The 2008 411 Movie and TV Awards

Posted by  on 01.21.2009

Mickey Rourke's life story......but in tights, Vic Mackay's last hurrah, Pacino and De Niro reuniting, Cloverfield's mildly scary monster, an animated version of Short Circuit, plus more all contributed to an interesting 2008, but which films won what in our annual awards? Find out inside...

Legends, losers, heroes, gimps or whatever else best defines you........here we are. It's time for the annual 411 movie and television awards. I will be hosting this thing, and for those of you who don't know me I write the soccer column that only UK people read, once hosted movies fact or fiction magnificently, created the top five phenomenon, annoyed Scott Rutherford before he got lazy, and hosted 411's Top 100 Albums of all-time mega feature. Plus more even less interesting stuff. Anyway...

There comes a time in every actor, director and producer's life when they work hard and brilliantly enough to bag some noteworthy recognition. Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Oscars are one thing, but it doesn't get much bigger than this, folks.

From The Joker's laugh and John Locke's coffin surprise to George Lucas' beardy script and Angelina Jolie's dramatic turn, we have the major bases covered.

To set this feature up, we had 411's most willing and eager nominate their favourite stuff from the year of 2008. After that was sorted we had five nominees for each category, and the same people picked one from each. Votes determined first and second place, blurbs were allocated, 411 staffers eagerly got writing, and now look at us – all ready and stuff.

A big thank you to Larry Csonka's glorious wife for sorting out the banners/design for this feature. It's class, and I thank her greatly.

Let's move...



The Final Five: The Wrestler, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Wall-E, Iron Man

RUNNER-UP: The Wrestler

As told by Jeremy Thomas

Darren Aronofsky's latest film seems like one that was tailor-made for 411Mania readers and writers, a film to erase such horrendous efforts as No Holds Barred and Ready to Rumble from our collective consciousness and show the world that a wrestling film can not only be good, it can be great. From the great backstage stuff to the shockingly good in-ring work, Aronofsky made sure to really capture what it's like to live on the independent scene and along the way he crafted a great story of a broken-down man looking for redemption in his life. Well-acted, smartly-written and brilliantly shot, The Wrestler is easily one of the best films of the year, not because it's a great wrestling movie, but because, like The Dark Knight, it transcends its genre to become an amazing film period.

WINNER: The Dark Knight

As told by James Craig

It is really easy to get caught up in everything that happened before the release of The Dark Knight and forget about the film itself. While the tragedy of Heath Ledger's early passing may have created more curiosity about the film than anyone may have suspected. The hype building towards the release of The Dark Knight was massive even a good year before the anticipated release. Couple all of the buzz/hype with all the news coming from the set (positive and tragic) and it would be hard for any film to live up to the expectations that this level of interest produce. The Dark Knight was a film that could not be denied, however, and not only did it live up to our expectations, I suspect that it surpassed many of them on its way to becoming not only the biggest box office winner of not on 2008 but also since Titanic. The Dark Knight also ended up being one of the best reviewed films of 2008 critically as well.

The Dark Knight was being built from a solid foundation laid with Batman Begins. Christpher Nolan and the rest of the cast were able to build from the previous installment and turned out a film that looked better, sounded better and still managed to be accessible to new viewers as well as keeping the older fans happy. While The Dark Knight is a dark movie in keeping with the mood and atmosphere of the source material, there are times when the darkness was balanced out by light in certain scenes and in certain characters that helped the movie from becoming too grim. The work of the cast helped greatly as well in making scenes stand apart from one another but still add to and mold the overall film into a perfect combination of moods.

Usually in a film there are one or two weak links that tend to make scenes drag. The Dark Knight did not have this problem as seems however, that all the cast members put on their work boots for this film and it shows on screen. We all know what Heath ledger was able to accomplish and his Joker will go down in film history as one of the top villains ever to hit the silver screen. While Ledger was phenomenal, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Christian Bale all were able to put in very good performances in their respective roles. The interaction by all involved was seamless and seemed very real and natural. Each and every character drew you in, in some way, and that helped in allowing a person to become completely immersed in the film.

The Dark Knight had an embarrassment of riches in terms of sheer quality of the material and the performances of the talent involved when all was said and done. The Dark Knight that was able to take a genre not always seen as producing anything more thanpopcorn blockbusters that cater to only to a specific demographic, and in one fell swoop make this genre appealing to people in many demographics. While it would have always have found an audience, The Dark Knight benefitted from the perfect storm born out of Ledger's passing, internet fan hype as well as word of mouth passed along by those who seen the movie and incredibly positive reviews of the film that made more people go out and see this film than almost any other in history. On any scale of measurement, this has to make The Dark Knight 2008's best film.







The Final Five: The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Quantum of Solace, Cloverfield, Tropic Thunder

RUNNER-UP: The Dark Knight

As told by Rick Tym

Yes, Iron Man ruled the roost as the Best Blockbuster of 2008 for the 411mania staff. As a fan of the genre, I whole-heartedly agree as it was perhaps the more fun of the two comic book juggernauts. Let's take a look at the numbers, though. As of last count (in other words, before the Oscar push re-release) The Dark Knight's domestic gross stands at $531,018,614. Combined with a foreign gross of $466,031,321 the film has almost $1 billion raked in so far. That, my friends, is a lot of lettuce. Sure, some of it came from Heath Ledger's untimely demise, or the oft-referenced argument of inflation, but the movie was good (and screw those "only because he died" naysayers—Ledger was fantastic as the Joker) and hey, I've yet to see Titanic discounted as supreme ruler of the box office because of the ballooning (or, perhaps more aptly, diminishing) of the almighty dollar's worth. In the end, the numbers are mighty impressive; even more important is the fact that this blockbuster about a man in a bat suit fighting crime is simply a great piece of filmmaking, with validation of what many comic book fans have posited since the dawn of the funny book—that the medium is indeed art, with depth and resonance that finally transcended the expectations of those that speak the phrase "comic book movie" with a hint of arrogant dismissal or slight disdain. Whether your particular flavor of Kool-Aid is the darkness of Batman or the light, semi-sweet tangy goodness of Iron Man, both blockbusters are deserved of their spots here as the best of the biggest of 2008.

WINNER: Iron Man

As told by Shawn Lealos

While The Dark Knight may have been the best movie in the eyes of most 411 writers, the movie that provided the biggest bang for the buck was the Jon Favreau directed Iron Man. Geek excitement started to swell when it was originally announced that Robert Downey Jr. was donning the Gold and Red armor as Shell Head. Just as people are celebrating Mickey Rourke's return to form, Robert Downey Jr. has achieved an equal level of redemption as of late. He was coming off a career resurrecting role in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and I, for one, was excited to see what he could bring to the role of Industrial millionaire Tony Stark. He did not disappoint. He brought just the perfect amount of swagger to the role and gave the film the perfect touches of humor as well. Look at the scene where he was testing the jet boots for an example of Downey Jr., the comedian.

However, what makes a blockbuster is not really the story or acting, otherwise The Dark Knight would have won this award too. What makes Iron Man succeed in this category is the FUN FACTOR. This movie provides the explosions and knockdown, drag out battles you would expect from a summer blockbuster. Favreau put together a movie I never expected from the man who brought us Swingers and Elf. His FX may not be up to the level of a Michael Bay picture, but Favreau gave the film something Bay always struggles with - a heart. I believe, if not for The Dark Knight, Iron Man would have made even more money than it eventually did, although $572 million is nothing to sneeze at.

With a top notch cast, including great performances from Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, the movie settles for being a very fun, very entertaining superhero movie. Not everything needs to be dark and brooding like a Batman picture. Iron Man chose to let the audience have fun and that made it something special. Iron Man will also be known as where Marvel's set up its tent-pole franchise The Avengers, thanks to the geek friendly post-credits scene with Nick Fury (Sam Jackson). Iron Man provided summer audiences with all the action they could want and left them with a smile on their faces when the movie ended. "I am Iron Man!" A fantastic end to a spectacular movie.






The Final Five: Hancock, Righteous Kill, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Love Guru, How to lose friends and alienate people

RUNNER-UP: Righteous Kill

As told by Jeremy Thomas

The formula was simple: take two of the greatest actors of all-time, ones audiences have been screaming to see together for years, and put them in a movie where they're playing the kinds of roles that have won them insane amounts of critical and commercial success. So what went wrong with Pacino and DeNiro's Righteous Kill? Well, there was the script for one, which felt less cinematic and tense then a below-average episode of Law & Order. There was the ending, which featured one of the lamest "twists" ever seen on film. There was the tepid and almost lack of direction from Jon Avnet, who went 0-for-2 in Pacino films this year between this and 88 Minutes. Outside of DeNiro and Pacino lighting up the screen together, there was very little to actually enjoy in this movie. It certainly wasn't the worst film of the year, but one of the most disappointing? Yeah, you're damn right it was.

WINNER: Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

As told by George H. Sirois

The Indiana Jones franchise is one of the most memorable series of films in all of film history. So many iconic moments come rushing at you right from the very beginning. Who can forget the giant boulder chasing Indy during the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark? Or Mola Ram tearing out some poor guy's still-beating heart in Temple of Doom? Or how about the prologue of Last Crusade with River Phoenix? I'm just naming one out of each movie, but I'm sure all of you can come up with at least a dozen more moments.

Almost twenty years later, we were finally able to catch up with Indy in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and it's safe to say this one will have the dubious honor of being the least memorable in the franchise. I'm not saying it was a bad movie from start to finish; it's just that most of the moments people remember aren't good. Everyone brings up the refrigerator, the overused CGI, the supporting characters that were clearly rip-offs of Marcus Brody and Sallah, the monkeys (again with the CGI), Shia's character and the aliens. (I give the aliens a pass since the film takes place around the time of Roswell, and I didn't hate Shia as much as others did.) Notice I didn't mention Cate Blanchett's character? You're probably just now remembering that she was in the movie at all, right? Isn't the VILLAIN supposed to be one of the most memorable characters in a film???

While the previous three films were self-contained stories that took place within a few years of each other, Kingdom is a sequel that couldn't survive without latching on to the rest. We see tight close-ups of the Ark of the Covenant (which was in a better movie), a picture of Sean Connery as Henry Jones, Sr. (who was in a better movie) and a welcome appearance from Marion Ravenwood (who was in a better movie, and was a lot more feisty before). And being a lifelong fan of John Williams, it was a real let-down that there wasn't a new secondary theme that had the staying power as the ones we heard in the other three.

But the biggest crime that the film committed was how screenwriter David Koepp put in references to how Indy was looked at with respect for the fighting he did in World War II. Unfortunately, by the time Kingdom had come out, too many years had passed before Lucas & Spielberg could show us that period in history. If only these guys had gotten off their asses and delivered a worthy sequel about ten years ago – since they and Ford have been discussing this film for that long – we would have seen something a lot more exciting than CGI monkeys.






The Final Five: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, Robert Downey Jr. in Iron Man, Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Sean Penn in Milk

RUNNER-UP: Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler

As told by Jeremy Thomas

It's said that Hollywood loves a redemption story, and so do audiences. Look at Robert Downey Jr.'s year. It's therefore no surprise that Mickey Rourke is getting such attention for his career-rejuvenating role as Randy "The Ram" Robinson in The Wrestler. It's unfair to say that this has resurrected his career, as he's been building toward this for a while with roles in films like Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Man on Fire and Sin City. However, there's no doubt that Rourke really connected with the idea of a star that's fallen from grace and now is trying to rebuild his life, to the point that he's at a career high. Rourke gives the performance of a much storied career here, injecting a lot of emotion into his performance as Randy. The scenes between him and Evan Rachel Wood as his daughter are utterly heart-breaking thanks to the performances, particularly Rourke's.

WINNER: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

As told by Shawn Lealos

Anyone who reads my columns knows I am a huge fan of the work of Aaron Eckhart in The Dark Knight. I feel he is the glue that holds the story together and the heart beneath the film's core. However, there is one man in the film who completely stole the show. He was not the heart and soul of the picture, but was instead the nuclear reactor that made everything else in the film explode. Aaron Eckhart was spectacular, but the movie would never have reached the levels it did without the career defining performance of Heath Ledger.

I hear a lot of people complaining that the only reason Ledger is getting such great recognition for his performance is because of his untimely death. That, my friends, is complete and utter crap. Heath Ledger did something that no one before him could do - not Jack Nicholson and not Caesar Romero. Heath Ledger took The Joker and turned him into something very scary and something very, very dangerous. There was nothing comic about him. His name may be Joker, but his performance was anything but a joke. This was a character that has so many layers to pull from and Ledger chose to take the tragic route. Yes, Joker had many lines that were hilarious ("I'm going to make this pencil disappear"), but beneath his jokes was a doomed and tragic figure, a man out of place in time.

The way he delivered his lines was prefection. The person you were watching on the screen was not Heath Ledger, but a psychotic madman called The Joker. He immersed himself in the role so deeply I never once believed I was watching an actor. The twitches with his tongue, the eyes always darting around the room, the stammering, searching for just the right word. The was not a typical acting performance, this was a masterful dissertation from a man who had perfected his art. This was definitely not a performance you would expect from a 28-year old man. This was Marlon Brando. This was Paul Newman. This was the greatest performance Heath Ledger could ever hope to accomplish.

They say there is a chance someone else may play the Joker in the future, but I do not believe there is a chance in hell it will be anything more than a pale imitation of Ledger's portrayal as the greatest Joker ever put to film. It is sad that the young man would leave us so soon, but his passing should never be used as an excuse for the deserved credit he has received for this iconic performance. If Heath Ledger posthumously wins the Oscar, as he did the Golden Globe, it will be well deserved. He turned in, not only the best male acting performance of the year, but the best all around performance of the year, in any category, period.






The Final Five: Angelina Jolie in Changeling, Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler, Frances McDormand in Burn After Reading, Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married, Cate Blanchett in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

RUNNER-UP: Angelina Jolie in Changeling

As told by Steve Gustafson

It takes a village, but in the case of Angelina Jolie, she took the village for herself. And still found time to appear in Wanted, Kung Fu Panda, and Changeling in 2008. Despite being a part of the most powerful Hollywood couple in the world and possessing beauty that makes most men (and some women) tremble, Jolie didn't let that stand in the way of a powerful and emotional display in Changeling. Even more impressive is the fact she performed with a forceful intensity yet with understated restraint that the role called for. Calling upon her own motherly instincts, Jolie helped capture the anguish of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to. She reminded us that there is nothing as fierce as a mother protecting her cub.

WINNER: Marisa Tomei in The Wrestler

As told by Jeremy Thomas

To be perfectly honest, this hasn't been a great year for women in film. This is a statement intended to take nothing at all away from the ladies; we've had some really great performances, but the roles just haven't been there the way they have been the last few years. Luckily, we had some good last-minute entries into the category that elevated things quite a bit. The trifecta of Tilda Swinton, Cate Blanchett and Taraji Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button come to mind, as well as Meryl Streep and Amy Adams from Doubt. Above all of these, however, rises a former Academy Award winner who bares it all in both a literal and figurative way: Marisa Tomei as Cassidy in The Wrestler. Now, I'm sure someone is going to make jokes in the comments section about how she won this award strictly because she got naked. However, in a career that's already highly underrated, it is the naked honesty in which Tomei plays Cassidy that elevates her here. Cassidy is a stripper who is trying to make her living in a business where—much like wrestling—it is the younger and hotter talent that quickly passes you by. She's past her prime and knows it, and in that she connects with the Randy "the Ram" Robinson, who she starts off just trying to work for that extra lap-dance because he likes her but eventually finds something much deeper there. Tomei has spent years trying to escape the onus of being the one of most shocking Oscar wins ever for My Cousin Vinny, and it is my sincere belief that with her performance in The Wrestler, she can finally get that monkey off her back. While Doubt, Benjamin Button, The Changeling and Vicky Christina Barcelona were all obvious Oscar bait films (not that that takes away from any of the performances located therein), The Wrestler never felt like such and Tomei's performance seems less pretentious and more masterful for it.






The Final Five: Lost, The Shield, Dexter, Entourage, House

RUNNER-UP: House

As told by Bryan Kristopowitz

At the start of the 2007-2008 TV season, the Fox network ratings powerhouse "House" took a big gamble by changing up what made it a ratings powerhouse in the first place: its cast. Hugh Laurie's Gregory House was still there, as was his best buddy Wilson (Robert Sean Leoanrd), and his boss/pseudo nemesis Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein), but gone from center stage were Jennifer Morrison's Cameron and Jesse Spencer's Chase. They didn't leave the show, but they took on less screen time (the great Omar Epps eventually came back in a full time capacity as Eric Foreman, but that took a few episodes). "Replacing" Cameron and Chase were Dr. Taub (Peter Jacobsen), Dr. Kutner (Kal Penn), and Dr. "Thirteen" (Olivia Wilde), who joined House after surviving a multi episode arc where House weeded out potential candidates via various medical challenges (sort of like an extended reality show. House even riffed on "Survivor" in one episode). While plenty of people complained about the cast break up, the show's ratings have remained good and steady (it's still one of the most watched shows on television) and, this is just my personal opinion, breathed new life into the show. The cantankerous House has new people to annoy (his constant pot jokes directed at Kutner, his nagging Taub about his marital difficulties, and his incessant prying into the personal life of the mega hit Thirteen are all fun), and by removing Chase and Cameron and their on again, off again love affair to the background, the show can focus on House's changed relationship with Wilson (Wilson still harbors ill will at House for the death of his girlfriend Amber since House was there when she died) and his ongoing crush on Cuddy. It's looking like the obvious sexual tension between House and Cuddy is what's going to propel the show into the near future, and I for one can't wait to see just how House is going to screw it up because you know he's going to. Will Wilson be there to pick up the pieces when House fails in love again?

WINNER: Lost

As told by Ben Piper

Over the course of the past four TV seasons, Lost has proven time and time again to be consistently boundary-pushing with regards to what network TV can achieve. It has been a truly groundbreaking show, defying the odds of this day and age, in that a serial drama can not only survive, but flourish in the ratings. This is due not only to the show's great ensemble cast that's been assembled but also the terrific writing staff headed up by the show-runners, Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse.

A great part of Lost's success relies on the fact that the show is ever changing and ever evolving. Each season has proven time and time again that it is it's own chapter in the overall story that is being presented. This can not be more fully illustrated than in Lost's outstanding fourth season, in which not only is it revealed that "The Oceanic Six" found safe passage off of the Island of mystery, but we also see a future tense where they all are emotionally conflicted with regards to said rescue in one way or another. (And yes, let's not forget that little tidbit about "They have to go back!")

With a final end date negotiated by the producers and the network before the season started, Lost was able to ramp up the storytelling to where it actually felt like things jumped gears and began to go into overdrive as the show began to rocket towards the eventuality of a final end game. The result was a breathtaking experience for a viewer to partake, reminiscent of the "glory days" of its first season.

As a huge fan, it is truly my honor to applaud and congratulate Lost as the Outstanding TV Show of 2008, as voted by the 411 staff.






The Final Five: Michael Chiklis in The Shield, Michael C. Hall in Dexter, Hugh Laurie in House, Michael Emerson in Lost, Ron Perlman in Sons of Anarchy

RUNNER-UP: Michael C. Hall in Dexter

As told by Steve Gustafson

If the devil is in the details, ladies and gents, I present to you the devil. Michael C. Hall breaths life into his character, Dexter Morgan, which is continually elevating the drama genre. In the hands of a lesser thespian, Dexter, a Miami police blood spatter expert who moonlights as a vigilante serial killer who snuffs other serial killers, could have been played as a one trick pony and quickly grown bland and tiresome. By taking any preconceived notions we have about sociopaths from novels and local news, Hall skillfully executes this original idea in riveting fashion. Dexter is truly a monster in an hollow shell and Hall portrays that with squirm inducing precision and has laid before us a classic character portrayal that sticks with you long after you turn off the television. Blood and all.

WINNER: Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackay

As told by Tim O'Sullivan

He may have failed to garner the same level of award-night silverware as he did in the early years of The Shield, but Michael Chiklis has remained brilliantly consistent as livewire Vic Mackay, and he rode out into the sunset in style last year.

Some say his role in the mediocre Fantastic Four series hindered his raw appeal, but at the end of the day he was offered a big movie role for a lot of money and had no idea his character would be used in such a poor manner. Every time he came back to The Shield he was flawless.

From the greatest pilot episode in television history to last year's finale he solidified Vic Mackay as one of the best characters in modern broadcasting. You deserve every accolade you get, young bald guy, however minor it is.






The Final Five: Lena Headey in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Tina Fey in 30 Rock, Connie Britton in Friday Night Lights, Kristin Chenoweth in Pushing Daisies, Yunjin Kim in Lost

RUNNER-UP: Yunjin Kim in Lost

As told by Rick Tym

Sun has always been one of the core characters of ABC's ensemble mind trip, complete with requisite flashbacks detailing infidelity amidst other secret meetings and agendas. Last season Sun shone particularly bright though, first and foremost in her gut-wrenching reaction to the exploding freighter on which her husband was still (presumably) trapped as the helicopter she rode in lifted off and escaped harm's way. More mind-blowing while being equally graceful and soft spoken were her dealings in current time as she parlayed her Oceanic settlement into being the primary shareholder of her father's company and a sinisterly delightful future meeting with Charles Widmore, offering her business card along with the revelation that the rest of the Oceanic Six were liars. Who knows what Jeremy Bentham may have said to her before his untimely (or was it predetermined?) demise, and what judgment may await her father and Jack, whom she holds responsible for her husband's death? Every Lost fan can't wait to find out, and it's not just because of the character of Sun but a testament to the actress that breathes creative life into her. Yunjin Kim has played the role of Sun as adeptly as a master violinist, gentle on the strings at first as a submissive wife, and then increasing pressure and tempo into a stronger theme as her true self came into focus. Pretty soon those musical notes are going to turn into angry, discordant screeches as Sun lays seed to her plans of revenge, and if Kim's portrayal of anguish and horror when she loses Jin in that freighter explosion or her cool, steely resolve to avenge his death are any indication, this character and the woman who plays her will not soon be forgotten.

WINNER: Lena Headey in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

As told by Jeremy Thomas

Lena Headey had, bar none, one of the toughest jobs on television this year. When the Writer's Guild went on strike at the beginning of the year, she found her brand-new television show taking over the coveted spot held by the juggernaut known as 24. But more than that, she had to take an iconic character, that of The Terminator's Sarah Connor, and make people believe that she was the same character that we had seen Linda Hamilton play in two great films. Living up to such a reputation is an unenviable task that many actresses would have tried nobly and failed drastically to deliver one. With Headey, who was already a hit with Terminator's likely demographic thanks to her work in 300, the role of Sarah paid homage to the original while expanding it into a fuller character for a new generation. Headey is every bit believable as Sarah Connor, pulling off the tough action roles as well as she does the quiet and emotional scenes of the movie. She's created a portrayal that is older and wiser...just as hard-boiled and paranoid as the Hamilton Sarah at times, but now trying to reconnect with her son again. If Headey had failed as Sarah, it wouldn't have mattered how good Thomas Dekker was as John, or how cool Summer Glau was as Cameron; the action scenes wouldn't have mattered. Without a believably Sarah, the show would have been lost. The fact that it's one of the best shows on TV should tell you a lot about how amazingly she's succeeded.






The Final Five: Iron Man Ultimate Edition, Wall-E, The Godfather: Coppola Restoration Edition, Joy Division (The Miriam Collection), Lost Season Four Boxset

RUNNER-UP: Wall-E

As told by Owain Brimfield

By my reckoning, WALL-E was the second-best animated film released in 2008, and that's surely recommendation alone for picking it up on DVD. It's a grandiose space opera, a slapstick silent movie and a touching love story all rolled into one, and represents arguably the zenith of Pixar's work. So why wouldn't you want to own this on DVD, given that the package also includes the best animated film of the year, the masterpiece short film Presto? Classic cartoon magic and Pixar genius distilled into the finest five-minute short since The Pink Phink. If that's not enough for you, the disc is literally bursting at the seams with all manner of Pixar goodness, with everything from fully animated deleted scenes to in-depth looks at Ben Burtt's marvellous sounds design, to the biggy - a feature-length documentary about Pixar itself. That's roughly twelve gajillion hours of entertainment, and makes this one of the finest DVDs released all year.

WINNER: The Godfather: Coppola Restoration Edition

As told by George H. Sirois

Double-dipping a DVD is very tricky to pull off. You have to give collectors a valid reason to replace the version they already have, and more importantly, you can't take away what they like about the previous one.

The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration has a tough act to follow, since the original collection provides quite a bit. All three classics – well, the first two are classics but I still have a soft spot for a lot of III – are on DVD for the first time, with very informative and entertaining audio commentaries by Francis Ford Coppola. Plus, the bonus disc is filled with some great featurettes and the outstanding documentary The Godfather Family: A Look Inside, which premiered on HBO in 1990 to coincide with the opening of Part III. And there's also the hidden easter egg, a very funny clip from "The Sopranos."

When the new version was prepared to be released, I was curious to see what was so different from the 2001 set. Thanks to a good friend getting me this for Christmas, I was able to see it for myself. And yes, this earned the spot of not only being the top DVD release this year, but one of the better double-dips out there.

The video and audio restoring make the films look and sound better than they ever have before. Plus, there is a healthy amount of brand-new extras that point out how much of a pop culture influence the characters and the filmmakers have become since the first one was released in 1972. The new featurette "The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't" gives a wonderful in-depth look at the different directions Paramount wanted to go when the first was being made. There are also some great shorts that focus on the sound mixing and editing of the first one, and a behind-the-scenes look at how the trilogy was cleaned up for this release.

If these were the only features on this box set, it would be about equal to the previous release. But Coppola & Co. made sure to include everything that was great about the 2001 set. The commentaries are there, and ALL of the supplements from before are here as well. The only problem I have with the set is that Disc 4 - with the 2001 supplements - has a label for Disc 5 and vice versa.

But that's a very small minus with a whole lot of pluses. If you haven't picked up the original set yet, get this one instead. If you have the other set, make sure you ask for the new one for your birthday...






The Final Five: Watchmen, Lost Season Five, Wolverine, The Dollhouse, Inglorious Bastards

RUNNER-UP: Watchmen

As told by Owain Brimfield

2008 saw *the* defining comic book movie released, showing the world of cinema that graphic novel source material can easily rival the greatest literary adaptations, and giving a deserved and overdue legitimacy to the genre (you might have seen it, and it's talked about in detail elsewhere here). As luck would have it, 2009 could well see the *re-defining* of comic book movies with the release of the big-screen version of the definitive "best comic ever", Watchmen. Already the movie is causing fans sleepless nights in anticipation, and the recent Fox/Warner fiasco surrounding the film's release date has caused as much outrage as any other cinematic blunder in recent memory. Watchmen certainly has the pedigree to succeed, but the real questions have yet to be answered. Can Zack Snyder deliver on the hyperbole? Is the movie world ready for another epoch-defining graphic novel adaptation? And, perhaps most importantly, who watches the Watchmen?

WINNER: Inglorious Bastards

As told by James Craig

There's a lot to be excited for film-wise in 2009. From Wolverine to Watchmen as well as the Transformers sequel. For my money, however, it's Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds that has be the film that I'm most looking forward to. Much like the Kill Bill films this has been a labor of love for Tarantino which has seen the film go through various stages of having scripts written by Tarantino, but nothing before last year really came of it. While it has been frustrating as a Tarantino fan myself to have his films spaced out so much, it is good to know that when Tarantino takes his time in this way with a script, you know that he is trying to make it as perfect as he can. While the final script has been shaved down from three films worth of material, I think that the streamlining of Tarantino's ideas will only help the film in its execution.It will be interesting to see how this "spaghetti western" set in WWII is going to turn out, but I feel that Tarantino is going to mix in just enough of his own style to make this work. The Kill Bill films proved that the man can work on a grand stage in terms story and character. The cast as well has turned into something to be excited for.

Word of Tarantino's initial wish list for the talent he wanted to be in the film only heightened the anticipation for the film and as time wore on and the casting was finalized, it was easy to see that a quality cast has been assembled and this too should only help in the execution of the film. With the likes of Brad Pitt as well as Eli Roth, BJ Novak, Diane Kruger and Mike Myers, one can not help but feel that at the very least has a cast capable of making this a very good film. Brad Pitt will be the focus, but I feel that he can rise to the occasion with the right material and this will be one of those occasions. The others are all very competent and shouldn't disappoint as there are very few wild cards in the mix that are any cause for worry.

I think that, in the end, the wait is going to be well worth it in, and with all the talent involved, as well as Tarantino's careful craftsmanship, this could very well end up being a surprise come awards season as well as one of Tarantino's best projects to date.




Thanks to all the writers for their contributions and if you really, really, really, really liked their opinions, why not start reading their regular stuff on 411. Seriously, that could be an idea.

Cool Runnings,

O'Sullivan.