Thursday's Show

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CAST THIS!: The Upcoming James Brown Bio-pic

1933-2006

Hollywood didn't even wait for James Brown to be buried before announcing a film based on his life. So far, we have the studio, Universal, the producer, Brian Gray, and the director, Spike Lee - now all we need is a star in a role that several actors will be gunning for because because of its awards potential.

I will give you a list of obvious choices, explain why they wouldn't work, and then perhaps shock you with the actor I believe should play James Brown:

Exhibit A:


Jamie Foxx - No doubt about it, the dude is a serious presence. He even won an Oscar for playing Ray Charles, but that's the very reason I wouldn't cast him. It's too obvious, and for Foxx it could damage his career. He already fought a long hard battle to prove he wasn't just the guy who starred in crappy black comedies. It would be even difficult to prove he was more than just the guy who starred in bio pics on black musicians.

Exhibit B:

Denzel Washington - He's worked with Spike Lee more than any other actor, and he's great. I even thought he would have made a perfect Mr. Fantastic last week, but I don't think he could play 'The Hardest Working Man in Show Business'. His range goes from quiet and gentle to controlled and intense. I am not sure he is capable of reaching the bat-crap insanity that one would need to own the role. Perhaps he could pull it off, but it would ultimately be a wild card.

Exhibit C:

Samuel L. Jackson - If they were making a bio-pic on the later half of Brown's life - which they shouldn't - Jackson would be a perfect choice. However, he's just a little too old. Too bad they didn't try to make this film during the 90's....

Exhibit D:

Tracy Morgan - Now get this, I actually changed my mind while writing this article; Initially, he was going to be the 'shocking choice' I had mentioned at the begining of this post, until I realized there was someone who could play the role better. That said, if my first choice was unavailable, Morgan could make for a great James Brown. He has the same history as Jamie Foxx - both actors got their break doing sketch humor (SNL for Morgan, In Living Color for Foxx), and both did extensive work in terrible black comedies. However, Morgan has yet to take on that one transitional role into dramatic territory (Foxx had been in Any Given Sunday and Ali before he starred in Ray). Plus, I want to save him for my planned low-budget bio-pic based on outsider musician Wesley Willis entitled Where There's a Willis, There's a Way.

So who do I think could play James Brown?

Mos Def - The dude can act, the dude can sing, and he's even allowed himself to go bat-crap insane on several episodes of Chappelle's Show. While Jamie Foxx was unable to sing all of his parts in Ray, Def could take this role, own it, and then promote it by going on a little tour as a James Brown cover act. He doesn't look completely like James Brown, but I think he could play him so well we would forget that after the first 10 minutes of the film. He's even worked with Spike Lee before in Bamboozled. I think he is the perfect choice.

RE: Star Wars - Silent Film Style

Top 10: The Final Countdown

I know this post is two days late, but I my hands were tied on this one. The online editor for GoTriad! didn't post this article on their website until yesturday, and I totally would have posted it then, but that was also the day that brother's baby decided to be born.

Think I am full of shit? Here's a picture to back me up:



Anyway, here is the article with my complete listing of top 10 movies of the year, and this is a trailer for Lady Vengeance my favorite movie of 2006:



It's kinda funny; the article was titled Watch for these 2006 films at Oscar time, but I know for a fact that my first two films will be ignored. South Korean films don't quite have the same draw as Japanese and Chinese films do as far as attracting studios who will release them widely, and thus push for Academy recognition (i.e. Miramax, Sony Pictures Classics, etc.). Chan-Wook Park is a great director, easily among the top five working today, but until his country's films cross over with U.S. audiences, his considerable talents will be ignored.

As for The Devil and Daniel Johnston, it was eligible for nomination for last year's awards despite the fact that Sony didn't release it until March. I guess the festival screenings at the 2005 Sundance and SXSW film festivals ultimately doomed the film to obscurity, which is a shame. I place it beside Grizzly Man (which was also snubbed last year) as two of the most wholly entertaining documentaries ever made. Neither rely soley on interviews to tell their stories, which is great. I love non-fiction film, but the strategies are becoming less and less imaginitive (i.e. tons of interviews, talking heads, etc.), and it's unfortunate that America could never properly celebrate some of the genre's more original talent.

BONUS: While looking for the trailer to my number one film on youTube, I found a link where someone posted the entire thing in 10-minute installments. Let's see how long this lasts:

Lord Surfer ... RISE!

Just saw the trailer from Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and while the trailer itself was kinda cool - instead of an a montage of brief scenes, we get a high speed chase between the Human Torch and the Silver Surfer - I noticed three distinct problems:

1) The Surfer's eyes have pupils.


('Hmmm,' The Silver Surfer thought, 'Why do I have pupils?')

The Silver Surfer is a strange, mysterious character in the Marvel Comic's universe. By not having pupils, its hard to gauge what he is feeling at times. This of course makes him even more - you got it - mysterious!

Here is what the Silver Surfer should look like:


(No pupils!)

Even these guys below had gotten it right, and they weren't even making a Silver Surfer movie. They made Terminator 2.


(See? It's not so hard.)

This problem can be fixed in a jiffy, as I am sure it will when enough of the fanboy community's complaints scare the big wigs on the right track. A similar thing happened with Mel Gibson during The Passion of the Christ after someone convinced him that Jesus had brown eyes instead of blue ones. The results of the digital re-coloration were kinda creepy, but you get the point. However, the next two problems will take a lot more than simple computer magic to fix.

2) Ioan Gruffud is still playing Mr. Fantastic.



('Hi, I play one of graphic fiction's smartest characters as if he were a bumbling dweeb')

Anyone with a name that starts with IOAN and ends with GRUFFUD should not be allowed any where near a summer tent-pole film like this. I can understand 20th Century Fox's mistake with the first one. They thought, 'Daredevil didn't do so hot, so I guess this comic book movie thing is starting to wind down. Let's cast this 'Fantastic Whatever' business with the cheapest actors we can find.' Well, the first one made plenty of cash, why is this D-list actor STILL in the lead role?

The following is a list of BETTER actors who could have played Mr. Fantastic, and they all would have done a better job than Mr. Gruf-fudd.


Tim Robbins - does Ioan Gruffud have an Oscar?


Peter Weller. Okay, okay, so I'm just being a geeky Robocop fan! I know it would be kinda creepy to see him and Jessica Alba start making out.

Or, if they wanted to engage in some color-blind casting...


Denzel Washington. A lot of people say that the black community strongly supports the first FF film because its director, Tim Story, was African American. While I have never met a single adult person of any color who wholly enjoyed FF1, I am sure the black community would be even more supportive of the series if a fantastic actor like Washington played Mr. Fantastic.

3) The Thing still resembles a lawn cigar. Let me show you an actual still image from the trailer:


('It's clobberin' time!')

While Michael Chicklis loves wearing this suit, believing it's the only way he can truly emote and embody the character, he literally looks like dog crap. How can anyone create a wholly empathetic character under two tons of latex turd? If he wants to wear the suit, let him, only paint the damn thing light blue or green, and then digitize it in post. Bill Nighy did something similar with his Davey Jones character in Pirates 2, and the results were, well, fantastic.

At any rate, you can judge for yourself by clicking the link below and seeing this movie in crystal clear Quicktime - always a consolation prize in the event of a shitty trailer.

GROAN.

Top 10 Part 5/6

Tomorrow's the big day! This is one of my only entries that might actually appear on most critic's 'top 10' lists this year. I liked this film alot, and if the ending wasn't a visually didactic flow of non-stop violence, I would have loved it. It was, nevertheless, one of my favorite movies of the year.



6) The Departed – Now this is funny. Just when Martin Scorsese gives up on Oscar-baiting historical epics like ‘The Aviator’ and ‘Gangs of New York’, he makes his most enjoyable film since 1995’s ‘Casino’. The director works with a huge all-star cast – the best of which was Mark Wahlberg in a role that will hopefully earn him some statues– to tell the story of two moles working for different sides of the law. Will this movie finally get Scorsese his Oscar? I don’t care, because I was having too much fun.

I won't be leaving a clue for tomorrow since it will basically be for the rest of the list, but tune in tomorrow for 'Numbers 1-5'.

Top 10 Part 4/6

We are almost there. It's almost Thursday, the day that my top 10 will be unleashed to the world, and I have to say that of all the 'big' top 10's I have seen so far this year, mine is the most unique. Take this next entry. Entertainment Weekly's Owen
Gleiberman called my 7th best film of the year the 3rd worst film of the year. All I got to say is that time will tell on this one.



7) Brick – This neo-noir mystery features a modern-day high school kid who talks like a 1940’s detective as he tries to solve his ex-girlfriend’s murder. Newcomer writer/director Rian Johnson makes the debut of the year because he was able to pull this premise off without making it look ridiculous. My favorite action films wow me not with huge explosions or fight sequences, but thrilling wordplay, something ‘Brick’ delivers in spades.

Bonus Note: I don't think that Gleiberman is on crack or anything, but maybe our experiences differed because he saw the film in theaters while - because it never came out in Greensboro theaters - I saw the film on DVD with subtitles. I watch most of my DVD's with subtitles - it's the writer in me, I guess. The way people talk in this film is so radical, so rapid fire, I could definitely see how that could be a turn-off for someone who wasn't reading it while watching the film. Regardless, this was a great first film. With a high school detective premise, the movie could have been stupid as hell; it starred that kid from 3rd Rock From the Sun for chrissakesbtw, he's actually a great actor in this movie!

Tune in for tomorrow's thrilling installment entitled 'Number 6' or 'Rats vs. Moles'.

A Final Video Christmas Gift to You All

Just wanted to leave you guys with a clip from one of my all-time holiday favorites, Silent Night, Deadly Night. This movie is so derranged. I usually watch it once each season and laugh with mad glee.

The clip below is by far the best scene in the film. Working actor William Hare delivers what could very well be the most well-acted monologue in B-movie hystory. Merry Christmas, and enjoy!

Top 10 Part 3/6!

Merry Christmas all! Did you think that my parade of Top Ten-ness would stop due to a national holiday?

Well, I am back on this fine Christmas morning (actually, it's kinda lousy with rain) to give you my number eight. Did you guess what it was? Let's see:



8)The Fountain – In his second appearance on this list, Hugh Jackman plays a scientist, a conquistador, and a space traveler in a story that spans over 1000 years. ‘The Fountain’ explores man’s futile attempt to destroy death, and the formerly MIA director Darren Aronofsky deserves kudos for telling what could have been a three-hour story in less than 90 minutes.

Bonus Note: This is actually one of the few films I saw twice in theaters - it was that good. I also liked how Aronofsky stopped trying to wow audiences with MTV-editing tricks and photography, and merely looked for the right shots to tell his story efficiently.

I got to go take care of this Turkey, but tune in for tomorrow's thrilling installment, 'Number 7' or 'One of Entertainment Weekly's 5 Worst Movies of the Year'.

CAST THIS!: Speed Racer

While Hollywood is supposedly a 'Godless' wasteland, they sure do take it easy during the Holiday season. Seriously, the place is at a stand still as far as news is concerned. Perhaps this is why AICN posted the following unsubstantiated rumor on the Washowski Brothers' upcoming Speed Racer film:

Now in the slate doc it showed clearly in capital letters the name of Keanu Reeves under the main title. Not only does this show that NEO (A.K.A Keanu) is reteaming with the Matrix team but seems to be the main role.

Keanu Reeves? Keanu 'Mr. Whoa' Reeves? Hopefully AICN's source was full of shit (that can certainly be the case). It's not that I think the Speed Racer franchise would require more from an actor than Keanu could handle, but I just don't see why they would cast him in the main role. He's just too old for the part. Plus, why pay him his usual salary when you could hire Speed Racer look-alike Tom Welling for way less money.

Let us compare:

A) Speed Racer


B) Keanu Reeves


C) Tom Welling


From the pictures shown above, which two look the most alike? If your answers were A and B or B and C you need to lay off the inhalants.

Tom Welling would be the perfect person to cast in this role. He is already an employee of WB (the company behind the film), and I still kinda feel bad for the guy for being shit-canned with Superman Returns. He would probably do the film for less than half of what it would cost to hire Keanu, and he would do a good job.

At any rate, either actor would obviously be better than these guys:





P.S. If the Washowskis STILL had to cast Keanu Reeves (perhaps as a good faith gesture for the Matrix sequels), maybe he could play this guy:

Top Ten Part 2/6

If you didn't notice, I left a clue at the end of yesturday's installment as to what the next title on my list would be. Did you guess the right film? Find out below:



9) The Descent – It’s sad to think of all the large-budgeted depravities that tried to pass themselves off as scary movies this year (Hostel, The Hill’s Have Eyes, etc). Fortunately, this monster mash of a thriller set in an Appalachian cave was smart enough to know that just because the audience wants to throw up from all the mindless viscera on the screen, doesn’t mean they’re scared. Too bad more people went to see Saw III instead.

Bonus Note: My former co-host Gu loved this film to no end. He saw it three times in the movie theater even though he already owned a bootleg of the British DVD (eat that MPAA!), and said it was so scary, it actually made him sweat. While my reaction was not as intense - I saw it only once, and did not sweat whatsoever - I was relieved to see a 'horror' movie that was actually frightening. There was a lot of vile garbage committed to celluloid in the name of horror this year. I remember back in 2000, how I wish the genre would have a revival, but now look where all that wishing has gotten us?

Anyway, The Descent is on video, and I definitely suggest that you check it out if for no other reason than to remember what a scary movie feels like.

Tune in tomorrow for the next thrilling installment entitled 'Number Eight' or 'Wolvie's Immortality Boogaloo' (this clue is easy, if you can't guess it, you must have failed shapes and colors back in pre-K).

Top 10 Movies of 2006 (Part 1 of 6)

Last year, GoTriad! let me write a Top 5 of my favorite 2005 films I was forced to watch on video. Since then, my status with the paper has slightly increased and I was allowed to go whole-hog and write an entire Top 10 for all the movies this year.

Top 10's can be hard to do. In recent years, they were difficult because I actually had a hard time scrounging up enough 'good' movies to fill the damn thing out. However, this year was the exact opposite. This year, there were so many good movies, that there were no default titles on my list whatsoever. What's funny is, I could do a top 15, and still have trouble on which movies to exclude.

Anyway, here's what I'm going to do. Every day, I am going to post an entry from my list, starting with number 10. This will all lead up to Thursday when the entire list is published for on gotriad.com. And for those who haven't been paying attention, Thursday is also the day of Critical Mass a special broadcast were we will have 5 critics dishing on their top 5's for (hopefully) two whole hours.

So without further ado, here is number 10 on my list:



10) The Science of Sleep – Michel Gondry’s follow-up to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, is even more of a visual treat than its predecessor. Gael Garcia Bernal plays a Spanish immigrant living in France, who is unable to distinguish his dreams from reality. Gondry has a ball here using homemade crafts and traditional effects to create beautiful – albeit unique – visuals to remind us that CGI is not the only way to go when telling a fantastical story.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's thrilling installment entitled 'Number Nine' or 'Cave People Aren't Bad, They Just Don't Have Access to Fast Food Like We Do.

Blood Diamond review

Director Edward Zwick has a familiar formula in each of his films. He almost always tackles serious matters that will have many audiences members leaving the theatre questioning their purpose in life- or in the case of Blood Diamond- wishing they could "make a difference."

Many critics have slammed Zwick's latest for lecturing, rather than entertaining, on the conflict diamond trade in Sierra Leone in 1999. I lost a lot of respect for critics who provided this as a reason for not enjoying the film. This story- which many people know little about due to the presidential sex controversy engulfing the U.S. media at the same time- needed to be told, as it is still a growing matter for concern. I guess filmgoers who wish not to be reminded that outside of the multiplexes- bad things happen- might not like this film. And to that audience- I feel for you.

Blood Diamond is remarkable film- all intentions aside. The script unfolds wonderfully- dragging audiences- often times kicking and screaming- throughout Sierra Leone along side African farmer Solomon Vandy, (a white) south African diamond smuggler Danny Archer, and American journalist Maddy Bowen. Each actor in these main roles, Djimon Hounsou, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Connelly make such extreme and unfamiliar situations to American audiences seem... understandable. Hounsou stands out several times and plays the role of his career and Jennifer Connelly could have played Pluto Nash with an Oscar caliber- but this is DiCaprio's gem and alongside The Departed- 2006 has established him as the actor of his generation. Arguably.

After losing his family to a rebel organization hellbent on over throwing the current government through any means necessary, Solomon Vandy finds himself mining the rivers of Sierra Leone for diamonds, and when he comes upon the most valuable found to date- it catches several peoples attention. Mainly, Danny Archer, a former military man seeking fortune to get him out of South Africa. Conflict ensues and the two ultimately end up side by side as Archer bribes Vandy into giding him to the hidden diamond in exchange for the safe return of his family. The central story proves to be powerful enough, but Zwick elegantly covers the entire country it seems and shows audiences 360 degrees of terror and violence the likes of which audiences have never confronted.

For these reasons Blood Diamond will probably not see great success... two weeks into it's release, it's considered a pretty big flop actually, and that is extremely disappointing. But if seven years after the conflict intially begin is the first time we see a wide exposure to the conflict- then I guess it's not a surprise.

Fast Food Nation is empty calories.

Richard Pryor once said that it isn’t difficult to love someone “if you just spend a little time with them.” It is a beautiful and profoundly hopeful idea that the boundaries between people are impermanent and might be removed with nothing more complicated than a little personal interaction. It is also an idea Richard Linklater seems to share in his newest film, Fast Food Nation, which ‘spends a little time’ with an ensemble cast of tangentially related characters representing a wide range of social classes from the marketing executive to the rancher down to the illegal immigrant.

Based on the book by the same name, the film deals with the results of corporatization on the people of America. Linklater seems to ask the viewer if, as the old platitude suggests, we really are what we eat, what does that make us if what we eat is commodified, prepackaged, and quite literally full of shit. Greg Kinnear is a marketing executive working for the Mickey’s restaurant chain (not to be confused with McDonald’s—Mickey’s big seller is the Big One, not the Big Mac.) On the eve of the restaurant chain’s most prosperous quarter, he has been charged with traveling to the meat packing plant which supplies beef to the entire Mickey’s restaurant chain to determine how feces is getting into the beef. His movement down the ‘food chain’ in search of the source of the problem allows the story to follow the exploits of a heartless corporate facilitator, a cantankerous old rancher, an idealistic young cashier, and a hard-working young Mexican couple.

However, the film complicates the presentation of these socio-economically diverse people by showing how each are trapped in a fashion not dissimilar to the cattle on which they feed. From Bruce Willis’ cameo as a beef buyer with no illusions about the nature of the industry who greedily devours hamburgers while simultaneously discussing the feces content of the beef, to Kris Kristofferson’s rancher who battles to protect his grazing land from encroaching condominiums, from the young cashier who quits her job because she senses the dehumanizing nature of the industry and who impotently attempts to change things, to the illegal immigrants whose cheap labor allows for low prices and who are ultimately both figuratively and literally ground up in the machines of corporate America, back to Greg Kinnear’s marketing executive who begins to recognize the dehumanizing nature of a fast-food nation but who can do nothing to change things without risking his family’s financial security, each are trapped by a system which commodifies, packages, and sells everything with which it comes into contact, including the packagers and consumers themselves.

As scenes of cows crammed into pens blend into scenes of hotel rooms crammed with immigrants, and as scenes of concerned characters unable to do anything to change the great machine of commodified America blend into scenes of cows so stupefied and sated by a steady supply of food that they refuse to leave their pens when given the opportunity, Linklater makes a powerful statement about the state of things. This is where the movie excels. In spending a little time with such diverse characters, Linklater forces the viewer to accept that, like it or not, all Americans are in the same boat as the minimum wage cashier or the illegal immigrant. As the Book of Linklater states, “What is done unto the least of minimum wage workers is done also unto thee.”

However, despite the great message the film ultimately falls flat. Linklater attempts to provide a How-To Guide for Social Change in the form of the patented Linklater Lecture, a longwinded didactic speech full of sound and fury but ultimately signifying nothing more than social discontent. When he is being less subtle, he presents viewers with some of the most graphic scenes of gore this reviewer has ever witnessed. However, grossing out an audience is good for little more than making the audience sick. These two overly obvious methods actually undercut the work of the humanizing elements of the film and reduce the message to little more than a gory lecture. In preparing his scathing indictment of the fast food industry, Linklater might have taken a page from corporate America and packaged his message in a more appetizing manner. After all, if the fast food chains can convince us every day that we love to eat shit, then it shouldn’t be that difficult to convince us that we should be bothered.

The Movie Show wants to know, ‘What’s your favorite film of 2006?’

With the year coming to an end The Movie Show wants to know, ‘What’s your favorite film of 2006?’

Was it Little Miss Sunshine? Superman Returns? A movie nobody’s heard of? Well, leave us a message at (336) 455-1985 and let us know! Make sure to include your name, as well as the name of your favorite new film of 2006. All entrants will have their pick broadcast on the air during The Movie Show’s Critical Mass Year-End Special on Thursday, December 28 from 7-9 p.m.

Critical Mass is a gathering of no less than five movie critics from the Triad area (including Yes! Weekly’s Glen Baity and the WS Journal’s Mark Burger) wherein each lists the top five films of ’06!

Please note, anyone who tells us their favorite film of 2006 will also be eligible to win two (2) free passes to the Consolidated Grande.

So what are you waiting for? Let The Movie Show know which films were the best of the year!

Andrew's Golden Globe Predictions

Normally awards season leads to endless debate among film fans. Critics deciding who is honored at the year's end are invariably criticised themselves...often by those whose favorite films are represented with neither nominations nor awards. However, the nominees for this years Golden Globe ceremony are pretty wonderful if you ask me (despite the absence of The Fountain from any acting category. Hugh Jackman deserved a nomination in my opinion...or at least a screenplay nod for Aronofsky).
Here are the nominees... (* indicate my predictions/choice for winner)


BEST MOTION PICTURE- DRAMA

BABEL
BOBBY
THE DEPARTED *
LITTLE CHILDREN
THE QUEEN


BEST MOTION PICTURE- COMEDY OR MUSICAL

BORAT
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
DREAMGIRLS
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE *
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR- DRAMA

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO- BLOOD DIAMOND
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO- THE DEPARTED *
PETER O'TOOLE- VENUS
WILL SMITH- THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
FOREST WHITAKER- THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS- DRAMA

PENELOPE CRUZ- VOLVER *
JUDI DENCH- NOTES ON A SCANDAL
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL- SHERRYBABY
HELEN MIRREN- THE QUEEN
KATE WINSLET- LITTLE CHILDREN


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR- MUSICAL OR COMEDY

SACHA BARON COHEN- BORAT
JOHNNY DEPP- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST *
AARON ECKHART- THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR- KINKY BOOTS
WILL FERRELL- STRANGER THAN FICTION

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS- MUSICAL OR COMEDY

ANNETTE BENNING- RUNNING WITH SCISSORS
TONI COLLETTE- LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE *
BEYONCE KNOWLES- DREAMGIRLS
MERYL STREEP- THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
RENEE ZELLWEGER- MS. POTTER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
(probably the most difficult category I've ever seen- I would give to all of them)
BEN AFFLECK- HOLLYWOOD *
EDDIE MURPHY- DREAMGIRLS
JACK NICHOLSON- THE DEPARTED
BRAD PITT- BABEL
MARK WAHLBERG- THE DEPARTED


BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

ADRIANA BARRAZA- BABEL *
CATE BLANCHETT- NOTES ON A SCANDAL
EMILY BLUNT- THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
JENNIFER HUDSON- DREAMGIRLS
RINKO KIKUCHI- BABEL

BEST DIRECTOR

CLINT EASTWOOD- FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
CLINT EASTWOOD- LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA
MARTIN SCORSESE- THE DEPARTED *
ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU- BABEL
STEPHEN FREARS- THE QUEEN

BEST SCREENPLAY

GUILLERMO ARRIAGA- BABEL
WILLIAM MONAHAN- THE DEPARTED *
TODD FIELD- LITTLE CHILDREN
PATRICK MARBER- NOTES ON A SCANDAL
PETER MORGAN- THE QUEEN


BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA- BABEL
HANS ZIMMER- THE DA VINCI CODE
CLINT MANSELL- THE FOUNTAIN *
CARLO SILIOTTO- NOMAD
ALEXANDRE DESPLAT- THE PAINTED VEIL

Apocalypto Review.

If you've ever listened to The Movie Show, then you know that I care NOTHING about celebrity gossip. It has nothing to do with the making of movies, and also, celebrity gossip journalists seem to have this knack for using their craft to make movies worse or better than they actually are.

Gigli is a perfect example. While I only saw the first 30 minutes or so of the film, it definitely wasn't the worst movie ever made as many entertainment journalists were so quick to point out. The same is doubly true of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. Some journalists want you to think the movie's terrible because of the director's comments to the L.A. police while others want you to think it's great because of a so-called incendiary attack against modern politics, environmental policies, etc. Well, I am here to say that despite what either camp tries to claim, the movie works on its own merits as a well-made action thriller.

I was actually reminded of the classic John McTiernan film Predator. That's right, the one with Arnold Schwarzenegger fighting the the dreadlocked alien hunter from space. At its heart (no pun intended) Apocalypto, like Predator is a gruesome hunter/prey film where the dynamic of the hunter and the hunted is constantly being exchanged. Rudy Youngblood plays Jaguar Paw - son of a tribal king who lives in the forests of South America. When Jaguar and his fellow tribesmen are all enslaved by a more 'civilized' tribe, our hero must escape capture from one of the most terrible nightmares ever captured on film.

It's a simple plot, but Mel Gibson has this way of slowly setting something up and making it pay off. In a way, the former actor has attained a certain mastery of the language of film. After making two films in dead or dying languages, I guess he had to, but the point I want to make is that even if the film was muted and without subtitles, Apocalypto would still work as an action film. The same could not be said of many recent films such as Man on Fire which barely made sense in English.

As I left Apocalypto, some of the more heady ideas of the film began to catch up with me. There is one scene in particular where an over-zealous clergyman tries to excuse the murder and ecological damage caused by their city in the name of God. But again, I wasn't really thinking about this when I watched the movie because I was too busy being entertained.

Two Reasons I am Looking Forward to Next Year's Smoking Aces

#1 The teaser:



#2 The trailer:



That is all.

'He's Making a List, Checking it Twice...'

I have been working on my top 10 list for some time now. This is the first time I have ever attempted to do a full-blown list, because I typically try to avoid these things. However, since I have seen a lot of movies this year - several of which have been very good - I figure it would serve as a more than efficient way of recommending some quality films.

One of the biggest challenges with making one of these lists is trying to remember all of the new films I saw this year. I have always found IMDB to be completely useless in this department since they list the thousands of films released all over the world (mostly from India). Fortunately, Wikipedia has a nice '2006 In Film' article that's been very helpful, despite the fact that one or two titles are missing from the list.

And while I cannot tell you my Top 10 list right now even if I wanted to (it's not finished yet), what I can share with you is all the movies that made my nice and naughty lists for the year.

First, we have the nice (i.e. the films that I enjoyed this year, or could very well make it into my top 10):

The Fountain
Casino Royale
Borat
The Prestige
Marie Antionette
The Departed
Infamous
Talladega Nights
The Descent
Brick
Quinceanera
The Proposition
Little Miss Sunshine
Mission: Impossible 3
Monster House
Superman Returns
Prairie Home Companion
Babel
United 93
V For Vendetta
Thank You For Smoking
16 Blocks
Clerks II
The Science of Sleep
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Wassup Rockers
Sympathy for Lady Vengence (a.k.a. Lady Vengence)
Pirates of the Caribbean 2

Now for the naughty. While I wish I could give their filmmakers a nice lump of coal for wasting my time, all I can really afford right now is to exclude them from my list. Here they are:

Lady in the Water
Hostel
District B13
Final Destination 3
Running Scared
The Hills Have Eyes (remake)
Silent Hill
Art School Confidential
Poseidon
The Da Vinci Code
X3
Cars
Nacho Libre
Miami Vice
Jesus Camp
Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny
Saw III
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
Jackass #2
The Black Dhalia
The Protector
Hollywoodland
Snakes on a Plane
World Trade Center


Wow, two Jack Black vehicles in one year, go figure.

Anyway, why don't you folks at home give me some of your input. Are there any films in my nice list that deserve to be struck down? Also, have there been any naughties that you kinda dug? Let me know.

-Joe

P.S. Make sure to mark your calendar for December 28's show, where we will have 5 local critics dropping their top 5 of the year on live radio.