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Movies of 2012 (Updated)

2012-12-31T22:37:00.000-08:00

The Grey
Chronicle
Haywire
Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie

My Thoughts on the Oscars Best Picture Nominees (2012)

2012-02-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

With a little over a week until this year's Academy Awards, I have once again completed my goal of seeing all Best Picture nominees before the show. In the past few years, I have attempted to do so not only to add some culture to my cinema viewing, but also to understand how every film works in the category. It may not seem like there's depth, but when you get down to statistics, there are certain themes, actors, and directors that go into each nominee year after year. Like horse races, it's intense to see who pull ahead. Some years it isn't the hard to figure out. Others, you'll get a left field winner that becomes the true underdog story of the year.

For one reason or another, I just have found myself invested in the Oscars since I was young. Back when I didn't watch more than possibly one nominee. There was a sense that the film you liked got the credit it deserved. I still feel that way, even though my track record hasn't been the best. In fact, I haven't locked in a winning choice since 2003's Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Last year I was sure that the Social Network would beat the King's Speech, only to be proven wrong. The rush I felt leading up to that moment was an all time high. This year I am hoping for the first time in nine years to pick the right one. I have come close, but the confidence I display every year just proves that I would go broke in Las Vegas.

But I have seen all nine nominees, and what do I think of them? For the most part, this hasn't been my favorite year. Of the ones nominated, I'd only consider 4 to be movies that I would watch over and over. I'm also disappointed that movies like Drive and 50/50 didn't make the cut, but have since come to terms with it. This is a diverse bunch of movies that I feel are very reflective of the year in cinema, even if it isn't the best selection.

I will now count down my choices in order of least favorable to most likely winner. Again, I acknowledge that this is mostly based on opinion, but these are my thoughts on the choices. I don't think that it means that my least favorite won't be one of the more prized choices. It just means that I didn't like it as much as the other ones.

9. Moneyball

I really try and give sports movies a try, but sometimes the logic goes over my head. As much as I enjoyed Aaron Sorkin's work in the Social Network, it just sounds cold and factual here. At no point did I really care for any of the characters, nor did I feel like there was an interesting plot. For the most part it felt like watching Brad Pitt play the game of trading players back and forth to find the perfect team. I guess that's a good idea, but it doesn't make for an interesting movie when the important cast is constantly being changed. I felt no emotional investment and a lot of the lingo went over my head. I don't really know that this is a sports movie as it is a movie about trying to make money with an elitist group of players.

8. The Help

When this movie first came out, I assumed that it would be a good summer movie. Nothing more. However, as the months rolled on, it kept coming up. I am not entirely sure why that was, so I finally gave it a try. For the most part, I wasn't a big fan of the story of segregation. Maybe it's because I am not personally involved with that time, but this felt like an average movie about segregation. If we are going to reward this movie for anything, let's just give the Best Actress statue to Viola Davis. This movie essentially feels like it was only nominated because of a few great performances. Otherwise, I don't feel like this is a revolutionary or impacting segregation movie as much as it is a happy, cleaned up version meant to make everything seem much more safe and cheerful.

7. The Tree of Life

I must admit right now that I wasn't a big fan of this movie. While I didn't hate it, I felt at times like it was a little too incompetent and trying to be more grandeur than coherent. However, as time has progressed, my opinion of the movie has gotten a little more favorable. Because it is not a traditional narrative with a lot of interesting shots and a plot that never feels solid, it's one of the most successfully ambitious films of the year. If it doesn't keep your interest, it will at least make for interesting conversation later with movie fans. By being different, this is the real underdog on this list and while it probably won't walk away with a statue, it will definitely be one that will be referenced for years to come as well as spawn some terrible imitations.

6. War Horse

I was loathing the day when I had to finally get this one off of my list. While the Tree of Life produced an interesting narrative through memories, the thought of a movie centralized around a horse seemed too baffling, even if it was by Steven Spielberg. However, what came out was a pretty decent movie. Even though it features every Spielberg trope imaginable, it just proves that he's a master at pulling off some of the grandeur and interesting marks. While I don't find everything that happened to be all that interesting, it succeeded in making me care for the horse and root for him as he charged across the battlefield in the third act. This is by no means Spielberg or composer John Williams' best, but it's a good film nonetheless that while maybe a little too much, is fitting on this list.

5. Hugo

While this film may have ranked higher than a few of the choices to come, I feel that this is a very bias nominee. While I admire director Martin Scorsese, this movie feels more like a love letter to cinema that only got nominated because of the fact. It's a solid movie, but one that feels like the narrative was sacrificed to tell a story about Georges Melies. It's an interesting one and a very captivating film, but I have trouble calling this one worthy of a nomination because it just doesn't feel as textually solid as the others. However, with some fine performances from the cast and a dazzling look, I am somewhat fine with placing it among the top 5 for sheer ambition. Scorsese proves that he can still make a really good movie, even if the tale isn't the main point.

4. The Descendants

One of the most common misconceptions of the past year was that I hated the Descendants. I don't. Like the Help, I think that it is a coherent tale of life in Hawaii, but at the same time, I don't feel that it's one of the best. If anything, I am adamantly sure that this could be the year George Clooney finally gets a Best Actor statue. Other than that, I am fine with it's nomination, but the clout placed behind it is just baffling. It's an average melodrama that just happens to be entertaining. However, the reason I place it this high is because Clooney is a solid actor and really makes this movie work despite it's flaws. In fact, I am willing to give this movie a second try just to see if I was judging it too harshly in comparison to the superior Clooney vehicle Up in the Air.

3. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

I know that most people are probably going to tune out because I rated this dark horse so high. In fact, I probably wouldn't have seen it had it not been nominated. I wouldn't even expect it to be nominated if there were only 5 slots. However, as far as this list goes, this one left a pretty big impression on me. Up to this point, I had yet to see a movie themed around 9-11 that really connected with me. While I feel emotionally distant from the events, it's the idea of closure and being alone that really clicked. Placing it in 9-11 feels secondary in comparison. I also really enjoyed the pseudo-father/son relationship developed between Thomas Horn and Max von Sydow in the film. This film may not resonate with some because at times it's emotionally sappy, but for me, I felt a strong connection and went along for the ride. Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in emotionally powerful movies, even though it probably won't win. At best I can see von Sydow getting some buzz, even though I'm sure Christopher Plummer in Beginners will take the Best Supporting Actor statue.

2. Midnight in Paris

Easily my favorite Best Picture nominee among the bunch. As a big Woody Allen fan, I was happy to see this film feature a lot of his witty, artistic roots that felt vacant since the early 00's. It's probably one of my favorites of his and the plot itself is infection. In a time when most of the nominees are adaptations, it's refreshing to see a tale that pays homage to the rich history of writers from the past while bringing them into a relevant story. I love this movie and am mostly rooting for it to win Best Original Screenplay. It features probably some of Allen's best characters in years as well. Almost every famous author has the absurd Allen charm and is just a reminder of why Allen is considered one of the greats, even if his work doesn't always look that way.

1. The Artist

While Midnight in Paris is probably one of the best movies of the year, the Artist is in fine competition to be the better choice. With a lovable cast, a dog named Uggie, and a juicy score by Ludovic Bource, I found myself mesmerized by the entire thing. It featured plenty of comical beats and a lot of sad moments, but Jean Dujardin managed to deliver all in probably the true breakout performance of the year. Don't let the silent film gimmick get you. There's plenty of charm going for this tale that shouldn't be missed. I am confident that it will win Best Picture. It's one of those rare films that works in spite of it's flaws. I love this movie and will probably chastise you if you don't see it on the big screen.

Want to see the Best Picture movies but haven't? Check your local rental service or check out this event happening at AMC theaters the next two weekends.

Also, what are some of your thoughts? Should the Help be ranked higher? Is Moneyball really better than I make it out to be? Let me know what you think and I look forward to finding out who the winners are on February 26.

A few thoughts on "Chronicle" (2012) and Found Footage Movies

2012-02-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend saw the release of director Josh Trank's found footage film Chronicle in which three rowdy teens get telekinesis and raise trouble. Of course the conflict is that one is using it to seek revenge against an abusive world by tearing out teeth and beating up his father. The issue with the film itself is that it has a boring narrator. Of course the troubled one would hurt people. That alone wrecks the momentum of the story and leaves this feeling like an obvious "woe is me" tale of someone with too much power. There's no big arc, just a lot of "cool" effects.

However, there was one thing that became more bothersome. Something so distracting that maybe the plot wasn't the most of it's problems. It's the found footage concept. This whole story started because some kid got a $500 camera for his birthday and is now using it to film everything. This isn't an art student, but just some whiny kid whose filming everything. However, what starts off as a boring gimmick slowly evolves into a big distraction for the rest of the film.

When you have one camera, it is possible that the film could have maintained a credible vibe. Even with the camera maintaining altitude pressure as they flew in the clouds, it could make sense in this world. It's when several other features were introduced that things become distracting. A video blogger shows up and films a rave. Somehow this becomes important to capturing footage for this movie. However, it's also in that scene that a third mystery camera shows up.

That's where everything goes wrong. If you follow the angles properly, there are three different angles in the rave scene, but only two camera. It's permissible, but by the third act, it is seen more as foreshadow. When the conflicts play out, we are not reduced to two cameras and a "mystery" camera, but a million different cameras. Mind you, this is a found footage story. I highly doubt that the found footage could include: hospital cameras, gas station cameras, and a distant camera with clear resolution filming the finale. There's also one that's very steady filming it closer, but I doubt that it's the original $500 camera that began this movie.

This movie had one gimmick to live up to, and it was to present itself as a found footage story. It failed by it's own rules and as a result lost most credibility. It's true that what happened looked interesting, but when you disrespect the logic you place upon yourself, why should we hold confidence in the film making?

It got me thinking also about what are my true opinions on found footage films. Better yet, American found footage films. We've seen plenty buzz over the past few years, but are they worth it. What appeal can be drawn from this style?

Probably the most known start of this phenomenon was the Blair Witch Project, which came out of nowhere and scared audiences. The reason that the movie worked was not only because the cast featured a bunch of unknowns, but because it lived up to it's rules. It was filming the story of the Blair Witch and everything used had some relative use to the narrative. At no point did it feel like the camera was used in a gimmicky way to film something cool. When you get to the gimmicky side of things, it's then that your found footage movie becomes a little nuisance.

If you look at Chronicle, there is a lot of gimmicky camera moments. While it's understandable for the guy to film the telekinesis scenes, there are many that leave you puzzling why he had the camera on. When he meets his friends for the first time, the camera is already running despite filming what looks to be nothing important. It's a subtle moment that in a normal film would seem fine, but why was the camera running? There are numerous other scenes that progress to something good, but the nuisance beginning comes across as a gimmick, making you wonder why the camera was running in the first place.

How can found footage films work as a narrative without seeming nuanced? Unless you logically work it into the plot of filming something else, like the going away party in Cloverfield, you can't. Chronicle fails because it doesn't have a logical starting point for turning on the camera for most scenes. Even the concept that the protagonist is hiding behind a camera to hide emotional discourse doesn't fly after a few scenes. The only thing that works is that the camera occasionally flickers out and returns on another moment.

With Cloverfield, it progresses into the action. Also, while both are heavily reliant on special effects, it's director Matt Reeves' film that comes out on top because it provides some mystery the whole time. It's one consecutive night and it helps to strengthen the narrative. There's even moments spliced in of an old Ferris wheel that creates a mystery. There are layers in Cloverfield that while maybe not that deep, add a complexity necessary to make found footage films have some legs.

There is also the Last Exorcism, which is a substantial film in that they also had a motive. The protagonist is an exorcist hoaxer who does one last mission for a rural family. It's weird, it's eerie, but it also features a unique atmosphere needed to make the story work as a whole. It may run into more gimmicky moments (like turning off the camera in a hospital), but in the end it works because it also eventually shows that the family is not quite that innocent. There is a twist that makes this film succeed. It may be a little stupid, but it works to strengthen the narrative. Chronicle has no real twist, and instead is just about typical, angst-ridden teens.

However, for those that wish to say that found footage films are here to stay, I must ask why. In truth, every genre has some good and bad, but I cannot see what the good in found footage is. At most it's a cheap way to make movies and keep making Paranormal Activity sequels. However, that's the problem within itself. It's cheap. You can use jump scares and ambiguous cuts to scare audiences without having to explain reasoning. If people got pissed about the ending of Joe Carnahan's the Grey, then I'm sure they hate this genre already.

Also, it's just too distracting. It's true that with Youtube people film themselves more for stupid reasons, but it doesn't work as a movie. Eventually there will be a real found footage movie and all we'll do is cry wolf. There is nothing good to come from this except lazy storytelling and the death of coherent writers. As much as I am for original properties, I cannot see this going further.

Unless they do something that actually constitutes REAL found footage movies. Splice in this stuff with an actual narrative. Chronicle did, but it felt like it came too late. It's risky, but if you do it correctly, it may actually strengthen the movie besides making the camera angles feel more like gimmicks used by Ricky in American Beauty. Even then, knowing Ricky's back story made his obsession relate more to the plot.

How can we splice found footage into a narrative? It hasn't been explored too much in mainstream movies, but in Werner Herzog's documentary Grizzly Man, it uses actual found footage of Timothy Treadwell living among bears. It has all of the realms of Chronicle or Cloverfield, but because it adds substance around it, the story makes more sense. We get an impression of who Treadwell is through his own footage. We also get it through interviews and a narration from Herzog. If you wanted to make found footage fiction films work, you need to build around it. Add a narrator or a story that would incorporate it. Something that makes the story work. You cannot get by on ambiguous cuts the entire film.

While Chronicle isn't the worst offender to the found footage genre, it certainly is a reminder that we shouldn't limit ourselves to one camera. If we do that, we just run the risk of running out of interesting things to film. By constricting yourself, you're not pushing your medium in interesting ways. Also, while it has been proven possible, the narrative will suffer if you just have a camera rolling for gimmicky reasons. Please, stop making what you think is found footage movies and start making movies that have found footage.

Tom’s Top Ten Films of 2011

2012-01-21T22:50:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2012

CinemaBeach Everything Else, Featured

When I look back at the year in cinema, I try to think about what really stood out. What films will resonate with me as time progresses? While numerous titles are already familiar to other lists, I am not prone to choosing a title just to seem educated. My list has a variety that includes pictures with sharp scripts, great set pieces, and four memorable performances by dogs. These are the films that I feel will stand the test of time and get me excited when the title sequence starts. These are the ten films that made me most excited to go to the theaters in 2011.

Super

While the Marvel Studio movies controlled the box office, it was director James Gunn’s superhero opus that walked away the winner with a large fraction of the budget. The dissection of caped heroes has never been more perverse or fun as watching Rainn Wilson assault people with a wrench. This is an achievement of proving that reading comics and acting on them will do little except crush your dreams.

Midnight in Paris

Director Woody Allen’s best work in recent years has been derived from his love of literature and foreign cities. What he manages to do here is combine the two into a love letter to Paris and the writers that inhabit its night life. He displays some of his sharpest humor and most fleshed out characters that reminds you why he’s one of the living greats.

Attack the Block

A stylized sci-fi horror movie that blends Basement Jaxx scores with British slang and creates the most entertaining 88 minutes of the year. Director Joe Cornish’s debut shows competence and pacing that chooses to challenge your expectations and reward you for sticking around.

50/50

No movie packed bigger emotional punches than this dramatic comedy that explored Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young man with cancer. Writer Will Reiser’s honest look is so authentic and youthful that it manages to slip a few Predator references in without making it feel desperate. The real gem of this movie is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who carries the movie through the good and bad moments with a sense of honesty and hope.

The Artist

While largely a love letter to cinema, it’s an ambitious story about finding your voice. Very few silent films get made nowadays, but it’s hard to imagine anyone doing a better dynamic than the whimsical score of Ludovic Bource, a human-like dog named Uggie, and actor Jean Dujardin, whose physicality is so top notch that without a single word can make you laugh or cry. It may not be in the leagues of Chaplin or Keaton, but to know this art form is still alive gives me hope that there’s still a market for it.

The Adventures of Tintin

It has been a disappointing year for animated movies until director Steven Spielberg finally unleashed this adaptation of the Herge comics. With assistance from composer John Williams and a dream list of British writers (Joe Cornish, Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright), he creates one of his most ambitious and fun movies in years. It may not be heavy on mystery, but it is a reminder that Spielberg can be transcendent without pandering to a single demographic.

Drive

This is quite possibly the most meditative, violent, nostalgic love letter to Los Angeles this year. By choosing to not be a high octane action movie, it instead succeeds at becoming a character study of one of the most ambiguous, desensitized characters of the year (Ryan Gosling). It wears the ambition on its sleeve and with director Nicolas Winding Refn’s pedigree for the less is more theory; it also comes across as the one movie about cars that even art house nuts can love.

Young Adult

It is likely that writer Diablo Cody made Charlize Theron’s character a doppelgänger for her career post-Juno. However, it is also Cody’s most mature and meta movie to date, delivering her traditional love of nostalgic pop culture references. With great performances, it manages to explore how growing up doesn’t mean maturing in hilarious and ambitious ways.

Hugo

While it is the lesser of the two cinema lover films this year, it doesn’t keep it from being one of the best period. Director Martin Scorsese’s dive into kid’s movies manages to bring his cinematic touches to a simple story while introducing children to the work of Georges Melies. With numerous call backs to films like Safety Last and A Trip to the Moon, this is the ultimate mesh of old and new cinema and a perfect gateway for any ambitious moviegoer.

Beginners

Based on experiences of director Mike Mills’ relationship with his dad, this is a humorous look into relationships and what it means to be open about it. With a brilliant performance by Christopher Plummer, this tale never loses its charm and instead packs every scene with plenty of heart.

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 54

2012-01-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Link

Nerd’s Eye View is proud to present Matt Benson, our official Game Master(or whatever title he decides on). Andrew observes The Iron Lady, Thom has A Mighty Wind, and Matt makes an offer with The Godfather. On the TV side, Matt visits Downton Abbey, Thom goes to the dogs with Terriers and Andrew spys on Archer. In video games, Andrew complains about Kinect for Microsoft. Benson officiates his first game with new entry “To Title the Truth.” The CBYHS theme is comedies and the results leave no one with laughter(okay, maybe a little). The Trailer Trash entries this week are The Innkeepers (2/3), Moonrise Kingdom (8/18), and Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie (3/3). Then everyone Guesses the Ending! Be sure to like us on Facebook , send us a tweet , and tell your friends. You can also read Thom’s reviews and Andrew’s articles . For updates on Benson’s Boombox, check him out on Facebook

Remember the Time

2012-01-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

By Thomas Willett

NOTE: Before you read this piece, let me acknowledge that this is not intended to be a tirade against the latest Alexander Payne movie the Descendants. This is meant to dissect concepts presented in a recent event that I feel needs to be touched on. You will also notice a few comparisons to actor George Clooney’s last bout at the Oscars called Up in the Air. I have a deep love for that movie and still occasionally show bitterness to the Academy for giving the Best Picture award to the Hurt Locker instead. Also, in a year when themes of loss and family were better explored in Win Win and the Way, I feel some need to undermine the quality of a movie that I find to be nothing more than a competent family drama. I must also note that there is no beef with the staff of this movie as I am a big fan of Payne’s Election.

This past Sunday, the awards season had one of the biggest events. For many, the Golden Globes is considered to be the moment when we have a vision of what movies will stand a chance at the Oscars. There wasn’t much shock as the Artist and the Descendants won in the Best Picture categories. There wasn’t any great upsets, though my original bet of The Ides of March sweeping because of the Foreign Press Association’s love of politics was ill-informed. I think that it was mostly because I believe that Ryan Gosling needs some cred to not get duped by the Oscars after being nixed last year for his best performance to date (Blue Valentine).

What did I think of the choices? As you heard on the podcast and can infer from the opening paragraph, I was fine with most of them. I will praise the Artist (and Uggie especially) to no end and guarantee it will win big at the Oscars (even though my track record of picking winners has only been successful twice in ten years). I have numerous issues with the Descendants and the praise that it’s received, notably that it isn’t the best that this year had to offer.

When it won Best Picture, producer Jim Burke accepted the award and said:

“We had an extraordinary ensemble cast of young and older actors, veterans and newcomers, but our quarterback was George Clooney. Besides giving a career-best performance, in my mind, he was a generous actor who helped everyone do his best. So thank you very much, George. And if this movie becomes a timeless movie, which I feel like it will be to me, I feel like it’s because of our filmmaker and friend, Alexander Payne.”

I am fine with calling Clooney’s performance in the movie good, even comparing it to a quarterback (obscure Leatherheads reference?). I feel that the reason this movie works is because Clooney is restrained and dedicated enough to make it work. Even Shailene Woodley (who didn’t deserve that nomination) was good as the daughter.

However, the line that has bugged me for days has been towards the middle of that speech. Burke decided to state that this movie could be timeless. While I think that it is played off objectively, it is a bold statement that I have always believed is not meant to be answered by the creators. If anything, I believe that the question “Is this timeless?” should be answered by the influence that it gives to the future.

According to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of timeless is: not restricted to a particular time or date. Is the Descendants, only one month in public consumption, already timeless? Are the themes explored strong enough to transcend generation and years to represent this era’s beliefs on how to cope with loss?

To answer that question, I decided to explore what other movies would be considered timeless. I started by finding out other writers’ thoughts on the issue. From the website Filmslate, R.C. Varenas explored the relationship between media and history in an article called ” Can a Film Ever Be Timeless ?” We perceive Shakespeare and Beethoven to be timeless masterpieces. No one questions them because they have been around for centuries and are almost universally recognized.

Then there’s movies, a medium that’s been around significantly shorter. Since the technology continually grows, most films have a dated feel. There are also movies we gain sentimental attachment to based on certain experiences. Besides film buffs, can films from any time be able to stand out as being extraordinary and universally recognized? Can they be as common as Shakespeare’s work?

Varenas refuses to establish a strong case for movies being at all timeless. However, I choose to argue that movies can become so. While some are continued through the ages by nostalgia, there are some that manage to reflect a period of time and not only tell a compelling story, but also move the field forward. It’s true that sometimes the technology doesn’t age well. No one can look at A Trip to the Moon and technically compare it to something modern like Prometheus. However, there is an indirect influence not only thematically that there are aliens on both voyages, but that it’s possible to imagine the George Melies film looking something like Ridley Scott’s and vice-versa if the times had changed. It’s also timeless because A Trip to the Moon reflects the beginning years of science fiction and as Hugo proved last year, that even with limited resources, the medium can be used to amaze.

Films don’t need to have advanced technology to amaze. Despite directors like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg using the medium to make visually stunning movies, there have also been movies that can qualify as timeless based solely on dialogue and performances. Charlie Chaplin created films like Modern Times that managed to mix slapstick humor and economic troubles into a funny yet poignant view of the world’s debt as well as the end of the silent film era. Star Wars showed that aliens and humans can get along. Rain Man showed that it is possible to make a respectable movie about autism. There are endless ways to go about making poignant films. However, are these timeless?

I personally feel that in order to be timeless, you need to not only be significant, but also be memorable enough to influence history. If it’s something iconic like simple plot twists like Alfred Hitchcock or use of John Williams score, you are in the running for timeless. It’s hard to properly judge Shakespeare because as Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous would have you believe; some people didn’t like his work. Would you be able to look at “Romeo and Juliet” back then and think that in 30 years, let alone hundreds, that it would still be remembered and quoted by bored high school students? No. Every medium has its fans and haters. Emmerich clearly hates Shakespeare.

The issue with calling any of these films timeless is arguably because of the root word: time. At best, we can look at the early days and see competence and the evolution. Simple camera techniques that evolved into what they are today. Even the point of view horror films of Friday the 13th are in some way inspirational of our society. It changes the way we look at movies. Films can only be considered timeless if they pave the way for something bigger. They need to be six degrees away from creating the next epic or drama.

Without A Trip to the Moon, I am sure many perceived notions about science fiction would not exist. We wouldn’t see a face in the moon or think of extraterrestrial beings that look like Sleestaks. We wouldn’t be able to get films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind if our interest never grew from that. We wouldn’t believe that comedy could mix slapstick and social commentary without films like Modern Times evolving into Woody Allen’s Bananas. If we didn’t have influence, nothing would seem possible. Are any of these timeless in the same vein as something from the 17th century? No. Times were different and so were the artistic demands.

However, can a film possibly be timeless to those who are not movie snobs? Yes. While it is mostly subjective to blockbusters and feel good movies, audiences have their own set of timeless movies because blockbusters too have grown. They probably won’t look at The Descendants and think much of it, but the brilliance of movies is that anything can be timeless if the era is reflected without ruining artistic integrity. Movies like The Deer Hunter and Taxi Driver are products of their time that are still cherished, yet both reflect the mental torture of the Vietnam War. In order to be a great film, art and story need to collide without being disjointed so that the creator’s voice and message can be understood and better remembered.

Are there timeless movies out there right now? Yes. However, we need to allow time to digest and decide if they really were the greatest thing ever. I am sure that 50/50 will be a very poignant movie for me, but I don’t know if it will be timeless. Movies that stick with you can be great, but eventually it becomes nostalgia. I feel that for my generation 50/50 is a reflection of growing old and facing life in an amazingly fresh and honest way. For my grandparents, it’s a movie with a dog named Skeletor , to whom the name means nothing.

Ultimately, the timeless movies are obvious. You hear the quotes. You see the shirts. Your grandparents are aware of it. These are films like Wizard of Oz or Star Wars. Films everyone has undoubtedly seen to some degree and remembered. Directors like Steven Spielberg are timeless as they have managed to become marquee names and become the expectation for excellence. However, films that paved the way for these guys are timeless in that they’ll never be forgotten as long as there’s film preservation and people who respect cinema and get joy out of the still camera set-up of A Trip to the Moon and understand how it influenced Prometheus.

I feel that Up in the Air has a chance to be close to timeless as I feel that it is reflective of the current economic world as well as how it isolates us all. Many would disagree, but I find that its use of computers to replace face-to-face contact says more about how distant everyone becomes. It also is genius in that it shows it from every angle. People getting fired throughout the movie reflect the common man’s despair, often resulting in thoughts of hopelessness and suicide. The people hired to fire people have to overcome personal emotions. This is something everyone can relate to and it’s done without being preachy about it.

Is the Descendants worthy of being timeless? No. For starters, a film’s influence should be recognized by the audience. Will we be citing any scenes from this movie in years to come? I don’t know that there’s anything that stood out. It’s a story about death that says little of interest to the human condition. It’s just a man trying to get along with his family. Win Win did that better. It’s about coping with death. The Way did that better. I don’t feel that the Descendants explored these issues in an interesting enough way to deserve the praise that it’s gotten let alone to be remembered as more than another movie. Even George Clooney’s performance doesn’t scream greatness.

In this age, it’s hard to predict what is timeless. All we have is initial reaction. We can find stuff that attaches to our core, but there’s no guarantee we’ll love it in five years. That’s the joy of movies. They can be subjective and even the greatest movies can be hated. To say the least, it’s impossible to judge a movie as timeless until at least five years pass. Even then, it’s also about where we’ve come as a society since then. Did Little Miss Sunshine pave the way for cinema today, and if so, what? These and many more questions should be used to define how timeless a movie really is.

You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him on Nerd’s Eye View every Tuesday and Thursday at nevpodcast.com . Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com. You can also read Thom’s movie reviews for Cinema Beach at cinemabeach.com .

A Lazy Lady

2012-01-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

by Thomas Willett

11:00pm PST, January 17, 2011

Over the years, cinema has shown a lot of love for British royalty. This can best be seen in last year’s Oscar winner The King’s Speech, in which King George VI overcomes a speech impediment. What is it about the British monarchy that creates this fascination? Is it the accents, the scenery, or something deeper? From what has been seen, there hasn’t been too much to justify this phenomenon. This continues with director Phyllidia Lloyd’s The Iron Lady.

The story follows Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) as she reflects on her life from a simple shop-keep to the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. While it starts off as a story meant to praise the power of women, it evolves into a more typical story of a leader and a society that dislikes her. If there is a central flaw, it’s that there is never an emotional attachment developed. This is most likely due to the beliefs of Thatcher in not mixing business with personal thoughts. It also creates a repressed character that appears to accomplish a lot, but leaves little to care about.

It is to be expected that Streep can deliver a great performance. Giving all her effort, she helps raise the movie with but a simple, charming accent. Her dedication shines in scenes where she is yelling at the congress with passionately worded phrases. Otherwise her range feels somewhat limited as the story progresses and requires her to be more restrictive. As a result, the movie fluctuates in quality, never setting a consistent tone and not really establishing a singular reason to give a damn.

However, if there is one shining star, it is Jim Broadbent, who plays Thatcher’s husband Dennis. While he comes across as insignificant to most of the story, the chemistry between Broadbent and Streep is excellent. His playful torment brings a comical touch and brings some humanity to a story destined to be an inauthentic history lesson. One can only wish that the writers would have realized his character and centered the plot around their relationship to make for a better story. For the most part, the emotional climax feels underwhelming due to the emotional limitations of the main character.

The one achievement of the film and its story is that it’s edited very well. After the chaotic work of J. Edgar, it’s nice to see a nonlinear story told in a way that doesn’t distract from the narrative. It presents each event in a clever way and ties in perfectly to the next scene. There is also actual news footage spliced in that helps to develop a more authentic vibe to the flashbacks. The score by Thomas Newman also provides vivacious energy that makes the parliament scenes feel lively and fun.

However, due to an unorganized tone, it is hard to see this as more than a movie about Margaret Thatcher. It doesn’t respect the subject well enough to develop as more than a retrospective spanning her 21 year career. Streep does the best she can to deliver writer Abi Morgan’s dense script in an entertaining fashion. The result is a forgettable, generic drama that says little.

The Iron Lady is a reminder that British politicians are just as interesting as American ones. It all depends on who is writing the story and what route is taken. If there is nothing interesting to say, why tell the story? Margaret Thatcher sounds like an interesting woman, but this plays as nothing but a survey of everything she did without the significance. It also sacrifices human elements as a result and leaves everything feeling cold. Despite good editing and a fantastic Jim Broadbent, there is little to restore faith that every British politician deserves a biopic starring an over qualified American actress portraying her.

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 53

2012-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

Link

The Nerd’s Eye View crew opens episode 53 with a review of Moneyball. Special guest Matt Benson rejoins and adds his two cents. An overview of the Golden Globes finds everyone underwhelmed. Also included are the box office top ten, new releases on DVD and Blu ray and news. Send us email at nevpodcast@gmail.com and tweet us @nevpodcast . Thanks for listening!

Golden Globe Winners

2012-01-16T23:28:00.000-08:00

Another year has come and the Golden Globes have been announced. Who won, who lost, and how did they stack up to my picks? Check it out here. Do note that my list greatly differed as the weeks lead up to the event. I fell in love with the Artist and I finally heard of A Separation. So, here is my list. Expect the Oscars and Razzies picks to pop up accordingly.

Best Picture: Drama

Should: Hugo

Will: the Ides of March

Did: the Descendants

Best Picture: Comedy or Musical

Should: Midnight in Paris

Will: the Artist

Did: the Artist

Best Director

Should: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Will: George Clooney, the Ides of March

Did: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Best Actress: Comedy or Musical

Should: Michelle Williams, My Week with Mariliyn

Will: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Did: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Best Actor: Comedy or Musical

Should: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50

Will: Jean Dujardin, the Artist

Did: Jean Dujuardin, the Artist

Best Actress: Drama

Should: Rooney Mara, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Will: Viola Davis, the Help

Did: Meryl Streep, the Iron Lady

Best Actor: Drama

Should: Ryan Gosling, the Ides of March

Will: George Clooney, the Descendants

Did: George Clooney, the Descendants

Best Supporting Actor

Should: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Will: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Did: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Supporting Actress

Should: Octavia Spencer, the Help

Will: Shailene Woodley, the Descendants

Did: Octavia Spencer, the Help

Best Screenplay

Should: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Will: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, the Ides of March

Did: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Best Foreign Language Film

Should: The Skin I Live In

Will: The Flowers of War

Did: A Separation

Best Animated Feature

Should: The Adventures of Tintin

Will: The Adventures of Tintin

Did: The Adventures of Tintin

Best Original Score

Should: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Will: John Williams, War Horse

Did: Ludovic Bource, the Artist

Best Original Song

Should: "The Living Proof," the Help

Will: "The Living Proof," the Help

Did: "Masterpiece," W.E.

Best Comedy TV Series

Should: New Girl

Will: Modern Family

Did: Modern Family

Best Actor, TV Comedy Series

Should: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Will: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Did: Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Best Actress, TV Comedy Series

Should: Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Will: Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Did: Laura Dern, Enlightened

Best Drama TV Series

Should: Game of Thrones

Will: Boardwalk Empire

Did: Homeland

Best Actor, TV Drama Series

Should: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Will: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Did: Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Best Actress, TV Drama Series

Should: Claire Danes, Homeland

Will: Claire Danes, Homeland

Did: Claire Danes, Homeland

Best TV Series: Miniseries/Movie

Should: Mildred Pierce

Will: Mildred Pierce

Did: Downtown Abbey

Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for TV

Should: Bill Nighy, Page Eight

Will: Bill Nighy, Page Eight

Did: Idris Elba, Luther

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture

Should: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Will: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Did: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for TV

Should: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Will: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Did: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie

Should: Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Will: Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Did: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

So, how did my odds stack up this year? Let's check the numbers.

Movie wins by

Should: 6/15 (40%)

Will: 6/15 (40%)

TV wins by

Should: 3/11 (27%)

Will: 4/11 (36%)

Verdict: A rather solid year, though the strongest section was definitely in the movies. In that section, I believe that I have the acting categories almost down. I just need to see where what I believe and what I know overlap and see what exactly made me think that way. I believe that if I fine tune my voting for the Oscars, I will be able to ace the winners. Also, let's hope that the Artist beats the Descendants in the big categories.

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 52

2012-01-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

Link

In the second episode of 2012, the guys kick it off talking about what they watched over the break. Andrew talks about the insane Crank, how It’s a Wonderful Life was significant to him, and his thoughts on Adam Scott in Party Down. Thom sees through Griff the Invisible, shoots down Hobo with a Shotgun, and admires The Artist. Matt’s movies are secret, but they sure are doozies! Also included is video game news that excites Andrew. Although they don’t play Can’t Believe You Havent’s Seen(still send your #CBYHS suggestions to @nevpodcast), they do play Guess the Ending and tease the future of games. The three Trailer’s for Trash or Treasure are Footnote (3/9, limited), Return (2/10), and The Dictator (3/12). Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com and tell your friends!

A Good January Jones

2012-01-11T18:49:00.000-08:00

By Thomas Willett

There is a specific reason that January 1st is considered to be National Hangover Day. Besides the excessive partying until the wee hours of the night, it’s mostly the last fun moment that you will get for a while. In fact, it can be seen as a metaphorical text to the actual months. What happens in December? Ten “great” movies open on Christmas weekend. Entertaining retrospectives and recognizing the achievements of a year that has passed. This is the ultimate gluttony of mass media consummation. It’s the equivalent to drinking yourself silly and thinking that the good time won’t stop.

Then there’s January. The party has to end sometime, so why not do it with a full day of the Rose Parade and a marathon of the Honeymooners? It looks bleak and leaves you in a haze, wondering what exactly happened to make you feel this bad. Did you really need to see those ten “great” movies in one weekend? Why does no one leave any good feelings for January? Why must we get stuck with a bad knock-off of The Last Exorcism?

That’s right. I am implying that January is the movie equivalent to a national hangover. I’m not implying that you have to be drunk to enjoy anything that comes out this month. Matt has assured me that there’s at least a Michael Fassbender movie to tide me over until February. However, it should leave you with a stomach churning, wanting something better. With cinema in your blood,you need an intravenous line feeding you sustenance. This is what I consider to be a bad January jones.

So what can you do to make sure that the jones doesn’t kill you? You could sit around and complain about movies being bad right now, but that’s only perpetuating a stereotype. I can attest that good movies do come out in January. One was called Youth in Revolt,which I’ll admit wasn’t phenomenal, but it was good. It was also 2010 and was the start of the Rooney Mara train. I’m saying to just give movies a chance and see one.

That is not what I am here to talk about. I recognize that Matt has already given enough criticism on the silly season to make whatever I could say seem photocopied. I am here to figure out other ways to quench your January jones without having to go to the Cineplex, drop some cash, and write me a letter saying:

“Gee Thom, One for the Money may be the only good movie that Katherine Heigl has done. She has come a long way since she famously called her only great movie Knocked Up a sexist piece of trash before making the far more sexist 27 Dresses and Life as We Know It.”

I’m fine with you writing me. Just don’t tell me that Heigl is a credible actress after those Knocked Up comments. However, let’s not start a war. Just don’t see One for the Money.

There is plenty going on away from the venues this time of year. For instance, numerous shows have just been uploaded onto Netflix Watch Instant and HBO Go. If you have these services, they’re already hooked up for you. All you have to do is hit play. My advice is that instead of wasting time complaining that there are no good shows on television, prove yourself wrong. There are just not any good ones airing right now (which I’ll prove you wrong in a second).

You may be worried about a long term commitment. You don’t need it to consume months, just a few weeks until the Sweeps start. Speaking of January jones, an actress who has a similar name stars on the Emmy-award winning show Mad Men, which also is coming back in March. Now would be a good time to catch up on the 52 episodes preceding it. How about Breaking Bad, which will enter the last season this summer and be all that I talk about? You can catch the first 33 episodes as well.

Just want to watch some shorter shows? Here’s a list that I recommend: Spaced (14 episodes), My So-Called Life (18 episodes), Party Down (20 episodes), Portlandia (6 episodes), United States of Tara (36 episodes) or Louie season 1 (13 episodes). I love all of these shows and consider it to be well worth your time. I am right now finishing off Terriers (13 episodes)and all I can say is that Matt will agree that you should give it a peep.

Also, don’t be afraid to explore other options. Want to catch up on the Steven Moffat-written Sherlock series on BBC? The first 3 episodes are currently available. By also exploring, you can find small British shows like Ricky Gervais’ the Office (14 episodes). In doing research , I discovered a show called the Take (4 episodes) starring one of my new favorite actors Tom Hardy. I’m sure if I can find something that cool, you can too.

HBO Go is a little harder to route, as they mostly only feature recent seasons of shows. I checked out Enlightened(10 episodes) during the break and it was an okay show with a great cast. Sadly, you only get the last season of Bored to Death (8 episodes), but what a season it was. The reason that I bring up HBO Go separate from Netflix is to provide variety, and explain that HBO and Netflix are not akin to sharing their streaming content. Also, I heard that Hulu was good, but I haven’t used it in years.

I mentioned earlier that there are good shows currently on TV. All of your favorites from the fall (with exception to Community) are back. In addition, 30 Rock premieres tomorrow night on NBC. Two of my favorite shows Portlandia (Fridays on IFC) and An Idiot Abroad (Jan 21 on Science) also start their brief runs. Showtime is taking the lead and introducing a new show with Don Cheadle, Ben Schwartz, and Kristen Bell called House of Lies, though the pilot leaves much to be desired.

I won’t even touch on the Bosom Buddies knock-off Work It or Are You There Chelsea (terrible looking), but the only other show premiering this month that I’ll comment on is the Napoleon Dynamite cartoon. Yes, I was in high school at its peak of popularity and I thought it was okay. As long as we continue to take the Animation Domination Sunday block away from Seth MacFarlane, I’ll be happy. While Allen Gregory failed to do that, I think that Bob’s Burgers is doing a good infantry and maybe Napoleon Dynamite won’t be that terrible and at least make them put the Cleveland Show out of its misery.

There is good TV out there. However, if you are not feeling the desire to watch TV or Netflix, you can kick your January jones with a little bit of awards season. It’s your chance to look at movies like football teams and wish that Howard Cosell* dramatically did a play by play of the Oscars. I could really imagine him going “Down goes Franco! Down goes Franco! Down goes Franco!” during last year’s ceremony. It’s your only chance to wear cheese hats and boo the foul play of not nominating 50/50. I guarantee that you do not want to pass that up.

The Golden Globes airs on NBC this Sunday (check local listings) with Ricky Gervais hosting. While it isn’t going to be a spectacular show, it is the beginning of numerous other shows, including the Spirit Awards (Feb 25) hosted by former blog topic Seth Rogen. Get in and make critical choices on what the big winners are going to be when the Oscars finally arrive (Feb 26) hosted by one of my favorite hosts, Billy Crystal. While it isn’t televised, keep an eye out for the Razzies (Feb 25).

I’ll admit that it’s also very hard to write an inspired blog in January when everything seems so dull right now, but fret not. We still have 11 months of better stuff to get through. Who knows what surprises will come. If anything, use this time to anticipate and gather up steam for the time ahead. It is National Hangover Month, and we need time to recover from the previous excess dump of December. Just take care of yourself and keep watching the skis!

I mean skies.

* Yes, I acknowledge that Howard Cosell has passed on, but he’s one of my favorite personalities, if just for this scene from Bananas.

You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him on Nerd’s Eye View every Tuesday and Thursday at nevpodcast.com. Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com. You can also read Thom’s movie reviews for Cinema Beach at cinemabeach.com.

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 51

2012-01-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Link

Welcome to a new year of Nerd’s Eye View! We are back from our breif holiday hiatus. On today’s episode, the guys breakdown The Adventures of Tintin, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Next, we run down the list of new releases on DVD/TV, analyze the news and lastly, we give some birthday love for the week. We’ll be back on Thursday, but until then, please be sure to check out our blogs, drop us an email nevpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter . Thanks for listening and downloading!

My 40 Anticipated Movies for 2012

2012-01-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

As the ball drops on one year, we look forward to the next. We finally stop reminiscing and start wishing hopefully for the future of things to come. What will be on our horizons? Will there be a new president? Shocking deaths? A new pop sensation that could be more talented than Adele?

There could be a lot of things to rival this year's success with the past. However, we have to wait until Battleship comes out to see if it's the metaphorical holocaust of Liam Neeson's career. Who knows, maybe Rihanna is a dynamo actress on par with Aaliyah. Oh who am I kidding... that movie looks terrible, and it's largely because it's based on a game that they make no effort to acknowledge besides a small credit.

However, what I do know is that there are going to be some great movies expected to blow up the theaters this year. We have the finale of the Dark Knight Rises and the premiere of the new franchise the Hunger Games. Will these be any good? I'm hoping.

The following is 40 movies based on a list compiled from IMDB of movies coming out this year. From those chosen, I have broken up the fields into 4 categories: Theaters, Matinee, Rental, Cable.

What do these mean? I have broken these up accordingly to the highest level that I would see these movies as of now. If I really want to see it, I would see it at a theater. If I am weary, I may wait to rent it. If it's in the middle of those, I may pay a matinee price. If it sounds good but not enough to hold my interest, I'll see it on cable during a blue moon.

Hopefully that makes sense. Do note that this was based on a quick survey. This has little to do with in depth research on 85% of the titles and many I haven't seen promos for yet. My opinions are subject to change. I am also subject to seeing any of these with different opinions as time progresses. It is also possible that there will be numerous titles that pop up throughout the year that I never considered to include.

So, without further ado, my 40 anticipated movies of 2012 and a few thoughts on them.

THEATER:

- The Dark Knight Rises -

It's been awhile since we last visited Gotham, and this time it's director Christopher Nolan's last foray into this world. From what footage has been seen, it's looking to be a high octane thrill ride with some of the biggest set pieces yet. While it is argued that Tom Hardy cannot top Heath Ledger, I still am rooting for a really good story to compensate. Also, with a cast that includes Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anne Hathaway, this is already the most enticing big name blockbuster of the year. If it's anything like it's predecessor the Dark Knight, I will be seeing it multiple times throughout the summer.

- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey -

While I have not been one to devour the Lord of the Rings movies, I hold a deep respect for them, if just because of their place in my childhood. I can still pop them on and get lost in the scenery. While director Peter Jackson has kind of waned with Lovely Bones and King Kong the past few years, I am hoping to see his passion return to film in a fresh new way. Also, I hope this is good, because then I have more faith that the upcoming Tintin sequel will be amazing.

- Django Unchained -

Director Quentin Tarantino returns with another period piece. This time, he's tackling the issue of slavery with a cast that includes Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, and Leonardo DiCaprio to name a few. While little else is known about the movie, the simple fact that Tarantino is making a movie already puts it at the top of my anticipated list. His films manage to be the most authentic, entertaining things out there, and after gaining some of his best reviews in years with Inglourious Basterds, I am hoping that it was only setting the stage for something bigger and grander.

- The Place Beyond the Pines -

It is true that if a movie has Ryan Gosling, I am very susceptible to seeing it (though Crazy Stupid Love skipping was a good call). However, what makes this the top Gosling film to see this year is the return of Gosling with director Derek Cianfrance, who together made one of my favorite movies, Blue Valentine. I have little knowledge on what the actual story is, but it's definitely one that I will follow with some devotion.

- Gangster Squad -

Now here is an interesting choice. Another Ryan Gosling movie. This time, he teams up with a cast that includes Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, and Crazy Stupid Love co-star Emma Stone. What makes this choice interesting is not because Gosling has worked with Ruben Fleischer before, but because for once I am looking at it from the director's standpoint. I kind of enjoyed Fleischer's previous work, notably 30 Minutes or Less, which was a dark comedy that I felt was extremely underrated because of unfortunate press. This time, he's taking a turn for what looks to be a straight up gangster movie. I have no idea if he can pull it off, though I have faith that Fleischer is an expert when it comes to high stakes. I'm just hoping that the results are entertaining.

- Wanderlust -

After a few years of doing Children's Hospital and Wainy Days, director David Wain returns to movies with this comedy about life at a commune. In truth, I would've seen it based on my love of Wain's previous effort Role Models, which I hold to be one of the best comedies of the past decade. While the trailers do not sell me on it being better, the cast that includes Ken Marino, Alan Alda, and members of the State just make me somewhat excited that this could be a spiritual sequel to Wet Hot American Summer. I just pray that it doesn't go the route of the Ten.

- This Is 40 -

Another Paul Rudd movie. It's also the follow-up to director Judd Apatow's criminally underrated Funny People. While I do not buy the idea that making a spin-off to the hilarious Knocked Up without Seth Rogen to be a good idea, I am still very much on board, if just because I love Apatow's work and also this will supposedly feature a performance by... Albert Brooks! While I feel that this will be the most underwhelming of Apatow's directorial efforts (I could never buy Leslie Mann as a lead), I feel that it will be one of my favorite comedies of the year.

- Moonrise Kingdom -

While I am not the hardcore indie film fan that some are, I do have a soft spot sometimes for Wes Anderson. While I cannot claim to liking all of his work (sorry guys, Life Aquatic did little for me), I still find his work to be captivating and hold my interest. This time is no different. While I don't know anything about the movie, it follows the ambitious Fantastic Mr. Fox and may have rejuvenated his creativity. I am most likely going to see it regardless of trailers, speaking it has all of the Anderson regulars and an already odd yet recognizable title.

- Looper -

Finally, after years of directing Breaking Bad and Terriers episodes, Rian Johnson returns to the big screen with a movie about time travel and other shenanigans. I am most notably excited because Johnson is one of the more interesting directors working today. His previous effort the Brothers Bloom solidified me as a fan and makes me long for more of his take on anything. I am probably going to see it the first moment that I can. You should too.

- Only God Forgives -

Here we go for a third Ryan Gosling movie for this year. This time, he's teaming back up with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn. As my second favorite Gosling duo, Drive did so much with very little dialog, an outdated soundtrack, and a very gorgeous portrayal of Los Angeles. I just wonder what else they can do, especially after discovering that Refn isn't just some hacky director. His previous efforts, Bronson and Valhalla Rising are brilliant movies. I have faith that while it's probable that this won't be as good as Drive, it will still be great.

- Nero Fiddled -

Probably one of the most influential directors in my life, Woody Allen, returns with another movie about love overseas. This time, he's doing it with the who's who of young names, including Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page. Those two alone already made me excited, but after last year's Midnight in Paris, I have faith that Allen is in the best shape of his career since the mid-90's. I just wonder if Page will make a good surrogate for the Allen love character the way Scarlett Johansson was in Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

- Wrong -

This is in a controversial spot. Why? There is a good chance that I won't see it in the theaters. It's entirely because director Quentin Dupieaux doesn't draw clout and his previous film Rubber was mostly seen on video on demand systems. However, if I get the chance, I'll see this on the big screen because Dupieaux is quite an oddball. While I cannot say to actually liking Rubber, it was weird and fun and memorable. The trailer for this looks like he took it to the next level and only makes me want to see it more. I hope he has a breakout hit with this because damn if his work isn't infectiously weird.

- The East -

Another Ellen Page movie on this list. This time, she plays an activist in what I assume is a thriller. I don't even know if this movie will come out this year, but according to IMDB, it will. I am not entirely sure how the finished project will look, and it is my lesser anticipated of the Page movies, but I'll still keep an eye out in case something interesting makes it look better.

MATINEE

- The Hunger Games -

This used to be in the Theater section, but the more footage that I see, the more I begin to lose interest. While it still looks like it could be a fun movie, I think the vision I had of the book in my head is too different. However, it does have Jennifer Lawrence in the lead, and most of the names match the personalities that I pictured, so I have faith that they'll get other stuff right. Also, director Gary Ross also wrote Big. To some extent, I am hoping he still has some flair.

- The Avengers -

I will not lie that I am mostly seeing this movie because I have to for Nerd's Eye View. I am not claiming that I disliked Thor or Captain America, but superheroes have never been my thing. Even though I hope that director Joss Whedon can transfer what I love about his skills on Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the big screen, I am sure that this will be successful yet completely forgotten when the Dark Knight Rises comes around. I hope Robert Downey Jr. does a good job, but the trailers just refuse to give me reason to care about this.

- The Amazing Spider-Man -

I don't understand why I have a small thing for Spider-Man the character. I really enjoyed the Sam Raimi movies and based on the trailers of this, I am kind of curious to see where this goes. Director Marc Webb previously did the classic (500) Days of Summer, so I wonder if he can do blockbuster. Also, it stars Andrew Garfield, who after the Social Network has been someone that I have been curious to see in more stuff. While I am sure that Webb will fumble with the big set pieces, it will be an interesting movie and so far is second only to the Dark Knight Rises as my anticipated superhero movie.

- Lincoln -

Before you get offended that I should have put this in the Theater section, let me clarify why it's here. I respect Steven Spielberg to no end. I think Daniel Day Lewis is a superior actor. However, that doesn't mean I love everything either of them has done. I am confident that whatever results from this will be a great movie. However, I am leery about really wanting to see this because not only of scarce information on it, but also because it's a period piece. Follow me for a moment. Spielberg recent released a World War I movie called War Horse. That trailer stands as one of the most annoying things I've seen at a theater. I will see that movie when it's on DVD, but I worry that along with War Horse, the story of Lincoln will be played too much for unnecessary sentimental value. However, if it gives us another awesome John Williams score, just go for it.

- Gambit -

One of my biggest complaints last year was that we didn't get a new Coen Brothers movie. In fact, I mislead everyone to believe that this was coming out in December. The reason that this is here and not in the Theater section is because that it is not a Coen Brothers movie. It is simply just written by. Of course, that's better than nothing, and with a cast that includes Alan Rickman and Colin Firth, I have no doubt that this could be a fun romp. I just worry that director Michael Hoffman won't be able to capture the Coen charm and just make this feel like a knock-off.

- The Apocalypse -

This is another one of those movies that I have no idea if they are actually coming out this year. Blame IMDB if I am wrong. However, it's the story of a bunch of slackers surviving the apocalypse. It sounds like a delightful film simply because it features Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, and James Franco, three of my favorite guys working right now. I hope that this gets made, but I don't know when it will. It says it's in pre-production, so anything is possible. Let's hope that something becomes of it.

- Premium Rush -

What happened to this movie? I saw the trailer before Drive saying that it was coming soon, and it never did. All I know is that it's Joseph Gordon-Levitt riding around New York on a bicycle and making it seem like the most exciting thing in the world. I forget what this movie looks like, but damn if that trailer didn't make me want to see that movie. I just hope that following the award worthy turn in 50/50 that we'll see Gordon-Levitt get an upgrade to top grade actor.

- Gravity -

I am not an expert on director Alfonso Cuaron's movies. I will admit to really enjoying Y tu Mama Tambien and Children of Men, but little else comes to mind on why I really want to see this movie. I just have faith that he is a talented enough director that once I begin seeing promos for this, I will understand why it is I put this in the Matinee section. Also, it has George Clooney, so there's something else already going for it.

- The Five-Year Engagement -

I will be honest that I am not the great Jason Segel fan, but I have been a small defender of his work for years. While I will not get into How I Met Your Mother, his choices of movies have always baffled me. He's made some great ones, and then made an underwhelming version of the Muppets. However, this looks mildly amusing and teams him up with director Nicolas Stoller, whose last joint effort Forgetting Sarah Marshall is one of my favorites. It also features Allison Brie, Chris Pratt, and Brian Posehn. A lot of notable featured players of the comedy scene. I hope that this will restore some of my faith in Segel and continue to keep my interest in Stoller, especially after the very good Get Him to the Greek.

- American Reunion -

It is hard to believe, but with all that the American Pie franchise has been through in the past five years, that there actually is a movie that I am looking forward to. While the directors previous effort was the mediocre A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas, I am just hoping that this is a return to form. I really enjoyed the first two in the franchise with the third being a very mediocre third. I hold small hope that there is something redeeming about it since it features the entire original cast back for one more go. Will it be as good as the first two? It's not looking that way, but I'll keep my fingers crossed.

- Snow White and the Huntsman -

You'll find this hard to believe, but I am a defender of Kristen Stewart. This notably came after Adventureland and the Runaways proved that she had some charisma. While I cannot comment on On the Road, I am interested to see if this alternate take on the Snow White mythology will pack the punches, or if it will just be a confused mess like other fairy tale re-imaginings like Red Riding Hood. I have a feeling that it won't be great, but I hope that it's at least better than Tarsem Singh's Mirror Mirror.

- My Mother's Curse -

I really think that Seth Rogen is trying to get into indie comedies. In this one, he stars alongside his "mother" played by Barbara Streisand as he goes on the road to sell his latest invention. I don't know about you, but the Simpsons' "Grandpa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" immediately springs to mind when I hear this. What makes me more excited is that it also includes performances by Danny Pudi and Adam Scott. I'm just hoping that Rogen translates to indie comedy better than Will Ferrell has as of late.

- The Raid -

I don't know, but the trailer looks like it has a lot going for it. It looks intense, and maybe it could be fun if I dragged the right people to it. I know that my Nerd's Eye View co-hosts are already on board with seeing this. This could possibly be one of the few exceptions in terms of action movies that makes me thrilled with every move. Or it could be a bust. However, with the buzz that it has been acquiring, I have no doubt to believe negatively.

RENTAL

- Prometheus -

While I cannot claim to be a fan of the alien phenomenon, something odd happened to me last year. I kind of got into the Alien movies. While I do not love what I have seen, they are competent and entertaining despite a distracting and stupid set up. It's long been argued if this is a prequel to Alien, but after seeing the trailer, it has to be simply because of the font used. Also, it stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and the Young Adult couple Patrick Wilson and Charlize Theron. I don't have high hopes for this, but after being surprised by director Ridley Scott's original, I'll give this a chance.

- Men in Black III -

I L-O-V-E the first Men in Black movie. I felt that it was a significant part of my childhood. The second one was a little meandering, but tolerable enough for me to watch repeatedly. After seeing the trailer for this one a few times, I kind of have gotten over the time travel thing, though I still think that maybe there could've been a more interesting plot line that they could have used. I want this movie to be great, but at the same time, I argue that calling it necessary seems wrong. Here's hoping I get a pleasant surprise.

- The Dictator -

Another weird thing that I have become a known defender of is Sacha Baron Cohen. There is something about Da Ali G Show that struck a chord with me and has since caused me to admire his talents. While I will admit that this looks a little too over the top, I think that it still looks very funny. I just worry that it's a fluke and like Cohen's last over the top scripted comedy Ali G Indahouse, it won't be nearly as cutting edge or interesting as Bruno or Borat. However, with director Larry Charles behind the helm, I'm hoping that there is more competence in the execution.

- Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance -

Hear me out on this one. I will admit that Ghost Rider was a terrible movie. However, through convincing from my friends that the directors are action extraordinaires, this could be a surprisingly fun movie. Of course, I still need to see Crank to justify if I will find this to be one of those fun action movies or just something that seems gratuitously violent and pointless. However, the trailer kind of makes me excited to give it a chance.

- On the Road -

While this could be surprisingly good like, say, the Rum Diaries, I already have some disinterest because it's based on the book by Jack Kerouac. For some reason, I have attempted to read that book twice, but cannot get more than 50 pages in. I find it to be a pointless story about a drunk travelling across country. However, there's a performance by Kristen Stewart somewhere in there, which if Into the Wild was any indication, could be a little bit memorable. I also hope that maybe it pieces together something of the story that I am just not clicking with.

- Argo -

Director and actor Ben Affleck returns here. After making a well constructed flick called the Town, I have some faith that he could mature into a good director. While the amount of interest I have in seeing his follow-up to the Town puts this at a higher interest, it's mostly the inclusion of Bryan Cranston, who since Breaking Bad has become one of my favorite actors to keep an eye on. I just wonder if Affleck will be proven a flash in the pan as director, or if he has some skill that still remains untapped.

- Warm Bodies -

Director Jonathan Levine's follow-up to the classic 50/50. I really enjoy Levine's work, which also includes the Wackness. However, what's keeping this from getting higher interest is because it's a zombie movie. While I think it's interesting that he's taking the approach of a love story, I just grow bored by reading the synopsis. I hope that it's good, but zombies just never interested me. Maybe his next film will be in the Theater section.

- Being Flynn -

If you check the IMDB top 4 actors on this, you'll immediately understand why this grabbed my attention: Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore, Olivia Thirlby, and Paul Dano. What can you do when you get these guys together? The trailer makes it look like this deep compelling drama, and while I think it looks kind of like it moves really slow, I'd like to think it's one of those movies that will sneak up on me and make me love it at the last second. However, the ads don't convince me to check it out otherwise.

CABLE

- The Raven -

I once made a joke that the only thing ending in 2012 is John Cusack's career. While I have deep respect for the actor, his recent work hasn't amazed me. However, this trailer kind of grabbed me as a Sherlock Holmes knock-off that could be kind of fun. I look forward to seeing this on TV one day and possibly be proven wrong that this take on Edgar Allen Poe was Cusack making a smart decision in his career. I would like to think so, though the trailer doesn't make me feel that way.

- Movie 43 -

What keeps me from rating this higher is because I know nothing about it. If you look at the cast, there is a lot of promise for a good movie. However, with this being a proposed sketch movie, I am worried that it could fall into the crap world of Extreme Movie. However, the originators of this have stated it will be in the vein of Kentucky Fried Movie. I hope so. If it genuinely is, I will support this movie. However, from what I know, I just have a movie with another James Gunn segment to look forward to.

- Frankenweenie -

No lie, but I believe that maybe Winona Ryder was the best thing that happened to Tim Burton in the 80's. Okay, so she was in Beetlejuice. However, I kind of have come to love the misfit Ryder of 80's and 90's and while little after gives me hope that she's going to be compelling, this particular flick sees Ryder back with Burton, so there's some hope. I just feel that because it's a familiar Burton property and following the dull Alice in Wonderland, this won't be as good as me just talking about how cool Ryder was in Reality Bites.

- A Fantastic Fear of Everything -

There is something odd about Simon Pegg. If you don't stick him with the right people, his comedy doesn't come across right. I am not denying that this could be good, but the plot of a writer who gets lost in his work doesn't grab me. It sounds like another Run Fatboy Run flick. Of everything listed, this may be the one I am most likely to see in the Cable section. However, it all depends on the footage that is released of how soon that may be.

- Knockout -

I need to stop giving Catherine Hardwicke chances. She did the amazing Thirteen, but what has she done for me lately? She did a competent, yet mediocre Twilight and the awful Red Riding Hood. However, what draws me slightly to this is the fact that it isn't about teenagers or fairy tales, but boxing. Also, the big draw is that it features Noomi and Ola Rapace together. As you know, I like to see if Rapace can make the leap to American cinema with some grace, and hopefully Hardwicke still has some steam left in her engine. Otherwise, this could be as bad as I think it could be, regardless of Hardwicke ditching her annoying tropes.

- Return -

I just heard that this film existed, but it stars Linda Cardellini. In some respects, I should love her more than I have. She just hasn't grabbed me post-Freaks and Geeks like the others. However, if the comments during the trailer is more than shoddy promotion, I will give this a chance someday, which may rekindle my love affair with her. I just wonder how soon that will be.

You tell me what you think of it:

So that's 40 movies I'm going to keep an eye on in 2012. Is there any that I left off? Is there any that you really want to see? Let me know and leave some feedback.

Movies of 2011 (Updated)

2011-12-31T23:59:00.000-08:00

Super
Midnight in Paris
Attack the Block
50/50
The Adventures of Tintin
The Artist
We Need to Talk About Kevin
Drive
Young Adult
Hugo
Beginners
Hanna
Shut Up Little Man
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Horrible Bosses
Tucker and Dale vs. Evil
Win Win
Bellflower
Ides of March
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Bridesmaids
The Way
Puss in Boots
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II
Pom Wonderful Presents the Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Thor
War Horse
Warrior
Source Code
Conan O'Brien: Can't Stop
My Week with Marilyn
Griff the Invisible
The Rum Diary
The Descendants
Super 8
The Help
Moneyball
Paul
30 Minutes or Less
The Muppets
Our Idiot Brother
Captain America: The First Avenger
Hesher
Bad Teacher
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Fright Night
The Beaver
Red State
True Legend
Rubber
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Mildred Pierce
Rango
Vanishing of the Bees
The Mighty Macs
The Sunset Limited
The Hangover: Part II
Unknown
Colombiana
Rio
Daydream Nation
The Trip
The Iron Lady
J. Edgar
The Tree of Life
Tower Heist
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas
American: The Bill Hicks Story
X-Men: First Class
Superheroes
Larry Crowne
Immortals
Drive Angry
The Green Hornet
The Sitter
Hobo with a Shotgun
Hall Pass
Red Riding Hood
Jackass 3.5
The Conspirator
Your Highness
Shark Night
Killer Elite
Just Go With It
Green Lantern
Sucker Punch
The Three Musketeers
Elektra Luxx
I Melt with You
The Change-Up
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
Creature
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence

35 Great Discoveries of 2011

2011-12-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

While everyone focuses on what came out this year, I also like to look at the past few months and also reflect on what did I discover. What great movies did I not see until a fairly recent time frame?

Those, and many more questions is what has lead me to look back and examine what I have discovered in cinema this year. While I have seen many, many movies, I have not seen a lot of great ones. To me, the idea of discovery is not necessarily something that you can do with new movies. New movies are promoted in bizarre, viral ways to gain your attention. You don't discover them more as you find them. Only old movies can be discovered, because no one cares to publicize most of them that much.

Also, I feel that along with discovering them, I have grown as a cinema fan and have even branched out and matured in weird new ways. While I also included literature and TV last year, I am deciding to focus mainly on movies that have been compiled from my Netflix queue. What interesting choices have there been? Read on to find out.

- Cinema Paradiso -

- Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story -

- Patton -

- Blue Velvet -

- Igby Goes Down -

- Zodiac -

- Defending Your Life -

- The Great White Hype -

- Terms of Endearment -

- Incident at Loch Ness -

- Hearts of Darkness -

- Snow Angels -

- Moon -

- Election -

- Flirting with Disaster -

- House -

- Commando -

- The Wicker Man -

- Aliens -

- The Machinist -

- The Hudsucker Proxy -

- Eraserhead -

- Lenny -

- Rashomon -

- Dogtooth -

- The Wolf Man -

- Oldboy -

- Scream -

- Howard the Duck -

- Half Nelson -

- Metropolis -

- Bronson -

- Blade Runner -

- Stardust Memories -

- Santa Claus Conquers the Martians -

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 50

2011-12-22T19:04:00.000-08:00

Link

Landmark episode 50 begins with a review of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. After some video game talk, the games begin! The theme for CBYHS is Holiday movies. The Trailer Treasures for the year are Hanna , Drive , and Footloose . We end appropriately with Guess the Ending. Don’t forget, we’ll be back on January 10th with a new episode. Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com and your #CBYHS themes to @nevpodcast. Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

A Few Thoughts on... "Young Adult"

2011-12-22T14:17:00.000-08:00

In a year when 50/50 shows us what are the positive aspects of pop culture references, it's hard to remember that there are negatives. From the opening scene, Young Adult is all about using pop culture references to establish characters and explain why sometimes the past should be best left behind. During the opening credits, Teenage Fanclub's "The Concept" is playing repeatedly on a cassette tape as Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is on her way back to her hometown in Minnesota. While it starts out as an odd obsession, the song plays into the story more and more with each passing moment.

While Mavis claims that she is in town for a rental deal, she actually is there to try and fall back in love with her high school boyfriend Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson). Along the way, she runs into Matt Freehauf (Patton Oswalt) at a bar, who shares homemade alcohol and regale in ways that high school messed him up. Mavis, a semi-successful young adult author, seems to be out of touch with everyone and never once feels satisfied in her journey to separate Buddy from his wife Beth (Elizabeth Reaser) and baby.

The story is essentially a homecoming story about someone who doesn't belong at home anymore. While everyone is comfortable with their simple lives, Mavis is obsessed with tearing it apart for no other reason than an old obsession. Her life is falling apart with her book series coming to an end and her diet consisting of soda and the E Channel. The movie plays as a train wreck that works simply because Charlize Theron delivers a performance that never approaches over the top or self indulgent. The other performances help to paint the whole picture and create one of the most unique looks at suburban culture this year.

Writer Diablo Cody may have drawn from her own personal pop culture obsessions of the 80's and 90's for this movie, though every character feels authentic. With references being tampered down to allow the plot and characters to advance, it feels like a more mature movie than her previous works. Most of all, she uses the references more as crutches than characteristics. The characters are flawed because of their obsessions and the movie explores ways to grow up and move away from them.

This isn't a very convenient movie overall. While it has a lot of humor, it is mostly in the story where the interesting stuff happens. As Mavis continues to go off the wall, it opens questions to why she crashed her car into a pole, got drunk with Matt, and leaves her dog to live out of her purse and hotel rooms. In a way, it's a reflection of how crazy obsession can drive people without going the insane route of making each scene an endurance test of a woman off her meds.

While the movie eventually chastises pop culture references, it works so well to establish Cody as one of the more interesting voices to pay attention to. She doesn't have a perfect record, but with a voice that isn't easily mistaken, she brings life to characters and makes them scarred in unique and memorable ways. The final act alone provides so much resolution of character that it almost doesn't matter if Mavis hasn't fully changed. There isn't a big twist to this story. It's mostly just a story about life and learning to let go.

While it isn't nearly as gripping as director Jason Reitman's previous film Up in the Air, he delivers a steady hand in bringing these characters to life with each one getting their own few minutes to shine. As a whole, it paints a great picture of suburban life and manages to balance the comedic moments with the drama well enough to not seem overbearing.

With another good dramatic performance by Patton Oswalt and Charlize Theron, this is one great movie that reminds us that good stories can still be written, even if the people behind them have no clue. With a story that analyzes obsession and writer's block with equal measures, this is one of the best movies of the year. It never attempts to do the obvious and instead goes in ambitious, bizarre directions without feeling forced.

No Way, Dude

2011-12-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

by Thomas Willett

11:00am PST, December 21, 2011

A popular theme in movies lately has been the stunted growth male comedies. I Melt With You is the latest to join these ranks, when four friends decide to go to a beach house to rekindle their friendship. During that time, they blast 70’s music by The Clash and snort cocaine while talking about their sex lives. The movie opens with a series of messages stating the various states of the vulnerable males, presumably about their relationship with women. The desire to compliment these characters as fragile souls is quickly vanished and replaced with a 50 minute party montage where nothing worth mentioning happens, except cocaine snorting and inviting drunken women to talk about their failed dreams.

The comedy is not so much driven from the script, but by the actors and their dedication to making this flimsy premise sound important. By the time the dark twist happens around the hour mark, the character development has been so set in making them appear like ignorant party animals that their attempt to make them sympathetic is baffling. Besides the fact that Jeremy Piven and Thomas Jane lack emotional range as actors, it’s hard for any actor to take a quick turn and make it feel natural. The attempt to turn Hollywood egocentrics into an art film with Johnny Rotten interview excerpts just makes these characters (and the filmmakers) sound even more delusional.

With a baffling script, writer Glenn Porter sounds like he isn’t so much into narratives as he is promoting machismo propaganda. The story fails to say anything interesting about friendships. Instead, it tries to highlight how great it is to snort cocaine and tell dirty jokes. This feels like a group of actors who were rejected from The Hangover, who embark on making a “smarter” version of that seminal comedy. As the opening song by the Sex Pistols suggests “Don’t ask us, because we’re not there.” There’s nothing intelligent or likable about these characters.

The movie fails both as the intentional drama it is and the comedy it results in. This can be largely due to director Mark Pellington, whose understanding of pace is very primitive. There is a solid 50 minutes before something crucial happens, and about 30 of the opening minutes could be cut without story issues. At over two hours, the story feels needlessly strained and too reliant on Thomas Jane’s attempt to emote insanity. There is too much attention payed to make everything serious that the slower a scene goes, the more ridiculous it is. If there is one redeeming aspect in all this hazy nonsense is that the film reinforces why going to school and not doing drugs are good pathways.

However, a film this bad could be redeemed through some small, memorable moments from interesting characters (not that anyone would want to remember a film like this). But Pellington and crew bomb even at that. Despite a cast that also includes Rob Lowe and Carla Gugino, no one seems to care about delivering a clever line or gag. They’re all there to do their scenes and collect a check. Lowe doesn’t seem interested at all in the movie and hides behind Piven and Jane while they tell dirty jokes. It’s every bad stereotype that Piven earned on Entourage, but here it’s overly exploited. It seems like he knows it but does little to fix it.

I Melt With You fails on every level to be a competent, entertaining movie. Even with dumb characters, Porter writes them with too much importance. There is no authenticity and instead a reminder on the dated style of machismo excess. Along with Pellington’s pacing issues, the desire to make this into an art house film does little but make it look ridiculous. If this is to be taken as a drama, it has failed. The comedy isn’t much better, but it makes the movie easier to watch.

Listmania: The Big One

2011-12-21T18:41:00.000-08:00

By Thomas Willett

While I am not a hype master on level with James Cameron’s 12 year build-up to Avatar, I am proud to say welcome to those that have followed my Listmania series all the way to the end. I have sprinkled very obvious clues as to what “The Big One” is, though I am sure there will be a few surprises that will make your devotion to this month long journey worthwhile.

Before I dive into this extensive mix of essays and lists, I would like to pay my respects to my favorite show Bored to Death. On December 20 (the same day as the great the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo premiere), HBO announced that it was cancelling the show to bring on “fresher” programming. To avoid turning this into a repeat of the “I hate Starz” conversation from two years ago, I am very upset by this choice, though reasoning seems astute. The world of Jonathan Ames wasn’t long for this world. Lasting a mere three seasons at 24 episodes, it tackled being an author and a detective in a way that was entertaining and featured the cast at their best. However, according to reports on the Firewall and Iceberg podcast, no one watches HBO on Monday nights, thus their doubts that newbie Enlightened would last more than a season (think again). Sadly, I kind of saw it coming, even though the show rarely waned in quality. In years to come when everyone has done their own things, I will look back on these episodes as the reason I became a fan of Ted Danson (maybe C.S.I. is more to blame?). The casting was brilliant and the stories rightfully so. It will be missed, and while logically its axing makes sense, I kind of now get that sense it will join Party Down in the pantheon of great, yet brief, cable shows (though I don’t care for a movie this time). Respect to Super Ray and the crew.

So, what is “The Big One” pertaining to? It’s an extensive list of three things. First will be an essay that details what movies meant to me. As a college student who hasn’t had to write the meaningless life significance essays, I felt nostalgic to cough one up. To me, I feel that I’m at a prime stage to make these without seeming pretentious. In a few years, maybe, when my views will be set on the world, then maybe everything mentioned here will sound pretentious. However, not having any hook ups to Sundance or advanced screenings, I have the privilege of explaining the significance of movies to someone who had to pay for every review without a refund and sometimes drive long distances to get there. Despite all of these consuming activities to see a simple two hour flick, I wouldn’t change much of it.

For me, 2011 was the continuing game changer. Ever since I got involved with C-Scope, I have slowly begun to understand cinema and my views have become more focused on quality over substance. In truth, it’s largely because of my relationship with Andrew and Matt that I have been able to explore outside my comfort zone and find movies that I never thought I would enjoy. This was the year I discovered how fun Commando was. This was the year that I totally abused my Netflix queue and impatiently waited for John Wayne’s True Grit to finally get off the Long Wait list. This was the year that I grew every direction in cinema.

I don’t feel like I have been too close-minded in the past few years. Because of Nerd’s Eye View, I have forced myself to watch movies like Hausu or Oldboy with rewarding results. Most opening segments of our podcast, I hear new suggestions of movies to check out, and I feel that it has enriched my catalog. I still am not an expert on foreign or art house, but because of this show, I have started down the road to liking them. I don’t feel that anyone really will get cinema if they watch new things in a year. It takes time to accumulate, and speed watching will only make you forget it faster. I feel that I still am five years away from being the cinema nerd that you see me as, even though I’ve broken new ground in getting there.

How does this effect cinema from this year? It’s simple. Where do most of these movies come from? They have been inspired by works of the past. As Matt noted on episode 49, Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez were probably inspired by Sam Peckinpah. I guarantee you there is not a director this year who was not inspired by someone from the past. I feel that if you can look at Peckinpah’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, then maybe you better understand Rodriguez’s Desperado. There’s a continual evolution, and if you can discover the roots, you’ll be able to appreciate everything more. I love this thinking because it’s never ending and even if I think I know the Peckinpah/Rodriguez dynamic, who influenced Peckinpah? We can go further back into directors, or even literature. I feel that cinema’s history is a learning opportunity that can be rooted back to ancient times.

We finally touch on this year. What was it that stood out? For me, I continually like to look over my old thoughts to see how I progressed. In my round up for last year’s Divergence, I said that 2010 wasn’t as good as 2009. However, when I am compiling this year’s list, I think back to the movies that stood out from last year. What is odd is that the great 2010 movies come to mind as much as 2009’s. Ways I have progressed as a viewer is to stop comparing year for year and instead actual product to product. I still will say that x was the best year for y, but I won’t ignorantly say that one year’s batch of cinema is inferior to another.

This is largely due to looking at my past critiques. In a prediction of movies I would enjoy this year, I noted high marks for Jack and Jill because I assumed that Al Pacino would be funny. It was also a time that I still liked Kevin Smith. A lot can change in a year, and while I am still hungry to indulge in bad cinema as well as the greats, I have matured into using my free time more to discover the great unknown titles. Don’t get me wrong, I still plan on watching Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before Christmas, but Griff the Invisible is far more of a tempting choice.

My main concern involving cinema is that I am just a simple critic for a podcast without connections to free screenings. As a result, I think that while I will appreciate a lot of the cinema of this year, I think I will overlook some gems simply because they were in limited release. Despite Long Beach being relatively close to Los Angeles’ Arclight, I don’t have the gas money or time to see the Artist on opening day. I do make few exceptions to this rule, and as a result, the experience feels more rewarding.

This year has featured some of the most rewarding experiences. I drove to Santa Monica just to see Super on opening day, only to hit traffic on the way back. Just the feeling of going someplace new alone (and getting off on Cloverfield Street) already heightens the experience. To me, you can get memorable experiences from a movie that is playing ten minutes away, but when I look back on this year, the best required drives with Andrew playing Gorillaz on the way to see True Legend or seeing Attack the Block at 9 AM and seeing a Pom Wonderful car on the way back. Doing it too much loses novelty, but by journeying to different theaters gives you time to ingest the experience, if also to make you feel exclusive for seeing it in limited release. I discovered the weird “select your own seating” rules of the Arclight before Midnight in Paris, and that was just culture shock. To me, a movie is a movie, but being some place outside of your daily habitat will make the movie better, regardless. The one exception was driving 30 minutes to see Tower Heist, though the crazy hobo in the lobby ALMOST made up for it.

What did the actual movies mean to me? For the first time since I called Pineapple Express the second best movie of 2008 (behind the Dark Knight), I have a Top 10 that disagrees heavily with the general consensus. Even at the Spirit Awards, my favorite didn’t get any recognition. I expected that all along, though for me, it was the beginning of a year of testament to people making movies with heart and characters. I actually felt like I was watching some interesting people doing stuff. I cared that David Tennant was a hacky magician in Fright Night, regardless of quality. I felt there was stuff to watch this year that wasn’t really reliant on a good story per se. The best example is that 50/50 had a great performance (and proudly recognized so far) by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in what is essentially a pop culture laced, guy version of Terms of Endearment. Because it felt natural, the impact of the end made it so great. The story driven films, like Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, felt muddy and boring because Guy Ritchie brings nothing interesting to these characters.

Despite my deviant list, I wouldn’t change most of these. I may have enjoyed the Descendants, but in no regards was it a better view of living life than the Way. I connected with these films and in some way, they will last with me for years on a personal level. I can pop these on and laugh or cry. I can turn my friends onto these and get more of a reaction than if I showed them the Descendants. While I am an avid supporter of the Academy Awards, I don’t always agree with their choices. The King’s Speech may have been their best movie, but it doesn’t have to be mine. I love opposing views because it helps you grow and look at things in a different light. While I cannot say that the Descendants will ever move above Up in the Air for me, I enjoy hearing reasons why it is George Clooney’s best.

Overall, I think that this was a great year for cinema, and even though in the awards season, little has stood out, I have plenty of great theater moments. What other year could I be part of history in seeing Creature, the lowest grossing wide release of all time? It’s all because I opened my eyes to different things and took on challenges I wasn’t ready to face. The fact that Adam Sandler is not in my least favorite movies may come as a surprise, but let’s face it, there was worse, and sadly most involved Carla Gugino.

I’ll continue to look forward to movies as I review them for the podcast as well as my writing job at Cinema Beach. However, my opinions are very stilted because I have not seen everything that I want to. I probably won’t until May or June. The reasoning is that limited releases, timing, and recommendations all accumulate and I may miss something that is great. For example, I missed Blue Valentine last year and didn’t see it until March, and it remains one of the greatest movies that I have seen. Will anything be up there with Blue Valentine? I’m sure of it, but finding out what will be a fun surprise.

Part 2 of The Big One will tackle something that I haven’t really been indulging in this year. I will explore the worst of cinema 2011 from what I have seen so far. Do note that as a member of the Razzies, I kind of let down my title, though I have seen some bad movies that I never thought that I would see. Some so bad that I doubt even Bucky Larson could be worse. Again, this list will be altered over time, but for now, these are the worst movies of 2011 that I saw. However, due to the already excessive length of this blog, I will try and keep my comments to a minimum of no more than three sentences.

1. The Human Centipede II: Full Sequence

Easily one of the worst movies I have seen in years. While the original wasn’t terrible, it had some unique quips that made it memorable. Here they take the original and pay tribute to itself in a way that makes director Tom Sixx seem like a pretentious twat who is only in love with grossing out the audience.

2. Big Mommas: Like Father Like Son

While this isn’t the reason that I moved on from Divergence, it was a sign of the inevitable leaving. While nowhere near as terrible as the second one, it does feature Martin Lawrence trying to be sassy and old with a son character that is equally as unflattering. As far as comedies go, Bucky Larson has to be very bad to even come close to beating this one.

3. Creature

This movie was somehow released in more than 1,500 theaters without more than a few trailers online. The final product does result in an incompetent rehashing of most monster flicks that take incest to a depressing new low. The actual monster is also a depressing sight and with slow motion camera work, it just drags on the movie that was already too long to begin with.

4. I Melt With You

I’d like to imagine that Jeremy Piven found this to be an inspiring tribute to Entourage as it tried to glorify the self-indulgent idiot to new heights and then make them sympathetic. The story is a confusing mess that is only worsened by the pacing problems and the fact that no one really can hold your interest for more than a second as Carla Gugino interrogates them. By opening with the Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant,” it creates the ultimate meta message that basically asking more from this movie will result in them saying “There’s no point in asking, you’ll get no reply.”

5. The Change-Up

This movie has the distinct honor of being the crassest review that I gave on the podcast that was boiled down to mere expletives. It’s hard not to see how as this movie doesn’t try hard to make me care and instead tarnish Jason Bateman’s image as an actor that I can trust to be in good movies. The same can be said for Ryan Reynolds, who has not had a good year after a mildly pleasing Buried in 2010.

6. Elektra Luxx

I have no idea why I saw this movie other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt made the trailer seem somewhat appealing. Sadly, this is a reminder of why the world thinks that porn stars are stupid. Sadly, it’s also the first movie I saw this year that distinctly made me sympathize with Carla Gugino for taking on such terrible movies.

7. The Three Musketeers

This was my first Paul W.S. Anderson film and possibly my last. Very incoherent and with shoddy penmanship that I felt that if Christoph Waltz had a better knowledge of American filmmakers, then I’d call him an idiot. However, since he’s German and is new to the scene, I am holding out hope that his turn in Carnage will restore some faith.

8. Sucker Punch

While Andrew defends this movie, I cannot understand why on simple principle that the plot is so messy and the messages are blurred together. Also, the music is really distracting and I feel that maybe it is the reason that it’s so terrible in my eyes to the point of making me doubt director Zack Snyder’s future. Also, this is the best of the movies starring Carla Gugino on this list.

9. Green Lantern

I had little idea of who this character was before going into the movie other than Ryan Reynolds is an interesting actor. By the time I went out, I cared even less, kind of disappointed that their one shot of capturing me was a failure. However, I disagree with their idea that in order to improve the impending sequel they will need to make the script darker and stranger.

10. Just Go With It

For all you know, this could be the place that Bucky Larson will fill in a few months. However, for now, it’s held by Adam Sandler’s first movie of this year on simple principle that it was too long, a little on the dumb side, and featured Jennifer Anniston in her least appealing role of the year. She was in Horrible Bosses, you know.

It is time to move onto my favorite movies of the year. Check them out.

1. Super

For the most part, I don’t think anyone else will feature this movie on their favorites list, if just because it’s so dark, twisted, and full of perverse nature. However, no movie has stuck with me as well as this one in which I find myself drooling over every frame. It is officially my favorite superhero movie of all time, if you don’t count the Dark Knight against it.

2. Midnight in Paris

This is easily my favorite Woody Allen movie since Deconstructing Harry. The story is very interesting and I think that it contributes a lot to Allen’s ability to make them feel like his own while not incriminating them too much. It feels great to see him back in top form.

3. Attack the Block

This is the most entertaining film of the year with one of the best scores of the year. The dialog is immediately catchy and the action is equally gratifying. If you haven’t seen it, I am going to force you to next time I see you.

4. 50/50

I really hope Joseph Gordon-Levitt wins the Oscar for best performance. If anything, this is one of the first seminal classics of my generation facing real life conflicts the only way they know how. That is by quoting Predator while staring at nasty stitches.

5. Drive

The little art house film that could. With a really suave performance by Ryan Gosling and an equally excellent supporting cast, it’s hard to not see how cool this movie is without falling into the dumb world of Fast Five. The only conflict now is getting this movie nominated for an Oscar that it totally deserves.

6. Young Adult

Where 50/50 explored the positive spectrum of pop culture references, Young Adult explores the negative. With the continually maturing writing style of Diablo Cody, this was the surprising sweet and twisted view into being a writer with no semblance of reality. It also has a great performance by Patton Oswalt that while not as good as Big Fan, should get him more recognition in movies in the nearby future.

7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

For the second year in a row, an adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling book has made my top ten. Despite knowing the story beat for beat, director David Fincher knows how to pace the story and bring the great Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross score to life. I also almost want to say that while Noomi Rapace defined the movie version of Lisbeth Salander, Rooney Mara did the best job of accuracy to the book.

8. Hugo

Martin Scorsese returns with a 3D flick that explores our love of early cinema and how it affects the future. In some ways, it correlates with themes in this entry. With great performances and a compelling story, it almost makes me want to read the book and watch Safety Last.

9. Beginners

This is a movie that explores how relationships of every orientation and age affect each other while being funny and sweet. With a great performance by Christopher Plummer sure to earn him some Oscar attention, there is very little to hate about this movie. It’s unique and fun and features one of the many performances by a scene stealing dog worth remembering.

10. Hanna

When I first heard about this movie, I assumed that Joe Wright couldn’t direct an action movie. The results are a very entertaining film with a great Chemical Brothers score topped with a career (for now) defining performance by Saoirse Ronan. I felt that the use of fairytale themes also helped to make this an impressive effort that explored the sensitive side of a child assassin in new and bold ways.

That is my list for this year. Hope you enjoyed it and I hope to see you again when we reconvene on Nerd’s Eye View on January 9. This has been a fun year and I hope that it has been the same for you. If you would like, let’s get a dialog going and maybe we can discuss what really was the best and worst of the year. Is Bucky Larson really worse than Big Mommas? These are the questions that have not yet been answered. Feel free to write and I promise to get back to you as soon as possible. As for now, I am off to enjoy Christmas with a good old fashioned Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him on Nerd’s Eye View every Tuesday and Thursday at nevpodcast.com . Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com. You can also read Thom’s movie reviews for Cinema Beach at cinemabeach.com .

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 49

2011-12-20T19:15:00.000-08:00

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One episode before a milestone, the Nerd’s Eye View crew presents Episode 49. Matt marvels at Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, pursues Kevin Smith with Chasing Amy and gets lost in Labyrinth. Thom enjoys The Beaver and being a Young Adult. Andrew plays WarGames, considers For Your Consideration, counts 8 1/2, and tells The Pixar Story.Also included is the box office top ten and new releases on DVD, Blu-ray, and television with commentary. News you can use focuses on Golden Globe nominations. Thom goes loco for one birthday recipient withhis musical rendition of… well, you have to listen to find out. Follow us on Twitter, send us email and like us on Facebook please!

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 48

2011-12-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

Link

Nerd’s Eye View Episode 48 begins with a review of My Week With Marilyn. Then Matt and Andrew dissect what little video game news there is, mainly The Last of Us full trailer and Shigeru Miyamoto. In the games section, the CBYHS theme is “Occupation in the title.” Don’t forget you can send CBYHS themes on Twitter(@nevpodcast) with #CBYHS. The three trailers for Trailer Trash are Joyful Noise (1/13/12), What to Expect When You’re Expecting (9/Months/2012), and The Three Stooges (4/13/12). For the finale, we each Guess the Ending for a new film coming out this weekend. Check out our blogs at nevpodcast.com and send us mail at nevpodcast@gmail.com.

My Picks for the 69th Golden Globe Awards

2011-12-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

There is no mystery. I am not a big fan of the Golden Globes. I have written extensively about the impact they really have on the history of movies. Maybe it's because Avatar and the Hangover won two years ago. Maybe it's just that they flat out nominated Alice in Wonderland for best musical or comedy, neither of which it is. I just cannot find the credibility in this awards show. Their only achievement is making me tired of Ricky Gervais' brash sensibilities.

However, I cannot help but feel like playing the pool and see what wins. This year is no exception. A lot of people got shanked (Drive?), but at least the list looks more sensible this year. No Burlesque or Red filling in a category for no reason. While the Spirit Awards reigns supreme with the nominees so far, I am glad to at least note the lack of War Horse. I am not calling it a bad movie, but those trailers haven't sold me anything.

So, what do I want to win? What will probably win? The following is a compilation of the nominees, my votes, and a few comments about the categories in general. Some of it will not come as a surprise, but for the most part don't take this personally. I don't invest too much into the Golden Globes. I'm only in it to promote my guys.

BEST PICTURE: DRAMA:

The Descendants

The Help

Hugo

The Ides of March

Moneyball

War Horse

Should: Hugo

Will: the Ides of March

Comments: Okay, so there may be a scarce trace of War Horse, but here it is nominated. I doubt it will gain any traction after this. Sure, it will boost the box office numbers (other than the fact it is Steven Spielberg and John Williams together again), but this is a vague category that I have trouble gauging the actual winners. I am surprised to see Moneyball in there, though the Help is a nice surprise. I think that the Descendants does not deserve to be on this list, and if any movie will win, it's the Ides of March. Why? It's a political drama with great performances and a very twisted story. If the Oscars prove anything with past winners like All the President's Men, then political dramas have the upper hand. Meanwhile, my vote for Hugo will probably go overlooked because while it's Martin Scorsese, the chances of a children's movie about loving cinema doesn't stand a chance. Also, I am kind of upset by there being no nomination for Drive.

BEST PICTURE: COMEDY OR MUSICAL:

50/50

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Midnight in Paris

My Week With Marilyn

Should: Midnight in Paris

Will: the Artist

Comments: A step up in terms of quality for the comedy or musical category this year. It is actually hard for me to decide between 50/50 and Midnight in Paris who I would vote for, though Woody Allen's latest gem pulls ahead on sheer innovation alone. I am confused on how My Week with Marilyn is in here, though it's a welcome surprise (if vaguely a comedy). While I believe there is a lot of buzz surrounding Bridesmaids, I think that the Artist will win on sheer merit alone. It's a silent film in an age where they are almost extinct. I think that it will also play big at the Oscars. Bridesmaids, while a good movie, was more schizophrenic and too humdrum in comparison. However, I wouldn't be too surprised by an upset since the Hangover beat out (500) Days of Summer two years ago.

BEST DIRECTOR:

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

George Clooney, The Ides of March

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Should: Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Will: George Clooney, the Ides of March

Comments: A hard category to decide from. While I feel that between Midnight in Paris and Hugo, the latter had better direction, I am thinking that the political drama the Ides of March is going to sweep this year. It would be interesting to see if the Artist stands a chance of a surprise upset, though I feel it doesn't stand a chance. Also, I would be totally upset if the Descendants actually won any awards. It was an okay movie about deep subject matter that 50/50 did way better. I don't even believe it to be George Clooney's best performance (that would be Up in the Air).

BEST ACTRESS: COMEDY/MUSICAL:

Jodie Foster, Carnage

Charlize Theron, Young Adult

Kristin Wiig, Bridesmaids

Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Kate Winslet, Carnage

Should: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Will: Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn

Comments: For some reason I have a gut instinct that Michelle Williams is going to win this. Her performance was very compelling and has been one of the most talked about aspects of that film. Meanwhile, the other movies haven't gotten nearly as much buzz. It's true that Kristen Wiig is suggested to be the breakout comedy movie star of the year, but I didn't find her nearly as compelling as Williams. I am also curious to see if Young Adult with Charlize Theron will be any good, though the trailers imply that it won't be good enough to beat Williams. There hasn't been really any awards buzz around Carnage. Unless it gets picked up heavily in the next few weeks, it's the black horse of the nominees.

BEST ACTOR: COMEDY/MUSICAL:

Jean Dujardin, The Artist

Brendan Gleeson, The Guard

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50

Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love

Owen Wilson, Midnight In Paris

Should: Joseph-Gordon-Levitt, 50/50

Will: Jean Dujardin, the Artist

Comments: While I loved Midnight in Paris, I do not understand Owen Wilson's nomination. He was not that compelling nor interesting enough to get on this list. However, it is a welcome surprise to see at least one Ryan Gosling nomination this year (though not for Drive and instead a terrible movie). However, if I went with my gut, I would have to say that Joseph Gordon-Levitt gave one of the most amazing, powerful performances of the year. I would love for him to get recognition for it. He was funny, sad, and convincing all at the same time. He featured a lot of charisma. However, I think that the globes will award the Artist on the fact that it's a silent film and is technically harder to perform in that genre. While I haven't seen it to convince myself that this is more than novelty, I think Jean Dujardin will walk away with the trophy.

BEST ACTRESS: DRAMA:

Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs

Viola Davis, The Help

Rooney Mara, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady

Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Should: Rooney Mara, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Will: Viola Davis, the Help

Comments: I am just going to believe right now that the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the movie I think it is, and I will always support the Lisbeth Salander women. It's an interesting year otherwise. Viola Davis has been the front runner since August, and suddenly you get heavyweights like Tilda Swinton and Meryl Streep in competition. While I think Swinton could do an upset, it probably won't happen because the buzz is not behind We Need to Talk About Kevin yet. Also, the Iron Lady doesn't look that good. It may go to Streep because of her reputation (she did get nominated for Julie & Julia), but it would be undeserved. I know Rooney Mara doesn't stand a chance, but if she lost to anyone, I would like it to be Viola Davis, who I hear has been very compelling and interesting in the Help.

BEST ACTOR, DRAMA:

George Clooney, The Descendants

Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar

Michael Fassbender, Shame

Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March

Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Should: Ryan Gosling, the Ides of March

Will: George Clooney, the Descendants

Comments: Whatever happens DON'T LET J. EDGAR WIN! That movie was awful and the performances more-so. While I am happy to see Michael Fassbender getting love for Shame, I think it's limited release and NC-17 standards won't propel it into the public consciousness. Brad Pitt, while a fine actor, probably won't win as Moneyball will be perceived as the underdog sports movie, which rarely wins big awards. It's between Ryan Gosling and George Clooney. While I think that Clooney's performance has been overrated, I think he will come out on top because of the buzz and the reputation the movie has built, including all of these nominations. I would love for Gosling to win simply because it was the more interesting of the two and while it isn't Drive, I am glad he got a respectable nomination this year, which is already a win in my book.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn

Albert Brooks, Drive

Jonah Hill, Moneyball

Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method

Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Should: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Will: Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Comments: It's honestly hard to decide between Christopher Plummer and Albert Brooks. However, since Drive hasn't gotten really any love, I'm just going to say that Plummer stands the best chance of winning. The other names lack the buzz needed to sweep this category. Kenneth Branagh was good in My Week with Marilyn, but he wasn't what made that movie memorable. I am confused by Viggo Mortensen and Jonah Hill's nominations, but they're not going to stand a chance against any of these names. Plummer will win because his performance in Beginners was not only splendid, but also has been the front runner for months now. He deserves it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Bérénice Bejo, The Artist

Jessica Chastain, The Help

Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs

Octavia Spencer, The Help

Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Should: Octavia Spencer, the Help

Will: Shailene Woodley, the Descendants

Comments: I honestly have no gauge on this category. I am confident that the Help will win a lot of the acting categories during the awards season, but for some reason I feel that the Descendants is going to sweep the acting fields here. I consider it a domino effect that George Clooney will win, so Shailene Woodley stands a chance of winning. However, among these names, I'd like someone from the Help to win.

BEST SCREENPLAY:

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist

Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, The Descendants

George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, Moneyball

Should: Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

Will: George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Beau Willimon, the Ides of March

Comments: I am not a supporter of the Descendants as made clear through these picks. I am firmly believing that all of the energy will go into the Ides of March because of it's political content. I don't think the Artist will stand a chance as it's going to be better remembered for it's acting. I would love for Midnight in Paris to win because it restored some faith in my love of Woody Allen, but realistically the only competition the Ides of March will have is Moneyball, written by Aaron Sorkin, whose previous effort the Social Network was probably the reason there was hype surrounding this movie. I haven't seen it yet, but I am sure it makes the wordy math problems into a breezy fun conversation. If anything upsets the Ides of March, I would be fine for it to be Moneyball.

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

The Flowers of War

In the Land of Blood and Honey

The Kid With a Bike

A Separation

The Skin I Live In

Should: The Skin I Live In

Will: The Flowers of War

Comments: I haven't seen any of these and I don't know what the buzz has been on them. I think that the Skin I Live In has gotten the most and is the most familiar among these names. It's closest rival is Angelina Jolie's In the Land of Blood and Honey, though I am not really as captivated by their trailer. I think that the Flowers of War will win because of the name recognition, notably last year's Best Supporting Actor winner Christian Bale. Also, it appears to be a war film, and that is the most likely to translate to audiences here.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:

The Adventures of Tintin

Arthur Christmas

Cars 2

Puss in Boots

Rango

Should: The Adventures of Tintin

Will: The Adventures of Tintin

Comments: I will be honest that I haven't seen the Adventures of Tintin yet, but of all the animated movies this year, this is the only one that I believe will stand a chance. It has been a lackluster year for movies and the fact that the poorly rated Cars 2 is on here is a testament to that. While it may get traction for being a Pixar movie, I doubt it will win. Arthur Christmas is a holiday themed movie and I don't believe that will translate to a win. Rango was too weird and juvenile to take the top spot here. Of all these, I loved Puss in Boots and if the Adventures of Tintin proves to be a disappointment, I would want that one to beat it.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:

Ludovic Bource, The Artist

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Howard Shore, Hugo

John Williams, War Horse

Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.

Should: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Will: John Williams, War Horse

Comments: I will be honest of playing favoritism. I am actually listening to the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo soundtrack as I pick these names. It is very good and if the Social Network score gave anything traction, it's the odds of Trent Reznor winning again. It's a far superior score to the Social Network, though with the likes of Howard Shore and John Williams competing against him, I think that the win will go to Williams, who is the most established on this list. Because of his legacy, I believe that it will sway the voters to pick him accordingly.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG:

“Lay Your Head Down,” Albert Nobbs

“Hello Hello,” Gnomeo and Juliet

“The Living Proof,” The Help

“The Keeper,” Machine Gun Preacher

“Masterpiece,” W.E.

Should: "The Living Proof," the Help

Will: "The Living Proof," the Help

Comments: You screwed up big time, Foreign Press Association! Nothing from the Muppets, seriously? The most cheerful and lively songs of the year, and you ignore them? I suppose these songs are good, but it's an embarrassment to overlook some of the catchiest songs of the year. Of these, however, I think W.E., Albert Nobbs and Machine Gun Preacher stands the least chance while the Help could possibly win. I have no real gauge on this either. It was a poorly chosen year. I'll let you decide.

And the television nominations:

Best Comedy TV Series:

Enlightened

Episodes

Glee

Modern Family

New Girl

Should: New Girl

Will: Modern Family

Comments: And now... the Foreign Press Association has proven just how wrong they are in their nominations. Glee has proven to be declining in quality, Enlightened hasn't really gotten any traction, Episodes came and went. I don't even think New Girl was that great to deserve a spot on this list. Of these, I am almost sure Modern Family will win because it seems to be the most loved comedy on most people's list. I'll just let you have it.

Best Actor, TV Comedy Series:

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

David Duchovny, Californiacation

Johnny Galecki, Big Bang Theory

Thomas Jane, Hung

Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Should: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Will: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Comments: Of all the actors on the Big Bang Theory, you nominate Johnny Galecki? That is a stretch. Most of these other actors aren't that great either. It's almost like you intentionally wanted Alec Baldwin to win by making the competition pointless. Bravo.

Best Actress, TV Comedy Series:

Laura Dern, Enlightened

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Laura Linney, The Big C

Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Zooey Deschanel, The New Girl

Should: Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Will: Tina Fey 30 Rock

Comments: This is a little better in terms of nominees. I don't see Amy Poehler beating out Tina Fey, but that's mostly because of favoritism. I think that Poehler's performance has surpassed Fey, though I am not too offended if Fey won. The others seem like long stretches, notably Zooey Deschannel (though her (500) Days of Summer nomination may benefit here) and Laura Dern, whose young show hasn't really captivated audiences the way the other shows on here have. I cannot see any of these names beating Fey.

Best Drama TV Series:

American Horror Story

Boardwalk Empire

Boss

Game of Thrones

Homeland

Should: Game of Thrones

Will: Boardwalk Empire

Comments: I have no idea about drama if I had to be honest. I am sore that they didn't include a fantastic season of Breaking Bad, but of these choices, I think that Boardwalk Empire has the most clout. I think it stands a good chance of being upset by Game of Thrones, which has proven to be the breakout success of the year. I've heard great things about Homeland, though I think it's too young and unnoticed to have a surprise win. American Horror Story is the least likely to win. Not only is it on FX (a network not known for winning), but it has also had the most problematic reviews of any show on this list.

Best Actor, TV Drama Series:

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Kelsey Grammer, Boss

Jeremy Irons, The Borgias

Damian Lewis, Homeland

Should: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Will: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Comments: I'm not going to sugarcoat it. I believe that Bryan Cranston was really good and deserves it. I am not putting any of these others down, but none of these shows have captured me like Breaking Bad. Maybe Boardwalk Empire with Steve Buscemi, but I haven't seen it in awhile. The other shows may be good, but it's no Breaking Bad.

Best Actress, TV Drama Series:

Claire Danes, Homeland

Mireille Enos, The Killing

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Madeleine Stowe, Revenge

Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Should: Claire Danes, Homeland

Will: Claire Danes, Homeland

Comments: Again, I know nothing about these shows. I just believe that Claire Danes stands a chance because of her previous nominations in the TV category in the past few years. Also, it's competition isn't that strong. The Killing has proven to be a problematic show, which may play into voting. Revenge doesn't look that promising. Of these, the Good Wife may stand a chance, though not by too much to create an upset.

Best Television Series – Miniseries/Movie:

Cinema Verite

Downtown Abbey

The Hour

Mildred Pierce

Too Big to Fail

Should: Mildred Pierce

Will: Mildred Pierce

Comments: I didn't watch all of these miniseries, though if I had to go based on star power, I have to go with the only one I did see: Mildred Pierce. It was very captivating and with Kate Winslet and Evan Rachel Wood (who was also in the Ides of March), they already have the power behind other nominations to make this seem like a front runner. It's one of the most talked about among these and I have trouble seeing any of these other names making an upset.

Best Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television:

Hugh Bonneville, Downtown Abbey

Idris Elba, Luther

William Hurt, Too Big to Fail

Bill Nighy, Page Eight

Dominic West, The Hour

Should: Bill Nighy, Page Eight

Will: Bill Nighy, Page Eight

Comment: I will throw my hands up and say I don't know enough about any of these. I'm just going with Bill Nighy because I've heard good things about his performance.

Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television:

Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail

Guy Pearce, Mildred Piece

Tim Robbins, Cineme Verite

Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Should: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Will: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Comments: While I haven't seen an episode, Game of Thrones has received such acclaim, and Peter Dinklage won the same award at the Emmys earlier this year. I didn't find Guy Pearce's performance to be noteworthy, and I think that while Paul Giamatti is a big name, Too Big to Fail hasn't received enough buzz to win. Also, Modern Family seems to be the only comedy among these, meaning that it stands the least chance of winning.

Best Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television:

Romola Garai, The Hour

Diane Lane, Cinema Verite

Elizabeth McGovern, Downtown Abbey

Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult

Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Should: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Will: Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Comments: I enjoyed Mildred Pierce largely because of Kate Winslet. I sadly cannot give a better assessment of the competition, though.

Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Mini-series or TV Movie:

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire

Maggie Smith, Downtown Abby

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Should: Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Will: Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Comments: I don't know exactly why, but I just liked her character. It was very rebellious and well portrayed. I felt Mildred Pierce mostly worked because of Evan Rachel Wood, though there's a good chance any of these can win. I least see Sofia Vergara winning, if notably because she was the least appealing character in the one episode I saw of that show.

You Can Sit This One Out

2011-12-14T22:46:00.000-08:00

by Thomas Willett

10:00pm PST, December 14, 2011

With movies like The Artist calling back to silent films, it only makes sense for director David Gordon Green to make a movie heavily reminiscent of the 80’s. However, after the box office failure of the medieval parody Your Highness, his latest movie, The Sitter, lands unfavorably. Is it deserved? Does Green really deserve disrespect for making perverse comedies based around versions of 80’s classics? What does he gain from not exploring uncharted concepts?

The story focuses around Noah (Jonah Hill) as he takes care of three kids: gossip obsessed Blithe (Landry Bender), heavily medicated Slater (Max Records), and the adopted troublemaker Rodrigo (Kevin Hernandez). Together they go on a journey to score cocaine for Noah’s girlfriend Marissa (Ari Graynor) from Karl (Sam Rockwell). Things go awry and it leads to various situations involving bat mitzvahs and stealing Noah’s father’s car. The premise alone is ridiculous enough to promise some worthy moments.

This would be the case if the story was organized. While the random events scattered throughout the night may have comedic touches, the jokes are not in the forefront of most of them. Most of the scenes are spent listening to Jonah Hill comment on how bizarre the situation is before having to stop one of the kids from doing something obnoxious. It’s a classic set-up that causes part of the appeal to die. However, these situations cause numerous vignettes where characters let loose. The times when the chaos has simmers down and Noah talks to the kids provide a few realistic moments of sincerity before it tosses itself back into the obnoxious world that becomes radically hit and miss as it progresses.

While the brisk 81 minute run time helps to reduce the problematic elements, it’s not enough to make any scene stand out. By rapidly running from sequence to sequence, the film never lets the moments sink in and instead just expects you to laugh as Noah is driving away. The movie lacks confidence in letting the audience decide what is funny by making scenes end with Noah pulling over the car with wide eyes. It’s distracting enough that when it succeeds at being ridiculous, the impact isn’t all there. There are also numerous holes in the narrative that cause the end to feel too convenient, though this only adds to how little the trusts its audience.

The Sitter does succeed in presenting minorities as important characters to the film. Besides the Hispanic Rodrigo, there are numerous African American characters (J.B. Smoove, Samira Wiley) that are presented as love interests and capable henchmen that help to add a unique perspective to an incompetent story. Along with touching on gay themes and adoption issues, this movie clearly shows an appreciation for race and sexuality in a way not common in mainstream movies. The themes and characters feel natural, and the result remains one of the few things about this movie that doesn’t feel mean spirited or inconsistent.

Along with a hip-hop soundtrack bookended by Slick Rick songs, this movie attempts to make babysitting sound like a gangster’s paradise. Rarely does the music feel tonally connected to the story, and instead it creates an unnecessary detriment, that, while complementing the first half of Noah’s “cool journey”, it contradicts the later half, where Jonah Hill somehow becomes undeservingly accepted. If this story had more of a watchful eye on every detail, then it could have worked.

The film’s cast actually provides for some interesting actors, but it is the star, Jonah Hill, who drags the movie down. While proven to be a comical sidekick, he has yet to prove himself as a lead, and this doesn’t help his case. He’s not a charismatic actor, and his brash, self-aware wit comes across as mean, and by the time the movie asks us to care about him, it’s hard to accept.

For the most part, The Sitter is a step up from Your Highness, though with mean characters that add nothing, it keeps it from really developing into an interesting story. There are plenty of clever ideas that leave me to wonder how much better it could have been with a simple cast change. Maybe it could have be the film Green needed to deserve respect as a comic director. Maybe his vision of parodying 80’s movies could make sense. Maybe this film could be remembered as more than another mindlessly dumb comedy meant for cable TV. It’s hard to totally write the director off, especially with the few moments of promise, but at the same time, it’s hard not to expect better.

Listmania: My Favorite Scores

2011-12-14T18:36:00.000-08:00

By Thomas Willett

With everything about 2011 coming to a close, I have taken it upon myself to do some mental cleaning on what has stood out as important pop culture from the past 12 months. I’ve covered television, scores, overall disappointments, and yet I still have more to cover. You may ask yourself where I’m planning on going from here. How do you top an entry on the best of TV? Surely nothing was more phenomenal than Louie.

Of course, what you may not realize is that I have mainly covered television. The Nerd’s Eye View conglomerate is more than that. There’s an entire universe dedicated to movies. In truth, I am saving the big blog for next week, which will feature some surprises, but mostly obvious statements about stuff that you already knew. This week, we shall look at my favorite movie characters.

I started this idea last year with moderate success. What I love especially about this particular entry has nothing to do with a movie’s quality. In fact, last year saw candidates from Cop Out and Youth in Revolt: two subpar comedies. This year, there wasn’t a lot of memorable subpar movie performances, but what there was instead was a plethora of interesting leads. In a year where no one knows who will win the Best Picture Oscar (not the non-war War Horse movie!), it made for interesting niche projects to shine and likewise performances to enter the zeitgeist.

What I love about this entry most of all is that in a few years, these movies will enter their respective place in pop culture. However, the most enduring part will come from those performances. Think of all the times you heard about that small cameo that made the movie worth it. Think of that one cast member who brought some life to a dull movie. These will stand out as discussion points better than the movie does.

Example: Take last year’s Kick-Ass. While it has become a cult classic, what will the average person reference? Is it the scene where Kick-Ass (Aaron Johnson) saves the cat ? Maybe, though you’re more likely to find someone who knows Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz). Her hyper-violent sass mouth and outfit have become popular cosplay and a questionable example of strong women. Because she has such complexity, the character’s legacy will outlast the movie, bar none.

It’s because of characters like Hit Girl that I find these entries to hold prominence as bookmarks for my memory. The following is 15 of my favorites spanning various genres. Unlike last year, I am trying to restrict myself to fictional characters that appear for the first time this year on screen.

What constitutes first time? Before this year, they have to never have appeared in a movie. Exceptions can be placed upon for a variation on the character that is radically different from the popular context. How so? Take Hemingway (Corey Stoll) in Midnight in Paris. While he is a real person, this version exists in a realm solely created by writer/director Woody Allen. While he portrays certain traits of Hemingway, he is not being copied dramatically from another performance of the Hemingway character. However, characters from Thor are based on existing properties and share similarities to former versions. Meanwhile, subsequent Thor characters such as Darcy (Kat Dennings) were created as exposition for the movie solely, thus they qualify as first time.

I know it’s a little pointless and complex, but that’s the rules I am trying to abide by. The following is a list of a few that stood out to me in some way. There is also a good chance that I will be referencing them in upcoming podcasts, which should be noted for anyone claiming to be on Team Thom: a group of noble laureates with a diluted world view and a thing for Ellen Page.

1. Super

Character: Boltie

Actor: Ellen Page

Was the last sentence supposed to be coincidence or segue? Either way, I have been obsessed with Super for months now. Since the April 1st release, I have not yet found one movie that has captivated me with their perverse, satirical nature as much as this one. It could largely be due to a superb cast delivering Rainn Wilson from my naughty list. It could also be that it brought Steve Agee and Ellen Page to be kindred spirits on his podcast . Or, it could just be the whole package is sealed together with a great performance from my favorite actress, in which she plays crazy at inspired heights that involve pointless violence and rape that make you question her sanity. It’s like if Hard Candy’s Haley Stark did things for the wrong reasons. It’s so infectious and dark, and it’s finally a relief to say that Page’s best superhero role was not X-Men: The Last Stand.

2. Drive

Character: Driver

Actor: Ryan Gosling

In recent weeks, Gosling has come out to the press of stating that he’s overwhelmed by his fan’s devotion. I argue it’s because he covered his bases perfectly with the women (Crazy, Stupid, Love), the political pundits (Ides of March), and the art house crowd (Drive). Of all of those, he most succeeded in Drive as a silent protagonist who takes out Albert Brooks, hasone of the best make-out scenes with Carey Mulligan, and promises you afive minute window . Even when I first saw the trailer before Attack the Block, I was convinced that this would be Gosling’s chance to get some Oscar notice. Luckily the movie delivered to everyone except one person . I feel that because of his compelling character and ability to be smooth, evoke with his face, and get the job done, he has become one of the most ambiguously moral and sensible heroes since Taxi Driver.

3. Attack the Block

Character: Pest

Actor: Alex Esmail

This summer, Joe Cornish’s debut film felt like it came out of nowhere with a premise sure to land it in b-movie schlock. No one expected it to be nearly as witty, grimy, violent, and fun as it turned out to be. A bunch of British hoods take out some “wolf gorilla motherf**kers” and immediately become memorable characters. While it can be argued that Moses (Jason Boyega) may be the actor going places, I felt that the most comedic relief came from the token white boy, Pest. Not only did he place that line into the lexicon, but he felt like the most sensible character. He took the pyromaniac youth that has become so cliché and brought life to it by using fireworks for logical weapons. To me, Moses may have been the hero, but Pest was the secret weapon.

4. Midnight in Paris

Character: Ernest Hemingway

Actor: Corey Stoll

It’s not common knowledge, but I don’t clap for too many movies. Besides finding the act a little obvious and self-serving, not every movie deserves applause (especially with none of the crew in the actual theater). However, when this movie was done, I did just that. I am not a Woody Allen buff, but what I have seen has impacted the way I write and look at cinema. For years, I had to sit through what I felt is a different director, though one that creates good movies like Vicky Christina Barcelona. While it has since become a phrase to loathe , I consider Midnight in Paris to be a return to form, and it notably has to do with his ability to turn historical figures into his own creation. To me, the stand out was Corey Stoll’s take on Hemingway, which I felt was very cocky and literate , but done so well that he played well against the typical Allen prototype lead (Owen Wilson). If anything, it’s because of characters like this that I am glad I still support the guy who made Annie Hall.

5. The Rum Diary

Character: Moburg

Actor: Giovanni Ribisi

For a Johnny Depp movie of recent years, it was actually pretty good, if a little slow. However, what made this movie worth a peek is the great performance by Giovanni Ribisi as Moburg, a corrupt journalist who drinks the hardest liquor and rarely shows up to work. In a world of Hunter S. Thompson characters, it was nice to see one outdo the Gonzo journalist in every way. While I always will compare Ribisi to his My Name is Earl character (which is similar), I mostly think it’s because he’s perfected the reckless abandon drunk routine so well that he makes even the drab moments seem interesting with pointless anti-political ramblings. 6. Red State

Character: Abin Cooper

Actor: Michael Parks

From a director that I feel needs to go off the grid for three years comes one really lame horror movie exploring homosexuality and cults. However, I cannot totally write this movie off on the basis that director Kevin Smith wasn’t lying about one thing. He made a really compelling villain in Abin Cooper, who managed to give the movie some promise with an extensive rant that not only made me believe it only took five minutes, but that there was a good movie in here. While the movie descends into a pointless shoot ‘em up flick, it’s the middle 20 or so minutes of Cooper’s rambling that brings intensity and fear into the movie. It can also be said that he was also so good that it possibly made everything else about the movie pale in comparison.

7. Hanna

Character: Hanna

Actor: Saoirse Ronan

This is probably the most surprisingly very good movie of the year. When you tell me that Joe Wright was directing this, I would have punched you and pointed out that Atonement was too dramatic to make this move sensible. However, it ended up with a really good story and most notably a fine performance by Saorise Ronan as the titular lead. Like Chloe Moretz and Hit Girl, I am almost sure Ronan will become synonymous with this role for years, and it’s easy to see why. She is ruthless, violent, intelligent, but unlike Hit Girl, she is also very fragile emotionally . In a year of bad female super spies (Colombiana), this is the one that stands above the rest and shows everyone how it’s done. If anything, it also shows Ronan’s range and gives her one of the more promising futures presented this year.

8. Hesher

Character: Hesher

Actor: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

It is hard to narrow down which Joseph Gordon-Levitt performance was the best this year. While 50/50 will be part of my Oscar campaign, I think that the overall character aspect goes to Hesher. No one knows where he came from, but he sure has a way of getting to you. He befriends the elderly, takes a walk with grandmas , and most of all restores esteem to poor grocery clerks (Natalie Portman) by lighting pool furniture on fire . While the actual story lacks a great structure, it’s hard to forget this character after a 90 minute joyride blasting Metallica.

9. The Way

Character: Joost

Actor: Yorick van Wageningen

After seeing this movie, I discovered that Yorick van Wageningen was set to play Nils Bjurman in the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was immediately surprised and personally upset. In the Way, I had just been presented possibly the nicest , purest character I will see on screens this year. He’s not necessarily funny, but with a massive size and a child-like sense of wonder, he manages to bring heart and warmth to every scene he steps in. I couldn’t find one bad critique about that character without immediately feeling some form of guilt. I loved him that much. I felt he adds to the charm of this underrated film, and it’s going to be awkward to watch him go from this to raping Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) next week.

10. Paul

Character: Keith Nash

Actor: Brett Michael Jones

Like Frigo (Matt Bush) in the seminal classic Adventureland, it seems that Greg Motolla has a thing for crotch shots. While the actual movie feels like a disappointing version of science fiction pandering, it did have a few bright spots to make it worthwhile. The most notable is the pointless in every way character Keith Nash , whose sole existence is to kick Jo Lo Truglio and Bill Hader in the crotch. It created a myth that left Imdb message boarders wondering if he was real (Simon Pegg says no ). In a few years, when the Nash name will return to obscurity, I plan to bring it back, if just to sound cool.

11. Hugo

Character: Station Inspector

Actor: Sacha Baron Cohen

In a movie full of stellar actors and cinephile wet dreams (I hope I wasn’t the only one who drooled over the color version of A Trip to the Moon), it felt hard to pin who delivered the best. However, the one who slinks ahead is the Station Inspector, who manages to take his dog and a mechanical leg and create one of the most sympathetic, comedic characters in this movie. While his story lacks the depth of the others, Sacha Baron Cohen manages to bring his A game and add a sense of whimsy to a role that could’ve resulted in dull and boring. Maybe it’s also a favoritism thing, but Cohen also gets some of the best camera shots in the whole movie. If you like staring at his face and foot, this is the movie for you.

12. 30 Minutes or Less

Character: Chet

Actor: Aziz Ansari

I came out of an advanced screening for this movie with the singular impression that this would be the breakthrough role for Aziz Ansari (from a movie standpoint). He was funny , ridiculous, and meshed well with a cast that included Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, and Michael Pena. While some may find issues with the story, I found it to be a rather solid, entertaining comedy that was only beat by Horrible Bosses for funniest summer film. There is little doubt that it wasn’t because of Ansari. While I haven’t seen it since that screening, I speak highly of it because of Ansari’s chemistry with Eisenberg, and I would love to see if it holds up now that it has been edited down.

13. Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

Character: Dale

Actor: Tyler Labine

It’s not too often that I find a good horror satire film that I just adore. In truth, I know little about it. However, when I was chosen to review this for Cinema Beach, I was immediately captivated not only on the different take of the slasher genre, but by the great, nontraditional red neck friends Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale. It was in these character’s hands whether this movie would sink or swim, and it did a backstroke blindfolded. While Tucker was an entertaining character, it was Dale, the real protagonist, who brought the charm to the movie by exploiting why red necks get bad reputations with a sweet, innocent core. If you haven’t seen this but love the Evil Dead series, what is wrong with you? It is brilliant, funny, and a loving tribute to the genre it parodies. See it now.

14. Rubber

Character: Lieutenant Chad

Actor: Stephen Spinella

Oh, director Quentin Dupieux, where did you come from? I will not claim to liking Rubber for more than premise alone, but Dupieux is an extremely weird man who deserves your attention. Even if the entire meta premise doesn’t do much for you, what should forever keep this movie in your consciousness is the opening parable where the rules of this world are explained and make the rest of the movie go down smooth. What’s the point of this movie? No reason. Why was it made? No reason. Even to this day, I cannot help breaking out into a rant answered by “No reason” because of those first few moments. I guarantee you that while this movie may not have much going for it, Dupieux made a movie worth talking about, and I hope in all honesty that Wrong is just as amazing.

15. Super 8

Character: Alice Dainard

Actor: Elle Fanning

Rounding out the list is a performance by the other Fanning. While I just got around to liking Dakota Fanning in the Runaways , it was in the latest J.J. Abrams flick that the younger one managed to hit on my radar. While it can be argued that this movie was very derivative, I enjoyed it quite a bit, even with the excessive nostalgia. It was most notably because of the kids, including Fanning, who plays the role convincingly well and makes me wonder if she has a bright future. If anything, I can count on Doug Benson to back me up on this pick.

That’s just 15 choices from the 71 movies I have seen so far this year. I regret to inform you that this list doesn’t include Young Adult, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Griff the Invisible, or any currently in limited release. I hope to get to those and update my list via my blog as soon as possible.

What characters stood out for you this year? Did any enter your consciousness and push out the section filed under trigonometry? Leave me some feedback and tell me whether you thought that this was a solid list, or if maybe placing Sacha Baron Cohen on this list was a mistake. Did I overlook something? Please feel free to leave feedback and we’ll get a dialog running.

You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him every Tuesday and Wednesday at nevpodcast.com . Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com and follow us on Twitter, @nevpodcast.

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 47

2011-12-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

Link

In this thrilling installment of Nerd’s Eye View: does Andrew have a Mission: Impossible (3) to find Love and Other Drugs on a Yellow Submarine? Will Matt face off against Pat Garret and Billy the Kid, Cinderella Man, or Angels with Dirty Faces? Is Thom a Beginner or Bad Teacher at Bellflower while trying to Contact Puss in Boots? All these questions will be answered along with news! box office top ten! and new releases! Stay tuned to the end to hear Thom’s Birthday Song Dedication.

Nerd's Eye View: Episode 46

2011-12-08T19:10:00.000-08:00

Link

Nerd’s Eye View Episode 46 begins with a review of The Descendants. Then Matt and Andrew dissect what little video game news there is, mostly Minecraft and game teasers. In the games section, the CBYHS theme is “Family in the title.” Don’t forget you can send CBYHS themes on Twitter(@nevpodcast) with #CBYHS. The three trailers for Trailer Trash are W.E. (2/3/12), Wrong (Sundance 2012), and Gone (2/23/12). For the finale, we each Guess the Ending for a new film coming out this weekend. Check out our blogs at nevpodcast.com and send us mail at nevpodcast@gmail.com.

Retrospective: Breaking Bad - Seasons 1-4

2011-12-08T19:01:00.001-08:00

During the course of the past few months, there has been one show that has been talked about to considerable heights. Every time I turn on the internet or listen to a show, they're talking about Breaking Bad with the same interest I expect people to have given other shows before the invention of TiVo. They speak highly of it as this great show with twists coming out of nowhere.

To say the least, it created a certain amount of intrigue that made me wonder what I was missing out on. In truth, I haven't watched enough to stereotype the AMC network's choice of shows, but between six episodes of Mad Men and five of the Walking Dead, I got the impression that they were very cinematic shows. However, those two shows have yet to grab me for an entire season (though I plan to catch up on Mad Men at some point). Despite my lack of interest in the AMC shows, I respected the network for it's ambitious shows with complex characters. I felt they were all but extinct from TV. I felt that TV itself was no longer a water cooler topic besides bad reality shows on ABC or FOX.

Yet, in the past few months, I have heard so much of Breaking Bad that I just had to give it a try. The reason I didn't hop on immediately was because I was deep into my Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon which proved to be more of an endurance test at times and I felt damaged my opinion of that show. While I think it had a stellar cast and some great episodes, it's 144 episodes was daunting and hard to keep track of. I didn't get them done until mid-October.

After taking a few weeks off, I finally decided to do it. I was going to challenge myself to watch all four current seasons of Breaking Bad in the last two months of the year (to allow it to better digest) and determine if it deserved all of those Emmys. If Bryan Cranston really was that good. If AMC really deserves miles of respect.

Thanks to Netflix, I was able to start right away with "Pilot." If a show had ever attempted to grab me in five minutes, it was this one. Knowing nothing about the show, I met Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in the middle of the desert, no pants, talking erratically into a hand held camera. Within those first few moments, I was asking myself "Who is this guy? Why is he here? Where are his pants?"

It took five minutes to get me hooked on the sheer fact that I wanted to know more about these characters. It continued to develop as the rest of the cast was introduced, including DEA agent and brother-in-law Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), his wife Skylar (Anna Gunn) and cerebral palsy son Walter Jr. (R.J. Mitte), Hank's kleptomaniac wife Marie (Betsy Brandt), and Walter's partner in crime Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul).

In the pilot episode, they are not so much introduced as much as thrown into situations that raise eyebrows, including Hank taking Jr. to talk to a hooker as an anti-drug spiel. Jesse is met falling from the second floor of a girl's house. Almost no one seems normal at this point, but they seem established enough to continue living in this universe of Albuquerque, New Mexico as Walter becomes a meth cook out of an RV in the desert.

This is all just the "Pilot" episode, so there was plenty of reason to keep watching. What amazed me most about season 1 was not only that Cranston was a really compelling actor, but that almost every episode had a dramatically complicated cliffhanger at the end. It left me wanting to watch the next episode immediately, which I normally did. Within a week, I had seen 10 episodes and had no intention of slowing down. This universe was amazing.

It wasn't just the characters, either. Each of the directors managed to bring a flair to the episode. The show WAS cinematic. Some of the trademarks that seemed to arrive every other episode included meth cooking montages, excessive time lapses, killer song choices, and some type of war with the Mexican drug cartels. It all ended beautifully in the end of season 1 with "A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal," which saw Jesse and Walter steal from a high security compound and make meth for a dealer who beat up his assistant in a junkyard.

I thought that was insane for the show. Season 2 only made things darker and weirder, including the introduction of pre-credits teasers, which progressed to show a teddy bear in a swimming pool. What did it mean? This show had developed midway through season 1 that it had a knack for callback, and I kept wondering what this teddy bear had to do with the plot. While I will say that I think the resulting product was disappointing for the bear, the build-up to it was phenomenal, and included a relationship with landowner Jane (Krysten Ritter) that resulted in one memorable heroin trip.

The stakes also rose episode-to-episode during season 2. What I appreciate about this show is that they didn't make any character dumb. If anything went wrong, it was all because of human error or slipping through the cracks. The amount of times things almost ended was insanely high, yet it was all plausible enough to keep the show going.

The best example of this high stakes came in the episode "Better Call Saul" which not only introduced Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), a corrupt lawyer, but also presented an early sign that Walter was become the villain in the story (though it was better portrayed in the previous episode's opening song "Negro Y Azul") as he blocks the view of a DEA van so that Jesse can frame another guy for a drug deal based on Saul's accommodation. The result was five minutes of intense distraction.

There were some other great episodes that prove that this show deserves all the respect it gets ("Peekaboo","Breakage"). Overall, I think that while season 2 progressed the story a lot and produced a lot of memorable episodes, it was still only a small example of what the show could do. During the time, it presented Walter getting a trial separation from Skylar and Walter turning up naked in a Mexican convenience store ("Bit By a Dead Bee"). What season 2 established was that it wasn't a fluke. This show was going to go really dark. It was going to push it's characters into strange, new places.

The most notable introduction was the Salmanaca family, which included Uncle Tio (Mark Margolis), who became one of the best characters on the show despite no dialog. His simple communication through a service bell would become one of the show's most haunting features, but was the start of darker stuff that would develop deep into season 4.

By season 3, Walter was contemplating leaving the game, but kept finding reasons to stay in. In introduced the Counsins (Luis and Daniel Moncada), that eventually went after Hank and became menacing villains in the series. It also set the building blocks for season 4 by Walter opening up to Skylar about his meth cooking job, and Walter and Jesse going into business with Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), a suave owner of Los Pollos Hermanos and most successful dealer to Mexico. Walter and Jesse begin working in the super lab (the RV was torn down in season 2) and things get hairy. Meanwhile, Walter and Skylar try to launder their money by investing in a car washing company. This causes Walter to just be more carefree with the money anyways, showing Skylar's dedication to the actual cover-up of the money.

It is also the season where Jesse goes from being the sidekick to his own, unique character. He begins yelling at Walter about things he disagrees about. He begins to not trust him. In a sense, this is the moment that Aaron Paul broke out and showed his ability to act just as tough as Cranston. With Giancarlo Esposito also become the show's greatest, enigmatic character, it stepped up it's game not only in dark storytelling, but also in it's acting. Everyone was so complex by this point that it felt like someone needed to crack any moment, which was the appeal of the show that continued to draw me in.

In the most current season 4, back story to Gus is given, Jesse and Walter spend numerous episodes apart, and Skylar becomes a very intriguing business woman, who eventually just cheats her way into ownership of the car wash. With exception to Jr., this season was polarizing for most characters. Hank wasn't in the DEA anymore and in a wheelchair from the Cousins wounding him. Walter didn't seem to show any signs of quitting. Meanwhile, coworker Mike (Jonathan Banks) takes Jesse under his wing to do errand runs, which rubs Walter the wrong way.

The last five episodes of this season are the darkest that it has gotten, and it has a lot to do with Walter breaking down and finally taking up the mantel of being a really bad person and the overall conflicts of Walter either staying or getting killed by a misconception that he told Hank about it.

Again, when things get close, Walter sets them back with car accidents and using neighbors as decoys to see if his house was infiltrated. Meanwhile, Jesse is recovering from bad things that he has done and trying to be a better person by taking care of a woman and her child, who got poisoned. By the end of "Face Off," the show is in a conflicting new place. Will Walter really be able to retire without any trace, or will something go terribly wrong?

This show's biggest achievement is making an episode to episode question of how far will the next episode go. With performances that got more compelling as the seasons went on, and stories equally as perplexing, it's a wonder that the show has managed to maintain it's intensity through the whole thing without making any comical moments too comical or dramatic moments too intense. There was a lot of fighting, but it was all called for.

What I love about the show is not only the characters, but the ability to analyze what it means to be a man in society. Walter originally sold meth to save up money for his family when an impending cancer would kill him. In a way, this is what every man wants for his family: a substantial wealth to live happily on. There are also polarizing versions, including Hank, who was mostly the cocky, brave one who wanted to appear macho to everyone. Jesse was the young, naive character whose mostly been established as the one who aged and matured the most since episode 1. Gus is just a guy who got screwed over and wants revenge.

There are numerous sides to the coin, but in a way, it explores masculinity in society better than any show currently on the air. It doesn't show it in muscle bound heroes, but flawed individuals who end up naked in convenience stores. These are realistic (in the show's context) characters who have realistic problems, and it explores what happens when their good intentions go wrong.

However, it can also be established that the women in this show also feature some analysis of women in society. They're flawed just like their husbands, but they stand by them and want the best for them. In Skylar's case, it's laundering the money discreetly without raising suspicion. For Maria, it's standing by a handicapped man who complains about minerals all day. For Jane, it was drugs. There's numerous ways to look at it, but most of all, it's a dissection of dysfunctional humans in the 21st century.

Where Mad Men explores masculinity in the 50's, I felt that it doesn't deliver as well because the stakes cannot be as high as Breaking Bad. It's mostly internal and while that will make for interesting story lines, it doesn't allow them to take as many risks as Breaking Bad. That's not a bad thing, but it keeps it from having the same impact that the show has.

Overall, I love Breaking Bad for being a really good show with great writing, great characters, and great practical effects mixed with montages and time lapses. The music is great. I loved close to every moment of it, and the fact it resonates so well with me is also a testament to it's impact. I was very disappointed to finish it and know I had to wait a long time to see the next batch.

So, what was my favorite character? It's a two way tie between:

Jesse Pinkman - Say what you will, but I think he has shown the most range from episode 1 to the current batch. He started off an ignorant drug dealer and has slowly surpassed Walter in the realms that he becomes Gus' side man during business trips and he cares for a woman and her child. He has developed towards a good person, which is a great polar opposite to Walter, which also makes this show very intriguing and shows a small silver lining to it's future.

Gustavo Fring - How can you not like this guy. He is a very complicated man who runs a successful chicken fast food joint. He is very mysterious and tends to hide his face behind a video camera, and he is not afraid to stand in the way of gunfire. He is fearless and takes everything with a very stoic tone of voice. He won't let anyone stand in his way, and he's not afraid to slit your throat ("Box Cutter") if you're not working out. He is the ultimate loose cannon while being very well mannered. He'll mislead you into unexpected ways. Don't mess with him, because he is unstoppable.

Favorite season?

Season 2. It's actually hard to determine, but based on favorite episodes, season 2 wins. It introduced so many bizarre camera techniques and sent characters into interesting directions, creating infamous moments (like in "Peekaboo") and proving that there's a lot of complexity to these characters. It also introduced Saul Goodman, Jane, Heisenberg and Gustavo Fring. This is the moment the show went form being just a really morally complex show to being the dark, weird one that it would end on. It also had the best follow through of any season to date. Don't get me wrong, the following seasons are very good, but when it comes to personal favorites, season 2 wins.

It also gave us this song.

I cannot wait for more of this show. It's so good that I intend to buy all of the seasons the moment I get financially able to. It's addicting and I recommend that you check it out, too. It really is one of the best things that I have seen on TV. I want you to understand why.

Listmania: Disappointments and Scores

2011-12-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

By Thomas Willett

Around December, I like to look back at the past few months and figure out what stood out. What will be in my consciousness a year from now? As an avid fan of lists, I like to compile my thoughts and see how well they hold up as I get older and the world changes. Will my thoughts on Thor change if the Avengers proves to actually be good? Will Bridesmaids really stand the test of time?

These are some of the questions that I ask myself. As you can see, I, like Martin Scorsese, admire movies and want them to be remembered. Future generations need to be able to have a batch of cinema to look back on and see with the same fondness that we see Back to the Future or Casablanca. Unlike Scorsese, I am probably alone on loving the low budget opus Super: a movie that had a lot of heart and was only helped out by an inclusion of some great song choices by Tsar and Moneybrother. It had personality, which is a theme that I chose to focus on this week.

While I will continue to explore more positive aspects of this year, I want to focus on things that momentarily altered me into a frustrated state. These are things that I hold close despite being inanimate and owing no personal debt to. These are some of the events that caused me to lose interest in performers. It’s more of a painful break-up than The Break-Up, but without Vince Vaughn. These are the events that may go down in my history as being significant.

1. The King’s Speech wins the Best Picture Oscar Matt will tell you that this decision was deserved. I am not here to call it a bad movie. What I am here to say is that my mind was altered to perceive the movie was terrible because it beat out The Social Network: a movie that grew on me solely based on a two-disc special edition. I found David Fincher’s movie to be poignant and important, while the King’s Speech to be a very safe movie in comparison. This is nothing new with me and the Oscars (my vote for Up in the Air went to The Hurt Locker last year), but I am surprised how quickly I went sour on that movie. Time passed and I have since forgiven the movie, though it’s a painful reminder that I am not really good at movie gambling just yet. However, I do reconcile most differences with the win for Best Original Score to Trent Reznor. The truth is, as a fan of Nine Inch Nails, calling the guy who wrote ” Mr. Self-Destruct” an Oscar winner is still eerie.

2. 2 Broke Girls/Wilfred It’s tough for me to call anything on TV sensible when I dedicated at least five episodes to each of these shows that ranked very low in my favors. The problem with Wilfred was less distracting than that of 2 Broke Girls, but I gave up on the former first. I cannot figure out why that is. Wilfred is the superior show. Maybe it’s because I felt that tonally the show couldn’t find a common ground between dark and deep while being juvenile and lowbrow. It does get bonus points for making me get weirded out by a skinny Ethan Suplee. As for 2 Broke Girls, I continually seem delusional for watching every week and spouting “I see potential” where others see the guy who wrote Sex and the City 2. I will not lie that “And the Very Christmas Thanksgiving” episode was atrocious, though of the past five, I’d call three good. So while it’s no contest that either Whitney or I Hate My Teenage Daughter will be the worst show of the year, it’s harder for me to determine what was worse for me to stick around with.

3. Kevin Smith and the ABC’s of SNL If you have been following my blogs over the past year, you’ll know that this was the time I had a tragic falling out with Kevin Smith, a man that I once adored for getting me into blogging and later introduced me to podcasts. Somehow, Red State, a movie that’s far better than his previous, Cop Out, was the final straw. Maybe it was the lame headline grabbing moments of Sundance. Maybe it was my lack of faith in him after viewing Too Fat for 40. He just seemed delusional and not willing to accept progression. I had it, but not without one big disappointment. It was touted that Smith was going to give Jon Lovitz a show called the ABC’s of SNL. I was psyched, already imagining conversations with Lovitz and Laraine Newman about Dan Aykroyd’s drug problem. The stories are endless of how much I was looking forward to it. However, just like Too Fat for 40, it was a big ruse. By this point, Smith was burning me out and the fact it was just TWO EPISODES of Smith interviewing Lovitz really disappointed me. The show I was promised was not the show they delivered. With that, I officially was able to say goodbye to our friendship.

4. The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXII As an avid fan of the Simpsons, you can see why this was a disappointing episode. While I had stated before that “Master and Cadaver” was their worst, they were able to give a homerun of bad parodies in this episode, including spoofs on Dexter, Avatar and… The Diving Bell and the Butterfly? Is that ripe for jokes? Either way, as a literal life-long fan of the show, I felt my heart sink as I watched that segment turn into one elaborate fart joke that didn’t go anywhere. The center piece fart joke is a disputable Breaking Bad reference (think Uncle Tio and the translator), but by the closing bit, my hope was officially gone. This is the worst that they have done and hopefully will do. It is not a good reflection on what is turning out to be one of their strongest seasons in years.

5. Community Gets Replaced Midseason by 30 Rock No need to elaborate. I love Community and am not looking forward to it disappearing around January. It isn’t like Free Agents, a show that I saw potential in, but was quickly axed. This is a credible show with an audience that is clearly there. There is gossip that this isn’t the end for our Greendale friends, but realizing they couldn’t axe the terrible version of the Office, or better yet Whitney, just makes you question their motives more. Of course, these are the people that gave Perfect Couples and Outsourced more episodes than the Paul Reiser Show, so it’s hard to judge where the ball bounces.

Since I felt that this blog would be too short if I just mentioned these five disappointments, I thought that I would also look into memorable scores and musical numbers. They have equally impacted my life as much as these previous statements. While I am not an expert on this field, I can tell you that I actually invested money into buying scores that sounded cool. I liked them because they evoked personality and stood out as actual music. One of my issues with scores tends to be that they’re very atmospheric (not a problem), but heavily reliant on fading in and out (i.e. Cliff Martinez’ Drive). I could listen to these and actually have interest. I hope that these scores get Oscar recognition, but mostly likely won’t. So, what stood out?

1. Attack the Block Now this is a score. I am by no means a large fan of Basement Jaxx, but when I heard that they were doing this, I became immediately excited. I wasn’t entirely sold on Daft Punk’s TRON: Legacy score, but it instilled a belief that electronica bands could translate to movie scores very well. This is the ultimate opus of that statement from the past few years. “The Block” immediately gets me in the mood with a mix of house beats and violins. The fusion is so breathtaking and by ” the Ends,” this album works equally as a soundtrack to one of the best movies of the year as well as just an entertaining album to listen to. It’s full of spunk and I have trouble finding anything that I have enjoyed more.

2. Hanna It’s true, I sling endless praise on Attack the Block, but earlier this year, there was a very good chance that it could’ve gone to the Chemical Brothers for this score to a surprisingly good movie (will it be in my top ten? Check back in a few weeks for the results). What immediately stands out is “The Devil is in the Details,” which is the epitome of what makes this score amazing. It’s got the aggressive, loud synthesizers of an action score mixed with elements of classic fairytale rhythms. It creates a mix of childlike wonder and hardcore action into one mix that fits this offbeat movie. If anything, please rent the movie to see how well it is used. My mind is blown just remembering “the Sandman.”

2011-11-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

Link

Special guest Matt Benson joins us in this thrilling episode! Benson, as he is known, is the host of Benson’s Boombox on CCMN and originated the Glee Fantasy League and Community Fantasy League. In video game news, notable new releases include Modern Warfare 3, Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, and a little game Matt is excited for called Skyrim. In the news, we wonder how much fun DC Universe Online will be now that it is free-to-play and what the GTAV trailer reveals. CBYHS this week has the theme of “First Time Directing.” The three trailers for Trailer Trash are ParaNorman (8/17), Wanderlust (2/24), and This Means War (2/12). Also everyone gives a different interpretation of four new releases in Guess the Ending. You can check out all our blogs and the archive of episodes at nevpodcast.com and send us email at nevpodcast@gmail.com.

Retrospective: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"

2011-11-09T23:41:00.001-08:00

It seems to be years ago when I first started my journey, but it was only March when I first looked through Netflix and selected a few shows that I might want to watch. At this point, I was wanting to fill time by picking a show and watching the whole thing. Upon the inception of this journey, it was originally between Twin Peaks, Veronica Mars, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In truth, I was a small David Lynch fan, so I gave Twin Peaks a first season run. I didn't like it and am not too sure I care to find out who killed Laura Palmer. Veronica Mars was SO CLOSE to getting picked. However, when I popped on part one of the "Welcome to Hellmouth" episode, I was introduced to a culture I had never known.

It was immediately perplexing and by the time the episode ended, I already was clicking on episode two. In reality, I had never seen too much to make me admire Joss Whedon (besides Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog), but the novelty premise of a girl beating up vampires sounded like a delightful romp. Also, based on research, the show is considered to be one of the best, and the lead Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) manages to be one of the most iconic female characters in history.

Count in that Alyson Hannigan is on my good side, I had so much preconceived notions going into this show. What I didn't expect was how quickly I would get hooked. In season one, it captured my attention with monster of the week episodes where Xander (Nicholas Brendon) dated a large mutant and a poorly green screened apocalypse brought on by a kid in a coma. As a guy that loved Universal Horror classics such as Frankenstein and the Invisible Man, I was willing to take this novelty.

While the original villain was rather weak, the seasons to come produced interesting characters. Most of all, I really enjoyed the allegorical connections between fighting demons and surviving high school. In fact, the only thing that didn't make sense for the longest time was why Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) was such a prominently featured character if she seemed to be outside the Scoobies consisting originally of Buffy, Xander, Willow (Hannigan) and lead by Giles (Anthony Stewart Head).

However, as the team expanded, the show got more shaky. I will say this much, while the first two seasons survived on a lot of novelty premises, it captured my interest as it entered season 3, a season in which Buffy and her boyfriend Angel (David Boreanaz) got closer. Their relationship has always been my favorite part of the show with neither Spike (James Marsters) or Riley (Marc Blucas) ever matching the romantic nature. To me, there was something between Angel and Buffy that felt forbidden and by exploring it so well, it produced some of my favorite episodes, including "Amends" and "the Prom," both of which left me more heart warm than any other episode.

While the relationship between Buffy and Angel was some of the best chemistry that I've ever seen, my favorite character was also introduced in season 3. Bad girl Faith (Eliza Dushku), a slayer with a rebellious nature, kept pushing the boundaries of the Scoobies' morals, and she also had some of the greatest dialog moments, where she spouted off very clever things without losing a single ounce of cool cred. The fact that she eventually disappeared for a few seasons, only to appear in the final batch of episodes was rather heartbreaking.

By season 4, my expectations were starting to differ too. I no longer wanted this gimmicky show, even if "Band Candy" was really fun. I wanted emotional moments between the characters. I wanted Willow and Oz (Seth Green) to work out their problems, even if he was a werewolf. It felt very nice when Xander returned in "the Freshman" and explained how Buffy was an inspiration. To me, that is one of the many moments that epitomizes why this show is significant. It's very sentimental without being sappy.

Season 4 also marked a shaky period when I kind of fell out with the show. In truth, episodes like "Beer Bad" kept me kind of excited, but with Angel gone, Faith in a coma, and Buffy dating Riley, there was already something going wrong for me. I didn't like the whole government agent angle and felt that despite it being a huge call back later, was a stretch. I did however enjoy the attempts for Buffy to adjust to being in college and facing demon sororities. Basically, when she wasn't with Riley, I saw moments of season 4 that are really good.

Then season 5, a season we'd all like to forget happened. I feel that my original love for the show based on novelty was naive after it premiered with "Buffy vs. Dracula," an episode I was anticipating since before I started the show. I was hoping for it to be the ultimate showdown (as he is the ultimate vampire), but it as a whimper that only hinted at a terrible season. The next episode "The Real Me" in which you take the endearing Xander and make two of him should've been great, but it lead to numerous sex jokes. While there was sexual tension hinted at in the previous seasons between Xander and Buffy, the extroverted nature of his behavior felt forced. So did most of these episodes.

The biggest reason this season was the worst was entirely blamed upon by Glory (Clare Kramer). As the evil, I assumed she would be in just one episode. However, when she appeared in more than five consecutively, I began to loathe the show. To say the least, Glory's character was very sinister and bitchy, but lacked the charm that previous villains did. She had a lot of snarl and repulsive nature. It just got out of hand when you add bad story lines.

While season 5 was terrible, I would like to think there were numerous elements that made this one worthwhile. Spike returns and slowly begins to instigate a romance with Buffy. By becoming more prominent, he also becomes more endearing and his involvement more interesting in the later episodes.

It also brought some other characters to the front. While "the Real Me" suffered from a bad story, it introduced Dawn Summers (Michelle Trachtenberg), Buffy's sister. To me, that was the most interesting addition to the show. It introduced a new character and raised existential questions about her being. While it seemed strained at first, her involvement with Willow and her girlfriend Tara (Amber Benson) became one of the more endearing parts of the season, including when Glory started accusing her of being nothing but a key.

Also, while she had appeared in earlier episodes, the addition of Anya (Emma Caulfield) as full time cast was great. While the early seasons saw Xander as the comic relief, Anya became a certain replacement that allowed for a fresh take on the relief needed for darker moments. It also allowed for interesting relationship stories between Xander and Anya.

However, for the next two seasons, Willow and Tara would have the most interesting relationship. It's not just because they were witches or gay. It's that they worked together and helped Willow to develop as a character by practicing her magic. It was also more rewarding than giving her sexual tension parts against Oz or Xander. I argue that the show went over the top briefly with their relationship by overly expressing it, but they eventually helped it to become more commonplace.

The biggest moment from season 5 that I felt really was necessary to move the story forward was the death of Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland) in "the Body." Up to this point, Buffy had been self reliant on her mother and while she was responsible at her job, this allowed for her character to become more fleshed out and take on new challenges. They mostly involved raising Dawn and providing the income. While it started off shaky, I felt it developed in interesting ways that helped round out the end of the season with "the Gift" in which she sacrificed herself.

Season 5 wasn't great, but I saw some things worth remembering. However, with season 6, I felt a resurgence that I hadn't felt since season 3. It opens with the two part "Bargaining" in which the Scoobies are trying to bring Buffy back from the dead (spoiler: successful eventually). Maybe it was the bad writing of season 5, but this season kicked off with a bang and may be my ideal season of my preconceived desires of the show and what eventually developed. It took a few novelty ideas and mixed it with endearing moments in a way that I had only hoped the 4-5 seasons would've been like.

The villains were also greater this season, as the Geek Trio: Jonathan (Danny Strong), Warren (Adam Busch), and Andrew (Tom Lenk), a pop culture spouting group who creates technology to fight Buffy. While their references seemed to be more of a popular person's perception of nerds, the fact that they were human and flawed actually made for interesting arcs. It wasn't that they were the most threatening, it was that they had a great dynamic to their role, including Andrew's eventual turn of sides onto the Scoobies.

Another highlight includes the departure of Riley. Along with Glory, he was one of my least favorite recurring characters. Also, the growing love between Spike and Buffy may never have reached the passion of Buffy and Angel, but it did result in some great scenes of conversation between the two. However, Tara and Willow still had the best relationship.

This may be true until the assassination of Tara in "Seeing Red." Somehow, after that episode, Willow's relationship stories lacked the flair and she felt like a secondary character. However, as the season climaxed with her becoming evil and seeking revenge, it created one of the greatest season finales that this show had in "Grave." The simple act of Xander standing up to Willow is very beautiful, and I felt that I only got something out of it because of my relationship with these characters.

Meanwhile, Xander and Anya have their own interesting falling out arc. It peaked in "Entropy," where Xander runs out on their wedding after getting a vision of their future. Suddenly the bright, cheery world that was built is destroyed and it only works to make Anya a very bitter character that had some charm, but clearly was used more as a continual grudge.

This season also has some of the best episodes in a long time. It proves that with a simple premise, the story can go a long way. One of my favorites is "Gone," a whole episode that feels like a tribute to the Invisible Man. It was also the biggest reminder of why I began watching this show. It was also followed with "Doublemeat Palace," which made Buffy's character more fleshed out by giving her a job and solving once and for all the story behind mystery meat. I think I just like it because it's out of Buffy's element and presents a different side that is never before or again explored.

However, like most people, the real highlight comes from "Once More, With Feeling." An all musical episode? Was music a prominent part of this show? It's true, many bands played at the Bronze, and it was awesome. However, the show never broke out into song. Making a whole episode around this premise is ballsy, but only if you don't know how great Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is. I was utterly in love with this episode because it worked. It took all of the character's premises and let them have their own song. The fact that they were very catchy is also a benefactor that makes this one of their best.

Overall, despite the lack of Angel or Faith, this was my second favorite season and also features the most memorable group of episodes if just because it wasn't reveling in gimmicks. It allowed for characters to grow while changing the allegorical elements to be placed upon Dawn in high school and Buffy as the care giver.

Season 7 was the final one, and while it was really good, I don't love it. I enjoy the idea of Sunnydale High School reopening and Buffy becoming a counselor. However, majority of the episodes focused on a singular story, which was to find a new batch of slayers to destroy the First Evil, who has been haunting the series for a few seasons. However, the inclusion of Amanda (Sarah Hagan) was great, as it let me enjoy the Freaks and Geeks crossover for 10 episodes.

While I enjoy when the show is consistent, I don't know that I like the build up. This season was heavily focused on finding the slayers and teaching them how to fight. They had problems, they solved them, and most interestingly, Giles officially quit after talking to a European council. This was all in Buffy's power, and the way she handles it goes back and forth between strict and crazy.

However, it's a chance that allows Faith to return and become the leader. While these episodes feature her prominently, the scrapping fun of earlier episodes feels more refined and focused, leaving me wanting the old fun Faith. I did enjoy that Willow had to be rehabilitated for half the season because of her actions, though it strained the core friendship that I liked.

The final episode is definitely a great conclusion of the entire show, even if it was a pointless destruction of a school open for not even a year as well as the surrounding town. However, it was also a beautiful send off for Spike, in which his last moments finally give him the endearing nature that I have associated with Angel.

However, season 7 wasn't as fun as the previous seasons because it was building up to the great finale. True, it brought back a lot of the previous seasons, but it didn't have too many great stand alone episodes. The epiphany moments where Buffy explores outer worlds for answers is also weird and adds impact to the final episodes, but this season felt mostly to be build up, which as a fan I enjoyed, but left me wanting the characters to have more fun.

Overall, I'd say that this show was definitely one I enjoyed embarking on. At 144 episodes, it beat Soap for the longest show I've ever marathoned. It makes me feel rewarded for doing so, even if it's something I hope never to do frequently. I don't know that I remember all of the episodes as well as some die hards, but what stands out the most for me is that core relationship between Buffy, Willow, and Xander that grew and faced challenges over the seasons. No matter how interesting additional characters were, that core group was the glue to the show.

I don't know that I will ever say that I love this show, but it's unique approach to TV is one I'll praise. It managed to have Jason Ritter as a robot dad and Kal Penn as a college drunk. This show had a broad spectrum of guests that still surprise me. It's very of it's time, but most of all, it created characters that were different than the norm, some monsters, and make them human with interesting dialog and character traits. They all stood out and were created so well that eventually they became an endearing addition.

It's true, Angel was a great character. Will I watch Angel? In time. I'm planning on doing it next year some time. I hope it's more solid than Buffy the Vampire Slayer was, but then again, I liked this show for being out there and having a unique personality, even if it didn't work every time. But when it was on, it was very much on. I don't see any other shows having moments quite like these.

So, how would I rank the seasons? In order of favorite:

Season 6

Season 3

Season 2

Season 7

Season 4

Season 1

Season 5

This is not to say that any of these is a truly awful season, it's just that when remembering them, this is how fond I am of them. It's a tough call between season 6 and season 3, but for the finale, I will award the top spot to season 6.

As for favorite characters?

Faith

Xander

Willow

Angel

Spike

Dawn

For the entire show's run, I wanted more Faith. Sadly, it was very limited, but what I got out of it was definitely worth it. She was so good.

And there you have it, a recap of this show. It's a little wordy and full of spoilers, but it's been a few months. I need to show work that accounts for it (and to show you that I'm not just sleep walking through the show). I hope you have enjoyed the article and I look forward to feedback.