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REVIEW: A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)

2012-01-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's.

THE GOOD: Story. After the first five minutes of the film, you will not be able to choose a side in A Separation. The dilemma is that Simin wants to leave Iran so that their daughter, Termeh, can go to a good school, receive a good education, and have a better life. Nader wants to stay home and take care of his father who suffers from Alzheimer's Disease. Simin asks, "Does he know that you are his son?" Nader responds, "I know that he is my father!" This is the reason that Simon files for divorce; to move away with her daughter, but the court says that Nader has a right to say that the girl stays in the country. You can see both sides of the argument because they're both valid. This is what's so gripping about the movie. Things eventually go from bad to worse and it's in themes of truth, empathy, and human behavior that carry this film's intriguing premise. Unless you can't stand foreign films, you will not be able to stop watching. And since these last couple years seemed to be all about the ambiguous endings (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Take Shelter, Like Crazy, Meek's Cutoff, Inception), this movie will still have you thinking well after it cuts to black.

This is what divorce looks like in Iran. Weird, huh?

Asghar Farhadi. Writer and director Asghar Farhadi not only raises some good questions about morality, but brings today's Iran to the screen for the world to see. This is storytelling at its finest. Quite simple really, yet far more engaging than most other films from 2011. With a production budget of $500,000, Farhadi's film was the first ever film to win three Bears from the Berlin International Film Festival. It also recently won Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes and is up for two Oscars at the Academy Awards this year. One for Best Foreign Language Film, and another for Farhadi's original screenplay.

Acting. All of the acting in the film is so convincing that I swore at times this was a documentary since there was also a lot of handheld camera techniques.

I know I'm going to disappoint a lot of you, but this movie is not about Katy Perry and Russell Brand. Sorry.

THE BAD: Nothing.

THE END: Roger Ebert named A Separation his favorite movie of 2011, Rotten Tomatoes has it at a 99% rating, and it's the best-reviewed film of the year. I called it my 10th favorite of 2011 since the year seemed to be filled with many great movies that I enjoyed slightly more. Without a doubt, A Separation is one of those movies that needs to be seen by everyone. I can see this film playing in classrooms. As Ultra Culture says, watch "the film now so nobody can accuse you of bandwagon-jumping when it wins the Foreign Language Oscar and becomes the talk of middle-class dinner parties across the country."

DISCUSS: What did you think of A Separation? What did you think of the ending? What do you think of Iran's culture?

Security pulls an Iranian man back after seeing Justin Bieber walking down the hallway.

Foto Friday - 1/27/12

2012-01-27T07:56:00.000-08:00

This is my sixty-fifth Foto Friday post. The pictures today are from the snow storm. Full set with all 12 photos can be viewed here. And, as always, you can click to enlarge these pictures.

The Sunday before last, we saw just a tiny bit of snow in our area. I took the opportunity to explore the forest beyond our backyard. It is considered a Native Growth Protection Area and considering that I wasn't about to build a Home Depot on the spot, I decided that it would be okay to scout out the woods. Took me back to my days in Elkridge, MD when the neighborhood kids and I would venture out into the trees. There's a nice size stream back there, but it's not an overall large area.

Last week was when we really got dumped on by the snow. I would guess that we got about 10 inches total over Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I wrote about it in a separate post that you can read here. Bethany and I haven't seen a storm this bad since we moved back to WA.

Juliana absolutely loved the snow. It was fun to watch her eyes light up when she first looked outside. We built a snowman and went sledding a bit.

Our cars were practically popsicles. I went to work on Friday, but it took me nearly 40 minutes to defrost my car. There was ice all over it nearly an inch thick!

We were without power for a total of 40 hours during the storm. It's a good reminder of how important electricity is. It is not fun to freeze your nips off.

The main reason we had so many power outages here were because of the falling trees and ice on power lines. As you can see here, the ice on the trees made them probably 4-5 times heavier. And since we have so many of them here in the PNW, they fell onto power lines. View more pictures from the snow in the full set.

REVIEW: The Guard

2012-01-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: An unorthodox Irish policeman with a confrontational personality is teamed up with an uptight FBI agent to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.

THE GOOD: John Michael McDonagh. The writer and director of The Guard is the brother of Martin McDonagh, who wrote and directed the Oscar-nominated film In Bruges. John Michael McDonagh's film has some striking similarities, but with two characters who make the film all their own. McDonagh took Brendan Gleeson from In Bruges and put him in the lead role as an Irish cop in a little town, which gets caught up in a big drug-smuggling ring. This fully realized character created by McDonagh is an incredible feature all in itself because he's unconventional yet entirely believable. Just when you think this is going to be your typical buddy cop film, it takes a turn for the better and adds some quick-witted dialogue that is sure to make you laugh. I was sad to see The Guard get completely snubbed during the Oscars nominations announcement, but I know that those who have seen it have said nothing but great things. I'm really excited to see what John Michael McDonagh does next.

AGENT EVERETT: "Why is it that whenever you ask an Irishman a question, he answers with another question?" SERGEANT BOYLE: "Who told you that?"

Acting. Brendan Gleeson deserved an Oscar nomination for his role. He's just so good at it. At least he was nominated for a Golden Globe, but he didn't get the win, which is fine. I could not see anyone else as this character though. Don Cheadle comes in as an FBI agent tracking the drug ring to Ireland. He's not used to the unwonted way that Gleeson's character acts, or even the way the locals in the small town do. This leads to some very funny and sometimes awkward situations. But the movie truly shines whenever Cheadle and Gleeson are on screen together. Their dialogue and back-and-forths are the best of the year. In fact, I would venture to say that this is my favorite screenplay of 2011. There are also some fun supporting performances by Liam Cunningham, Fionnula Flanagan, and David Wilmot, but another one of my favorites was Mark Strong. The scene where he delivers the bribe money was one of the funniest moments in the film.

Funny. As I've already stated, this movie is hilarious. Bethany and I were cracking up through the whole film. If you liked In Bruges and Hot Fuzz, this movie feels like a morphing of the two. And it's just as comical.

SERGEANT BOYLE: "How do you get an Irishman on the roof? Tell him the drinks are on the house."

THE BAD: Nothing.

THE END: I listed The Guard as my eighth favorite film of 2011 because I love it so much. With some of the best dialogue of the year, fantastic acting, and great directing, I'm shocked that it hasn't gotten more attention than it has. I would highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a good flick.

DISCUSS: What did you think of The Guard? What did you think of the performances? Do you think it should have gotten more nominations? Do you like this or In Bruges more?

No wonder the Charlie's Angels remake got cancelled!

REVIEW: War Horse

2012-01-25T07:25:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: The journey of a horse across Europe during WWI and his original owner's drive to find him again.

THE GOOD: Steven Spielberg. War Horse would not have been as entertaining had it been directed by anyone else. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I am a sucker for Spielberg. I will watch anything he directs and 19 out of 20 times, I will enjoy what I am watching. Hated A.I.? Well, don't worry, I loved it. Didn't even see The Terminal? That's okay because I've probably seen it over thirty times for you. Thought Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a travesty? Well... me too, actually, but when it's on TV, I can't help myself to watch it. Steven Spielberg is a magician behind the camera. The camera angles, the color temperature, the rich storytelling... I cannot get enough of it. War Horse is Spielberg's second film of 2011, and as much as I loved Tintin, I have got to say that this movie is more well-crafted. War Horse can kind of be seen as a series of vignettes about life during World War I through the eyes of a horse. Each segment is just as capturing as the last and the waves of different emotions from the stories hits you like a ton of bricks. It's also interesting to note that this is Spielberg's first foray into WWI as previously he has directed six films that take place during or just before WWII. His attention to detail for this time is just as good.

Pictured here: Benedict Cumberbatch and Jeremy Irvine.

Score. John Williams' score is his best since Revenge of the Sith. It is featured in the trailer for the film and has found its way into my head on plenty of occasions. Takes me back to his older stuff.

Sound. Spielberg brought the Academy Award-winning team that he worked with on Saving Private Ryan to War Horse. Their work really shines during the war action sequences, but even in the slower moments, what they added is effective. War Horse has been nominated for both sound categories at the Oscars this year.

Cinematography. There are some fantastic shots in this film. There's the one that you might have seen in the trailer that is a close up of the reflection in the horse's eye. It's clearly a Spielberg shot, but has never had the clarity and focus like this before. Also really liked the shots on the plow while being pulled by the horse. Then there's the final scene which some people think is a bit over the top, but I thought it was gorgeous.

Pictured here: Sarah Jessica Parker, Celine Buckens, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

THE BAD: Unrealistic. My only true gripe about the film were the slightly unrealistic moments in the movie. Joey, the horse, seems to be smarter than your average animal. I won't elaborate too much, but it dropped a lot of the believability and naturalism for me.

THE END: War Horse is a fantastic film and I feel like it's already underappreciated as a movie. A lot of my friends and co-workers talked about how boring the movie looked and probably wondered how a single horse could possibly carry it. I knew I was going to like it anyway because of Spielberg, but I think any movie goer will find something to like about this movie. Though War Horse has been nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, I don't think it will win, but it is a movie that I hope everyone gives a chance to.

DISCUSS: What did you think of War Horse? What is your favorite Steven Spielberg film? What did you think of the technical aspects of this film? Have you read the book or seen the play?

Pictured on the left here: Benedict Cumberbatch riding Benedict Cumberbatch.

84th Oscars Picks and Predictions

2012-01-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

The 84th Academy Awards nominations were announced today. "Hugo" leads with 11 nominations followed by "The Artist" with 10. However, there has been a huge lack of disclaimer mentioning that "The Artist" is a SILENT FILM! Hence it wouldn't be nominated for the two sound categories like "Hugo" was! Take those out and suddenly "The Artist" has more nominations.

The Oscars are not without its snubs again. I wish "Drive" was nominated for Best Picture as it was my favorite movie of 2011, but it did get a sound editing nom, so that's good. No idea how "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" got nominated for Best Pic. I think the Best Animated Feature category is the most talked about right now as "Tintin" didn't seem to make it, but two other unknown animated films did. Really sad to see Ryan Gosling, Michael Shannon, and Brendan Gleeson not nominated for Best Actor, but it's nice to see Gary Oldman's name up there after decades of being left out. Also disappointed to not see Elizabeth Olsen, Felicity Jones, and Shailene Woodley get any actress nominations, but Jessica Chastain getting one is certainly to be celebrated.

"The Artist" is the heavy favorite to win because of all the other awards it has snatched up already, but "The Descendants" and "Hugo" might have good shots as well. Billy Crystal is coming back to host after 11 years of sitting it out. I for one am so glad he is back, but I understand that the Academy might be worried that the younger generations might not be that excited to see him if they even know who he is. I've been saying it for years now, but they should have Conan O'Brien host. He has the young and a lot of the older viewers.

Along with the list of nominees below are my opinions on who I think should win and who I think will win. I thought this year would be easy, but it actually looks like it's going to be a bit tough. I reserve the right to change any of my predictions before the Oscars begin. This is my sixth time doing this and my best score so far is 16 for 24 (67%), which I got last year and remain to be undefeated since starting our Oscar party that we hold. Here's to hoping I can beat the record again this year.

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"
Who I want to win:
Seeing Bichir get nominated is a big surprise as "A Better Life" was such a small film. Didn't see it, so I can't comment on his performance, but I'm sure it wasn't as good as Michael Shannon who was my favorite this year in "Take Shelter." Still, out of these actors, I would like to see Dujardin win for his brilliant performance in "The Artist."
Who I think will win:
Both Clooney and Dujardin won at the Golden Globes. I'd like to wait for the SAG Awards, but I'll go ahead and say Dujardin will win.

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
Who I want to win:
Only saw "Beginners" and "Moneyball", so I would love to see Plummer take this one.
Who I think will win:
Plummer won at the Golden Globes and I think the competition here is not too tough. He also hasn't won an Academy Award before, so I expect him to win.

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"
Who I want to win:
Only seen one movie in this category, and since Viola Davis didn't get the win for "Doubt" a couple years ago, I wouldn't mind seeing her win here.
Who I think will win:
Meryl Streep seems to be the favorite in this category as her complete transformation to Margaret Thatcher.

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"
Who I want to win:
Tough category as I saw and liked four out of five of these ladies. I would vote for Jessica Chastain pretty much for the incredibly year she had overall.
Who I think will win:
Kind of tough to say. I'm going to go with Octavia Spencer for now, but might change this after SAG.

Best animated feature film of the year:
"A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
"Rango" Gore Verbinski
Who I want to win:
I haven't seen "A Cat in Paris" and "Chico & Rita," but I can honestly say that the other films are disappointing to see on here. Really wish "Tintin" had gotten nominated. I would pick that, but out of these, "Rango."
Who I think will win:
I'm going to have to check out the first two films sometime, but for now, I'll say that "Rango" will win.

Achievement in art direction:
"The Artist"
Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo"
Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris"
Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse"
Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales
Who I want to win:
Oh man, this is a tough category as there are so many great choices. I would like to see "Midnight in Paris" win here since it probably won't see many awards.
Who I think will win:
I think it's going to come down to "Hugo" and "The Artist," so I'm going to have to go with "The Artist."

Achievement in cinematography:
"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski
Who I want to win:
It comes down to "The Artist" and "The Tree of Life" for me. Since I favor "The Artist" on almost everything else, I'll choose "The Tree of Life." Schiffman has some time to impress us more.
Who I think will win:
You know, I'm going to say that the Academy will give it to Lubezki.

Achievement in costume design:
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips
Who I want to win:
Excellent work in both "The Artist" and "Hugo." Seeing as how this is Sandy Powell's tenth nomination and she's already got three wins, I would like to see Mark Bridges win.
Who I think will win:
The Academy loves the costumes in period piece films. Because of this, I think they're going to go with "Jane Eyre," but I've been surprised before.

Achievement in directing:
"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Alexander Payne
"Hugo" Martin Scorsese
"Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick
Who I want to win:
Probably the category that I can agree with the most. What a talented group of filmmakers this year. All are deserving of the nomination. Since "The Artist" was my favorite film out of all of the movies listed, and much of that having to do with the creativity of Michel Hazanavicius, I would love to see him win.
Who I think will win:
Hazanavicius.

Best documentary feature:
"Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas
Who I want to win:
The documentary category is a little mixed this year. Wish "Buck" was nominated. I have not seen any of these films, but have heard good things about "Pina." I guess I would go with that?
Who I think will win:
Shocked that there aren't any films about the economy on the list. That still seems to be a hot issue right now and helped "Inside Job" win last year. I think it's going to come down to "Hell and Back Again" or "Paradise Lost 3." For now, I'll go with "Paradise Lost 3."

Best documentary short subject:
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad" James Spione
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen
Who I want to win:
Obviously have not seen these as well, but my love for Japan and its culture makes me want to pick "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom."
Who I think will win:
I bet the Academy will choose "Incident in New Baghdad."

Achievement in film editing:
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen
Who I want to win:
I wish "Submarine" or "Beginners" could get a nomination here. I think I would pick "Hugo" in this category due to the awesome silent film sequences.
Who I think will win:
Probably "The Artist."

Best foreign language film of the year:
"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote" Israel
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
"A Separation" Iran
Who I want to win:
I have only seen "A Separation," which was good, so I would pick that.
Who I think will win:
"A Separation" is almost a sure winner.

Achievement in makeup:
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland
Who I want to win:
As much as I think "Harry Potter" deserves some recognition, the way they made Streep look in "The Iron Lady" is pretty amazing. It's what J. Edgar needed.
Who I think will win:
My guess is "The Iron Lady."

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score):
"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams
Who I want to win:
There were better scores this year, but this choice is easy for me. I would definitely go with "War Horse." Great, memorable score. "The Artist" is wonderful, too, but if I'm honest with myself, the "War Horse" theme stayed in my head longer.
Who I think will win:
Probably Ludovic Bource for "The Artist."

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song):
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett
Who I want to win:
Only two nominees this year!? Come on Academy! Funny that "The Muppets" can say that they are Oscar-nominated now. I would totally go with Bret McKenzie's fab song.
Who I think will win:
"The Muppets" song will probably win.

Best motion picture of the year:
"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers
Who I want to win:
So the new rules say that anywhere between five and ten movies can be nominated for Best Picture. So the Academy goes with nine. Hmmm. I think all are great choices, but I would have dropped "Extremely Loud" for "Drive." So, I will safely choose my third favorite film of the year: "The Artist."
Who I think will win:
I think this year will be all about "The Artist." Seeing as how it's a film about Hollywood, they will likely choose this.

Best animated short film:
"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
Who I want to win:
Haven't seen any of these. "La Luna" is from Pixar, but that is attached to "Brave", which doesn't come out until June. Still, I like Pixar, so I'll just say that for now.
Who I think will win:
Maybe since Pixar didn't have anything nominated in the feature-length animation film category, the Academy will pick them here.

Best live action short film:
"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø
Who I want to win:
Was "Portal: No Escape" by Dan Trachtenberg not eligible to be nominated? I thought that was really cool. I haven't heard of any of these. Since I like time travel, I will choose "Time Freak."
Who I think will win:
Sure, why not? "Time Freak."

Achievement in sound editing:
"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom
Who I want to win:
I think "The Artist" should have been nominated as a joke. I would love to see "Drive" win something, but I think "Transformers" had the best sound this year. Always does.
Who I think will win:
The Academy typically picks the films that likely won't win many awards, so I wouldn't be shocked to see "War Horse" win here.

Achievement in sound mixing:
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson
Who I want to win:
Again, I would pick Transformers. As much as I dislike the films, the sound is fantastic in that series.
Who I think will win:
The Academy has a history of doubling down on the sound categories, so I'm going to guess "War Horse" again.

Achievement in visual effects:
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier
Who I want to win:
Both "The Tree of Life" and "Take Shelter" should have gotten some recognition here. Instead, we have all this mainstream crap. I would pick "Hugo," which I think has more natural effects.
Who I think will win:
I fear that they're going to choose "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" since it was so popular with the general audience. Awful effects though, IMO.

Adapted screenplay:
"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan
Who I want to win:
I would actually like to see Alexander Payne win here.
Who I think will win:
And I think he will.

Original screenplay:
"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi
Who I want to win:
Other than "Margin Call," I love this list. Really hard to say, but I think I would choose "Midnight in Paris" because it was such a delight and "The Artist" probably didn't have much of a screenplay.
Who I think will win:
I'm going to trust my opinion and say that Woody Allen will win.

My reviews for movies that are nominated this year:
"The Descendants"
"The Artist"
"Moneyball"
"Beginners"
"The Help"
"Bridesmaids"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"
"A Separation"
"The Adventures of Tintin"
"The Muppets"
"Rio"
"Drive"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"The Ides of March"

Once again, this list can change at any time between now and the big show, but once the show starts on February 26th, these predictions stick. Check back on my blog after the show to see the results and my final thoughts. While you wait, check out my predictions and results from the last five years:

2011 Predictions | Results
2010 Predictions | Results
2009 Predictions | Results
2008 Predictions | Results
2007 Predictions | Results

January 20-22, 2012 Box Office Results

2012-01-23T14:58:00.001-08:00

Weekend of January 20-22, 2012

Underworld: Awakening – 21.5 est – My prediction: Over – 25.3 act – Over
Red Tails – 18.0 est – My prediction: Under – 18.8 act – Over
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close – 12.0 est – My prediction: Over – 10.0 act – Under
Haywire – 8.5 est – My prediction: Over – 8.4 act – Under

Once again, other than Underworld, estimates were fairly close this weekend. None of us got all of the predictions correct.

Underworld 4 proved that there is still a bit of a demand for this franchise. With a $70 million production budget, the film has made short of $40 million worldwide already. Part of the boost in being over estimates probably has to do with Kate Beckinsale’s return who was not in the third film. Also, 3D played a part in the gross, but only 59% of its ticket sales came from that.

Red Tails did better than I thought it would, especially when you compare it to other fighter pilot movies. The marketing for the film was everywhere along with George Lucas’ name. Still, it was only $782,154 above the estimate.

The 9/11 drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close expanded to 2,630 theatres and I would say ended up being well under expectations considering that the movie has Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, two of Hollywood’s biggest stars. It’s for this reason that I thought it would do well. Box Office Mojo dug up this interesting fact that it’s “the least-attended nationwide opening in two decades for Tom Hanks, and is the least-attended in the last 15 years for Sandra Bullock.” Some say that the depressing nature of the story and the use of the Sept. 11th tragedy to produce an emotional response were reasons that the movie did not do well.

Despite being directed by Steven Soderbergh and having an all-star cast, Haywire underperformed compared to other female-led action films. Even with a more unknown cast, Colombiana did better in its opening weekend. Funny enough, it’s the best reviewed film that came out over the weekend with an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes (Underworld – 32%, Red Tails – 33%, Extremely Loud – 48%). Perhaps with all the action films out, people chose to not make this one a priority.

Iran’s A Separation topped the per theatre average category this weekend after increasing its theatre count to 13. The film recently won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film and will likely see an Oscar nomination tomorrow. I saw the film and I thought it was really good. Speaking of the Oscars, The Artist just won at the Producer’s Guild along with a couple Golden Globes, so it is looking more like it’ll win Best Pictures at the Academy Awards. This has not quite impacted its box office totals yet, having earned only $12 million total domestically since November 25th. We’ll see if the Oscars can get it more attention.

This upcoming weekend is looking similar to what we just experienced; three new major releases with a limited release expanding, but only just a little. First up is The Grey, the survival action film starring Liam Neeson and produced by Ridley and Tony Scott. Despite the cheesy trailer with Neeson’s character about to fight wolves with broken mini alcohol bottles, it currently has an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Then there’s Man on a Ledge starring Avatar’s Sam Worthington, which has an intriguing premise. The action comedy One for the Money starring Katherine Heigl and based on the 1994 novel written by Janet Evanovich will see about 2,700 theatres this weekend. I can’t expect much from that since I haven’t heard much about it. The film that is expanding is The Descendants, which won some Golden Globes and will almost definitely get an Oscar nomination tomorrow morning. This is purely a move on Fox Searchlight to hopefully make more money off of the buzz by pushing it to 900 theatres.

REVIEW: Beginners

2012-01-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.

THE GOOD: Mike Mills. Beginners is writer and director Mike Mills' sophomore feature film. The story comes directly from his life and the experience he had when his father came out of the closet at age 75. But the movie doesn't spend as much time on this fact as it does on the topic of true love. Oliver, the screen version of Mills, is just finding true love for the first time in a French actress at the same time his father is finding true love for the first time in a younger man. Hence the title of the film. They are new to the concept of true love despite their significant age difference. The other area that the film explores, and I wish it explored more, was what it must have been like for his dad to be gay his whole life, but marry a woman and have a child. Mills' parents got married in 1955, during a time where homosexuality was severely looked down upon. He wanted to explore that time against the present and see what was different. Truth is, not much.

The day that Hal discovered Barbara Streisand.

Acting. Ewan McGregor stars as Oliver Fields. He has this genuineness about him that makes his predicament so believable. It has been a while since I've seen him in a film that I really enjoyed. His father is played by Christopher Plummer who just recently won a Golden Globe for his supporting performance. It is well-deserved. Inglourious Basterds' Mélanie Laurent plays Anna, the woman that Oliver starts to have a relationship with. Her initial encounter with Ewan felt so real and natural. In fact, all of their meetings feel like that. And then there's Cosmo who practically steals every scene he's in as Arthur. Arthur becomes Oliver's dog who can talk. Well, not really. What we see are subtitles of what Oliver might be thinking the dog would be saying and it's usually pretty comical. I would say that it's the second best dog performance behind Uggie in The Artist.

Editing. I enjoyed the editing of the film, especially the moments that cut in stills during the "This is ______ in 2003. This is ______ in 1955." It's fun and unique.

OLIVER: "Anna, don't look! This dog is naked!"

THE BAD: Nothing.

THE END: While the film has no negative aspects to it that I can think of, there are plenty of just okay moments. I feel like the film could have made more of an impact, but at the same time, I understand that it was an exploration of time and love. Beginners was one of my favorite films of 2011 and I highly recommend seeing it if you don't mind slower romantic comedies/dramas. Check this out soon.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Beginners? What did you think of the performances? What was your favorite animal performance of 2011? What would you do if you found out that your widow/windower mom/dad was homosexual?

Hal and Oliver's reaction to listening to said Barbara Streisand album.

Snowmageddon 2012

2012-01-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't been blogging for the past few days because of the crazy weather we've had this week. Bloggers and some media outlets will try and tell you that Seattle over-exaggerated the outcome of the storm we had. At first, we really did. Wednesday is when the snow poured on and areas saw anywhere between 1 to 14 inches of snow. Oddly enough, the roads were not undriveable and many businesses remained open. But many of us, including myself, stayed home and played it safe. It was a nice day off. I built a snowman with Juliana and took her sledding.

Overnight, our region went into sub-freezing temperatures and the snow and water that was on the roads from the day turned into freezing rain and solid ice on Thursday. That's when all the problems began. Yesterday, my alarm woke me up at 6 a.m. and I discovered that our house was out of power. A call to Puget Sound Energy told us that 90,000 people were in the same boat and that it's possible that they wouldn't get to our location until the evening, maybe even the weekend.

Having no source of heat other than our water heater, I texted our families and asked what their statuses were. My parents, Bethany's parents, and Bethany's sister all still had power, but one-by-one texts came back to me saying "We just lost power." Our best option was spending the night at my in-laws' who had hot water and wood and gas fireplaces. I wasn't about to go driving in these conditions, so my father-in-law came to pick us up in his 4-wheel drive vehicle. And seeing the roads yesterday made me glad I chose not to venture out in one of our cars.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have lots of trees. Our state is nicknamed the Evergreen State and we're proud to have so many green trees up year around. Well, when snow and ice cling to those trees, they fall over. And some of them fall over onto power lines. By the afternoon, over 210,000 homes were reported to have no power (at this time, that number has reached 260,000). We tried to go to a fast food restaurant yesterday to pick up some dinner, but everywhere was closed either due to power outages or lack of employees. We tried Safeway which was miraculously open despite also being powerless. They were running the cash registers and lights on generators, but the freezer aisles were down. It felt apocalyptic.

Power still has not been restored to our house and it's been going on like that for over 30 hours now. Bethany's parents just had their power restored, so we might end up staying there another night if PSE can't get us figured out soon. I was able to make it into work with minimal slipping and sliding around the smaller side streets near our neighborhood. The freeways were perfectly clear.

We might not be as prepared for or as experienced with the snow as states like Montana or Michigan, but I wouldn't call Seattlites "Snow Wimps" or "Clueless" like the LA Times did. Hopefully this provides a little explanation. Plus, Californians seem to freak out more when there a little bit of rain on the road.

January 13-15, 2012 Box Office Results

2012-01-16T23:34:00.000-08:00

Weekend of January 13-15, 2012

Contraband – 21.5 est – My prediction: Over – 24.3 act – Over
Beauty and the Beast 3D – 17.5 est – My prediction: Over – 17.8 act – Over
Joyful Noise – 15.5 est – My prediction: Under – 11.2 act – Under
The Iron Lady – 5.0 est – My prediction: Over – 5.4 act – Over

A fairly well-estimated weekend. Dano and I were the only ones to get all four predictions correct.

Contraband made more than almost any other action film released in January. It could not quite beat Taken which was released on the 30th of January in 2009. I predicted Over on this simply because of how well The Devil Inside did last weekend. Just like all of you, I was shocked to see how well it did, but after some research, it makes sense. With a lack of new movies and M:I4 and Sherlock 2 being out for a month now, people wanted some hot Marky Mark action.

I took my daughter to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D over the weekend and noticed that the theatre wasn’t as full as The Lion King 3D was. Still, considering that the film has already been out on Blu-ray in 3D for over three months, and the fact that converting the film to 3D cost Disney less than $10 million, this is a success.

Joyful Noise looked dumb. I thought the $15.5 million estimate was quite generous and never thought it would make that much. I would like to speak to the people who actually gave money to this film and simply ask them “Why?”

The Iron Lady was an easy one to predict because of how well it has already done on a limited release. All of us except Carlos correctly guessed Over on this one. It was still close though. I thought it would do better. It only made $6,749 average per theatre which was under Contraband and Beauty and the Beast.

We have three new releases, a movie going wide, and a limited release this weekend. The fourth installment in the Underworld franchise will be out in about 2,900 theatres. Underworld: Awakening will have 3D and IMAX 3D releases, so be sure to take that into account when making your prediction. The George Lucas-produced Red Tails will see about 2,500 theatres. Is it just me or should this film about the Tuskegee Airmen been released this past weekend with MLK Jr. Day? Haywire, starring MMA fighter Gina Carano and directed by Steven Soderbergh, will see a decent wide release. The film has an all-star supporting cast made up of Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, and Michael Fassbender. The 9/11 family drama Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close will finally have its wide release. Up until this weekend, it has been sitting quietly in six theatres since Christmas Day. Finally, getting a limited release on Friday is the Shakespeare tragedy Coriolanus, which is Ralph Fiennes’ directorial debut film. The well-received film currently sits at a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes out of 57 reviews.

REVIEW: The Tree of Life

2012-01-16T07:11:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

THE GOOD: Terrence Malick. Writer and director Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life starts with some select Biblical passages from the Book of Job. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?...when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:4, 7) In this part of the book, Job is questioning why he has suddenly descended into ruin because of the devil's interference. I believe this movie is what Terrence Malick thinks God's answer would be. For there are so many things Job does not know about. How this world was formed. How nature works. We, as humans, are Job. Constantly on the search to know more, but we cannot know the Creator's plan for the world. The Tree of Life can be seen as the best Christian movie of the year (Take THAT Courageous!). With Malick's steady hand, he evokes human feeling on screen better than any other director this year. He announced this movie in late 2005, which means it has probably been stewing around in his head way earlier than that. This is the man that took 20 years between Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line, then seven years until The New World, and then six years until The Tree of Life. Thankfully, we won't have to wait as long for his next film. If you haven't enjoyed any of his previous films, it's likely that The Tree of Life is not going to convert you. Malick's experimental directing style is certainly not for everyone and even cinematic veterans will need more than one viewing to fully appreciate his work.

If you enjoyed this film and are confronted by a person who hated it, just tell them that they are not smart, deep, or sensitive enough. That will clear things right up.

Acting. Brad Pitt's performance in The Tree of Life completely outshines his work in Moneyball. It was completely believable and natural. The same goes for Jessica Chastain who has just had the most amazing 2011. Hunter McCracken plays the younger version of Jack who really does a good job. The tension and fierceness in his character is felt throughout the whole film. I was constantly frightened to see what would happen next between him and Brad Pitt's character.

Cinematography. This is the second time Terrence Malick has enlisted the help of Emmanuel Lubezki. The four-time Academy Award nominated cinematographer also worked with Malick on his next film. Lubezki is shared by director Alfonso Cuarón who has used him in every single one of his features, with the exception of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. For The Tree of Life, Lubezki deploys free form and natural elements to his filming. It was so important to Malick that interior spaces be unlighted that they used three different houses in the main story; each individually used depending on the time of day and the position of the sun. Lubezki and the director wanted those natural black blacks, so there is actually only one shot in the entire film that is underexposed. There's lots of handheld stuff and the camera gets in very close to actors' faces, and it is for this reason that they shot in standard 1.85:1 with 4-perf for maximum resolution and low grain.

Douglas Trumbull. Terrence Malick approached Douglas Trumbull for some of the unique special effects during the forming of the universe sequence. Trumbull was the pioneer behind some of the visual scenes in 2001: A Space Odyssey. He also worked on the imagery in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and Blade Runner. For The Tree of Life, Trumbull utilized micro-photography in which he filmed cellular and chemical activity on a minute scale to illustrate the formation of galactic bodies and processes. It was just announced last week that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present Douglas Trumbull with the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for his body of work and technical innovation in cinematic visual effects.

BRAD PITT: "Jazz handsssss!"

THE BAD: Alexandre Desplat. I must say that I was quite disappointed with Alexandre Desplat's score to the film. Don't get me wrong, there is some great musical work in here, just nothing very original from Desplat. In the movie, you will hear classics from Bach, Brahms, Berlioz, Smetana, Mahler, Holst, Respighi, Couperin, and more. You can totally tell when Desplat's score comes in because it's uninspiring.

CGI. CGI is used sparingly in this film, but when it is used, particularly in a scene with prehistoric creatures, it looks bad. Along the same lines of the stuff you will see on Discovery Channel or History Channel.

THE END: The Tree of Life won the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and has an 84% out of 236 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. While critics seem to like the film, the general public's reaction has been greatly mixed. There were as many walkouts in theatres as there were people praising this film as a pure work of art. What Malick has bravely done here is create visual poetry. It was my #13 favorite film of 2011, but who knows where it would be after repeat viewings. Check this one out.

DISCUSS: What did you think of The Tree of Life? What do you think of Terrence Malick? Did you like the performances in this film? How did you interpret the overall theme?

This shot comes from a montage in the film that starts with creation, slowly makes its way through primordial sea, the spark of life, fish, reptiles, then the dawn of the dinosaurs, then the dinosaurs being wiped out by a giant flaming Mel Gibson head.

Foto Friday - 1/13/12

2012-01-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

This is my sixty-fourth Foto Friday post. The pictures today are from Bethany's first solo wedding cake, Steel Lake Park, and my work. Full set with all 27 photos can be viewed here. And, as always, you can click to enlarge these pictures.

Wanted to quickly share the car icon we use on our TomTom GPS system in our van. Yep, Mario Kart FTW!

Bethany delivered her first wedding cake that she's done by herself. The bride and groom ordered the paisley shape with different fillings and I think Bethany did great.

Took Juliana to Steel Lake Park last weekend to let her burn off some energy. Lord knows that she's got lots of it. Took a panorama shot of the lake and park. The original can be zoomed in on much more.

There's a little pier that you can walk down, but seeing as how the playground was always in view, Julie didn't particularly care for it.

I did manage to get her to crack a smile though.

You can swim here in the summertime, which a lot of people in the area do. My friends and I used to sneak into the park at night and go swimming.

The playground at Steel Lake Park is pretty awesome. It's big and has a variety of things to do. Used to love playing hot lava monster here.

Julie seems to have no problems making friends with other kids whenever she goes to playgrounds or play areas. Some welcome the invitations to play, but every one in a while you see a rejection and Julie always stands there looking so confused. It's adorable.

There was a playground almost exactly like this one in Annapolis, Maryland that my mom used to take me to when I was a young lad. I loved it.

Had some fun with light sticks and long exposure shots with Julie. Thought this one turned out kind of neat. Love that bit of gold somehow shooting up on the right side.

Doing this reminds me of 2001: A Space Odyssey for some reason.

The second floor of my building at work is finally done and it looks great. Here are some after shots of some of the areas. The before shots can be seen in the 9/9/11 Foto Friday and I encourage you to look at those to get an idea of how much things changed. This is the new break area.

One of the new hallways at work. It's secured because there's a group with sensitive content back there, but it looks nice. Rumor has it that Microsoft will be reorganizing and cutting some jobs under their marketing division. Guess where I fall under? That's right... marketing. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the next month or so.

Here's our new upstairs meeting room. It will eventually have dividers so that you can make two rooms if you want. To see more pictures from my work, Steel Lake, or Bethany's wedding cake, view the full set.

Hawaiian Bay Games

2012-01-12T18:13:00.000-08:00

Got three new songs that I've been listening to a lot.

#3 Metronomy - "The Bay"

Welcome to my first top three songs list for this year. Since we just started 2012, these songs are obviously ones that came out last year. I love finding stuff that I might have missed from previous years, but it's also frustrating because I never got to consider them for my favorite albums list. The first song I'd like to talk about is Metronomy's "The Bay." It comes from their third studio album, The English Riviera, which NME placed at number two on its list of the Top 50 Albums of 2011. They are a British band from Totnes, Devon, England that plays really synthy pop stuff that sounds like it should be in the '80s. "The Bay" has a piano accompaniment that will definitely take you back to that decade. I love the second part of the chorus that goes, "It's so gooooooooooooood, in the bay."

#2 Friendly Fires - "Hawaiian Air"

Dubbed by some as this year's British Foster the People, Friendly Fires is an English alternative/disco/funk band that got together when they were only 13 years old. I find their sound very unique. It's like the music and lyrics of mid-90s pop songs, but with a modern touch. Like, I feel like I should be seeing a boy band dancing in sync, but playing guitars while hearing their songs. "Hawaiian Air" comes from Friendly Fires' second album, Pala, which was released back in May 2011. It's a simple song that focuses on the airplane ride to Hawaii. It's a song that I want to play the next time my plane is a few minutes from touching down in the beautiful state.

#1 Lana Del Rey - "Video Games"

Another party that I was slightly late to, but still getting into the door in time for is Lana Del Rey. Del Rey released "Video Games" online, but it was never intended to be a single. It was so incredibly well-received and she ended up signing with Interscope Records. Her album Born to Die is one of my most anticipated of the year. It's partly produced by Emile Haynie, the genius who has produced albums for Kid Cudi, Eminem, and Gym Class Heroes. The music video above, which was edited by Del Rey, currently has 18 million plays and there's a very good reason. "Video Games" is a great song with the orchestral bombast, the harps, and pizzicato strings. Del Rey describes herself as a "gangsta Nancy Sinatra," which is surprisingly accurate. I would keep an eye on this one.

What have you been listening to lately?

REVIEW: The Artist

2012-01-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

THE GOOD: Michel Hazanavicius. The Artist writer and director Michel Hazanavicius has done something great here. He has made a black and white silent film in 2011. What courage! What creativity! And what a delight! Yes, all the good things that you've heard about The Artist are true, and quite possibly even better depending on how much of a film buff you are. The silent film thing could have been a big gimmick, but Hazanavicius uses the technique in the best way possible and tells a story that is as magical as the films that Hollywood has been known to make. It is without a doubt that The Artist would not have been made had Hazanavicius not made his OSS 117 films, which also star French actor Jean Dujardin. For those who don't know, OSS 117 is a parody of James Bond movies and other spy/inspector films that came out of the '60s. Hazanavicius purposely made the films look like they were made in that era and it's almost flawless. He puts a lot of care into the visuals of his movies. He did extensive research about 1920s Hollywood in preparation for The Artist and studied silent films to find the right techniques to make the story comprehensible without having to use too many intertitles (the printed text that appears in the film, typically white on a black background, in the midst of the photographed action). Because of this, so much of the story relies on how well the visuals are presented. The movie was shot in the 1.33:1 "Academy ratio," just as in silent-film days, since Hazanvicius considered it "perfect for actors" because it gives them "a presence, a power, a strength. They occupy all the space of the screen." What's next for Mr. H? Well, it's been reported that he'll remake Fred Zinnemann's 1948 film The Search, but will update the setting to contemporary "war-torn" Chechnya.

PEPPY MILLER: *whispers* "Your fly is undone."

Acting. Jean Dujardin stars as George Valentin, the most popular silent actor who must deal with the rise of talking pictures. Dujardin gives a really unique performance that had me going through every emotion that his character went through. It was probably my second or third favorite performance this year. Dujardin won the Best Actor Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered. Michel Hazanavicius' wife, Bérénice Bejo, plays Peppy Miller. A young dancer who starts out as an extra on films, but gains popularity and fame with the talkies. She captures the actresses of the early 1930s film era perfectly. John Goodman, James Cromwell, Malcolm McDowell, and others pop up every now and then, but other actor that often steals the show is not human. Uggie plays Valentin's trusty and loyal dog. He's cute, funny, and expresses himself just as well as his co-stars. There's even an unofficial Oscar campaign for him.

Story. They just don't make them like this anymore. I'm not talking about the black and white thing, but rather the story. It's so incredibly simple, yet full of life, energy, and potential. You are immediately drawn into the film because it feels like a story you've heard before. Deep down though, this is a story about Hollywood. About how when the new comes in, the old can feel rejected or not as in as it once was. However, what's needed is a common ground because the new would not have even existed had it not been for the old.

Ludovic Bource. Composer Ludovic Bource listened to a lot of the great masters of classical music and Hollywood scores, as well as watched classic films with Hazanvicius, doing about a year’s worth of intense research in all before even starting to write the music. He was involved in the project from the very first storyboard and wrote a score that defines the movie without directing it. There is little synchronicity between the music and the images and it works just as well as it did back in the late '20s.

Production design. The whole design team deserves major props for obvious reasons. If you've seen the film, everything looks perfect. Led by Laurence Bennett, the design team turned Los Angeles back into the clean, sparkling beauty it may have been back in those days. The costumes, the sets, and the locations are all places I feel like I've seen before in old movies.

Best Jack Russell terrier performance since Frasier.

THE BAD: The look. This is a very small complaint because this movie is almost perfect. My only issue was that, while the film did really look like an authentic black and white silent film, there was something slightly off about it that would sometimes send me back to the present day. The camera being too in focus sometimes, actors not moving on screen fast enough, or a not enough of an exaggerated emotion. It makes up for it though in all of its charming aspects.

THE END: I've seen my fair share of silent films from Ben-Hur to countless Charlie Chaplin films. I even attended a Chaplin film festival last year in Seattle. A lot of people think that they won't like a movie that has no talking and is in black and white, but I would urge them to reconsider as it can often times be easier to view as there is less content for your brain to interpret. Sometimes we get overloaded with complex stories, high-octane action, or emotional drama that we forget the simple aspects of film and filmmaking. Sometimes a good, simple story is all you need. The Artist proves this fact, but excels because of its technical qualities. The film has six Golden Globe nominations (the most of 2011), five Independent Spirit Award nominations, and I'm certain it will be nominated for at least a few Academy Awards. You would be doing yourself a disservice not to see one of the best films of the year.

DISCUSS: What did you think of The Artist? What is your background with silent cinema? What was your favorite aspect of the film? What surprised you about the film? What was the audience reaction in your theatre? What did you think of the music?

Jean Dujardin watches Kevin James' performance in The Zookeeper for inspiration.

REVIEW: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2012-01-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

THE GOOD: Brad Bird. Before Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, director Brad Bird had not directed a live-action film before. The man who brought us The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille physically gets behind the camera this time and proves to us that he has what it take to make action movies with real actors.

Tom Cruise's religion doesn't allow him to believe in elevators, so he instead climbs the outside of buildings to get where he needs to go.

Action. There is a lot of tense and intense stuff going on in this movie that will hold your attention. Just when you think Ethan Hunt and his team finally have a grip on things, something else will suddenly come up causing them to fall another step behind.

THE BAD: Unoriginal. While I liked this movie, I didn't feel like it really brought anything new, original, or different to the Mission: Impossible franchise. After John Woo's M:I II, J.J. Abrams was able to speed up the pace a bit in the third film and bring back some sorely missed big twists. Without him, I'm certain that the franchise would have died. Abrams produced Ghost Protocol, so it's Bird who needs to come up with some fresh new concepts. Sadly, there was nothing that absolutely wowed me. Remember when Tom Cruise got slammed into that car after the explosion on the bridge in M:I III. That was freakin' awesome and never done so well before! The similar effect is attempted again in Ghost Protocol... twice. But I want something completely original. Climbing Burj Khalifa or fighting in an automated parking garage just seems like a gimmick to me. And it sort of is.

Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner have a staring contest to decide which one gets to bang the girl and which one gets stuck with Simon Pegg.

Bad guy's motive. I'm not going to reveal it here, but I found it had a lack of inspiration. You'll know what I mean if you see it.

THE END: Despite the unoriginal stuff, I found myself enjoying this film, but not as much as III. I mean, come on... how can you beat Philip Seymour Hoffman? Anyway, you couldn't do any better as far as action movies go at this time of the year. Ghost Protocol is action-packed and will leave you at the edge of you seat, and all those other quotes you hear movie announcers say. Check it out.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol? What is your favorite Mission: Impossible movie so far? Did you enjoy the TV show?

ETHAN HUNT: "Quickly! I hope this 7-Eleven has a toilet because I am about to make a poop Slurpee in my pants."

January 6-8, 2012 Box Office Results

2012-01-09T15:13:00.001-08:00

Weekend of January 6-8, 2012

The Devil Inside – 23.0 est – My prediction: Under – 33.7 act – Over

And The Devil Inside swoops in to shock the domestic box office. Only one person predicted correctly on this one. Good job Randy.

I asked Randy in-person why he chose Over on the movie and he said because people love exorcism movies and the found footage stuff. I speculated that the movie also did well because there haven’t been any major new releases in the last two weeks. It’s the third highest opening for any film in January, behind Cloverfield and Star Wars Special Edition, and the fifth best debut for a supernatural horror film ever. One thing going against it was the dreadful number of reviews (7% on Rotten Tomatoes, 23/100 on Metacritic, and 4.2 on IMDb). The movie made 50% of its weekend gross on Friday alone, which probably shows that the movie won’t carry well. That’s okay though because I’m sure Paramount already sees this as a big win seeing as how the film only cost them $1 million. I’m sure there will be a sequel.

Other than that, M:I 4, Sherlock 2, and Dragon Tatt are holding up well. The Iron Lady has been kicking butt at per theatre average, averaging $35,275 at five theatres.

We’ll have three wide releases this weekend. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast re-release in 3D will be out in about 2,500 theatres. After The Lion King 3D’s major success, we might see some decent numbers for this one. Contraband starring Marky Mark will also see a major release, as well as the awful choir movie Joyful Noise.

REVIEW: Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame

2012-01-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: An exiled detective is recruited to solve a series of mysterious deaths that threaten to delay the inauguration of Empress Wu.

THE GOOD: Concept. On paper, Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame sounds like a really cool movie. The trailer was well-cut and even had dubstep! It looked like a movie that could kick so much ass. Think Sherlock Holmes, but if he was Chinese and knew kung fu. Sadly the film is not executed well, but I give it a B+ for trying. One of the issues might be that it combines the realistic with the supernatural in a very poor way. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon did this well in 2000 making the possibility of leaping across a lake believable in the world it created. Detective Dee has a prophetic talking deer... yeaaaaaah. The movie is based on Di Renjie (狄仁傑) who was a real official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, twice serving as chancellor during her reign. Obviously this is a very fictional account of his life, and it's taken in a direction of the classic wushu martial arts films. Popular Chinese director Tsui Hark filmed this movie in Zhejiang, China with a budget of $20 million. Again, credit is deserved here for making a film of this quality with such a modest budget. A movie of this caliber would have cost nearly $100 million if it was made in Hollywood.

DETECTIVE DEE: "I will defeat you with my stinky farts!"

Fight scenes. As with most martial arts films, the fight scenes in this movie are fantastic. Unfortunately they're not plentiful in this movie. Sammo Hung served as the fight choreographer and does some really creative new things that had me impressed.

THE BAD: Special effects. Why does it feel like China has taken 10 steps backwards when it comes to special effects, especially with CGI and green screen? I'm sure by Hong Kong's standards, the effects are great, but Hollywood seems light years ahead of them. Visual effects supervisor Phil Jones even won an award for this movie at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards. I can only assume that the competition looked even worse.

Oh no lady, don't frisbee ring me to death!

THE END: Out of the two martial art films I saw this year, this and True Legend, I prefer Detective Dee. Still, the quality is not up to par with other wire-fu movies like Crouching Tiger and Hero. If you are a big fan of martial arts films, you should probably see this. If the genre just isn't for you, you can probably skip this one or maybe catch it on TV.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame? What have been your favorite most recent martial arts films? How did you hear about this movie? What did you think of the special effects?

DETECTIVE DEE: "I've always loved you, stinky homeless man."

REVIEW: The Adventures of Tintin

2012-01-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review. It was #1 on my top ten most anticipated of 2011 list.

PLOT: Intrepid reporter Tintin and Captain Haddock set off on a treasure hunt for a sunken ship commanded by Haddock's ancestor.

THE GOOD: Steven Spielberg. The Adventures of Tintin and I have a long history together. When I was in the fifth grade living in Maryland, I had a friend whose family was Dutch. He introduced me to the stories of Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy and I was immediately hooked. I was at the perfect age where Hergé's comic books took me into a world full of danger, adventure, humor, and fun. I've read every single one of Tintin's books. Yes, even the often forgotten Tintin in the Land of the Soviets. I remember watching the cartoon series on Nickelodeon and even own all of the episodes on DVD. When I visited Brussels in 2006, I went to the Tintin Boutique where I bought a book and a stuffed animal version of Snowy (which Julie sometimes sleeps with and it's oh so adorable). So, to say that this film has been a long time coming for me is an understatement. When I found out that Steven Spielberg was going to direct, I got super excited. I'm a sucker for his films. Even his less popular or not as well-received ones like War of the Worlds, The Terminal, and A.I. There's something about his filming style that seems so magical to me. Before Hergé died, he said he "thought Spielberg was the only person who could ever do Tintin justice." I think he would have been very happy with this adaptation.

Nothing says "Adventure" like unicorns and little fluffy white dogs.

Animation. Motion-capture CGI animation has come a long way, my friends. The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol all look great, but there's always been something just slightly off about them. I think it's in the eyes, but Tintin is the first time that I think they've gotten it right. The characters look perfect. This is the best motion-capture film to date.

Voice acting. I love the voice cast. Jamie Bell sounds really good as Tintin and seemed to have some excitement in his voice during the more tense scenes. Andy Serkis is, as always, brilliant as Captain Haddock. Daniel Craig was almost completely unrecognizable as Rackham. And Nick Frost and Simon Pegg were hilarious as Thomson and Thompson. Just great casting choices overall.

Action. This movie is almost non-stop action. When there isn't any action, it's usually because there's a specific mystery to figure out. The movie is reminded a lot of people of Indiana Jones, but to me, it's closer to the Uncharted video game series. The action set pieces in this film are spectacular, but the most impressive scene takes place closer to the end of the film in the fictional city of Bagghar. There is a chase sequence in there that is beyond words. From the top of the city to the bottom, the camera follows the chase without cutting or transitioning away from the characters. It's a must-see. Spielberg is definitely having some fun here with the virtual camera and checking out all of its possibilities since this is his first animated feature film. There are also some spectacular transitions in the film.

TINTIN: "Hey, guys, check out Susan Boyle on The Sun's Page Three today."

THE BAD: Introduction. My only beef with the film is the was the Tintin and Snowy are introduced. Of course, for the fans of the comic book in the U.S., we are used to being thrown right into the world of Tintin because Tintin in America is usually the first accessible book to us. But I don't think that's enough for the movie audience who are not familiar with Tintin. I think a little more time should have been spent building Tintin and Snowy's background. I'm not saying something as deep as Captain Haddock's back story, but something close.

THE END: Many don't know this, but Tintin is planned on being a trilogy with Steven Spielberg directing the first film, Peter Jackson directing the second film, and then possibly collaborating for a third one. As a big fan of Tintin, I loved this film which follows more closely to the book Secret of the Unicorn. For your general movie goer who might have originally thought that this was a movie about the famous Hollywood star dog Rin Tin Tin, I'm not sure how much they will enjoy this. There are certainly elements to appreciate like the action and animation, but the strange world of the go-getter Tintin might put some people off. I would recommend that most people wait to rent this one, but if you are a Tintin fan, it's a necessity.

DISCUSS: What did you think of The Adventures of Tintin? Are you a fan of the Tintin books? How do you think Steven Spielberg did in capturing the world of Tintin? Are you looking forward to Peter Jackson directing the second movie?

CAPTAIN HADDOCK: *sees a flying bottle of whiskey and not a seaplane*

REVIEW: Hugo

2012-01-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Set in 1930s Paris, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and an automaton.

THE GOOD: Martin Scorsese. I have already named Hugo one of my top 10 favorite films of 2011, but now I can finally write my review for it. You'll have to forgive me because I am severely backed up on movie reviews. I have nine reviews in draft because I tried to cram as many films as I could see before the end of the year. So, if these reviews seem a bit shorter and to the point, now you know why. Anyway, Hugo is directed by the Academy Award-winning and acclaimed director Martin Scorsese. This is his first PG rated movie since 1993's The Age of Innocence. This is also Juliana's first full non-Muppet live action film ever. While the film does not have any inappropriate content for kids, I would not call this a kids movie. A family adventure and drama film, sure, but not just for kids. Without giving too much away and ruining the surprise, Hugo is Scorsese's love letter to cinema. He's always been one to promote and be influenced by classic movies. In 1995, he made a four-hour long documentary film called A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. His homages to silent films is in a bunch of his popular movies like Casino and The Departed, especially with the use of the iris. Hugo is probably the movie that celebrates classic film the most from Scorsese and any cinephile will appreciate it.

HUGO: "He's writing something! Y-O-U S-M-E-L-L... hey!"

John Logan. Writer John Logan is one of the great underrated writers of our time. Take a look at some of the films he's helped scribe: Any Given Sunday, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, The Aviator, Sweeney Todd. This year alone he wrote Hugo, Coriolanus, and Rango. Of course Hugo is adapted from a novel written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, so Logan doesn't deserve full credit for this enchanting story. Logan has two big releases out next year: the new James Bond movie Skyfall and the Steven Spielberg directed Lincoln.

3D. Hugo is the best 3D film I've seen all year and joins a small list of films that I would recommend watching in such a format (Avatar, How to Train Your Dragon, The Polar Express, Coraline, Tangled, if you wanted to know). This is astounding considering that this is Martin Scorsese's first film shot in 3D. The opening scene is particularly important to note because it's a long shot that starts above Paris and ends up on Hugo's face. Even James Cameron, who some consider one of the pioneers behind 3D in Hollywood, called the film a "masterpiece" and told Martin Scorsese it was the best use of 3D he had seen, including his own films. I'm not sure if I would fully agree with that, but it is a testament to how good this film looks.

"French" and "whimsical" go together almost as well as lamb and tuna fish.

THE BAD: Asa Butterfield and Chloë Moretz. I know these kids can do better. I've seen it. Maybe it's because the adult actors outshine them. Asa Butterfield seemed to have a narrow emotional range in this movie. I didn't come away from this film loving his performance, and I should have, considering that he's the star. Chloë Moretz's character was supposed to be excited and full of life, but I think she overdoes it here. And her accent goes in and out a lot.

THE END: One day, in the future, I hope someone makes a movie about Martin Scorsese. Or perhaps Scorsese has just done that as Hugo can be seen as a slice of his life. Either way, Hugo is one of the best films of the year and must be seen, preferably in 3D. The story is magical and the directing, masterful. Go see it ASAP.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Hugo? How much of the story did you know before seeing it? What are your favorite Martin Scorsese films? Would you recommend Hugo for children?

Asa Butterfield and Chloë Moretz watch Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill.

Top Ten Most Anticipated Indie Movies of 2012

2012-01-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Here is my "Top Ten Most Anticipated Indie Movies of 2012" list. The definition of "indie movie" for this list is anything getting a limited release or distributed by an independent production company, or a film most people just plain don't know about. If you want to see the list of major releases I am looking forward to, that list is here. This is only my opinion. If you don't like my list, go do your own.

#10 Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie - I am actually a fan of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job. Sometimes their skits can be boring, but other times they are freakin' hilarious. People joke that you have to be high to find this show funny, or in my case, have a unique sense of humor. The plot of the film is that Tim and Eric get a billion dollars to make a movie, only to watch their dream run off course. In order to make the money back, they then attempt to revitalize a failing shopping mall. What is it sure to have? Probably a bunch of new Cinco Products, bad acting, and big cameos. Some of the celebs showing up for this one are Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, John C. Reilly, Jeff Goldblum, Will Forte, and Robert Loggia. Yes... Robert Loggia.
Release date: March 3, 2012
Tease:

#9 Hello I Must Be Going - Actor Todd Louiso is not exactly well-known, but you may have seen him in such films as Thank You For Smoking, Jerry Maguire, and The Rock. Hello I Must Be Going is not Louiso's directorial debut, but rather his second film to be admitted to the Sundance Film Festival. In the movie, Melanie Lynskey stars as a 35-year-old woman who has nothing going for her, and so must move back in with her parents. She befriends a bold teenage boy who attempts to help get her back on track. It's being called an unconventional love story, so take this story with a grain of salt, but it sounds intriguing.
Release date: Premieres at Sundance on January 19, 2012
Tease:

#8 Save the Date - Another film premiering at Sundance this year is Michael Mohan's Save the Date. Written with graphic novelist Jeffrey Brown and co-writer Egan Reich, Save the Date is a bittersweet story about the trials of maturing love from two sisters. It stars one of my favorite attractive actresses, Alison Brie, along side Lizzy Caplan.
Release date: Premieres at Sundance on January 22, 2012
Tease:

#7 The End of Love - Mark Webber can kind of be considered Mr. Sundance this year as he's co-starring in the previous film I just spoke about, Save the Date, as well as another Sundance entry For a Good Time, Call. But The End of Love will be Webber's Sundance debut as a writer, director, AND star. In the movie, Mark is a struggling actor stuck between the life he once knew and the one waiting for him. When the mother of his two-year-old son suddenly passes away, Mark is forced to confront his shortcomings. Hopefully this will be an intimate drama about fatherhood and maturity.
Release date: Premieres at Sundance on January 21, 2012
Tease:

#6 The Comedy - As much as I love Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim's senses of humor, I actually would rather watch them act out a comedic screenplay that is not written by them. Enter The Comedy, starring the two and written by Colm O'Leary, Robert Donne, and Rick Alverson. Alverson also directs the film about a man who has been insulated his whole life by the bubble of privilege. He and his friends pacify their discontent with games of mock sincerity and irreverence, as though humor itself were dying and had nothing left to do but turn on itself. Like the Tim and Eric TV show, the film will force viewers to question their boundaries and whether they should be laughing with it, at it, or not at all.
Release date: Premieres at Sundance on January 21, 2012
Tease:

#5 Safety Not Guaranteed - Remember this popular image supposedly from a real classified ad:

Well, what if someone made a movie about that? That's exactly what writer Derek Connolly and director Colin Trevorrow did. In fact, the title is right in the image. In a film starring Aubrey Plaza, Kristen Bell, Jake Johnson, and Mark Duplass, Safety Not Guaranteed is about three magazine employees who are sent to investigate a personal advertisement placed in the newspaper: guy seeking partner for time travel. What they discover I'm hoping will be charming, funny, and a little bit crazy.
Release date: Premieres at Sundance on January 21, 2012
Tease:

#4 Smashed - If you haven't noticed a trend here, you need to read more carefully. Yet another film that will premiere at this year's Sundance is Smashed. Starring Scott Pilgrim's Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, Smashed tells the story of a married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of alcohol. But when the wife decides to get sober, their relationship is somehow put to the test. It's hard to tell if this is going to be a serious drama or a dark comedy, but either way, I am looking forward to it.
Release date: Premieres at Sundance on January 22, 2012
Tease:

#3 Liberal Arts - Okay, last Sundance movie... I promise! You have to cut me some slack though because last year's Sundance brought us some amazing films like Like Crazy, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Guard, and Take Shelter. Who would have guessed that the third indie movie I would be looking forward to the most would star Zac Efron? Liberal Arts is written, directed, and co-stars Josh Radnor who won the Audience Award at Sundance in 2010 for Happythankyoumoreplease. Its premise is about a newly single man who finds feelings of possibility and connection in a young, attractive woman played by breakout star Elizabeth Olsen. Let's hope that their chemistry works.
Release date: Premieres at Sundance on January 22, 2012
Tease:

#2 Butter - Butter was #2 on my list last year, but had issues getting released in 2011. The reviews have been mediocre, but I'm still excited for this quirky comedy. Once again, it is about a number of competitive characters who become entwined in an annual butter-carving contest. Those characters are played by a great cast including Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Olivia Wilde, Alicia Silverstone, Ashley Greene, and Modern Family's hilarious Ty Burrel. We'll see.
Release date: March 16, 2012
Tease:

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...

#1 Stoker - Oldboy is my favorite movie of all-time. A lot of it has to do with the brilliant directing by Chan-wook Park. Park has not done anything recently that has absolutely astounded me, but Stoker could be his way in to a more mainstream audience. Stoker is about a teenage girl mourning the death of her father who deals with an uncle who mysteriously shows up to meet the family. If this sounds like it could be a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1943 film Shadow of a Doubt, you aren't too far off. Writer and Prison Break star Wentworth Miller said in an interview, "The jumping off point is actually Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt. So, that's where we begin, and then we take it in a very, very different direction." Miller's script was voted on the 2010 Black List, which lists the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. With Park's directing skills behind it, an American distribution company, and starring Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, and Nicole Kidman, this could be a great little film.
Release date: TBD 2012

Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

2012-01-01T14:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year. Here is my "Top 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2012" list. This list includes movies that are most likely getting wide releases and will be possible blockbusters. I am also doing a Top 10 Most Anticipated Indie Movies list that will be posted tomorrow. This is only my opinion. If you don't like my list, go do your own.

#10 The Great Gatsby - The #10 spot is always tough for me because it's where I have to start making cuts for movies. It was between this and Tim Burton's Dark Shadows. The Great Gatsby won out simply because of director Baz Luhrmann. I went through a big Romeo + Juliet phase back in high school. I thought the modern take on the popular William Shakespeare play was inventive and original. Moulin Rouge was also a fabulous musical that used well-known popular music in an 1899 setting. I'm hoping The Great Gatsby is a return to his uniqueness. Leonardo DiCaprio and Luhrmann are reuniting for this project as DiCaprio will be playing Jay Gatsby. Along with a cast of Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher, and Joel Edgerton, this film is sure to have some awesome production design and hopefully bring F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel to a new generation.
Release date: December 25, 2012
Trailer: Not yet released, but there is a swaggy picture.

#9 Prometheus - I'm a big fan of Ridley Scott's Alien. It remains to be my favorite in the franchise as it is both horrifying, yet fluid in its storytelling abilities. Prometheus will be Scott's return to the Alien universe. The film will be set in the late-21st century and will explore the advanced civilization of an extraterrestrial race responsible for the origins of modern humans on Earth, as well as the background of the Alien creature. Prometheus is co-written by Damon Lindelof, one of the creators of Lost and producers of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. It also has a fine cast including Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, and others.
Release date: June 8, 2012
Trailer:

#8 Gravity - Alfonso Cuarón is one of my favorite directors. From A Little Princess to Children of Men, I've loved everything that he has done. After five years of absence, Cuarón is back with Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. Cuarón wrote the film with his son, Jonás Cuarón, and colleague Rodrigo García who wrote and directed the generally well-received movie Mother and Child. Being produced by David Heyman, Gravity is about a space station orbiting Earth being damaged by debris and two astronauts floating through space together fighting for survival. The film has a production budget of $80 million and will be Cuarón's first IMAX and 3D movie.
Release date: November 21, 2012
Trailer: Not yet released.

#7 The Avengers - I do not know a single Joss Whedon fan who does not think this movie is going to rock. I guess I'm the only one who thinks the movie looks like pretty standard Marvel fare, but that's only judging from the trailer. I'm hoping Whedon put his magical touch on everything, but even so, seeing all of the major cast members together as superheroes will be a great sight on the big screen. Will it be as epic as everyone hopes? I guess we'll see.
Release date: May 4, 2012
Trailer:

#6 The Amazing Spider-Man - After Batman's successful reboot, Spider-Man is getting similar treatment with The Amazing Spider-Man. This time, Marc Webb will be at the helm. His movie 500 Days of Summer was my favorite movie of 2009 and I'm excited to see his interpretation of the webslinger's story. Unfortunately the trailers aren't really showing us anything too different from the originals, but with Peter Parker being played by The Social Network's Andrew Garfield and Harry Potter writer Steve Kloves co-writing, I'm hoping for the best.
Release date: July 3, 2012
Trailer:

#5 The Hunger Games - Having read the book, I am really looking forward to The Hunger Games. There is so much potential for this series to take over now that Harry Potter is done and Twilight will be coming to a close, but we'll see how it goes. If you are not in the know, The Hunger Games is set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from twelve districts to fight to the death on live television. A teenager named Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match. Think Battle Royale mixed with V For Vendetta and 1984. It stars the lovely Jennifer Lawrence who had a breakthrough performance last year in Winter's Bone.
Release date: March 23, 2012
Trailer:

#4 Django Unchained - I can't not put a Quentin Tarantino movie high on my list. The master filmmaker will be delivering a new original story about a slave-turned-bounty hunter who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner. With an all-star cast including Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sacha Baron Cohen, Christoph Waltz, Kurt Russell, and of course Samuel L. Jackson, Tarantino will deliver Django Unchained next holiday season.
Release date: December 25, 2012
Trailer: Not yet released.

#3 Looper - Looper is a film that I have been tracking religiously since I first heard about its concept. It is written and directed by Rian Johnson, the filmmaker behind my favorite movie of 2006, Brick, as well as The Brothers Bloom, which was actually pretty fun. He also directed the revered bottle-episode of Breaking Bad titled "Fly." Johnson is making time travel the main theme of his next film, so Looper already has an element that I am a sucker for. Looper is about a killer who works for the mob of the future recognizing one of his targets as his future self. This movie reunites Johnson with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt who will be playing the younger version of Joe. His older version will be played by Bruce Willis.
Release date: September 28, 2012
Trailer: Not yet released, but there is a picture of Bruce Willis shooting a futuristic-looking gun.

#2 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - The two-part prequel to The Lord of the Rings starts at the end of this year with An Unexpected Journey. The Hobbit will be split up with There and Back Again following in 2013. The greatness of the original trilogy is still well-etched into my brain as the first movie came out only a decade ago. Since then, I've watched the entire series dozens of times and consider them classics. The Hobbit film series has all the right parts to continue this trend and my only fear is that it'll be rushed too much. Filming for the two films is taking place back-to-back like the originals, but with Guillermo del Toro having once been attached to the film (and let's face it, he's made one good movie), the New Zealand industrial dispute, and the quick turn around that will be needed for post-production, there is a lot of room for disappointment. Still, I'm confident that Peter Jackson and his writing team worked hard on capturing everything that we loved about the first films.
Release date: December 14, 2012
Trailer:

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...

#1 - Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - Sike!

#1 The Dark Knight Rises - What can I say? I think the most important thing to realize is that it's directed by a director who, after directing seven films, has not failed us yet. Christopher Nolan is one of the best directors of our time. The Dark Knight was my favorite film of 2008 and I'm sure the final installment to the trilogy will be great. You can almost be certain of it.
Release date: July 20, 2012
Trailer:

Runners-up: Dark Shadows, Ted, Neighborhood Watch, The Bourne Legacy, Warm Bodies, Taken 2, ParaNorman, Rock of Ages, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Frankenweenie, Brave, Lincoln, Argo, Movie 43, Project X, The Secret World of Arrietty, Chronicle, The Dictator, Anna Karenina, Moonrise Kingdom, Nero Fiddled, The Man with the Iron Fists, The Grandmasters.

Past lists:
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

Top 20 Movies of 2011

2011-12-31T18:52:00.000-08:00

Here is my "Top 20 Movies of 2011" list. This list is as of the date this entry was posted and has probably changed if you are reading this much later. Before we get into it, let me just start off by saying that this is the most difficult end of the year movie list that I have ever had to do. I've seen 67 movies that have an official release date in 2011. Looking back on the year, there have just been way too many good films. Consequently, this is my first year that I am doing a top 20 instead of a top 10. Whether I continue on this pattern annually will be something that I will have to decide in another year, but it would be a shame for me to not talk about the films I have ranked below.

Most of them didn't take in big box office money, which is a shame, but the fact that they were even made at all should be celebrated. That being said, there are still runners-up that you should know are just as worthy to be seen almost as much as my top 20. As always, this is only my opinion. If you don't like my list, go do your own.

#20 Martha Marcy May Marlene - Sean Durkin's directorial debut certainly put him on the map at many film festivals and critics circles. The film seems to lack a clear thoughtful message, but it succeeds in terms of technical filmmaking. My favorite breakthrough performance of the year comes from MMMM as Elizabeth Olsen is absolutely fantastic. She has a huge future ahead of herself. With great cinematography, editing, and even sound design, Martha Marcy May Marlene is one of the better films of the year. Read my full review here.

#19 Poetry - Poetry is an unlikely masterpiece. The voice over of Mija's poem at the end of Poetry is one of the most beautiful scenes I saw in 2011. The backdrop of nature and the small Korean towns add to the splendor of this story that, like an apple, can be described in so many ways. The movie can be considered "visual poetry" just like another movie you will see later on in my list, but instead of simply presenting the big questions we have in life, Poetry celebrates the mysteries of life and the often times bizarre actions and reactions we make as human beings. Read my full review here.

#18 Submarine - Submarine was one of those movies that I could tell I was going to like, and truly did. Writer and director Richard Ayoade's debut is nothing short of brilliant evoking inspiration from Wes Anderson, Diablo Cody, and Charlie Kaufman. British cinema needs more movies like this. Read my full review here.

#17 Beginners - Beginners tries to sell itself as a movie that explores how one would react to finding out that their elderly father is actually gay, but the marketing is a bit misleading. This movie is not about homosexuality; it's about love. About two people who are related and still newcomers to what love is. Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, and Mélanie Laurent give some of the most natural performances of the year. Writer and director Mike Mills created a story that's both touching and has a whimsical style to it. Read my full review here.

#16 Hanna - I knew Joe Wright's Hanna wasn't going to be as good as Atonement, but I didn't think it would be as good as it is. With a talented cast and a kick-ass soundtrack, Hanna is what should be more recognized as a modern day fairy tale. Why we have two Snow White movies coming out next year is beyond me because Hanna should be all you need for retelling the classic Brothers Grimm stories. Joe Wright is still all over this film with his long shots and I am really looking forward to his 2012 movie, Anna Karenina. Read my full review here.

#15 Bridesmaids - One of the funniest comedies of the year and a bit of a surprise, too. Called "The Hangover for chicks," Bridesmaids is so much more than that. The poo-poo and pee-pee jokes are still there, but Bridesmaids has brains and it has heart. Few movies made me laugh as much this year. I'm excited to see what writers Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo bring to us in the future. Read my full review here.

#14 War Horse - I should forewarn you that I am a huge sucker for Spielberg, but even so, I would still recommend this movie to anyone. It feels more like a handful of short stories all interconnected by a horse. Spielberg has made an uplifting film that everyone will enjoy. It has great transitions, wonderful cinematography, and a final scene that is one of the most colorful of the year. Read my full review here.

#13 The Tree of Life - The Tree of Life was met with boos and applause at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. After finishing this film, I know that I would be on the side of the aisle that cherishes this movie, but I wouldn't be scolding those who have nothing but disdain for it. What's the meaning of life? It's a big question and director Terrence Malick's latest film simply asks the same thing. With a completely unique experimental filming style, Malick has created what many are calling "visual poetry." I agree for the most part. Yet there are times where I'm very frustrated with this approach and other times where I am nothing short of captivated. Read my full review here.

#12 The Descendants - Being a big fan of Alexander Payne, I just knew that I would like The Descendants. Payne has the ability to capture characters' actions, reactions, and dialogue so naturally that you are convinced that this is based on a real-life story. It has one of George Clooney's best performances, introduces the cute Shailene Woodley, and is littered with classic Hawaiian music that will make you want to vacation there right now. Read my full review here.

#11 Crazy, Stupid, Love - I have to admit that Crazy, Stupid, Love looked like any other generic romantic-comedy to me, but this movie is full of surprises. Most importantly, it's a laugh out loud riot that is on par with another movie I enjoyed this year, Bridesmaids. Crazy, Stupid, Love explores all sorts of different forms of love like lost love, puppy love, brotherly love, and romantic love. Combine that with some fine performances from Steve Carell and Ryan Gosling, and you got yourself a winner. Read my full review here.

#10 A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) - This was the last film I saw in 2011 and I'm glad that I was able to fit it in. It was just released in a limited amount of theatres and I hope that it'll go a little wider. The Iranian film premiered earlier this year in February at the Berlin International Film Festival and has since won 30 awards, is nominated for a Golden Globe, and currently sits at #108 on IMDb's Top 250 list. At the heart of A Separation is a story about truth. Iran's social and religious culture is just as compelling to see on screen. I'm sure this movie will see Oscar success, too. Read my full review here.

#9 Take Shelter - Take Shelter has won 10 different awards at various film festivals and film societies and yet not very many people have had the opportunity to experience it. In the movie, you'll find some of the best acting of the year, an intense story, fine directing, and a haunting score. Read my full review here.

#8 The Guard - Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, The Guard is an Irish film that follows Sergeant Gerry Boyle, hilariously played by Brendan Gleeson. Boyle joins forces with a straight-laced FBI agent named Everett, played by Don Cheadle, to take on an international drug smuggling gang in Ireland's Connemara Gaeltacht. What ensues is a side-splitting comedy that also has a bit of action and mystery. Gleeson and Cheadle have this fabulous chemistry together along with some dialogue that is just about the best of the year. You will be quoting this movie with friends for years to come. Read my full review here.

#7 Hugo - Inside Martin Scorsese's family adventure/drama, you will find tons of heart, magic, and life. It's Scorsese's little love letter to cinema. His little touches are everywhere, including a mesmerizing long shot at the beginning of the movie. Hugo has appeared on at least 22 professional critic top ten lists, including Roger Ebert's, Todd McCarthy's, Peter Travers', and now mine. Hugo is also the best 3D movie I have seen all year. Read my full review here.

#6 Midnight in Paris - From one movie set in Paris to another. Even though Woody Allen as a writer and director is still a bit of a stranger to me, I don't think anyone could help but be surprised with Midnight in Paris. As long as you didn't know too much about the film going into it, you were guaranteed to come out of that movie delighted, enchanted, and inspired. Read my full review here.

#5 The Art of Flight - You can ask Bethany how many times I've watched this movie. The poor girl knows that I've made her sit through this more than a few times because it is absolute eye-candy (and ear-candy) to me. Using similar camera models and rigs that were used in BBC's nature documentary series Planet Earth, The Art of Flight's cinematography is nothing short of gorgeous. These shots will take your breath away. With an awesome opening title sequence and soundtrack that introduced me to such bands as M83, Apparat, and Defrag, this is easily one of my favorite movies of the year. My only complaint was the lack of a proper narrative, but the stunning visuals allow me to look past that. Read my full review here.

#4 Like Crazy - I'm with Sundance on this one as I loved Like Crazy. Not only did I think it was skillfully made, but I connected with writer and director Drake Doremus' story on a personal level as I went through similar troubles. No other film effected me more emotionally this year than Like Crazy. It's a testament to the film's story and film-making. Read my full review here.

#3 The Artist - I just got to see The Artist earlier this week and I'm still gleeful while replaying it in my mind. The silent film aspect could have been a tacky gimmick, but thankfully it is used ingeniously and creatively. Silent movies are different. You must relying heavily (but not solely) on the visuals. The acting, the atmosphere, and the words must come through to the audiences in the clearest, most precise way possible. With an accompanying score that sets the mood, but never directs the audience's feelings, The Artist is one of the best films of the year, and a clear Oscar contender. Read my full review here.

#2 Attack the Block - When I first heard about Attack the Block, I thought it sounded dumb. Then I saw the trailer and thought it was even dumber. Then Ultra Culture reviewed it and said it was "one of the year’s most dynamic, stunning and timeless blockbusters." Having similar taste to Charlie Lyne, I started to feel like I was wrong. Then the overwhelmingly positive SXSW reviews came pouring out of Austin and I just had to see this thing for myself. Thankfully, I was sent screening passes three months before the movie came out and I got to witness this movie in all its wondrous glory early. Attack the Block invents a new genre in cinema: the sci-fi alien street gang comedy action film. I think when a new film can be that unique and entertain me to the max, it deserves to be on my top ten list. Read my full review here.

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...

#1 - Zookeeper - Sike!

#1 Drive - If I've spoken to you in person about movies, there is no doubt that I've told you about my favorite movie of the year. I've even had a couple people stop me and tell me that I've already told them about how much I liked Drive. Yes, Drive is without a doubt my favorite movie of the year. Part of the reason is because it was a total surprise. I hadn't even heard of it until the trailer came out. Once I put a little research behind the director and stars, I got excited... really excited to see it. I raised my expectations really high. I went to the film with a friend on opening weekend and I still remember catching myself with a huge grin on my face halfway through. This movie has every single important thing I look for in a good movie. Acting, cinematography, editing, music, direction, and capturing story. It's a flawless movie and will go down in history as one of my favorites of all-time. Read my full review here.

Runners-up: Win Win, The Adventures of Tintin, Moneyball, Super 8, 50/50, Cold Weather

Movies I didn't see that received good reviews: The Lincoln Lawyer, Project Nim, Le Havre, Incendies, Being Elmo, The Trip, Coriolanus, The Way, Another Earth, Melancholia, Terri, Cedar Rapids, Tucker & Dale vs Evil, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Margaret, Buck, My Week with Marilyn, We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Past lists:
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005

Top 10 Albums of 2011

2011-12-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

#10 Steven Price and Basement Jaxx - Attack the Block Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Attack the Block is one of my favorite films of the year. It was a movie that came out of no where and really entertained. One of the first things I noticed about the movie was the great music. Lord of the Rings composer Steven Price got with electronica duo Basement Jaxx to create this thrilling and often time energetic score. The fair mix of hip hop beats and orchestrated music pairs well with the action, suspense, and comedy that you see on screen.
Sounds like: Tron: Legacy Soundtrack, Hanna Soundtrack, Basement Jaxx
Definitely listen to: "The Block," "Moses vs The Monsters," "Get That Snitch"

#9 The Lonely Island - Turtleneck & Chain
It had been two years since The Lonely Island came out with their successful debut album Incredibad. I had doubts that their second record would be as good, but it really is. It just might take more warming up to this time around. On Turtleneck & Chain, they collaborated with music artists like Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, and yes, Michael Bolton. They even got Bolton to say the F-word! Don't ask me how they did it because that would take some major convincing. While they're still a comedy trio, The Lonely Island are still able to write very catchy and funny songs that sometimes take it to the edge.
Sounds like: "Weird Al" Yankovic, Flight of the Conchords, Rucka Rucka Ali.
Definitely listen to: "Jack Sparrow," "Turtleneck & Chain," "Shy Ronnie, Pt. 2: Ronnie & Clyde"

#8 The Chemical Brothers - Hanna Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
I love this little trend of getting electronica music artists to score films. I already mentioned Attack the Block, but there was also last year's Tron: Legacy which was done by Daft Punk. The Chemical Brothers are the geniuses behind the music in Hanna, another one of my favorite films of the year. The soundtrack for Hanna is a nice contrast of housey trance music and some middle eastern sounds. The main theme sounds like something out of a nursery rhyme and I can't stop whistling it throughout the day if I've been listening. I hope we hear more scores like this in the near future.
Sounds like: Tron: Legacy Soundtrack, Attack the Block Soundtrack, The Chemical Brothers
Definitely listen to: "Car Chase (Arp Worship)," "Special Ops," "Bahnhof Rumble"

#7 Cliff Martinez and Various Artists - Drive Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
I promise this is the last soundtrack on my list, but as you can tell, it's been a great year for music in films. Another movie that seemed to just come straight out of left field is Drive. The music and score used in the film is right up my alley. I've loved all the neo-80s stuff that's been coming out these past few years. The Portland based band Chromatics is one of my favorites and even appears on this soundtrack. It's a unique sound, but it works so appropriately for Drive. The first five tracks are done by various artists like Kavinsky, Desire, and College. The rest of the songs are scored by composer Cliff Martinez who used to drum for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and scored other movies like Wicker Park, Traffic, and Sex, Lies, and Videotape.
Sounds like: Chromatics, Desire, Glass Candy
Definitely listen to: "Under Your Spell," "Nightcall," "Rubber Head"

#6 Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
I know some will be shocked to see this album so low on the list considering that I'm a huge Death Cab for Cutie fan. I do still very much love this album, especially all of its happiness and softness in the overall tone. Going sober and being married to Zooey Deschanel can do that to you, but now that Gibbard is divorced, I wonder if we'll see Death Cab go back to their sad love song days.
Sounds like: Coldplay, The Shins, Keane
Definitely listen to: "St. Peter's Cathedral," "Underneath the Sycamore," "Some Boys"

#5 Foster the People - Torches
Probably the most popular and mainstream album to appear on my list, Foster the People's Torches is nothing short of spectacular. Their hit single "Pumped Up Kicks" spent eight weeks at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went 3x platinum. Thankfully, that's not the only good song on the albums as I have other favorites. Produced by an all-star team including Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin, Rich Costey, and Tony Hoffer, Torches received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Alternative Music Album and the band has been nominated for Best New Artist for the MTV Video Music Awards.
Sounds like: The Naked And Famous, MGMT, The Temper Trap
Definitely listen to: "Pumped Up Kicks," "Waste," "Houdini"

#4 M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Prior to this year, I've never heard of M83. After watching The Art of Flight, I was introduced to them and many other great artists. Trust me, if The Art of Flight had an official soundtrack out, it would probably have been my #1 or #2 album of this year, but sadly you have to seek out each of these songs individually. M83 is a French shoegaze/electronica band that has actually been around since 2001. Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is their sixth studio album and is going to be the one to put them on the map for good. It debuted at #15 on the US Billboard 200 and has already appeared on many "Best Albums of 2011" lists, including Spin, Pitchfork, and being #1 for Filter. The two-disc album is still something I'm listening to everyday. I even used the first and last songs in my family video for this year.
Sounds like: Washed Out, Active Child, Apparat
Definitely listen to: "Outro," "Midnight City," "Intro"

#3 Eisley - The Valley
I'm a huge fan of Eisley. They are one of my top five favorite bands of all-time and can't stop making music that I like. Eisley's The Valley is a warm welcome after their so-so second LP, Combinations. It's different from their previous work since the girls in the band have gone through many life changes. Divorces, marriages, kids... all of these themes are explored in this album that is just beautiful. We've reached the point in the list where it's an album that I can listen to all the way through and not skip a single song because they're all great. Even Foster the People and M83 have tracks that I'm not particularly fond of. I don't think Eisley is still going to become as mainstream as they like, but I'm okay with that. Their sound is unique and... well, I just have to use the word beautiful again.
Sounds like: Lemolo, The Honey Trees, Christie DuPree
Definitely listen to: "Better Love," "Smarter," "Ambulance"

#2 The One AM Radio - Heaven Is Attached By A Slender Thread
The One AM Radio is a music artist that's been on my radar since '07. Don't ask me how I discovered them because I don't remember. I just remembering hearing "In The Time We've Got" from This Too Will Pass and being completely moved by its soothing rhythm and beautiful lyrics. The whole album is great and probably one of my favorites from that year. The One AM Radio is a musical project by Hrishikesh Hirway who writes, sings, and plays most of the instruments in recordings, but travels with a band for live shows. Producer Tony Hoffer took notice and decided to mix Hirway's next The One AM Radio album. Hoffer has produced for Beck, Phoenix, and Depeche Mode. And what we got was Heaven Is Attached by a Slender Thread. Hirway's vocals are still softly intimate and musical backdrops are lighthearted. I was very impressed with this album, and once again, I love every song.
Sounds like: Owen, The Wooden Birds, Freelance Whales
Definitely listen to: "Weathering (The News)," "While You're Still Sleeping," "Everything Falls Apart"

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...

#1 - Nickelback - Here And Now
Sike!

#1 Twenty One Pilots - Regional at Best
Oh, I haven't made it too much of a secret that Regional at Best was going to be one of my favorite albums of the year. Twenty One Pilots is one of my favorite discoveries this year. They have a unique sound and all of their songs are catchy as hell. Each song is significantly different from the next and I love the ways they are inventing new melodies. Their vocal talents are the best, but they try and they're unafraid to put creative and meaningful material out there. If you're looking for some good rap, techno, and rock all rolled into one, look no further.
Sounds like: Owl City, Eminem, The Killers
Definitely listen to: "Lovely," "Car Radio," "Ode to Sleep"

Runners-up: The Drums' Portamento, Apparat's The Devil's Walk, Silversun Pickups' Seasick, Real Estate's Days, Girls' Father, Son, Holy Ghost, The Antlers' Burst Apart, The Lonely Forest's Arrows, Keys N Krates' Blackout EP, Gauntlet Hair's Gauntlet Hair.

Foto Friday - 12/30/11

2011-12-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

This is my sixty-third Foto Friday post. The pictures today are from Zoo Lights, roller skating, Seattle, and Christmas. Full set with all 24 photos can be viewed here. And, as always, you can click to enlarge these pictures.

A couple weeks ago, we went to Zoo Lights at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma with Jason, Molly, and James. During the holiday season, the zoo stays open after dark and puts up more than a half-million Christmas lights around the park.

"Look at the fighting lobsters!" That's what Jason said at first until he noticed the camels walking around and realized they were scorpions. We all laughed.

I was actually kinda disappointed in the lack of animals out. I mean, I know it's night time and cold out, and it's really more about the lights than the animals, but still. I seem to recall a few more animals being out when I came here over a decade ago.

Went to my cousin's birthday party at a roller rink in Bellevue. This was Juliana's first time skating and she seemed to like it. Obviously she was all over the place and if we didn't hold her hands, she would fall down. Eventually she got the hang of it a little. We'll probably have to try more.

After that, we headed to Seattle to use a gelato Groupon that Tawnya had before it expired. It was a nice day out, but a bit chilly.

It was really busy downtown. I think a lot of people were finishing up their Christmas shopping.

Pike Place Market was hustling and bustling.

We had a nice Christmas morning at our place. We invited family over to open presents and eat a late breakfast full of cinnamon rolls, hash brown casserole, and "oompa loompa pancakes." Julie got a ton of presents. To see more pictures from our Christmas morning, our quick trip to Sea-Town, skating, or Zoo Lights, view the full set.

December 23-25, 2011 Box Office Results

2011-12-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

Weekend of December 23-25, 2011

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol – 26.5 est – My prediction: Over – 29.5 act –Over
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – 20.0 est – My prediction: Over – 12.8 act – Under
We Bought a Zoo – 12.5 est – My prediction: Under – 9.4 act – Under
The Adventures of Tintin – 11.0 est – My prediction: Under – 9.7 act – Under
War Horse – 4.5 est – My prediction: Over – 7.5 act – Over
The Darkest Hour – 2.0 est – My prediction: Over – 3.0 act – Over

Hope you all had a merry Christmas! Box Office Mojo says the actuals are posted, but there’s still some rather well-rounded numbers, so I don’t think they’re entirely accurate. However, I think they are close enough and so will go with the numbers they have right now. That being said, the results were split this weekend with three movies being under the estimate and three movies being over. None of us got every movie correctly, but Laura and myself were one off.

Mission: Impossible 4 expanded to 3,448 locations and is estimated to have earned over $78 mil since it opened. I saw it with Jason and Ricky last week and it was highly entertaining. Should have a good run. It’s currently on track to finish ahead of M:I 3.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo had a disappointing debut. Considering it’s a David Fincher movie, had great marketing, is adapted from one of the most popular books in the last decade, and had a well-respected Swedish version, this is sort of a surprise.

We Bought a Zoo is off to a slow start. Word-of-mouth hasn’t exactly been high and the movie’s commercials and trailers don’t really offer enough for audiences to be interested in it. A lot of us predicted this one correctly.

Tintin actually finished ahead of Zoo, but not by much. Knowing that Tintin is not very well-known in the U.S. and there being a huge amount of new films to see, I didn’t see this making very much money this weekend. I saw it on Friday and loved it, but that’s because I’m a big fan of the books. Still, there is an action sequence in there that I think everyone can appreciate. 74% of the grosses for Tintin have come from 3D screenings and the movie has earned over $260 million worldwide.

War Horse had a great debut on Sunday. Plentiful marketing, decent reviews, and Steven Spielberg is probably the cause for this. Box Office Mojo predicts that it will be the highest grossing Christmas release this year. When I saw the $4.5 mil estimate, I just knew that would be too low.

The Darkest Hour did better than estimates, but still has quite the poor opening considering it was in 2,324 locations. It had the lowest per theatre average compared to the other new releases.

The Sandra Bullock/Tom Hanks/Stephen Daldry 9/11 film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was released in six theatres over the weekend and came in third for per theatre average with $11,833. It’s supposed to go wider in January.

What’s coming up this weekend? Nothing really. Looks like we’ll have another bye weekend giving the major releases a chance to earn more cash. The Iron Lady is supposed to get a limited release on Friday, but we probably won’t have another Over/Under game until the following weekend when The Devil Inside is released.

Family Video 2011

2011-12-21T15:15:00.000-08:00

Last year, I made family compilation videos every four months, but I didn't have time to do that this year. Instead, I collected all of the videos I took throughout 2011 and put them in one giant video. The 08:24 video below kind of summarizes some of the things we did this year. It's fun to look at how much Juliana has grown and matured. Please to enjoy:

The first song used was Washed Out's "Feel It All Around," which is Portlandia's theme song (view the original intro here). Thought I'd have a little fun with some of the footage I got from Portland this year. The second song is M83's "Outro," which was one of my favorite songs of the year. Third song is also by M83 and is their song "Intro." Both of these songs can also be heard on the awesome snowboarding documentary The Art of Flight.

I also went through a big video uploading spree and posted all of the full-length raw footage I used to make the video above, as well as some other videos that didn't make the cut. Under each video is a link to the photo set from that event on Flickr.

Juliana throwing rocks at the beach at Saltwater State Park. [Flickr set]

Playing at Clark Lake Park in Kent. [Flickr set]

Julie looking at the fountain and running around Seattle Center. [Flickr set]

Juliana reciting 1-10 in Mandarin Chinese, as well as saying "Where are my shoes."

Checking out the cherry blossoms in The Quad at the University of Washington. [Flickr set]

Playing at the playground at Wilson Playfields in Kent. [Flickr set]

Exploring the Ballard Locks. [Flickr set]

Footage from our trip to the Oregon Coast which includes Gearhart, Cannon Beach, and Seaside Aquarium. [Flickr set]

Seattle Sounders FC practicing at the Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA. [Flickr set]

Ferry ride to Bainbridge Island and throwing rocks, waiting for the trip back. [Flickr set]

Picking blueberries at Larsen Lake Blueberry Farm in Bellevue, WA. [Flickr set]

Hiking Twin Falls. [Flickr set]

Exploring some of Flaming Geyser State Park. [Flickr set]

Videos from Julie's fourth birthday party at My Gym in Kent. [Flickr set]

Juliana receiving her first bicycle for her birthday and riding it. [Flickr set]

Walking through the corn maze at Carpinito Brothers U-Pick Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze, and then a little bit of trick-or-treating at Kent Station. [Flickr set]

Our trip to Zoo Lights at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma, WA with Jason, Molly, and James. [Flickr set coming soon]

Julie's first time roller skating at my cousin's seventh birthday party. [Flickr set coming soon]

And here are links to past compilation videos I've made:
End of Year 2010 Video
Juliana's First Three Years Video
Summer 2010 Video
January-April 2010 Video
End of Year Holidays 2009 Video
Juliana's Second Birthday Party
A Bunch of Julie Videos
Puyallup Fair 2009
Ocean Shores 2009 Video
Seattle Lakes Tour 2009
Lavender Festival 2009
Hawaii 2009 Video

Thanks for viewing.

December 16-18, 2011 Box Office Results

2011-12-19T14:28:00.000-08:00

Weekend of December 16-18, 2011

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows – 63.5 est – My prediction: Under – 39.6 act – Under
Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked – 33.0 est – My prediction: Under – 23.2 act – Under
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol – 13.0 est – My prediction: Under – 12.8 act – Under
Young Adult – 7.0 est – My prediction: Under – 3.4 act – Under

Not exactly the best weekend for the cinema. According to Box Office Mojo, the top 12 films of the weekend were down roughly 13 percent from this same period last year. I was the only one to get all of the predictions correct, and Jason, Phil, and Carlos were only one off.

Well, this weekend can kind of be seen as the weekend of the sequels. Three of them opened up and only one met expectations. Sherlock 2 opened over $20 mil short of its predecessor. I think most of us saw the high estimate and realized that it wasn’t going to make that much, especially with another well-established action film coming out the same weekend. That, and if you really think about it, there really isn’t much of a Sherlock Holmes fan base. I mean, everyone kind of agreed that the first movie was entertaining, but I don’t think many were out there dying for a sequel. At least not just two years later.

Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 didn’t even come close to hitting what the first two opened with. Still, the $33 mil estimate had me questioning it and it was hard to guess Under on. I think the majority of us guessed Over and I don’t blame you. The first and second movies opened with $44.3 mil and $48.9 mil respectively, and went over $200 mil total. And with a lack of other solid children films out, who could have predicted that it would do as poorly as it did?

M:I4 opened in only 425 locations and earned an average $30,083 per theatre. This is mostly due to good marketing, a well-respected previous entry, and being available in 300 IMAX locations. It also has the Dark Knight Rises 6-minute prologue attached to it, which I don’t know if it significantly increased sales, but certainly didn’t hurt. I didn’t know how to guess on this one because it’s the first release of its kind. It is now the highest-grossing limited release debut ever (as defined by being in less than 600 theatres). We were all kind of split on this one. It did earn over $68 million internationally though.

The sequels have kind of been a mixed bag this year, as Box Office Mojo wrote about in an article. Harry Potter, Twilight, and Fast Five all did great, but Spy Kids 4, Scream 4, and Happy Feet 2 all did terrible. There really wasn’t much telling in terms of how to estimate this weekend, but I’ve been feeling that we’re kind of in a drag right now, which is why I guessed all Under.

Young Adult expanded to 986 locations from just 8 last weekend. Paramount has really been trying to push this one, but it won’t have big returns. I didn’t think it was that great of a film, though it did have its moments.

The release schedule for this week is going to be a bit wonky, but thankfully Jason will be managing that aspect. On Wednesday, we have the global sensation The Adventures of Tintin, the English-language adaptation of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Mission: Impossible 4 will get its wide release. FYI, we are one of the last countries to get Tintin and the movie has already grossed over $239 million worldwide. This Friday, Cameron Crowe’s We Bought a Zoo will come out, and The Artist and My Week with Marilyn will see expansions. Then on Christmas Day, the sci-fi action thriller The Darkest Hour will inappropriately be released along with the Spielberg film War Horse. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is also to see limited theatres on the holiday.

Midnight in Paris Review

2011-12-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A writer is forced to confront the shortcomings of his relationship with his fiancée and their divergent goals due to his experiences in Paris beginning each night at midnight.

THE GOOD: Story. I'm not going to spend too much time explaining the story of Midnight in Paris because it's best to go into the movie not knowing anything about it, like I did. All you need to know is that Owen Wilson plays a screenwriter-turned-novelist who, one night, wanders off by himself in Paris. He gets lost, sits down on some church steps, and an old Peugeot pulls up filled with revelers who insist that he gets in the car with them and drive off somewhere. From there, the movie goes in a direction that I did not see coming and it was unexpectedly delightful.

It looks like this whenever Bethany and I kiss.

Woody Allen. I have to admit that while Woody Allen is a filmmaker that I am aware of and I understand his nuances, I have not seen very many Woody Allen films. In fact, prior to seeing this movie, I've seen one Woody Allen film, and it wasn't even a super popular one. About 10 years ago I went with my grandmother and my dad to see Allen's The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, and I really enjoyed it! But I've seen parts of Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hannah and Her Sisters... just not all the way through. There's a reason Allen has directed 41 films now. He has a lot of talent in writing these wonderful characters with personalities that just jump off the screen. His eye for the camera is well-trained and completely natural. There are times where I forgot that I was watching and movie; it felt more like an experience. His dialogue is completely natural and that's just something that I can always appreciate in a movie. Midnight in Paris has encouraged me to watch more Woody Allen films, and so I think an at-home Woody Allen Film Festival is on its way.

Cinematography. One of the first things you'll notice about Allen's film is that it has a wonderful warm color tone to it. He wanted to get a lot of reds into the film because he says "it’s very flattering and very lovely." His cinematographer, Darius Khondji, has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for his work on Midnight in Paris. His camera moves as little as possible and stays on characters for long periods of time, whereas most films would cut back and forth to the other person talking. There are even some nice long takes in here, like the Versailles scene, but nothing that qualifies as record breaking. There's also a pleasant three and a half minute long montage at the beginning of the film with shots from all around the beautiful city of Paris. Having been to the city five times in my life (I used to live a 4-hour car drive away), I must say that it was captured perfectly and entrancingly. There's deeper meaning, symbolism, and foreshadowing to this introduction than just establishing its location.

Score. Woody Allen chose composer Stephane Wrembel to write all of the original music in the film and you could have fooled me into believing that Wrembel has worked with Allen his whole career. It's very French sounding music, yet has that classic Woody Allen sound, mixed in with some jazz and classical stuff.

Oh Michael Sheen, you can't hide the fact that you've been in the Twilight movies with a beard.

Set decoration. Wanted to put in a special note for Hélène Dubreuil who worked on the set design for this movie. Again, a topic I can't really get into too much without spoiling things, so I'll just leave it at that.

THE BAD: Nothing.

THE END: Man, I have seen a lot of great movies lately. Part of the reason is to make sure my top ten list can be as complete as possible, but also because December is the time that studios push their big award-worthy movies. Midnight in Paris came out back in June, but it's a testament to the movie's greatness that you can still find it playing in theatres. It was nominated for four Golden Globes this past week. It's not only a good entry from Woody Allen, but one of the best films of the year. See it as soon as you can.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Midnight in Paris? What are your favorite Woody Allen films? How much did you know about this movie before you saw it?

If you'd rather watch a movie about Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds switching bodies by peeing in a fountain, this movie is probably not for you.

Foto Friday - 12/16/11

2011-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

This is my sixty-second Foto Friday post. The pictures today are from a wedding anniversary, a holiday photo shoot, and Tacoma. Full set with all 55 photos can be viewed here. And, as always, you can click to enlarge these pictures.

Bethany's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary two weekends ago at their house. A bunch of friends and family showed up to celebrate and Bethany made an awesome cake. It was checkerboard inside.

Last week, we took our holiday team photo at work. We were encouraged to wear Christmas stuff. This is my co-worker Dano who brought in a snowman cutout. He was on episode 6 and 6.5 of Cam-Fu and Friends.

One great thing about working in a studio is that there is no shortage of lights and gear.

This is Joe. He put a single antler on his head like the dog in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He enjoys going through life being clever.

This is probably close to half of the people who work in my building, if I don't count the vendors and other clients who come in randomly. I get along with pretty much all of them.

Except for maybe Rick. This is Rick. Rick likes to walk around the building telling people that they are doing a good job. But really, he is in charge of the awesome audio team who often contribute somehow to my podcast. He is pictured here with a picture of Greg who is the operations manager and could not be in the photo.

Renee was our photographer for this session since she has the most experience out of all of us. She was on episodes 4 and 4.5 of Cam-Fu and Friends and shoots for Seattle Weekly. You can see some of her awesome work here.

We tried to take Juliana to The Old Cannery to take pictures with Santa since it's free. Over the past few years, it has become a super popular place to take kids and families to. We thought we would be smart and get there a little before they started to beat the rush, but the line was already insane by the time we got there. Bethany figured that if we had waited, it probably would have taken about six hours to see Santa.

I'd rather pay $100 than wait in a line, so we took her to the SuperMall instead. Plus, it was only $27 for a bunch of pictures.

It was just Julie and I for a lot of last Sunday, so we went to Tacoma for a short photowalk. Been in the area a lot catching up on some smaller indie films at the Tacoma Grand Cinema and realized that I've never really taken photos in downtown Tacoma.

Tacoma is the second largest city in western Washington behind Seattle and the third largest in the whole state behind Spokane. Walking around on the streets, it really does feel like a mini-Seattle, but much less busy.

The first thing most people will notice about Tacoma is the smell. It's the "Tacoma Aroma" which is this distinct, acrid odor coming from the Pulp mill. Pretty nasty, but you get used to it, I guess.

Other than the scent, Tacoma is a lovely city with some fine shops and nice art museums. The Museum of Glass is particularly popular. Juliana didn't make it down there that day, but will probably make another visit some other time.

Tacoma doesn't really hold any special significance for me other than eating at Southern Kitchen, which is delicious.

Tacoma is home to Washington state's largest port. When the Northern Pacific Railroad came in here in the late 19th century Tacoma's motto became "When rails meet sails."

As cold as it's been in Washington lately, we haven't had much rain. I'm sure if there were more thick clouds in our forecast, we'd see snow.

As you can see, autumn is still very much in effect here. The trees along the downtown streets of Tacoma were beautiful.

There's still a lot more of Tacoma to take pictures of, so we will definitely return. To see more pictures from Tacoma, my work's Christmas photo shoot, and Keith and Joyce's wedding anniversary, view the full set.

It's Another Girl!

2011-12-16T07:12:00.000-08:00

We had the big ultrasound appointment on Monday where we found out the gender of our second child. Well, the news is out and we are having a second girl!

Bethany and I were both hoping for a boy, but it really didn't matter to me at all because I think girls are great fun. This does mean, however, that I will be significantly outnumbered in my home. My wife, two daughters, and even a girl cat. Oy. Baby is looking healthy and seems to be developing well, so that's a blessing. Juliana sounds excited to have a little sister.

We already have a name picked out as well. Her name will be Coral Ann. Coral is after my mother's middle name which is the translation of her Chinese name. And Ann is the same as Bethany's middle name. We are both pumped for the new addition to our family. Due date is still near the beginning of May.

Take Shelter Review

2011-12-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

THE GOOD: Acting. In Shotgun Stories, Jeff Nichols directed Michael Shannon fighting against others, but in Take Shelter, Nichols is directing Shannon fighting against himself. Clearly, the best aspect of Take Shelter lies in its performances. Michael Shannon, who plays Agent Nelson Van Alden on HBO's Boardwalk Empire, is phenomenal in this film and probably gives one of my favorite performances of the year. There is barely any scene that he is not in, so every word he says and every emotion he conveys in his face and piercing eyes is extremely important and very powerful. There's a scene near the end of the film at a social dinner that solidifies his acting prowess. I would be disappointed to not see him get nominated for an Oscar this year. We can look forward to Shannon playing Zod in Zack Snyder's take on Superman in 2013's Man of Steel. His wife is played by Jessica Chastain who has been all over the place this year. In 2011, she will have appeared in The Tree of Life, The Help, The Debt, Texas Killing Fields, and Coriolanus; all of which she has been nominated for awards in. Chastain certainly delivers her own great performance for which she won Best Supporting Actress and Breakthrough Performance with the New York Film Critics.

CURTIS: "Hmm... I better get to work on that ark."

Jeff Nichols. Writer and director Jeff Nichols is slow to reveal to us Shannon's character, this man suffering from apocalyptic dreams and visions. It works really well in an almost teasing sort of way. Part of the theme of the movie has to do with the fear of loss and how that can drive and/or destroy a man. I think a great way of putting this film is that it is a modern telling of the Bible story of Noah if it were written for The Twilight Zone. I'm curious to see Nichols' next film, Mud, which is a movie that he has had planned since he was in school.

Special effects. For a movie with a budget of $5 million, the movie pulls of some great effects. I especially loved the one scene in the living room with all the furniture. Just a really tense and really well-filmed moment.

Soundtrack. David Wingo's haunting and moody score adds a lot to Take Shelter. Without it, I think a lot of the lingering scenes would have felt too long, but Wingo's music gives us enough to let these parts sink in and take effect. His score is exactly what I would expect from a movie like this, but better.

JESSICA CHASTAIN: "What do you mean you 'regret doing Jonah Hex?'"

THE BAD: Nothing.

THE END: Take Shelter is one of my favorite films of the year and is one of the best reviewed films of the year. Jeff Nichols won the SACD Award and Critics Week Grand Prize at Cannes earlier this year for this movie. It's a movie that deserves to be seen on the big screen, especially since Nichols still like to shoot on film and in 2:35 aspect ratio.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Take Shelter? What movies is it similar to? What did you feel the overall theme was? Do you like Michael Shannon as an actor? Did you see Shotgun Stories?

CURTIS: "Don't worry, honey, I won't let the scary mailbox get you."

I Don't Want Real Vomit

2011-12-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

Got three new songs that I've been listening to a lot.

#3 Girls - "Vomit"

This will probably be my last top three songs list before the end of the year. You can look forward to my top 10 favorite albums of the year around that time. Coming in at #3 today is Girls' "Vomit." An indie rock band from San Francisco, Girls have received critical acclaim from many music publications, including Pitchfork, which rated their latest album Father, Son, Holy Ghost with a 9.3. Their album reached #37 on the Billboard 200 and "Vomit" was their first single off of the LP. While the title might sound crass, it actually comes from Proverbs 26:11, "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." Lead singer Christopher Owens is a former member of the Children of God cult. He was able to escape from that world and eventually got into playing with bands. He actually has quite an amazing story that's best revealed here. The song is about wandering streets at night, looking for someone. If you look at the lyrics, it's really pretty simple, but the way the song is played is just... stunning.

#2 The Antlers - "I Don't Want Love"

The Antlers are an indie rock band based out of Brooklyn, New York. Their latest album, Burst Apart, was released back in May and it's great. A little bit of Bon Iver mixed with the music of The National, The Antlers' name is taken from The Microphones' song, "Antlers". "I Don't Want Love" is the first track off of the album and it is easy to get stuck in your head.

#1 Real Estate - "It's Real"

You all know that I like The Drums, and while Real Estate is not as doo-woppish or jumpy as them, they are similar and almost just as addicting. Hailing from Ridgewood, New Jersey, Real Estate seems to take old musical influences and brings a modern touch to it all. Days is a soft and melodic album that you can have playing while simply lounging about in the sun. When you're ready to get up and play, that's when you put on The Drums. "It's Real" is one of their singles from the album and is probably the most popular. It's because of the extremely catchy chorus that you will be humming all day.

What have you been listening to lately?

December 9-11, 2011 Box Office Results

2011-12-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

Weekend of December 9-11, 2011

New Year’s Eve – 22.5 est – My prediction: Over – 13.0 act – Under
The Sitter – 13.0 est – My prediction: Under – 9.9 act – Under

Aside from Tom, I like how Ricky, me, and the other theatre or former-theatre peeps all guessed incorrectly. Good job Tom, Randy, Carlos, Joel, and Dano.

This weekend marked one of the worst overall box office grosses this year. New Year’s Eve was well under estimates, which I did not expect. First off, the first holiday romantic comedy Marshall-directed film, Valentine’s Day, made $56 million on its opening weekend. I did not expect NYE to meet or exceed that, but I still thought it would do better than $22.5 mil. One thing that I did not take into account is that Valentine’s Day actually opened on Valentine’s weekend, whereas New Year’s Eve opened three weeks before the holiday it is based on. That doesn’t mean things will improve over the next few weeks though. Other than that, my only other reasoning for guessing Over was the AMC estimate. I’m actually quite happy that such a poor excuse for a movie had a bad debut and I hope this gets them to stop making these.

The Sitter opened at #2 and we all predicted correctly on that one. I predicted that way because of the lack of word of mouth, the R-rating, and the time of release. Some attribute the low earnings to this being Jonah Hill’s first leading role release.

Breaking Dawn surpassed The Hangover Part II over the weekend to become the third-highest grossing movie of the year. So, there’s that…

This weekend was a pretty good time for all the limited releases that are out. Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy averaged $77,641 per theatre over the weekend, while the Jason Reitman/Diablo Cody’s Young Adult saw a $38,783 PTA. We Need to Talk About Kevin premiered on 1 screen and earned $24,587. A Dangerous Method, The Artist, and Shame rounded out the top 6 for the per theatre average category.

Coming up this weekend is Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. Whatever your reservations are for this series, it doesn’t matter because they make Fox a ton of money. The previous two films earned well over $200 million each, domestically. We’ll see if they can do it again. Also getting a wide release is Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. The first movie earned about $525 million worldwide and was fairly well-received. While Guy Ritchie returned to direct the sequel, the screenwriters are new to the project and don’t quite have the best track record. Personally, I’m expecting worse reviews than the first movie, but not too much worse. I thought the first one was fun, but the Sherlock BBC television series is much better (and series 2 starts January 1, 2012!). Box Office Mojo is showing that Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol will be out in 400 theaters this weekend and then expand wider in the following week. 300 of those theaters will be IMAX. Finally, Young Adult will expand to about 1,000 theaters and Carnage, the new Roman Polanski film starring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly, will see a limited release.

Arthur Christmas Review

2011-12-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: On Christmas night at the North Pole, Santa's youngest son looks to use his father's high-tech operation for an urgent mission.

THE GOOD: Christmas movie. It's been a few years since I've seen a great, solid Christmas flick, so Arthur Christmas was well-appreciated by me and my family. I think the last Christmas movie I really liked was 2004's The Polar Express. I'm a little bit forgiving when it comes to Christmas movies just because there aren't enough really great ones. I did a top ten list on this category a few years ago, and along side Polar Express at the top of my list were It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. But when you get further down into the list, you'll run into films like Home Alone, The Santa Clause, and Muppet Christmas Carol. While these movies are not masterpieces, they exist in our family's Christmas movie repertoire. I'm happy to say that Arthur Christmas is a new addition to that stock. It's not the magnum opus of Christmas-themed films, but will be watched by my family from here on out.

You can tell these characters are British because of the jug ears, the long necks, the pug noses, and the fact that they kept throwing crumpets at the screen for the 3D effect.

Story. What makes Arthur Christmas so great is its totally unique take on the Santa Claus story. You see, Santa is like a form of patriarchy where the first born son typically take the reins once the current Santa grows too old. The way Santa delivers gifts has evolved along with technology. No more magical sleigh pulled by reindeer. Now it's a giant Star Trek Enterprise-looking space ship that can camouflage with the starry sky. Santa barely has to lift a finger anymore as his elves are the ones that bungee from the ship, clear the perimeter, and distribute presents. All of this technological advances are being pushed by Santa along with his eldest son, Steve, who knows that the big day is coming when he will become the new Santa. But Santa has another son, a more gifted son, so-to-speak. Arthur is clumsy, but the Christmas spirit is strong in him. He looks up to Santa and his big brother as the two men responsible for making millions of children around the world happy.

Message. One of the movie's messages is in regards to technology. Through an error, a child gets missed overnight. All of this expensive gadgetry and a child gets missed! Technology is bad! Arthur finds it in himself to make sure the present gets delivered to the poor child who might wake up only to find nothing under the tree. With the help of the retired Grandsanta and a gift-wrapping elf named Bryony, Arthur takes a ride on the old sleigh to England where the child lives. Here is the great thing about the movie though... the old ways don't exactly go smoothly either. What I felt this movie was trying to suggest was that a balance between technology and a lack thereof must be found.

McAvoy and Nighy. Arthur Christmas has a wonderful voice cast. This is James McAvoy's second CGI animated feature-film this year; his first being the cute, but disposable Gnomeo & Juliet. McAvoy's voice seemed pretty normal as Gnomeo, but as Arthur, he has really let loose. The character is a bit more high-pitched, excited, and has a funny laugh. Another voice cast member who brought their A game was Bill Nighy. Nighy voices Grandsanta and I was surprised at how full of life he was in his performance. Hugh Laurie and Ashley Jensen also give decent performances.

That's actually William Shatner aboard the Starship Enterprise... NOT Santa.

THE BAD: Broadbent and Staunton. Voicing Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus are Jim Broadbent and Imelda Staunton. Harry Potter fans will recognize them from the Harry Potter series as Professor Slughorn and Dolores Umbridge. I was really disappointed in their takes as the iconic holiday figures. Both had no pizazz behind their voices. This may have been poor direction, but I think it could have been done better.

THE END: I did not think Arthur Christmas looked good at all and I mostly blame the horrible, horrible teaser trailer for that. Arthur Christmas is a good family Christmas movie. Like most good Christmas movies, there's a unique take on the classic tales, as well as a heartwarming message. If you're looking for a safe, fun family film this holiday season, look no further.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Arthur Christmas? How did you think this movie would be from the trailers? Did you like the voice casting in this movie? What did you think of the animation quality? What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Where can I buy Arthur Christmas' Christmas sweater? Because I would wear it.

Submarine Review

2011-12-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: 15-year-old boy has two objectives: To lose his virginity before his next birthday, and to extinguish the flame between his mother and an ex-lover who has resurfaced in her life.

THE GOOD: Richard Ayoade. Some of you might know Submarine's writer and director, Richard Ayoade. He plays Moss, the highly intelligent nerd with a lack of social skills on the hit Channel 4 British sitcom The IT Crowd. He also made appearances as Saboo on The Mighty Boosh. Knowing these characters, you wouldn't pin Ayoade as a filmmaker, but the truth is that he's been behind the camera before. He's written for a few shows and has directed a lot of music videos for bands such as Vampire Weekend, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Arctic Monkeys. In fact, it's Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys who Ayoade recruited to do a few of the songs heard in the film. Submarine feels like a Welsh Wes Anderson film with easy similarities to Rushmore. Both films are about 15-year-old schoolboy coming-of-age stories, but each has their own path to a satisfying finale. But where Anderson's characters unload their feelings and objectives externally, Ayoade's characters keep it all bottled up inside. Therefore we get a witty and fun self-aware narration from Oliver, the main character. The great thing is that I can see Richard Ayoade saying all of these lines. Oliver likes to be seen the way he wants to be seen and it took me back to so many of the great scenes in Ralphie's head in A Christmas Story. Ayoade explores many different types of filming techniques. I would say that the movie feels rather fast at the beginning and gradually slows down to simulate the maturing of Oliver. He employs super-8 to recreate the past and often fades to red and blue for symbolism. The use of natural lighting is consistent throughout the movie for a more realistic feeling of observation. There is great potential for this filmmaker in the future, which he is already working on with adapting the Fyodor Dostoevsky novella The Double: A Petersburg Poem with Avi Korine. That film will be about a Russian government clerk who begins to notice a doppelganger embarrassing him in various social and work-related situations. Should be another quirky comedy like this movie. It's important to note here that Submarine was also adapted from a book; a 2008 novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne.

Most girls are suckers for guys in Paddington Bear coats.

Acting. Craig Roberts stars as Oliver Tate who does a fine job with the role. I don't think it's exactly a difficult role, along with Jordana Bevan, the girl that he falls for. Jordana is played by Yasmin Paige, who has an unique look about her. Mix a little Margot Tenenbaum from The Royal Tenenbaums and Heather Mooney from Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, and you've got Jordana in a nutshell. Where the more impressive roles really come in are with Oliver's parents and mystic neighbor. Oliver's dad is played by Noah Taylor who is almost exactly like Oliver, except he seems to have let depression take over him. Sally Hawkins plays Oliver's mom who has to deal with her husband's lack of intimacy, her old friend's interest in her, and being a mom at the same time. Paddy Considine plays Graham Purvis, a new age guru sort of character who is just as weird as his mullet is long. Think Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite combined with Sam Rockwell's Zaphod Beeblebrox from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Soundtrack. When the music is not orchestral, it's mostly indie folk rock by Arctic Monkeys frontman, Alex Turner. All of the songs are original because Ayoade didn’t want familiar songs that came with extra baggage. Turner read the books and the script before tackling the music written exclusively for Oliver. The movie's score is done by Andrew Hewitt.

NOAH TAYLOR: "If they ever ask you to do a video game movie, don't do it!"

Cinematography and editing. Both are fantastic. Academy Award-winning editor Chris Dickens worked on the film, co-editing with Nick Fenton. Like I said, the first parts of the movie contains quick cuts that we're all so used to from Slumdog Millionaire, Shaun of the Dead, and Hot Fuzz. Erik Wilson did the cinematography who also worked on this year's well-reviewed Tyrannosaur. The movie takes place in Swansea, a coastal city and county in Wales. There are some amazing shots of the Bristol Channel that Wilson and Ayoade captured from the beach.

THE BAD: Nothing.

THE END: After hearing the great reviews from folks at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, I really wanted to see this movie. I could tell that it would be right up my alley, and sure enough, it was. Submarine is an offbeat coming-of-age film that takes small elements from other idiosyncratic developing postpubescent films and makes it its own. If you like the work of Wes Anderson, this might be right up your alley. Indie lovers will like this one as well. Check this one out.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Submarine? Do you watch The IT Crowd? What other films would you compare this to? What did you think of the acting?

Well, now I can never claim in my hipster voice that I thought of took baths outside in my Paddington Bear coat before it was cool.

Why I Like Movies

2011-12-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

The other day I was thinking about how much I write about movies on here, my personal website. Look at that again. "Personal website." Watching movies has been my biggest hobby for years now. It's a big part of who I am. Chances are that if we are hanging out, I will bring up the topic of movies at one point. But why? Why do I like movies so much?

I guess if we wanted to go way back, we could start when I was a little tike. My parents were great parents. I barely remember being turned down a request to play or a chance to read a book with them. Still, I watched a lot of TV when I was little. Sesame Street, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Reading Rainbow, He-Man, and The Smurfs were some of my favorite shows as a toddler. This isn't what hooked me on film, but rather a gateway to visual entertainment.

When I was a young boy, my grandfather on my mom's side used to send me recorded VHS tapes of children's movies. It's one of the fondest memories I have. My face would light up whenever my parents would tell me that a new tape from my grandpa arrived. He would send me anything from Disney animated films to NeverEnding Story and Hook. I watched everything he sent me. A lot. Good or bad. I watched them all. Flight of the Navigator, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Little Nemo, Home Alone. As I grew older, he sent more films with higher ratings. The Fugitive, Ace Ventura, Batman, Die Hard. When I would visit him and my grandmother during summers, he would show me the classics. North by Northwest, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Enter the Dragon, The Sound of Music. He would point out the symbolism or director trademarks that often times go unnoticed, and so I've trained my eye to catch these things in new films.

I attribute my love for film mostly to my grandfather. As VHS phased out, my grandfather's bootlegs did, too. It was the late-90s and I was entering high school. It was the perfect transition over to me finding my own movies to watch on DVD. I rented movies from Blockbuster all the time without knowing much about the film in the first place. Boondock Saints, Vanilla Sky, Rushmore, Mulholland Drive. I developed my own taste.

In 2001, I got a job at a movie theatre because I loved movies and I had a friend who worked at one. It was and still is the most fun job I ever had. I went to staff screening quite often. I eventually became a projectionist and spliced films together every Thursday and screened them later that evening. I watched practically everything because I had to, but also because I enjoyed it. I saw some great movies that are classics now. The Lord of the Rings, Shrek, Catch Me If You Can, Kill Bill. I also saw the not-so-great. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, The Haunted Mansion, Dumb and Dumberer, From Justin to Kelly. I got lots of movie recommendations from co-workers and friends there, too. This just pushed my movie viewing beyond the "just for entertainment" phase. A couple of my friends and I would review the movies that we screened on a group website. That eventually stopped and I would do Top 10 lists on my blog. Four years ago is when I started writing single reviews for films that I see in theatres or newly released indies. And then there's my podcast.

I hope this gives you, my readers and friends, a better understanding of where I come from and why I like movies so much. I feel like they are one of the few things that can connect us all together. Movies are not simply something I decided to pick up and follow one day. You can expect more reviews from me, more podcasts, and more box office reports. If you ever want to discuss movies with me, I'm almost always game. And I'd love to hear how you got into movies one day.

Like Crazy Review

2011-12-05T07:45:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.

THE GOOD: Story. I was able to connect to Like Crazy on a personal level. Let me tell you a little story. I left for Air Force Basic Training in December of 2003. Leaving my family was hard, but I was in love, so leaving my girlfriend, Bethany, felt even harder. I saw her for not even a full day when I graduated Basic Training, so saying goodbye was hard once again. I then found out where my first duty station was going to be. Even though I requested a base near home or somewhere on the west coast, I got orders for Germany. That phone call to Bethany was devastating to both of us. After I graduated tech school the following May, I went home for two weeks to visit. It was during that time that I proposed, but it was going to be over a year until we would finally wed. Yet again, we were forced to say goodbye and I went to Ramstein Air Base, Germany all by myself. It felt like the longest year of my life. Bethany did come to visit me one time in Germany, but of course it wasn't long enough. July 30th, 2005 finally came and we were married. Such joy overcame us because we knew that nothing would ever keep us apart again. It's funny what curve balls life decides to throw at you. The following March, Bethany was forced to move back home by the U.S. Air Force due to not qualifying for command sponsorship. Long story short, the Air Force would not be able to support her for personal reasons. Seeing as how the process of telling us that took longer than 90 days, Bethany significantly overstayed her visa and she had to fly home. I have no idea if she's banned from the Schengen area. I don't want to digress too much, so let me say that saying goodbye at the Frankfurt airport that day was the most difficult goodbye ever. There's an effective scene in Like Crazy where the main characters have to say goodbye at London Heathrow airport, I believe, and that moment is nearly identical to the one Bethany and I had. I was in tears in the theatre. I mean, we were finally married and we still had to be apart. It was agonizing and it sent me into a bit of a rage. I was angry at everyone. The Air Force for making us go through this, my co-workers who were probably only trying to help, and myself for letting something happen to us. Phone calls missed due to the time differences would tick me off like nothing else. Thankfully, our story has a happy ending because I did eventually leave Germany, reunited with Bethany, and got stationed in Texas where Bethany and I were able to live together, and even start our family. So if you know the story of Like Crazy, you can see why I might be able to relate to it more than others. Director and co-writer Drake Doremus captures those heartbreaking moments so perfectly, and you know it's because he is a man who has gone through the same thing.

FELICITY JONES: "There's sand in my butt crack."

Unique. Like Crazy is being called an anti-romance movie and it makes sense in the general sense. Typical romantic films go boy meets girl > boy loses girl > boy gets girl. This formula has been around for decades now and is littered across the romantic comedy genre. Think The Proposal, Knocked Up, and The Wedding Singer. The anti-romance formula generally goes boy meets girl > boy gets girl > boy loses girl. Think 500 Days of Summer, The Terminal, and even the classic Casablanca. This is why I can't put Like Crazy in either of those genres. It doesn't belong. It has created a genre all in its own. As the Filmspotting podcast led on, it's boy meets girl > boy loses girl > boy and girl meet other boy and girl > boy reconnects with girl > ...and so on. This is not the only thing that Doremus has done that is not conventional in regards to this film. The way he had his actors work on scenes was not very typical, but done before.

Acting. Instead of scripted dialogue, the actors worked off of a 50-page outline that gave them the plot and exactly what was going to happen, but they were given the opportunity to improvise the dialogue. This causes natural dialogue and reactions in the film, which I am always a fan of, especially in the awkwardness of the first date. Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones star as the young couple who fall madly in love. If you saw the J.J. Abrams Star Trek, you saw Yelchin play Pavel Chekov, the Russian Starfleet officer. He has a much more toned down role that some were not impressed with. The performance that most people liked, and that earned her a Special Jury Prize for Breakout Performance at Sundance, came from Felicity Jones. Gorgeous, smart, and fun are the three words I would use to describe her character, but it's so much more than that. In my opinion, she looks like a young Evangeline Lilly, except British. She is going to be a star. Jennifer Lawrence, the future Katniss Everdeen for The Hunger Games, plays Sam, a girl that Yelchin's character gets involved with in the many breaks between the relationship. She is just as radiant as Jones and has a nice little performance. Londoner Charlie Bewley plays the same type of character as Lawrence, but for Jones' character. If this is starting to get confusing, don't worry, it's portrayed much better on screen.

Score. I'm willing to say that a lot of the scenes would not have been as powerful if it wasn't for Dustin O'Halloran's intimate score. There's not too much to it other than a strong piano presence, but it adds a lot of emotion to scenes without being the driving force.

Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin's Adam's apple are equally sexy to one another.

Editing. There are lots of cuts in the middle of scenes and there's a reason for that. The way the film was shot, there would be takes that would last up to 15 minutes. Director Drake Doremus says he shot about 3 hours of footage each day and he thinks about 2% of what they shot ended up in the movie. It must have been a painful process to go through all of the sources, try to make selects, and then get it to editor Jonathan Alberts. Most of the movie was shot on the Canon 7D DSLR camera. Just an FYI, this camera can be purchased for $1,390 on Amazon.com. A true statement to the success of this film--that you don't need just a big budget to make a fantastic, fantastic movie.

THE BAD: Jacob. There's one tiny flaw to this film and that is in regards to Anton Yelchin's character, Jacob. Some would argue that it doesn't seem like his character is into the relationship as much as Jones', but I think he is. There is only one part where this can really be thrown into question and I don't want to spoil it here, even in highlight-to-read text. I think this was a mistake by the screenwriters, and I definitely see it as such, but it is a fact that he did love her.

THE END: Like Crazy was the winner of the U.S. Dramatic Competition Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this past year and I think it's well-deserved (though I haven't seen Terri or Take Shelter yet). It was purchased by Paramount Pictures for $4 million on a $250,000 budget, and it looks like it'll only see a limited release. The movie had more of an impact on me because of how much I was able to relate to the pain felt by the characters. This is not your typical romance film as it's a very raw and realistic telling of love and long distance relationships. Like Crazy is one of my favorite films of the year and I recommend it to anyone who has felt its cold sting before.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Like Crazy? What did you think of the performances in this film? How would you compare it to other Sundance/indie films of 2011? What are some of your favorite anti-romance movies?

Excuse me while I go cry my eyeballs out.

Young Adult Review

2011-12-03T14:50:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Soon after her divorce, a young adult fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now married with kids.

THE GOOD: Acting. Young Adult is best described as "a female anti-hero stalker film," which is what writter Diablo Cody said about it on Twitter while she was penning it. One of the best aspects of this film is the acting. Academy Award winner Charlize Theron stars as Mavis, a narcissistic author who visits back home to reunite with her old beau. She plays well at her character who I didn't particularly care for, but that might be what was intended. You've seen her character before, including earlier this year in Bad Teacher starring Cameron Diaz. My favorite performance came from Patton Oswalt who needs to be in more movies. The standup comedian, who lended his voice to Remy in Pixar's Ratatouille and played in Diablo Cody's Showtime show United States of Tara, deserves a lot more credit than he is given. His character will make you laugh, he'll make you feel for him, and you'll relate on almost every level. Hard Candy's Patrick Wilson plays the man that Charlize Theron's character tries to get. He's nothing special in this film.

Folks, drunk texting is dangerous and could be harmful, if not, fatal. Please don't do it or you might end up waking up next to Patton Oswalt.

Funny. A lot of the funny scenes are in the trailer for the film, but there are still a lot of surprising moments that are hilarious. Patton Oswalt actually had me laughing more than Charlize Theron, but near the end of the film, Patrick Wilson does something that had me busting up. Very well-written funny sequences in this film.

THE BAD: Diablo Cody. Now, I loved Juno. It was my #2 favorite movie of 2007 and I enjoy seeing it on TV a lot. But I just had this feeling that we would never see anything nearly as good from her ever again. Jennifer's Body was not very well-liked, but United States of Tara had a decent run. I was not looking forward to seeing Young Adult at all, but I received free passes for an advanced screening (the film is releasing in limited theatres on December 9th), and I like director Jason Reitman, so I went. And I'm glad I did, but I can't say that this movie is very memorable. The story just isn't good enough. What made Juno so great was that the main character learned something. She developed considerably from the first time we met her. The character is Young Adult on the other hand is quite the opposite. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just leave it at that. Suffice it to say, the ending made me leave the theatre with a sour taste in my mouth. And what's with Cody's characters always drinking big drinks? Juno = Sunny D, Young Adult = Diet Coke.

CHARLIZE THERON: "Why the hell didn't you sparkle in the last Twilight movie!?"

THE END: Diablo Cody has done worse and Jason Reitman has done better. Young Adult is a film that has its moments, but overall disappoints. What could have been a deep and emotional journey ends up being uninspiring and dull. The performances and Cody's witty dialogue can't quite save this film from just being very... meh. I would wait to rent this one.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Young Adult? What have been some of your favorite films this year? How would you rank all of Diablo Cody's work? How about Jason Reitman's? What did you think of the acting?

Patrick Wilson clearly also thinks that Charlize Theron's toots are adorable.

Foto Friday - 12/2/11

2011-12-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

This is my sixty-first Foto Friday post. The pictures today are from Portland and Christmas decorating. Full set with all 24 photos can be viewed here. And, as always, you can click to enlarge these pictures.

For the last three years now, our family has traveled down to Portland for Thanksgiving weekend. We seem to always go twice per year and each time brings its own unique memories. It's one of my favorite cities; second place only to Seattle, where we live.

I love Portland because of its unique character and awesome food. In fact, I would say that Portland is my favorite food city in the world. It's mostly a mix of southern and ethnic foods along with fresh, and often times, local ingredients. It's right up my alley. I prefer it over Seattle's food scene because Seattle tends to go more towards the seafood and vegetarian/vegan route. Whenever we visit Portland, I bring down a list of a dozen new restaurants that we need to try.

The restaurants we went to this year were:

Friday lunch - Pastini Pastaria - Our favorite low-priced Italian spot that we've visited every time we go down.

Friday dinner - Lucky Strike - A Sichuan cuisine Chinese restaurant with a trendy environment and Jackie Chan movies playing on the wall.

Saturday lunch - Pizza Oasis - Fifth pizza place we've tried in Portland and still have not been disappointed. Unique in that they customize by-the-slice.

Sunday lunch - Pine State Biscuits - Probably our favorite restaurant in Portland. So good that I think it was better than the first time I had it.

This year, we invited our friends David and Sam to join us. We split a hotel room and had a good time enjoying each other's company. Sam used to live in Portland, so the area is nothing new to them, but it was still fun.

We always do our Christmas shopping while we're in Portland because of the great deals over the weekend and it's all tax free. I bought a couple video games and Bethany scored a great deal on the LeapFrog LeapPad for Julie. She's gonna love that since she already enjoys playing on my in-law's iPad and our smartphones.

Speaking of consumerism, Occupy Portland was largely absent this weekend, which was nice. I agree with some aspects of the movement, but think it has turned into a mess. Nevertheless, I've never been one to attend protests or rallies for anything, whether it has a conservative or liberal agenda. That being said, the stores were packed full of shoppers and much of the "99%" were out spending their money, which should be seen as a good thing for the economy. Black Friday still saw about a 2 percent sales increase this year.

We may or may not go to Portland next year due to the fact that we haven't spent a Thanksgiving weekend back home in a long time. But this certainly won't be the last time we go.

One thing is for sure... I will miss the food. =)

We put up our family Christmas tree this past week. Julie was quite enthusiastic about putting the ornaments on. Love watching how Christmas makes more and more sense to her each year.

Tawnya and Juliana are starting a yearly gingerbread house tradition. Here is what they made this year. To see more pictures from our Christmas decorating and Portland, view the full set.

Thoughts on Being a Perfect Number

2011-12-01T07:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I escaped the 27 Club. I have now lived longer than Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse, among others. Well, I'm not a musician, so I guess I wouldn't have been let in anyway, but still.

That's right, it's my birthday today and I am now 28 years old. All I can think now is that I am two years from 30. 30!!! I remember being a teenager and thinking that 30 was way old.

But I feel great! I mean, I'd like to lose a little bit of weight, but these last couple years have been absolutely wonderful. I don't feel old. I mean, I'm texting, playing video games, following Justin Bieber on Twitter... I'm with it. I'm hip. *does the Macarena*

As for the title of this post, it refers to how 28 is the second perfect number in math. As a perfect number, it is related to the Mersenne prime 7, since 2²(2³ - 1) = 28. The next perfect number is 496, so I do not think I'll ever be this perfect again. =)

The Descendants Review

2011-12-01T07:30:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A land baron tries to re-connect with his two daughters after his wife suffers a boating accident.

THE GOOD: Alexander Payne. Alexander Payne is the director and co-writer for The Descendants who has previously made popular indie films like Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways. Election and Sideways are some of my favorite films, so I was anticipating seeing The Descendants ever since I first heard about it earlier this year. And it's phenomenal. I don't know if I can say that it's my favorite Alexander Payne movie, but then again, all of his films stand apart from each other so well for me. Payne wrote this film with Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, and it's based on a novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. But the overall feeling of the movie is similar to Payne's previous works. The screenplay is extremely natural, letting the human emotions and natural dialogue really shine through in the characters. You get to know the characters really well and you feel for them and can relate on almost every level.

GEORGE CLOONEY: "It might be time to mow this lawn."

Story. The Descendants is a film that is more enjoyed the less you know going into it. I knew nothing about the film's story prior to seeing it; just that Alexander Payne wrote and directed and that it starred George Clooney. I recommend viewing the movie this way as the film's journey will surprise you, but not in any gasp-inducing ways. Like Payne's other films, he's a lot more subtle than that.

Acting. One of George Clooney's best performances, in my opinion. Payne certainly benefits from Clooney's experience as I don't think any other actor could have played this role as perfectly. The breakthrough performance of the year so far goes to Shailene Woodley who plays Clooney's older daughter. I've never seen her before, but I guess she's in the ABC Family series The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Young, attractive, and definitely talented, I can totally see Woodley getting an Oscar nomination for her performance as she stands her ground with Clooney. Nick Krause plays Sid, a boy that Woodley's character is interested in. Initially I thought he was acting bad, but quickly learned that, no, this is just the character he's playing. It's a character that you will initially hate, but will find deeper feelings on. Beau Bridges makes a couple brief appearances that are effective, and it's always nice to see Beau Bridges on the big screen. Same goes for Robert Forster.

Music. The soundtrack for The Descendants is littered with some of the best of the best in Hawaiian music. The movie takes place in Hawaii on Oʻahu and the big island, but it's not the touristy Hawaii that most of us are familiar with. Living in the Polynesian area is much different than visiting there and I think the movie does a great job at displaying that. The Descendants is the first mainstream American movie scored exclusively with Hawaiian music and features songs that are more recent as well as some that have been popular for decades in the region. Gabby Pahinui, Ray Kane, Keola Beamer, Sonny Chillingworth, and more can be heard on this film and it fits into every scene so well.

ROBERT FORSTER: "You tell me that I look and act like R. Lee Ermey one more time and I'll effin' kill you."

THE BAD: Swearing. Are there really families with kids that swear that much around their parents? I mean, a little bit is understandable, but it got really frequent throughout the movie. I don't know, maybe I'm just super sensitive to it since I don't do it, but it was a slight turn off.

THE END: The Descendants is one of my favorite films of the year and Alexander Payne continues to make great natural films. There is a lot of Oscar buzz around this movie already and I can see why. I'm sure we'll see this film earn multiple Oscar nominations. If you've enjoyed any of Payne's films or like family dramas and independent films, this movie is for you. Go see it right now.

DISCUSS: What did you think of The Descendants? Do you like any of Alexander Payne's other films? What is your favorite Payne movie? What did you think of the acting in this film?

GEORGE CLOONEY: "Did I ever tell you girls about the day I got the role as Batman?"

The Muppets Review

2011-11-30T07:53:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: With the help of three fans, The Muppets must reunite to save their old theater from a greedy oil tycoon.

THE GOOD: Theme. It has been 12 years since we've seen a theatrical Muppet film, so The Muppets was sort of a surprise to me. My history with the Muppets is a fairly fond one. I mostly remember watching the animated children's show Muppet Babies a lot. I can still hum the theme song and remember the Star Wars episode. I also used to watch re-runs of The Muppet Show on Nickelodeon in the mid-90s, as well as the short-lived Muppets Tonight. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I watched any of the movies. I remember being amazed at seeing their feet for the first time and wondering how in the world they were able to pull that off. Especially the bicycle parade in The Great Muppet Caper. This new Muppets film doesn't feature this spectacle as much, but is certainly a worthy contender for one of the best Muppet films. The story sort of reflects what happened in the first, but instead of a sort of origin story, it's a reunion story. Added on to that is a new Muppet named Walter who has always felt out of place in the human world, but supported by his human brother, Gary played by Jason Segel. What culminates from these plot devices is a tale about role models and sticking together as a team to work things out. Oh, and music. Great music.

Pictured here: The cast of Enchanted.

Music. A lot of the original songs were written by Bret McKenzie, one half of New Zealand folk comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. This was a brilliant move in my opinion as Flight of the Conchords' songs are already fairly Muppety. Like most Muppet films, there are a lot of musical numbers and this movie also feature some of the older classic that we are already familiar with like "Rainbow Connection" and "Mahna Mahna." You will be whistling at least one of these tunes on your way back home, I assure you.

Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. These two gentlemen deserve some massive kudos for pitching a new Muppets movie, writing it, producing it, and Segel acting in it. Let's face it, the Muppets are not as popular as they once were. I did not expect this film to make as much money as it has. The film reportedly cost $45 million and it has already grossed that amount worldwide, so it'll easily turn a profit in the end. More importantly, I believe that it has reignited the franchise a bit and we shall see more Muppet shenanigans in the upcoming years.

Funny. This movie had me laughing out loud in the theatre, which is saying a lot. I especially loved Fozzie's cheesy jokes and the chicken rendition of Cee Lo Green's "Forget You." I also really loved all the meta, breaking down the fourth wall kind of stuff that they've done before in previous films.

Pictured here: Melissa McCarthy and Chris O'Dowd from Bridesmaids.

THE BAD: Unoriginal. As good as the film is, one cannot deny that it takes the plot of so many other movies before it. The whole "gotta raise enough money to save something" routine has been done over and over again. If that wasn't bad enough, one could compare The Muppets almost directly to 2002's The Country Bears, Disney's awful third film based on an attraction at one of its theme parks. In the movie (and I only know this because I had to screen it when I worked at a theatre), a young bear raised by a human family in a world where humans and talking bears coexist must find and reunite the Country Bears to save Country Bear Hall, the place at which they used to perform. I think this speaks for itself and all I can do is a giant Picard facepalm.

Chris Cooper. What an odd casting choice here. I mean, I like Chris Cooper, but his presence in this film is just bizarre to me.

THE END: The Muppets is a film that I wholeheartedly enjoyed, but I cannot ignore the fact that it has copied many other stories before it. If you've enjoyed any of the previous Muppet films, especially the earlier films, you will like this movie. Likewise, if you enjoyed previous live-action family musicals like Enchanted and Tangled, you should probably go see this. If Muppets or musicals ain't your bag, well then baby, just skip this one.

DISCUSS: What did you think of The Muppets? What is your history with the franchise? Which Muppet movie is your favorite? What was your favorite part of this new film? Do you hope they make more Muppet movies in the near future?

Pictured here: Arcade Fire.

November 25-27, 2011 Box Office Results

2011-11-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

Weekend of November 25-27, 2011

The Muppets – 37.0 estimate – My prediction: Under - 29.2 actual - Under
Arthur Christmas - 15.5 estimate – My prediction: Under - 12.1 actual – Under
Hugo - 7.0 estimate – My prediction: Over - 11.4 actual – Over

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m jazzed about the results. Only because I predicted correctly on all of them, along with Joel.

Alright, so my thinking on The Muppets is that $37 is waaaay too high for a Muppet movie. However, I didn’t even think it would make $37 mil for the 5-day weekend, but I was wrong about that as it has made $41.5 mil so far. The Muppets haven’t had a theatrical release since 1999, and that was the lackluster Muppets from Space which earned $4 mil opening weekend. Let’s face it, like the new movie’s premise suggests, the Muppets just aren’t that popular anymore, but I do think this movie helped them a lot and we might see more Muppet stuff coming down the pipe soon. Like I said, it did better than I thought it was going to do. I went to see it last night with my daughter and we both loved it. Great songs, hilarious throwbacks, and fun cameos. If you like the other Muppet films, you’ll like this one.

Breaking Dawn was still the #1 movie this weekend earning $41.7 mil over the 3-day weekend and $61.9 mil over the 5-day. It passed $200 million on Saturday, becoming the 10th fastest film to $200+ mil. Worldwide estimates are a bit short of $500 mil right now.

Arthur Christmas could not top Happy Feet Two, which I think is pretty sad. I think most of us figured it wouldn’t do well and I think a lot of that basis is around the unfamiliarity. But the user and critic reviews are both higher for Arthur, so hopefully its numbers improve. I plan on taking Julie to see it later this week.

Hugo claimed fifth place this weekend and probably boosted a little by 3D. 75% of its gross came from 3D viewings and its per theatre average was actually higher than The Muppets and Arthur Christmas due to only being in 1,277 theatres. I was going to say Under for this, but a lot of my friends and family told me how excited they were to see it over The Muppets, which surprised me. I took a chance and guessed Over and of course I’m glad I did. Fun little fact that Box Office Mojo pointed out: This is only director Martin Scorsese’s third-highest debut ever behind Shutter Island and The Departed. Paramount is planning on expanding Hugo to more theatres which should help it out some.

As far as the limited films go, The Artist, A Dangerous Method, and The Descendants took the top three spots in per theatre average this weekend. The Descendants went from 29 theatres to 390 over the holiday weekend and tacked on $9.4 mil. The film is going to be pushed wide by Fox Searchlight, which will follow suit with Black Swan, 127 Hours, and Slumdog Millionaire. With an estimated budget of $20 million, this movie should be another little success story for Fox. A Dangerous Method made $227k from 4 theatres over the 5-day and The Artist made $205k in the same amount of locations over the 3-day. My Week with Marilyn also did well for its small opening, earning $2.1 mil since Wednesday.

There are no new wide releases this weekend, so we will not have Over/Under. A couple small releases to note are Answers to Nothing and Shame. Answers to Nothing stars Dane Cook in a serious role and looks like Crash with a missing girl backdrop. Shame stars Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan about a man who suffers from sex addiction. Reviews have been mostly positive, so I suspect it’ll expand wider after its 9-theatre debut this weekend. Only catch is the NC-17 rating, which the marketing department is trying to use to its advantage. The art house film crowd will likely go for it, but don’t know about the general public.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Review

2011-11-23T07:21:00.000-08:00

There are no spoilers in this review.

PLOT: Bella and Edward must deal with the chain of consequences brought on by a marriage and honeymoon.

THE GOOD: Adaptation. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 is the first and only film in the franchise to be split into two films. The Breaking Dawn book is the longest in the series, and with Harry Potter doing the same thing for Deathly Hallows, it comes as no surprise. For those that have read Breaking Dawn, you know that a lot happens from the beginning to the end. Especially in the first two-thirds. This movie covers those first two acts and for the most part, it truly works. The themes on marriage, family, and relationships travel far in this film, and all three subjects are tested at one point in the movie. Movie series writer Melissa Rosenberg continues to translate the books to the silver screen in fine form. I did find a couple parts completely unnecessary, but overall liked seeing a lot of the scenes I've read.

Ahhh, white people and their hair.

Some CGI and make-up. Whatever they did to make Kristen Stewart look like death was incredible. Wow. She was practically a skeleton. I mean, she's already fairly slender, but they made her look like a starving Somalian child in this film.

THE BAD: Wolf talk. Up until now, we have not seen the Quileutes communicate to each other in wolf form. Now I know why. It's terrible. So bad that it's funny. Bethany and I were literally laughing out loud at the scene where they were talking to each other. Maybe it was the cheesy dialogue, maybe it was the awful pitch effects, but it's pretty much comical. The worst scene of the entire movie. They could have gotten around this by just having them change back into humans and have the discussion.

Music. Composer Carter Burwell is back from the first Twilight film and I didn't know how much I would miss him. I did not care for the scores in New Moon and Eclipse, so hearing the first film's score written into Breaking Dawn Part 1 was nice. What I didn't like, though, was all the music in the first 15-20 minutes of the film before and during the wedding. I felt like I was watching some kids movie. What was that silly, bumbling music? Pretty poor.

Such a wide range of emotion.

Slow. The last two films, and now this one, have all had a lot of really slow parts. Too much lingering. Could have been the editing.

Some other CGI and make-up. The wolves still look terrible. Not that I really ever expected them to remedy this. Also really cheesy look from the being that Jacob imprints on. Every film, it seems like the make-up on characters gets thicker and worse. I generally think Ashley Greene is attractive, but she does not look good in these films. It's probably the short hair. Emmett looked totally different. Did he get facial silicone implants or something?

Continuity errors. Very elementary stuff like Jacob transforming to a wolf, ripping his clothes, and then a moment later back to human form with all his clothes still intact. Also, how come Edward didn't sparkle in Brazil? I'm pretty sure the sun shines more there than it does in Forks, Washington.

THE END: As someone who liked the Twilight books, Breaking Dawn Part 1 is an enjoyable film, but I would not say it's my favorite in the saga. I am really looking forward to the last film and wonder how they're going to extend the final act of the last book. If you are a big Twilight fan, I don't need to tell you twice to go see this. If you are not a Twilight fan, you actually might be surprised by a couple of plot twists in this film. I'm quite disappointed that a lot of reviewers, critics, and marketing spoils so much of it, but what can you do? If you haven't had an interest in Twilight before, this movie is not going to make you a fan.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Breaking Dawn Part 1? Are you a Twilight fan? How would compare this movie to the first others? Are you looking forward to the final film? What's your favorite book in the series? What did you like and dislike in the film? Are you looking forward to a new Dialogue/Script for this film?

JACOB BLACK: Edward, you're menstruating again.

November 18-20, 2011 Box Office Results

2011-11-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

Weekend of November 18-20, 2011

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 – 150.0 estimate – My prediction: Under - 138.1 actual - Under
Happy Feet Two - 42.5 estimate – My prediction: Under - 21.2 actual – Under

Phil, Tom, and I predicted correctly on both films being under this weekend.

My thinking on Twilight was: A) It’s not going to do as well as Harry Potter DH2, B) has more of a partisan female audience, C) is not the last film in the franchise, D) is having a November release instead of a July release (like HP DH2), and E) Eclipse’s [extended] opening weekend. The only thing that was holding me up was Jason’s information about how well the pre-sales were at his theatre. That’s how much of an influence he has on me. AMC’s predictions didn’t exactly make my decision for me, but it helped. After Friday’s midnight and end-of-day results, I was nervous. Breaking Dawn Part 1 had the third highest opening day and just got the fifth highest opening weekend.

Happy Feet Two was way under its prediction. It barely made half of the first movie’s opening weekend, and that was the same weekend five years ago and no 3D! While the first film certainly has elements that I enjoy, I think a lot of people, especially parents, were not too fond of the depressing storyline. Political views aside, the film has some nice song and dance sequences, but is largely overshadowed by the global warming, alternative lifestyle themes. Kids aren't entertained by that crap. Marketing for the second one tried to cover this up again, but I think the sour taste in everyone’s mouth from the first film is enough to not make people excited for the second. That, and Breaking Dawn probably taking a lot of the "Twilight Mom’s" away, causing them to neglect taking their kids to a movie like Happy Feet. idk

The Descendants made $1.2 million on its opening weekend in 29 theatres. Easily had the highest per theatre average with $41,038. The second highest PTA belonged to Breaking Dawn with $34,012. I still really want to see The Descendants. More Oscar buzz coming through. We did not make predictions on it due to the limited release.

It being Thanksgiving weekend and all means that we have lots of Wednesday releases. First up is The Muppets which currently stands at a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 32 reviews. Don’t let that perfect score deceive you too much though. Metacritic only has it at a 75 out of 100, which basically means critics are positive about the film, but are not raving about it. The Muppets is estimated to open in 3,300 theatres. Next up is another family movie, Hugo, directed by Academy Award-winner Martin Scorsese. Currently at a 93% on RT, as well as 93 out of 100 on Metacritic. Now this movie, unlike The Muppets, is being raved about with some already calling it a classic. It will be in 1,200 theatres, so it will not see as big of an intake as Muppets or maybe even our next movie. The third family film out this holiday weekend is Arthur Christmas. We can probably expect to see the box office numbers for this film stay solid until Christmas and the reviews are actually pretty good. 93% on RT and 79/100 on MC. I actually want to see all of the films coming out this weekend. Which also includes A Dangerous Method, the Carl Jung/Sigmund Freud movie directed by David Cronenberg, director of other Viggo Mortensen films like A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams will see a limited release in a few hundred theatres this weekend and The Artist, which will open Friday in 4 theatres should have some good results. Really, really, really want to see that one.

Foto Friday - 11/18/11

2011-11-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

This is my sixtieth Foto Friday post. The pictures today are from the Veterans Day Wall of Honor reveal at Microsoft and downtown Seattle. Full set with all 27 photos can be viewed here. And, as always, you can click to enlarge these pictures.

Since October, I've been involved in a project at work for creating a Wall of Honor at Microsoft for Veterans Day. Creating these video displays seems to be a standard thing these days as more and more companies, councils, and museums are adding them. A small group within my building works on digital signage and I got to help build the PC systems used to make the displays.

There's a lot more to building the signage system than installing Windows and a couple programs. The desktops must be configured in a way that they will always stay up and have all of its resources dedicated to running the videos. We'll eventually be moving to an embedded version of Windows 7. But here is a piece of the actual Berlin Wall located in Microsoft's conference center, which is where the Wall of Honor will permanently rest.

The place filled up quite fast. We had gotten there early to make sure the system was running fine. I expected a hundred people, but it looked more like 200 or 300. Some media outlets showed up as well.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed up to talk a little bit about the military veterans working at Microsoft and pull the black curtain down for the reveal.

And there it is. Here is a better view of it, but this picture shows some people standing around looking at it. The signage will be updated and changed every month with new pictures and information. Should be there for years to come. Proud to have been a part of this project to give back to my own community at Msft.

Took Julie into downtown Seattle the other day. As usual, we took the light rail. Didn't really have any plan other than walking down the streets to take pictures. Kind of a mini-photowalk.

Every part of Seattle is just so picturesque, which is why I love living in this area. I could walk up and down the streets here all day and take an endless amount of photos.

Juliana was already pretty tired since it was later in the afternoon, but she kept up with me well. Here she is in Pioneer Square. As you can see, Christmas light are already up.

Seattle felt like a ghost town on Sunday. It reminded me of how Atlanta looks in the zombie AMC series The Walking Dead, so I edited this picture with a similar color filter. I think it wasn't busy because there weren't any sports events and it was really, really cold.

We basically walked up 1st Ave from Pioneer Square to the Seattle Art Museum. Not far at all, but a pleasant walk. Here is Julie in the middle of a statue near the Federal Trade Commission building.

Cutest bum I've ever seen on the streets. Just kidding. She was just getting tired.

"That's enough pictures, dad! Let's go!"

Stopped at Uwajimaya really quick to use the restroom and saw the Usagi Drop manga for sale. Loved watching the anime with Julie, but don't know how entertaining the books would be.

Hate how early it gets dark outside now. Really throws off my groove. Still, I'm not going to let it slow me down. Oh no, I've got to keep on moving. More pictures from Seattle and the Microsoft Wall of Honor Presentation in the full set.

November 11-13, 2011 Box Office Results

2011-11-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

A little background before I start this new series of blog entries. I participate in a box office over/under prediction game with seven other guys. Each week, we take predictions from boxoffice.com (used to take them from Box Office Mojo's derby game, but they stopped doing that) and guess whether or not a movie will make over or under that amount. It's a tougher game than it might initially sound. Even the experts don't always get things right.

After the weekend, we find out the actual weekend gross for the new films and if you got it right, you get a point. Lately, I've been writing up little result e-mails out to our group of players talking about the weekend and what's coming up next week. And by "little," I actually mean a lot. More than I think I should be writing, but who am I kidding? I love movies that much. So, instead of keeping this bit of info to ourselves, I figured that it would be no sweat for me to copy and paste my thoughts here just for fun.

Also, if you would like to start playing this game with us, let me know in the comments below. It requires no more than a few minutes of your week unless you really want to research a movie, but sometimes I've found that over-researching something has negative effects.

Weekend of November 11-13, 2011

Immortals – 23.5 estimate - My prediction: Under – 32.2 actual – Over
Jack and Jill – 21.5 estimate - My prediction: Over – 25.0 actual – Over
J. Edgar – 12.5 estimate – My prediction: Over - 11.2 actual – Under

It has been a little while since I’ve predicted wrong on two movies on one weekend. I greatly underestimated Immortals. I actually thought Jack and Jill would beat it. It’s kind of a nice little success story. It’s the distributor’s best opening ever and is the second-highest opening for a 3D R-rated movie ever (#1 is Jackass 3-D). And, of course, it’s director Tarsem Singh’s biggest opening.

Jack and Jill is the only movie I predicted correctly this weekend. Adam Sandler movies do well in the box office, as terrible as most of them might be. 12 of his previous movies have grossed over $100 million and not a single one of them is above a 45% on Rotten Tomatoes. ScreenJunkies made a clever little infographic listing all his films with more stats.

I should have been smarter about J. Edgar. As much as I like Leo and Clint Eastwood, not very many people want to see a movie about J. Edgar Hoover. Plus, the makeup on Leo to make him look old looked awful in the previews. Still, had I taken a quick look at Hereafter’s opening weekend results, I probably would have picked under. Oh wells…

Coming up this week, we have The Descendants, Happy Feet 2, and Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1. The Descendants, which is already receiving some Oscar buzz, will be released in five theatres this Wednesday, and then 27 theatres for the weekend. Not sure if we’ll have an Over/Under for this film; I’ll leave that up to Jason to decide. But I really want to see it. It’s written and directed by the guy who did Election, About Schmidt, and Sideways. Happy Feet Two is going to splash in to what I bet will be a warm reception from families. Puss in Boots wasn’t that fantastic and Jack and Jill… well, we already went over that one. Happy Feet Two gives the audience something they are already familiar with… as well as dancing penguins and Glee-type songs. And for some strange reason, people love dancing penguins. I will be begging Julie not to make me take her to this. And then we come to Breaking Dawn. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 made $169 million on its opening weekend. I doubt Breaking Dawn will reach that amount, but $150+ mil might not be too far-fetched. I’m interested to see what the estimates are this weekend.

Puss in Boots Review

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-08:00

There are small spoilers in this review.

PLOT: A story about the events leading up to the sword fighting cat's meeting with Shrek and his friends.

THE GOOD: Voice acting. Loved the voice cast of Puss in Boots. There is so much energy and enthusiasm in all the voices, it really helps make the movie fun. Antonio Banderas is back, of course, as Puss in Boots, the character we all fell prey to with those adorable big eyes in Shrek 2. This character was just plain written for the guy and it works so well. Salma Hayek joins the story as Kitty Softpaws, a character who I don't believe has her own Mother Goose nursery rhyme. Despite this, Hayek brings flare and intensity to her animated character. Zach Galifianakis voiced Humpty Dumpty who is alright, but quite frankly, anyone could have filled this role.

ANTONIO BANDERAS: "Parents, after Puss in Boots, bring your kids to see my other new movie, The Skin I Live In. Es muy bueno!"

THE BAD: Story. Here is why the Puss in Boots story ultimately fails for me: Other than the character of Puss in Boots, this is not a Puss in Boots story. It does not follow the original French fairy tale, nor does it really create something fresh and new with the character. Let's take a look at Shrek (so, spoilers for Shrek coming up if you haven't seen it). A great film about an ogre living in a fairy tale world who did not have a story yet. After meeting Donkey, rescuing the princess-by-day ogre-by-night Princess Fiona, and defeating Lord Farquaad, his story was written. It was new, it was ingenious, and it worked. It followed the staples of your typical Disney princess or Brothers Grimm plot line, but made itself completely unique. Puss in Boots does not have that. Like the last two Shrek films, the main character simply still lives in a fairy tale world with only a minor conflict as an excuse for a story. You don't like the character any more than you did before and there's no emotional connection like there are in some of the more recent Pixar films. Shrek felt like an origin story and Puss in Boots just feels like extra material. It was originally supposed to be a direct-to-video movie and it probably should have been.

Characters. The fairy tale world that Puss lives in feels different than Shrek's. I'm not talking about locale, but the way the characters are morphed from their original stories. Take Snow White for example in Shrek The Third. She's still very much Snow White, except when she sings, she can destroy things. Characteristics are pushed to the limits in Shrek, but in Puss in Boots, they are given whole new backgrounds. Humpty Dumpty was raised in an orphanage and was teased a lot for being an egg. Okay. Jack and Jill are apparently a married couple and murderous outlaws. Okay. There apparently is no ogre at the top of the giant beanstalk. Okay. The point I'm trying to make is that these characters are not versions of their stories pushed to the extremes, but feel more like completely different reinventions of themselves. And because of that, there is a disconnect and messy feel.

ANTONIO BANDERAS: "Kids, do not play with swords without parental supervision. Es muy peligroso!"

THE END: Puss in Boots is a totally forgettable film for me. It is the second Guillermo del Toro-produced Dreamworks Animation film to come out this year. I mentioned this on my podcast recently that del Toro hasn't really done anything to impress me since Pan's Labyrinth back in 2006. I felt like I could see his touch in Kung Fu Panda 2, but I didn't see anything del Toro-like in here. Puss in Boots takes the blueprints of Shrek and does things slightly different, but the charm and heart just isn't there. That being said, my daughter loved it and I'm sure most kids will. Considering that it's one of the only family animated films out right now, you don't have much of a choice other than to stay home. If your family is really wanting to see a movie, go to Puss in Boots. Otherwise, wait to rent it or see it on TV.

DISCUSS: What did you think of Puss in Boots? What has been your favorite animated film of the year so far? Which Shrek movies did you like and/or dislike? What did you think of the characters in this movie?

ANTONIO BANDERAS: "Puss in Boots is more successful than Zorro because you don't have to see my ugly face. Es muy feo!"

Lovely Outro Waste

2011-11-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Got three new songs that I've been listening to a lot.

#3 Foster the People - "Waste"

Still thankful for my cousin turning me on to Foster the People. Torches is definitely one of the best records of the year. Loved "Pumped Up Kicks," but now I'm diggin' on "Waste." The chorus is just so fun to sing. Really brings the soprano out of me. Not only that, but the song just makes me feel better.

#2 Twenty One Pilots - "Lovely"

Talked about one of my newer discoveries, Twenty One Pilots, in the previous top three songs post, so I won't repeat myself too much here. I love their album Regional at Best. Every. Single. Song. My latest favorite is "Lovely." I'm no expert at deciphering song meanings, but I'd like to think that this song is about discouraging those who just complain and whine about the problems in this world. Instead, look at the brighter things in life. Be positive... optimistic. Things aren't as bad as you say. There's a fun little techno-y bit right after the chorus that happens three times in the song. I play this song at home and dance to it with Juliana.

#1 M83 - "Outro"
Outro
The Art of Flight has been mentioned a couple times already on my website. Why? Because it's awesome. One of the best things about the snowboarding documentary is its music choice. After the initial title sequence, the movie opens with M83's song "Outro" playing in the background. Just when you thought it was strange for the movie to have "Outro" play at the beginning of the film, their song "Intro" plays towards the end of the film. Both are great songs, but I like "Outro" slightly more. The song is the last track on their 2011 album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, which consists of two CDs. It's been in my playlist repeatedly for a few weeks now. The song reminds me of some of my favorite instrumental Moby songs like "God Moving Over the Face of the Waters," "Chord Sounds," and "3 Steps." It's not really what you'll find on the rest of the album, but it's a nice song.
(If the embedded player above doesn't work, try a different web browser.)

What have you been listening to lately?