411 Fact or FIction Movies/TV 11.13.09: 2012, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin Hosting The Oscars, Avatar, More

Posted by Ben Piper on 11.13.2009

Will 2012 be an awesome disaster movie? Is Avatar the one year-end movie people are most looking forward to? Will George Lopez fail to succeed in the late night talk show wars? Will Pirate Radio get lost in the box office shuffle? 411's Ron Martin and Tony Farinella debate these and other subjects in week 203 of 411 Fact or Fiction: Movies/TV!



Hey there. Welcome back yet again to Fact or Fiction. This time around we've got Tony Farinella and Ron Martin bringing their opinions. Let's check it out…



1. 2012 will be an awesome disaster movie.

Tony Farinella: Fiction. I remember seeing a clip of this movie when John Cusack was being interviewed by Jay Leno, and the special effects looked terrible, in my humble opinion. They were very noticeable and looked extremely cheesy. Earlier reviews of this film are also not very favorable. I have a bad feeling about this one. That said, the cast looks pretty amazing, with John Cusack, Amanda Peet, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, and others. It will probably do well at the box office, but I do not think the reaction will be all that positive after the movie is over.

Ron Martin: Fact. You have to take this in perspective. Disaster movies aren't usually known for much other than special effects and huge casts. Will this be a great movie? Probably not. Will be a good disaster movie? Yes. Like any other genre of movie, there are certain things to look for and 2012 will hit all the major checks on the disaster movie checklist. In comparison, slasher flicks are rarely good movies, but fans generally judge them when compared to other slasher flicks. When compared against other disaster flicks, 2012 will do fine. There will be lots of deaths of characters we've barely met but are somehow supposed to care about; there will be lots of iconic structures falling down; there will be lots of heroic moments and maybe even in the end a glimmer of hope. What else can you ask for from it?

Score: 0 for 1

2. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are excellent choices to co-host next year's Oscars.

Tony Farinella: Fact. It seems like the Oscars are always trying to change things up every year and keep it fresh and interesting. The idea of dual hosts is another ingenious idea. Alec Baldwin is one of the funniest men on television right now, and Steve Martin is a legendary comedian. When you put the two of them together, you know it is going to be something special. I think it is very hard for one person to host an entire show by themselves, no matter how funny and entertaining they are. With this idea, it gives both of them a chance to keep it consistent with their comedy.

Ron Martin: Fact. While I'm not as big on the dual host idea as Tony, I do think they've made some excellent choices. It hurts a bit that the two are actually just promoting a movie where they fight for the same woman, but given the talent involved it can be excused. The Oscars are always at their best when classic comedians host. Whenever award shows try to get the "hot ticket" at the moment, it rarely works and supremely dates the show. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are both funny enough to get the job done, but are both at this point in their careers, I don't know that either would be able to pull off the show by themselves and remain funny. Good idea for once, let's see how it pans out.

Score: 1 for 2

3. Turning the classic board game Risk into a movie is a bad idea.

Tony Farinella: Fact. I was pretty torn on this one. On one hand, I like the idea because there are a lot of fascinating possibilities that can be explored on the big screen. In the end, though, I had to go with Fact, because games turned into movies rarely work because you feel left out while watching them. It is not a lot of fun to watch someone else playing a game of any kind. You want to be the one in control of the game and playing it. I remember when Roger Ebert reviewed Doom and said that it was like someone broke into your room and started playing your video game. I hope it does not end up like that.

Ron Martin: Fiction. I don't know that it's going to be the greatest movie, but certainly it's not a bad idea to go ahead and try it. I am pretty sure they're not just going to record a couple of people playing the game for two hours, so I am going to go ahead and scratch that one off my list of concerns. I think the only other "board game" example we have is Clue and show me a man who doesn't love the movie Clue and I will show you a man with no soul. Give it a shot -- it's not a remake, reboot or prequel. We should be rewarding almost original ideas. It's all we can get at this point.

Score: 1 for 3

Switch!!!



4. With the glut of late night talk shows already in competition for viewers, you don't think that George Lopez's new show Lopez Tonight has much of a chance to be a success.

Ron Martin: Fact. I say fact with much sadness because I do think George Lopez is a funny guy. I liked his show, I liked his random appearances as mayor on Reno 911 and even his stand up. The only chance that Lopez has of competing is going after the rapidly growing Latino market, but honestly, I don't know that his comedy is for them. His show is going to be a watered down version of every other show out there. He's just a name to put on a talk show.

Tony Farinella: Fact. I totally agree with Ron on this one. I love George Lopez and think he is a very funny guy, but the market is so oversaturated right now. I'm sure he will try to be different and it might work for a couple of weeks, but I do not think it will last for more than a season or two. Then again, George Lopez has proven people wrong in the past, so it would not surprise me if he knocks it out of the park. I think it has more to do with the market right now than George Lopez himself. I'm rooting for the guy, though. He is full of energy and has a ton of charisma. I know he will give it his best shot.

Score: 2 for 4

5. Pirate Radio will be lost in the box office shuffle.

Ron Martin : Fact. I almost want to say that this is going to get some sort of mini-cult following, but I don't see where it's going to pull its audience from. With Christmas Carol already in theaters, 2012 coming out the same day and Twilight the next week, there's just not enough box office money to go around. It will get some of the more picky moviegoers money, but unfortunately, that's never enough.

Tony Farinella : Fact. I agree with Ron yet again on this one. I know, I know. How boring, right? This is a terrible time to release this movie. It has way too much competition at the box office right now. That said, I think the film will be very funny. I just do not think it is the kind of film that you are going to rush out to see at the theater. Look for this film to have a huge following on DVD. It is being directed by Richard Curtis as well, the same guy who directed the very popular Love Actually.

Score: 3 for 5

6. Of all the movies that are to be released before the end of the year, the one you are most looking forward to is Avatar.

Ron Martin: Fact I say this not because I think it will be an outstanding award winning movie, but because of the cesspool of movies that have yet to be released. I am not that into disaster flicks, I am male, making me anti-Twilight and I do actually like the premise of Avatar. The only movie that I could think of that might give it a run for my money would be The Princess and the Frog only because I am kind of stoked for some good old fashioned Disney 2D animation -- plus tons of Jazz music. That being said, if I had only $10 and both these movies were playing, I would probably choose Avatar. The special effects look good, the storyline looks more intricate than our usual special effects heavy entries and those blue people just look cool. I could see myself really digging this movie, though I have a gut feeling the dialogue is going to be awful.

Tony Farinella: Fact This film just looks amazing. Every time I see the trailer, I'm blown away. Can you imagine what this film is going to be like on IMAX? Wowzers. I talk a lot in my reviews about the movie-going experience being an event. This film looks like a major event that you have to see on the big screen to fully appreciate. You also have Sci-Fi legend Sigourney Weaver in this film as well. When you add that up with the direction of James Cameron, you have a big success on your hands. I am counting down the days until this film is released.

Final Score: 4 for 6

Bonus Non Fact or Fiction Question: What is your favorite movie franchise?

Ron Martin: This is a really good question because being a horror fan there are no lack of choices. I grew up in the middle of the slasher flick loving of the 80s, so it was hard to choose. In the end, I'm going to say the Scream knowing full and well the third installment was crap. That being said, I don't think you officially have a horror franchise without a crap movie or two in there. For any fan of horror (especially slasher flicks), Scream is the ultimate movie with its self parody, satire, references and a whodunnit tagged on. For what its worth, I'm usually pretty good at whodunits and totally missed on the killers for this flick. In fact, Matthew Lillard was the only character I had 100% ruled out. I like the glamour, the young starlets and the backstory of Scream. With Kevin Williamson back behind the script and a lot of new Hollywood trends to poke fun of, I am hoping the new film will revitalize the series. If they find a way to bring Jamie Kennedy back into the film somehow, I will find Williamson and kick him square in the nuts.

Tony Farinella: This is a tough question. I am not really a fan of any franchise in particular, because the whole idea of a franchise means that you have to deal with multiple sequels that are usually pretty crappy. Since I'm put on the spot though, I'm going to have to go with the Rocky franchise. I really like the character of Rocky, and he's a lot of fun to watch develop over the course of six films. Not all of them are classics, but at the end of the day, it is all about the character for me. Thankfully, the sixth installment in the franchise was solid. They also represent the late seventies and eighties really well. There is a certain nostalgic joy in watching them.

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And there you have it. Many thanks to both Tony and Ron for taking part. Please check back next week for more enticing Fact or Fiction goodness.
-BP

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