July Movie Watching

July is such a great month for movies, maybe because it's always the "lighter" fare.... you'll see them just to get out of the heat. Somehow, just saw four theatrically this month. It would have been five but I got sick from dinner a third into Public Enemies. This is only the second time in all my moviegoing years that I had to leave the theater and miss a movie (can't remember the name of the first movie but I do remember rushing home on the subway in NYC!). Never got around to seeing PE, but it kind of (and surprisingly) bombed. The little I saw looked just average.

Saw Year One (it was a free screening!). My friends bemoned how awful it was and I wasn't about to argue. The makers didn't try too hard on this one. It was one of those movies where the only time spent after coming up with the premise was on the casting.

Bruno was, unfortunately, a letdown. It did have a few scattered laughs and shocks, and it at least proved how brilliant Borat was in retrospect. Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher were in the theater when I saw it, that was cool.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was, to me, the best Potter after the (brilliant) Prisoner of Azkaban. Although I like the series, these two are also, unfortunately, the only really good ones: it'd be hard to pick third place from the rest. So, it's nice they pulled this one off. The only bad thing about it is was the conclusion, which only works at a mid-chapter level. What I liked best about the movie was that I really felt like I was a part of the Potter world while watching it. A bit lengthy, but not too bad.

Lastly, I saw Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Again a free screening, but I gotta tell ya, within minutes I was wondering why the hell I went to it. I guess since I haven't seen the other two (theatrically or otherwise) I felt compelled. Ugh. And it's yet ANOTHER IN AN ENDLESS LINE OF ANIMATED MOVIES ABOUT A LOST FRIEND THAT NEEDS TO BE RESCUED!!!! ENOUGH ALREADY ANIMATION PEOPLE. GET A NEW STORY LINE!!!

Heritage Galleries July '09 Auction Realized

Heritage Galleries' July auction ended this weekend with wacky 1923 Hollywood one sheet (grade: FN/VF)--I love this one!-- going for $89,625. Too bad this silent film no longer exists....

A grade FN+ Gilda went for $33,460; a grade FN/VF Broadway Melody went for $31,070; and-- a steal at $5,078.75-- was a VF Vertigo, possibly the greatest poster of all time (I'm actually glad that so many copies of it exist that, conceivably, I could own one someday!).

I was surprised that the foreign posters didn't get big numbers, per se. The Seven Samurai-- a great poster (grade: VF)-- went for $13,145.

If I were bidding, I would have had my eye on the Trader Horn poster (grade: VG/FN), which went for $11,950-- an odd but interesting poster and an underrated film.



There were many noteworthy items in this auction. Just to name one more, a lobby card from Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (a VERY rare item), went for $14,340.



Here is Learn About Movie Posters compilation of top sellers of all-time.

2010 Leonard Maltin Guide's Ratings of Last Year's Award Winners

The Leonard Maltin Guide, for better or worse, sets a standard for how movies are ranked in later years. Although there are many examples of aberrations (for example Unforgiven, which frequently lands on best-films-of-all-time lists, is rated just *** out of ****) the guide has had influence in general in accessing films for future generations.






With that in mind, here are the films that received the main awards from critics, guilds, etc. from last year and where they placed in Maltin's rankings.

AMPAS Best Picture Nominees:
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
FROST/NIXON (****)
MILK (*** 1/2)
THE READER (*** 1/2)
SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE [winner] (****)

Best Actor: Sean Penn for MILK (*** 1/2)
Best Actress: Kate Winslet for THE READER (*** 1/2)
Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger for THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz for VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (*** 1/2)
Best Director: Danny Boyle for SLUMDIG MILIONAIRE (****)
Best Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for MILK (*** 1/2)
Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
Best Foreign Film: DEPARTURES(***)
Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)
Best Documentary Feature: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

Multiple Oscar winners (features):
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE— 8 (****)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON— 3 (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT— 2 (**)
MILK— 2 (*** 1/2)

Golden Globes Best Motion Picture Drama: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
Golden Globes Best Musical or Comedy Film: VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (*** 1/2)
Golden Globes Foreign-Language Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
Golden Globes Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

BAFTA Best Film: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)
BAFTA Best British Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
BAFTA Best Foreign-Language Film: I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG (***)
BAFTA Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

PGA Best Film: SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
PGA Best Animated Motion Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2):
PGA Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

SAG Ensemble Award: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)

DGA Award: Danny Boyle for SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)

WGA Original Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black for MILK (*** 1/2)
WGA Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (****)
WGA Documentary Screenplay: Ari Folman for WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Online Film Critics Society Best Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2)
OFCS Best Foreign-Language Film: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
OFCS Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
OFCS Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)

Broadcast Film Critics Best Picture: SLUMDOG MILIONAIRE (****)
BFCA Best Action Movie: THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
BFCA Comedy Movie: TROPIC THUNDER (** 1/2)
BFCA Best Documentary Feature: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
BFCA Animated Movie: WALL•E (** 1/2)
BFCA Foreign-Language Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Nat’l Society of Film Critics Best Picture: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
NSFC Foreign-Language Film: n/a
NSFC Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

New York Film Critics Circle Best Picture: MILK (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Animated Film: WALL•E (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
NYFCC Best Foreign-Language Film: 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS (*** 1/2)

Los Angeles Film Critics Assn Best Picture: WALL•E (** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Animated Film: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Non-Fiction Film: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
LAFCA Best Foreign Language Film: STILL LIFE (n/a)

National Board of Review Top Ten Films:
BURN AFTER READING (** 1/2)
THE CHANGELING (***)
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
DEFIANCE (** 1/2)
FROST/NIXON (****)
GRAN TORINO (***)
MILK (*** 1/2)
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE [Best Film] (****)
WALL•E (** 1/2)
THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)

NBR Best Foreign Film: MONGOL (***)
NBR Best Animated Film: WALL•E (** 1/2)
NBR Best Documentary: MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)

AFI Top Ten
THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON (****)
THE DARK KNIGHT (**)
FROST/NIXON (****)
FROZEN RIVER (***)
GRAN TORINO (***)
IRON MAN (** 1/2)
MILK (*** 1/2)
WALL•E (** 1/2)
WENDY AND LUCY (***)
THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)

Indiewire Top Ten
1. THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
2. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
3. WALL•E (** 1/2)
4. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
5. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
6. PARANOID PARK (** 1/2)
7. STILL LIFE (n/a)
8. SILENT LIGHT (n/a)
9. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)
10. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)

Village Voice Top Ten
1. WALL•E (** 1/2)
2. THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
3. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
4. STILL LIFE (n/a)
5. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
6. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
7. MILK (*** 1/2)
8. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
9. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
10. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)


2008 additions to They Shoot Pictures…. website Top 250 Films of the 21st Century:

30. FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON (***)
54. A CHRISTMAS TALE (*** 1/2)
55. WENDY AND LUCY (***)
68. WALL-E (** 1/2)
73. STILL LIFE (n/a)
78. MY WINNIPEG (*** 1/2)
79. PARANOID PARK (** 1/2)
84. HAPPY-GO-LUCKY (***)
86. WALTZ WITH BASHIR (*** 1/2)
116. SILENT LIGHT (n/a)
117. SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK (**)
118. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (*** 1/2)
123. IN THE CITY OF SYLVIA (n/a)
127. THE LIVES OF OTHERS (*** 1/2)
141. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED (***)
144. HUNGER (*** 1/2)
153. MILK (*** 1/2)
159. THE WRESTLER (*** 1/2)
172. HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE (2004) (*** 1/2)
176. THE DUCHESS OF LANGEAIS (***)
186. THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (n/a)
196. MAN ON WIRE (*** 1/2)
197. BALLAST (***)
219. WOMAN ON BEACH (n/a)
220. REPRISE (** 1/2)
223. CHE (**)
231. CHUNHYANG (2000) (**)

2010 Leonard Maltin Guide: Actors and Directors Index Adds

With the new Maltin Guide comes the addition of new names to the star/director index (plus the inevitable axing of others). Since putting the guide together every year and making editorial decisions is no easy task, let's not be too harsh on the deletions (although considerable this year: 21), including: Ann-Margret, John Barrymore, John Belushi, John Cleese, Jamie Lee Curtis, Irene Dunne, Douglas Fairbanks, Laurence Fishburne, Lillian Gish, Jeff Goldblum, Helen Hunt, Anjelica Huston, Al Jolson, Ashley Judd, Kevin Kline, Hayley Mills, Mary Pickford, Eleanor Powell, Kurt Russell, Winona Ryder, Rudolph Valentino. Instead, let's take a look at the "graduating class" of 2008/09.


New "Faces" added to the Leonard Maltin Guide 2010 Index:

STARS—

Penelope Cruz

Robert Downey, Jr.

Ed Harris

Anne Hathaway

Viggo Mortensen

Seth Rogen

Mickey Rourke

DIRECTORS—

Guillermo del Toro

Baz Luhrmann

Sam Mendes

Christopher Nolan

Gus Van Sant

2010 Leonard Maltin Guide Is Out!

Every year I greatly anticipate Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (as usual, out at the bookstores way before its Amazon street date). His capsule reviews and ratings set the standard for how a film will be seen by future generations. Of late, the **** rating was practically unattainable for new releases, but last year, both the Iraq War doc No End In Sight and the Apollo space program doc In the Shadow of the Moon received the coveted ****; this year I noticed at least three films were **** rated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, and Slumdog Millionaire.

Here's how my top ten 2008 stacked up against the Maltin Guide's ratings:

Synecdoche, New York (**) [My #1, rest alpha]
Cloverfield (***)
Frost/Nixon (****)
In Bruges (***)
JCVD (***)
The Mother of Tears (* 1/2)
My Winnipeg (*** 1/2)
Rachel Getting Married (***)
Religulous (** 1/2)
The Wrestler (*** 1/2)

Top Ten 1950s Films On My Movie-Radar

The 1950s was the era of Technicolor, VistaVision, 3-D,... and samurais. The musical was one of the most popular genres in Hollywood. Other genres exploited by Hollywood auteurs included: melodrama, Nicholas Ray's territory; western, a favorite of Anthony Mann, and sci-fi, notoriously explored by Ed Wood. Internationally, the beginnings of the French New Wave put Godard, Truffaut, etc. on the map. I caught six films off of last year's list. Here's a list classic 1950s films that have managed to elude me so far, but they're on my radar:

The Gunfighter - 1950

Above and Beyond - 1952

Ikiru - 1952

The Earrings of Madame de... - 1953

Ugetsu Monogatari - 1953

The High and the Mighty - 1954

Robinson Crusoe - 1954

The Rose Tattoo - 1955

The Burmese Harp - 1956

The Nights of Cabiria - 1957

61st Annual Emmy Nominations

The Emmy nominations were announced, and it was the annual love fest for 30 Rock and Mad Men. I'm a big 30 Rock fan, but it seriously does NOT deserve this many nominations-- at 22, a record (breaking its OWN from last year!). I mean, is it better than Cheers and Seinfeld? It also appears that, if you're old, and you guest star on 30 Rock-- automatic Emmy nomination. The saddest thing is that 30 Rock got 4/5 comedy writing noms (the fifth: Flight of the Conchords) and Mad Men got 4/5 drama writing noms (the fifth: Lost).

And just when you thought Emmy was showing restraint, the expansion to six nominations per best series category resulted in both comedy and drama series with 7 noms due to ties!!

BEST COMEDY SERIES nominations:

Entourage

Family Guy

Flight of the Conchords

How I Met Your Mother

The Office

30 Rock

Weeds

BEST DRAMA SERIES nominations:

Big Love

Breaking Bad

Damages

Dexter

House M.D.

Lost

Mad Men

Other reactions:

Last year I said, "from what I've heard, and based on these noms, I think Damages is probably the best show I'm not watching." I caught several episodes of Damages and found it overrated, truth be told. Now the best series I wasn't watching ACTUALLY turned out to be Breaking Bad-- I have now seen every episode and jees, it's GOOD! Happy to see it get a series nomination. I've seen at least one episode of every comedy/drama series listed here except Big Love... wonder what I'm missing there.

Further proof of the Emmys' irrelevance is the fact that four of the main categories resulted in record-breaking or tying situations: 30 Rock (22 noms-- most for any comedy series in one year), Grey Gardens (17 noms, a tie), SNL (13 noms, a record for variety series), Dancing with the Stars (10 noms, a record for nonfiction series). Now, were any of these four considered by ANYONE the best of the best of TV history? If anything they were the best of the so-so, and not even the best seasons of their own shows!

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: 0 noms again! The best show on TV can't get no respect.

Miniseries= two nominees— retire this dated category already!

As I noted last year, SNL will eventually become the most nominated series of all-time. This record is currently held by ER (124 noms— only 2 more in this, its final season). SNL with its 13 noms this year now has 114, so it's likely to take the record next year.

Was shocked to see no nomination for Hugh Jackman for hosting the 81st Annual Oscars! And the show managed ten nominations....

On the plus side, here's the nominees I was most pleased seeing: Bryan Cranston Lead Actor Drama (Now I know why he won last year!), Drew Barrymore for LEAD (as she deserved) for TV Movie Grey Gardens, Jack McBrayer Supporting Actor in Comedy for 30 Rock, William Shatner for Supporting in Drama for Boston Legal, Aaron Paul for Supporting Drama for Breaking Bad, Kristin Wiig for Supporting Comedy for SNL, Ernest Borgnine Guest Star ER, Michael J. Fox Guest Star Rescue Me, Reality Host Phil Keoghan for The Amazing Race.

Link to full list of nominees.

Best of the Year So Far: Midyear 2009

A few years back I realized that I had trouble diferentiating between the movies I liked and the movies I loved from the early part of the year. Roger Ebert has always suggested that this was true of the Academy and why the Oscars have such "short attention span." He recommended a midyear ballot to go along with the end-of-the-year ballot combining both to create the nominations list.

For me, I decided a top 5 usually works. I wait until July 15, since the first few weeks of January are generally a wash for new releases, and so 7/15 is a little closer to the mid-point. This year has had a number of promising films after a pretty lame first few months.

I have eleven "nominees" for my top 5 this year— four at the top: Fanboys; The Hurt Locker; I Love You, Man; and Up— plus, Adventureland, Coraline, The Hangover, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Moon, Star Trek, and Sunshine Cleaning.

My top 5 2009 so far (listed alphabetically):
Adventureland
Fanboys
The Hurt Locker
I Love You, Man
Up

Happy July 4th! Time for a Classic TV Marathon

There's a lot of hours in between the BBQ and the fireworks— best spent with a little classic TV! I offer, Moonlighting Season 3. Moonlighting remains one of the relatively few classic shows that managed to get the whole run out on DVD, based on the efforts of an avid fan base. Season two remains the series best season; but the single greatest series episode, “Atomic Shakespeare,” would make its appearance in season three. Other classic episodes of season three include: “Yours, Very Deadly," "All Creatures Great... And Not So Great," the Stanley Donen musical show "Big Man on Mulberry Street," "It's A Wonderful Job," "Blonde on Blonde," "I Am Curious... Maddie," and "To Heiress Human." I’ll be revisiting Moonlighting over the next few blog entries and reviewing these episodes. Below is my ratings of each season three episode based out of **** stars. My rankings for seasons one and two are here.

Moonlighting – Season Three
24. "The Son Also Rises" (aired:09/23/86) ** 1/2
25. "The Man Who Cried Wife" (aired:09/30/86) ** 1/2
26. "Symphony in Knocked Flat" (aired:10/14/86) * 1/2
27. "Yours, Very Deadly" (aired:10/28/86) ***
28. "All Creatures Great… And Not So Great" (aired:11/11/86) ***
29. "Big Man on Mulberry Street" (aired:11/18/86) ***
30. "Atomic Shakespeare" (aired:11/25/86) ****
31. "It's A Wonderful Job" (aired: 12/16/86) ****
32. "The Straight Poop" (aired:01/06/87) **
33. "Poltergeist III— Dipesto Nothing" (airdate: 01/13/87) * 1/2
34. "Blonde on Blonde" (aired: 02/03/87) *** 1/2
35. "Sam and Dave" (aired 02/10/87) ** 1/2
36. "Maddie's Turn to Cry" (aired: 03/03/87) **
37. "I Am Curious... Maddie" (aired: 03/31/87) ***
38. "To Heiress Human" (aired: 05/05/87) ***

Summer Movie Box Office 2009-- The Mid Point

The hits, the misses of summer movies 2009, so far... Easily on the misses side would be Terminator Salvation (a paltry $122.3 million-to-date, domestic), Angels & Demons (a so-so $130.7 million to-date domestic), and Land of the Lost ($47.3 million) [to put these numbers in perspective, Paul Blart: Mall Cop grossed $146.3 million domestic). The hits: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Up, Star Trek, The Hangover (wow-- my predix came true), and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Doing well, but certainly less-than-expected is Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. Overachievers certainly include The Proposal.

Here are the top ten summer movies so far (domestic grosses to-date):

1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($239.4 million)
2. Up ($256.5)
3. Star Trek ($247.6)
4. The Hangover ($190.8)
5. X-Men Origins: Wolverine ($178.0)
6. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian ($165.2)
7. Angles & Demons ($130.7)
8. Terminator Salvation ($122.3)
9. The Proposal ($78.0)
10. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 ($55.0)

Now onto July 4th Weekend and Public Enemies or more likely (if the early numbers are any indication) Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (with Harry Potter looming large, July 15).