The top ten lists for the decade...

They're all coming out now, and I agree with some, not so much with others. I haven't even given a thought yet to my own list. And I have yet to see many of the best 2009 films.

"Best" and "Favorite" are not always the same thing, I've learned over the years. Some of the best films I've ever seen I never want to see again (1993's Schindler's List, for example), while favorite movies I want to watch over and over, even if they aren't the best (Spaceballs is still one of my all time favorites!). And I almost never agree with the Best Picture Oscar (the last couple of years were exceptions).

I know I won't be able to narrow it down to just ten for the best of the decade. And my top ten 2009 won't be complete until the Oscar marathon in February (which will be exhausting, now that there will be ten Best Picture nominations!).

So far my favorites for 2009 were Julie and Julia, Star Trek, Up, and Where the Wild Things Are. Next there's The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Informant!, both very strange but wonderful. Of course, there was also Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which was mostly excellent, though I was disappointed in some changes from the book. Taking Woodstock is one more film I enjoyed that unfortunately didn't get a lot of attention.

What I hope to see soon (and fortunately, several are likely Best Picture contenders): An Education, Up in the Air, Precious, Nine, The Hurt Locker, A Single Man. I'm going to see It's Complicated tommorow night- my last film for 2009!

RIP, Patrick Swayze. :(

He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer at age 57. Dirty Dancing was one of my favorite movies as a teenager. Later, I enjoyed his performance in To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar as the drag queen "Vida Boheme".

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0990014/

Crap. Another icon from my youth is gone. 2009 has been a bad year for celebrities.

Harry and the Half Blood Prince and Julie and Julia...

Yeah, I did get to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I enjoyed it for the most part, despite some questionable changes from the book- the attack on the Weasely home had me thinking, WTF was that? And what the writers did to Neville Longbottom was lame- Order of the Phoenix, he's one of the heroes, now he's reduced to being background. Poor Matthew Lewis. :( I worry about how Neville's big moment in Deathly Hallows will be treated now! On the other hand, the main trio of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint continue to grow as actors, and Grint especially got to shine. I liked having Quidditch back, and the romantic triangle of Hermione/Ron/Lavender (hilarious girl!) was a wonderful break from the more serious themes. I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a lot about Voldemort's background, and the Snape/Prince reveal was too low-key. And Dumbledore's funeral isn't shown. But altogether, the movie was fun and visually exciting (if a bit slower than the others).

I was really looking forward to Julie and Julia- the always great Meryl Streep playing Julia Child? I am so there. And I was very happy with the movie. It's based on two books- the blog adventure of Julie Powell (played by the always adorable Amy Adams), who challenged herself to cook every single recipe in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year; and Child's autobiography. The movie goes back and forth between Child's life in France and her start in cooking, and Powell's often funny attempts to cook every recipe. "Lobster killer! Lobster killer!" One warning: Dan Ackroyd's Saturday Night Live skit about Child (which she supposedly loved) is even more disgusting on the big screen. "I've cut the Dickens out of my finger! Save the liver!" Ewwwwww (but LOL!).

I've only seen six movies this summer. Wow.

This teen of the 80s is very sad right now.

Writer/director John Hughes, who gave my generation movies like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Pretty in Pink, died suddenly yesterday at age 59. Though he had mostly retired from the Hollywood scene, his influence can still be seen in younger filmakers today. I don't think we would have had Juno or Rushmore without the smart humor of Hughes' films. He got teenagers in a way most writers couldn't grasp.

Ferris Bueller is still one of my all time favorite movies. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." RIP, Mr. Hughes, and thank you.

Two more summer movies down...

Up and Land of the Lost. Up is definitely one of Disney/Pixar's best. It's a fun fantasy about an old man who uses balloons to fly his house to South America. Great story, and terrific animation. Land of the Lost is both spoof of and homage to the Sid and Marty Croft televison show. It's not one of Will Ferrell's best, but there's a lot of laughs in it. Danny McBride steals the film just as he did Pineapple Express last year. And Matt Lauer of the Today Show has a hilarious cameo.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince opens next week, finally! I can't wait. The previews look so good.

And another great is gone...

Karl Malden has passed away at 97. Wow. He lived a long time and made some great movies! The Oscar winner (Supporting Actor for Streetcar Named Desire) had retired years ago, but at any given time one of his movies will show up on television.

Of course, he's also known as the long time spokesman for American Express..."Don't leave home without it!"

Ten nominees? TEN???

The Academy Awards next year will have TEN nominees for Best Picture. I think that's a little much! They should at least split it into Drama/Comedy like they do for the Golden Globes.

On the plus side, there's less chance of one obvious winner...


http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0849330/

Go, Nia!

Nia Vardalos (of My Big Fat Greek Wedding) is blasting critics who make fun of her for getting the hunk in her latest movie, My Life in Ruins. Apparently, women who are somewhat chunky aren't allowed to get with hot guys. She points out the hypocrisy here: in other movies, chunky slobs like Seth Rogen (in his past films, not currently!) get the gorgeous women and that's somehow okay. Lame! It's nice that someone is sticking up for us "Plus Size" gals.

Link to story:

http://us.imdb.com/news/ni0833084/

Summer movies so far...

Spoilers for some things...

Star Trek was awesome. I can't say enough about how much I loved it. The new cast is terrific, and I don't even mind the new alternate timeline JJ Abrahms has created. There's a whole new universe for this cast to play with (no Vulcan? Waaah!). I can't wait for the next one!

Night at the Museum: The Battle of the Smithsonian was entertaining, but not as good as the first one. Amy Adams is so charming- she's become one of my favorite actresses.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see Up. After that, maybe Land of the Lost, because Will Ferrell hasn't let me down yet. Then nothing until Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The trailer for that was exciting!

Yay!

Star Trek opens tomorrow. I've heard nothing but good things about it...so I can't wait! I admit I was skeptical about a prequel, but I think it will be fine. I'm going to see it on Saturday. I'd love to see it in IMAX.

So this will be the first 2009 movie I'll see. Wow. I haven't been to the theater since the Oscar marathon. :( Too busy, and the movies I wanted to see most didn't play in my area.

Another sad goodbye...

Dom DeLuise has died at the age of 75. The comedian was well known for small parts in movies such as Blazing Saddles, Cannonball Run, and Spaceballs. (PIZZA THE HUT!) He will be missed. :(

http://us.imdb.com/news/ni0772220/

Another movie great gone...

Composer Maurice Jarre, who did the scores for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zvihago, Fatal Attraction, and a Passage to India, died last week. He wrote some of the most memorable music for some of the greatest films!

He frequently did music for one of my favorite directors, Peter Weir: Witness, The Mosquito Coast, Dead Poets Society, and Fearless...and probably would have done Master and Commander had he not been retired by then. His last score was for the miniseries Uprising in 2001.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003574/

I can't wait!

Doubt is out on DVD next Tuesday! I think it was one of the best movies of 2008, and should have been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar over The Reader.



This one is a must have for my DVD collection. Slumdog Millionaire will be out soon, too!

I hope to go see Monsters v. Aliens in the theater soon. I may have to wait until after Easter, because my weekends are pretty much booked until then.

Two weeks, two sad losses for the film world.

Last week, actor Ron Silver died of cancer at 62. I had no idea he had been sick, so that was a surprise. He gave some really good performances throughout his career, in films such as Reversal of Fortune, and on television on The West Wing.

On Wednesday, Natasha Richardson died of head injuries from a skiing accident. She was the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave, niece of Lynn Redgrave, the wife of Liam Neeson, and a damned fine actress in her own right. I remember her especially from The Handmaid's Tale and Patty Hearst. She was more of a stage actress, so her film appearances were a bit few and far between. She was just 45. A damned shame that she's gone.

Other movie notes- I picked up the DVDs for Milk, Rachel Getting Married, and Happy-Go-Lucky. I watched Milk the day I bought it, and it was just as fantastic as when I saw it in the theater. I'll watch the other two this weekend. I can't wait for Slumdog Millionaire, Doubt, and Frost/Nixon to be released on DVD!

I did see Revolutionary Road in the theater, but for some reason, I never got around to reviewing it. I'll do it next week, as well as my final 2008 wrap-up.

I haven't been to the movies since the Oscar marathon. The only one I'm interested at the moment is Sunshine Cleaning, which stars Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, it's not playing anywhere near me. :(

2008 Oscars!

YES!! Slumdog Millionaire wins Best Picture and Director (Danny Boyle), Kate Winslet wins Best Actress for The Reader, and Sean Penn wins Best Actor for Milk.

What a great year for movies!

Oscar Marathon!

I have now seen all five Best Picture nominees.

This year it's a bit harder to pick what I think will/should win. Last year, I knew almost before the credits rolled that No Country for Old Men would be the winner, but this year I have two that are neck in neck in my opinion...and possibly the Academy voters', too! Milk and Slumdog Millionaire were the two best of the nominees. I really can't decide which should win Best Picture and Director. I'll be happy with either.

Milk was fantastic all around, and Sean Penn deserves to win his second Oscar for Best Actor. He really became Harvey Milk. My sister and I actually cried through a lot of it. I'm old to enough to remember his murder (and of San Fransisco's mayor), but I never really understood what it was all about. Penn had great support from Josh Brolin (as Dan White, who murdered Milk and the mayor- not because Milk was gay, but because White felt betrayed by both men), Emile Hirsch, and James Franco- who should have gotten a Best Supporting nod along with Brolin- as Milk's former love, Scott. This movie was put together so well.

Slumdog was the most original story I've seen in years- the tale of an uneducated boy from the slums who becomes a winning contestant on India's version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? He is accused of cheating, and must describe how he knew the answers by using events from his life. It's hearbreaking, tragic, and even funny in places. I loved the music. I just loved the whole movie!

Next on my list is Frost/Nixon. I loved this one for the acting more than anything. It's a battle of wits between disgraced President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella, Oscar nominated for the role) and television host David Frost (Michael Sheen, who should also have been nominated). Frost wants to make Nixon admit publically that he did, in fact, break the law with the Watergate cover-up. It's not really a history tale, but it's interesting to see what Americans wanted from Nixon after he resigned. Oh yeah- there's a nice treat for fangirls of Obscure British Actors- in one of the last scenes, Matthew MacFadyen (from 2005's Pride and Prejudice) strips naked and runs into the sea. :p Two thumbs up for that scene.

Fourth- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a wonderful fantasy with a great story and fine acting. Fantastic work by Brad Pitt as the title character, who is born an old man and ages backwards. It was nearly three hours long, but I was so into the story that it passed by quickly.

Finally, The Reader. This was a weird one, in a way, and maybe the weakest of the nominees. It's an interesting story- a teenager (wonderfully played by newcomer David Kross) becomes involved with a mysterious older woman (Kate Winslet) who loves to have him read to her. She disappears from his life suddenly, only to appear as a defendant in a Nazi war crimes trial years later. He realizes her big secret, one that could affect her sentencing, but is so disgusted by her crimes that he remains silent. As an older man (Ralph Fiennes), he reaches out to her again by sending her tapes of him reading. It was a very well acted movie, and the beginning is rather shocking (if you're squeamish about sex scenes and nudity, you need to skip this one). I think Kate Winslet was nominated for the wrong movie, though. This was more of a supporting role. She should have been nominated for Revolutionary Road instead.

I honestly think that Doubt or Revolutionary Road should have gotten a Best Picture nomination over The Reader. This was a tough year!

I'm watching the awards ceremony right now. So far, the only winners I'm happy with are the Screenplays- Original went to Milk, and Adapted to Slumdog; and Animated Feature, Wall*E. I wish Viola Davis had won Supporting Actress for Doubt (Penelope Cruz won for Vicky Christina Barcelona- which I have yet to see).

Slumdog has also won Cinematography. So far, it has won two!

As far as the ceremony itself goes, I'm not too impressed by Hugh Jackman as host. The opening number was amusing, but not as good as anything Billy Crystal did when he hosted.

Heath Ledger has just won Best Supporting Actor- only the second actor to win posthumously. His family accepted for him. :( It will be held in trust for his little daughter until she turns 18 (by her mother, Michelle Williams).

Winner list here:

http://www.imdb.com/

Oscar Nominations!

A lot of surprises, but none in the Best Picture category: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, and The Reader. Excellent choices, I'm sure. I can't wait to see all of them.

Surprises: Richard Jenkins nominated for The Visitor, Melissa Leo for Frozen River. I hope both movies are on DVD soon, because they never played in my area. I loved Leo on television on Homicide- it would be awesome if she won the Oscar. I want Kate Winslet to win, though. She's overdue, and The Reader is supposed to be great. Also a surprise: Robert Downey Jr. nominated for Supporting Actor in Tropic Thunder! I was kind of hoping Tom Cruise would get a mention, believe it or not. He stole that movie more than Downey. And Original Screenplay for WALL-E? Really? I loved that movie, but where was the screenplay? :p

Glaring omissions: No nomination for Sally Hawkins for Happy-Go-Lucky. :( She's one of those actresses that deserves to be recognized, but always gets bumped in favor of big stars like Angelina Jolie. Another one: Revolutionary Road largely shut out, only getting a Supporting Actor nod for Michael Shannon, and Art Direction and Costume Design. And nothing for Clint Eastwood for Gran Torino, which a lot of critics expected him to get a Best Actor nod for.

No surprise at all: Heath Ledger's posthumous Supporting Actor nomination for The Dark Knight. He'll probably win, too.

No surprise here, either: Doubt scooped up four acting nominations: Actress for Meryl Streep, Supporting Actor for Philip Seymour Hoffman, Supporting Actress for both Amy Adams and Viola Davis (who stole her one big scene, and if she wins, it will probably be one of the shortest winning performances ever!). Doubt was a great movie for actors.

So I definitely plan on going to the Best Picture marathon this year- I'm most looking forward to seeing Slumdog and Frost/Nixon. I'm clearing my calendar now, and will get tickets as soon as they are available.

http://us.imdb.com/features/rto/2009/oscars

Too early to predict, because I haven't seen most of the films yet: but Slumdog will probably sweep the major categories, with Mickey Rourke, Kate Winslet, Heath Ledger, and Viola Davis winning the acting awards. I'll definitely take notes in between films during the marathon for some categories.

I'm going to try to see Revolutionary Road this weekend- it's playing at Potomac Mills (where the Oscar marathon will be, too). I really loved that book, and I can't wait to see Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie.

I finally saw Burn After Reading on DVD last weekend- it was hilarious! Best Actor nominees Brad Pitt and Richard Jenkins were both in it. Pitt was a scream! And George Clooney was hilarious, too. A very weird movie. It's from the Cohen brothers, so that's no surprise!

I think I'll watch my DVD of Leatherheads this weekend. I haven't yet, and I loved that movie!

I forgot to post...

I saw Doubt on New Year's Eve. It was easily the best movie I saw in 2008.

Description found at imdb.com:

It's 1964, St. Nicholas in the Bronx. A charismatic priest, Father Flynn, is trying to upend the schools' strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier, the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear and discipline. The winds of political change are sweeping through the community, and indeed, the school has just accepted its first black student, Donald Miller. But when Sister James, a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her guilt-inducing suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to Donald, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school. Now, without a shard of proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequence. Written by Miramax Films

Fantastic adaptation of the stage play, with Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius. She is just amazing. This is one of those movies that doesn't have a lot of action. It doesn't need any, because the characters and drama are so intriguing. I was completely drawn into the story. I hope this film is remembered at Oscar time!