The Small Town Critic

ACADEMY AWARDS… How did they do? Not bad… How did I do? Not bad… by COOP

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:38 +0000

58%... That's how I scored in my predictions. Now that may not sound great (I've certainly scored better averages), but I'm pleased with this stat for a few reasons... 1. I scored 100% correct in the top 8 categories: Leading Actor, Supporting Actor, Leading Actress, Supporting Actress, Cinematography, Editing, Directing and Best Picture. Granted, these were pretty predictable but there was a 50/50 chance of someone else winning in most of those categories. 2. Often, my 2nd choice won the award. I figured "The Young Victoria" would probably win for Costume Design but decided (wrongly) to take a chance on "Coco Before Chanel". I figured...

I Predict the Predictable 82nd ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS (and I dare you to beat me) by COOP

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:00:35 +0000

In what looks to be one of the most predictable Oscar races of all time, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has made a few changes to their nomination format, but those changes have not ramped up the suspense in many of the categories. For the first time, 10 movies have been nominated for “Best Picture”. While that sounds unorthodox, I believe it's a perfectly altruistic and fair move to some of those great films that don't usually get a lot of attention come awards season. Many voters (and the media) have jumped on highly influential bandwagons to champion a select few of the nominees, so the chances for an upset or two seem few and far between. However, in the Academy Awards, upsets do happen and with the changes to the voting system this year, things could get interesting...

Jay’s Picks for the 82nd Annual Academy Awards: (Nostradamus, eat your heart out.)

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:38:39 +0000

A note from Coop: Jay has once again thrown down the gauntlet to declare his annual Oscar picks. With my own queued up and ready to go (you can go ahead and download my picks ballot, but my reasoning behind my choices won't be posted for another couple of days), he gets first crack at doing the convincing. To download his ballot, go here. Below are some jpegs of his picks. For a clearer, more readable version, go to the link above to either view or download the ballot...

OSCAR: MINE ARE WEENERS… A Hopeless Slackass’ Guide to Handicapping the Academy Awards by JAY

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:28:56 +0000

Tis’ the season to see folly. It never fails. Every year about this time movie studios all along the San Andreas are clamoring to unload their homogenized, “release delayed”, unscreened, should’a-gone-straight-to-DVD dreck onto a movie going public so starved for any semblance of post-tryptophanian entertainment that it doesn’t seem to mind plopping down ten bucks a pop for the cinematic equivalent of a Zippy the Pinhead comic. B-movie sequels, RomCom bomb-athons and shameless hyperfad exploitationals clog our collective movie-going consciousness, leaving us longing for the unrivaled artistry and emotive tour de force of “Dracula vs. Billy the Kid”...

COOP reports from the 2010 OXFORD (MISSISSIPPI) FILM FESTIVAL

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:10:58 +0000

The 7^th year of the annual Oxford Film Festival in Oxford, Mississippi kicked off the night of Thursday the 4^th by taking over half of the Malco Oxford Studio Cinema and roping an area off for the media, filmmakers and other assorted guests. While I had attended screenings at large festivals during my tenure in Los Angeles, I was only moderately enthused about covering a local one. I figured I'd see a few underwhelming indie flicks and slink on back home to Clarksdale for some light writing and shut-eye. Boy was I ever wrong.

THE SMALL TOWN CRITIC to host Q & A at the 2010 Oxford Film Fest!

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:03:45 +0000

WARNING: Shameless self promotion ahead... The Oxford Film Fest - which takes place in the friendly town of Oxford, Mississippi - begins tonight (2/4/10) and yours truly will be hosting the Q & A for the Mike McCarthy cult hit Cigarette Girl at 10pm tonight and 9:45pm Friday night. You might remember me reviewing Cigarette Girl at it's Memphis premiere where I heralded its importance as a symbol of modern cinema born from the ashes of the Memphis urban landscape. Its stylistically gorgeous production design and its bold originality made it one of my favorite cinematic experiences of 2009.

THE BOOK OF ELI (2010) *** movie review capsule by COOP

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:41:31 +0000

Here's a movie with an ambitious story and message that almost pulled it off. Denzel Washington plays a cat-eating, machete-wielding post apocalyptic badass named Eli who walks the Earth (like Caine in "Kung Fu") and carries a book that is supposed to save the remainder of the planet's population 33 years after nuclear war. He runs afoul of Carnegie (Gary Oldman), the honcho of a wild west-style town who has been searching for the book for years with plans to use it to control the masses rather than save them. When he learns that Eli possesses it, he stops and nothing to get it...

DAYBREAKERS (2009) **1/2 movie review by DARK SIDE

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 19:54:27 +0000

With vampires en vogue at the moment, Hollywood has been struggling to figure out how to cash in on the latest horror movie craze. Understanding that not all viewers are enraptured by the “Twilight” phenomenon, studios have been struggling to develop vampire-themed properties that show potential for larger appeal. “Daybreakers” attempts a big-budgeted stab at making vampires marketable to the action-horror crowd, but the filmmakers don't seem to realize when they're flogging a dead horse...

UP IN THE AIR (2009) ***** movie review by COOP

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:26:58 +0000

“Up in the Air” first received a limited release in November to overwhelming critical acclaim. Soon after, it racked up multiple award nominations, including 6 potential Golden Globes. On Christmas Day it released wide to audiences with very little advertising or fanfare, but after finally getting an opportunity to see this film, I can confirm the hype is grossly understated. Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) lives out of a suitcase 322 days out of the year. He travels around the country firing people for a living and...

SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) *** movie review by COOP

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:11:07 +0000

Like any other venerable, once-popular property, Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes was bound to get a Hollywood redo sooner or later. Since I never much cared for the stuffy, British “Sherlock” films of the past, I welcomed the idea of a more stylized, updated version of the eccentric detective. Despite my usual dislike of the overrated English director, Guy Ritchie (better known as Madonna’s ex-husband), I felt his modern panache would mix well with the Victorian Era mystery genre. While all the right ingredients seemed present, the end result...

AVATAR (2009) *** movie review by COOP

admin — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:14:24 +0000

The most highly anticipated film of the year, “Avatar” marks director James Cameron’s first feature film since 1997’s “Titanic.” The notoriously meticulous filmmaker has painstakingly prepared this film, utilizing the largest motion picture budget to date. An estimated $300 million went into the making of this science fiction epic which boasts revolutionary 3-D imagery and supposedly “photo-real” special effects. Given Cameron’s exceptional track record for delivering some of the most successful mega-budget blockbusters of all time, “Avatar” has a lot to live up to...

INVICTUS (2009) **** movie review by COOP

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:28:09 +0000

In 1994, the long-standing South African Apartheid had dissolved; the country held its first multi-racial elections and Nelson Mandela became the first black African president of the nation. Knowing full well the transition of power would cause bitterness and distrust among the country’s affluent and powerful Caucasian minority, Mandela wisely realized that the two cultures must find common ground in order for the shattered country to unite. One unlikely way he chose to achieve this goal was to vocally and fervently support the country’s flagging rugby team. Lead by team captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), the South African “Springbok” (antelopes) rugby team was so hated...

MUD DOG BLUES crew returns to Clarksdale by COOP

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:59:26 +0000

On Saturday December 5^th, Producers Jay Carl Nelson and Brett Magdovitz returned to Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale to screen the new trailer for their projected feature film “Mud Dog Blues” to the public. “Mud Dog” co-star and 12 year-old son of Nelson, Chase Dean Nelson also accompanied the producers to promote the project. The film will star GregAlan Williams (“Remember the Titans,” “Boston Legal,” “Baywatch” and “The Sopranos”), country music superstar Billy Dean, and Bigg Vinny the “Mac” from the band Trailer Choir. As the film’s promotional literature describes it: This Project is a heartfelt family film about the "Blues" and the "Mississippi Delta". Eleven year old Jake Bonham is the son of one of the wealthiest families in all of the South, but Jake...

PRECIOUS (2009) ***** movie review by COOP

admin — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:55:57 +0000
While many moviegoers enjoyed the inspiring, true-life story of Michael Oher in “The Blind Side” over the past few weekends, many skipped the similarly-themed “Precious.” Perhaps they thought it would be a bit of a downer… and they would be right. “Precious” is a melancholy tale in which the main character seems doomed from beginning to end, but this compelling tearjerker delivers some of the...

HAPPY PRANKSGIVING!!! from DARK SIDE…

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:38:42 +0000
While I eat me some delicious, delicious slaughtered turkey, I figured I'd remind my fellow clowns about the finer things in life. The things we are all thankful for. Like Muppets...

THE BLIND SIDE (2009) ***** movie review by COOP

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:43:08 +0000
I’ll wager movie theaters in Mississippi and parts of Tennessee are selling out screenings of this movie all opening weekend. Ole Miss fans and South Eastern Conference followers have watched the exceptional football career of Michael Oher and have been touched by his inspiring life story. Those same fans (myself included) have eagerly awaited the release of this film. I had a feeling I’d enjoy the movie regardless of its merits. To my shock, I was completely blown away. “The Blind Side” is indeed THE feel-good movie of the year. Based on a true-life story, large and good-hearted African American teen Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) lives a solitary life of poverty and hopelessness on the streets of Memphis. A twist of fate...

NEW MOON (2009) **1/2 movie review by COOP

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:12:49 +0000
I gave last year’s “Twilight” a fair pass because it pulled off some original and compelling storytelling despite the backlash by non-fans who found the whole phenomenon silly and far too juvenile for mainstream audiences. I went so far as to read the New Moon novel and while I found it uneven, soapy and poorly structured, I understood and enjoyed the way it made a cliché subject readable. I also respected the direction it was heading and was looking forward to seeing the film adaptation and the next sequel (“Eclipse”). That good will has expired because...

THE FOURTH KIND (2009) ***1/2 movie review by COOP

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:22:50 +0000
High on the heels of the runaway box office hit “Paranormal Activity,” another “found footage” scare flick has entered the scene just shy of the Halloween season. Touting itself as a dramatization of supposedly real taped hypnosis sessions that reveal alien abductions, the creators of “The Fourth Kind” made a sizable gamble. “The Blair Witch Project” was ten years ago and found footage films had not regained a foothold in the genre until “Paranormal Activity” came around. Add to the fact no one expected the escalating hype and sudden wide release of “PA” and “The Fourth Kind” gets the lucky boost it needs for box office success. There's one major difference between these two films...

How to Avoid the Fright of Your Life While Watching a Scary Movie… by DARK SIDE

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:25 +0000
(NOTE: Due to... 1. the Halloween Holiday 2. a trip out of state and 3. a lack of a working laptop, The Small Town Critic website will go on vacation until Nov. 4 when I will be bringing you a review of "Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day" - Coop) Here's a Halloween tip for those of you NOT particularly jazzed about seeing a horror movie in the theater. It might not be your thing, but sometimes you end up doing it; whether it's your date choosing the movie, a group decision or it's something you really want to see despite your aversion to acute fright...

HAIR METAL MOVIE MADNESS presents “Ode to Slashers!” Music from Jason, Freddy and Michael! by DARK SIDE

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:20:11 +0000
Does anyone remember that bizarre pop song that Alice Cooper did for the Friday the 13th movie franchise? Yeah, I didn't either until a friend reminded me that it existed. FT13 Part 6 was poised to resurrect (literally) the flailing franchise who already saw the demise of it's main character, Jason, in IV and replaced him with a temporary impostor in V. Nobody liked that, so what was their solution for 6? Death to Arnold Horshack from Welcome Back, Kotter. Just kidding, but not really...

Links for 2009-06-17 [Digg]

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Action Flick Chick’s Zombie Survival Guide for a Small Town
Dark Side here. The Action Flick Chick has been so kind as to write an article specifically for The Small Town Critic. This subject is very near and dear to my heart because as an evil clown, I’m always prepared for a zombie apocalypse. Aren’t you? Well you should be. The Chick explains how YOU can survive the rising of the undead...

Why Manly Men Love Action Flick Chicks
What kind of cinematic women do manly-men like? Meryl Streep in “Doubt”?… No. Dame Judy Dench in the “James Bond” movies? Sometimes. How about a female character who can take down a guy twice her size, isn’t afraid of snakes OR whiskey and can hotwire a car using a bobby pin in two seconds flat? Bingo.

Links for 2009-06-10 [Digg]

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

10 MOVIES DESIGNED TO OFFEND YOUR RELIGION (Part 2)
Movies don’t try to please everyone. Tailor-made for certain demographics, some filmmakers try to entertain or provoke discussion, knowing full well their movie will offend a particular group. The most inflammatory of these movies attempt to question taboos, rituals and customs of many of the world’s most popular religions...

Links for 2009-06-09 [Digg]

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

10 MOVIES DESIGNED TO OFFEND YOUR RELIGION (Part 1)
Movies don’t try to please everyone. Tailor-made for certain demographics, some filmmakers try to entertain or provoke discussion, knowing full well their movie will offend a particular group. The most inflammatory of these movies attempt to question taboos, rituals and customs of many of the world’s most popular religions...

Links for 2009-05-31 [Digg]

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 PDT

The Director's Cut of Clive Barker's Nightbreed
There is really a chance that this can actually happen!

Links for 2009-05-26 [Digg]

Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT

Top 11 Baddest Killer Robots in Film!
Most of us would agree that the bare-endoskeletal Terminators and all of its other models are probably the baddest killer robots of them all, so in honor of them and “Terminator Salvation,” I’m going to rate them higher than #1. Hey, it’s my list I’ll do it if I wanna so I can leave more room for the Baddest Killer Robots of all time in film...

Links for 2009-05-13 [Digg]

Thu, 14 May 2009 00:00:00 PDT

A Star Trek Inside Joke You Might Have Missed
Here's a great little inside joke that JJ Abrams put in the new Star Trek flick that you might have missed. It took me a day to get it. Very clever though.

TOP 10 GREATEST MOVIE TITLES EVER
Here are the movie titles that – when you see them – completely grab your attention. Whether they are the best piece of cinema of all time or a complete piece of crap, one thing cannot be denied… You gotta love that title. Here are the 10 best movie titles of all time in descending order all the way down to #1…