Not Another Top 10 List!

Ten Most Anticipated Movies - Summer 2008

2008-04-17T11:10:00.020-04:00

Summer Movie season is almost upon us, and this summer looks like it could be one of the best ever. But what are this year’s most anticipated flicks? Read on for our own take on what will be hot in the coming months!

10.) The Incredible Hulk – Those of you who thought the Ang Lee film was a tremendous bore need not worry. More of a brand-new-start than a sequel, this new Hulk film casts Edward Norton in the lead and promises to be closer to the old television series in style and substance.

Opens: June 13th

9.) Get Smart – What would summer be without a remake of at least one old TV show? This one promises to be better than the others, though, with The Office’s Steve Carell and super-sexy Anne Hathaway in the leads.

Opens: June 20th

8.) Hancock – Imagine if there was a superhero who just didn’t give a damn. Meet Hancock, Will Smith’s latest starring role that is sure to bring plenty of fireworks on Fourth of July weekend.

Opens: July 2nd

7.) The X-Files: I Want To Believe – Mulder and Scully return to action as one of sci-fi fans favorite shows finally returns to theaters in this long-awaited, but stand-alone (story wise) sequel.

Opens: July 25th

6.) Speed Racer – What would summer be without a remake of at least one old TV…hey, didn’t we cover this already? The difference here is that this is a live action version of the classic cartoon. Oh, and it’s directed by the same guys who brought you The Matrix. Cool.

Opens: May 9th

5.) The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian – Determined to have their own version of Harry Potter, Disney releases their second Narnia movie, this one based on C.S. Lewis’ next novel in the series. All the kids return, although Mr. Tumnus does not. Waaa!

Opens: May 16th

4.) WALL●E – We’ll happily admit that he looks like Johnny 5 if you’ll admit you’re just as excited as us to see this new Pixar movie. Parents should love it just as much as their kids.

Opens: June 27th

3.) Iron Man – With Robert Downey, Jr. as the star and Jon Favreau as the director, fans had a right to be skeptical about this film. Then came the trailers and additional footage from the movie, and all fears were calmed. Its also got the advantage of being the first summer blockbuster out of the gate this year.

Opens: May 2nd

2.) The Dark Knight – If you spent your April Fool's Day running around the city looking for a bowling ball, you’re probably already in line for the next Batman movie and not even reading this. And if you think this isn’t going to be one of the most talked about and seen films in 2008, well…the joke’s on you.

Opens: July 18th

1.) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – Don’t worry folks, the presence of Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg all but assure that this won’t be as disappointing as that other franchise George Lucas recently revived at the Cineplex. If the teaser trailer is any indication, the fedora still fits, and we’re in for one great ride.

Opens: May 22nd

Ten Directors On The Verge Of Greatness

2008-03-28T13:59:00.024-04:00

Every great director has at least one film that makes the world take notice. For Quentin Tarantino it was Pulp Fiction, for Paul Thomas Anderson it was Boogie Nights (although one could arguably swap that moment for There Will Be Blood). That elusive classic doesn't just happen though. Some filmmakers seem destined for greatness with only a few films under their belt, while some may take a lifetime to achieve immortality. Here are ten directors in a heated race for glory.

10. Noah Baumbach
After his impressive 1995 directorial debut Kicking And Screaming, Noah Baumbach seemed to disappear off the radar. 2005's The Squid And The Whale, a painfully hilarious semi-autobiographical tale about divorce, became a critical darling and brought Baumbach back into the limelight. His 2007 film Margot At The Wedding only confirmed his talents for capturing ugliness in a humorous context. While his films often draw comparison to those of Wes Anderson (possibly due to their collaboration of The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou), Baumbach's films take place in the real world, as opposed to Anderson's exaggerated literary fantasy worlds. This may be why Baumbach has not obtained the cult following that Anderson enjoys, as his settings may seem too familiar for comfort. His talents are obvious though; it's not Baumbach who needs to strive for his great film...the audience needs to be ready for it.

9. Greg Mottola
Greg Mottola's directorial debut, the completely enjoyable comedy The Daytrippers, was a hit at Sundance in a year when there were too many hits at Sundance, and therefore got lost in the shuffle. He spent the next ten years of his career working in television, on quality shows such as Undeclared and Arrested Development. His Judd Apatow connection on Undeclared helped him land the 2007 sleeper hit Superbad, which carried the blessing and curse of being an Apatow production (guaranteed talent and quality, little recognition for Mottola as director). Mottola's next film, Adventureland, could be a Superbad-style sleeper hit, hopefully with praise being rightfully given to Mottola's direction this time around.

8. Allen Coulter
Give a quick glimpse at Allen Coulter's resume and you'll notice he's directed a lot of television. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice 27 episodes of The Sopranos, including some of the series' best, such as "The Test Dream," "College," and my personal favorite, the extremely brutal "University." It's clear Coulter has already made his mark on the world of television, and his well crafted feature debut Hollywoodland proved that Coulter is someone you can expect great things from in the future.

7. Doug Liman
Doug Liman made his directorial debut in 1994 with Getting In, but everyone took notice two years later when he directed the film that launched the careers of Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, Swingers. To some, Swingers may not seem like a directorial tour de force, but when you take into consideration that the film was made for a meager $200,000, thanks to Liman's ability to shoot technically complicated shots on the cheap, you might change your mind. After Swingers came Go, a highly underrated comedy that too many critics wrote off as Pulp Fiction for teens. Recently Liman's shifted his focus to action, having helmed The Bourne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Jumper in the past decade.

6. Mary Harron
Mary Harron started her career as a journalist for Punk magazine in the 1970's (she was the first person to interview The Sex Pistols for an American publication), and didn't make her directorial debut until 1996 with I Shot Andy Warhol. She followed Warhol in 2000 with the extremely controversial American Psycho, based on the equally controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis. The film received mixed reviews, and Harron didn't return to features until 2005's Bettie Page biopic, The Notorious Bettie Page, which many saw as a triumphant return to form. It would seem as if Harron's talents lie in period pieces, which leads one to wonder if her great film is possibly set in the 1970's punk scene she's so familiar with...or if that subject is too close for comfort?

5. Robert Rodriguez
Some of you may think this pick is completely unjustified and that Robert Rodriguez has already made his mark on the world of cinema, and some of you may believe that immortality isn't even within his reach. My opinion of Rodriguez lies somewhere in the middle. He certainly knows how to make kick ass genre pics (Desperado), he's a technological pioneer (Sin City), and he's even made a great family film (Spy Kids). Still, for all the bang his films provide, there's not much substance. Perhaps he's guilty of stretching himself too thin. Rodriguez multi-tasks on all his films by directing, writing, shooting, editing, and often composing. The fact that his most successful outing, Sin City, was based on source material by Frank Miller, may suggest that he hand over the writing duties to someone else next time, so he can focus his attentions on the things he does best...although it should be noted that he did not receive a writing credit for The Faculty (that honor(?) goes to Dawson's Creek creator Kevin Williamson).

4. Peter Berg
An accomplished actor before he turned his attentions behind the camera, Peter Berg began his directing career with the 1998 dark (extremely dark) comedy, Very Bad Things, an insanely divisive film that audiences either applauded for its mix of no holds barred violence and tasteless humor or reviled for the very same reasons. Still, he seemed like just another unnecessary actor turned director until his 2004 adaptation of the H.G. Bissinger novel, Friday Night Lights, which was a refreshingly realistic (I'm looking at you, Varsity Blues) look at a small Texas town and its obsession with high school football. The film also spawned an even better TV show, developed by Berg. Personally, the moment I started to suspect Berg had more up his sleeve was during the climatic shootout in The Kingdom, one of the most riveting action sequences I've seen in years in an otherwise mediocre film. Berg's next movie, the Will Smith vehicle Hancock, should be his first major box office hit, but my money says 2010's Dune will make or break Berg as a serious filmmaker.

3. Craig Brewer
2005's Hustle & Flow established Craig Brewer as the current king of southern fried cinema, capturing the desperate poverty of south without ever coming off as heavy handed or losing its soul. Brewer's follow-up, Black Snake Moan, was a brilliant spin on the sexploitation genre that never found the audience it deserved, possibly due to sensationalist marketing. With the south mostly relegated to outdated stereotypes or inaccurate nostalgia on film, Brewer seems poised to be the man to bring us an accurate portrayal of one of the most poorly represented regions of this country on film.

2. Darren Aronofsky
Darren Aronofsky exploded into the film world at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival with his feature-length debut Pi, where he won the award for Best Director. He followed Pi with Requiem For A Dream, which some may consider his "great film," but let's face it: the film doesn't retain the mindf*@k it gives the viewer on the initial viewing (how could it?). His last film, The Fountain, was regarded by most as extremely ambitious, but somewhat of a mess. Early shots from Aronofsky's next film, The Wrestler, look extremely promising, and if that doesn't work out, the similarly-themed The Fighter follows.

1. Tony Scott
With a filmography that anyone would be lucky to achieve, it may seem odd to find Tony Scott in the number one position. But let's face it, with all the ground he's covered, not one film in his career screams "classic." There are the blockbusters (Top Gun, Crimson Tide), the cult favorites (True Romance, Revenge) and the just god-awful (Beverly Hills Cop II, The Fan). The man is clearly a technical master, and in recent years his films have adopted a very grainy, overexposed look (Domino, Man On Fire), that you either love or hate. There's no doubt he has a great film within him. Still, with remakes of The Taking Of Pelham 123 and The Warriors on the horizon, I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Top Ten Guiltiest Movie And Television Pleasures

2008-03-26T16:21:00.043-04:00

When it comes to movies and television, we act hip and cool to the trends, but deep down inside, there are those certain movies and television shows that we hold dear to our hearts, regardless of what others may say or think about them. They are our guilty pleasures, and fear not - there isn't any real guilt that goes along with liking them, just an increased feeling of defensiveness when other people poke fun at them.

Without further ado, I present the movies and television shows that I have seen numerous times and still cause me to adhere to the couch for hours, even if I just said I'd come bail you out of jail in 20 minutes. (Oh hush, you're not going anywhere!)

10. The Emperor's New Groove

I think I spent a good 2 or 3 years watching and re-watching this fantastic animated movie about a spoiled Aztec emperor (David Spade - Awesome!) who gets turned into a llama and must depend on a peasant (John Goodman - Equally awesome!) to help him return to his former self. Throw in Patrick Warburton as the evil adviser's right hand man, and you've got a classic on your hands!

9. French Kiss

Maybe it was because I was taking French in high school at the time, or maybe it was the way Meg Ryan delivered her lines with that characteristic gusto, but my worn-out VHS copy of French Kiss can attest to the fact that I watched America's #1 sweetheart (at the time) over and over again as she tried to win back her ex-fiance's heart with the help of a French criminal/con man.

8. Much Ado About Nothing

I suppose I was a big fan of Shakespeare adaptations when I was younger, but none of them compared to Kenneth Branagh's film version of Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Michael Keaton's performance, although small, is reason alone to watch this film! The Elizabethan language can be hard to understand, but subtitles should help you get around that.

7. Fiddler On The Roof

TRADITION!! It sounds weird, but I'm really interested in all things Judaism, so it's no surprise that Fiddler On The Roof is one of my favorite films to sit and watch all day. There's love, laughter, and lessons that anyone can relate to, as well as amazing musical numbers!

6. Elf

I don't know what it is about this movie. Maybe it's the large amounts of sugar that Buddy the Elf eats. Maybe it's his elf-out-of-North-Pole ways. Maybe it's in the way he says, "SANTA! I KNOW HIM!" It could be any number of things, but one thing's for certain: I love watching this movie anytime of the year!

5. Pride & Prejudice

There have been countless times I have had to sit and watch the A & E version of this beloved Jane Austen novel. These viewings, which I can only estimate as a bajillion hours a piece, never quite stuck with me because when doing a book report on the novel, I reported that all the sisters got married. (Spoiler alert! Not all of them do!) However, there's something about the Pride & Prejudice version starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen that's magical and easy to comprehend, but I feel it is the compactness of the story that endears this movie to me.

4. Pitch Black

For as long as I knew he existed, I had a bit of a vendetta against Vin Diesel. Blame The Fast and The Furious, but I thought he was an awful actor in a movie about cars. Enter Pitch Black, and I discover that Vin Diesel is an awesome action star with a great range of talents and abilities. Pitch Black is the type of movie that people who know me would be surprised to know I love. It's creepy, crawly, and peppered with just the right amount of goriness!

3. Band of Brothers

It doesn't matter how many times I see this fantastic mini-series, I always want to see it again. Unlike Saving Private Ryan, where I fast forward through the parts that make me feel sad, I watch each and every moment of this series. If there's a military holiday coming up, I know to start checking The History Channel for Band of Brothers so I can get my fix!

2. Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Angel

These two television series go hand-in-hand with each other, so they share the same spot. Joss Whedon took everyday problems that young adults deal with and put a supernatural twist on them. I started watching Buffy around my sophomore year in high school, so it was relevant to my life - except the vampires, werewolves, and apocalypses - oh my! I've seen every episode of Buffy (and almost every episode of Angel), and my extensive knowledge of each separate episode and season propels me indefinitely to the status of geek.

1. Firefly

Another Joss Whedon creation! This series never made it past its first season, but that didn't stop its massive fan base from bringing it back from the television graveyard to life on the silver screen in the form of Serenity! I can't get enough of this series, and I own it on DVD, but I'll also watch it on TV because that is the only way you get to hear the special intros to each episode that aren't on the DVDs! For those who have never watched it, Firefly is best described as a western set in outer space. Sounds strange at first, but the story and the world it's set in will grab you and sit you in your chair until it's done entertaining you.

Well, there you have it! I've shown you my guilty pleasures, now let's see yours!

Top Ten Most Confusing Films

2008-03-14T14:48:00.014-04:00

There are the films that we see and we get instantaneously, but then there are the films that are listed below. They don't just serve as entertainment - they encourage discussions about morality and philosophy, but if audiences don't see that second purpose, they'll be lost and confused.

After some research, I came up with a list of the top ten films that many people find confusing and try to give a small explanation about what concept is being examined, as well as maybe a hint or two that will help with understanding the film as well.

Be forewarned, if you have not seen any of these movies yet, there may be spoilers.

(Anything I do give away, with the possible exception of Fight Club, doesn't ruin the movie. I just try to ruin the confusion you feel after watching these movies.)

10. Memento

At the top (bottom?) of our list, we find Memento. Directed by Christopher Nolan, it follows the difficulties a man, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), with short term memory loss experiences while investigating the murder of his wife. Viewers watching this movie will see events play out from different points in time, in either reverse chronological order or chronological order. A second (or third!) viewing can help the audience solve the mysteries of this mystery.

9. A Clockwork Orange

Set in the futuristic 1995 (It was filmed in 1971 by the late Stanley Kubrick.), A Clockwork Orange follows the extremely delinquent Alex DeLarge as he leads his gang of friends on ultra-violent adventures, which include beating up old men, raping women, and basically anything horrible that you could imagine someone doing to another being. After being convicted of murder, he is sentenced to 14 years in prison, but after a couple years, he makes a deal that will get him on parole. He agrees to take part in experimental aversion therapy that the government believes will help neuter criminals, but will the future of that society be better when the government dictates what morality is to the citizens within it and enforces their version of morality?

8. Fight Club

Many people say "Well, I read the book, and when I saw the movie, I wasn't confused at all!" Well, that's because you read the book before you saw the movie based on the book, while others only saw the movie based on the book. Most of the confusion this movie creates is solved by the end, except for the very end, which is hard to understand because of how the dark the scenes are, as well as the massive head wound Edward Norton's character, a man suffering from a split-personality disorder, inflicts upon himself with a gun. By physically pulling the trigger, he mentally exterminated his second personality. He survives because he shoots himself through the cheek, avoiding any important organs or veins.

7. The Matrix\Matrix Reloaded\Matrix Revolutions

The Matrix, starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, introduced the world's audiences to the idea that maybe what we see everyday is just a virtual reality created for us by advanced machines that keep us imprisoned in pods and harvest our energy for their use. Ok, simple enough, I suppose, but then what are we supposed to make of the two sequels, Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions? It seems to have turned into an exploration of philosophy too dense for the majority of viewers, but if you watch with the idea in mind that it is more a journey or quest, it becomes much easier to understand.

6. Donnie Darko

When Donnie Darko, your average high school student, walks outside his house the night of October 2, he starts experiencing a very strange and realistic hallucination of Frank,a being who wears a grotesque bunny costume. Frank tells Donnie things about the world ending and persuades him to do things, such as burning down a motivational speaker's house. Donnie starts investigating time travel and the opinions surrounding it. By avoiding an event that was predestined to happen, an alternate timeline branches off the main timeline, but eventually, the alternate timeline will not be able to sustain itself and must close or risk destroying the main timeline, and with that, the universe as we know it.

5. Vanilla Sky

David Aames has it all: money, women, fame, etc., etc. However, he loses it all when a jealous lover tries to kill him (The old "If I can't have you, nobody will!" routine), and although he survives, he is horribly disfigured and finds it difficult to return to his life as the way it was. There is no one answer to what this movie is about, but instead, questions are answered with more questions about what it all means. (Which, in my opinion, is way more frustrating than just being unsure of what is going on.) It's a question that has puzzled scientists for decades: what happens to us when we are in a coma or cryogenically frozen? And more specifically, what goes on inside our brain during that time? Do we dream? Or is there just blackness behind our eyes?

4. Revolver

Jake Green is released from prison, and begins to use a formula he and his solitary confinement neighbors developed to win at all types of gambling ventures. He becomes well-known for his "luck", and begins to take his revenge on the man who put him in prison when two men come to him and tell him he has 3 days to live, and they'll protect him (the revenge business is dangerous business!) so long as he gives them all their money. This film is amazing once you remember that everyone is in their own prison and remember that the mind, just like in Fight Club, is a powerful weapon.

3. I Heart Huckabees

The philosophies that are central to the plot in I Heart Huckabees are existentialism and nihilism and absurdism. Existentialists believe that the only meaning in human existence is to exist, so they embrace their existences and create their own meanings for their lives. Nihilists believe that there is no meaning to existence, and any attempt to create meaning is also meaningless because there is no meaning. Absurdists believe that there may be meaning, but humans will never be able to know it, so it's a 50/50 chance that trying to create your own meaning in your life is worth it. Even if you don't understand these philosophies, the movie is still extremely entertaining - just remember that human existence connects everyone, and we are living the lives that we created for ourselves.

2.(Tied for #1) 2001: A Space Odyssey

I, personally, do not get this movie, but I understand that it's about the history of mankind, its present, and its distant future, and the monoliths are the triggers for the changes in mankind's evolution, such as the ape using the old bone as a tool and a weapon. The meaning of this film is up to you and your own personal interpretation, and like me, there will be many people out there who will still be confused even after thinking about it for a long time.

1. Insert Any David Lynch Film That Confuses You Here.

Talk about complicated! Some of his films will give you a hint or a clue to what the meaning behind the movie is by the end, but for some of his films, including INLAND EMPIRE, there is no discernible meaning for the movie's meaning, not to mention the very existence of it. When it comes to David Lynch, I can't help you, so you're on your own. Sorry!