The Inevitable Oscar Post

So it is that time of year where the film industry steps back to congratulate itself in the ultimate form. As someone who probably takes films too seriously, I also tend to give major importance to the Oscars as well. At their best, I see the Oscars as an opportunity to recognize the year's greatest artistic achievements in film. At their worst, they can be decided merely because of money spent on campaigns or "entertainment" value. Despite these hopes the show is usually filled with many disappointments. Thankfully, with John Stewart hosting once again, that aspect will keep me amused.

I think that this year I am pretty well prepared. I have seen a majority of the films in the major categories. Unfortunately I have not yet seen In the Valley of Elah, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, or I'm Not There.

Best Picture: Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton, No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood
What will win: As much as the Academy sometimes likes to throw in a surprise, No Country For Old Men seems destined for victory here. It has won too many other awards and has too much buzz up to this point to be denied.
What I want to win: I am really torn with this year's choices. It was a great year for films. I personally would be very happy to see either Juno or There Will Be Blood win. They are both flawless films.

Best Actor: George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Johnny Depp, Tommy Lee Jones, Viggo Mortensen
Who will win: This is a lock. Daniel Day-Lewis
Who I want to win: All respect to Viggo who gave an amazing performance, but Day-Lewis could be one of the best ever at his craft.

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, Julie Christie, Marion Cotillard, Laura Linney, Ellen Page
Who will win: I think at this point Julie Christie is a pretty solid lock, but keep on the lookout for a surprise.
Who I want to win: Marion Cotillard was flat out brilliant. I don't know how that performance can be denied. Although I can't say I'd be terribly upset if Christie won as she was amazing. Here's hoping some Academy asshole loses their job for not nominating Angelina Jolie. Her performance in A Mighty Heart was gut-wrenching. She deserved at least a nom.

Best Supporting Actor: Casey Affleck, Javier Bardem, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Hal Holbrook, Tom Wilkinson
Who will win: Again, I think this is another lock. Javier Bardem, like his character, is unstoppable.
Who I want to win: I can't help but be sentimental here. Can anyone honestly say that seeing Hal Holbrook win wouldn't be one of the greatest moments in Oscar history? I'm still digesting his performance from the shamefully under-nominated Into the Wild.

Best Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett, Ruby Dee, Saoirse Ronan, Amy Ryan, Tilda Swinton
Who will win: This is probably the toughest race to call of the night. I think Amy Ryan will ride enough buzz to the win.
Who I want to win: I didn't see Cate so it is hard to judge, but my favorite performance was Tilda Swinton's.

Best Director: Julian Schnabel, Jason Reitman, Tony Gilroy, Joel and Ethan Coen, Paul Thomas Anderson
Who will win: The Coen Brothers will probably take this as long as their film wins best picture.
Who I want to win: Anderson is one of my favorite directors. So I would be immensely psyched to see him finally win an Oscar for his brilliant work.

Best Animated Film: Persepolis, Ratatouille, Surf's Up
What will win: Ratatouille
What I want to win: Persepolis was fantastic and should have been up for best foreign language film. However, I have no faith in the Academy to pull their heads out of their asses long enough to choose this film to win.

Best Writing Adapted: Atonement, Away From Her, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood
Who will win: I think as goes best picture and best director, so goes this category. The Coens will win again.
Who I want to win: I want Anderson to win for TWBB but I would also be happy to see a surprise victory for Sarah Polley and Away From Her.

Best Writing Original: Juno, Lars and the Real Girl, Michael Clayton, Ratatouille, The Savages
Who will win: This race could definitely be interesting. My guess is either with of Diablo Cody of Juno or Tony Gilroy of Michael Clayton.
Who I want to win: I would be very happy if either Cody or Tamara Jenkins of The Savages won.

Best Music: The Academy did its best to screw up both of the music categories this year. I am boycotting the Best Score category because of the lack of a nomination for Jonny Greenwood in There Will Be Blood. His score helped make that film what it was. The Best Song category could be even more ridiculous. 3 nominations for Enchanted? Really?? Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova better win for "Falling Slowly" from Once or something will be thrown at my television.

So those are my picks for the main awards. Please comment if you agree or disagree. And what I love best about the Oscars is that it pushes people to at least go out and watch some of the best films cinema has to offer.

Tribute

When someone on the level of Heath Ledger passes away at a young age it always take me a while to fully grasp the loss. There really isn't much I can say about this tragedy that hasn't been said more eloquently by those in the media. All I can say is that he was a tremendous talent. His body of work, though small, was quite impressive.

It has been said often recently, and I agree, that Heath was one of the best actors of his generation. In that vain, I thought the best way to honor him would be to celebrate his peers who I also consider among the best of their generation. Those who are in his age range who represent the acting craft in the highest manner. They should be actors and actresses who don't just choose the safe choices but go after roles that continue to challenge them.

I envision this as a series, with a different person who raises the bar for acting greatness in each post. I encourage my fellow Pop-Pop writers to present their own tributes to quality acting amongst the younger generation, those say 25 to 40.

I could think of no one better for my first choice than the ridiculously talented Christian Bale. To me he is easily the best actor in the business under the age of 40 working today. The Academy should be appalled that he has yet to be nominated for an Oscar. He chooses roles that push him to his absolute physical and mental limits. He has brought depth and resonance to every part and, at least to me, has set the standard by which all young actors should follow. He gives himself over completely to a role like the great Daniel Day-Lewis is famous for doing. He is one of the few actors, that no matter what the overall film looks like, i know his part will be played to perfection and will raise the level of the whole enterprise.

2007 Movies: A Response

I was going to make a reply to Jill's post but it turned out to be just too long for the comment section and I also am very passionate about the discussion of best films of the year. I have made a concerted effort to view as many as I could this year, especially within the past month. That being said, there are some glaring omissions from this list which I still have yet to see but have a good idea they would have a shot at the "best of" list. There Will Be Blood looks so good it makes my teeth hurt. It has one of my favorite directors, one of the finest actors in modern history and a brilliant score composed by Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead. Unfortunately the film has yet to grace us in Rochester with its presence. I'm Not There, No End in Sight, Persepolis, Before the Devil Knows Your Dead, Michael Clayton, The Kite Runner, Gone Baby Gone, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly all are must sees as well.

Here are my top 10 films of the year. It was a very tough choice as this was probably one of the better years for films in recent memory. Given that I have a predilection towards romantic comedies, it is no surprise that I have 3 in a row on this list. Other fun facts about my list: It has 3 foreign films, 3 films dealing with pregnancy, 5 films where I feel the soundtrack is essential to the quality of the film and 3 where death plays a major role.

10. & 9. A Mighty Heart & La Vie En Rose - I couldn't really choose between these two so they will have to share their spots with one another. They both were driven by what I consider brilliant female lead performances. Despite a lot of competition this year I feel Angelina Jolie and Marion Cotillard both deserve leading actress Oscar nominations and I would be happy if either of them won.



8. Knocked Up - This seemed to be a favorite of so many people this year and I was no different. Although I did really enjoy Superbad as well, it just didn't hit on all pistons as this comedy did. The romantic and sensitive nature of Knocked Up made it much more well rounded of a film. The fact that I've had a mini-obsession with Katherine Heigl ever since Bride of Chucky certainly helped this film's cause.

7. Dan In Real Life - I am disappointed that I have not seen this on any critics top 10 lists this year. To me it was one of the bigger surprises of the year and one of the most down to earth and realistic romantic comedies I have seen in a long time.



6. Waitress - While Waitress isn't a traditional romantic comedy it is a flawless piece of entertaining cinema. It was highly enjoyable from start to finish.



5. Once - I hope that this is the direction in which musicals are headed. There seems to be a lot of talk about the comeback of the musical, but this movie has not gotten the recognition it deserves. It should be the head of the discussion. The story itself is very simple and only a minor part of the film as a whole. The music between real-life musicians Glen Hansard of The Frames and Markéta Irglová is transcendent. Their chemistry is undeniable, as they even became a couple in real life, and it is reflected in all of the music. If you aren't completely sucked in by this music then I really can't help you with much of anything.



4. No Country For Old Men - This film is so hauntingly beautiful in its own way. It is a brilliant mix of dark comedy and murderous suspense. The performances by Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and Tommy Lee Jones are ridiculously good.



3. Into The Wild - I am blown away that this is not on more critics' lists. The scenery is absolutely mesmerizing and the performances are top level. It is one of the most compelling stories of the year as it is based on truth. This should be Emile Hirsch's breakthrough performance to the next level. And yes, in living up to the hype, Hal Holbrook's performance, though short, was absolutely brilliant. If watching him in this doesn't fill you with emotions then you just aren't human.



2. The Lives of Others - This is one of the most suspenseful and dramatic films of recent years. It is set in East Berlin and focuses on an investigator in the East German secret police. Only so much can be said about it without actually seeing it. It is flawless.



1. Juno - It is hard to even describe how much I love this film. It is fantastic from every viewpoint I can think of. The writing is phenomenal, the roles are perfectly cast and the direction gives it the perfect style. It is the perfect comedy with just enough doses of sweetness and drama to make it heartfelt and genuine.



High Honorable Mentions: Paris Je T'aime, Sicko, Black Book, Atonement, Eastern Promises, Charlie Wilson's War, American Gangster

The Worst of 2007:

5. The Heartbreak Kid - This film had the expectations that Ben Stiller usually provides and was a complete letdown. It had very few redeeming qualities.

4. Because I Said So - Despite any crush I may have on Mandy Moore or Lauren Graham this was a disaster of a film. As has been stated by many critics, Diane Keaton was absolutely brutal and unbearable in this film. She barely represented a human.

3. Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer - Bad acting + lame plot = bad movie. The first one wasn't bad so this was a letdown.

2. Spiderman 3 - Spidey hit a high with the dark and introspective #2. Then the series was effectively tanked with this overdrawn mess. Instead of picking one story line and perfecting it, the film was a hodge podge of mediocre scenes.

The absolute worst movie of the year by a very wide margin is:
1. Wild Hogs - This is best summed up by my Netflix review:
Only one word is really needed to describe this movie. Brutal. It was brutal to watch and I can imagine it was brutal just to read the script. For Travolta, Allen and Lawrence this is just another in a long line of stains on their careers. Macy should have known better. The fact that this became a commercial hit in the United States is an embarrassment to the film industry and to the American public. I completely understand that not all films will be works of art. However, even as popcorn movies go, this was pathetic. I think the only time I laughed during the entire movie was when KG from Tenacious D was singing in Madrid. Perhaps this is not a movie for those younger than 40. But I would hope the older generations would have a better sense of humor than this drivel.

2007 Movies

Okay, so it took a little longer than I expected to do a blog about Pop Culture in 2007. But better 6 days late than never, right?

The year past was mostly inundated with celebrity gossip as opposed to media achievements. Any more coverage of Paris, Britney or Linsday and I think I would’ve snapped, more so than usual.

You know you’re getting older too when you recognize more of the celebrities that leave us each year, and 2007 saw some greats. Two of my all-time favorite authors, Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., passed away. Also lost were Deborah Kerr, Dan Fogelberg, Brett Somers, Charles Nelson Reilly, Robert Goulet, Denny Doherty, Bobby Pickett, Brad Delp, Evel Knievel and several more.

The end of the year also calls for “Best of” and “Worst of” lists. I already referenced an Indie Music list in a previous post, but now it’s time for movies.

Entertainment Weekly critics, for one, have listed their Best and Worst movies of 2007. I have trouble critiquing these lists because even with the amount of time I devote to movie viewing, I have not seen a lot of the “top” movies yet, such as I’m Not There, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, Michael Clayton, There Will Be Blood, or No Country for Old Men. Therefore, all I can do is have my own list of Best and Worst Movies of 2007 out of the movies that I have seen.

My Favorite Movies of 2007:

10. Hairspray

I wasn’t sure if I’d actually like this one, considering it’s based-on a musical which is based-on an original movie that I actually enjoyed. But after a recent viewing I understand why it did so well this past year.

9. Fracture

Okay, I’m not going to lie…it probably has something to do with Ryan Gosling.

8. Zodiac

…and this with Jake Gyllenhaal…

7. The Simpsons Movie

Another one I was also apprehensive of, but I actually had some outloud laughing moments at it. I especially enjoyed Ralphie’s exclamation of “I like men now!” after seeing a naked Bart on a skateboard.

6. Blades of Glory

I always will enjoy things that star Will Arnett. And even with this comedy doing well commercially and being enjoyed by the mainstream, there were some good moments in the theatre for this one where Eileen and I were the only ones laughing.

5. Evening

This one made one of the Worst lists in EW, and I’m not sure why, since I really enjoyed it. Maybe it’s because I’m a girl.

4. Transformers

This one surprised me the most. I was very adamant about being upset that 80s cartoons were being turned into modernized movies. But the beginning scenes with Bumblebee playing awesome music (I was caught with The Cars, but sold by Player) and Mojo the Chihuahua had me hooked.

3. Enchanted

Very sweet movie, with some good laughs. I was pleasantly surprised.

2. Knocked Up

People have debated over this, even if it was very popular. Personally I liked this much better than Superbad. While some may argue the relationship between the main characters unrealistic, I felt it was one of more realistic relationship comedies. I especially enjoy Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. There were many great lines out of this one.

1. Broken English

What can I say, I love Parker Posey. This one is not highly rated or critically acclaimed at all. But for one reason or another, I’m going to pick it as my favorite movie of last year.

My Least-Liked Movies of 2007:

5. License to Wed

What can I say? It just wasn’t funny.

4. Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer

…and this one just was not good…

3. Evan Almighty

…and this one was not funny at all. And excruciatingly long…

2. High School Musical 2

I’m sorry, I know the kids love it. But I didn’t think that it could be more cheesy and horrible than the first one. But it was.

1. Lucky You

I wondered why it took so long for this one to be released. And now I know why. Unlucky me.


So lovely readers, what are your favs and hates?

Star Wars...Lego?

I still am working on my master thesis of a 2007 year in review...okay, I'm still daydreaming about the master thesis. But in the mean time, to buy me an extra day, I'd like to present this gem!

Discovered by my brother-in-law, this video is mesmerizing for fans. Apparently my nephew is just getting into the "scene" if you will, and received some legos for Christmas.

The accuracy, plus time and detail it must've taken, astounds me. Right down to Luke's black hand and Leia's bikini top, this YouTube work of art gets an A+ from me.

So here it is. Enjoy!

A Scary Halloween Indeed

As I type this one can only hope that the disastrous events that have been set into motion can be averted before midnight strikes tomorrow night. What is taking place is a monumental struggle to keep the life force of pop culture alive. The battle between the major film and television studios and the Writers Guild of America has been widely publicized within publications that those of us here are likely to read. As we try to once again find our footing here at Pop-Pop, it is essential that the source of our admiration continue unabated. The results of these negotiations could play a significant role in the fate in the near future of our happy little blog.

Due to the magnitude of this event I felt it was worthy of our pop cents. First, it is important to realize what is at stake here. If negotiations between the two sides fail, then the Screenwriters Guild will call for a strike. This will result in major disruptions to television and film schedules and thereby disrupting our pop-culture intake. Television will be affected the worst due to the short production period. Late night shows will suffer immediately. Granted, the world is certainly a better place if Jay Leno can no longer spin new material. However, losing original airings of Late Night With Conan O'Brien will be a blow felt around the universe. Eventually sitcoms and finally dramas will suffer the blow of striking screenwriters. All that will be left would be the cultural void of reality programming. While I occasionally view a reality program from time to time, I would surely enjoy the television landscape purged of that scourge. However, in this dark future that a strike presents, the studios would warmly embrace the low-cost alternative of reality television. The infamous "Slut Wars" from The TV Set could actually become a reality. Yikes! If the strike were to proceed for a decent length of time, movies would certainly take a hit.

Personally the thought of getting cut off from the pop-culture we hold dear is a disturbing one. It is a thought that can keep fanatics, such as ourselves, awake at night. Who the hell do these screenwriters think they are anyways? If they have to make sacrifices so that we can continue to receive our daily dose of pop culture, then so be it. What's the big deal anyways? Sure the entire landscape in which consumers view television is changing. And, yes, the new distribution methods almost completely ignore the rights of those writing the material.

But how much money do these greedy writers need? Even George and Jerry received at least 8 grand for their script about nothing. I would take that in a heartbeat. What's that you say? The basic television set as a portal for television shows is dying? Television ratings and total viewership has been in decline for years? Alright, so what? They are still making money hand over fist. Right now they are doing fantastic. Yeah maybe unions are supposed to look out for the future interests of its members. But the needs of the future are so far off. Wait... you say that television shows are the fastest growing sector of DVD sales? And viewership of shows online and through programs such as ITunes is increasing constantly? Hmmmm.

All kidding aside, it seems pretty clear to me that the studios are realizing that in the future standard television viewing as we know it will be obsolete. They are trying to set themselves up in the new system without having to pay due diligence. Did they really feel they could sneak past the writers the new profits from DVDs and the internet? Screenwriters deserve much more credit than they currently receive. While directors and actors get all of the credit, the writers are often times, the true geniuses at work. They deserve a fair percentage of the new innovations in television and film viewing. Hopefully the federal mediator that arrived today will see that and make the right decision. Otherwise, we could be in for a long winter.

Pop-Culture Annoyances, Part One

Per Eileen’s previous request, here are the beginnings of a list. So, in no particular order:

Pop-Culture Things That Make Me Want To Crash My Car Into A Building, Part One:

1. That "Delilah" Song

God that song is so whining and annoying. And everyone seems to love it. Oh it’s so sweet and romantic and…good God, there’s blood pouring from my ears! Make it stop!

2. Sugar Ray

Everything about Sugar Ray bothers me. First of all, their popular songs are crap. I state this because I may cut some slack for their Lemonade and Brownies as opposed to Fly and everything after. But the music is awful, Mark McGrath of Extra is awful, and everyone song is overplayed and annoying. Plus the fact that the lyrics are incredibly ridiculous, and usually about cheating.

3. The Neverending Story

This one doesn’t make me want to crash my car because it’s bad. It just scares the crap out of me. I don’t know why I have an irrational fear of this movie. Maybe all the sad and creepy parts hit me a little hard as a kid. Since I have this terror though, I can’t put a clip up. So here’s a Family Guy-related one instead.

4. Emo

See #1 and the ear bleeding comment. I just don’t get it…I thought there were different eras of this, and it used to just be called depressed adolescence. Or androgynous punk. Or goth. Or just listening to The Smiths or Morrissey. But instead there’s Emo…a great “short” word for Emotional (because it’s so long of a word), which really translates to “sucky music.” This is a good description:

5. Stupid Beer Commercials

Football season is about to commence (not counting pre-season of course). I don’t think I need to elaborate.

6. Beating An Idea to Death (i.e. Penguins)

So first there was March of the Penguins. Then Happy Feet. Now penguins…surfing in Surf’s Up. Okay, we get it. You made money off of penguins. Now let it go. Just go to the Zoo or something.

Aw, Rats!: A List Review

Since Pixar’s Ratatouille opens today, the staff at Entertainment Weekly has made a photo list of “12 of our all-time favorite examples” of “adorable, clever, talented, hilarious rodents on film.” It seems these are just general picks, and not in a “countdown” order to the best. To summarize their list, here were their picks:

STUART LITTLE from Stuart Little (1999)
JAQ, GUS, SUZY, AND CO. from Cinderella (1950)
TEMPLETON from Charlotte's Web (1973)
SCABBERS from The Harry Potter movies
BIANCA AND BERNARD from The Rescuers (1977)
MRS. BRISBY AND CO. from The Secret of NIMH (1982)
MASTER SPLINTER from TMNT (2007)
MICKEY MOUSE from Fantasia (1940)
FIEVEL from An American Tail (1986)
BEN from Ben (1972)
BASIL OF BAKER STREET from The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
RODDY AND RITA from Flushed Away (2006)

Many of you who know me know that I love mice. I have been since childhood, it became a nickname, I collect these little Charming Tail figurines… but anyways, I like mice. Especially fictional rodents, be they cute or funny.

So in reviewing the EW list, I see many movies I enjoy. The Secret of NIMH is probably my favorite on the list, with An American Tale, The Rescuers and The Great Mouse Detective to follow.

I never liked Stuart Little—I find the computer animation of his face to be creepy looking. And honestly, I could live without Scabbers, Master Splinter (especially from the 2007 TMNT version), Ben and Roddy & Rita.

Anyways, do I have a point? Indeed I do. I did notice some vacancies on the list that surprised me. I realized that they were speaking of film rodents only, so that disqualifies any television or literary characters.

Still, I was at a loss that they didn’t include The Chipmunks. I mean come on, what about 1987’s The Chipmunk Adventure? How cool is that movie?!

And yes, I admit, I do own it on DVD. Maybe it’s just a childhood nostalgia thing for me, but the Chipmunks (and Chipettes) in general are largely known characters in pop-culture. And they’ve appeared on film, so they should’ve made the list!

However, the other character the list lacked was the most shocking to me. I mean, really, how do you not list Rizzo the Rat? He’s been a character in all of the Muppets' feature films. He was co-narrator in 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol, and Rizzo and his family had some great scenes in the diner in 1984’s The Muppets Take Manhattan. Does Entertainment Weekly not remember this scene?

So who’s with me on this one? Thoughts, comments, opinions? Is there anybody out there? *Squeak* Okay, I’ll just go eat my string cheese in the corner.

Eager Anticipation

Every once in a while the stars seem to align and a potential film project is given the chance to be something really special. This happens when brilliant pieces all come together to form for the greater good of film. I try not to get myself too excited about films yet to be made but for some it is hard to 'curb your enthusiasm'. The Lovely Bones seems to be the type of film that fits this mold. There is something special brewing.

The first piece of the puzzle is source material:

This book by Alice Sebold is both heartwarming and depressing, full of life and death, joy and sadness that it practically begs to be put on the screen. So, brilliant source material: check!

Then you need a director to helm the project who truly believes in it and has the knowhow to put a fantastic novel onto screen.

Enter Peter Jackson. With his relationship with the Hobbit falling by the wayside it has given him a chance to pursue this passion project which he has talked about for a while. With his previous experience on The Lord of the Rings he knows what it takes to adapt a beloved novel into a classic film.

The source material and director can only go so far without the perfect cast to carry it all out.

Rachel Weisz will be playing one of the main roles in the film, Abigail Salmon. Even though I am slightly biased by my infatuation with her, she is genuinely gifted as an actress and has the right emotional range to portray this grieving mother.

This film is still far from being perfect but it is on its way. The rest of the cast will be very key. But announcing Rachel as the first is surely a good sign. Does anyone know of any other projects that could be this good?

A Witness to Brilliance

I debated whether I should post this in here or my own blog. I chose here because although this blog seems to be better suited for lighter fare I suppose material of this substance does fall under pop culture, like anything else. It does seem weird to post about it after Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley. They both are deserving forms of entertainment in their own right but on completely different wavelengths.

Anyways, enough babbling about where I should post this. So who exactly is the lucky guy? Darren Aronofsky is a writer and director of motion pictures. So why would the beautiful, vivacious and talented Rachel Weisz marry this guy from Brooklyn? Well for starters, he is absolutely brilliant. This isn't a new revelation but it just becomes clearer with every film that he makes. I am not the only one who feels this way.

The amount of credibility he has generated from 2 major films has been astounding. And with his most recent and third major production he only enhanced that reputation, at least with me. His two previous works were Pi and Requiem for a Dream. As far as I am concerned Requiem for a Dream is one of the best made films of the past decade. Aronofsky showcased his amazing visual style while delving into the frailty of the human condition.

My basic point for posting this entry is to pay homage to Aronofsky's latest masterpiece, The Fountain. I just watched this film tonight and I felt I couldn't in good conscience let an opportunity to praise it pass by. It was unlike any movie I have ever seen before. That in and of itself is fairly noteworthy. It is visually stunning from start to finish. Aronofsky is a master at creating awe inspiring visuals. The story centers on the connection between life and death and how humans cope with it. He weaves the story in a way that it doesn't lend itself to casual viewing. So, to be honest, it would probably alienate most moviegoers. But like most artistic films, if you put in the effort and focus to understand the underlying concepts then you will be rewarded.

Aronofsky also has a way of bringing out the best in his actors. In Requiem for a Dream Ellen Burstyn delivered an Oscar-worthy performance that to this day is one of the best I've ever seen. In this film Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz gave some of the best performances of their careers.

Also, one cannot watch Aronofsky's films without being captivated by the music. Rarely have I heard music that fits a film so well. Aronofsky has used the same composer for all 3 of his major films, Clint Mansell. His work is amazing and completely resonates with the story. His main theme from Requiem for a Dream is still used in film commercials today. It was notably used for the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well. It can be heard here:



He delivered once again with the Fountain, which can be heard here in a decent video made by a YouTuber.



To wrap it all up, I am in awe of Aranofsky's talent. It seems to be once of a generation. He bridges the gap between true art films and the mainstream. He has yet to find true commercial success with his films, but from looking at his upcoming projects it seems as if he has a shot to make it big. It will be interesting to see if he can create something that will appeal to a mass audience without compromising his artistic sensibilities.

Pop Culture Confession

Forgive me pop culture, for I have sinned.

So there’s this movie I like. No, I don’t like it. I LOVE it.

It’s not a "classic" movie by any means, averaging a 4.3 out of 10 on IMDb. This movie was the inspiration for creating the Razzie Awards. It was nominated for six categories and won the first ever for Worst Director.

I can’t help it. I own it. I own the LP of the soundtrack.

What movie is it? Fine, I’ll confess. It’s Xanadu.

What’s not to love? Just think of all the movie has to offer. Olivia Newton-John! Roller skating! Gene Kelly! Greek muses! Electric Light Orchestra! That guy they reference for one second in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang! A random animated love scene!

Seriously though, this movie is pure cheese at its finest. And maybe it’s because it’s a childhood nostalgia thing. I watched this movie countless times with my Mom and sister (my Dad has the good sense to leave the room).

The reason I still cling to it has to be Side B of the LP—all ELO songs. Come on! Classics like The Fall, Don’t Walk Away (featured in the above animated clip), All Over the World, and of course Xanadu. My favorite is I’m Alive.

So go ahead, post your own pop culture sins. If you’re brave enough, that is. I promise I won’t judge you…much.

Worst Movie Seen in Theaters?

I like to rate movies that I watch. I have Netflix, so I can use the rating system on there. But years ago I started rating movies on IMDb as I watched them. I even devoted a whole week to rating every possible movie I could remember ever watching. (I also keep a list of the movies I’ve recently watched/rated on my blog.) With Netflix my only complaint is that you can’t give “half-stars,” so everything is just 1 to 5. I prefer rating on a scale of 1 to 10 like I do on IMDb.

I think I’m pretty lenient when I rate movies—rarely anything gets below a 4 out of 10. Or maybe that’s because you can usually tell if a movie is going to be below a 4, and you don’t waste your time watching it.

Why am I babbling about my own personal ratings system, you ask? Because I was reminded of what was possibly the worst movie I have EVER seen in the theater. Yes, I said ever. A movie that I actually rated a 1 out of 10. Of all the movies I’ve seen, less than 0.5% have “earned” a 1 out of 10.

The movie I speak of is Autumn in New York.

Released in 2000, this movie must’ve been part of a mother-daughter summer outing before my college break came to an end. And my God was it awful. I can’t even remember who picked it, so I’ll blame it on my Mom. I remember us talking through the whole thing, shocked at just how awful it truly was.

Now I’m not one who’s comfortable with May-December romance cinema to begin with, let alone mother-and-daughter-sharing-the-same-lover stories. The pairing of Richard Gere and Winona Ryder was just atrocious. Granted I do not like Gere, but still…there was no chemistry, it was just repulsive. And their 22-year age difference did not help matters.

We laughed through the sad parts. We gagged through the love scenes. Why my Mom and I did not walk out of the movie I do not know. Perhaps it was because I try to always finish a movie, no matter how awful it may be. But to this day we still joke about it, leaving messages for one another like, “Your favorite movie is on TV tonight!” I even told her I was penning a blog entry titled “Worst Movie Seen in Theaters” and she remarked, “Oh, you mean Autumn in New York?”

So Autumn in New York has my vote. What’s the worst movie you’ve ever seen in the theater? Or the lowest rating you’ve given a movie in general?

This Day in History...

Happy 30th Anniversary to Star Wars. This cinematic anniversary is even being honored by the US Post Office with some stamps and mailboxes. Even in LA it's "Star Wars day." There was a showing of all 6 films that began Wednesday night. Can you imagine sitting for 17 hours straight?

Of course we all know that the Star Wars franchise is such a commonly referenced piece of pop culture:

Spaceballs:


Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (and most of Kevin Smith's movies):

Family Guy (gotta love the CYE reference at the end):

The Simpsons:

Thumb Wars:


And you know I couldn't resist:

Happy Birthday, Kate

I don’t know if you could call it a Celebrity Female Crush of the Month, but maybe you could. More like a tribute—for tomorrow marks what would be the 100th birthday for the great Katharine Hepburn.

Why do us female contributors of the blog pick Katharine Hepburn? She’s admirable for many qualities. A strong-willed woman whose mother was a suffragette, she was known in the 1930s as being too outspoken and considered by some a diva. What was some of this shocking behavior of hers? Wearing “slacks” and no makeup for starters.

There’s one story that Hepburn told in TV autobiography All About Me: After being warned many times by the studio to stop wearing slacks, someone took them from her dressing room while she was filming a scene. When she realized they were missing, she demanded they be returned. And when they refused, she proceeded to walk around in her underwear until they were given back.

Of course there’s her career accomplishments. Hepburn won 4 Oscars in her career, and been given the top spot for females on many lists including the AFI’s 50 Greatest Movie Legends. She’s known for her famous relationships with Howard Hughes and of course her great love Spencer Tracy.

Here’s a very short intro clip from my favorite movie of hers (staring another of my dear favorites, Jimmy Stewart), The Philadelphia Story:

But ultimately Kate’s beliefs and convictions are relatable. In Hepburn’s time, being a sarcastic, witty and determined woman was pretty much unheard of. Here are some of her quotes that illustrate the woman better than I can:

"I often wonder whether men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."

"I've been loved, and I've been in love. There's a big difference."

"Not everyone is lucky enough to understand how delicious it is to suffer."

"Afraid of death? Not at all. Be a great relief. Then I wouldn't have to talk to you."

On marriage: "It's bloody impractical. ‘To love, honor, and obey.’ If it weren't, you wouldn't have to sign a contract."

"Only when a woman decides not to have children, can a woman live like a man. That's what I've done."

"Life is hard. After all, it kills you."

"If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married."

"Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh."

"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."

"I welcome death. In death there are no interviews!"

[When Barbara Walters asked her if she owned a skirt] "I have one Ms. Walters. I'll wear it to your funeral.”

All in all, I have great respect for this tremendously talented woman, who remained a little spit-fire until her death at age 96. Happy 100th Birthday, Katharine Hepburn.

Did Some Digging

SoI was in my local Best Buy the other day and stumbled upon something intriguing. Now, as a supposed pop-culture afficianado, I looked at this and said, "Wait a tick! Hold the phone....a car could be blue!" You see I had never heard anything about this item that was staring me in the face. It looked awesome, but I was wondering, if this is something that, I, as a pop-cultist should have known about? So I contacted by pop guru, and it was decided that I should post it anyways, cause people need to know about it. So here it is....Diggers. Diggers is a movie starring Paul Rudd, Ken Marino, Ron Eldard (which probably means Paul Rudd was next in line for Men Behaving Badly, I dunno?), Maura Tierney and Sarah Paulson. Ken Marino also wrote this bad boy.It's about clam diggers,coming of age. Sounds great right? Here's the preview:



Paul Rudd get's my vote for Celebrity Male Crush of the Month.

Celebrity Male Crush of the Month

I am humbled by the incredible juggernaut of 80s nostalgia posted before me. My only hope to match the brilliance of the previous entries is to go in a different direction. Thus I introduce a new monthly feature I was thinking about.

For straight men there are really only 2 major criteria for a male celebrity crush:

• The celebrity must have talent. However, talent alone is not enough. He must use that talent in the best possible way by choosing only quality projects.

• The celebrity must be a guy that you think you could hang out with. There has to be an average guy feel to him. Basically if you could see yourself hanging out, drinking a beer, shooting the shit and watching a movie or the game then it's a good sign.

What is key is that the jealousy factor does not play a role. If you truly wish you were the celebrity and pine for every hot actress/singer he dates then it just doesn't work.

Now that the rules are out of the way I'd like to introduce May's Celebrity Male Crush:

Zach Braff

So just why exactly does Zach deserve such a high honor? Well let us start with the resume. There is of course his longstanding run on the fantastic Scrubs. And then he wrote and directed a gem called Garden State. He also was behind the brilliant soundtrack that accompanied that film, which was one of the best albums of that year.

I hear you asking, "James, why now? Why May? Why the inaugural choice for this honor?" Zach has many things lined up this month. Scrubs will deliver a season finale that hopefully will help get the show renewed for one more year. May 11th The Ex will hit theaters. To cap it off he will be hosting the season finale of Saturday Night Live on May 19th. He will also be on Conan tonight in case you have the time. And anyone who was even considered to reprise the role of Fletch is impressive by my book.(He was unable to do it due to a scheduling conflict)

Obviously he brings some serious game when it comes to talent. What about the hang-out factor? Is he an average guy? If by average guy you mean a freak like us then yes he is. First of all, he spends way too much time on the internet. He is a self-confessed youtube addict. Plus he takes the time to blog on his myspace page about more than just upcoming projects(though they do get mentioned). He is also obsessed with music as well. Plus the guy gets nervous, which is nice to see. He was on Leno recently and he was obviously a bit on edge. Basically the guy is pretty relatable.

THIS SUMMER'LL BE OFF THE HOOK!

Now while we'll be pulling for the low budget little indie films, like Transformers, I think we all know this to be the summer of the tv explosion. What am I talking about? Well four shows, that are utterly brilliant, which makes me wonder how two of them are even still on tv, are gonna take over the box office. Okay, so they probably won't be as successful as Spiderman the Third at World's End of the Pheonix, is you base on money grossed, but trust me, they will shine. This summer seems to be missing the Frat Pack of Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller, the Wilsons and company, but they have helped pave the way for a new wave of big screen talent.But,what is this...new wave, you may ask? Well it's the brilliance of Scrubs, Arrested Development, The Office (American version)and Freaks and Geeks, with a hint of SNL and Undeclared that'll keep you in stitches this summer.


May 11th, which is right around the corner, we get hit with The EX starring Zach Braff from Scrubs and Jason Bateman from Valerie, the Hogan Family and of course Arrested Development. Braff describes it as "a mesh between the sensibilities of Arrested Development and Scrubs." Well if that's true, The EX could be one of the funniestmovie all-time, right up there with Gung-Ho and Fletch. It also has SNLs Fred Armisen and Amy Poehler,as well as the highly entertaining Donal Logue.








Of course we'd be remiss if we neglected Shrek the Third. What?! Yes folks the newest installment of Shrek features The Office's John Krasinski as Lancelot, SNLs Amy Poehler as Snow White, Maya Rudolph as Rapunzel, SNL alum Cheri Oteri as Sleeping Beauty, and Freaks and Geeks' Seth Rogen as a a ship captain. All aboard? I know I am.

But our beloved Jim from the Office, is not done there folks! On July fourth he'll have a summer movie role, where we will not only hear him, but also see him. Krasinski joins Mandy Moore in License to Wed. He'll be joined by Office friends Angela Kinsey (Angela), Brian Baumgartner (Kevin), and Mindy Kaling (Kelly) in this one as he takes on wacky minister played by the incomparable Robin Williams.





Well, Jill already touched on SNL's Will Forte and ADs Will Arnett in The Brothers Solomon. It also stars SNL's Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, along with the Office's Jenna Fisher.


Next you have August's Superbad starring Arrested Development's Michael Cera. He will team up with that fat kid from Accepted as well as SNL's Bill Hader (he's everywhere!) and Freaks and Geeks' Seth Rogen. Take a look:



And then Rogen takes on a starring rolein Knocked Up with the Tantalizing Kristin Heigl from Grey's Anatomy. This one features fellow Freaks and Geeks' alum Jason Segel (currently Marshall on How I Met Your Mother), Undeclared's Jay Baruchel, The Office's BJ Novak,and SNL's Kristen Wiig and a brief appearance by Steve the Pirate Alan Tudyk, who of course was Ann's (her?) father in AD.





So there'ssomeof the movies, the real pop culturists will should be wtaching out for.

The Brothers Solomon - one more reason to see

So in finally finishing up my Summer Movie Preview issue of Entertainment Weekly, I just read the page dedicated to The Brothers Solomon, staring Will Arnett, Will Forte and Kristen Wiig.

Here's a quote from the description:

"Or as Arnett cheerfully describes it, equal parts Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and 'that bus movie with Roise O'Donnell.'"

How can you NOT see it now?!

Here's the trailer for it...gotta love their faces during the mug shots:



And for my own enjoyment... "HELLO! Toilet seat assistance at row number one, THANK YOU!"