Earl’s Blog: Part III

• Best Motion Picture-Drama-Avatar
• Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical-The Hangover (Nothing funnier than seeing 3 screwball comedy actors and Mike Tyson go up during a prestigious award ceremony to receive one of the highest awards.)
• Best Male Performance in a Comedy/Musical-Robert Downey Jr., Sherlock Holmes
• Best Female Performance in a Comedy/Musical-Meryl Streep, Julie and Julia
• Best  Male Performance in a Drama-Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
• Best Female Performance in a Drama-Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
• Best Supporting Male Performance-Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds (Totally deserving, he’s frighteningly great in that movie.)
• Best Supporting Female Performance-Mo’Nique, Precious
• Best Director-James Cameron, Avatar
• Best Screenplay-Jason Reitman/Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
• Best Original Score-Michael Giacchino, Up
• Best Original Song-“The Weary Kind”, Crazy Heart
• Best Animated Movie-Up
• Best Foreign Language Film-The White Ribbon

• Best TV Series-Drama-Mad Men
• Best TV Series-Comedy or Musical-Glee
• Best Male Performance in a Drama-Michael C Hall, Dexter
• Best Female Performance in a Drama-Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Best Male Performance in a Comedy-Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Best Female Performance in a Comedy-Toni Collete, United States of Tara
• Best Male Performance in a TV Mini Series or Film-Kevin Bacon, Taking Chances
• Best Female Performance in a TV Mini Series or Film-Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
• Best Supporting Male Performance in a TV Series, Mini-Series, or TV Film-Johnathon Lithgow, Dexter
• Best Supporting Female Performance in a TV Series, Mini-Series, or TV Film-Chloe Sevigny, Big Love
• Best Mini-Series or TV Film-Grey Gardens

Christoph Waltz as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds

Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes

This is, at the very least, a huge undertaking to take a retrospective and just sorta count out what I liked most from the past 10 years of seeing movies, mainly because in 2000 I was 8 years old. My movie sense then isn’t the same as it is now. But after a ton of visits to Wikipedia’s film lists and a lot of deliberation last night as I went through a process involving my notebook to narrow down the movies, I think I’ve come to some true results that I can stand behind. There were snappy comedies that were fun to watch, mind-blowing crime sagas, and movies that even took us deep inside through the human mind. Agree or not, these are my favorite movies from the past 10 years, in other words, the first decade I’ve lived through the entirety of.

1. The Dark Knight-The setting was a dark, increasingly crowded theater filled to the brim with avid fanboys waiting to see the most anticipated superhero film of the year. Christopher Nolan crafts an expert film with an engaging story of a superhero, but also perfectly crafts what can come with superpowers and an intelligent but enthralling way of describing the morality that comes with it. Every scene Heath Ledger’s Joker comes on screen the crowd fell silent in anticipation, not knowing what would come next. This is an expert film, the best superhero film ever made in the fact the hero isn’t a “superhero” at all, and one of my favorite films I’ve seen.
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-Another one of my favorite directors, Michel Gondry (also helming The Green Hornet which I can’t wait for) takes us inside the human mind with a fantastically written and a fantastically executed movie that redefines “interesting”. Jim Carrey’s near-perfect in this, and with an ending that throws you truly on your head, you definitely need to see it.
3. Little Miss Sunshine-There’s just something so infectious about this movie, this family starts out separated and by the end of the 2 hours not only have you seen them grow together you’ve grown closer to them, plus it’s funny and witty, Steve Carell is perfect in it.
4. Be Kind Rewind-Michel Gondry hits the note again in what was a great concept that was executed greatly, that’s fun to watch over and over again.
5. No Country for Old Men-Ha-Ha, the Coen Brothers paint a wild west landscape that’s just so bleak and silent, Javier Bardem appearing often to truly embody “evil” in one of the best films of that year. It holds with it a great story, and the anticipation builds and builds throughout.
6. Up-(See Below)
7. Finding Nemo-It’s so so so worth mentioning how paramount the Pixar movies have been in the past decade, truly great movies that have been cranked out constantly, never disappointing. These two, to me, exist as their 2 finest. Other Pixar Films appear in my list, which just goes to show how much they’ve meant to me growing up and learning to love movies.
8. Gran Torino-Clint Eastwood puts together a really strong movie with one of his best and most iconic characters ever in Walt.
9. District 9-Neil Blomkamp shows what can be done with little financial backing my crafting a science fiction masterpiece that’s really ingenious.
10. Dan in Real Life-Steve Carell’s in the top ten again, a really charming romantic comedy that I really enjoyed watching.
11. I Love You, Man
12. Monsters Inc.
13. Spiderman 1/2
14. Watchmen
15. Pineapple Express
16. United 93
17. Swing Vote
18. The Hangover
19. Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz
20. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl/Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
21. Star Trek (2009)
22. Supersize Me
23. Zombieland
24. Hitch
25. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
26. Casino Royale
27. Where the Wild Things Are
28. Avatar
29. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
30. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
31. Inglourious Basterds
32. The Prestige
33. The Soloist
34. Iron Man
35. Slumdog Millionaire
36. I Am Legend
37. Drag Me To Hell
38. Funny People
39. Wanted
40. Taken
41. Batman Begins-Liam Neeson two times in a row haha
42. X2: X-Men United
43. 300
44. Run Fatboy Run
45. Shrek
46. Inside Man
47. Knocked Up
48. Walk the Line
49. The Pursuit of Happyness
50. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America  for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

Honorable Mentions-

• Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
• 16 Blocks
• Get Smart (2008)
• The Visitor
• Observe and Report
• Away We Go
• Elf
• School of Rock
• Secondhand Lions
• Ray
• The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
• Bruce Almighty
• The Incredibles
• War of the Worlds
• March of the Penguins
• National Treasure
• The 40 Year Old Virgin
• The Blind Side
• Public Enemies
• Henry Poole is Here
• License to Wed
• Disturbia
• Happy Feet

So, there’s the list. The Top 10 I totally recommend and take your own discretion through the rest of the list, but I can definitely recommend each and every one of those to your NetFlix or check at your local video store.

Basically you really need to check out this link here, it’s a bunch of news considering what’s now no longer Spiderman 4. In case you don’t want to read all of it, here’s a brief wrap-up.

• Because Raimi couldn’t promise Sony he could “creatively” come to terms on making the new Spiderman for the Summer of 2011, he’s been dropped from the project, along with all the cast and crew.
• Now Sony/Columbia are going forth with a reboot (yes, a reboot of a widely successful series) to focus on Peter Parker’s high school years.
• James Cameron’s idea for his direction/script for the series is being considered.
• 3-D is Also Being Considered
• The May 2011 date was scrapped, July of 2011 release date is unlikely, now Summer 2012 date is new focus.
• John Malkovich, who was originally considered for the Green Goblin in the first movie, and was confirmed for a role in Spiderman 4 as the Vulture, is now still being considered for a part in the new re-boot. Interest in Anne Hathaway (potentially as the Vulturess, no that’s NOT a typo) is still in the minds of many at Sony/Columbia.
• Star Trek 2 is also coming out that Summer, so there’s something to see haha.

The Vulture for a Reboot?

The Vulturess? *snickers*

Hopefully not the new Peter Parker

Also Hopefully Not the New Peter Parker

I'm Praying THIS is the New Uncle Ben haha...

There’s supposedly this little-known Indie art house flick going around these days called the “Twilight” series. Last Fall the new entry, something about a fresh or new moon, came out and apparently people liked it so much it scored a little over $1 Billion across the world. Just saying, but I didn’t donate my $8.75 to this behemo   th, also just saying, but I’m not really what you’d call a “fan” of the series. Low and behold my excitement when someone else finally entered the ring with their own movie about vampires, crossbows in hand. A movie about what I like to call real vampires and real vampire hunters. That is, vampires that don’t glisten and speak in low tones of voice but vampires that will rip through men, women, and children to get blood and avoid sunlight for the demon it is.

The vampire tale begins in the year 2009, when a plague rips through the world that somehow physically transforms everyone into blood thirsty vampires. However, a decade later in 2019 the primary source of nourishment in the world, blood, is becoming more and more scarce as the few remaining harvestable humans are growing more resistant and the idea of an alternate source is bleak. The director and his team put forth an immense amount of effort to create an incredibly vivid world of the vampire civilization, one that’s dark, hopelessly bleak, one that at most times is terrifying. They create a world so vivid in that it’s not vivid at all. They get a firm grasp of the daylight/darkness interplay. Shots that exist in the darkness have a certain mysterious point where you never know what’s coming, where anything could be behind any corner, a certainly frightening/morbid mix. Whereas every shot in the “outside” world of the daylight has a piercing, shocking brightness that’s there in each frame to keep the constant threat in your mind. Daybreakers story can be kinda cliche in parts, but it’s played out fresher as a whole than you’d imagine. There’s always a twist in the plot that will keep you interested as the movie goes on.

As more of a downside, the plot and the pace goes on so quick through the movie to keep it fun to watch and to keep you interested that you never really know anyone that’s involved in the story. You never really know exactly who Edward or Elvis really are. However, if there is something this movie is shooting for, it’s violence. Brutal, unflinching, get your hands filthy with blood violence, embracing the notion that vampires are killers at heart that enjoy killing for what they want-blood. This can be a pro or con depending on who’s watching. For the horror/gore fan seeing vampires taken down by Willem Dafoe will be a bloody fun time, for the squeamish, you’re gonna have a little trouble sitting through this one, not to mention sleeping with the lights on for a week or two. Oh, did I mention Willem Dafoe’s in this? He shows up for enough ridiculous stunts, mind-numbing one liners, and a classic Willem-Dafoe goatee for any movie fan. All in all, these days there aren’t many vampire flicks these days that are true-to-the-bone violent, scary, totally entertaining vampire movies. I can safely say that if you don’t fall into the target zone for the Twilight series you can really have a good time seeing Daybreakers.

4 out of 5

About a month or two ago Disney put out a Robert Zemeckis-cartoonized version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Being the holiday sap that I am, I did end up seeing the movie, but the idea “was this remake necessary” constantly plagued my mind. Sure It’s cool seeing Jim Carrey do a holiday shtick, and sure it’s neat to see them do the neat animation that made Tom Hanks look like he had a second layer of skin back in 2005, but the movie never really went beyond the level of entertaining cash-in. One of the remakes I wasn’t entirely sold on was Guy Ritchie’s re-telling of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes, However much to my surprise, the results all work together to create a thrilling and 100% entertaining adventure that any movie-goer deserves to see.  One of the coolest things about the Sherlock story is how you don’t have to spend time introducing either Watson or Holmes. This really gave the chance to just jump straight into the action and fulfill the opportunity to have a really fun time with the two awesome portrayals by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Downey became Tony Stark back in ‘08, and he uses his classic charisma to come in and perfect the Holmes charisma. His interpretation is constantly entertaining and never boring. The same can be said for Jude Law’s run at the mill for Watson, which is also pitch-perfect. The two come together for a pair that leaves the audience begging for future installments in this series. As with any Sherlock story, the mystery/story component is key. Lord Blackwood serves as lead bad-guy in the movie, and through some strange political deaths and some supernatural implications, the mystery quickly becomes a twisted knot that’s a ton of fun to watch slowly unravel. As with all twisted knots, there are those that will and get frustrated and put off by the complexity, but it all comes to a satisfying forefront after all the old-English jibber-jabber is said and done. Going into the film I was afraid there was going to be too much action/too little class or vice versa. However, Guy Ritchie polishes every key component to an enjoyable sheen throughout. The action is hardcore to a summer blockbuster quota, and the comedy from the Watson/Holmes interplay is hysterical. Ritchie struck gold in this holy trio of comedy-mystery-action that’s expertly honed in a finely paced film that’s hard NOT to enjoy.

5 out of 5

What are you waiting for? Go See it… Now

I know I’m not as fluent or as active on this site as I used to be, so to satisfy some here are some mini-reviews of the films I’ve seen in the past few months, full reviews may be added later for some.

Gamer-Truly terrible, uncomfortable, loud, annoying, stupid, a very poor use of $6 in my book. I did not really enjoy this film as it began Gerard Butler’s curse. Avoid at all costs. 1 out of 5

Law Abiding Citizen-Excessively and Unnecessarily Violent however the premise was a really fun and exciting thing to watch at times. Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler work nicely and fiercely going head to head as one by one the judicial system is picked off after a wrongful prosecution of a couple of murderers. I recommend highly as a rent. 4 out of 5

Where the Wild Things Are-More beautiful and poignant to view as a film than it is fun to watch, Spike Jonze really focused on making an energetic portrayal of the beauty of youth, and that is commendable, however at times the movie could get a little too wrapped up in itself and a little boring to watch. 4 1/2 out of 5

A Christmas Carol-Jim Carrey and Robert Zemeckis put forth a solid effort to make this class Christmas fable worth a retelling, which ultimately becomes the biggest question of any remake of this story. The animation is superb and the story has enough tweaks to warrant the 2D admission, definitely worth the trip for any family around the holiday season.-4 out of 5

2012-To be honest, when it comes to action-y movies of this caliber you don’t really have a choice around the holiday season until Sherlock Holmes or you know Ninja Assassin. 2012 though is far from a bad choice however, as there’s a great epic long story feel to it, as by the end you feel like you’ve been with these characters for a long time and you genuinely feel for them, not to mention a cavalcade of great effects and a variety of sequences. Plus Danny Glover’s the President… It’s SUPER long keep in mind for the younger ones but for a guy’s night out 2012 fits just right.-4 out of 5

Old Dogs-Hmm… Disappointed. John Travolta and Robin Williams didn’t really put either their heart or their soul into this, and if they did they severely need a transplant. The jokes are mainly recycled from poop jokes (which made me laugh the first two times) or from the trailer, so you’ve really seen this before, and it plays just as a cliche the whole time that’s really just feels like a holiday cash in that’s not really that funny. Take the kids and they’ll have fun but there’s not a whole lot of love or funny in this one. 2 out of 5

The Blind Side-This is really the one to watch. Families take note b/c this is the one to see this season, everyone will be satisfied of this really heartwarming tale. All the performances are right on key from Bullock and McGraw, not to mention Kathy Bates to make this a really touching story. Sure, it’s a little forumlaic but who cares, so is Christmas… Go see this one now. 4 1/2 out of 5

Still to See-

• Brothers
• Armored
• Invictus
• The Lovely Bones
• The Princess and the Frog
• Avatar Avatar Avatar!
• Sherlock Holmes
• Up in the Air

It seems that every other week the local multiplex is hailed by a cavalcade of the same kind of film time after time that fails to do anything really new or step outside the box. Oh look Johny Depp’s being quirky again, how fun! Michael Bay’s making another movie about the journey of explosions across America, awesome. This past month, would seem like yet another rundown “Zombieland” came into town, however it brings to the table one of the most exhilarating and entertaining zombie movie packages that would make Simon Pegg giddy. It’s pure zombie killing, American style. The story is set in what seems like a not-so-distant future where, from what little the story actually does tell, a mad cow like disease has made its way into the minds of the human race and ravaged through the country, leaving only the smartest and strongest to survive, or according to the rules of zombie handbook, those who do the most cardio. In this instance, the 4 most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse include Woody Harrelson’s wildly charismatic and often hilarious portrayal of a violence-scarred zombie slayer, Jessie Eisenburg’s socially awkward  germaphobe, along by Emma Stone’s bad girl rep and Abigail Breslin’s surprisingly hilarious take on a zombie hunter. Each of the cast runs their portion exceptionally, Eisenburg’s character actually being  funny despite my lowest expectations for him. Harrelson however steals the show with some of the best and funniest lines I’ve heard this year in a zombie movie. The whole flick provides those kinds of laughs you’re not sure if you should laugh at or not, while supplying plenty that left the whole theater in stitches. The film stretches over some familiar ground that many like Will Smith and Nick Frost have covered before, however Zombieland takes on a certain brand of imagination with it, and that carries over to make the film a lot more fun to watch. The individuality of the characters, the nice incorporation of the zombie survival tips into the backdrop, not to mention the true audacity of the survivors makes it that much more fun to watch. Also in the same style of cult classics like Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland packs in the gore for all it’s worth, ranging from the just enough to get you to marvel, to the scream-in-the-theater-after-the-camera-didn’t-cut-away gross. There’s just enough gore to keep the horror fans happy, while still satisfying the comedy fans with the steady stream of slapstick. Zombieland is short, sweet, and to the point, and doesn’t even come close to overstaying it’s welcome, but kinda cuts short the crazy lust for more outrageous zombie kills. However, for a movie like this, it hits the perfect balance. There’s even plenty of setup for another installment after one of the most awesome zombie showdowns taking place in a particular amusement park. Aside from a little bit of a rushed feel, an a little lack of zombies in the second act, this movie hits all the right notes expertly. The flick is paced, shot, and balanced expertly, but all u need to know is that this is THE one to see this month, and is a thoroughly entertaining piece for any self-respecting fan of slaying the undead, or just anyone looking for a hilariously brutal fun time.

4.5 out of 5

Yea that oughta get your attention. Since DS wrote something I figure’d I’d post something up, and to commemorate the movie I was watching earlier today, I thought I’d post up a well, post about the Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy. The series or “trilogy” of completely unrelated movies is a group of flicks from director Edgar Wright, a Brit who has consistently worked with the likes of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to produce some of the most entertaining action gore fests. The trilogy gets its name from the common simple fact that the movies are often filled with tons of blood and the main characters eating ice cream, I know how that sounds, simple, but yet it’s not a large factor (the ice cream part) and the whole package comes together superbly. The first film by Wright in the trilogy was 2004’s Shaun of the Dead, a parody of the classic Zombie genre with tons of laughs thrown in for good measure, also catapulting the young career of Simon Pegg into the limelight. The film basically centers around zombies taking over Britain and Simon Pegg, well, killing all of them. In 2007, the group continued with the flick I was watching earlier today, Hot Fuzz, in which Simon Pegg takes center stage in a really boring town where there seems to be a string of murders taking place. Once again in this one he is paired up hilariously with Nick Frost to get several great laughs along with some ridiculously cool action pieces. (The last 50 minutes and special features on the disc are worth $20 alone. The next flick in the set is set to be “The World’s End”. No info has been released for the project yet, however once Wright finishes work on a current television project and Pegg finishes work on Paul, shooting is set to commence. If you’ve never heard or seen any of these great flicks, now is the time to see them. The two released flicks are by far the greatest zombie comedy ever made and one of the best buddy cop movies out there with a fantastic mystery.

Behold one of the coolest movies ever. Basically if you’re familiar with any of Michel Gondry’s filmmaking work, you’re familiar with some of the most inventive and creative pieces in current film. His work includes the upcoming Green Hornet flick, the very charming Be Kind Rewind, several music videos, and his masterpiece, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. If you’re not familiar, get familiar. The story follows Jim Carrey’s character (i’m really busy right now and it’s been a while since i watched it), who, quite frankly, is sick of his once-girlfriend (Kate Winslet) not remembering him or anything about their relationship, and is pretty confused on the whole thing. He then discovers she went to a facility where they erase any and all memories you want. So, in retalliation, after an emotionally wrenching few days, he goes to the same facility to delete her from his mind. However, as the memories are being deleted, he begins to relive all of their great times together, and soon realizes the past isn’t as simple as hitting the “delete” key. Jim Carrey is incredible in this as is Elijah Wood, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Winslet. The whole movie has a whimsical style as it goes along with it’s whimsical type of story and trips inside the mind. Keep in mind you cover a lot of ground in the mind, and things can get trippy. However, Gondry, as always, covers things superbly and geniusly. The movie is directed flawlessly and encompasses multiple relevant coinciding plots together to deliver an incredible package with a stunning ending that will only further convince you of this movie’s greatness. So go rent it, buy it, whatever you have to do to experience this gem of a movie.

5 out of 5

Great, now all i write is movie reviews. Oh well, until I can take the time out to update this with some editorials or a snarky comment on a TV Show or video game series, this will just have to do. I quite literally had no idea what to expect in the Quentin Tarantino genre-blend “Inglourious Basterds”, and maybe that’s why i loved it so much, but I guess whatever works, works. The fact of the matter is this is one of the most enjoyable movies i’ve seen in a while, and it’s one i can recommend to almost anyone. You will not enjoy this movie if A) You are made uncomfortable by scalpings or B) If you’re a Nat-zi. Actually, skip the first one, unless you’re a Nat-zi, you’ll love this. The story follows two separate attempts at ending the cruel Natzi power hold of Europe, let’s just say one succeeds. One is led by a Jewish refugee and her african-american lover who just so happen to be owners of a small French theater. The other is Brad Pitt, Eli Roth, and BJ Novak’s group of violence lovin’ Basterds. Ye be warned-this is filled with natzi killin, scalpin’, and murderin’, and it’s so much fun. The main down side of the whole flick is that that it can be incredibly slow in spots, so slow that you’re begging to see Brad’s Aldo Raine show back up to charm the audience with his Tennessee accent or just shoot someone. The performances are spectacular-Brad Pitt’s Aldo Raine is a new classic, he had the entire theater rolling in some of the most serious situations known to cinema. (The theater was laughing and gasping at the bat scene.) The entire flick serves as a perfect genre-blend, mixing comedy, adventure, and a little horror and drama, all the while blending it into a perfect film-noir style that perfectly compliments the setting and time period. Needless to say this is the most fun you’ll ever have at a World War 2 movie. It’s gory, it’s violent as I’ll get out, but it’s undeniable fun and stylish fun at that. Leave the kids and those of weak stomachs at home, and prepare for some good Natzi-killin fun with what just might be “Aldo’s masterpiece…”

4 1/2 out of 5