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Cinematical Seven: How Not to Spend Your New Year's Eve
14 hours ago
New Year's Eve is a time for new beginnings, forgiving old beefs and ringing in the coming year by looking forward to all of the hopeful things to come. That karmic holiday tradition applies to the movies just as it does in real life, as everyone from Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to the Ghostbusters and the sprawling cast of 200 Cigarettes (along with Elvis Costello) has shown us the value in forgetting those auld acquaintances every December 31st. But we all know how to raise a glass and pucker up at the stroke of midnight. What were those things the movies told us not to do on New Year's Eve?
Find out after the jump.
[Screen grab courtesy of MovieMorlocks.com]
Filed under: Cinematical Seven, Lists
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- Jen Yamato
The Dumbest Ad Quotes Of 2009
15 hours ago
We've seen the dirtiest and eFilmCritic's Criticwatch has laid out the full year in quotes. But what were the dumbest things to appear in film ads and commercials in 2009? Other than a recommendation for Old Dogs, of course. What puns made you smack your head or lines that you couldn't believe someone would say, let alone get repeated? Here are fifteen to get you started that topped my list.
15. "He's still a thriller." (Michael Jackson's This Is It) - Richard Corliss
- We'll ignore one of the biggest news stories of the year that suggested Mr. Jackson is "still" anything and just focus on the incredibly lame pun cooked up by Time magazine's chief critic. A more discerning follower of the singer's career over the year might have chosen his follow-up album to describe what he was over the past few decades. But to each his own. Too soon?
14. "Locked and loaded for funny. »
- Erik Childress
The Best of the Decade: Breakthroughs
17 hours ago
After a month of Cinematical expertly digging through one genre after another and nailing down the best entries in each one during the last decade, it seemed like there was an important cache of contributions that might not get the recognition they deserved: breakthrough performances or films. Such a designation crosses the boundaries of genre, sometimes happens in a film less deserving of praise, or otherwise finds itself overlooked. But after poring over the list of so many thousands of movies made in the last ten years, I've put together a svelte collection of superlative contributions which I believe qualify as the breakthroughs of the decade.
(It should be noted that we aren't pretending that these actors and filmmakers never made movies before the ones we're celebrating here. Rather, these are the moments in their career that they crossed over and introduced themselves in a way that audiences could no longer ignore. »
- Todd Gilchrist
Discuss: Would 'Glee' Have Worked as a Movie?
18 hours ago
In 2009, no television show gave me more joy than Fox's high school musical, "Glee." The cheeky series about a ragtag Midwest school show choir struggling to make it to Sectionals and avoid getting Slushied in the hallways by the cool kids has delivered an arguably solid 13 episodes full of drama, forbidden romance, bitter rivalries, teen pregnancy, marital duplicity, show tunes and pop covers, and the full comic force of Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), the scariest villain to ever wear a two-piece track suit.
This week the first 13 episodes of "Glee" are being released to DVD, which should sate those of us going through withdrawals from now until the first season resumes four agonizingly long months from now. But why bring up a TV show on a movie site? Well, because once upon a time, "Glee" was conceived as a major motion picture.
Chime in after the jump.
Filed under: Music & Musicals, »
- Jen Yamato
Cinematic Letters of Note: The Birth of 'North by Northwest'
20 hours ago
Are you familiar with the website Letters of Note? If not, the title is rather self-explanatory. It's a blog that shares with the interwebs interesting letters written by, well, interesting people. I'd recommend checking out the site wholesale, but since this is a movie blog after all, I am obliged to point you straight to their cinema category. There's a number of entries there that should pique the interest of even the most casual film buff - I particularly like Stanley Kubrick's letter to the Director of Culture in Italy asking him to reconsider the restrictive rating they had branded Full Metal Jacket with - but the one I'd like to focus on today deals with North by Northwest.
Alfred Hitchcock historians and trivia-loving fans of North by Northwest may already know the story behind how the concept of the Cary Grant starring thriller came to be, but if »
- Peter Hall
Free Flick of the Day: Slacker
21 hours ago
It's hard to imagine a world without Slacker. It helped frame epic '90s slackerdom. It made Richard Linklater an indelible name in the independent movie scene. It challenged notions of cinematic plot. It gave Texas an identity beyond red meat and tough guys with guns. It showed what could be made with very little money (the film cost $23 grand.) And, of course, it inspired Kevin Smith to make Clerks.
The story is not so easy to share since, in fact, there isn't one. The film just follows one day in the life of a number of Austin residents, moving from character to character, scene to scene, from a UFO buff to a girl who tries to sell Madonna's pap smear. (That character, pictured right, is Teresa Taylor, once secondary drummer for The Butthole Surfers.)
While I wholeheartedly suggest checking out the Criterion if you can, there's also the ability »
- Monika Bartyzel
Cinematical Presents: The 25 Lamest of 2009
30 December 2009 6:32 PM, PST
We've arrived at the very end of 2009, which means it's finally time to unveil our hotly-anticipated 25 Hottest and Lamest lists of 2009. Tonight we conclude the festivities with our 25 Lamest of 2009 list, which includes a number of movie-related events (films, actors, actresses, trends, scenes) that we all thought were the hands-down lamest things to happen in Hollywood over the past 12 months. Joining us from the Cinematical staff for this year's lists are Eric D. Snider, William Goss, Monika Bartyzel, Dawn Taylor, Elisabeth Rappe, Jen Yamato, Erik Davis and Peter Hall. For those who missed last night's 25 Hottest of 2009 list, head over here to check that out. Enjoy!
25. Year One
Take the director of National Lampoon's Vacation and Caddyshack, the writer of Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day, two writers from The Office, a cast that includes Jack Black, Michael Cera, Hank Azaria, David Cross, and Oliver Platt, and what do you get? One »
- Erik Davis
Discuss: Your Favorite Movie Novelizations and Tie-ins
30 December 2009 5:02 PM, PST
Wandering through bookstores with my parents as a child, I only ever picked up two things: Goosebumps and movie novelizations. And while nary a day goes by that doesn't find me devoting an hour or two to debating the literary merits of the illustrious R.L. Stine, my adult life has been largely movie novelization (and tie-in) free. Until recently, that is, when I got around to reading Greg Cox's Terminator Salvation tie-in novel Cold War.
His storyline, which expands the Terminator canon (as modified by Salvation) by alternating between the story of a Russian submarine captain who gave the command to launch the nukes on judgment day and a John Connor idolizing member of the resistance in 2018, was pretty much on par with my memory of novelizations from my childhood, until I got to a section that featured an early Terminator model fighting a bear, which I think we »
- Peter Hall
The Geek Beat: Why We Do What We Do
30 December 2009 3:32 PM, PST
It's the last column of 2009, and one that follows on a maelstrom of commentary. I don't think I received a single comment or e-mail that didn't care intensely about Avatar one way or another. It's been fascinating and frightening to experience.
I feel as though movie fandom has taken a very extreme turn. Drew McWeeny noted back in May that it took a turn for the worse in 1999 after Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. "Fandom has changed profoundly in the last ten years, and it would be hard to argue that it's been for the better. Although I detest that sub-moronic oft-repeated metaphor about George Lucas 'raping my childhood,' I could be willing to agree that 1999 was the end of fandom's innocent optimism and the beginning of something rancid and self-entitled and angry, something that's more about tearing down and insulting than about celebrating or enjoying."
My professional »
- Elisabeth Rappe
Box Office: Hello, 2010
30 December 2009 2:38 PM, PST
James Cameron's Avatar held strong, dropping less than 2% in its second week and maintaining its status as the number one movie. Last week's three new releases didn't do too shabby either, with each doing its best to separate us from any money we might have left after the holidays. Up in the Air and Nine moved into wider release last week finishing in sixth and eighth respectively.
1. Avatar: $75.6 million
2. Sherlock Holmes: $62.4 million
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: $48.9 million ($75.6 million total)
4. It's Complicated: $22.1 million
5. The Blind Side: $11.5 million
No new releases for the New Years weekend but the Christmas week releases still have plenty of momentum. I dare say Avatar is going to have at least another weekend at the top, and I think the rest of the top five will stay put. Here's my prediction:
1. Avatar
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: »
- Matt Bradshaw
Jeffrey's List: The Best Films of 2009
30 December 2009 1:33 PM, PST
I'm not sure it was a good movie year, but it was definitely an unusual one. We had a gourmet smorgasbord of animated films all year long, as well as a high number of excellent films directed by women. Then there were the war movies, a genre I usually can't stand for its preachy seriousness. But this year there were at least two flat-out masterpieces, not to mention the best period battle epic in decades. (Meanwhile, it seems as if the sci-fi genre has taken over for the war genre.) There was even one breathtaking example of another of my most hated genres, the costume movie. In all, it was a year to challenge the conventions, even if the conventions still continued to make the most money. But above all, 2009 was unusual...
Following is my list of ten best, in ranked order. For fun, I'm including one or two "runners-up" along with each choice, »
- Jeffrey M. Anderson
The Dirtiest Ad Quotes Of 2009
30 December 2009 12:02 PM, PST
Who doesn't love a good entendre? Somewhere inside all of us is a dirty mind that can't help but produce a little giggle the moment the second grader in us comes upon something that just appears a little forbidden. Don't deny it. You know you used to huddle around the dictionary looking up swear words and had to cover your mouth during sex education. Even today you likely can't help but snicker at car commercials announcing the brand new Super Duty. Words in print mean one thing but saying them out loud can mean something completely different. And funnier.
Throughout the year film critics write a lot and "entertainment reporters" say a lot - the latter sometimes without really thinking. It's easy to slip up and not notice how it will read in or out of context. Then again, some may be well aware and are just far more mature than the rest of us. »
- Erik Childress
Brandon Bird's Nic Cage Colorforms
30 December 2009 10:32 AM, PST
If there's one thing I wish carried over from my childhood, it's Colorforms. Those things were so awesome, the sticky vinyl allowing you to recreate scenes with your favorite characters, or throw them up in the window for damage-free art. Collections included Batman, Robin, and the rest of the Super Friends, the Smurfs, He-Man, you name it.
And -- alas -- while they're not experiencing a resurgence, Brandon Bird has tapped into my Colorform-loving heart with a new creation -- the Nicolas Cage Adventure Set. It includes two backgrounds -- a tropical island and haunted castle, 3 different outfits on Cage, and added perks like a space helmet, skateboard, and parrot. Looking at this, I can only hope that more are to come -- Christopher Walken dancing, being creepy, and playing Russian Roulette, Meryl Streep's Julia Child cooking and eating, and my god -- should someone ever make me a Heathers colorform set, »
- Monika Bartyzel
The Best of the Decade: Indies
30 December 2009 9:02 AM, PST
"I know it when I see it."--U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, in reference to the definition of obscenity, 1964.
The past decade has seen an explosion in the number of films proudly identified -- either by the filmmakers themselves, marketing campaigns, or members of the press -- as "independent." But what makes an "independent" film independent, anyway? Is it the source of financing or is it the artistry? Or is it a combination of elements?
I've wrestled with this question for weeks, through at least one blown deadline, and keep coming back to Justice Stewart's definition: "I know it when I see it." Not that I'm an expert; in fact, one of the greatest frustrations of the past ten years has been the difficulty I've had in keeping up with all the films whose independence is defined by their artistry -- the closest to a definition that I can come. »
- Peter Martin
U.S. Film Registry Inducts Muppets and Spaghetti Western
30 December 2009 7:36 AM, PST
The selections for this year's additions to the National Film Registry include some Muppets, a Sergio Leone classic, dancing zombies, and a Doris Day rom-com. In short, not a bad slice of U.S. film history.
Under the National Film Preservation Act, the Library of Congress chooses 25 films each year to add to the registry, picking titles that they consider "culturally, historically, or aesthetically" significant. The movies aren't preserved because they're the "best," but rather because of their cultural importance. This year's selections bring the number of films in the collection to 525.
The 2009 entries include 1979's The Muppet Movie, Sidney Lumet's Oscar-winning Dog Day Afternoon, 1957's The Incredible Shrinking Man, the William Wyler-directed Mrs. Miniver, and the Doris Day-Rock Hudson classic Pillow Talk. Also on the list are the animated 1911 adaptation of Windsor McKay's Little Nemo, and Mabel Normand's silent Mabel's Blunder, which the actress wrote and directed, »
- Dawn Taylor
Buy This: DeLorean Time Machine on eBay
30 December 2009 7:32 AM, PST
You know you have entered a new realm of fandom when you are willing to plunk down almost $90,000 for a movie memorabilia recreation -- but that is exactly what a Back To The Future fanatic by the name of edaum is hoping you'll do. That's right, for just $89,000.00 (Us), you can be the proud new owner of your very own DeLorean Time Machine (plutonium not included). The car is a perfect replica of Doc Brown's creation, and was crafted from a 1981 DeLorean Dmc-12 by Gary Weaver, owner of www.bttfparts.com. The car is an identical replica to the one used in the film, and I doubt that even the most discerning Back to the Future fan would be able to tell the difference.
Surprisingly, the car is fully operational and only about 2 years old, so unlike most memorabilia, this one you can actually take for a spin -- just »
- Jessica Barnes
Review: The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond
30 December 2009 6:02 AM, PST
Tennessee Williams is arguably one of the greatest American playwrights, and the film adaptations of his plays have become classics in their own right: The Glass Menagerie, Baby Doll, The Rose Tattoo, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and of course, A Streetcar Named Desire. The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond is one of the few, if only, plays Williams wrote specifically for film. Williams discussed the project in an interview with the New York Times in 1957, and Elia Kazan, the director of Baby Doll and A Streetcar Named Desire, was supposedly attached to direct. It's unclear now if Kazan was ever officially involved; the director instead went on to film Wild River and Diamond has gathered dust until now.
Bryce Dallas Howard stars as the eccentric Fisher Willow, a gorgeous young woman who chafes under the strict rules of her aunt Cornelia (Ann-Margaret) but also wants to make sure »
- Jenni Miller
Cinematical Presents: The 25 Hottest of 2009
29 December 2009 7:02 PM, PST
We've arrived at the very end of 2009, which means it's finally time to unveil our hotly-anticipated 25 Hottest and Lamest lists of 2009. Tonight we're kicking things off with our 25 Hottest of 2009 list, which includes a number of movie-related events (films, actors, actresses, trends, scenes) that we all thought were the hands-down hottest things to happen in Hollywood over the past 12 months. Joining us from the Cinematical staff for this year's lists are Eric D. Snider, William Goss, Monika Bartyzel, Dawn Taylor, Elisabeth Rappe, Jen Yamato and Peter Hall. We'll be back tomorrow night with our list of the 25 Lamest of 2009. Enjoy!
25. Up's tear-jerking silent vignette
With each new film, Pixar finds some way to top itself. The marvelous innovation in Up was the wordless sequence near the beginning, set to Michael Giacchino's wistful score, depicting Carl and Ellie's entire life together -- including the sad fact that they can't have children. »
- Erik Davis
Cinematical Seven: Asylum DVD Covers That Make My Head Spin
29 December 2009 6:02 PM, PST
I love The Asylum. There's no irony there. I'm one of the few weirdos on this planet who actively embraces a studio that releases schlock after schlock, month after month. To say I have a soft spot in my blackened, cinematic heart for their bottom-of-the-barrel mockbusters would be a lie. More accurately, part of my heart was replaced long ago by a shunt made of bad movies with bad "special" effects starring people who haven't been heard from in a long, long time. If you were to remove said shunt from my system, a little part of me would die inside. Then again, that may not be a bad thing, as clearing my Syfy channel recordings would free up a ton of space on my DVR.
Today marks the release of Princess of Mars on DVD, a landmark of sorts for the low-budget studio. This is the first time they've »
- Peter Hall
Girls on Film: Female Feats in 2009
29 December 2009 5:02 PM, PST
While it seems like just a blink since we rang in the last New Year, 2009 is almost over. It was a speedy blur of 365 days, but it was also a year that boasted some pretty great moments for women in cinema.
I played with the idea of doing a Best Of for 2009 -- relishing in all of Hollywood's great moments for the female set -- but I tend to shy away from "Best." It's too subjective, too easy to forget something notable, and too hard to be definitive unless you rarely sleep and spend every waking moment watching all of the year's movies and reading film news.
Next, I flirted with the idea of sharing a handful of my favorite moments/aspects of 2009, but every bullet point I wrote would get edited and changed for another, and it kept evolving over and over again until I realized that trying to »
- Monika Bartyzel
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