*in my humble opinion

Like many people, especially of my age, I have to say that my favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story which is about Ralphie and his quest for a “carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time” that will shoot his eye out. This movie, with its sweet dysfunction, really holds up over the course of time. Whether it was his cruse filled father or his gut wrenching desire for that perfect gift, I could relate to Ralphie a lot.

But over the Holidays I began to think what other Holiday movies do I still love? I, of course, still love Charlie Brown and his pathetic tree, and Rudolph with his nose so bright, but those aren’t movies; they are specials. Most  “Christmas” movies are for kids and aren’t that great. Some are just awful (see Dudley Moore’s “Santa Claus the Movie”). Most of the Holiday movies I do still love are just “kind of holiday movies” as they really could take place at anytime of year. But Christmas makes a nice backdrop, and the movie studios love to release films at Christmas time when all the kids are off.
 
So here are my Top 4 favorite (kind of) Christmas Movies:

4) Home Alone 2; Lost in New York
Ok. I know what you are saying, “Why not Home Alone 1?” Well, Home Alone 1 is still a sweet family movie and a holiday favorite of everyone. Home Alone 2 I now enjoy on a different level. Home Alone 2 shows us what a truly demented sociopath Kevin Macalister really is. This time he’s not defending his home and himself from dangerous criminals; this time, he’s conning his way into the Plaza Hotel, purposely baiting the criminals to follow him so that they can fall into numerous traps that are skull-smashing and brutally violent. All in good fun, but had this been reality and not a Tom and Jerry inspired fun family romp, he’d basically be facing serious jail time and most likely manslaughter charges as numerous concussive blows to a head will actually kill a man. [Read more →]

Fame Poster from Cinematical

Most people that know me - know that #1 - I have 23 Barbra Streisand Record Albums, and #2 - I have a dance movie collection complete with accompanying soundtracks. I’m one of those  - Oh! I wish I had continued at Miss Jan Estrella’s School of Dance when I was 10 instead of dropping out to play 10 other sports kind of people. If only I’d had the opportunity to attend Performing Arts High School - oh the places I could have gone. (although my lack of vocal talent and my inate inability towards self-discipline probably would have caused some problems)

I went to a free screening of Fame last week at Loews Theater on 42nd Street. Any true dance nut knows that this movie has been in the works ever since the 1980 original version. (yes, 1980!!!) its directed by Kevin Tancharoen, who’s cut his chops on dance videos.

And indeed - the best features of the film are the moments when these talented young whippersnappers sing, rap and leap across the stage. The sheer brilliance of the dancing and choreography, the spectacular grittiness that is still New York and some beautiful Chicago-like montages make this film a must-see for anyone in entertainment. These kids have so much heart and so much talent - I got teary smack in the middle. Naturi Naughton plays a classical pianist whose real dream is to sing and Kay Panabaker plays a young actress all too eager to fall prey to creepy guys. Even though their storylines are barely fleshed out, the montage of teen angst and the spectacular dance scenes carry the energy throughout the film. [Read more →]

I’ve been awaiting Julie and Julia since I first heard about it a year ago. Food, Love, Writing, Julia Child - it’s like Nora Ephron read my 12 year old dreams and created this movie just for me. And I’d like to thank her for all the great food porn and the shots of Paris in the 50s. She even borrowed some of Julia Child’s kitchen to put you right smack in the world of French Food in the mid-century.

And for the Julia Child part of the story - I think anyone will find an inspirational and lovely little piece. But the modern day story left me unsatisfied, despite some smart moments and the immensely adorable boyfriend played by Chris Messina. (there’s a slight chance you’ll remember him from Vicky Christina Barcelona)

Julie and Julia is 2 stories side by side - the story of Julia Child and her ascent to bringing french cuisine to the common housewife, and Julie - who spent her 20s writing a half-written novel no one wanted to publish before spending her days talking to 9/11 asthma victims from a cubicle.

You’ll be awfully surprised, as I was, to find out that Julia Child didn’t marry until she was almost 40 years old (she blames her height - so do I JULIA! So…do…I…). [Read more →]

District 9 won last weekend’s box office over G.I. Joe AND the Time Traveler’s Wife (who could imagine?)
I saw it this week, I went in with a lot of expectations and preconceived notions about what it would be like and what it was about. Aliens come to Earth not as invaders but as refugees, “Yawn” right? I mean we all saw Alien-Nation. I kind of expected a hodgepodge of sci-fi Alien films I’ve seen before; E.T. with a bit of Starship Troopers thrown in for good measure. All of those notions and expectations were blown away.

The movie centers around the refugee camp of Aliens in Johannesburg South Africa. The locals call the aliens Prawns because well they resemble prawns, but they are also seen as bottom feeders and treated as such. The camp after 20 some odd years is starting to be relocated away from the urban populace of Johannesburg to a “safer” and “more comfortable” location for the Aliens (read “away from humans”). Of course things get complicated from there, as a safe and orderly relocation would make one boring ass movie.

On the surface District -9 is about Aliens and spaceships and explosions. But when you dig deeper it’s really about humanity. It’s about how we have a nasty habit of treating other people as less than human, and if these people happen to not be human it would be even easier. I couldn’t help but think about a recent read of mine the book “What is the What?” by Dave Eggers about a Sudanese refugee (Valentino Achak Deng) and his trials and tribulations. He and his people are basically chased from their homes and forced to live in camps in another country, and eventually even chased from there to another camp. He’s a “Lost Boy”, he’s a lone boy with no family to speak of walking across the desert. Many people treat him and his fellow “Lost Boys” as the lowest of the low. Like many displaced people cross the world people might want to help them, just as long as they don’t have to deal with them. The similarities between the Aliens and human refugees all around the world is hardly accidental by any means, but I never expected it to be so powerful.

The acting is good, the effects are superb (as you may expect from any movie produced by Peter Jackson) and the story is magnificent. It flows back and forth between Docu-style story telling and traditional movie narrative. It may possibly be the best movie I’ve seen this year and I can’t recommend it more.

For more info see: http://www.d-9.com

Let me tell you a story about a friend of mine from when I was a kid. He always dressed in black and never spoke he had a white wolf, and one of his best friends was a sailor with a parrot. No this wasn’t my imaginary friend this was Snake Eyes from GI Joe.

Ok so the year is 1984, maybe 85.
I’m your average kid, watching TV everyday after school (and before) and I have to say my favorite show is G.I. Joe; A Real American Hero. While the show is filled with awesome characters like Roadblock, Duke, Flint, even the villains were cool like Despro and Tomax and Xamot. My all time favorite Joe was (and Is) Snake Eyes.

So this was the 1980s and nothing was cooler than ninjas! Years before the teenaged amphibian ones would come roaring into popular culture Snake Eyes existed every day on my TV, and did I mention he was really awesome? Snake Eyes was Badass! He was mute and dressed in all black (like Darth Vader), wore a grenade bandoleer and a visor. He had a pet wolf named Timber and was very handy with a sword (as ALL ninjas should be).

So as many of you know G.I. Joe was more than a cartoon show, it was essentially a 30 minute commercial for a Hasbro line of toys. Since it was a commercial I basically watched religiously I have to say I loved the toys. I NEEDED them like those poor Sally Struthers’ kids needed 80 cents worth of rice a day. Since Snake Eyes was my favorite of course I desired him the most!

[Read more →]

Every summer the Big Movie releases have endorsements and tie-ins. My favorite of all time was probably 711 remodeling a bunch of their stores to look like Qwik E Marts for the Simpson’s movie. The lamest was probably the “Dark Knight Pizza” from Papa Johns with Extra pepperoni to make the pizza darker (I’m not kidding).

This year of course has similar tie-ins Terminator: Salvation has a tie-in with 711 for an “Apocalyptic Ice” Slurpee (not a joke either, that’s real). X-Men Origins: Wolverine had a Papa John’s Pizza tie-in with “X-tra Cheese”. But what comes next? There are quite a few movies coming out this summer ripe for tie-ins like:

The Angels and Demons Pizza Hut “Papal Pizza” with extra Mushrooms and Pepperoni

Where the Wild Things Are and Duracell batteries in child locators

Drag Me to Hell and Verizon Wireless; “Can You Hear Me Now?” “Yes” “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH”

Inglorious Bastards 711 tie-in with a “Bastardly Berry” Slurpee

Public Enemies Orbitz flavor “Tommy Gum” mmm taste the gun oil and whiskey

Year One giant “Mammoth Burger” from Burger King (this one sounds like it could be legit)

and of course

2012 “End of the World” Sandwich “7 layers of bacon and cheese wrapped in roast beef and served in a bucket of ranch dressing”.

I should work in Movie Marketing I’m a Genius!!

The recent announcement of both “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and a similarly veined “Pride and Predator” got me thinking…is this a launch of a new Genre - Victorian SciFi/Horror? It’s an odd combination I know, kind of Steampunkish but one that I can’t help but think will be great. It got me thinking what comes next?

Obviously Pride and Prejudice has been done to death so I decided to work on a treatment for another Jane Austen classic Sense and Sensibility.

Sense and Sizeability

After an accident kills Dr. Dashwood (a Mad Scientist) before he could create a will, he leaves the bulk of his estate to the son by his first marriage.

The same accident that killed Dr. Dashwood also injures two of his daughters. Elinor is doused with chemicals, which cause her to grow to over 10 feet tall, and when stressed she can grow to 20 feet tall and develop super strength. Marianne is left without sight, but her other senses have been affected and turned up to an almost super human ability. [Read more →]

Ok I already wrote about one childhood favorite being made into a movie. While my love for the book knows no bounds The trailer was only about 50% appealing. This however was another childhood favorite now made into a movie, honestly the trailer is amazing I’d run out and see it right now if I could.

“Where The Wild Things Are” Directed by Spike Jonze

wow, that gets me everytime I see it

To see it in higher quality got to
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/wherethewildthingsare/

Ok it’s not an actual meteorological report, (although with our weird weather lately who knows?) but it’s a childhood classic coming to theaters later this year.

My all time favorite book as a kid was “Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs” by Judi and Ron Barrett . When I was little my family would go up to Maine. We’d go to the local library and my mother would check it out for me. I must have checked that book out 100s of times over the course of a few summers. Something about the images of food raining from the sky, blizzards of cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, pancakes crushing buildings and many more - well it all seemed so fun and I just loved it to death.

(Watch the Trailer and more after the Jump.) [Read more →]