June 29th, 2008
On the TV Addict
We revealed the Top 10 Emmy Finalists, thankfully discovered that we may not be the nerdiest TV Addict on earth and produced what listeners are calling our funniest podcast to date.
On the REEL Addict
We reviewed WANTED, posted a 2.0 version of our Top Pixar Films and put the call out for a SUPERNATURAL movie.
June 25th, 2008
Maybe I didn’t get the memo, but I thought by now it was generally accepted and understood that TITANIC is not a great movie. I’ll admit at the time I got swept up in the hype and had a good enough time watching it, but after I had a chance to see it again a few years later I was left embarrassed by the fact that I had ever been tricked into liking it. Aside from the still exciting sinking sequence (which remains a tour de force in itself), the rest of it is nothing less than overwrought and clichéd melodrama of the highest, silliest order. For some reason – and maybe this is my own arrogance – I had thought that most people felt the same way too, as they also had felt the drunken allure of the buzz and hype drift away with the years.
Yet recently not only did the AFI list it as their No. 6 choice for Top 10 Epics list, Entertainment Weekly put it in its No. 3 spot on their 100 New Movie Classics List. Am I missing something here? Am I out of touch? Can somebody help me out here? Am I the only one who thinks it’s not only unworthy of such acclaim, but even maybe a bad movie? If I am, what am I doing wrong here?
June 24th, 2008
Not that we have much choice. In the recent months we’ve not only heard that James Vanderbilt (ZODIAC, THE RUNDOWN) is working on two scripts so that SPIDER-MAN 4 and 5 could be shot together, but that SPIDER-MAN 4 (according to producer Laura Ziskin) has an official release date of May 2011. All that’s left to do now, really, is figure out the casting.
Yet regardless of Sony’s greedy ambitions (remember when we were promised we’d only get a trilogy and that would be that?), I would like to know if anyone out there genuinely WANTS more SPIDER-MAN movies. Yes, I imagine on some level everyone – including myself – would love more adventures from one of the best superheroes ever, and a franchise that has given us one of the best comic book movies to date(SPIDER-MAN 2). Then again, on some level a lot of INDIANA JONES fans probably wouldn’t have minded another adventure, and that didn’t quite turn out so well either.
June 23rd, 2008
On the TV Addict
We gave NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC and the CW their End of Season Report Cards, visited the set of BURN NOTICE and posted 10 questions to ponder until BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Returns [A long time from now].
On the REEL Addict
We reviewed THE HAPPENING, took a second look at the Blu-Ray edition of THERE WILL BE BLOOD and posted a contest giving away THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES on DVD.
June 23rd, 2008
This weekend THE LOVE GURU, Mike Meyers’ return to live-action feature film, made a paltry $14 million at the box office, making it the second major flop of the summer after May’s SPEED RACER.
Generally I try to avoid judging a book by its cover (or a film by its trailer, rather), but THE LOVE GURU just looked awful in every possible way. Its humor looked it might only appeal to fourteen year olds who enjoy dick and fart jokes and recycled Mike Meyers material. In other words, it looked like the kind of film that was poised to make a lot of money. After all, we do live in a word where films like NORBIT open with $34 million, and most of those horrible spoof movies (MEET THE SPARTANS, SUPERHERO MOVIE) pull in around $20 million on their first weekends. It’s time likes these where it’s pretty hard to not somehow lose faith in moviegoing audiences sometimes, and wonder what the heck all those people were smoking.
June 20th, 2008
The only reason I’m here, writing this blog, is because of the AFI.
Back when I was a wee fledgling film buff (i.e. 1998), I was like any teenager only really concerned with silly teen comedies, and bombastic Hollywood blockbusters. There a came point though when I felt a yearning for something more, something different, something deeper. Then AFI’s Top 100 Movies list hit, and my real film buff education began. I discovered what real films were.
The thing is my gratitude only extends so far. After that first list was met with a great deal of success, the AFI went on to make another list about the Top 100 Stars. Then they did another list about the top comedies, and then a list about the top thrillers, and so on and so on. They now have made ten of these lists (even re-evaluating that first list), each one seemingly less necessary than the previous one.
With their most recent list of “The 10 Greatest Films in 10 Classic Genres” (rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) the AFI is starting to reek of insecurity and self-justification. After all, let’s face it, the average Joe has no idea what the AFI does, so these lists seem like they are solely designed to prove that the AFI somehow matters. The thing is, it does. It’s an invaluable part of the film industry, but for some reason the AFI wants to seek external, public recognition, not just that from its peers. So they go with what everybody loves: lists.
June 14th, 2008
On the TV Addict
We took Katherine Heigl to task for her moronic and disrespectful public statement, interviewed one of the final five cylons — Rekha Sharma and unveiled our new weekly feature Ask the Addict.
On the REEL Addict
We defended M. Night Shyamalan, revealed that our big Hollywood crush is none other than Kate Mara, and because it’s never too early to start the debate, posted our Top 5 Movies of 2008 (so far!)
June 13th, 2008
With THE HAPPENING hitting theatres today, in the last weeks the poor guy has had to sustain no-end of interviews, most of which go right for the jugular and ask all sorts of questions ranging from the declining successes (financial and creative) of his films, to the Michael Bamberger book that seemed to fuel even more Shyamalan hate, to his increasingly poor standing in the industry. There have been prominent interviews in everything from Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times, to Cinematical, and with each new one it seems like his face is getting rubbed more and more into the dirt.
I just put myself in his shoes, imagining how hard it must be to go from interview to interview having to deal with these questions. Yes, you could argue its part of taking on the kind of career path he’s taken, but he’s still a human being in the end. It just makes me really sympathize for the guy because it seems like he’s been on the defensive for years now, with the assaults growing more aggressive and in number. Bullshit like this, this, or this, doesn’t help either. Or put it this way: how do you think you would feel if you made some mistakes and had to spend your next few years continually answering for them?
June 12th, 2008
Sometimes as a blogger you hit a wall. Sometimes work gets busy and impedes your being able to swing forth your movie opinions like a big stick. Sometimes friends have the impudence to demand to hang out with you a lot and provide you with something strange called a “social life” (I looked it up in the encyclopedia. I still don’t get it.) Sometimes it also just comes down to the fact that when you’re writing an average of three items a day you can get a little burnt out, or fall prey to writer’s block.
I think this week I might be falling into the d) all of the above. Rest assured, all will be well soon. These things usually work themselves out by watching more movies. I’m just kidding. Alcohol and loose women are much more effective. Don’t believe me? Research some of our greatest writers to whose league I decidedly do not belong to. But hey, one can aspire.
Now if only I looked half as good as Jean Arthur in the same situation. The writer’s block that is. Not the indulgence in alcohol and loose women.
June 7th, 2008
On the TV Addict:
The TV Addict had the CTV and Global TV UpFronts covered, with exclusive videos of KNIGHT RIDER star Justin Brueing and new 90210 father/daughter duo Shenae Grimes and Rob Estes. Plus: Our 2008 TV Season in Review.
On the REEL Addict:
We ponder whether set photos are ruining the moviegoing experience, reveal that we can’t wait for THE HURT LOCKER and post a first look at TWILIGHT.
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