2010 Movie Faves

Because of rising ticket prices and Netflix not getting new releases right away, I don't see a lot of movies the year they came out. So this is just a rundown of my favorite 2010 films that I've seen so far. I don't claim to say they are the 'best', they are just the ones that I enjoyed the most. Engage!
The Social Network

It's funny how when this film was first announced, everyone flipped their shit about how stupid a 'Facebook movie' would be. And now it's set to win all the Oscars ever. I came around to the idea of it when Fincher was announced as the director (as he is one of my favorites) and then, like most everyone else, when that creepy-as-hell trailer popped out, I was sold. I absolutely love it when you're not really sure how to feel about the protagonist. Is he good? Is he bad? Am I supposed to like him? In this case, I fucking loved him. I can't wait for this film to come out on DVD so I can play it over and over again and let the dialogue turn into music for my brain.
Black Swan

I've been eagerly awaiting this one for a long time. Everything I'd read about it completely piqued my interest, and I actually started getting worried that I'd overhyped myself. Nope. That was not the case. I went to see it by myself on Christmas Eve and it was one of the most enjoyable cinematic experiences I've ever had. Two other things I love in movies are genre-combinations and watching people go crazy. And this film delivers on both of those points. While on-point (hi-yo!). I've always been a sucker for dance movies (even the terrible ones like Center Stage), but with Black Swan, Aronofsky took the glitz and grandeur out of dance and broke it down to almost a torture regiment, which only makes the whole movie even creepier.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

I'm a little torn on Scott Pilgrim. It was one of the movies I was most excited for in 2010, and I loved it, but at the same time I didn't. I think it ended up reading like Watchmen did, in that it basically serves as the perfect trailer for the books. Edgar Wright did a phenomenal job created this universe and making a really, superbly unique film. But unfortunately, so much of the heart and soul of the books was lost due to the condensing of the story. I really would've loved for them to have waited till O'Malley finished all the books, and then created a miniseries or two or three films in order to flesh everything out. But I know that that couldn't have happened. So I'm happy with what we got.
Inception

I know a lot of people lost their shit over Inception and hyped it up to the be most mind-blowing thing ever. I think a lot of those people don't watch a lot of non-mainstream movies. I went into seeing it expecting to understand nothing and end up completely confused. But I was wonderfully surprised to find out that everything was incredibly straight forward. Everything made perfect sense, except for a few points that required further discussion. What I loved about it was the seamless-ness and beauty with which this crazy, multi-layered story was executed. And the creepiness of the underlying Mal/Cobb plot was delightful, as were all the handsome menfolk running about.
How to Train Your Dragon

I think the name really worked against this movie, especially in terms of getting non-children to go see it. The animation was brilliant. The dragons are basically cats and dogs. The actors are hilarious. It's not your typical 'everything works out 100% fine' ending. There's so much about this movie that is amazing, and I hope more grown-ups give it a chance.
Timer

Generally when I hear a movie is about a love-crazed woman determined to find 'the one,' I run the other way. But when it factors in science-fiction and an awesome actress like Emma Caulfield, I'll totally give it a shot on a Sunday afternoon. I came across this movie on Netflix Instant Queue, and I'd never heard of it, but the user ratings were really high, so I gave it a shot, and I was super delighted. Overall, the movie is pretty simplistic and focuses on how relationships have changed and what love really means now that your 'timer' tells you when you'll meet your soulmate. I highly recommend giving it a chance.

Despicable Me

The movie is pretty straight forward and predictable, but really funny and adorable. Between Horton Hears a Who and this, I think I far prefer Steve Carell as a voice actor than a live action performer, as he is super brilliant. There's some brilliant slapstick comedy, and a lot of it stems from the wonderful little yellow minions. I know I'm a sucker for cute things, but there are some genuine hilarious moments in this movie, and it's all around a feel-good experience.
Best Worst Movie

I'd heard of this documentary, and knew it was about Troll 2, considered to be the worst movie of all time, but I didn't know much else. I thought it might be kinda sad and weird, so when I discovered it was actually really delightful, I was pleasantly surprised. I always feel really skeeved out by washed-up celebrities who bank on movies they were in 20 years ago, so to see these people embrace a movie they previously wanted nothing to do with, all because it found a cult fan base, was really amazing. There are still a few pings of awkwardness, but in general, it's great to see the cast and crew join together with the fans to celebrate the awfulness.
From all the movies I didn't see, these are the ones I most want to, and potentially could've been featured on this list:

True Grit: Growing up I hated westerns, but Deadwood, Firefly and No Country for Old Men have changed my outlook. I'm excited.
127 Hours: Danny Boyle is another of my favorite directors, and James Franco has done some pretty awesome stuff, so how could I possibly not like this?
Monsters: District 9 was one of my favorites last year, so I'm up for another stripped-down, alien invasion film. Especially one so highly recommended.
Never Let Me Go: Unfortunately I've had some stuff spoiled for me, when I wanted to go in blind, but I'm still very interested.
Easy A: This is at the top of my Netflix Queue, and it looks hilarious. I love everything Emma Stone's done so far, and the rest of the cast seems awesome.

So yeah. Hopefully this year will have some more kick-ass films. 2011!!

Re-Casting: First Wives Club

So Hollywood seems to have run out of ideas and is currently remaking every movie ever made. It's obnoxious when they remake a great movie and make it mediocre or even crappy, but I'm all for taking mediocre or crappy movies and making them awesome.

I recently re-watched The First Wives Club with the magic of my Netflix Instant Queue and it is so not as great as I thought it was back in middle school when I would watch it repeatedly on HBO. However, there was potential for greatness: the cast was awesome, the plot starts out pretty dark, but then it gets loaded with cheese and becomes all sappy. I think if it were to be re-made as a dark, black comedy, it could pretty awesome. Sassy, talented, older actresses taking real revenge on the husbands who screwed them over for younger women, with a little more violence and mischief--that could be hilarious!
Demi Moore as Elise Elliot

The actress in this role needs to still be sexy and viable but not as sought after as she once was, and Demi Moore would be perfect for that. She hit big in the 80's with Ghost and St. Elmo's Fire wife who's on Twitter all the time. But she's still super hot and super talented. I could definitely see her pull off getting tossed aside for a young , and stayed pretty popular throughout the 90's, but now she's more known as Ashton Kutcher'shottie and then seek revenge in a bad-ass fashion.
Elizabeth Perkins as Brenda Cushman

So this character needs to be both a loving mother and a little spitfire willing to blackmail her sleazy ex-husband. Elizabeth Perkins has played all types of roles, but the thing she is probably most known for and what I love her in is Weeds. In those first two seasons she is fantastic. She's hilarious. She's conniving but still very human and funny all at the same time. She's beautiful, but could still be dressed down and go through her 'butterfly' transformation to kick some ass at the end of the film.
Toni Collette as Annie Paradis

This is role of the nerd. The mousy one who is afraid to do anything at all. She's super neurotic and over-analyzes everything which is why Diane Keaton was such a perfect choice for the role. Toni Collette has played all sorts of roles (I think my favorite is as Brian Slade's super-fake wife in Velvet Goldmine) so I think she can do anything. She too is beautiful but not in such a striking fashion that you'd disbelieve she could be a dork. She has to be both the straight man but be able to get in a few laughs, and I believe she just one an Emmy for her role in The United States of Tara, so there you go.
Tim Roth as Bill Achtison

And now for the husbands. This is the scummy Hollywood husband who is both charming and icky at the same time. And there isn't anything Tim Roth can't do, so I think he's perfect. Plus he's handsome in an unconventional way and you could totally see some young actress trying to sleep her way through him to become famous.
Nick Offerman as Morton Cushman

I knew nothing of Nick Offerman before Parks and Rec, but now Ron Swanson is one of my favorite characters of all time. It turns out he's younger than I thought, but whatevs, I'd love to see him as a dry, money-hungry, recently turned sugar daddy. Plus for some reason, I think he and Elizabeth Perkins would have great chemistry together.
Dylan Moran as Aaron Paradis

This husband is an intellectual but not quite as nerdy as his female counterpart, but he's also just a little bit slick. Between Moran being the funniest part of Run Fatboy Run and his dry, cowardice in Shaun of the Dead, I think he'd be perfect for this role. Using psycho-analytical bullshit to comfort his wife while screwing the psychiatrist on the side, you'd hate him and love him at the same time.
Billie Piper as Shelly Stewart

This mistress has to be nouveau-riche--classy on the surface but the trashiness slips out every so often. I just got into Doctor Who and I loved Billie Piper as the sweet Rose Tyler, and I tried to watch Secret Diary of a Call Girl, but it's just too weird to watch her be all scandalous. But I think a role like this (somewhere in the middle of those two extremes) would suit her well. Kinda bitchy but still kinda sweet and funny. I could definitely believe she'd have a middle-aged man wrapped around her finger.
Leighton Meester as Phoebe LaVelle

I actually haven't seen Leighton Meester in anything except a lot of Gossip Girl commercials, but she seems to have that lolita-esque pouty thing down pat. This character needs to believably look 25 but actually be 16, and she seems to have that too (since I can't figure out how old she actually is). I could also see her striving to be like the Demi Moore character who would in turn hate her and just want her to go away.
Jessica Walter as Gunilla Garson Goldberg

This character needs to be a sassy old rich broad who's gone through multiple husbands and has no tolerance for shenanigans. And I just love Lucille Bluth and want to see Jessica Walter do more stuff stuff. So there.
Alan Tudyk as Duarto Feliz

Again, this is just another actor who I love and want to see in everything. However, his role in 28 Days as the oversexed, over the top, gay, German fellow was fantastic and I'd love to see him in more roles like that.

So yeah. Imagine all these people in a dark, comedic, revenge film. Imagine it's coming out next fall. It would be awesome, yes?

I didn't like Avatar. Here's why.

I didn't expect to like it, but I went in with an open mind. That being said, I didn't hate it, but I found it to be rather mediocre. Let's see if I can break this down constructively and concisely:

Effects
Avatar was being billed as the film to change the landscape of cinema. It was shiny and pretty, but I wasn't blown out of the water. Yes, there were moments where completely computer generated imagery seemed real (unfortunately a lot of those moments involved characters overlooking cliffs, which made me a little light-headed). At times the Na'vi did appear to really exist and be present, but for every moment I felt that way, there was another moment where it just seemed like really good CG. I think the technology that Cameron has developed will be very useful for big action films and any movie that needs a Golem or a Jar Jar, and I appreciate that. But I've heard accounts in which the audience member felt like they were completely transported to a whole new world and it didn't feel like a movie. I saw it in 3D, but it still only felt like a really big-budget action film.

Eco-biology
I understand the notion behind making the world of Pandora pretty and bad-ass and perfect; it's so the audience will be super-devastated when the idiot humans destroy it. But it was too much for me. It started okay. The animals are bigger and have more appendages than our do, there's a lot of trees, the people are 8 feet tall and blue. All good. But then nighttime rolls around, and it turns into my bedroom circa 8th grade. Did everything have to glow like an acid trip? I make fairy wings and am all over anything bright and colorful and glittery, but this was like being hit over the head with a Myspace page. The grandness of the world reminded me of how fake and imagined it was.

And I was pretty much okay with the Na'vi and how they looked and how agile and ninja-like they are, but then they had weird hair penis things? That was weird, right? Again, I understand it was really to push this idea that a humanoid species can really be in tune with mother earth, but couldn't they just like, use the force, or 'commune' with the creatures? The actual physical connection was too much for me.

Plot/Characters/Theme
So here's where I had big problems with the movie. It's Pocahontas with blue people. I know everyone's aware of that by now, and a lot of people seem to perfectly okay with it. I'm not. It pisses me off. I'm very much in favor of movies pointing out what a terrible species we've become, be it in regards to the slaughter of whomever we don't agree with/have things we want or how we're fine with systematically obliterating the ecosystem so as long we all have iPods. I am for such messages. But I also like good movies, and I think it's possible to get a message across without beating it into the audience's brain with bland storytelling. One of my favorite movies of 2009, District 9, did a really damn fine job of sending a message while telling a wonderfully heart-breaking story, plus it had effects that were kick-ass. Wall-E, another recent film, also hit home with a super strong message that, although it was the basis for the overall plot, it wasn't the direct focus of the film. So it can be done. You can make good movies with a strong message that are enjoyable to watch.

But I just didn't care while watching Avatar. I knew exactly every little thing that was going to happen and every arc that each character would endure. And that's BORING. It makes me not care. There were some great actors in this film, but the material they were working with was so uninspiring that almost everyone fell flat onscreen. The only person I really liked and wanted more from, was Giovanni Ribisi, the evil, sadistic, corporate bad-guy. I'm not saying the movie needed to break the mold from a storytelling angle, but just a little bit more depth and a little less cliche could've helped tremendously. I think Cameron should've written an outline, handed it over to some bad-ass award winning writer, and then used that as a shooting script, instead of writing it himself.


Avatar is raking in tons of money, which makes me think that maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was a super great movie and I'm just picky. But I have a sinking feeling that people are just easily entertained. They see flashy shiny things and think it's art. And I'm still really baffled by the Golden Globe win. That better not happen at Oscar time.

Weekday Movie Madness: Up in the Air

Okay, this post is less about the actual movie itself, and more about my experience of watching it. Let me preface this by stating that I love movies, and I love watching them in the theater. Let me also say that I was spoiled when I lived in Austin by the Alamo Drafthouse, where movie etiquette is still in effect. At the Drafthouse, children are not allowed, there is delicious food available and alcohol to drink, and if you talk, are on your cell-phone or are just plain being an ass, you will get a talking to, or even kicked out. So yeah, I'm spoiled. But as movie going gets more and more expensive I get even more frustrated when people act a damn fool at the theater.

And so begins my evening. Rickey and I decided we wanted to go see Up in the Air, and had a craving to just go in the middle of the week, as opposed to waiting till the weekend like normal. We thought it might be a better experience since it was likely that less people would be there and it might be a more chill crowd. The theater wasn't packed, but it also wasn't as empty as I had anticipated, so that was an instant bummer. As we're waiting for the movie to start, and people are still filing in, a mom with a kid who must've been only 5 or 6, strolls in and sits two rows behind us. Now, I didn't know too much about this movie going in, and though I was sure there wouldn't be large amounts of violence or nudity or craziness, I was also pretty sure it's not for children that young. I have two major problems with this: 1. Children should not be taken to movies that are inappropriate for them since they will be either be scarred for life or totally lost, and 2. It fucks things up for everybody else. I love kids. I'm all for taking kids to movies meant for them. I think it's fun and it helps them learn theater etiquette. But parents, please, don't drag them out to grown up movies. It's rude. It costs alot to see a movie nowadays and I really don't need my nice quiet dramedy ruined by your kid who is confused and bored. That's your fault, not theirs, so don't yell at the kid when you're the idiot. Go home, watch some Spongebob. This is not hard.

So anyways, the kid is kinda chattering as the movie begins, and then this older fellow sits at the end of our row. I didn't realize he'd be a problem until the first few laugh moments of the movie rolled out. Everytime something funny or interesting would happen, he'd let out a very pert and loud "Ha!" or "Heh, Heh!" like some type of ridiculous sitcom background actor. I'm sure he's a nice man, but it was a bit much.

In addition to the child and Crazypants McGee, about 7 minutes into the movie, 2 girls and a guy walk in and sit directly behind me and Rickey. As they're getting settled we hear them pull out all kinds of candy and food in loud wrappings. They proceed to eat like potheads through THE WHOLE DAMN MOVIE and their ridiculous wrapper noises ruined several scenes (at one point I looked behind me in utter disgust and caught the guy's eyes dead on and I must've shamed him for he immediately ceased his eating for a good while). The girls also chatted away with each other for quite some time, and when Anna Kendrick came on screen, one turned to the other and said "Like omigod, she was in Twilight." I don't know what the hell provoked them to go see this movie.

I was able to enjoy the movie, and then as As the climax began to build and the resolutions were rolling out, the theater was pretty lax andClooney finishes up his final monologue (and I can tell the movie is ending) the mom of the child decides its time to close up shop and starts packing all their shit away and making as much noise as possible, so the nice closing shot of silence was totally ruined. Thanks lady, you're a winner.

I really, really liked the movie and can't wait to watch it again in the peace and quiet of my own home. And I really recommend it for those of you who can watch it in a nice arthouse theater or something, where people aren't ridiculous. And the moral of the story is, until we can get our shit together enough to be able to watch a movie in public peacefully, I have no hope for our society.

2010 Movie Mamajama

Hey, it's 2010! That's weird, right? Anywho, I'm a pretty big fan of movies and tend to get jazzed about upcoming releases. I didn't think there was anything all that exciting coming out this year, but after a quick Google search, I was quickly proved incorrect. So here are the movies I am most excited for in the next 12 months.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

I'm a pretty big 'Scott Pilgrim' lover, and all the leaked images from this movie seem like Edgar Wright's staying really true to the series. But as much as I love Michael Cera, I'm very nervous that he's going to pull his whole neurotic weirdo schtick and blow the whole thing. But I'm trying not to focus on that. It'll be rad. I'm sure.

Alice in Wonderland

I'm an avid Tim Burton fan and have been since I was a little kid, but his movies over the past few years seem to have lost that special spark they once had. When I heard he was doing Wonderland, I was convinced it would suck. After the first trailer, I was still pretty apprehensive, but after the second trailer and the release of more artwork from the film, I'm pretty psyched. It may still suck, but it'll be fabulous and pretty in 3D.

Iron Man 2

Though I'm a big reader of comics, I don't read many traditional superhero comics, I've never read any 'Iron Man,' and very little Marvel in general. So when I fucking loved Iron Man, it was a bit of a shock. Robert Downey Jr. was phenomenal and as long as he gives the same type of energy he did in the first one, the second Iron Man will be a win, hands down.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

I haven't read any of the books, but I've watched all the movies, and they keep getting better. The first ones were cute and nice, but slowly they've gotten darker, scarier and more fantastic. I've had friends tell me everything that happens in the books, so plot-wise, nothing is a surprise, but it's so much fun to watch these crazy magic events play out on the big screen.

MacGruber

Yes, there is a MacGruber movie coming out. And yes, I'm really excited about it. The sketches on SNL aren't necessarily my favorite, but the collection of actors set to be in movie is pretty awesome and I've heard some early buzz that the movie is totally fun.

Inception

I really don't know much about Inception, and I'm trying to keep it that way. I know it's Christopher Nolan, and it has Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Leonardo DiCaprio, and there's some crazy stuff going on, but that's all I need to know. I'm going to avoid reviews and trailers until I can just go see it for myself. I fell like it will be a good thing.

I realize the list is packed with blockbusters and fantastical stuff, but that's okay. I'm sure I'll stumble across all kinds of awesome dramas and documentaries and good for my brain kinds of things, but these are what I'm really looking forward to.

My Favorite Movies of the 00's

I didn't even really think about 2009 being the end of a decade until all these 'best of' lists started floating around, and I'm still a little weirded out that the past 10 years are going to be viewed as one cohesive unit. It really doesn't feel like it should. Anywho, I was reading many of those best of movie lists and I got to thinking about all my favorite movies. I tried to make a nice little concise list, but that didn't happen. Also, I watch a lot of movies but not near as many as I'd like to, so this list is probably wildly incomplete/inaccurate. So anyways, here are my favorite 40 films from the past decade (and please note I said favorite, not best)....

28 Days Later (2002)

Across the Universe (2007)

Almost Famous (2000)

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

Blockbuster Blowout!

I was going through Entertainment Weekly's Summer Movie Issue, and I realized that there are a lot of movies coming out that I'm pretty psyched for, so I narrowed down the list to the 10 that I would love to see in theaters. I meant to get this up sooner, but that didn't happen, so I've already seen one...Oh well.

Star Trek- I saw this over the weekend and it was fantastic! I was really hoping it would be a fun, romping good sci-fi flick and it totally was. I highly recommend checking this out in theaters if you can.

Drag Me to Hell-I love Sam Raimi. And I'm not big on the Spiderman movies. So his return to over-the-top gore and horror and goodness has gotten me very excited. And Allison Lohman has done well in everything I've seen from her, so this has to be awesome.

Up- Pixar. 3-D. What else do you need?

Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen-The first Transformers movie was very exciting despite the fact that it didn't make any sense and was highly illogical. But this one has even more robots! And they're bigger! And they beat they crap out of each other and all kinds of other stuff!

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince-I don't read the books, but I really enjoy the movies. They have cute and wacky creatures, magic and everyone's British. And as they've become increasingly darker I've liked them more and more. So I'll be there, and I might even go in costume.
(these are the less 'blockbuster-y' movies that I want to check out...)

The Hangover-You all know this trailer is hilarious, so no one should hesitate to go see it. Bradley Cooper has been popping up all over the place for the past few years and everything he does is great. I'm a little iffy on the whole Mike Tyson thing, but between Andy from the office and Zack Galikfishiohojnkjiis (or whatever), I can let it slip.

Moon-This one might be hard to see as it's an independent release so I might find it somewhere in Manhattan if I'm lucky and really diligent. But it looks creepy and dark and that mixed with Sam Rockwell's inherent wackiness/lovability, it seems fantastic. It also seems like the kind of thing that will be huge post-DVD release, which is another reason I'd want to see it on the big screen.

(500) Days of Summer-I love Zooey Deschanel. She kinda plays the same character all the time, but I don't care and I will watch anything she's in. And I'm not always a sucker for romance stories, but this one looks really nice and special and different.

Funny People-The first trailer I saw made me tear up. I love all three leads, Apatow is a genius, his kids are precious and hilarious, and I keep hearing 'Oscar Buzz' about it. I can't wait.

Inglorious Basterds-It's a really late summer movie, but it counts. I'll see whatever Taratino puts out, no matter what it is. But I love Brad Pitt (not Benjamin Button Brad Pitt, but Fight Club and Ocean's 11 Brad Pitt) and I'm all for scalping Nazis...

So yeah. I'd love to see all of these in theaters. It probably won't happen, and instead I'm sure I'll get dragged to some other movies, but almost all summer blockbusters are fun to see in theaters.

I didn't feel like coming up with a clever name for my first post...

Hello ladies and jellyspoons!

I'm not sure that anyone will every really care, but in recent months, many of my friends have started blogs, either for personal or professional use, and I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon.

I don't want anyone to feel like this is some wacky pretentious blog where I think you should all be so happy to read my thoughts on random bullshit. It is rather an exercise for my brain to practice taking thoughts and making them somewhat coherent; I did a lot of that type of thing throughout school, but not so much since having graduated. And since I have a job with a desk for the first time ever, I figured, hey, why not now?

I'm still not entirely sure what my posts will always be about, but they will probably change often.

As for this blog, I didn't really have a topic in mind, I just wanted to do something introductory. However, with it being the start of a new year, I thought I would share some of the movies I am looking forward to this year (note, these are by no means the ONLY movies I am looking forward to, just a sampling).

MONSTERS VS. ALIENS
As you might've noticed from the title of my blog, I am a big fan of monsters. I'm also fond of aliens. And the cast list for this is dripping with fantastic actors/comedians. And it's in Dreamworks 3D. What's not to love?

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

I've only heard bits and pieces about this movie, but I'm a big Tarantino fan. I've never been let down, even with Death Proof. And even though Brad Pitt has let me down with recent movies (Benjamin Button, Mr. and Mrs Smith) I think he and Tarantino will work out great together in this film. I'm excited.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Yeah, again with the theme of monsters and creatures and whatnot, I can't help it. But this is one of my favorite books as a kid, and in any other director's hands, I would be worried, but I think that Spike Jonze is crazy enough to make it work. I know a lot of people will classify it as a kids movie because of the book, but I think the timelessness of the story and the awesomeness of Jonze will make it well worth seeing in theaters.

WATCHMEN

Assuming it doesn't get held up in litigation, Watchmen is the movie I am most excited to see this year. The book is phenomenal, the cast looks awesome, and even though the book seemed like it would never be translated into a movie correctly, all the footage so far points to the contrary. I will be there opening weekend, whenever that may be.

That's all for now. Catch ya on the flipside!