator
Gone Baby Gone
Half-Nelson
The Hangover
The Harry Potter Series
Hellboy I/II
Hoodwinked
Hot Fuzz
The Hurt Locker
The Illusionist
In Bruges
In The Loop
The Incredibles
Iron Man
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
The Last King of Scotland
Let The Right One In
Little Miss Sunshine
The Lives of Others
Love, Actually
The Matador
Mean Girls
Monsters Inc.
Moon
Moulin Rouge!
Munich
Mystic River
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Oceans 11
Old School
Pan's Labyrinth
The Pianist
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
The Prestige
The Proposition
Ratatouille
Remember the Titans
Saw
Sexy Beast
Shaun of the Dead
Sin City
Slumdog Millionaire
Snatch
Spider Man 2
Star Trek
Superbad
Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Taken
Thank You For Smoking
There Will be Blood
Traffic
Tropic Thunder
Up
V for Vandetta
Van Wilder
Wall-E
Watchmen
The Wrestler
X2
Zodiac
Zombieland
Zoolander

Make sure to come back tomorrow to see my top 10 films of the decade.

Last Minutes with Oden

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Mon, 4 Jan 2010 15:09:00 -0500

This is a really touching and heart felt short subject documentary. It's only about six minutes long so I urge you to watch it. The story is about a man, Jason Wood, who has to say his final goodbyes to his best friend, Oden.

You see, Oden is Wood's dog and has stuck with him through the hardest parts of his life. Wood has had a history of drug problems and even spent some time in jail. It's a small story of a man who just needed a connection in his life. From what I can tell, Wood is now clean and owes a lot of that to Oden.

It was directed and edited by Eliot Rausch

Take a look at this wonderful short picture below.

Last Minutes with ODEN from phos pictures on Vimeo.

Movie Poster Monday: Ghostbusters

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Mon, 4 Jan 2010 12:48:00 -0500

Do I even need to say anything for this one. You see that image and you know exactly what it is and what you're going to get.

Review: The Lovely Bones

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Sat, 2 Jan 2010 17:42:00 -0500

I read The Lovely Bones about 5 years ago for a school book report. The only reason that I chose this particular novel was because a friend of mine had also chosen it so I figured we would be able to collaborate on certain points. What I got in return was a very well written story that may not be the happiest story but evoked emotions I don't usually feel whilst reading. It's needless to say that it became one of my favourite books the moment I finished reading the last page. The film adaptation however has left me feeling a bit empty and disappointed.

The story is about young Susie Salmon. She is a 14-year-old girl who is raped an murdered by one of her neighbours. We follow her as she lives in her own version of heaven and looks down on her family and friends as they move on with their lives.

When I first heard of the project I was excited because Peter Jackson was directing and I felt that this would be a good story to convert from page to screen. Jackson took J.R.R. Tolkien's vision and created the epicness that was The Lord of the Rings series. The fact that he took these boring (in my opinion) books and created a cinematic masterpiece out of them got my hopes up for what he could do with a good novel. Alas the film fell short. It lagged in several places and there wasn't enough character development. The novel does a good job of this as we learn how Susie's family copes with her death and how they will move on. The film did not convey this as well as it could have and that is my main gripe with it.

This is a shame because the films could have been very good. The acting is superb and I believe that Mark Wahlberg can finally be looked at as a serious actor. We know he has the chops as displayed in his Oscar nominated performance in The Departed but he just seems to always be relegated to action flicks because of his physique. Saoirse Ronan is one of this generations great up and coming actors. She already has an Oscar nomination for her turn in Atonement and I am expecting big things for her in the future. Rechel Weisz is great as always as the grieving mother and Susan Sarandon is perfect in her role as the eccentric grandmother.

However the real star of the movie is Stanley Tucci. Tucci always brings his A game and is one of the most prolific character actors around. This time he is faced with the tough task of portraying a rapist and murderer. He is great in his role and does what he is supposed to do. And as much as we might hate we form a relationship with him. We are given glimpses of the inner workings of his mind and his dementia. Tucci's performance is dark and deep and is what kept me watching for the most part.

Ultimately the films really only failed on one part. But that one part was a big one. In the novel the characters are so complex and have different levels of emotions that you find a way to connect with them. In the film they are left with nothing to do and that was it's downfall. I was very disappointed with the way Jackson handled this and had expected better. In the end it is just a decent film. Not the great one it could have been.

Trailer: Inception

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Sat, 2 Jan 2010 16:55:00 -0500

A few months back a teaser trailer was released for Christopher Nolan's new film Inception. Nothing was know about the plot other than it being a sci-fi psychological thriller and taking place within the mind of it's lead character. While this new international trailer shows more it does not really divulge into the plot.

The film boasts a very strong cast that includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordan-Levitt, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, and Cillian Murphy.

The film will be released July 16, 2010. Head over to Apple to see the trailer.

Top 20 Movies of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:55:00 -0500

Overall 2009 has been a strong year for the movie industry. There have been a lot of good films and some great performances. This is the reason for why it's a top 20 list and not a top 10. I just did nit want to leave anything out.

I first want to point out a few films that I have yet to see but I am sure they would have made this list in some way or another. Here they are in no particular order:

Up In the Air
Crazy Heart
It's Complicated
The Informant
The Road
A Serious Man
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Lovely Bones
Big Fan
Sugar

Now let's get onto the top 20. I'm sure you all will have a different opinion so let me know you're favourites of the year in the comment box.

20. The Blind Side

This was a surprisingly good flick. I have always enjoyed Sandra Bullock movies but I knew that this was not her regular fare. What makes the film a bit more relateable is that it's subject, Micheal Oher, is now a budding star in the NFL.

19. Drag Me to Hell

Sam Raimi's return to horror was a success. Although many people may not see it the same way because the film was horribly mis marketed. Most were expecting a straight up horror flick and not the comedy infused scariness that Raimi so often brings.

18. Inglourious Basterds

I certainly did not love this movie as much as some people do. I though the parts that were good were very good but a lot of it just dragged on. It's Christopher Waltz's portrayal of The Jew Hunter Hans Landa that makes this film.

17. The Messenger

A film fully carried by it's acting. Ben Foster is magnificent as a soldier who is sent home and because his tour is not yet finished he must be the one to tell next of kins that their relatives have passed on in the war. Woody Harrelson puts in a somber performance as Foster's teacher and Steve Buscemi is just great in his little screen time as a grieving father.

16. Sherlock Holmes

Great action, acting, directing, story and most of all great banter between the two leads. One of the best buddy cop movies in a long, long time.

15. In The Loop

Hilarious political comedy done in the form of a mocumentary. Peter Capaldi's foul mouthed Micheal Tucker is the highlight of the very well made British film.

14. Funny People

Adam Sandler may not be as funny as he used to be, but he puts in his strongest performance to date. I will always be a fan of his earlier movies like Happy Gilmour and The Waterboy but all his new movies seem to suck. Judd Apatow delivers again.

13. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Nicolas Cage hams it up like only he can in Werner Herzog's demented police drama. Cage ends a string of some of the crappiest movies ever made to put in his best work since Matchstick Men.

12. Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Holey shit! Mo'Nique can act. I'm just as surprised as you are.

11. Where the Wild Things Are

What a wait this film was. After surviving reshoots and many production problems, Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendlak's beloved children's book finally saw the light of day. And boy was the wait worth it. Jonze was the perfect choice to bring this to the big screen as his off beat imagination fits perfectly with the subject matter.

10. The Hurt Locker

The story is expertly woven along by director Kathryn Bigelow and Jeremy Renner is excellent in the lead role. This film has already picked up a bunch of awards and should be a big contender come Oscar time.

9. Paranormal Activity

One of the big surprises of the year. This is the little movie that could and did buy grossing over $107 million domestically. Remember it only cost $15,000. The film scared people not with what they saw but with what they heard and felt and that is what stood out the most.

8. Zombieland

Just good ol' fashioned zombie killing fun.

7. Coraline

This comes from the man who directed A Nightmare Before Christmas. Not Tim Burton, but Henry Sellick. The same stop motion animation is used and to full affect. The film is dark and dramatic and was a very pleasant surprise.

6. Moon

David Bowie's son is one hell of a director. Duncan Jones uses the baron landscape of the moon to display the loneliness a human can feel. Sam Rockwell is awesome as always and deserves a lot of credit. He is really the only actor and to carry an entire film really speaks volumes of his ability.

5. The Hangover
It was just so fucking hilarious. Zach Galifinakis was the break out star but I really enjoyed all the performances. The only downside to this movie is that I found Ken Jeong to be distracting and retarded. But other than that it was probably the best balls out comedy since Old School.

4. Watchmen

From what I've found is that people who loved the book, loved the movie. Those that have not read the book don't like it as much. I, fortunately, had read it and so I really did love the movie. Zack Snyder's stylistic directing brought Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' pages to the screen and Jeffery Dean Morgan's harrowing portrayal of The Comedian was just plain badass.

3. Star Trek

I had never seen a Star Trek film before this. My only thoughts going into the movie where just that it looked really cool. Coming out I realized that it was a very well made sci-fi flick. Not just the graphics but it was very well acted and the story line was wonderful.

2. Avatar

This is just a movie that has to be seen. James Cameron may not be the best writer but he is one hell of a director. The film is so visually stunning and vibrant that it makes me want to visit Pandora.

1. District 9

I absolutely loved this movie. I am so glad that Peter Jackson found this and helped Neill Blomkemp bring it to the big screen. It is a great movie that holds up after multiple viewing and I really don't have anything bad to say about it.

Review: Invictus

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:35:00 -0500

Invictus is a good movie. Not great, not bad, but good. The performances are strong and, as always, Clint Eastwood tells us a story with precision and gumption. The film tells the story of how South African President Nelson Mandela uses the Rugby World Cup to bring his divided nation together.

First things first. Morgan Freeman was perfect in the role. And when I say perfect I mean that this is the role he was born to play and I truly believe that no one else could have pulled this off. Freeman has portrayed people of authority many times including the President of the United States (Deep Impact), a mob boss (Lucky Number Slevin), a colonel (Dreamcatcher) and even God (Bruce Almighty). So it's really only natural that he would be able to play one of the greatest people of our generation. Freeman had the tough task of not only portraying a real person that is loved and respected by many throughout the world but had to display the charisma and charm that Mandela possessed but had to capture the courage that Mandela was. This was a man that was imprisoned for over twenty years and upon his release was ready to forgive the people that wronged him. Freeman is the closest thing to Mandela short of getting the man himself.

Matt Damon also impresses in his role as the South African rugby team captain. He is strong willed, vocal, and most of all, a leader. Everything a captain of a sports team should be.

As good as Freeman was, he could not save the film. It was sorely lacking in some parts, especially in the first half. I would have to say that while the acting and directing were great, the script really didn’t come up to par. The story seemed to labour forward rather than move along smoothly and it took quite a while for the film to really pick up some steam.

I really found that when Freeman wasn’t commanding the screen or whenever there was a rugby scene is really where the film lagged. As I said, Damon was good in his role but he was not given much to work with. We did not see his character develop as much as I would have hoped. Another aspect I would have liked Eastwood to focus on would be how the country united. If you remember that was a terrible time for South Africa. Racism was rampant and a black president really drew both sides apart. The film did a decent job showing how sports can unite people of all different beliefs but it could have been much better.

I am under the impression that the power a sport has on a nation is almost unparallelled. The reason being is that everyone can relate to it. You see it during the Olympics and you see it whenever your country competes in anything. Weather it be a hockey tournament or a cricket tournament. It’s a common bond that we all share. Invictus tried it’s best to show us that but ultimately came up short.

Review: Sherlock Holmes

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 14:40:00 -0500

Now this is a detective movie. It’s fast paced, fun, comedic, has action and drama. Everything you could possibly want. Robert Downey Jr. is likeable as always and Jude Law is surprisingly badass. Sherlock Holmes has always been a complex character and I like the fact that director Guy Ritchie decided to bring out a little bit of the darker side of him. It’s not a complete reboot the way Christopher Nolan did Batman Begins but more of a reintroduction to a character that is not as well known today.

After watching this film it was actually a little hard to believe it was a Ritchie movie. I mean this is the guy that brought us Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. Those movies were fast paced, edgy, and invigorating. Sherlock Holmes is all those things but something feels different. I can't exactly put my finger on it but it just doesn't scream out "This is a Guy Ritchie movie". Not that this is a bad thing. In fact it's quite the contrary. Ritchie moulded a story and character that has been done before and created a strong, big budget action movie. Directing wise this is probably his best work to date. Ritchie has almost perfected the art dealing with multiple story lines and bridging them together at the end. However that is not needed here and he sticks to that. We follow Holmes on his crusade to take down Lord Blackwood and the story never deviates from his mission.

Now the star of the film is definitely Robert Downey Jr. For once we see the tortured genius that Arthur Conan Doyle originally created. He is not a man who is loved by all but is a man so obsessed by the little details that the only one who can tolerate him is Dr. Watson. A lot of people were disappointed in the casting of Downey because he was not British, I can honestly say that after seeing this movie he was the perfect choice. He brings his quick-witted personality and sense of humour and mixes it perfectly with the intelligence and confidence of Holmes.

The highlight of this film for me was the banter that goes on between Holmes and Watson. Jude Law (who puts in his best performance in a long while as Watson) and Downey have such great chemistry together that I already cannot wait to see the sequel. This is where a lot of buddy cop style movies fail. The lead actors have to be compatible and must be able to talk to each other as if they have been together for years. This film features some of the best back and forth since the Lethal Weapon movies and Downey and Law really need to be commended on that.

This is not a perfect movie. It’s just one that doesn’t have too many flaws. I loved every minute of the Holmes-Watson scenes and felt that those really did lift the film to the next level. I cannot imagine it without Downey and Law and that is a true testament to the actors. And as far as detective movies go, this is one of the best. In the end I can deduce that this is a film that everyone will enjoy. Sherlock Holmes comedic, dramatic, and best of all it’s just plain fun.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:38:00 -0500

That is all.

Toy Story 3 Clip

noreply@blogger.com (windex) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:47:00 -0500

A clip from Toy Story 3 is here courtesy of director Lee Unkrich Twitter page. There is an intro by Unkrich himself and I assume the clip is the beginning of the film. Take a look and tell me what you think.