Coming Soon

With the Summer Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly having recently come out, my appetite has been whet for some summer movie fare. Here's what I'm looking forward to...

• PRINCE CASPIAN (May 16): I'm a sucker for the Narnia series - some of the best books ever, especially as a kid. All the kids from the first movie are back (and they were all great, plus actually pass for siblings) and the preview just looks awesome. The only book I still remember is "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" so I'm excited to find out what the story has in store.

• SPEED RACER (May 9): This one looks cheesy-in-a-good-way, and was made by the Wachowski brothers, the creators of The Matrix (hey, the first one was pretty great). Emile Hirsch and Christina Ricci are both on my awesome list right now, and the colors in the film look amazing and very evocative of the character's anime roots! Could be fun! (Oh, and is Matthew Fox from "Lost" the villain? Neato!)

• WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? (July): I'm also a sucker for a well told tale of family discord, especially between fathers and sons. This one looks appropriately intriguing, and stars Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent, amazing, fabulous actors. Broadbent especially is far less known than he should be.
  

• THE HAPPENING (June 13): I know M. Night Shyamalan has faltered with his last two attempts, The Village and Lady in the Water, but I still have some faith. The Sixth Sense and Signs are two amazing movies, and this director does tension and suspense in a way most Hollywood films don't understand, so I'm willing to give him a shot. This one stars Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel (love her) and it's one of the best trailers I've seen so far. It gave me goosebumps.

• FUGITIVE PIECES (June): Looks gripping, well-acted by a lesser known cast (Rade Serbedzija in particular in under-utilized in popular film), and you generally can't beat a film about Holocaust survivors for emotional resonance.

• PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (August 8): This one's easy - I love Judd Apatow productions and I love Seth Rogen. The trailer made me laugh out loud. James Franco was so excellent on "Freaks and Geeks" and has since been relegated to boring movie roles, so I'm excited to see him shine. Plus, it looks like the bad guys are played by Gary Cole (Office Space boss, "Um, yeah, I'm gonna need you to come in on Saturday...") and Craig Robinson (Darryl from 'The Office"!!) so that can only mean good things!

• AMERICAN TEEN (July): Okay, this documentary just looks really sweet, and as it says in the preview, evocative of The Breakfast Club; how can I resist? The kids look pretty charming.

I'm also stoked for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Sex and the City: The Movie (obviously), Get Smart, and The Dark Knight, but figured they were getting, or gonna get, enough publicity already and you are probably all too aware of their existence and sick of it.

Anyone Else Love The Muppets?

Personally, I always loved Beeker and Animal, but they're all fantastic...


Apparently Jason Segal, formerly of "Freaks and Geeks" and current star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, has a deep and profound love of the Muppets. The Cooler blogger, Jason Bellamy, also a big fan, wrote a great article about them, and Segal's plans to reboot the franchise, here, so if you too grew up with the Muppets and miss them, do check it out.

This Week in Televison...

So I don't usually write daily recaps of my favorite shows, but this week was freaking awesome for me! Not only were there amazing episodes of Battlestar Galactica and The Office, but I got Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, and Lost back as well!!! I felt the need to gush a bit, so here are this week's highlights!


HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: I just discovered this show this season (at the excited insistence of Heather) and it is really great. This week featured another flashback into Robin's past as pop singer "Robin Sparkles." In addition to another painfully bad music video, we were treated to THE BEEK (that's James Van Der Beek aka Dawson Leery, for those of you not in the know) as her former Canadian paramour! Bad accent, beer gut, hair loss....so awesome! These are the kind of roles he should be playing - much more fun than that sanctimonious ass, Dawson! Also, BARNEY AND ROBIN!!!!! OMG! They have some good chemistry! Here's hoping they don't ruin it! Also, loved Marshall's concept of "revertigo," and Lily, unaware, reverting to her pathetic gangster self.


GOSSIP GIRL: How I have missed this show! When we last saw these deliciously devious kids, Blair was overthrown as Queen B by frenemie Little Jenny Humphrey after her sorted sexual past with boyfriend Nate and his best friend Chuck was revealed to the entire student population. This week's match-up had Blair conniving to expose Jenny's poverty to her rich friends. Little J came out on top, but only after stealing a designer gown (twice), and pimping Nate out to win back her place. I'd watch out for Blair - this is gonna be a nasty, drawn-out cat fight and I can't wait for the day Blair crushes Little J into dust!

In other stories, Chuck was creepy and slimy to the extreme (and dressed in one of his most ridiculous ensembles yet, see left (the character's not even gay, which makes his wardrobe even more hilarious)), but quite cutely giddy to have a new family. Too bad that was ruined when Serena accused him of sending her lewd presents designed to get her in trouble. However, the final trump was on Serena when she learned the gifts were from the ominous "G" - even Chuck looked nervous at this revelation, although it served to form a tentative truce between the soon-to-be-step-siblings. Can't wait for next week when more hellfire is gonna rain from the sky with the arrival of the much dreaded Georgina!


THE OFFICE: There were a lot of things I loved about this episode. First, it was good to see all of the Officemates, with special screen time given to Stanley and Toby. In what may be a first, Toby got a genuinely great awkward and laugh-out-loud moment from me with his lingering hand on Pam's leg, followed by his mortification, decision to move to Costa Rica, and spry escape over the fence. That alone was worth the price of admission! But there was also crazy, coke-head Ryan, happy to hang out with Michael and Dwight, dancing like a spaz, making frequent trips to the bathroom, rubbing his nose, looking like shit....it was awesome, and about time, drug-addled or not, that we finally saw that prick loosen up. (On a negative note, why do the writers insist on drawing parallels between Michael and Jim? I'm cool with all the other mistakes Jim made this episode, he does not need to be perfect, but why must he make the incredibly Michael-like guffaw of assuming the cleaning staff only spoke Spanish? That felt all kinds of wrong. I'm sure it can't be readily assumed that all janitors in the Scranton, Pennsylvania area are Mexican. It would be fitting for Michael to think so, but not Jim.)


GREY'S ANATOMY: My love for this show was seriously waning this season, but they finally churned out a pretty great episode. It was nice to see Izzie back on point after the tragic miscalculation of Gizzie - I was worried the writers weren't gonna be able to rehabilitate her, but she was amusingly crazy this episode and she and George regained some of their great friendship snark! George wasn't as whiny and pathetic either! The Mer/Der drama was minimal, and for once she didn't make the case ALL about her love life, and didn't seem to be pathetically waffling throughout the episode. There was a nice moment between the Chief and Alex, and boy does Mark look delicious with a little trim on that goatee! Also, as if it needed to be mentioned, Bailey kicked all kinds of ass, and the competition between the residents for the sparkly pager was a great idea - theses characters are most amusing when they are competitive!


LOST: Yes! I love that this show is giving us some answers! At least we understand why Sayid is working for Ben in the future (although the validity of the enterprise is of course questionable - aren't all things Ben?), but would he really go as far as to help take out Penny??? I don't think so, at least not based on the Sayid I see now, especially given his current closeness with Desmond, so maybe that will cause some shakeups in the Ben/Sayid dynamic. Here's hoping, because would I hate for one of favorite characters to be chained irrevocably to the most repulsive. Great action sequences this week, and glad Jack finally knows the truth (I think?) about the Boaties and their motives. And Hurley with the baby = adorable! I admit to letting out a little SQUEE!!! (By the way, I totally geeked out over the title of this episode - "The Shape of Things to Come" - because isn't that what Hera represents on Galactica? I just thought it was an awesomely strange coincidence, or maybe my mind is just a little too Galactica obsessed right now!)


BATTLESTAR GALACTICA!: This show is really bringing the goods this season. First up, last week's episode featured the emergence of Cylon Tory the badass, and boy is it creepily scary to watch her turn off her humanity like that. SHE AIRLOCKED CALLY!!! I've always hated Cally (perhaps the only series regular I have never warmed to, and have never had sympathy for - what a whiny brat!), but that was a seriously fucked up way to die! Although I'm glad to see her gone, she was so alone and destroyed and unwanted throughout this episode, that when she was killed so mercilessly, it elicited a loud gasp from me!

Roslin, the dying leader, is also going all kinds of hardass lately, and while I still feel sympathy for her, it's weird to watch a character you've always trusted become unrelatable, and terrifying in her logic. (A wonderful TWoP poster noted that her new chemo-inspired wig is very Admiral Cain - does that draw some scary parallels or what!?!) This week's episode had Chief and Tigh going through some very weird and destructive Cylon-related meltdowns (and Tigh's involves bedding a Six! Ahhh! Crazy!), Adama being sweetly forced to confront the reality of Roslin's mortality, and Baltar becoming a Christ-like religious figure. Really raises some interesting and uncomfortable questions about religious fanaticism and what the Cylon religion may allow it's followers to excuse themselves for (i.e. destroying humanity, Tory putting Cally out the airlock, etc.) There are also some interesting arguments to be made (not by me, but I'm sure Jacob, the AMAZING TWoP recapper, will explain in his recap of this episode) between Roslin's religious faith and the "cult" of Baltar's! Also, in the most awesome moment of the episode, ChipSix actually physically lifted Baltar off his feet and served him up to the guard punching his lights out! How did she do that? Is she actually an angel or a physical entity!?!?!?! Whatever the reason, it was amazing, and eerily reminiscent of the Fight Club scene where Edward Norton fights himself! Wowza!

Coming up, mutiny on The Demetrius!!! I wanna see how Starbuck handles that, especially if it means a decent storyline for Helo and Athena, who haven't yet had a moment to shine, and who apparently left their hard-won daughter, Hera, alone on Galactica. WTF!


Wow! That was some good TV! And I didn't even mention my guilty pleasures including a cat fight on the Rock of Love II: Reunion, the return of bisexual Tila Tequila in A Shot at Love, a trip to Rome on Top Model, Andrew Lloyd Webber week on American Idol, and, I'm ashamed to admit, the tragically awful Real World: Hollywood, in it's 20th season! I know, these shows are all crap (oh, the shame!), but I have to admit, they have their bizarre attractions. Maybe I'll just blame my addiction on the strike: if they hadn't taken away all my good shows, I never would have been sucked in! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

YouTube Video of the Week!

Don't worry, this is not going to become a ongoing feature. But since I mention and post and view these shipper videos on a regular basis, the title seemed apt. Here's my latest obsession, a Chuck and Blair vid, really well edited - totally gets the dynamic - and I can't get the song (by "American Idol" alum, Blake Lewis) out of my head! Catchy with great lyrics!

100 Favorite Movies, Part 10

Okay, I am finally done with this extensive list. This section really kicked my ass and is probably way too long, but I felt I should just say everything I want to about my absolute faves, and be damned with length! I have had so much fun recounting all my favorite movies for you and I hope you have enjoyed reading about them, even if you didn't always agree. I am sad to report that I am fresh out of adjectives and will probably not be able to write originally or intelligently about anything for quite some time. So without any further ado, here are my Top 10!

• 10. HIGH FIDELITY (2000) - As someone who adores list-making (obviously) of course I was smitten with John Cusack's portrayal of Rob, a thirty-something, music afficianado who makes Top 5 lists daily. His monologues to the camera (love them!) leave nothing out; we see Rob's self-obsession, humor, hypocrisy, and horndog tendencies and Cusack sells it all the way. I love his Top 5 Breakup List and the screwed up ways he views those past relationships. I also love that he is so flawed, and that in the course of the movie he readily admits that "Yes, I am a fucking asshole," has a one-night stand with an awesome pop culture soulmate, does a "Top 5 Things I Miss About Laura," and ends by making a tape "full of stuff she'd like, stuff that would make her happy." It's a real grown-up journey, never over simplified, but enjoyable in it's honesty and complication. The movie is full of inspired musical references and cues, and contains a scene-stealing supporting performance from Jack Black at his most manic. The cast of past and current lovers is diverse, and they make memorable use of their few moments of screen time. And for anyone who loves the movie, the book by Nick Hornby is just as wonderful!

• 9. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997) - This film noir homage has all the pieces. The plot is just complicated enough to still surprise you on subsequent viewings, but comprehensible enough to all make sense. The three leads embody wildly different cops: Kevin Spacey is the fame-whore with a guilty conscience, Guy Pearce is the straight-arrow, rule-follower who discovers the world exists in shades of gray, and Russell Crowe (in my favorite role) is the hot-tempered muscle who learns he is both smarter and kinder than he thought. The art and set direction are marvelous, capturing 1950's L.A. in all of it's tainted, corrupted glory, and a set of time-specific songs and a score that recalls the mood of '40's and '50's copper flicks and television shows. The plot is peppered with original character actors, including fabulous roles for Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, and Kim Basinger, and it is an example of the film being more than just the sum of it's parts. Each scene is crucial to the development of the plot, but subtly written as atmospheric character studies in and of themselves.

• 8. MOONLIGHT MILE (2002) - A story about a family recovering from the murder of their daughter could descend into a series of overblown, emotional and predictable scenes. But Moonlight Mile manages to avoid obvious scenarios and focuses on three specific characters: Dustin Hoffman is the neurotic father, hiding his guilt in mannerisms; Susan Sarandon's mother deals with her grief in a tornado of sarcasm and humor; and then there is the quitly sad Jake Gyllenhaal, the dead girls' fiance, trying to keep her parents from imploding. Gyllenhaal walks a very fine line - he is the focus of the story, but says very little, relying on body language and facial expressions to get his point across. He also starts falling in love with Bertie (a luminous pre-"Grey's Anatomy" Ellen Pompeo), a townie post-office employee who has also lost a lover. The movie doesn't have a lively pace, but feels more realistic than other films of similar subject matter; the sadness isn't bogged down in quickly-resolved melodrama. The carefully chosen soundtrack includes lots of classic 70's rock - through it I came to know and love the Rolling Stones "Moonlight Mile," and the closing montage is beautifully filmed and edited to Van Morrison's "Sweet Thing" (which turned me onto Van Morrison in the first place - he's now my favorite musical artist, so thank you!).
• 7. BEFORE SUNSET (2004) - This sequel to 1995's Before Sunrise (at #4) is less romantic than it's predecessor, but accurately reflects the hardened edge that comes with adult experiences. It's been 9 years since Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) had a magical day together and promised to meet 6 months later. Obviously plans went awry, but here they are again, accidentally meeting, and finding they enjoy each other's company as much as ever. The movie follows them as they have another intellectually stimulating conversation about sex, politics, world affairs and music, and all along the tension builds around the questions they don't ask because they can't bear to hear the answers: Why is he wearing a wedding ring? Were they in love? Have they missed their chance? One detail I love is that this time around, Jesse has become the optimistic idealist, buoyed by warm memories of the unexpected love he found with her, whereas Celine has become mistrusting and cynical, embittered by a series of relationships that couldn't live up to that magical connection she shared with Jesse for only one night. The feelings are still there and the dialogue is so eerily specific to these characters - they have never felt more like real people. The scene where Celine plays him a devastatingly sweet song on her guitar breaks my heart and I am swept away once again.

• 6. ALMOST FAMOUS (2000) - The first time I saw this, I came back to my dorm room angry that I had missed out on the '70's, thinking it looked like fun to be a groupie, and wanting to start a vinyl collection. Somehow Cameron Crowe managed to capture a time when indiscriminate sex, hard-partying and filthy backstage antics were still tinged with innocence. What could be more rational than to jump on the bus with these idealistic, screwy, raucous, freshly funny characters and journey through a time when rock 'n roll was still young, alive, unpolluted, and only beginning to compromise it's purity of spirit? I've yet to buy any records, but part of that experience lives in me still. Patrick Fugit is pitch-perfect as the earnest, awkward William, a wannabe rock journalist on tour with the band Stillwater, and Kate Hudson shines as groupie Penny Lane, an audacious concoction of style and false bravado only William can see through. Again, the movie has a kick-ass soundtrack: the scene on the bus where they sing along to "Tiny Dancer" is perfect (coming after a petulant - "I am a golden god!" - act by lead guitarist, Russell), and I first heard Elton John's "Mona Lisas and Madhatters" here. I also love the performance of Jason Lee as the overshadowed lead singer; his fight with Russell over the teeshirt is brilliant: "You look mad." "How can you tell? I'm just one of the 'out-of-focus' guys!!!"

• 5. MAGNOLIA (1999) - Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece about the intersecting lives of nine Los Angeles residents is a continuously building examination of the relationships between fathers and their children, the damage caused, the forgiveness required, and the endless cycles perpetuated. These characters are some of the loneliest people I have ever encountered and their need for love is palpable. They put on masks to disguise their pain, but their unadulterated need permeates every scene. There are great character parts for William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore and Melora Walters, but two actors steal the show: Tom Cruise utilizes his scary intensity in a virtuoso performance as a misogynistic self-help guru who is also a victim of his childhood, and John C. Reilly is a sad cop with the kindness, discretion, and desire to save some of these lost souls; in helping them, he too may be saved from his profound loneliness. The set-up of the film is creative, with a masterful beginning that sets the stage for miracles and strange coincidence, preparing us for those magical frogs late in the film. The score is structured like an opera, retaining and building on tension, and Aimee Mann provides a wonderful song score, some fitting covers like "One is the Loneliest Number," and others atmospheric originals like "Save Me," and the deeply sad "Wise Up." For a three-hour film, this one flies by, remains completely absorbing, and makes me yearn to hug these broken people.
• 4. BEFORE SUNRISE (1995) - I am a complete romantic, so what could be better than this story of two strangers who meet on a train, spend one magical day together and fall in love? But this story is anchored by intellectual communion. Unlike those millions of romantic comedies that hinge on physical attraction and meet-cutes, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) are attracted mostly because of their conversation. They're in their early 20's, excited about the world of possibility and ideas that is opening up to them and they discuss everything with zeal. Jesse is a cynical wise-ass, but in key moments is vulnerable as he opens up about his family dysfunction, and the girlfriend who broke up with him in Madrid. Celine is a strong woman, so smart and idealistic and spirited, but rebellious and angry with the lack of passion in the world. Neither of these characters is perfect, although they are perfect for each other, and the actors make it a point to piss each other and the audience off every once in a while, keeping the characters grounded in reality. The entire night takes place in Vienna, but not the fancy tourist attractions (although the first kiss takes place on that infamous Ferris Wheel from The Third Man), but rather back alleys, grungy bars, deserted parks and well-groomed cemeteries. There is a wonderful scene in a record booth where they are longing to look at each other, and each keeps looking away just before they get caught staring; wonderful conversation aside, these two have marvelous chemistry.

• 3. TITANIC (1997) - This was the first time I ever truly fell in love. I was a 16-year-old girl with a crush on Leonardo DiCaprio, and I came out of this movie awakening to filmmaking. No other movie will ever be able to touch the nostalgia this film evokes in me every time. This movie is a technical masterpiece; it was the first time I became obsessed with the process of creating a fictional environment. I bought a book on the making of the movie and found that James Cameron and his crew paid painstakingly close attention to every detail of the ship and it's occupants, making it authentic and providing a opulent backdrop for the action. The special effects were revolutionary at the time, and the final sinking moments of Titanic are a glorious marriage of tension, editing and humanity. I fell in love with Kate Winslet's spunky, passionate heroine (another redhead) and while most of the dialogue is nothing special, she and DiCaprio have a terrific chemistry that elevates the material and catches people up in their love story. This was the first film score to knock me on my ass - James Horner created an elegiac tone through use of Celtic instruments and voices, but also wrote joyous accompaniment that captures the thrill of the ship's first outing. I can't hear a bit of this score without a sense of elation. No amount of parody, or criticism, or mockery will ever make this film anything less than the most amazing movie experience I have ever had. Even as I grow older and see it's popularity wane under scrutiny and comparison to, admittedly, more accomplished films, it will always hold a special place in my heart.

• 2. SIDEWAYS (2004) - For me, this movie is all about Paul Giamatti's wounded, pathetic performance. In his hands, Miles is clever, but not quippy, could be funny if he tried harder and wasn't beaten down with plaguing self-doubt, exhausted, exasperated, sick of trying, and content to remain the sadsack he has let himself become. I become in tune with every shift in mood and empathize with Miles' struggle throughout. His best friend Jack is played by Thomas Hayden Church, leaving all traces of Nole (from '80's sitcom "Wings") behind and becoming a big, goofy whirlwind of misplaced confidence and horniness. He balances Miles' depression with his own exuberance, although he is little more than an overgrown child at best. However, he does care for Miles, in spite of his bad advice, he has the best of intentions, and succeeds only in screwing over himself. Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh are the potential love interests. In only a few scenes, Madsen infuses Maya with the strength of a kind woman, understanding and able to care for Miles in spite of his fear and recalcitrance. And for those who only knew Sandra Oh as the prickly Cristina Yang on "Grey's Anatomy," here find she is quite natural in her earthy sensuality. A more mature take on the buddy/road movie genre, this film nevertheless has an easy flow and makes even the most awkward and difficult situations funny, heartwarming and character-building. It also contains the most hilarious use of male nudity I have ever seen!

• 1. MOULIN ROUGE (2001) - People coming into this movie had no idea what was in store for them. The movie one part sex comedy, one part musical, and one part romantic tragedy and somehow manages to blend the tones of these wildly disparate genres into a sweeping, visually stunning, and emotionally satisfying epic. It was a great idea to comprise the musical numbers of mostly '70's and '80's pop music; it is familiar to the audience, raising giggles when they here the strains of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or Madonna's "Like a Virgin", but the arrangements surprisingly lend themselves to the scope and romance of the film, and it seems completely natural to hear Elton John's "Your Song" sung to a 19th century prostitute. Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman rose to the challenge as the leads; he had to embody a romantic hero while retaining the childlike innocence of his musical bohemian ideals; Kidman had to stretch from seductress, to dynamic theater performer, to dying lovestruck heroine. While I feel McGergor's was the more difficult role to pull off, I am so impressed with Kidmans's ability to reign in the kaleidescope of emotions (one second hilarious sex kitten, the next awed and vulnerable girl) into a comprehensible and sympathetic character. The visual style of the film is an assault on the senses; it's loud, and bright, and colorful, and moves so quickly from one shot to the next, the editing must have been an exhaustive process! The pace of the film, especially in the first 20 minutes, advances from shot to shot with such heedless abandon it could make you nauseous in a theater. But the pacing has a rhythm that really works, catching the wild splendor of the Moulin Rouge, but also capturing the magical romance. I am still stunned by the amazing "Roxanne" sequence, which expertly weaves three points of view, singing three different threads of the song, into an extremely emotional, dynamic, and visually thrilling experience.

Movie Production Logos

In yet another revelation about my bizarre movie fetishes, I must admit I am in love with production logos. You know, those little visual cues right before the movie starts? They tell you whether the movie was produced by Paramount, or MGM, or 20th Century Fox? Well, they're there. I love it when the movie soundtrack doesn't play over them, because each one has it's own little score and that little score totally gets me in the mood for a movie. In those ten seconds, when you know the movie is about to start, and it could be anything, and in that moment, I am so excited, and feel so lucky to be exactly where I am - watching a movie in a theater. I feel it every time I see one of those production tags, and because I notice them, I actually have favorites. So here they are, my Top 5 Logos - mainly for the scores.

• 5 - Dreamworks: This is Steven Spielberg's production company.

• 4 - Focus Features: This one has a River Road logo after it, but it was the only video of Focus I could find. They go really well together though.

• 3 - Disney: Yeah, this one is obvious. But after all the movies I saw and loved growing up, I can't hear this music or see that castle without feeling psyched and like I'm a kid again!

• 2 - Universal: This is actually an older Universal logo, probably the one from the '80's when I was growing up. There's a newer one that's very good, but this one just feels more classic.

• 1 - New Line: I love, love, love this one. I have been known to play it on a loop on my DVD. It just says "The magic of movies" for me.

Summer Movie Predictions

There was a great article in this week's Entertainment Weekly by columnist Mark Harris. It was part of the "Summer Movie Preview" issue, and in that honor, he wrote a hilarious set of predictions for this summer's movie buzz. What makes them so great is that they are so true, and truly indicative of the ridiculousness of the movie industry and advanced buzz in general. Give it a read, it's really funny.


"EXCUSES: A PREVIEW"

Looking ahead to summer movie season in April is a tricky business. Last year was supposed to be the summer of the towering threequels (Shrek, Pirates, and Spider-Man), and it was, sort of, except if you define the summer by movies people actually liked. This year, I'm staying away from guesswork about quality or box office performance, and instead offering predictions about something that's much easier to forecast: the hype, the spin, the second guessing, the Monday-morning quarterbacking, and the gun-jumping, Here are my hunches about what the summer of 2008 has in store:
A furious controversy will arise over whether Heath Ledger deserves a posthumous Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Dark Knight.
This will begin when an anonymous informant on morbidlyobesefilmgeek.com pronounces Ledger's performance brilliant. Three days later a flurry of char-room postings on iwannabefirst.com will say that Ledger's work is being over-praised. A week after that, a major film blogger will pronounce him a shoo-in for the Academy Award. A couple days later another blogger will write that he senses that the movie is basically over and the public has rejected it. Three weeks after that, the movie will open.
Not a single major summer movie will fail at the box office because it's bad.
Instead, disappointing grosses for certain movies will be blamed on one or more of the following factors: Warm weather. Cold weather. Rainy weather. The recession. Bad marketing. The war. Film festival fever. Unfairly high expectations. Theaters that are filled with just too darn many good movies at once. An unexpected "backlash." Tom Cruise (because that one just never gets old!). Intense national interest in TV's riveting gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Republican National Convention. Movie piracy. Actual pirates. Fear of avian flu. And Hillary. In cases in which a movie's performance is so exceptionally poor that it cannot be excused by anything on the above list, we will be sternly reminded that everyone knows the real money these days comes from DVDs. The movie will then fail on DVD. But quietly.
The three most coveted words at the top of a summer 2008 movie advertisement will be "This year's Juno."
By May 1, a race will begin to see who can be the first to use this phrase. It may be a publicist or it may be a critic for a publication that nobody is certain actually exists. Any movie that costs under $150 million to make and market will be eligible for this designation as long as everyone involved agrees to politely ignore the fact that this year's Juno is actually Juno. With the realization that "This year's Little Miss Sunshine" is no longer of any use because it's so one year ago, disappointment will set in, and other movies will settle for the runner-up trophy, "This year's Enchanted," or, purely in cases of extreme need, "The little movie that could."
At some point this summer, a modestly budgeted movie that features a woman in a major role will make money.
This will puzzle, confuse, and anger studio executives, who will spend several days wondering if there is some way to explain how it happened. They will distantly recall that it may have happened before, although they won't be able to remember the name of the movie or of the actress. After several days of tension, they will decide that it is probably nothing to worry about and just let it go.
There will be many, many dull discussions about how we are now living in the "post-movie star era."
As you may recall, a recent TIME magazine cover story pronounced George Clooney "The Last Movie Star." But that was before Leatherheads, so now, apparently, the species is completely extinct. ("Movie star," if you're not familiar with technical Hollywood jargon, means "an actor who is so popular that people will buy tickets to his movies even if they're unbelievably awful." Now you know why Hollywood makes so many unbelievably awful movies: It's the only way movie stars can be positively identified.) A great sorrow will hang over the industry, as executives throughout Los Angeles pray for someone to lead them out of the darkness while they stare with intense concentration at photographs of Will Smith. If the shortage persists, every TV actor between 17 and 45 will be hired to star in at least one movie, leading to 700 bad movies starring people who turn out not to be the next Katherine Heigl.
Somebody, at some point, is going to pitch a studio production chief a motion picture based on The Hills.
If that production chief says no, we will all live happily in good health and eventually prosper. If that production chief says yes, the skies will rain blood for a thousand years. You make the call.

Oh, That Guy!

BOB BALABAN

Okay, I don't know if y'all are as familiar with this guy as I am, but he is a fixture on the indie circuit. However, he appears in plenty of mainstream fair and is as dependable a character actor as their is. He is a consistent member of Christopher Guest's acting troupe (you know all those mockumentaries like Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and A Mighty Wind? - well, he's in all those) as well as popping up in random roles all over the acting landscape. So pay some respect for good ol' Bob, your go-to guy for insecure, nebbish supporting characters!

1. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).............David Laughlin
2. "Seinfeld" (1992-1993) 5 episodes...........................Russell Dalrymple
3. Greedy (1994)........................................................Ed
4. Deconstructing Harry (1997).................................Richard
5. "Friends" (1999) 1 episode......................................Frank Buffay
6. Jakob the Liar (1999).............................................Kowalsky
7. Three to Tango (1999)............................................Decker
8. Best in Show (2000)...............................................Dr. Theodore W. Millbank III
9. The Mexican (2001)...............................................Bernie Nayman
10. Gosford Park (2001)..............................................Morris Weissman
11. A Mighty Wind (2003)...........................................Jonathan Steinbloom
12. Capote (2005).......................................................William Shawn
13. Lady in the Water (2006)......................................Harry Farber
14. For Your Consideration (2006)............................Philip Koontz
15. No Reservations (2007).......................................Therapist
    

Check This Out

BREAKING AWAY (1979)


For those of you who love a good underdog sports story, this is a movie you may have missed. It follows a group of friends, recently graduated from high school and floundering for direction in the real world. The group consists of Moocher (Jackie Earl Hayley), a shorty with plans to marry his platonic gal-pal, Mike (Dennis Quaid), a former high school quarterback with a chip on his shoulder and a beef with the world, Cyril (Daniel Stern), the laid back dork who prefers to wax poetic about life's bumps and bruises rather than fight them, and Dave (Dennis Christopher), the optimist of the band, who loves his bicycle and has recently developed a fixation on the Italian racing team, leading him to adopt all things Italian from opera to the language to the food.

They live in a very small town whose only attraction is a prestigious college, which populates the town, seemingly endlessly, with rich frat boys who look down on the townies they call "Cutters." The boys' main refuge is a large rock quarry where they swim and escape and feel like kings of the hill. But as their turf is continuously infiltrated by the smug collegiates, the Cutters start acting out, challenging them to fights, going after their girls, and ultimately entering a local bike race. There is also a lot of plot dedicated to Dave, his quest to find love (while posing as an Italian), and his baffled father who doesn't get his newfound obsession or cheerfulness.

Bike racing isn't my favorite sport, but the kid playing Dave is just so darn happy riding his bike! (It makes me think of the Queen song "Bicycle Race" - does that have some hilarious lyrics! You must listen to it! Here's a link to a video - this song is insane! Queen is so awesome!) Anyway, back to the movie.....so Dave and his friends try to deal with their individual issues, and it ends with a bike race that I find as suspenseful and satisfying as any traditional sports movie. The problem with being townies and life after high school (especially not attending college) are relatable and the cast is a great group of actors. My favorite is Daniel Stern as Cyril. We all know him as the pathetic husband in City Slickers or Marv the thief in Home Alone, but in this movie he displays a real passive vulnerability and I could almost see myself falling for the gawky, awkward guy - I'm telling you, he's got something.

The movie is a true original, and has a pace and mood that isn't found as often in the slick world of cinema today. There is a rawness to the performances and a lack of cynicism in general. These kids may be lost, but they're kind of endearing (my word of the month) and that rock quarry is a really interesting shooting locale. Give it a chance.

100 Favorite Movies, Part 9

We have now reached the sentimental portion of this program. The top twenty, I feel, are not going to deeply impress most of you. They are far less universally-loved choices. But in my defense, these are the movies I come back to; I told you watchability would be a big factor in my decision making process. Not only that, but most of these movies have some special nostalgic meaning for me, either as part of a tradition, my first experience with something, or it is related to a memorable anecdote. I have a story I could probably tell about each and every one of these movie-going experiences. I think that's what keeps them special for me and it probably defies explanation. So don't be too hard on me if you don't like them. Also, you should know, that while I have ranked the top 20, on any given day, almost any of these could be my number one.

• 20. SCROOGE (1970) - We watch this one every Christmas Eve. Not only does the story embrace everything that should be important about Christmas, but it's a musical too! Most of the sentiments are simple (our favorite songs are "I Like Life" between Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present, and "Thank You Very Much" between all of Scrooge's former debters) but they speak of joy, happiness and contentment. Albert Finney has great fun, actually looking the part of a miser, and then later goes through the most delightful transformation - singing off key, dancing like a great fool, handing out presents left and right and generally convincing everyone he's gone mad! It also contains an original writing of Scrooge's moments in hell where he is taunted by Marley and pathetically whines. That was an inspired idea that almost raises the film to the level of satire. And the final joyous moments of this film embody everything I love about this holiday.

• 19. THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) - One of the greatest mockumentary's ever, Spinal Tap follows the most pathetic band in mock-existence. But the truth is, they're really kinda lovable. They're like kids playing rock star. The music is actually pretty good - I love "Tonight We're Gonna Rock It," and "Sex Farm" is so bad it's good - and the three main performers (Harry Shearer, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest) embody these characters with equal amounts petulance, innocence and panache. The movie has two of the best jokes ever; 1) Nigel's excited explanation of how his amps go beyond 10 to 11, and 2) the "Stonehenge" act where unbeknownst to the band, their big prop is only 18 inches and they watch it fall in cring-inducing horror. Also, the DVD features a commentary with the three actors in character, dissing the movie for portraying them in a bad light, and it's just as funny as the movie itself - two movies for the price of one, in my opinion!

• 18. THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS (2001) - This movie may not seem to have a lot of substance, but it has a bizarre style that works for me. None of these characters seem even remotely like real people, with the possible exception of Danny Glover, but the movie is really about their quirks, the pauses in their dialogue and the random facts about their lives; it really isn't important whether they're realistic. The writing and acting create an offbeat rhythm that either engages you or not. I am fond of every strange development and revel in the inherent oddness of the characterizations. I also love the music choices. Thank you so much for introducing me to Nico's "These Days" during that first meeting between Margot and Ritchie - I blame that scene for my entire crush on Blake.

• 17. GOSFORD PARK (2001) - Robert Altman is the master of the large ensemble cast. Here he gathers practically every awesome actor in England for a murder-mystery at a huge English manor. The film is really about the individual characters and the class distinctions - it has a very Upstairs/Downstairs feeling as we see the way a house party functions for both classes, as well as the myriad of secret relationships and motivations that arise and play out in subtle moments. There are so many characters and small touches you have to watch the movie more than once to get it all straight, but once all is clear, I just enjoy listening to them speak and the atmosphere it creates. Maggie Smith stands out for her sublime bitchiness, and I love the moment when Jeremy Northam's movie star plays the piano for the rich elite, and all the servants creep into corners, straining to hear him sing. It's a lovely scene.

• 16. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) - Yeah, this choice is probably a total cliche. It's just such a great story. The concept has been done to death by now, but it was revolutionary at the time, and still delivers on subsequent viewings. James Stewart is absolutely phenomenal in the lead role; he's flawed and jealous and trapped, but you can always see the good guy that everyone loves and can understand why they all rally around him in the end. And the end! My god, that's an ending that gets me crying every time. That's the kind of person we all want to be: someone others feel blessed and privileged to know. This is so much more than just a Christmas movie - this is what we should endeavor to be every day of our lives.

• 15. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006) - The second time I saw this was in a packed theater in San Francisco and it was the funniest thing I had ever seen. It will probably never be that funny again, but it is still such a wonderful comedy, road movie and tale of family dysfunction. Each of the characters is essential to the plot, each has their moment to shine, and each actor was perfectly cast. They are dogged by amusing problems - the van that won't shift, the horn that won't stop honking - but also face personal demons of failure, rejection and the denial of their dreams. Luckily, the film closes with a scene of comedically devious horror as little Olive (Abigail Breslin) does a strip act to "Superfreak" in her beauty pageant and the reactions of all are priceless. No scene overstays it's welcome and the dynamic between all the characters manages to be over-the-top, authentic and funny, all at once.

• 14. A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) - This one was written by John Cleese, so it's no surprise it's hilarious. Cleese is uptight barrister Archie Leech (that was Cary Grant's real name), unwittingly drawn into a robbery plot when his client's girlfriend, Wanda (Jaime Lee Curtis) tries to seduce him for information. The plot also involves Wanda's other lover, Otto (Kevin Kline) posing as her brother, and helpless stutterer Ken (another Monty Python alum, Michael Palin) trying to kill a witness. Sound confusing? It's really not, but it is a great mash-up of motivations and double-crosses. Curtis is radiant, funny, sexy and ruthless; Cleese is basically the straight man, but squeezes laughs out of every scene; Palin's sad stutterer is tortured for information, and has no problem committing human murder, but balks at the deaths of animals; and Kevin Klines steals the show (he won the Best Supporting Oscar that year) as the outrageous criminal, inaccurately quoting philosophers, speaking crappy Italian, getting jealous, and playing gay to get on Ken's nerves. It's a wonderfully twisted caper and so, so funny!

• 13. THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) - This is the first movie I ever saw more than once at the theater and I have never really gotten over my love for Ariel. Between this and Anne of Green Gables, I grew up devastated that I wasn't a redhead. I can quote every line of dialogue in tandem with the movie, including each inflection of voice, and I drive my sister nuts while I do it. The songs are classic - can you name a girl who doesn't know all the lyrics to "Part of Your World"? It's the little girl national anthem. It also has a GREAT group of supporting characters: spineless, simpering Sebastian, sweet and innocent Flounder, Scuttle the blustering nut (I frequently do an impersonation of his singing voice), and Ursula is the ultimate drag queen. The film also looks just gorgeous, having great fun with that under the sea color palette, and creating a magical world from which I have never recovered.
• 12. THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN (2005) - How did this movie get here, you may ask? I really can't explain it, but I'll try. Steve Carell is adorable, believable as a virgin, and sweetly pathetic. His three friends (wonderfully characterized by Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, and Seth Rogen) give him conflicting horrible advice, but they are honestly just trying to help him, and in the end, they are looking out for his best interests and listening to how he really feels. Catherine Keener is the object of his affection and she is cool and lovable and rocks. And the movie, despite being gross-out humor, is so funny. From the boss trying to be his "fuck-buddy" to Seth Rogen's advice that he talk "like David Caruso in Jade" to Rogen and Rudd's ad-libbed "Know How I Know You're Gay...." scene, to the outrageous Bollywood "Age of Aquarius" ending, the movie makes me laugh every time. And I have to admit, it's the movie I put on most often before I go to bed.

• 11. WONDER BOYS (2000) - Michael Douglas spends a large portion of this movie in a ratty, pink bathrobe. He's a failing writer with a weed problem, a teacher at a local college, having an affair with his now-pregnant mistress, being hounded by his publisher (campy and awesome Robert Downey Jr.) and saddled with an odd student (Tobey Maguire). Douglas manages to convey an endearing weariness. His life is a mess, but he is a good guy, tries to give the right advice, and is kind, attentive, and amused. I have a great deal of affection for this character because he is so messed up, but so clearly deserving of some compassion. The movie follows him over an important weekend where strange things happen, life realizations are made, and quirky comedy ensues. This movie grows on me more every time I watch it.

100 Favorite Movies Part 10 (Top 10)