From the classic hall of famers ("Knute Rockne," 1940) to recently championed contenders ("The Blind Side," 2009).
Check out the article on Moviefone for the best football movies of all time:
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
"The Mechanic"
Jason Statham ("Transporter, " "Crank") is back in killing machine mode as Arthur Bishop in "The Mechanic," directed by Simon West ("Con Air," "Lara Croft: The Tomb Raider"). Living in laid-back Louisiana bayou country, Arthur is an elite assassin with a rigid code to abide by; prepared, detached, and on the mark. Always.
When his mentor and close friend, wheelchair-bound Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), takes a bullet to the chest, everything changes. The identity of the shooter, connected to Arthur's employer, 'Dean' (Tony Goldwyn), is disguised in the plot synopsis, but there is no mistake about it.
Henry's screwed-up son, Steve, (Ben Foster) latches onto Arthur to learn everything about the trade and looks for revenge. Job after job, Arthur takes Steve as an apprentice and methodically shows him the mechanics of being a professional killer.
There is a specific mindset required to "fix things." Detachment. Patience. Different methods are applied to different jobs, depending on a variety of variables, such as the subject, habits, and surrounding environment.
It's not as simple as shoot and kill. You've got to study the subject. Not only that it's imperative he hits the target every time, the killing is also meticulously and precisely done in a way so that it's as efficient and clean as it can be. To the outside world, each death appears to be accidental by nature. It's the perfect kill; nobody knows you were there.
Once Steve enters the picture, it's different mechanism. Far from a steely professional, he goes in for the kill in a purposefully brutal way. Assassinations that are planned to be quick and tidy turn vicious and messy. As Steve joins forces in pursuing Arthur's shady employer and uncovers the identity of his father's killer, the duo's relationship is altered.
If you've seen and enjoyed a Statham movie, you know what to expect. The surprise factor is here is Foster's hot-tempered Steve; be it when he defiantly engages a hitman twice his size in mano-a-mano, or jumps up to gun down a band of hitmen.
The "pre-ending" as the closing would have been a fresher take. At the same time, as inscribed on Harry's gun, "Victory loves preparation" is the overriding theme of the movie. There's no way of getting around it; all the way to its back-to-back, blown-to-bits finale.
http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-mechanic/
DVD (blu-ray): http://tinyurl.com/4a4e8ez
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Note: "The Mechanic"
"The Mechanic" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-mechanic/ It will be posted on the blog at a later time.
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NOTE: If you read updates via e-mail or RSS feed, check back the main page (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com/) from time to time - links to resources/deals on the right-hand side of the blog may be updated. If you know a cool or unique resource site, feel free to e-mail.
"The Company Men"
Bobby Walker (Ben Affleck) is a hotshot sales executive living his life through rose-colored glasses. At the prime of his career at GTX, Bobby is laid off after 12 years of service. Gene McClary (Tommy Lee Jones), his boss and mentor, couldn't save his job.
Gene later finds that his position is not as secured as he thought - even if he's friends with James Salinger (Craig Nelson), the callous CEO who earns millions, while conducting rounds of mass layoff in order to meet the market's demand and keep the stock prices up. Another aging executive on the chopping block is haggard Phil Woodward (Chris Cooper). With his qualifications, Bobby smugly believes that he would land on his feet in a matter of days. And with three months worth of severance package that includes outplacement service, he has no plan to leave the good life. Sprawling McMansion, fancy Porsche, country club membership, luxury vacations are measures of success. His job was his identity. Bobby's stay-at-home wife turning part-timer, Maggie (Rosemarie De Witt), is loyal, realistic and practical. She gets the credit for having her feet planted firmly on the ground and gently urging her husband to get his head out of the sand. Another goes to Jack Dolan (Kevin Costner), her brother, a hard-working owner of a small construction company. He takes in dismissive Bobby as an extra worker even as his business is not exactly breaking even. Unemployment is ever-present these days that it would be hard not to empathize with anyone out of work. But Bobby, Gene or Phil is not your everyman. It's not easy to cry a river over the few elites who are used to the six-figure lifestyles. Bobby pointedly refuses to even consider a related position paying about half of his previous base salary. There may be a question of why anyone should bother watching reality played on the screen. If it's any consolation, the human impact is real. The gamut of emotions that an unemployed goes through - shock, denial, anger, shame, guilt, lost, resignation. Dreams dashed, respect lost, plans canceled, family affected. Eventually, with continued hardships, come the attitude adjustment. The corporate jets and expensed trips are not coming back. Gone are the $500 lunches and $5,000/night hotel stay. The reality is, as a family man with two kids, it may be vital for Bobby to trade in his white-collar suit with a blue-collar sweatshirt - if it means earning an honest pay for an honest day of work, however back-breaking a manual labor may be. Living within the means also takes on a new meaning. Being unemployed is very humbling, not to mention agonizing experience. There's rarely any comparison to the struggle of keeping your livelihood. Countless hours are spent pounding the pavement. The stress to keep up the skills and appearances marketable. Days stretch into weeks, weeks into months and months... without knowing when the end will be in sight. Hopes are intermixed with fears. Finding a job is a full-time job on its own and may be the hardest one of all. The worst part next to survival is perhaps knowing that the world goes on and leaves you behind. Families, friends, neighbors, acquaintances continue asking about how your job search is going and how you're holding up. Or they may be in the dark because you're forced to keep up the charade of being a successful professional. Keeping the spirit up and faking enthusiasm of having to start over and prove yourself continually can take a toll. For one former executive, it may prove to be too humiliating.The ending, while felt tacked on, provides an essential positivism to conclude the story. It represents the American spirit. Like its sleeker counterpart, "Up in the Air," "The Company Men" was born during the worst recession since the Great Depression. It's the sign of the times and carries much relevancy.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Note: "The Company Men"
"The Company Men" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-the-company-men-ben-affleck-tommy-lee-jones/ It will be posted on the blog at a later time.
______________________________________
NOTE: If you read updates via e-mail or RSS feed, check back the main page of the blog (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com/) from time to time - links to resources/deals may be updated. If you know a cool or unique resource site, feel free to e-mail.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Just For Fun: Super Bowl Movie Commercials
The Super Bowl will provide the first glimpse of Hollywood's summer lineup. Paramount will have a monster studio presence during the February 6 telecast, buying ad time for J.J. Abrams' alien-invasion pic "Super 8," the threequel "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," Gore Verbinski's CGI film "Rango" and Marvel's superhero pics "Thor" and "Captain America: The First Avenger." Disney has bought time for "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," while Universal and DreamWorks' will plug the Daniel Craig-Harrison Ford sci-fi western "Cowboys & Aliens." All are high-priority 'event' movies.
Check out the article on Hollywood Reporter:
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Academy Award 2011 Nominations
While the Golden Globe goes with "The Social Network, " it's not surprising to me "The King's Speech" leads the pack with 12 noms. Both are outstanding films, but the Golden Globe tends to go with the "popular kid" on the block as opposed to the "dark horse" ("The Hurt Locker" vs. "Avatar," "The Departed" vs. "Babel," "Crash vs. "Brokeback Mountain").
"Inception" finally gets the recognition it so well deserves, sharing the spotlight equally (12/14/10 post) with "The Social Network" at 8 noms each. If Best Picture goes to "The King's Speech" and Best Director to David Fincher, "The Social Network," I'd like to at least see that Christopher Nolan (snubbed or merely hasn't paid his 'dues' yet?), "Inception," goes up for Best Original Screenplay (or his film in either one of the other categories; Visual Effects/Score/Cinematography).
Best Actor and Best Actress nods stand for Colin Firth, "The King's Speech" and Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
Check out the full list of the Academy Award nominations at http://oscar.go.com/
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Upcoming Movies: February 2011
2/04 - "Sanctum" (http://www.sanctummovie.com/)
2/11 - "The Eagle" (http://focusfeatures.com/the_eagle/),
"Gnomeo & Juliet" (http://www.gnomeoandjuliet.com/)
2/18 - "I am Number Four" (http://findnumberfour.com/),
"Unknown" (http://unknownmovie.warnerbros.com/)
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Movie Brief: The Return of Roger Ebert
January 21, 2011 marks the debut of "Ebert Presents at the Movies." Christy Lemire (The Associated Press) and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of (Mubi.com) will host the half-hour show every week.
The number of movies reviewed can vary from week to week depending on the release schedules, usually between four to six. The format will follow the original show between Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel, "Sneak Previews," which started 35 years ago. A year after Siskel died in 1999, Chicago Sun-Times Richard Roeper joined him. Ebert left the television in 2006 due to thyroid cancer. In the new show, Ebert will wear silicone prosthesis, since he's lost much of his jaw due to the cancer.
The show marks the return of the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic. Ebert will host "Roger's Office" highlighting a film or film-related topic of his choice. In addition, there will be special segments with guest critics.
The show is produced in Chicago at WTTW and it will air on public television stations across the country.
Check your local PBS station for schedule.
For more information, check out http://www.ebertpresents.com/
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
"The Green Hornet"
Corny and unfunny. I'm all for oversized ego; only if it's matched by brilliance (Tony "Iron Man" Stark, anyone?). But certainly not bullying. I've never watched a "hero" that is more insulting than trust-fund, boorish slacker Britt Reid (Seth Rogen). When the sidekick, Kato (Jay Chou) is far superior, and you're rooting for anyone to remove Reid out of the equation, 'Hornet' doesn't stand a chance for salvation - except maybe for the last quarter of comic-style nonstop actions.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Golden Globes 2011
2010 was truly a phenomenal year for films! Let's hope that 2011 will be at least as memorable.
Updated post (1/08/11) on Golden Globe nominations and pick for winners:
Golden Globe winners:
Best Motion Picture - Drama
"The Social Network"
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Colin Firth - "The King's Speech"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Natalie Portman - "Black Swan"
Best Director - Motion Picture
David Fincher - "The Social Network"
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Melissa Leo - "The Fighter"
Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
"The Social Network" - Aaron Sorkin
Best Original Score - Motion Picture
"The Social Network" - Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale - "The Fighter"
Bring on the Academy Awards!
Friday, January 14, 2011
"The King's Speech"
What's so interesting about watching a stammering British royal in the 1930s learning to speak well? As it turns out, plenty.
In "The King's Speech," Colin Firth is Albert, a stuttering prince (Duke of York) on an accidental ascend to the throne. All available options exhausted, his wife (Helena Bonham Carter), finds Australian-born Lionel Louge (Geoffrey Rush), an unorthodox speech therapist who operates out of a humble family quarter, to "cure" her husband. Carter shows her softer side with a delicate piquancy in her role as Duchess of York and future queen mother. Lionel, who later is found to have questionable qualifications, becomes Albert's private teacher and confidante. His unconventional method demands that they are on equal level, Albert simply referred as 'Bertie' (his nickname) and Lionel 'Louge' (without a "doctor" salutation). It's interesting to note that the stutterer does not stammer when he talks to himself, curses out, sings along, or reads aloud with a noisy background. With the death of King George V (Michael Gambon), oldest son David (Guy Pearce), is crowned as King Edward VIII. Edward's relationship with a twice-divorced American commoner Wallis Simpson (Eve Best), and with whom he intends to marry, raises serious eyebrows of the parliament and church institution since he is the head of the church. Edward chooses love and abdicates his throne. Bound by duty and honor to serve the country, younger brother Albert is crowned as King George VI (father of future Queen Elizabeth II). Since childhood, feeling the reject of his nanny, receiving negative reinforcements from his father, and living in the shadow of a self-assured brother and heir to the throne, self-doubter, naval officer Albert has been stuttering virtually all his life. He has all the right words in his brain but is just unable to orally communicate them. Firth's delivery, conveying his frustration, anger and fear over his handicap, and the extreme embarrassment it causes, is truly heartfelt. While a prince may get by without much public speaking, for a king, it's not an option. Impeccable speech gives voice to the face of a nation. This is especially amplified where leaders are expected to do public addresses that reach far and wide, courtesy of new technological apparatus, such as microphone or radio. Speech impediment would far lessen the ability to lead, particularly in times of unrest. With the distressing rise of Hitler and impending world war, people look up to its leader to speak with a credible and assuring voice, and hang on to every word. With a running time of two hours, the story surprisingly maintains its momentum, although the standout scenes are clear. When Lionel's wife (Jennifer Ehle) finds out about who his husband's student really is, it's hilariously memorable. When Lionel tricks Albert to record and listen to his own voice, it's a real 'aha' moment. Firth encapsulates Albert's deepest pathos in a single scene where he breaks down in front of his wife over his upcoming coronation and reality of being king is sinking in. The first appearance before the parliament where Albert feels small and every man before him appears to loom large, is another shining moment. The accession ceremony rehearsal at Westminster Abbey is a must-see. Last but not least, the premiere of the pause-filled wartime speech is a must-hear. Firth gives an imperially admirable performance throughout and Rush is not much less regal. Lionel believes with sincerity and certainty that Prince Albert, King George VI is on the brink of becoming a "bloody good" king. The upclose, personal interactions between Firth and Rush are majestic. The quick-liners between them, stammer and all, flow mirthfully. Their unlikely rapport turns into a lifelong trust and friendship. Once in a while comes a film that inspires and moves you, but rarely one that tells a story about a dry subject, which on the surface, as unrelatable as it gets since it involves a privileged royal family. Respectably applause-worthy, "The King's Speech" illustrates the power of storytelling. Hail to the king!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Note: "The King's Speech"
"The King's Speech" review is now up on http://www.sdentertainer.com/arts/reviews-arts/movie-review-kings-speech/ It will be posted on the blog at a later time.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Movie Trend: In-Movie Dining
[Note: "The King's Speech" review will be up this week]
Audiences at a growing number of theaters can order such dishes as chinois chicken salad rolls or limoncello-tossed shrimp. More middle-of-the-road fare is also available, like cheeseburgers and chicken caesar salads. Seats in these so-called "in-theater dining" cinemas are big and plush. Lobbies are luxurious, with art on the walls and mood lighting. Popcorn is often complimentary and a full bar is de rigueur.
Check out this WSJ article on the double feature of dinner and a movie:
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Movies Flashback: The Last Decade
As we ring in the new year, I'm looking back to the last decade and putting together a list of memorable movies.
These movies are not necessarily the best from professional critics' standpoint, although some certainly are. But they're epic, revolutionary, controversial, profound, serious, witty, smart, sweet, whimsical, sleek, adventurous, or brainless fun. Whatever it was, it left an imprint in my mind long after leaving the theater. I've been asked why I love movies (or TVs) so much. Because it's such an immersive experience for me.Where else can I be transported into different worlds - real or imaginary, past, present or future - filled with stories, characters and creatures that I may never encounter in real life? Through the lens of motion pictures, I feel magically enchanted, visually provoked, intellectually stimulated, emotionally touched, intensely scared, courageously inspired, instantly uplifted, immensely amazed and amused. As a friendly disclaimer, for sure there are great movies left out because either I didn't get around to watch them somehow, I honestly forgot about them, they're purposely left out due to the imposed limit per year, or if part of the series, they may be represented in other years (although in some cases, there are certainly movies in the series with far lesser quality and not memorable). I'm also a "geek" at heart, so a number of these movies may not have the same appeal to a broader audience. Below is a flashback to the last 10 years in films: (five each year in alphabetical order)2010 - Black Swan, Inception, Red, Shutter Island, The Social Network2009 - 2012, Avatar, Surrogates, Up, Up in the Air
2008 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones: The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Iron Man, Wanted
2007 - Gone Baby Gone, Live Free or Die Hard, Michael Clayton, Mr. Brooks, Stardust
2006 - 300, Blood Diamond, The Departed, The Illusionist, Superman Returns
2005 - Batman Begins, Brokeback Mountain, The Constant Gardener, Red Eye, Sin City
2004 - The Aviator, The Bourne Supremacy, Crash, Finding Neverland, The Notebook
2003 - The Italian Job, Mystic River, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, Runaway Jury, X2
2002 - Catch Me If You Can, Equilibrium, Femme Fatale, Spiderman, Tuck Everlasting
2001 - Blow, Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone, Moulan Rouge, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Spy Kids
Stay tuned for 2011!
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011 Most Anticipated Movies
Aside from sequels ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," "Mission Impossible 4," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Sherlock Holmes 2,") and comic-based adaptations ("Captain America: The First Avenger," "Green Lantern," "Thor," "Transformers: The Dark of the Moon," "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn," "X-Men: First Class"), one particular film that has caught my interest is the delayed "The Adjustment Bureau" (not included below). Doubt it will be 2011's "Inception," but hopefully it's as promising as its premise!
So fingers crossed 2011 is the year of surprises and sleeper hits. Check out the article of the 20 most anticipated movies of 2011 on Movie-Moron: http://www.movie-moron.com/?p=13779
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