“The 2010 Movie Report Card - What was Movie Examining Like in 2010? - Examiner” plus 1 more |
| The 2010 Movie Report Card - What was Movie Examining Like in 2010? - Examiner Posted: 31 Dec 2010 08:15 AM PST So what did 2010 look like for Movie and Film Examiners? It was a Chloe Sevigny year for film. Meaning: it wasn't very pretty. When going to the movies has become a chore that can only mean one of two things: As Americans, we film critics have managed to drop a few more rungs down the physio-cultural ladder - our asses grew larger while our attention spans shrunk down to the sub-atomic level. Or it could mean that filmmakers - across the board - put out a really flat, flavorless product in 2010. I'll take the answer that's less Bill Maher. Movies sucked in 2010. Here's what Movie and Film Examiners across the vast, indomitable, Examiner Media Empire thought of their time spent at the theater chains and movie houses of America last year. As a guest film Examiner I've invited Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner to participate in this report card. Thankfully... she accepted. The other Examiners participating in this project are: Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner And yours truly... Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner and my fellow National Movie Examiner - Adam Lippe. All of these sturdy spokes in the mighty Examiner film and movie wheel had to answer the following twenty questions about the year in film 2010: 1) Favorite Film of 2010 Here is exactly what they thought... --- 1) Favorite Film of 2010? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Being an admitted fan of the horror genre, Let Me In trumps all the rest in my book. When's the last time a horror flick actually made it on critical Top Ten Lists? Blair Witch perhaps? How's the replay value on that guy going these days? Let Me In is getting shunned cause it is a remake. Fair enough. But tell me the last original story/concept to come out of Hollywood in the last decade. Even if you're not a horror crack-head like yours truly, this flick has the entire package flowing (Cue Roestel with a package joke). Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Black Swan. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Picking a favorite film is like picking a favorite child… so many to choose from, and you want to say you love them all, but you probably really don't. My pick for Best Film of 2010 is 127 Hours. For me, it was a real achievement in filmmaking and storytelling. Interestingly, I think of "Favorite" to mean something a bit different than "Best." Where 127 Hours to me was the best achievement in filmmaking, I would have to say my favorite film of 2010 was The Town… just a cool, well-made caper flick that didn't get the recognition it deserved. Ben Affleck is like a son to a 1950's dad… All he wants is some credit, and we know we're secretly proud of him, but to openly show that affection would mean the end of our manhood. In the category of "Favorite Documentary" or "Favorite Film Nobody Has Seen or Probably Heard Of", I award Exit Through the Gift Shop… easily one of the most unique and engrossing films of the year. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: Since it's a rather weak year at the theater, I'm going to go with guilty pleasure movies (and I hate picking one…so, I won't). My 'favorite' would be a tie between The Losers and The Other Guys (an action and a comedy). I thought both were a ton of fun with good screenplays, great acting and even some interesting cinematography and style for genre films. Close seconds are Scott Pilgrim versus the World, The Expendables, and Unstoppable. All just guilty pleasures that brought a smile to my face and a good time at the theater. It didn't hurt that there were a LOT of stinkers this year which made less than fantastic films look a LOT better. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Inception. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: When it came to American movies I got down with The Town. Best crime film since Mann and Scorsese's last crime films. On the foreign side of the Atlantic... Jacques Audierd's A Prophet. Best Crime film since Ben Affleck's last crime film. David Wangberg – Chico Movie Examiner: My pick for the best film of 2010 would have to be David Fincher's The Social Network. It explores the Internet industry the same way His Girl Friday explored the newspaper industry. There's brilliant, rapid fast dialogue; characters you love to hate and a well-played out message on where the people of social networking have evolved. It's also brilliantly acted by Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, two up and coming actors who I hope will get roles as great as the ones they had here. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Never Let Me Go/Blue Valentine. --- 2) Least Favorite Film of 2010? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Best way to answer this one is to present the Ass-Five of 2010: 5.Babies - A vasectomy may have been more fulfilling. 4.Robin Hood - I started looking down the shirt of the cougar in front me about halfway through. It's true! 3.The Last Exorcism - You got that right. 2.Lottery Ticket - Pondered the existence of God, and if this flick was part of his plan, dude needs an editor. 1.Tooth Fairy - Was about to pull my phone out and start illegally recording so security would take me out and taze my memory. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Takers (I'm sure there were far worse, but this is the worst one I sat through) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Wow, at first I thought this was a tough question, until I remembered Clash of the Titans 3D. It takes a bad, laughable old movie and turns it into an even worse, laughable, steaming 3D heap. Possibly the worst film of the century. Which is why I'm sure they'll make a sequel. Besides Clash, my other least favorite film has to be The Company Men starring Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones… a story that actually tries to make you sympathize for rich people who lose their jobs and are forced to (gasp!) sell their XBox in order to survive on their new six-figure salary. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: Lottery Ticket – Or as I like to call it, Friday Lite. This movie wanted to be Friday so badly and yet somehow missed the mark by so much it's as if they didn't even try. Lottery Ticket had poor acting, an incredibly weak screenplay and was so cliché riddled and stereotypical that the few times you do laugh, you'll feel bad about it, like you're helping spread the stereotype. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Alice in Wonderland. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: The Expendables - by a BLOODY LANDSLIDE. Who knew you could make a stupid action movie a super stupid action movie? Apparently the guy who used to make them for a living. David Wangberg – Chico Movie Examiner: Remember Me was the first time I actually stood up in a theater and shouted, "What were they thinking?" The film started off as a sappy romance that tried too hard to be a cheap knock off of Rebel Without a Cause. It was cheesy and dopey until the end – then it was downright offensive. For those who haven't seen the film and would like to, stop reading now. I'm going to give away the ending. The idea to bring a national tragedy as a sad ending – in this case, 9/11/01 – without giving any indication was completely uncalled for. I'm all for films about 9/11. United 93 was great. Reign Over Me was great. That's because they explored the subject throughout the entire film. They didn't just use it because it seemed like a great way to bring tears to audience members' eyes. They explored the characters and their feelings. Those were done in a respectful way and didn't use 9/11 as some cheap, tearjerker gimmick. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Going the Distance. --- 3) Best Sequel/Remake? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Let Me In. I know, broken record. Yet, the remake was better than the original. That never happens my young padawans. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Toy Story 3. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Hmm…so not Clash of the Titans then. I think by far the best remake of the year was Let Me In by director Matt Reeves. It was a remake of the Swedish film Let the Right One In, and the new film captured the eerie spirit of the first one, with some great breakthrough performances by child actors Chloe Moretz and Kodi McPhee. Not a good year for sequels in my opinion, with Harry Potter or maybe Girl Who Played With Fire leading the mediocrity. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: Well, I would like to say True Grit based solely on how great I thought this 2010 version was and from talking with fellow critics who have seen the 1969 original with John Wayne. But, I have not seen the original myself. So, to be fair, I will go with Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. I LOVED the first film with Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas and was seriously worried about a sequel this far in the future, but this was a VERY well done film and a great sequel. They kept what was great about the first, but added Shia LaBeouf for the next generation, and the story was terrific, focused on the recent economic meltdown. Just a fantastic film and great sequel. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Sure the final act was a bit soft - only in a left wing fever-dream can a political blog take down a corporate heavyweight so easily and efficiently - but that doesn't take anything away from how well Money Never Sleeps compliments the original film. Stone's original Wall Street may have been the steak tartare but Money Never Sleeps is its perfect wine pairing - a 1990 Coulee de Serrant maybe? What Stone does right in this sequel is keep Gordon Gecko firmly in his place - as a supporting role. What Michael Douglas does right...? What he always did right. Chew up the scenery and spit out gold. Nice to see Gordon Gecko's still packing heat after 22 long years. As for remakes....? True Grit. So sweet... so tasty. David Wangberg – Chico Movie Examiner: True Grit is one of those rare films that improves on the original. Despite claims that it's technically not a remake of the John Wayne film and more of an adaptation of the Charles Portis novel, one could call it a remake since it tells the same story. Jeff Bridges and the Coen brothers team up for the first time since The Big Lebowski to deliver an excellent western with great dialogue and great acting. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Let Me In. --- 4) Studio with the Best Batting Average? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Warner Bros. has the best slugging percentage (box office grosses) but Paramount (2nd in grosses) wins this duel, for their films were just better. Barely. I have nothing else to add in this matter. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Fox Searchlight Pictures (I'm pretty sure I enjoyed every FSP film I saw this year, this might include 20th Century Fox, as well) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: The key here is batting "average"…as no studio was free of duds in 2010. Warner Bros released Clash of the Titans, totally wrecking its chances for this category despite huge hits like Inception and the Harry Potter sequel. Fox Searchlight had a pretty good average despite marginal movies like Never Let Me Go and Cyrus…they still put forth 127 Hours, Black Swan, and Conviction. So my pick for this category is going to be The Weinstein Company who, although releasing The Company Men, had a pretty awesome year with The King's Speech, Blue Valentine, All Good Things, and Nowhere Boy as some of their better films. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: ? Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Paramount Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Warner Brothers did well in 2010. From Inception to The Town to The Book of Eli. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Every studio has released at least one really awful movie this year. With the amount of crap that has been released, it was pretty tough to decide which company has the best batting average. I've decided to go with Warner Bros. Pictures since they released both The Town and Inception in the same year. They also released Hereafter, which I found to be extremely underrated. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Goldman Sachs. --- 5) Studio with the Most Strike-Outs? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Universal and Disney struck out more than most of the Examiners - who contributed to this feature - when trying to engage a lady in 2010. Seriously, look at us. Universal put out a decent product, they just needed marketing tips from a hooker in Vegas. Disney/Buena Vista has lost touch with society and aside from Toy Story 3 and Tangled, they made about as much noise as a mouse (see what I did there...Creative genius at work people). Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Warner Bros. Pictures (to be fair, they probably have just as many great films as they do disastrous) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Has to be Universal Pictures: Leap Year, Repo Men, Robin Hood, MacGruber, Get Him to the Greek, Scott Pilgrim (nope, didn't love it), Nanny McPhee Returns, Devil, Skyline……ouch. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: ? Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: 20th Century Fox Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: 20th Century Fox. From Love and other Drugs to Predators it wasn't a hot year for the fair and balanced. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Lionsgate continues to release films by Tyler Perry and the latest, ridiculous entry in the Saw franchise – which died after the second film. These two different kinds of films only last a few weeks in theaters and then are shoveled out. This year, they also released The Next Three Days, From Paris with Love, The Spy Next Door and Alpha & Omega. They did release the brilliant Kick-Ass and the so bad it's barely good The Expendables, but those don't make up for the amount of crap they've released this year. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Rupert Murdoch. --- 6) Most Underrated Movie of the Year? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Kick-Ass. I didn't give out many 5-star reviews this year but this flick was the first to claim it. And no, I'm not a comic book geek. If one watches Kick-Ass and doesn't feel a slew of emotions, check your pulse. Or if you're a guy, put on some porno and see if anything "registers." Just to be sure. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Never Let Me go. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: A few come to mind. City Island, with Andy Garcia, is maybe one of the funniest movies of the year. Green Zone starring Matt Damon, was one of the better films of the year that nobody really remembers. Shutter Island was a great movie not getting any love. And at great risk to my reputation, Tooth Fairy starring The Rock was a solid family comedy…one of the best in that category of the year. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: I would have to say The Other Guys for this one. It didn't really go under the radar (made a little over budget at the domestic box office), and it got ok reviews, but I really feel that it is an incredibly well done comedy. The chemistry between Ferrell and Wahlberg is great and the supporting cast is fantastic too. So, despite the break even box office tally and the ok reviews, I think this film should have had more attention and acclaim. A close second would be Unstoppable. I'm a fan of Tony Scott, especially when he teams up with Denzel, but this movie had me on the edge of my seat DESPITE knowing what would eventually happen. This one did not make it's budget back at the domestic box office despite good reviews, so this one definitely should have had a better run. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: The Kids Are All Right Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Anton Corbijn's The American. George Clooney in a movie that doesn't go with cheeseburgers? BAH HUMBUG! The American was methodical and meticulous - which is everything you might want in an international assassin. This underrated flick is destined for the Criterion Collection. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: There are many that could go in this title, but if I had to pick one, it would be Clint Eastwood's Hereafter. It's not a masterpiece, like Unforgiven or Letters from Iwo Jima but it does well for a genre Eastwood never touched. He opens up many discussions about what could possibly happen when we die. It's beautifully shot and powerful. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Daybreakers/Splice --- 7) Most Overrated Movie of the Year? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. Sure the rest of it has yet to be seen, and many say that upcoming installment will justify the direction of this flick. I actually hope they're right. Truth is, David Yates is not the director this franchise needed to close out the epic journey. Yates didn't completely castrate the Harry Potter franchise, but he did give it a swift kick to the groin. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: 127 Hours (it's in my top ten of the year, but it still seems to be blown out of proportion) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: The Social Network. A good movie, but there have been at least 15 better films this year. Red sucked, despite a Golden Globe nomination. And Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is loved by virginal video-game playing nerds everywhere, but despite it's unique style just was a repetitive piece of junk. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: Well, I'm going to have to go with Tron: Legacy on this one. I enjoyed the movie. The visuals are great, the soundtrack is fantastic, and it's one of the few times that I would actually recommend 3-D. The problem is that it is estimated to have cost about $170 million to make and the advertising and hype around it were ridiculous. And, the bottom line, it just doesn't live up to that much expectation. So, it's still a good movie and worth seeing, but would have to be the most overrated of the year. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Toy Story 3. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer. I can only guess that the reasons why critics went crazy for a film this long-winded and ludicrous was because of its shameless finger-wagging at waterboarding and American foreign policy. I suppose that if anyone knows what an international war criminal might be it's Polanski - he's been on the run from Johnny Law for 33 years now. That being said... Roman's a much better filmmaker than this dud. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: While I recommended Waiting for 'Superman, I felt it didn't really present all the information there was on the educational meltdown. It presented some good facts and good information, but it felt like there was a lot missing to make it the perfect documentary that a lot of people told me I really, urgently had to see. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: 127 Hours/The Fighter --- 8) Favorite Performance of 2010? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: The entire production of Piranha 3-D. Piranha was this year's Zombieland sans the brain-power. Naked girls, tools getting chomped on by hundreds of CGI'd killer fish and Richard Dreyfuss in his JAWS character. The most fun I had in a theater in some time my friends. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: James Franco (127 Hours) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine, simply amazing. Colin Firth in The King's Speech. Christian Bale in The Fighter. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: As far as a lead role goes, I really liked Jeff Bridges is True Grit and Natalie Portman in Black Swan. I would hate for Jeff to overshadow John Wayne who got his only Oscar for that same role in the 1969 version, but Bridges has my vote. In a supporting role, Christian Bale was absolutely fantastic in The Fighter. He made that movie great. Without him it would still be a good film, but with him it's one of 2010's best. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Michael Cera, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Christian Bale in The Fighter. Bale made crack addiction sexy again... David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Christian Bale in The Fighter. He really dedicated himself to the role by losing 30 pounds and doing a lot of research on Dickie Eklund. It was also a much different role for him, but he was able to perform flawlessly. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Ann Morgan Guilbert, The old lady in Please Give. --- 9) Least Favorite Performance of 2010? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Tom Cavanagh as Ranger Smith in Yogi Bear. It may be a kid's flick, but have some dignity and get someone who wants to be in the film. A close second is Carey Mulligan in Never Let Me Go. Her and I just fail to click as noted in all my reviews of her work. I'm sure she takes my criticism to heart (Riiight). Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Johnny Depp (Alice in Wonderland or The Tourist. Either one, really) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Zach Galifianakis in Due Date, tied with John Malkovich in Red, tied with Ben Stiller in Greenberg, tied with George Clooney in The American, tied with Tom Cruise in Knight and Day. Oh, all of those tied with everybody who appeared in The Company Men. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: This one has to go to the entire cast of two films: The Back-up Plan and Skyline. The Back-up Plan was just abysmal all the way around, but Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin did nothing to help the horrible screenplay. There was virtually no chemistry and they were downright painful to watch. In Skyline if you changed the ending and the entire cast, that film could have been decent. But, as you said in an earlier article, Eric Balfour is the guy you get when you literally can't get anyone else. Then you throw in a cast filled with TV stars like Donald Faison and David Zayas and you have yourself a very poorly chosen cast. There are thousands of actors who do great on TV but not in film. So, these are not horrible actors, but have yet to find a film role that is right for them. Skyline won't jump start any movie careers. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Jon Heder, When in Rome. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here. Even if the meltdown had been the real deal this performance would have still come off desperate and tired. I'll quote Lester Bangs from Almost Famous: "The Doors? Jim Morrison? He's a drunken buffoon posing as a poet. Give me The Guess Who. They got the courage to be drunken buffoons..." Yeah buddy, I'll take The Guess Who over Joaquin Phoenix as well. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Megan Fox in Jonah Hex. It was so unbelievably bad and extremely laughable to see her play a hooker with a heart of gold. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: All three male "leads" in Catfish. --- 10) Best Opening? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Jackass 3-D. To this day, the first Jackass flick is easily the best opening these green eyes have ever witnessed on the big screen. Jackass 3-D continued that tradition. As for the rest of the movie...That's another story. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: True Grit. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Toy Story 3's open was pretty powerful and set up the nostalgic final chapter. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: ? Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: The Crazies. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: The first five minutes of The Other Guys were better than any of the minutes in The Expendables. This was 80's action hurly burly at its most decadent, hilarious, sentimental vertex. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World had an opening that brought me back to the old days of how video games were. The 8-bit, Universal Pictures logo was unique and very creative, as well as the rest of the movie. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Stephen Dorff looking bored and humoring the twin blond pole dancers in his hotel room in Somewhere. --- 11) Best Ending? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: The wise-ass in me wants to say when Tooth Fairy's credits began to roll. Walking out of the theater was a major relief after that debacle. However, when an entire theater gasps (myself included) when the screen goes black during Inception. How can you top that? Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Black Swan Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Inception had us all talking, but my vote goes to that other DiCaprio flick this year…Shutter Island. I'm still not convinced at the majority's "agreed upon" ending of that film. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: ? Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Inception. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Knight and Day... and I'm not even close to being serious. James Mangold has never been able to land an ending in any of his films. Identity. Walk the Line. 3:10 To Yuma. Knight and Day... These aren't films - these are gifts from Jokey Smurf. The Hughes Brothers The Book of Eli had an ending that forced me to turn around - mid-theater lobby - and go see the movie again. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: The film with the best ending would have to be Inception. SPOILERS!! Christopher Nolan's decision to cut before the audience finds out if the totem stops or keeps going leaves an open-ended discussion into what happened. Many people have come up with their own theory on what happened that led the totem to either topple or continue to spin. People have long, endless discussions about the film and its ending. Nolan made a bold move by leaving it up to the audience to decide. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Repo Men, The Pink Door Sequence. --- 12) Movie Title I felt Sounded the Most Like A Porno Flick? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Three way tie (pun intended). Rabbit Hole, Waiting for Superman & Inside Job. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Rabbit Hole. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner:The Nutcracker in 3D. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: That one is a three-way tie. Get it? Threeway. The obvious one is Little Fockers, which is exactly what they were trying for, a humorous play-on-words. The second is the original title for the Kevin Smith movie Cop Out which was supposed to be called A Couple of Dicks, but due to advertising and such, he caved and changed it. The last spot is a tie (what? A tie in a threeway? Wouldn't that be a foursome?), the last two are Let Me In and Faster. I think those work best together like that. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Easy A. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Oh.... a fun little Brendan Fraser romp called Furry Vengeance. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: From Paris with Love. We already had One Night in Paris. This sounded like it could have been a sequel. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Deep Anal Drilling 2. --- 13) Best Action Sequence? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Watching "Hit Girl" (Chloe Grace Moretz) and hearing her dialogue as she slices through a bunch of goons, complimented by an array of slow-motion shots, was cinematic bliss. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Arthur's hallway fight sequence(s) (Inception) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: By far, the "3-layers deep" dream sequence in Inception. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: Pretty much all of The Losers and Machete. Sure, these are over-the-top, unrealistic and crazy...but, darn it, they are a LOT of fun! That's all we expect from movies like that, so, mission accomplished. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: That half-lifted hallway scene from Oldboy in Repo-Men where Jude Law mercilessly hacks people into bloody strips of bacon using every available weapon he can get his hands on - with Unkle's Burn My Shadow cheering him on... set my nipples to STONE. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Definitely the hallway fight scene in Inception. No CGI was used for the stunts or the rotating hallway itself. That's how a great action scene should be staged. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Paul Rudd running away from bad news in How Do You Know. --- 14) Biggest Badass? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: The Expendables was the obvious choice to start with, yet picking which steroidal-character is a tough one. Jason Statham destroying people on a basketball court seals the deal for me. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Hit Girl (Kick-Ass) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: No question - Machete. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: That would have to go to Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson in The Tooth Fairy. Never have I seen such an intimidating figure in such a badass role. That's exactly what I want to be like when I grow up. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Kristen Stewart, The Runaways. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Mel Gibson during any of his phone calls to Oksana Grigorieva. Quentin Tarantino used to write dialog this sharp and cutting - but never this unhinged. This is how a bad motherf***er keeps his Lakers tickets. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Machete. No questions asked. He's in his 60s and using intestines as rope to swing from one floor level to another. He has sex with women 30 years younger than he is. What man doesn't want to be him? He even has his own porno theme song. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Ethan Suplee in Unstoppable/ Josh Gad in Love and Other Drugs. --- 15) Best Piece o' Ass? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: This isn't going to be a popular choice but Emma Stone was delicious in Easy A. She has no idea how many times she has faked rocked my world. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Any woman that gets topless in Piranha. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Wow, so many to choose from. Jessica Alba in Machete comes to mind…as does Rachel McAdams for some reason in Morning Glory. Carey Mulligan in anything. And am I alone in thinking Rapunzel was the hottest animated chick in a generation? She's 18 right? Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: The make-out scene with Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in Black Swan. There was a lot of great ass shots in that film in general as well. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Leonardo DiCaprio. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass. Oops... I mean Jessica Alba in The Killer Inside Me. I've never wanted to be a leather belt in Casey Affleck's hands before. Watching this scene I couldn't imagine being anything else. That bare bottom sang didn't it? David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Olivia Wilde. I enjoyed looking at her in a tight costume in Tron: Legacy, but I also found her very attractive in The Next Three Days. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: MacGruber and his celery. --- 16) Trend I'd Like To See End in 2011? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Stop the Saw franchise! By part 3, they were thoroughly embarrassing themselves. As mentioned, I'm horror junkie, but even I decided to take a stand and tell Hollywood HELL NO to this mess. Also, the 3D fad needs to die quickly. I constantly make fun of guys who wear sunglasses indoors and now I feel like I'm slowly becoming one. Too close for comfort. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Films being presented in 3D. I know Avatar was presented in this format and is the highest grossing film ever, it cuts down on piracy, and helps ticket revenue since we're charged out the ass for 3D ticket prices, but the entire effect is pretty pointless and not worth the extra money in the long run. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Unimaginative remakes of classic movies that need not be remade…True Grit comes to mind, as does Clash of the Titans yet again. 2011 looks like another year-long slap in the face of good old movies needing to be left alone - I cringe at remaking Fright Night, The 3 Musketeers, The Thing, and Conan the Barbarian…all coming in 2011. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: 3-D. Dear God, will someone take that technology out behind the shed and use a nice 12-gauge to put it out of its misery. I've seen maybe 1 or 2 good uses of this gimmick in 2010…the rest were garbage. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Poor remakes of perfectly good movies (ahem, A Nightmare on Elm Street) Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Jason Schwartzman's indie-rocker sweep has gotta' go - as does the three day old scrub. You can't always play the same haircut in every movie Mr. Schwartzman. Also, is there any other song that trailers for urban crime dramas could use other than Jay-Z's Run This Town??? Apparently not. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Movies by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer (Vampires Suck, Date Movie, Meet the Spartans, etc.) They were never funny to begin with and they continue to make them for some reason. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Uwe Boll no longer getting theatrical releases for his fine films. --- 17) Trend I'd Like To See Continue in 2011? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: M. Night Shyamalan receiving more critical wrath. Arrogant hack. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Audiences choosing originality and creativity (like Inception) over the same old regurgitated remakes and parodies (it won't happen, but a guy can dream) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Jessica Alba shower scenes. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: More of Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis making out with other chicks. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Indie films like Blue Valentine and Black Swan getting so much exposure. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Fantastic inexpensive movies. The Fighter, Black Swan, The King's Speech and A Prophet all cost under 15 million to make - which means they'll make their money back. Studios shouldn't mind dumping cash into riskier film projects if the projects aren't grossly overweight around the waistline. It's a recession Hollywood - stop wasting money on massive, listless, junk-food projects and start handing it out to the talented and influential. You'll get your cash back - we promise you. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: I would like to see more original summer blockbusters. After Inception, I hope to see other filmmakers create summer blockbusters that are not based on a comic book, television series or an older film. There is originality out there; it's just pushed to the side for a popular franchise since Hollywood seems to worry more about money than originality. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Val Kilmer. --- 18) Favorite Quote from a Film in 2010? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: "Here's a question: Was it morally wrong for me to exploit my knowledge of the future for personal financial gain? Perhaps. Here's another question: Do I give a f***?" That would be "Lou" played by Rob Corddry. Just about every line he has in Hot Tub Time Machine cracked me up. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: "Which would be worse, to live as a monster or to die as a good man?" (Shutter Island) Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: A tie between Hot Tub Time Machine's - Jacob: "You're wasted! Adam:"I've had like, two wine kills, Captain Buzzcooler" and any line spoken by Machete. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: 2 quotes from The Other Guys: "Gator's bitches better be using jimmies!" The context and Ferrell's delivery make that line great. But, a great standalone line is, "I hope you enjoy prison food...and penis." Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: "Overkill is underrated." The A-Team Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: "The Japanese possess unbelievable strength when backed into a corner!!" - Katsuro - The Human Centipede. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: "Which would be worse? To live as a monster or to die as a good man?" –Teddy Daniels, Shutter Island. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: "You know, man, if we ever make it home, I'm going to do so much f***ing cocaine. I'm gonna rape so many fine bitches. I'll be like, 'What time is it? After 5:00? Damn. Time to go rape me some fine bitches.'" - Walton Goggins, Predators. --- 19) What Were They Thinking? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Tons of people made questionable moves in cinema for 2010. Mel Gibson's career suicide rants still has me scratching my head. Having said that, the news revolving around The Hobbit production is baffling. Peter Jackson created a masterpiece with the first trilogy. And I realize business decisions on fledging studios had something to do with the delay. Having said that, why is green-lighting pure gold such a chore? A piece of garbage such as Skyline had no trouble getting made and distributed. So I guess the answer to this question is, why are studios still in the dark on what equates to a solid product? 2010 releases provide evidence that the art side has lost to the business side in Hollywood. Yet, too many fools are still paying for this crap. What are moviegoers thinking? And that concludes my Oliver Stone impression, as in, not truly answering the question directly. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Mel Gibson would probably be the obvious answer here, but the most questionable move on the industry was when we got word that The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm would be tackling a US remake of the French thriller Martyrs. It's not just the fact that they're remaking a film that is less than two years old or that most American people are too lazy to read subtitles, but it was Stamm's comments on the film that pretty much gave no hope on the project whatsoever. French cinema is known for being rather brutal and Martyrs is no exception. The last thirty to forty five minutes are fairly difficult to watch, but the message it delivers in the final minutes of the film not only makes the film worthwhile but gives the whole journey purpose. Stamm talks about giving "a glimmer of hope" at the end of his US remake since, "you don't have to shoot yourself when it's over." Even though the rumored casting of Twilight's Kristen Stewart was false, the fact that the meaning of the film flew completely over Stamm's head. Why would you let somebody remake a film when they don't understand the source material and plan on drastically changing what gave the original film depth in the first place? Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: The Coen Brothers need to retire. There I said it. I've gone on record as saying I am apparently in the minority, by not having ever liked a single Coen Brothers movie Not a one. Nope, not even that one. No Country for Old Men had potential, but it's Sopranos-style rip-off ending is what it is…a rip off, despite all of the Coen-heads who give them a free pass with bullshit like "Oh, well real life doesn't have an ending." Well, here's a news flash, No Country for Old Men was a movie, not real life, so give me a frickin ending…a bad one, a good one, just have it end…. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: I am SO tired of these total badass action star type guys doing STUPID family friendly films. It started with Vin Diesel. Let's face it, he's pretty to look at and plays a good tough guy. That's about all he has going for him and they put him a family movie like The Pacifier...WHAT?! Then, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. This year brought The Tooth Fairy, and previously we had films like Race to Witch Mountain and The Game Plan. Come on! Sure, some of those movies need a big, tough looking guy to play the part...that's the point. But don't use these guys. Just go to a Gold's Gym near L.A. and find yourself an actor/waiter/valet guy who's desperate for work and cast him. Do you really think 6-12 year-olds are gonna notice the difference...or care?! NO! Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: Saw 3D. That is all. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Tom Clocker for calling Vin Diesel "pretty to look at." Disney for dumping a 200(!) million dollar blockbuster like Tron: Legacy onto the market WITHOUT re-releasing the original Tron on DVD and Blu-Ray the week beforehand. Do I want to see the new Tron flick? Sure I do. Will I see it before I can see the original film again after 28 years of not seeing it? If I have to pay 55 dollars for a USED DVD copy of the flick on Amazon Marketplace you can bet your sweet, sweet 200 million I won't. Oh.. And Joe Carnahan for casting Rampage Jackson as B.A. Baracus instead of Kimbo Slice in The A-Team. What were you thinking dude? David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: Disney's closing of Miramax Films. Yeah, there were only a few films released from the company per year and they were all independent releases. But it was the studio that helped Quentin Tarantino get to where he is now. Miramax also released some of the better films over the past decade, including Good Will Hunting, No Country for Old Men and Doubt. Independent companies are hard to come by in these tough, economic times and Disney decides to drop them, but they will still continue the Pirates of the Caribbean series and fund money for Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2. Smooth move, Disney. Smooth move. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Why did the filmmakers behind Legion try to make the first hour of their film even remotely coherent, considering how wonderfully awful and free-form the last ½ hour is? --- 20) Most Wanted Movie in 2011? Joe Belcastro - Tampa Bay Movie Examiner: Well, let me answer this one like this (clearly I have issues following directions)...I want the summer blockbusters to be BLOCKBUSTERS once again. After three mediocre seasons, I'm hoping Pirates of the Caribbean 4 can capture the magic of the first installment. Harry Potter needs to go Lord of the Rings on me. Holding out a small sperm cell of hope that Transformers 3 can bring the nostalgia back. And Twilight...Yeah right, haha. Death to all glistening vampires and 17 year-olds who are more buff than I. Chris Sawin - Houston Movie Examiner: Source Code. Tom Santilli - Detroit Movie Examiner: Besides Justin Bieber in 3D? Probably the American remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Anything starring Rachel McAdams, or Carey Mulligan. Or The Smurfs. Tom Clocker - Baltimore Movie Examiner: I'm still waiting for a Halo movie. This has been tied up in limbo for years due to who owns the rights to what. Video games can get very tricky since there are so many parties involved (this company owns the story, this one owns the character rights, etc). fear the ship has sailed on that though. We may never see it and if we do, it will probably not be as good as it could have been if it released in a timely fashion. As far as the films I am most looking forward to that are scheduled to release in 2011? The next Final Destination film. I'm sorry, I couldn't even keep a straight face saying that. No, seriously, I'm pumped for Green Lantern, The Green Hornet, Battle: Los Angeles (though I am a little worried with that one too), Sucker Punch!, Thor, Cowboys and Aliens, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Muppets (yeah, I said it!), and Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol. Amanda Bell - National Twilight Examiner: The Hangover 2. Jason Roestel - National Movie Examiner: Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life looks positively Wang Chung - but I'm thinking that David Fincher's remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is going to be 2011's hottest ticket. Finch will be rolling off the critical success of The Social Network and might feel the need to scuff up his newfound polished image. What better way to do that than to re-adapt Stieg Larsson's popular serial killer novel. I've been skipping the Swedish versions of these films just because my David Fincher fandom won't abide another... sorry Swedies. David Wangberg - Chico Movie Examiner: The Tree of Life. I'm really curious to see what Terrence Malick has up his sleeve. His last two films (The Thin Red Line, The New World) were both beautiful, historical pieces and I'm interested to see what he'll do with his next one. The man only makes one movie every five years or so. Adam Lippe - National Movie Examiner: Margaret. --- Be sure to check out my personal Top 10 Movies of 2010 list. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Movie Review - 'The King's Speech' with Colin Firth (2010) - Associated Content Posted: 10 Jan 2011 10:27 AM PST King Edward VIII, known as David to his family (and played by Guy Pearce) was disinclined to be King as he was in love with a two-time divorcee, Wallis Simpson, whom he wished to marry. His abdication meant that his brother Albert, known to all as Bertie (portrayed by Colin Firth) would ascend the throne of England. Bertie had tried every possible method to cure his stammer, but with the encouragement of his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) reluctantly became a client of an Australian speech therapist named Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) who used highly unorthodox methods for eliminating speech disorders and impediments. Physical exercise, rolling on the floor, humor, reciting of nursery rhymes and swearing all came into play in Logue's treatments. Lionel from the beginning called his patient Bertie who was then the Duke of York. Geoffrey Rush did a magnificent job as the coach and teacher of the man who lived in the shadow of his older brother David throughout his life. Geoffrey Rush has been nominated for the Golden Globe as best supporting actor and will no doubt be nominated for an Academy Award as well. He was perfectly cast for his role; no other actor could have played the part as well. Both Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter were also nominated for a Golden Globe for their roles in The King's Speech. The majority of the film concentrated on the relationship between Bertie and Lionel which at times was stormy but for the most part was pleasant as they grew to become close friends with the gradual improvement of the royal's speech affliction. The credits at the end of the movie mentioned that King George VI, in recognition of his friendship and gratitude to Lionel Logue, inducted him into the Royal Victorian Order and later elevated him to Commander of the Victorian Order. They remained friends throughout their entire lifetime. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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