Slumdog Millionaire, BUY BUY BUY!!

Don't make excuses. I don't care how bad the economy is. Go buy Slumdog Millionaire, out on DVD today. The Best Oscar Picture Winner is the first realllllly good movie to come along in a while (at least in my opinion) and if you haven't seen it yet, shame on you! Also, if you have extra $$$, pick up the soundtrack. It's pretty awesome.

Sorry for the slacking blogs. A genocide class project has been taking over my life. In that same avenue, I'll probably be watching Hotel Rwanda and The Killing Fields sometime in the near future, so be on the lookout for those posts.

Also, Go Heels!

What are the people at MovieFone thinking?!

So I was on moviefone.com the other day, and they had an article titled "Top 25 Animated Movies of All Time." I decided it was worth checking out. I wanted to see how my Lion King fared and just what movies were included. As I continued to look through the list, I became more and more distraught. Beauty and the Beast is 13? The only animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (like the one Slumdog Millionaire won) is only the 13th best animated film ever?! Wallace and Gromit: Curse of Were-Rabbit made the list? Who even saw that movie? Claymation should never be used in movies, especially ones that come out in 2005. The only exception are Bruce Campbell movies, the Evil Dead trilogy. I was terrified number one was going to be Wall-E (I'm sorry, I did not like it). However, I think Wall-E should have definitely made this list compared to the garbage on it. At least The Lion King made it to 2.
1. Toy Story
2. The Lion King
3. Shrek
4. The Incredibles
5. Bambi
6. The Little Mermaid
7. Cinderella
8. Spirited Away
9. Snow White
10. Fantasia
11. Finding Nemo
12. Ratatouille
13. Beauty and the Beast
14. Iron Giant
15. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
16. Wallace and Gromit: Curse of Were-Rabbit
17. Toy Story 2
18. Pinocchio
19. Princess Mononoke
20. The Jungle Book
21. The Nightmare Before Christmas
22. Lady and the Tramp
23. The Triplets of Belleville
24. Dumbo
25. The Simpsons

Feel free to judge for yourself. I don't like it.

I Love You, Man

So I just saw the much-anticipated film, I Love You, Man. I really don't know how many people were looking forward to this movie, but I sure was with Andy Samberg, Paul Rudd, and Jason Segel all starring in it. It was a pretty funny movie. A little slow in the beginning (before Segel's character comes into the picture), but the rest of the movie moves along nicely. Rudd's character of Peter is so much like my close friend it's eerie. They both have these funny little dances and get super excited about goofy things. Also, Rudd's character frequently says pretty awkward things and then follows them up with more awkward things, that is extremely endearing (similar to a certain Bag).

My only complaint is that Andy Samberg wasn't in the movie a whole lot. I would have preferred him in every shot, but sadly he's not. Oh well, I should just watch Hot Rod and it will be okay. If this was a science fair competition, I would give I Love You, Man and red ribbon.

James Bond

QUANTUM OF SOLACE comes out on DVD Tuesday. I know not everyone really liked this "different" Bond movie, but I actually really enjoyed the second time I saw it in theaters. I really really love the opening sequence with the camera gliding in over the water to that super sexy man in that super sexy car. I'm pretty excited to watch it again. And all the extra stuff with Mr. Craig.

Gettin' a little Irish

So in honor of today's "holiday," St. Patty's Day, I decided to do a blog about movies with Irish-esque themes. I figured I should post before I begin to claim an Irish heritage (my family is mostly French and German) and commence drinking like an Irishman. Three cheers for green beer!

As I was walking from my drama class, I heard a car drive by blasting The Boondock Saints theme song (yes, I've recently chatted about this movie, get over it). Instantly recognizing the wonderful song, which was played during my high school graduation commencement ceremony, I did a triumphant fist pumped and exclaimed "yes!" The people surrounding me, mostly sorority girls, just gave me confused looks. How do they not know the song?!? I mean seriously people. You disappoint me.

Moving on to another Irish movie, 2006's Best Picture, The Departed, focused on the Boston police and what else? The Irish mafia! Personally, I don't think this picture was Scorsese's best. Although I'm happy the Academy finally got over itself and gave him the Best Director Oscar he so deserved, I think he was cheated far too many times before. With songs like "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" on the soundtrack, I think The Departed made everyone feel a little more Irish. I'll blog about my favorite Marty picture another time, but here's a clue: "And though I can fight, I'd much rather recite. That's entertainment."

Speaking of Marty, he directed another movie with some Irish themes. 2002's Gangs of New York focused on the conflict brewing between Irish immigrants and the so-called Native New Yorkers during the Civil War. The opening scene features a very cool song titled "Shimmy She Wobble" (I bought the soundtrack), in which Liam Neeson as Irish 'Priest' Vallon, marches his comrades to engage in a bloody battle with Daniel Day-Lewis' Bill "The Butcher." One of my favorite things in the entire movie is a picture of an American flag with the words "Native Americans Beware Foreign Influence" on it. Ironic isn't it? I'm starting to see a trend here with Marty and all things Irish (he's definitely not Irish).

So it seems not only are there some awesome Irish themed movies, but they always have sweet Irish music. Oh and I can't forgot Disney's made for TV movie, The Luck of the Irish. What a winner.

Hot Rod and Wal-Mart

So Hot Rod did not disappoint. I'll admit it wasn't the finest work of cinema I've seen, or even the funniest. I probably enjoyed it way more than I should have because I was watching it with one of my closest friends, and when together, our collective IQ's tend to drop roughly 50 points. Either way, I laughed a lot. It was like "I'm on a Boat," or "Lazy Sunday," or one of the other Lonely Island videos, but two hours long. I highly recommend watching the deleted scenes with commentary from Andy, Jorma, and Akeva. It was almost as funny as the movie. I currently have three copies of the movie in my house if you wish to watch it. One I rented, and two I bought from Wal-Mart today (one to send to my friend).

Speaking of Wal-Mart, I got very happy and sad while shopping there today. I was buying picture frames and made my way over to the $5 bin of DVDs. I was extremely happy to find Hot Rod for only $4 in the bin. While I enjoyed it, I can understand why it's only a $4 DVD. However, there were movies in the bin that upset me. West Side Story? Silence of the Lambs? Stand by Me? The Untouchables? All $5? These movies are wonderful and I feel like they deserve more respect than a $5 price tag. I guess it's a good thing they are cheap so more people buy and watch them, but it saddens me that such great films have been so lowly demoted in the hierarchy of film prices. Or maybe I'm just bitten I paid full price for them. Either way, Wal-Mart was able to change my mood as quickly as the beautiful weather changed in Chapel Hill last week (Booyah! Nice simile huh?)

Hot Rod: A forgotten Gem

So my friend and I, since we are both completely obsessed with "I'm on a Boat" and Andy Samberg, decided to rent Hot Rod tonight. You know, Andy's movie about him jumping things on a bike, that was somewhat forgotten.

Anywho, we're a good five minutes into the movie and it's shaping up to be epic. First of all, Andy is in it, also Bill Hader, Danny McBride, Chris Parnell and Jorma Taccone (guy left on land) all star. And guess who directs it? Here's a hint, he gets to go on the boat and I'm not talking about T-Pain.....

I'll post a full review after we actually watch the movie.

Fun movie factoids

Here are some interesting facts about the films we all know and love....

The horse head is real in the bed in The Godfather. They got it from a glue factory.

From Russia with Love was chosen as the second James Bond novel to be adapted as a film after Kennedy listed it as one of his ten favorite books of all time.

The computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey was called HAL as a tongue-in-cheek reference to IBM. H-A-L precede the letters I-B-M.

To make things easier while mixing the American Graffiti sound track, Lucas and sound designer Walter Murch labeled all of the reels of film R and all of the dialogue tracks D, and then numbered them. When Murch asked Lucas for Reel 2, Dialogue 2 - or more precisely, R2 D2, Lucas liked the way it sounded.

The sight of Clark Gable peeling a raw carrot and then munching on it in It Happened One Night served as inspiration for Warner Brothers animator Bob Clampett to give Bugs Bunny his signature carrot chomp.

The parts of Benjamin Braddock and Mrs. Robinson were originally offered to Robert Redford and Doris Day.

Burt Reynolds was originally casted as Hans Solo, but dropped out before filming.

In Pulp Fiction, the f-bomb is dropped 257 times.

Annie Hall was originally shot as a murder mystery, but during postproduction, Woody Allen realized that the strongest footage was of the relationship between the main characters, so the film was pared down and reedited as a romantic comedy.

The Boondock Saints: Real saints or sinners?

Okay I'll admit, I'm in love with McManus brothers. I think every girl who has ever seen The Boondock Saints would agree with me that Irish guys seem a lot hotter now. And who doesn't think that they're tattoos totally kick ass? I once went to a "word on your arm" party....yep, "veritas." Yesterday, I watched about the first half of the movie with my friend before I had to go leave to watch some intense ACC basketball (UNC>Duke, 79-71 btw). And while I love pretty much everything about Boondock Saints, including that exceptional score, I started to wonder about the actual theme of the movie. The idea of everyday citizens taking the law into their own hands when the local law enforcement fails. If would be nice if cops were successful at their jobs and not corrupt all the time (Departed anyone?), but well this isn't Camelot. It's more like Notthingham (Robin Hood is just all over this blog). Sometimes ordinary citizens can get the job done better then the police, well in the case of a movie.

That was sort of a rambling, but that's how my head works. And for all you Boondock fans out there, All Saints Day is POST PRODUCTION. That means Troy Duffy won't run out of money while filming because it's already done! Woohoo! No release day announced yet, but I'll be waiting....http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300851/

The Pianist was the Best Picture of 2002

Apparently, having the stomach flu is no excuse for neglecting my blog duties. So I apologize for the lack of a post yesterday. Here's one I started Wednesday before my stomach had other plans for me.

If you haven’t seen “The Pianist,” go rent it. Now. I have it if you want to borrow it. But don’t expect a very pleasant movie. “The Pianist” was released in the winter of 2003, and won Oscars for director Roman Polanksi and actor Adrien Brody. It tells the remarkable true story of Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jewish musician who fights to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation in WWII. The film depicts how the Nazis gradually limited the Jews freedoms in Warsaw which led to their eventual deportation to the surrounding death camps. Some of the things shown in the movie are gruesome and hard to watch, but Szpilman’s determination to survive is a true testament to the human spirit.

The fact that Polanski even made a movie dealing with the harrowing Holocaust is remarkable. His family moved to Poland two years before the outbreak of WWII, and both of his parents went sent to concentration camps (his mother would die in one). Polanski escaped the ghetto and survived by wandering around the Polish countryside taking up with different Catholic families.

Sadly, Polanski could not even pick up his Oscar for Best Director. After pleading guilty to “unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor” in 1977, Polanski fled the U.S. and hasn’t been back since. I’m not trying to condone statutory rape or anything, but this guy’s had a pretty rough life. Remember when the Manson cult stabbed to death a 8-month pregnant Sharon Tate in 1969? That was Polanski’s wife and unborn child.

Regardless of his past, Polanski directed a phenomenal film with “The Pianist.” I’m still angry that it lost best picture to that worthless musical with piss-poor acting by Richard Gere and sourface Renée Zellweger. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0253474/

The Twilight Debate: Good, Bad, or just downright Ugly?

A certain relative of mine has been pestering me to write about Twilight. Since this blogger has not seen Twilight (and adamantly refuses to), my personal reflections will probably be pretty biased. So instead, I’ve asked her and another friend to write their own reviews.
The 'Good' Argument:
I’ve been asked by my movie-loving sister (who tends to take an uncalled for elitist position with regards to movies, although she did just post about Fraggle Rock) to write a review for the popular teenage vampire flick Twilight. Despite Slumdog’s run at the Oscars, or the Dark Night’s box-office records, unarguably, no movie created as much hysteria in 2008 as Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight.
The story of a forbidden teenage romance is nothing new on the big screen, but Twilight gives it a fresh spin with faces that are pretty to look at and a story that’s easy to get lost in. Robert Pattinson is perfectly cast as the scary but yet swoon-worthy male lead, Edward Cullen. He melts hearts and raises pulses. Although Kristen Stewart was not a perfect fit for Bella, she does a fair job of conveying just how much Bella hates life and has chemistry with Pattinson that is believable.
While some of the CGI will have movie-goers rolling their eyes, there are scenes where the special effects perfectly capture the vampire’s strength and truly reinforces they are not humans despite all outward appearances.
Fans of the book will not be disappointed; however, non-readers will wonder what the fuss is all about. For those who argue that it’s not realistic, let’s get serious – this is a movie about vampires, it’s not supposed to be realistic. This movie certainly isn’t going to gather any awards, but those willing to be transported into pure fantasy will surely enjoy the ride, and will find themselves anxious to see what Chris Weitz has in store for us next year with New Moon.

The 'Bad' Argument:
One of the biggest downfalls of the Twilight movie was its inattention to the love story between the two main characters, Edward and Bella. The majority of the book, which is very long, is concerned with the development of their relationship but the movie brushes this development aside in favor of the more exciting action sequences. The result is a completely artificial love story that comes out of nowhere.
The absence of a deeper love between the main characters completely ruined the movie for me, making it no better than any other teen drama. Robert Pattinson was Twilight's only saving grace. He's beautiful, talented, and gave Edward a depth that he didn't even have in the book. The rest of the acting was abysmal. Finally, what really pushed Twilight from the category of bad teen drama to bad movie in general were the special effects. I mean, the sweetest part about being a vampire is the super speed and super strength, but it's no fun for the audience if the sprinting vampires are only a blur. The tree climbing scenes were ridiculous and unnecessary. I can't even explain how stupid Edward looked while he was clawing his way up 100 foot pine trees. JUST RIDICULOUS. Ugh, it still makes me angry.

At least they both agree Pattinson is 'the Good.' This blogger disagrees; I think he's fugly.

The 2nd Greatest Disney Movie Ever

I should preface this by saying that my all-time favorite movie is “The Lion King.” Not just favorite animated movie, or Disney movie, or childhood nostalgia movie. No, “The Lion King” has forever left its mark on me since I saw it in theaters as a wee kindergartner (1994). My second favorite movie is a classic, but I’ll blog about that one some other time.

So really this blog is dedicated to my runner-up. There isn’t a person alive in America who hasn’t seen at least one animated Disney film (besides newborn babies of course, but they’re probably covered in Disney clothes anyway). My mom even talks about seeing Snow White in theaters (just kidding, she’s not that old). So, with so many to choose from, how do you pick a favorite?

I don’t think I honestly can. I’m sitting here thinking, “ ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ yeah that’s it…but Mushu in ‘Mulan’, he’s so funny…the genie totally makes ‘Aladdin’…but ‘Lilo and Stitch’ has Elvis music in it!”And so the circle continues until I ultimately fail at coming to one conclusion. Each movie has something extra that sets it apart from the rest of them. I will say I do lean more towards the late 80’s, early 90’s Disney films (starting with ‘Oliver and Company’). But then what about ‘Robin Hood,’ and ‘The Jungle Book?’ You can see that this has been a very frustrating exercise. I’m glad I have #1 nailed down, because I would be one frustrated blogger otherwise.

I think it’s safe to say that animated Disney movies rarely fail to brighten our days. This past Saturday, my friend and I watched ‘Robin Hood,’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ I was on cloud nine the rest of the day.

Coming attractions

Since my school decided not to cancel classes on this lovely snow day, I can’t spend my day watching movies on my futon. So, as an alternative, I decided to post some upcoming features I’m looking forward to and so should you.

Shutter Island (10/2/09) – Directed by the wonderful Martin Scorsese, “Shutter Island” stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Michelle Williams. Adapted from a Dennis Lehane novel (“Mystic River” and “Gone Baby Gone”), Island takes place in 1954 and is a mystery thriller. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/

The Princess and the Frog (12/25/09) – Disney’s first 2D animated film since the release of “Treasure Planet” in 2002, “The Princess and the Frog,” has some big shoes to fill. All of us who are sick of those computer animated movies like “Finding Nemo,” and “The Incredibles,” will be hoping for a return to the glory days of Disney animation with films like “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin.” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780521/

Inglorious Basterds (8/21/09) – The director of movies that encompass all that is violent, Quentin Tarantino tries his hands with a historical background in “Inglorious Basterds.” Starring Mr. Brad Pitt, the movie follows a group of American soldiers dropped off in German-occupied France with the sole mission of killing Nazis. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/

Public Enemies (7/1/09) – Directed by Michael Mann, “Public Enemies” tells the story of John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd as they try to elude the Feds. Johnny Depp and Channing Tatum star as gangsters while Christian Bale tracks them down. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1152836/

Alice in Wonderland (3/5/10) – Still a year away from release, Tim Burton’s real life “Alice in Wonderland” has already gotten me super excited. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter team up again as the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts. Anne Hathaway also stars as the White Queen. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1014759/

The Ghost (2010) – Staring Pierce Brosnan, “The Ghost” is Roman Polanski’s first major film since 2002’s Oscar winner “The Pianist.” Currently filming, “The Ghost” follows a ghostwriter who uncovers deadly secrets while writing a manuscript for a former prime minister. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139328/

Fraggle Rock: The Movie (2011) – The Fraggles finally make human contact. No explanation needed. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481649/

Sherlock Holmes (12/25/09) - Thank God Guy Ritchie is done with Madonna because he had time to work on this upcoming film starring the amazing Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Rachel McAdams. The character of Holmes has faded from memory, so this movie could be his resurrection. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/

Nine (12/25/09) - Last year's Best Actor winner Daniel Day-Lewis stars in this film directed by Rob Marshall as film director Guido Contini. Also starring Dame Judi Dench, Penolope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, and Sophie Loren (oh yea and Fergie). I don't know that much about it, but if Day-Lewis is in it (who has done 9 films in 20 years), it should be pretty entertaining. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0875034/

Mozart walks among us

Note: I wrote this a year ago. I think I was pretending to be a legitimate movie critic which makes it sound slightly ridiculous. But due to popular demand, I am posting it for your reading pleasure. I'll update it once I watch "Amadeus" again.

Who wants to go read a biography on Mozart now? Although much of the story is fictionalized, by adding a fantasy element to the plot, the film presents a very intriguing perspective on someone known around the world. We all know of these “great” people, Mozart, Caesar, Washington, Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., but do we really KNOW them? "Amadeus" humanizes someone who is more or less “immortal” in his particular craft. He is no longer a lofty giant above us, but a small man who walks among us. I’ve not seen the play version, but I will say that it probably cannot convey the power and meaning that the film can. The film can expand and work on themes while presenting multiple angles.

In response to the actors, Tom Hulce’s portrayal of Mozart was remarkable. All I wanted to do was watch him. He was captivating. Unfortunately, the Best Actor Oscar in 1984 went to Murray Abraham, who also did an outstanding performance. However, I found myself bored at times when Hulce’s shrill laugh could not be heard.

On a side note, why do some people have accents and others don’t? What freakin' country are we in??? Consistency people!!!

Van Wilder: Animal House of our generation?

So I just finished watching "Van Wilder" with about seven guys and it was quite the experience. Every time Tara Reid appeared onscreen, she was always accompanied by a room full of gorilla-esque noises and comments on what each guy would do to her. Fortunately, Ryan Reynold's antics as the lovable, campus-controlling Van Wilder makes up for this incessant chatter.

But this raises another question: Has "Van Wilder" become my generation's "Animal House?" Can the parties of Van and Taj even compare to those of Belushi and Matheson? Granted, "Van Wilder" gives the viewer what a movie in 1978 couldn't, often in the form of nudity and crude sexual humor. And while it has its moments, "Van" is just the idolizing grandchild of the time-endured grand-daddy of all college humor movies, "Animal House." Watch "Van Wilder" for crude humor and cheesy lines; watch "Animal House" for all the is wonderful about college. Who doesn't want to go to a toga party and scream "Shout" and the top of their lungs and ride on a wonderful float?

I just asked my roommate and her boyfriend if they've seen "Animal House," and unfortunately neither has. Both of them have seen "Van Wilder." This worries me. It should be required that both movies be rented in pairs so people can see how "Animal House" paved the road for "Van Wilder." If this post compels one person to go see what they've been missing, I'll be happy.

Blogger's apology: It has been brought to my attention that my accusations of my friends making "gorilla-esque noises" was an inaccurate observation. However, my blog is not sewn to the seeds of true reporting, and as such, I stand by my personal observations. But I would like to apologize to my friends for possibly shedding them in a somewhat negative light. They are not primal creatures who go around pounding their chests, but are extremely intelligent guys that I very much enjoy spending time watching movies with. I hope to watch somewhat more serious movies with them, because I would love to hear their opinions on things.

10 reasons why you should see Slumdog Millionaire (and not the Button film)

1. Amazing cinematography on location in Mumbai.
2. Awesome acting by a bunch of adorable kids.
3. Frida Pinto is beautiful, and Dev Patel is so freakin' cute.
4. Never gets boring, never loses your interest.
5. M.I.A. is on the soundtrack.
6. Makes you feel incredibly happy.
7. Won 8 Oscars, including Best Picture (that stands for something when Button won like 1.5 awards).
8. Unique, original storyline that is completely endearing.
9. Who wants to see an ugly old Brad Pitt for 3 hours?
10. It is written. Jai Ho!

I finally created a blog....uh oh.

I can't believe I actually created one of these things. But don't fear world! This will not be a blog dedicated to my emotions, political thoughts, or even hatred of certain classes (Econ 101 anyone?). No, this blog will be solely used for discussions of movies: past, present, and future. Does this surprise anyone who actually knows me? I highly doubt it. But instead of listening to me rant about movies constantly, now you can read about my opinions right from your own portable laptop!
I know I'm not really an expert in this field (yet), but I figured I have to start somewhere. Agree, or disagree with what I say. If it's about movies, I'll be happy. Now, enough with this nonsensical intro, and let's start bloggin' about movies!