The Big Screen Bulletin 01.12.09: Nostrawebbus 2010

Posted by Chad Webb on 01.12.2009

This week the Bulletin takes a look back at the 2009 Oscar predictions, and then looks ahead to the new 2010 predictions! Also covered are the box office results, "Watchmen" updates, Warner Bros. pausing DC films, new DVD releases, new quickees, and much more!

A Look Back at 2008

The title may not roll off the tongue, but if it got your attention, and you clicked, then my mission was accomplished. You just may get a decent article for doing so. For the past 2 years, I have attempted to make predictions in the month of January for the following year's Oscars, specifically the Best Picture contenders. I think it is fun since none of the trailers, posters, or buzz has circulated yet. All I have to base my guesses on are the plot, cast, and crew. Last year I only made one right choice, and this time, it looks to be more of the same, although I am getting better. Let us take a look back to January 7, 2007 – The Big Screen Bulletin: The Best and Worst of 2007. Here were my selections:

5. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, and Julia Ormond. It is time for Mr. Fincher to get what he deserves, and with luck, this will be his year. He should have no trouble delivering on the heels of Zodiac.

4. Defiance - Directed By Edward Zwick and starring Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell. Zwick knows how to prepare an Oscar contender, and this is about World War II and three Jewish brothers. It already has an upper hand.

3. Changeling - Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie, Amy Ryan, and John Malkovich. Clint is always a front runner for statues no matter what the cast or plot. He never disappoints. The premise revolves around a kidnapped son returning home changed.

2. Body of Lies - Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, and Carice van Houten. With that filmmaker and those three stars, this is sure to be one of the most anticipated awards contenders of 2008. It's about the CIA.

1. Australia - Directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, and David Wenham. This is my wild card, and I only chose it because it has been many years since Luhrmann last supplied a movie, and I think he'll have his eye on gold this time.

Others That Have a Shot
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency - Directed by Anthony Minghella
The Argentine/Guerilla - Directed by Steven Soderbergh (a bit of a cheat)

Even though the Academy has not announced any of the Best Picture nominations yet, I think we all know I will only get one correct. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is sure to be among those with the most nominations. Defiance, Changeling, and Body of Lies were admirable picks, but the timing is what hurt me. Eastwood released two films in 2008, Body of Lies was purely a thriller, not Oscar bait (thankfully), and Defiance killed its chances by pushing back its release date, and not being good enough. After Anthony Minghella died, I thought for sure he would have unleashed one last classic, but The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency will be on TV, not in the theaters. That was an enormous faux pas on my part. The Argentine/Guerilla is obviously Che, but that will not be nominated either, mostly because it is long and people are impatient.

Oscar Picks for 2010

And now for my 2010 predictions. What films in 2009 will go on to be considered the best of the year in the eyes of the Academy? Unfortunately, I cannot foresee the independent hits, so I leave them out. These are in no particular order. Let's see what my crystal ball reveals:

5. The Lovely Bones - At long last, Peter Jackson's adaptation of this glorious book will finally see the light of day. I do not think the fact that Gosling left for Wahlberg will hurt the final cut. The plot centers around a girl that was murdered, and she then looks over her family and her killer from Heaven. I have high expectations for this, and it hits theaters December 11, 2009.

4. Avatar - Most of us are familiar with this by now. James Cameron returns with a project he has been diligently working on for years. This might be a mix of action, adventure, and sci-fi, but this is James Cameron, and he would not be releasing this in December if it wasn't special. The Plot: A band of humans are pitted in a battle against a distant planet's indigenous population.

3. Inglorious Basterds - Written and Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this World War II war drama focuses on a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. QT does not release films every year like some filmmakers do. He takes his time, and always delivers. He is one of those people that is overdue for an Oscar, and I feel that he will make his best effort this year. He has an outstanding cast backing him up.

2. Shutter Island - This is one that is released in October, which is a risk in terms of timing, but I have Martin Scorsese on my side, and he is always a solid filmmaker to bet on. His last three offerings were nominated for Best Picture, and his most recent, The Departed, won, so I have faith. Plus you have a rock-star-like cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, with supporting contributions from Max Von Sydow, Jackie Earle Haley, and Ben Kingsley among others.

1. Nine - The release date on this is uncertain, because I also read that it might have a gimmick release date of 9/9/09. Either way, this musical is directed by Rob Marshall, looking to rejuvenate himself from Memoirs of a Geisha. This cast includes the following: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, and I'm out of breath. Dreamgirls got snubbed as the last Oscar hungry musical, but Marshall knows his stuff, and Day-Lewis would not have signed on if it wasn't worthwhile.

Others That Have a Shot
The Human Factor - A biopic on Nelson Mandela, directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman. Nuff said.
Amelia - A biopic on Amelia Earhart, directed by Mira Nair (The Namesake), starring Hilary Swank, Ewan McGregor, and Richard Gere.

So, check back in one year, and see how my aim was.

A Closer Look at 2009

Usually I stop there, but this time I will give you 7 more films, slated for 2009, that I am eagerly anticipating. Notice that only 1 is a summer blockbuster. Personally, I think the majority of the summer material look average at best. I am anxious to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Transformers 2, Star Trek, and Terminator Salvation, but I am not expecting much out of any of them. Potter 6 has the best chances of ruling the summer in terms of quality for the live-action side. Here are the 7 films, also in no particular order (the picks above are excluded):

7. Thirst - The new flick from Oldboy director Park Chan-Wook is a vampire story. Oh hell yeah.

6. This Side of Truth - Co-directed by Rocky Gervais and Matthew Robinson, this comedy has an all-star cast led by Gervais, but featuring Jonah Hill, Tina Fey, and Rob Lowe to name a few. This will be spectacular.

5. Green Zone - The next film from Paul Greengrass stars Matt Damon, and focuses on CIA agents hunting WMD's. Greengrass is awesome, and I can't wait.

4. Public Enemies - The gangster film from Michael Mann stars Bale, Depp, Crudup, and Dorff. Wait…Stephen Dorff..what? Yes he's in it too. This is about John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. It will be off the hook.

3. Up - It is the new film from Pixar. What more do you need to know. It is also released during the summer.

2. The Limits of Control - Not many of you readers will be familiar with his work, but I am a fan of Writer/Director Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers), and his new film with Bill Murray, Gael Garcia Bernal, Tilda Swinton, and John Hurt should be exceptional.

1. Angels & Demons - I stand by my assessment that The Da Vinci Code was a criminally underrated thriller. I love Dan Brown's books, and this story, actually set prior to Da Vinci, should be highly entertaining with Tom Hanks reprising his Robert Langdon role and Ron Howard back as director.

It looks to be another great year at the movies!

Quick Golden Globes Thoughts

The walking around the tables to reach the stage was tougher this year than it usually is. All in all, this ran smooth, and it did not seem as if they were trying to cut the winners off. Congratulations to Kate Winslet, taking home 2 awards, and she deserved each one. This is a huge boost of momentum for her going into the Oscars. Sally Hawkins also earned her win for Happy-Go-Lucky. Both women gave very emotional speeches, and they were genuinely thrilled to win. It was also great to see Mickey Rourke take home an award. I expected Slumdog Millionaire to be victorious in the big category, but the love for that film at the GG's was excessive. I mean, come on, best score should definitely not have gone to them. And although I loved Vicky Cristina Barcelona, how the heck did that win over In Bruges and Happy-Go-Lucky? Oh well. Ricky Gervais was hilarious as usual. Tina Fey's speech against the Internet haters was outstanding, the standing ovation for Heath was touching, and Springstein's win was also fitting. And what was with the hair this year? Drew Barrymore, Kevin Bacon, and Robert Downey Jr. all appeared to have woken up, got dressed, and forgot to use a comb. This year's ceremony wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.

The News Bulletin

Clint On Top
In the biggest opening of his career, Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino" grossed a stunning $29 million from 2,808 locations to win the weekend box office after a month-long limited run. Directed by and starring Eastwood, pic's cume is already $40.1 million. Warner Bros. is predicting that "Gran Torino" will easily become Eastwood's top grossing film of all time. Current record-holder is "Unforgiven" ($101.2 million). "Torino" wasn't the only car on the speedway doing well. Twentieth Century Fox's Kate Hudson-Anne Hathaway comedy "Bride Wars" debuted at No. 2 in grossing an estimated $21.5 million from 3,226 runs.

Upset of the sesh belonged to Relativity/Universal's scare fest "The Unborn," which far outpaced expectations in grossing an estimated $21.1 million from 2,357 playdates. The Rogue Pictures title scored the best January opening for a horror title after Lionsgate's "Hostel" ($19.6 million). It's a fortuitous start for Relativity's acquisition of Rogue. Under the pact--finalized last week--U will release all Rogue titles and take a distribution fee. Sony's urban faith-based pic "Not Easily Broken" grossed an estimated $5.6 million from 724 runs for a per screen average of $7,735. Overall, weekend was up roughly 14% over the same sesh last year, fueled by commercial titles and a flurry of interest in awards contenders on the eve of Sunday's Golden Globe awards. Fox Searchlight's "Slumdog Millionaire" placed No. 11 overall in grossing an estimated $3.7 million from 600 runs for a per location average of $6,166 and cume of $34.1 million in its ninth weekend.

I'm happy for Clint. He deserves this sort of opener. It's funny because I've seen so many films lately, yet the only one people ask about is Gran Torino, the one I have not seen. Odd how that happens. The public proves they are still in the movie mood as the first pile of crap from January has lured them into the theaters. Unborn and Bride Wars show up at #2 and #3. The rest of the top 10 contains a bit of everything scattered around from Benjamin Button at #5 to Yes Man at #8. The holdovers are not surprising. Now that the award nominations have almost all been revealed, people will be scurrying to the theaters to see them. Next week a lot is released, but Defiance opens wide, so my that is my pick to dethrone Clint.






DC and Warner Brothers Press Pause
Writer/director David Goyer tells IESB that all the DC Comics properties currently in development at Warner Bros. Pictures have been put on hold for the time being. "A lot of the DC movies at Warner Brothers are all on hold while they figure out what they're going to come up with, some new plan, methodology, things like that so everything has just been pressed pause on at the moment. It was the double header of both Iron Man and The Dark Knight coming out, so more than ever I think they've realized, I think DC was responsible for 15% of Warner Brother's revenue this year, something crazy like that, so they realized that comic books, it's become a new genre, one of the most successful genres." Could the studio be planning an ambitious strategy much like Marvel Studios has for its upcoming properties?

Warner Brothers understands now more than ever that they must tackle all of their comic book adaptations delicately and with intelligence because the figures clearly show that when treated properly, the viewers will react enthusiastically. I would imagine this holding pattern is to buy some time so they can map out a brand new strategy for 2009 and 2010, which will be very big years, especially if Christopher Nolan agrees to a Dark Knight sequel. Warners and DC have a bunch of projects that need to be reevaluated, or perhaps just trashed permanently. For instance, the Justice League live-action and the proposed Superman reboot qualify. Hopefully, both are on the agenda during this "pause." If they play their cards right, they could have a great future.






The 2008 Razzie Nominations
The 29th Annual Razzie Awards have mailed out ballots containing the nominees for the worst films of 2008 and it was a bumper year it seems. Here's the complete list, the final nominees will shortly be whittled down and announced in a few days:

Worst Picture: Speed Racer, Disaster Movie and Meet the Spartans, The Day the Earth Stood Still, High School Musical 3, The Hottie & The Nottie, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, The Love Guru, Postal, Rambo, The Happening, Meet Dave, Witless Protection

Worst Actor: Zac Efron, Dane Cook, Larry the Cable Guy, Eddie Murphy, Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Cruise (Valkyrie), Will Ferrell, Ashton Kutcher, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Mark Wahlberg

Worst Actress: Paris Hilton, Jessica Alba, The cast of "The Women," Camilla Belle, Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, Diane Keaton, Jennifer Connelly, Zooey Deschanel, Vanessa Hudgens, Eva Longoria-Parker, Reese Witherspoon

Worst Screen Couple: Any couple from HSM 3, Cameron Diaz & Ashton Kutcher, Paris Hilton & Joel David Moore, Kate Hudson & Dane Cook, Kate Hudson & Matthew McConaughey, Larry the Cable Guy & Jenny McCarthy, Any couple from Mamma Mia, Eddie Murphy & Eddie Murphy (Meet Dave), Al Pacino & His Hair, Mark Wahlberg & Zooey Deschanel, Mark Wahlberg & Mila Kunis, Sylvester Stallone & His Ego

Worst Director: Uwe Boll, Scott Derrickson, Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer, Tom Putnam, Marco Schnabel, Sylvester Stallone, Jon Avnet, Diane English, Roland Emmerich, Brian Robbins, Kenny Ortega, M. Night Shyamalan

Worst Prequel, Sequel, Remake or Rip-Off: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Rambo, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disaster Movie, Meet the Spartans, An American Carol, The Women, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Prom Night, Speed Racer, The X-Files: I Want To Believe

Worst Career Achievement: Uwe Boll, Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer, Madonna, Keanu Reeves, Sylvester Stallone

It is always fun to laugh and joke about the Razzie nominations. I do it as much as anyone else, but this latest list of potential nominees is proof that little to zero effort actually goes into assembling the selections. I would bet they simply scan over the flops and customary bad performers/directors and just put them on regardless. Rambo. Speed Racer, and I would even guess The Day the Earth Stood Still are unjustified and ridiculous selections. Of course Uwe Boll is on there. I suppose he deserves it, but not for In the Name of the King. Many of the categories, like the MTV Movie Awards for instance, are included simply for a laugh. The Hottie and the Nottie and The Love Guru are easily the two worst, though I'd love to see High School Musical 3 get smashed.






Watchmen Updates
Warner Bros.' plan to release "Watchmen" in March may proceed after all as the studio and 20th Century Fox are in the thick of talks to settle the bitter dispute over the rights to the superhero pic. Attorneys for both studios disclosed Friday that they had achieved progress toward an accord and agreed to delay a federal court hearing until today in order to continue settlement talks. Reps for Fox and Warner had no comment about terms of a possible settlement, which would probably see Fox receive a stake in "Watchmen."

Friday's hearing had been scheduled before U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess in Los Angeles so the jurist could rule on Warner's request for an expedited hearing on the key issue -- whether to grant Fox's demand to block Warner's plans to release "Watchmen" on March 6. Feess ruled on Dec. 24 that Fox owned distribution rights to "Watchmen" due to a provision in its 1994 turnaround agreement with producer Larry Gordon.

Comments have been tossed back and forth from representatives of both studios as of late. Basically it is a "He said, she said" game, but if they are trying to reach an agreement so the film can be released on schedule, then light is at the end of the tunnel. However, if Warners does not want to give Fox too much, this will only get worse. Fox is saying that they told Warners about this problem before production commenced, and they ignored it. If that is true, Warners should have exactly what's coming to them. The point is, none of us want to see this film get delayed, so we should cross our fingers that a settlement will be reached. March won't be the same without Zack Snyder.






Super Bowl Trailer Time
According to Variety, the following films are confirmed for February 1st Super Bowl commercial spot:

From Paramount:
* Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
* Star Trek
* G.I. Joe

From Sony:
* Angels and Demons

From DreamWorks Animation:
* Monsters vs. Aliens

From Universal:
* Land of the Lost
* The Fast and the Furious IV

From Disney:
* Up

Surprisingly, as of today, the following films have NOT had Super Bowl ad time purchased:
* X-Men Origins: Wolverine
* Night at the Museum 2
* Ice Age 3
* Terminator: Salvation
* Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
* Watchmen

My reaction to the list of films that have not purchased ad time is that most do not need that time as much as the others, so why waste the money? Of course this does not apply to all, but Night at the Museum 2, Ice Age 3, Harry Potter, Wolverine, and perhaps even Terminator Salvation will all do wonderful at the box office with or without the Super Bowl's aid. Watchmen should have snatched some time, but Warners might not know the status, so that would explain that. Besides Transformers 2, the rest could easily benefit from Super Bowl ad time.

The 20 Second Sermon

Alert the presses, Taylor Lautner will reprise his role of Jacob Black in New Moon, the Twilight sequel. Well, recasting is certainly not another problem this franchise needs. They already have loads of other issues. Danny Elfman is confirmed to be the composer on Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. This is positive news for that film. He'll do a good job. Leonardo DiCaprio will be starring in Beat the Reaper, a Blue Oyster Cult biopic. Just kidding. Actually, he plays a former mobster who enters the witness protection program, and then is recognized. This sounds like A History of Violence in a different setting, but I'm game anyway since Leo is the man. Danny Boyle has denied his involvement in the Judge Dredd film since his production company is behind it. Yeah, I don't know Boyle personally, but this doesn't seem like anything he would ever consider. Mickey Rourke is in negotiations to play Crimson Dynamo in Iron Man 2 and has been confirmed for Stallone's The Expendables. Beware of the Rourke.

What's Coming to DVD….Buy or Avoid?

DVD Headline of the Week



WWE: Starrcade – The Essential Collection - After perusing J.D. Dunn's review of this over in the wrestling zone, I think I will be picking this up. I also need Kane's set and Edge's set.

Appaloosa - I'll be honest, I hated this movie. I could rattle on for pages about why, but suffice to say the acting was thin, the plot was ridiculous, and the costuming/set design was a little too squeaky clean. Forgettable

Brideshead Revisited - Look for my review of this on the site soon!

Mirrors - This stars Kiefer Sutherland, but received horrible reviews. I probably won't be seeing it. At least I'm honest.

The Family That Preys - This is another Tyler Perry film that I had no interest in seeing. I have experienced his films before, and I am not a fan.

My Bloody Valentine - I suppose I should see the original before I see the remake in 3D. One of my goals is to see all the originals of the numerous horror remakes the grace theaters this year. I have heard the original is ok.

Swing Vote - This is another clumsy attempt to cash in on our close election results. Kevin Costner and an astounding cast turn in an atrocious film with a horrible ending. The story is ridiculous, the humor falls flat, and the director Joshua Michael Stern had no patience whatsoever. This sucked. Forgettable

My Best Friend's Girl - I hate Dane Cook, and I dislike Jason Biggs with each passing role, so yes, I avoided this, and I will continue to do so.

The Taking of Power by Louis XIV – Criterion Collection - Criterion begins the New Year by releasing a pile of Roberto Rossellini. This one sounds intriguing.

Rossellini's History Films: Renaissance and Enlightenment – Eclipse Series 14 - I really need to check out more of the Eclipse Series boxed sets, and more Rossellini for that matter.

Funny Face - Paramount Centennial Collection - Look for my review of this on the site soon!

The Critic's Quickee

Valkyrie - Knowing the result of this mission to assassinate Hitler, that immediately makes the job of the cast and crew harder because we must be engaged and interested in what is happening despite the fact that we know what the conclusion is. The plot of course revolves around Col. Stauffenberg, who was a loyal German officer, but was unhappy with the atrocities the Nazi's were committing. Now from what I have read, the film is sufficiently accurate in terms of the history, and that's fine, but as I have always said, that is not the top priority. This film feels like a general, basic, and straightforward action thriller. There is nothing surprising or out of the ordinary about it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that great either. I'll give credit to Bryan Singer for crafting a relatively intriguing thriller, and establishing a smooth pace, but he fails to make it stand out enough in my opinion. The reason I say that is because film has seen loads of stories about the Holocaust and the Nazi's, almost half a dozen this year alone, so when any filmmaker tackles the subject, it must stand out, and this doesn't. One of my gripes is the lack of German accents. This begins with a few lines of German, and then fades into English as if to say "We know American audiences hate reading subtitles, and since our cast is not putting up a fight, we'll just have them all speak normally." To me, this is unacceptable, especially when you have Kate Winslet portray a Nazi, and bare all, immersing herself completely into the part with accent and then some. And then Valkyrie comes along, and the accents vary. The actor who plays Hitler clearly has an accent, yet Tom Wilkinson and Kenneth Brannagh both seems to talk in regular English. Tom Cruise plays the role like Tom Cruise would play anything. If Maverick from Top Gun were a Nazi, this is what it would look like. Every time he speaks, it sounds like a one-liner. "We must defeat Hitler's Germany" and "Only God can judge us now." Every line sounds like that. The supporting cast is good with Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard, Terrence Stamp, and the aforementioned Wilkinson and Brannagh, and they really keep this alive. I didn't get the sense that Cruise committed himself to the role. When you have Benicio Del Toro really becoming the character in Che, Cruise seems to have showed up, recited his lines, and collected his check. If you really crave fascinating Nazi drama, go rent Black Book from Paul Verheoven, which is entirely in German, and much more entertaining. As a matter of fact, 4 actors from that movie are in this. I am interested in renting the documentary and/or tracking down the German TV film which was critically praised. This is the definition of mediocre, and although it wasn't terrible, I would argue that it is forgettable. Final Rating = 6.0/10.0

Plus, check out my reviews for the following films:

Slumdog Millionaire
Frost/Nixon
Doubt
The Reader
The Wrestler
Defiance

The Spirit - I sincerely hope that this serves as a lesson to Frank Miller. On Sin City he had the aid of Robert Rodriguez and even Quentin Tarantino. Here he is at the helm alone, and the result is one of the biggest pieces of trash of 2008. For Miller to assume that he can adapt a series and just throw his Sin City touches on it and think everyone will love it is insulting and embarrassing for him and the audience. This movie was dreadful from start to finish. First, let's talk about the similarities to Sin City. Obviously one thinks of the colors, but this color scheme is all messed up. Sometimes it is in black & white, then it will shift to color, then all of a sudden you'll see that Sin City red, and it just looks sloppy and ridiculous. I honestly don't know where to start. You have this woman that's an image of death, and her inclusion makes no sense, and is lame. You have Gabriel Macht jumping off roofs and down the sides of buildings as if the laws of gravity did not apply to him. In the first 10 minutes, you see faces emerge out of water like Apocalypse Now at least 10 times, and I wanted to throw things at the screen. The Spirit character talks to himself, to the screen, and then has narration, which is stupid and makes my head want to explode. He also talks about Central City as if he were sexually aroused by it, which is weird. Samuel L. Jackson is the Octopus, a person who yes, likes to talk about eggs. Don't ask me. Eva Mendes makes a copy of her a$$, and if you like her derriere, or Scarlett Johansson's cleavage, see this, or rather rent it and mute it. You also have Sarah Paulson and Paz Vega, a woman who was so good in Spanglish, and then resorts to this. The Octopus has these stooges that he creates, all depicted by Louis Lombardi, and they are annoying as can be. This movie has not a clue what it wants to be. At points it tries to express dark humor, and at other points it wants to be serious. Nothing is funny, just sad. The attempts at jokes are dumb because most of them make no sense. This plays like a cross between a Sin City and a Batman & Robin rip-off (yes you read right). This is bad on the level of unreleased Fantastic Four and 1990 Captain America. Maybe in the future it will be fun to do a rifftrax type thing on it, but right now I'm just angry at how lazily this was made. Take your $10 and spend it on one of Will Eisner's books. I don't usually toot my own horn, but I called this from the beginning. It looked like a con from the trailer, and it was, though I never expected it to be this horrific. Final Rating = 2.0/10.0

What Have I Done?

Monday - To prove I still search out VHS every now and again, I bought NFL's Greatest Hits, a 50 minute highlight tape where two guys who work late at the NFL headquarters building go through memorable moments with a talking computer. I was given it one year for Christmas, and then lost it. It cost me $1 on Amazon.








Tuesday - I was glancing back through my CD's from this year, and realized I gave no love to Alanis Morrissette's Flavors of Entanglement, which was terrific. It was one of her best albums, and I forgot to mention it.







Wednesday - Here is a reminder to try a brand of chips from Frito-Lay that have been underrated for many years. They are called Munchos, and cannot be found in every state, but I love them, and wish they had more flavors.







Thursday - A local grocery store has crazy cool deals on their rack of random DVD's: 50% off all under $13. I picked up all the following for under $20. A steelbook 2-disc version of X2: X-Men United, Legend (Ultimate Edition), Peter Pan (2003 version), Traffic: The Mini-Series (Director's Cut), Old Yeller/Savage Sam (two-pack), New York New York, and 2 Teddy Ruxpin DVDs because I watched it as a child. All that for like $19. Not bad huh?




The Weekend - This weekend the fiancée's parents and my parents met for the first time. I was a bit worried to say the least, but luckily all went well even though they are very different. No one attacked anyone else, which was nice, and Steph and I are still engaged, which is also a good thing. All in all, we can move forward safely.

Based on the Trailer…

Note that some links require you to scroll down a menu below the trailer screen. This is Yahoo's fault most likely.

Newest Trailers

He's Just Not That Into You - This is a romantic comedy that does not completely turn me off. Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson, and Kevin Connolly star, among others. This could mildly amusing. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

The Slammin' Salmon - The new Broken Lizard comedy starring the usual group of guys and Michael Clarke Duncan, who steals this red-band trailer. I love the comedies from this clan, so I will be seeing it. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li - This looks pretty bland actually, but if it carries the title of "Street Fighter", at least we know it will be better than the first video game adaptation. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0

Earth - A new documentary from the Disneynature series, narrated by James Earl Jones. This has some gorgeous visuals, and hopefully will be more entertaining than March of the Penguins. If anyone can out-narrate Morgan Freeman, it is James Earl Jones. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

The Proposal - This is an example of a romantic comedy I loathe. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock are the stars. Yay. Watch this preview and tell me you cannot predict how this ends. Trailer Rating = 4.0/10.0

January Releases

Paul Blart: Mall Cop - Kevin James stars in a Happy Madison production about a mall security guard. This looks like it will provide a few chuckles, but not much more. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

Notorious - You can access both trailers from here. The newest offers a larger glimpse. This movie looks ok with inspired casting decisions, but my question is how sugarcoated will it be? Even those a little familiar with Biggie will see through the phony scenes. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

The Uninvited - A crappy looking horror film with some sort of lame twist at the end. Yay. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans - I have never been a big fan of this franchise. The first film was ok, but the second was weak. I like Rhona Mitra, she's hot, and has talent, but needs to pick some dramas. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0

February Releases

Fanboys - This has to be one of the funniest trailers I have EVER seen. I will be seeing this for sure. Just look at the title, and watch it. I will spoil nothing. Trailer Rating = 10.0/10.0

Friday the 13th - This looks about as bad as any Michael Bay produced remake, but the mother voice over was eerie. Trailer Rating = 4.5/10.0

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail - I have not seen one of these films, but this trailer didn't entice me to dive in either. It seems that whenever Perry runs out of sappy dramas, he retreats back to this character. Trailer Rating = 4.0/10.0

Friday the 13th (2) - If the teaser gave us any hope, the full length trailer shows us that this will be as much an abomination as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. This is one film I intend to watch….umm legally online. Trailer Rating = 2.5/10.0

The International - Sadly, this will be released early in 2009, which is not a good time of the year. Still, I like both Owen and Watts, and since Tom Tykwer is helming, it should be at least halfway decent. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Two Lovers - James Gray recruits Phoenix one last time. Here he juggles two women. Gray is a strange filmmaker, so for him to tackle a romance thriller should be intriguing for sure. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Dance Flick - This Wayan parody trailer does what most parody trailers do: make you chuckle. But we all know the film will be a disaster. Well, some of us do. The others still see this sludge. Trailer Rating = 4.0/10.0

March Releases

Watchmen - This was the best trailer attached to my Dark Knight screening. Hopefully Zack Snyder can continue to improve his skills after 300. I must read this graphic novel soon. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Monsters vs. Aliens - Wow, another terrific trailer, and this is a CGI flick from Dreamworks, who is stepping up their game past Shrek thankfully. This looks hysterical. Trailer Rating =9.5/10.0

I Love You, Man - This has a superb cast, and looks like a lot of fun with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel providing the laughs. I'm definitely looking forward to it. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Adventureland - The new film from Superbad director Greg Motolla looks ok. I'm more intrigued by the cast of young actors than the plot itself. I'm sure it will deliver enough laughs though. Trailer Rating = 7.5/10.0

Race to Witch Mountain - I like the Rock, and I'll see the original before this comes out, but this strikes me as a typical Disney adventure flick that has little offer. We'll see though. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0

Knowing - This has Number 23 sort of approach, which is fine, but why is Nicolas Cage doing all these mediocre thrillers? He's a great actor, and should be showing that more. Anyway, this looks ok. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

April, TBD, and Beyond Releases

The Great Buck Howard - We have a magician comedy with John Malkovich, David Blaine, Tom Hanks, and Colin Hanks, among others. Is their any way this could be bad? I say no, and if you disagree, we are not friends. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Crossing Over - At long last, Harrison Ford returns to expressing his acting talents, not his popularity in the action genre. This has a great cast, a good director, and a fascinating premise. I'm definitely in. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

The Escapist - A British prison break film starring Brian Cox. This is my favorite genre, so I can't wait for this, but in order for this to make a splash, it will have to be something special. The critic quotes being from random guys worries me. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

State of Play - As this preview starts, it seems like just another thriller with Russell Crowe, but the A-list cast on top of him causes one's interest to rise. I'll be seeing this one for sure. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

Up - Pixar's next flick looks like another funny, endearing, and funfilled adventure. At least we can rely on them for originality. I'll definitely be seeing this. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Powder Blue - It stars Jessica Biel as a stripper, and includes Ray Liotta. Need I say more? Trailer Rating = 11/10

Dragonball: Evolution - Not too sure about this yet. The special effects look great, but then again, people said that about Jumper too. I'm new to this whole thing, but this looks like it could be bad, but Chow Yun Fat is in it, so one never knows. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

Terminator Salvation - I love Christian Bale, and the Terminator franchise, but I have serious doubts about this. I believe it will be terrible, but I must admit, this teaser was well constructed. Trailer Rating = 8.0/10.0

Star Trek XI - The teaser was superbly placed before Cloverfield, and this causes me to be amped for the next installment despite my doubts about the cast. I hope it's as good as we deserve. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - I am undecided on this one. I think Gavin Hood is an excellent director, and I have faith in his talent, but the rest is a mixed bag, especially the first glimpse at Gambit, but that's my opinion. Otherwise, this looks to be heavy on action, which could be good or bad. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

The Perfect Game - Though I'm not a baseball fan, I always enjoy watching the Little League World Series. The problem with this film, despite a bad title, is that the preview reveals way too much, so hopefully it has more going for it besides the story, which I'm sure is inspirational. Trailer Rating = 6.5/10.0

Outlander - Hmm, I'm not sure about this, but the cast alone is enough for me to buy a ticket. James Caviezel is so talented, but his script choices continue to boggle me (not in a bad way mind you). The idea is shaky, but the effects and acting look good, so I'm in. Trailer Rating = 7.0/10.0

Fast & Furious - Is that the best title they could come up with? Well, I hate this franchise, and everything it stands for, but I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a step up from the previous installment. Trailer Rating = 6.0/10.0

The Soloist - Atonement' Joe Wright changes his British period drama material for something new. This looks a bit like Resurrecting the Champ, only with better actors. Trailer Rating = 8.5/10.0

New York, I Love You - The first film, Paris, Je T'aime was one of the best films in recent memory that few knew about. So I am very excited about this second installment. The cast and directors look amazing. It should be a terrific experience. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

The Pink Panther 2 - This has a great cast, but I did not like the first remake, so I probably won't be rushing to the theater for this either. Not my cup of tea. Trailer Rating = 5.0/10.0

Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian - I realize the first one was a mammoth blockbuster hit, but it sucked, and this looks just as terrible, I don't care if Amy Adams and Jonah Hill are involved. Trailer Rating = 3.5/10.0

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - This was a great book, the darkest of the set, and this trailer rocks. I'm anxious to see this. The franchise has not decreased in quality, and here's hoping this continues that trend. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2) - Yes, I am a bit skeptical of the director, but this looks very good. This teaser gave me hope that Yates knows what he's doing. The comedy part at the end was terrific. Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Angels & Demons - The Da Vinci Code was a superb thriller, and this looks to be outstanding as well. This teaser has me amped for Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon again! Trailer Rating = 9.0/10.0

Other Stuff to Read

The Best Movies of the Alphabet
The Best and Worst Bond Films.
411 January Roundtable - This month Owain J. Brimfield continues as roundtable host and compiles the thoughts of the movie zone staff on the releases for January!
The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks - Thanks again to John Meehan for providing my banner here, and for the Alphabet feature.

Also, keep an eye out for more comic book character timelines in the future. Here are the first two:

The Ultimate Batman Timeline
The Ultimate Daredevil Timeline



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