Top Movies to See This Holiday Season

While you're dicking around on your computer today waiting for the clock to strike 5 p.m. so you can get the hell out of the office and start enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I'd write up a little something to entertain you during lunch.

After checking out Rotten Tomatoes' 2011 Holiday Movie Preview, I can honestly say that three are a number of intriguing films that are being released in the next 6 weeks.

And without further adieu, let me give you the top movies that I would like to see in a good, old-fashioned theater this holiday season (in no particular order):








HUGO
Directed by Martin Scorcese, and in 3-D, Hugo (based on the very entertaining young adult book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick) has already been getting great buzz in movie geek circles. Hell, it's got an all-star cast, a great director and a fantastic, original plot - plus it's great for kids. What more could you ask for in a holiday movie?

THE DESCENDANTS
A movie directed, written for the screen and produced by Alexander Payne? Starring George Clooney? Go check out both of their film resumes (which I linked to their names) and you'll understand why this is on my list.

THE ARTIST
Without knowing too much about this film, count me intrigued. It's in black and white. It's a silent film. So, you're probably asking yourself, 'How can this movie be that good?' Well, all I know is that it's been cleaning up the awards circuit including a best actor win for star Jean Dujardin and a Palme d'Or nomination at Cannes. And, again, it's an original plot, which always gets me excited.

A DANGEROUS METHOD
When you have Director David Cronenberg (The Fly, Eastern Promises, A History of Violence) attached to any movie, it's sure to be a rather interesting trip (ahem, Naked Lunch). When you have Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen playing Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud who are both fascinated by a particularly sexy patient played by Keira Knightly - you have the perfect concoction for a rather odd period drama.

THE SITTER
This just looks like a fun comedy starring Jonah Hill as a babysitter. From what Rotten Tomatoes says 'it's Adventures in Babysitting for the Twitter generation.' Also Directed by David Gordon Green who has directed a handful of great dramas (All the Real Girls, Undertow, Snow Angels) as well as the funny (Pineapple Express as well as episodes of HBO comedy Eastbound & Down).

TINKER, TAILER, SOLDIER, SPY
I know absolutely nothing about this film, which is a good thing. But with an all-star cast such as Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and John Hurt  not to mention Director Tomas Alfredson (who directed one of the best horror movies ever in Let The Right One In), this movie looks to be a lot of espionage-laden fun.

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED
Just kidding. :)

THE ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN
Directed by Steven Speilberg. Produced by Peter Jackson. Winter-animated film based on the hit adventure series of yore. What more do you need to say?

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
I read all three books by Steig Larrson. I've even viewed the three foreign films based on the same name. But, there's just something about this outing directed by David Fincher, that seems very intriguing. The books are pretty dark. Fincher knows dark (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac). And, by the looks of the trailer, he seems to have gotten the look and feel down pat - at the very least what I pictured in my mind. I have faith that screenwriter Steve Zaillen (Schindler's List, Moneyball, Gangs of New York) has been faithful to Larrson's book. And kudos to Fincher for making Rooney Mara (who plays Lisbeth Salandar in the film) look extra homely...exactly as I pictured her in the books. Oh, and let's not forget a soundtrack by Nine Inch Nails frontman (and Academy Award winner) Trent Reznor.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL
With J.J. Abrams producing and director Brad Bird behind the lens, this looks to be an interesting fourth entry into this Tom Cruise franchise. However, I'll be honest and say the only reason I want to see this film is to see what Academy Award-Winning Animated Film Director Bird (Rataouille, The Incredibles) can do with a live-action cast. If he can even equal what he's done for animation (Simpsons, The Iron Giant, etc.) then the man is sure to have a very long live-action filmmaking career.

WE BOUGHT A ZOO
I was dragging my heels on this one. But, when I found out that this would be Cameron Crowe's fictional directional return after taking a six-year hiatus (remember the not-so-great Elizabethtown?), I was intrigued. (Note: Crowe directed two documentaries last year - one about Pearl Jam, the other about Elton John). It looks like it's going to be a feel-good movie that will just make you want to hug everyone when it's over. And, let's be honest, is there anything wrong with that? Considering most of my other choices are a bit darker, why not include at least one feel-good movie on this list.


Well, there you have it. Sure, there are other movies that I want to see, but just not really too excited to view in a theater including Young Adult, We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Darkest Hour, War Horse, The Muppets, My Week With Marilyn, Melancholia and let's not forget Chipwrecked (just kidding).

So, what do you think?

Review of The Social Network

My buddy Mac, who has reviewed a couple movies for this blog in it's three-year existence, just sent me a very positive review of The Social Network directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin.

So, here it goes:

Many fans of David Fincher became fans after watching movies like ‘Seven’ and ‘Fight Club’. There was something about those movies that was very dark and bleak like some sort of haunted Film Noir. Something else you will notice about those two particular Fincher films is the fact that there are almost no exterior scenes with sunshine.

Dark.

That’s the feeling you get while watching the opening credits of David Fincher’s new film: ‘The Social Network’. The soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross sets the tone and you realize you’re in for something serious. Aaron Sorkin’s script about the creators of Facebook is based off of the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich, which I’m sure is just the one sided story of the truth. However it serves for interesting cinema.

The two main characters of course are Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin, the two undergrads at Harvard who started Facebook seven years ago from their dorm room. Zuckerberg is portrayed as a boy genius who can talk faster than Martin Scorsese but if he was graded on his social skills (especially with girls) he would get a D. Saverin seems more sympathetic and likeable but it’s what Fincher and Sorkin do with these two that makes you feel uneasy and fascinated at the same time.

Then, you throw the best performance Justin Timberlake has ever done in his life on top of that and you feel like you are definitely watching one of the best movies of the year. I personally don’t mind J.T. but I wasn’t expecting him to be all that. But he takes the character of Sean Parker, the young co-founder of Napster who seeks out Zuckerberg and Saverin after discovering Facebook, and knocks it out of the park. You realize that Sean Parker plays a major part of the story line and thus becomes an important character and if not done right could collapse the movie. So, I half to give it up to Timberlake because he was solid as a rock and the acting in this movie was top-shelf all around so if J.T. was bad he would’ve stood out like a sore thumb but he held his own and then some with every actor he shared a scene with.

There are over 600 million people on Facebook today and most of this entire story takes place before 2006 before I even heard of Facebook. The richest people today are the TechGods, the guys who started Google, the guys who started Yahoo, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and so on…so even if ‘The Social Network’ is not 100% accurate I bet my bottom dollar that this story is similar to other computer geeks who struck it big in the technology world and then were too socially inept to save their only honest friendships from greed and jealousy.

Fincher has brought The Social Network to light and you will probably see him walking the red in his dark tuxedo this award season and watch out because there’s a good chance there won’t be any sunshine on Oscar day either.

Thanks Mac!

My Thoughts on Aronofsky's Upcoming Movie; The Wrestler.

In the early 80's, around The Empire Strikes Back time, my cousin Mike took my brother and me to my first wrestling match in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was Georgia Wrestling and it featured the Road Warriors.

Yes, the same Road Warriors that finally made a name for themselves in the WWF. And the same Road Warriors who spawned son James Laurinaitus from Buckeyes fame.

In any event, it was bloody. Very bloody.

It was so bloody that my 10-year old mind had feverish nightmares for weeks. I pictured the blood. I felt the blood. I was the blood. I was fucking scared.

But then, that mind turned. I started to crave wrestling. Then, I couldn't get enough of it. I bought the magazines. I watched it on TV (not much) and I would go see it was much as I possibly could at the Wheeling Civic Arena.

In fact, my brother and I would go every month. My mom would drop us off at the entrance and pick us up three hours later.

Eventually, I would learn to crave the violence, to lust for the blood, and finally realize that I wouldn't be satisfied until I saw someone die in the ring. Or at least get decapitated by a guillotine. (Which, by the way would be spectacular to see!)

Each month, the matches would get crazier and crazier. If you don't believe me ask my brother next time you see him. The first month it was a cage match. Three months later is was a street fight with no refs. And the wrestler could bring into the ring a weapon of choice. It was a fight to the finish. And it was awesome.

Can you dig it?

Then, came the WWF. Then came puberty. Then came, well ,women. Then came the end of my wrestling fetish and on to other fetishes if you know what I'm sayin. Heh heh.

In my past posts, I was gushing about The Road as an Oscar frontrunner this season (it's not being released until next year). Then I crossed my fingers at the possibility of The Dark Knight cleaning house (It won't. It's good. Just not great).

So now I'm hearing about The Wrestler. Darren Aronofsky's low-budget homage to Jake The Snake, Ravishing Rick Rude, Paul Ellering, Jimmy (Superfly) Snuka and Rowdy Roddy Piper.

I was perusing ESPN looking for Fantasy Football picks for my championship when I came across Bill Simmons praise of The Wrestler in this article.

Let me tell you something, I think this will be a pivotal movie for people of my generation. (Generation X, if you already didn't figure it out). Well, at least from the point of view of those wrestling geeks in the early 80's. I guess that's why I'm pretty psyched to see it.

I still believe The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will finally win Director David Fincher a much-deserved Oscar. But, The Wrestler is one of the movies on my must-see list. Even more so than Button.

Bring on the blood, brothers. Bring on the blood.

David Fincher Nike Commercial.

Speaking of David Fincher, check out his new Nike commercial featuring two child athletes turned NFL football players - LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu.

The music sounded familiar, but after doing some digging I found out it was a remix of Ennio Marricone's music from the classic Clint Eastwood spahetti western The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.



In any event, is this part two of a three-part Nike football series directed by famous film directors? I wonder who will be next? Quentin Tarantino perhaps?

Nevertheless, I'm still waiting for a series of Nike commercials highlighting the fascinating, fast-paced world of copywriting.

Rendezvous with Rama not happening?

I came across this article on Slashfilm.com concerning the Rendezvous with Rama movie that was supposed to be directed by David Findher and star Morgan Freeman.

I wrote about the book and the possibility of a movie before. I think it's a bummer that this movie is not going to be made. Personally, I think it's much better material to direct and produce than a stupid remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.

Blech.

Choke on this Fight Club Snuff.

Speaking of Fincher, way back in 1990-something when I found out Fincher was directing a big-screen version of the book Fight Club. I had to pick it up and see what it was all about.

Lets just say that I've been a big fan of Chuck Palahniuk's work ever since. I even drew a Christmas cartoon about it.

Pahlnuik's new novel, Snuff, was released last week. It's about the filming of one of the world's largest porno movies ever made from the vantage point of three men, among 600 men, waiting in the green room (or should it be the white room?). Over the course of the first act you learn that the lead porno actress, who will be taking the 600 men, plans to die during the production.

Click here for a review of Snuff that I found on Aint-it-cool-news.com. Don't know about you, but this book sounds right up my alley. I'd love to be a fly on the wall at a book club review of this book. Also, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this book will never be made into a movie.

Although I haven't read all of Pahlnuik's stuff (yet), I've also enjoyed Invisible Monsters, Survivor and Diary: A Love Story.

I also enjoyed Choke which, coincidentally, was made into a movie starring Sam Rockwell.

The story centers around a sex-addicted con man who, in order to pay for his mother's medical bills, forces himself to choke on food at a restaurant in hopes that a good samaritan will rush in and give him the Heimlich and, eventually, money. Oh yeah, he also works in a Colonial Village (a' la the Ohio Historical Society), which is also filled with some rather unusual people.

The film is helmed by first-time director/long-time actor/two-first namer Clark Gregg who also penned the screenplay for Zemeckis' What Lies Beneath.

Check out the trailer below...



Looks entertaining enough to me. I'm interested in seeing how far Gregg delved into the intricate character that is Victor Mancini (Rockwell's character in the film). But, judging from the trailer and some of the reviews from Sundance Film Festival, it looks like it's going to be a lot of fun. In a sexual deviant sort of way.

So, what do you think?

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

One of the required readings in my college literature class at Ohio State was F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

It's a strange story. Very creepy and somewhat sad. Benjamin is born old and is experiencing life backwards. While everyone around him is aging and getting old, he's getting younger and more vibrant.

And, since it's a short story, you can tell Fitzgerald chooses his words very carefully, like a chef preparing a great meal. I've read a lot of short stories, but this particular short story may be one of my favorites. I encourage you to read it as well.

In fact, click here to read the story at your leisure courtesy of Wikisource.

So imagine my surprise when it was announced that, post-Zodiac, David Fincher was going into production on a film version of the classic story with Brad Pitt playing the role of Button and Cate Blanchett as his love interest.

Cool.

Since production has wrapped, I've been reading a number of web sites and interviews (mainly from Slashfilm.com) pertaining to the film and it sounds like Fincher has hit another home run. In fact, everyone that's seen a rough cut said it's one of the most romantic, touching films that they've seen in a long time.

Check out the international trailer for Benjamin Button below:


Simply beautiful and a bit on the creepy side! Just the way I like it.

Don't know about you , but I'm excited to see this flick. And, with a December release planned, it looks like Fincher may finally get a well-deserved Oscar nomination this time around.

I also found this Benjamin Button film blog from blogspot.com. By the looks of it, I'm sure this person will have a lot more updates about this film than myself.

Rendezvous with David Fincher

I'm a big fan of director David Fincher.

Ever since his first mainstream foray into film, Alien3, Fincher has continued to develop his storytelling abilities and transform himself into, arguably, one of the best directors of my time.

He's literally churning out one great film after another including Se7en, Fight Club, The Game, Panic Room and Zodiac. And lets not forget the upcoming The Curious Case of Benjamin Button based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald about a guy who is born old and ages backwards.

A couple months ago, Fincher announced his intent to direct the film version of Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction epic, Rendezvous with Rama.

In an interview with MTV, Fincher said the following about the Rama film:

It's my understanding that [producer] Lori [McReary] and Morgan [Freeman] have a script, and when they're happy with it, they'll send it to me. It's a project I've always loved. It's probably technologically within striking distance right now. That was always the thing: You couldn't afford to build these things as sets. It's just too huge.

Although I've heard of the book, I really didn't know too much about its content or plot. But Fincher's announcement had me intrigued. So I quickly visited Amazon.com, bought the book and read it within a month.

The novel, set in the 22nd century, involves a thirty-mile-long cylindrical alien starship (nicknamed Rama) that drifts into Earth's solar system. A group of humans from the spaceship Endeavour decide to explore the ship and, hopefully, unearth the strange mysteries of the Ramans.

And so begins the story.

In my opinion, it's a great book that should be read by anyone who has some interest in science, astronomy and science fiction.

Clarke's writing ability is seemingly effortless and reads surprisingly smooth considering the content. When he's tackling heavy, heady, scientific jargon, even the most unscientific of readers (i.e. me) can easily comprehend what the characters are talking about. And, by writing from the explorers' point of view, in a sense, the reader experiences first-hand what they're seeing, hearing and feeling as they enter the ship. The writing makes you feel like you're part of the story.

The creative world in which Clarke creates on Rama is, for lack of a better word, fantastic. I really don't want to give too much away because I think the reader should experience the novel first hand. But, to comprehend the vastness of a spaceship that is 30 miles in length is, to quote The Princess Bride, inconceivable.

And although the end of the novel hints at possible sequels [which did happen, by the way, but without Clarke behind the typewriter] this book can stand alone as one of the most important science-fiction books of our last century. And to think that it was written in the early 70's should be a further testament to Clarke's creative genius and insight. And I don't toss the word genius around too often.

In addition to winning every possible science fiction award upon its release, Rendezvous with Rama also influenced generations of science-fiction writers and films including Ridley Scott's Alien, Robert Wise's Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Michel Crichton's Sphere among others.

Which completely explains why I had a sense of deja-vu when I was reading this book. Because I've seen the basic premise so many times in other movies and books. (i.e. A crew or person goes on a mission to search a strange object or place with some rather peculiar, if not fantastical results.)

So my question is, how do you make a movie where the plot has been virtually copied, dissected and remade by producers, screenwriters, novelists and directors since its inception almost 40 years ago?

I'm sure Fincher realizes this fact. At least I hope. And I'm sure he has some ideas on how to make this novel seemingly 'new' to the eyes of science fiction and movie fans around the world.

Whether or not the film comes to fruition, I'm just happy that I was able to read the book. And I strongly urge you to pick it up. Heck, you can even borrow my copy if you want.

On another note, Clarke was 55 years old when Rama was published in 1972. Four years prior, he wrote the screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey with Stanley Kubrick, at the age of 51.

With Clarke creating a masterpiece like this in his later years, this gives me some hope that my best days of writing are yet to come.

And, by no means, am I comparing his dedication to the craft to my own. I'm just saying his writing aged like fine wine.

And hopefully mine will as well.