All 103 Movies With Audio!

It's been a record breaking year for me at the movies. It was my first year as a full fledged professional film critic (doin' it on the radio). Not only did I break my previous record of 4 for most films seen in theatres in a single 3 day weekend, which is now at 5, but I also broke my record for most films seen in theatres in a calender year. In 2004 I set that record at 70. This year, I destroyed it with a final tally of 103.

And now, because I work in broadcasting and have the means to do this, I present to you, 4 montages of all 103 films, in near sequential order.

The movie posters each represent the best film (with a 2009 release) of each quarter. Clicking them will take you to the audio file of the montages. Below each poster, I've provided a sequential list of the movie clips, as well as song info. Enjoy!

JAN-MAR

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Movie Clips: Gran Torino, Bride Wars, Last Chance Harvey, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, My Bloody Valentine 3D, Slumdog Millionaire, Rachel Getting Married, Taken, Frost/Nixon, Push, He's Just Not That Into You, The International, Friday the 13th, Fired Up, Watchmen, Race To Witch Mountain, The Last House on the Left, Duplicity, I Love You Man, Monsters vs. Aliens, 12 Rounds

Song Used: Academy Award Winning 'Jai Ho' by A.R. Rachman from Slumdog Millionaire.

APR-JUNE

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Movie Clips: Adventureland, Fast & Furious, Hannah Montana: The Movie, Observe and Report, Crank 2 High Voltage, 17 Again, Obsessed, State of Play, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Star Trek, Sunshine Cleaning, Angels & Demons, Terminator: Salvation, Night at The Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian, Up, Drag Me To Hell, Land of the Lost, The Hangover, The Proposal, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Imagine That, The Year One, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, My Sister's Keeper

Song Used: 'Sabotage' by Beastie Boys (was used in Star Trek)

JUL-SEP

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Movie Clips: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Public Enemies, I Love You Beth Cooper, Bruno, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Ugly Truth, G-Force, Funny People, The Collector, GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra, Julie & Julia, District 9, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Post Grad, Inglourious Basterds, H2, Gamer, All About Steve, Whiteout, The Final Destination 3D (ok, didn't make the clip, but who's gonna miss it really?), Sorority Row, Extract, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, Jennifer’s Body, The Informant, 9, Pandorum, Surrogates

Song Used: 'Ten Million Slaves' by Otis Taylor (used in trailer for Public Enemies)

OCT-DEC

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Movie Clips: Zombieland, Whip-it!, Couples Retreat, Where The Wild Things Are, Law Abiding Citizen, Saw VI, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, Paranormal Activity, A Christmas Carol, The Men Who Stare At Goats, 2012, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Planet 51, The Blind Side, Coco avant Chanel, Ninja Assassin, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Old Dogs, Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day, Brothers, Armored, Everybody's Fine, Invictus, The Princess and the Frog, Avatar, Did You Hear About The Morgans?, Sherlock Holmes, It's Complicated

Song Used: 'Wake Up' by Arcade Fire (used in trailer for Where The Wild Things Are)

Avatar/Did You Hear About The Morgans?

WOOOO! With my viewing of Avatar on Saturday afternoon, I reached 100! Then I saw Did You Hear About the Morgans? on Sunday for 101. I'm gonna mini-review Morgans, as the quality of the picture is pretty self explanatory from the trailer and by-line. But Avatar, the review will be directly proportional to the length of the film and my liking of it.

Did You Hear About The Morgans? - 0.5 stars

This film is about as predictable as they get, especially since I saw it 12 years ago as For Richer or Poorer with Tim Allen and Kirstie Alley. Ok... saw's a strong word, I heard about it. But a bickering big city couple goes to live in the country for reasons beyond their control, and find out they really love each other. The film relies heavily on moving from one gag to the other. Hugh Grant is charming, if annoying. And the always dependable Sam Elliot brings it home, but even they couldn't save this drivel.


Avatar - 4.5 stars

2009 was not only a big year for sci-fi, but it was big year for game changing sci-fi, and it was a year that turned sci-fi on it's head. Star Trek broadened sci-fi's appeal to a mainstream audience. District 9 was the little movie that could, and told one of the best stories of the year. And Avatar showed what a true craftsman could do with enough money and technology.

Whereas most sci-fi flicks explore aliens invading Earth, what if we were the invading race? That's the core them that Avatar explores. After humans have used up the resources on Earth by 2154, they head out into space in search of more. They come to Pandora, a distant Earth-like moon with abundant resources, including the very valuable and not too subtly named "unattainium," but the native race, the Na'vi, prefer to live their peaceful lives undisturbed, and won't give up their land without a fight. So in order to coerce them into leaving, the military has turned to avatars, remotely operated versions of the Na'vi, controlled through the mind by scientists and soldiers. The plan goes awry when paraplegic Jake Sulley not only grows accustomed to his new body, but gets accepted into the Na'vi tribe. Now he's torn between his former life and his orders as a Marine, and the new world he's become a part of.

That's honestly the shortest description I could come up with that still does the movie justice and gives you a good idea of what the film is about. It's such a complex, yet wonderfully engaging film.

James Cameron took his time in making this film. He started with a vision. And he patiently waited for technology to catch up to his vision. One could argue that that's an incredibly pretentious thing to say. But when you're the director who revolutionized visual effects twice (first two Terminator films), and has a history of epic story telling, I'm willing to grant you a little leeway in crafting your art.

I think he was right in waiting. Had this been made 10 years ago, we would have wound up with a mess of CGI, rivaling the Star Wars prequels in looking cartoonish and flat. But by taking the time to create a generated, yet realistic looking world paid off. And filming in 3D enhanced the experience. Cameron fully immerses the viewer in the world of Pandora through what was probably a painstaking attention to detail. He doesn't just show you this other world, this world of the Na'vi, he pulls you in, and makes you just as much a part of it as the characters he creates.

But here's the thing about his cinematic baby, he doted too much. It's one thing to top the 2.5 hour mark and push for 3 if it's a good, engaging, worthy 2 hours and 42 minutes. But, and this holds true for his last feature, the even longer Titanic, trim the fat. There were times where it seemed an excess of scenes in an effort to show off the CGI, rather than move the story along. It's not that they weren't fascinating to watch. But were they necessary? Probably not. Trim the fat, put it back in for the director's cut DVD.

As for the actual story being told, I don't think he even tried to hide the metaphors and analogies. In which case, can we really consider them to be metaphors and analogies? The big industrial, militaristic society infringes on the earth loving, spiritual society for capitalistic gains. It's not exactly a groundbreaking story. But even a bland story well told is still a well told story.

Now, as for the performances. Sam Worthington, as Jake Sulley, obviously bears the load of the story. He carries the film. And to be a relatively unknown (Stateside anyway) carrying a several hundred million dollar epic with high hopes and higher hype is no small task. But Worthington, to his credit, stepped up to the plate, swung for the fences, and hit it out of the ballpark. What I took away from his performance, is that he was given free reign to act the role as he saw fit. And you get an already disenchanted young man who becomes increasingly torn between two worlds. It was to his benefit that we didn't know who he was, because we had no expectations, no preconceptions as to what he could or should do. And when you get an actor who is allowed to act with careful guidance through the story from the creator of said story, you get a more nuanced performance.

That being said, one shouldn't count out 30 year veteran Sigourney Weaver for bringing a surprising amount of heart to not only her character, lead scientist Dr. Grace Augustine, but to the film. It makes me ponder if we've just kind of been taking Weaver for granted as an actress all these years.

I would, sticking with performances, like to point out Stephen Lang, primarily known for his stage work, but has made a name for himself as a character actor over the years. He steals the show as the hard edged Colonel Miles Quaritch. Kudos, Mr. Lang.

I do highly recommend this film. It lives up to the hype and then some. And to wrap up the review, I'll paraphrase a friend and kindred cinematic spirit, Jerett Kelly, "I've long felt I missed out, not being able to see Star Wars during it's original theatrical run. Now, after seeing Avatar, I know the feeling. Avatar is our generation's Star Wars." Also: do yourself a favour, see it in 3D.

6 Reviews in one package

After going over and over and over the math, with these 6 films, my official count now stands at 99 films seen theatrically in a year. Avatar will be the 100th.

Armored - 1 star

Laurence Fishburne, Matt Dillon, Jean Reno and Columbus Short star in this tale of good guys gone bad when a team of armoured truck guards decide to plan the perfect heist, but it all goes awry when rookie guard Ty (Short) backs out last minute and throws a wrench into their plans.

Formulaic and derivative to it's core, this film brings nothing new to the table. The characters go through a motivational shift that, by movie's end, is still unexplained. I suppose you could sweep it all up with good, old fashioned greed, but I still want to know what made these seemingly good characters, who we like early on in the film, go so bad. Why did they want the money? The acting isn't bad, but it's just not very good.

Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day - 3.5 stars

This is one of those films that you either get or you don't. Writer/DirectorTroy Duffy re-teams with Billy Connolly, Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus to continue the story of the vengeance seeking MacManus clan. 8 years after their initial spree that spilled the blood of the worst criminals all over the streets of Boston, the Brothers are called out by the son of crime boss Yakavetta, to answer for their "sins."

Featuring returning favourites and a fresh cast (including Judd Nelson, Clifton Collins, Peter Fonda and Dexter's Julie Benz), fans of the original will definitely not be disappointed by the sequel. It features the kitschy, over-the-top action that repeated viewings of the original on DVD have made us accustomed to. It's light on actual plot, but wasn't the first one, too?

Brothers - 4 stars

Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the roles they were born to play, the titular brothers. When Tobey's Cpt. Sam Cahill goes missing, feared dead, in Afghanistan, Jake's ne'er-do-well Tommy Cahill steps in to comfort his grieving widow Grace (Natalie Portman). This leads to complications upon Sam's rescue and return home.

Maguire really comes into his own as an actor with this role. His intense, bombastic portrayal of a mentally and emotionally scarred vet frightens you at the same time it pulls you in. To balance that out, Gyllenhaal turns in a quiet, understated performance as the brother, that engages with something bubbling just beneath the surface. Each performance more subtle than we've seen from these two before.

Everybody's Fine - 3.5 stars

Robert De Niro stars as a recent widower trying to re-connect with his now grown kids (Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell and Drew Barrymore) in this feel good movie just in time for the holiday season.

The performances were all fine. It's really one of those "Hey, call your dad" kinda movies. But in the end, it felt a little hollow for how by the numbers it was. Yes, De Niro and Rockwell did a lot with a little (even Barrymore and Beckinsale were engaging), but it really could have been anyone in those roles, and I don't know if anyone would have known the difference. Which is too bad, because I really like Rockwell's work.

Invictus - 3.5

Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela, which has to be the role of a lifetime, in this inspiration film that crosses international sports with a politically and culturally fractured nation.

And in that respect, it's very good. It shows the impact that even the most seemingly insignificant event can have on a country and it's people. And the last effects of that event. And both Freeman and his co-star Matt Damon play their roles to perfection.

But can we stop pretending that Clint Eastwood is god's gift to directing already? He keeps getting such high marks for his directing, but the last thing he did as a director that really impressed me was Mystic River. Though to be fair, I have yet to see Letters From Iwo Jima. Everything else? Meh.

The Princess and the Frog - 4 stars

Disney's first traditional hand drawn 2D animation film in five years is also their finest in 15. Set in Jazz-era New Orleans, visiting Prince Naveen has a run-in with local voodoo practitioner, which turns him into a frog. Naveen must find a Princess to kiss in order to reverse the spell, but a case of mistaken identity (they're at a costume ball) leads to waitress and aspiring restauratrice Tiana also becoming a frog following said kiss, and then go on a journey to be human again.

So, Disney isn't one for groundbreaking plot, what's new? It's beautifully drawn, some of the best animation we've seen out of the House of Mouse in ages. The voice work from Anika Noni-Rose, Bruno Campos and Keith David is fun and lighthearted, with the perfect amount of liveliness. The only real problem comes with the songs. Back in the day, the songs worked to move the story along. Unfortunately, they just seem awkwardly juxtaposed into the film for the sake of having songs.

New Moon/Fantastic Mr. Fox

As a I move toward the end of the year, I'm also quickly approaching a milestone in my movie watching. My previous record for most different films seen in theatres in a single year was 70 set in 2004. I currently stand at 91, and I hope to hit 100 by the end of the year. That out of the way... the reviews.

A few mini reviews, then 2 full reviews.

The Blind Side - 3.5 stars - It's a good enough film, it entertains and pulls the heartstrings. But really, how many times are they going to retread the "inspirational true sports story"? Tim McGraw is a surprisingly decent actor.

Planet 51 - 2 stars - It's funny to the point of satirizing the alien invasion flicks of the 50s. But beyond that, it's a one joke flick that fails to keep you interested to the end. Emphatic *shrug* 'meh?'

Ninja Assassin - 1 star - It's exactly what it says it is. A ninja assassin. Add in "boring." It's like watching a video game. Scratch that.... It's like watching someone else play a crappy video game, that you have no interest in playing at all, and are only in the room because you have nothing better to do while you wait for your frozen pizza to bake. And you're super high. Actually, that might have helped this flick. But the action's fun.

Old Dogs - .5 star - I'm done with the broad, 'gotta appeal to everyone,' comedies that walk across the same old jokes time and time again. We get it, they're old. We get it, this is an important business opportunity. We get it, the kids are a total buzzkill. Why do adults always have to learn? Why can't kids ever learn a lesson? Like, sit down, shut up, and behave.

Coco avant Chanel - 3.5 stars - I like Audrey Tautou. I really do, I think she's a terrific actress and gives an engaging performance as the late designer. But the movie never really made me care about the characters. I didn't know why the story was told. Could be a cultural thing.

And now... the full reviews.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon - .5 star

The Twilight movies are pretty much critic proof. No matter what I say, the fans are going to eat it up and love it. That being said, they shouldn't. It's a terrible film, with arguably some of the worst acting. The leads couldn't carry a film if their careers depended on it, and luckily they don't have to. It's the brand that's filling the seats, not the stars. But you do get some engaging performances from the bit part adults.

New Moon is the second entry in the inexplicably popular Twilight franchise, and we pick up where the first one left off, with Bella (Kristen Stewart) dating vampire hunk Edward (Robert Pattinson, yet now the reality of her aging and him not is starting to dawn on her. To save her from being hurt, he leaves, which only hurts her more. And then her best friend is a werewolf.

I don't know. I didn't care much for seeing this going in. The fact that it plods along at a pace that even a snail would say "hurry up" only adds to my inability to effectively follow along with the plot.

I don't know where it broke down, in the screen writing process, Chris Weitz's directing, or in the editing room, but somewhere along the way, the film lost all narrative cohesiveness. The two and a half minute trailer tells a more engaging story than the two hour movie.

Looking at Melissa Rosenberg's list of credits, you'd wonder how someone who writes for 'Dexter,' one of the most compelling shows on television, could write one of the blandest, most cliche riddled and melodramatic screenplays of our time, but scroll down her IMDb page a little more and you get your answer. She also wrote the first Twilight and the equally dreadful Step Up. Stick to TV, you're clearly better there.

Now onto the acting... I got excited when I saw Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen pop up in the trailer. I remember thinking, "Ok, this film has some street-cred now." But that was ultimately disappointing, as they appear on screen for a total of 5 minutes, with about 10 lines between the two of them. Billy Burke is charming as Charlie Swan, Bella's dad, but is severely underutilized.

And if Burke is underutilized, then the three leads, Pattinson, Stewart and Taylor Lautner are drastically OVERutilized. If I were teaching an acting class in high school or college, and I did a section on "What not to do," I'd have my students study and analyze the three leads in New Moon. I've heard the saying "couldn't act their way out of a paper bag" before, and if you were to combine the acting talents of Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner... paper bag would win, hands down.

I've long said that Stewart has but 2 acting modes, nervous and awkward. She can now add a third to her repertoire- annoying.

Twilight is in the same category as Transformers 2, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and the Star Wars prequels. The filmmakers aren't really caring about putting out a quality product, they just know that the brand will fill theatres. And the audiences are eating it up. It's disgusting really. It makes me glad that I don't pay for films.

Fantastic Mr. Fox - 4 stars

Wes Anderson? Good. George Clooney and Meryl Streep? Great. Taking on a beloved children's book? Wait, what? I know, that's what I said, but it was great, loved every minute of it.

Mr. Fox (Clooney) lives a carefree life of stealing poultry from local farmers. Upon news of the impending birth of his son, he makes a vow to his wife (Streep) to get out of the chicken thief business, and go legit. That satisfies him just fine for 12 fox years, then he starts to get that itch. He needs to get back in the game, much to the chagrin of his family and friends (featuring the vocal talents of Anderson regulars Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe) and especially the local farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean (Michael Gambon).

Anderson takes on stop motion, an animation style we see so rarely these days, but is always so engaging. It's about finding the happy medium between live action and animation. More can be done and characters more richly drawn with the animation, yet there's something tangible, something real about it. And it pulls you in.

He keeps the look and feel of his usual work. You can always tell a Wes Anderson film when you see it, and this is no different, and thankfully he's left his signature in the realm of animation. And to his credit, he picked a story that had appeal to both kids and adults. Anderson fans could go see what they've come to expect, and younger filmgoers could not only get an entertaining story, but be introduced to the work of one of the most unique filmmakers of our era.

The only gripe is the vocal work. Sure it was, for the most part, good. Clooney brings his cocky charm to a role that almost seems tailor made for him. Streep has fun with her Mrs. Fox, and you can't help but love Schwartzman's Ash. But it all seemed just a bit lifeless. There were quite a few times where it felt like they were reading lines from a script, not acting. It just didn't sit well with me.

But overall, I found the film entertaining and definitely worth a look in theatres.

8 Mini Reviews

Where The Wild Things Are - 4.5 stars. Spike Jonze fully realizes the children's book, and captures the imagination. It's a true love story with childhood.

Law Abiding Citizen - 3 stars. Good, solid performances from Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler highlight this revenge flick, but it all falls apart with a lackluster third act.

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - 1 star. John C. Reilly is good, but this uninspired mess of a film is a ploy to offer counter programming for young males before the female audience gets the new Twilight film.

Saw VI - 2.5 stars. While it's the best and most solid entry since Saw 2, the Saw films are starting to wear out their welcome.

Paranormal Activity - 4.5 stars. Well worth the hype, this no-budget viral film delivers on the scares, but the ending doesn't quite sit well with me. They should have gone with one of the alternate endings.

The Men Who Stare At Goats - 4 stars. It's a smarter film than the trailers may have let on, and with Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges great in supporting roles, this is one film not to miss.

A Christmas Carol - 3 stars. While beautifully animated, and well acted by Jim Carrey and Gary Oldman, it ultimately doesn't bring anything to the Dickensian table. The Patrick Stewart TV-movie from 10 years ago still reigns supreme.

2012 - .5 star. The visuals are terrific, but even they can't hide the fact that there's no discernible plot, poorly developed characters, and a really stupid story. In fact... I make it the full 2.5 hours not really caring whether any of the characters make it or not. This makes The Day After Tomorrow look like Independence Day

Surrogates/Pandorum/Zombieland/Whip It/Couples Retreat

Surrogates - 1.5 stars

Bruce Willis headlines this otherwise no-star cast in an entirely forgettable sci-fi film, set in a futuristic psuedo-utopian society where people have been replaced by robotic versions of themselves, all in an effort to create a safer society. And then it becomes not so safe, so robot Bruce Willis must solve the first murder in 15 years so society can become safe again.

I don't know about you, but I'm growing tired of these films about unattainable utopias being deconstructed by their own gloriousness. There's no imagination to destroying perceived perfection.

And as entertaining as Bruce Willis [always] is, even he couldn't save this mess of a film. It was clearly a "paycheck" film. He walked through his role as if he was saying "Yeah, whatever, I'm a cop who has to save the world, where's craft services?" But he is the only engaging part of the film.

Pandorum - 3 stars

Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster are two deep space astronauts who wake up to a deserted ship, and are left to figure out what went wrong on their 100+ year mission of colonizing a new-found Earth-like planet, while trying to battle crazed genetic mutations who have since overtaken their ship.

This is a truly confounding film, as I loved it and hated it at the same time. Mostly I loved one half of it, and strongly disliked the other half. The unfortunate thing of it is, is that it's not a "first half/second half" type of thing. It's the two plots that ran concurrently. This would have been a much better film had they left out the monsters running around the ship, and made it an isolation thriller. It was trying to be 'Alien,' but it failed miserably.

Plot points aside, Ben Foster is one of the most fascinating young actors working today. I will (and do) watch anything he's in, and you should to. He's one of those actors that is right on the verge of breaking out into mega-star status, he just needs to find that right part, that right project, to push him over the edge. This could have been it, but it came just short.


Zombieland - 5 stars

I know what you're thinking, "Of course Brodie's gonna give the zombie flick 5 stars." Well, a) you're right and b) it totally deserves every star.

We join our hero, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), post outbreak, in a world over run with zombies, and he's just doing his best to survive (so far it's clearly working). Columbus meets up with Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson) and form an odd partnership that will do them well just enough to survive. After they get hoodwinked by a pair of sisters, Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin, respectively), they join them to find a zombie free paradise, which is apparently at an amusement park in L.A.

This, is quite possibly, the perfect movie. It is exquisitely crafted from beginning to end, and keeps you laughing all the way through, but never skimps on the horror action. The ensemble cast works so well together that you hope they do more films together. Preferably more Zombieland films (it was originally written as a TV show).

What makes it work is that everything works. There is never a wasted joke, or a wasted scare. Every aspect of the film was brought together to be the best it could be. And the best was damn good. Zombieland is the movie of October, though as of this writing, I have yet to see Where The Wild Things Are.

Whip It - 3 stars

Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with this girl power roller derby flick starring Ellen Page, Juliette Lewis and Kristin Wiig. It's got the heart, it's got the laughs, it's got the sports action, but it's ultimately forgettable.

Page stars as Bliss Cavender, a high schooler in small town Texas looking for her place in life (aren't they all), and she doesn't think it's the life of studies and beauty pageants her parents (Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern) have set for her, so she looks to the all women Roller Derby in near by Austin for guidance. And that's where, under the careless tutelage of derby stars, she finds what she loves and ultimately, her place.

It's a fun, heartwarming teen flick, and definitely one of the modern good ones (there hasn't been a great one in 15 years). Wiig, Harden and Stern all turn in outstanding performances. Page continues her reign as the poster girl for the indie-youth. And Barrymore takes a backseat to the rest of the stars, yet still turns in a memorable comic relief performance.

But while it may be a good teen flick, it's still just a good one. I was entertained by it, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me. And I think that could be unfortunately attributed to rookie director Drew Barrymore. I say unfortunately because she really does show great promise as a filmmaker, and I for one am looking forward to more work from her. But the film suffered greatly from pacing problems, and that is the key to it's downfall. So, Drew, noble effort, it was entertaining, but just not quite there. Keep trying.

Couples Retreat - 1.5 stars

Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn back together? With a script they wrote? Also featuring Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Pete Serafinowicz and rising star Malin Ackerman? How could this miss? With a poorly written script filled with cheap, obvious jokes and relationship cliches, rounded out by a stereotypical ending that you could pretty much see coming once the opening credits are done.

Favreau, Vaughn, Bateman and Faizon Love head to a couples skill building retreat with their respective partners played by Kristen Davis, Ackerman, Bell and Kali Hawk. They each discover something about their relationships in order to make them stronger, and walk away more in love than when they got there. And we get some laughs along the way.

It's a one joke concept, spread across two hours and four sets of characters. And while the combined talents are enough to make you think this is a surefire hit, when they aren't given much to do, other than make the most basic and obvious of jokes at their marriage's expense, it will fall flat and be mostly boring by the second act.

I'd like to see them re-do this film, with the same cast, but this time, try just a little bit harder.

Record Breaking 5 Films in One 3 Day Weekend

I broke my personal record with that weekend with 5 films in one 3 day weekend. Beats the previous record of 4. I don't know when that was. Couldn't say. But I know this is a record. Rock on. Time for a blitz of film reviews.

9 - 4.5 stars

Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau and John C. Reilly headline this animated fable of the end of the world. A literal rag-tag group of puppets attempt to salvage the last vestiges of humanity after the machines man created rose up and destroyed the world. Sounds like a great story for an animated film, right?

Well, it is. Engagingly directed by Shane Acker (based on his Oscar Nominated 2005 short film), this is one of the most beautifully and intricately animated films I have ever seen. It shows the big studios that animation is not just for kids, and stands a good chance to upset Pixar's 2 year streak on Best Animated Feature.

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs - 3 stars

I was skeptical going into this one. I loved this book as a kid. And I didn't quite know how they would adapt it into a full narrative film. But I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The film follows Flint Lockwood in the town of Swallow Falls, where food falls from the sky like weather.

You have a well written script with plenty of funny jokes for the kids and adults, and a supremely talented voice cast including Bill Hader, James Caan, Anna Faris and Bruce Campbell. This is the animated film to take the kids to.

Extract - 3.5 stars

Mike Judge returns to the workplace comedy in this very entertaining film with Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Ben Affleck and Mila Kunis. Batman stars a factory owner/manager Joel who goes through a midlife crisis with his unsatisfactory marriage and stressful work environment.

Bateman, as always, delivers. You can't go wrong with Jason Bateman. Same with Kristen Wiig. Affleck is enjoyable as the second fiddle stoner character. But what shines is the same thing that made Judge's 1999 opus Office Space work, it's the ability for the audience to relate to the characters. It's not as tight, and nowhere near as funny as Office Space, but it's still a decent enough flick.

The Informant! - 4 stars

Steven Soderbergh directs Matt Damon, Scott Bakula and Joel McHale in the true* story of corporate whistle blower Mark Whitacre, who exposed the international price fixing scheme of agri-business in the mid-90's.

On the surface, it seems like the male version of Erin Brokovich, and it is. But it's infinitely funnier due in no small part to the understated comedic brilliance of Matt Damon. Damon is routinely proving himself as one of the more versatile actors working today. And he makes the movie. So does Bakula, but I always dig Bakula.

Jennifer's Body - 2 stars

Diablo Cody, fresh of her 2008 Oscar win, pen's this high school horror flick about a teen queen played by Megan Fox who becomes possessed by a she-demon, and it's up to Amanda Seyfried to bring an end to her murderous ways.

I've previously railed against the dreck passed off for modern horror, and this is no different, and couple that with the annoying dialogue of Cody and the talentless Fox, I'm left wondering exactly why this got so much advanced press. I also wonder why Seyfried doesn't have the name recognition she so rightly deserves, as even in this film, she showcases infinitely more talent than Fox could ever hope to have.

Reviews plus Commentary

I stayed away from writing full reviews for a good reason. I checked the forecast for movies following the great Inglourious Basterds, and it was a slew of crappy romantic comedies, crappy action flicks, and crappy horror flicks. If you saw the trailers, you knew they were destined to suck. September's been kind of a dumping ground that's good for bad films. The only one I had hopes for was Gamer, and as you'll read in a few, that severely underwhelmed.

Halloween II - 1.5 stars - Rob Zombie (hopefully) completes his revisionist view of the saga of Michael Meyers. Not an improvement on the original franchise, or the first of Zombie's remaking. It's style over substance, and lacks style.

The Final Destination in 3D - 0 Stars - I have to give major props to the filmmakers on this one. They found a way to go down hill from rock bottom. The first one was mediocre at best. And it got worse from there. And kept getting worse.

Gamer - 0 stars - Gerard Butler and Michael C. Hall are great actors, but even they can't rise above this drek. The nicest thing I can say about this film is that it's stupid. It's loud. No character or plot development.

All About Steve - 1 star - It has it's charming quirks, but overall it was annoying. The message is forced on you. You're beat over the head with it. Where's that spark that gave Bradley Cooper and Sandra Bullock hits earlier this summer with The Hangover and The Proposal (respectively).

Whiteout - .5 stars - This movie is horrible. The thrills are boring, the acting is terrible. It gains half a star based on the merit of Tom Skerritt.

Sorority Row - 0 stars - It's a completely unoriginal slasher flick devoid of any discernible social relevancy, other than killing off CW's primetime lineup. It's a slasher flick, but it doesn't have a glimmer of the poignancy that it's predecessor's had. It doesn't even try to. It's all about the hot chicks. And about half way through, I kinda stopped caring about the hot chicks.

And that leads me to the commentary portion of the blog. And I will warn you, the language will get a little rough.

What the hell happened to American horror? Right up through the mid-late 90's, American horror was great, and if not great, still good. That's an overall statement. There are of course shitty horror flicks throughout the ages. But there have been great ones. And they run the gamut of sub-genres. But up there, you saw, that of the 4 horror films in the past 3 weeks, the highest rated one was a sequel to a remake (a special level of unoriginality). What we're getting are cheap scares, remakes, sequels or bullshit "Based on a true story" ghost stories. Seriously. If you see "Based on a true story" attached to a horror flick, it's bullshit.

I think it's that the filmmakers aren't trying anymore. They're opting for cheap scares (person jumps around a corner/loud noise across the room/power going out, what have you). They rarely take the time to build the suspense. I find myself bored and annoyed more than I'm truly frightened. And I can't go back and watch the classics that did scare me, because I know them now. They're familiar to me.

Of the best examples of horror from the past 10 years, The Sixth Sense is the only one that was really, really good. Sure, M. Night Shayamalan has turned into a joke at this point, but in 1999, that was a very effective horror film. And it does still hold up. 2009's The Collector Was good. It wasn't great. But it was good. Effective is a good word to use for it.

While I usually hold disdain for the uninspired, cliche ridden borefests that are the remakes, this year's remake of The Last House on The Left actually stayed true to the spirit of the original, and had big brass balls to the important, if highly disturbing, rape scene. It's what set the tone for the film, and without it, couldn't be the catalyst for the ensuing carnage. It's what got the original banned in several countries for years (decades even), and they showed enormous respect for the source material by keeping it in. They kept with the spirit, so I do give it at least some credit for that.

P.S. on that... The Descent was British, as was 28 Days Later..., and we're talking American horror.

The Saw franchise recalls the the 70's/80's hey day of franchising the horror, and bundling it with a pseudo-morality tale of "Value your life." But like the great franchises (Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street), the quality decreases exponentially with each subsequent entry. We're on the 6th this coming Halloween, by the way. They still deliver, don't get me wrong. It's just going stale. Still a guilty pleasure though.

But the downfall of American horror is traceable to one event. One day. One movie. One 1 hour and 51 minute piece. It hit the world 13 years ago, and so utterly destroyed the horror genre, that it can only be described as perfection. It's one of my all time favourite films. Created by a horror master. I'm talking, of course, of the last frighteningly exquisite film- Scream.

Wes Craven is a master. Up there with his forefathers in greatness- Hitchcock, Murnau and Romero. He and John Carpenter carried the horror torch through the 70's and 80's, and defined the genre for subsequent generations.

And I think... I think Craven had a Victor Frankenstein moment in the mid-90's. He saw what damage his creature had wrought. Or would bring. He saw the sensibilities of the general mainstream audiences shift. He knew that horror as it was wouldn't last. That it would slowly degrade into terribleness. And rather than become a casualty, he became the perpetrator

Craven felt the best thing to do was go out in a blaze of glory. Enter Scream. It is at all times knowingly ironic, the most meta of meta. I think the term meta only had the vaguest of definitions until Scream arrived. The movie came out and Webster said "That's it. That is fucking meta. Finally. Entry complete. Next word."

Scream was, first and foremost, a satire. And it's quite possibly the perfect parody. All the conventions of horror, specifically of the slasher sub-genre, where what Craven had created. He knew the ins and outs. It was his creation to destroy. But rather than make a silly, goofy, unwatchable Scary Movie, hinthintwinkwink, he played it straight. Craven went all out.

Get a few sorta popular TV stars, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox, then of "Party of Five" and "Friends," respectively. Add in a few more young, attractive stars with Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich. Round it out with David Arquette and Jamie Kennedy for comic relief, and he was on his way.

Again, the only way to do this, was to do it proper. Drew Barrymore's been a star all her life. She was perhaps the biggest star in the film. And was heavily featured in the promotional materials. Craven did the unthinkable. Drew gets gutted 10 minutes in. What follows is an intense hour and a half of the leads discussing horror films, how the plot is playing out like a horror film, what would happen next if it was a horror film, what they would do if it was a horror film. The whole thing is ridiculously self-referential. But not only was it highlighting the cliches, but it was not only playing them out, but tweaking them ever so slightly.

It was still able to deliver on the scares, on the shocks. And you could really see the foresight Craven had for future horror. He went violent and gory, which led to the glut of "torture porn" in the 2000's.

The biggest plus was that while the movie was in on it's own joke, it never gave a wink and a nod. You never got that "See, we know it's a joke, too. Get it?" The movie played it straight. Big plus.

And that's what it did. The movie lived up to the cliches, but deconstructed them at the same time. You couldn't take a horror film seriously after Scream. It's like when a kid takes apart a vacuum cleaner to see what makes it work, and then puts it back together. Sure it works... just not quite the same as before.

And horror hasn't been the same since. There hasn't been a great one since Scream. And I'm waiting for the next great one to come along.

3 Mini-Reviews and 2 full reviews (D9 and the Basterds)

After sitting with District 9 for too long, and subsequently writing a lot about it, I realized I wouldn't have room for all the reviews I needed to get done. Especially with Inglorious Basterds thrown in the mix (I could write pages on Tarantino. I have, before) So 3 mini-reviews, and the 2 full reviews.

The Time Travelers Wife: 2 stars - competent love story, well acted by the leads (Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana). But falls apart with the application of time travel. Creates too many unresolved paradoxes (paradoxi?).

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard: 2.5 stars - Oh, sure, it's got it's funny moments, beyond what's in the trailer. But it takes a shotgun approach to the humour. Hope something, anything, will stick. Ed Helms shines.

Post Grad: 3 stars - Full of charm. Very topical. Carol Burnett was great, Michael Keaton steals every scene he's in. Alexis Bledel needs to shake "Gilmore Girls".

District 9

5 Stars

What do you get when you cross a compelling character study, race relation politics, and visitors from another world? The perfect sci-fi film. Neill Blomkamp's District 9.

30 years after an alien ship mysteriously appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa, the E.T.s have been quarantined to District 9, a slum area. MNU official Wikus Van De Merwe (Sharlto Copley) has been charged with informing the Prawns (slang term for the aliens) of their forced relocation to District 10, only to unfortunately come in contact with a bio-weapon in the process. So as to not give away any spoilers on the film, I'll just say that this sets off an chain of events that leads to Wikus aiding a Prawn in his attempt to get back to his home world.

I've long lamented that a problem with mainstream science fiction is that it's too much on the comedy/action, not enough on the science or deeper, more probing issues that it could be. And don't get me wrong, I love those kind, too. But the think piece sci-fi's are much more compelling. And unfortunately they're few and far between. This is one of those few times.

While several (good) films do tend to view alien visitors through rose coloured lenses, District 9 takes a much bleaker, more pragmatic view of the visitors. We, humans, round up the aliens, put them in slums, and treat them like second, nay, third class citizens. And it very rightly raises the question of, given today's society and global political spectrum... is that not what we would do? And it's disheartening to think that the answer could very well be yes.

History is littered with this sort of thing. Americans and the blacks. Americans and the Indians. Pretty much WASPs and non-WASPs in America. Apartheid in South Africa. Serbian ethnic cleansing. And of course the Holocaust, the extreme side. Turning this dark side of our history on it's head, and forcing us to look at how we act, which is out of fear, and how we would treat these visitors. And it's scathingly brilliant.

All due credit must go to star Sharlto Copley. The star of the film could have been the script, could have been the effects, could have been the action sequences. But Copley, who astonishingly is starring in his first full length feature, carries the film on his shoulders, and pulls you into his character and you get a connection the likes of which are rarely seen these days. Especially in sci-fi. His transformation from goofy bureaucrat with magnified character flaws to reluctant and sympathetic hero. He plays Wikus straight, the whole way through. There's no wink and nod that this is a sci-fi flick. And to his credit, you forget that there are aliens, due to his commitment to the story and to the character.

And of course, writer/director Neill Blomkamp. His unflinching and uncompromising daring in his desire to make his movie, and leave his stamp on the world. He disregarded the norm and and made this wonderful think piece that taps into the audience's desire to be challenged with something new and fresh, as well as their comfortable familiarity with the conventions of sci-fi/action. He fuses the two together, and walks away with the film of the year.

If you see one film in theatres this year, make it District 9, you won't be disappointed. I will be if it doesn't garner the recognition it so rightly deserves come award season.

Inglourious Basterds

4.5 Stars

It's slick. It's engrossing. It's comical. It's got gratuitous action. It's got engaging dialogue. You're drawn to characters you shouldn't like. And above all else, it's over the top. Yes, Quentin Tarantino has a new film out. And yes, it's every bit as good as one could hope for (though I am a QT fanboy, so there is that).

Tarantino takes his unique vision and style all the way back to World War II, where the Basterds, a small military unit comprised of American Jews led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) are embedded in Nazi occupied France, and they do what they do best: Kill Nazis. They get a shot at the big dog himself, Adolf Hitler, when he decides to attend a movie premiere (several high ranking Nazi officials will also be in attendance). Little known fact to all involved, the theatre where the premiere is being held is owned and operated by a French Jew who saw her family slaughtered at the hands of a cold-hearted SS Colonel.

They say history is written by the winners. I'd rather it be written by Tarantino. His revisionist history is way more entertaining and satisfying than what actually happened. No other group of people represent the embodiment of evil more so than the Nazi's. And pop culture pot shots at them are a guilty pleasure of most, whether they're willing to admit it or not. And seeing them get their sweet, bloody, gory, gratuitous comeuppance satisfies the deep, internal, hidden bloodlust we all have.

The Basterds are so cavalier, so nonchalant that what they do, you can't help but laugh, and get a sick glee out of watching them do what they do. Raine comments that they enjoy watching Donny (Eli Roth) beat Nazi's, and there is a pleasure, a satisfaction in watching Lt. Donowitz go to town on a Nazi with a baseball bat.

Tarantino pulls no less than three amazing performances from his actors. First off, Brad Pitt. I've been touting the merits of Pitt for years. He really is quite good. And this exemplifies not only his ability to take on a character, but his comedic timing. While he doesn't have the chameleon-like talents of some of his contemporaries, he does get into his character, and doesn't let himself take over the character. He is a man who understands the craft. And he gives one of his career defining performances.

Melanie Laurent, virtually unknown to American audiences (myself included, I won't be one of those snobs who pretends to be 100% versed in foreign cinema and holds nothing but feigned disdain for American works) gives a heartfelt yet brutal performance as the vengeance seeking Shosanna Dreyfus, a young French-Jewish girl hiding in plain sight who orchestrates a mass killing of the high ranking Nazi's and the societal elite at her theatre. She takes the character template laid down by Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, a woman with laser-like focus on revenge, amplifies it, and pulls you into her own personal struggle.

But the most intriguing character, and the truly most brilliant performance of the year, hands down belongs to German actor Christoph Waltz as SS Col. Hans Landa. Waltz never plays him as over the top evil. Instead, he's cold, calculating, and there's a hint of sarcasm to him. To the character, not the portrayal. Waltz made the right choice in playing it straight. In a film filled with outlandish characters, someone has to be the straight man. And why can't it be a Nazi. You don't like him. You're not sympathetic to him. But you are oddly drawn to him. There hasn't been such an effective villain on film since that other famous Hans. Gruber, of course, from Die Hard. Waltz took the time to understand this character, and gave the performance of the year (up there with the previously mentioned Sharlto Copley in District 9).

No one writes dialogue like Tarantino. It's almost lyrical. You're fully engaged in every scene he writes. Every sentence. Every word. He's not there to waste anyone's time. In WWII revenge flick, you'll go 20-30 minutes in between scenes of action, and that's not really a problem. I sat enraptured by it.

That said, this leads to the one gripe that I had with this film, and it is similar to my frustration with Tarantino's previous cinematic effort, Death Proof. If you remember, in cinemas, Death Proof was one half of the Grindhouse double feature, alongside his figurative brother Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror. DP showed second, and it really killed the flow. You had all this action with PT, then BAM 30 minutes of dialogue. It messed with the pacing. But I looked over it, knowing that they were two separate films, and I could watch them in whatever order I wanted at home on DVD. But with Inglourious Basterds, he's suffering from pacing problems. He'll hit you with a burst of fun action, then slam the brakes for dialogue. Rise up to the action, and hit the brakes again. It was frustrating. Tarantino, you didn't used to have these problems. Maybe you're slipping in your old age. Who knows?

But this is definitely one of the top films of the year. Thank you August for reaffirming my faith in '09 cinema, after a pretty dismal year, thus far.

The Ugly Truth/Funny People/G.I. Joe/Julie & Julia

4 Full reviews and 2 brief ones

G-Force - 2 stars - When harmless is a bad thing. Kids may find this enjoyable, and if you find yourself being forced to see it, go the extra mile and see it in 3D.

The Collector - 4 stars - Great horror film that works on two levels. The shock and disgust of violence and gore, and the psychological fear of a cold, calculating unknown, unexplained villain. Reaffirms my faith in modern American horror.

The Ugly Truth

2.5 Stars

What do you get when you combine the cliches of a run of the mill romantic comedy and the bawdy humour of a boy's night out? It's still predictable, it's still mediocre, but you get a few more unexpected laughs than normal.

Katherine Heigl stars as Abby, a romantically challenged TV show producer, forced to hire Gerard Butler's Mike, a self-proclaimed relationship expert due to declining ratings, and the two instantly clash. But when Abby falls for her new neighbour, she seeks Mike's advice for dating the guy, no matter how outlandish they become.

Fun, safe plot, huh? Well, it follows the usual trajectory, most recently seen in The Proposal just one short month ago. You can pretty much tell where it's going to go from watching the trailer. So if you're looking for a safe bet, a sure thing, this is the film to check out.

Heigl is making it really hard for audiences to like her. Off screen she decries the characters offered to women, yet routinely plays to the stereotype on screen. Butler really is the saving grace. Beneath his rugged good looks and action star physique lies a sharp wit and impeccable comedic timing. Think Scottish Brad Pitt.

But despite the funny jokes that will have you roaring with laughter and squirming at the over raunchiness for what you would expect to be a tame romantic comedy, the blending of the two may leave a weird after taste in your mouth. It works to a point, but you're not really sure what kind of movie you just watched. I must refer you to Kevin Smith, the master of meshing frank dialogue with a relationship centric plot.

This one's worth a rent, not a theatrical visit.


Funny People

4.5 Stars

Sure Judd Apatow has his name on just about everything these days. And sure, Seth Rogan is everywhere and it's been easy to take shots at him for being overexposed. And sure, Adam Sandler has seen better days. But that all changes with Funny People.

Sandler plays George Simmons, a fictional version of himself, an actor/comedian who learns he has a rare form of lukemia, and decides to take Ira Wright (Seth Rogan) under his wing, and the two together re-evaluate George's life.

The thing about Judd Apatow is that he has this ability to create characters he really cares about, and subsequently you really care about, and also make them really funny.

Adam Sandler finally finds that balance he's been searching for in recent years between his comedic goofy persona and his serious work. You get a man who is faced with his own mortality, and is still able to crack jokes about it. And that is what still appeals to the everyman in the audience.

The only real gripe I have about this movie is that it is overly long and does drag at points. It feels like two films about the same thing. The first part is about a man dealing with his potential death, the second part is him reconciling with a former love. It could have been two movies had they done a little more with each. But each story was shortened and put into one film, causing it to drag a bit.

It's still one of the best films of the year, and not one to be missed.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

.5 Stars

I said I'd give this film 5 stars if there was a PSA at the end. That was a joke. And there wasn't. Good news is that there's still a 5 star review for it. But as you can see, there's a decimal point and nothing else in front of the 5. And that half a star is being generous.

After a failed mission to protect a highly volatile new warhead, Duke and Ripcord meet up with the covert-ops squad G.I. Joe (Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity) to recover the warhead, and stop a megalomaniacal arms manufacturer from causing chaos in the world.

I guess I should start with a positive thing or two about the film. Brendan Fraser's brief cameo as who I can only assume is Beach-Head (possibly Sgt. Slaughter, but why not cast Sgt. Slaughter?) was a lot of fun, cause he's in, he's out, and it was kinda cool. I enjoyed Sienna Miller's portrayal of the Baroness... to a point, possibly more on that later. Dennis Quaid was great as General Hawk. And then there was... umm....well... there was, wait no.... ok, I got nothing else.

Otherwise, holy crap what a tragedy! What an insult. At least the first Transformers film had respect for the source material. It seems director Stephen Sommers and his team of 6 writers (Sommers being one of them) got a character list and said "We'll do whatever we want." The comedy was ill timed, the characters were all over the place, and it just wasn't G.I. Joe.

Since I am advising that you don't even bother wasting your time with this, I am going to get into some spoilers. If you feel that you must endure this travesty of a film, then skip on down to the Julie & Julia review. What the hell was with The Baroness and Cobra Commander being brother and sister? What was with The Baroness and Duke having a romantic past? They couldn't have possibly done a worse job with the Baroness (again, Miller's portrayal was fine, and the problems I have with the character are purely the fault of the writers). They were setting up the film for potential sequels. But The Baroness is historically such a phenomenal villain, and they destroyed all that. How can she go back to being a villain after her realization that she wasn't under her own control?

The action and special effects weren't pulse pounding. They weren't edge of your seat. They were slouch in your seat out of boredom, laughably bad. I was bored by the climactic chase sequence through the streets of Paris. You know what it reminded me of? Team America: World Police. In fact, this whole film was a psuedo-serious Team America that wasn't in on the joke.

If you liked the show, if you liked the animated film, if you liked the action figures, don't see this film. It will ruin your childhood. Even though Shia LaBeouf isn't in it.

Julie & Julia

3.5 Stars

I recognize Meryl Streep as a great actress. She is. She's phenomenal. I never got all "OMG! BEST ACTRESS EVER! I HEART MERYL STREEP!" But, yeah, I dig her work. And this, Julie & Julia, is some of her best, funniest work, and it doesn't hurt that she has the great Amy Adams as her foil, and the equally great Stanley Tucci supporting her.

Julie & Julia is the tale of two true stories. Julia Child's (Streep) as she masters the art of French cooking and attempts to make it accessable to American cooks, and Julie Powell's (Adams) as she cooks her way through Child's book in a year and blogs about it.

This is two great movies. Combined for one, it's kind of a mess. It tries to correlate the parallels between Powell and Child, and what they discover on their respective journeys, jumping back and forth between the two stories. But it spends too much time on each. Just as you're getting into the story, writer/director Nora Ephron violently pulls you away and thrusts you into the other one. And back and forth like that for two hours. I'm digging each story equally, but I'm also pissed off that I can't fully follow them.

But the ADD like flip flopping aside, it is such a funny script. Streep is hilarious and Adams holds her own against the insurmountable force that is Streep. It never feels like they're reaching for a joke. The comedy comes naturally, from these two women and their experiences and their characters. And it's that humour that holds your attention through the film. And because of that humour, you're with the characters when they do hit the serious points. You're with them the whole way through. It's great.

This is a film that everybody can enjoy. Fellas, skip the G.I. Joe this weekend, take your lady to Julie & Julia, you'll thank me for it later.

John Hughes: 1950-2009

As you may have heard, the world of cinema lost a great man today. A man who guided us through high school. He taught us that we were all the brain, the athlete, the basketcase, the princess and the criminal. He taught us that life moves fast, and that if we don't stop and look around, we could miss it. That we'll have a great vacation if it kills us. That being home alone would actually be kinda cool. For all the great movies. For all the great laughs. For all the great times. John Hughes I salute, you. Shermer, Illinois just got a little less sunny.


I put together a tribute to him, it's going on the air tomorrow. Click here for the tribute. Stay tuned to the end.

5 Mini Reviews to play catch up

Still struggling with the computer problems that plague me and put me out of commission for weeks on end. But I'm kosher for now. Here's 5 reviews to play catch up.

Public Enemies - Starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Billy Crudup and Marion Cotillard. Dir. Michael Mann. If there's one thing Michael Mann knows how to do, it's how to put together a phenomenal cast and craft an amazing crime drama. And with Public Enemies, Mann ventures into period piece to evoke some dynamic performances from Depp and Bale. It may not be their best work, but when you're two of the finest actors working, even when you're not at your best, you're still a cut above the rest. 4 stars

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - Starring the voices of Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Ray Romano and Queen Latifah. Sure it's a cute movie. And has enough chuckles to sustain you through the picture. And of course the kids are gonna like it. Adults aren't going to be completely bored by it. But, I'm still not entirely sure why the film was necessary. On the pure economic level, yeah, sure, I get it. Make more money with the proven formula. But, storywise... didn't we say all we had to say with the first one? 3 stars (it got bonus points for at least keeping my interest)

I Love You Beth Cooper - Starring Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust and Alan Ruck. So it isn't the generation defining teen movie that Superbad was a few years ago, Dazed and Confused was before that, and so on and so forth. It's more like the She's All That's or the Pretty in Pink's. It's the second string of teen flicks. Still good, still passable, but ultimately forgettable. Plus, it's got Alan Ruck. 3 stars

Bruno - Starring Sacha Baron Cohen. Everything that made Borat great three years ago is everything that Bruno is not. It lacks the punch, the wit, and the surprise. It trades all that in for shock and disgust. Granted Bruno was always the weaker of Cohen's three characters (the third being Ali G). It has a few scenes of interest (auditioning babies for a photo shoot, shows what lengths parents are willing to go to get their baby famous, regardless of how over the top the photo may be), but those are way too few, and even further between. 1.5 stars

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon and Alan Rickman. Harry Potter 6 really catches the wonderous magic, and the dark places I'm told the book goes, and still makes it accessible to people who haven't read the books, like me. It doesn't feel like a two and a half hour movie. But the ending left a little something to be desired. The film fell into the Lord of the Rings trap, where the ending became a set up for the next movie. But still definitely worth a viewing in the theatre. 3.5 stars

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Now playing: The Clash - Bankrobber
via FoxyTunes

3 Reviews

With everything that happened over the past week, reviews for The Proposal and Year One slipped through the cracks. I blame Michael Jackson.

Also... I wrote these like a week ago, except for My Sister's Keeper, I didn't have that one done yet. And I don't feel like writing a full review... So 3 stars to the movie. Trite and contrived, but a well acted weeper.

The Proposal

3 Stars

I'm not one for the standard fair of romantic comedies. And as far as romantic comedies go, they don't get much more standard than when they star Sandra Bullock. But add in the smart mouth of Ryan Reynolds, and you get a pretty enjoyable flick.

Sandra Bullock (Speed, Crash) stars as overbearing NYC book editor Margaret Tate who finds out she's being deported back to Canada for failing to file her visa application on time. Enter Ryan Reynolds (Waiting..., X-Men Origins: Wolverine) as Andrew Paxton her much put-upon assistant. If they get married, she gets to stay in America and keep her job. She bribes him with a promotion to get him to along with it, but in order to fool the INS agent assigned to their case, she must spend the weekend with him and his family in Alaska. It follows a pretty cliched trajectory from start to finish. But adding in Betty White provides some good laughs.

Sandra Bullock gives a passable performance as Tate, but what's more intriguing is that she's playing her roles to herself. Rather than being an older actress trying to recapture her youthful glory days, she's adapting her roles to play to her current strengths. And while there is nothing spectacular about her role or performance, her adaptability to the situation is admirable. But I would like to see her do more non-rom/com flicks. I think that era of her career has passed.

But the saving grace of the film is clearly Ryan Reynolds. Rather than playing the male lead as a nervous, submissive underling to the overbearing female lead, he kept up the pace and fired back at her just as much as she fired at him. He got in his own fair share of quips and barbs, and made sure the bribe wasn't completely one sided. And he's just one of those actors I can'tfigure out. He can do action, horror, comedy, romantic comedy and drama, all very well, and all with a knowing smirk on his face.

But when all is said and done, the performances couldn't outshine the drab, cliche ridden plot. I don't think it really constitutes a spoiler if I say that they end up falling in love in the end. If you go into the film not expecting that, then clearly you've never seen a Sandra Bullock film before. I'm not saying I would have preferred an Shyamalan inspired twist ending. But... I saw it coming a mile away. Take a cue from The Break-Up, sometimes... people don't fall in love.

Year One

1 star

Harold Ramis. Jack Black. Michael Cera. Hank Azaria. Paul Rudd. David Cross. Christopher Mintz-Plaase. Oliver Platt. Vinnie Jones. Bill Hader Oliver Platt. HOW the hell could you fail with a line-up like that? By making a disjointed mess of a film, that's how.

Black (Tropic Thunder, Tenacious D) and Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad) star as Zed and Oh, two hunter/gatherers who are banished from their tribe and must make a life for their own in new villages. After meeting up with Cain and Abel, their former village is pillaged by Romans, and the loves of their lives are sold into slavery. They begin an epic quest to free them from their lives of servitude.

As this is a comedy flick, I tried to overlook the anachronistic mixing of "cave people" and the Roman Empire. Still trying. Still failing. The film is an attempt to harken back to the days of Monty Python's The Life Of Brian or Mel Brooks' History of the World: Part I, but it fails miserably. It's like watching a bunch of comedy sketches strung loosely together by a flimsy overall plot arc.

As a fan of Cross' days on "Mr. Show" and Black's on "Tenacious D", I do in fact find certain scenes funny. But a few funny scenes does not make a funny movie. Or, clearly, a coherent one.

Everybody involved just seemed to phone this one in. No one really tried. Like, someone said "We've got these set pieces, and this script, and these costumes. You guys busy?" And everybody else just responded with "Well... I am bored enough." This was a paycheck film. I can't think of any other reason for this movie existing.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

2 stars

You never really go into a Michael Bay flick expecting plot. Hot chicks, big explosions... that's about it. And when the movie is space robots fighting other space robots, you shouldn't expect much, regardless of who directs. But still, there was something lacking.

The movie picks up a year after the first one, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) is off to college on the east coast, for some reason leaving eye candy girlfriend Mikaela Barnes (Megan Fox)back in LA. Unfortunately for Sam, after coming into contact with a broken piece of the All Spark (source of power for the Transformers), an ancient script detailing the origins of the metallic species gets implanted in his head. Now the Decepticons, led by the recently resurrected Megatron, want Sam so they can reclaim their former glory and take over Earth.

Here's the thing, Mr. Bay, can I call you Michael? Here's the thing, Michael... kick ass action scenes can only take you so far. I gave Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, The Island and Transformers a pass because the action was good, and there was just enough plot to not completely suck. And in case you or anyone else out there is wondering, I do realize I left Pearl Harbor off the list. That film was basically Titanic Goes Hawaiian. And to quote Kevin Smith, "Really? Must we go tropical?"

But Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen? It was an alternating cycle of stuff blowing up, Megan Fox wearing something tight, and Megan Fox wearing something tight while running away from stuff blowing up. And I don't mind that. I'm a 23 year old guy. That stuff is fine. But not for two and a half hours. I like White Castle sliders, but even I think the box of 30 is too much. Put some in the fridge. Heat them up for later.

I felt bored by the film. It was tragic. I didn't walk away wanting two and a half hours back, but I did wonder why they were charging full price for essentially half a film. They left the plot on the cutting room floor. I took solace in the fact I didn't pay.


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BIG NEWS FROM THE ACADEMY!

BRODIE FANNS!

Big news from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Starting next year at the 82nd Academy Awards Ceremony, they will now have 10 nominees for Best Picture, instead of five. Click the link for the full press release.

This means that while they'll still nominate films that really have no reason being on the list (*ahem* The Reader), films that should be there (The Dark Knight, WALL-E) also now have a shot.

- Brodie Mann

Top 100 Revisited

Brodie Fanns!

It's been about a year and a half since I did my top 100 of all time list. And I felt it time to revisit it for a few additions and revisions.

Now... in the midst of compiling the list, I neglected Closer, and slipped it into the 30's, pushing everything back one spot, bumping The Longest Day out of the top 100 (much to the chagrin of my dear old dad).

Since then, I've felt compelled to move a film up (it was criminally low, despite it's strong showing in the Top 20), and make three additions.

So... the first addition was Zodiac to #79, between North by Northwest now at #80, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, at #77, and bumping Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair out of the top 100.

Since the remaining changes affect only the top 20, I'll post that list. Changes in red

1 - The Godfather
2 - Pulp Fiction
3 - It's A Wonderful Life
4 - Sin City
5 - Donnie Darko
6 - Dazed and Confused
7 - The Godfather II
8 - Nosferatu
9 - Rear Window
10- Jaws
11- Shawshank Redemption
12- Beauty and the Beast
13- The Dark Knight
14- Casablanca
15- Clerks
16- Requiem for a Dream
17- American History X
18- WALL-E
19- Citizen Kane
20- Ocean's 11 (2001)

Now, the first change is I moved Dazed and Confused to #6, bumping The Shawshank Redemption out of the top 10. I did some reflection, and considering all that the film really does mean to me, I had to bump it up.

The second changes came with the addition of last year's The Dark Knight and WALL-E. The Dark Knight, no matter how you look at it, is one of the most finely crafted films of all time. With some of the finest performances put to film. But since this is a list of my FAVOURITE films, it didn't pull higher rank, because I also added personal connection to films. And WALL-E, just a beautiful film. I stare in awe at what they can do.

They bumped Die Hard and Fight Club out of the Top 20, Young Frankenstein and The Big Lebowski out of the Top 50, and Chinatown and Halloween out of the top 100, placing The Dirty Dozen at #100.

I would like you to keep in mind, that while this has altered, these are all 5 star films in my book. Hell, you'd probably have to go all the way to the bottom 100's (nearing 200) before we hit 4.5 star films. Based on the sheer amount of films I have seen in my life. So far I have seen 42 different films in theatres this year alone (actually it's closer to 50, when I add the award season '08 releases I had to wait till Jan/Feb to see). So yeah... there's that.

You can flip to my archives in Dec. 07/Jan. 08 to see the full list as originally posted. For those reading this on FaceBook, go to www.brodiemanfilm.blogpsot.com.

Peace out, honkies!

Top Films of 2009

So I figure that now that we're at the half-way point of the year, I'd do a catch up, the Top 20 films of 2009 so far. In doing so, I came to a realization. 2009 has been a down year for movies. Maybe we're finally dealing with the ramifications of the 2007/08 WGA Strike. Or maybe it's just taking a while to get going. The second half of the year looks good though, with (all links go to trailers) Zombieland, Public Enemies, Inglorious Basterds, Funny People, District 9, Where The Wild Things Are, Avatar (no trailer available) and Sherlock Holmes.

All titles are links to clips/trailers

1)Star Trek
2)Watchmen
3)Up
4)Taken
5)The Hangover
6)Drag Me To Hell
7)Terminator Salvation
8)I Love You Man
9)State of Play
10)Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
11)X-Men Origins: Wolverine
12)The Last House on the Left
13)Duplicity
14)Monsters vs. Aliens
15)Sunshine Cleaning
16)Push
17)The International
18)Race To Witch Mountain
19)The Proposal
20)He's Just Not That Into You

Imagine That/The Taking of Pelham 123

Imagine That

.5 Star

What happened to you Eddie? You used to be hilarious. There's proof all over the internet of this. But even Beverly Hills Cop III was better than this. I'd like to call it a family friendly comedy, but I wouldn't subject my family to this. I just wouldn't. There's not even a fun message in the film. It's just bad.

Eddie Murphy stars as Evan Danielson, a high powered stock broker in Denver, who is constantly butting heads with his equally high powered colleague, Whitefeather (Thomas Haden Church). In fact he's so focused on his job, that he's neglecting his daughter, Olivia (Yara Shahidi). But once her imaginary friends start predicting booms and falls in the stock market, he learns to connect with his daughter, and let his inner child out.

Yes, that is the plot synopsis I am going with. Eddie Murphy needs to step away from movies for a bit. Stick with Shrek, you're doing good with the voice over work. But go the Bill Murray route, take a few years off, return with some edgy, indie comedies. Or do what Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd are doing, stepping out of the starring roles, and showing up in delightful cameos. But stop with the family friendly crap. It's not working.

Murphy aside... the film was still pretty terrible. We're never really keyed into why the imaginary princesses in Olivia's fantasy world know so much about the NYSE. And how they're able to predict mergers, acquisitions and what not. Maybe we're not supposed to know, but if we're not, that's a really terrible plot device. The message they're trying to convey is to spend time with your kids. That much is clear. You could gather that from the trailer. But they waste and hour and a half trying spell it out for you in the must ridiculous and not-hilarious way possible.

This film does however get a point for the antics of Thomas Haden Church (Sideways, "Wings"). He steals every scene he's in, and actually makes something comical out of the drivel he's been given.

But I leave you with this, a reminder of when Eddie Murphy was funny:



The Taking of Pelham 123

2.5 stars

While there's nothing particularly terrible about this new action/thriller from Tony Scott, Denzel Washington and John Travolta, there really isn't anything particularly great about it either. It just kind of coasts by on the charisma of the two leads, and let's them have an interesting conversation for a little over an hour.

New York City Transit dispatcher Walter Garber (Denzel Washington) is settling in for a normal day. Until the Pelham 123 line is stopped and seperated, followed by an announcement from the hijacker known only as Ryder (John Travolta) that NYC has just one hour to get him $10 million or he starts killing hostages. It's a race against the clock for Garber to save the lives of everyone on that train.

John Travolta has done some of his best work as a villain (Broken Arrow, Face/Off, Pulp Fiction). And this is no different. There's something about seeing this usual nice guy be bad. And he notches up a great performance opposite the always likeable Washington (Man on Fire, Inside Man).

Unfortunately, that's when this movie actually gets good, when these two are talking over the radio communications. It starts off kind of slow and disjointed, but once we get into the rythym of the Travolta/Washington conversations is where the movie starts to heat up. You get this wonderful exchange that pulls you in. They start exposing each others weaknesses, playing on certain personal faults. It culminates in a thrilling showdown in the third act.

But, the movie can't coast on their charm alone, and no matter how good their exchange is, the mediocrity of the rest of the movie does not go unnoticed.

Go see it for Washington/Travolta, but if that doesn't motivate you to get to the theatre, then definitely check it out in a few months on the rental shelves.

Six Reviews in Twelve-ish Paragraphs

I've got mini reviews for Terminator: Salvation, Night At The Museum II: Battle of the Smithsonian, Up, Drag Me to Hell, Land of the Lost, and The Hangover. So let's jump right in, shall we?

Terminator: Salvation

3.5 Stars

It's a franchise that has a longstanding place in the cannon of sci-fi/action. And McG decides to explore the future-history of Judgement day, focusing more on the action, less on the sci-fi. What made the first two so groundbreaking is that they dealt heavily with the consequences of technological evolutions, as well as the intricacies of time travel. Here we get a war movie, only instead of Allied troops vs. Nazis, it's the Resistance vs. Robots. But I will give them this, the action was top notch and pulse pounding. And there is a great visual referance to The Great Escape, to more or less drive home the "war-action" point.

Christian Bale turns in a great performance, which are starting to become the standard for him. You also get interesting turns from Bryce Dallas Howard (Spider-Man 3, The Village) and Anton Yelchin (Alpha Dog, Star Trek). I would have actually liked to see more of Anton as Kyle Reese in the movie. But the true powerhouse of the film was Sam Worthington (finally beign introduced to American audiences) as unaware Terminator Marcus Wright. Arguably the best scene in the film goes to him, when he finds out he's not human. See the film for the action, and Worthington's performance, but Terminator purists will be disappointed.

Night at the Museum II: Battle of the Smithsonian

3.5 Stars

If you enjoyed the first one, you'll definitely enjoy the second one. A bunch of very funny actors collaborate (and that's the key word, they all collaborate) to bring historic characters to life in a very hilarious manner. Amy Adams shines by holding her own in a verible boys club of comedic actors, that includes Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Robin Williams, Christopher Guest, Ricky Gervais, Bill Hader and Hank Azaria.

Unfortunately with all that does go on in the film, it is a bit scattered, and there's a chaotic element to it that drags it down. But the film pulls out of the muddled mess to bring it home with a great third act. Definitely one to check out.

Up

5 stars

Pixar continues their hot streak. They're now 10 for 10 (gonna go 11 for 11 next year with Toy Story 3). Where other animation houses (Dreamworks, Sony, even Pixar's parent Disney) are more interested in being goofy, and making sure they can do product tie-ins, Pixar is ambitious. They want to tell a wonderful, emotional story, and present some of the most beautiful pieces of animation out there. And they do it. I will admit to getting a little misty eyed during Up. And no, not at the end. Within the first 10 minutes.

Ed Asner is pitch perfect as the curmodgeony Carl Frederickson. He's lived in the same house for fifty years, and wants to honour his recently deceased wife by going on an adventure to South America, and takes the house along with him. It's my second favourite Pixar film (behind Wall-E) and third favourite animated film (behind Beauty and the Beast and Wall-E).

Drag Me To Hell

4 stars

One thing director Sam Raimi knows is horror. He can scare the crap out of you, and make you laugh in the same scene. And with Drag Me To Hell, he returns to his Evil Dead/Army of Darkness roots. Not a scare is wasted in this tale of revenge and gypsy curses. It's helped by the great performance of Alison Lohman in the principle role.

It does get admittedly cheesey at parts, but it's hard to really call that a fault, since that's Raimi's style. And luckily for the audience, we're given a completely satisfying ending. This is light-years beyond the normal drivel that passes for horror these days.

Land of the Lost

2.5 stars

It's hard to figure out what they wanted to do with this film. Keep true to the spirit of the original show, or make a Will Ferrell movie (that also features the hilarious Danny McBride, currently batting a thousand). Unfortunately, they said 'Screw it!' and did both. And it just doesn't work. It's much more risque than I had expected. Not that I'm a prude or anything, far from it, I just expected a nice family film.

But, in taking it as what it is, it still offers up some good laughs, and keeps in the cheesey spirit of the show. Danny McBride is, as stated earlier, hilarious. His interactions with Cha-Ka provide for some of the best scenes. And Anna Friel provides a good balance to the macho humour of the two leads.

The Hangover

4 stars

In the grand tradition of Bachelor Party and Very Bad Things, we get a guys night out that goes horribly hay-wire, with hilarious consequences. What's great is that we never see the night of debauchery. We're left to piece together the night along with groomsmen, who are trying to locate the now missing groom. It's full of raunch and ridiculous shenanigans, but anybody who's taken part in a bachelor party (be it in Vegas or not) can relate to something these four do.

Bradley Cooper is funny, and, with his performance, reminds us to ask the question, "Why isn't he a bigger star?" Comedian Zach Galafianakis finally gets the credit he is due with a starring role in this dark comedy. Definitley the comedy of the year, and for the first time in four years, it doesn't feature Seth Rogan.