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February2

82nd Annual Academy Award Nominees Announced

By: Ryan


In case you missed them - the 82nd Annual Academy Award nominees were announced today.

This may be the first awards show in the last 16 months doesn't feature Lady Gaga in some outrageous outfit, but don't let that deter you from watching. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will be co-hosting the awards ceremony on March 7. Both are comic geniuses in their own way, but both are also known for thinking more highly of themselves than maybe they should. (Also, along with Christopher Walken, they are the only SNL hosts to warrant their own "Best of" compilations.)

And just like any good presenter, let me offer this very smooth segue way "and the nominees are..." (awkward pause, internal dialogue visible in my expression: "am I supposed to read these out loud or will the announcer do that??")

BEST PICTURE:
Avatar
The Blind Side
District 9
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air

DIRECTING:
Kathryn Bigelow - The Hurt Locker
James Cameron - Avatar
Lee Daniels - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Jason Reitman - Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE:
Jeff Bridges - Crazy Heart
George Clooney - Up in the Air
Colin Firth - A Single Man
Morgan Freeman - Invictus
Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE:
Sandra Bullock - The Blind Side
Helen Mirren - The Last Station
Carey Mulligan - An Education
Gabourey Sidibe - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Matt Damon - Invictus
Woody Harrelson - The Messenger
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Stanley Tucci - The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz - Inglourious Basterds

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE:
Penelope Cruz - Nine
Vera Farmiga - Up in the Air
Maggie Gyllenhaal - Crazy Heart
Anna Kendrick - Up in the Air
Mo’Nique - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Neill Blomkamp and - District 9
Nick Hornby - An Education
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche - In the Loop
Geoffrey Fletcher - Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire
Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner - Up in the Air

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Mark Boal - The Hurt Locker
Quentin Tarantino - Inglourious Basterds
Oren Moverman and - The Messenger
Joel and Ethan Coen - A Serious Man
Pete Docter and Bob Peterson - Up

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
Ajami  - Israel
El Secreto de sus Ojos - Argentina
The Milk of Sorrow
Une Prophéte  - France
The White Ribbon - Germany

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess and the Frog
The Secret of the Kells
Up

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Maurio Fiore - Avatar
Bruno Delbonnel - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Barry Ackroyd - The Hurt Locker
Robert Richardson - Inglourious Basterds
Christian Berger - The White Ribbon

FILM EDITING:
Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron - Avatar
Julian Clarke - District 9
Bob Murawski and Chris Innis - The Hurt Locker
Sally Menke - Inglourious Basterds
Joe Klotz - Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

What do you think of the nominations? Are you excited to see this year's?

credit for nominees list: /Film

Posted in: News17 comments

February2

TV Throwdown!

By: Ryan


The TV Throwdown has been on an extended hiatus, simply because television has been on an extended hiatus. There have been little pockets of life - 24, Hoarders, Gray's - but, in general, it's been pretty weak. But tonight, EVERYTHING... CHANGES.

buh-BAM! Can you deal with that?

Lost is back. Set your twitter apps to follow #LOST. It's going to rock your face off. I don't care if I have to wait and start it at midnight after everyone has gone to bed, this is going to be an event. I should go order some BBQ wings, Pringles, and a Snuggie... be right back. SWEET, I totally scored a free portable book light with my Snuggie order. Seriously, though, this show is poised to prove itself as either the greatest sci-fi/drama/mystery in the history of television or the biggest disappointment since Scott Hall's latest return to TNA. Occupying the #2 slot on my DVR is this little gem.

Sorry baby, the doctors of Seattle Grace Hospital are going to have to wait... Rupert and Russell are back. But at the end of the day, I'm pulling for Colby. It's his time.

So, tell me, am I alone in this or will the entire spring television season rest on the back of these two programs. Feel free to disagree with me, but know that I'll taunt you mercilessly if you do.

Posted in: TV Throwdown6 comments

January12

Rental Review Wrap Up - Pt. 2

By: Ryan


500 Days of Summer - I really love both Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and for their parts, they were great. But the movie just didn't do it for me. I think that I was expecting a more typical romantic comedy rather than an independent dramedy. It had funny parts, but as a whole it was rather sparse and depressing. I don't want to say that it was a bad movie, but it did not meet my expectations.





Night at the Museum Battle of the Smithsonian - Ok this is clearly the most well known of the films on the list. Ben Stiller returns as Larry the security guard and has to do battle with a Pharaoh (played by the always amusing Hank Azaria). It was alright, but I felt that it didn't capture the same wonder as the first film. It seemed as though it was aimed more at children - as seen by the casting of the Jonas Brothers as singing cherubs on the top of a fountain. Amy Adams as Amelia Earhart was brilliant in spite of everything.



Cold Comfort Farm - An early-in-her-career Kate Beckinsale goes to live with family in the country to get inspiration for the book she plans on writing in the BBC production. Do I really need to tell you anything else? It was rough - I mostly played Mario Kart. Ooh, Mario Kart... I'll be right back.






The Family Man - This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Nic Cage and Tea Leoni are great and I think that it's a wonderful break from director Brett Ratner's typical action fare. It's a modern day "It's a Wonderful Life."






Quantum of Solace - I decided to give this one a second chance since I was given the DVD for Christmas. As I've mentioned previously, I liked the Pierce Brosnan Bond films and I loved Casino Royale. But something about this just comes off as feeling like another installment of the Bourne Identity - shaky camera work, over-the-top action sequences, less than engaging story. Take it for what it's worth.

Posted in: Reviews2 comments

January6

Editorial: Are The Great Franchises Really So Great??

By: Ryan


I've been reading a lot of news recently about financial concerns affecting some of the big movie franchises - specifically Terminator and James Bond. And it's really gotten me to wondering if the great franchises are really all that great or are we just fascinated by recurring characters the alternate universes that these films create.

Here are a few to think about?

Terminator

Terminator: The first one was groundbreaking and the second was genre defining (sci-fi). Even though the hype machines have continued, the remaining installments have really failed to live up to their predecessors. Of course, it would be hard for anything to live up to such monumental films. I own all of the films as well as both seasons of Sarah Connor Chronicles, so I feel confident in my evaluation of the series and I have to say, now, that as a franchise, it's really not as great as it could be or I wish it were.

James Bond

James Bond: I'm biased because I don't care for films made before 1978. As such, I haven't watched any pre-Pierce Brosnan installments of this film. I really enjoyed those four, however. Then came Casino Royale and it blew my mind for what a James Bond film could be - and I think that a lot of viewers echoed those sentiments. When I finally got around to watching Quantum of Solace (or Bourne 4 as I call it) I was really disappointed. I think that we all love 007 as a character and concept, but the fact is that these films are really not that amazing - though there are a few gems in the collection.

Star Wars

Star Wars: No doubt, episodes 4-6 are unbelievable. I haven't seen any of the animated stuff (and there seems to be a lot of it now). I read a few of the books many years ago. Here's the deal, though, the original story is great. The concept behind the Episodes 1-3 story (well, really just the Vader/Clone/Empire origin part) is great. But what's become of the franchise and all the other off-shoots are passable. But the truth is, we should have realized this years ago when they tried to hock The Ewok Adventure on us.

Batman

Batman: I'm a fan boy. I'll admit it up front. I don't care for DC as a publisher, but I love Batman. And I have to say that Batman on film is greatness. And I won't even try to make excuses for Joel Schumacher (Batman Forever, Batman & Robin). The animated stuff has been great. The films have been great. But, here's the rub, Batman isn't really a film property, it's a comic, so it doesn't really qualify.

Ok, let the arrows fly. What do you think?

Posted in: Featured10 comments

January3

Rental Review Wrap Up - Pt. 1

By: Ryan



So, I spent the holidays at my in-laws' which means movie night every night. Of course, the films ran the gamut from outrageous to obscure. Here's a brief set of reviews/warnings.
Nothing Like the Holidays - This movie reminded me a lot of a Puerto Rican version of Barbershop. Adult children return home to their parents' house in Chicago - each with their own set of troubles. Chaos, comedy, and family conflict ensue. I usually enjoy John Leguizamo but I didn't think that he was used very well in this film. It was rather predictable but a good change from the usual holiday fodder.
You Can Count on Me - Oh my. Um, parents die in a car crash. Son turns out to be a drunk loser. Daughter (Laura Linney) becomes a bank teller and single mother to one of the Culkin kids that's not Macaulay.  Matthew Broderick is her boss. They have an affair while his wife is pregnant. Meanwhile she preaches at her brother about how he needs to be in church. This is a trainwreck.
What I Did for Love - Jeremy London is in love with this girl and wants to get engaged. She asks him to come visit her family on the farm to get her father's approval. Her father doesn't like him. It's not dissimilar to London's most famous film, Mallrats, except for the language and bathroom humor. Oh, yeah, there's a healthy dose of Son in Law in there to, except no Paulie Shore. It wasn't totally bad, if you're into Lifetime Movie Network.
Out to Sea - Oh, how I love this movie. Walter Mathau and Jack Lemon are both genius. I had actually showed this movie to my in-laws a few weeks ago at Thanksgiving. They told my wife's aunt and she said she had to see it, so we watched it again. Probably the best $5 I ever spent on a DVD. Oh yeah, it's about two old guys on a cruise ship trying to meet women and not get caught by their boss.

Posted in: Reviews1 comments

October15

Rental Reviews: Ghost Town

By: Ryan

Rental Reviews: I’m a dad now, so I don’t get to see too many movies when they first come out. However, with the advent of Redbox and OnDemand, it’s getting easier for me to catch up on the ones I miss.

Here's another one that I caught from HBO on Demand: Ghost Town. When I first saw the trailers for it, I thought it looked interesting, but not enough to go out and spend any money on. And the truth is, I was right. It may be worth a Redbox $1, but probably not much more.

That's not to say it wasn't any good. It was actually, quite entertaining. I've always enjoyed Téa Leoni and Greg Kinnear. I knew of Ricky Gervais, but I had never seen him in any sort of performance. The film also features SNL's Kristen Wiig who is totally a one-note-joke, but she does it so well that you forgive her.

So here's the deal. An uptight dentist (Gervais) has a surgical mishap and begins seeing ghosts. One of those ghosts (Kinnear) won't leave him alone unless he helps out on a problem involving the dead guy's wife. As you can imagine, the dentist falls for the wife and learns many a lesson about being uptight and self-involved. Along the way, a number of ghosts realize that they may have a new-found ally and hilarity ensues.

Rated PG-13 for some strong language, sexual humor and drug references. The language was the most noticeable and was typically unnecessary, but that's what you get from Greg Kinnear.

By the way, Alan Ruck, though limited in his time on screen, does an amazing job - as noted in last week's TV Throwdown!

Posted in: Reviews2 comments

October8

TV Throwdown: If They Made it a Movie

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1 Returning in all it's glory... The TV Throwdown! on TOC!! So, with the wealth of 80s revisitations, revamps, and reboots I thought it would be fun to take a classic 80s sitcom and dream up what it would look like if they made it a movie today. Today's series of choice: Family Ties. If casting started today, here's what I'm thinking... THEN: Michael Gross as Steven Keaton  NOW: Alan Ruck - because we all love Cameron and he was great in Ghost Town. THEN: Meredith Baxter Burney as Elyse Keaton NOW: Rita Wilson - because I think that Mrs. Tom Hanks would play well against Ruck. THEN: Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton NOW: Olivia Wilde - House's "13" I think that she could play younger if she tried. THEN: Tina Yothers as Jennifer Keaton NOW: Miley Cyrus - Yeah, I went there. Don't hate. It's a good fit. And, the one you've been waiting for... THEN: Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton NOW: Shia LaBoeuf - ignoring the fact that his last name reminds me of the girl from Teen Wolf (Boof), the fact that he's my favorite actor (click the link) and the fact that he's been called "this generation's Michael J. Fox" (by some guy at Starbucks) I think that he would bring the name recognition that the film needs to at least break even. Honorable Mention to Justin Long and Adam Brody. Thoughts, Complaints, Hate Mail??

Posted in: TV Throwdown0 comments

September2

TV Throwdown Fall Preview Part 3

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1 Welcome back to the fall preview, or as my friends south of the border are calling it: "El TV Throwdown presentado: El Grande Preview de Fall TV Americano, part dos." (That week of Spanish lessons in Guatemala has really paid off, can't you tell? This week we're looking at new shows premiering this fall. Again, I won't cover them all, so if your hyped up about some new show - leave it in the comments. Sorry for skimping on pics this week, there's just too much ground to cover. Jay Leno (NBC, Mon-Fri. 9pm Central) I covered this at length before, so I'm not going to waste my breath again... FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK??? REALLY?!?! Ok, I couldn't help myself. NCIS: LA (CBS, Tuesdays 8pm Central) I didn't even realize that the original NCIS was still in first run. Who knew it was popular enough to spur a spin-off featuring tw0-time-Robin Chris O'Donnell and L.L. Cool J. Mama said, knock this show out. Melrose Place (CW, Tuesdays 8pm Central) Scheduled to follow right behind 90210. TV Guide is calling this a remake of the soapy '90s melodrama featur[ing] many familiar archetypes." So, you've either got a remake of 90s show with Melrose, or real-life 90s icons with NCIS. Such decisions!! Trauma (NBC, Mondays 8pm Central) I saw this billed somewhere as "ER outside the ER". I guess we'll never run out of police procedurals and medical dramas. The Forgotten (NBC, Tuesdays 9pm Central) Ok, if 5 nights of Jay Leno didn't seal the deal, NBC wins the What the Crap Award for putting Christian Slater back in a starring role on a television series. Did they not learn anything last time? What's it about? Who cares? (I'm secretly a closet Christian Slater fan. Go rent The Wizard, Hard Rain and Broken Arrow for you long weekend.) Cougar Town (ABC, Wednesdays 8:30pm Central) Can Courtney Cox-Arquette break the Friends curse? Sources say, "doubtful." I'm still waiting for a Ross spin-off. Eastwick (ABC, Wednesdays 9:00pm Central) Not to be outdone by the CW rehashing series from the 90s, ABC offers this series based on a movie from 1987. This obviously an attempt to capitalize on the vampire craze, but with witches. Interesting. Glee (FOX, Wednesdays 8:00pm Central) Baptist church youth ministers be warned. You can expect a drastic drop in attendance as soon as this one starts. This is easily the most anticipated series of the season and from what I've seen it's worth every ounce of hype. Vampire Diaries (CW, Thursdays 7:00pm Central) Seriously, did I even need to tell you it was on CW. You knew. The only thing I can say about this that's interesting is that it features the grandson of film legend Steve McQueen. No, genius, I'm not talking about the main character from Cars.

Posted in: TV Throwdown1 comments

August25

TV Throwdown Fall Preview Part 2

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1

Welcome back! This week it's a quick look at those longer running shows that are returning this fall. For the sophomore sensations, check out last week's update.

House House (FOX, Mondays 7pm Central) Ok, personally, I think that House jumped the shark last year. They tried to make him a sympathetic character and it was a horrendous failure. My wife and I were huge fans, but probably missed half the season and didn't really care. Grey's Grey's Anatomy (ABC, Thursdays 8pm Central) My opinion: Grey's went overboard last year also. Everything about it was just so "on again, off again). The writers failed to realize that sad situations don't make us connect with deplorable characters. We'll see what happens this time around, but I would dare to say that it's the beginning of the end. Picture 5 Survivor (CBS, Thursdays 7pm Central)Yes, I still watch this show. Is it still culturally relevant? Probably not. But it is still captivating. They pick great characters 80% of the time and while it may seem a bit more staged (like The Hills) it's still entertaining for (what is this?) the 18th season. Picture 7 Ugly Betty (ABC, Fridays 7pm Central) Ugly Betty? Why do we care? The move to Friday night - long heralded as the nail in the coffin! This show has seemed to have a solid following, so this one comes as a surprise, at least to me. I'll be interested to see what comes of it. Next week we'll take a look at the new shows premiering this fall. Be on the lookout.

Posted in: TV Throwdown6 comments

August18

TV Throwdown Fall Preview Part 1

By: Ryan

tv-throwdown1 If only the Title line were bigger, I would have aptly titled this "TV Throwdown presents: The Great American Fall TV Preview, part 1". Hey, the new TV season is upon us and those of you who have been blessed with DVR need to get your thumbs a'workin to get all your precious shows programmed. I'm gonna give you a heads up on some shows you might want to check out, but there are really far too many to mention. Today we'll look at shows that are returning for their second season. Part 2 will be long-running shows that are returning. After that, I'll take a crack at new shows. I certainly won't get to all of them, so if you have some thoughts, leave them in the comments. With that, I present, your sophomore sensations. CastleCastle (ABC, Mondays 9pm Central) Ok, I totally called this one wrong. From the previews last season, I predicted mid-season cancellation. Guess I was wrong. People must like Nathan Fillion because I don't know what they get out of show where a writer follows a cop around to get ideas for his next book. I just don't get it. LietoMeLie to Me (Fox, Mondays 8pm Central) - This show came out of nowhere to captivate my wife and I. Tim Roth is pure gold, but the rest of the cast carries their own. I appreciate the little digs they take at famous people and politicians. It's a different take on the police procedural-type program. Picture 5SNL: Thursday Update (NBC, Thursdays 7pm Central) - NBC brought this concept out last year and it was timely because of the election. With Amy Poehler being gone, I'm not sure that Seth Meyers can carry the whole half hour. At least, they won't be without content. FringeFringe (Fox, Thursday 8pm Central) - I wanted to watch this, but I just didn't have time. I heard good things about it, but I only made it through about 10 minutes of the first episode on Hulu. I'm still not 100% sold on J.J. Abrams. I think that the conclusion of LOST (not until next year) will determine the future of his career. SouthlandSouthland (NBC, Fridays 8pm Central) - I haven't seen this one either, but the previews looked solid. I'm quite interested, though, because this was so highly billed and how has been moved to the dreaded Friday night slot. To be honest, I didn't think that the guy from the O.C. could carry such a highly touted series.

Posted in: TV Throwdown4 comments

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