Posted: January 20, 2010 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: movies | Tags: 2009, 30 rock, alice in wonderland, anchorman 2, avatar, avatar 2, avengers, batman 3, breaking bad, bruno, captain america, chuck, curb your enthusiasm, deathly hallows, dinner for schmucks, district 9, eastbound & down, fringe, funny people, gentleman broncos, ghostbusters 3, green lantern, hangover 2, inception, indiana jones 5, inglourious basterds, iron man 2, its always sunny in philadelphia, keith soljacich, kick ass, kill bill 3, lost, macgruber, mad men, movies, observe & report, predators, public enemies, scott pilgrim, shutter island, slammin salmon, spiderman, star trek, sucker punch, sunny, terminator salvation, the hangover, the hobbit, the hurt locker, the messenger, the office, the world, thor, top 10, toy story 3d, watchmen, wolverine, x-men first class |
It’s my pleasure again to send out my top 10 movies and more! Take a read and let me know what you think… am I crazy, am I nuts, am I right? Remember, enjoyment of movies is subjective and personal. What I liked, you may not. What you liked, I may not. It’s a free country bub and I love movies.
My Top 10 of 2009
1. Avatar – Marvelous. One of the 3 best cinema experiences of my life. I’ll bet you a billion dollars 3D is the future of movies now. Cameron would probably double-down.
2. District 9 – A director who absolutely owned his flick
3. Inglorious Basterds – I’m a sucker for Quentin, but so were a lot of other people
4. Star Trek – A solid solid solid action/sci-fi movie, and the second Trek movie I’ve seen (I saw the whale one when it came out, hence). Just goes to show why JJ should have directed the prequels.
5. The Hurt Locker – Have you seen this? You will. Intense is an understatement.
6. The Hangover – Hysterical, funniest movie of the year.
7. Watchmen – Don’t get me wrong and excellent movie but was missing that “thing”
8. Invictus – Morgan Freeman as Mandela. I think this was Eastwood’s middle finger to Spike Lee
9. The Messenger – Emotional roller-coaster ride of the year. Tough movie to watch, but unforgettable
10. Gentlemen Broncos – I was one of 3 people in the theater laughing. It’s a cupcake for nerds.
My Predicted Top 10 From January 2008 and my comments at the time (comments now)
1. Watchmen – Unbelievable this is coming out, will be fantastic (Damn good but not #1)
2. Avatar – James Cameron is back, filmed in IMAX 3D (Wish I had placed this #1…so awesome)
3. Inglorious Basterds – New Tarantino (Yup – BADASS)
4. Observe & Report – Trust me (Pretty good but overall a disappointment)
6. Funny People – New Apatow flick with Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen about stand-up comedians (Ditto)
6. Wolverine – Looks good bub (Uck, this was a HUGE letdown)
7. Bruno – New Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) movie, completes the Ali G trifecta (Damn funny, but not Top 10 material)
8. Terminator Salvation – John Conner+Christian Bale=Badass (Really good, I like it but not Top 10)
9. Public Enemies – Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, Michael Mann, filmed in Chicago, all good (Big Letdown… I was bored)
10. Shutter Island – New Scorcese flick takes place on an island that houses a prison for the insane (Didn’t come out in 2009 so doesn’t count)
Movies I Wish I Had Seen:
Where The Wild Things Are
Moon
Bronson
Up In The Air
The Road
The Lovely Bones
Ninja Assasin
Mystery Team
Movies I Will Never See (Ever):
Did You Hear About The Morgans?
Whip It
Taking of Pelham 123
The Soloist
My Top TV Series in 2009
1. LOST – Until it ends
2. Curb Your Enthusiasm – Danny Dooberstein!
3. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – 2009 was the year I finally gave in and I’m glad
4. Mad Men – Sit Down, Shut The Door best episode of TV this year
5. Eastbound & Down – So consistently funny
6. 30 Rock
7. The Office
8. Breaking Bad
9. Chuck
10. Fringe
Top 10 Movies To Look For in 2010
1. Iron Man 2 – WAR MACHINE
2. Kick Ass – Haven’t heard of it? You will.
3. Slammin Salmon – New one from the Super Troopers gang. I’m a sucker for comedy.
4. Shutter Island – New Scorcese, been on hold for a bit
5. Alice in Wonderland (IMAX 3D) – Sure
6. MacGruber – The movie’s in good hands and anyone who’s seen Will Forte on anything but SNL knows he’s a loon
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World – In the capable hands of Edgar Wright. Might be the geekiest movie ever made
8. Predators – Sold
9. Inception – New Chris Nolan (Dark Knight) movie
10. Toy Story 3D – I’m a sucker for 3D
1,248. Twilight: The Turd One – Will they or won’t they? Who cares!
Am I Crazy? 2011 will be awesome!!!
1. Ghostbusters 3
2. Captain America
3. Thor
4. The Hobbit Part 1
5. Anchorman 2
6. The Hangover 2
7. Dinner For Schmucks
8. Sucker Punch
9. Green Lantern
10. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hollows Part 2
OK I’m Insane!!! 2012: The World Ends!!!! Will Email Still Exist?
1. Batman 3 – Definitely
2. The Avengers – Definitely
3. Avatar 2?
4. The Hobbit Part 2
5. Indiana Jones 5
6. Kill Bill 3?
7. X-Men First Class
8. Spiderman Reboot – Not sure if this will be good yet
What do you think? What were your 10 best?
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Posted: January 17, 2010 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: friends, movies | Tags: 17 again, 2009, 500 days of summer, ashlea breneman, avatar, away we go, movies, sherlock holmes, state of play, sunshine cleaning, the blind side, the proposal, top 10, up |
woohoo! i think i have my list, finally!
** i LOVE a good story. stories that make you think about life, love and the possibilities. these movies all had great stories in them…
10. Sunshine Cleaning i think amy adams and emily blunt are fantastic in this. the scene where amy is sitting on a porch with an old woman who just lost her husband is so precious to me.
9. Avatar first time i saw a 3-D movie in who knows how long… perhaps ever… so that is why it made my list. i just wish they took a little bit more time to develop the story line.
8. State of Play this movie didn’t garner a ton of attention, but i thought it was an extremely well-written script that kept me guessing until the very end.
7. 17 Again yeah, it has Zac Efron in it. but he actually doesn’t suck at acting. and for some reason i laughed the whole way through this film. and yes, maybe our hands did just make a baby
6. The Proposal helllooo ryan reynolds. sandra bullock – thank you for always giving me a mental picture whenever i hear usher’s song “yeah” from now on.
5. Sherlock Holmes since the bourne saga has come to an end, i need a fun new spy, let me beat up some guys series. thank you sherlock holmes.
4. 500 Days of Summer i loved the way this film was put together showing the progress and the deterioration of the relationship. ending was a bit cliche and a letdown but the message they sent through the ending i liked. plus i learned a fun new game to play in public.
3. Up wow… who would have thought that a pixar film could so moving?!? i definitely didn’t know what i was getting into before i watched this. the montage of carl and ellie’s life is great. my personal book of stuff i’m going to do is already formed in my mind.
2. The Blind Side there was so much hype about this movie, but i think it was worth all of it. the power of our choices to dramatically impact the lives of others is displayed wonderfully. go sandra and tim mcgraw!
1. Away We Go loved, loved, loved this movie! it made me excited about life and the idea that i can choose anywhere to live this journey. plus, john krasinski made beards look good and screaming on a train so fun.
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Posted: January 15, 2010 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: friends, movies | Tags: 2009, 500 days of summer, avatar, away we go, carriers, crazy heart, district 9, food inc, funny people, hurt locker, inglourious basterds, it might get loud, movies, star trek, taken, temrinator salvation, the hangover, the road, top 10, up, up in the air, where the wild things are, wolverine, x-men origins |
here’s my list….I was waiting because I was hoping to go see Up In The Air and Crazy Heart before the deadline but no such luck…
I look forward to this every December. So, here’s my Top 10 from 2009 plus 5 that I give an Honorable Mention and 5 that I still want to see really bad. I’ve also decided to change it up a bit and add my favorite line from each film.
1. Star Trek - ”I dare you to do better.”
2. Up - ”Squirel”
3. Avatar – “They’re pissing on us and not even giving us the courtesy of calling it rain.”
4. The Hurt Locker – “What’s the best way to go about disarming one of these things?” ”The way you don’t die.”
5. District 9 – “And always remember that a smile is cheaper than a bullet.”
6. Inglorious Basterds – We in the killin’ Nazi business. And cousin, business is a boomin’.”
7. The Hangover - “I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolf pack.”
8. Food, Inc
9. It Might Get Loud
10. Terminator Salvation ”What’s that?” “Two day old coyote. It’s better than three day old coyote.”
- Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):
Away We Go
Carriers
500 Days of Summer
Taken
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
- 5 I Still Want To See:
Crazy Heart
Funny People
The Road
Up In The Air
Where The Wild Things Are
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Posted: March 1, 2009 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: humor, movies | Tags: andrew dice clay, clint eastwood, ford fairlane, gran torino, movies |
I was talking with my dad on the phone and is often the case, the topic turned to movies. Seeing how he thinks Steven Segal is the best actor in the world, I wasn’t surprised at the turn our conversation took.
Dad: Dude, I just saw the best movie of the year.
Me: Oh yea? What was it?
Dad: Ford Fairlane.
Me: What?
Dad: Dude, it was awesome.
Me: Are you kidding me? The Adventures of Ford Fairlane?
Dad: Yea, man.
Me: Dude, that movie was horrible! And it’s so old!
Dad: What do you mean? When did it come out?
Me: I don’t know, 1986?
Dad: What? No. It’s new.
Me: Ford Fairlane? With Andrew Dice Clay?
Dad: No….with Clint Eastwood.
I paused to figure out exactly what Dad was talking about. And then it hit me.
Me: Dude, you mean Gran Torino.
Dad: Oh yea, that’s it.
My dad, ladies and gentlemen.
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Posted: December 23, 2008 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: movies | Tags: 2008, appaloosa, be kind rewind, ben stiller, body of lies, chaos theory, crystal skull, dark knight, expelled, fireproof, four christmases, henry poole is here, indiana jones, kingdom, madagascar, mamma mia, movies, nick and norah's infinite playlist, prince caspian, quantum of solace, rock n rolla, ryan reynolds, seven pounds, top 10, tropic thunder, vantage point, vince vaughn |
Part 2 of my Top 10 of 08 series is written by John Allen. John and his family live in Louisville KY. By day john works as a field salesman for EMI/CMG. By night John is an awesome husband, dad, and movie fiend.
My list (not much to be excited about-down year @ the theater for the Allens)
Top Ten Films
1. The Dark Knight
All that hype and it actually delivered.
2. Fireproof
Call it cheesy and definitely bad acting; but this movie was HUGE to my marriage this year: Thanks Mike Seaver.
3. Madagascar 2
Went for the kids and laughed my butt off.
4. 4 Christmases
Mr. Vaughan has a long rope with me and this one reminded me a bit of my own family at the holidays.
5. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
6. Expelled
Excellent way of addressing the issue without coming off cocky.
7. Vantage Point
I like politico/action flicks and I liked the way they told the story.
8. Be Kind Rewind
9. Indiana Jones & The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The trick to these films is you have to see them through the eyes of your 12 year old self.
10. Henry Poole is Here
Nice little film.
Honorable Mention:
Quantum of Solace
Pretty good for what it was
Chaos Theory
This indie is technically a 2007 film, but we didn’t get to see it until this year; Ryan Reynolds plays somebody other than Van Wilder. Very well done!
Top Films I Still Want to see but haven’t cause I have kids and we don’t get too much time at the movies:
1. Body of Lies
2. Seven Pounds
3. Appaloosa
4. Rock N Rolla
5. Caspian
Films that make me want exact my homicidal revenge on the respective studio execs:
Mamma Mia
If you are going to translate a rock musical to the stage might want to hire singers instead of actors and actually show some of the choreography…and yes the most homosexual thing I did all year was to request Kara and I see this before we saw Dark Knight
Tropic Thunder
The MTV Movie Awards piece was worth the rental. Other than that, Stiller I am through with you. At least Ferrell (Semi-Pro) and Vaughan (4 Christmases) have the decency to play the same character in every film.
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Posted: December 23, 2008 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: humor, movies | Tags: adam mckay, ben stiller, christian bale, cloverfield, dark knight, david cross, dennis quaid, eddie murphy, fools gold, forgetting sarah marshall, get smart, ghost town, heath ledger, indiana jones, jack black, john c reilly, journey to the center of the earth, judd apatow, kung fu panda, mamma mia, matthew mcconaughey, meet dave, movies, oprah, ricky gervais, scientology, step brothers, talladega nights, tom cruise, top 10, tropic thunder, twilight, vantage point, wall-e, will ferrell |
It’s that time of year to reflect on what Hollywood had to offer us in the past 12 months and give a little bit of feedback. Who am I to say what was good and what wasn’t? What qualifications do I have? Well, none, actually. I’m just some guy in Pennsylvania with a blog.
But that hasn’t stopped me yet. Nor has it stopped me from asking my esteemed panel of friends to give their feedback as well. This year, though, instead of including everyone’s top ten in one long blog, I will be breaking them up into easier-to-digest episodes. This year I’ve asked a number of different people from across the nation and in a variety of industries to rank their tops (and their flops).
Feel free to leave your comments and let us know where we went right…or wrong.
I suppose I’ll get this party started.
ED’S TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2008
10. Get Smart
I know, I know. I didn’t expect it to make my top 10, either. But when I looked back on the year I realized there weren’t a ton of movies that jumped out at me. And as I began listing the movies that I responded to, it was a surprisingly short list. Granted, I tend to lean toward comedies more than any other genre (as you’ll see), and if you get me to laugh out loud then I’m hooked. The #10 slot was a toss-up between Get Smart and Indiana Jones IV but at the end of the day, this one had less weird aliens and monkeys on vines.
9. Tropic Thunder
Seriously, how did these guys get away with everything they did? My buddy and co-reviewer John Allen disagrees with me on this one (see the next entry in this series) but I guess you’ll have that. I thought this movie was a brilliant snipe at the Hollywood Machine and those involved. Ben Stiller always manages to capture the essence of naive know-it-all-ness and the rest of the cast brought their A-game. I thought Tom Cruise’s performance was hyped up a little too much. I’m not quite sure why everyone thought it was the Second Coming of the Scientology God. So he put on a wig and jumped around like an idiot. Big deal, good for Tom. He did the same thing on Oprah.
8. The Dark Knight
What can I say about this you don’t already know and/or hasn’t already been said? Not much probably. Heath Ledger rocked. Christian Bale’s raspy voice was hilarious. Two-Face came and went really quickly.
7. Vantage Point
I didn’t hear much about this film after it came out but I thought it was pretty darn nifty. I loved how they centered around one event and, as they showed each person’s point-of-view, it revealed a different piece of a much larger puzzle. When I added it to my Top 10 Chase Scenes of all time and hailed the return of Dennis Quaid, it garnered a profane response from a genius named Chris who informed me Dennis Quaid wasn’t in Vantage Point. Even though he was the star. So that was funny.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Seriously. How do I get in with Judd Apatow? Someone give me an email or a phone number or something. He’s got one of the tightest, funniest circle of go-to friends working today and they never fail to disappoint. So hook me up, OK?
5. WALL-E
Wow. This movie is just beautiful to watch. Those guys are artists in every sense of the word.
4. Ghost Town
Maybe I’m prejudiced because I’m a huge fan of Ricky Gervais, but this movie should have done much better than it did. It may have come across as just another dead-guy-needs-help romantic comedy, but this movie proved that romantic comedies are allowed to be more comedy than romantic. Put this one in your Netflix queue and shame on you for not seeing it the first time around.
3. Kung Fu Panda
And this is how you make an animated film about a bear doing martial arts. Of course it helps that you’ve got the likes of Jack Black and David Cross making smarmy remarks the whole time, not to mention a team of animators that accentuates the action with cool slo-mo shots. Nicely done indeed.
2. Step Brothers
Part of me feels a little guilty and juvenile for putting this movie at #2, but I’m sorry. I laughed like an idiot the entire time. Director Adam McKay said his favorite part of working with Will Ferrell and John C Reilly on Talladega Nights were the moments where they just talked (i.e. the dinner table scene) and he wanted to make a movie that was just that: No car racing, just Will and John acting like morons, riffing and improvising at their hilarious best. The result is Step Brothers, and mission accomplished.
1. Cloverfield
Because this one came out at the beginning of the year, I almost forgot it came out in ’08. But good night, this is how you make a thrill ride of a movie. If you saw it, you probably know what I’m talking about. I love movies that bring me in, shake me up, and don’t let go. I’m still shaking from the subway scene.
Regretfully, 2008 also came with its share of stinkers. Like these 5 WORST FILMS OF 2008
Fool’s Gold
Will someone please dig a hole that Matthew McConaughey can fall into?
Meet Dave
Sorry, Eddie. You’re done being funny. Step aside.
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Yikes. Just….yikes.
Twilight
I don’t care what you and your co-7th graders think. This was a train wreck. And now bring on the hate mail.
Mamma Mia!
If you enjoy seeing good actors acting badly, then this is for you. And if you enjoy seeing good actors singing even worse, then this is definitely for you.
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Posted: December 11, 2008 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: humor, movies | Tags: dreams, movies, world war, wwII |
For the last two nights I’ve had some pretty incredible dreams, like none I’ve ever had before.
First off, I wasn’t in them. I know some people have had that experience before, but it’s a first for me. It was like watching a movie. It’s quite nice to be able to sit back and just enjoy them. That’s right. I’m so lazy, I don’t even like to dream about doin’ stuff.
Secondly, they have literally been like watching a movie. There have been plots, detailed story, twists, surprise revelations, and even flashbacks (and one flash forward). Two nights ago it was the courageous struggle of a girl who was caught in the middle of World War I (I guess it could have been the second World War, I’m not sure….actually, now that I think about it, it was both. Hence the flash forward I referred to). I don’t know how long the dream actually lasted, but it was an epic production.
Last night was the harrowing story of a Travel Channel-type crew filming at sea. Their boat was overturned and we follow the filming crew as they make their way back to shore, swimming through the ocean in the dark of night (introducing me to “night spiders,” automobile-sized formations of coral and seaweed that look like spiders and, naturally, only appear on the ocean floor at night).
After the first cool dream, my thought upon waking was, “That’d make a great movie!” But then I realized I wasn’t kidding anyone. An epic of such proportions would take a lot of research and I know myself well enough to know it’d never happen. I mean come on, I still have the incredible true tale of my dad’s Vietnam still taking up space on my hard drive, I’m not about to start on another tome I know I’ll never finish.
So, in the meantime, I’ll just continue to enjoy the movies of my dreams and, who knows, I may actually come across something that will get me writing. Pass the popcorn.
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Posted: January 17, 2008 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: friends, humor, movies | Tags: 1408, 30 days of night, 30 rock, 300, 3:10 to yuma, 48 hour film festival, alien vs predator, amazing grace, american gangster, anchorman, atonement, august rush, ball of fury, bay, ben foster, best of 2007, black snake moan, blades of glory, bourne ultimatum, brice willis, bruckheimer, bucket list, ccm magazine, chicago, chris cooper, christian bale, curb your enthusiasm, dan in real life, dane cook, denzel washington, dexter, disturbia, drew barrymore, emi, evan almighty, fracture, freedom writers, good luck chuck, gotee records, Grindhouse, hairspray, harry potter, hot fuzz, hot rod, house, hugh grant, infuze, joacquin phoenix, judd apatow, juno, kingdom, knocked up, last hand, license to wed, lions from lambs, little miss sunshine, live free or die hard, lookout, lost, magorium, mark walberg, matt damon, meet the robinsons, mendes, meryl streep, monk, mono vs stereo, movies, mr bean, mr brooks, music & lyrics, no country for old men, number 23, once, picks, pirates of the caribbean, pixar, premonition, ps i love you, quick and the dead, rambo, ratatouille, robert duvall, robert redford, rocky, rodriguez, rowan atkinson, run fat boy run, rush hour 3, russell crowe, shaun of the dead, shrek, simon pegg, simpsons, smokin aces, spiderman 3, steve carell, sunshine, superbad, sweeney todd, tarantino, the kingdom, the office, the soup, there will be blood, tim mcgraw, tom cruise, top, transformers, venom, veronica mars, walk hard, we own the night, weeds, western, wild hogs, WJTL, zodiac |
Usually each January I poll my friends to find out what they thought the best movies of the previous year were. This year I decided to do something a little different and go to a few select pals who usually have some interesting insight and ask them to write about their top picks.
And so without further ado, here they are. The Best of 2007 according to people I know. And me.
My picks:
1. The Simpsons Movie
Quite simply the movie that made me laugh the most and the hardest all year. And I laughed a lot this year. Going into it I was a bit nervous about how much I’d like it because I haven’t seen the TV series in about 8 years. But I didn’t miss a thing because, quite simply, when something is funny, it’s funny. And this was funny.
2. Dan in Real Life
Maybe I missed all the buzz on this one. But probably closer to the truth is the fact that there really wasn’t any, and that’s a shame. This one kinda slipped under everyone’s radar and I don’t really get why. I mean, after Little Miss Sunshine it should come as no surprise that Steve Carell can do a movie that isn’t Anchorman-slapstick and still make a great movie (and be funny). Dan is no exception. When Dan sings his song in front of the family….wow….what a great scene. I almost lost it, I freely admit it. Plus Dane Cook. Score.
3. Hot Fuzz
The guys who brought you Shaun of the Dead are back (along with most of the S.O.T.D. cast) and finally cop/buddy movies are fun again.
4. Sunshine
Loved it. Blogged about it. Read it.
5. Ratatouille
Really, can Pixar do no wrong?
6. Once
I could go on and on about how cool this Irish indie film is but every time I’ve tried to tell someone about it, I never seem to capture how cool it actually is, so you’ll just have to take my word for it. If you’re a music fan, this is a definite must-see.
7. Superbad
Yes it was raunchy. Yes it was rude. Yes when it was over Sarah turned to me and said, “I hope our kids don’t talk like that.” But that doesn’t mean I we didn’t laugh our heads off.
8. 3:10 to Yuma
Once again Russell Crowe (an actor I hate) stars in a western movie (a genre I hate) and I loved it. Between this and The Quick and the Dead he’s a wily guy.
9. Knocked Up
Yea. I admit it. I’ve become a Judd Apatow fan. But who hasn’t?
10. Grindhouse
This is one of those you-had-to-be-there films. Seeing this in the theater was a roller coaster ride like nothing I’ve experienced at the theater. A double feature of crazily over-the-top action films with ridiculous fake trailers in between. My buddies and I (but not my brother) experienced a ride that may never be captured again.
My Worst of ’07
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry - Hey…anybody know where I can hear some really bad gay jokes? Over and over. And over. And over. And over. And over. (Repeat as desired)
Reno 911 – Aw, man….and I really like the TV show. I think the whole premise of the movie was “Wait…you mean we don’t have to blur out the boobs? DONE.” And as a result, they ended up blurring out the funny.
Pirates 3- Hi, I’m Johnny Depp. How about in this one it’s just me running around the boat but the boat’s crew is a hundred other me’s? But for no real reason. It’ll be fun!
Transformers – I really thought I was going to like this one and then halfway through realized “Oh wait…I’m not a 17-year old.”
Keith Soljacich is a writer/filmmaker living in the Chicago area. His work has been recognized at the Chicago 48 Hour Film Festival three years in a row, and in 2007 his short film Last Hand won the City Award to compete in the National finals.
Went in to the year with high hopes came out with mostly disappointment
Best…
1. Knocked Up
I picked this as my favorite movie of 07 because I had really high hopes going in to the movie and it exceeded my expectations. It was easily the funniest movie of the year, and for me a good comedy goes a long way.
2. The Simpsons Movie
3. American Gangster
4. Hot Fuzz
5. Superbad
6. 300
7. Grindhouse
8. Zodiac
9. Aliens vs. Predator
10. Hot Rod
Worst…
Balls of Fury (surprise surprise), Everything but Venom in Spidey 3, Good Luck Chuck, Rush Hour 3, Black Snake Moan (boring), License to Wed
Best TV of 07
Lost, Curb Your Enthusiasm (You got some long ass balls Larry), 30 Rock, Weeds, The Soup, The Office
Best Shows I Never Watched Before 2007 (Netflix is great)
Dexter, House, Weeds, Veronica Mars, Monk
John Allenlives in Louisville and works in sales with EMI in the national music retail division. John has also worked at Gotee Records in the same capacity and is an aficionado of all pop culture. John also maintains a great blog.
There were a ton of films I didn’t see this year. In fact, if I had seen everything I wanted to, I would have probably had a completely different list. But all that said here is my end of the year ten best and a few random awards:
Biggest Misuse of Talent:We Own The Night/ Duvall.
Pheonix. Walberg. Mendes’ Breast (just one). And its a cop story set 20 years ago. What more did it need? A plot that ways at least marginally believable. Oh and something more believable than a cocaine using Jaoquin leading a police raid 10 minutes after we see him doing said cocaine.
Movie I Refuse To See Since Ed’s On the Cutting Room Floor: August Rush
Biggest Destruction of a Well Performing Series: Spider Man 3.
Everyone’s mailing it in and Spidey has never been a bigger joke than in this one. Reluctant Hero? That’s Tobey Mac. Cocky Superstud? Not so much.
Biggest Hypocrite: Robert Redford/Meryl Streep/Tom Cruise/Lion From Lambs
They spend two hours having what seems to be a logical discussion of the war on terror, only to have it come to conclusion of how all the right wing/republican perspective is propaganda and lies for foolish kids to believe, which really just makes the whole movie feel like left wing propaganda. Could have been so much more.
The Top Ten
1a) 3:10 To Yuma
I Never saw the original and honestly its not all that original, but I love a good western. This one killed me. I went in with low expectations and was happily blown away. Ben Foster is downright sinister and always brings something to the table. On a related note, Christian Bale is steadily becoming one of my favorite actors.
1b) The Kingdom
I love these type of films and the trailer had me dying to see it. Nothing but a bunch of actors I love and a great “state of our times” kind of story. Here’s a hint Hollywood: if you put Chris Cooper in it, chances are I will least pay the “on demand” fee to see it (ala Breach). But here is why it was so great. It tackled a political theme and did so without turning into a propaganda piece (for the right or the left). Tim McGraw is on screen for 2 minutes tops and literally moved Kara and I to tears (almost). Just a great film. A thrill ride with plot, dialogue and characters (someone forgot to tell Bruckheimer or Bay this is possible). Great movie!
2.5) Juno
3) American Gangster
True Story? Check. Oscar Winning Actors? Check and check? Good Supporting cast? A little overuse of rappers as actors, but nonetheless check.
This movie was pretty good. Only one thing bothered me. As a true story the writers knew how it would end (stop reading here if you haven’t seen it……)
The knew Washington and Crowe’s characters would end up working together to take down bigger criminals. They knew the two would become friends. If they knew this, than why spend so much time turning Washington’s character into such a cold-blooded killer/criminal? Why showing violently killing so many people and being blind to his own ambition to end the movie on the “hey look we’re buddies now” tip? Other than that, good movie
4) Meet The Robinsons
We are forced at times to take Jake to movies we would never choose to see ourselves. On a trip in March to Ohio Jake and I went and saw this. Kara’s grandpa was dying and I needed to get Jake out of the hospital before he started climbing the walls. This was the only kids friendly film at the theater in the little town so we went. In short we got a great movie with a tremendous message and some really fun laughs. Sure its campy, but its a kids flick so whaddya want?!? Haven’t seen it? You should.
5 & 6) Harry Potter/Bourne Ultimatum
Here’s the deal. You would really have to “mail it in” for you to screw up these series in my life. I love the Harry films and this is the best one yet. They successfully managed to capture the bulk of what was the biggest of the books to this point and not leave mush out. The only knock on this film is it could have been longer. Same thing with Bourne. The movies are not even close to the books but I love the action and the attitude. Damon was Bourne * to play the role and they tap into Bond style espionage, better than Bond ever has.
(*thanks Gene Shalit)
7 & 8) Knocked Up/Superbad Combo
To you its fairly obvious why these should count as one film, so I will throw this out there, as it is a great story.
I’m in Ft Lauderdale with my boy Rick, who is a pastor here in KY. Rick has to be pretty selective with what he goes to see in theaters as he works with kids and you never know when one might walk out of the theater and ask what you’re seeing. Can’t tell an impressionable 15 yr old, you’re seeing “Knocked Up.” So Ricky often doesn’t see these until they are ON Demand. Well, we’re in FTL and we decide we’re gonna see a movie. We want to see Superbad, but it doesn’t start for another hour to which, Rick says, well I haven’t seen “Knocked Up” yet and its ON Demand back at the hotel. This leads me to say, in front of about 10 people no less, “well, let’s go back to the hotel and get Knocked Up.” Good times
9) Grindhouse
Really not much of a Tarantino fan but his half of this B Movie double feature stands up well over time. Rodriguez is one of my favs and he delivers as usual here. It’s worth it if only for the fake movie trailers with such great tag lines as: “White Met. Dark Meat. This year everyone gets carved. “
10) Live Free or Die Hard
Cheesy as hades at times, but John McClaine gets the nod here, for one line in the movie. There’s a scene were he’s riding with his sidekick (the guy from “Accepted” and the Mac commercials) and there having this talk about why McClaine is always trying to be the hero and McClaine says because no else is. Perfect. It fits in the movie, but it also speaks to my generation a bit. McClaine, Rambo and Balboa are all back because, there’s an abscence of that type of hero in movies today. Nostalgic piece, but I enjoyed it.
Stacey Gagne works at WJTL and is deeply involved in music, movies, and all things pop culture. Stacey is also a published writer and keeps a blog at Infuze.
Amazing Grace: Powerful and Inspiring
The Bucket List. Great Mix of comedy and drama. I laughed, I cried, I reminded myself to get my passport and get to livin!
PS I Love You. Sweet love story, not necessarily the expected ending.
Hairspray: fun, and I always love a musical
Music and Lyrics Drew and Hugh… what could be better
Wild Hogs: Great cast, I like a movie I can watch with anyone once in a while.
Shrek the Third You gotta love a Shrek movie, although i feel like the jokes are all out on the table now…
Pirates: Again, well done, but nothing beats the first one
Spider Man 3: I liked the darkness of this one
Premonition: lots of twists, but so heart breaking!!
Others I saw:
> Evan Almighty: cute but not hysterical, just cute
> Blades of Glory: funny, but too raunchy for me
> Ratatouille: cute and fun, I think I enjoyed it more because of the company I was with… I think it might have been a little slow otherwise
> Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: another Harry…
> Atonement: well done, but so depressing… I can’t bring myself to put in my top 10
Brad Moist is a movie and music wizard. We also met at Gotee Records and he went on to found the record label Mono Vs Stereo. Brad is still involved in the music and is a contributing music reviewer for CCM Magazine. Brad not only has his hand on the pulse of what is cool but also what is about to be cool.
1. TRANSFORMERS
2. The Kingdom
3. 300
4. Sunshine
5. The Lookout
6. 30 Days of Night
7. Shoot ‘Em Up
8. Live Free or Die Hard
9. Smokin’ Aces
10. Disturbia
Sarah Placencia is a fitness instructor who can also make one mean white mocha (being a Barista Supreme will have that affect). She loves movies and has declared her goal of becoming a movie geek.
1. Hot Fuzz
I am a big fan of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ and I am definitely planning on seeing ‘Run, Fat Boy, Run!’. Simon Pegg, yeah he’s cool.
2. Mr. Bean’s Holiday
I could watch this movie over and over. Rowan Atkinson is brilliant!
3. Ratatouille
Very cute movie.WARNING: Do not think you are a chef after seeing this movie, some foods should not be made into soup. My bad.
4. Simpsons Movie
Pure Classic. This was actually the first movie that I watched by myself in the theater and I still laughed out loud, alot.
5. Once
This movie was great. At first I had wished for a different ending, but then I thought ‘who am I to think it should end a certain way?’ And in a way it didn’t really have an ending. It was a film about new beginnings, which are stories that I’m all for.
6. Superbad
Sure these guys are crude and cuss like sailors but in the end, they really are ‘gentlemen’. And it goes to show how important friendships really are……now all together…’aaaawwwwww’.
7. Sweeney Todd
Hmmmm. The music, the makeup, the actors were very intriguing. Who knew that I would actually rooting for their ‘meat pie’ shop to flourish…I’m gonna go see my psych…right now.
8.Shoot Em’ Up
Am I dude? Sometimes I wonder….heh, but I actually really like this movie. It had a Rodriguez/Tarantino feel to it. And I have a weird # that I see at random times in my life. It shows up in this movie for a split second, right before it gets ‘shot up’. Look for it; 1026……yeah I’m weird.
9.Freedom Writers
This movie is true story that shows the determination of one teacher reaching out to help her students excel, not only at school but in life. It’s encouraging to see how one person can do so much. Highly recommended.
10.August Rush
I’d say this movie was pretty much amazing. It made me really appreciate music, and I don’t even play anything. Great story as well.
Todd Sattison is my oldest friend…not that he’s the oldest person I know, but that we’ve known each other were 4 and 5 years old. Todd’s a big movie buff who’s always up for a trip to the theater.
1.300- The best I’ve seen this year. THIS IS SPARTA!!!! What a wonderful film.
2.Smokin Aces- Fantastic Cast. Ryan Reynolds was really good in this.
3.The Number 23- I’m not sure why I liked this movie so much. It just had me from beginning to end.
4.Fracture- Nobody plays the part like Anthony Hopkins.
5.Disturbia- I rented this movie and thought I would hate it and I ended up loving it.
6.Mr. Brooks- I really have to rave about this movie. Kevin Costner was great as a bad guy. The “I can’t believe I didn’t see this sooner movie”.
7.1408- I really don’t like Cusack that much, but he pulled it together for this Stephen King story.
8.The Bourne Ultimatum- Love this story. Can’t wait for the next one???????
9.Superbad- Funniest movie I have seen this year.
10. 3:10 to Yuma- Crowe and Bale were both great in this western.
Going to see No Country for Old Men this weekend and could bump someone.
So…how’d we do? Agree with our picks? Think we’re way off? Leave us a comment below with your thoughts!
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Posted: October 17, 2007 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: movies | Tags: , kevin bacon, movies, review, woodsman |
I saw a movie tonight that did what every good movie does: It made me think.
I recall reading a review for The Woodsman when it first came out last year. The reviewer liked it but, because the content was so touchy, predicted it wouldn’t do big business in the box office. The reviewer was right. I never heard anything about it since but tucked it away in the back of my head as something I’d like to see sometime.
I’ll do my best to not reveal any major plot points or give anything away, so continue reading with no fear of spoilers.
Kevin Bacon stars as Walter, a man returning to society after spending some time away. Walter was a bad man and did bad things. He’s haunted by his past and his actions. He knows what he did was wrong and wants desperately to change as he tries to fit back in. More than once he asks his analyst, pleads, “When will I be normal.”
Unlike many movies, Walter doesn’t (and can’t) change overnight. Walter struggles against temptations that are right outside his front door…literally. He wants to change…he really does. It’s hard to sympathize with Walter too much, however, because we know what he’s done in the past and his crime is indeed a horrible one. Is it right to empathize with someone who’s done something so wrong? If someone commits what can very easily be considered an unforgivable sin, does it make you just as bad as the criminal if you forgive him? Should we really forgive those who trespass against us? Can we?
At one point in the film Walter finds himself giving in…we see him giving in…and I found myself pulling for him, hoping that he wouldn’t do it…I really wanted Walter to stay strong and found myself getting angry at the fact that Walter was failing. Again. And then, at the last possible second there is a revelation that changes the direction and flow. It’s not one of those twists-for-sake-of-a-twist that is so popular in movies now but a moment of clarity for Walter that may not have come if he wasn’t tested.
I’m not trying to annoy you with my vague details, but one of the things I liked so much about the film was that I knew very little about it going in, so I never knew what to expect or what was coming next. I will say this: One doesn’t walk away from the film with the false idea that every bad person will change their ways. But it hints at the fact that they can.
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Posted: September 2, 2007 | Author: eplacencia | Filed under: movies, romance | Tags: auburn, barista, coffee, dating, indiana, love, movies, new york, nyc, romance, short film, starbucks |
In early May of 2007 I was in the coffee shop at my usual table, drinking my usual white chocolate mocha, and eating my usual turkey sandwich (with fruit cup) when I had an epiphany.
The Sundance Film Festival had posted all of the short film entries on their website for the world to see–and they were horrible. Films that were so obviously trying to be “arty” for the sake of “being arty”. I figured I could make a crappy short film as well as the next guy and if I could make a somewhat decent short film, then maybe I’d have something.
Sarah was working at the coffee shop that day and had forgotten to put the cheese on my turkey sandwich. To be honest, I didn’t even think about it–or even realize it–but she came out to where I was sitting and told me she suspected she forgot to add my slice of cheese.
I checked the sandwich and lo and behold she was right. I told her not to worry about it but she did, and was very adorable as she apologized for the oversight more than a few times.
It was at that moment I got the idea for my short film: A cute girl working at a coffee shop and a guy, not unlike myself, who’s not very adept at talking to girls but wants very much to talk to her. Maybe he’s there with a buddy of his, talking about how he wants to ask her out and his buddy who of course is much better at it and more confident is trying to show him the ropes.
I named the characters Ed and Paul (Paul, after my roommate in California who not only was very good with the fairer sex but also had a way of bringing home some of the hottest California girls you’d ever find). From there the script pretty much wrote itself.
I knew it would be easy to film and wondered if I’d be able to shoot it at the coffee shop. And for that matter I wondered if Sarah would be willing to play herself. That would be cool.
I went up to the counter for a refill of my coffee and mentioned to Sarah I had written a short film that revolves around a girl who works in a coffee shop and asked if she’d be up for playing the part. Of course, I didn’t mention the part about her inspiring the whole thing…I didn’t want to creep her out or anything.
I was very happy that not only did she agree to do it but also seemed very eager and excited about it. When I returned to my table and sat down again I realized I’d have to make a revision and change the main character from me to someone else. Mostly because I didn’t want to freak her out that I was playing a character hitting on someone (her) 13 years younger than me. Sure, it was just a film, but I didn’t want Sarah…or her sister…or her brother-in-law….to think I had less-than-innocent intentions. And I can honestly tell you my intentions were indeed very innocent. I don’t know how believable that sounds now, especially since we have since gotten engaged, but believe me it’s true. I had not ulterior motives. I just wanted Sarah to be in the film.
I quickly changed my character to “David”. Granted, David is her brother and it sounds really weird to cast her brother as someone trying to ask her out but I mean come on, in the story they aren’t related. And David has an innocent shyness about him I thought would translate well. He ended up doing a much better job than I ever could have done (I think I would have come across as goofy instead of shy) and he nailed the part brilliantly.
The only other guy I knew who was around their age and could play the confident, good-looking ladies man was Matt, who also hung hung around the coffee shop quite a bit. He is Ken’s son, and–that’s right–Sarah’s step-brother. So yea, I totally made a film about a girl and cast her real-life brother and step-brother as the two guys vying for her attention. If you never met any of them in real-life you’d have no idea of the odd casting choice, but to our friends around town…I think it really confused some of them at first.
We filmed on May 18 and it turned out really well (you can see the film here). The three of them did a great job and to say I was impressed would be an extreme understatement. As we filmed I had Sarah behind the counter and asked her to perform basic actions that I could use as cutaway shots. Simple tasks like working the register, answering the phone, sweeping the floor, etc.
I can still remember reviewing the footage later that night. I was sitting at the kitchen table of my little upstairs apartment and as I watched Sarah, it really hit home: “This girl is beautiful.”
I recall rewinding the tape and re-watching a few times. There she was doing everyday mundane tasks and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. I remembered how much fun I had working with her up close and wished I’d written a bigger part so I could work with her more. Her friendliness, her warm smile, her considerate spirit…those weren’t things that were merely part of her at-work customer-service mode (not that I ever suspected they were)…but that’s truly who she is as a person.
Looking back on it all now I realize that although I’d already known her for about nine months, I already knew how funny, kind, sweet, and beautiful she was…the night we shot that film is the night I fell for Sarah.
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